And The Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini

On Monday, I started a new book on my commute to and from work. Surprisingly, I was quickly able to sink into the book, reading it from my iphone and ignore the rush, pushing and shoving moody commuters I share my journey with for over 2 hours a day.

And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini was read in just under a week. It was my plan to only read it during my commutes, but since starting this book on Monday morning, I soon realised that I couldn't put this book down and thus ended up reading it here and there over my weekend.

I've previously read 'The Kite Runner'- now made into a film and 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' , many years ago which was the follow on and I've always loved the way that Hosseini is able to flick from first person to third person, effortlessly and enough to not confuse the reader. His books are beautiful descriptive and I love his depth, enough to allow me to visualise so easily the setting in which he writes.

And the Mountains Echoed

"So, then. You want a story and I will tell you one: Afghanistan, 1952.

Abdullah and his sister Pari live with their father and stepmother in the small village of Shadbagh. Their father, Saboor, is constantly in search of work and they struggle together through poverty and brutal winters.

To Abdullah, Pari - as beautiful and sweet-natured as the fairy after which she was named - is everything. More like a parent than a brother, Abdullah will do anything for her, even trading his only pair of shoes for a feather for her treasured collection. Each night they sleep together in their cot, their heads touching, their limbs tangled.

One day the siblings journey across the desert to Kabul with their father. Pari and Abdullah have no sense of the fate that awaits them there, for the event which unfolds will tear their lives apart; sometimes a finger must be cut to save the hand.

Crossing generations and continents, moving from Kabul, to Paris, to San Francisco, to the Greek island of Tinos, with profound wisdom, depth, insight and compassion, Khaled Hosseini writes about the bonds that define us and shape our lives, the ways in which we help our loved ones in need, how the choices we make resonate through history and how we are often surprised by the people closest to us."

I don't know a whole lot when it comes to books and authors as I usually read books given to me as gifts, or which I spot every now and again, and buy. Usually, I'm drawn to those that people are reading on their commutes as to stand with a book open, reading, which probably means that it's too good to not read whilst you're sandwiched front to back with fellow commuters.

If you get chance to read this book, or if you pass by it in a bookstore, it's definitely worth a read. Definitely one to add to ruthay's reads.

A Book - A Week

I've had this idea for a while now to read books which have been sat on my shelves for years that I haven't got round to reading. But, I wanted to do this in a different way, I want to read it in a week, and then write a review of what I thought about it, then start another book and write about that etc etc.

I'm not sure how well this will work out but I'm willing to give it a shot. I'm a natural busybody anyway and I never have a day off so I'll be reading this between everything else that I do.

The idea is that it will hopefully get me reading more, write honest reviews and hopefully encourage others to do the same.

This week I'll start with 'The Goose Girl' written by Shannon Hale. I was bought this book by a friend named Beth absolutely years ago and it's been sat on my shelf ever since. I remember her saying it was a lovely book.

I'll keep weekly Wednesday updates. Check back next Wednesday to see my review.

(Oh, I'll try to not let you down!)