The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

This guy can write. In fact, this book is one of the most original that I've come across in a long time.

Like the layers of an onion, Diaz peels back the layers of years to reveal the back history of Oscar and his sister Lola. And what a history it is! The Banana Curtain is unveiled and the horrors of Trujillo -- the raging narcissist and despoiler of women -- are unflinchingly revealed, creating shudders of revulsion and flashes of understanding in this reader.

Junot Diaz creates a language and a tempo unlike any I've read before, peppered with Spanish colloquialisms, street talk, and video game terminology. Somehow, though, it works - and works beautifully - even if you don't know an "hola" from an "adios" or have never played a video game in your life.

I will not soon forget Oscar Wao, the 300+ pound romantic, Lola, Yunior, or his mother and the Gangster and his ill-fated grandparents. The book is compulsively readable. For all of those who say that "the novel is dead", I say: read Junot Diaz.

Free Food For Millionaires

Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee is an excellent novel about a young, bright daughter of immigrant parents, Casey, a young woman full of potential, just graduated from Princeton in the mid-1990s. She has everything, or seems to, but can't quite realize the value in what she has. Min Jin Lee does an excellent job of conveying the New York City of the oversmart and overprivileged of that time. The title, "Free Food for Millionaires", is a reference to the free lunch provided periodically at an investment bank during that time. It's a perfect summary of the worlds Casey lives in - the striving world of her parents and the overprivileged one of her Princeton classmates, where peoples needs and wants are seemingly either denied and oversupplied. Happiness is never full--something is always missing. That lack of perfection makes this a strong novel. Lee does some interesting things with her characters -they and their stories take some unexpected turns.

Overall, though, this is an enjoyable read, full of flawed and human characters. This one would probably be a perfect book club read--it will give readers much to discuss.

Killer Instinct

Just finished reading Joseph Finder's latest corporate thriller Killer Instinct, and it was a fast and entertaining read. From the jacket: Jason Steadman is a thirty-year-old sales executive living in Boston and working for a electronics giant, a competitor to Sony and Panasonic. He's a witty, charismatic guy who's well liked at the office, but he lacks the “ killer instinct” necessary to move up the corporate ladder. To the chagrin of his ambitious wife, it looks as if his career has hit a ceiling. Jason's been sidelined. But all that will change one evening when Jason meets Kurt Semko, a former Special Forces officer just back from Iraq. Looking for a decent pitcher for the company softball team, Jason gets Kurt, who was once drafted by the majors, a job in Corporate Security. Soon, good things start to happen for Jason - and bad things start to happen to Jason's rivals. His career suddenly takes off. He's an overnight success. Only too late does Jason discover that his friend Kurt has been secretly paving his path to the top by the most “ efficient” - and ruthless - means available. After all, Kurt says, “ Business is war, right?” But when Jason tries to put a stop to it, he finds that his new best friend has become the most dangerous enemy imaginable. And now it's far more than just his career that lies in the balance.

Company Man

Wanted to read another corporate thriller, so I just picked up Joseph Finder's Company Man the other day from the library. From the book jacket: Nick Conover is the CEO of a major corporation, a local boy made good, and once the most admired man in a company town. But that was before the layoffs. When a faceless stalker menaces his family, Nick, a single father of two since the recent death of his wife, finds that the gated community they live in is no protection at all. He decides to take action, a tragedy ensues - and immediately his life spirals out of control.At work, Nick begins to uncover a conspiracy against him, involving some of his closest colleagues. He doesn't know who he can trust - including the brilliant, troubled new woman in his life. Meanwhile, his actions are being probed by a homicide detective named Audrey Rhimes, a relentless investigator with a strong sense of morality - and her own, very personal reason for pursuing Nick Conover. With everything he cares about in the balance, Nick discovers strengths he never knew he had. His enemies don't realize how hard he'll fight to save his company. And nobody knows how far he'll go to protect his family.

