Books I've read so far this year...

[nekosensei]

1. The human Christ: the search for the historical Jesus by Charlotte Allen. [I forget this one. Ancient history interests me, but I thought this one was a little on the dry side.]
2. Lisey's Story by Stephen King
3. Orientalism by Edward Said
4. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
5. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon
6. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
7. Language death: The Life Cycle of a Scottish Gaelic Dialect by Nancy C. Dorian
8. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
9. The Inferno by Dante Alighieri. Tranlated by Robert Pinsky.
10. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
11. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
12. Fray by Joss Whedon
13. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
14. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood -- This book was scary. It reminded me a lot of 1984 and the movie, Children of Men. It's a tale of distopia in which, after events that bear a striking resemblance to 9/11 (the book was published in 1984), a totalitarian regime takes over the country and starts to curtail the rights of women. It progresses to the point where life becomes a nightmare, especially for the handmaids. The birth-rate of North America had fallen drastically, and when wives of high-ranking military leaders could not have children, handmaids were brought in to bear children for them. The wives would then take the children and raise them. If the handmaids failed, they were deported to the colonies, which was pretty much forced labor and death. If these women tried to escape or resist, they also faced certain death. Frightening stuff.

Comments

[grlinabox.livejournal.com]

I have this book and a couple more by Margret Atwood in my collection, havent read any of the novels, but have her poetry which I love.. so i am excited to get some time to read a novel. ..

[oblyvia.livejournal.com]

I read the Handmaid's Tale not too long ago. I was enthralled and couldn't put it down, but was completely horrified at the same time.