| The Separating Sickness, Mai Ho'oka'awale - review |
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| 09:03pm 27/12/2009 |
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X-POST: book_worm, bookish, booksarelove, readplease & the reading rooms
Title: The Separating Sickness, Mai Ho'oka'awale: Interviews with Exiled Leprosy Patients at Kalaupapa, Hawai'i
Author: Ted Gugelyk, Milton Bloombaum
Genre: Non-fiction, Hawaiiana, Hawaiian History
URL: Amazon
Price: US$ 15.95
Summary: Interviews with Exiled Leprosy Patients at Kalaupapa, Hawaii. Patients tell about having bounties placed on them, being captured, quarantined and imprisoned for life as leprosy patients. Published for the Ma'i Ho'oka'awale Foundation. 16 pages of color photographs.
My Review: This is an important work, not only because it helps convey what life was like at Kalaupapa on the island of Moloka'i for the "patients" interred there, but mostly because it records the feelings, stories, perseverance and strength of character of the residents of the one-time "leprosy settlement."
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| 08:55pm 27/12/2009 |
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Has anyone else read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle? What did you think of it? Have you applied anything to your life from the book? What changes have you noticed? |
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| Pretties by Scott Westerfeld |
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| 08:13pm 26/12/2009 |
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 Tally Youngblood’s sacrifice from Uglies has turned her into a beautiful, tall, fun-loving, disease-free, and anti-infection masterpiece. In short, she’s a Pretty. Like all pretties, she’s forgotten a lot of what most her life was like as an Ugly beyond the normal dumb “tricks” Uglies do for sport and, of course, being ugly. She drinks champagne, parties all night, stays up until the wee hours of the morning, and wakes up just in time to get ready for the next evening shindig. The only problem is Tally’s also forgotten why she became pretty. When a mysterious stranger arrives with a message from her past, Tally struggles to remember what brought her to New Pretty Town in the first place.
Who’s Croy and what does he have to do with David--a name and face that rises out of her past like a ghost--or, for that matter, with her new best friend, Shay, or boyfriend, Zane? What do the terrifying Specials want with her and why are she and her friends now being closely monitored?
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| My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story (New Release 2010) |
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| 10:07pm 26/12/2009 |
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My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story
Video: English Arabic Description The frontline in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, Gaza is constantly reported as a place of violence and terror. Ramzy Baroud's memoir explores the daily lives of the people in that turbulent region: the complex human beings -- revolutionaries, mothers and fathers, lovers, and comedians -- who make Gaza so much more than just a disputed territory. At the heart of Baroud's tale is the story of his father who, driven out of his village to a refugee camp, took up arms to fight the occupation while trying to raise a family. Ramzy Baroud: "This is a book about Gaza. It is also a book about my family, and in particular my father, how they moved from living as Palestinian farmers, growing their own crops, to fleeing for their lives and ending up in a Gaza refugee camp. Throughout the book I spell out the context of the Zionist invasion, and interweave my family story within the wider history of my people and the destruction of their old ways of life. So far we have many books from Israelis, some sympathetic and others not, regarding the events that led to the creation of the State of Israel, and its later expansion. But there is really very little that tells the story from those of us who lost everything. I am proud to tell you the story of my father; he symbolizes the fire of resistance in every Palestinian heart; the resistance of all human beings who are oppressed, in this case by the Zionists of Israel and by the imperial forces that support them. The writing of this book has been for me a passion, yet it is none the less an accurate reflection that has kept the Palestinian resistance alive for so long over such great odds." |
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| Read "The Little Prince" children's book for free... |
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| 03:41pm 25/12/2009 |
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 "The narrator is a downed pilot in the Sahara Desert, frantically trying to repair his wrecked plane. His efforts are interrupted one day by the apparition of a little, well, prince, who asks him to draw a sheep. "In the face of an overpowering mystery, you don't dare disobey," the narrator recalls. "Absurd as it seemed, a thousand miles from all inhabited regions and in danger of death, I took a scrap of paper and a pen out of my pocket." And so begins their dialogue, which stretches the narrator's imagination in all sorts of surprising, childlike directions." [From an Amazon.com review] The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is a sweet and profound book, it is short, but reading it will probably be one of the most chrished experiences in your life. The book is available online here: http://wikilivres.info/wiki/The_Little_Prince |
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| Mama Fish by Rio Youers - review |
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| 04:13pm 24/12/2009 |
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XPOST: booksarelove, book_worm, bookis, readplease, thereadingroom
Title: Mama Fish
Author: Rio Youers
Genre: Dark Fiction (horror/speculative)
URL: Amazon
Price: $7.99 (note that this is a novella length work at 92 pages)
Summary (from the publisher): At Harlequin High School In 1986, Kelvin Fish was the oddball, the weird kid that no one would talk to, except for Patrick Beauchamp who was determined to learn more. When Patrick's curiosity about Kelvin leads him into a bizarre and tragic series of events, Patrick gets much more than he bargained for.
