The Greatest Impressions

An ever-growing list of books that impact the way I think.

Lord of the Flies

William Golding

The self-discovery. The youth figures in this novel drew me in. There was something scary yet thrilling to live on an island with the young boys. But ultimately their childhoods fade without the presence of adults and after the first struggle for food, all the purities of juvenescence become lost.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee

The one I read to young. It is the perfect mix of innocence and complex social forums completely under appreciated at the age of 12 but, analyzed, grasped, and respected at 15.

One For The Money

Janet Evanovich

The fun one. Every once and a while a little boost, in the form of a super sexy badass, crime fighting, bounty hunter, is needed to brighten our day. All the power and all the femininity cleverly wrapped into a high-speed chase novel.

Life of Pi

Yann Martel

The unbelievable fantasy. This is the first novel I have read that tells its story twice within its pages. As I struggled to pick the true story, I found that, in fact, there is something to be said about both sides. We often encounter reality too grisly to digest but with several situational twists the same story can become something so mundane. Its up to you to choose which you believe in but as for me, it’s both.

The Prestige

Christopher Priest

The mind bender. This is some of the most astonishing magic and obscure science that has ever been penned in the same source. The dark clashes with the black as the struggle towards success is tested with no limitations to the acts to expose the truth.

Beloved

Toni Morrison

The one I’ll never forget. It is by far the strangest book I have ever read. And probably the only book that took days after I finished reading it to even begin to understand it. Certainly the most misrepresented novel from the beginning. Reading it heightened my ability to think outside the box and forced me to find my own interpretation.

Déja Dead

Kathy Reichs

The scientific one. This is one of the most realistic murder mysteries in my forensic repertoire. It is the only to detail the process, what we really want to hear, instead of just the final conclusion. We learn that, in fact, there is no such thing as a perfect crime.

The Kite Runner

Khaled Hossini

The moving one. So much about this novel makes it a mystifying read. I encountered moments where my mind would cringe at the image in my head and the only thing I could do was set aside the book to let the image fade. This book functions as a history lesson as well as a guide for morality. For more impressions see my Illusive Decency blog

Interred With Their Bones

Jennifer Lee Carrell

The hybrid. It functions as a history, geography, and literature lesson while misdirecting me the whole way. It was an interesting paradigm of Shakespeare the man, the idea, and the works. Leaving only one question unanswered. Are you a Stratfordian theorist?

Illusive Decency

The remaining houses of the once vibrant Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood now stooped to the powers that ruled from within them. Young boys were forced into becoming men and the dignified men into followers. Yet, through it all, there were some who saw every ounce of the strife for what it was and not what it was made out to be. Those who understood would have agreed, “War doesn’t negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace.” (Hosseini 115)

I don’t think I could have prepared myself for the mental turbulence that The Kite Runner generated. I began reading this novel with the ignorant idea that I knew what had happened and what was happening with the turmoil in Afghanistan. It wasn’t until after I had made quite a bit of progress that I realized that what was being discussed bore no resemblance to what I had previously heard or understood. In some ways it was an enlightening process. The more I read the more I was able to piece together Afghanistan’s past. The history lesson in this story is remarkable. Author Khaled Hosseini does a great service to his country to bring attention to its situation. But more importantly is the manner in which he chooses to do so. By far the most jarring character is Baba, the knowledgeable, strong, and individualistic father of Amir, and later Hassan.

The words of Baba force me to rethink every thought and prior action made throughout the book. They were moving, they were striking, but above all they are correct. I found his views on war, peace, and decency to be just that. When I reconsider, war, in fact, does not “negate decency.” Some might argue that the act of killing would automatically invalidate such a claim; however, when I think deeper about the purpose of war, I better understand this quote. The war in Afghanistan may seek to redistribute power, however, it also seeks to improve lives. To one group, an idea of opposition may seem unjustly forced but to the other side such idea must hold valued significance in the benefit of one or both groups. In such a light, war becomes less a battle to the death but more a struggle for development, requiring the cooperation and decency of both parties. Baba uses his prickling words as a response to a Russian soldier demanding a price for passage into Pakistan. Although his risk may have seemed unwise at the time, his decency to explain his reasoning again proves his argument.

Torn by the decency of men, Afghanistan and its people have found themselves smothered by some of the strongest radical forces including the Taliban, Mujahideen, and Soviets. Plagued by such uncontrollable authority, Baba’s words quell the fears of Amir, Hassan, and their society. In times of peace, the demand of civility is strong; however, in times of war that demand increases ten fold. “War doesn’t negate decency.” War should be viewed as a struggle for the future, a future that finds peace at the heart of all conflict. Where “hope is merely currency” and “death is not the last unknown.” (Teng)