Review 186: The Arctic Fury

The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book is told in alternating time points as well as alternating viewpoints, yet it remains focused on Virginia Reeve. Virginia was asked to lead an unusual expedition, of all women to the Arctic, in order to see if they could find out what happened to the British Navy men led by John Franklin.

Most of the book is taken by the court proceedings that happen just after Virginia returns to Boston. She is charged with murder of one of the women, Caprice Collins, during the expedition. The prosecution also states she did this on her own, without the funding by Lady Franklin.

The set up for the expedition was mysterious and a bit odd, but in those times women weren’t seen as capable, so perhaps that part could be explained by the unusual nature of the undertaking, only women and led by a woman.

The alternate time lines are mostly between the court and the expedition, with a few exceptions going into Virginia’s past as well. She previously had been a guide leading people on the wagon trail from the east to west.

Personally I found the trial portion a bit tedious in the beginning. I wanted to hear the story of the women exploring, going out on their own. That seemed to be slow in the development of the book. Also, I was under the impression that the different women would have more of a voice as characters in the book, but instead it was focused mainly on Virginia. Somewhere along the way, I gave up my expectations and enjoyed the book more.

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

Review 185: The Road

The Road by Jack London
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a series of essays about Jack London’s time of hoboing and tramping along riding the rails. He was young, about 15 to nearly 19. There are two essays that cover his getting arrested, just as London entered the town near Niagara Falls and the sham trial that happened so quick it was obviously a sham. The next essay was of the thirty days he spent in jail from walking into town too early and without being registered at a hotel. Serving time in jail was part of the life, but this was London’s first time in prison, and he learned many lessons.

London writes with the slang in quotations and often explains the meanings. He talks about how he got into living on the road, names or monicas that people use or are given, and different types, such as road-kid, gay-cat, and “profesh”. There are of course the bulls, the police and all the railroad men that try to keep these free loaders off their trains.

Despite the writing being of a different era it is very readable. The first essay of London explaining how to beg for food at people’s houses reminds us of a different time, although maybe people weren’t happy to see strangers they weren’t nearly as leery as they are today.

I live near enough to a train station that during times while reading the book I could hear the freight trains passing and the engine whistle blow. It was the perfect back drop to this book.

Note: The version of the book I read isn't displayed. There are many editions in goodreads, and yet still missing many, particularly the older versions, and the edition I read wasn't there. The one I read was published in 1970 with an introduction by King Hendricks. The cover is an appropriate a man riding a train on the outside, hanging onto a "ladder" with the wind blowing his coat, all in blue. Love the cover of the book I read, and had to mention it here.

2nd Note: This book came to by from my Grandparents on March.11.2006

They were clearing out their books, I chose from their selections, and got a small box of books, mostly classics.

Brief Review 184: Ready Player Two

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The first book was much better (Ready Player One). That book was original and surprising, and for a sequel it just can't be unique. Felt like this one was more focused on a few key "referenced works" and not as broad as the first book. Overall it was a good adventure, just not spectacular. Definitely enjoyed Wil Wheaton as the narrator.

Previous book:

• Ready Player One - 5 stars  
• Print book read December 15- 17, 2011
• Audio book read July 6-16, 2015

Review 183: Joe's Word

Joe's Word by Elizabeth Stromme
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The completion feeling at the end didn't redeem the book. I felt like stopping early on. Keep telling myself to trust those feelings, move onto something else.

The book was odd, the main character Joe is a "Public Writer" and many of his clients are not your average 'Joe'. This is a neighborhood type book. Joe walks from his dingy apartment to his work, where he rents space in a hair salon. We meet various neighborhood characters, including a homeless man who's rants are fairly factual. It sounds like it should be okay, but there was so much creep factor and misogyny, that I'm surprised a woman wrote the book. The book would've worked better without that emphasis.

FULL REVIEW: (with spoilers)

Perhaps I should have stopped reading early on. It wasn’t all that great in the beginning and it didn’t do well overall. Yet there was a bit of completion, there was a little redemption. But was it worth it? No, not really.

This guy Joe has a business, he calls himself a public writer. He has a small shop inside a hair salon, and it’s close to his dingy apartment so he can walk home and be part of the neighborhood. This is a neighborhood book! It’s about the people in the area, the local characters.

Joe’s main client is this guy, older and retired from tossing peanuts at the Dodger’s Stadium. He like the mail order bridal catalogs, writes to potential women (really has Joe do that) and gets the photos, be part of their life and drops them when they plead too much for him to visit or otherwise make this more than a letter writing thing.

Joe takes up with a pretty girl (Clio) getting a haircut, but doesn’t treat her well, being boring really, just sitting at home reading and listening to classical music. They do go to ballgames on occasion, or the local bar, which is a cop bar. The one time she pleads with him to do something, go to a function her client invited them both to, he finally relents then gets stupidly drunk. Joe isn’t much of a likeable character. This book is full of characters.  [They end up splitting up]

One redeeming quality was the homeless man. Turns out he is one of Joe’s clients as well, has lots of money and donates it. [Gave $10,000 to the local library!] Probably a trust fund guy, but likes to live on the streets and preach. People do pay him attention, gather around him listen to his antics and his “birthday party” stuff.

 Near the end Joe’s ex-girlfriend and him find the body of Beanie. They neighborhood is outraged, has a fund and tons of explanations on who killed him. Then suddenly he shows up in the hair salon. Going to move on. He said the actual dead person was already dead and he just dressed him up as himself so he could fake his death and move on to a new city. Maybe somewhere else they will listen to what he’s saying.

