I read this book for the book club I belong to, and would not have read it otherwise.
On one hand, I liked the alternate view of "The American Dream" I read this book for the book club I belong to, and would not have read it otherwise.
On one hand, I liked the alternate view of "The American Dream" that Coates reveals. Although I'm not sure black people are the only ones at the bottom, unable to participate in the dream, they certainly are the most historically visible, and the only ones white people systematically enslaved.
On the other hand, I thought this work was too hard for the average reader. The writing level and subject matter, while indicative of Coates ability and experience, make this work most accessible to college students. College students may be the most receptive audience for Coates, but any correction to the situation the US finds itself in must come from all tiers of American society, not just the intelligentsia. ...more
CyberStorm is the story of the residents of the sixth floor of a Manhattan high rise who are stuck in the city during a crisis begun by a series of cyCyberStorm is the story of the residents of the sixth floor of a Manhattan high rise who are stuck in the city during a crisis begun by a series of cyber-attacks on US infrastructure. Exacerbated by a couple of powerful winter storms, the CyberStorm tests the group’s ingenuity as they struggle to survive.
The story is told from the perspective of Mike Mitchell, who, along with his friend Chuck (a doomsday prepper), work to save their own families and help as many of their neighbors as they can. Fortunately, Chuck’s preparations and knowledge give them some advantages – they have drinking water and food when many around them do not. Mike tries to decipher the cause of the catastrophic events as the story progresses.
Although the premise is interesting, and the book raises some interesting points, in the end it is just another disaster novel. I personally wouldn’t have read it had out book club not selected it. However, it did offer some hours of entertainment.
One interesting thing our book club noticed was that in the paperback several of us read, there is a character named Vince. Apparently, in the audio and digital versions of the book, he is named Damon. This caused us a little confusion. ...more
Home is where the heart is. Jende Jonga and his wife Neni have their hearts set on being Americans so they can “become something,” so they can cash inHome is where the heart is. Jende Jonga and his wife Neni have their hearts set on being Americans so they can “become something,” so they can cash in on opportunities not available to them in their native Cameroon.
Despite their desire to capitalize on “The American Dream,” both Jende and Neni have fond memories of Limbe, their home town. To be sure, they have negative memories as well; but they could no more disown it than they could cut out their own hearts. While they love New York, they are products of their culture, and they never seek to deny Africa’s impact on their morals or behavior.
Jende and Neni live modestly in an apartment in Harlem with their young son, struggling to save money while working low paying jobs and sending money back to family in Limbe. Their lives change dramatically when Jende accepts a job as chauffer to Clark Edwards, a Wall Street executive.
The Jongas’ simple lives are juxtaposed with the lives of Mr and Mrs Edwards’. Clark and Cindy, who live in luxury, have money the Jongas can only dream of; enough to hire Jende full time, and Neni as a part time housekeeper one summer at their Hampton summer house. But strangely, the Edwards’ lives are no more fulfilling than the Jongas’. Clark works constantly, his job as an executive with Lehman Brothers on the brink of collapse keeping him busy around the clock. Cindy is haunted by her past and lives in fear of Clark falling out of love with her. The Clarks, too, are products of their culture.
This story of the Jongas’ struggle to negotiate the American immigration system and the Edwards’ efforts to navigate the ethically murky waters of pre-recession Wall Street rings true despite being a work of fiction. Mbue, herself an immigrant to the US, naturally portrays the Jongas with accuracy and empathy. But she also shows the other characters in a sympathetic light, allowing their humanity to shine through despite the troubles surrounding them. ...more
I enjoy time travel fiction, and humor, and this book delivered. The main character, Maxwell, has an amusing perspective, even when things go wrong. A I enjoy time travel fiction, and humor, and this book delivered. The main character, Maxwell, has an amusing perspective, even when things go wrong. And apparently something always goes wrong....more
I finished this a week ago and haven't done a review yet, mainly because I feel like I don't have adequate words to describe the book.
I'm not sure ifI finished this a week ago and haven't done a review yet, mainly because I feel like I don't have adequate words to describe the book.
I'm not sure if I would have loved this as a kid or not; a lot of people seem to, and on the face of it there is a lot that should have recommended it to me as a child. But I can't help but wondering if it would have hit a little too close to home. I didn't grow up in Brooklyn, but I did grow up on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum, and I did want to be a writer. I was more of a fantasy reader, so I think this might have been too much reality for me.
