John Wesley Powell caught my attention when my husband and I visited the Grand Canyon in 2013. I would periodically think that I should read a book abJohn Wesley Powell caught my attention when my husband and I visited the Grand Canyon in 2013. I would periodically think that I should read a book about him and then I would forget about it. When we visited Lake Powell and Horseshoe Canyon in Page, AZ a few months ago, I decided that it was finally time to learn more about this explorer.
I kind of wanted a book that was about Powell's entire life but I didn't really see anything like that at my libraries. I was most interested about his trip down the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon anyway, so this was a fine substitute.
I will never raft the Colorado River, and especially not the section through the Grand Canyon. That was my biggest takeaway. The descriptions of the rapids and the power of the water were terrifying.
But this was a truly interesting book. I honestly couldn't wait to read more about Powell and his crew every night. The fact that the first European team to raft the Grand Canyon was led by a Civil War veteran with only one arm and practically no experience on the water is mind-boggling to me. The entire group was made up of novices! Sure there were some "mountain men" who were used to living off the land but that knowledge doesn't lend itself to reading rapids and finding the best way through them. Holy smokes.
The author takes a lot of tangents on the river journey. I'm a tangential thinker and storyteller myself so it didn't bother me but his style might not be for everyone. There were sections about the Battle of Shiloh, where Powell lost his arm, that segued into the state of medicine and infection control at the time. There were interviews with today's river guides who know the river like the backs of their hands. There was some history of the areas they were passing through and some then-current events. It all added up to an interesting whole for me.
If you like reading about explorers doing the seemingly-impossible, this book is a great choice. But if you're planning a rafting trip down the Grand Canyon and you're feeling a little hesitant about it, maybe wait until after your trip. ...more
In my review for The House in the Cerulean Sea, which is short but heartfelt, I wrote, "I think my heart just grew three sizes." I don't know how Mr. Klune pulled it off, but my heart just grew again.
I'm not a crier. I truly hate crying. And yet on page 23, I found myself swiping at tears. This family and these children are just so funny and they care so fiercely for each other and they accept each other just as they are, unconditionally. They aren't perfect by any means but they're kind. And in a world that hasn't felt kind for a while now, it did my heart so much good to read about people being kind to each other.
This book has a fairly large cast, which I sometimes don't have patience for, but each character is distinct. I don't have any trouble remembering who is who. It's been four or five years since I read the first book but there were enough hints given, while avoiding an info dump, that I was able to pick back up without any trouble.
These children and the adults who love them have all experienced trauma to varying degrees. Their world is just as judgmental and close-minded as ours is. But they've found their community and each other and they're healing and learning to trust. They're changing minds around them. It's not an easy process, and there are some dark moments, but it's happening.
I'm a little torn about the ending, which is the reason for 4.5 stars instead of 5. Part of me loves it but another part of me wishes that things could be a little different. Maybe things will be different in future books? If there are future books? (Please let there be future books).
Whether you read fantasy or not, if you need a book to give you a glimmer of hope, if you feel like part of a community that's been demonized and marginalized by people who can't be bothered to learn anything about you, if you love someone who's been marginalized, just do yourself a favor and read this. Know that there are plenty of us out here who accept you as you are. Please don't give up....more
I know this book is a classic and an award winner but in all honesty, it would have upset me as a kid. I was never into realisti3.5 stars rounded up.
I know this book is a classic and an award winner but in all honesty, it would have upset me as a kid. I was never into realistic survivalist books, preferring fantasy instead. So Karana's abandonment, a few deaths in her community and family, and some animal deaths would have wrecked me.
As an adult, I can step away from that a bit. The book is loosely based on the real life story of the . I learned about her when my husband and I visited Channel Islands National Park back in very early 2020 and was curious to read more about her.
Her story is so sad to me. As an introvert, I joke about never wanting to see people again but I can't imagine actually experiencing it.
O'Dell gives us a taste of what her life might have been like, but he chose to write her story as if she were a young teen when she was forgotten (In reality, she was an adult). Her fear and loneliness, her sorrow when her people left. I felt as if I were on that beautiful, isolated island with her, sharing in her small victories and worrying over her setbacks.
