Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

Hosseini's novel novel is one of the most touching betrayal stories I've ever read. Based in Kabul, Afghanistan, but also taking place in California, United States, the story begins with a premonition of a sort. Amir, the main character, receives a call from his past; the past which he tried to bury; the past which, no matter what, would come back to haunt him.

When Amir was just a child his one true friend was the son of the family servant, Ali. His name was Hassan. The two were inseparable; they spent every spare moment together. Hassan would wake up early to finish the chores and prepare Amir's breakfast. He would then wait for Amir. While Amir ate, Hassan would iron his clothing. This all seemed normal to them. Amir never mentioned the master-to-servant relationship and Hassan never complained. Whenever they could, Amir would go with Hassan up the hill to sit beneath the pomegranate tree. Amir would read to the illiterate Hassan from all sorts of books and tease him about words he didn't understand.

Baba, Amir's father, was a huge man with an equally huge heart. He spent massive amounts of his time and money on building an orphanage for the children of Kabul. Despite that, he was always hard on Amir. Amir craved affection from his father. He would do anything to be loved like the son he was, rather than loved equally with Hassan, for Baba loved them both.

There was an annual kite flying competition, where Amir always tried to gain Baba's affection. The object of the battle was to cut everyone else's lines and be the last kite flying. It was an immense honor to be the lone kite, but it was an equally great honor to "run" the last cut kite. Hassan was the greatest kite runner, and he ran that year's final cut kite for Amir.

Unconditional love, betrayal, bravery, cowardice, honesty, deception. This story entails all of this and more, making for a spectacular novel. An undeniably good plot riddled with subplots keeps the pages turning. Hours of sleep will be lost to the amazing and touching story of Amir and Hassan, the Sultans of Kabul.

Quote From Book

A young woman sat across from us. She was dressed in an olive green dress with a black shawl wrapped tightly around her face against the night chill. She burst into prayer every time the truck jerked or stumbled into a pothole, her 'Bismillah!' peaking with each of the truck's shudders and jolts. Her husband, a burly man in baggy pants and sky blue turban, cradled an infant in one arm and thumbed prayer beads with his free hand. His lips moved in sient prayer. ...

Where to Buy

• Amazon


• Barnes and Noble


• Books-a-Million

"Temple of the Winds", by Terry Goodkind

Through it all--torturous she-devils, power-mad worshippers of the keeper, Darken Rahl--Richard Rahl has fought brave and fought well. His sword, the Sword of Truth, cut through all enemies, his mind broke through any barrier standing in his way; but now he faces an enemy that can't be cut with a sword...the plague.

Richard Rahl, Kahlan Amnell, and all of their leather-clad bodyguards don't stand a chance against an enemy they can't see, or even understand, but something must be done. After an attempted assassination on Richards life, the rogue wizard/Emperor Jagang inhabitee escapes from the pit in which he was held. Before this, though, he manages to make a Mord-Sith scream in pain and before their eyes etch a prophesy into the wall. A double-bind prophesy, already in play, forces Lord Rahl to make a choice. Both options lead to different results, but one equivocal fact remains: Lord Rahl will die.

On this perilous and betrayal-ridden journey, Richard learns many lessons and becomes a better man because of them. Despite their greatest efforts, though, many will die.

More will live.

Terry Goodkind, writer of all of the Sword of Truth novels, has crafted a world so full of detail it's hard not to enjoy his books. In each one, the detail grows, the subplots thicken, and the adventure continues. Temple of the Winds is a spectacular work of fiction that shakes the world of Adventure Fantasy. The series is a rival to the Wheel of Time.


Quote From Book

     It was an afferent feast that was only just beginning.
     He glanced the length of the hall again, checking. He heard no sounds of lust coming from any of the other rooms. It was late, even for an establishment like this. The fat, potbellied man was probably the last of them, except for himself.
     He liked to be last. The evidence of the events before he arrived, and the lingering smells, gave him a rush of sensation. His senses were always heightened in his aroused state, and he valued all the details.

Where to Buy

Google Books - links to sellers, book preview, book information, etc.

About the Author

Wikipedia

Author Website

Anthem, by Ayn Rand

     There are few stories out there that can compare with the likes of George Orwell's Animal Farm, or Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, but Anthem seems to have achieved this status. Or, if you want to be technical, it set the bar back in 1938, before the other two were even conceived!

     Ayn Rand, the world-famous author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, created, or rather, envisaged, a future that was very grim indeed. Based many centuries in the future of mankind, Anthem starts you off with "[i]t is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no other think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil. It is as if we were speaking alone to no ears but our own. And we know well that there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone." These powerful statements transport you to a time when after so many years of "as a whole" thinking, society is no longer free and joyful. There is no joy in this world.

