This week is the last week of The Monuments Men read-along I’m co-hosting with Jennifer at Bookalicious Mama. If you’ve been reading along or have already finished the book and would like to join in, you can leave your answers to the discussion questions or a link to a post with your answers in the comments below. Continue reading
Filed under Blogger Events, History, non-fiction
I’m a bit late posting my question answers this week since I was out of town all weekend (at ALA! but more on that later). I am still very excited about The Monuments Men though. In fact, I’m recommending it to people already, even though I’m not done reading it! I can just tell that it’s going to be good and expect the movie to be very funny. If you’re reading along, be sure to link up your answers at Bookalicious Mama. Continue reading
Filed under Blogger Events, History, non-fiction
Title: Sex and the Founding Fathers
Author: Thomas Foster
Source: from publisher for review
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Review Summary: This book included a lot of interesting stories written in a not very interesting, not very organized way.
Sex and the Founding Fathers does not directly deal with sex and the founding fathers, as you might expect. Instead the author examines how people have remembered the founding fathers and their sex lives throughout history. He argues that how we view the founding fathers says something about our values. We like to imagine that the founding fathers were paragons of virtue. How we remember them shows what we think an ideal American should be like. Continue reading
Filed under Biography, History, non-fiction
Title: Precarious Japan
Author: Anne Allison
Source: from publisher for review
Fun Fact: Until the 1980’s when this was made illegal, many Japanese companies required that women leave work when they married or had children. 80% of women still follow this custom.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Summary: Parts of this book read like narrative non-fiction and gave fascinating insight into the state of Japan, but other bits were full of sociology-speak and very hard to follow.
Currently in Japan regular employment is becoming scarcer, the population is aging, and recovery from the nuclear disaster of 3/11 is still underway. All of these factors have made life more uncertain in Japan. Many people feel a lack of belonging and connection to other people. The author, Anne Allison, addresses these issues both through social theories about Japan and her extensive interviews with Japanese citizens. Continue reading
Filed under History, Narrative Non-Fiction, non-fiction, Psychology
Title: Writing on the Wall
Author: Tom Standage
Source: from publisher for review
Rating: ★★★★★
Fun Fact: Facebook alone accounts for one in seven minutes spent online world wide.
Review Summary: This book did an exceptional job bringing historical eras to life while giving insight into our own use of social media and sharing many fun facts.
Writing on the Wall is about all of the ingenious and fascinating ways that information has been transmitted over the centuries. The author is able to draw surprising parallels between ancient media and the social media of today. These comparisons inform discussions of issues still relevant today, such as the question of whether communication at a distance makes us feel more or less connected to other people, and raises the question of how we’ll choose to use social media in the future. Continue reading
Filed under History, non-fiction
Title: Fighting for the Press: The Inside Story of the Pentagon Papers and Other Battles
Author: James C. Goodale
Source: from publisher for review
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review Summary: Although I thought the book was a bit biased and over-dramatic, it was so exciting to get a personal, inside look at this fascinating story that I didn’t even mind.
The publication of the Pentagon Papers, top secret documents leaked to a reporter, was contentious from the beginning. First, there was internal debate at The New York Times over whether or not to publish. Then publication led to one of the most important first amendment cases ever, as the government sought an injunction to keep The Times from continuing to publish more of the Pentagon Papers. As the chief legal counsel for The Times, James Goodale is able to share his first hand experience and his thoughts on the personalities involved in this momentous historical case. Continue reading
Filed under History, Memoir, non-fiction
Title: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee
Source: library
Rating: ★★★★★
Fun Fact: In 1953, American adults smoked on average 10 cigarettes a day
Review Summary: Elegantly written, with both scientific precision and human empathy, both historical interest and fascinating stories about people.
This “biography of cancer” starts with the first documented cases of cancer, continues through initial attempts at cures, and finishes with descriptions of the most recent discoveries. Intertwined with the historical narrative are the stories of the author’s patients, giving us just a glimpse of what it’s like to live with cancer. Continue reading
Filed under History, non-fiction, Science
Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Narrator: Will Patton
Rating (Story): ★★★★☆
Rating (Narration):★★★☆☆
Accompanying her clairvoyant mother, Blue has never seen a spirit before – until Gansey. As someone who lacks the ability to see spirits, the only reasons for her to see Gansy are if he’s her true love or if she’s the one who will kill him. Determined to avoid either fate, Blue tries to avoid Gansy but is inexplicably drawn to help with a quest in which he’s involved. Continue reading
4 Comments
Filed under Biography, History, non-fiction
This was one of the rare instances where I saw the movie before I read the book and almost as rarely, it was movie I liked enough to watch twice! It amazes me that a movie about King George VI’s stutter could be so moving and so fascinating. I think two things were done very well that made you feel so invested in the characters lives. Continue reading
10 Comments
Filed under Biography, Book To Movie Challenge, History, non-fiction
Title: The Civil War in 50 Objects
Editor: Harold Holzer
Source: from publisher for review
Rating: ★★★★★
Fun Fact: Mississippi didn’t ratify the 13th amendment until 1995.
Review Summary: Both a very broad look at the feel of the Civil War era and a very personal look at the lives of individuals, this book really had it all.
This book takes a fascinating approach to civil war history, progressing generally chronologically but with each chapter focused on a particular artifact. As the goodreads description states, the objects include everything “from a soldier’s diary with the pencil still attached to John Brown’s pike, the Emancipation Proclamation, a Confederate Palmetto flag, and the leaves from Abraham Lincoln’s bier”. Each chapter talks about both broader themes and personal stories that the artifacts connect to. Continue reading
Filed under History, non-fiction
