Dana's comments
(member since Nov 10, 2008)
Dana's comments from the 50 Books A Year group.
(showing 1-16 of 16)
15. Sin Boldly A Field Guide for Grace by Cathleen Falsani
It wasn't what I expected since I think I learned about it from another person's Africa-related shelf. Its a collection of stories/memories that relate the experience of grace. Some occur in Africa. Mostly it demonstrates that it's more relevant to notice the occurrence of grace, bask in it, rather than debate about it. So far it's prompted me to be more aware of the now.
12. Whatever You Do, Don't Run True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide
This is a collection of tales that might be told around a campfire. Some, especially toward the beginning can be disappointingly short. But the writing is honest and by the end you feel like you know Allison as a person. I don't know why people like Bill Bryson. I find him to be whiny. Peter Allison NEVER takes a whiny tone, even when he's relaying being lost, eaten by mosquitoes or facing death by devour from one of the Big Five. For more bush stories by those who aren't native, I'd recommen...more This is a collection of tales that might be told around a campfire. Some, especially toward the beginning can be disappointingly short. But the writing is honest and by the end you feel like you know Allison as a person. I don't know why people like Bill Bryson. I find him to be whiny. Peter Allison NEVER takes a whiny tone, even when he's relaying being lost, eaten by mosquitoes or facing death by devour from one of the Big Five. For more bush stories by those who aren't native, I'd recommend Robert Sapolsky's A Primate's Memoir A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons
13. Fodor's The Complete African Safari Planner, 1st Edition With Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa & Tanzania
Very nice. Apparently much better than the previous attempt which has such bad reviews, they chose different writers and gave it a different title. I think this title lives up to its name.
11. The History of Love A Novel
Good writing. Interesting to use 4 different points of view. At the end, I had that "! the book has ended!" feeling. I wanted to read more.
My brother has invented a German word for this feeling:
"Keinenmehrbüchligskeit".
I'm like most people. I use a combination. I've been using the libary much more often as I put a request on everything so it's waiting for me on a shelf that I pick up myself and then use the self-checkout kiosk. This encourages me not to check out too many at a time, plus going to the nearest branch is a pain during the week, so every Sunday my husband waits by the curb while I run in and make my exchange.I used to have a rule that I had to read so many of my owned-but-not-read before I allowed myself to buy a book.
I hardly EVER by a book from a tangible large chain bookstore. I use Amazon which guarantees me a discount off the cover price or I go to half-priced books or a smaller used bookstore. The exception is when I'm traveling, I'm a sucker for locally owned bookstores and will pay full price.
I also am a member of Bookcrossing.com which is a lot like the other sites mentioned. It tracks where books go and also promotes random book drops, but I've never had any one log in one of my random book drops.
10. Agotime Her Legend
This was for another book group. It was difficult to stick with in the beginning given the nature of the writing. Its about a queen from Dahomey (currently called Benin) who is sold off after her husband dies (by another wife's son who becomes king) and lands in Brazil. It's about the journey, but includes some information about different rituals in both destinations.
Susan wrote: "I am a huge fan of the now-sadly-ended TV show Gilmore Girls. Many of the show's characters are avid readers, Rory in particular, and I find myself looking up books either being read or mentioned ..."
Susan, you should check out the Rory Gilmore book club on Goodreads!
9. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
This was quite enjoyable. I laughed out loud several times. However the ending is disappointing. For most of the book, the plot is slowly revealed, but the ending is abrupt and rather anticlimactic. Still, I enjoyed most of it enough to give it 4 stars.
Esther wrote: "1. On the Road by Jack Kerouac - completed 1/4/09This wasn't as good as I had anticipated, though I'm certainly glad I read it as it contains within the BS tiny morsels of goodness that stick t..."
Was this your first Kerouac? Try The Dharma Bums instead. On the Road is a common first Kerouac read which is too bad because though it's perhaps the most famous, I don't think it's his best.
I love your description of Fitzgerald!
8. A Primate's Memoir A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons
I really enjoyed this one. It was recommended in a Kenya travel book and I now realize he's a more well known science writer. I'll be reading his others soon!
5. The Comeback Seven Stories of Women Who Went from Career to Family and Back Again
I liked Mary Catherine Bateson's book better (see message 1)
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6. Outliers The Story of Success
Better than I initially expected and not just a repeat of Blink or The Tipping Point. Gladwell is adept at turning his examples into stories.
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7. The Known World
It took me a while to get through it I think because of how good it is.
4. A Question of Attraction A Novel
rating: 3 of 5 stars
He seems to nail the awkward male transitioning from HS to college. The ending was a bit abrupt though.
3. Last Night Stories
A collection of short sketches which could be turned into short stories but aren't and somehow get published anyway. (On the basis of his previous novels or ability to paint a picture with minimal brushstrokes?)
All the stories have the theme of betrayal.
2. Becoming an Effective Leader
Very easy to read and understand, but will likely need to be re-read, this is a compilation of articles from the Harvard Management Update and Harvard Management Communication Letter. Some articles seem more ethereally academic while others are good at the technical writing of listmaking and key points. It's tougher for me to give a review given the wide girth of the leadership book in the airport genre, but I have read several business books as a non-entrepreneur in healthcare service. So it was helpful for me and I don't think the article compilation as a whole has a narrow audience.
Interesting question. Who is classified as a villain? The first literary character that came to mind was Raskolnikov of Crime and Punishment. He did commit a crime, one could argue it was evil, but is he a villain? I haven't read Crime and Punishment in a long time, but remember my sympathetic nervous system physically empathized with Raskolnikov. I think it is interesting when you can empathize at all with a villain.
Danine, who is one of your favorite villains and why?
I found the group a little late in 2008, but will still go for 50 in 365. 
1. Composing a Life
Daughter of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson and an established anthropologist in her own right, she eloquently explores the roles of women mainly in American culture and the adaptations to and of those roles. Main points are how our trajectories as women tend to be discontinuous in terms of career and how this allows us to continue building our skill of multi-tasking and adaptation while maintaining our identity. But there is much more in the 241 pages. The book was published initially in 1989, but much holds true two decades later. It is a very useful read for women living in western society.
