Review 54: Invitation to a Bonfire

Invitation to a Bonfire by Adrienne Celt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hmm...this book is a little complicated for me. There was some good writing, interesting sentences, beautiful at times. Yet that alone doesn't hold up the entire book. There is a story, a plot, but somehow it also feels lost at so many points.

The early part of the book goes way back for our main character, also the narrator, to ground you in her person, who is Zoya Andropova this Russian orphan. Interspersed with chapters are letters written from a writer to his wife, people we haven't quite met yet. It felt odd at times. The story moves forward in a fairly straight forward manner, yet there is so much of the early time. It is setting the stage for what comes after yet it painfully long, nearly half the book, in this somewhat short book.

The later part worked better for me, when the characters actually connect, the story moves forward faster. Funny enough, in the end I have to say I'm more in favor of the book than not.


I listened to the audio book which perhaps was a better way to approach the book. The narrators did an excellent job.

Review 53: The Beekeeper of Aleppo

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We are given little details at a time about what happened to the refugees our main characters Nuri and Afra, so as not to overwhelm the readers, as obviously they were. They suffered many distressing events before they fled Aleppo, Syria, and slowly make their way to England. They endure despite all the difficulties and trauma from before leaving their country, and what happens in the camps. PTSD is portrayed as almost sleepwalking, our narrator see's what's not there....Ironically his wife, Afra does not see anything, gone blind.

The writing was decent but I did not like the gimmick of the words, that flow from one scene to the next, as the section heading, which switches the time line. The first time I think it was neat, but it got old quick. Some may like this new way of writing, playing with the novel form. I think it was enough to just portray the situation of refugees without needing to experiment with the novel.


Thanks to Ballantine/Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 52: Commute: An Illustrated Memoir of Female Shame

Commute: An Illustrated Memoir of Female Shame by Erin Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow! I am floored by the brave and honest truth in this book. Erin Williams tells an unflinching reality about herself and sadly many, many women. I can identify all too well with her story. Perhaps not to the degree but yes, had a few similar experiences, being taken advantage of by guys then feeling the shame. Finally women are talking about this openly.

I'm amazed at how forceful and direct this author wrote and illustrated her life story. She is unflinching and it is uncomfortable. It is what is necessary and needed. When the book comes out in color it will be all that more powerful.

I hope men will read this, but I have a feeling very few will, especially the men who do this, did this, who should see what their behavior does, and how it lingers years and decades later.



I received a free print copy of this book at a library conference. I was not required to write a review, but felt like it and, of course, the above opinions are my own.

Review 51: Embattled River: The Hudson and Modern American Environmentalism

Embattled River: The Hudson and Modern American Environmentalism by David Schuyler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A scholarly, yet readable, volume about the Hudson River. The river helped spawn many environmental organizations particularly ones with the main mission with the Hudson. A few early actors also were important in other national organizations, one example is the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) which came out of the Storm King litigation. The various groups formed with primary goals to clean up the Hudson, and protect it from further industrialization, such as Nuclear Plants and other electricity generation plants. One particularly interesting chapter was about the ship Clearwater which was a project by the singer Pete Seeger.

While the text is dense at times, it is very informative in providing details to the actions of the communities and organizations in the area have done to improve the quality of the Hudson River. Unfortunately PCB contamination is still a major problem, and the ever present development for housing or other commercial properties.

Personally I would have enjoyed a little more on the overall affect on the modern environmental movement. Quick notes were provided on how certain legislation was groundbreaking, and certainly much of the early lawsuits were very important. I also found the timeline at times a little confusing. Each chapter had a main focus and generally advanced in the time line, but that wasn't always the case and so it did make for the overall outlook a little unclear.

This is a good book for environmental studies, local government planners, and anyone who wants to learn more about local fights in making a better river for everyone to enjoy today and in the future.



Read: May.28-July.21 2019

Review 50: In Oceans Deep: Courage, Innovation, and Adventure Beneath the Waves

In Oceans Deep: Courage, Innovation, and Adventure Beneath the Waves by Bill Streever
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a well written book mainly about diving to the deepest depths of the ocean. It begins with one of the deepest dives any human has accomplished, down to the bottom of the the Challenger Deep, in the Mariana Trench at just over 35,700 feet deep, in 1960. The mission was done by the US Navy the one time and would not repeated. Missions like this then ceased..

The book covers the how this dive and other deep dives are accomplished, without getting very technical. Streever interviews one of the men on this dive, Don Walsh, and also other people who work in the diving industry. Streever himself used to work as a diver for an oil company then went back to school and became a writer. A large part of the book talks, not of his work in his earlier days, but instead of his experience as a free diver. Where the goal is to get as deep as possible on one breath. Ironically this is usually accomplished by exhaling as you sink instead of holding your breath.

