Writing humor is risky business. If one writes mainstream fiction or nonfiction and the book is not well reviewed, of course it hurts--writing is alwaWriting humor is risky business. If one writes mainstream fiction or nonfiction and the book is not well reviewed, of course it hurts--writing is always personal, at some level--but few things are as painful as the I-thought-this-was-going-to-be-funny review. In writing about her own family and friends, albeit with a few small changes to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned, Antonia Murphy takes her bleeding heart in her own two hands and offers it up to the public for consumption.
Personally, I have never laughed so hard in my life, or at least not recently. My thanks go to her and to the Goodreads first reads program for the ARC.
If my earlier reference to Murphy and the bleeding heart made you wince, you won't want to read her book, either, because it has lots of gooey, graphic, gross stuff in it. It is edgy humor out there on the edge of wild, like the hinterlands of New Zealand where she has made her home. Well, see for yourself. This is from the prologue, so it doesn't ruin the book for you:
"As I watched my goat eat her placenta, I was mostly impressed...Pearl had always been a strict vegan, so her sudden craving for raw meat showed a real taste for adventure...The placenta draped gracefully from her hindquarters, a translucent pink train enclosing a network of blue veins. There was a dark red, ropy thing inside, heavy with blood and the color of liver. It was this that Pearl tucked into first, craning her neck to nibble and swallow..."
As I read, I tried to analyze what it was that made her humor work. Part of it was her sense of remove, the dry commentary of the detached observer even when she is right in the middle of everything. But every now and again, something will happen in her personal life that shatters the entire I'm-just-watching thing. For one thing, she has two children, and when one meets with a really dangerous misadventure, Murphy is nearly consumed with the fear, the stress, the confusion that every mother on this planet, save for a frightening few misfits, would feel at such a time. So we laugh at all the icky stuff and her reactions to same, but now and again we remember that she is vulnerable to the same nightmares that we are. It gives us a stake in what comes next, and between the hilarity (most of the book) and the pain (deftly meted in small doses), there is no putting this book down once you reach a certain point.
Here's how it shook out at our house: I would read a passage to myself, then burst out laughing. I would hustle straight past my husband, a man of delicate sensibilities with regard to animals and biological detail. I knew he did not want to hear it, or read it, or even be reminded of it. Instead, I made for the younger daughter's room. She is a teenager with a great lust for gore, so of course she loved it. And I know that if I had headed for the adult-son-who-sometimes-lives-here, he would have chortled merrily also.
The narrative of this amateur adventure at farming just sat on my giggle button. Murphy, rather than wanting to control and fix every little (and large) thing that occurs, has this brilliantly mellow approach. Wow, the goats keep attacking the cars. A neighbor observes that eventually, they will break her windshield. Huh. Well...she loves those goats, so she isn't going to "dead" them (her daughter Miranda's word). She doesn't want to sell them, and after all, who would want them? And fences are very expensive. She is, after all, just a renter.
Occasional visions of the landlords returning to find their property trashed would wink into my head, then wink away.
Every time I think Murphy and her husband are in over their heads and everything is completely out of control, she takes on an additional project. When all is falling apart, why not find something more to add to it?
So there's Jabberwocky, the rapist rooster. They might have to dead him. Everyone likes baby chicks, and the hens can't get preggers without him, but the thing is, he's psychotic. Eventually she comes to understand that this is how it is with roosters. They start bad and get worse, and sooner or later, one generally HAS to dead them.
Good god. See what she's done to me?
I have four more outstanding quotes, but they are too close to the end of the book. and it would ruin it for you. And the fact is, almost every single page has at least one quote that is fucking brilliant. I think I mostly marked the pages that showed transitions occurring in the plot, and that's all well and good for academics, but this is not an essay, this is a review, and therein lies the distinction.
Because you, dear reader, don't want to know how the book ends, and you are capable of analyzing all its nuances yourself, should you choose to do so. On the other hand, you could also just get the book, have an outstanding weekend curled up in your favorite reading spot, and then be done with it.
For those not grossed out by the references in this review, this is a sure fire hit. Pick it up when you have the blues, and I guarantee that in minutes your worries will be smaller.
When you look at it that way, ordering a copy of this book is really the sensible thing to do.
I had hoped to delay reviewing this title till my own high school senior had taken the SAT, but we just realized that it will be a really long time beI had hoped to delay reviewing this title till my own high school senior had taken the SAT, but we just realized that it will be a really long time before she gets tested & the scores are back, so I am forced into a straight-forward review.
I really appreciated both the nuggets of information contained here and the readable, personal manner in which it was all presented. Stier has a knack for writing. I hope she continues to publish more work.
Since I taught teenagers language arts and history till my recent retirement and supervised 3 of my own (older) kids' entry into college, along with assisting other family members, I am considered my family's go-to person for college prep. I look over essays before they get sent in and make suggestions. So I wasn't really a novice at any of this.
However, I had never scrutinized the SAT carefully before. My own kids were kind of cut and dried; I had two drop-dead geniuses who were going to score really high without my help, which they did, and one more that was so ambition-free that it was clear he'd be starting at a community college, no matter what I did. My last chickie out of of the nest is the first borderline kid I have had, a bright young lady who sometimes needs a hint before she sees a question the same way an examiner is likely to see it.
This is where Stier's book comes in handy. She has repeatedly taken this test herself and done an A+ job of researching it from every conceivable angle possible without actually breaking the law.
If anyone in your family is likely to take this test within the coming year or so, consider buying this book. It would also make an awesome Christmas gift!...more
My review below, a three star review, stands as written.
However, my teenager, a high school senior, grabbed this book the instant I seNote the change.
My review below, a three star review, stands as written.
However, my teenager, a high school senior, grabbed this book the instant I set it down, and proclaims it to be "...even better than I thought!" She is using it to acquire extra credit in world history class, and speaks about the various murderesses as if they were family members. This one, she thinks was vindicated; that one, she has NO sympathy for.
