Wow - so intense. A story of supernatural revenge on a group of young Blackfeet who illegally shot a group of elk ten years earlier. Jones does such aWow - so intense. A story of supernatural revenge on a group of young Blackfeet who illegally shot a group of elk ten years earlier. Jones does such a good of easing from everyday reality to "well, that's weird" to downright horrifying. You can't even feel the gear shifts when they happen. Long, dialogue-filled scenes just work so well, and the suspense-building is spot on. Definitely need to be on the lookout for more books by this author.
Things Jones knows a lot about that I don't know a lot about, but which he was able to describe in such a passionate and detailed way that I loved hearing him describe them even though I don't care about them personally: motorcycles, basketball...more
Didn't really know what to expect with this novel. Which made the surprise all the greater.
Such a fantastic story, written in so many formats (memoirsDidn't really know what to expect with this novel. Which made the surprise all the greater.
Such a fantastic story, written in so many formats (memoirs, letters, doctor's notes) about one little house in remote northwester Massachusetts, spanning from the earliest European colonists to today -- and a bit beyond. It will make you look at any place you love with very different eyes. It's a good reminder of how much power the concept of place can have. And I wanted so badly for some of these fictional characters to be real.
Bonus! The cast of characters included birds and birders, a librarian and an apple lover. There were so many ways I connected with this book....more
I'd read Jennier Niven's The Ice Master about this same story a while back. A bit dismayed to realize that "a while back" was over 20 years ago...
StilI'd read Jennier Niven's The Ice Master about this same story a while back. A bit dismayed to realize that "a while back" was over 20 years ago...
Still, it's a great story, and it deserved to be revisited. I'm amazed at the incompetence and/or indifference of Vilhjamur Stefansson that lead to the Karluk being stranded in the arctic, and the determination of the survivors to find land and survive. The true heroes are Captain Bob Bartlett who had to make a harrowing journey for help, and the Inuit family (including two young girls), who had a large role in keeping most everyone alive. Also, to think that a kitten accompanied them and survived is kind of amazing.
Another thing that sets this story apart from others of arctic survival, is that it didn't happen that long ago (1913/1914), and that the last survivor died only in 2008. It's also extremely well documented through photographs and journals kept by many of the survivors.
A horrifying but ultimately uplifting story of survival against incredible odds....more
What a great find -- stumbled across this at the public library.
Rawlence travels across the top of the world through the boreal forest, through ScotlaWhat a great find -- stumbled across this at the public library.
Rawlence travels across the top of the world through the boreal forest, through Scotland, Norway, Russia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland, and in each location looks closely at one tree species that typifies life in those areas. In the context of climate change, some of these trees are doing well, others not so much. Rawlence meets with scientists and locals at each of these locations, learning how a warmer world is affecting ecologies and cultures.
As you can imagine, the outlook is bleak. But throughout, the importance of the boreal forest to the health of life on our planet, and these forests flexibility, are on display. Sometimes, Rawlence gets carried away using colors to describe what he's seeing, but that's a small annoyance. His ability to connect with environments and the people who live in them is apparent.
Two quote that, for me, sum up this book. First, (p. 247) "This is how the world ends. In a myriad of tiny tragedies. Each extinction of species, language, custom noted not with a howl of protest but with a quiet tear." But also, later, (p. 261) "There is much to fear in what we know and much to hope for in what we do not."
A wonderful book for those that care about forests and want to know mroe about what they do for our planet --and what could possibly be lost....more
I enjoyed this book, but it felt a little disjointed at times. The book talks about boys and it talks about oil, but it jumps between them in an abrupI enjoyed this book, but it felt a little disjointed at times. The book talks about boys and it talks about oil, but it jumps between them in an abrupt way and there doesn't seem to be much connecting these two concepts from the title. And ultimately, the strongest thread, I think, is the story of the author's relationship with his family -- and his personal relationships. That is the core of this memoir, in my opinion, and his writing about family is some of his strongest.
It's clear he loves North Dakota and the physical environment he grew up in, but he uses the same descriptions repeatedly and it gets a bit -- much. I will say, though, that I always admire a writer who can write about a place. Brorby can do that....more
Brunner looks at how Europeans considered the idea of "northern-ness" from the middle ages up to the present, starting with a discussion of a cabinet Brunner looks at how Europeans considered the idea of "northern-ness" from the middle ages up to the present, starting with a discussion of a cabinet of northern curiosities curated by Ole Worm in the early 17th century. The German author, understandably, spends a lot of time exploring how many German intellectuals and politicians explored and exploited the country's northern-ness, turning away from classical literature and towards Scandinavia for inspiration.