My Review: Damn, Rio Youers can write.
Mama Fish is an interesting little novella and one that is hard to categorize. Part coming-of-age, part befriended misfits, part urban horror, and part speculative, this novella is most certainly a page-turner, keeping me engrossed the whole way.
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| The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood |
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| 05:51pm 23/12/2009 |
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 It’s lucky that we have another MaddAddam book to read, lucky because Atwood didn’t initially plan to write another book like Oryx and Crake, lucky that The Year of the Flood fleshes out her frightening dystopian world and gives us much more to hope for.
The Year of the Flood isn’t a sequel to Oryx and Crake. It works as a companion book, following the timeline of events leading up to and around our experience with Jimmy and Glenn (a.k.a. Crake). One of the biggest differences, aside from point of view, is the inclusion of religion in the text and the influential presence it has to the characters and their motivations. God’s Gardeners is a religious group formed out of a mutual dislike of the direction science and society has taken. Under their leader, Adam One, the Gardeners are strict vegetarians--when the situation allows this to be the healthiest outcome--and waste nothing. Their reversion to crafting, cooking, and hand-sewing clothes or recyclables is in reaction to society’s heavy dependence on technology. Coincidentally, it also becomes their saving grace when technology (more specifically, electricity) breaks down in the days, weeks, and months following the mysterious plague (this, too, is a technological terror) that wipes out most of civilization. Unlike other dystopian books where this pre-modern state is adopted out of necessity, the Gardeners have chosen this way of life as part of their religious doctrine. As a result, they’re tough survivors.
As the book opens, we’re given two narrators (three if we could Adam One’s proselytizing speeches; four if we count the religious songs of the Gardeners): Ren and Toby. Both were once Gardeners, but now find themselves alone in the middle of a ravaged city, teetering on the edge of total destruction, with quickly depleting food supplies and no idea of knowing if they’re the only ones left alive. Ren is trapped in an isolation suite above a dance studio--the kind of dancing done on the SeksMarket--with all the amenities of a small hotel at her disposal. Toby has taken up shelter at a women’s day spa with lots of organic moisturizers that double as semi-nutritious snacks. If the two are to survive another day, they need to venture outside to find other sources of calories, protein, and weapons to protect them from the vicious wolvogs (unnamed here, but prior knowledge having read Oryx and Crake helps) and scheming pigoons (explained finally as “pig balloons”).
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| First Edition Question |
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| 06:12am 23/12/2009 |
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I would like to buy The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides as a gift but the person wants the original cover.
There are several covers available and I don't know which is the original.
Does anyone know? |
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| Book 50: Tiger's Child |
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| 09:15pm 22/12/2009 |
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Book Title: The Tiger's Child
Author: Torey Hayden
Category: Abuse, special needs
# of pages: 264
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: A
Short description/summary of the book: This is the sequel to One Child. (See my post on that here: http://community.livejournal.com/books/1991849.html?mode=reply) Tiger's Child picks up with Sheila's life from when she turns 14.
My Thoughts: I liked this book a lot. I just had to keep reading in order to find out what was going to happen with Torey and Sheila's relationship and with them as individuals. These two books have made me want to meet Sheila and Torey, or at least write to them.
It's amazing to me to hear what a person, especially a child, can go through so much and come out not only alive but functional in life. These things include molestation from a family member, abandonment, an alcoholic and drug addicted father, foster care and simply not fitting in.