I have to admit that a part of me questions if it was appropriate for a white man to write about a Native American woman and her belief system and way of life. I don't know the answer to that, though I feel that he approached his subject with empathy and compassion. Mostly I'm glad history hasn't forgotten her the way she was forgotten in real life, even if she primarily lives on in the pages of a historical fiction book written for children.
Island of the Blue Dolphins isn't going to be a suitable choice for every reader (see my first paragraph) but I still recommend it to those who find the synopsis interesting. ...more
I'm not a foodie but my husband is so I thought he would like this book as a road trip listen.
It's a cozy, gentle read with lots of descriptions of JaI'm not a foodie but my husband is so I thought he would like this book as a road trip listen.
It's a cozy, gentle read with lots of descriptions of Japanese food (and even one Italian dish) that probably leave real foodies drooling. That's not me so I missed a lot of the appeal of the book.
The format felt a bit thin to me. It was heavy on telling and light on showing. In every chapter, a customer walks in, eats some surprisingly good food, and asks the detectives to find a dish with a strong memory attached. There's a lot of description of the memory and the dish. The customer leaves and trips over the cat (Seriously. I don't know what was up with that cat). There's a chapter break and then Mr. Kamogawa tells the customer how he found the dish as he serves it up. I would have preferred to tag along, so to speak, as he traveled around the country doing his research.
I enjoyed Hanako Footman's narration. She has a melodious voice that fit the feel of the narrative well.
I did start thinking about what dishes I would ask a food detective to unearth for me and I had a good time reliving some fond memories and excellent dishes. It really is amazing how strongly food, memories, family, and friends are tied together.
If you're a foodie in search of a relaxing read, this would be a good choice for you. I won't continue reading further in the series though....more
I see this series as a little bit of a guilty pleasure. They feel a bit soap opera-ish to me, with the inevitable cliffhanger at the end of each book,I see this series as a little bit of a guilty pleasure. They feel a bit soap opera-ish to me, with the inevitable cliffhanger at the end of each book, unbelievable coincidences, and very convenient timing. Don't take this as a critique because it's a format that absolutely works for me when I want a fairly fast-paced easy read.
I listened eagerly, as I always do, but this is probably one of my least favorite books in the series. I questioned why some minor plots were included and one character's arc had me mentally trying to figure out exactly how old she is and whether her story made any sense at all.
Since this is the next-to-last book, trailing story lines are getting wrapped up. Some felt a bit too easily wrapped in a bow, I have to admit. But others have me a little excited. Do I finally see justice approaching for our antagonists? I think I might! They've taken some hits here and there but they seem to always come back, more devious than ever. I'm hoping for a big knockout blow!
I love Alex Jennings's beautiful narration and highly recommend these books on audio.
Start this series if you're in the mood for some high drama in a generational family epic. They're a fun way to pass the time....more
The thirty articles outlined in this document are deceptively simple and seem like they should be a given--just let people live their lives. And yet eThe thirty articles outlined in this document are deceptively simple and seem like they should be a given--just let people live their lives. And yet every country, bar none, still wrestles with guaranteeing these rights to some degree.
The language (at least in my copy) could use an update since the "universal" he is used with very few mentions of she and there's no mention of the LGBTQ community when protected groups are defined. Still, I see the document as a roadmap of what we as a universal, human society should be aiming for. Some days it feels like we're going in the completely wrong direction but hopefully declarations like this will eventually steer us back toward what we can be when we're at our best....more
My husband thinks we might enjoy learning pickleball together so, being me, I headed to the library to find a book to get an idea what he was getting My husband thinks we might enjoy learning pickleball together so, being me, I headed to the library to find a book to get an idea what he was getting me into.
I'm not an athlete. I've never really played any racquet sport. My husband tried to teach me to play tennis several years ago but I think we tried that in the early spring and I am most definitely of the belief that winter is only good for staying inside where it's warm. Tennis quickly fell by the wayside.
