Books: July 2020 Update (Part 1)
Here are some books reviews from the last few books that I read in Senegal and a few that I read during my 2-week quarantine period in Seattle:
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
This novel is fantastic. It follows the life of a young Chinese boy, Henry, living in what is now Seattle's International District in the 1940's and his budding romance with a Japanese girl, Keiko, of whom his family does not approve who lives nearby in Seattle's former Japantown. Her family is sent to an internment camp; Henry tries to keep in contact with her as much as possible, but the gap eventually becomes impossible to bridge. The timeline of the novel jumps back and forth from Henry's past (the 1940's) to the present (1980's) where Henry is struggling to deal with the death of his wife (not Keiko) and the memories of Keiko that come flooding back when the long-lost possessions of interned Japanese families are found in the basement of a Seattle hotel. Reading about Henry's brought to light some very important questions in life: How do you know if a decision you made was correct? How far should one go to try and hold onto something that is beautiful yet bound for failure? To what extent is remembering the past constructive and to what extent is it distracting or destructive to one's present situation? I cried during the final chapters, reading this book in my hut. I did not want it to end. I highly recommend this novel.
North
Scott Jurek's book about his Appalachian Trail speed record is a fantastic look into the sport, the adventure, and the logistical challenges of completing a monumental thru-hiking feat: traveling the length of the Appalachian trail in fewer than 50 days. Jurek, an accomplished ultramarathoner (and author of Eat & Run), takes on this challenge after some time away from competitive running. His wife Jenny serves as the only permanent member of his crew, following Scott's route along the criss-crossing mountain roads that follow the AT. In addition to Scott's detailed descriptions of the day-to-day challenges of his run, Jenny writes a short section at the end of each chapter to describe her role as Scott's crew, a position that is arguably just as difficult as the actual running of the trail. If these two perspectives are not enough for you, we also get to meet many of Scott and Jenny's ultrarunner friends who come out to run with Scott or help Jenny crew. Each adds their unique bits of advice to the effort, enhancing the enjoyability of the book in the process. If you are a fan of running, thru-hiking, or superhuman athletic feats, you will love this book.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Murakami's short memoir explores the relationship between running and his career as a novelist. Murakami has for years run 6 miles a day, 6 days a week. In addition, he runs at least one marathon each year and has participated in one ultramarathon. Murakami relates the discipline of running every morning to the discipline of sitting down at a desk every day to write. It is clear from his brevity and his direct writing that Murakami has parceled out these connections over a long period of time. They are written with a simplicity that appears only when ideas are very clear and focused. The way in which Murakami, who is Japanese, describes running and its place in his life is different than perspectives I have often heard (via book or podcast) from ultramarathoners and career athletes who are American and European. Recommended for runners or other athletes who are looking to expand their viewpoint on sports outside the Western lens.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Another solid book in the Harry Potter series. There are lots of intricacies to the plot of this book, especially concerning Professor Snape and Voldemort's past. I remember being a little confused when I read this book as an 11-year-old. Not surprisingly, the plot was a little easier to follow as a 25-year-old. Unfortunately, this movie was the worst in the series. I never realized how bad it was when I was a teenager; the movie is awful. A lot of great scenes are cut out from the book and the scenes that do make the movie are lackluster. If you have not seen this movie, you can read the book and skip ahead to watch the Deathly Hallows instead of wasting your time watching the Half-Blood Prince.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Upon completion of me re-reading of the Harry Potter series, the Deathly Hallows is my favorite of the books. One of my favorite sections is when Harry, Ron and Hermione are searching for horcruxes about 1/4 of the way through the book. The way that the tensions escalate between the three friends was very engaging; it was captivating to see them try not to fight with one another even as their situation became more and more intense. This section of the book, of course, culminates in Ron leaving the group for a little while. The final battle in Hogwarts was also fantastic. I have not yet rewatched the Deathly Hallows movies, but I am sure they will hold up better than the Half-Blood Prince movie did.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
I chose to read this book because it was on the list of "best books" that another volunteer in Senegal put on her blog when her service ended in 2019. Fadiman's book describes the history of the Hmong people during the last couple hundred years and explores the many problems that have arisen among Hmong refugees in the United States due to cultural misunderstandings, especially those that arise during interactions with American institutions. The Hmong were forced out of their native land of Southern China during the 19th century; they migrated to other countries in Southeast Asia including Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. In these new countries, they formed homogenous villages in the mountains and continued their previous agricultural way of life as best they could. Many thousands of Hmong in Laos helped the CIA fight Communist forces during the Vietnam War. Then, the Hmong were again persecuted when the North Vietnamese took over Saigon. Hundreds of thousands of Hmong fled to the United States, where upon arrival they were not received as war heroes (as they had rightly expected) but instead as immigrants who have no money, no knowledge of American culture, and cannot speak English.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
This novel is fantastic. It follows the life of a young Chinese boy, Henry, living in what is now Seattle's International District in the 1940's and his budding romance with a Japanese girl, Keiko, of whom his family does not approve who lives nearby in Seattle's former Japantown. Her family is sent to an internment camp; Henry tries to keep in contact with her as much as possible, but the gap eventually becomes impossible to bridge. The timeline of the novel jumps back and forth from Henry's past (the 1940's) to the present (1980's) where Henry is struggling to deal with the death of his wife (not Keiko) and the memories of Keiko that come flooding back when the long-lost possessions of interned Japanese families are found in the basement of a Seattle hotel. Reading about Henry's brought to light some very important questions in life: How do you know if a decision you made was correct? How far should one go to try and hold onto something that is beautiful yet bound for failure? To what extent is remembering the past constructive and to what extent is it distracting or destructive to one's present situation? I cried during the final chapters, reading this book in my hut. I did not want it to end. I highly recommend this novel.