I think Torey Hayden's books are important for anyone in general and for anyone that is fighting with abuse, wants to work with special needs kids or someone that wants to read a hardship story.
Books read this year: 50\50 (WOOHOO!! I'm excited about that.)
Next read: Murphy's Boy by Torey Hayden |
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| 02:28pm 22/12/2009 |
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I'm looking for recommendations, with the following limitations:
- Fiction.
- Nothing published before 1990.
- No westerns, no high fantasy (like LOTR).
- No books on bestseller lists or by an author who's had a book on the bestseller lists.
- No books by authors who've published more than 5 books.
In other words, I'm looking for good but somewhat obscure books.
Thanks! |
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| Untamed |
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| 05:56pm 21/12/2009 |
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Untamed
P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
YA fiction; fantasy
338 pages
Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you.
Just ask Zoey Redbird – she’s become an undisputed expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a tight-knit group of friends who trusted and supported her, to being an outcast. And the worst part is, she knows it’s her own fault. Speaking of friends, the only two Zoey has left are undead, unMarked, and unable to stop bickering with each other. So who can blame her for befriending the House of Night’s newest transfer student, the majorly hot Olympic archer, James Stark?
Meanwhile, Neferet has declared a war on humans after it appears that the People of the Faith have murdered two vampyres. But Aphrodite’s latest visions show a world completely different from the High Priestess’s promises, a world full of violence, hatred, and darkness, all because of Zoey’s death—and the only way it seems she can prevent it from happening is to make things right with her friends. Zoey knows in her heart that fighting with humans is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey's adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened in PC and Kristin Cast's spellbinding fourth House of Night novel.
This is probably my least favorite book in the House of Night series so far. It still is a captivating story but I didn't care for the plot line in this one quite as much as the other three. However, it it still very entertaining and I cannot wait t o read the rest of the series! I also just found out that there is going to be a new book released in May! They write these so fast haha!
Books read this year: 50/50--I finally made my GOAL!!!!!!! :) |
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| Top 10 books I've read this year... |
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| 12:28pm 21/12/2009 |
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1. On the Beach by Nevil Shute
2. The Jukebox Queen of Malta by Zibby Oneal
3. The Sun Grows Cold by Howard Berk
4. Beloved by Toni Morrison
5. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
6. Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison
7. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
9. Damion by Herman Hesse
10. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury |
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| Chosen |
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| 08:36am 21/12/2009 |
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Chosen
P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
YA fiction; fantasy
307 pages
Bloodlust and dark forces are at work at the House of Night…
Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school are about to take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be her friends are turning out to be enemies. And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends. So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover about the secretive and sinister power that’s turning dead fledglings into bloodsucking monsters must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity.
Speaking of rare: Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected position of having three boyfriends. Mix in more than a little forbidden desire to the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster of massive proportions. Then, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith, and Zoey’s horrid step-loser in particular, are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres. But, as Zoey and her friends find out, things are not always what they seem…
I really liked the third installment in the House of Night series. I know that these are YA books, but I can't help but be engrossed in the storyline. The plot twists are so exciting and interesting that it is difficult not just to read through this whole series in one day! The story seems to be getting darker and darker as the books progress, which makes me like the stories that much more. I can't wait to read Untamed and see what happens to Zoey and her gang!
Books read this year: 49/50. |
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| Help to recall a novel |
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| 10:03am 21/12/2009 |
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I'm trying to recall the name of a novel I read some years ago. The novel itself was pretty old, a classic, and the only part that seems to have remained with me is the burning of a church. There were 2 men, one was possibly being followed by the other. The arson of the church was deliberate, intended to conceal documents - possibly about someone's true identity. I'm reasonably sure I remember a tv adaptation too.
I think it was by someone like Willa Cather, or maybe Wilkie Collins... anyone got any ideas? |
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| The Silent Hustler by Sean Meriwether - review |
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| 01:42pm 20/12/2009 |
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Originally reviewed for Uniquely Pleasurable.
X-POST to bookish, book_worm, booksarelove, gay_bookclub, readplease and the readingroom.
Title: The Silent Hustler
Author: Sean Meriwether
Genre: contemporary literary fiction, erotica, single author anthology, GLBT fiction
URL: Amazon
Price: US$15.00
Other information/warnings: Explicit content.
