What Are You Reading / Reviews - January 2017

[Leah]

Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives by Gary Younge
267 pages

★★★

This book focuses on a 24 hour period, on November 23, 2013, in which 10 adolescents were killed by gun violence in the United States. The ages range from 9 years old to 19 years of age. Their stories are rarely known past family and where the crime occurred. As the author states, this isn’t a book about gun control. This about a country with pretty much no gun control. It’s also a book about race and poverty. Each chapter is the story of one of the children, interviews with families (if found or wanting to be contacted), details about the area, other facts that contribute to gun violence.

The concept of this book is very interesting…and disheartening. On average, over 7 children are killed daily by gun violence in the United States. One of the highest counts in all of North America or Europe. Reading about these kids was heart-breaking. As a mother, all I want to do is protect my child and as this book proves, that can’t always happen. There’s a lot of questions with this book and a lot of research done. Does anyone deserve to die due to violence? Does a gang member “deserve” what they get? Who is to blame, or is anyone? Would gun control make a difference? There’s a lot of questions and yes, it’s fairly obvious the author is pro-gun control, but those questions are there to be answered by the reader in the end. It makes you think. But, I had to give this one only three stars. There is a lot of research and it’s obvious that Gary Younge went through a lot to travel and try to get in contact with friends and family of the deceased (with better luck in some cases than others). He went through the case reports, 911 calls, and autopsy reports when provided to him. BUT he also uses social media sites (the kid’s pages) as a source and a few times…Wikipedia. I get it, you need to know the kid, social media might be a good place to start but it’s too much sometimes. There are pages of him quoting the kid’s friend’s poems and memorials left on Facebook or Twitter and in one point a fight between the deceased’s grandmother and a few teens which is more tiresome than illuminating after a while. And also… Wikipedia? Come on, a big no-no for such a book. The writing needed a little bit more polishing to get a higher rating. But regardless, a book that leaves you thinking.

[ilikeboox]

Mistress of the Vatican: The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope

Awesome book! A non-fiction which flows as easily as a well written novel. A must read for any one interested in the Renaissance.

5*****s for certain!

[Melissa]

The Ripper Gene by Michael Ransom
3 ★

A neuroscientist-turned-FBI-profiler discovers a gene that produces psychopaths in this thrilling debut novel.
Dr. Lucas Madden is a neuroscientist-turned-FBI profiler who first gained global recognition for cloning the ripper gene and showing its dysfunction in the brains of psychopaths. Later, as an FBI profiler, Madden achieved further notoriety by sequencing the DNA of the world’s most notorious serial killers and proposing a controversial “damnation algorithm” that could predict serial killer behavior using DNA alone.
Now, a new murderer—the Snow White Killer—is terrorizing women in the Mississippi Delta. When Mara Bliss, Madden’s former fiancée, is kidnapped, he must track down a killer who is always two steps ahead of him. Only by entering the killer’s mind will Madden ultimately understand the twisted and terrifying rationale behind the murders—and have a chance at ending the psychopath’s reign of terror.

My Thoughts

Lucas lost his mother to murder when he was young. He is now an FBI agent who tracks down serial killers. He is also not on good terms with his father and brother. His mother's killer was never found, but a new serial killer in town, The Snow White Killer (SWK), may have the answers Lucas needs. The concept of this novel was very interesting. Lucas has found a DNA abnormality that may show who is predestined to be a serial killer. The Ripper Gene is what he has called it. There is a cliched romance though. Main character fells in love with female agent who is assigned to work with him. There was a romantic moment, but is was very low key. The only issue I had with the book was the use of so many big words that aren't used in everyday conversation. I had to look up many words to see what they meant and that takes away from the whole reading experience.

[Beverly]

The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa
3 stars

The story starts out telling about the Salina family during the early 1860's. Prince Fabrizio is the "head of the household" and already realizes that things are soon to change in his family and country. Troops have landed on the coast and are attempting to bring their area into the Italian government. We learn about the family's environment, idiosyncrasies, and love lives and I really did enjoy the descriptive words, I thought they really helped the reader to "see" what was being detailed. After the death of the Prince, which is also artfully described, the book jumps forward 17 years and we learn how his 3 daughters, now elderly, are being investigated by the Archdiocese because they have artifacts in their chapel that may not be authentic. The story ends as the chapel is deemed usable again because it has been resanctified with the removal of the false artifacts. As the last item is tossed out the window to the heap below, Concetta, one of the sisters sees the article take the shape of a leopard. I'm not sure I really understood all the political and religious ramifications of the book but I did really enjoy the way it was told.