So from our household, the average is now four stars; three from me, and five from Emiko.
"True crime" is a big house with a whole lot of rooms. Some true crime books are deliciously prurient; others are as dusty as the top of a ten foot tall bookcase. In this case, the title ("unspeakable") and the jacket artist lead the reader to believe we are really going to get down and dish the dirt, and what is more...it's all true!
Instead, what we have here is a very well-written, well-documented, extremely scholarly if surprisingly dry bit of research, maybe the author's advanced degree work. The collision between the teaser and the product are somewhat jarring. This was a First Read sent me free through the Goodreads program and the publisher. I would have abandoned it more readily had I not felt a duty to get through it.
What would have fit the bill without ruining the author's hard work is a good piece of juicy narrative nonfiction. Put in the documentation, but pick up the pace! As is, the book is sometimes a feminist treatise that all but blames Victorian society's social contract for slut-shaming as an understandable excuse for murder in the case of unsuitable, unmarriable mates of the lower classes (sorry, no sympathy here), or a self-defensive maneuver against constant verbal abuse, without the loss of a high standard of living that came with the ornery groom. A baby born out of wedlock gets snuffed when an abortion can't be obtained.
At other times, the pace quickens a bit, as if the author is about to get excited and take us along with her, but then her dispassionate researcher's mind grabs hold of her--stop it right now, you're getting worked up!--and we go back to the librarian's hushed monotone.
The font, while suitably Victorian, is really tiny and hard on the eyes.
It may be that I am being unfair to Hartman; she has done a good deal of work here, and the fault may lie with Dover or whoever is publishing and promoting her work. All I know is that I expected this to be a fun read, and it wasn't. I kept pushing it away in favor of other reading, as if postponing the book might make me like it better once I returned to it.
A strong, scholarly effort that should have been marketed as such. Not a Halloween read....more
MacMillan’s hefty, well-researched tome has been nominated for prestigious awards and received rave reviews from the New York Times Book Review and thMacMillan’s hefty, well-researched tome has been nominated for prestigious awards and received rave reviews from the New York Times Book Review and the Christian Science Monitor. It is the most scholarly and thorough a treatment of the period from 1900 to 1914 as any I have seen. Thank you to the first reads program at Goodreads and to the publisher for a chance to read it and review it free of cost. If I were planning to teach a college seminar on the causes of the first world war, I would absolutely include this book in my assigned reading. It is made more interesting and approachable with occasional photographs—primary documents—as well as political cartoons to abbreviate the text. (I believe this time period is also the starting gun for the use of political cartoons in journalism.) I suspect that in the future it will be regarded as the go-to source for this topic and time period. MacMillan’s organization and documentation are spot-on. That said, I was a little disappointed to see this subject addressed so singularly and steadfastly from the top down. Of course, while discussing tension among the ruling classes of the most powerful imperial nations, along with those who are up-and-coming, like Japan and the USA, one must discuss the interests of those who hold the most wealth and power, since it is they who will call on the workers and peasants of the world to go fight in their interests. That said, it would have been interesting to see more of these popular sentiments included also. After all, wars have been won and also lost by how badly the working classes did or didn’t want victory. Every soldier has the opportunity to lag behind or forge ahead at some point. That being said, MacMillan does a fine job explaining the configuration of the nation states that existed before the war, and the numerous tensions that were near the breaking point before the assassination of the archduke. For those who have scratched their heads and wondered at exactly why such a monstrous conflagration should arise over the murder of Ferdinand, MacMillan sets context and perspective expertly. If you are researching a subject that overlaps or includes this time period, this is a great source, and the index will help you find the information you need without attempting to tackle the whole volume. And though other reviewers have referred to a novel-like narrative, my sense is that this is better used as a research source. A job well done.
A Dancer in the Dust is a multifaceted novel. It is a love story, the doomed love of Ray Campbell, a risk assessor from the United States for Martine A Dancer in the Dust is a multifaceted novel. It is a love story, the doomed love of Ray Campbell, a risk assessor from the United States for Martine Aubert, an African woman of Belgian descent. Martine lives in, and loves, the country of her birth, a fictitiously independent nation called Lubanda. And it is a story of paternalism, and of how much easier it is to place someone else in a risky position rather than oneself. It is also a story that raises thought-provoking social issues. My thanks go to the publisher and the first reads program for the chance to read this free. It is beautifully written, but it is also one that starts with a man grieving, and by chance it arrived in the mail when I was grieving a younger family member who died very unexpectedly. Every time I picked the book up, the clouds formed, and so I took what I would generally consider to be an unconscionably long time reading it. For awhile, the words just couldn’t sink in. When I got my wits about me, it occurred to me that I ought to find out whether Lubanda was a real place or not, lest I make an ass of myself while reviewing it. Sure enough, Lubanda, though not really an independent nation, exists in east-central Africa as a subsection of Tanzania. Cook makes it larger and more populous than it is in real life for the purpose of his fictional vehicle. And when you are as painterly and skillful with words as Cook is, you can pretty much do what you need to in order to tell your story. So we rejoin Campbell as he sets out on his return trip to Lubanda. He left there after Martine was killed, returned to New York City, but the death of a man known to both Ray and Martine sets his wheels back in motion. Seso, whom Campbell considered a friend, has turned up dead, murdered, in New York City. Campbell has weighed risks and taken the safer course all of his life, and in turn, he has been left with nothing and no one. He is finally ready to toss all of his chips on the table in hopes of at least winning redemption, and so he sets out in search of Seso’s killer. “Actually, we have plenty of opportunities to do the right thing…It’s taking back the wrong thing we can’t do.” Martine had died because she would not do what the Western aid providers think she should do, a program the government bought into lock, stock and barrel. She had tried to explain in logical terms why their plan for her country was wrong, but no one was listening. Nation after nation had become a “funhouse mirror into hell” because of Western policies: Uganda, Kenya, Congo, and the list continues. Patrice Lumumba embraced modern ideas and methods, but ultimately died when he defied his keepers. In setting out to find out what happened to Seso and why, Campbell is looking to trace back the thread. Cook’s account is brutal and searing, but it is too well told, too compelling, and raises too many thorny social issues that bear examining to be set aside. Read it for Africa; read it for the mystery it unravels; or read it for social justice. But get the book, and read it now! ...more
To clarify: this is a five-star review. It was erroneously entered as four stars at some point, and the system is resisting my effort to correct it. FTo clarify: this is a five-star review. It was erroneously entered as four stars at some point, and the system is resisting my effort to correct it. FIVE stars. Not four. FIVE!