It's a quick read, with neat, tidy chapters, some of which run only a few pages. I liked how Brunner might use an essay or a painting as a way of illustrating his points....more
I'd been aware of our local (northern) Crested Caracaras, but was completely unaware that there were a) a whole bunch of caracara species and b) that I'd been aware of our local (northern) Crested Caracaras, but was completely unaware that there were a) a whole bunch of caracara species and b) that they were so cool and adaptive!
The main stars of this book are Striated Caracaras from the Falkland Islands, which the author became aware of after visiting there. But he takes us on a tour of most of the South American caracara species through discussions of 19th and early 20th century naturalist and novelist William Henry Hudson (another discovery for me), a beautifully described trip up a river in Guyana to observe Red-throated Caracaras, and the sad tale of the Guadalupe Caracara, extinct since 1900.
Meiburg writes about the history of these birds and the unique niche they fill. Related to falcons, but behaviorally more like crows and ravens, they hang out with (and seem to befriend) vultures, are highly inquisitive, and very intelligent. His descriptions of the trip through Guyana, and his clear respect and admiration for his local guides, could have been a book all on its own. He also outlines the place of caracara species in the Great American Biotic Interchange - a topic I found fascinating and which I'd like to know more about.
I love a book that introduces me to new ideas, animals and historical figures....more
Whew! I knew I was cutting it close, but didn't realize how close. About 45 minutes after finishing it, I got a notice from my public library that my Whew! I knew I was cutting it close, but didn't realize how close. About 45 minutes after finishing it, I got a notice from my public library that my digital loan had ended.
I did ultimately enjoy this book, but it was a bit of a slog for me.
Things I liked - learning about some of the key characters involved in the political, religious, mountaineering and natural history of the Himalaya. The author, who has a mountaineering background, clearly loves this aspect of the regions, and really, his enthusiasm was infectious. I also liked some of the historical name-dropping (Lola Montez, anyone?) but since I was reading this on a tablet, it was far too easy to jump out of the book to find out more, and these many rabbit-holes bogged down my progress. That's not the author's problem -- it's a me problem.
Things I grew a bit weary of -- trying to keep up with all the names, especially Indian political figures, both British and Indian. It was a lot to keep up with and I confess I didn't do a great job of it. Also, I was annoyed that, while there were maps, there were many locations (rivers, valleys, monasteries, etc.) that didn't appear on them. I'd pore over them and stare and for the life of me couldn't find these places.
All in all, a great overview, I think, by someone who clearly has a passion for the geography, people and history of this region.
(One thing I wish publishers would do is disperse the photos and other media that appear in a section in the printed editions. In an ebook, is there any reason why the photo or painting being referred to in the text can't be displayed near it?)...more
I love a horrific tale of hardship in the cold remote regions of the world, and this one certainly fits the bill. I often get through one of these stoI love a horrific tale of hardship in the cold remote regions of the world, and this one certainly fits the bill. I often get through one of these stories thinking, "Haven't I read about this before," but not this time. I had a vague idea of who William Barents was, and that there was a sea named after him, but this story seemed new and fresh.
Most of the dramatic stories of survival in the arctic regions come out of the 19th century, but this one stretches way back to the late 1500s, as the newly rising Dutch empire was seeking new markets and opportunities for trade and colonization in the east. One approach, championed by William Barents, was to travel across the north of Asia, a possible shortcut to the far east as compared to the longer trip around Africa. In the process of his three voyages, Barents helped discover Spitzbergen, Bear Island, and Nova Zembla (Novaya Zemlya). It was this last location that ended up being the stage for his longest arctic struggle as he and a group of Dutch sailors were frozen in there over the winter of 1596-97.
The horrors these ill-prepared and poorly clothed sailors endured were incredible. The unbelievable cold, storms, ice, scurvy, months of darkness and regular visits by hungry polar bears nearly did them in, but somehow they held it together. And as the spring approached with their ice-filled ship useless, they focused on rigging up some small boats to attempt to sail home. And that's when their trouble really began. I probably would have just laid down and died way before these men did.
While this book is nominally about Barents, it's really about the whole group, most of who remain anonymous throughout. Their teamwork, compassion and faith enabled them to pull together for this arduous journey. It's a great story, and Pitzer does a great job of telling it....more
This books is a narrative description of the author's efforts to study populations of Blakiston's Fish Owl in the Primorye region of far eastern RussiThis books is a narrative description of the author's efforts to study populations of Blakiston's Fish Owl in the Primorye region of far eastern Russia. That sentence makes it seem rather dry, but really, it's quite compelling. Slaght had worked in the Peace Corps in the area and came back to study this species with two goals -- writing his PhD dissertation and learning enough about these owls to write a comprehensive conservation plan for them.
In the course of the book, we get to meet the various scientists, research assistants and locals who all assist in this effort. Fish owls - notoriously shy of humans - are easiest to observe in the winter when they're staying close to their nest site. So much of their efforts center around tracking the owls through snow and darkness. And, as spring arrives, mud and flash flooding. Slaght clearly admires these animals and wants to improve their lot, but he doesn't get too emotional about them. He does, however, show a real fondness for the stoic, capable and sometimes odd people he works with.