     The majority of the story takes place in a city, presumably like all of the cities on their world, and revolves around our protagonist, Equality 7-2521. We go through how he came to be where he is: his terrible childhood, filled with whippings and nights in the cellar for doing no more than understanding the teacher; his unfortunate placement as a street sweeper; his discovery of something from the unmentionable times; and so on. What's most important, though, is not what Equality 7-2521 is doing, but rather, the events taking place around him and because of him.

     For example, when Equality 7-2521 is able to understand the lessons and remember them later, he is punished for being greater than the other students. When the City Council comes to decide all of the students' future careers, they give him street sweeper as a punishment for being better. This is not to say that they had careers in the literal sense, but rather they had jobs to do for all men. No one must think for themselves or about themselves.

     All of this (and so much more) packed into ~105 beautifully written pages leads us up to one final analogy, one final and instant meaning for the entire creation. Ego.

Quote From Book

     The Teachers were just, for they had been appointed by the Councils, and the Councils are the voice of all justice, for they are the voice of all men. And if sometimes, in the secret darkness of our heart, we regret that which befell us on our fifteenth birthday, we know that it was through our own guilt. We had broken a law, for we had not paid heed to the words of our Teachers. The Teachers had said to us all:

     "Dare not choose in your minds the work you would like to do when you leave the Home of the Students. You shall do that which the Council of Vocations shall prescribe for you. For the Council of vocations knows in its great wisdom where you are needed by your brother men, better than you can know it in your unworthy little minds. And if you are not needed by your brother men, there is no reason for you to burden the earth with your bodies."

An essay on the conflict in Anthem can be found here.

Where to Buy

1. Amazon.....various prices


2. Barnes and Noble.....$7.99


3. Books-a-Million.....$7.99

Other Books by Ayn Rand

• The Fountainhead


• Atlas Shrugged


• The Romantic Manifesto

Further information on Anthem can be found at wikipedia.org.

The Religion War -- Scott Adams

General Cruz gets what he wants. Always. But in this thought experiment continued, this is put to the ultimate test. Scott Adams has created in God's Debris and it's sequel The Religion War something that he dubbed a "thought experiment". It dives into the controversial and deeply wound ideas of religion and belief.

Although nonreligious at heart, The Religion War makes it a large part of the story; basing many ideas on the theory of God.

Based in the forties--2040's that is--it places you in the lives of General Horatio Cruz, a Christian Infidel in command of the entire Christian world (making him more powerful than any president); al-Zee, the leader of the Muslim world; and the Avatar, an all-knowing former package delivery man (read "God's Debris"). A terrible war was brewing between the two leaders' territories.

Al-Zee, who in 2007 came to power, was now waging small scale war with the Christian World: bombing no one of major importance, or anything irreplaceable. But when Cruz became the leader of the Christian Alliance, he could not allow this to continue. He was planning something no one was expecting, something horrible, something only a pervicacious mad-man would consider: extermination.

The Avatar, being all-knowing and able to recognize deep patterns where others saw none, is trying to do his duty: stopping the largest scale war in history. But first he must find the one person who can influence the necessary changes: the Prime Influencer.

The Religion War is a magnificent work by a cartoonist, although there isn't any of Dilbert here.

Quote From Book

"'Before I turn your guts into jam, how about you tell me everything I need to know. It's a little courtesy I like to extend to my guests. No one has ever taken me up on the offer, but I feel it's only fair to put it out there. Let's say that you figure out what questions I need to ask and then you just answer them. If you make me ask the obvious questions over and over, I'm going to get tired. And that makes me cranky. You don't want that.'

"'Very well,' replied the Avatar. 'And again, I am truly sorry.'"

• Author Biography


• Other Books




• The Dilbert Principle


• Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook


• The Dilbert Future


• The Joy of Work


• God's Debris


• Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel

Information Links

Google Books--preview of book and links to sellers.

Savage Messiah

This most recent creation by Robert Newcomb, title Savage Messiah, is a stirring addition to the lives of Tristan and Shailiha; the Chosen Ones. This is the fourth book in the series started in 2002 by Robert Newcomb. The first three books make up The Chronicles of Blood and Stone, while Savage Messiah starts off the next chronicles titled The Destinies of Blood and Stone.

Savage Messiah continues the lives of Tristan, Shailiha, Wigg, Fagean, Celeste, et al. around a month from when we last encountered them in The Scrolls of the Ancients. In this miraculous leg of their lives, Newcomb continues to ensorcell the reader, presenting him with an unending torrent of masterful literature.

The group's amazing battle starts with the discovery of a tear in the orb of the Vigors, causing massive destruction and death to thousands. The group is tossed into a horror they wouldn't have dreamed of. A new creature known as a K'ton is attacking, savage unfeeling captains sail the land and sea in their great black ships, and an accursed, long-thought-dead enemy is bringing them endless torment.

