The pictures are so cool, and this is a thin book, so it is definitely worth a browse for anyone interested in Cuban history. However........the text The pictures are so cool, and this is a thin book, so it is definitely worth a browse for anyone interested in Cuban history. However........the text is snippets of very complementary things the two men said about each other. It really feels like propoganda to read. I wonder if this was orignally some kind of exhibit and the placards by the photos were placed in the book. As we look at the history of the United States and recognize that the voices of people who were victims in our history are vitally important, it's crucial to use that same understanding with other countries. Che was handsome, young, adventurous, outraged by the injustices in Latin America-many of them caused by the United States. He believed in true self rule, he was a doctor, he valued education. These are all appealing and admirable qualities, but he also oversaw the "tribunals" that killed and imprisoned so many people who didn't agree with Castro, and he was part of the land re-distribution that didn't just take property from greedy US companies but from middle class Cuban citizens. It's a disappointing truth and one not found in this book, that's for sure. It's not suprising that a book put out by his wife would not feature troubling information, but I get concerned because he is so interesting and pretty that the more complicated truth of the Cuban revolution and Che himself is getting lost to time....more
Chapters of Agatha and Archie Christie's courtship and marrriage alternate with present day Archie Christie brimming over with guilt, ill temper and aChapters of Agatha and Archie Christie's courtship and marrriage alternate with present day Archie Christie brimming over with guilt, ill temper and anxiety as a man hunt is conducted for Agatha. This was a really effective hook- even knowing that Agatha Christie was never murdered I found myself wondering about his guilt and the mysterious content of a letter that Archie burned before the police could see it. Intriguing! The Mystery of Mrs. Christie absorbed me through the whole tale- but near the end of the book two phrases were used that seemed so misplaced and one, consciously or not, lifted from Hamilton, that much of my enjoyment became disappointed irritation. Maybe it would be like finding a piece of glass in a wonderful gourmet meal. Even if the whole thing was fabulous, I wouldn't be able to ignore that something was wrong. Did Agatha really think in terms of her husband being an "unreliable narrator?" This seems such a modern phrase. She did have books that used that technique, so maybe........ It still was a much more artful thing to say than anything her character had uttered the whole novel and was jarring. More egregious was reading that Agatha needed to "take herself out of the narrative." This writing seemed so assured- a very specific and tense period of time in Agatha's life, clearly drawn characters, and the picture of a rotting marriage in a conservative society were all really well done. Some editing at the end would have helped keep a stronger impression....more
The History of Cuba does a good job narrating the tumultous history of Cuba. This is a thorough look at Cuban history from it's colonial roots throughThe History of Cuba does a good job narrating the tumultous history of Cuba. This is a thorough look at Cuban history from it's colonial roots through the GW Busch era. It's only 150 pages long, not because it is neglectful of any period but because it concise and stays true to its scope of covering the people, parties and forces that have shaped and ruled this island....more
This was something I wanted to read to better my knowledge and have a connection with my husband who really likes Robert Kurson. I wasn't anticipatingThis was something I wanted to read to better my knowledge and have a connection with my husband who really likes Robert Kurson. I wasn't anticipating loving the book, but I did. Kurson came up with a great structure for Rocket Men, starting with an account of the pressure to rather recklessly accelerate the Apollo program in order to beat the Soviets to the moon, then relieving the tale of the sequence of events with chapters on each astronaut's life, the famous and heartbreaking events of 67 and 68 (assassinations, riots, Viet Nam, etc....) and weaving the narrative together in a way that had me invested in both the people,the moment in time and the emotional intensity of taking a shot at flying around the moon. Kurson's sentence and paragraph structures are so clear that if the material wasn't so complex, he could be writing for youth. This is a high compliment in my mind- he is clearly writing for adults, but his meticulous research and well crafted organization of content speak for themselves. He doesn't get in the way with a stylized voice. I found it engrossing and easy to follow....more
This was just an outstanding experience on audio read by Michelle (after 16 discs and two months together I feel like we are on a first name basis). HThis was just an outstanding experience on audio read by Michelle (after 16 discs and two months together I feel like we are on a first name basis). Her honesty, forthrightness, descriptive talent and ability to write about our national ills from a personal lense make this one of the best books I have read in a long time. I keep thinking of the word enriching, because I do feel richer for having spent time learning about her and understanding the world from her lense, and being challenged by the very strength of her personal compass to examine my own. ...more
This was very hard going for me, but so rewarding. I had to take notes , so that later I would have a coherent sense of what I might have actually leaThis was very hard going for me, but so rewarding. I had to take notes , so that later I would have a coherent sense of what I might have actually learned. Two unexpected pleasures were Hawking's descriptions of various scientists mathematicians and philosophers throughout history who propelled our understanding forward, and the other pleasure was Hawking's charm. His examples for some really tricky principals were very down-to-earth, and he also sprinkled in his own humor which gave me moments of fun while sincerely trying to learn something new....more
