What I read in ~~ August 2019

[Alias Reader]

Please share with us what you read August 2019 !

Please provide:

~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

[Alias Reader]

I read 3 in August.

The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It----Kelly McGonigal
Non Fiction
Rate: 5/5
The author is a Stanford University psychologist. The book is used for her popular course: The Science of Willpower. I thought the book was quite useful. So much so that I purchased a used copy on Amazon. It's very accessible.

The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes---Joel Fuhrman
Non Fiction
Rate 5/5
Well done and informative. You may have seen the author on PBS. The diet plan here is similar to Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss with additional information for diabetics. I don't have diabetes, but I wanted to read up on it for a family member.

Edit
I forgot to record that I also read
The Fifth Child--Doris Lessing
Fiction
Rate: 4/5
I read this one thanks to Julie, who brought it to my attention. We had a lovely discussion of it in her thread. It was quite thought provoking.

[Petra]

I've always thought that a diabetic diet would be healthy and something we should all strive for. I don't know much about it except that it looks for a balance of grains and fresh fruits/veggies, while allowing for an occasional treat.

Willpower & self-control is something we can all do well having a handle on. Thanks for that title, Alias.

[Petra]

I read a fair number of non-fiction selections in August.

Monkey Beach (3 star) - I enjoyed this coming-of-age story set in Kitimaat Village. It brought together a lot of elements faced by First Nations people today.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Lady Helena Investigates (4 star) - I enjoyed this story of a young widow coming to terms with herself and her future with independence.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Inner Circle (audio; 1 star) - dumb protagonist that, in reality, would have died in the first few pages and never got wiser.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Silence (4 star) - I enjoyed this story about Faith & Mercy. Based on an actual time in Japan this story looks at how much one sacrifices of one's faith when/if one shows mercy. Well written.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Deaf Republic: Poems (5 star) - a wonderful collection of poems set in a town within an occupied country.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My non-fiction reads:
Bookclub Social: A Reader's Guide to Online Book Clubs (3 star) - an interesting look at on-line bookclubs and what they offer members.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Children of Nazis: The Sons and Daughters of Himmler, Göring, Höss, Mengele, and Others— Living with a Father's Monstrous Legacy (2 star) - this author only met with one of the people "interviewed" in this book. The rest of the information came from previously written articles & books by different authors. No new information here.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

No One Can Hurt Him Anymore (3 star) - this poor child fell between the cracks of The System and paid for it with his life.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[madrano]

Alias, i remember reading about Fuhrman's book & program several years ago. Am i correct in recalling that his end goal was to get off medication? Wherever i read about it, there were comments from those who tried the plan. What i walked away with was that if a person is truly ready to tackle their eating, it works well but too many want to continue their old way of eating and just take medicine. I'm not familiar enough about the disease to know for certain but must say the people i know are about 40-50. Half work on their diet but never get off the meds, despite eating better than i ever had. The other half want off the meds but don't want to alter their diets very much. The other 10% seem to manage to reduce their medications but none have gotten off them.

[madrano]

Petra, what a great mixed bag of reviews! The Japanese novel by Shūsaku Endō sounds very good...and the fact that it's rather short calls to me as well. Loved your assessment of The Inner Circle! Short & sweet. Brad Meltzer is a popular writer, so i'm surprised this one was a bummer. I haven't read him, though.

Online book clubs have been a boon in my life, so i find the idea of a book about them interesting. Carol J. Rothgeb's book on system's failure sounds heartbreaking.

Thanks for your comments & reviews.

[John]

A couple worth mentioning from me .....

Saturn's Return to New York, good for its New York City setting, decent writing (I'm a fan of the author's Claire DeWitt series), though I couldn't really relate to (identify with) the protagonist.

Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen, story of the author's love of Greek language and culture. Memoir-ish aspect of the beginning didn't really grab me, but she gets around to things Greek soon enough.

