20 Months in Books

It's time for a Book Review. A 35+1 Book Review.

Conscience of am Liberal by Paul Krugman

Harry Potter Seven (In Spanish) by JK Rowling

Healing the Mind in the Age of the Brain by Elio Frattarolli

Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese

Northern Borders by Howard Mosher

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

John Adams by David McCullough

The Irreducible Needs of Children by Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, Dr. Stanley I. Greenspan

The Big Short by Michael Lewis

Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell

Africa United by Steve Bloomfield

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

The Ugly American by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer

Waiting for Superman by Various Authors

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

The Great Bridge by David McCullough

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman

Extraordinary Life Abe Lincoln by The Smithsonian Society (this one shouldn't really count)

Bananas by Peter Chapman

Common Ground by J. Anthony Lukas

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Petty Crimes by Gary Soto

Living up the Street by Gary Soto

Truman by David McCullough

Cien Años de Soledad por Gabriel García Marquéz

A Wing and a Prayer by Harry Crozby

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

#36 Finished After This blog was written: Lost in Shanri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff

As you know in Peace Corps we have plenty of time to read. Chris Matthews (one of the most famous PCVs) wrote in an alumni newsletter that we should take advantage of this opportunity to read as much as possible cause you never have a better opportunity to read as much in your life (one of the books I read is actually BY Chris Matthews). I think Matthew read 75 books during his service, lots of classics and history I believe—and even a book forbodingly titled “Gulag”-- Needless to say everyone has their tastes.

Kyle reads Mystery Novels—Kyle said he read so many of them he was starting to dream as the detectives—more on Dreaming and Reading soon. Beth reads Travel Adventure books and lots of them (Beth's goal is 100 books in 2 years...). Elke reads guru books. Johanna reads classical literature. I read History. It's what I do. Well I also basically read whatever anyone sends me :). And I have been blessed believe you me.

I have to give a few shout outs. First to Mom--I was in a rut there for a while but mom fortunately sent down Gary's Soto “Growing Up Tough” an “ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.” This book's font can be read from the hubble telescope :). Thanks Mom :). But seriously mom has supplied some of the best books down here—Cutting For Stone, To Kill a Mockingbird, J Adams, Truman etc. Thank you!

Matthew gets a shout out for Cloud Atlas—I may have read it 3 years late but in a book that spans 1000s of years then works its way back to 1849—what's a few years anyway? That shit was real.

Katherine—sure 100 Years of Solitude may have taken me about that long to read, but it gave me a new perspective on life in Latin America so thanks a lot. Wing and a Prayer—awesome. Lost in Shangri-La—made our cultural misunderstandings down here look like nothing.

Duffy—what can I say about my brother in law. The man knows a good read. Sure I doubted when I pulled “Common Ground” out of a Serpost package. But some 660 odd pages about political turmoil in Boston in the 70s and I got really interested in city policy. Devil in the White City—almost crapped myself scared of Holmes. J Wilkes Booth is a Douche. Sex Drugs and Arica United, thanks a lot Duffy and Katherine for sending these great books down.

David McCullough—I have a historical crush on you :). Text Me :).

Johanna's recent gift of All Quiet on the Western Front was an incredible anti-war novel written by a German World War I soldier.

This book mixed into my dreams where instead of matriculating Summer School students I started matriculating soldiers and giving them their assignments. A powerful book against any war, anywhere.

Harper Lee, J.D. Salinger—sure I've read you before, but you get something new every time.

If it does one thing, Peace Corps changes and deepens your perspective—giving you a time to explore your passions, and read whatever the hell you want (or can get your hands on). Here I have re-discovered my passion for reading and my passion for history. Along with Spanish, a little bit of Quechua, a love for guinea pig cooked with aji, this is just one of the many great things I will take home with me in August.

And I still have 6 months left (almost exactly)... Will I hit 50? At the rate January is going, I will do a lot better we'll see... Left on the list:

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens—it was the best of time, it was the worst of times :)

La Ciudad de los Perros by Mario Vargas Llosa

The Path Between the Seas—Oh David McCullough, how dost though write so well?

*And anything you send me :).

And what the hell, just to keep the tradition going—Gulag :). Dad what did you read in Peace Corps? Now back to Holden Caufield.