A brief account of our first 2 books...

There are currently only 3 of us in our book club. Each month a different person chooses the book we will read.

Book #1 American Gods by Neil Gaiman

This book was not chosen by me, but I did end up liking it. It is a book that I probably would not have chosen to read on my own, but it was an interesting read.

The main plot of the book is that gods and mythological creatures exist because people believe in them. Immigrants to the United States brought over their beliefs in these creatures, but as people's beliefs wane, the power of the gods diminishes. New gods have arisen that reflect the obsessions of Americans (i.e. Internet, Media, etc).

The book follows Shadow, an ex-convict who is released from prison early because of the death of his wife. Shadow encounters a man named Mr. Wednesday who offers him  a job as bodyguard. Shadow and Mr. Wednesday travel across America, meeting with Wednesday's colleagues and acquaintances. It is gradually revealed that Wednesday is the reincarnation of Odin the All-Father. As they travel, they are recruiting the old gods to participate in a battle with the new gods.

Overall, I found this book pretty interesting. There were parts of the story that told background information on the old gods which I found very intriguing. Also, the characters in this book were great. I especially liked the characters of Shadow, Wednesday, and Sam.

One thing that kind of disappointed me was the battle. Most of the book is a lead up to the battle, and then the battle is just a couple of pages. Without revealing the ending, I'll say that the battle was short and not much of a battle. The ending makes sense based on the characters, but it just seemed like kind of a letdown.

Book #2 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

This book was also a very interesting book. It follows Amir, a Pashtun from Afghanistan, from his boyhood in Kabul to his adulthood in America. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the united States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.

As a boy, Amir hangs out with Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. During their childhood, Amir witnesses a horrific crime committed against Hassan and does nothing about it. He is consumed with guilt and later devises a plan that causes Hassan and his father to leave. Eventually Amir and his father, Baba, leave Kabul to seek refuge first in Pakistan and then in Fremont, California. Amir still struggles with his guilt, and eventually he is given a chance to return to Afghanistan to redeem himself.

This book was such a good book. I loved that it showed the historical events of Afghanistan. I learned some things that I didn't know before. It was also a great story of redemption. It is so hard to make up for some mistakes, and some would say that it is not possible to do so, but I believe there is always a way to redeem yourself and make things right.

This book was made into a movie, which we watched. I wasn't very impressed with the movie. I don't think it did the book justice. The book is all about the guilt that Amir felt and his attempt to redeem himself. The movie didn't really show his guilt very well.

I would say read the book and skip the movie.