[Meredith]

My August Reads
The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers byTerri-Lynne DeFino
rating 3/5
This was a quick enjoyable read with fun characters. The writers start writing a story of a couple and their families with each author taking a character's voice
The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
Rating 4/5
This novel takes place in the early days of WWI. The character's were well written and the story flowed.
Murder on Mulberry Bend by Victoria Thompson
Rating 3/5
This is part of the Gaslight Series by Victoria Thompson. The protagonist is a midwife in turn of the century NY. She and an Irish police seargent solve murders together while trying to ignore their feelings for each other. I have been enjoying this series.
The Book of Ruthby Jane Hamilton
Rating 3/5
This only got this rating because the writing was good. I did not enjoy this book at all. it was depressing . Again I am glad that I only paid $1.99 for the Kindle version

[John]

Years ago, I took a writing workshop. As part of the syllabus, there were readings from The Book of Ruth to show examples from a great writer. Unfortunately for the instructor, we all disliked the book so much after the first week or two that he was forced to drop that component for the rest of the term. I later read the rest of the book to see if it got any better? Negatory on that.

[Petra]

madrano wrote: "Online book clubs have been a boon in my life, so i find the idea of a book about them interesting. Carol J. Rothgeb's book on system's failure sounds heartbreaking.
..."

Madrano, online book clubs have been a boon in my life, too. I don't know any readers in real life. It's wonderful hearing thoughts on so many books here. This book emphasized the companionship many find in online book clubs.
Yes, Rothgeb's book was heartbreaking. It truly showed that this child could have been saved.

[Alias Reader]

Petra wrote: "I've always thought that a diabetic diet would be healthy and something we should all strive for. I don't know much about it except that it looks for a balance of grain,s and fresh fruits/veggies, w..."

Absolutely, Petra. The diet is basically what he advocates in Eat To Live.

G-BOMBS -try to include these daily.
https://www.drfuhrman.com/get-started...

Greens, Beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds.

He mostly advocates a vegan or whole foods diet. However, he notes if you can follow it 90% of the time and you currently have no health issues you would be fine.

The G-Bombs idea is similar to Dr. Greger How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease and his Daily Dozen.
https://www.carlagoldenwellness.com/2...

[Alias Reader]

Petra wrote:
Children of Nazis: The Sons and Daughters of Himmler, Göring, Höss, Mengele, and Others— Living with a Father's Monstrous Legacy (2 star) - this author only met with one of the people "interviewed" in this book. The rest of the information came from previously written articles & books by different authors. No new information here.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Sorry the book was better written with first hand sources.

I've been reading The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany---Thomas Childers and am finding it well written.

Some may not find it too interesting as the first 8 chapters deal with the various political parties and how Hitler came to power. Since this is usually glossed over, I am finding it very interesting.

As always, you had a nice varied book selection. Thanks for sharing.

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "Alias, i remember reading about Fuhrman's book & program several years ago. Am i correct in recalling that his end goal was to get off medication? Wherever i read about it, there were comments from..."

Yes. If you follow his plan (diet/exercise) Then the goal is to get you off your meds. Exercise is also a big part of the plan.

It's not an easy plan as it is probably completely different from what most people do. But if one is motivated, I would think it would work for most people.

I should note, this particular book is dealing with type 2 diabetes.

[Alias Reader]

John wrote: "Years ago, I took a writing workshop. As part of the syllabus, there were readings from The Book of Ruth to show examples from a great writer. Unfortunately for the instructor, we all d..."

That was an Oprah book selection and I read it at that time. Though to be honest, I no longer recall any of it. That probably is not a reflection of the book but more on my horrible memory.

[Alias Reader]

Petra wrote: "madrano wrote: "Online book clubs have been a boon in my life, so i find the idea of a book about them interesting. Carol J. Rothgeb's book on system's failure sounds heartbreaking.
..."Madrano..."

One you may find interesting is
The End of Your Life Book Club--Will Schwalbe

My neighbor and friend recommended it to me. I enjoyed it.

[Petra]

Alias Reader wrote: "I've been reading The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany---Thomas Childers and am finding it well written.
..."

Thanks, Alias!
This book has been on my mental TBR list for a very long time. I think I have a paperback copy somewhere around here. It's just such a daunting size and such a serious topic that I never seem to start it. However, your comment has peaked my interest again. Thank you.

[Alias Reader]

John wrote: Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen, story of the author's love of Greek language and culture. Memoir-ish aspect of the beginning didn't really grab me, but she gets around to things Greek soon enough. ..."

This sounds good. I'm putting it on my TBR list.

