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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
Amy BookGirl has commented on (34) products
The Story Tree
by
Tom Percival
Amy BookGirl
, June 14, 2018
I led a group of very bright 1st Graders in reading this book. This is a fun book that is humorous, relatable, and action-packed. At the end of each chapter, we stopped to work in our Study Guide and the kids groaned. Not because the study-guide was overly onerous--it wasn't--I wrote it so it was awesome and fun (wink), they just couldn't wait to see what would happen next. They laughed in all the right places and felt conflicted and tense at times as they tried to figure out who were the good-guys and who were the bad guys.
For kids this young, reading in a group is best as some of the concepts and some of the vocabulary was challenging. But with proper scaffolding in a group setting the kids learned a lot while having a ton of fun. The discussions they had were fantastic!
The strength of this book is how it made the kids think deeply.
E.g.: The mayor of Tale Town is a tyrant that is selling selfishness and self-aggrandizement as safety by building a wall around the town and keeping all non-humans out and away from the Story Tree that was planted by humans and trolls centuries ago. This provokes a war. Our young heros are caught in the middle, banished by the mayor, but trying to stop the war and find a better way to end the mayor's tyranny.
The troll army, consisting of all banished races, are ready to fight to regain control. The troll leader Hurrilan, could become the new leader of Tale Town. But they ask themselves would that be any better? He resentful and distrustful of humans. Would he end up as tyrannical against humans? You'd be astonished at the ideas from six and seven-year-olds on the topic.
Pretty heady stuff for 1st Graders.
He also presents the idea of "history is written by the victors" which also spurred a lively discussion.
However, there is also a courageous chicken. And a half-blind dragon. And super smart gorillas. And a quirky magician that accidentally turns himself into a bowl of pasta. So much fun.
A great read for young kids chock full of fun, adventure, and seeds of wisdom.
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No Cry Discipline Solution Gentle Ways to Encourage Good Behavior Without Whining Tantrums & Tears
by
Elizabeth Pantley
Amy BookGirl
, July 23, 2015
I was excited to get this book; then once I had it I gave it one apprehensive look then shelved it--for months. My kids are three and seven, which means I’m pretty heavily invested in my parenting style. The fear of finding out all that I've been doing wrong (once again) was almost enough to keep me from cracking it at all. However, my daily life continually showed me how much room there is for improvement. I needn't have worried; Elizabeth has raised four children and understands how parenting can try even the most patient of people. She doesn't focus on what we're doing wrong, she only gives us alternatives. In one example, she explains how to make a task a game, if you have a toddler who makes a fuss having his diaper changed, put the diaper on your hand and give it a silly name and voice. Next diaper change might have your little one bringing you a fresh diaper saying, “Mama, time for Dilly Diaper!” Engaging their imagination earns cooperation nearly every time. You also benefit from her experience as a parent having seen so many people through the many stages of childhood. E.g., a toddler who puts her socks in the dirty laundry may become a teenager who does her own laundry. I hadn’t thought of this in the long-term before, I only saw that having my toddler to pick up her socks required more effort than doing it myself. Elizabeth provides a chart of sample chores for age groups and how to progress with them as they grow. Now that we have techniques for gaining cooperation in our parenting bag, initiating chores isn’t nearly as daunting. This book works well with the Conscious Discipline style of parenting, formalized by Becky Bailey. Becky’s book gives us the outline and few ideas on how to implement, Elizabeth builds on that positive parenting style and gives us hundreds of ideas all the while nurturing us as parents. Discipline is not easy, but it need not bring on the feelings of dread in both parents and children when the emphasis is on teaching rather than punishment. Children want to do the right thing, and they want to please us, they just don't always know how to maneuver their impulses. This book is a like having a kind mother-in-law, she pours you a hot cup of tea, lets you cry on her shoulder, then whispers life-altering advice into your ear. Then she cleans your bathroom before leaving.
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Why Does E=mc2
by
Brian Cox
Amy BookGirl
, June 22, 2015
“A spirited, easy-to-understand collaboration… ...Why Does E=MC2? promises to be the most exciting and accessible explanation of the theory of relativity in recent years.” This lofty promise graces the last paragraph of the dust jacket of this book. Quothe the Dwight, “False.” After reading (grinding?) this book, I do have a deeper understanding of Einstein's general and special theory of relativity, but it was neither easy-to-understand or fun--but the authors are having fun... Imagine you're reasonably fit, and you have always wanted to go backpacking. You think a couple guides on your first solo trip would be wise. You hire Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, two lean twenty-somethings that have backpacked this particular trail 781 times, and have even summited Everest. They bounce with energy and are always excited. Now imagine Jeff pointing to a craggy peak away a piece called, “Understanding Energy”. It doesn't look too far, your legs are feeling sound, “OK, lets roll!” you say. But instead of a direct line, Jeff and Brian take you on a long circuitous route. Sometimes Brian offers his arm across a puddle, “No thanks, I'm good." Then later bounds like a mountain goat through perilous terrain, all the while saying, “Just follow me, this is so easy!” Three or so re-readings later, you feel like you can pick your way through the terrain. You're a sweating mess and Jeff and Brian are running in place to keep their heart rates up. By the end of the book, you've visualized each of them finding a faulty handhold and plunging to their demise… “Wasn't so simple, was it Bri-an.” The bottom line: if you have an understanding of physics, Newtonian, Einsteinian, and are familiar with the works of Maxwell and Faraday--and you're not easily annoyed, then this book promises a deeper understanding of the fabric of the universe. You'll understand that mass is interchangeable with energy, and that working with only those two can never bring you any closer than an approximation (Newtonian Physics); for something even closer, we must factor in the speed of light. (Physicists have yet to uncover the Grand Unified Theory.) You will come to understand spacetime, that it is a pliable thing dented and creased by mass and acceleration and you may even be able visualize it as the fourth dimension; this was first for me. You will also play with star fusion, light, quantum physics, visit CERN in Geneva, and more. This book doesn't require intelligence so much as it requires mental flexibility, focus, and imagination… and the ability to not strangle the authors in the process.
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Secret Life of Bees
by
Sue Monk Kidd
Amy BookGirl
, November 04, 2014
I resisted reading this story for a long time--estrogen and honey just aren't my normal flavors--but I'm very glad I relented. This was a over-too-soon lovely read that, much like honey, seeps into the cracks of your soul and sticks with you. The story is set in South Carolina in the 1960’s, during the heat of the civil rights movement. It is a story of a young girl named Lily Owens who is tormented by the blurry memory of her mother’s accidental death at her hands. She lives with a father she dubbed, T. Ray, whose only claim to genius is inventing creative way to punish her, such as kneeling on grits piled on the floor for hours. Kneeling on grits!? The bees are a character of their own accord. They appear in her room at night and disappear when she attempts to show her father. One assumes that his ambient malevolence drove them back into the safety of her walls. Eventually Lily captures one in a jar to prove it to him. Awash in guilty feelings, she tries to release it, but the bee spins and spins it the jar. She can’t understand why it won’t leave. Then in a crux moment where she must face her father’s impending wrath, she notices the bee is gone. She realizes that there’s no lid on her jar either. She bails out of her father’s house, breaks her nanny Rosaleen out of the hospital where she’s being treated before being sent back to jail, (Rosaleen was indicted for dumping her tobacco-spit from her jar on some white men’s shoes--they deserved it.) before fleeing to Tiburon, South Carolina. Which is a name Lily found written on the back of a block of wood, sporting the a label for Black Madonna Honey, she found among her mother’s things. This scrap of her mother’s belongings brings Lily and Rosaleen to the home of three benevelovent black women who are, yep-you guessed it, beekeepers. Here Lily learns to send love to the bees, reconcile her past, collect honey, learn to trust, make beeswax candles, belong to something bigger than herself, cool bees on hot days, the truth of her mother’s story, cook honey, even understand her father, and finally finds the home she craved. This is a heartfelt story that also has teeth. It challenges our perceptions and changes our lives in a honey flavored way.
