Faulkner said there is only one tale worth telling and that is the story of sin and redemption.  SHANTARAM  has both in bucketfuls–and it is a great beach read for both guys and gals.  It has adventure, action, romance, mystery, lyrical writing,  gripping story telling and just about everything a best-seller should have and some more stuff in between.

   Let me tell you about the author–Gregory David Roberts (GDR) escaped from an Australian prison where he was serving time for armed robbery and went to Bombay.  There, he set up a free clinic in the slums, worked for the Indian mafia (I guess there is one in every country), and did some counterfeiting, smuggling, and gunrunning.  He wrote a book about Lin who escaped from an Australian prison where he was serving time for armed robbery and went to Bombay where he set up a free clinic in the slums, worked for the Indian mafia and etc. etc. etc.   GDR fell in love with Bombay.  He introduces the reader to the many sides of this fascinating city while his hero comes to term with the life he once had and the one he wants.   You can’t walk away from this book untouched by Lin’s humanity and that of so many marvelous characters in this story.

   I admit I thought I had stumbled upon an  undiscovered talent.  The book has been out since 2003.  I wanted to take GDR under my wing and make him famous.  With noble intentions,  I went to his website to learn more and perhaps email him to rest assured I would do all I could to call attention to his fabulous book.  Turns out Johnny Depp beat me to it.  He’s optioned the book for a movie which should go into production fairly soon.  Casting tests and Depp talking about his plans are up on YouTube. 

  So, I guess GDR doesn’t need me to rescue him . . . but you should really, REALLY read this book.  Especially if, like me, you love being immersed into another culture.  At just under 1000 pages, it’s a hefty read.  Don’t be put off by the page count.  You’ll enjoy each and every one of them.

SHANTARAM by Gregory David Robert  ISBN 0-312-33053-7  St. Martin’s Griffin

   I wallow in books.  Sometimes, I just like to hold them because I like them so much.  But there are times I’m overwhelmed by how many wonderful books there are to read.  I walk into a well-stocked bookstore or library and go into overload.  Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl’s BOOK LUST :  RECOMMENDED READING FOR EVERY MOOD, MOMENT, AND REASON is tailor-made for me.

   Yes, it’s a book of lists of books with quick taglines to pique your interest.    Here is a sampling of chapter titles–”First Novels”, ”Czech It Out”, “I Love a Mystery”, “Western Memoirs”, “WWII Fiction”, “WWII Nonfiction”, “Great Dogs in Fiction”, ”Cat Crazy”, “Shrinks and Shrinkees”, and the lists go on and on.  One of my favorite chapters is “100 Good Reads, Decade by Decade”.  Turns out most of what we consider “reading list” material was written before 1970.  Made me think about why . . . and perhaps I should read those thirty novels written after 1970-2000? 

   Or how about this entry for a biography by Janet Stevenson titled WEEP NO MORE?  Pearl writes that it “illuminates the sad yet ultimately noble life of Elizabeth Van Lew, who disguised her activities as a Union spy in Richmond, Virginia, by appearing to be simply insane.”  Since I live in the Richmond area, that book will be a kick to read. 

   Who needs this book?  Anyone who has to compile a reading list and wants to freshen it up as well as teachers, librarians, booksellers, anyone heading to a beach or the mountains, grandparents with the kids coming for the summer or parents who don’t want to see their kids stoned by television.    And, of course, book lovers like me.

  By the way, Nancy Pearl is the Director of the Washington Center for the Book where she created the program “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book.”  The idea is catching on city-by-city.  We had one in Richmond.  If you haven’t tried it in your city, give it a shot.  It’s a cool way of building community.

BOOK LUST by Nancy Pearl  ISBN 1-5701-381-8  Sasquatch Books

She also authored MORE BOOK LUST (I guess because one book is never enough!)