Water For Elephants

Just finished Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants and I must say that was an amazing read. It has been lauded as a "great pick for summer", but this book is so much more. It has a depth and a substance to it that you don't usually find in your typical "beach read". It's obvious that the author did her research into the time period (post-Depression America), and the subject matter (traveling circuses). According to the author's note at the end of the book, many of the compelling anecdotes in the story were based upon real events, culled from the diaries and personal histories of old-time circus performers. As a result, Water for Elephants is a novel that boasts the rare combination of being both entertaining and informative.

The main character is a cantankerous, still-sharp 93-year-old man, and his frustration at being trapped in an old man's body is palpable. The story of his incredible life and adventures with the Benzini Brothers circus unfolds in a way that is emotionally wrenching, and yet flashes of good humor pervade throughout. The characters are richly drawn, and even the animals are given complex personalities that make them a pivotal part of the story. There is something in the novel for everyone: it is equal parts adventure, mystery, fictional memoir, love story, and historical account.

The Inheritance of Loss

Took a couple of weeks break, and now I'm back to reading again. Picked up Kiran Desai's acclaimed second novel The Inheritance of Loss from the library and it's a great read so far. Set in the 1980s, the book tells the story of a judge living out a disenchanted retirement in Kalimpong, a hill station in the Himalayan foothills, and his relationship with his granddaughter Sai. Another element in the novel is the encroachment on their lives by a band of Nepalese insurgents. Another concern of the novel is the life of Biju, the son of Mr. Patel's cook, an illegal immigrant in New York.

Ms. Desai also authored the critically received Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, the book that won the Man Booker Prize in 2006. She has a fresh, new style of writing that reminds me a little bit of Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Shadow of the Wind).

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Picked up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final installment of the Harry Potter series, first thing this morning at Target for $17.99. Just started reading it and right away the tone is extremely dark, continuing from the seventh book in the series, Half-Blood Prince. It looks like it will be a fitting end to the story that Lediya and I started reading way back in 2001. I wonder what J.K. Rowling will be up to next?

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Now reading Khaled Hosseini's second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Hosseini, who authored the 2006 bestseller The Kite Runner, returns to Afghanistan as the backdrop to his novel.

Whereas The Kite Runner focused on fathers and sons, and friendships between men, A Thousand Splendid Suns focuses on mothers and daughters, and friendships between women. Whereas The Kite Runner got off to a gripping start and stumbled into contrivance and sentimentality in its second half, Splendid Suns starts off programmatically and gains speed and emotional power as it slowly unfurls.

It's a superb read, though not quite as good as The Kite Runner, it still provides a glimpse into daily life in Afghanistan.

After Dark

Now reading Haruki Murakami's latest novel After Dark. Taking place over seven hours of a Tokyo night, it intercuts three loosely related stories, linked by Murakami's signature magical-realist absurd coincidences.

It's a good book, but not as good as Kafka on the Shore. Still a worthwhile read though.

The Children of Húrin

Just started reading J.R.R.Tolkien's The Children of Húrin, published in April 2007. Quoting from the jacket flap: "The Children of Húrin takes the reader back to a time long before The Lord of the Rings, in an area of Middle-earth that was to be drowned before Hobbits appeared, and when the great enemy was still the fallen Vala, Morgoth, and Sauron was only Morgoth's lieutenant. This heroic romance is the tale of the Man, Húrin, who dared to defy Morgoth's force of evil, and his family's tragic destiny, as it follows his son Túrin Turambar's travels through the lost world of Beleriand..."

It's a good read so far, have to get used to reading Lord of the Rings-type language again.

The Egyptian

Just started reading Mika Waltari's epic historical novel The Egyptian. It is set in a fascinating period of Egyptian history, mostly during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten of the 18th Dynasty, whom some have claimed to be the first monotheistic ruler in the world.