Streever covers submarines, submersibles, ROVs, robots, scuba diving, different gasses that people breath at great depths, and of course the problems that are associated with being deep in the oceans. We also get the history of how it was figured out to combat decompression sickness, known as the bends. It all written in an engaging way, which made it absorbing and informative. We also learn briefly about the few attempts to have a colony on the ocean floor.

So why not a full five star rating if I enjoyed the book, and like the writing so well? A couple of minor aspects reduced it for me, one being something like what I did right here, where the author talks about the book writing process in the book. It was somewhat awkward, near the end of the book where he discusses how he shifted the ending and writing. The other part was there wasn't enough about how to help fix the problems that affect the oceans now. Streever reluctantly mentions conservation and the environmental damage being done. It seems an important aspect when the book is all about the ocean. It is doubtful that just by having people aware of the ocean, by being in it, will suddenly have them changing their ways. It hasn't worked on land so why would it happen if more people start diving?

Regardless of those points, I would highly recommend this book for anyone who likes a little history, with narratives and a bit of science and technology thrown in.


Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 49: Fire in the Sky: Cosmic Collisions, Killer Asteroids, and the Race to Defend Earth

Fire in the Sky: Cosmic Collisions, Killer Asteroids, and the Race to Defend Earth by Gordon L. Dillow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First off I'm fairly interested in asteroids; not sure why but they intrigue me. It's not like I go out looking for them, but I have read several fictional accounts of a "killer" asteroid and watched the popular movies on the same theme. Also used to watch the TV show about the guys looking for meteorite fragments called Meteorite Men. So when this book was coming out I was intrigued and definitely wanted to read the book.

Yet, I had a hard time with this book. It took me much longer than it should have to get through it, at nearly a month. The problem I had wasn't the material, it was the writing style. I just did not like the way the author presented the material. He wrote like he was trying to be a funny guy or something, making jokes. It was casual, way too casual, sort of gimmicky. I did not like it.

If it wasn't for the actual topic I would have stopped. I did take a break for a week or two, and upon getting back to it, almost stopped again, but I pushed on. I forced myself to keep reading. It actually got better in the later portion of the book. Too bad the entire book wasn't written similar to the last part.

The rating for this book is solely based on the topic and the structure of the book. I like the scientific history, the how and why scientists finally came around to accepting that massive asteroids have hit the Earth before, and one took out the dinosaurs. Next was what is being done in searching for the NEOs, Near Earth Objects, that could cause some problems if they hit Earth one day. I'm happy I stuck with the book, as I did find out information on this topic that I definitely wanted to know.

Maybe the writing style won't bother you as it did me, and if you have any interest in this topic, the material and coverage is good.


Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.



Related Fictional books read:

• Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle - 2 stars : Read in Jan.2019
• Seveneves by Neal Stephenson - 3 stars: Read Oct-Nov.2016

Review 48: Rules of '48

Rules of '48 by Jack Cady
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's a brief seven weeks of summer when there seems to be an abundance of dead bodies showing up, during 1948 in Louisville. World War 2 is over and fresh in everyone's mind as so many are still dealing with the consequences. And attitudes are changing. This book shows a bit of how society starts to pivot. We see things like business and everyday activities happening on Sundays and how people of different backgrounds start to become accepted instead of separated. Although there certainly is plenty of racism of all kinds and anger towards the other in this book. How slowly things change, and they do.

The writing is very beautiful at times, wonderful sentences. Yet the whole book kept me somewhat at a distance. I'm not sure if it's just the time or feeling of the characters, or what exactly, but I wasn't fully involved.


Fun Note: Didn't plan that my blog post of review #48 would be a book with the title Rules of '48. Yet this coincidence makes me happy.
😃

Review 47: Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one person's tale of the experience of being an "illegal" immigrant. Jose Vargas came to the USA from the Philippines when he was 12, accompanied by someone he was told was his Uncle. Turns out it was a coyote and Vargas didn't know he had faked documents until he tried to get a driver's license when he was 16. From then on his life was changed, again.

Vargas became a reporter, a journalist, asking questions of why because that was part of who he became when his mom put him on that airplane alone; when his grandparents gave him fake documents and didn't tell him they were not real. Vargas has dealt with not having a true home where he is accepted nearly his entire life.

Vargas may not be a typical undocumented citizen but his story tells the truth about his life, and those of many others. The immigration policies of The United States may not make much sense to people who were brought over when they were too young to have a say in their lives. Our laws and polices do not help them out.

