The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

I have no idea why it took me this long to read this book. I had read the reviews when it was first published, people had recommended it to me countless times, and still I didn't get round to it. Well I have now, and I should have done a long time ago. It's a story of love, loyalty, betrayal and guilt. Set partly in Afghanistan before it was the damaged place we see in the papers now, it tells the story of two boys, Amir and Hassan, best friends and the betrayal that splits them apart. It then tells the story of Amir's attempts to right his wrongs as an adult. A kite runner is usually a young boy, who during a kite battle, runs through the narrow streets searching for the kite that's just had its string severed. The ultimate kite to run for is the last one to lose, and one of the boys (Hassan) is the best, knowing instinctively where the kite will fall. There's an almost poetic quality to the writing, and the story can be terribly sad at times, but ultimately redemptive. If you haven't already, I suggest you read this, I wish I had done sooner.