So I don't have much of baseline knowledge to work with here. I found the brief section about the rules confusing. I think they'll make more sense once I'm actually on a court. The history of the birth of the game was cute, with interviews with a couple of the people whose dads invented it. The rest was a little off-putting, to be honest. Are people truly this obsessed with pickleball? There's a section of inspirational quotes where the word pickleball has been inserted where life originally was. There's a section about cocktails with pickles. There's a section about trash talking. It's all a bit much and doesn't leave me excited to try my hand at the game.
The illustrations by Jackie Besteman are cute and I suspect that true pickleballers will find it to be a fun little gift book to browse through but beginners should hope for a different option at their libraries....more
I listened to I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara a few years ago, not realizing that the Golden State Killer hadn't been caught at the timeI listened to I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara a few years ago, not realizing that the Golden State Killer hadn't been caught at the time that book was published. That was an excellent book and I highly recommend it if you're a fan of true crime. It goes into quite a bit of detail about the gruesome murders and rapes though.
I wanted to fill in the last few steps that led to this horrible serial killer finally getting caught so I picked up I Know Who You Are.
Ms. Rae-Venter wisely chooses not to cover ground that Ms. McNamara had covered so well in her book and focuses instead on her own part of the story. It is absolutely amazing to me that she and her team tracked down this man who had evaded capture for 40-some years in 63 days. Days. She is quick to point out that the officers, medical examiners, forensics workers, and others kept this cold case alive and laid the groundwork for his eventual identification and prosecution. She just happened to be in the right place with the right skills at a time when technology finally provided the tools to track this man down.
She describes some of his crimes a bit, so this book still isn't for the faint-hearted.
There's only so much she could write about her role in finding the Golden State Killer though and it was not enough to fill a book. She decided to write about the first criminal case she solved as a volunteer investigative genetic genealogist. A detective asked her if she could help a 30ish-year-old woman who was abducted as a child and who had no idea where she came from. Ms. Rae-Venter not only tracked down her identity, but also helped an adopted man find his birth family in the process, and identified a different serial killer. She wrote about that serial killer and a few of her other complex criminal cases as well.
I am generally more oriented toward words than visuals (give me a step-by-step description of how to do something with a picture or two and I am much happier than I am watching a YouTube tutorial), but I have to admit that I wish there were some graphics. I followed along well for the most part but the last case she details is so complex, I don't really have any idea how she found the guy. I don't know how practical this would have been but some basic family trees and the relevant branches would have been a lot of help, even with generic names like "Grandparent 1." Readers who rely on visuals more than I do may struggle.
She alludes several times to the ethics of using someone's DNA on a genealogy site to solve a criminal case. She doesn't really dig into that topic until the last chapter and even then she doesn't have a lot to say. To her, the ends mostly seem to justify the means. And when you're looking at a notorious case like the Golden State Killer, I have to agree. But where is the line? She writes about how privacy policies on family history sites have changed, making her work harder, but granting more privacy to their users. This topic could (and probably does) fill a book on its own. I'm glad she included it but part of me wishes there had been a more in-depth discussion. That isn't her purpose in writing this book though.
This is an excellent follow-up to I'll Be Gone in the Dark and an interesting look at investigative genetic genealogy. True crime fans should definitely give it a try. I can even see it being a good fit for the right book club. I feel that it could lead to some fascinating discussions....more
I read and loved Beautiful, another one of Stacy McAnulty's picture books, so when I was wandering through the children's section of the library lI read and loved Beautiful, another one of Stacy McAnulty's picture books, so when I was wandering through the children's section of the library looking for a handful of picture books that were on my TBR, her works caught my eye. My husband and I are in Arizona for a few months this winter and we visited the Lowell Observatory recently, which is where Pluto was first discovered. This was the book that made it into my check-out pile.
If you're maybe a tad... unreasonable... about Pluto's status as a demoted planet (as I am), this is the book for you.
Pluto's happy to be called a dwarf planet and share the designation with a handful of others. With adorable illustrations from Stevie Lewis (whose work I'm also familiar with from Fatima's Great Outdoors), the book shares interesting facts about Pluto in a fun and kid-friendly way. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I learned a lot myself.
