This book features mini-biographies about twelve people who performed seemingly impossible feats. We get a brief look at escape artists like Harry HouThis book features mini-biographies about twelve people who performed seemingly impossible feats. We get a brief look at escape artists like Harry Houdini who was nicked named the "Handcuff King" for his ability to escape from handcuffs as well as straight jackets while dangling stories above the ground, jails, and boxes, sometimes while underwater. There is also ground breakers like Willie Harris who broke barriers for black stuntmen and Bessie Coleman, the first woman of African American and Native American to earn a pilot's license. Kitty O'Neil reached 618 miles per hour in a rocket car to become the fastest woman in America. "Annie" Edson Taylor became the first woman to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. This book features seven more thrilling stories about people who braved injury and worse to do things that others thought they couldn't...or shouldn't. Each mini-biography includes attention-grabbing photos and fascinating facts as well as resources to learn more. A good introduction for kids to some famous adventurers from throughout the years....more
A graphic novel memoir from Steve Martin recounting stories and incidents from his life in movies with a few detours along the way. He gives brief stoA graphic novel memoir from Steve Martin recounting stories and incidents from his life in movies with a few detours along the way. He gives brief stories about his most memorable roles as well as bits and pieces about some of his co-stars--from Martin Short to Lily Tomlin and Bill Murray to Goldie Hawn. There are also stories about Gene Kelly, Paul McCartney, Carl Reiner and others. Illustrations and cartoons are provided by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss.
This is a quick, fairly enjoyable read--though I must say I enjoyed Martin's autobiography Born Standing Up a lot more. Some of the stories here are interesting and some are funny, but fewer than anticipated. Some of the cartoons are funny...but not all. One of the best parts of the graphic novel is the dog Penny. I thoroughly enjoyed her running commentary throughout. The book made me smile--I had hoped for laugh out loud funny.
What happens when we push past the surface and allow real, grounded, mutually challenging, and edifying friendships to develop? This is the question pWhat happens when we push past the surface and allow real, grounded, mutually challenging, and edifying friendships to develop? This is the question posed by Gina Dalfonzo in her biographical examination of the friendship between Christian thinkers and apologists Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis. The friendship had its beginning in a fan letter that Sayers, then celebrated for her mystery fiction and less known for her Christian work, wrote Lewis the first of what became a fifteen-year correspondence. They met on various occasions, but the friendship grew primarily through the written word--letters exploring their mutually held views, debating their differences, critiquing each others work, bolstering one another on points of perceived weakness, and praising & encouraging strengths.
"Over the years they had helped, educated, guided, teased, critiqued, chastised, defended, consoled, and laughed with each other."
What more could two friends ask for?
One thing that I found frustrating about this book is that most of the letters which promised (in Dalfonzo's descriptions of them) to be very interesting were "apparently lost." She repeatedly employs references in letters--most often in Lewis's replies to Sayers (DLS appears to have kept nearly everything Lewis sent to her)--which indicate that a previous letter held some interesting or profound observations, but we don't get to see them. And, in fact, Dalfonzo quotes very little of the correspondence even though she quotes Lewis's admiration for Sayers' letter-writing abilities. Which reminds me that I really need to read the two collections of Sayers' letters that I have.
On the plus side, it was very refreshing to read about this amazing intellectual friendship--to watch how each influenced the other over the years and gave to the other something that was missing in their other friendships. Having enjoyed Sayers' translation of Dante, I especially appreciated Lewis's commentary and critiques of that work. A very strong literary biography of the friendship between two of my favorite authors.
This graphic novel provides a condensed, highly accessible synopsis of the life and work of Malcolm X. It makes his story interesting and easy to undeThis graphic novel provides a condensed, highly accessible synopsis of the life and work of Malcolm X. It makes his story interesting and easy to understand for young readers who want to learn more about the civil rights movement and those who influenced it....more
A young adult history book which gives a good solid look at 26 of the many thousands of women who aided the war and resistance efforts throughout WorlA young adult history book which gives a good solid look at 26 of the many thousands of women who aided the war and resistance efforts throughout World War II. The snapshot stories feature a vast array of women, from everyday teenagers in occupied countries who could not tolerate what Germany was doing to their neighbors to well-known figures like Corrie Ten Boom to famous entertainers like Josephine Baker and Marlene Dietrich. These women risked their lives to help Jews escape the grip of Nazis, to act as couriers for resistance and espionage groups, to smuggle downed Allied servicemen out of enemy territory, and even to manage and direct resistance forces themselves. Some women saved a handful of lives and some saved hundreds, but they all contributed all they could with what skills and resources they had.