I am a longstanding fan of Jeff Shaara's. I see people write criticism of his work that sometimes approaches hysteria, and frankly, I don't get it. Like his Pulitzer-winning father before him, Shaara uses a combination of extensive knowledge of the war; a fertile imagination; and considerable writing skill to turn America's most pivotal war into stories. Story, in turn, is a tremendously effective vehicle for teaching about history.
At this point, I should mention that I got my copy courtesy of the First Reads program; my thanks go to the publisher. This copy will hold a place of pride in my personal library, alongside the other books of Shaara's that were given me as gifts or purchased outright for full jacket price. Is it worth full price? I say yes, with this qualification. It's worth it if you have a serious interest in the American Civil War, and if you are open to reading historical fiction. It's so named because any time one takes the known facts and adds dialogue, or inner dialogue, presuming to know the thoughts of historical characters, then of course part of it is made up. If you can't live with that, either stick to nonfiction or go away.
Interest in the Civil War is key here because nobody can turn the battle of Shiloh into a fun read. It isn't a fun subject. It was tragic. So if you want a fluffy beach read, this book isn't that.
I was somewhat surprised to note that my own Goodreads shelves had listed this book as read by me, and the rating as 4 stars. I think it may have been an error, because I usually write a review, even if the book wasn't free to me. However, another possibility exists: if I read it on the e-reader I owned when this book was first published in 2012, a reader now moribund so I can't go in and check, it might have negatively influenced my perspective. Don't read this book on your e-reader! You need to be able to see the maps, which are pivotal to understanding the action as Shaara describes it. If you didn't need it, the author and publishers would not have devoted the space to it. I flipped back a few times to give those maps a second and third glance as I was reading. I do love my (new) e-reader and I use it a lot, but when possible, I read military history and historical fiction on paper. It's more effective.
When I taught American history, I always kept some of Shaara's other work on my classroom shelves. Fiction is often more accessible to students who have come to believe that history is a meaningless list of names, places, and dates. When story is used, the reader comes to understand that what took place involved real human beings and sometimes, they even recognize that their lives today might be different from what they are if things had unfolded differently back then. And had I not read Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels, I might not have decided to read The Battle Cry of Freedom, the Pulitzer winning nonfiction tome by McPherson. I found this was also true of my students, that fiction was often a necessary conduit that made them more willing to read nonfiction on the same topic. And once that bridge is crossed, it doesn't matter that there was no actual soldier named Bauer who did the things Jeff Shaara's foot soldier did.
This brings me to the last thing I want to say about this well researched, carefully crafted book. Is a writer of strong historical fiction bound to include only real players in the story he reels out before us? Of course not. It's fiction; he can write anything he wants to.
Well then, if he invents a character and gives him as much breath and life as the others, who were real, is his writing unworthy of our time and attention? I stand by the writer in this case. There were so many fresh-faced young soldiers out there who won no permanent place in our nation's history. The working class, the lowest on the totem pole, are often disenfranchised by the fact that their history goes unwritten. For Shaara to create a single character to show that these men are not forgotten is gutsy and laudable. While leadership was critical to winning the war, it's very important not to forget all those unknown boys and men who marched, slept in the rain and the mud, and sometimes died of dysentery before the next day's march began. Others can say what they wish, but I really appreciate what Shaara has done in helping us remember the common soldier.
The more good historical fiction I read, the more I am inspired to read more of McPherson, Sears, and Catton. The Shaaras inspired me to read the memoirs of Grant and Sherman; I have a biography of Stonewall Jackson as my next-in-line galley. But the more I read of these masters of nonfiction, the more credible Shaara's work looks to me.
Again, is this worth your bookstore dollars, or is it something only to be read free or cheap? If you have a strong interest in both historical fiction and the battle of Shiloh, there's nothing better. Buy the book and read it; if you have to pay the full cover price, do it. It's a worthwhile investment, and maybe some young person in your life will be inspired to borrow it. What could be more important?
This is a wonderful resource for the barbecue chef, whether you are just getting started, or looking to refine your skills. Thanks to the publishers fThis is a wonderful resource for the barbecue chef, whether you are just getting started, or looking to refine your skills. Thanks to the publishers for sending me a free copy via the First Reads program. It's a real gem!
When I first reviewed this wonderful resource, it was still too chilly in the Pacific Northwest to barbecue. I'm editing my review now to tell you how it worked out. I received this barbecue book as well as another I had requested for Mother's Day. When it came time to sit down and plan my barbecue, which I'd done before but with activated charcoal rather than the long, slow, smoky way, I got out my two books. The other one provided fewer details that left me with questions, or instructed me to mail-order the author's own special products for the barbecue. Not happening! Raichlen's text here, on the other hand, gave me all of the information I needed in order to successfully barbecue a Texas-style brisket or a big hunk of salmon without burning down my deck and the house to which it is attached. The family was thrilled, and I can cook them cheaper cuts of meat this way than my previous method, which called for big hunks of steak for all carnivores present.
The most obviously appealing factor here is accessibility. The instructions, headings, chapters, and graphics all make it very easy to find exactly what you want to know...because although I am entirely capable of reading all 500+ pages of this tome, most of you will choose to flip through it for something in particular.
One question I came away with regards the practice of soaking hardwood if it is being used to smoke the food. I have read elsewhere that this is not a good practice, but this writer advises it. I will probably try it both ways and see which works better for me. (Post-script: I soaked one piece and ended up having to add more anyway, which was dry. It's great either way, especially if one is already accustomed to the taste of activated charcoal, which is no longer being used here!)
