Titans of History, by Simon Sebag Montefiore

A disappointing book, after having read the excellent Jerusalem biography. It's very superficial, and not only the selection of historical "titans" is sometimes odd (Montefiore seems particularly to revel in the lives of dictators, the more barbarous the better), as the historical appraisal of some of them is extremely questionable, especially the modern ones (like Gandhi, John Paul II or Thatcher, for instance). It's a pleasant reading, but these faults make it often annoying. I think it's more suitable for children, as an introduction to history, like we used to read in the 70s collections of texts in the series "15".

And the Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini

A nice book, about a family in Afghanistan from the late 40s to the present. Well written, it depicts family emotions fairly well, and the sense of loss and lost opportunities and time, but also the resilience and hope in human nature. Some interesting characters and engaging plot, but I would have liked to know more about the relatives who stayed in Afghanistan, and whose experience is just hinted at, instead of the long passage about the Greek doctor, that seems a bit superfluous. But all in all a nice read.