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100 Book Prompt Challenge -2023 > Deborah's 100 Book Challenge - 2023

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message 151: by Michele (new)

Michele | 628 comments madrano wrote: "31- A book published in 2023--Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction--Lynne Olson

I selected this book ..."

Great review. The book sounds very interesting. Thanks
Michele


message 152: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Thank you, Alias & Michele. The book was definitely interesting. It was 448 pages, which seemed like more than i wanted to read but decided i couild stop if i wanted. Olson's writing was engaging and, as i mentioned, she went beyond sharing Desroches's life. it didn't take me long to realize it was pretty much what i wanted.

Alias, you mentioned the artifacts. I was surprised that there wasn't more about them. Also, when covering the digs, she didn't go much into detail about the process. I suppose she figured readers would know that.


message 153: by madrano (last edited Apr 02, 2023 08:28AM) (new)

madrano | 24043 comments I began reading The Librarian of Burned Books--Brianna Labuskes as my selection for #31- A book published in 2023. However, i found & finished another book (Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction--Lynne Olson) for that prompt instead. Still, i continued to read the Labuskes.

Finishing it last night, i realized i had Prompt # 98- historical fiction with this book. Ta Da! There are three stories, told in alternating chapters about women in different countries prior to and in the midst of WWII. One is a young author from Maine, bestowed a 6-month residency in Germany the year Hitler wins the chancellor election. She is unaware that their goal is to show her the best of Nazism, so she can return home to spread the good news. Alert readers know this.

The second story is set in Paris month prior and after Nazis have taken over the city. In this case the story is about a German Jew who has fled there after her brother is tried & killed by the Nazis. She and the first woman had one night of love before all this was learned.

Finally, a war widow in NYC toward the end, 1944. She is fighting a book censor amendment to the "Soldier Voting Act of 1944". It turns out the Armed Services Editions was a real-life WWII initiative established to send soldiers small, lightweight copies of books to read while overseas. The amendment by Senator Robert Taft, was to eliminate what he thought was "political propaganda", such as The Grapes of Wrath, The Call of the Wild and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The story is as much a romance as the one i read for the Romance prompt earlier this year, just mixed with WWII politics and fighting. However, it was a good story and i liked the ending when the two now older (still under 40) meet again to give speeches at an event attended by Taft. The good folks win, of course, but the speeches were as relevant today as back then.

Btw, the Armed Services Edition were revolutionizing books by creating a market for paperbacks, which were rare back then. "From 1943-to 1947, about 122 million copies of more than 1,300 titles were published and sent to soldiers stationed abroad." Many of those soldiers wrote the authors & others to praise the opportunity the books gave them to escape all they were witnessing in battle--a relief from what they saw. In the process, they created a market for the post-War years.

Can you tell i was impressed by this group? I'd like to read some of those letters, as the few she shared were moving.


message 154: by James (new)

James | 382 comments The stories and the way that they connect seem very interesting --thanks for sharing that, and congratulations on another prompt!


message 155: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Thank you, James. The author did well and i can see why she interspersed the story the way she did. Still, i prefer it all chronologically presented. My old brain dislikes needing to juggle timelines and places. (What a Whiner!)


message 156: by Bella (Kiki) (new)

Bella (Kiki) (coloraturabella) | 5535 comments madrano wrote: "Thank you, James. The author did well and i can see why she interspersed the story the way she did. Still, i prefer it all chronologically presented. My old brain dislikes needing to juggle timelin..."

Oh, I don't think you'd like the novel I'm writing, Madrano. It goes back and forth in time all the way through the book.


message 157: by Alias Reader (new)

Alias Reader (aliasreader) | 29753 comments madrano wrote: Btw, the Armed Services Edition were revolutionizing books by creating a market for paperbacks, which were rare back then. "From 1943-to 1947, about 122 million copies of more than 1,300 titles were published and sent to soldiers stationed abroad."."

Deb, I think we read about those paperbacks in A Memoir - Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L'Amour


message 158: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Gosh, Alias, you are correct. I forgot. Reading more about the details was neat. I suppose i just didn't think there could be anything controversial about the books selected. The war was partly about freedom, yet here the US was trying to censor content. The author made an excellent point with that & comparisons to Hitler & Nazis.

