The London Marathon : The History of the Greatest Race on Earth by John Bryant

The London Marathon : The History of the Greatest Race on Earth by John Bryant (2006)
Read: November 2010

I read this leading up to the Pharoanic Run. It was a really good book to read at that time - getting me into the mind set of running a race!

It is a history of the London Marathon, but it also interspersed with a history of the marathon as a race in itself. The marathon as a race seems to have kicked off from the jogging boom and from a few city marathon races, the London Marathon was born. What was interesting is how it was really just a couple of guys who started the London Marathon off - their idea and persistance to get the permissions and get people on the streets. Each year of the race it got bigger and bigger leading to where it is today as a gold mine for sponsors and charities, as well as for top atheletes.

I've enjoyed reading sporting books before (the Bannister / one-minute mile one was good) and this was the same - getting you really into the zone and feeling the sport. I finished it just before the race and chapters that were about "the wall" and training and the crowds relaly got my heart pumping ready for my own race.

The Bethlehem Murders: An Omar Youssef Novel by Matt Rees

The Bethlehem Murders: An Omar Youssef Novel by Matt Rees (2008)
Read: March 2010

I bought this over Christmas too in the same batch as The Sphinx. When I was looking for The Sphinx on Amazon I had a list of "other people who liked this bought..." and this book was on there. It was billed as a detective-type novel, by a new writer, but set, very realistically apparently in Palestine and around Gaza.Sounds good to me, so I add it to the cart.

It's really very good this book. I got right into it straight away and almost had to slow myself down when reading it, so that I could keep enjoying it for longer. The story of the crime-to-be-solved by local-turned-detective isn't what is most gripping about this, but the setting and the character. I really feel that I know more about life in Palestine as the book is full of detailed, but not over-burndered descriptions of daily life there. In the book you see the people, hear them, see the scared landscape, feel part of their lives. You witness the small parts of life, like Omar Yussef's love of his wife's food and her concern to recieve every phonecall from her husband, you also witness corruption and confusion between rival gangs patrolling the areas and a police force that is trying to police an unsustainable situation.

I knew from the first few chapters that I would be buying more of these, and so now have ordered the three other books written in the series. It's reassuring that others have written about these books saying that they are well representative of life / society in Palestine.

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (1937)
Read: September - October 2010


This book was left with us by Laura and Effie when they visited in May. They were thinking along the same lines as us - when in Egypt, read books set in / about Egypt - and this suited them especially as they were going on a Nile cruise!
I've not read a Christie before (but did watch Miss Marple when I was growing up!) and so the whole detective story was new to me. I didn't know how it would be structured - would I know the clues the same time as Poirot? Would he spell it out to me or would I have to guess? I did try and guess - the way I do when watching Waking The Dead on TV - and thought I had it, but maybe not.
I read mainly in the evenings for a chapter or so before bed, but this month, since starting back at work, has been crazy busy. So I would read a chapter and then put it down to "rest my eyes", planning to read more in a moment, but totally fall asleep! Then when I'd pick it up the next night I'd find I had no idea what had happened and would flick back a good few pages to when I was last really conscious of the story!!!

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (2007)
Read: September 2010

You can't get away from the front-cover statement that this is by the same author as Kite Runner. Everyone raves about the book, so we pick this one up (found it about a year ago, but only just added it to the book shelf).
It sounds a silly thing, but the feel of this book is that it's going to be an easier read than some of the arabic translations I've read. It's a larger page, relaxed cover and not the smallest font size known to man(!)  This sort of thing does make a difference when reading a hard text, and some of the translations can be quite wordy. But this isn't actually a translation; it was written in English, so I feel it's very mich directed towards the Western world and giving them an insight; dispelling myths or calling for help I'm not sure.

The book is set in Afghanistan and the narrative follows at first a small girl, but as she is in her teens, the narrative slips into that of the young girl down the road and gradually their stories come together. This narrative device is good and gives a fuller story as it allows both women to show their frustration in their sitaution, even though it takes them longer to convey and share this frustration to eachother.