You will not be disappointed in Robert Newcomb with this book. It's a story that will take you places you've never been, answer questions you've had from the beginning, and give you a hundred more to hold on to until the next book.



Quote From Book

"And I say you're wrong!" Tyranny bellowed at the chagrined Minion warrior. Her chin stuck out like the prow of her flagship. "What you're telling me is impossible! No vessel ever built could do such a thing! When a ship goes down, she goes down for good, and that's the end of her!"

• Savage Messiah web site -- includes links to the prologue and chapters one through six.
  


• Author Biography


• Robert Newcomb's previous books


1. The Fifth Sorceress


2. The Gates of Dawn


3. The Scrolls of the Ancients

Where to Buy

1. Amazon.....$17.79


2. Barnes and Noble.....$26.95


3. Books-a-Million.....$18.86


4. Froogle.....$5.50+

Tuesdays With Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson -- Mitch Albom

I have broken my own rules in writing this particular review because this book is not fiction. It is 100% factual. Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie not only happened, it is still happening! Through the power of books, Morrie's end-of-life trials and Mitch's time with him at the end have spread through nearly 800,000 books.

The spectacular story describes Mitch's and Morrie's time together when Morrie was nearing the end due to a fatal disease called ALS. Mitch goes to see Morrie every Tuesday until the end of his overly-shortened life.

Morrie was Mitch's college professor. They had been great friends at the time and they spent every Tuesday talking about whatever topic suited their fancy. Morrie believed in him, probably more than he believed in himself. He challanged his mind and kept him going. Morrie told him he should write an honors thesis, and he did. At the end of his college life, Mitch handed his favorite professor a suitcase as a farewell gift. They each promised to keep in touch. They didn't.

For thirty years, Mitch did what everyone does. Work for a "better life". He was a sports writer at the time. He would never have seen Morrie again if he hadn't noticed a Nightline special on Morrie's end. At that point he went to see him. There was still time left for Morrie, so they were able to spend the time together; Morrie, teaching his final class, and Mitch, taking Morries class.

They spent every Tuesday together talking about various topics of life: The World, Feeling Sorry for Yourself, Regrets, Death, Family, Emotions, Fear of Aging, Money, How Love Goes On, Marriage, Our Culture, Forgiveness, and the Perfect Day. On their final Tuesday, they say good bye.

I believe this is a magnificent story that everyone should have to read at one point in their life. It makes you think and can really open your eyes to some things. The story of Morrie is definitely a heartwarming tale that keeps giving long after you're finished reading.

Some things others have said:

"Every page of this beautiful moving little book shines with the warmth of unembarrassed love." --Rabbi Harold Kushner

"A deeply moving account of courage and wisdom, shared by an inveterate mentor looking into the multitextured face of his own death. There is much to be learned by sitting in on this final class." --Jon Kabat-Zinn

Quote From Book

The last class of my old professor's life took place once a week in his house, by a window in the study where he could watch a small hibiscus plant shed its pink leaves. The class met on Tuesdays. It began after breakfast. The subject was The Meaning of Life. It was taught from experience.

Where to Buy

• Amazon....$15.61


• Barnes and Noble....$18.36


• Books-a-Million....$21.34

Wizard's First Rule - by Terry Goodkind

Terry Goodkind's debut novel, Wizard's First Rule, is an enthralling addition to the world of fantasy. A great book written by a great writer!

The book starts off in a forest. Richard Cypher, the protagonist of this story, is trying to seek the answer to a riddle of sorts his father left him. Him and his father had always gotten along, although his brother hadn't. Whenever his father left, he would leave Richard something in a blue jar, so he could find it. It was to be their secret. This time, his father was gone for good, so the gift left in the jar was particularly meaningful.

The story drifts to far off lands and strange beasts. It brings the good of the world into a time of dire peril. Wizards and sorceresses, Mord-siths and short-tailed gars, they all come into play in this amazing tale of love, hate, betrayal, success, and above all, truth.

If there is one thing Richard wasn't expecting, it was the end of his former life, and the beginning of his awesome power; debouching from his world into the real world, full of everything horrible and great. Only one being stands in the way of his future. Darken Rahl. Darken Rahl, the antagonist, is trying to rule what his father could not. The World. He can only succeed if all things go his way; unfortunately for him, Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell, The Great One, and many others are there to stand in his way, offering not only their services, but their lives to stop his evil plot.

This story will capture not only your mind, but your heart as you read late into the night, using up countless batteries. A captivating tale that will leave you dehiscing and begging for more, this is Wizard's First Rule!

