A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

A came across A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka while I was browsing at a book store in Kuala Lumpur. I was looking for something nice and light for my plane ride the next day. I was drawn to the unique title and the quotes on the cover. This book was going to be funny.

Well, it wasn't really funny, more like amusing. I didn't laugh out loud but I was kept entertained.

Nadezdha's father has fallen in love with a young beautiful woman from the old country. His new love has high expectations and Nadezhda quickly becomes worried. What could this younger woman see in her elderly father? It becomes quite clear that she's more interested in fancy cars, new appliances, and a good school for her son than she is in Nadezhda's father. To rescue her father Nadezhda must first join forces with her estranged sister. The series of events that follow are sometimes sad, sometimes silly, but consistently entertaining.

Recommendation: Suitable for the beach or plane, you'll learn a lot about tractors too

Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro caught my eye at the bookstore a few months ago. I texted the title to myself for future reference. Later that day I asked Mike to send a text using my phone and he was really curious about the person who sent me a text saying, "Never let me go." That's understandable but I couldn't stop laughing. It sounded so silly to have to admit I sent it to myself. Thank goodness he believed me that it was a book title and that I'm not crazy.

The novel is one of those science-fiction books that people who don't like science-fiction (like me) will still enjoy. Although central to the plot, the sci-fi elements still feel subtle. Is that even possible? Basically, you are reading a coming of age story about three people who happen to be a bit... different. Halisham boarding school seems like a perfect environment to grow up in, except it isn't. The story unfolds slowly as you learn more and more details about this special program established to aid in society's survival.

Never Let Me Go was recently made into a movie. It wasn't incredible but I really liked the color scheme and cinematography.

Recommendation: Give it a go, but watch the movie after.

Books of 2011

Another sleepy year on the book blog, but I'm hoping for that to change. At least a little.

The good news is I did it this year. To read more books than the previous year I needed to complete 27 books. Thanks to a fairly relaxing holiday in Vietnam the official 2011 total is: 28!

So the bar wasn't set very high... but let's not worry about that.

Here are my books for the year:
1. Empire Falls by Richard Russo (483)
2. Half the Sky: How to Change the World by Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn (278)
3. Sheik's Batmobile: In Pursuit of American Pop Culture in the Muslim World by Richard Poplak (333)
4. Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (335)
5. The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart (393)
6. Made in America by Bill Bryson (509)
7. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (326)
8. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (256)
9. Married to a Bedouin by Marguerite van Geldermalsen (279)
10. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (241)
11. 101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian by Pamela Rice (204)
12. Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga (351)
13. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (292)
14. Clemetine, Friend of the Week by Sara Pennypacker (161)
15. The Elephant's Journey by Jose Saramago (205)
16. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (137)
17. Starter for Ten by David Nicholls (473)
18. Shakespeare: The World as Stage by Bill Bryson (196)
19. Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord (167)
20. The Help by Katheryn Stockett (522)
21. A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (324)
22. The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson (287)
23. Silas Marner by George Eliot (384)
24. Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell (307)
25. The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith (419)
26. Them: Adventures with Extremists by Jon Ronson (328)
27. One Day by David Nicholls (448)
28. Freefall by Oran Canfield (336)

Even better news is that I'm already about to finish my second book for 2012!