My 2013 Reading Journal

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Audiobook
Stewart Place Book Club selection
US author
Originally published 2008
Characters: claire(needs heart), shay (murderer, miracle worker), curt(cop, stepdad), elizabeth (murdered daughter), lucius(AIDS inmate), michael(priest, juror feeling guilty), maggie(aclu attorney)
Review: Jodi Picoult has a real knack for tackling controversial issues and illuminating multiple perspectives to consider. This time around she tackles the death penalty and organized religion, with a touch of medical ethics. No small feat! The story was thought provoking and the characters were memorable. Well done!

Audiobook
Swedish author
Originally published 2009
Review: A sweet story which, for me, was like stepping inside the mind of a 100 year old whose internal world is significantly more vivid than his physical world. The reader is privy to a set of adventures through history, with the protagonist playing quietly dynamic roles in major political events. Meet characters like Albert Einstein's adopted half brother, an elephant who save's the protagonist's life by sitting on a villain, and a mob boss. I imagine an elderly person's hazy blending of history, both personal and political, with the yearning to escape the restrictions which accrue with age.

Audiobook
German author
Originally published 2011
Review: A medieval murder mystery? A clever mix of medieval values, beliefs, and characters make for an intriguing story. I think this is an example of " the more things change, the more they stay the same". Is there witchcraft afoot? Or is it corporate espionage? Or did a simple desire to be safe create a situation where innocents lose lives? You will have to find out for yourselves.

Audiobook
US author
Autobiography, narrated by Judy Collins
Originally published in 2012
Review: Narrated by the author, this autobiography is absolutely marvelous. Collins' prose and voice are lyrical. She is a musical icon and her stories, lovers, and friendhips are as well. Immerse yourself in the sixties, the folk music, and let the story wash over you as the best music always does. I had trouble taking breaks from this one.

Audiobook
Originally published in 2010
An Alex Delaware novel
Review: This was pretty good. However, the plot was predictable and the pace was slow except for the last hour. There was not as nuch tension in the story as I prefer.

Audiobook
US author
Originally published in 2010
Non-fiction
Fawcett, last of Victorian explorers, 1925.....vanished with son and his friend, Fawcett seekers
Royal Geographic Society......maps of the world...would be cool to visit
Discovery of longitude chronometer was important
Exploration is now more about inward discovery....no new outward discovery
High tech gadgets galore
Explorers as spies to map new lands....wore disguises, gathered political info
Insects were maddening and deadly
Natives, enraged by rubber barons forcing them into slavery were ferocious about intruders
Author planned to retrace Fawcett's steps
Met Fawcett's granddaughter who gave hin Fawcett's journals and letters
Biographer as burglar
Fawcett's theories impacted by Darwinism, or a racialized misinterpretation of it
Professional jealousies amngst explorers
Impact of WWI and mustard gas on Fawcett
"those whom the gods intend to destroy first make them mad.".....fawcett
Was Z a spiritual goal?
100+ died seeking Fawcett
Review: A fascinating story of obsession! The combination of exploration, historical context, and familial loyalty make for an engrossing read. I lost track of time listening to this story, feeling a faint flicker of the fiery obsession which drove Percy Fawcett. I wonder who the impassioned seekers are that are living today and who will become the legends of tomorrow's tales?