I have read quite a bit since my last post. I finished Rule of Four. Then I read Martin Cruz Smith's December 6. This was quite an interesting book. There's not much plot - Harry Niles, our protagonist, is an American resident of Tokyo on December 6, 1941. Will he get out of Japan before Pearl Harbor? And what exactly does he know about Pearl Harbor and the Japanese navy's interest in the Hawaiian islands?
Above all, December 6 is a character study. Characters like Harry don't come along very often. Harry is flawed, charming, smart, and yet cannot get out of his own way. He understands the Japanese culture in a way few westerners could at that time, and manipulates his Japanese friends mercilessly. Harry is not a "good" guy, he is at times downright ruthless and heartless.
And since the Harry Potter book 7 will be released soon, I have started my journey through the world of Harry Potter again. I have finished Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and am now reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I had forgotten how well crafted the first book was, our first introduction to this now world famous character. But it really was a delightful read. Harry's discoveries of the wizarding world are our discoveries as well, and there is a freshness to the first book that is sheer pleasure.
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