That L'Amour mentioned it (forget about me forgetting) is important because that "gift" was important enough for him to mention. I was moved in my novel with the idea of soldiers taking the time out of their days to write the authors a note of thanks.


message 159: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "Oh, I don't think you'd like the novel I'm writing, Madrano. It goes back and forth in time all the way through the book...."

Kiki, i read them and understand why authors use this method but the success has been mixed in what i've read. But i don't refuse to read a book for that fact alone. It's that i need to be aware from the start that this is what's going to happen, (kinda like?) so i can prepare my mind. Sorta? lol


message 160: by Alias Reader (last edited Apr 03, 2023 12:24PM) (new)

Alias Reader (aliasreader) | 29753 comments madrano wrote: " I was moved in my novel with the idea of soldiers taking the time out of their days to write the authors a note of thanks..."

That is nice of them. I am sure it was appreciated from the authors. In their way they were helping the war effort.

My memory isn't that great. However, when L'Amour wrote about the soldiers getting small paperback classic books, I looked up on the internet. I thought that was a great idea. I think L'Amour mentioned it started him on the path of being a voracious reader.


message 161: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Thank you for that, Alias. The novel quoted from a couple of letters, one of which said the books had made the soldier a reader, whereas previously he only read for schoolwork assignments. Neat to have a real life verification of this.


message 162: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments It was a longish haul, but a very good book. #59- Book over 500 pages Demon Copperhead--Barbara Kingsolver.

It was a long wait for this novel, as well. My Aunt suggested it to me & i jumped right on it, as she's usually on-target with contemporary literature. In this case Kingsolver has "updated" Charles Dickens's David Copperfield. I'm partical to classics, so was leery of this but she succeeded nicely.

The story, primarily set in the Appalachians, begins with an child living with his mother. Things go downhill and hard for the child, nicknamed "Demon" from his true name "Damian". Being set where it is, expect much about the drug nightmare of Oxy and other substances.

The way Kingsolver appropriates tired sayings and wisdom is a delight, even when the point is sad. Given the number of characters introduced, i'm surprised that i forgot who only one was. And if you want insight into foster care, this is a superb glimpse into it. I'm happy i have read this.

Now, to email my aunt...


message 163: by Alias Reader (new)

Alias Reader (aliasreader) | 29753 comments I'm happy you enjoyed it deb. I've always enjoyed her novels and have this one on library hold.


message 164: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments I hope you enjoy this one as much as i did, Alias. Have you read David Copperfield? I wanted to make clear that the book stands totally alone, it's fun to see some of the characters as 21st century humans--Uriah Heep, the Peggotty family, Mr. Dick and on updated but reading the first in no way compromises the second, imo.


message 165: by John (new)

John | 1956 comments I found the first half of David Copperfield incredibly depressing, while I enjoyed the second. The hypocrisy of men running around having sex whenever they want while women must be chaste as nuns is something I can't get past. Sorry ...

As for Kingsolver, I've only read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, which was interesting. No real interested in her fiction though.


message 166: by Alias Reader (new)

Alias Reader (aliasreader) | 29753 comments madrano wrote: "I hope you enjoy this one as much as i did, Alias. Have you read David Copperfield? I wanted to make clear that the book stands totally alone, it's fun to see some of the characters as 21st century..."

No. I've not read David Copperfield. Glad to know the book is a stand alone.


message 167: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments John wrote: "As for Kingsolver, I've only read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, which was interesting. No real interested in her fiction though..."

John, the depressing aspects of the Dickens is in the Kingsolver, as well. Indeed, having had a bit of experience with foster care programs, i was sad to see that not much has changed. Due to the oxy/etc addictions, most of the rest of the novel was also depressing.

Like you, i haven't been much of reading Kingsolver's fiction but must thank my aunt for pushing this on me. I'll never say never.


message 168: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Alias Reader wrote: "No. I've not read David Copperfield. Glad to know the book is a stand alone..."

I suspect you will enjoy the book even more, not being familiar with the original. That's just a guess but there were a couple of times i wished i didn't know what was ahead...and/or was glad to see it wasn't. LOL--not sure that made sense.


message 169: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments I quickly finished another prompt.

45- A Booker winner Offshore--Penelope Fitzgerald. This is the 3rd novel by Fitzgerald that i've read in the last year or so, after an introduction by John. While i found the others interesting and saw direction, of a sorts, this one seemed more random.

This is about people living in boats off the Thames in London, hence the title. They've created their own sort of community which includes a blend of well-to-do and near poor. Since visiting England and seeing numerous boats where people live alongside the shore, i've been intrigued. From the novel, i learned much about that life, so am quite pleased from that angle.