This is a cute book for young astronomers and I'll be checking out the others in the series....more
I call myself a fantasy reader and yet I haven't read many Discworld novels. Not only are there 41 books, but all the possible different reading orderI call myself a fantasy reader and yet I haven't read many Discworld novels. Not only are there 41 books, but all the possible different reading orders for them intimidate me. I am just Type A enough to want to read a series in the single, correct order. Too many options shut my brain down!
Anyway, when Marg at mentioned that she was re-reading Hogfather, I decided to investigate whether I could read it as a standalone. The consensus on various Reddit threads was yes. And I have to say that I agree. I know that I missed out on some background (How, exactly, does Death have an adopted granddaughter who's not entirely human?) but I was willing to just accept it as a fact and continue reading.
I can't say that I was laughing out loud but I definitely smiled and chuckled inwardly throughout this slapstick romp of a book. There were so many plot threads that appeared then disappeared, I was shocked when Pratchett suddenly tied everything together in a way that made sense... for Discworld.
I read this on my Kindle and my biggest complaint is that there was no indication when the focus of the plot had shifted, which it does at least every few pages. I would be reading about Archchancellor Ridcully in the Unseen University then suddenly be at Death's house with no idea how I got there. There wasn't a page break, new chapter, or even an extra line break that I could see to clue me in. It was jarring and frequently pulled me out of the story. I don't know if that's corrected in a print edition.
If you're looking for relief from the unrelenting sentimentality of so many other Christmas books, Hogfather is the antidote for you....more
I have loved and laughed out loud at Christopher Moore's earlier work but Fool, Sacre Bleu, and Secondhand Souls did not do much for me. I had pretty I have loved and laughed out loud at Christopher Moore's earlier work but Fool, Sacre Bleu, and Secondhand Souls did not do much for me. I had pretty much decided that I would stop reading his books. Then I was scrolling through my husband's TBR looking for a book we could both listen to on road trips. And there was Noir looking up at me. I decided to give Moore one last chance.
Oh my goodness. We giggled and howled with laughter as we listened. We were grabbing each other's arms with a look of, "Did you just hear what I heard?" as we barreled down the highway. This felt like a return to the over-the-top, completely-out-of-left-field humor that I so enjoyed in A Dirty Job, Fluke, The Stupidest Angel, and others. I never knew where this plot was going and now that I've finished listening I don't know how we got to the end, but I loved every minute of the ride.
Now, this book is not even remotely politically correct and Moore opens the book with a brief warning that this is the case because the time period (1940s San Francisco) was not a politically correct time. I rolled with it because there is not a group of people he doesn't skewer but it will offend some readers.
Johnny Heller's best hardboiled gumshoe accents bring the book wonderfully to life. But there are two points of view in the book and I wish that there had been two narrators or that Heller had used a very different accent for the second "narrator" because it was almost impossible to distinguish between them.
Needless to say, I highly recommend this for a good laugh if you aren't too easily offended. We'll be listening to the second book soon....more
I don't have children but I was wandering through the stacks in the children's section of my library, looking for a few picture books that I had addedI don't have children but I was wandering through the stacks in the children's section of my library, looking for a few picture books that I had added to my TBR after reading some positive reviews from friends. This was not on my list but it was shelved near one of them and caught my eye. I absolutely had to read it.
It's adorable. My husband and I read it together and we giggled madly. The illustrations are hilarious! I loved seeing young girls portrayed as raucous and un-ladylike. This was absolutely my sister and I when we were young, at least at times. We could dress up and behave when we had to but we could let it all hang out too!
You can tell by the name and the cover if this is a book for you and/or your family. If it appeals to you, give it a go. I can only imagine how much fun it would be as a read-aloud with sound effects! ...more
My husband and I listened to this Christmas novella on a recent road trip and we giggled and howled with laughter throughout. It was hilariou4.5 stars
My husband and I listened to this Christmas novella on a recent road trip and we giggled and howled with laughter throughout. It was hilarious! We usually only listen to books together as we drive but we knew we were close to the end of this one so we finished it as we sat at the table decorating cookies. We have never done that but we needed to know how it ended!
My husband rated it 5 stars but he's a product of Catholic schools himself so I think he related more to that part of the story than I did as a public school kid.
