Review 325: Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs

Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a surprise this book turned out to be. Somehow, I got mistaken on what the book was; thought it was a compilation of authors with Fennelly as the editor. Instead, it is all Fennelly’s own life, her memoirs. And with each entry a continuation on her life, it grew to be something bigger than the micro moments written.

Some entries are just a sentence or two, while others are longer covering several pages. The entire book can easily be read in an hour or two. The fact there is humor radiating out of every essay is what makes this book something I will read again.

Review 324: The Past Is Red

The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After reading (listening) to this book I have since found this contains a short story and a novella.

The audiobook did not indicate this, and it should be announced so the reader/listener doesn’t have the confusion like I did.

The first part of this book we are introduced to our main character, mostly as a child, and where she lives in Garbage Town. We find out about how there is a community of several area on this huge pile of trash that’s floating about a world of water. There is a teasing and lead up to what she, Tetley, does that makes her shunned and alone by everyone.

Part Two now begins anew. It’s the same world but there’s retelling of what was just given before, but much more of the story as well.

As far as the overall story, I enjoyed Part two more than the first, it seemed like all the swearing was toned down, or less of it anyway, and the story arc was more appealing. There was quite a lot of things contained in these stories that was unbelievable, you really had to pretend this is plausible, which I generally don’t like in books. The world seems different, and yet not entirely new. It’s a mash-up of other science fiction that is out there. Yet despite all that I will say this story will stay with me for a while.

The best part of this story is the main character Tetley. She is one of the strongest characters out there.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an audiobook review copy of this book.

First thoughts: a bit odd, Part 1 and Part 2 of the book seem like separate novellas.

more thoughts on this soon.

Review 323: The Quantum Spy

The Quantum Spy by David Ignatius
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This is a full-on spy novel, and not what I typically would read. I pulled this out of my bookshelves a few days ago looking for a quick read, and it definitely was that; fast paced and intriguing. Yet the language style felt somewhat stilted at times, more like what a reporter would write instead of a novelist. That said the realism of the spy world was totally believable.

The basis of the story is the Unites States and China both trying to get a working quantum computer first. The positive development in this area is firmly in the United States (according to this book), while Russia went down a dead-end and is still looking for a way out. China has been advancing due to a mole in the CIA. The small US/CIA team is trying to figure out and catch the mole, while also doing serious damage to the Chinese Ministry of State Security. One of the main characters is Harris Chang an American with Chinese ancestry, whose background plays an extremely important role.

For my own reading this book helped pull me out of a slight reading slump, which is exactly what I hoped for.

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 322: Lost at Sea

Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries by Jon Ronson
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars



I didn't enjoy this collection as much as other books I've read by Ronson. All of them have been audiobooks narrated by himself. He has a unique voice, which he does briefly mention in this book. 

Some of these essays leave you with saying, and so?

Part I: Things we're willing to believe

ch.1 - Thinking inside the box

ch.2 - Doesn't everyone have a solar?

ch.3 - The chosen ones

ch.4 - A message from God

Part II: Rebellious lives

ch.5 - I looked into that camera. And I just said it

ch.6 - Have you ever stood next to an elephant, my friend?

Part III: High-flying lives

ch.7 - The name's Ronson, Jon Ronson

ch.8 - I'm loving aliens instead 

ch.9 - First contact

ch.10 - Citizen Kubrick

Part IV: Everyday difficulty

ch.11 - Santa's little consipirators

ch.12 - Phoning a friend 

ch.13 - Who killed Richard Cullen? 

ch.14 - The sociopath mind guru and the tv hypnotist

         ch.15 - Death at the chateau

ch.16 - I've thought about doing myself in loads of times...

ch.17 - The mystery of mingering Mike

ch.18 - You may know me from such roles as terrorist #4

Part V: Stepping over the line 

ch.19 - Blood sacrafice

ch.20 - I make it look like they died in their sleep

ch.21 - Is she for real? 

ch.22 - The fall of a pop impressario 

 Part VI: Justice

ch.23 - The big-eyed children

ch.24 - Amber waves of green 

ch.25 - The man who tried to split the atom in his kitchen

ch.26 - Lost at sea

ch.27 - The amazing adventures of Phoenix Jones

ch.28 - Frank: The true story that inspired the movie

Review 321: Avidly Reads Poetry

Avidly Reads Poetry by Jacquelyn Ardam
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I hadn’t come across this series Avidly Reads, before this book. The series is described as brief books about how culture makes us feel. There are only a handful of these books published, so far. This one takes on the topic of poetry.

The book itself is a bit of a poetry literature criticism class, with a touch of memoir all wrapped up into several long essays. There are four chapters with one short coda, all discussing poetry. The focus is on several types of poems, but the feelings aspect related to: wanting, learning, resisting, soothing and losing.

The first chapter is about the sonnet and wanting and perhaps provides the most autobiographical material as well, with the author talking about her entry into poems as a teenager. The later chapters had more of the literature criticism class aspect to them, with one in particular (documentary poems) discussing a class she held recently and what her students focused on and were taught.

Ms Ardam does not shy away from letting you know there are some poets she does not like, one of whom is a favorite of mine, Billy Collins. I like his poetry as it is accessible and filled with humor where too often poetry seems to be a Very Serious Business.

I don’t think I would have wanted a longer book on this topic, it was enough here to remind myself about reading poetry, while also providing insight into the more recently developments in that world. This one is heavily into diversity and inclusion within poetry, and shows how the entry point to poetry can be something other than the standard sonnet of historical literature classes. These types of poems may be off putting to people who could otherwise gain from experiencing poetry. I did appreciate the write up of how Ardam helped her students get into difficult poems, like avant-garde poetry.