Saturday, June 30, 2007

Two Fabulous New Books For You!


I just finished reading two great new books, and I just have to share them with you. I'd love to hear what you think of these!
For fans of Khaled Hosseini, or contemporary fiction in a realistic setting, check out A Thousand Splendid Suns. It's Hosseini's second book, after the smash hit The Kite Runner. A Thousand Splendid Suns, set in contemporary Afghanistan, tells the story of two very different women and how their lives become intertwined. It is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching at the same time. I would say that it was a difficult book to read, but it was so compelling that I couldn't stop. Hosseini is a master at capturing the sacrifice and strength it requires to be a parent and a friend, a patriot and a soldier. It was truly an amazing book. Pick up a copy today!
In a totally different vein, I picked up a copy of Ian McEwan's new novella On Chesil Beach. If you are a McEwan fan, you will recognize some of his common themes, mainly time and memory, and how they can play tricks on you. The story is really very simple (so simple as to be complicated), it is the tale of newlyweds and takes place over the course of one night - the first night of their honeymoon. I won't give away anymore of the plot, because it really is very straightforward, but I will say that this book will make you think. I felt like McEwan wrote this, as a fable of sorts, a way to teach us a lesson about ourselves and our intentions, our blustering and our desire to always be in the right, and to show us what happens when we cannot look beyond ourselves and our own naivete. It was fascinating! I'd love to see your comments!

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