The Kite Runner Book Review

The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

I picked up this book at a Goodwill not long ago and finally got to read it.  It was a good novel, and I learned a lot about life in another country and culture.

Setting - Kabul, Afghanistan, and the San Francisco area, United States

Characters - Amir, his father Baba, Hassan, and his father Ali (Ali and Hassan are servants to Baba and Amir), as well as Baba's good friend Rahim Khan.

Problem/Conflict - Baba treats Hassan more like a son than Amir, Amir resents this and is always trying to win his father's affection. Hassan and Ali are Hazara and are therefore looked down upon. An incident in the boy's youth changes their relationship as well as the outcome of the story.

Main Events - Amir and Hassan grow up in the same household as best friends.  Amir gets to go to school, Hassan cannot.

Later, Amir accuses Hassan of theft (to lighten his own guilt), which forces Hassan and Ali to leave the household and the country.

Baba and Amir sneak out of the country when tensions grow high in Afghanistan. They move to America where Amir meets and marries his wife/

Amir is asked to return to his country to make amends for something Amir did when he was just a boy/

Conclusion - Amir is able to make amends although the road is treacherous. The ending is good but not certain if that's possible.

Overall I really liked this book. I found it engaging and easy to read and the fact that the boys grow up in Afghanistan was very interesting to me. I'd give this 4 books out of 5, only because there was a little bit of violence near the end (involving an eye, which grosses me out so much!!!). Other than that, it was a great read. I can't wait to read Hosseini's other novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Probably another factor that made this book so good is that the author is actually from Afghanistan, actually lived there.  He became a citizen of the US after moving here at age 15, and is now an author and a physician. 

Enjoy your day and your latest book!

55 Reading Questions - Part 5 and a New Book Club

55 Reading Questions - Part 5

• 44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel? Pride & Prejudice done by the BBC - so accurate and the characters are just how you think of them in your head, and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy is divine.
• 45. Most disappointing film adaptation? Can't think of one but I know there was one a while back, just can't remember what it was :(
• 46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time? B&N probably $40ish.  Used book store or thrift store?  $30ish
• 47. How often do you skim a book before reading it? Never
• 48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through? Maybe just too tough to understand
• 49. Do you like to keep your books organized? Not necessarily but I like to keep them on the bookshelves.  I have some sort of order but the more I get the less they stay in that order
• 50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them? I like to keep them if I liked the book.
• 51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?  No, just haven't made time for a few.
• 52. Name a book that made you angry. Ack!  Can't remember one right now!
• 53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did? Dracula - was better than I thought it would be.
• 54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t? The Hundred Years of Solitude - seemed to just go on endlessly :(
• 55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading? Inspirational romance

This new book was in my mailbox this week (since I ordered it from Amazon).  My sister-in-law and I will be reading it together - a mini-book club!  Can't wait to read it.  I used to read the author's blog back when it was on Blogger, but now she has her own website and has written at least two books, check out her site here at Angie Smith - Bring the Rain. She has such a great story so I know this will be a great read. Feel free to join along!

What will you be reading this holiday weekend? 

Enjoy your day and your latest book!

55 Reading Questions - Part 4

55 Reading Questions - Part 4

• 31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? I don't have any qualms about such
• 32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose? Again, it's hard to read when you don't understand, so I'd say none.  Since I don't speak any other languages well enough to read.
• 33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read? Anna Karenina
• 34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin? Wuthering Heights is tough, but I have started it a couple of times, can't stay with it :(
• 35. Favorite Poet? Robert Frost
• 36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time? (see Part 1 answers) not many
• 37. How often have you returned books to the library unread? Many times
• 38. Favorite fictional character? Elizabeth Bennett (duh, isn't she everyone's?)
• 39. Favorite fictional villain? hmm good question.  Does this mean a villain that I like, or one I liked to hate?  Either way, can't think of one.
• 40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation? Easier books, inspirational romance maybe
• 41. The longest I’ve gone without reading. Years and years.  When I was young (after the Nancy Drew stage) I really didn't like reading.  Then, later in life, I decided that I would start reading again, and read several classic books.  I enjoyed them so much that I try to read them often, but life gets in the way and sometimes I forget to read.
• 42. Name a book that you could/would not finish. Wuthering Heights
• 43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading? The baby!

Enjoy your day and your favorite book!

55 Reading Questions - Part 3

 
55 Reading Questions - part 3!

• 21. What will inspire you to recommend a book? Someone generally should ask, but if I find a book that's especially meaningful, I'll recommend such
• 22. Favorite genre? Don't have one really, but I focus on classic literature, sometimes YA.
• 23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)? More children's books, like Lord of the Rings, Nancy Drew, and Madeleine L'Engle.

• 24. Favorite biography? Benjamin Franklin
• 25. Have you ever read a self-help book? Yes, have read some about what we eat
• 26. Favorite cookbook? bleh, I just find my recipes online, they should be easy and quick
• 27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)? (hehe) The Kite Runner

• 28. Favorite reading snack? dark chocolate and coffee
• 29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience. Can't think of one
• 30. How often do you agree with critics about a book? Well, not sure about this, but I usually disagree with critics on movies so probably disagree a lot.

Enjoy your day and your latest book!