The plot is so outlandish but at the same time, it feels like things that absolutely could happen. We can probably all name the prudish smartest kid in our classes who relentlessly sucked up to the teachers. We can also name the kid who failed two grades and lolls in the back of the classroom. We probably all have stories of a school program gone wrong. I think half of what made this so funny is how very relatable it is.
In my opinion this isn't a book for younger kids, even though it takes place in a fifth-grade classroom. Let's just say that one of the pubescent boys has some embarrassing moments that seem to be common among boys of that age. Felix is getting curious about the birds and the bees and he's drawn to dirty jokes and double entendres even though he doesn't really understand them yet. There's nothing graphic but it could lead to uncomfortable questions.
I'm never sure what to expect when authors read their own books but Mr. Lamb was a great narrator.
If you're looking for a good laugh in the holiday season, give Wishin' and Hopin' a try. It's so good, it might become a yearly tradition for my husband and me....more
Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop was a fun Christmas story but I think I slightly preferred the first book. We meet new characters, some of whom areMidnight at the Christmas Bookshop was a fun Christmas story but I think I slightly preferred the first book. We meet new characters, some of whom are delightful, and we check in on Carmen and the bookshop, but honestly, this mostly felt like a love letter to Edinburgh. The descriptions of the city were breathtaking. I'm ready to hop on a plane and visit, even at Christmas, and I do not like cold weather!...more
It's been quite a while since I read any books in this series because I somehow missed that a fourth one existed!
I can't say that there was a whole lIt's been quite a while since I read any books in this series because I somehow missed that a fourth one existed!
I can't say that there was a whole lot going on here, plot-wise. There were a few things but they felt and largely turned out to be low-stakes. Mostly I just enjoyed re-visiting Weezie and Bebe and seeing how they're doing. This was a pleasant wrap-up to the series.
I really like Kathleen McInerney as a narrator but I wish there had been two different narrators for this book to match the alternating points of view. Ms. McInerney read each character with the same "voice," so when I stopped and restarted, it took a minute to remember whose point of view I was in.
If you're familiar with the series, pick this one up too. If you aren't, I would definitely recommend starting with Savannah Blues. ...more
The Unidentified presents popular modern legends and inexplicable events and then provides the historical and scientific context that helped create eaThe Unidentified presents popular modern legends and inexplicable events and then provides the historical and scientific context that helped create each myth. The book becomes an exploration of humanity’s fascination with unsolvable mysteries and our need to know that there is something more in the world than science would have us believe.
I’m not quite sure what I expected when I downloaded this book from the library but it’s not exactly what I got. Not that I’m complaining; this book is absorbing. My review keeps turning into a book report because I want to discuss so many of the ideas I just read!
I knew this was nonfiction about the worlds of cryptozoology, alien encounters and other unexplained phenomena. I think I expected it to be more of a collection of those encounters. Instead, the author delivered a few such stories followed by the well-researched history of the surrounding beliefs, that particular time in history, pertinent mini-biographies, and the ways that believers internalize and protect these modern myths.
The author began with an explanation that science and religion co-existed well enough (with some periods of upheaval) until sometime in the 1800s. Citizen scientists were able to observe the world and make important discoveries. Science was fairly accessible to anyone who was interested. But as equipment got more expensive and the body of scientific knowledge grew infinitely larger and more esoteric, science became the purview of universities and well-funded labs. And these institutions effectively shut out the laypeople. Since so many scientific discoveries happened behind closed doors, a new kind of belief system started to take shape.
“The history of the world has been filled with cranks, but a certain breed of crank began to emerge in the nineteenth century, one who borrowed from science when convenient and rejected it when it wasn’t.�
And these “cranks� began to put forth their own wild amalgamations of scientific theory and imagination.
For example, in the late 1800s, spiritualism had a widespread following. Concurrently, a theory arose in the scientific community that there was a lost continent, Lemuria, that sank beneath the Indian Ocean. Eventually, popular culture conflated the two. Stories of surviving Lemurians living in tunnels underneath Mount Shasta in northern California and spreading spiritual enlightenment to believers began to spread. (Incidentally, am I the only person who’s never heard of them?) Dickey details the ways the two beliefs worked together to shape this legend and provides details about the people who had the largest influence on the Lemurian legends. It’s all pretty fascinating. Of course the scientific community eventually rejected/disproved the theory of a lost continent of Lemuria as theories of continental drift and natural selection gained traction but that didn’t matter to true believers.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the book is Dickey’s explanation for the persistence of so many of these fringe beliefs in the face of so much evidence that completely contradicts it.