At first the situation that Hosseini describes is one that I take hope from; a story of a girl abadoned is one that could be taking place in any country. It says to me that religion and political situation don't matter and we are united in the feelings of hope in humanity. But culture and religion does then dictate the next step in the story as Mariam is married off as a young teenager and taken away from any connection she has with people. Here I really felt isolation and frustration for her situation as she is inhibited by her husband from living any sort of life and expression. She becomes functional and only performs routine.
As the narrative changes, so does Mariam, she is no longer the only woman and now has to compete for attention that she doesn't want and alter a routine and life that she doesn't enjoy. This section was a difficult read for me, as I could feel both women's frustrations with the other, their need to stake their territory, but also their terrible isolation. It is with relief that they overcome their divisions and unite, because together they are stronger.
Despite my initial skepticism of the books author, purpose and message I did feel that the story and writing conveyed a perspective that people outside this culture wouldn't otherwise see and should. How prevelent this as an exepereince is I still cannot comment on, but I feel that it is a story that should be read for us to begin to understand something about some women's experiences.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (2001)
 Read: September 2010

Our Eid holiday at the beach means I can get through a good few books and this is next on the list. We found this in a charity shop this summer and we'd never heard of the book or author before but the write up on the back looked good. It reminded me of the blurb for Aberystwyth Mon Amore so we thought we'd give it a go.

And it is sort of like Aberystwth Mon Amore, except instead of tongue-in-cheek crime it's crimes against literature. In this parallel universe of the 1980's everyone is literature obsessed and the story shows us that you can actually get inside a good book.

It's a very entertaining novel - and I don't always enjoy my fiction, but this really takes me. I think it's because I have to think about it; trying to remember the story of Jane Eyre and other classics helps understanding where the plot is going, but I' also engaged by figuring out how this parallel world works; Special Ops, Tuesday Next etc.

I've just seen that Fforde now has a series of Tuesday Next novels, so I'll def keep my eye out for them when back in the UK. Scotty hasn't read this yet - coz it's already been lent out!!

The Saladin Murders by Matt Rees

The Saladin Murders by Matt Rees (2008)
Read: September 2010

This is the second book in Matt Rees' Omar Yussef novels and I couldn't wait to get hold of it this summer. I'd now got all four in the series, but saved them until back from America and Canada and am still trying to space them out in my reading pattern.
This book follows on from the first book, but some time has elapsed for Abu Ramiz. He is still teaching, but is now an inspected and travelling into Gaza with a UN official to inspect a school there. He isn't actively looking to turn detective, but finds himself doing when a colleague is missing. Omar Yussef uses his position as a Palestinian (his other colleagues are American and Scottish) to delve into the intricacies of police, power and politics to find his colleagues.
Again what I love about these novels is the insight that I feel I get into everyday Arab life and the politics for the everyday people in the region. Seeing who he called "ustaz" and when, seeing who refers to him as Abu Ramiz (father of  Ramiz) and when. Omar Yussef is away from his wife as he is on this case, and he starts to show failings as he is attracted to one of the women in the book. But I think this is more that he is missing his wife and she reminds him of her, rather than actively looking for another woman to think about.
In the second half of the book they travel to a Commonwealth War Grave. The description really matches my experience here in Egypt, having visited that in Heliopolis and in El Alamain; a haven of green in a sea of grey.

The Weekenders: Travels in the heart of Africa

The Weekenders: Travels in the heart of Africa (2001)
Read: August - September 2010

We found this book in Buxton's biggest bookstore - it's on Brierlow Bar as  you leave Buxton on the Ashbourne Road. We've passed it a million times, but this was my first visit. We spent longer than planned in here, just browsing the titles, finding books that we liked the look of, then convincing ourselves that we don't really need them and putting them back on the shelves (we ended up bringing 20 books back from the UK this summer!)

This is a compilation of stories written for the Daily Telegraph to raise awareness about the situation in Sudan. The Telegraph took a group of writers to Sudan to inspire them to write a short story and these were published weekly in paper. The writers are very diverse, as our their approaches to the task; Irving Welsh, then Tony Hawkes, Alex Garland and then WF Deedes.

I do like Tony Hawkes' contribution. Maybe because I already like his writing style and non-fiction, reality approach in general. He's brought his guitar to Sudan and plans a collaborative music project. Great idea! Except first he has to convince their guide to take them to places where people hang out, like bars, rather than on a strict itinerary route. This happens and they try the local brew with the locals - my kind of holiday! Before his mission has really started Tony is struck down by the (Nubian) Pharaoh's Revenge and he suffers for the rest of the trip. It's kind of reassuring, as when  Rory Stewart was struck down on his journey, that other people get sick like we do!

I enjoy the other short stories too, but get myself a little stuck as I'm not used to reading short stories in quick succession and so find myself needing to turn back a few pages to check the narrative of the one I'm reading and that I'm not getting confused between separate entries! They cover issues of politics, culture and fighting for survival. The messages are the help is needed from outside, but that the help received from outside isn't always what's needed.

I think this book does achieve what it sets out to do, by raising awareness of the culture in Sudan, and importantly the political situation there that needs understanding to begin resolving.