B's Book Pick

I recently finished Eva Luna, by Isabel Allende. She is one of my favorite authors, and her ability to weave intricate, multi-generational tales full of twisted love and fate without seeming sappy or over the top has always attracted me to her books. I especially liked this story, for Eva is a character whose magical ability to tell stories brings her through a series of tough situations with a positive and sometimes even funny outlook on life. As with most of Allende's books (much like her male counterpart, Gabriel Garcia-Marquez), Eva Luna is sexually and politically charged, juxtaposing adolescent exploration with a country's struggle for revolution. This quick read offers a story in which one can easily become immersed and distracted from the real world, and I really recommend it if you need a novel in which to escape for a few hours every day.

B's Book Picks

I recently finished What is the What, by Dave Eggers (author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius), and would definitely recommend it. What is the What is a fictionalized, though still biographical, account of Achak Deng's early life as one of Sudan's Lost Boys. Eggers befriended Deng and wrote the novel based on Deng's story. The best part is that Eggers was at that point a best-selling author, meaning his book would presumably draw much praise (read: attention) and money. All the proceeds from this book went to Deng's foundation, which is currently building a school in his village in Sudan.

Eggers is a very unique author, mixing humor with grief in a way that can be simultaneously difficult and understandable for one who has been through a prolonged period of hard times. For anyone who has read A Heartbreaking Work, you probably understand what I mean when I say that at times I wanted to throw the book at the wall. While What is the What sometimes had that feeling (mostly in the beginning), it was easier to sink into Achak's sadness. I think this was partly because I knew the story was based on mostly true events, thus allowing me to convince myself of the importance of reading the story. Also, when beginning this book, I think I felt as though it was a repeat, albeit a fictionalized one, of Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone, which in some ways it was. I soon realized that this was not the case, and would actually recommend reading them both. Beah's account is a memoir about being a child soldier in Sierra Leone, focusing solely on his time there. The book ends just as he is arriving in America, where he would soon attend Oberlin College. Deng's story is one of a refugee, and the book goes back and forth between his time in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya and America, highlighting that this Lost Boy remains lost, even when he has been given a new lease on life in the US.
Both books are generally about war-torn Africa and the effects these various conflicts have on young people, young people who are now part of this country. Yet, it is also important to understand the variety of conflicts and reasons for them, as well as experiences had by those involved. These stories are told by very different voices, but ultimately, are told to shed light on a world that too often we consider to be farther away and more separate than it really is.

b's latest book pick

Last summer, while unemployed and squatting in a house in Oberlin, I read this book and it changed my perspective on many things. Malcolm X, in my opinion, is one of history's most misunderstood men. This book should be required reading in high school.
From this book, one learns of the childhood that shaped his views about race relations, the time he spent in the north east as a young man, the prison sentence that would lead him to Islam, the influence he had on the NOI and its growth, and finally the shift away from the NOI after his trip to Mecca. Many contrast Malcolm X with Dr. King in such a way that vilified him, creating an image of a racist, hate-mongering separatist.
Read the book to realize how wrong that image is.

Related and highly recommended: Black Power: The Politics of Liberation

AP's book pick

George Soros came out with a quick book this Spring about the current financial crisis and how it fits into his analysis of the evolution of finance since he started out on his own in London in 1947. He does a great job of not only explaining the credit crisis, but also his philosophical ideas that relate to the human element that is inseparable from markets and how people behave. He definitely wrote quickly, which shows in his writing, but it's worth the 160 pages and a couple of afternoons of reading.

b's book of the weekend

I just want to post about this really great book I read recently. It was given to me by my friend Alan (BIG thanks!) and I highly recommend it.
It's called Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, written by Jonathan Safran Foer. He also wrote Everything is Illuminated, which was made into a movie. I didn't read that one, but saw the movie and loved it.
Extremely Loud is written (mostly) from the perspective of a nine year old boy whose father died on 9/11; he finds a key in his Dad's suit and goes on a quest to find it's lock. That's a way simplified explanation, but I don't want to ruin anything! Anyways, I say check it out if you haven't. It's one of the most beautiful and endearing stories I've ever read.