[Book Concierge]

Jan 28 - Currently Reading

TEXT - Exodus / Leon Uris
AUDIO in the car - A Man Called Ove / Fredrik Backman
MP3 Player AUDIO - The Jesus Cow / Michael Perry

[Book Concierge]

The Husband - Dean Koontz – 3.5***
Mitch Rafferty runs a two-man landscaping business, so he’s sure there’s a mistake when a kidnapper calls and says that if he “loves his wife enough” he’ll find a way to pay the exorbitant ransom. This is the first book by Koontz that I’ve read. It’s not great literature, but it sure held my attention and I’ll definitely read more from him. Especially when I’m in the mood for a fast-paced, entertaining thriller.
LINK to my review

[Beverly]

The Storied Life A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
5 stars

This was a great book and a wonderful read. Touted as being a modern day Silas Marner. I was glad that someone told me that ahead of time because even though I just read Silas Marner for the first time last month, I'm not positive that I would have connected the two--in spite of the similarities! A. J. Fikry owns Island Books on Alice Island. He is a grumpy guy who has not quite gotten over the death of his wife and is dealing with falling book sales and the loss of a prized book of Edgar Allan Poe poems. Little does he know what surprises are waiting right around the corner for him. This book is funny and sad and heart warming and just lovely. A story about books and second chances. Highly recommended.

[Melissa]

Disorder By Rebecca Clark
(Stellar #2)
5 ★

Alexa Jenkinson never thought her boring life would turn upside down and change forever – but that’s exactly what happened when she found out she was from another galaxy. She quickly learned that everything she had known to be true was not true. But deep within the Deceit a half-sister, estranged father and maniacal mother were revealed.

Through the Disorder of it all, Alexa has to put the betrayal behind her and push forward in order to find her sister, Miri. New friendships and alliances will help guide Alexa through the chaos of being the chosen one.

My Thoughts
Book 2 of The Stellar Series starts off where book 1 ended. Alexa needs to rescue her sister Miri and stop her mother, the Queen, from destroying more planets. Alexa is definitely still a teenager in this book, but her attitude and outlook on things does start to change for the better. I love her sarcasm though. Her comebacks are great. Alexa's magic abilities are getting stronger and she can do some pretty cool stuff. We meet some new characters and my favorite is Ry. He really doesn't hold back telling Alexa to grow up. He's very blunt and she needs that. Ayu is a delightful flying green guy that follows Alexa throughout her adventures. Jax is back and his and Alexa's relationship blooms. There is a surprise toward the end that changes things up a bit. I'm looking forward to book 3!

[James]

Carlo Rovelli, Reality is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity [2014, tr. 2017] 280 pages

I had come across references to Carlo Rovelli previously, probably in the books I read by Lee Smolin, so when I saw this come into the library I was interested in checking it out. Rovelli is a leader in research into the "Loop Quantum Gravity" approach to fundamental physics, and this book describes that perspective in fairly simple non-mathematical terms, rather than in depth. The book is aimed at the layperson with little knowledge of physics, so it takes the historical approach starting with Democritus and explaining the differences between Newton, relativity and quantum mechanics before getting into the new story. (I hadn't known that LQG was actually first proposed in the early thirties by a Soviet physicist Matvei Bronstejn, who was murdered by Stalin in 1938.) Rovelli represents LQG as the most conservative of the approaches to qauntum gravity, being based only on synthesizing general relativity, Standard Model quantum theory and thermodynamics rather than postulating new extra dimensions and totally unknown entities such as strings and branes as string theorists do. Nevertheless it is very radical in what it proposes: that rather than the world existing in space and time, space and time are constructed from the interactions of atomic quantum events. (Atomic in the sense of "indivisible", not as in the modern sense of nucleus and electrons; these "atomic" quanta of space are millions of time smaller than an atom.) His description of the theory was more understandable than the description by Smolin in the earlier Three Roads to Quantum Gravity, I think partly because the theory has become more developed in the meantime. (This book was published in 2014 in Italian, but since the text mentions the discovery of gravity waves last year it was obviously revised for the English translation.) Of course, without the mathematics I couldn't really understand it (and with the mathematics I certainly couldn't have understood it) but it did give an idea of what the theory is about. Judging by Smolin and Rovelli, LQG theorists are better philosophers than string theorists are; I'm not sure whether that's good or bad for a physicist's reputation.

[Terris]

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler, 4****s
I really enjoyed this story of Zelda Fitzgerald, told in first person. It is the telling of her life as the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald during the 1920's and '30's. She was also known as "The First Flapper." It tells of how they met, fell in love, and lived an exciting life moving all around the world, partying, and rubbing shoulders with many famous celebrities of the time. But it all took a toll on her and on Scott. It is a sad but very interesting story. I recommend it, especially if you enjoy the era of the "Roaring Twenties"!