This is a very good introduction to the work of women in the war and it should provide a good starting place for those who want to learn more. The short synopses of the background and actions of these heroic women encourages those with an interest in history to find out more. Each woman's story ends with a notation of resources where one could read more detailed accounts of their involvement in the war effort.
This book was a must-read for this long-time classic Trek fan. Though I am an avowed McCoy girl, I have always enjoyed the on-screen relationship betwThis book was a must-read for this long-time classic Trek fan. Though I am an avowed McCoy girl, I have always enjoyed the on-screen relationship between Kirk and Spock. Having grown up with Trek and heard all the stories about supposed the behind-the-scenes feuds as well as the stories of Shatner and Nimoy's estrangement at the end of Nimoy's life, I was interested to read Shatner's side of things--but I also know to take it all with a grain of salt. After all, Nimoy is no longer here to tell his side...if he were willing to do so, and Bill Shatner is...well, Bill Shatner. Key words in his vocabulary are "I" and "me" and they appear a fair amount, even in this tribute to his friend.
But--he does come across as genuine. He readily admits his failings--that his own ego often got in the way and that, as the only boy in the family, he got a great deal of attention which contributed to his self-estimation. He also relates his great difficulty in making friends. As a boy from an Orthodox Jewish family, he walked alone to school and felt an outsider among his non-Jewish neighbors. He didn't have any close friends growing up and he found it difficult to make friends when he got older. It took a long time for him to become close to Leonard Nimoy and it really wasn't until they began appearing at Trek Conventions that they became close.
I do feel, from the stories related, that Shatner felt a lot closer to Nimoy than perhaps Nimoy did to him. It seemed that he got a lot more out of the relationship than he gave. And, again, that may stem from his admitted character flaws--he just didn't know how to give that kind of support. I don't know if it is his ego or his lack of real experience at friendship that causes him to say that he has no idea why Nimoy cut off the relationship in those final years. But his bafflement and hurt is genuine, I truly believe that he doesn't know or perhaps hasn't been able to recognize what went wrong. I really feel for the man who can't understand how he lost something important to him. I do hope that, as he has chosen to believe, that Nimoy really did see the final letter that Bill Shatner wrote to him--telling him of his great respect and love for his friend of fifty years.
The stories he tells of their work together and stories about Leonard's life--from early days in Boston to his young acting career through the glory days of Star Trek to finding new passion in photography in his later years were, to quote Mr. Spock, fascinating. Some of the stories had made the rounds of Trek lore previously, but there were enough new anecdotes to keep the memoir interesting and informative. A thoroughly enjoyable memoir.
Carr is widely recognized by Golden age fans as a grand master when it comes to locked rooms and impossible crimes. He spent his writing life coming uCarr is widely recognized by Golden age fans as a grand master when it comes to locked rooms and impossible crimes. He spent his writing life coming up with more ways to kill people in impossible situations than just about anybody. And he did it while (mostly) playing fair with his readers. He believed, as did most of the Golden Age detective novelists, that all of the clues should be fairly displayed--that the reader should have every chance to beat the detective to the solution. Or at least arrive there at the same time. Even when he was writing his historical novels, he still included a bit (or more) of mystery and followed the same rule.
Greene has given mystery fans a detailed, intensely researched look at Carr's life, but more importantly a detailed look at the books he wrote. The themes, the tricks, the process, and the evolution of Carr's series characters. If you haven't read all of Carr's books, then there are parts you'll want to skip because in talking about the author's writing process and themes Greene often needs to spoil a plot or two. But he gives ample warning so no one will read a spoiler unawares.
