And then there were 10

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89. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

As much as I enjoyed The Kite Runner, I enjoyed this book more. It was just meatier, and had a lot more to grab and keep my interest.

I've started to grow very preoccupied with Afghanistan and it's past, present and future. The zeal of the religious extremists there (and, frankly, everywhere) is overwhelming in both factual and fictionalized accounts of life there, and it makes me believe two things: one, the zealotry must end for the average Afghani, and especially for Afghan women, to have any hope at a good life; and two, the United States is going about our "war" on terror in a very wrong way.

Personal preoccupation aside, this book presents a compelling and heart-wrenching story, told with rich detail and a sympathetic voice.

90. Life of Pi - Yann Martel

The prelude to this book promises "a story that will make you believe in God." Perhaps it's my own atheism that muted the story's ability to make a believer out of me, but regardless, I found the story a thoroughly enjoyable fable.
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