Three's a charm!

I was worried, because I realized when I opened this book up that I had a lot more of it to read than I had thought.  I was only about a third of the way through.  However, I had no need to worry.  I finished it in about two days! 
It is a riveting, though at times difficult, tale.  The descriptions are very detailed, from Kabul, to LA and back.  There is of course, a surprise during the climax, and a sweet wrap-up at the end, though not so sweet as to spoil it.  I was surprised to find out that this was the author's first book. 

Next!

Next up, starting tonight - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I don't have a lot of this book left to finish it, but I started reading it two years ago, and haven't finished yet, so it is definitely a challenge. 

Book 2 done!

Book 2 was finished rather quickly - it was an easy, light-hearted read. 
Dewey's Nine Lives, by Vicki Myron with Brett Witter. 

DH picked up Dewey, the first book to read during an epic trip from NJ to Chicago (what should have taken less than 3hrs took more than 12 thanks to delays and reroutes due to storms) in October.  I read it when he got home, so naturally when he purchased and read this one, he passed it along to me.  It is a cute collection of stories of special relationships between different cats and their owners.  Some are laugh-along, some are tear jerkers.  It would be a pass-along book, except any cat book stays in this house, per hubby request.  So it will go on his bookshelf.  Both this and the first book, Dewey I highly recommend as light reads if you see them in the library or a 'give away' collection, especially if you are an animal lover.

Book 1 down

Last night, I finished book #1 - Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.

This book is a biography of Dr. Paul Farmer, starts and ends in Cange, Haiti, where he started his life's work of bringing healthcare to the poorest of the world.  Dr. Farmer took a novel approach of not just treating someone's illness but treating the underlying lifestyle that led to the illness - in Haiti, he would treat the tuberculosis, then visit the victim in their home, often finding a family with tuberculosis, and that they were living 10 in a one room shack, so he would cajole money from somewhere to build them a larger home, put a floor and a roof on that home, which they did not have before, build a school so the children could be educated, provide a job at Zanmi Lasante, the clinic compound, and so on.  As a medical student then resident, and later attending physician at Duke, Harvard and Brigham and Women's Hospital, he continued to travel to Haiti, and often carried samples back to Boston with him to diagnose illnesses, then would finagle the medications to treat the patient.  In 1987 he cofounded Partners in Health, and slowly the efforts of him and PIH expanded, to Peru, then Russia, and beyond, and literally revamped the treatment of TB by recognizing the huge threat represented by MDR or Multi-Drug-Resistant TB. 
I found the book to be a thought provoking but relatively easy read.  It held my interest, which is not surprising given my interest in the scientific and medical realm.

Book 1 - Mountains Beyond Mountains

My first book is Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder.  It is the story of Dr Paul Farmer, who changed international medicine.  From what I've read so far, his work centers in Haiti.  I will discuss more when I'm finished reading it.  I picked it up in a 'free book' pile in the main break room at work.  I will probably put it back when I am done with it.  It is good, but not one I want to keep to reread or reference.  I will post a picture when I can find one that doesn't save all blurry. 
In the meantime, here is a link to it: Mountains Beyond Mountains.

M

The journey begins

One of my favorite books has this quote, which the author even admits is not original, "All stories, they say, begin in one of two ways: 'A stranger came to town,' or else, 'I set out upon a journey.'"

This, is a journey I have decided to embark upon for the year of 2011.  I will read a book a week, and discuss it.  I'm not sure yet what or how much I will say about it; that will probably vary book to book. 

The rules:
1 - I cannot have read the book before in it's entirety.
2 - I can have started the book before 2011 (my first four picks are in this category).
3 - My personal collection and the library will be my primary resources.  Given that I have enough books between my bookcase and the various boxes in the basement and attic to start my own library, I don't think this will be difficult until probably July.  :-)

I think that's it for now.  I will add rules as necessary as this goes on. 
Enjoy!