I will say that this isn't really a book to sit down and read straight through (though I did). It will be far more useful as a reference book to have handy when I read the Carr novels still left on my TBR pile. I'll enjoy reading The Unicorn Murders, for instance, and then turning to Greene's book to see what I missed and how things came together for Carr as he was writing.
A fine literary biography. Recommended for mystery fans--especially those who enjoy impossible crimes and those written by a master.
As is evident by the title, this is an extraordinary memoir by one of the Original 29 Code Talkers (officially, 29--32, by Chester's count because he As is evident by the title, this is an extraordinary memoir by one of the Original 29 Code Talkers (officially, 29--32, by Chester's count because he includes 3 men who helped develop the code). It details Chester's life from his early years in the Checkerboard through his war years and beyond. While the primary focus is on his time in the Marines helping to develop the code and then putting it to use in the Pacific Theater, we learn quite a bit about what it was like for a young Navajo to grow up pre-1940. Of course, life for Native Americans on the reservations was never easy and the forced relocation onto the reservations was a dark period in our history, but Chester considered his home life to be fairly happy until the white men decided to decimate Navajo herds because of over-grazing. Not only did this wipe out the wealth of Navajo families, but since the government used Navajos to enforce the thinning of the herds it also created distrust and sowed division among the people.
It was amazing to read how Chester and the other young Navajo men bravely used the very language that their white school teachers had tried to strip from them to save the country they loved. How they courageously laid their lives on the line for a country that had oppressed and restricted them--and that would never treat them as equals when they weren't wearing the uniform of their country. Heck--the U.S. Army soldiers that Chester was sent to help at one point nearly killed him--accusing him of being a Japanese soldier in a stolen uniform. All because he did not look like the standard G.I. Joe. It was heartening to read that the Marine commanders did recognize their worth...and a number treated their men as equals, regardless of rank. It is a shame that enough of us don't carry that over into everyday life.
Chester tells his story with humor and humility. Others call him and his fellow Code Talkers heroes. He never claims that title for himself, saying that he merely did what he knew he could do--as well as he could do it. He speaks of family and friendship--of all the things that made the fight worth taking up. He tells us of the bravery of others and shows us how important this piece of our shared history was.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks....more
Alfred & Emily by Doris Lessing is two stories in one. She combines a fictional tale of what the lives of her parents, Alfred and Emily, might have beAlfred & Emily by Doris Lessing is two stories in one. She combines a fictional tale of what the lives of her parents, Alfred and Emily, might have been if World War One had never happened--if her father had not come home wounded both physically and emotionally and if her mother had not be damaged as well through caring for a wounded man who suffered from shell shock and who took her from England to a farm in Zimbabwe. The novella which begins the book gives her parents their ideal life. Her father becomes the farmer in England he always dreamed he could be, successful with a wife who enjoyed living on the farm and with two brawny sons. Her mother still becomes a nurse, but after marriage to a doctor who dies in middle-age and leaves her well-off she is able to fund schools and then a refuge for women in trouble. Through her fiction, she allows her parents to become what she imagines might have been their best selves.
The second half of the book tells the real-life story of her parents' struggles with life after the Great War. It shows in detail just how devastating that war was not only for those who lost loved ones, but for those who came home and those who loved them. The despair and depression the parents fought deeply affected Doris and her brother. Doris grew up hating her mother--in part because she pitied her and didn't know how to deal with those emotions as a young girl. Processing her emotions and reactions to her parents' plight may have sent her into therapy later in life, but it also fueled her fiction. It's likely that Alfred and Emily may have been happier if the war had never happened, but would Doris Lessing have been the author she became had she grown up in England? Of course, we'll never know for sure--but it certainly seems like the struggles she experienced in dealing with her parents molded her in ways that shaped her writing.
Each section of the book is interesting in its own right. But I'm not entirely sold on the combination in one volume. The transition between the two sections is inadequate and doesn't quite make a smooth connection. There are hints in reality towards the fictional biography Lessing writes for Alfred and Emily, but she doesn't fully explain some of the choices she made for them.
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