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, it was a common practice for mothers to rule the kitchen and fathers the barbecue; thus, at my mother's side, I learned everything from how to make flaky pie crust, to cooking main dishes and use leftovers wisely. (In those days, we had no microwaves, few palatable frozen foods, and so cooking was not a hobby or even an option; someone had to know how!)
But the barbecue was this thing done by men, and so I wandered out to the barbecue when it was time to be served a burger or more often, the incredible salmon my folks and the neighbors caught on weekend fishing trips. Oysters shyly opened their shells when ready to be gulped down; everything on the grill appeared by magic, almost. I paid no attention whatsoever to how any of it was done. And during my first marriage, it was pretty much the same. There's the barbecue; here's some meat and buns; let me know if you need anything from the store. I turned back to the kitchen (where women go) to make a big fruit salad or boil corn.
Reel forward another dozen years. I have married an immigrant who is not even slightly amused at the notion that he should barbecue anything, ever. I tried handing him the meat and buns and pointing at the barbecue, and he gave them right back to me. I explained that I actually did not know how to barbecue; neither did he, and furthermore, if I wanted to eat barbecue, I'd better learn. And so I began as most novices do, squirting hideous petrochemicals onto charcoal and newspaper, and producing indifferent (but barbecued!) burgers and dogs.
Over the years our eating habits have evolved. I don't eat much meat anymore, and was interested to see the cedar plank salmon cooking method laid out here. I will try it. I have had moderate success in wrapping salmon in foil, but I am always interested in new things. I was delighted by the number of vegetable oriented dishes provided, if a bit frustrated by the vast amounts of olive oil recommended. Yes, I know, a barbecue will dry vegies out if they aren't lubricated, but all the work losing weight is undone if one has to drown the mushrooms, tomatoes, and eggplant in the very most artery clogging oil that exists. I may try substituting a little sesame oil or a dash of soy sauce; we'll see. But there are so many great looking recipes here that I can't wait to get started!
One of the joys the barbecue provides is the capacity to eat well and save money. My family is not cheerful when they see the cheap cuts of meat I grew up on, and leftovers? Not even. Here are some great ideas for slow-cooking and smoking meats in ways that nobody could walk away from. Although one has to buy charcoal, more money is saved by not using the cooking unit in the house and the energy it requires not only to cook, but to rid the house of all that heat! City dwellers don't have summer kitchens as rural folk used to do, but the barbecue on the deck is a fine substitute.
If you don't own a barbecue, read the author's suggestions before you make your purchase. He does not try to sell you on a particular make or type, but does offer salient considerations that should go into your decision if you aren't absolutely sure which type you want.
Summer comes late here, but the sun peeks out here and there even in May, and I will be watching for my first wonderful opportunity to try indirect heat and smoking for the first time. Meanwhile, I can enjoy that barbecue experience vicariously by continuing to check out new recipes and put sticky notes on the most interesting pages.
A great gift for Mother's Day or Father's Day, depending on who does the grilling at your house!...more
Humor is a risky genre. A romance or historical fiction can be a little dull, wander a bit, and perhaps get away with it, but when something isn't funHumor is a risky genre. A romance or historical fiction can be a little dull, wander a bit, and perhaps get away with it, but when something isn't funny, it really just isn't. Happily, that is not a problem for Mr. Resnick, who has been writing humor for others, including David Letterman, for a good long while, but not as much as himself. Here he is. Thanks for the free book, Blue Rider Press, but thanks even more to Adam Resnick, because there is seldom anything any of us need more than a good laugh.
Despite the title, Resnick's dark humor does not wander so far down the path of alienation as to lead to misogyny. If you have ever desperately wanted not to attend a party, speak to a neighbor, or pretend to be in a good mood when you really aren't, this is your book. (My daughter actually got hit by a car rather than speak to an oncoming neighbor, but she didn't consciously make the choice...being hit, I mean. And she's fine now.)
Favorite chapters were "An Easter Story", "Booker's a Nice Guy", "Scientology Down Under", and "The Strand Bag". However, nothing here strikes me as filler; the quality of the writing is consistent throughout.
For every teacher's inservice I endured in which all of us were solemnly reminded that sarcasm is never appropriate when speaking to students (yeah, right), this book serves as vindication.
In fact...at the end of the school year, it is a cherished tradition to gift one's teacher. If you have a child or grandchild between grades kindergarten and high school graduation, you'll need a copy of this book for the last day of school. Give the hard cover edition to show you have class, and that you respect education. If your child inscribes it, the teacher may remember him or her up the road apiece. Just a consideration.
Wow! That was a really fun ride. A great big thank you to the Goodreads First Reads program and the publisher for a free look-see.
Imagine, if you willWow! That was a really fun ride. A great big thank you to the Goodreads First Reads program and the publisher for a free look-see.
Imagine, if you will, that the CIA has a new chief, and he's a good guy who wants to do the right thing. How much chaos might this create?
I am, of course, not a fan of the CIA, so I have to play make-believe to enjoy the premise. My heroes are Marx and Engels; my teenager's hero is Edward Snowden. And in this lovely bit of spy-craft by the experienced David Ignatius, the CIA wants to prevent another Snowden from occurring. See, the "moles" of yesteryear are no longer an issue, since the Soviet block fell apart and China is no longer red; now the issue is worms. In this story, there's a really juicy one, and it's "inside". And I know I can't quote a galley extensively, but the phrase "freedom addicts" made me squawk with laughter.
That's it. That's all I'm going to tell you. If this sounds as hilarious to you as it did to me, you really ought to go get your own copy. I haven't had this much fun in a long time....more
Romance is not my genre, generally speaking. But for every generalization, there is an exception, and Ann Weisgarber's The Promise is an exceptional nRomance is not my genre, generally speaking. But for every generalization, there is an exception, and Ann Weisgarber's The Promise is an exceptional novel. Set primarily in Galveston, Texas in 1900, it's beautifully voiced. Other reviewers mentioned Willa Cather, and I could see some of that. My first thought was the similarity in tone to Helen Hooven Santmeyer's epic And Ladies of the Club, one of my favorites.