“Why does proselytizing sometimes increase, rather than decrease, when a group is presented with unequivocal disconfirmation of their beliefs? Why does a believer in any kind of stigmatized knowledge, when presented with unequivocal evidence to the contrary, reentrench those beliefs further? Festinger, Riecken, and Schachter argue that once you’ve irrevocably begun down a path, it becomes increasingly harder to admit you’re wrong, and you’ll increasingly distort the facts and adopt ever more fantastical ideas rather than change course.�
I found these arguments intriguing given today’s political climate. So many of us want to believe fake news that reinforces our own preconceptions, even in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary.
“Trying to disprove any of these beliefs—or really, any conspiracy—is frustrating and foolhardy. A scientific fact will quickly be refuted by a flurry of data, often from a wide range of sources; topics will change, and if you debunk one belief, another will quickly be brought up. Soon enough, it becomes apparent that what matters is not what this person believes but that the person believes: the belief itself is the badge, the identity, and the details of it are of minor consequence. These beliefs seem to satisfy the believers in some deep and pleasing way, and that pleasure is more important than their truth or falsity.�
And that may be the aspect of the book that surprised me the most. In my mind, we can broaden studies of people who believe in these fringe sort of paranormal stories, for lack of a better umbrella term, to include believers in conspiracy theories of all types. So I found myself reading about Bigfoot and suddenly highlighting passages that seemed to describe my rabid politically-entrenched Facebook friends. I didn’t expect that, to say the least.
Mr. Dickey disproves and dismisses many popular legends throughout the book but he circles back around in the end to point out that genuinely inexplicable events do happen. For instance, an upstanding woman reported a “meat shower� in Kentucky in the late nineteenth century and a respected town official corroborated her account. No one’s theories, then or now, fit the facts. And society, even those looking for exactly this kind of think, has largely forgotten this occurrence. Why is that? When we’re collectively searching so hard for incidents that put a little magic back into our rational world, why do we discard the truly inexplicable? The author doesn’t profess to know the answer to that question.
This combination of modern mythology, history, biography, and science provides an interesting look into popular fringe beliefs. I recommend this for those with a taste for both the unexplained and real history. It’s a fascinating cultural study that explores many nooks and crannies of history of which I was unaware....more
Barack Obama reflects on his entry into politics, his Presidential campaign, and the first two years of his presidency.
I miss Obama in the White HouseBarack Obama reflects on his entry into politics, his Presidential campaign, and the first two years of his presidency.
I miss Obama in the White House, I really do. Reading his thoughts and decision-making processes, his deliberations, his efforts to reflect many voices from many backgrounds in his policies–I just miss that stability, inclusiveness, and thoughtfulness.
That said, I’ll start with my one complaint. At 703 pages (751 with the index), the book is entirely too long. Seriously. Just cutting descriptions of all the people with smaller roles to play would have significantly trimmed the page count. Beginning with his presidential campaign rather than his first campaign for the Illinois Senate in 1996 would have helped as well. I realize the earlier campaigns helped shape his later platform but in a book of this size, that part felt expendable.
That said, seeing recent world events from a seat of such power as described by a man of such intelligence was fascinating. The book doesn’t have a very linear timeline because Obama takes care to present the history and facts of each incident, all the options he weighed, and the reason for his ultimate decision. It left me wishing that all the noisy analysts and “commentators� on the news would just sit back and let decision makers share this kind of thinking all the time. I realize that this format only gives Obama’s viewpoint but I was able to follow and evaluate his arguments myself. I would welcome one person on the opposing side sharing their thoughts as well. No grandstanding for ratings or polls, just the facts. Oh well. As long as politicians and other public personalities can gain money and/or power with ridiculous sound bites, that will remain a dream.
Obama tried to be fair and own his mistakes. If he messed up, he said so. If he mentioned tactics that Republicans used that he disliked, he typically pointed out that Democrats use the same tactics when it suits them.
