travelin' reading list, part IV

Being at the beach for a couple of weeks with no TV and very limited internet access gave me plenty of time for reading.  A couple of books were given to me in old fashiondy non-digital paper format.  And you know what?  I hate them!  I wasn't exactly an early adapter to the e-reader trend.  Ed bought me a Kindle for Christmas last year in anticipation of eventually going away and even then I was only moderately convinced.  But now that I've grown accustomed its hard to go back to analog.

A lot of people we've met along the way have asked us whether we like our Kindles.  And, seriously, Amazon should be sending us royalties for our unpaid spokesmenship.  Though going back to paper books has reminded me how much more comfortable the Kindle is to read (one handed!), how much brighter the screen is (no glare on the beach!), that one's place is saved automatically (no bookmarks!), there is one feature that I miss more than all of these combined: the dictionary function.  Getting into the habit of moving the cursor to any word I'm not sure of in a book and having a two sentence definition appear at the bottom of the screen has been nothing short of miraculous.  Just last week I learned what "picaresque" and "surfeit" meant.  Growing and changing, growing and changing. 

And now, my words.

Everything Change by Jonathan Tropper
Actually, nothing changes.  This book, like the 3 or 4 others of his I've read follows the same story arch of estranged-rich-Jewish-kid-with-complex-familial-emotions as he comes back to the family fold.  Thing is, I like this story so as long as the Trop keeps writing it, imma keep reading it.  In like a day and a half.

Old School by Tobias Wolff
Set in a New England prep school in the 60s, which is usually the start of something I thoroughly enjoy (Friendly Fire, The Secret History), I have to admit I had a hard time getting through this one.  I found the unnamed narrator dry and there were too many moments where a perspective would have been much more engaging than straight observation.  In some ways it reads more like a play, or short story, than a novel.  The genius of the book which, in itself, is writerly is that the main characters are aspiring writers and the plot is driven by their heroes, the famous writers of the era.  So meta.

Into Thin Air by John Krakauer
This one was on Ed's Kindle, and I'm so so glad to have been introduced to the world of Krakauer.  Just a fantastic author, I had dreams for days about the harrowing experiences he describes on Mt. Everest.  Even though the prologue summarizes the events and names the dead, I still found myself hoping for a happy ending.  The trauma that unfolds, though unimaginable to a non-climber, is completely engrossing and impossible to stop thinking about.  Such a great read.  

Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China by Leslie T. Chang
This book felt like one that would have been assigned in a college level business school class.  But, having recently spent time in China, it was worth slogging through.  Chinese society comes across as heartless, opportunistic, and hollow; the view isn't balanced.  But, the lesson of the last 100 years of Chinese history and how it relates to the evolving workforce is informative and relevant.  Understanding how the interpersonal tenets of Chinese society and the brutality of history have come together to create a new class of independent and brash workers keeps it interesting.  As I was reading it, I felt like so many behaviors and norms I had seen in China were answers to the equation laid out in this book.  But, not that fun.  Not for the beach.

Bangkok 8 by John Burdett
An awesome "airplane" recommendation from Pete, reading this book while we were in Thailand was just super cool.  Its definitely on the light side, the plot is pretty ridiculous, but the energy and vibe of Bangkok is captured perfectly.  I actually learned quite a bit about the more illicit underbelly of what I was seeing, too.  I loved this book for the same reasons I loved Thailand: they're a little trashy, but there is no looking away.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Or, as it was renamed in our bungalow, "I Need to Read About Kevin."  This novel was given to me by an awesome girl we met at the beach.  Its written by the mother of a high-school mass-murderer (Columbine style) as a series of letters to her estranged husband.  The couple start off young, successful, hip New Yorkers and somewhat hesitantly transform themselves into suburban, SUV-driving, parents.  The book is a fascinating read and beautifully written (I longed for my dictionary function) but I think it especially resonant for any woman who has questioned motherhood as an option.  Its a brilliant novel and people who give out book awards thought so too.  Must must read it.