The hero of the novel is not Akhenaten, however, but the fictional character Sinuhe, the royal physician, who tells the story in exile after Akhenaten's fall and death. Apart from incidents in Egypt, the novel charts Sinuhe's travels in then-Egyptian dominated Syria, Mitanni, Babylon, Minoan Crete, and among the Hittites.

I'm a big fan of historical novels and I had read that this book is one of the greatest ever written.

The Road

I haven't read a novel in a while but decided to pick up Cormac McCarthy's latest novel The Road. It is a post-apocalyptic tale describing a journey taken by a father and his young son over a period of several months across a landscape blasted years before by an unnamed cataclysm which destroyed civilization and most life on earth. The novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection.

It's a great read so far and I read it when I have some downtime with Lucas.

Caring for Your Baby and Young Child

An excellent reference book for all parents, especially first-time parents, is Caring for Your Baby and Young Child by renowned pediatricians Shelov and Hanneman. We're thumbing through this book now, learning the intricacies of caring for a newborn. In there you will find:

• Basic care from infancy through age five
• Guidelines and milestones for physical, emotional, social, and cognitive growth
• A complete health encyclopedia covering injuries, illnesses, congenital diseases, and other disabilities
• Guidelines for prenatal and newborn care
• An in-depth guide to breastfeeding
• A complete guide for immunizations and updated information on vaccines
• A guide for choosing child care programs and car safety seats

Luckily, I was able to score a free copy of the book online, but you can pick one up for $16 at bn.com or also from eBay. Highly recommended.

Baby Bargains

We're now flipping through Denise and Alan Fields' Baby Bargains and wish we read it a few months ago. It's an excellent reference book that covers the whole spectrum of baby items - cribs, high chairs, car seats, formula, diapers, nursery furniture, strollers, clothing, etc. They review the items and, based additionally on thousands of reader feedback, give the products a rating grade. They also run a cost-benefit analysis of the products and provide links to where the products can be bought for less than retail. The authors promise that the average reader will save 20 - 30% off retail prices.

We highly recommend this book to expecting parents-to-be to get before the baby shower! I picked our copy up from bn.com for $15 shipped.

Happiest Baby on the Block

We've been kind of "forced" to read Dr. Harvey Karp's The Happiest Baby on the Block (thanks Tek) to help us out with Lucas. The book has five main tenets on how to activate the calming reflex on babies called the five "S's." They are:

1. Swaddling - tight and snug swaddling helps set the stage for the rest of the five.
2. Side/Stomach - rolling the infant into his side or stomach (ie "football hold") can activate the calming reflex within seconds.
3. Shhhh - Shushing crying babies mimic the sounds of shushing in the womb, but this needs to be done at the same loudness level.
4. Swinging - energetic and vigorous swinging can result in a trance for the baby. 5. Sucking - the breast or pacifier leads to soothing.

We've tried all five and can attest that it works. We can usually calm him down in a minute when he cries.

Shōgun

Now reading James Clavell's highly acclaimed novel Shōgun. It is the first novel (chronologically speaking) in Clavell's Asian Saga. It is set in feudal Japan somewhere around the year 1600 and gives a highly fictionalized account of the rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu to the Shogunate, seen through the eyes of an English sailor whose fictional heroics are loosely based on Willam Adams' exploits.

It's a wonderfully engrossing historical novel so far.

Everything Father-To-Be Book

Borrowed Kevin Nelson's The Everything Father-To-Be Book from my brother-in-law Ben to help me prepare for Baby Beltran's arrival. The book is great. It's packed with helpful information and experienced advice. There are sections on balancing home and work responsibilities, tips on supporting and encouraging your partner, advice on babyproofing the home, and others.

Recommended for first time dads-to-be!

Aztec

I am now fully engaged in Gary Jennings' captivating epic Aztec. This book has it all: blood (lots and lots and lots of it, both in war and in human sacrifices), sex, and more plot twists than you can shake a stick at.