There's a lot in this book, the one thing that I came away with was how much this situation, which he did not choose, has affected his personality and life. If Vargas had legal documents when he went into the DMV that day to get his driver's permit, perhaps he would be an entirely different person. This is a fascinating look at a complicated issue.



I received a free copy of this book at a library conference. I was not required to write a review, but felt like it and, of course, the above opinions are my own.

Review 46: The Wall

The Wall by John Lanchester
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

I read this book about a month ago, in mid-June, finally had some time to add some thoughts on the reading.

First off, I started this book despite already a few going, because it looked like a simple and easy read. My life outside of reading was a bit stressful and the other books weren't relaxing enough, needing more concentration than I had the energy at the time. So did this book live up to the ease it promised? Yes, and then some. The language was very simple, too simple.

The story itself started out very slow. There is this wall, and the young adults, the first generation to do so, much go serve two years of their life on the wall. It's cold on the wall. The wall was built after the change to keep the outsiders on the other side of the wall.

The wasn't much to the book overall. I wondered often if it is a young adult book, perhaps. The generation that had to serve on the wall, feels like there is no future. They generally, do not become "breeders." They also have a huge disconnect with their parents, since they are responsible for ruining the world. The overtones are so distinct it is easy to see what the author is meaning.

The book grew on me as I read, although it turned out fairly predictable in nearly every way. Perhaps a surprise or two, but mostly not. The ending was somewhat abrupt, when it really could have continued just a little longer.

Oh, one last thought: I did not believe that even with rising oceans, that all beaches were completely wiped out over the entire world. The level of the seas would rise, but new beaches would occur, the ocean, with wave action, creates them. So how many years later after the ocean rising and the wall built? I bet there would be some beaches somewhere in the world.

Book rating: 2.5 stars



P.S. Left this book at the airBnB I was staying at when I finished reading it. I was visiting Washington, D.C. and it felt appropriate to leave a book with this title that is focused on keeping out the others, with the president that was currently occupying the White House. I realize the book is about England not the United States, yet politics.

Review 45: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This book grabbed my heart. It also broke it many times, but in the end was healed. I had no idea there were Blue People of Kentucky, nor about the Pack Horse Library Project as part of the WPA in during the depression. This is one of the great things about historical fiction, providing information while giving you a great story as well. The author's note in the end was very much appreciated.

The main character, Cussy Mary also nicknamed Bluet was such a strong woman, particularly for the age during the Great Depression. She was one of those librarians, although on a mule, delivering books to people in areas where it's nearly impossible to regularly get to a library themselves. There seemed to be no wrong in her and she put up with so much from the men and town around her, most of it just because of her skin color showing blue.

A woman dedicated to bringing books to the people who can't get to a library, what is not to love? There is so much in this story, mining, women without agency, people of color, poverty, and in the end some romance too. This is a poignant tale, and recommended.

I listened to the audiobook from my local library and the narration added to the story. The narrator had just the right inflection and expression that increased my enjoyment and placement in the story.

Book rating: 4.5 stars


P.S. I recently found out about another book that covers the same topic: the Pack Horse Project in Kentucky. This book, The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, will likely get much more attention as being written by a better known author. I also saw that there already is a movie option being talked about from her book. I hope to read Moyes book as well, but hope people will also give this one a read.

Review 44: On Drinking

On Drinking by Charles Bukowski
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This is a compilation of poetry, essays and some interviews on everything Bukowski wrote on drinking. At points it become repetitive, as some of the exact same material is covered. Other moments give us his contradictions, or changes, hard to say. The timeline, or years aren't consistently mentioned.

There are moments where I laughed, but more where I cringed. He's a rough guy. And at times I wonder if this is Bukowski or just a role he is playing. The book was good, but could have been improved with not including every single thing. Perhaps choosing the poem, or interview that best represents the writing instead of all which ends with repetitions.

Book rating: 3.5 stars



Previously Read Charles Bukowski books:

• You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense (Poetry)
• (4 stars) August.1994
• Tales of Ordinary Madness (Poetry)
• (3 stars) October.1997

Review 43: The Black God's Drums

The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this novella in one sitting. It was the perfect place, on an airplane. Or maybe it wasn't. As the turbulence in the plane seemed to increase when the winds were threatening in the story.

I haven't read any steampunk before, so I have nothing to compare. I don't read very much fantasy either, and this is definitely alternate history, all outside of my norm. Yet I enjoyed the book.

It didn't take long to get adapted into this world, clearly some strong divisions going on. The backdrop is the civil war is still lingering, it's still going on. There are airships and even more interesting personal gods that reside within some people.

When the tale ended I hoped there would be more. The novella can easily be an introduction into a bigger book, or series. I hope Clark continues it.