The group of people daily experience the tides of that River, meaning much of the day they are either on their way to having no water under them or on the way to having plenty of water underneath. What a way to live--i'd hope for a riverside which isn't tidal, myself.

Set in 1961, the people are a curious mix, including a young woman with two daughters, aged 12 & 9, i believe. She purchased her "ship" while her husband was living overseas. Upon his return, he refused to live there. Others include a true commuter to his well-paying work, a prostitute who also allows a lover to keep his stolen merchandise in his boat, and a couple of others who seem on the downturn of their lives.

Apparently Fitzgerald lived a similar life not long after WWII, so this is partly autobiographical. The industry was surprised when she won the Booker Prize for this short novel. As it turns out she was selected when an agreement couldn't be found on the top two choices! Wow, that speaks volumes.

I've since learned that living in boats/ships along the Thames is different now, including the fact that post-war ships may not be used. Two of our characters lived in war reworked ships.

Again, not my favorite but i didn't like the notion of the people being neither on shore, nor particularly off shore. The people were somewhat like that in their own lives.


message 170: by Alias Reader (new)

Alias Reader (aliasreader) | 29753 comments madrano wrote: Apparently Fitzgerald lived a similar life not long after WWII, so this is partly autobiographical. The industry was surprised when she won the Booker Prize for this short novel. As it turns out she was selected when an agreement couldn't be found on the top two choices! "

Wow. That speaks a lot about book prizes.


message 171: by Alias Reader (new)

Alias Reader (aliasreader) | 29753 comments The Parrots

John wrote: "
For a satire of the literary award scene, I really liked The Parrots (translated from Italian).


This looks good. I've added it to my TBR. Thanks !


message 172: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments John wrote: "Were I to re-read more from her, it'd likely be The Golden Child (fromy impression of having liked the story)...."

I agree, John. Of the three i've now read by her, that's the best. However, i've only just begun to delve into her works.


message 173: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Alias Reader wrote: "The Parrots

John wrote: "
For a satire of the literary award scene, I really liked The Parrots (translated from Italian).

This looks good. I've added it to my TBR. Thanks !"


Thanks, John & Alias. This sounds like a good one to examine the literary awards world.


message 174: by Bella (Kiki) (new)

Bella (Kiki) (coloraturabella) | 5535 comments John wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: Apparently Fitzgerald lived a similar life not long after WWII, so this is partly autobiographical. The industry was surprised when she won the Booker Prize for ..."

Great! Maybe I can find it in Italian.


message 175: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments That would be cool, Kiki. Good luck with that search.


message 176: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments I'm updating my Challenge list today with two books i read almost side by side.

21-Book about Witchcraft, Monsters of any kind (real, historical or fictional/magical)- or - Book with fantastical creatures (dragons, fairies, etc) or- A book with magic in it. The Mexican Witch Lifestyle: Brujeria Spells, Tarot, and Crystal Magic--Valeria Ruelas

65- Concerning food or containing recipes The Taste of Country Cooking--Edna Lewis.

As i alternated (unevenly) between the two, sometimes the overlap was comical--recipes for making spiritual sprays vs. recipes for making Hominy from corn. There was also a spiritual comparison, as chef Lewis waxed nostalgically about being raised on a farm in Virginia, while witch Ruelas remembers learning her lessons in witchcraft with an elder.

In this post i'll limit myself to Ruelas and her book on Mexican Witchcraft. Alias listed this book in a post about a variety of titles about spirituality. As i'd never heard of specificity in witchcraft, i was intrigued. Reading the book, however, i soon realized there isn't a huge difference, as there are still candles, room sprays, oral worship (prayers), altars, spells and more. The difference is that there is a component which hearkens to the Catholic faith with its saints and rites.

Presumably because Ruelas writes for Cosmopolitan magazine, she steers clear of any recognition of evil spells and dark magic, which is fine, even though most readers come to the book with an understanding this is the part of witchcraft most folks use to define the word. In general (& i've heard this from other versions of witching), make an evil spell and expect it to echo back to you as well, in some form.

She offers instruction on tea leaf reading, the Mexican connections to her work, tips to find your "third eye", spells for sending love to enemies, breakups, fighting injustice, prisoners and more.

