One Nation Under God by Vincent M. Wales

Published by DGC Press

This was by far my favourite read of 2006 and one that made my everyone must read list, which I don't often add books to.

First, this was one of the most unique (to me at least) and brilliant ways to put together a book. We are guided through the tale via journal and blog entries, news articles, emails between people, radio interviews, speeches and so on. At first glance. I admit I held a slight expectation that this book would be a little slow to read because of that fact. Boy was I ever wrong. I practically inhaled this book, couldn't put it down and fell in love with it instantly.

I also had the misconception that this would be a non-fiction then learned otherwise after reading the cover. When you read it though, it is positively scary how close it feels to something that really could be a part of our future and I don't just mean the USA (I am in Canada). This could happen anywhere in the world. I loved the way the author takes current events and brings them forward to a conclusion that is all at once chilling and enlightening.

Imagine a world in which one religion becomes the accepted way and all others, along with all alternative ways of life (sexual and otherwise) become outlawed. This book guides you through such a world and brings you the insiders view from many aspects. The characters are complex and stunningly written and the plot mainly revolves around an eleven year old girl named Mary Christopher. Mary is the daughter of the latest President, a President who along with Mary's mother (crusader for family values) and "uncle" Gene (evangelical leader) are determined to lead America to a better way of life. Things aren't so cut and dried for Mary though after she meets an aetheist online who constantly gives her much to think about and other vivid characters who help her to realise that it is possible to unlearn everything you always thought was right and change your way of thinking.

This book has so many ways of being defined, like coming of age story, dystopia and many more but to me, in all honesty, it's beyond definition. (other than great, of course).

Everyone should read this book at least once. Whatever your preferences are in life (and not just religiously), this book will give you one hell of a wake up call when it comes to freedom and intolerance. Speaking personally as someone who is into alternative lifestyles and religions this book brings a lot to light and shockingly, to me, even taught me a lot more about acceptance of others ways of life and choices, not just tolerance.

Read a chapter of this amazing book here

Author's website: http://vincentmwales.com/ (Site also shows all the great awards this book won)

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

From the Publisher (Riverhead Trade - An Imprint of Penguin Group USA) :

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption, and it is also about the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

The first Afghan novel to be written in English, The Kite Runner tells a sweeping story of family, love, and friendship against a backdrop of history that has not been told in fiction before, bringing to mind the large canvases of the Russian writers of the nineteenth century. But just as it is old-fashioned in its narration, it is contemporary in its subject—the devastating history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years. As emotionally gripping as it is tender, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful debut.

I loved this book almost as much as I loved reading Memoirs of a Geisha. The author writes in a deeply descriptive way that just sends your imagination soaring. Sometimes I found that same skill to be a nightmare but that was mainly during those portions of the book which described the brutality and tragedy of life in Afghanistan. A lot of the images painted were very hard to deal with but it is the same when reading of the genocides elsewhere in history. It's never a pretty subject.

I could hardly put this book down. The characters are so vivid and I found myself somewhat sad at the end of the book when I realised I wouldn't learn more of them.

One of the best books I have ever read. If you haven't read it yet, you really should. I learned so much about a different culture and I loved the way the author sprinkled a few words of their language throughout.

Author's website: http://www.khaledhosseini.com/