The discussion for 2007 Book of the Year was not a simple one. It took a long time to vote and it was clear we were torn. Even the title of Worst Book of the year wasn't a violent decision for some. For others there were emphatic reminders to the undecided about the most ridiculous plot points in an effort to sway the vote.
2007 Book of the year went to Omnivore's Dilemma (with a close second to Team of Rivals.)
Snow and The Worst Hard Time had some strong backers for least liked, but in the end Peony in Love garnered the least favorite title.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
2007 Book List
The 2007 official book list:
- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami
- The Looming Tower, Al-Qaeda And The Road To 9/11, Lawrence Wright
- Snow, Orhan Pamuk
- Water For Elephants, Sara Groen
- Peony in Love, Lisa See
- A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
- Team of Rivals, The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Doris Kearns Goodwin
- The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World, A.J. Jacobs
- The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Eagan
- The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
We finished out 2007 with another book by Haruki Murakami whom we read last year. (Kafka On the Shore) Wind-Up Bird follows the journey of a man whose marriage is in trouble. His search for his missing cat brings into his life an odd grouping of people - a 16 year old girl, a war veteran, a mute boy, faceless people, prostitutes and the worst... in-laws.
Set in modern Tokyo, Murakami deftly introduces a world that is neither real nor fantasy. His introduction of such things as alternate worlds under the ground are so well done that the reader doesn't question the reality presented even when the characters question it.
Murakami's style is very accessible in spite of the sometimes odd direction. He is very good at ending a chapter in the middle of a story which keeps you reading. He also intersects multiple stories together so while you're hanging on to finish one story Murakami sucks you into another. The connection between the story lines are subtle and if the two books we've read are an indication of his style, the subtlety is intended.
Our discussion of the book ranged from a debate about the metaphysical world, the nature of defilement, the translation of the book, and reoccurring themes. Cats are prominent, phone-sex pops up, baseball and many western references from music to popular culture.
The biographies of Murakami explain that he was (is) influenced by and enjoys western music, he was inspired to write his first novel while at a baseball game and that his writing style (short succinct chapters) is partly due to the fact that he wrote his first novel during breaks while at work. There are a few roaming cats on the Murakami website, which doesn't explain the significance.
Looking up Japanese mythology and cats the main reference is to the Beckoning Cat, or the manekineko . This cat, long long ago, stood in the door of the Gotoku-ji temple and raised her paw in the traditional Japanese beckoning gesture to a feudal lord who was passing by.
In business the manekineko is said to bring success. This is because her raised paw beckons in customers. It also welcomes in personal happiness and harmony. A black Beckoning Cat brings health, while a gold one, which is quite rare, brings in riches. Beckoning Cats are often sold as money boxes and in a house they are supposed to beckon in good friends.
Finally, our discussion came around to the purchasing of the book itself. More than two of us had the experience where the book was not for sale on the shelves of the bookstore. We also had a similar experience with the Kafka book. Combing through the Internet (google) the best reference to this amazingly references a Seattle bookshop owner. (Just a guess Michael Coy.)
Set in modern Tokyo, Murakami deftly introduces a world that is neither real nor fantasy. His introduction of such things as alternate worlds under the ground are so well done that the reader doesn't question the reality presented even when the characters question it.
Murakami's style is very accessible in spite of the sometimes odd direction. He is very good at ending a chapter in the middle of a story which keeps you reading. He also intersects multiple stories together so while you're hanging on to finish one story Murakami sucks you into another. The connection between the story lines are subtle and if the two books we've read are an indication of his style, the subtlety is intended.
Our discussion of the book ranged from a debate about the metaphysical world, the nature of defilement, the translation of the book, and reoccurring themes. Cats are prominent, phone-sex pops up, baseball and many western references from music to popular culture.
The biographies of Murakami explain that he was (is) influenced by and enjoys western music, he was inspired to write his first novel while at a baseball game and that his writing style (short succinct chapters) is partly due to the fact that he wrote his first novel during breaks while at work. There are a few roaming cats on the Murakami website, which doesn't explain the significance.
Looking up Japanese mythology and cats the main reference is to the Beckoning Cat, or the manekineko . This cat, long long ago, stood in the door of the Gotoku-ji temple and raised her paw in the traditional Japanese beckoning gesture to a feudal lord who was passing by.
The feudal lord followed the cat into the temple and instantly, a lightning bolt struck the place where the lord had been standing. Thus the cat had saved his life. From then on, the manekineko was considered as an incarnation of the 
Goddess of Mercy.
In business the manekineko is said to bring success. This is because her raised paw beckons in customers. It also welcomes in personal happiness and harmony. A black Beckoning Cat brings health, while a gold one, which is quite rare, brings in riches. Beckoning Cats are often sold as money boxes and in a house they are supposed to beckon in good friends.
Finally, our discussion came around to the purchasing of the book itself. More than two of us had the experience where the book was not for sale on the shelves of the bookstore. We also had a similar experience with the Kafka book. Combing through the Internet (google) the best reference to this amazingly references a Seattle bookshop owner. (Just a guess Michael Coy.)
