The Motorcycle Diaries- Che Guevara

Not quite the inside scoop on Hell's Angels one might assume, but it was still good enough to be made into a movie. This is the diary of one of two friends who tour South America by motorcycle. It begins in their native country of Argentina in 1951 and the men are in their 20's. It's a quick read as diaries always are. It's a way to see the better part of South America through someone else's eyes. Che's excursion in Peru made me especially happy to be friends with Marco. If you know who I'm talking about then tell him he has to read this.

The Constant Gardener- John le Carre

This is another typical Peace Corps read. Everyone I've talked to that's read it really liked it, but it wasn't my favorite. It had an extremely slow start and never really picked up even after the story started getting good. It basically presents the idea that populations of undeveloped countries are used as guinea pigs for clinical trials before big pharmaceutical companies get approval to sell their drugs in developed nations. The main character's wife was murdered and he sets about to discover why. He learns of scandal and corruption in the pharma biz from as high up as British Parliament and extending down to the drug distributors. It's kind-of-but-not-really like a John Grisham novel but definitely not as quick.

Touching the Void- Joe Simpson

The first half of this book about two mountain/ice climbers was way too technical for a person who knows nothing about climbing. If only I had discovered the glossary of climbing terms in the back before I started reading. The meat of the story starts after the author, Joe Simpson, breaks his leg. At one point, his partner, Simon, is forced to cut the rope Joe is hanging from. Simon is then left to finish the decent alone with the death of Joe on his conscience. The miracle of this true story is that Simpson actually survived the fall and limped, hopped and crawled his way to survival.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire- J.K. Rowling

This was the longest book in the series so far. It’s also the first time the movie has really strayed at all from the book version, and even so it was only concerning minor details. The build-up of the climax goes until almost the very end of the book before it is revealed who is working at Hogwart's as a traitor for Voldemort. I especially liked that this story validates Harry's credibility as someone special beyond his passive defeat of Voldemort as an infant.

Life of Pi- Yann Martel

The first three-quarters of the book rivaled Kiterunner as one of my favorites, but the last quarter of it was so bad that I don't even know if it even makes my top 10. The first half of the book describes Pi's life in India with his family's zoo and his study of Hindu, Islam and Christianity as a 15 year-old boy. When their ship sinks during his family's (and their zoo animals) move to Canada, Pi finds himself in the unlikely predicament of sharing a lifeboat with an injured zebra, hyenna, ape and tiger. Pi's ability to survive his living situation was completely believable as written. It's when he comes across a man-eating island made of acidic plants that the story takes a turn for the worse. In the final chapter you are presented with an alternate animal-free version of Pi's life's events after the ship sank. And in the end, the author leaves it up to you to decide which was the more believable version.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- J.K. Rowling

A lot of people told me this was their favorite in the series which may explain why I had such a difficult time finding a copy in our hostel library. Having seen the movie first (again), I'm not sure I agree. Because I already knew Hermione's secret, the mystery of her conflicting course load was lost on me. However, the story did pick up in the last three chapters making the entire book worth reading.

The Poisonwood Bible- Barbara Kingsolver

This book has received rave reviews from volunteers so I figured it must be worth reading. They weren't exactly wrong, but it's no Kiterunner. It's a story about a Baptist missionary who moves his wife and four young daughters to the Congo. It's told through the eyes of the children and mother about the good times and the bad as they strive to survive physically and emotionally in the jungle among an unknown culture. At 600+ pages it was a bit long. At least for me I could relate to some of their experiences, but I'm not sure it would have been as good reading it from the comforts of America. See for yourself. It made Oprah's book club anyway.