The main character, Mixtli, is incredibly human, even more human than some people I know. I cringe when I call him a character, because after reading this book, he feels more like a friend. He makes mistakes, not stupid mistakes, but mistakes we would make if we were in his position. The people that he shares his life with are also noteworthy. Even Hernan Cortes isn't demonized here. The Spanish are noted as real people. As people with flaws, which are criticized with heavy doses of irony and sarcasm.

What makes this book incredible is that Jennings' seemingly first-hand knowledge of the culture, history, and the traditions of the Aztec people. It's like I was actually reading a non-fiction first person account of Mixtli's life.

This is a long book - 768 pages. But this is easily the most engrossing historical novel that I have ever read.

The Templar Legacy

Now reading The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry. It's another page turner as the story takes place in Denmark and France. Recently retired U.S. Justice Department agent Cotton Malone is thrust into a chase that answers two of the primary mysteries about the Templars: How were they able to acheive such great power that they cowed the Church and what happened to all their treasure when Philip the Fair of France destroyed the Knights Templar in 1307.

Another book in the same vein as the Da Vinci Code and The Last Templar. As you can probably tell I'm pretty fascinated by historical thrillers.

Paranoia

Well, today is my day off from work and what did I do? I spent most of the day reading Joseph Finder's Paranoia. It's a corporate espionage thriller that is enlivened by a wonderfully wry, witty tone.

The book is set in present-day Silicon Valley, with two companies - one Oracle-like, with a messianic Larry Ellison-like CEO, the other with an Andrew Grove-type paternal-type leader with a fierce blood-on-the-lips, take-no-prisoners attitude just below the surface - vie for supremacy over a new "killer app."

This is my first corporate thriller novel and I like the genre so far. I started the book yesterday afternoon and finished it just an hour ago. It was that entertaining.

Color of the Sea

Now reading John Hamamura's excellent debut novel, Color of the Sea. This is a powerful book about two people caught in one of the more painful moments of American history when the treatment of Japanese people in the United States was a travesty of the things America is supposed to stand for.

The story is told from the standpoint of an immigrant Japanese man drafted into the U.S. Army and a Japanese-American girl who returned to Japan just before the war. It is a tale well told against a well researched time in history. It places a very personal and touching aspect on the history of that time.

It's an enthralling book so far, one of the best I've read so far this year.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Now reading Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. So far, it's a beautiful exploration of relationships between women in 19th century rural China, where they were largely isolated from men (including their husbands), spending their time "upstairs" embroidering and telling stories. The story focuses on two friends, Lily and Snow Flower. Each has taken out a contract to become "old sames", partners in every aspect for life. We see their pains and joys, their lives unfold before our eyes, and we see their relationship grow, year by year, through the women's secret writing of nu-shu, a secret way of communicating to each other.

This is a book that is a compelling story, written with sensitivity, historical fact, and insight into cultural practices. It shows what it means to be a woman (and a man) within societal traditions, expectations, influences and demands of the time period.

The Shadow of the Wind

Now almost halfway through Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind. I will, without hesitation, say that this is one of the best books I have ever read. It's translated from the Spanish by Lucia Graves and takes place in post-Civil War Barcelona.

What starts out as an intriguing love story for those who love books turns into a twist-filled story thick with mystery, gothic romanticism, and intrigue of the best kind. Daniel Sempere is a young child who has recently lost his mother after the Civil War in Spain. His father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a cavernous, hidden chamber full of books that have been saved from being lost. Daniel is instructed to choose one book, a book that he will guard for life. Daniel chooses "The Shadow of the Wind" by Julian Carax, and takes it home. Later that night, he devours the book in one sitting, deciding in the wee hours of the morning to discover more about Julian Carax. Soon, however, he discovers that someone has destroyed all of Carax's books, save the one he holds, and that not much is known about the author anyway. Then, in the dead of night, he meets the mysterious figure who wants to purchase the book from him--a person who smells of burnt paper. Daniel declines, extremely suspicious of this man. So his journey begins to learn more about Carax, ultimately learning about himself in the process.

