101 Books to Read Before You Die discussion
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The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugonihttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This coming of age story would be perfect for the Life Time Channel. The 32 year old narrator is looking back on his youth, growing up in the 1960s & 70s with loving, wise and supportive parents, a close knit group of friends and the pain of feeling different due to a genetic condition that gives his eyes a red hue. This story is about appreciating the love of family and friends, learning to love and accept a flawed self, forgiving the brokenness and flaws of others, the manifestation of faith and the beauty of an extraordinary life. This story had just enough hardship to fully bring out its abundant sweetness. The narrator’s voice created an intimacy with the reader that drew me into the recounting. However, there were a number of glaring missteps in the description of his Catholic upbringing of the time that might be invisible to many readers, but were serious distractions for me.
I’ll Push You by Patrick Gray and Justin Skeesuckhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have wanted to walk the Camino de Santiago for some time now. Pilgrims claim that it is an incredible spiritual experience. This account of walking the Camino stands out among the many because it involves a wheelchair on very difficult terrain. A neuromuscular disease has robbed Justin of the use of his arms and legs. When he proposes to his best friend since childhood that they walk 500 miles of the Camino, Patrick’s immediate response is “I’ll push you”. In alternating chapters written by each man, this tells their experience preparing for and completing the Camino with the total support of their wives. Between accounts of the pilgrimage, there are coupled chapters looking back on their friendship: embarrassing moments, reactions to Justin’s weakening body, meeting their wives, etc. I was most interested in the impact of the pilgrimage on the spiritual lives of both men. Patrick reveals this transformation more clearly than does Justin, possibly because Justin’s illness has already worked that transformation for him. At times, I found the inspirational teachings about interdependence, vulnerability, friendship sounded like the shallow bromides of many motivational speakers. But watching the commitment of these two friends, Justin’s complete vulnerability, Patrick’s unflagging loyalty, gave depth to their words.
Something To Answer For by P.H. Newbyhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This novel has the distinction of being the first ever recipient of the Mann Booker Prize. So what does it say about my literary taste or my intellectual ability if I did not enjoy it, finding it unnecessarily confusing? The narrator is a less than honest man, skimming off the profits of a large fund that he is supposed to be managing. He has traveled to Egypt to convince his friend’s widow to put the estate in his hands, presumably to allow him to enrich himself by its wealth. But after that initial introduction to the novel, the plot spun in erratic directions. The narrative jumped around in time with no warning or time stamps. Strange events were recounted and contradicted. I don’t know if the narrator was dreaming, hallucinating, lying or some combination of these interwoven with reality. The only character development that I could discern was a movement from a blind faith in his British government to a realization that he need not defend and can not presume the actions of his government as upright.
The Yellow Wind by David Grossmanhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In 1987, David Grossman was invited to visit and talk with Arabs living under Israeli rule and to write about his experiences and the conclusions he drew from them. His conclusion was that the situation was damaging to conquer and conqueror alike. Written for an Israeli reader, he invites the reader to empathetically listen to their Arab neighbors, to reflect on the impact the situation is having on Israeli psyche and to forge a new path. I would love to see these conversations revisited 30 years later. How has 3 decades changed the opinions and outlook of the Arabs and Israelis he talked to in these pages.
Storming Heaven by Denise Giardinahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the story of love, of family, of personal vocation set against historic union organizing among coal mine workers.
The Fifth Child by Doris Lessinghttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
With quiet sensitivity and insight, Lessing depicts the slow unraveling of a large happy family when their fifth child is born with intellectual, behavioral and social impairments serious enough to make him a danger to the other children. Although told in the third person, we see things primarily from the mother’s perspective, a woman whose love for her vulnerable child with overwhelming needs can never be reciprocated and which blinds her to the impact on her older children. Lessing reveals the marital tension, the family’s increasing isolation, the trauma suffered by the siblings and the desperation which consumes the mother. My only issue with this book is Lessing’s choice to have this child be some sort of Neanderthal, some pre-historic genetic manifestation. There are many actual neurological and psychiatric illnesses that could have given this story even greater authenticity. 3.5 stars
The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisbyhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a survey of the ways in which the white American Christian churches have been complicit in the sin of racism, either by directly espousing racist rhetoric and practices or by silently accepting and blindly benefiting from racism in the larger society. For any Christian reader who is not part of the few churches that have actively opposed society’s racism, this is a disturbing and challenging book.
