Season of Migration to the North

#495
Title: Season of Migration to the North
Author: Tayeb Salih
Translator:
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 1966/2003
159 pages

A little gem of a novel, perhaps overladen with symbolism and parallelism, but not significantly worse for that. This lovely story stands the typical post-colonial narrative on its head and is biting and disturbing while also deeply engaging, complex while still a fast and enjoyable read.

Is it Still Cheating if I Don't Get Caught?

#493
Title: Is it Still Cheating if I Don't Get Caught?
Author: Bruce Weinstein
Publisher: Flash Point
Year: 2009
160 pages

This is a life ethics book for teens. The principles are those articulated in his Life Principles: Feeling Good by Doing Good, with some simplified language and examples more relevant to young readers. This book could serve as the basis for a psychoeducational group or be incorporated into lesson planning for youth who have had poor adult role models or been in disciplinary or legal trouble. This would require more discussion about why a person would choose to act morally rather than amorally or immorally, which would be an interesting extension of the text and ensure that it was not used in a "Just Say No" parroting sort of way.

The Prisoner of Zenda

#492
Title: The Prisoner of Zenda
Author: Anthony Hope
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 1894/1994
208 pages

Via Daily Lit.

It is resolved that a certain proportion of the books I've read ultimately derive their plots from The Prisoner of Zenda, and from there obliquely from Shakespeare and other comedies of mistaken identity. Hope's writing is clear, the story moves quickly, and it was refreshing to read a classic with a contemporary feel.

Extras

#491
Title: Extras
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Year: 2009
417 pages

Other than its reliance on the reader's knowledge of who Tally Youngblood is, plus a few incidentals of culture and action, this 4th volume in the Uglies series would stand alone pretty well. Though many of the themes are similar to those of the previous books, Extras is the best of them--best plotted, best written, best resolved. Unfortunately, as the last in the series, it is repetitive and many elements are stale. It might be best to read it as a more-or-less comprehensible stand-alone if you want to read only one.

The Last Jews of Kerala: The 2,000 Year History of India's Forgotten Jewish Community

#490
Title: The Last Jews of Kerala: The 2,000 Year History of India's Forgotten Jewish Community
Author: Edna Fernandes

Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing

Year: 2008
248 pages

Unfortunately, Fernandes takes an interesting topic, the long-term Jews of India, and muddies it considerably with factual errors and a thesis that her book does not support. I leave aside the complaint that she discomfited members of the community by publishing her book, which is between her and the people she interviewed. I also leave aside the book's repetitiveness and meandering, which are annoying but not critical. The factual errors include some about Judaism, which decreases her credibility as a reporter-historian. The thesis problem, however, is more serious because it is the rationale for writing her book rather sticking with previous books on the Jewish communities of Kerala. Fernandes's contention is that racism on the part of the "white" Jews, and their failure to intermarry with the "black" Jews, has caused the death of the community. However, by both the communities' and Fernandes's report, it was the establishment of the state of Israel that caused a return from diaspora. Given these concerns, I recommend the interested reader to the books Fernandes cites rather than to hers.

The Land without Shadows

#489
Title: The Land without Shadows
Author: Abdourahman A. Waberi
Translator: Jeanne Garane
Publisher: University of Virginia Press
Year: 2005
Country: Djibouti
118 pages

Waberi's short story collection is less episodic and more descriptive--that is, the focus often is not on events or action but on creating a portrait of Djibouti. The effect is of a poetic mosaic and creates an emotional impression rather than a plot or story arc. The tone seemed to be affectionate or indulgent, even when Waberi was sarcastically describing horrible circumstances and acts.

The Suburb Beyond the Stars

#488
Title: The Suburb Beyond the Stars
Author: M. T. Anderson
Publisher: Scholastic
Year: 2010
227 pages

Received as an ARC via Goodreads.

I think it's reasonable to give the spoiler that while this second volume in the series that began with The Game of Sunken Places stands alone in terms of resolving the immediate plot points that it introduces, it ends on a cliffhanger betokening a third novel. Brian and Gregory, having won the game of sunken places, are now in charge of designing the next game--that is, Brian won, and Gregory is somewhat testy about this. However, it seems that someone isn't playing fair, and the boys find themselves in a Vermont suburb, built with surprising rapidity on the ground where the previous game was played. While this volume has some of the horror elements present in the first book, it is better read as a parody of the genre, with many of Anderson's typically clever comments and asides leavening the mood. While Gregory's surliness is somewhat inexplicable, it does not detract from the action, which is, though somewhat more superficial than the first book, far more hilarious.