Right about now I am required to tell you that I received this luscious hardcover novel absolutely free via the Goodreads.com first reads program. I hate doing that, because it implies that this is the source of my high rating and compliments. But if you check my first reads record (and I recently changed my privacy settings so that anyone can do that), you will see that I don't routinely give high ratings or praise. If the cover letter asks me to write a review "if you like what you read here", then I only review the book if my review will be a good one. If I am asked to review it no matter what, then that's what I do. One of my ratings (over which the local newspaper here raved) was two stars, and another was so badly edited that I left the stars blank and documented the fact that the book needed extensive editing before it should be sold.
This touching story of a woman who is "ruined" and forced to leave town and marry down (an old expression and my own, not the writer's) touched me in a way I can't entirely understand. I generally carry a strong working class bias, and yet the first person story of this formerly pampered musician, a member of the intelligentsia during a time when such a thing was a rare luxury for women, really grabbed me from the start. Maybe it's because it was so easy to imagine being that person. A different time period, a different set of rules, and hey...who knows?
The characters were all so tangible, so vivid, that I felt I could step into the pages and have a conversation with them. This is really strong writing.
So even if you aren't one for romances generally, you might give this a try. The awards mentioned in the author's blurb were what led me to take the chance. It's what, back in the day, would have been called a three-hanky--story, because by the time you were finished sobbing, you'd have gone through three handkerchiefs. For you? Keep a box of facial tissues at the ready, and settle down by the fire, because once you're more than halfway in, you'll be there for the duration....more
Hocking is a surfer and skateboard enthusiast. When he moves to New York City, he is amazed (as was I when I read his memoir) to learn that there is rHocking is a surfer and skateboard enthusiast. When he moves to New York City, he is amazed (as was I when I read his memoir) to learn that there is really good surfing there. It's surely not among the things for which New York is known. But there is a problem with the ocean there, and there are other problems Hocking faces as well.
At this point, I should say thank you for the free read; I got my copy through the Goodreads.com First Reads program.
The memoir traces his personal quest as he moves from student to adult, and he draws in and seeks to synthesize Melville's ocean--the same one in which he surfs now--and also the horror of what the oil companies have wrecked upon our waters, with the internal turmoil he experiences with codependent relationships.
I can see what the writer is trying to do, and yet for me, it didn't quite gel. There are some moments I liked, but they weren't central to the plot. I liked what he did with the L-Train conversation, which was light and witty even while it addressed some of the dark issues he was facing, and when the setting transitioned to my own stomping grounds in the Pacific Northwest, I smiled when he mentioned an indoor skating rink and watching fireworks over the Willamette. Unless I miss my guess, this rink is the historical one with the aged wide boards at Oaks Park. I raised my first three kids in that neighborhood, and I was young enough then to skate with them myself. And I watched those fireworks every year for seven years, laying on the roof of my elderly station wagon with their father and a good cup of coffee. Good memories.
But you want to know about the book, not about my memories, and I am not sure what to say here. I really like most memoirs, and I read a lot of them. But for me, I came out of this feeling more as if I'd read someone's journal, wondering why I was reading it (apart from having volunteered). It didn't resonate for me as I had thought it might, but to be fair, I am not a surfer, and not crazy about Melville.
I would suggest this as a good niche read for those who may be dealing with transitions in their own lives; who love Melville; or who love surfing and skating. ...more
Rough and in extensive need of editing. Further remarks are withheld as a courtesy to the publisher and First Reads program. Thank you for the free boRough and in extensive need of editing. Further remarks are withheld as a courtesy to the publisher and First Reads program. Thank you for the free book. I did finish reading it....more
I loved this memoir. It comes out in May, and you should get a copy. You don't have to be even slightly interested in reading about physical therapy tI loved this memoir. It comes out in May, and you should get a copy. You don't have to be even slightly interested in reading about physical therapy to enjoy this book. It is a stellar memoir, entertaining and informational in a way that everyone can access and enjoy.
I got my copy through the First Reads program here on Goodreads.com. All that means these days is that I screened it before applying for a copy. I have a steady stream of free books coming in the mail, the wonderful symbiosis of retired-teacher-who-likes-free-books-and-writing versus publishing-houses-that-don't-want-to-pay-for-a-review. I have become fairly persnickety about what I'm willing to read and review--because to my way of thinking, it is not fair to accept the free book and not finish or review it, and I don't want to poison the well by asking for something I already suspect is not well written or that I may not be entertained or fulfilled by reading. So the publisher chose me, but first, I chose Levine's book.
I've been through physical therapy for things like whiplash from car accidents (yes, some folks really do get whiplash), but nothing like the scale experienced by the veterans and soldiers that Levine treats. And so the first sign of expertise is in the title (where she wisely excluded any reference to amputations), and the fact that it was dropped into the "humor" section of the Giveaways.
Ask yourself: is there a tasteful way to laugh about amputations and amputees, as well as the people who work with and/or visit them?
Amazingly, there is. She's found it. And at first I could not accept that this was Levine's first book, because the amount of synthesis and development of characters is not in any way rookie work, and I don't care how brilliant the writer might be. The book says "experienced writer". Everything clicked into place when I read that she had been writing a weekly humor column (though what kind of over-achiever can work the hours she works, maintain a relationship, indulge in extreme sorts of physical exercise, write a column, and eventually even become a parent, is beyond me).
Sometimes people write a first book and they get insecure. They pass out free copies to friends and relatives and beg them to get on various readers' sites and post glowing reviews. So I will prove to you (assuming you are not someone who has read any of my other 500+ reviews) that I am not one of them. I FOUND A FLAW in the book! I did! Here it is:
Levine claims to own only two pieces of furniture during the time frame about which she writes. She has a futon sofa and a lamp. BUT!!! She rushes home to watch her favorite television program. AHA! If a lamp is furniture, then so is a television set.