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Little Boat
by
Thomas Docherty
Amy BookGirl
, October 30, 2014
“The ocean is a big place and I am just a Little Boat.” Little Boat charts his own course and braves the many treacheries of the ocean, “in search of-��"my friends!” Then he sails over the edge of the world only to find himself righted on the other side. One could write a thesis exploring the oceans of wisdom in this lovely book of a few hundred words. Oh, and it's a favorite of my girls too...
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We're Going On a Bear Hunt
by
Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
Amy BookGirl
, October 30, 2014
"We're gonna catch a big one. What a beautiful day. We're not scared. Uh Oh…" Go along with this adorable family as they go out looking for a bear… and find one. This book has lots of repetition your toddler will quickly memorize and start repeating with you. The story is easily adapted into an engaging imagination game; pretend that areas of your house are the different obstacles in the book, then run away from your child's teddy bear, ending up snuggled in your bed, shouting, “We're not going on a bear hunt a-gain!!”
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Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
by
Cheryl Strayed
Amy BookGirl
, October 22, 2014
I read this book in three nights. My eyes burned, I knew I was going to be tired the next day but still, I was compelled by Cheryl’s story to keep reading. This autobiographical story follows Cheryl as a young woman who loses herself after her mother’s untimely death from cancer. After spending over a month watching her mother waste away, she leaves her side to bring her brother to see her one last time and her mother dies in her absence. Cheryl is destroyed. She tries to drown the pain in illicit affairs, and even heroin. After her divorce, the idea of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail starts to gnaw at her. Her time on the trail alternates between giving her a break from her mental anguish and forcing her to confront the tribulations of her life. The rigors of the trail causes her outward suffering just as she had suffered inwardly for years. It becomes a pilgrimage. And although she ends up basically destitute, homeless and alone--you see her not as poor, but as unburdened. I do not like much of what Cheryl does during this story, but I admire who she becomes and the unflinching way in which she tells her story.
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Owl Babies
by
Martin Waddell
Amy BookGirl
, October 21, 2014
I've read this story to my girls so many times I have it memorized, even though it's a bit lengthy. It tells a sweet, reassuring story about baby owls that wake up in their tree to find their mommy gone. They wait, and wonder, and worry, until she makes her happy return. Having it memorized comes in handy, it's like a little bottle of comfort medicine I can give my girls anytime they are feeling anxious. I just start, “Once there were three baby owls, Sarah, and Percy, and Bill…” and the tension in them just drifts away.
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Burning Bright: A Play in Story Form
by
Steinbeck, John
Amy BookGirl
, October 08, 2014
This is one of Steinbeck's play novelettes, a format he created, but doesn’t appear to have caught on, unfortunately. Like a play, the story is short, confined to few “sets”, and the action is carried by the dialog. But unlike a play, the supporting narrative paints a picture, paints the characters and otherwise fills out the sparsely colored canvas that is the usual written play. It is an utterly enjoyable and fulfilling read, that I'd also love to see in a theater. This story was written in three acts. A young wife yearns to give her beloved husband the child he craves. Unbeknownst to the husband, a childhood illness has left him sterile. He descends into a frightening depression, obsessed with the idea that the blood is where his considerable talents are stored and can only be passed in this way. Then there is a young man who works her husband with the same black eyes, and his wife wonders… The remarkable thing about this book is that the scenes are completely changed each act. In the first act the characters are circus performers, in the second they are farmers (and had always been farmers), in the third they are sailors. At first I wondered if Steinbeck had been smoking something skunky when he wrote it this way, then I as I read on I could see the genius in it. The characters and their roles were unchanged, but the change of scene brought out different aspects of the characters and added an entirely new flavor and mood to the play. It was absolutely fascinating to watch one plot be told in three different parallel lifetimes. Steinbeck was an artist of the truest kind. He could paint within the lines of reality in the most compelling fashion, but then he could go abstract and bend your mind and create something unique, heartbreaking and beautiful--all in about an hour and a half of your time. *** I read that this book was subjected to intense criticism that derailed his play novelette writing. I wish he would have written his detractors and play novelette of their own, in which they meet a grisly end--he certainly had the talent for grisly endings, as evidenced by his other works. It is startling to know that a writer as ballsy as Steinbeck could be hurt by criticism--he certainly didn't write to bring warm fuzzy tingles to the masses--and I'll always wonder what stories were left untold because of it.
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Backyard Orchardist A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in the Home Garden
by
Stella Otto
Amy BookGirl
, October 01, 2014
When you buy your first fruit tree, do yourself and your new tree a favor and buy this book too. Now that I have three planted in my backyard, I'm wishing I would have read this prior to planting; I would have dug a much bigger hole and amended my clay soil with more sandy-loam and compost. I also would have done a better job setting my trees up for production by properly pruning those first few years of growth. Today is a new day. This is an enjoyable-to-read book that covers all major fruit bearing trees with specific information for trees in different zones. Now I know, when and how to prune properly. What pests to watch out for and how to prevent infections/infestations and treat them in the most effective manner. I.e. most pests have a predictable time when they are going through some sort of molt or metamorphosis making treatment particularly effective. It is best to treat a specific problem and avoid “all-purpose” treatments as they are toxic to your backyard ecosystem and may create problems that didn't exist prior by killing of natural pest predators. Stella also provides many tables regarding fruit variety and their flavor, blight and pest resistance, days from blossom to fruit, heights based on rootstock choices and everything else you might need. She educates us orchardists lingo, e.g. rootstock, scions, scaffold branches, callous, suckers, water sprouts... I'll never remember everything in this book but I'll remember just enough to know its in there and where to find it.
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Happiest Baby on the Block The New Way to Calm Crying & Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer
by
Harvey Karp
Amy BookGirl
, August 28, 2014
This book helps new parents comfort crying newborns and improve naps and night-time sleep. The advice is particularly relevant for the “fourth trimester” or first three months of life. There is nothing more bewildering than holding a well fed, dry, burped baby that won't stop screaming. There is help, and it is in this book.
