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Post by scrubb on Apr 15, 2023 13:30:01 GMT -5
33) Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883, by Simon Winchester.
This book deserves a different subtitle: "A meandering discussion of: the history of colonial Indonesia from a political and social perspective; world geology; Krakatoa geology and Krakatoa eruptions; and every other detail the author knew about Java, from an extremely, often offensively so, Euro-centric perspective."
There was some very interesting stuff, some entertaining diversions, some dull rambling, a lot of jumping around in time/subject, and a really annoying chapter wherein the author can't understand why the natives of Java and Sumatra weren't more grateful for the little bits of help their overlords incidentally trickled down to them after the big eruption (when the Dutch were focused entirely on rebuilding their colonial life). He briefly acknowledges that the Dutch were not kindly colonial masters, but still decides that the only reason there was a (brief but bloody) rebellion later on in the year of the eruption was because of manipulative Arab Muslims using the opportunity to foment discontent. In fact, he contributes a chapter to the evils of Islam.
It was also pretty awful that in the discussion of the eruption he mentions an approximate total death count a couple times, says "the waves flooded the quarry in XXXX and killed all the Chinese labourers", but notes that exactly 13 Europeans died.
I'm sort of glad I read it, but don't think I can recommend it.
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 15, 2023 14:38:55 GMT -5
That’ll be a yikes from me
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 16, 2023 10:37:23 GMT -5
33) Neil King Jr., American Ramble
King is a retired American reporter who decided to walk from DC to NYC last spring, and this is the telling of that walk.
I really loved it, partly for the history and stories he tells about the places and people he encounters along the way and partly because it shows a novel side to the places I’ve lived and traveled through all my life. It was an extensively researched trip, and the area is rich with 18th/19th century American history, so that part is interesting— but there’s also serendipity and epiphanies in his stories as well. I particularly enjoyed that part, which was like what I value about travel— the epiphany you might have from finding something unexpected on the way to the thing you planned.
The only thing I should add is that there is a thread of “I had a cancer treatment experience that now makes me so grateful to be alive” aspect to it, which I know isn’t universally experienced. He doesn’t hammer it in constantly or expect that everyone should feel that way, but it is referred to in a couple of chapters, so I add that caveat.
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 17, 2023 10:17:56 GMT -5
34) Becky Chambers, A Psalm for the Wild-Built
A very lovely little book about a monk and a robot. It talks about purpose and letting go that obsession people can have with finding it. That spoke to me.
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Post by sophie on Apr 17, 2023 10:22:13 GMT -5
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont. An interesting mystery exploring a hypothetical reason for the real Agatha Christie’s disappearance for 10 days. Light reading but interesting and well written.
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Post by lillielangtry on Apr 17, 2023 14:00:25 GMT -5
Anthony Doerr, Cloud Cuckoo Land scrubb read this recently, which reminded me it had been hanging about on my Kindle for, well, about a year and a half I think. So I've finally read it, and I've also just reread all your comments from when you lot (at least 3 or 4 of us!) read it ages ago! I see there was some scepticism about the multiple narratives. I was quite slow reading the first half. Doerr is good at drawing lonely individuals in various ways, but I was not so into it. But I must say the second half I really enjoyed and raced through. I guessed the secret in the spaceship somewhat before it was revealed, not sure if that was foreshadowed in some way or just a lucky guess on my part.
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Post by ozziegiraffe on Apr 18, 2023 3:37:21 GMT -5
22. Wined, Dined and Dead, Stacey Alabaster. A few years ago, I downloaded a lot of free or cheap cozy mysteries identified by Bookbub. The only reason I’m bothering with them is they meet criteria for Goodreads challenges. This one was particularly silly. Good thing it was short. This author is quite prolific, so there must be a market.
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Post by HalcyonDaze on Apr 19, 2023 4:29:02 GMT -5
34) Becky Chambers, A Psalm for the Wild-Built A very lovely little book about a monk and a robot. It talks about purpose and letting go that obsession people can have with finding it. That spoke to me. I've loved every book I've read by Becky Chambers
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Post by ozziegiraffe on Apr 19, 2023 5:08:26 GMT -5
23. A Nun in the Closet, Dorothy Gilman. A fun mystery written in the 1970s, with nuns, hippies, itinerant workers, the Mafia and a crooked sheriff. What’s not to like?
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Post by sophie on Apr 19, 2023 8:33:51 GMT -5
One true Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid. A decent chick lit. Girl fall in love, marries, then husband dies (but no body) after a helicopter crash. Finds new love, is about to remarry but husband #1 is found. Crisis. Resolution. This author wrote Seven Husband of Evelyn Hugo.. similar writing style but one can see how her style has improved.
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 19, 2023 20:13:16 GMT -5
34) Ruthanna Emrys, A Half-built Garden
It's the 2080s, and although the environment has degraded significantly, people have been working together to turn things around. However, there's a group of aliens whose near-religious belief is to find a planet in environment collapse and save it by bringing the population into a symbiotic relationship in their massive artificial habitat. These aliens show up on an island in the Potomac River, and it was then up to the Earth people to convince the aliens that they had things under control - thereby starting a period of negotiation and learning about each other.
