Readers' Picks
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11.07.09
What Was Lost
“ I just finished What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn and I loved every page. I was so sad at the end, though, and have been thinking about it ever since.
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11.07.09
The Rum Diary
“ A book I take with me to school everyday is The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson. “The Rum Diary” is a hardened, straight-forward, novel that would make Hemingway proud.
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11.04.09
The Bomb
“ I just finished The Bomb: The Classic Novel of Anarchist Violence by Frank Harris for the second time. It’s one of my favorite books to read for leisure, where you get a good dose of social justice without having to take notes as if it’s an academic book. The story is based on the 1886 Haymarket riots in Chicago, with the narrator being an educated German immigrant who landed in New York first, struggled with finding the roughest of labor jobs, all while being a writer/journalist. This eventually brought him where he discovered the circle of socialist, communist and anarchists that made up much of the working class laborers. It’s a beautiful story, with many historical facts, but throws in personal stories, and the idea of love being more than lust, and social justice being more than politics.
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I just finished The Bomb: The Classic Novel of Anarchist Violence by Frank Harris for the second time. It’s one of my favorite books to read for leisure, where you get a good dose of social justice without having to take notes as if it’s an academic book. The story is based on the 1886 Haymarket riots in Chicago, with the narrator being an educated German immigrant who landed in New York first, struggled with finding the roughest of labor jobs, all while being a writer/journalist. This eventually brought him where he discovered the circle of socialist, communist and anarchists that made up much of the working class laborers. It’s a beautiful story, with many historical facts, but throws in personal stories, and the idea of love being more than lust, and social justice being more than politics.
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11.03.09
Feather in the Storm
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I never tire learning about individuals who survived in China during Mao’s regime. Before traveling there recently, I read Feather in the Storm: A Childhood Lost in Chaos by Larry Englemann and Emily Wu. On one China Air flight recently, I sat next to a young woman whose grandparents told her they endured hardships similar to these Chinese authors and only stayed alive to care for her mother and aunt. Many stories like this won’t become books but touch my heart as much as the published works.
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I never tire learning about individuals who survived in China during Mao’s regime. Before traveling there recently, I read Feather in the Storm: A Childhood Lost in Chaos by Larry Englemann and Emily Wu. On one China Air flight recently, I sat next to a young woman whose grandparents told her they endured hardships similar to these Chinese authors and only stayed alive to care for her mother and aunt. Many stories like this won’t become books but touch my heart as much as the published works.
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10.30.09
The Muslim Next Door
“ With the distrust of Muslims and the ignorance of Islam current in our society, I’m enjoying reading The Muslim Next Door: The Qur’an, the Media, and that Veil Thing by Sumbul Ali-Karamali, an attorney who grew up in Southern California. The book deals with the big issues like “jihad,” Sunni-Shite” differences, and “The Qur’an,” but also has many charming details about her attempts to follow Muslim practices in an overwhelmingly Christian (or secular) environment. It is very readable and informative for those who want to know more about this second-largest world faith.
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10.29.09
The Bomb
“ I just finished The Bomb: The Classic Novel of Anarchist Violence by Frank Harris for the second time. It’s one of my favorite books to read for leisure, where you get a good dose of social justice without having to take notes as if it’s an academic book. The story is based on the 1886 Haymarket riots in Chicago, with the narrator being an educated German immigrant who landed in New York first, struggled with finding the roughest of labor jobs, all while being a writer/journalist. This eventually brought him where he discovered the circle of socialist, communist and anarchists that made up much of the working class laborers; as well as mentors, comrades and love. It’s a beautiful story, with many historical facts, but also personal stories, and the idea of love being more than lust, and social justice being more than politics.
” |
I just finished The Bomb: The Classic Novel of Anarchist Violence by Frank Harris for the second time. It’s one of my favorite books to read for leisure, where you get a good dose of social justice without having to take notes as if it’s an academic book. The story is based on the 1886 Haymarket riots in Chicago, with the narrator being an educated German immigrant who landed in New York first, struggled with finding the roughest of labor jobs, all while being a writer/journalist. This eventually brought him where he discovered the circle of socialist, communist and anarchists that made up much of the working class laborers; as well as mentors, comrades and love. It’s a beautiful story, with many historical facts, but also personal stories, and the idea of love being more than lust, and social justice being more than politics.
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10.28.09
The Spy Who Came In From the Cold
“ Having just finished rereading John Le Carre’s The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, I am reminded of the chilling reach of governments who pursue national interests, regardless of the costs to society or individuals. The novel’s protagonist (Alex Leamas) finds that he and others are sacrificed as pawns in an elaborate chess match between Britain and the Soviet Union. Yes, the Cold War is now over, and the Berlin Wall has disappeared, but people like Leamas are still involved in the same kind of very deadly game, and that is a sobering realization.
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10.27.09
7 Deadly Scenarios
“ 7 Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the 21st Century by Andrew F. Krepinevich describes seven possible international conflicts in the near future and the challenges the United States would face in order to effectively deal with them. Krepinevich writes well and as a result, this book was very enjoyable to read. My only complaint with this book is its conclusion. It seemed a bit tired and Krepinevich kind of reiterates some of the same lessons discussed earlier in the book. Too bad because 90 percent of it is fantastic and the book’s strengths far outweigh its weaknesses.
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10.25.09
South of Broad
“ In Pat Conroy’s South of Broad, the main characters bond as high school seniors in Charleston, S. C., and remain a close-knit group through the 1970’s and ’80’s. One of the group becomes an Oscar-winning movie actress and another Charleston’s first black police chief. I found the story outrageous, cliche’-ridden and short on character development. I persevered through its 512 pages, but would not encourage others to do so. It did not measure up to two of my Conroy favorites, “The Prince of Tides” and “Beach Music.”
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