So, all in all, I think it was a good thing to wait until now to read (or listen to) this book. I was able to appreciate all of the characters from an adult perspective. I felt bad for poor troubled Johnny, enjoyed Sissy's "badness" which I'm not sure would be all that bad today, and celebrated Katie's triumph in raising two kids almost single-handed. ...more
I didn't like this book, through at least the first 75% of the book. I thought Russ was a dimwit, who wasn't actually paying attention to his marriage I didn't like this book, through at least the first 75% of the book. I thought Russ was a dimwit, who wasn't actually paying attention to his marriage, and who couldn't actually make decisions.
However, there were several characters I enjoyed. London, who was perhaps written a trifle too precocious. Joey the lawyer, who told it like it was. And Marge.
The last 25% of the book was... effective. I think it was nicely written and I wish the first 75% had been written half as well.
One part of the book that I had mixed feelings about was the male perspective. Everything was from Russ's perspective. While few "romance" novels offer this perspective, and having one is probably a benefit, I didn't like this one. I thought the portrayal of the wife as one dimensional (bitchy/money grubbing/narcissistic) was over simplifying a situation that in real life is always extremely complicated....more
I liked this book. I’ve read my share of mystery and adventure novels, and I’d have to characterize this as more of an adventure novel since the facts
I liked this book. I’ve read my share of mystery and adventure novels, and I’d have to characterize this as more of an adventure novel since the facts were laid out pretty early in the story. The book also detailed a lot of legal details, which I had to believe, as I had very little prior knowledge of Florida law. The author needed the legal facts to set up the story, and delivered them pretty well, but they were still slightly dry.
The characters were interesting, especially Lacy and her brother Gunther, who blows in and out of her life like a hurricane. Several other characters, from FBI agents and reservation sheriffs to strong women in various roles both good and bad, also provided interesting perspectives and kept the plot moving.
The plot was suspenseful. Lacy, her partner Hugo, Myers the reinstated formerly disbarred lawyer on the run, and the titular Whistler were put in a certain amount of danger until corroborating evidence could be produced. Being an investigator for a government agency, Lacy couldn’t call in ‘the big guns’ (the FBI) until the payoff (aka headlines) were assured.
The story was set in Florida, somewhat near an Indian reservation and casino. In fact, the building of the casino and the distribution of its profits were at the heart of the adventure. The investigation took Lacy et al up and down and all around the state as they uncovered hidden truths.
I understand that legal adventures are Grisham’s thing, and he’s been at it for quite a while. My experience is that this many books into writers’ careers, their writing tends to get a little formulaic. That may have been the case with this book, but I haven’t read all his preceding books. To me this book was a great way to while away a cross country car ride.
I like Wodehouse a lot. My book club, on the other hand, did not appreciate this book. I think I read this when I was younger, but did not enjoy it asI like Wodehouse a lot. My book club, on the other hand, did not appreciate this book. I think I read this when I was younger, but did not enjoy it as much as I did this time. Listening to it with the appropriate accents helped....more
I am not a huge Kennedy fan, nor have I ever really cared to examine the JFK assassination in depth. I am not overly interested in all things historicI am not a huge Kennedy fan, nor have I ever really cared to examine the JFK assassination in depth. I am not overly interested in all things historical, and I am not typically interested in non-fiction. I read this book (ok, listened to it) because someone in my book club added it to the list. I never would have considered it otherwise, and what a shame that would have been.
I liked this book, even though I did not expect to.
The author’s handling of the subject, on the one hand detached from the events of the film by time, on the other hand intricately tied to it by the bonds of family, was part of the reason I enjoyed the book. She portrayed all individuals involved with the film with respect, not just her family. She did a decent job of staying objective where it mattered. But this book could never have been anything but subjective, and she handled the subjective parts with tact.
Another reason I liked the book was because it was only tangentially about the JFK assassination. Of course, the film was about the assassination. But, even aside from its portrayal of JFK's death, the historical implications of the Zapruder film cannot be overlooked. Our national policies concerning the handling of intellectual property have been shaped by how the Zapruder Film was handled. The Kennedys and the JFK assassination have been covered ad infinitum; the management of the Zapruder Film – by Life, by the family, by the government – has not. Far from merely portraying a piece of history, the Zapruder Film became a piece of history.
But I think what I appreciate most about the book is that reading it pushed me think about everyday things in a different way. First, 26 seconds is such a short amount of time, no one would think twice about wasting it. But obviously, history can be made in 26 seconds. Second, a unique or historical perspective is not limited to artists, politicians, or others who are rich or famous. Everyone can have a unique, and valuable, view of history. At any moment, any of us can be on the brink of history....more
I enjoy the Bosch books, but I wish they were getting longer instead of shorter. The two mysteries in this book were both handled competently and quicI enjoy the Bosch books, but I wish they were getting longer instead of shorter. The two mysteries in this book were both handled competently and quickly by Bosch. I felt like there could have been more to this story, though.