I learned many things but, for me, the most surprising was that Tarot cards are very open to interpretation in ways i didn't realize. Ruelas took the time to address her understanding and developed ideas about what each card in the Tarot deck means. This was interesting, as she willingly discussed LBGTQI+ aspects of what she believes and couples with her craft. Witchcraft is inclusive!

Wanna know the meaning & uses of different crystals used in performing ceremonies? IT'S In there!

Wanna know where to get the ingredients (train track dirt, i.e.) for spells? IT'S in there!

Wanna know the meaning & uses of different yerbas (herbs)? IT'S in there!

Wanna know the meaning & uses of different sprays to use as you prepare the altar for oral worships or spells? IT'S in there!

Wanna know the colors & uses of different cloaks to wear while praying? IT'S in there!

Wanna know how to charge an object, to give it purpose for your work? IT'S in there!

And i know you want to know a spell, so here ya go!

She lists Common Problems and general instructions for beginning. "Place each crystal as described on yourself while lying down. You can gather up all these sets of crystals and put them in a special deep purple or bright red velvet bag to continuously work with them.” [I. E., money, health, memory, addictions, friendships, etc.]

FOR GENERAL EXHAUSTION PREVENTION
BERYL: On the forehead near the scalp line
BROWN TIGER’S EYE: At the mouth
BROWN MOONSTONE: At the throat where it meets the chin
AMAZONITE: Center of chest
GREEN MOONSTONE: Stomach
HEMATOID QUARTZ: Genitals
CITRINE: At the feet

The candle should be a red skull candle, stuffed and sealed with plantain leaf, rue, lemongrass, boneset, and elecampane. Use Protection oil, Trauma and Grief Relief oil, Energy Increase oil, Jupiter spray, and Mars spray.”

Now you know!

I think if one feels the need for an empowerment which uses action and movement, creative imagination and a look at the natural world, this book could be an education. As a Primer for this life, Ruelas's words are encouraging. She illustrates that this is not a game but work and practicing makes it all purposeful.

For me, there were too many lists--quartz, colors, each Tarot card, yerbas and on but for others, neat! And i don't see that anything i read could be harmful and it might allow people to feel they have a modicum of control in their lives (not to mention discipline, with all that practicing), which may be beneficial. It's not for me, but we all knew i'm a nonbeliever, so no surprise there.


message 177: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments On to Edna Lewis and her book, The Taste of Country Cooking, in which she shares traditions and recipes for each season, describing how her childhood played out as a result. It began with her hometown of Freetown, Virginia, living on land her freed slave ancestors bought to create a place for themselves. The story is interspersed with gentle reminders of those ancestors, even when mentioning food items, such as benne (sesame) seeds. Fitting.

Her descriptions of planting and reaping gardens, orchards and wild plants make a reader want to purchase some property TODAY! I was missing our gardens from the 1980s-2000 very much, recalling freshly ripened, dew-moistened strawberries plucked right into our cereal bowls. And the first crop of English peas, corn, tomatoes and on.

Over the years, i've revisited "cookbooks" such as this, which evoke an older way of living on the land over the space of one year. Lewis writes superbly with reminiscences of yesteryear yet with a weary eye toward the fact beef no longer tastes "that way" unless you raise your own cows, as an example. I find these nourishing to the soul, even though i doubt i would ever make my own Virginia Country-Style Beef Consommé, using 1 beef knuckle and shinbone and 2 chicken backs plus necks, delicious as it sounds.

From her i learned a variety of info on foods and dishes i've made over the years, which is neat. And i learned that in the fall one can begin the makings of Persimmon Beer. “We would gather the persimmons only after a heavy frost because that was said to sweeten them. We would pick over all that we’d gathered, trim off their caps, and then stir them into a medium-soft batter made from the bran of white cornmeal mixed with spring water. After it was all well mixed, we would spoon the batter into a large bread pan and bake it in the oven. After it had baked and cooled, the cake was placed in a stone crock or a wooden keg with twice as much spring water, then covered and left to ferment until Grandfather decided it was ready for drinking—usually in late winter.”

Simple, right? And here we've limited our use of them for pudding! Lewis also shares the family's traditions in Hog Butchering season, end of summer delights, Christmas pleasures and more. Squab, Guinea Fowl (& its origin in West Africa), Shad, Mutton, Rabbit, and more--Lewis remembers the recipes and shares. All this and she shares bits of poetry, too, even from "my" beloved Paul Laurence Dunbar (“When Mammy Says de Blessing and de Cone Pone’s Hot.”)