A Chess Story by Stefan Zweighttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In this novella, a chess game between two masters is a metaphor for…. Both players of the game are accidental geniuses. One, an orphan believed to be cognitively limited, absorbs the game by quietly watching it played by mediocre adults. With no formal training, he becomes a world champion. The other played chess matches in his head, guided by a smuggled book of plays, an activity that kept him sane during endless months of solidary confinement. The writing is clear, compelling and crisp. My only problem is that I don’t know what the metaphor corresponded to: power politics, the relationship between interrogator and prisoner, the human psyche, the limits of logic, or ….Because I can’t figure out the key, this is a great story, but not a profound one.
The River Between by Ngugi Wa Thiong’owww.goodreads.com/review/show/3692632642
This novella explores the riff created among a community in the area outside of Nairobi when they encounter European missionaries. Some embrace the European culture and religion and others regard any interaction with the whites as a betrayal of the community. Caught in the middle is a young man who wants his community to benefit from European education of their children while still retaining their ancient culture. This short book gave me a large insight into a moment in history in a world far from mine.
The Cove by Catherine Coulterwww.goodreads.com/review/show/3694663143
This is a totally far-fetched mash up of a hunt for a psychopathic killer and a romance. The further I read, the more ridiculous the plot and the cheesier the dialogue became. 1.5 stars
Vesper Flights by Helen MacDonaldhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In these essays, MacDonald invites the reader into the splendor of nature, especially that of birds, as she also draws insights into human nature. I would have appreciated these more had I read them more slowly, one a week, rather than approaching this like a book of chapters, reading one after the next.
A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Statton Porterhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Looking for a book set in Indiana to complete a challenge, I came across this title described as a young adult classic. It is a coming of age story set in the first decade of the 20th century. The lack of complexity or subtlety in the characters makes this feel dated. Our young heroine is depicted as the most attractive , the brightest student, of the purest character and a musical prodigy. By hard work, determination and strength of character, she overcomes all obstacles, wins friends, earns enough income to meet all her own expenses and attracts the admiration of the school board and the love of a wealthy, handsome young man. Just by her example, others are compelled to acts of virtue. I think this view of reality can be dangerous. Most readers are average on every front. Despite grit and effort, most will never exceed every goal and win universal accolades. Most young readers who are struggling will find that the day does not allow one to walk several miles to and from school, master the violin, earn the money they need, complete extensive household chores, socialize and study several hours each night. In this world view, the only explanation for a failure to excel is laziness. In other ways this book is surprisingly progressive. The heroine and her mother can run a farm without the help of a man. The young woman finds her passion and her success in the natural sciences. She does not win admiration for her beauty or her quiet humility, but for her knowledge of the natural world and her self-reliance. 2.5 stars
Deadwood: Saints and Sinners by Barbara Fifer and Jerry Bryanthttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Each chapter introduced a different aspect of life in the mining town of Deadwood in the 1870s by highlighting a different resident. This was not a systematic or thorough study of frontier life, but, by putting human faces into the story, it made a moment in history more personal.
The Master Key by Masako Togawahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Brilliant! This is a mystery set in a boarding house for women. The master key allows residents to sneak into each other’s rooms to spy and reveal clues to the reader. But which clues will lead to the resolution of the mystery and which are distractions. I approached this as a cozy mystery. I should have been paying much closer attention. 4.5 stars
Claiming Her Dignity: Female Resistance in the Old Testament by L Juliana Claassenshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is meant for a scholarly audience. Claassens examines 2 stories from the Hebrew Scriptures for each of 4 areas of violence against women: war, rape, patriarchy and poverty or precarious social conditions. Claassens has each story in dialogue with contemporary literature, sociology, psychology and gender studies. Among the forms of female resistance she features is lament, keeping the memory, confronting injustice and playing the trickster.