Observations of an Orderly: Some Glimpses of Life and Work in an English War Hospital

#487
Title: Observations of an Orderly: Some Glimpses of Life and Work in an English War Hospital
Author: Ward Muir
Publisher: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, & Co.
Year: 1917
249 pages

It was very interesting to compare this look at the typical experiences of a British ward orderly in World War I to more recent war and medical narratives by U.S. soldiers, some of whom are in psychological and medical services. In some ways, despite his greater formality, I have a better sense of Muir's daily life and concerns than I do of some more contemporary authors. Muir's tone is conversational but precise, and very engaging. Had he written anything else, I would seek it out.

AIDS in South Asia: Understanding and Responding to a Heterogeneous Epidemic

#486
Title: AIDS in South Asia: Understanding and Responding to a Heterogeneous Epidemic
Authors: Stephen Moses, James F. Blanchard, Han Kang, Faran Emmanuel, Sushena Reza Paul, Marissa L. Becker, David Wilson, and Mariam Claeson
Publisher: The World Bank
Year: 2006
136 pages

An orienting document describing HIV transmission routes, patterns of spread, and suggested general points for effective and economic intervention programs. I found it fascinating, but that may be my inner epidemiologist talking. The comparison sections underscore the specific factors that differentiate between AIDS epidemics in different countries. This has to do with social/sexual behaviors, drug distribution and use patterns, and, of course, policies, among other factors.

I recognize that organizations such as The World Bank must be neutral and politic in their comments, but I found it strange that, though human trafficking was explicitly mentioned several times, the risk factors identified didn't seem to distinguish between free and coerced sex workers (e.g., trafficked people potentially have less say about condom use). Similarly, there was some elision of agency about the purchase of sex that was subtle but troubling.

An Outcast of the Islands

#485
Title: An Outcast of the Islands
Author: Joseph Conrad
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 1896/2008
312 pages

Conrad writ small. Think of this as a sketch for Heart of Darkness to think the best of it. As is often the case in Conrad, men are flawed and the protagonist tumbles down a slippery slope, women are monstrous or associated with man's internal monster/savages (i.e., non-white people), savages abound and are sly and disgusting in their primativeness, and the not-very-heroic hero is subsumed by the darkness. Only here, there's more racism and less narration that stays close to the narrator. The segments where the non-white natives talk among themselves serve as not-very-convincing exposition. Ah, well. Conrad got better with practice.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians

#484
Title: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Scholastic
Year: 2007
312 pages

As some other reviewers have noted, this first in a series tries a little too hard, resulting in a jocular narrative style that detracted from my enjoyment of the story. It reads a little like Nix's Keys to the Kingdom mashed into Back to the Future with just a touch of McHale's Pendragon and Fforde's Tuesday Next thrown in. There are a lot of asides and jokes about the construction of a narrative; for some this has been a distraction, but for me, it was the highlight. The story itself is a fairly standard quest tale, though this is not a negative. I will probably read the others, so I hope the author settles into Alcatraz's voice more effectively in subsequent volumes.

The Crossing: A Story of East Timor

#483
Title: The Crossing: A Story of East Timor
Author: Luís Cardoso
Translator: Margaret Jull Costa
Introduction: Jill Jolliffe
Publisher: Granta Books
Year: 2000
Country: Timor-Leste
173 pages

Despite an explanatory introduction, I found this somewhat hard to follow. Cardoso's language is at times lyrical and nuanced, but the narrative slid around a bit and I'd suddenly find myself reading about a new topic without realizing that the focus had shifted. Cardoso's tone is dreamy and somewhat trance-inducing. While ostensibly a memoir of Cardoso's childhood, there are many points of foreshadowing of the declaration of independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. I missed most of these until I read a book on East Timor.

East Timor: Genocide in Paradise

#482
Title: East Timor: Genocide in Paradise
Author: Matthew Jardine
Publisher: Odonian Press
Year: 1995
95 pages

I read the first edition; that cover is unavailable.