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Berenstain Bears Go To The Doctor
by
Stan Berenstain
Amy BookGirl
, August 15, 2014
This book helped both my girls through their scared-of-the-doctor phase that set in around the eighteen month mark. It is brilliant simplicity; it walks your child through a check-up and even tackles the scary vaccination issue by quantifying the pain rather than dismissing it. “‘Will it hurt?’ asked Sister Bear. 'Sure, but not nearly as much as biting your tongue or bumping your shin. There all done.’” I've read this book to them so many times that not only do I have it memorized, sometimes I can hardly stand to look at it. The doctor book again!? Ug! Pair this book with a toy doctor kit and act out the story as it unfolds. Then watch as they use their new found understanding of check-ups to perform check-ups on you and their stuffed animals.
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Berenstain Bears Go To The Doctor
by
Stan Berenstain
Amy BookGirl
, August 15, 2014
This book helped both my girls through their scared-of-the-doctor phase that set in around the eighteen month mark. It is brilliant simplicity; it walks your child through a check-up and even tackles the scary vaccination issue by quantifying the pain rather than dismissing it. “‘Will it hurt?’ asked Sister Bear. 'Sure, but not nearly as much as biting your tongue or bumping your shin. There all done.’” I've read this book to them so many times that not only do I have it memorized, sometimes I can hardly stand to look at it. The doctor book��"again!? Ug! Pair this book with a toy doctor kit and act out the story as it unfolds. Then watch as they use their new found understanding of check-ups to perform check-ups on you and their stuffed animals.
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Black Beauty. Book + Cd
by
Anna Sewell
Amy BookGirl
, July 07, 2014
From my six-year-old daughter, Danielle: I really like how the story is told by horses. I like the part where Black Beauty's mom says, "Just remember, never bite, or kick, and whatever happens always do your best." I like it when he meets Ginger and Merrylegs at Britwick Park. But then Black Beauty is sold again and he was lucky to be sold with Ginger. They meet a horse that had his tail cut off! How terrible, I can not believe that people would like a stump for a tail. I sort of like the part where Joe messes up with Beauty, and I like the end when he finds a nice home for the rest of his life.
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The Lies of Locke Lamora
by
Lynch, Scott
Amy BookGirl
, April 16, 2014
If I were to do a one word review for this book it would be: Badass. Feel free to stop reading now, the rest of this review is basically fluff, but since I have a particular fondness for writing fluffy book reviews I will proceed. Oh good, you decided to come along. Synopsis: Locke Lamora is the leader of a gang of thieves dubbed the Gentleman Bastards. This group of orphaned young men were educated and trained to become masterful thieves by a man called Father Chains. Chains was the Eyeless Priest of Perelandro, the thirteenth of the twelve gods, Lord of the Overlooked. Father Chains was not eyeless. The city of Camorr was built upon the Elderglass ruins of an alien race, interlaced with canals infested with wolf sharks and other niceties from the Iron Sea. Duke Nicovante reigned over the nobility and lawful citizens, and Capa Vencarlo Barsavi reigned over the lawless. A Secret Peace existed between these two men, the nobility were to be left untouched and Capa Barsavi would be left to manage his gangs--which he did--ruthlessly. Locke: “So I don’t have to…” Father Chains: “Obey the Secret Peace? Be a good little pezon? Only for pretend, Locke. Only to keep the wolves from the door. Unless your eyes and ears have been stitched shut with rawhide these past two days, by now you must have realized that I intend you and Calo and Galdo and Sabetha to be nothing less,” Chains confided through a feral grin, “than a fucking ballista bolt right through the heart of Vencarlo’s precious Secret Peace.” YES! And this is just the beginning. The first hundred pages ticked by, the next hundred flew, the next three hundred had me up late at night with burning eyes. It found me yelling, “Just a minute!!” as I stole time from Hillsboro to get back to the sultry heat of Camorr. Then in a flash, it was over. I set my book down and said something brilliant like, “That. Was. Aweeesome.” One Complaint: Alchemy exists in Camorr--and boy does it ever. It is applied to everything. There are alchemical lights, alchemical fruits, alchemical liquor, alchemical drugs, alchemical formaldehyde, alchemical make-up, alchemical toilet paper that removes all poo leaving a scent of roses behind. Just kidding on the last one, but it felt like that. The rest--golden. With GRRM like brutality, we lose several favorite characters and favorite villains. I always admire authors who can expend so much effort building characters only to kill them off. It would be like spending months building an incredible sand sculpture, then sending some toddlers to stomp all over it. Then instead of lamenting the lost effort, the artist then goes ahead creates something even better. The plot gets so tense at times I would audibly sigh with relief when it was over. “Are you O.K.?” I heard more than once. In idle moments, or sometimes not so idle moments, my mind would wander back into the story to figure out where it would go next, or to guess at the fate of a imperiled character. Backstory is given in small digestible chunks that is relevant to current action in the story. At first the sojourns into backstory was annoying and a little confusing, but either it got better or I got used to it and I started appreciating the context it brought to the story. Best of all there are more books! Second best of all--this book stands on its own. It did not end in the middle of a story, nor did it, in the last hundred pages, invent a dozen new stories then end… Unlike some other authors I know. (Oh yes, I'm looking at you GRRM and Pat Rothfuss.) Just kidding, love you guys--beards rule!
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The First Four Years
by
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Amy BookGirl
, February 20, 2014
I read several reviews for this book and it was critiqued pretty harshly. People said the writing was poor and not at all like the rest of the idyllic Little House series. I, however, liked it--a lot. First of all they’re right, it is not a literary work of art. It was actually published from four notebooks, a handwritten rough draft, found after Laura’s death. But, what resonated with me was a feeling of authenticity. The other book I've read, Little House in the Big Woods, was wonderful, but felt censored--highly polished? For example, she’s afraid of being spanked by her Pa, but instead he curls her up in his lap for a moral story. Leaving me feeling that this man never, ever, lost his temper… Not even when his daughters disobey him, not once, but twice. But, if she was afraid of being spanked then wouldn't she have to have felt his belt before? Laura and Almanzo are married early on in the story. Laura is nineteen and Almanzo twenty-nine. That’s what attracted me to this story, I was twenty when I was married and part of me wanted to revisit those newlywed years and contrast them with hers. The comparisons in our daily lives are that there aren’t any. I lived in a cozy little apartment in the suburbs and she lived in a government homestead in the Dakotas. However, Laura and Almanzo are immediately recognizable. Laura is still a woman/child, (like I was) who spends a snowy day playing and sledding, (like I did). Almanzo is an earnest, hard working man that doted on his young wife. (Like mine did.) Laura has doubts (what? Laura has doubts!?!) about Manly’s choice to earn a living by farming a homestead. She doesn’t want to spend her life poor and broken from work. Infinitely optimistic, Manly convinces her to try it for three years. Each year their labor is devastated by forces of nature. Their wheat is filling out beautifully, then heat swoops in and dries it out. All that hard work was for naught. Plowing, seeding, tending… Done. Gone. The livestock, the prairie grasses (sold as hay) and Almanzo’s strong back, provides just enough to get by and they try again the next year. Then Rose arrives. Authenticity aside, I was a little relieved that Rose didn’t arrive by stork. Although when Laura’s labor began, the doctor arrived and then she fell asleep and the baby was here. Woah. I think modern medicine has taken a step backwards. Or she did a little creative storytelling to protect her modesty. I can understand that in a pioneer era woman. The next three years are rife with disasters and oddities that can only be real, fire, losing a child, fever, Almanzo’s stroke, their friendly neighbor who offers to trade baby Rose for a horse. Through it all, Laura never despairs and Almanzo never loses faith. After hail flattened $3000 in ripe wheat, money that would render them debt free with some to spare, Almanzo cheerily suggests they use the hailstones to make ice cream. Laura and I decline, and wonder if he’s a little touched in the head.. I understand why Laura, herself, never published this book. I also understand why she had to write it. Sometimes a writer is not in charge of what she writes. Sometimes a story becomes a nag, crowding out other ideas demanding to be written. So she did. However, she chose not to publish her doubts, trials and pain. A story can demand to be written, but the author gets choose what to do with it afterwards. I am glad she wrote it. I’m glad it was eventually published. I’m in awe of their perseverance and hope. I’m in awe of their evident love for each other. I’m touched by Laura’s vulnerability and support of her husband despite her reservations. Perhaps their struggles bound them as a couple. In modern “me” times, it seems to tear couples apart. Three ways I felt this book’s authenticity: *Laura is not always happy. *The Dakotas are a fracking scary place to live--weather wise. You could go out for a walk in the Spring, get caught in a freak blizzard and be found frozen to a rock three days later. *I closed the book feeling admiration for what they endured, and wholly fortunate to live in modern times.