Photo Credit

55 Reading Questions - Part 2

55 Reading Questions part 2!

• 11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? Not sure what my comfort zone is, so I'd say often!
• 12. What is your reading comfort zone? Again, not sure!
• 13. Can you read on the bus? Yes - I can read while riding in a car too without a problem
• 14. Favorite place to read? A big cozy chair on a cold night with a fire going and a cup of hot coffee, or the beach!

• 15. What is your policy on book lending? I'll lend a book to whoever asks...no problem.  I try to buy my books cheap (obviously) so that I don't have to worry. 
• 16. Do you ever dog-ear books? Not usually.  I'll try to find some kind of bookmark to use instead
• 17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books? Not usually, but I do sometimes underline a good quote
• 18. Not even with text books? What's a text book?  Seriously, it's been so long!

• 19. What is your favorite language to read in? It's hard to read a language you don't understand, so I'll say English
• 20. What makes you love a book? A great story or plot, an agreeable ending, and the ability to keep my interest in the first few lines. 

Enjoy your day and your latest book! Tomorrow I'll answer more questions and showcase some Easter books we have purchased recently.

Photo Credit

55 Reading Questions - Part 1

I think this week will be a bit lean on the finding books front, I've decided to do some spring cleaning this week.  For me, that means actually cleaning...hehe.  The house just gets so wrecked by living in it!  Why can't my house just stay clean?  The never-ending question!

My goal is the cleaning schedule from The Fun Cheap or Free Queen and can be found here.  We did lots of laundry yesterday so I'm ahead of the game, and I've already vacuumed today!

Meanwhile,  I thought I'd answer these questions I found on Tumblr (another addiction of mine!)  So here goes...

55 Reading Questions

• 1. Favorite childhood book? Nancy Drew.  Trying to get my daughter interested, but how can poor old-fashioned little Nancy Drew compete with Twilight and the Hunger Games?  Well, at least she is reading!
• 2. What are you reading right now? I am listening to "The Great Gatsby" while I work, and reading "Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson.  Very good read but it's a bit slower than most since there's hardly any dialogue. 
• 3. What books do you have on request at the library? Here's my issue, I don't have any books on hold right now.  I have a bad habit of putting books on hold and then not picking them up. 
• 4. Bad book habit? See question 3!
• 5. What do you currently have checked out at the library? See question 3!  None checked out at the moment unless you count The Great Gatsby which I have checked out from the Greater Phoenix Digital Library.
• 6. Do you have an e-reader? I do have a Kindle - which my daughter has at the moment so she could read The Hunger Games.
• 7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once? I usually read one at a time, but if you count what I listen to and read, then more than one.
• 8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?  I have been reading more, mainly because I have so many books (and keep buying more) and I feel guilty that I haven't read many of them. Also, I enjoy reading it's just hard to find the time with a toddler running around.
• 9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far)? Here's where you find out that I haven't been such an avid reader this year.  I have read The Kite Runner, and that's the only one I've finished.  So far, it's my least favorite.  (Of course, if you count children's books, that's a whole other post!  I've read tons of children's books!)
• 10. Favorite book you’ve read this year? Hehe, see question 9.  The Kite Runner would be my favorite book read this year.

We'll spread this out through the week.  Enjoy your day and your latest book!

Book Sale!

Yesterday I woke up early to go to a book sale!  All paperbacks were $.50 and all hardbacks were $1.00.  The sale started at 7am, so I left the house at 6:30am.  I got there at 6:50 and there were already people looking at books.  Here's what I got!

Children's books:

"You're Only Old Once! A Book for Obsolete Children" by Dr. Seuss.  Technically not a kids book.  My dad had this book and loved it so it brings back some memories!

"The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein.  For $1.00!  Nice!

 Other books:

"How to Draw A Radish and Other Fun Things to Do at Work" by Joy Sikorski.  This looks like a cute and fun little book for learning to draw and other things!

 

"Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis.

 

"Prayer Finding the Heart's True Home" by Richard J. Foster.  Has anyone read his other book, "Celebration of Discipline?"  I read it long ago and it is soooo deep!

 
"One Called Away - A Memoir - Answering Life's Challenges with Unshakable Faith" by Brenda Warner with Jennifer Schuchmann.  Nice find for fifty cents!

 

 
"Ernest Hemingway Complete and Unabridged."  Four novels are included in this hardcover:  "The Sun Also Rises," "A Farewell to Arms," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," and "The Old Man and the Sea."

 

 "Benjamin Franklin - An American Life" by Walter Isaacson.  I love reading about Benjamin Franklin, so this looks like some good reading.

 "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.  I haven't seen the movie, so no spoilers please!

  "The Things We Do For Love" by Kristin Hannah.  I know nothing about this book or author, just looked like a good book.  Anybody pick books just from the cover?

 

"Bet Your Bottom Dollar - A Bottom Dollar Girls Novel" by Karin Gillespie.   A review snippet placed on the front of this book says this:  "Use your very last bottom dollar, if you have to.  Just BUY THIS BOOK.  You will laugh yourself sick and love every minute of it."  (Jill Conner Browne, The Sweet Potato Queen.)  So, I used fifty cents and bought it.  I hope it lives up to this hype!

 

"To Have and To Hold" by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller.  Another book purchased because of a pretty cover!

"The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory.  I just flipped through the pages of this book and realized that the previous owner/reader must have smoked.  :( boo~!

And last, but not least, "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck.  I have read this before, but this was a nice copy that I wanted for my library.

What a great booksale!  I got some really great stuff.  Now to fit it all on my bookshelves!  Enjoy your day and your latest book!