I rest my case. I am entirely unbiased in my book reviews.
I didn't set out to learn anything here--it's not as if I am considering becoming a PT. And as stated, this should not be viewed as a niche book just for medical folk or military types, but for the general book-loving public. It would even make a good beach read.
But I learned some things, nevertheless. I didn't know that anyone who loses both legs ever has a shot at walking on two prostheses, for example (and indeed, some don't, but the possibility is strong). I didn't know some prostheses have computers. And I groaned at the obstacles put in place by the fishbowl atmosphere: deliberately limited computer access so that anyone, celebrities, congressional staff, or John Q. Public, will see the therapists ONLY working with patients, and then they have to stay after their paycheck ends in order to enter notes about progress registered, because people who come to see the circus don't want to see more than two people using a computer at a time. The banning of coffee for the same reason; nobody wants to see your cup! And I loved reading about the guerilla response to said ban.
There are a number of places I'd like to quote, but I read a galley, so I am not supposed to do that in case they make changes, and this review gets posted TODAY. Characters Cosmo and Major Dumont were favorites (and I will let you find out for yourself how they were developed). And I loved the Jim-quote and how it is used at a party full of insufferable assholes who think that they are really something because they went to Walter Reed and WATCHED the patients and therapists for awhile. (The punch line is awesome. Again: get the book.)
And I really loved the Miracle reference.
I was on my third day with this book (I generally read 4-6 at a time, so it was getting rotated with the others) when someone in my family died. It was a total fluke, someone younger than me whose time should not have been up yet, and it hit all of us in the solar plexus. The writer's chapter on the bone marrow transplant proved really cathartic. It wasn't written for that purpose; I just had the right book at the right time, and so I sat with the book in my hand and cried awhile. Thanks; I needed that.
Are you still reading my review? You have another window open too, right? Because you should buy this book, and if you get the chance to pre-order it, then you should do that so you won't accidentally let it go by once it's available. May is Mother's Day; what a great gift for the mother who likes to read!
To sum up: order the book for yourself. Order another copy for at least one of the mothers in your life. I promise you won't be sorry....more
It's sick. It's wrong. It's twisted. It's very, very funny!
Thank you to Random House and the Goodreads First Read program for the opportunity to readIt's sick. It's wrong. It's twisted. It's very, very funny!
Thank you to Random House and the Goodreads First Read program for the opportunity to read this free of cost.
If you took Jenny Lawson (2 parts), Garrison Keillor (1 part) and a pint of bitters, and shook vigorously, this is the sense of humor which might be the outcome. It's wry, edgy, and very dark. You can see from the divergence of the ratings and reviews that this is controversial (courageous, even) work. It's not political humor, though. Instead, it is a series of stories, some extremely short, and some quite a bit longer (though the term "novella" seemed to me to be stretching it a bit), all of which have to do with disaster in one form or another.
So ask yourself where your ick button is. If you liked The Blues Brothers and/or Little Shop of Horrors, this might be your magic moment. Here are some areas I don't go: snuff films are out for me, and you won't find them here. Domestic abuse is not funny ever, in my book, and though the disastrous foster parent story warmed my edges a little bit, ultimately it got past my inner humor censor. It was the closest to an over-my-boundary area that this book came.
Examine your tastes. If your sense of humor embraces the very dark and is not offended by the use of profanity--oh, and definitely if you are not a Mormon--this might be your next good read....more
This graphic novel will best serve a niche audience, one that is either interested in Kirchherr and Sutcliffe specifically, or everything that pertainThis graphic novel will best serve a niche audience, one that is either interested in Kirchherr and Sutcliffe specifically, or everything that pertains to the Beatles including musicians with whom they worked before they morphed into the incredible, historical musical entity that the world knows well.
I received this graphic novel courtesy of the Goodreads first-reads program. Thank you for the book. However, if I had known how little it really had to do with the Beatles, I think I would have passed. I know that every artist has a style, and since Kitchherr and Sutcliff were both involved in the visual arts, this is a good medium through which to tell their story. There are issues here that are hard to surmount, even so.
First of all, none of the Beatles except to some extent McCartney is recognizable. John Lennon and George Harrison both come off as sort of generic guys who wear black. The story line is negligible. Historically, it is something of a stretch to call Sutcliffe the "fifth Beatle." (Pete Best, who played at the same time and before Ringo Starr joined the band, also gets the appellation from time to time, and it's also a reach for him).
I thought maybe it was just me, so I ran a search on the term "Fifth Beatle" using our favorite online encyclopedia. There are a number of names listed there, and Sutcliffe's name is indeed among the ten possibles provided by the site, though again, once the explanation is given, Sutcliffe seems like a reach.
Sutcliffe played bass guitar for "The Silver Beetles", "The Silver Beetles", and "The Beat Brothers", which finally became "The Beatles" right before they went back to England and he remained home, suffering from headaches (he would die soon thereafter of a brain hemorrhage). His musical skills are described as "inadequate", and his participation during that brief time chalked up to his friendship with John Lennon. The one enduring contribution he made was the mop-top hairdo that all of them wore when they became famous.
I like rock music (among other kinds), and I really like studying contemporary music history. I am not someone who considers herself an expert on the Beatles; when the screaming girls made headlines rushing to see the Beatles, I was in kindergarten. My first interest in their music blossomed when I was a teenager and they made the album to benefit Bangladesh.