While many recipes were more elaborate, the short, charming recipes called to me. How's this for an offering?
“…ash cakes, which were made of fresh-ground cornmeal, salt, and water—just enough to make a fairly stiff dough. The cakes were then molded by hand into an 8 × 4-inch egg-shaped pone, wrapped in cabbage leaves, or left unwrapped and put into a clean bed of ashes in the fireplace and left to cook until needed."

And with that, i'll end, going off to gnaw on my cheese and cracker lunch. Not even a veggie today. *sigh*


message 178: by Alias Reader (new)

Alias Reader (aliasreader) | 29753 comments madrano wrote: "I'm updating my Challenge list today with two books i read almost side by side.

21-Book about Witchcraft, Monsters of any kind (real, historical or fictional/magical)- or - Book with fantastical c..."



Wow ! You really went all in on this prompt. Great review !


message 179: by James (new)

James | 382 comments madrano wrote: "I'm updating my Challenge list today with two books i read almost side by side...."

Those are awesome reviews, madrano, thank you, and congratulations on two more prompts!

Now, I'm thinking that there is probably some sort of spell that can be done with the ash cakes . . . but mmm, I think maybe I just don't want to know about that.


message 180: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments LOL, James. Good point. What an brilliant idea.

Thank you both for the compliments.


message 181: by John (new)

John | 1956 comments madrano wrote: "On to Edna Lewis and her book, The Taste of Country Cooking, in which she shares traditions and recipes for each season, describing how her childhood played out as a r..."

Wow - that's probably the most informative review I've run across! There are the online discussions of what constitutes "typical" American food, so there's be plenty of material there I'm sure. There's a difference between a standard recipe-collection cookbook and a nonfiction with recipes included.

Forgot you are a Dunbar fan. I've mentioned touring Vachel Lindsay's home in Springfield (unexpectedly stumbled across not planned), but my parents and I made a genealogy trip to Dayton 20 years ago, ending up at Dunbar's historic site at one point (also unplanned).


message 182: by Bella (Kiki) (new)

Bella (Kiki) (coloraturabella) | 5535 comments madrano wrote: "On to Edna Lewis and her book, The Taste of Country Cooking, in which she shares traditions and recipes for each season, describing how her childhood played out as a r..."

Wow! That sounds terrific, Madrano! I love food, but I am very strict with my diet, so reading about food is important to me. Sounds like a great book!


message 183: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments John wrote: "There are the online discussions of what constitutes "typical" American food, so there's be plenty of material there I'm sure. There's a difference between a standard recipe-collection cookbook and a nonfiction with recipes included...."

I wasn't aware of the online discussions about this but can easily believe it. I like both but find i often find a better understanding of recipes when an author/chef elaborates their personal history with them. One thing i didn't realize previously, which makes sense, is that one shouldn't wash the inside of wild game more than a swipe because doing so takes away the gamey taste, which is desired by most folks. Good to know.

John, i really like the serendipitous nature of both your Dunbar and Lindsay visits. Actually, seeing Dunbar's home in Dayton, Ohio, was of a similar nature for us, too. We came for the Wright Brothers but learned Dunbar's connection to them, as well as more about his life. That visit brought back my fond memories of poems he wrote that excited me.

We had a similar experience in Florida when we drove by Fort Mose. The first time, we stopped and saw only one sign about the asylum for escaped slaves. The next time, we made it part of our itinerary and was surprised at the detailed signs then available, all in the space of under a decade. It's why we love traveling, right?


message 184: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "Wow! That sounds terrific, Madrano! I love food, but I am very strict with my diet, so reading about food is important to me. Sounds like a great book!..."

I hear ya, Kiki! She described foods and methods i know i'll never try, so i ate with my eyes, so to speak. And i suspect my arteries were beginning to close as she mentioned all the lard and butter with which she cooked. But, oh! :-)


message 185: by madrano (last edited May 09, 2023 08:11AM) (new)

madrano | 24043 comments I completed the prompt, 72- Book about racism—The Warmth of Other Suns: the Epic Story of America's Great MigrationIsabel Wilkerson.

It was long but full of history about the African-Americans who fled the Jim Crow South in search of homes in the North or West of the US. The author shared the lives of three such people, one woman and two men, one an MD. In between readers learned about the absurd laws and practices of whites in the South, which repeatedly wore down the spirits of blacks there, particularly in small towns.