I got a real appreciation for the effort and patience required of scientists doing this kind of field work, from having to learn the botany of the area to great detail, to snorkeling through freezing rivers to count fish. And, of course, there's trying to figure out how to trap, tag and track these amazing creatures.
Do yourself a favor and find a sound clip of a Blakiston's Fish Owl duet. What an amazing thing to hear....more
A beautiful story, told using a rather jumpy timeline, of a woman's quest to follow a migrating bird species in a near future where most wild species A beautiful story, told using a rather jumpy timeline, of a woman's quest to follow a migrating bird species in a near future where most wild species have gone extinct.
This idea is as heart-rending as her life, which spools out among missing family, stern caretakers and inborn need to roam. Her backstory is revealed in dribs and drabs, at the perfect pace, I think.
I can't really say a whole lot here, but it's great psychological character study, intertwined with the "what-if" of a world without creatures. A sad, but ultimately beautiful story....more
Long ago, my friend Donna told me that she liked to read books about cold places during our hot Texas summers. I thought this was an excellent idea anLong ago, my friend Donna told me that she liked to read books about cold places during our hot Texas summers. I thought this was an excellent idea and adopted the practice as my own. I love tales of arctic exploration, and what better time to read them than during a sweltering summer? And this one is one of the best I've ever read.
I was familiar with the Greely Expedition from previous reading, but this detailed account is unique in its detail and in the way the story gathers momentum. The first part of the book describes Greely's background and the first year the expedition spent at Fort Conger in the northern reaches of Ellesmere Island. But as a few years pass without any relief ships arriving, following orders, the entire group of 25 men head south to what they hope are well-stocked caches of supplies and safety. What they face is a year of hardship, exposure and starvation.
In the meantime, Levy recounts the intense efforts of Greely's wife Henrietta and allies in the military to convince Congress and the executive branch to mount rescue expeditions, the first two of which fail miserably. Politics and bureaucratic inertia placing people's lives in jeopardy isn't just a 21st century problem. And salvation does arrive for the Greely Expedition -- for some of them, at least.
Levy is quite skilled at taking the documentary evidence from this journey and crafting it into a compelling narrative. The descriptions of the cold and it's effects on the men's bodies, the sense of despair, and the intense hunger they faced -- it's enough to make one weep. But he is equally adept at championing their loyalty to their mission, their courage in the face of uncertainty, and the compassion that they (mostly) showed each other. Greely showed excellent leadership skills and like a good leader adapted when he needed to. The number of life-challenging decisions he had to make during this expedition is staggering.
This is a great piece of American history writing, and one that made me shiver more than once during this long, hot summer....more
I read this many years ago (15?) and remembered enjoying it. I think I saw the 2007 movie? But when I read that new HBO series based on the His Dark MI read this many years ago (15?) and remembered enjoying it. I think I saw the 2007 movie? But when I read that new HBO series based on the His Dark Materials books was airing soon, I thought I'd reread this to refresh my memory.
This book is pretty harsh for a YA novel, I think, but then I'm probably out of touch with this genre. The violence is pretty horrific. But Lyra Belacqua still stands out as the brave hero I remember from my first read. The concept of having a daemon that accompanies you through life is endearing (I wonder what form mine would take?) and I love stories about worlds that are close to ours, but not quite the same.
I've the got the next two books in the series lined up and read for pick up at my wonderful public library. I remember that the next one is quite different -- and I have no memory of how the two come together in the third. Which is good, I think. ...more
I don't read graphic novels very often -- they're kind of difficult for me. I find the emotions heightened through the illustrations in a way that makI don't read graphic novels very often -- they're kind of difficult for me. I find the emotions heightened through the illustrations in a way that makes me uncomfortable. And I plow through them way too fast, and worry that I'm not appreciating the artwork enough.
This is really, really, good. Joe, a teenager in Canada, is bullied relentlessly and rather brutally by his classmate Jason. Joe is avoiding school and not taking the bus, but rather walking through the wintry landscape of his town, taking solace in the nature that surrounds him. On a few of these walks, he encounters a moose, the appearance of which starts some changes.
Won't say more, but I really enjoyed this. It's haunting, simply but effectively drawn, and has an ambiguous ending that will leave you with a lot of questions....more
I'd thought this book might be similar to John Edward Huth's The Lost Art of Finding Our Way. O'Connor does interview Huth and they do talk about I'd thought this book might be similar to John Edward Huth's The Lost Art of Finding Our Way. O'Connor does interview Huth and they do talk about some of the same groups, but her approach is a bit different.
