The Oxford History of Mexico

 Hmm. I am having a little trouble understanding how I feel about this book. I am certainly glad I finally got the chance to read it. I cannot stop thinking that my prior knowledge of the history of Mexico was really useful when trying to better understand it. Not that I knew much. What I am trying to say is that, in my opinion, this might not be a book for complete beginners. At the same time, this is also not an in-depth perspective on the history of Mexico. As perhaps no single book that covers such a large period of time can be.
  I am grateful that I got to learn many interesting details of history, and that I got to read the opinion of several people who have devoted much of their time to studying the history of my country. Yes. I am glad.
  Simultaneously, though, I am somehwat... dispirited. Is that how I feel solely about the book? Or could my feelings be inevitably mixed with the thoughts I get when I look around me?
  Meditate on this, I will.

The Historian

 It has been a few months since I finished reading this book, I finished reading it in February this year, but I have been procrastinating writing this entry. Like several pilot episodes of a series, this book had an excellent start. The first chapter was just thrilling. Unfortunately, the rest of the story monotonically drecreases in quality, until one starts wishing that the dragging on of the plot would simply end. I wonder if some people would be discouraged from reading the book based solely on that. I will say this: if you already have it in your bookshelf, like mine was for many years untouched, read it. Otherwise, you might want to consdier a different book.

The Kite Runner

 Wow, I truly do not know what to think of this book. Afghanistan has been in my thoughts recently after reading about the United States's evacuation of that country. Even though I am taking this book to be fiction, I am also taking the story to be a description of events that very well could have actually happened. That thought can be overwhelming. So overwhelming, in fact, that I believe it could be easy to fall into despair and lose hope that the problem might ever be solved. Therefore, I would like to quote a small bit of The Queen's Christmas speech of 2016: "[I]t's understandable that we sometimes think the world's problems are so big that we can do little to help. On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice. But the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine."
  I have to believe that is true. That thought inspires me and helps me keep going on. It also brings me inner peace.