[Alias Reader]

Petra wrote: I think I have a paperback copy somewhere around here. It's just such a daunting size ..."

Petra, Thomas Childers is the author of the book I'm reading. I have the hardcover and it's 568 pages.

Perhaps you are thinking of the classic
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany----William L. Shirer
The paper back is around 1,200 pages.

I have it on my Kindle but haven't tackled it yet.

I see they came out with a 50th Anniversary edition.

[Petra]

Perhaps, Alias. I'll have to find it on my overflowing bookshelves to confirm. You are probably correct as the book (as I remember it) is very thick.

[Julie]

Alias Reader wrote: "Petra wrote: "madrano wrote: "Online book clubs have been a boon in my life, so i find the idea of a book about them interesting. Carol J. Rothgeb's book on system's failure sounds heartbreaking.
..."
I really liked Schwalbe's book!

[madrano]

John, earlier this year the New Yorker published an excerpt of Mary Norris's book. It had both my brother & i wishing we knew more Latin & Greek. He's reading her book now & sharing bits. As one who has visited Greece three times, the book found its way to my TBR immediately.

Meredith, the Defino novel sounds fun. Of course, readers would feel that way, wouldn't we? It kinda ties into what Petra shared. Via online readers we learn so much about books & such. Honestly, until i joined an online book group, it never occurred to me that there were books about books. Now look--even a retirement home book about writers. Love it!

I'm finding the exchange about Jane Hamilton's book interesting. It just shows how offtrack some professional reviewers can be for the masses of readers, i guess. I have yet to read comments about the book from book group readers that were positive in nature.

Alias, when i was in high school an acquaintance was reading the Shirer book, which was written in that decade. Daily he would arrive in English class & tell me details from it. He just couldn't praise the info highly enough but, honestly i think this was the first time the general public received many details about Hitler's life & the attrocities. It's stood the test of time, i guess.

I do recall that Fuhrman was addressing Type-2 diabetes, many because my sister-in-law, who is Type-1, talked to me about the differences. While it is a tough road to haul, i'm sure many folks are willing to go that route to get rid of the meds. Thanks for the link to the G-BOMB info.

[madrano]

Good reading month for me.

Mr. Dickens and His Carol was begun right after Julie wrote a review about it. Samantha Silva presented the story in a Dickensish manner, which was a delight. It wouldn't surprise me if i read again some year around the holidays.

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee covered quite a bit under the umbrella of one man's murder trial. Basically, it appeared an Alabama minister was killing people (usually family members, including his wife), after insuring their lives. He was never convicted and most of the insurance policies were paid, however, the husband of one victim killed the minister at a funeral. Harper Lee attended the trial & appeared to be writing her long-anticipated second book about it. This book is about those events. It was not great but it's clear author Casey Cep benefited enormously from all the research material Lee kept.

The Pinecone: The Story of Sarah Losh, Forgotten Romantic Heroine--Antiquarian, Architect, and Visionary is one of those books about rather forgotten British women who made an impact in their own neck of the woods, in this case Carlisle. In the early 1800s Losh & her sister inherited her family's estate. Both were well educated for the times and fascinated by mythology, architecture and science. Sarah created buildings on her estate and for the community, incorporating many tokens from past myths, including the pinecone, which was revered by the Assyrian & Babylonian cultures. Author Jenny Uglow did a good job of sharing about the times, how wealthy amateurs created a business of collecting for themselves & scientists, etc. However, her photos to illustrate the buildings by Losh were unfortunate. And she didn't explain them well, at all. Bottom Line: Good info but i expect more about the buildings.

Julie intrigued a couple of us by her comments on Doris Lessing's short novel, The Fifth Child. This is a novel which offered plenty of thought & i liked sharing ideas about it with the others. In essence, a family's fifth child turns out to be quite different from the other children. The book is about how the dynamics changed as a result.

I was disappointed by Museum of the Missing: A History of Art Theft by Simon Houpt. Ultimately the book felt more like its agenda was to create an international organization where stolen/missing art was listed, so wary buyers could make certain works were legally obtained. The goal was good, i just expected more. I learned less about art thefts than about detectives who search and how museums handle the losses.