Lots of interesting ideas about gender, power, and the environment. I couldn't help but see much of it as a metaphor for religious extremists who want to "save" people whether those people want to be saved or not.
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Post by scrubb on Apr 20, 2023 15:05:18 GMT -5
23. A Nun in the Closet, Dorothy Gilman. A fun mystery written in the 1970s, with nuns, hippies, itinerant workers, the Mafia and a crooked sheriff. What’s not to like? Agreed, I enjoyed it too. I like most of her books although some are definitely weaker than others, and in her last few years of writing her skills were eroding. I do recommend one of her later books very hightly, though - Incident at Badamya.
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Post by scrubb on Apr 20, 2023 15:13:27 GMT -5
34. Things Will Take a Turn, by Beatrice Harraden.
My Mom has mentioned this book to me a few times, over the years. She read it as a little girl, and probably first mentioned it to me when I was quite young. She remembered that someone had a parrot who always said "Things Will Take a Turn". She brought it up again a few weeks ago and I googled - got an electronic copy, and read it yesterday. Written in the late 1800s, it's about a 10 year old girl who lives with her grandfather who owns a second hand bookstore in a poor part of London. They are not well off, business is bad, and the grandfather is wondering where their next meal will come from. She's pretty much a perfect child; a rich man chances to come into the store, and of course changes their lives.
Very syrupy sweet, but I think I'd have really liked it as a little girl. And this morning I talked about it with my Mom. She's nearly 93, and she read it under the age of 10, but still remembered the names of the two little girls, and most of the storyline.(And my Mom has been a prolific reader her entire life, so it's not like the only book she ever read!)
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Post by Q-pee on Apr 21, 2023 11:33:30 GMT -5
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Anne Brontë
One of my reading goals is to read at least one pre-20C classic per year, and this is the one for 2023!
It's a relatively simple story - Helen leaves husband after enduring years of his worsening drunkenness and abuse, taking their child with her. So by today's standards my gut reaction is "why did she stay so long?" but at the time this was a social and legal transgression and the book was hugely shocking.
Helen is cast as angelic, pious, dutiful and good - but I suspect that to provide as great a contrast as possible to the awful husband and as a sop to the pearl-clutching Victorian readers who could see her "transgression" as being done to make sure her son is saved from the same fate as his father.
Oh but it does drag. No jokes. Which might be why I've never read a Bronte before now.
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Post by ozziegiraffe on Apr 21, 2023 21:59:01 GMT -5
24. Savage Sourdough, Mildred Abbott. Next in quite a fun cozy mystery series, featuring a corgi, a bookshop/bakery and a bunch of quirky relatives.
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Post by lillielangtry on Apr 22, 2023 1:28:42 GMT -5
Ah Anne, the slightly overshadowed sister. I liked that one Q. But yes, by today's standards rather earnest.
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Post by lillielangtry on Apr 22, 2023 1:49:28 GMT -5
P.s. there are loads of free classics on Audible and I'm still looking for something as amusing and enjoyable as Cranford (and not Austen, for some reason she's not my thing). If anyone has any suggestions...
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Post by Q-pee on Apr 22, 2023 11:49:48 GMT -5
P.s. there are loads of free classics on Audible and I'm still looking for something as amusing and enjoyable as Cranford (and not Austen, for some reason she's not my thing). If anyone has any suggestions... Hard to beat Cranford, but maybe look at other works by Elizabeth Gaskell? North and South and My Lady Ludlow might be the best.
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 22, 2023 19:42:22 GMT -5
36) Gary Shteyngart, Our Country Friends
A literary Russian emigré hosts a group of old friends on his property up in the Hudson Valley (NY) in order to allow them to escape the early period of the COVID pandemic. Alternates between funny and insightful; occasionally both; enjoyed.
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Post by Q-pee on Apr 24, 2023 4:14:41 GMT -5
That sounds interesting - in another year I might be able to read about the pandemic it still feels too present to be an enjoyable read.
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Post by HalcyonDaze on Apr 24, 2023 4:48:29 GMT -5
That sounds interesting - in another year I might be able to read about the pandemic it still feels too present to be an enjoyable read. Yes, I tried that and gave up on it.
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Post by ozziegiraffe on Apr 24, 2023 7:56:34 GMT -5
25. Clade, James Bradley. Thank you for the recommendation, Liiisa. I enjoyed this, although at times I found the time jumps between chapters a little confusing. I think the character with autism was quite well done, especially some of the explanations towards the end about how he perceives the world, and what lessened his anxiety. For me, the flood account was more triggering (mildly) than the pandemic, given our flood was so recent.
