Book Reviews

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="31b64643.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="32350503.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#6666FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Reads in Maryland</B></FONT>    |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Reads in Maryland"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Journal"><U>Journal</U></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><A HREF="id49.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Comments from friends and family"><U>Comments from friends and family</U></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><B>Book Reviews</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=390 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Book Reviews</div> <div> I am reading more books now that I've got free time. These are the books that I've enjoyed since moving here. </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="719" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="172"><div> <B>Stupid White Men</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> By:Michael Moore</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="172"><div> Publisher: </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> Genre: non-fiction (though I wish it wasn't about reality)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 66 WIDTH="172"><div> ISBN: </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> If you loved the movie (and it won an Academy award!), you've got to read this book. Very interesting and insightful. It's about the America that most Americans don't know and wouldn't recognize. It's been translated into Japanese. If you liked this book, try <B>Nickel and Dimed: On (not) getting by in America </B>(also recommended, see below)</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="719" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="172"><div> <B>Norwegian Wood</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> By:Haruki Murakami</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="172"><div> Publisher: </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> Genre: fiction/autobiography</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 115 WIDTH="172"><div> ISBN: </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> Murakami is a famous post-war Japanese author. This is the first book of his that I've read. I chose it because the publisher's notes say that this book put Murakami on the world literary map. His books tend to have a fantastical nature but this one is about "normal" people falling in love. The boy, college student Haru and the girl Naioko are forever linked by the suicide of their best friend. The book gives you a bit of insight into the  rebellious, hippie culture of the 70's in Japan. But I enjoyed the human relationship in the book, like the tension between Haru and Naioko.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="719" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="172"><div> <B>Youth called H</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> By:Kappa Senoh</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="172"><div> Publisher: </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> Genre: Autobiography/biography</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 66 WIDTH="172"><div> ISBN: </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> Erik and I both enjoyed this book. The book if written by a Hajime Senoh, nicknamed H, who grew up in WWII Japan. The book describes both daily Japanese life and the effects of the War on the lives of H and his family, who lived in Kobe. Very funny and insightful for such a young kid.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="719" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="172"><div> <B>Geisha: a life</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> By: Mineko Iwasaki with Rande Brown, copyright 2002</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> Publisher: ATRIA Books </div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> Genre: Autobiography/biography</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 82 WIDTH="172"><div> ISBN: 0-7434-6271-8</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> Very good. I stayed up till 4 AM to read this book in one day because it was so riveting. It's written by a former geisha (the professionals prefer to call themselves geiko) about her life. She dispells Western conceptions about geikos and educates readers about traditional Japanese culture. I want to read "Memoirs of a Geisha" -- I hear it's written by a man -- just to compare.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="721" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 33 WIDTH="172"><div> <B>Nickel and Dimed: On (not) getting by in America</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="530"><div> By: Barbara Ehrenreich, copyright 2001</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 33 WIDTH="172"><div> Publisher: Henry Holt and Company</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="530"><div> Genre: Non-fiction, Current events</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 49 WIDTH="172"><div> ISBN: 0-8050-6389-7</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="530"><div> Everyone should read this book before they dis welfare and/or hire a cleaning company. It's sad people are treated this way in America. I am sad for these women. The book though is very readable. Erik usually does the political reading but I really got into this book.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="721" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 33 WIDTH="172"><div> <B>Bridge Jones: Edge of Reason</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="530"><div> By: Helen Fielding, copyright 1999</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="172"><div> Publisher: Picador</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="530"><div> Genre: Fiction</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 66 WIDTH="172"><div> ISBN: 0-330-36735-8</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="530"><div> I liked the prequel, Bridget Jone's Diary, both movie and book very much. The movie did a pretty good job sticking to the storyline and getting the funny parts. Reading the first book, I kept yelling at Bridget for being so silly/stupid. I liked the sequal better though because I could identify with Bridget better. Good books for the romantics in all girls.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="719" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <B>I am a Cat Three Vol in One</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> By: Soseki Natsume translated by Aiko Ito and Graeme Wilson, copyright 2002</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> Publisher: Tuttle Publishing</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> Genre: Fiction, Literature</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 49 WIDTH="172"><div> ISBN: 0-8048-3265-X</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> Good. I wanted to read a book by a Japanese author and this one is by a famous one. This is one smart cat. It's a book of observations about 19th century Japanese society from a cat's point of view. He paints some very funny scenes.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> Other books by Soseki:</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="528"><div> Botchan, The Three-cornered World, and Mon</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="721" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 49 WIDTH="172"><div> <B>Tokyo Confidential: Titillating Tales from Japan's Wild Weeklies</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="530"><div>  Edited by Mark Schreiber, copyright 2001</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 33 WIDTH="172"><div> Publisher: The East Publications, Inc.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="530"><div> Genre: Non-fiction, sometimes you wonder</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 33 WIDTH="172"><div> ISBN: 4-915645-19-3</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="530"><div> Very funny book. It's a good view of the under-belly of Japanese society. It makes me look twice at the Japanese. I wonder how true these stories are? Good book for the bathroom.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>