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Siblings without Rivalry How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too
by
Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish
Amy BookGirl
, December 29, 2013
How This Book Works Siblings Without Rivalry follows a set of parents in group sessions with the instructor/authors. At first, I thought it was a lazy way to write a book; after a short introduction the narrative reads like a dictation of parenting group sessions. It's not, of course, it's a thoughtful distillation of their experiences teaching sibling relationship sessions to many groups of parents. As I read, I found the parents' stories and conversations moving. The parents asked nearly every question that popped into my head, which was accompanied by a satisfying response. It was also comforting to read accounts of other parents making the same mistakes I have, and being just as clueless as I am about what to do. The following is the outline and an example of the type of advice in that chapter. Brothers and Sisters Past and Present This chapter asks parents to record sibling conflicts, and sets expectations for what you can achieve as a parent. Example: In response to one woman's statement about wanting her kids to be friends, the author replies with her own story, “‘Instead of worrying about the boys becoming friends,’ I explained, ‘I began to think about how to equip them with the attitudes and skills they'd need for all their caring relationships.’” Brilliant. Not Till the Bad Feelings Come Out Listening to your child complain about the troll that is their sibling, and acknowledging their feelings, is a very healing process. “Insisting on good feelings between siblings led to bad feelings. Acknowledging bad feeling between siblings led to good feelings.” Other emotional skills are important such as, naming feelings, and reflecting back to the child what they are feeling so they know you understand, for example, “You seem to be feeling angry that Gabi took your stick horse without asking.” Perils of Comparisons Even if you don't actively compare your kids to one another, “Why can’t you be more like your brother?” The water is murky, for example praising one child within earshot of the other can feel like a put down to the other child. Another insightful example: when a mother praised one of her child's improvement in math, the other gloated about her even better grade. The mother could have responded by saying, “There's no report card contest going on here… …I want to sit down with each of you individually to…” Then follow through giving each child your full attention and focusing your discuss on that child’s individual progress. Equal is Less Personally, I have railed against trying to be fair, and right from the start didn't tolerate, “She has more!” and “I want one too!!” However, just because I didn't tolerate it, didn't stop either child from feeling slighted if I didn't provide duplicates of everything. Now I have some new tools for working with this. I have added, “Everybody gets what she needs. I'm not worried about what anybody else has, if you need more, you can have more,” to my parenting mantras. Or I might say, “Eat what you have first, then if you need more there is plenty here for whomever needs it.” I still don't count and measure, and the girls are more relaxed knowing their needs will be met. This chapter was also important for answering the, “You love Gabi more!” accusation. Instead of angry rebuttals, I now reply by telling Danielle all the things I love about her, and how much she means to me. I don't mention Gabi at all. She glows. She hasn't said that since I read this book. Siblings in Roles How often has, “This is Danielle, my little artist, and this is my monkey climber girl, Gabi” rolled off my tongue? It's so easy to cast kids in roles. I always thought I was praising a strength, but in reality I'm limiting my kids' potential. By labeling Danielle “The Artist”, she thinks that art is the only thing she's good out and resists branching out. Also, it could also limit Gabi's interest in art. Or worse, what if by some freak of talent, Gabi becomes a better artist than Danielle? Then Gabi will have taken Danielle's identity as “The Artist”. I've re-trained myself to introduce them as my daughter, Danielle, and my daughter, Gabrielle. That's it. They get to decide who, and what they are. I also have to guard against other people labeling them; I try to always say, “Yep, she likes to climb, but can do so many other amazing things too, like, color, make funny faces, tell a funny joke… She told me this one the other day… Out of their earshot, I love to compare and contrast my kids' abilities and personalities. It helps me get a handle on them as individuals. When Kids Fight The first piece of advice is to do nothing. Weird, but what a relief! If it escalates, in my house it usually does, then the best thing to do is describe what you see without passing any kind of judgement. Kids are notoriously self centered, making it difficult to understand a sibling's intentions or point of view. Add to that the heat of conflict… Kaboom! A parent can come into a dispute, hear and reflect each side in a way that both kids can understand, and them let them work out a solution. Example: Me: “Wow you guys sound upset.” Danielle: “Gabi has my favorite necklace, and she's going to break it!” Me: “You're worried that Gabi will break your necklace. It is really pretty, Gabi must really like it.” Danielle: *calmer* “Yeah, but it's mine. And she's going to break it.” Gabi: “No, it's actually MINE!” (It is not, of course, but Danielle has programmed this one into her stock phrases cache.) Me: “Gabi, that necklace belongs to Danielle. She's worried that it might get broken.” Gabi: “I want to wear it!” Me: “Danielle, what can we do here?” Danielle: “That one is my favorite, but she can wear this other one.” Gabi: “Thank you, sis-ter.” This actually happened. REALLY. When I come in and describe what I see, show respect for Danielle's property rights, she might unlock her position and shift into finding a solution that Gabi will be happy with too. Gabi is a bit little to understand the nuances of what went on, but I also try to coach her by giving her things to say and ways of asking that doesn't trigger Danielle's volatile temperament. It is no small feat, and takes a lot of self-control on my part, because something is usually cooking on the stove, or the phone is ringing, but as I'm teaching them, I'm also learning how to focus and respectfully interact with them. Making Peace With the Past One woman spoke of how she was continually compared to her sister in an unfavorable light, and how it still affected her to this day. Through these sessions, she began to realize that these comparisons probably caused some suffering for her sister too, and she decided to call her. “Then she told me how sorry she was for the pain she must have caused me, and how much it meant to her that I had called, and that if I hadn't, we might have gone to our graves without ever knowing each other. Then I started to cry.” I endeavor not only to avoid this sort of mistake in raising my girls, I also want them to know what potential they have in each other for a lifelong companion. No one will understand or know the essence of you like a sibling. No one else will witness the trials and triumphs of your formative years from a first hand perspective, one that can actually enhance your understanding of those times. Even your future spouse or children won't be able to know you in that level of unspoken understanding. It's why I psshaaw, whenever my husband tells me how lucky he got to have me… All the people I grew up with know that he is my good luck. There's nothing I can do to make Gabi and Danielle become friends, nor would I try, but I can avoid deepening the rift between them, and I can give them the building materials they need to bridge the gap between them when they are ready. I have hope.