[Terris]

Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie, 4****s
This is the original Peter Pan story written in 1911. It is so funny, and I really enjoyed it! After seeing all the movies and stories over the years, it was interesting to read the original author's words. I would recommend this one!

[James]

Terris wrote: " Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie, 4****s
This is the original Peter Pan story written in 1911. It is so funny, and I really enjoyed it! After ..."

You might want to read Barrie's first version of the story, in his (adult) novel The Little White Bird. It makes clear that the story is really an adult's fantasy rather than a child's -- children want to grow up, some adults don't want them to. The origin of Peter Pan is also interesting -- based on the "stork" theme, children are originally birds who come to their mothers and turn into babies -- Peter's mother closed the window!

[James]

Kei Miller, The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion [2014] 72 pages

A century after McKay's Songs of Jamaica first used Jamaican dialect in serious poetry, Kei Miller's short book of poetry alternates dialect and "standard" English in a dialogue between a "cartographer" and a "rastaman". The poems in the book form a single argument, contrasting two ways of knowing, one by abstract concepts and words, the other by the small details that escape conceptual expression; two ways of reaching "Zion", here not a place but an ideal of liberation and retributive justice. A very interesting book.

[Book Concierge]

Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer – 4****
The subtitle says it all: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster . This is Krakauer’s first-person account of the Everest expedition in May 1996 that resulted in the death of six climbers, and severe injuries to several others. I’ve read two of Krakauer’s other books and enjoy his writing. He has a gift for putting the reader in the situation, and I think he works hard to present a balanced story. The result is a book that is compelling and interesting, even when the reader knows the outcome.
LINK to my review

[Terris]

James wrote: "Terris wrote: " Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie, 4****s
This is the original Peter Pan story written in 1911. It is so funny, and I really enj..."

Thanks, James -- I ordered it from my library today! I really wanted to read the original, beginning story of Peter Pan & thought I'd gone back far enough. I just didn't have the right information. I'll let you know what I think!

[Terris]

James wrote: "Terris wrote: " Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie, 4****s
This is the original Peter Pan story written in 1911. It is so funny, and I really enj..."

"The Little White Bird" came in at my library today! I'm anxious to get started! It looks interesting :)

[James]

Kei Miller, The Last Warner Woman [2012] 272 pages

I read the two books by Miller for a Goodreads group that is doing Jamaican literature this year. The novel is quite good, but at first I found it rather strange; it wasn't until I got almost to the end that I suddenly realized one of the keys to understanding it. I won't explain that because it might be a spoiler; just say that it's a very postmodernist technique.

[Book Concierge]

Maisie Dobbs – Jacqueline Winspear – 2**
This is the first in a series featuring a former housemaid and Army Nurse. The book begins in 1929, and Maisie Dobbs has opened her own private investigation agency. I like Maisie and the supporting characters, but this first book spent way too much time in the past, and not nearly enough time on the actual mystery. Still, although I was disappointed in this book, I’d be willing to try another because of the characters, setting and period.
LINK to my review

[Book Concierge]

Breathing Lessons – Anne Tyler – 4***
I’ve had this on my TBR for ages, and just never got to it. I wish I hadn’t waited so long, but then again, maybe my own years of marriage help me better understand Maggie and Ira’s relationship. I love the way Tyler reveals her characters to the reader. Their actions – small and large – and statements show the reader who these people are. Their hopes, dreams, frustrations, and regrets become evident over the course of the novel. Their lives may be ordinary; the novel is anything but.
LINK to my review

[Book Concierge]

The Night Bookmobile – Audrey Niffenegger – 1*
A lonely young woman stumbles upon a Winnebago on a street one night when out walking. It’s the Night Bookmobile, and what she discovers within is magical and inspiring … and disturbing. The illustrations are wonderfully drawn, and I found there was a good ratio of text to art. But I did not like this story at all. 1* for the art.
LINK to my review

[Beverly]

Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs
5 stars

I loved this collection of stories about "peculiars", even more than the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. The audio book, read by Simon Callow, was wonderful. His voice was perfect, in my opinion, for these tales. The stories cover a wide range of peculiarities. The titles are: The Splendid Cannibals, The Fork-Tongued Princess, The First Ymbryne, The Woman who Befriended Ghosts, Cocobolo, The Pigeons of Saint Paul's, The Girl who Could Tame Nightmares, The Locust, The Boy who Could Hold Back the Sea and The Tale of Cuthbert. I would be hard pressed to name my favorite. With subjects from a man who becomes his own island, to a symbiotic relationship between a group of cannibals and a village of people who can regrow their limbs, to an explanation of just how the first ymbryne came into being--just one fun, imaginative adventure after another!