North
Scott Jurek's book about his Appalachian Trail speed record is a fantastic look into the sport, the adventure, and the logistical challenges of completing a monumental thru-hiking feat: traveling the length of the Appalachian trail in fewer than 50 days. Jurek, an accomplished ultramarathoner (and author of Eat & Run), takes on this challenge after some time away from competitive running. His wife Jenny serves as the only permanent member of his crew, following Scott's route along the criss-crossing mountain roads that follow the AT. In addition to Scott's detailed descriptions of the day-to-day challenges of his run, Jenny writes a short section at the end of each chapter to describe her role as Scott's crew, a position that is arguably just as difficult as the actual running of the trail. If these two perspectives are not enough for you, we also get to meet many of Scott and Jenny's ultrarunner friends who come out to run with Scott or help Jenny crew. Each adds their unique bits of advice to the effort, enhancing the enjoyability of the book in the process. If you are a fan of running, thru-hiking, or superhuman athletic feats, you will love this book.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Murakami's short memoir explores the relationship between running and his career as a novelist. Murakami has for years run 6 miles a day, 6 days a week. In addition, he runs at least one marathon each year and has participated in one ultramarathon. Murakami relates the discipline of running every morning to the discipline of sitting down at a desk every day to write. It is clear from his brevity and his direct writing that Murakami has parceled out these connections over a long period of time. They are written with a simplicity that appears only when ideas are very clear and focused. The way in which Murakami, who is Japanese, describes running and its place in his life is different than perspectives I have often heard (via book or podcast) from ultramarathoners and career athletes who are American and European. Recommended for runners or other athletes who are looking to expand their viewpoint on sports outside the Western lens.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Another solid book in the Harry Potter series. There are lots of intricacies to the plot of this book, especially concerning Professor Snape and Voldemort's past. I remember being a little confused when I read this book as an 11-year-old. Not surprisingly, the plot was a little easier to follow as a 25-year-old. Unfortunately, this movie was the worst in the series. I never realized how bad it was when I was a teenager; the movie is awful. A lot of great scenes are cut out from the book and the scenes that do make the movie are lackluster. If you have not seen this movie, you can read the book and skip ahead to watch the Deathly Hallows instead of wasting your time watching the Half-Blood Prince.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Upon completion of me re-reading of the Harry Potter series, the Deathly Hallows is my favorite of the books. One of my favorite sections is when Harry, Ron and Hermione are searching for horcruxes about 1/4 of the way through the book. The way that the tensions escalate between the three friends was very engaging; it was captivating to see them try not to fight with one another even as their situation became more and more intense. This section of the book, of course, culminates in Ron leaving the group for a little while. The final battle in Hogwarts was also fantastic. I have not yet rewatched the Deathly Hallows movies, but I am sure they will hold up better than the Half-Blood Prince movie did.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
I chose to read this book because it was on the list of "best books" that another volunteer in Senegal put on her blog when her service ended in 2019. Fadiman's book describes the history of the Hmong people during the last couple hundred years and explores the many problems that have arisen among Hmong refugees in the United States due to cultural misunderstandings, especially those that arise during interactions with American institutions. The Hmong were forced out of their native land of Southern China during the 19th century; they migrated to other countries in Southeast Asia including Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. In these new countries, they formed homogenous villages in the mountains and continued their previous agricultural way of life as best they could. Many thousands of Hmong in Laos helped the CIA fight Communist forces during the Vietnam War. Then, the Hmong were again persecuted when the North Vietnamese took over Saigon. Hundreds of thousands of Hmong fled to the United States, where upon arrival they were not received as war heroes (as they had rightly expected) but instead as immigrants who have no money, no knowledge of American culture, and cannot speak English.
Comments
Post a Comment