The New York Times examines what books are shoplifted the most.
At a major independent bookstore in Seattle, the senior buyer said graphic novels, as well as books about the Beats and tattoos, disappear pretty often. He added, interestingly, that the enigmatic novels of the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami (pictured) have begun to disappear at a fast clip. His explanation: “In his own way, Murakami is a subversive writer with an outlaw sensibility. His characters have this Everyman thing going on, but they are also working against the grain.”
During the course of the evening only one major complaint was raised and that was related to the seemingly unrelated story lines, although not everyone had the same experience. Some of u s (me) missed a major plot point in a "minor" story chapter and so we say to you... pay attention!Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Looming Tower, Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
This winner of the Pulitzer Prize had us talking. While it wasn't the light read that most of us prefer this time of year we did think it was worth the read.
This non-fiction gem by Lawrence Wright explains the history of (or rather the development of) Islamic fundamentalism, the origins of al-Qaeda, and the (our words) criminal breakdown between U.S. agencies that failed several times over to stop the horrific events of 9/11.
Wright gives us a reference list of the cast of characters, but even with this tool it is daunting to follow all the folks who influenced and impacted bin laden (no capitals for that guy) and his ominous rise to leader of this organization.
As a counter point to bin laden the reader is introduced to an individual so interesting that he seems fictional. One of the key FBI players responsible for investigating the Embassy attacks in Kenya and Tanzania, John O'Neil is so colorful and interesting in his personal life that he makes a complex and tragic foe to bin laden, who in spite of his unique interpretation of the Koran believes himself to be righteous.
This book is by no means easy to read, the history is long and complicated and the failures at every turn to stop the growth of al-Qaeda and their misguided displays of "revenge" are maddening. Hind side is 20/20 - but Wright is unforgiving in his critisim of the failures of our government agencies.
Next up... Book of the Year!
This non-fiction gem by Lawrence Wright explains the history of (or rather the development of) Islamic fundamentalism, the origins of al-Qaeda, and the (our words) criminal breakdown between U.S. agencies that failed several times over to stop the horrific events of 9/11.
Wright gives us a reference list of the cast of characters, but even with this tool it is daunting to follow all the folks who influenced and impacted bin laden (no capitals for that guy) and his ominous rise to leader of this organization.
As a counter point to bin laden the reader is introduced to an individual so interesting that he seems fictional. One of the key FBI players responsible for investigating the Embassy attacks in Kenya and Tanzania, John O'Neil is so colorful and interesting in his personal life that he makes a complex and tragic foe to bin laden, who in spite of his unique interpretation of the Koran believes himself to be righteous.
This book is by no means easy to read, the history is long and complicated and the failures at every turn to stop the growth of al-Qaeda and their misguided displays of "revenge" are maddening. Hind side is 20/20 - but Wright is unforgiving in his critisim of the failures of our government agencies.
Next up... Book of the Year!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Snow
Wow, usually I'm johnny-on-the-spot with the book group recaps but not this month. Please forgive the posting if it seems vague and too high level.
So, we finally met on the correct night, after some good natured ribbing about calendars and personal updates we got to it.
Snow, by Orhan Pamuk is the tale of an exiled poet who returns to Kars, his home town in Turkey to cover an uncomfortable story that the locals and government would prefer remain untold. During his journey an epic snow storm isolates the town and a "military" coup takes place. Ka, the poet is an observer, but manages to get very involved in all the activities and (we thought) recklessly influences events without much thought to the consequences.
Ka is overcome with the return of his gift for poetry during his time in Kars and Orhan taunts us with conceptual descriptions of poem after poem. While not a huge fan of reading the poetry of others, the lack of any Ka's poetry in Snow is a disappointment that I'm sure is intended.
While the book resulted in a lively discussion we had some complaints. In spite of the fact that the book jacket touts a rave review from John Updike (The New Yorker) that states the book has "suspense at every dimpled vortex..." we were less than thrilled with Orhans style and how he managed to kill the suspense the moment it started to build. He builds a moment where the reader is anxious to read how the events will unfold, but before the story lead us to the answer, Orhan uses the narrator to give it away.
As a fictional example, a character injured in an accident and the doctor will be in to tell him the prognosis. Will he ever walk again? Will he be able to walk down the isle to marry his one true love? Suspense, suspense.... this is where Orhan would drop a line like "Ka, in extraordinary pain, waited anxiously to learn if he would ever walk again. He never would." COME ON MAN, give us a few moments to agonize over the suspense you built!
Another (albeit much more minor) complaint is the inconsistent use of the first person narrator. The story is told third person until page 180-something when we start to hear the narrator talk about "I" and his role in the story. It was jarring. We hoped that it was a translation issue.
These items aside, we enjoyed the read and were pleased to see a novel about Turkey. The backdrop of the coup was a good device to describe the complex inner workings of this community. The isolation of the town by the snow was also an interesting metaphor for Ka's struggle with his belief in God.