So I have no personal ax to grind here. But I do think the Beatles themselves would be the obvious ones to bestow the "fifth" honors if they were to be had. And of course, they were asked. Nobody said there was a fifth Beatle at all, but when they were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988, Derek Taylor (public relations manager) and Neil Aspinall (road manager-turned-business exec) were the only possibles named by Harrison; McCartney said in a 1997 documentary that the only one it could have been was Brian Epstein, another manager; and Lennon reportedly grew testy when the suggestion that a fifth Beatle even existed was broached. Other names that show up on my search are those of Eric Clapton, who was the only independent musician to have a solo on each of the Beatles' independent records when they broke up; Jimmie Nicols, who subbed in when Ringo Starr was ill on a tour; musician Billy Preston, the only musician to receive joint credit on a record cut with the Beatles; and Phil Sheridan, for whom the Beatles opened when he was on top and they were up-and-coming. It should quickly be added that not all of the above-mentioned names are of people who claim the title for themselves.
The main point is that no Beatle considered any other musician besides the four of them to have ever been a Beatle, and for me, that is definitive.
If the story line and art here had been sufficiently compelling, I could have gone three stars by saying it is a great myth well rendered, but I didn't find it to be so. I have never two-starred a book for the first reads program before, and I've done at least twenty reviews, but I have to be truthful. I just don't see it. The "love story" mentioned on a blurb on the book's back cover never really comes alive for me. Maybe it's just me; maybe I need to see more text. But I am looking hard for compliments I can disseminate truthfully, and I am having a hard time finding them.
The setting (time period) is well rendered. I don't know enough about Hamburg to say whether that is well shown. The emphasis on the ever-present cigarette smoke in 1960's Western society is well placed and essential to the story line.
Bottom line: I recommend this book only for those with a specific interest in Kirscherr and/or Sutcliffe. ...more
The Irish potato famine is at its worst. Blight kills all of the potatoes--my god, even the ones that had been harvested and stored away in root cellaThe Irish potato famine is at its worst. Blight kills all of the potatoes--my god, even the ones that had been harvested and stored away in root cellars where the families thought they could access them!--and the potato was nearly the only crop that the Irish had. Millions depended on charity (nearly nonexistent) or the government, and unspeakable numbers died, while the grain that had grown was shipped abroad as an export for sale. Local farmers who had a surviving patch of turnips or even a single cabbage had to post a guard overnight, or someone else would steal it. Unfathomable.
I was sent a free copy of All Standing as part of the Goodreads First Reads program. My gratitude goes to Goodreads and the publisher for the book, and to Miles for ferreting out the facts to tell this story properly. Research is such tedious work, and here she has done so much to tell an important story.
The first seventy pages of this story are bleak, miserable, horrible, terrible. Miles does not let us go gently. The documentation is well done, and the statistics and examples lend a special sort of dread to that which was macabre to start with. There is no way to Disney-fy a story like the famine and still have it be real history. And those who buy a place on the "coffin ships" for the small chance that they may survive the trip to the new world die in droves, primarily of typhus, though a small number are fortunate and survive.
An innovative ship builder, an experienced and humane captain, and a doctor who was ahead of his time combined to make the Jeanie Johnston exceptional. It is for this part of the story, as well as the righteous anger that serves as the transition from utter misery to success, that those who love Ireland, history, or better still, both should read this book. It is a beacon that is welcome in times such as ours, one that reminds us that one person, or two, or three who have the courage of their convictions really can make a difference to others....more
Chris Pavone takes off like a rocket with The Accident, and he doesn't slow the pace down or allow the reader to even breathe until the last page has Chris Pavone takes off like a rocket with The Accident, and he doesn't slow the pace down or allow the reader to even breathe until the last page has been turned. Absolutely riveting!
I was so excited about this compelling novel that I nearly forgot to acknowledge my receipt of it via the Goodreads.com First Reads program. And what a read! The story,which centers around what may or may not be a rogue CIA agent and the publishing industry, struck me as highly original. They say you should write what you know, and he has (clearly) had two long decades in the latter. I laughed at the reference to a speed reading course; I took one myself as a college prep class almost forty years ago, and have not been able to slow my reading since. But this insider's peek at the publishing industry made me really glad that I can pick and choose what to read and review, rather than having endless galleys thrust upon me to absorb my personal time.
Setting and character are done in a way that allows the reader to peek from behind the character's eyes and take everything in, or zoom in on the character from outside, and the action does not slow a bit, but is rather enhanced by the detail.
I wanted to write a more thorough review of this interesting memoir, but due to a recent family loss, I am just going to cut to the chase. I doubt I cI wanted to write a more thorough review of this interesting memoir, but due to a recent family loss, I am just going to cut to the chase. I doubt I could have really gotten through the forty or so sticky notes I placed in various places anyway. And a great big thank you goes to the publishers and Goodreads for sending me a first-read.
Ringer grew up in a military family with frequent family moves. The family actually had a moving routine, but their income was good enough that with reasonable budgeting, lessons to enrich the lives of Jenifer and her sister were possible. Everyone in the family was a high achiever. While studying ballet, tap and other activities that took a lot of time, Ringer skipped a grade nevertheless. Her writing shows it, in the beginning while she describes this time. The teacher in me feels as if I am indeed reading the writing of a very fluent grown-up gifted student.
She takes us through the exhilaration of auditioning for prestigious ballet companies, first in Washington DC and Virginia, and then every American ballerina's dream, New York. She is just sixteen years old, and is dancing professionally.
Sometimes you read these childhood success stories, and you sense a stage-door mother who is pushing, straining her kids beyond what they can maintain, in some twisted effort to enjoy success vicariously through them. I don't get that at all here. Instead, everyone in the family seems to be massively talented in some way or another, and her mother uses her organizational gifts to make sure nobody is held back or short-changed. It cannot have been easy.
Ringer also tells this story as a story of faith, growing up in a Christian home (and church-shopping every time they move to a new locale). It was on the back of the galley that I read, and if it remains there, the reader can't buy this book without knowing it is going to be there. I love good memoirs, and I especially like reading about the performing arts, so Atheistic commie that I am, I thought, fine fine. I will read it anyway. And up till around page 100, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
She mentions that her basic personality was shy and reserved, but as she relates the first sixteen years of her life, there is no overt hesitation. The prose are fluid and as graceful as the craft about which she writes.