I picked up this little book the other day because I was having trouble tracking the events in Cardoso's The Crossing: A Story of East Timor (q.v.). Jardine (and the introduction by Noam Chomsky) considerably clarify the events leading to East Timor/Timor-Leste's declaration of independence from Portugal and the subsequent first-world-backed invasion by Indonesia. When it was published in 1995, East Timor was still occupied by Indonesia and officially dissolved as a sovereign state. Since then, it has regained its independence.

Somebody's Heart is Burning: A Woman Wanderer in Africa

#481
Title: Somebody's Heart is Burning: A Woman Wanderer in Africa
Author: Tanya Shaffer
Publisher: Vintage
Year: 2003
332 pages
I enjoyed this memoir of travel in Africa much more than I initially thought I would. I was worried that Shaffer was going to complain about her emotional conflicts about her boyfriend the whole time. While this is as noble a topic as any, it wasn't what I hope for in a travelogue. Though the boyfriend is a recurring theme, he serves less as an object of rumination (though I'm sure she ruminated) and more as a vehicle for the people Shaffer encounters to express their opinions about her decision making and values. The book is a series of vignette-like chapters, many of which hold together quite well and are both interesting and poignant. While some of Shaffer's choices could serve as cautionary tales for travelers, most of the outcomes are at worst benign. This could be paired with Gilman's Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven for an interesting class or book club discussion.

My Trip Around the World: August 1895-May, 1896

#480
Title: My Trip Around the World: August 1895-May, 1896
Author: Eleonora Hunt
Publisher: Bibliolife
Year: 1902/2009
168 pages

It's always interesting to read accounts of travel from other eras. While not terrifically compelling, Hunt's travelogue held my interest sufficiently for me to keep reading. Some of her ports of call are familiar to me, so I enjoyed comparing our experiences. There is a certain amount of assumed superiority, racism, and religiously-based disdain with which the reader must contend. Pair with any of Michael Palin's travel books for a somewhat different approach to the locals (natives, savages, heathens).

Under the Weather and the Rising Tide: Adapting to a Changing Climate in Asia and the Pacific

#479
Title: Under the Weather and the Rising Tide: Adapting to a Changing Climate in Asia and the Pacific
Author: Asian Development Bank
Publisher: Asian Development Bank
Year: 2009
80 pages

A somewhat technical volume on climate change and proposed adaptations for Asian and Pacific nations at risk. This is more a gloss than the nitty-gritty, describing proposed infrastructure rather than specific, concrete steps and practices. A good initial overview of the problem and its potential consequences for least-developed nations.

Specials

#478
Title: Specials
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Year: 2007
372 pages

Sadly, the weakest of the trilogy. Again, Tally's brain is screwed with; again, her loyalties are divided; again, self-mutilation leads to enlightenment. I understand the physiology of this, but feel that Westerfeld lets it stand without adequate critique. Similarly, Tally's "special" body is grotesque but still described as if it's "cruel pretty." The ending has its entertaining moments but seems too easy, and I'm not convinced. I'm similarly not convinced that the Rusties would rather die than get out of their cars, which appears to be the explanation for why an oil-eating bug wrecked civilization. My recommendation, barring a fantastic 4th book, is to read the first and stop there.

Pretties

#477
Title: Pretties
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Year: 2005
370 pages

Part 2 of the series, and weaker. The plot is quite similar to that of the first book, and the characters don't seem to have grown emotionally or matured. This may be chalked up to the brain lesions introduced in the first book, but it's still tedious. This volume seems more superficial even as it raises issues like self-mutilation that, while important to the plot, are not adequately resolved. Think of this volume as a bridge to part 3, and possibly as the shadow of a treatise on cognitive therapy.

Uglies

#476
Title: Uglies
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Year: 2005
425 pages

Uglies opens a young adult dystopian trilogy (or tetrology, if the 4th book, with different characters, is included). Westerfeld has done a pretty good job of world building, and the action is generally consistent with the social structures and history he provides. Having read the first three, I'll say that Uglies is the best, and best-suited to stand alone. The protagonist, Tally, is waiting impatiently for her 16th birthday, when, like everyone, she will have surgery to become a "pretty." During a prank, she meets Shay, who raises important questions about becoming pretty. The feel here is similar to the early part of John Christopher's Tripods trilogy, with the important difference that Tally, who just wants to be pretty, is coerced into narking on Shay and the dissidents, who remain uglies and live in a secret community called the Smoke. Tally's flip-flopping loyalties are as annoying as a real teenager's are, bringing a realistic emotional element to this brave new world. Points to Westerfeld for the best closing line I've read in a long time.

Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town

#475
Title: Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town
Author: Cory Doctorow
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2005
320 pages

This was a fine idea, sort of, that doesn't work. There are two intertwined stories. The more coherent and less interesting story is about providing free WiFi to a neighborhood. This part has the feel of leftovers from a related and more interesting idea in Eastern Standard Tribe. The second story, and far more interesting, is about a man who doesn't quite fit in despite his best efforts. His father is a mountain, his mother is a washing machine, and he and his several odd brothers (three of whom are a matryoshka, for example) are raised by golems. His tangles with his neighbors move the story forward to an okay though not stellar resolution. I am guessing that your reading experience would be enhanced by the amount of marijuana required to make you say, "His mother.... A washing machine.... His.... Oh, man!" However, this is merely a speculation on my part.

Tools and Practices: Change and Continuity in the Cambodian Countryside

#474
Title: Tools and Practices: Change and Continuity in the Cambodian Countryside
Authors: Ly Daravuth and Ingrid Muan
Publisher: Reyum Publications (Phnom Penh)
Year: 2001
92 pages

This profusely illustrated catalogue includes an introductory essay and commentary throughout. It depicts two types of tools found in Cambodia: Traditional tools and implements still in use (for example, palm sugar collectors made of bamboo, because bamboo can be smoked to give the palm sugar the traditional flavor), and those that have been modernized (such as plastic soda bottles used as fishing net floats). It gives a terrific sense of the resourcefulness and versatility of the people, as well as sounding a cautionary note about non-biodegradable objects. Village waste is typically left to rot or is burned, and neither of these is a satisfactory solution to plastic trash.

Dancing in Cambodia, at Large in Burma

#473
Title: Dancing in Cambodia, at Large in Burma
Author: Amitav Ghosh
Publisher: Ravi Dayal Publisher (New Delhi)
Year: 1998
120 pages

Ghosh is here, as elsewhere, eloquent and thoughtful. These short memoir/essays, while narrative and descriptive, are also evocative of both the beauty and terror of Southeast Asia. Pair with a good history of the region.

Songs of Tuvalu

#472
Title: Songs of Tuvalu
Author: Gerd Koch
Publisher:  Institute of Pacific Studies
Year: 2000
Country: Tuvalu
197 pages

This very interesting field study includes not only an introductory essay, songs (with translations and scores), and explanatory notes, but two CDs. I recommend listening to the CDs first, noticing the different styles, then reading about each song as you listen to them again. Koch first visited Tuvalu and made his recordings, then returned many years later. This diachronic exposure allowed him to experience, in vivo and in situ, changes in songs and styles over time. Koch's affection and respect for his participants comes through very clearly and the book is a great pleasure to read.

In a Fertile Desert: Modern Writing from the United Arab Emirates

#471
Title: In a Fertile Desert: Modern Writing from the United Arab Emirates
Author: Denys Johnson-Davies (Ed. & Tr.)
Publisher: American University in Cairo Press
Year: 2009
Country: United Arab Emirates
123 pages

A collection of short stories from UAE. Many read like workshop sketches or descriptions more than stories, though some have a traditional structure. There are two main themes: Women are seductive and cause trouble; and the old ways may not be best, but inspire poignancy in the narrator or author. None of the pieces really stood out as excellent, but I was glad to read this collection and hope for more translations from UAE in the future.

Ossobó: Essays on the Literature of São Tomé and Príncipe

#470
Title: Ossobó: Essays on the Literature of São Tomé and Príncipe
Author: Donald Burness
Publisher: Africa World Press
Year: 2005
Country: São Tomé and Príncipe (place holder)
176 pages

This is the best English language book I can locate for São Tomé and Príncipe. It consists of an introduction, very opinionated, followed by two sections, also very opinionated, on the contemporary writing of Santomean authors. It is followed by a third, dual-language section of Santomean poetry, with translations by Burness, some more literal than others. It's best to think of this volume as an anthology, with a little history, a little culture, a little political commentary, and a dollop of poetry. It's reasonably effective and I have a much better sense of São Tomé and Príncipe than I did before reading.