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River Why
by
David James Duncan
Amy BookGirl
, December 13, 2013
The story that was a river. This story begins in the pool of stagnant water of Gus’s life as a boy growing up in Portland, Oregon. He is a prodigal fisher-kid, born to a pair as compatible as Lord Byron and Calamity Jane. The only points on which the three of them converge is the water and the fish that sway within, and their affection for Gus's little brother, Bill Bob. Bill Bob wants nothing to do with water, but swims in metaphysical waters like one born with gills. Gus's family is in a state of perpetual conflict, particularly with regards to the method by which fish should be taken from the water. The battle of worms vs. flies rages on a daily basis, revealing a deep disconnect between his parents. After graduation without honors, Gus's river leaps the log jam, and glides post-haste to a cabin on Oregon's fictitious Tamawanis river. Isolated, he spends all his time following his Ideal Schedule: Sleeping, fishing, eating, drinking and sleeping again. Instead finding utter happiness, one such as myself would expect, he sinks and spins as though he's caught in the eddy of a waterfall. His philosophical minded friend, Titus, offers him hand and pulls him free. Free flowing again the story meanders through remembrances of his childhood, through ancient forests that fell victim to refir madness, through Sherar’s falls fished by the Native American, Tomas Bigeater, who remembers his spirit, and by other Native Americans who cannot. A branch of the river flows through the city of Portland and dies, while the main story flows on. The river is rife with riffles of laughter, between pools of deep clarity, and eddies of beauty, and murky stretches of disorientation. Sometimes the river passes through the physical into the metaphysical, to return luminous. It is alive with spirited trout, minnows of greatness and longing, ugly yet delectable nymphs, and worms wrapped in mud like Twinkies. This story-river makes fun of itself, gives and gets, despairs and hopes. It bubbles from it's spring wondering at its purpose, finds its spirit, all the while asking, “Why?” David James Duncan has written a beautiful river that I will float, fish, skinny dip, and refresh my spirit in again, and again, and again.
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The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (Book 1)
by
Douglas Adams
Amy BookGirl
, December 06, 2013
With my usual dubious feeling towards all things revered I cracked the cover. After reading the opening page, all my doubts vaporized, and soon afterwards so did our planet--in the story... Arthur Dent is a normal English Joe, who fancies a cup of tea in the morning and a pint in the afternoon. He is dragged away from his house, which is about to be bulldozed to make room for a highway interchange, by his friend, Ford Prefect. Ford is a galactic hitchhiking alien who's been stranded on Earth for the last fifteen years, while doing research for the title book, “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Ford could care less about Arthur's house, as he's just intercepted a signal from a Vogon Constructor Ship, which he knows are tasked with destroying planets to clear a routes for new hyper-spatial expressways. Progress, you know. He's brought Arthur to the pub in attempt to tank him up to ease the inherent discomfort of riding in a matter transference beam. Ford and Arthur stowaway on the Vogon ship, and therein begins the adventure in which they learn the origins of our planet, for whom it was created, and why. Along the way we meet the two headed, AWOL, galactic president/hippie, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Trillium, who is the other remaining earthling, and a manically depressed robot named Marvin. And then there's The Guide, with a cover stating, "DON'T PANIC", and subjects illuminating readers on nearly infinite topics, including the necessity for hitchhikers to possess a clean towel at all times. The author, Douglas Adams, takes gorgeous colors from physics, math, social parallels, humor, and pure originality, and swirls them in a bucket of flippant genius; then he crunches up a spaceship and dips it in. Shaking it out, and hung on the line to dry is this book. The product is slightly psychedelic, loaded with wildly imaginative ideas that swirl before our mind's eyes before shifting into something else fascinating and original. For example, the guide informs us that the “..beautiful planet Bethselamin is now so worried about cumulative erosion by ten billion visiting tourists a year that any net imbalance between the amount you eat and the amount you excrete while on the planet is surgically removed from your body weight when you leave: so every time you go to the lavatory it is vitally important to get a receipt.” Or the improbable inventor of the golden Infinite Improbability generator, “which could generate the infinite improbability field needed to flip a spaceship across the mind-paralyzing distances between the farthest stars” without all that “tedious mucking about in hyperspace”, who was a student rather than a self-exalted physicist. He ended up being lynched by an angry mob of physicists who just can't stand a smart ass. With all these potential story threads flying around, there's me wondering what to make of it, and hoping he'll go in deep with one or two of my favorites. Then the book ends when the characters decide it's time for lunch. Just like that. Huh? Wha? You mean this isn't going to go on until every original idea is put in a mortar and ground into dust by a pestle wielding author? You want me to think about these things, and make what I will of them? How weird. How lovely. How trippy. Wheee! I’m in! Just let me go pack my towel.
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Happy Happy Happy My Life & Legacy as the Duck Commander Duck Dynasty
by
Phil Robertson
Amy BookGirl
, October 26, 2013
This book covers the life of Phil Robertson, A.K.A., The Duck Commander/Redneck Extraordinaire. There are several strong themes throughout this book. The value of hard work, love of kin-folk, following your passions, Jesus, and of course--the joy of blowing the heads off ducks. I don’t agree with all of Phil’s political views, and I think that a woman who isn't a good cook--"like me--can still be a good wife--like I hope I am. Nevertheless, I’m envious of this man and his faith. I'm envious that he knew himself well enough to know that a career as a professional football player wouldn't make him happy, happy, happy. That he had the faith in himself to convince his wife, who was caring for his brood of sons, that he should give up his comfortable teaching job to move into the swamp and fish for a living. Had he made the practical decisions, like we are all conditioned to make from early childhood, he might have been too distracted or "busy" to follow his passion to his calling. Now he’s a legend and has provided a legacy that employs many of the Robertson Clan today--doing something that they love: making duck calls, saving sinners, and blowing the heads off ducks.