Highly, highly recommended. I started the book this past Monday and I'm already halfway through the nearly 500-page book.

Memories of My Melancholy Whores

Now reading Gabriel García Márquez's latest literary masterpiece Memories of My Melancholy Whores. Nobel laureate Marquez writes about a nameless narrator, a newspaper columnist, that is about to hit his 90th birthday, and he knows exactly what he wants for it: "the gift of a night of wild love with an adolescent virgin." A constant customer all his life of various brothels around town, he has no trouble arranging for such a tryst. But it doesn't pan out as planned. He discovers love for the first time.

It's a short book (about 180 pages) and was translated from Spanish by acclaimed translator Edith Grossman. If this is García Márquez's last work of fiction (he's said to be working on the sequels to his memoir Living to Tell the Tale), it's a wonderful note to go out on.

The Secret Supper

Because we've been keeping Lediya's mom company at the hospital for an extended amount of time the past couple of days (9 hours yesterday, 8 hours today), I was able to fly through Javier Sierra's international bestseller The Secret Supper. Yes, it's another historical-religious novel, but I just can't seem to get away from these types of books because I enjoy the hidden codes and messages the protagonists in these types of books always try to decipher.

Set in Milan in the late fifteenth century, Leonardo's masterpiece The Last Supper overflows with religious intrigue. Pope Alexander IV is intent on executing Da Vinci when he realizes that the painting of the last supper contains a blasphemous message in the form of clues. It is the job of a Dominican Monk, Father Agostino Leyre, to break the master's code.

And no, this book is not a clone of the Da Vinci Code. Fast read and worthwhile for fans of religion-themed thrillers.

The Last Templar

I'm now engrossed in Raymond Khoury's debut novel, The Last Templar. It's a fast-paced, highly cinematic romp through several continents in search of the infamous Knights Templar secret treasure.

I recommend this book for Dan Brown fans who enjoy reading historical suspense-thrillers. Great read so far.

Little Chinese Seamstress

Just finished reading Dai Saijie's critically acclaimed novella Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. It's a very quick read (187 pages, completed it in three evenings). It's a story about two sons of doctors sent to a remote mountain village for "re-education" during the height of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. There, the two protagonists meet the granddaughter of the local tailor and discover a hidden suitcase filled with various Western novels in Chinese translation.

The escapades of the narrator and his friend Luo are simultaneously funny and bittersweet. They encounter the "most beautiful girl in all the nearby villages" (the Little Seamstress) and she becomes Luo's girlfriend. The boys then stumble upon books by French greats (Balzac, Dumas and Romain Rolland) in a time when all books are forbidden except propaganda materials and Chairman Mao's "Little Red Book."

Kafka on the Shore

I'm on a reading binge! I'm now almost done with Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore, an enigmatic novel with a very original tale. The novel consists of two intertwining stories featuring 15-year old run-away student Kafka Tamura and retired feline-loving simpleton Nakata. They are both on a journey, but for different reasons. The coming-of-age story of Kafka is the perfect compliment to Nakata's "exit-of age" journey.

This is my first time reading Murakami and it won't be my last. Next up on my radar: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

Never Let Me Go

I'm currently reading Kazuo Ishiguro's brilliant 2005 novel Never Let Me Go. On the surface it's a story about Kathy and her recollections of her childhood at Hailsham, an English boarding school located in the countryside. But within her recollections lurk the true meaning of her existence and her experiences.

It's a transcendent novel and an astonishingly powerful work of literature. The pace is slow and the details seem trivial, but patient readers will be rewarded for their efforts with a thought-provoking exposition on whose life is worth living and who, if anyone, has the right to set the terms and conditions.

