Recent Reads

Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith

I read this book knowing that it was written by J.K. Rowling under a pseudonym. The reason she used a different name was to see if her book could be successful without the hype and expectations that would inevitably result due to her fame as author of the Harry Potter series. Although I knew Rowling was the author, my expectations weren't very high, since a crime novel is a completely different type of book than Harry Potter. I have to admit, I was interested to see how she would handle this new genre, and if this book would be anywhere near as captivating as her famous series. From the beginning, this book has a different feel. It’s definitely more adult, sprinkled with the F-word, numerous vocabulary words that I had to look up, and one very unexpected (but not explicit) sex scene.

To my surprise, I got pulled into the story right away. The story starts out with the death of a famous model, and the investigation delves into the lifestyle of the rich and famous. The investigator, Cormoran Strike, who has a prosthetic leg, a mountain of debt, and an unhealthy relationship with the beautiful Charlotte, is unlike any detective I've read about. But his methodical interrogations and steady compilation of evidence were reminiscent of my favorite Agatha Christie novels. This isn't a suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat story as much as a “thinker” but I still found that I couldn't put it down. By “thinker”, I mean that it’s not full of chases or buildings being blown up, but of evidence being collected, with several pieces that don’t seem to make sense. It’s up to the reader to try to put together all the clues; although I would be very surprised if many readers successfully identify the killer!

All in all, this was a good crime story, with plenty of twists and surprises. I enjoyed getting to know Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin. I just found out that Rowling is releasing a second book with the same characters this summer, and I can’t wait!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This is my mom’s favorite book, and she’s been trying to get me to read it for years. I put it off, not because I didn't want to read it, but because I wanted to give it the time and attention it deserved. Obviously, I had high expectations. This book did not disappoint.

Unbroken is the true story of Louis Zamperini, an unlikely championship runner who was on a quest to break a 4-minute mile. World War II interrupted his Olympic dreams, and Louie ended up joining the Air Force, where he flew many missions as a bombardier. One fateful day, Louie’s B-24 crashed into the Pacific Ocean, and Louie had to find the courage and hope to survive in the most desperate and brutal circumstances.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but so much more happens! I was overwhelmed by the bravery and perseverance of the men who fought in World War II, and also saddened and angered by what they had to go through. The title says it all:  Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. It’s amazing that this is a true story. (Side note: there is a movie based on the book that’s coming out December 2014. I’m excited but also apprehensive. There is no way a movie can do justice to the book, unless it’s about 5 hours long.)

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. This was an interesting book (by the way, I can’t believe I read two biographies back to back!). I didn't know much about Steve Jobs before I read this book, other than that he was the founder of Apple. I've never been an Apple enthusiast. I don’t have an iPod or an iPad or an iPhone. In fact, I've always considered Apple to be one of those trendy overpriced brands, and consequently I’ll buy the Android or Kindle versions of their products.

Steve Jobs biography gave me a different perspective, because now I know the history of Apple. Interestingly, Jobs always viewed Apple as a rebel/renegade business, going against the grain of big corporations like Microsoft, so it’s kind of ironic that Apple is a big corporation like that now. What sets Apple apart is that Jobs focused on fully integrated, user-friendly products (in other words closed systems), when other companies were making their products compatible with multiple systems.

Personally, Jobs wasn't the easiest person to get along with. He would yell at people in meetings, tell everyone their ideas were crap, steal good ideas and present them as his own, and give employees impossible deadlines. The original Apple computer was really Steve Wozniak’s invention, but it was Jobs who had the business sense to market it and sell it.

However, despite all the negatives, Jobs was a great businessman and had an intuitive sense for great products. Because his focus was so different from other companies, he revolutionized the way people listened to music, browsed the internet, and used their phones. He also took risks by making decisions without using data analysis (as so many other companies did), and completely scrapping a project and starting over when he felt that it wasn't right. He saved Apple when he returned as CEO. His marketing skills were revolutionary: just watch an iPod or iPad commercial- there’s no mention of the features of the product, but a focus on what the consumer can do with it.

I also enjoyed reading about Jobs’ involvement with his other business ventures, such as Pixar. He definitely had a knack for recognizing people with creative talent and forming a team to make something great together.  It was cool to read about a business that’s as current and relevant as Apple. Steve Jobs has left quite a legacy.

Update: These are still the best books I've read in the last year! All of these are 5 stars!