The history and biographies were very good. I was not a fan of Wilkerson’s presentation, however. Yet, i don’t know how else she could have effectively illustrated the burdens of living at the whimsy of whites, the cheating of employers and the racism faced in their new homes. The repetition was trying, nonetheless, and a good editor should have curbed them. An occasional recap is fine but there were too many, to the point where i wasn’t sure she trusted her writing enough.

This book has been referenced in almost every nonfiction book I’ve read in the last five years about Black America, so important is what is shared in it. I’m glad to at last have read it myself. Alias read it years ago and has shared her impressions, as well. I’m grateful she did. Thanks!


message 186: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments I decided NOT to read We Need to Talk About KevinLionel Shriver for prompt #5- A book with an epistolary or diary format. As it had been on my TBR for years, i thought the timing was good. Not so.

Its premise is a woman writing to her husband about her life now, several years after their son created a massacre. It was all one-sided, no replies, and i couldn’t find it in myself to care what happened to her. After several chapters, i just stopped.

Just thought i’d tell folks. As it has been on my list since Post One from the beginning of the challenge. It no longer is.


message 187: by Julie (new)

Julie (julielill) | 1756 comments madrano wrote: "I began reading The Librarian of Burned Books--Brianna Labuskes as my selection for #31- A book published in 2023. However, i found & finished another book ([book:..."

Both those books sound so interesting - putting them on reading list!


message 188: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Neat, Julie!


message 189: by John (new)

John | 1956 comments madrano wrote: "I decided NOT to read We Need to Talk About KevinLionel Shriver for prompt #5- A book with an epistolary or diary format. As it had been on my TBR for years, i thought ..."

Thank you for this post. The Space Between Us was on my TBR as a book set in India. I started it recently towards Inequality (28), but am abandoning it as I'm feeling "forced" to continue. It's well-written, others may like it, but not me. Kevin, for some reason, is one I've never seriously considered although it pops up a lot in discussions


message 190: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments John, it’s nice to know we aren’t alone when this happens. The sense of being “forced” is one I’ve come across while reading and it seems to have always led to a negative post-reading feeling. In essence, i end up feeling I’ve let myself down.


message 191: by madrano (last edited May 13, 2023 06:50AM) (new)

madrano | 24043 comments A book i seemed to read quickly, for the most part, was for prompt #50- A book about a Real Life Person you admireAn Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to PrivilegeHeidi Ardizzone. In 2010, while visiting the Morgan Library’s gift shop i found this bio of Belle da Costa Greene, the woman who helped J P Morgan make purchases for his Library, thereby helping to form it.

What a life! First of all, her father, Richard Greener, was the first black man to graduate from Harvard. He was an educator and activist in promoting rights for African-Americans. This was a poor way to make a living for his family of seven. Eventually he made errors which led to his fall from grace in that field, although he became an ambassador later.

His family, however, began to pass for white, solidifying the move when Belle was hired by Morgan, having altered her name, claiming vaguely to be part Portuguese. Her interest in old Illuminated manuscripts was genuine and she spent years studying them. It was on this basis of expertise that she was hired and thrived.

What i didn’t know was that on her off hours she was quite the night owl, frequenting nightclubs, dinners and late parties. This appears not to have harmed her reputation. Only toward the end of her life did others tend to approach her about her origins, although she was often written about as “mysterious” and vague about her past. And, given her high profile job, she was written about, particularly when her deals brought great works to the Library.

She was lovers with Bernard Berenson, an advocate of open marriage. As he lived in Italy, their meetings were seldom but their letters continued for decades. Unfortunately, she destroyed his, while he kept hers, which the author used. Heavily.

Too heavily for my taste. However, they served to illustrate her dichotomous nature and tastes, which was instructive. For decades she held modern art in disdain, then valued it. And while she lived Berenson for decades, she appeared to have been free with her affections, as well.

Her long career at the library was secured when she & JP became close friends, continuing with his son, after JP’s death. The list of people she knew professionally is as impressive as those with whom she partied—opera stars, poets, writers, and on. She seemed to know them all.

I was very satisfied with all i learned & appreciated that Ardizzone wasn’t repetitive and attempted to fill in blanks with considerable research. While i still admire what this gender-breaking career woman accomplished, there were aspects to her which was a bit disappointing. But true to her.


message 192: by John (new)

John | 1956 comments madrano wrote: "A book i seemed to read quickly, for the most part, was for prompt #50- A book about a Real Life Person you admire[book:An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privil..."