Summary (from the publisher): Best known for being the editor of edgy gay fiction of the Velvet Mafia website, Sean Meriwether has quietly been writing short fiction and building up a body of his own work. The Silent Hustler collects his short fiction published over the last decade. Meriwether’s fiction spans in range from the literary (“Things I Can’t Tell My Father”) to the revolutionary (“Burn the Rich”) to the downright raunchy (“Sneaker Queen”). Slip into bed with The Silent Hustler. You won’t feel guilty in the morning.
My Review: For years, Sean Meriwether has served as editor of two of the most cutting-edge web magazines out there: Outsider Ink (now shuttered) and Velvet Mafia: Dangerous Queer Fiction. During his time with both markets, Meriwether has found exceptional literature by some of the best writers working. Occasionally he’s also thrown one of his own works into the mix and that is how I first discovered Meriwether as an author in his own right. Over the years, Meriwether has been amassing an enviable body of work and that, my friends, is a very good thing for us.
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| Dawn Of The Dumb by Charlie Brooker |
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| 02:50pm 20/12/2009 |
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The Blurb On The Back:
”I don’t get people. What’s their appeal, precisely? They waddle around with their haircuts on, cluttering the pavement like gormless, farting skittles. They’re awful.
Polite, pensive, mature, reserved ... Charlie Brooker is none of these things and less. Picking up where his hilarious Screen Burn left off, Dawn of the Dumb collects the best of Brooker’s recent TV writing, together with uproarious spleen-venting diatribes on a range of non-televisual subjects – tackling everything from David Cameron to human hair.
Rude, unhinged, outrageous, and above all funny, Dawn of the Dumb is essential reading for anyone with a brain and a spinal cord. And hands for turning the pages.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Bleak, misanthropic and very, very funny, this is a great introduction to Charlie Brooker’s style of writing and well worth a look. Unless your a George W Bush fan, in which case you’ll probably want to give it a miss.
Cross-posted to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) bookworming. |
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| The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers |
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| 02:49pm 20/12/2009 |
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The Blurb On The Back:
When his sexton finds a corpse in the wrong grave, the rector of Fenchurch St Paul asks Lord Peter Wimsey to find out who the dead man was and how he came to be there.
The lore of bell-ringing and a brilliantly-evoked village in the remote fens of East Anglia are the unforgettable background to a story of an old unsolved crime and its violent unravelling twenty years later.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Sayers has carefully constructed a mystery story around bell-ringing and it would have been useful for a guide to the subject to be included in the book so that those unfamiliar with the subject could get the maximum benefit from the text. That said, the mystery elements are well crafted and the characters of Wimsey and Bunter remain a delight.
Cross-posted to bookworming. |
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| The Scandalous Life Of The Lawless Sisters by Philip Ardagh |
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| 04:07pm 19/12/2009 |
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The Blurb On The Back:
In the murky underworld of nineteenth-century London, certain questions needed to be asked.
Just why was the Bishop’s cake laced with dope?
Exactly which little Lawless sister was giving orders from the big chair?
What was so triumphant about Grandpa George’s loins?
Who might have ended up as sausage meat?
And what, precisely, was the dreaded “Umbrella Treatment”?
The answers lie between the covers of THE SCANDALOUS LIFE OF THE LAWLESS SISTERS, a tale of murder, robbery, betrayal and the unlicensed use of an electric garter.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
The only bad thing about this book is the price, which doesn’t make for a cost-effective read. That said, Ardagh’s humour is deliciously dry and I found myself chuckling for the 30 minutes it takes to finish the story.
Cross-posted to bookworming. |
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| Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers |
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| 03:33pm 19/12/2009 |
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The Blurb On The Back:
It was a body of a tall stout man. On his dead face, a handsome pair of gold pince-nez mocked death with grotesque elegance.
The body wore nothing else.
Lord Peter Wimsey knew immediately what the corpse was supposed to be. His problem was to find out whose body had found its way into Mr Alfred Thipps’ Battersea bathroom.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Quintessential reading for Sayers fans with a touching demonstration of the effect that the War had on Wimsey.
Cross-posted to bookworming. |
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