This was my first Bosch book, even though I've had the series beginning on my list for some time. This was selected by my book club, so it got hurtledThis was my first Bosch book, even though I've had the series beginning on my list for some time. This was selected by my book club, so it got hurtled to the top of the list. I was surprised and pleased....more
I did not hate this book, but it was so obviously inferior to To Kill a Mockingbird. I could see how this evolved into Mockingbird; the segments told I did not hate this book, but it was so obviously inferior to To Kill a Mockingbird. I could see how this evolved into Mockingbird; the segments told from young Scout's perspective were much better than adult Jean Louise's. Making Atticus the hero in Mockingbird made more sense than making him the pseudo-villain of Watchman....more
I cannot say that I liked this book. I felt so terrible about every awful thing that happened to Rosemary. I did not become a fan of Rose or Joe afterI cannot say that I liked this book. I felt so terrible about every awful thing that happened to Rosemary. I did not become a fan of Rose or Joe after reading this, but I was presently surprised to learn about Eunice. I had not realized all that Eunice (and all right, some of the other Kennedys) did to further the cause of the mentally and physically challenged....more
This read almost like a biography of Otto Frank, rather than Anne, but since so much of the story had to have come from him, it is no wonder.
The storyThis read almost like a biography of Otto Frank, rather than Anne, but since so much of the story had to have come from him, it is no wonder.
The story was of course captivating and horrifying. The millions of people who died, whether killed outright by the Nazis or who succumbed to disease, were felt throughout the book.
The note from Miep Gies at the end of the book is fantastic....more
I'm going to stream of conscious this review, as there are many different things I am thinking, but I'm unsure just where I want to go with the reviewI'm going to stream of conscious this review, as there are many different things I am thinking, but I'm unsure just where I want to go with the review. I'll also decide at the end of the review whether to give it 3 or 4 stars, as on the one hand I liked it, but some of the things I've been thinking since I finished it about an hour ago are disturbing. Not disturbing in a bad way, but in a I don't really know what to think way.
Margo Roth Spiegelman is larger than life at the beginning of the book. She is a caricature of the quirky, popular, put on a pedestal, unobtainable girl to Quentin. The book is about how Quentin finds Margo, and in so doing, finds himself. Through most of the book, she is mentioned using all three of her names, like a title of a painting to be hung on a wall and admired but to never have a real relationship with. One of the things that disturbs me about the book is how unreal Margo is. Although it is addressed in the book - "Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl." A girl is real, not something only to be admired or even despised; she is herself, whatever your opinion of her is.
Quentin's friends almost remind me a little of the Freudian Superego (Radar) and Id (Ben) to Quentin's ego. Radar talks Quentin down when he is angry with Ben; Ben plays the drunken crazy man who follows his urges. I don't like Freud, but he had a huge impact on psychology, no matter what I think of him. Finding a parallel to his thoughts in a book where one of the characters is a psychologist doesn't take much doing.
The city of Orlando features in this book. I live in Orlando now, for the second time in my life. I previously lived her for 7.5 years (from 2003 to 2010) and came back a year ago for good. I love the city, I love the parks, I love everything except the parts I hate. But it is just a city; there is good and bad wherever you go. I don't find it any more fake than Atlanta or Boston. I didn't grow up here, though, and I cannot ever know what that would be like. I enjoyed the teenage post millennial view of the city.
I'm a sucker for a coming of age story. One of the first books I remember reading is Tom Sawyer, and the young man finding himself in the world is a trope I enjoy, which is what made me want to read this book. The title appealed to me also, as did the literal and figurative drive to find the "treasure". I liked the ending - would have been upset with any other, really - so I guess I'll give this a 4....more
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. I was expecting to hear a lot more about Temple Grandin's work with animals. I did not the dry discourse I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. I was expecting to hear a lot more about Temple Grandin's work with animals. I did not the dry discourse about medicines. ...more
Henrietta Lacks, a woman who died in 1951 from cervical cancer, was the source of cells that revolutionized the medical and pharmaceutical industries.Henrietta Lacks, a woman who died in 1951 from cervical cancer, was the source of cells that revolutionized the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Her cancer cells have never died; they live by the billions today in laboratories around the planet identified as "HeLa" cells.
In a sense this is not just a book about Henrietta Lacks and her cells, it is also a book about her family, especially Deborah, her daughter. Deborah was born a year before her mother died, and worked with the author to research information about Henrietta Lacks and the past, present, and future of HeLa cells.
While the contribution of HeLa to modern medicine can hardly be estimated, they have also spearheaded discussions on informed consent and ethics in medical research, debates which have the potential to last as long as the HeLa cells....more
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