I didn't finish this one, but have spent so much time with it, that I feel justified writing an opinion. I really liked the deep sincerity and interestI didn't finish this one, but have spent so much time with it, that I feel justified writing an opinion. I really liked the deep sincerity and interest in the subject matter displayed by Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel. I thought I was going to really enjoy the book, but for me it just felt very disjointed. I think these were important learning moments for Giffored on an amazing trip she took too Israel. She is excited about numerical meanings of words that add a deeper understanding to scripture, the endurance of ancient locations and Rabbi Jason's teachings. It just didn't translate into a cohesive work. I wanted it too, but there are too many books for me to keep spending time on this one. It really was a two star experience for me, but is bumped out of admiration for the endeavor to write about faith that I would feel for any one of any faith who is in a very commercial field, and also the belief that someone else might get more from this format than I did....more
I don't have the words to do this justice. It's brilliant. I'm awestruck. Among the multiple points Saunders makes in this book are the unreliability I don't have the words to do this justice. It's brilliant. I'm awestruck. Among the multiple points Saunders makes in this book are the unreliability of historical documents, the contentiousness of people, our inability to see past our own experiences. Questions readers must face are: What happens when we die? If we are judged how would we be judged? To whom do we feel merciful? How could Lincoln keep going day after day? How could a man so devastated by the loss of his son, put thousands more in harms way?
This doesn't sound like a good time, but Lincoln in the Bardo is highly entertaining. Most of the story is told through the specters that haunt the graveyard where Lincoln's son has been interred. Some of it is told through quotes from historical letters and biographies. The architecture of this book is so impressive. Even better is Saunders gift to capture people in all ways: noble, cruel, base, funny, obsequious, angry, lonely, innocent.
Important note; the audio version has a huge cast with a different voice for every ghost and every quote. They did a wonderful job. As a reader, I found this version not just entertaining, but really helpful. I am curious to pick up the novel and see if I could have gotten through it on my own. ...more
The book started off with spunk, whit and humor. I felt the tone changed to more of a hardship focus. Life can do that, but it just wasn't what I exp The book started off with spunk, whit and humor. I felt the tone changed to more of a hardship focus. Life can do that, but it just wasn't what I expected it in this read. To me it seemed the story line meandered and got lost a bit while Macallister tried to combine historical events and a narrative. ...more
How can you not love someone who has had worldly success and fame, but understands that the most interesting thing about himself is the time and placeHow can you not love someone who has had worldly success and fame, but understands that the most interesting thing about himself is the time and place in which he lived, and the people who inhabited that world with him? This books is a fabulous achievement-blending a coming of age memoir with an intricate tutorial on the history and effects of Apartheid. It is intelligent and funny and honest. On top of that, this is a beautiful homage to his mom, a brave, fierce and loving single parent. Many times it read as a character study of her, that he just so wanted to her to be seen and valued by the world. I loved this book and am in awe of what his life has been and his ability to communicate his journey so well....more
Shadow on the Crown delivers high drama that is also believable: the royal power struggles in England in the early 1000's AD. I normally have low expeShadow on the Crown delivers high drama that is also believable: the royal power struggles in England in the early 1000's AD. I normally have low expectations for my enjoyment level when fiction books have maps, lineage lines and glossaries, so I am trying to articulate why this book appealed to me. I think it hinges on the very difficult plight of Queen Emma. At fifteen she is sent from Normandy to mary the much older king of England. His children can only view her as a threat, and the king himself is resentful, self-serving, paranoid and beset with hallucinations. He is horrible to her. Early into her marriage, her courtiers from home are sent away, and she is truly a young woman on her own. Far from leading a pampered life, Emma has to learn how to create some power for herself in order to guarantee a better chance of not being killed off in her future. Also, there are Vikings raising villages and brutally murdering people. Her Danish heritage on her mother's side makes her an object of suspicion at best, an enemy at worst. She has got big, big problems- and no escape hatch. Some love comes in the mix, but at least in the first book, it is neither safe for her to feel nor relevant to her survival and therefore gets treated by Emma that way. I liked Emma, or what I surmised of her- so much of her inner thought life centered around what she must do in response to all the bad that got shovelled her way, that I don't felt I really knew what she would be like outside of these circumstances. Of course this is appropriate to the story, but I would have liked to know her a bit better. Religion is a huge part of everyone's lives in this era and Bracewell did a nice job integrating the beliefs of the times into character thoughts and motivations. ...more
Loading...