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Three Musketeers
by
Alexandre Dumas
Amy BookGirl
, October 14, 2013
As a person who read The Count of Monte Cristo twice, I was ready to devour this book and have The Man in the Iron Mask for dessert. It started out strong. D’Artagnan is an honorable fellow from the French back-woods of Gascony, riding his half-dead yellow nag across country to Paris in hopes of joining the venerated Musketeers of King Louis XIII. On his first day in Paris he manages to get in a duel with each of The Three Musketeers. The Three Musketeers show up to second each other during their respective duels. They soon join forces to fight off the guardsmen of the villainous Cardinal Richelieu. Together the men defeat five of the Cardinals best men. Yes, loving this so far! Then things get weak for about 700 pages. It was too much like a theatrical play where the drama is over played. This kind of thing: For this insult, I will avenge my honor--to the death!! And, d’Artagnan burned with all consuming love for Mme. Bonacieux then shortly after she was captured, he burned with love for the villain, Milady; ill using her handmaiden to get to her. Blah. I thought the Three Musketeers would be more about--The Three Musketeers! Athos, Porthos and Aramis--all for one and one for ALL! Sadly, these guys only pop in now and again to liven things up. I thought there’d be tight plots and subplots, with more action. I had no idea that d’Artagnan was the main character. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to the “Book One of the d’Artagnan Romances”. Another problem was that this book was originally written as a serial novel. I had the same issue with The Tale of Two Cities. I think of 19th century serials as today’s TV series. Imagine sitting down to watch a movie and putting in Downton Abbey; with the expectation of getting one cohesive story. It’s annoying. The twist and turns later in the story don't really relate as well as they should to earlier parts of the story and it goes on and on and on. Had I read this book an episode at a time, eagerly awaiting next week's episode, I might have liked it more… perhaps. BUT, somewhere in the last one-third of the book the villain extraordinaire, Milady, is captured. Then Dumas' stellar writing with tight plots and sub-plots returns. I flashed through the rest of the book and it ended in a most satisfying way. He tied up all disparate story-lines with excellent plot twists, action, and brilliant character revelations--best of all d’Artagnan was hardly there, leaving me wishing there was more. In a book of 1700 pages, this is saying something. I’m glad I slogged through the 700 or so pages of d’Artagnan mire. The payoff was worth it.
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1984
by
George Orwell
Amy BookGirl
, October 14, 2013
1984 The scariest book I have ever read. I was moved by Farenheit 451, another dystopian novel, but it didn't rattle me like 1984. I can see why it has left such an indelible mark on our culture. Big Brother is watching, Newsspeak, Ingsoc, doublethink… *shudder* The structure of this possible 1984 society makes the most sense as a vector from war weary 1940's England. He writes about the never ending wars with continuous bombing, the citizenry being required to hate the enemy, the Ministry of Information (which spreads dis-information), Ministry of Plenty(which controls food rationing), ration cards, revolutions gone bad, people being punished for spreading anti-war messages. I think his invention, Ingsoc (English socialism), is a derivative of the terrifying result of failure of the Russian revolution. All these things were heavy on the minds of the populace during that time. I'll never hear the phrase "Big Brother is Watching" with the same indifference. Invasions of privacy never really bothered me because I never felt I was doing anything worthy of attention. Amy has purchased diapers and cat litter twice this month and receives regular calls from her husband at 11am. Snoozefest right? But, what if, my life was suddenly objectionable to a new government and all of the ways I've accepted invitations to peer into my privacy could be used against me? What I've watched on Netflix, what books I've downloaded from B&N using my membership. What states I've bought gas from on my credit card. My posts on Facebook or pictures I've uploaded. Book reviews I’ve posted--like this one? What if I don't hate our "enemies” enough? What if I don't like something the president said? What if all of this data could be aggregated by a super algorithm and my fate was decided by the output? In Orwell's 1984, those guilty of thought-crime, perhaps your face twitches into an expression deemed unorthodox, were collected by the Thought Police and left in the tender embrace of the Ministry of Love. Wherein lies the secret of Room 101 and the Inner Party. Never before has the right to free speech and privacy seemed more crucial.
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Sway
by
Amber McRee Turner
Amy BookGirl
, October 14, 2013
Sway is a story about a daughter, Castanea, whose mother falls from a hero’s pedestal and lands right in a steaming pile of lies and adultery. Confused and hurt, Cass blames her father for pushing her off that pedestal. Together, Cass and her father embark on a journey in Cousin Eddie’s old RV dubbed, The Roast, through the American South to bequeath upon the citizens of towns with a discarded-shoe-marked off ramp, the the magic of Sway. Step right up, grab a sliver of soap, emblazoned with the initials of the historical figure, and take on their best qualities. Through their adventures changing the lives of others, Cass realized that the hero she needed was the one who “...snags a ten-year-old’s favorite pajamas because you’re there to tuck her in every night with your calloused hands.” A lovely story full of lively southern flavor and character. Uplifting and simple--a pleasurable read.
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No Cry Picky Eater Solution Gentle Ways to Encourage Your Child to Eat & Eat Healthy
by
Elizabeth Pantley
Amy BookGirl
, July 08, 2013
Do you have a picky eater? Me too, but thanks to this book, maybe not forever. When I discovered this book, I snapped it up and read it through. It is easy to read, trim with only the most pertinent information that is highly usable. This book shines by giving the reader an understanding and empathy for what our children are going through and comfort that their behavior is normal, (our children aren't trying to drive us nuts). I no longer feel guilty about my daughter's food preferences and can focus that misspent energy on tactics that are guiding her towards making healthy choices. How This Book Works This book is divided into four sections: What You Really Need To Know About Picky Eaters This section defines what a picky eater is and gives you some reassurance that picky eating is not only normal behavior for kids is part of our biological wiring. For example, kids crave energy dense foods that are easy to break down, (i.e. carbs) to power their rapidly growing brains and bodies as well as their constant motion. Also, bitter flavors can be an indicator of a toxic substance and kids' natural aversion to bitter is a evolutionary protector against ingesting toxic plants. Perhaps this could be used to our advantage, I'm thinking kale flavored crayons and Play-Doh... This section also contains Food Facts that delineates some of the common problems in our modern diets and offers gentle solutions for rectifying those issues. The Fundamental Four: Attitude, Environment, Amounts and Rules Attitude reminds us to keep our eye on long term goals by not waging war on our children each mealtime. Environment reminds us that if we want our children to eat healthy, then our pantries and refrigerators need to be filled with healthy foods and they need to see us enjoying those foods too. Amounts has easy-to-read charts that show daily calorie and nutrition requirements and how to meet them through your child's meals and snacks. The Rules section covers many of the contemporary food rules and whether or not following each is a good idea. Some of them are surprising, such as "Rule: Make your child's diet nutritionally balanced at each meal." (Something I've always strived to do.) Verdict: Break it! Upon reading the logic and research as to why, I think to myself... OhHHhhh... Tips, Tricks and Tactics: Solving Picky Eater Problems Now that we the parents are properly educated on the topic of feeding our brood, it's time for the fun stuff! The next 70 pages are filled with fun, gentle ideas for improving your child's overall diet while saving us some grey hair. I've been battling this issue for quite some time so I was doubtful that I'd find anything new. There were perhaps a dozen ideas that had never occurred to me and the ones I had already tried, I found I gave up too soon or could have tried it in a slightly different way. One surprise was learning that a child may need to be exposed to a new food 10 to 15 times before they'll even want to taste it. My daughter was lucky if I'd let her get away without trying a new food on the first day! No wonder she's worried whenever I set down an unfamiliar meal, she's sure I'm going to be pressuring her into eating some. That anxiety and pressure from me is going to ensure she rejects it out of hand. Another ah-ha moment for me. Play it cool... and hamm up the mmmMMMmmm--soo good. The Experts' Favorites: Recipes Even Your Picky Eater Will Love This section provides recipes from the authors of seven different kid friendly cookbooks! I plan to try them all except the two by the author whose book I already own. I have picked up the Sneaky Chef cookbook by Missy LaPine no less than a dozen times, during trips to the bookstore, only to put it back on the shelf. Now I can try out a sampling of her recipes before I invest in another would-be doorstop. Thanks Elizabeth! Prior to reading this book I was frustrated and unwittingly making mealtimes a time for my daughter to feel bad about the choices her biological composition is driving her to towards, by laying on pressure and guilt. I don't think pressure and guilt ever wrought positive changes in anyone, but what else could I do? Lots apparently. After reading this book I'm easier going about her food choices. I don't make food choices a power struggle anymore, so she's not losing because she's not giving in to me. I'm more conscientious about modeling good eating habits, I'm eating like a grown-up again, instead of eating what I know they'll eat. When she sees us enjoying these foods, she wants to like them and I've noticed that she keeps trying it (yay!) knowing she's missing out on something good. I'm trying to make mealtimes more fun and playful. I make the most out of snacks nutritionally, by giving my girls choices based on what they've been missing that day. For example if they're light on fruits and veggies I say, "You can have raisins, apple slices, carrot slices or applesauce." Or if they're light on protein, "You can have a hard boiled egg or mixed nuts." These changes plus a dozen or so others have us back on the right road. It's a long road, but in the interim I'm much more relaxed, my older daughter is much happier and my two-year-old benefits from these techniques at a much earlier age. Just as my venerated pediatrician reminds me, "We have 18 years to help her become a good eater." Thanks to this book, I'm confident we'll get there in a positive, gentle way.