That said, it was refreshing to get his fairly blunt thoughts on a lot of people and events. I howled when he writes that he asked Rahm Emanuel during the Deepwater Horizon spill “What does [James Carville] think I’m supposed to do? […] Put on my fucking Aquaman gear and swim down there myself with a wrench?� He gently pokes fun at Putin’s uber-masculine image. (Remember the shirtless horseback riding photo?) He’s upfront that he thinks the Bush administration left the country in disarray although he also gives them credit for anything he feels they did correctly. He makes it clear that he feels the entire Republican platform is simply to stand in the way of any legislation Democrats want to pass, with no real thoughts of their own about how to address issues of national importance. I was surprised by the candor after watching Obama carefully weigh his words for so long as President.
I’ll wrap this up before my review gets as long as the book.
You already know if you’re drawn to A Promised Land or not. We don’t all share the same political viewpoints and that’s okay; a healthy democracy has room for all rational voices. I do highly recommend it to interested readers. I have a greater appreciation for all that Obama handled and a deeper understanding of his decisions. Buy it instead of checking it out from the library if you can afford that option though. I wish I had been able to take my time and savor Obama’s thoughts and actions without feeling the library deadline looming over me....more
I dinged book two of this series for being a little too reminiscent of Harry Potter. I still see direct parallels between a lot of the plot points in I dinged book two of this series for being a little too reminiscent of Harry Potter. I still see direct parallels between a lot of the plot points in this book and The Wizarding World but I must not have cared as much this time around.
It's been two years since I listened to Amari and the Great Game and I've forgotten a lot of what happened. There weren't a lot of clues to remind me. That can be both good and bad. Too much synopsis in a series book feels like a book report but not enough leaves readers who don't want to re-read the previous books a little lost. That's kind of where I was but I just rolled with it.
Amari and her friends are a great group to spend time with. They have enough disagreements to feel real but you can also tell that they genuinely care about each other.
The ending wrapped up so neatly that I wasn't sure if it was the end of the series. It looks like at least two more books are in the works though.
Imani Parks does a good job with the narration in this series but she reads too slow even for me, and I say that I speak slow and hear even slower with my Southern accent. I sped up the playback a bit, which I almost never do.
I highly recommend this fun, diverse series....more
I don't have a whole lot to say about the books in this series at this point. You're either a fan or you're not.
A few notes about the things that I liI don't have a whole lot to say about the books in this series at this point. You're either a fan or you're not.
A few notes about the things that I liked.
I like that Adam and Mercy were largely on their own and essentially investigating a closed room mystery. I enjoy their dynamics with the pack and the broader community but it was nice to see them relying almost completely on their own talents.
There are some reminders of the larger story arcs but this mostly felt like a welcome break from all of that.
I'll be curious to see if any of this ties into later books....more
I adored Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, the first book in this series. Dash was just enough of a curmudgeon and Lily was a delight. They were quirky togI adored Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, the first book in this series. Dash was just enough of a curmudgeon and Lily was a delight. They were quirky together, they had funny friends, and seeing their relationship develop against the backdrop of Christmas in New York was the stuff that holiday rom-coms are made of.
This book was not quite as good.
Lily's had a really rough year, what with her beloved Grampa having some serious health problems. There's a lot of change going on in her life and she is not and never has been a fan of change. She's lost her shine and she's losing herself in caring for Grampa. Dash wants to help but can't find a way to reach her.
I just couldn't find the magic of the first book here and, to be blunt, at times it felt like the authors were trying too hard. One scene in particular felt like, "What? A teenager pulled this off?" And then it went even further off the rails.
I did like that there's one character whom I just knew was going to be redeemed by the end and he wasn't. Don't get me wrong--I love redemption stories. But in reality, people who are close to us who are jerks sometimes just keep being jerks. There's nothing we can do about it. It's nice to see that reflected in a book.
I love the narration and highly recommend the audiobooks if you choose to read this series.
I would honestly recommend stopping with the first book if you loved it. I see that there's a third book but I think I'm going to stop here....more
JG (Introverted Reader)
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Books:
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