The Third Secret

I'm currently reading Steve Berry's The Third Secret, which is a suspense-thriller that centers around the mysterious secrets that the Fatima revealed in Portugal to three children in the early 1900s.

It's a fast read so far and it gives great insight into the inner workings of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Pilot's Wife

Just finished Anita Shreve's The Pilot's Wife. It's an insightful tale of loss and betrayal.

As the story opens, Kathryn, a pilot's wife, has been told that her husband's plane has crashed and there are no survivors. The book follows Kathryn into the numbing, silent, surreal world known to those who suffer loss. Memories of her happy marriage engulf her and paralyze her, but she begins to cope with the help of a kind man from the pilot's union. In the second half of the book, Kathryn pieces together clues left by her husband that lead to shocking revelations about him, and eventually, the healing process begins.

I don't usually read these type of books but it was a very fast read (it took me three days) and was thought-provoking.

The Lincoln Lawyer

I'm currently in the middle of Michael Connelly's The Lincoln Lawyer. It's an ingenious legal thriller that is very fast paced and a definite page-turner. If you like the legal thriller genre, this novel won't disappoint.

The Kite Runner

I'm currently reading Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, a work of fiction that was published in 2003.

It follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event changes the nature of their relationship forever, and eventually cements their bond in ways neither boy could have ever predicted. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, Amir remains haunted by his cowardly actions and disloyalty. In part, it is these demons and the sometimes impossible quest for forgiveness that bring him back to his war-torn native land after it comes under Taliban rule.

An excellent read, highly recommended.

Freakonomics

Just picked up a copy of the non-fiction bestseller Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by economist Steven Leavitt and journalist Stephen Dubner. The authors apply economic theory to diverse topics usually not covered by "traditional" economists. Topics such as proving the existence of cheating among sumo wrestlers, the impact of unusual names on children, and others.

My Top Books Of 2005

This year I read about 20 books, ranging in topics such as vampirism, geishas and World War II, parachute kids, wizardry, and the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili.

So, my top five books that I read in 2005 are:


1. Memoirs Of A Geisha by Arthur Golden
2. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
4. The Traveler by John Twelve Hawkes
5. The Jasmine Trade by Denise Hamilton

Oh yeah, the book that I read that centered around the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili was the Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason.

Chronicles of Narnia

The current book I am reading is Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Got the whole series from Costco for $12. Anytime a movie based on a book comes out I try to read the book beforehand so I can compare how much the movie stays faithful to the book.

I am reading the third book of the series, The Horse And His Boy.

Incidentally, Lediya and I watched the movie last night and we both enjoyed it. While the movie did not entirely stay true to the book (minor changes here and there), the movie was well done and the CGI elements blended exceptionally well. The climactic final battle, while not on par with other famous movie battles (The battle of the Pelennor Fields or even Helm's Deep, both from the Lord of the Rings), was still fairly impressive.

We recommend reading the book and watching the movie.

Personal Finance

A lesson that was ingrained in me by my parents at an early age was the importance of saving money. I bought my first mutual fund at age 18 and saw it soar in value through college. I also learned the time value of money. The idea that money available at the present time is worth more than the same amount in the future, due to its potential earning capacity. This core principle of finance holds that, provided money can earn interest, any amount of money is worth more the sooner it is received.

I am extremely lucky because Lediya and I believe in the same financial philosophy: save as much as you can as early as you can to take great advantage of the magic of compounding. Compounding, in a nutshell, is basically when interest you have earned on your savings earn interest themselves, thereby increasing your saving's value logarithmically.

Because of our hindsight back in our early twenties, both Lediya and I are in excellent shape for a comfortable retirement.

I just thought I'd share a personal finance book that I read a few years ago. It's called "Get A Financial Life: Personal Finance In Your Twenties and Thirties" by Beth Kobliner. It's a great resource for twenty- and thirty- somethings who need information on a wide variety of topics such as insurance, retirement, investing, home ownership, and taxes. It's a great read.