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Fall of Giants
by
Ken Follett
Amy BookGirl
, June 04, 2013
The story begins in the year 1911. Unbeknownst to the civilized world, it is on the cusp of the first World War. A Bosnian Serb student, Gavrilio Princip, assassinated the heir to the Austrian throne; thereby knocking over the first domino that ticked through diplomatic efforts so pathetic as to be tantamount to a farce, drawing in Germany to support Austria. Then the regrettably located, France. Dominoes ticked through trade routes pulling in the resource and leadership poor Russia. Then pompous England waved their flag, while then the dominoes clattered through the minor powers, finally drawing in a reluctant United States. The tumbled dominoes are then erected as tombstones for the nearly ten million fallen soldiers. An atrocity that precipitates the fall of the remaining major aristocracies. The Fall of Giants. Indeed. Had I not read two of Ken Follett’s other historical novels, I never would have even set my finger on the binding to pull it from the shelf. I have long believed that war doesn't decide who is right; only who is left. The gore of the battlefield is too real in my overactive imagination, war strategy too far beyond my intellect and our world leaders are too oft obstinate old men who happily trade their country's brave young soldiers for mangled corpses, all to play some great game. Despite all that, I loved this book. The characters compelling and real. As I watched events spiral through their eyes, I found myself hopeful that events already written in the tomes of world history wouldn't happen. I despaired with them as it all happened anyway. I felt the percussion of mortar blasts as I curled up in my dugout. I heard the whiz of bullets as I leapt from mortar hole to mortar hole. I felt the hunger that compelled soldiers to sit and eat captured food stores as corpses cooled on the ground. I felt exalted as the Russian people rose up against the Tsar and their ridiculously corrupt government. I held Lenin in equal parts awe and distaste, and was saddened when the revolution went sour. I felt proud of my fellow American, Gus, when he stopped a Russian policeman from brutalizing a peasant girl, then treated her with kindness. “No Russian would address a peasant so courteously.” I cheered for Billy Twice when he spoke against the English aristocracy with the wisdom to effect change while avoiding outright revolution. I cheered for Ethel and Maud as they fought for women’s suffrage and equal rights for women workers. I was relieved when Germany signed the armistice and was disappointed when the allies used it as an opportunity to revile Germany and impose impossible reparations, making World War II an all but foregone conclusion. I learned more about this time period than ever before because I wasn't subjected to some dry, third person, Americans-are-so-great version of events, I lived it through these remarkable, albeit fictitious, characters. Synopsis This story begins in a fictional small mining town called Aberowen, England, where we meet our first two main characters, newly initiated miner, Billy and his sister, Ethel. Then we follow Ethel to Earl Fitzherbert's country estate where she works as the head housemaid. At Fitz’s estate we meet his Russian princess wife, Bea, his feminist sister, Maud, his boyhood companion,Walter, who is also a German diplomat, and an American diplomat, Gus. Later, we follow Gus to Russia where we meet Grigori and Lev, two young men that work for Putilov Machine Works building wheels for locomotives. Each of these strategically placed characters revealed a view of everyday life and politics from a new angle giving a fairly balanced view of the war. Billy (Welsh) From Billy we see life as a coal miner living in a community of prefabricated homes working on a mine owned by an English earl. Mining coal in the early 20th century is incredibly hard labor and ridiculously dangerous. The mine operators are far more willing to sacrifice miners than they are willing to part with the funds to provide even the most basic safety equipment. Laborers are a commodity of inexhaustible supply. Billy doesn't particularly favor being a commodity. He is bright, brave and a natural leader. Once drafted, these qualities keep him and most of his Aberowen Pals alive during their service in the war. He exposes the ineptitude of the aristocracy that commanded them in battle and fights to end their power. Ethel (Welsh - Sister to Billy) Ethel’s quick wit and passionate visage captivates Earl Fitzherbert. After a short romance she becomes pregnant. Fitz attempts to pay Ethel off in attempt to discard her and the scandal that grows in her womb. She spend the rest of the story fighting for women’s suffrage and equal rights with Fitz’s sister, Maud, while also raising her son. Earl Fitzherbert (English Earl owner of the land containing Aberowen) Fitz is a generally likable enough guy. He is courageous and believes what he does is the right thing, even when it isn't. You almost can’t blame him because he comes from a long line of aristocrats and to a large degree was born (or made) that way. He suffers from an inferiority complex in which his constant desire to prove he’s worthy of his title drives him to make bad decisions. Princess Bea (Russian born wife of Fitz) Through Princess Bea we see how the Russian royalty holds the peasantry in utter disdain. They don’t believe themselves simply separated by class so much as separated by species. Through her, we also feel the pain of the loss of her heritage and the brutal death of her brother during the Russian revolution. Maud (Sister to Earl Fitzherbert) Maud’s is a woman for the people, but certainly not a woman of the people. She has an enviable intellect, poise and bottomless pocketbook thanks to her indulgent brother, Fitz. I had to excuse her hypocrisy in favor of what she was trying to accomplish. She befriends Ethel to further her causes but never sees her as an equal, though both women are formidable. She and Walter fall in love prior to the war and spend most of the book in anguish as they remain loyal to their countries, while doing all they can for peace. Walter (German diplomat and friend to Fitz) I had the most empathy for his character. Walter is an intelligent man with a good heart, whose ideas and maneuvering for peace are ignored again and again to the ruin of his beloved homeland, Germany. He spends the war separated from Maud and in a constant state of deprivation as he serves as an intelligence agent in the front lines of the war. Grigori (Russian metal worker and soldier) Easily the toughest and most earnest character, Grigori raised his younger brother Lev, after his father was hanged for the crime of grazing his cattle land belonging to Princess Bea, and his mother was shot during a protest march in front of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Soon after the war begins, he is drafted in to the military and we see first hand the brutality of the officers, rampant corruption as the military supplies are sold on the black market, and terrible strategic moves as they waste the lives of their soldiers. We see the growing dissent of the soldiers which culminates into mutiny and revolution, of which Grigori's point of view provides a front row seat. Lev (Russian, Grigori’s brother) Lev is all charisma and no scruples. He takes Grigori’s seat on the boat to America to escape the Russian police. The boat lands in Cardiff, England and he realizes he (well, his brother) has been conned. He eventually makes his way to America and we see life for a Russian immigrant working for a Russian mob boss. Gus (American diplomat) Gus is easy to like. Tall, gangly, idealistic, and wicked smart he keeps the reader abreast of what is happening in the U.S. Government during this time. Through