But as her life becomes difficult, when her weight shifts and friends in the corps avert their gazes, her vocabulary shrinks. It is as if she doesn't want to talk about it, and we share her discomfort even as the pacing in her narrative stutters and slows to a crawl. There is a young man who will one day become her husband, but the only word she can find to describe her feelings for him before she fully understood his interest is "crush." Not once, not twice, but at least a dozen times, till the language arts teacher still lurking in the back of my head wants to pull out the purple pen, circle the word, and make a note in the margin: synonym? Overused.
Just as her life pulls out of the slump, however, she rises to the challenges life and physical chemistry have posed for her. Once she is planning the wedding, the pace picks up, and by the time she has moved forward to discussing the craft of ballet as the expert that she has become, her language is once again fluent, certain, and creative.
I have rated this three stars as a general memoir, a very pleasant read in general. If you have a strong interest in ballet, eating disorders, or if you really enjoy a Christian success story, this may be a four star book for you. Enjoy....more
Good things come to those who wait. Jerome Loving established his credentials as an academic and historian a long time ago. I haven't read the other bGood things come to those who wait. Jerome Loving established his credentials as an academic and historian a long time ago. I haven't read the other biographies he has written, but they're going on my list now.
Here's what you have to know going into it: if you are looking for the sound bite, the cut-to-the-chase, you can't have that wish. Loving uses induction rather than deduction, and brick by brick he builds toward his conclusion, taking the time to set context in a way that only a specialized biography such as this one, which focuses on the single year 1885, can do. And since I received this gorgeous little hardcover book as a First Reads giveaway, I was impatient at first. "What the heck. Where's the bushwhacking? Where's Grant?"
Uh uh uh. No. Go back, reread. Everything that is in this book is there for a reason. If you hustle through the first part to get to the second, you may leave too many holes in the foundation. Do you want the wall to fall down? Of course not.
What I noticed, as I marched through with my sticky notes, is that the clusters were initially sparse, as the stage was set, and then suddenly ramped up around page 100, and by the end of the biography I was putting a sticky on every page and sometimes on facing pages.
I could tell you what he has to say; I went back and looked at all of those notes, but then, why would I wreck it for you? An author who builds up to the last page does not need a Goodreads reviewer to hand over his punch line for him.
Instead, I can tell you that this is a careful, painstaking, well-documented analysis of a complex character. Twain's ideas evolved between his 20's and the end of his life, and of course, for most of us they do, but perhaps because his mind was open and searching, or perhaps because of his great fondness for "Sam" Grant, he watched what took place--including the Haymarket martyrdom, which I never knew had been an interest of his--and revised his ideas accordingly. Smart people can do that.
Perhaps the greatest measure of the success of this work is that it not only makes me want to see what else Loving has written, it also makes me want to revisit Twain. I had avoided much of Twain's philosophical writing because of his anger toward the "damn human race", to which I am much attached, thanks. But I want to see more about the connection between the events that played out during this time period and his changing perspectives.
One small correction is in order to Loving's work, though I know this is a tiny, picky detail: Loving states that a huge redwood tree had been named for Grant. Ahem. It is a Sequoia tree. It is immense, but it is General Sherman's that is the largest in the entire world. Sequoias belong to the same family as redwoods, but they are different. Having driven several days from Seattle to Southern California to see the tree; survived a four-car pile-up, rescued my luggage, bandaged and iced myself and my children, hired a rental car and driven onward to fulfill my mission, I can't let it go by without mentioning it. Two great huge trees in honor of my two favorite American generals of all time. Sequoias. A hint is that they are located in Sequoia National Park. Makes sense, no?
If you are reading this exclusively for the Civil War aspect, I will tell you that most of the book is not devoted to that time period; it says it is about 1885, not 1865, and when examining the book's jacket, a knee-jerk reaction will leave you dangling. There is a small but meaty portion in which Twain discusses his part in the American Civil War, but this is not a Civil War history.
For those who read memoirs and biographies as rapaciously as I do, this is a must-read. For those who enjoy American history and literature, and most of all Twain, it is highly recommended. If you like Grant and maybe have even plowed through his remarkably readable autobiography, even better! But you can easily understand this book without it.
Many of my Goodreads.com First Reads will eventually be given away to my daughter's school or some other good cause. Not this one; it will retain a place of pride in our home library. Thank you for writing it, Mr. Loving, and thanks to the University Press of New England for the free copy....more
Nobody writes like Russell Banks. His short story collection has the harsh beauty of a Yankee winter. I was lucky enough to get my copy courtesy of GoNobody writes like Russell Banks. His short story collection has the harsh beauty of a Yankee winter. I was lucky enough to get my copy courtesy of Goodreads.com's first reads program. Tales of loneliness, alienation, disorientation or sheer, stark horror are the writer's stock in trade. His characters, ordinary working people so real that they stand before the reader, live lives of disappointment, near-misses, and sometimes terrible endings.
Think of "The Lottery". There you have it, but in a contemporary setting.
Why read stories grim enough to bruise the psyche? What keeps us coming back once our eyes and hearts are seared by the cruel world he exposes? Maybe it's because he recognizes the working men and women who make the world go around, or maybe we revel in real-life tragedy: that could have been us. As we close the cover and walk away, life seems a little sweeter. Just enough poignancy is injected into his tales to make us treasure our lives, without giving way to corny sentimentality. And there is never a stereotype anywhere. Banks has too much respect for the working class to let that happen.
Occasional moments of wry humor, such as the "invisible" product being marketed by the traveling preacher, break up the tension to some degree.
I have read other reviewers who feel burned out by Banks because of the painful quality of his stories. If like me, you love great writing but feel the need of a break from the sorrow there, this volume is perfect. Read a short story; then go get another book by someone else that's a little less dark and foreboding. Come back and read another short story by Banks when you are prepared for it. With the short stories, it is easy to find a place to pause, then return.
Banks has been translated into twenty different languages, and he is widely recognized as one of the best writers in the world. Don't let this opportunity to read him pass you by!...more
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