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Post by scrubb on Apr 24, 2023 13:56:40 GMT -5
Yesterday and today I spent a few hours when I should have been working re-reading a book from my childhood. Well, a collection that has the first 4 books from a series. The first one is one of the very first books I ever took out of the library when I was about 5 - Betsy-Tacy. I reread them all lots as a kid but the 4th book was most familiar on this read - set when the characters are about 12. A lot of it has to do with the local playhouse, and it perfectly captures the excitement of sitting in an audience waiting for the curtain to go up, and also the thrill of being on stage in front of an audience. So: 35. The Betsy-Tacy Treasury, by Maud Hart Lovelace.
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 25, 2023 12:02:22 GMT -5
37) Eleanor Catton, Birnam Wood
Starts off pleasantly enough, about some young women in a collective doing guerilla gardening in vacant lots in New Zealand. But then one of them meets this Peter Thiel-ish tech bro type who says he wants to bankroll them, and at that point the book starts being a “thriller,” as I’ve seen the book called in various reviews.
Complex and interesting characters and a tense ending; enjoyed
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Post by lillielangtry on Apr 25, 2023 15:07:46 GMT -5
37) Eleanor Catton, Birnam Wood Starts off pleasantly enough, about some young women in a collective doing guerilla gardening in vacant lots in New Zealand. But then one of them meets this Peter Thiel-ish tech bro type who says he wants to bankroll them, and at that point the book starts being a “thriller,” as I’ve seen the book called in various reviews. Complex and interesting characters and a tense ending; enjoyed I really want to read this one!
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 28, 2023 5:35:05 GMT -5
38) Catherine Lacey, Biography of X
A book within a book: the biography of a fascinating but difficult fictional art-personage, X, written by her wife. What is particularly marvelous about this is that everything is based on a reality that's just as shifted as X herself. Famous people are mentioned doing things they never did, and the US is portrayed as three separate countries, the South having broken off into a theocratic dictatorship in the 1940s. Strange/mesmerizing.
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Post by Q-pee on Apr 28, 2023 10:04:13 GMT -5
Letters to Camondo Edmund de Waal An absolute gem. It's short and there are pictures, beautiful pictures. De Waal explores the house left behind by Moise de Camondo, by a series of letters written to Camondo as he explores the house. Here's the wiki page of the house . Moise de Camondo was Jewish, born in Constantinople but residing in France, and many of his family members died in the holocaust. It's a similar outline to De Waal's own family - whose ancestors were born in Odessa and lived in Vienna and Paris (he wrote about them in the wonderful book The Hare with Amber Eyes). Members of De Waal's family lived nearby and knew members of the Camondo family so there are some very soft ties between the two. But the book is about more than the house, he threads together meditations on beauty, faith, belonging and loss. I found a big pool of solace reading it.
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Post by sprite on Apr 28, 2023 11:04:19 GMT -5
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Anne Brontë Oh but it does drag. No jokes. Which might be why I've never read a Bronte before now. I did find it a bit odd how Bronte chose to tell the story from the man's view. He always struck me as clueless, and I wonder if he's supposed to look that way, or it's just 21st century eyes. Mrs Hudson and the Blue Daisy Affair (Martin Davies) What if Sherlock wasn't the only one solving mysteries? A fun series of mysteries, in which Mrs Hudson and her maid-of-all-work, Flotsam, try to find out what has happened to another maid who appears to have been murdered by the mild-mannered son of an aristocrat with very sexist views on votes for women. The Dragon Republic (RF Kuang) Second in the Poppy trilogy. Less violent than the first, but quite a lot of death. I could smack Rin quite often, she seems to deliberately look for ways to annoy people or ruin her chances at a better/happier life. For someone who supposedly has control over a god and fire, she has absolutely no control over her mouth or fists. Still, the range of characters is interesting, the story keeps twisting, and I really enjoy this sort of 'let's re-imagine the course of history.'
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 28, 2023 13:13:09 GMT -5
Yes, Rin is annoying! But I will read that book eventually.
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Post by scrubb on Apr 28, 2023 13:38:36 GMT -5
Horses for courses, I guess, but I just did not like the first book of the poppy war enough to want to pick up the sequels. I disliked Rin so much and found her decisions so stupid I just couldn't keep going.
Also:
36. Seeing, by Jose Saramago. The depressing sequel to "Blindness". I really, really liked Blindness, and I think that Seeing is also an excellent book but I didn't like it as much and it won't stick with me the same way. It's set in the same "anonymous" city (Lisbon), 4 years after the blindness plague ended. At an election, about 80% of the population of the city cast blank ballots. The government takes this as a serious form of rebellion and start trying to regain tight control. The Ministers are utterly ruthless and amoral. The only bright spots in the book are that a few people who held elected positions find they can't go along with their leaders, and follow their conscience instead. But of course that doesn't manage to tip the balance.
If you like Saramago, and especially if you read and liked Blindness, I'd recommend it. Or if you like political satire (that isn't funny. Maybe I should call it allegory, not satire).
ETA: It's not a long book, but took me quite a while to read. It's not one of those books that are hard to put down!
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