A thorough review of a seemingly fascinating story, though I understand why you had issues with the book.


message 193: by Lindsey (new)

Lindsey | 997 comments Wow, the story sounds fascinating. Wonderful review, thanks for sharing!


message 194: by Alias Reader (last edited May 13, 2023 07:32AM) (new)

Alias Reader (aliasreader) | 29753 comments madrano wrote: "A book i seemed to read quickly, for the most part, was for prompt #50- A book about a Real Life Person you admire

In 2010, while visiting the Morgan Library’s gift shop



Sounds like a very interesting life. I enjoyed your review, deb.
I have this one and The Personal Librarian on my list. I'll probably read whichever is easy for me to get at the time.

I've lived in NY my whole life. Unfortunately I've never visited the Morgan Library. I have to put that on my To Do list.


message 195: by Michele (new)

Michele | 628 comments Thanks for that, M. We are reading this soon in book club


message 196: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Thank you for the compliments, readers. For me the Morgan Library is a “gem” museum—small but very good. And I’ve lusted after his three story library since i was a teenager and saw a photo.

Michele, i hope your club enjoys the book as much as i did. Watch out for the rabbit holes—I’d research one new-to-me name, then find out they were lovers with others i knew ( or didn’t), who sounded fascinating and I was off!


message 197: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Whilst reading the aforementioned Illuminated Life, i took breaks to read my YA BOOK, 40- A Young Adult book- YA- Fiction or nonfiction, The Evolution of Calpurnia TateJacqueline Kelly. This title has been on my TBR so long there are now several new books in the series! I was delighted to read this book about an 11 year old girl, living in west Texas at the turn into the 20th century.

The only daughter in a happy home with six sons, the book relates Calpurnia’s burgeoning interest in science, which is fostered by her hither-to-distant grandfather, who lives with them. Her enthusiasm is dampened by her mother’s recent interest in developing Cal’s homemaking abilities. Readers read the daughter’s dawning understanding that she is expected to be a wife and mother, particularly as she is the sole daughter.

It’s a pleasant to read about her own development, the quirks of life back then and the scientific inquiries her grandfather encourages. I suspect this may be for a young YA audience but I’m cutting myself some slack because I’ve read another YA this year AND i wanted to remove a book from my TBR. Accomplished.


message 198: by madrano (last edited May 14, 2023 07:34AM) (new)

madrano | 24043 comments Then, because it was a Very Long Day, due to rain, i bean reading my selection for prompt 24 - Speculative Fiction or Dystopian novel , The DriftC.J. Tudor. And i was so enthralled i finished it a little before midnight!

The story is told mostly in alternating chapters from three points of view and predicaments. In one a bus which was taking mostly 20 year olds to a Research facility crashes in the snow. The survivors must figure out how to escape, as the exits are buried and helpful equipment has been removed!

Second group is the scariest, imo, as their cable car, high above a snowy landscape, has stopped during a storm. In their case, none can recall how they got there but the frigid temps and perilous circumstance gives them little time to figure it out. Oh, they’ve also discovered a murdered man in the car with them!

The final setting is at a research facility where the virus which is decimating the planet is being studied. Snowed in, yet needing supplies, the group decides responsibilities. Near them are some sad survivors of the epidemic who are living in the wild.

It’s a book which hooked me from the first mysterious setting. I just didn’t want to stop reading…and didn’t. My first work by Tudor, i doubt it will be my last.


message 199: by Alias Reader (new)

Alias Reader (aliasreader) | 29753 comments madrano wrote: "Then, because it was a Very Long Day, due to rain, i bean reading my selection for prompt 24 - Speculative Fiction or Dystopian novel , The DriftC.J. Tudor. And i..."

You are really on quite a reading roll, deb. I'm still plodding along reading, Trust

Deb, I don't think the dystopian genre is normally one you read. So given your glowing review, I'll have to check this one out. Thanks!


message 200: by madrano (new)

madrano | 24043 comments From what you’ve shared about Trust, Alias, i can understand your use of plodding. I’m grateful my selections this month are working well.

I enjoy dystopian books but they often only start with creative premises, then stop. This is why Drift worked, i think—basically it was also a set of 3 mysteries. Great combo.


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