X Marks: Native Signatures of Ascent by Scott Richard Lyonshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read this because I needed a title beginning with “X” to complete an alphabet challenge and my options were limited. But this discussion of how to determine identity for Native American peoples of the contiguous United States turned out to be interesting.
Beautiful Hope An Anthology by Various Authors
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A collection of very short, easy-to-read reflections on the virtue of hope by Catholic authors.
Havana Red by Leonardo Padurahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Loved the writing and the character development in this detective story. Thought the identification of the murderer came a bit abruptly. Could have done without the graphic sex scenes.
The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberghttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Nordberg explores the phenomenon of Afghan girls assuming a male identity. This is primarily seen in prepubescent girls in families without sons. In poorer families, it enables the girl to help earn an income for the family. In more affluent families, it may be done to avoid the stigma of not having a son or to allow the girl more freedom. In rare incidences, the girl continues to function with a male identity into adulthood. Nordberg also discusses cultural attitudes to gender and social restrictions on females in Afghanistan. By focusing on a few families, Nordberg gives this practice a personal feel.
This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembgahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the story of an unmarried middle-aged woman in Zimbabwe as she faces multiple setbacks in her pursuit of a career. Too much of the subtleties in this story were lost on me since I have little knowledge of life in this country. The use of the second person narrative is always off-putting for me.
The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir by John Boltonhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the most terrifying book I have read all year.
Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthihttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I was reluctant to start this book because I had read some less than glowing reviews from GR friends. I ended up really liking it. Each character had such depth. The writing was beautiful. The setting was unique: it is rare to find English language fiction set in Oman. And the clash of traditional ways with an encroaching modern world was portrayed with nuance. This would have been a 5 star read for me had I not struggled with the constant shift in character story line and time frame. The unfamiliar names made it more difficult for me to keep the characters and their relationships straight.
Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet by Xinranhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In 1958, a young doctor, newly married, got notification that her husband, conscripted to serve as an army doctor in Tibet, was dead. Unwilling to accept this news, she volunteers for army service in Tibet with the intension to find her husband. Shortly after arriving in Tibet, she is injured and separated from her unit and is taken in by a nomadic Tibetan family. For the next 30 years, she lives among and is enculturated into the Tibetan community, losing all touch with the wider world, but never losing touch with her goal of finding her husband. Knowing how much value is placed on the duty of children to parents in China, I found her choice to leave home in search of her love particularly striking. This is a story of hospitality and acceptance, of friendship and love, of determination and surrender. I most enjoyed learning about the way of life of nomadic peoples in Tibet.
Black Shack Alley by Joseph Zobelhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a biographical coming of age novel. Zobel narrates his impoverished childhood as a black child in Martinique in the early 20th century. Education was the only hope of bettering his life. To this end, his mother and grandmother sacrificed their lives. This is a story filled with brutal love, crushing poverty, crippling injustice and bleak prospects. If it was not for the introduction which told me of the author’s professional success, this would have been a hopeless book. As it was, there was a tone of bitter resentment that flavored the narrative.
The Trees by Conrad Richterhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the first in a trilogy about several generations of a family settling the western territories in the 19th century. This one is set in the early decades of that century. As it opens, a young family is living in a remote wooded area, fearful of the Dakotas, their only neighbors, and living almost exclusively on wild game. As it ends, the young children are getting married, beginning to clear land to plant crops and forming community with white neighbors. This gives a realistic portrayal of the hardships endured by the earliest settlers and their strength to persevere.
The Split by Sharon Bolton
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a twist on the stalker killer story. I did not find it believable or suspenseful.
The Jefferson Bible: A Biography by Peter Manseau https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Thomas Jefferson, a product of the Enlightenment, regarded religion as a source for ethical teaching while rejecting its supernatural elements. He accepted Jesus as an ancient moral teacher deserving respect, but not the Incarnate Second Person of the Trinity. He attempted to separate the authentic teaching of Jesus from the religious embellishments of his followers by creating a text that contained what he viewed as his teachings while omitting anything that seemed irrational: miracles, Virgin Birth, Resurrection, forgiveness of sin, etc. This document is the focus of this volume which traces its physical and cultural history. From theological groups such as the Jesus Movement and Unitarians to social forces such as social engineering in the 1920s and social justice efforts in the 1960s, Manseau shows how this document was used and was modified by a variety of American movements.