Crisis in the Red Zone: The Story of the Deadliest Ebola Outbreak in History, and of the Outbreaks to Come is a sort of sequel to author Richard Preston's The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus, which i really liked. The follow up was less compelling to me, although i still liked the science of it. Somehow i felt he failed a couple of times in his storytelling.

Each year Barack Obama lists some of his favorite books/what he's been reading. This year a couple caught my eye, so i immediately checked out American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson. The premise is a mother of twins explaining to her children events leading to her leaving them with her own mother. She worked for the FBI but was recruited for a project in Africa. The story jumped around a bit but was easy to follow. What was annoying is that at the end i realized this was a set up for another book, yet to be written. Ok, maybe the point was to leave the subsequent adventure never explained but i will not be surprised when a sequel is published!

A Killing at Cotton Hill is a new mystery series by Terry Shames, set in a small west Texas town. Retired sheriff Samuel Craddock's friend Dora Lee is found murdered and the new sheriff thinks the artist grandson did it. Craddock disagrees & decides to investigate when the young man's lawyer will only take the case if Craddock does so. I felt i'd just visited my family in that part of Texas, so well did Shames depict the language, ethics and landscape. I have already reserved the second in the series.

[John]

Interesting about Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee, as I'm finding Sybille Bedford's reporting on trials interesting.

[Alias Reader]

RE: The End of Your Life Book Club

Julie wrote: .I really liked Schwalbe's book! .."

Julie, he has a follow-up. I haven't read it yet.

Books for Living--Will Schwalbe
From the author of the beloved New York Times best-selling The End of Your Life Book Club, an inspiring and magical exploration of the power of books to shape our lives in an era of constant connectivity.

For Will Schwalbe, reading is a way to entertain himself but also to make sense of the world, and to find the answers to life’s questions big and small. In each chapter, he discusses a particular book and how it relates to concerns we all share. These books span centuries and genres—from Stuart Little to The Girl on the Train, from David Copperfield to Wonder, from Giovanni's Room to Rebecca, and from 1984 to Gifts from the Sea. Throughout, Schwalbe tells stories from his life and focuses on the way certain books can help us honor those we've loved and lost, and also figure out how to live each day more fully.
Print Length: 289 pages

[Meredith]

Alias Reader wrote: "Petra wrote: "madrano wrote: "Online book clubs have been a boon in my life, so i find the idea of a book about them interesting. Carol J. Rothgeb's book on system's failure sounds heartbreaking.
..."

I loved this book. His mother and childhood reminded me of mine.

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: Julie intrigued a couple of us by her comments on Doris Lessing's short novel, The Fifth Child. This is a novel which offered plenty of thought & i liked sharing ideas about it with the others. In essence, a family's fifth child turns out to be quite different from the other children. The book is about how the dynamics changed as a result..."

I forgot to write that one in my hardcover journal ! Thanks for the reminder, deb. I'll correct my post.

I really enjoyed reading your post, deb. I think it's neat how we all are getting book ideas from each other. :)

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "Good reading month for me.

Mr. Dickens and His Carol was begun right after Julie wrote a review about it. Samantha Silva presented the story in a Dickensish manne..."

That does sound like a terrific book to read around the holidays. I'll have to add yet another one to mount TBR

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote:
Crisis in the Red Zone: The Story of the Deadliest Ebola Outbreak in History, and of the Outbreaks to Come is a sort of sequel to author Richard Preston's The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus, which i really liked. The follow up was less compelling to me, although i still liked the science of it. Somehow i felt he failed a couple of times in his storytelling.

Sorry to hear this wasn't as good as The Hot Zone.

[Stephanie]

I only got one read in last month which was Dark in Death. It was a 5 star book for me as I loved how the author took the murders from a book series and has Eve on the case! I hope this series continues to keep me engaged because I have yet to read a bad book yet by her!

[madrano]

John, one interesting note i meant to mention about the Harper Lee book. It's unclear if she intended to write a novel based on it or a nonfiction, similar to In Cold Blood, the book she researched with Truman Capote. My notion was the latter just because i wanted it that way--an opportunity for her to show the world she too could create a strong "True Crime" work.

Alias, i agree about how pleasant it is to get so many titles from other posts here. It reminds us how vibrant the community is, imo.