So, we finally met on the correct night, after some good natured ribbing about calendars and personal updates we got to it.
Snow, by Orhan Pamuk is the tale of an exiled poet who returns to Kars, his home town in Turkey to cover an uncomfortable story that the locals and government would prefer remain untold. During his journey an epic snow storm isolates the town and a "military" coup takes place. Ka, the poet is an observer, but manages to get very involved in all the activities and (we thought) recklessly influences events without much thought to the consequences.
Ka is overcome with the return of his gift for poetry during his time in Kars and Orhan taunts us with conceptual descriptions of poem after poem. While not a huge fan of reading the poetry of others, the lack of any Ka's poetry in Snow is a disappointment that I'm sure is intended.
While the book resulted in a lively discussion we had some complaints. In spite of the fact that the book jacket touts a rave review from John Updike (The New Yorker) that states the book has "suspense at every dimpled vortex..." we were less than thrilled with Orhans style and how he managed to kill the suspense the moment it started to build. He builds a moment where the reader is anxious to read how the events will unfold, but before the story lead us to the answer, Orhan uses the narrator to give it away.
As a fictional example, a character injured in an accident and the doctor will be in to tell him the prognosis. Will he ever walk again? Will he be able to walk down the isle to marry his one true love? Suspense, suspense.... this is where Orhan would drop a line like "Ka, in extraordinary pain, waited anxiously to learn if he would ever walk again. He never would." COME ON MAN, give us a few moments to agonize over the suspense you built!
Another (albeit much more minor) complaint is the inconsistent use of the first person narrator. The story is told third person until page 180-something when we start to hear the narrator talk about "I" and his role in the story. It was jarring. We hoped that it was a translation issue.
These items aside, we enjoyed the read and were pleased to see a novel about Turkey. The backdrop of the coup was a good device to describe the complex inner workings of this community. The isolation of the town by the snow was also an interesting metaphor for Ka's struggle with his belief in God.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Oops...
I drove to work today so that I could be at Christine's on time tonight for book club. There was plenty of parking in front of her house and it made me wonder the same thought I always have... "hmm, 7:00 or 7:30... I can never remember. I hope I'm not a half an hour early."
Knocking on the door I heard the dog go bonkers and children scramble for the door. "Children, odd usually it's a kids free zone, oh well no matter." The door opened and a very capable looking teen aged girl looked me over with trepidation and then acceptance. Without inviting me in we established that book club wasn't tonight but she couldn't confirm if it was happening elsewhere or on another night.
When I wondered aloud "I wonder if I'm at the wrong house." Big D (all of 6 years old) let me know that I wasn't at the "wrong house, you're at my house." I told Mr. D. that I knew this was his house and that I'd probably see him tomorrow.
A quick round of phone calls confirmed that indeed this gal (who spent the afternoon power reading to finish on time) had arrived on the wrong danged day.
So... I guess we'll start over tomorrow.
Knocking on the door I heard the dog go bonkers and children scramble for the door. "Children, odd usually it's a kids free zone, oh well no matter." The door opened and a very capable looking teen aged girl looked me over with trepidation and then acceptance. Without inviting me in we established that book club wasn't tonight but she couldn't confirm if it was happening elsewhere or on another night.
When I wondered aloud "I wonder if I'm at the wrong house." Big D (all of 6 years old) let me know that I wasn't at the "wrong house, you're at my house." I told Mr. D. that I knew this was his house and that I'd probably see him tomorrow.
A quick round of phone calls confirmed that indeed this gal (who spent the afternoon power reading to finish on time) had arrived on the wrong danged day.
So... I guess we'll start over tomorrow.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Water for Elephants
Catching up with one another consumed the first hour (or so) of our early Sunday evening book group. With the summer wrapping up there was lots to discuss, vacations, family, jobs, movies oh, and a book.
Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen details the surprisingly likable world of a tier two circus troop in the hard luck 20's and 30's. Told through the eyes of a young college aged boy we are treated to characters who although fit for a circus are well rounded and unique.
Gruen adeptly describes the hierarchy of the troop, the menagerie folks don't eat with the performers, but nobody gets paid and nobody complains lest they get red-lighted (aka tossed from the train while its moving to the next town.)
Jacob is remembering his first years with the circus while he waits for his family to visit him in his retirement home. We are quickly drawn into a world of tents, horses and dancing elephants. Neither world is all that perfect but in the end we appreciate both for what they are.
We felt that the author captured the male voice and thought process well and only a couple times crossed the boundaries into dialog that was more apt to be female than male.
While we all liked the book and the story presented we universally took issue with the journey of the modern day Jacob and thought the end to his storyline was unrealistic. Well, as unrealistic as a story about a veterinarian hopping aboard an unknown train and landing a job with a traveling circus could be.
All in all, thumbs up and an enjoyable read.
(If we direct you to Amazon to buy the book do you think they will sue us for borrowing a picture of the same book from their web site? I hope not; if they sue us then I'll stop buying my books there. tlp)
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