O'Connor uses the experiences of Inuit, Aboriginal and Polynesian cultures to illustrate different aspects of scientific inquiry into how human's approach getting around in the world. For the Inuit, this involves intense knowledge of what to our eyes might seem a barren environment, using patterns in the snow and ice to determine wind and travel directions. For the long-distance sailors of Oceania, it's their ability to read waves and currents and their relationships to stars. And for the the Aboriginal people, it's the stories and songs attached to various pathways handed down from the Dreaming.
Each of these are described in the context of experiments created to figure out how we know about the world around us and how we travel through it. Much of it involves the hippocampus, which turns out to be quite malleable. But like many parts of our bodies, it can wither with disuse -- a point O'Connor makes in discussing how modern navigation technology is removing us from our environment.
The final chapter is filled with tips from the various experts she's interviewed on being more mindful about our environment and becoming attuned to our surroundings and the ways we make our way through them. It was thoughtful way to end the book.
Strangely, for a book about finding one's way in the world, there aren't any illustrations or maps in this book. Oh -- maybe that's the point......more
A short book about Henry Worsley, modern-day relative of Frank Worsley who accompanied Sir Ernest Schackleton on his Antarctic expeditions. Grann writA short book about Henry Worsley, modern-day relative of Frank Worsley who accompanied Sir Ernest Schackleton on his Antarctic expeditions. Grann writes about Henry Worsley's desire to follow in his ancestor's footsteps and the three expeditions he makes in Antarctica: one with two other descendants of the 1907 expedition that sought to reach Shackleton's furthest south and then continue on to the pole, one retracing Roald Amundsen's 1912 route to the pole and his final attempt to do what Shackleton had attempted in 1914, a walk across the entire continent.
If you're at all interested in polar exploration, you'll enjoy this. I was struck by how little difference there was in the logistics and physical deprivations of such a journey, despite the century of advances in science and technology between the two eras. Except for the possibility of communication with the outside world and the possibility of rescue, they were quite similar.
I don't want to say too much about the particulars in case anyone isn't familiar with this story. The photography in this book is amazing....more
A very approachable history of the most extensive scientific exploratory endeavor the world has ever seen -- and which most people haven't heard aboutA very approachable history of the most extensive scientific exploratory endeavor the world has ever seen -- and which most people haven't heard about. This book details the Great Northern Expedition, a ten-year (1733-1743) project to cross the width of Russia, build boats, and explore the northern Pacific coast of North America.
Named after a 9-month stay on what was to be known as Bering Island, this book covers the entire expedition, from it's earliest planning by Peter the Great, to the summer of 1742 when the final scurvy-ridden stragglers sailed back to the bay in Kamchatka that they'd left from the previous year. The sheer scope of this enterprise was amazing, involving thousands of people travelling thousands of miles across Siberia, and about 150 men in two ships sailing to the coast of what is now Alaska.
Bown captures the excitement, despair and human conflict of this enterprise quite well, focusing on the primary actors -- leader Vitus Bering, his seconds Aleksei Chirikov and Sven Waxell, and the primary scientist of the expedition, Georg Steller. There was much conflict among these men, chiefly as a results of Bering's tendency toward indecision, the expedition members' desire to document and justify their every action with a mind toward later government scrutiny, and the imperious nature of Steller. However, when faced with the seemingly insurmountable obstacles of weather, disease, and starvation, each of these men stepped up and did their best to help their fellows. It's a real lesson in how adversity can make a person's true character shine through.
I love books about exploration, ocean voyages and cold places. I can't imagine going through these privations myself -- but I sure enjoy reading this history. Note the cute little sketches of Steller's Sea Cows that are used as fleurons in the chapter sections!...more
This is one of the best examples of history writing that I've read in quite a while.
In 1909, Robert Peary claimed to see a large landmass to the northThis is one of the best examples of history writing that I've read in quite a while.
In 1909, Robert Peary claimed to see a large landmass to the northwest of Ellesmere Island in the arctic. He named it Crocker Land after a financial backer of his expedition. An expedition was sent north to discover this supposed land mass - the 1913-1917 Crocker Land Expedition.
Seven men went north, a mix of explorers and scientists supported by the American Museum of Natural History. Things started out well, but the group faced setback after setback, including the location of their camp, the weather (of course), and the gradual tensions that can arise when a group spends dark winters in close quarters. Eventually a team was able to reach the supposed location of Crocker Land (which wasn't there, of course). This big disappointment marks the halfway point of the book.
The rest recounts the years of failed rescue attempts, a murder of an Inuit guide, and the general crumbling of discipline that followed. It's fortunate that so many diaries and letters were preserved in archives. Welky had a wealth of material to work with. The final chapter describing his visit to the archives at Bowdoin touched this librarian's heart -- as did his acknowledgements section.
Although this expedition didn't make any major discoveries, I think it's one of the best-told tales of arctic adventure I've ever read....more
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