tiny pink books

Six Bad Things by Charlie Huston
Ballentine Books, 2005

A sequel to Caught Stealing, Six Bad Things follows Hank Thompson in the aftermath of the noir fiasco that took place in Caught Stealing. Hank is living peacefully in Mexico with $4 million buried beneath him, when his past catches up with him, dragging him back to the US and into a another bloody crime caper. Though it maintains the same bitterly sarcastic tone, the character of Hank Thompson loses a little of what made him so likable in the first book. Though Hank is still uniquely normal, the steady stream of violence that always seems to catch up with him has made him tougher, more cynical, and ultimately a little less interesting. The plot, also, has gotten a bit more convoluted in terms of the sheer number of bad guys who are after Hank. With most of the bad guys from Caught Stealing killed off, there’s a whole new cast of players after him.

Despite these complaints, I have to admit that Six Bad Things is just as hard to put down as any other Huston book. It is pulpy and delivers an exciting caper with plenty of action and mystery throughout. Although he has gotten darker (and really, who wouldn’t under these circumstances?), Hank is still a likable anti-hero.   It seems as if Huston must defeat his hero to further this trilogy along to what will hopefully be a satisfying conclusion.  I’ll let you know soon, since I’m going straight to A Dangerous Man, the final piece to this trilogy.  I recommend this book to readers of the first book who still want more. While I mentioned that older YA might enjoy some of Huston’s other books, Six Bad Things crosses the line, in terms of violence and treatment of violence, for me say with confidence that this would be for anyone other than adult readers (though I’m sure I would have loved this book at 16!).

What is the What by Dave Eggers
McSweeney’s, 2006

What is the What is a contradiction of sorts, while its characters and events are mostly real, it is a work of fiction. As a “fictionalized autobiography,” What is the What tells the story of Valentino Achak Deng, a real-life Sudanese refugee living in the US. His story begins when he is a young boy, living in Murial Bai in Sudan. His village is attacked by a government supported Arab militia and a 7-year-old Deng is separated from his family. Fleeing the civil war with a group of other young boys, “The Lost Boys,” face starvation, war, attacks by wild animals, and disease as they walk across Sudan to reach a refugee camp in Ethiopia and then, eventually, to Kenya. After spending 10 years in a squalid refugee camp in Kenya, Deng eventually makes it to the US. Eggers counters the story of Deng’s journey to the US by mixing it with a story about his life in the US, where he is attacked and robbed in his own home.

Despite all of the negative ordeals Deng goes through in What is the What, the story is moving and fairly uplifting. It is sad, indeed, to think that Deng’s story is not an entirely unique one and that the suffering he describes, happens still today in Sudan in Darfur, but the attention What is the What brings to the human side of the story is in some ways more understandable than the true pure-fiction. Though Eggars admits that his book contains some fictionalized events and that events and people have been restructures for narrative effect, there is a biting truth behind this book that is important and educational.

As far as enjoyment, What is the What is quite a page turner at parts. Deng’s journey with the Lost Boys is an incredible human accomplishment. The emotions are well described throughout the book, making it always feel more like a personal story than a textbook history lesson. I will admit, however, that there were a few parts of this book that seemed to lag for me. Despite this, the narrative really came together in the end to form a powerful, and tear jerking, conclusion. I would recommend this book for two kinds of audiences: First, for readers who enjoy true-life personal memoirs. What is the What is most certainly a novel, however, it reads much more like a memoir. Second, I would recommend this book for people who are interested in gaining a more personalized perspective on refugees. Though Deng’s story is of the Second Sudanese Civil War and is not directly about Darfur, the relationship is close enough to make you think about it and other crisis around the world.

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
Random House, 2001

Everyone likes to learn about Australia!  Okay, maybe not everyone, but as I am planning a visit there soon, I was truly excited to get my hands on this book (I “read” the audio version, a highly coveted, long hold queue item at my public library).  I have read some Bryson before and enjoy the way that he makes travel narratives fun and educational, including just the right amounts of humorous anecdote with thought-provoking fact.  One thing that is clear from In a Sunburned Country is that Bryson has a passion for Australia.  The personal attachment he has for the country interjects itself into every chapter, making the book feel personal in a way that many travel narratives cannot.  In addition to being amusing, In a Sunburned Country is also very educational if you don’t know much about Australia.  A perfect light read for someone craving some non-fiction.  Even more perfect for someone planning (or just dreaming) a visit to Australia someday…

The audiobook is a rare “read by the author” piece that actually isn’t painful! Bryson’s reading tone is simple and proper, delivering this narrative with even more personal flair.