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Book recommendations for the avid readerCountless readers wrote and sent in book recommendations for anyone who enjoys a good meaty novel every once and again. If you find yourself with a little spare time, on a long road trip, or flying to some far away exotic, tropical vacation location - you might want to bring one of these with you! Because there were so many we have selected a random bunch to be featured in this issue. If you do happen to read one of these selections, please drop us a line and let us know what you thought!
Synopsis: It's a cross between fiction and non-fiction because many of the characters in the book did actually exist (such as Carl Jung, and Sigmund Freud, etc) but the story itself is fictional. It takes place in the Burgholzli Psychiatric Clinic (Zurich, Switzerland) in the year 1912. It’s basically about a patient (at the clinic) named Pilgrim-just pilgrim. He seems to have existed for ages, and you're not sure whether he is truly mentally challenged or whether its something else. It is all about "the conflict between life and death, and reality and memory," as the summary at the back of the book suggests. This book is a sort of mix of history, psychology, and philosophy. ~ Shruti, Canada
Synopsis: "Aztec" recreates the ancient Mexican empire. The narrator is Mixtli, who has more trouble understanding the Spanish conquerors' Catholic religion than they claim to have in comprehending the Aztec faith. Mixtli’s life evolve from the lowest status into his society, to a nobler who gets involve in experiences which shows all sort of aspects of the rich history and traditions of the Aztec civilization as well as the ideas of his people, then the cruel attempt against themselves, to their beliefs and lifestyle, to their nation and religion. This is really one of the best books I’ve ever read. ~ Mary, Mexico
Synopsis: Sophie's World serves as a mystery novel and a comprehensive history of philosophy. In this book, Sophie Amundsen, a fourteen-year-old Norwegian girl, begins a correspondence with a philosopher named Alberto Knox, in which she learns the evolution of philosophy, from the age of the ancient Greeks to modern-day physicists. Sophie soon discovers that the world as she knows it is far from what it seems and she must apply the knowledge she is learning to solve the complicated riddle she faces. This work is gripping and insightful. It compels the reader to analyze the nature of human knowledge and to question what we have accepted as reality. ~Casey Bodden, USA
Synopsis: It is an alternate history novel that probes the nature of karma and destiny and the evolution of the human soul towards compassion. The author presents a world where the Black Death plague wipes out the entire Christian world, and then traces 700 years of following history that leaves Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism predominant. Continuity is maintained with the literary device of having the two main characters reincarnated together into new lives and locales and positions in life in the endless wheel of birth, death, and rebirth. It's an inspirational and philosophic novel about man's constant struggle to be more than a clever monkey. "This is what the human story is, not the emperors and the generals and their wars, but the nameless actions of people who are never written down, the good they do for others passed on like a blessing..." ~ Fawn, USA
Synopsis: Set in a Northern town, where right-wingers
are determined to stir up hatred and racial prejudice, CAUGHT IN
THE CROSSFIRE is about six teenagers. Rabia and Tahir, who are both
British Muslims, Daz and Jason are two teenagers with racist views
looking for trouble and most importantly Mike and Liam who are both
on different sides and whose lives are woven together by a series
of shocking and tragic events.
Synopsis: Westerners have little insight into the everyday lives of Arabs and Muslims - such that it is sadly too predictable that crimes perpetrated by miserably small numbers of fanatical terrorists would have the whole of the Arab and Islamic worlds vilified in the West. Read by millions of Arabs, the works of Naguib Mahfouz are amongst the rare exceptions opening windows for western readers. Beyond that importance, 'Palace Walk' is a gorgeously written portrayal of the life of a devoutly Muslim family, set in Cairo during the First World War when the much resented occupying superpower was Britain. Mahfouz is keenly observant of psychological motivations, emotions, culture – everything in the lives of his characters - and he hides nothing. There is much here to trouble the reader who would chafe at the rigour of Islam, at the subjugation of women in a patriarchal society, at the hypocrisy of men. But again, beyond that, it is impossible not to see that this foreign family shares more in common with us, than differs from us. ~dlc, Canada, US, UK
Synopsis: A philosophical and groundbreaking classic about a young architect and his battle against societal standards and social obstruction. Follows the architect Howard Roark through his intellectual and intransigent struggles against hypocrisy and a restrictive society. Explores Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. A startling intellectual feast! ~ Danielle, USA
Synopsis: Incorporating the latest developments in the study of the period, a team of leading international scholars provides a fresh and dynamic picture of a period of great transformation in the political, cultural, and economic life of the Italian peninsula, which witnessed the rise of autonomous city states in the north, the creation of a powerful kingdom in the south, and the development of the Italian language as a vehicle for literary expression. ~ Michelle H., Tennessee USA
Synopsis: Set in 19th century Russia, the novel addresses the conflict between faith and doubt, the problem of free will, and the question of moral responsibility through its symbolic characters, the Karamazov brothers. It asserts that the choice to believe in God cannot be fully explained in rational terms and that a person who chooses faith must do so in spite of the multiple reasons to doubt. One character in a prose poem, the "Grand Inquisitor”, confronts Christ himself accusing Him of dooming mankind by giving them freewill instead of security and happiness. Because The Brothers highlight the human burden of choice it became the basis for much of existential philosophy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ~ Victoria, Maryland, USA