Quote From Book

She took a little run and lifted into the air. Richard watched her circle around him once, low, then fly off, getting smaller, disappearing between hills. A memory struck him: the memory of having seen her before. It had been the day he had first met Kahlan, right after the snake vine had bit him. He had seen her fly overhead just as she had done now, and disappear behind hills. He wondered what she had been doing in Westland that day.

Where to Buy
Chapter 1, page 1 - look on side for links to Booksellers.

The Quillan Games

The Quillan Games, by D. J. MacHale is the next spectacular novel in the Pendragon series. It continues the adventures of Bobby Pendragon and the other travelers to save the universe from Saint Dane's torments.

This time, however, he is on a truly unique territory where the point of life is... well... it's games! But not the games you and I enjoy playing on Saturday nights, oh no, these games are worth much more than that. These games are played for your life. If you lose, you pay; if you win, you get to eat.

Saint Dane is up to ever more complex tricks, but before Bobby learns of these, he goes through a incredibly vexing ordeal. He witnesses death, pain, and loss; but he also sees victory and happiness. How long does that last? Not long.

The Quillan traveler, although working for the main source of the territory's trouble, is also balancing her second life, the life of a traveler. Bobby is forced to compete in this territory's dangerous way of life. There is only one way to win against Saint Dane here, and that is to win the games.

Much happens in this incredible addition to the series. Bobby learns more about his quest than he has ever thought about before; tempted by Dane, he spends much time in thought over what he should do. Bobby's dendriform life continues to grow out into ever more dangerous branches of choice.

MacHale is a maven of Bobby's life. Limning, with perfection, the feelings and actions of the story's protagonist. A great read with many surprises and plot twists that keep you reading until the ultimate page.

Quote From the Book

None of what I just described was as interesting as the challengers themselves. There were about twenty of them, all young, all in great shape. They weren't all guys, either. There were just as many girls. I knew they were challengers because most wore their striped jerseys. But man had the jersys off and wore T-shirts of the same color. They were laughing and telling stories, and clapping one another on the back and talking too loud and basically having a great time. One guy took a goblet of something and dumped it on the head of another guy. Everybody cheered and whooped like it was a frat party.

• Barnes and Noble.....$12.76


• Amazon.....$10.85


• Books-a-Million.....$11.51


• Simon & Shuster.....$15.95


• Wal-Mart.....$10.20

Wizards at War -- Diane Duane

Diane Duane's most recent addition to the Young Wizards series is spectacular. It keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Once again the Lone Power is belligerent. He is up for his next attempt on the universe's "life". And his greatest foes, the wizards, are again there to work their magic against this most evil of beings.

In this installment, the older wizards are starting to wonder why they ever believed in wizardry; why are they doing what they are doing. As all Young Wizards fans know, wizardry will not live in the unwilling heart. When this happens, the younger members of the wizardly community must act fast because although they have more power now than ever, it may not last long.

Something is attacking the universe and it's huge. All attempts to send it back where it came from are failing and hope is slowly being torn away from those whose job it is to stop it. Tensions are high on planet Earth and War is a possibility. Can the young wizards stop this evil from tearing the universe apart?

Kit, Nita, Dairine, her laptop, Sker'ret, Roshaun, Filif, Ponch, and Carmela all play major rolls in this fantastic series. Relationships form, hearts are broken, lives are crushed and a world has hope. This is definitely one of Diane Duane's greatest books.

Quote from Book:

You should hear him. 'Ooh, I have to go to the Moon, what a chore! Ooh, I have to go halfway across the Galaxy to talk to somebody about something, what a terrible pain in my butt! Oh, wow, I have to hang out with aliens and save the world, how I suffer!' It's not like he's not having insane and crazy fun, secretly, every minute of the day!

Where can I buy?

• Valore Books -- $8.50
  
• Amazon -- $11.56
  
• Books-a-Million -- $12.28
  
• Barnes and Noble -- $13.60
  

Angels and Demons

Angels & Demons is a masterful piece written by Dan Brown, the same writer of the Da Vinci Code. I am not even finished with the book and I have fallen in love with it. It is so difficult to put down, but the rest of the world needs to know about this book, so I put it down for you all.

It is about a man named Langdon. He is a religious art teacher who has spent his entire life studying the Illuminati, an antireligious group that has been around for centuries. One morning Langdon gets a message from the head of CERN that one of their people has been killed and branded with the ambigrammatical word "Illuminati". Langdon is rushed out to see it for himself.

Langdon, the head of CERN, and the dead scientist's daughter discover that the Illuminati have stolen a highly combustible material that the Illuminati plan to use to destroy Vatican City.

It has an amazing and unexpected ending! It keeps you in suspense the entire time and when you finally get to the climax, you feel satisfaction. Tremendous and approaching perfection, I cannot wait to read The Da Vinci Code which I ordered off of eBay.

It is an amazing story that all Fantasy lovers need to read.