The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagghttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
As both a bestselling book and a blockbuster movie, “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café” made the folks of small town Alabama beloved neighbors of many Americans. This book picks up where “Fried Green Tomatoes” left off and quickly catapults us another 6 decades. The little boy who lost an arm in an accident is now a widow living in a retirement home. I don’t think this book works as a standalone novel. All the character development was done in the earlier book. If the reader did not know and love the characters prior to cracking the spine on this one, they would be hard pressed to make a connection. New characters were ridiculous caricatures. Although “Fried Green Tomatoes” was a sweet story, there was enough hardship to balance it out. Here we get unadulterated feel-good sugar. I was disappointed in this book.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
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Clever, funny, sweet, filled with folksy wisdom and quirky characters, this was a wonderful way to start a reading year. I fell in love with Backman all over again. 4.5 stars
The Fields by Conrad Richterhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the second volume in a trilogy about a family settling the territory which would become the state of Ohio. This moves the story another generation. The young girl forced to grow up too quickly in The Trees has become the mother of a large family. The trees have been cut down, the land tilled, crops planted, more settlers have arrived, a school, church and trading post built. This book ends with the settlement on the brink of becoming a town. Meanwhile, there are constant threats to life: illness, snake bites, accidents, crop failure. The bulk of the work is born by the women who are physically and emotionally stronger than most in the 19th century would have expected.
The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraidehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This novella is the story of a young couple who becomes emotionally attached to their neighbor’s cat. I have read reviews that describe themes of ownership, the transient nature of life, identity, etc. Apparently, I am a more shallow reader because all I found was a gentle story about a couple and their affection for a cat. The writing was clear and crisp, a pleasure to read.
Cast: The Origins of our Discontent by Isabel Wilkersonhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This was not what I was expecting, although it was good. This is a discussion of the U.S. history of racial brutality and injustice by using the characteristics of a cast system as the organizing principle. The Hindu religious cast system and the Nuremberg Laws were referenced by way of comparison with the U.S. experience. Wilkerson spent a significant amount of time discussing presidential politics since 2008 in overtly partisan language. This will make it more difficult for her analysis to gain consideration by readers across the political spectrum.3.5 stars
The Town by Conrad Richterhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This completes the trilogy that chronicles one early 19th century pioneering woman and the transformation of a sparsely inhabited area of the mid-West into a thriving town in the newly formed state of Ohio. 3.5 stars
The Wonder by Emma Donoghuehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In a small Irish village in the mid-19th century, the family of an 11 year old girl claims that the child has not eaten for 4 months, living only on a few sips of water and the love of God. As the novel opens, a village committee has hired two nurses to watch the child round the clock for 2 weeks to determine if this is a true miracle or if this is a scam. One nurse is a local nun, the other is a scientifically trained young British woman who is extremely skeptical of all things religious. It is this latter woman’s view point through which we get the story. This was an interesting premise that was not fully exploited. I had the impression that the nurse was channeling the author’s skepticism of religious devotion. With the history of Catholic saints like Catherine of Siena, who is believed to have lived for years on little to no food, this novel could have probed with greater nuance the tension between faith and science, between religious fervor and the limits of the human body. Instead, religion was portrayed as a cover for child exploitation and abuse.
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Warewww.goodreads.com/review/show/3780297998
This is a re-telling of the classic “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James. I give Ware credit for taking on a masterpiece. This is certainly not on the literary level of Henry James, but it was a fun bit of escapism.
Icebound by Jerri Nielsenhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dr. Jerri Nielsen was serving a one year contract as the only doctor at the research center located at the South Pole when she discovered a lump on her breast. With no way to evacuate her for months and with limited equipment, she made international news when she biopsied herself. A daring air drop provided her with chemo drugs until it was safe to land a plane. I particularly enjoyed the earlier part of this book which described life at an isolated research station in extreme conditions. Maybe because I have read other cancer accounts, I was less intrigued by her very honest and raw account of reacting to a cancer diagnosis.