Synopsis: In a district of the city of Harbin, a haven for White Russian families since Russia's Communist revolution, Alina Kozlova must make a heartbreaking decision if her only child, Anya, is to survive the final days of World War II. White Gardenia sweeps across cultures and continents, from the glamourous nightclubs of Shanghai to the harshness of Cold War Soviet Russia in the 1960s, from a desolate island in the Pacific Ocean to a new life in post-war Australia. Both mother and daughter must make sacrifices, but is the price too high? Most importantly of all, will they ever find each other again? Rich in incident and historical detail, this is a compelling and beautifully written tale about yearning and forgiveness. ~ Xuan, Australia
Synopsis: This is a very classic book. It has something about history, memoir (sort of) and human nature. It is a very challenging read. The story is about Marlowe, who even as a young child had dreamed of traveling to unknown places. He got the opportunity to go to Africa, and he went there to find the goodness in the imperialist Activities of the Europeans. However, when he arrived there, he found destruction of everything: country and men. As he traveled from one station to another, in search of goodness and for Kurtz, the real meaning of the activities and of men’s hearts are discovered. ~ Diana, Australia
Synopsis: This book is a collection of short stories revolving around the lives of Indian people settled in foreign countries. Each story is spiced with humour and subtle details. The author's style of writing reminds me of J.K.Rowling as every story actually communicates with the readers and the narration is brilliant. No two stories are similar: while one narrates the emotional conflict between a young couple, the other narrates the thoughts of a little girl when a stranger becomes a regular visitor to her house. Each subject has been dealt very delicately. ~ Urmi, India
Synopsis: This is a novel targeted for adults, so there are quite a few explicative words in it. The juxtaposition of historical figures and events, along with futuristic sci-fi, is brilliant. There are many, many characters, including a mutant shark that used to traverse the sewer system beneath Times Square. It's part mystery (a Wall Street broker had been killed), part thriller, and part political satire. I laughed on every page. ~ Jane, USA
Synopsis: This is a tale of politics, art and intrigue in Renaissance Florence. Alessandra, the 14 year old heroine, is interested in science, politics and intoxicated by art - not pursuits appropriate to a young woman. We follow Alessandra as she meets a mysterious young painter who tutors her. She is forced into marriage with a middle aged suitor and she struggles for survival in a city terrorised by the Dominican Monk Savonarola. This book brings alive the city of Florence just after the demise of the Medici's. It highlights the disastrous impacts of Dominican Monks on Florence, the sheer beauty of the art to be found there and the complexities of the political situation in the 1490's. ~ Louise, England
Synopsis: Edward Gibbon is one of the most educated researchers of the Roman Empire. His work is said to be the most accurate. It took him twenty years to write this book. He wrote it during the American Revolution, so he talks also about Britain and America. He wanted people to think that what's surprising about the Roman Empire is not how it declined, but why it was it was so powerful and so long lasting. ~ Kathleen, USA
Synopsis: This book is about a young man, Crisostomo Ibarra, the son of an influential Filipino family who traveled to Spain to study. He comes back to the Philippines idealistic, with dreams of reforming the town he grew up in by opening a school. This was disrupted by an accident that could have ended his life. Meanwhile, the Friars are cautious of the reforms Ibarra is proposing, feeling that his actions could undermine their power and position in the town. ~ Joanna Zuñiga The Philippines
Synopsis: At its heart, "Narcissus and Goldmund" is a novel, which seeks to explore what the author believes to be the fundamental differences between men and women. Through the relationship of the two main characters, Narcissus the cloister man, and Goldmund the artist, Hesse not only creates a story that shows just a how deeply connected the two sexes are, he builds a platform from which the reader is free to question his or her own relationships with people in their life. Truly an amazing book. ~ Esther Eder, USA
Synopsis: This is the classic biographical novel of the life of Michelangelo. It describes his passion for art, his struggles to make a living while staying true to his calling, and his lifelong rivalry with Leonardo Da Vinci. It covers his loves, his hates, his triumphs and failures. It delves deeply into the psyche of the man, the artist, and the genius. It is an excellent window into both the life of this great artist and the Renaissance. ~ D. Anne – USA
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© 2003 All Rights Reserved, ACED Magazine |
Pilgrim
by Timothy Findley
Aztec
by Gary Jennings
Sophie's
World by Jostein Gaarder
The
Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson 
Caught
in the Crossfire by Alan Gibbons
Palace
Walk by Naguib Mahfouz
The
Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Italy
in the Central Middle Ages 1000-1300 by David Abulafia
The
Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
White
Gardenia by Belinda Alexandra
Heart
of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Interpreter
of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Sewer,
Gas, and Electric by Matt Ruff
The
Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
The
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
Noli
Me Tangere by Dr. Jose Rizal
Narcissus
and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse
The
Agony And The Ecstasy by Irving Stone