Oh, and all the theories of Beanie’s are supposed to be real and actual facts. He just sounds crazy since he rants about it and is homeless, plus has these props like twirl wind things, confetti and such.

 Joe is a scum ball, womanizing and not really a nice guy. The glimmers of his redeeming qualities are barely anything. There’s a lot of sex in the book, not explicit but deeds and such. Oh, and one of Willy’s mail order brides showed up and shakes up with Joe for a while and he gives in to her and they end up constantly having sex and she’s young, like 20.

And surprisingly this book was written by a woman. Published in 2003 but takes place in 1995. Around the time I was hanging around Echo Park area.

Review 182: Girl Gurl Grrrl

Girl Gurl Grrrl: On Womanhood and Belonging in the Age of Black Girl Magic by Kenya Hunt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a book of essays, and there are a few other writers with contributions. Admittedly it confused me at first, not realizing that this book wasn’t solely essays by Kenya Hunt. But I’m glad they were included. What I was looking for, and found here, was more voices of lived experiences. One of joys of reading is being inside the body and mind of another person who is not you. Learning what other people experience in their life is one aspect I want from reading. Other times, it’s just enjoyment, but not when I pick up a book of essays that are understandably largely autobiographical.

Kenya Hunt is an American and British woman who works in the fashion industry. Since she is black, she is often an Only, the only one who looks like her, or a First, for holding a specific job title or reaching further up the ladder in fashion. I don’t know much about fashion, actually have little interest in it, but understand that it does influence many, too many, women and girls.

My favorite essays were in the beginning portion of the book, but no essay did I wish I hadn’t read. They all had something important to say and are well written. The essays do have varying lengths. A few are very short, but it said what it needed and moved on, I appreciated that. No fluff contained therein. While most essays speak to the overall culture, American primarily, but some British, there are some deeply personal experiences.

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

Review 181: People of the Thunder

People of the Thunder by W. Michael Gear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second, and conclusion in the “Moundville Duology” that started with People of the Weeping Eye. Typically, the books in the “North America's Forgotten Past” series are standalone books. This one is book number 16. I’ve read 18 books in series. I do enjoy them. The series used to be called “First North Americans” but the new series name is more appropriate.

This book’s main plot is balancing of Power. There is white power that represents peace and trade. The red power, which represents mostly blood and war has been in ascendance and is coming to a head with a huge war with many of the peoples, lead by the War Chief Smoke Shield at Split Sky City of the Chikosi, or Sky Hand People. They have subdued and made slaves of most of the Albaamaha peoples, who are plotting an uprising. The Yuchi in the north and the Chata people are also potential foes ready to strike. The Chahta had recently been dealt a huge blow with the sacking of White Arrow Town.

In the center are two traders: Old White, also known as Seeker and Trader, who was Green Snake. Trader had fled Split Sky City ten years ago after killing his brother Rattle, but we know he survived and is now known as Smoke Shield. The two also have a contrary, Two Petals, who joins them on their journey and a dog Swimmer. The contrary is led by Power, she sees things in the future and thus lives her life in reverse. They are making their way along the river, trading with the different peoples and towns, heading to Split Sky City as power has directed, hoping to bring back balance to the red and white power.

It is a thickly weaved plot that did take two full books to develop. There are so many other aspects and characters to the story than the brief summary above. It had been so long since I read the first book of these two that I just about forgot everything that happened. I read a few summaries and the book itself had a few reminders added in to help the reader. The overall story came back to me as I was reading as well, but probably better to read the two books closer together in time. Happy that I finally read the book.

Previous Book:

• People of the Weeping Eye - 4 stars 
• Read: June 21-30, 2017

Review 180: The Short Reign of Pippin IV

The Short Reign of Pippin IV: A Fabrication by John Steinbeck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was something completely different from your typical Steinbeck. Funny and still holds well to today. Only Kings are outdated! Enjoyable and easy read.

Have to admit one of my favorite parts is the King of France scooting around and the image on the cover! 😄

Also, love the little line drawings that are in the book.

Not serious one bit. Is it making fun of France or the United States, or both?  United States corporations are run like governments, so the book says….or the corporations take place of government is more accurate.

 

Kings are outdated. The world has moved on from a reigning ruler based on heredity.

Read a library book copy, as I bought a first edition of this book in November 2018. The library copy was also a first edition, which held up well to a lot of use. As Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors, and I love the cover, I had to splurge on a 1st ed. of this book. It is in my treasured library. Happy to now have read the book as well.

Review 179: Political Sign

Political Sign by Tobias Carroll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With the recent ending of the 2020 U.S. election season over, at least as far as voting, I figured I could approach this book. Honestly, there is way too many political signs, commercials, mailers and everything else thrown at you for long months when there’s an upcoming election. It can become exhausting just sifting through the daily mail of circulars by the various candidates.

There is a good reason behind that, which Tobias Carroll points out early on, which is name recognition. That is one of the top ways a political candidate gets voted into office. Makes sense, as most people want to know at least something about the person they are voting for, even if it’s only a name and the party they are align themselves with.

The book took on much more than the typical political signs you may think about, such as yard signs, billboards, and those placards people carry when marching in the streets. I was surprised at the breadth that political signs may appear. Yes, tattoos make sense when you think about it. One of the bigger surprises for me was sporting events, particularly in soccer, or football as the rest of the world calls it.

All in all, this was a thorough book on the topic and short enough that the material doesn’t get bogged down with too much. The coverage is mainly focused on the United States, but veers away from time to time, into the UK and other countries where football (soccer) is the main sporting event. There was some discussion about the history of political signs as well, but not in depth.

This book is part of the Object Lessons series, and they are all fairly short, and focused topic reads.

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