Havana Black by Leonardo Padurahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the second in a trilogy of police procedurals set in Havana. The story is as much or more about the hard drinking, womanizing, detective and his group of friends as it is about the investigation. I am not sure why I want to finish this trilogy. I dislike the characters. I find the resolution of the investigations less than satisfying. But the writing, the story-telling ability of Padura, keeps me coming back. 3.5 stars
The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mannhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am obviously too stupid to appreciate this classic. This is an account of 7 years in a TB sanitarium in the Alps that feels more like a resort. The bulk of the novel is given to lengthy philosophical debates between characters. The very detailed descriptions of mundane moments will either put the reader in the scene or put the reader in a stupor. Intellectually, I understand why this is so well regarded by scholars. But I was not up to the task.
The Middleman and Other Stories by Bharati Mukherjeehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a powerful collection of short stories about people caught between cultures. These stories explore the ways cultural displacement impact intimate relationships.
The Push by Ashley Audrainhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a family of generations of poor mothering. Each woman has grown up with a mother who was psychologically absent long before she became physically absent. The narrator is recounting the story of her inability to bond with her own young daughter. When a family tragedy happens midway through the book, the reader is confronted with the possibility of a monster in the family, but who is it? This book tackled some interesting themes, mother-daughter relationships, the reality of dysfunctional patterns repeated across generations of a family, serious undiagnosed mental health issues. I think much more could have been done with each of these themes. At times, some of the implications that I was drawing from the story made me bristle. But it was an engaging story that could provoke good discussion. 3.5 stars
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamesehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is an incredible story of childhood trauma, of crushing prejudice, and of the hopeful journey to healing. A young man, recovering from alcoholism, recounts his life story, the events that brought him to the place of seeking oblivion in alcohol: the physical, sexual and emotional abuse suffered in the Indian schools, the promised escape in hockey, the relentless and devastating prejudice of white fans and other players, and the strength given by the communities of the ancestors and living friends. This is an emotionally raw, deeply honest, story of pain and hope. 4.5 stars
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghywww.goodreads.com/review/show/3826062868
Set in the near future, when habitat loss, over fishing and hunting, climate change have caused the extinction of much wild life, a young woman with a troubled past boards a fishing boat in the Artic with the intent of tracking what might be the last migration of the Arctic Turn to the bottom of the world. This book is told in interwoven time lines, slowly revealing the protagonist’s personal history to the reader. Although this novel easily kept my attention, I did not love it as much as most readers I know. There were too many plot points that asked me to suspend my skepticism, too many dramatic moments that felt designed to tug at heart strings. 3.5 stars
Mr. Potter by Jammaica Kincaidhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mr. Potter is an illiterate chauffer. Born near the bottom of a stratified society, fathered by a man who impregnated numerous women and parented none of his offspring, raised by a foster family for whom he was invisible after his mother walked into the ocean, Mr. Potter grows up to repeat the pattern. This short book felt pretentious, Phrases were repeated in consecutive sentences as if the author was employing some poetic device. This is a snapshot of a life, a character sketch with no plot. This might get praise in certain literary circles, but it didn’t work for me.
Children of the Street: Darko Dawson #2 by Kwei Quarteyhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am enjoying this detective series. The crimes are solved largely by the power of observation and deduction. The detective is a great character, just flawed enough to be sympathetic, virtuous enough to be admirable and with a family back story complex enough to make the reader root for all of them. Best of all is the interesting setting of Ghana, a society I rarely get a glimpse into. Where this book loses points is in the rather ordinary writing. The dialogue can be a bit flat, the descriptions clichéd. When a minor female character was described as having “succulent breasts” I deducted half a point. 3.5 stars
The Sacred Writings of the Apocrypha of the New Testamenthttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This collection of ancient Christian texts are interesting from an academic reading, but are not particularly enjoyable or inspiring otherwise.
Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demickhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
By focusing on the lives of several people from the same community, the author recounts the recent history of Tibet in a narrative fashion that is thoroughly engaging.
Married To A Bedouin by Marguerite van Geldermalsenhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The author moved from New Zealand to a Bedouin community when she fell in love with a local man she met on vacation. This is the story of her enculturation. The writing deserves 2.5 stars but the uniqueness of the story gets 4.5 stars from me. I love learning about other cultures. The author understands what is unfamiliar and curious to a western reader and is free to explain everything in this memoir.
Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brookshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Brooks, a prominent voice in moderate conservative politics, calls for civility and respect in the public exchange of ideas. I could not agree more with his assessment of our contemporary culture of contempt. He claims that we have reached a point of vitriol and contempt in politics that is unhealthy for society and for the individuals engaged. He calls for a climate in which opposing ideas can be argued without derogative name calling, impugning selfish or evil motivations, automatic disqualifying of the other’s thesis or any other insults. He cites the research of sociologists, psychologists, philosophers and religious leaders to demonstrate the harm caused by a refusal to treat others with respect and look for common ground. He offers practical, common sense behaviors that every reader should adopt to counter the current vitriol. I could not agree more with his thesis. I do not have sufficient background to evaluate the research he sites and I am not sure I would always come to the same conclusions in the short range. But I think every person should read this book. We need to turn things around before we self-destruct. 4.5 stars
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest Gaineshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Gaines channels the voice of an elderly woman with such authenticity that I felt as if I were sitting on Jane’s front porch listening to her reminisce. Miss Jane, born into slavery a decade before the Emancipation Proclamation, lives to be over 100 years old, a life that sees a significant piece of American history. Rather than angry or beaten down from the discrimination and injustice she endured, she grows in confidence, the respect of others and her own sense of self-worth. I absolutely love Gaines writing and now I love Miss Jane as well.
Wives And Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskellhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I only read this very long book because it was a book group pick. I am not a fan of the 19th century British novels of courtship. I find them unnecessarily wordy and extremely claustrophobic. Had this been half as long it would have been twice as good, but 700 pages of two step sisters’ prospects for marriage was a bit tedious. The characters never develop, only their love interests change. 2.5 stars
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennetthttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Children and grandchildren of mixed racial parentage makes it evident that physical features exist on a continuum. Race is a cultural category, not a biological state. Many contemporary sociologists are making a similar claim for gender identity. Twin sisters grow up in a community of fair skinned “black Americans” of mixed ancestry in the mid-20th century. One will cut ties with her family and move through the world as “white”, gaining access to status, money, and opportunities denied to “black” people. The other twin will remain tied to her family and “black” heritage by a dark skinned daughter and a personal struggle. Two decades later, another young person turns away from the past, leaves family behind, rejects the identity assigned from childhood and becomes someone new, moving through the world as a gender different from physical characteristics. This is a novel of passing over, of claiming a new racial or gender identity from the one with which one was raised. For one of these characters, passing will bring disquiet, self-doubt and eventually alienation from loved ones. For the other, the passing will lead to greater contentment, intimacy and freedom. As a reader, I was left wondering “why”? Why does the desire to shift one’s place on a cultural continuum come across as heroic and honest for one character and cowardly and dishonest for the other? This novel resorted to a number of easy tropes and clichés. The plot depended on improbable coincidences. 2.5 stars
Inside the Vatican by Thomas J. Reesehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a thorough explanation of the structure of the Vatican: from the process for handling letters addressed to the pope to the rules governing the selection of a new pope, from the make up and function of every office in Vatican City to the salaries and benefit packages for Vatican employees. The tone is dry and detailed. The biggest limitation is that this book was published 25 years ago and so does not include the influences of the two most recent popes. I would not recommend this to anyone who is not extremely interested in Vatican structures. Even with that interest, I found my eyes glazing at times.
101 Books to Read Before You Die
Books mentioned in this topic
Persuasion (other topics)It (other topics)
The Immortalists (other topics)
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Timekeeper (other topics)
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Jane Austen (other topics)Madeline Miller (other topics)
Sarah Henning (other topics)
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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I needed a horror for a challenge I hope to complete by year’s end. Horror is not my type of book. But this also fulfilled slots on two additional year-long challenges. This is a haunted graveyard story that struck me as cheesy, not remotely scary.
The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea
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This historical novel started slowly for me, but by the end it had captured my heart and my head. I especially appreciated the way Urrea brought to life a setting I rarely encounter in fiction, rural late 19th century Mexico. I want to learn more about the historical woman who inspired this book.