more 1001 books and authors....

So not been about for a few weeks, and there is no proper excuse for that ~ it's just that life has gotten in the way, but thought it was about time I Blogged again and, more specifically, presented you with more of the 1001 books and authors that make up my list of those that you really deserve to read before you die.....

Number Six on my list of 1001 books and authors you really need to read before you die is A Thousand Splendid Suns by the highly acclaimed author, Khaled Hosseini who was also responsible for The Kite Runner. Whilst The Kite Runner is an equally good read, and was made into a successful movie last year, it kind of lacks the depth and intensity of Splendid Suns which is far superior in scope and deliverance and is an exceptional book to pick up that will change your life and the way you percieve the world around you!

Splendid Suns tells the story of two very different women whose lives become intertwined when they both become wives to a shoe maker from Kabul. It is a story of the jealousy that initially surrounds these two women, the harsh regime they are both obliged to live under, the personal circumstances that are thrown their way that complicate their lives and, ultimately, how the two women form a bond and unite together to try and escape the oppression they are forced to endure on a daily basis. It is a strong novel, an uncompromising read and often a very hard book to pick up ~ not because it is hard-going but because it is difficult to read what these two women are forced to go through even when they become determined to change their lives for the better. As well as providing a valuable insight into the lives of women in Afghanistan, it is also a highly addictive story that sweeps you up and refuses to let you go until its final climax. One book I would reccommend to anyone they should certainly most definitely read! As Jonathan Yardley said in the Washington Post "Book World": "Just in case you're wondering whether Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns is as good as The Kite Runner, here's the answer: No. It's better."