As for Preston's subsequent book not being as good, there were several problems about it. One which particularly annoyed me was his repetition. Sometimes almost word for word he would describe a disease from one community to the next. I never understood why he did that but yuk.

Stephanie, i cannot believe there are 46 in the J.D. Robb series! I like the way this one sounds.

[Julie]

Alias Reader wrote: "RE: The End of Your Life Book Club

Julie wrote: .I really liked Schwalbe's book! .."

Julie, he has a follow-up. I haven't read it yet.

Books for Living--[author:W..."
Thanks for the info on Books For Living

[Julie]

madrano wrote: "John, one interesting note i meant to mention about the Harper Lee book. It's unclear if she intended to write a novel based on it or a nonfiction, similar to In Cold Blood, the book ..."

Still haven't read In Cold Blood but going to add it to my list.

[Julie]

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: "Good reading month for me.

Mr. Dickens and His Carol was begun right after Julie wrote a review about it. Samantha Silva presented the story in a ..."

It was a delightful book and a fast read!

[John]

Julie wrote: "madrano wrote: "John, one interesting note i meant to mention about the Harper Lee book. It's unclear if she intended to write a novel based on it or a nonfiction, similar to [book:In Cold Blood|16..."

We read that one in high school, but no Shakespeare!

[Alias Reader]

Stephanie wrote: "I only got one read in last month which was Dark in Death. It was a 5 star book for me as I loved how the author took the murders from a book series and has Eve on the case! I hope ..."

It's a great feeling when you find an author you love.

[madrano]

John wrote: "We read that one in high school, but no Shakespeare!..."

I did not know it was possible to go to high school & not read Shakespeare. We read Julius Caesar sophomore year and Macbeth senior year. Possibly the first was because the play was being offered in town.

[John]

madrano wrote: "John wrote: "We read that one in high school, but no Shakespeare!..."

I did not know it was possible to go to high school & not read Shakespeare. We read Julius Caesar sophomore year ..."

It was the 70s when being "relevant" was the thing. History class was called "Humanities" with no battles, monarchs, etc. We studied through reading books set in a period instead: The Jungle for the industrial revolution and immigrant experience, etc.

[madrano]

Yes, things really changed after i graduated in '68. The Very Next Year girls were allowed to wear clothes other than skirts & dresses. I think the class subject titles remained the same for awhile. I didn't realize "Humanities" came that early. By the time my kids were in high school (actually, maybe even middle school) in the '90s that term was used. As a result they seemed to learn less history, which they now realize they wish they had learned. However, they both studied Shakespeare...and loved it. (The li'l hams!)

I remember more advanced classes studied The Jungle when i was in school but i didn't read it until i was over 50. Not too long ago i ran across my Oklahoma grandparents' high school (1920s) high school reading list. No Shakespeare, although they did have to read The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ivanhoe by Walter Scott. When i was in hs only the Hawthorne was required.

[Annette]

August pick is an easy one as I've read only 2 good books.

My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton


A collaboration of two very talented writers brings an insightful image of a remarkable woman Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton: “…the boyish sort of girl who preferred climbing trees and hiking through the woods, or the veritable spinster, more concerned with nursing sick soldiers than landing one for a husband.” But Alexander Hamilton’s love had changed everything.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alias Reader]

Annette wrote: "August pick is an easy one as I've read only 2 good books.

My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton
[bookcover:My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton|4101..."

Nice review, Annette !

[madrano]

I can only imagine how it must be to share the writing of a novel with someone. This one sounds intriguing, as she was wed to such a controversial figure, as seen in today's light.

[Annette]

madrano wrote: "I can only imagine how it must be to share the writing of a novel with someone. This one sounds intriguing, as she was wed to such a controversial figure, as seen in today's light."

Yes, the author did a great job portraying such historical figures.

[Marie]

Okay backtracking still - lol - going to do August reads for you.

ESSIE'S HOUSE by Robert Meyerson - four stars.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Bus Driver Man by Duncan Ralston - four stars. Short story.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Montauk Monster by Hunter Shea - five stars.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[madrano]

What a glorious romp you had in August, Marie! It sounds as though you’ve found a good series with Ash’s work. I’m enjoying your reviews.

[Marie]

Awesome! Happy that you are enjoying reading the reviews! :)