him we meet Woodrow Wilson, whom I admired and disliked all at once. He was a brilliant leader with the utmost of integrity, but growing up in the South left him bigoted. He conceived of the idea for a League of Nations that would later become the U.N., for the purpose of resolving conflicts between great nations. Once the United States joins the war effort, Gus enlists as an officer. Gus arrives in France as an officer in the Expeditionary Force and through him we witness the famous battle, Chateau-Thierry. The heroes in this particular story aren't forged in the heat of battle against the enemy. They are the peasants, mine workers, factory workers and soldiers who fought their respective imperial rulers to form a new government that would allow their children to grow up served by their government rather than exploited by it; where leaders are chosen by virtue of their abilities and ethics rather than their breeding. Imperfect as democracy is, I’ll take it, and I extend my deep gratitude for all of the lives lost fighting during our own revolution and civil war to make our country free, and to those who defend it to this day. Now for two minor gripes: Ken Follett, writes a scene where Lev is nearly molested by a priest. I know this sort of thing happens, clearly, from his other books, but it seemed gratuitous. It makes me wonder if he has a personal bias as it was otherwise irrelevant to the story. He gets another dig in when Grigori is talking to a girl about the incident and she says something to the effect of, well--duh. I thought it a bit odd how many women were lost their virginity in this book. The scenes were fairly graphic too. Almost as if "Phil" from the marketing group said, “Ken our demographic for this book is xyz, so you need to write in more sex scenes and make ‘em virgins. …and go.” Then he punches him in the arm and winks at him. Ken, next time tell that guy to go get bent.
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No Cry Sleep Solution Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night Foreword by William Sears M D
by
Elizabeth Pantley
Amy BookGirl
, April 16, 2013
This book is a beacon of hope to those mired in the fog of sleep deprivation. There is an almost universal malady among parents of young children and babies and it’s called Sleep Deprived. You know if you suffer from this condition if your baggy eyes remind you to that you need to call Grandma June, your pillow hair resists all attempts at taming, you put the cereal in the fridge and milk in the cupboard, and slinged to your body is a bundle from heaven for whom all of this is worthwhile. But you think, “Can’t I have this wonderful baby AND get some sleep?” What if I said, “Yes”? If you’re like me you’d say, “But I can’t--won’t make her cry.” What if I still said, “Yes”? It is possible. I know because I was there and we did it thanks to a wonderful book called The No-Cry Sleep Solution. Instead of a one-size-fits all approach this book respects the unique combination of you and your baby’s temperaments. Not once, has there ever been a mom exactly like you, nor a baby exactly like yours. This wonderful variety among people almost ensures that whatever trick worked for someone else probably won’t for you, and you’re left feeling like you’re doing something wrong. This book supports different parenting styles by offering help for nursing moms, bottle fed babies, pacifier users, co-sleeper and crib sleepers alike and provides dozens ideas from which you plot your own route out of the fog of sleep deprivation. At four months old, my first daughter Danielle was only waking once a night and we thought the worst was behind us. However, her sleep got progressively worse as she started teething and reaching developmental milestones. I knew my tenderhearted husband and I would not be able to muster the wherewithal to let her cry-it-out, as her doctor and many of my friends felt was the only way. According to my sleep logs, at about 9 months of age I was up 11 times a night tending to every little whimper and perceived sign of discomfort. She was sleeping a total of 8 ½ hours a night with only one or two short 45 minute naps a day. I was exhausted, desperate, and feeling like a failure because I couldn’t help my spirited little baby get the rest she needed. Other babies I knew that were her age were taking two, two-hour naps a day and sleeping 12 hours a night! What was I doing wrong? It turned out that my spirited baby wasn't wired to sleep as much as other babies, and that’s OK. Using this book, I learned how to set her circadian rhythms, (and my own) and how to prime her for sleep. With something as simple as setting an early bedtime, she improved her sleep by almost 2 hours a night! Further, I was able to learn to which night-wakings I needed to respond and which was normal sleep movements and noises. I was waking the poor thing up! The map I created led us to a place we could live in. It still fell short of other people’s standards, but that was OK; because as Elizabeth teaches it’s only a problem, if we feel it's a problem. And we no longer did. By the time Gabrielle came along, all those changes we made to our daily life that felt unnatural four years ago were now intuitive. I followed Elizabeth’s advice without even being conscious of it and had a much easier time helping her sleep well from the beginning. Although, we too found ourselves in rough waters, but Elizabeth’s book was right there, whispering words of kindly advice like breezes into my sails, righting our course and sending us to the pleasant waters of restful nights. How this Book Works One of the first things Elizabeth says is to “use this book however it is helpful to you”. You don’t like the idea of doing logs all night or the formality of creating a sleep plan? Don't. It’s OK. The strength of this book is the ideas, support and hope it provides. It is a map showing many routes out of the fog of sleep deprivation. You build your own boat, choose the beacons and the speed at which you travel. The magic is that with her ideas and your perseverance, they all lead to a sunnier place. Do a Safety Check Whether you plan to co-sleep, use a co-sleeper or crib there are important safety considerations to follow. I found the co-sleeping safety advice particularly helpful, most other resources simply discourage the practice and since I chose to do it anyway, I was grateful that Elizabeth showed me how to do it safely. Learn Basic Sleep Facts Just the most important facts about sleep and circadian rhythms to help you understand how the following solutions will help. Sleep Logs Logging what’s actually happening at night to help you asses your current situation. This is probably the most discouraging step, but hang in there--help is coming! Review and Choose Solutions I was relieved when I got to this point. The solutions are divided into sections based on age: newborn to four-months-old and four-months to two-years old. Create your Personal Sleep Plan This is the fun part. You pick and choose from all the wonderful ideas to create a plan that fits you and your baby. The second half of the book deals with logging your nights using your new plan so you can track your progress and troubleshoot the rough spots. It may take several iterations to achieve the goals you set, but you’re well on your way. At this point I began to think of Elizabeth as my wise friend and the other moms as my sleep support group. Their testimonies, woven throughout the book, are very comforting and supportive. The book wraps up with more information about revising your plan and logging your results as well as information about how to get you sleeping again, once baby is doing better. It is a concise 246 pages, chock full of advice, support and only the most pertinent clinical information. After all, tired mamas shouldn't have to wade through a thousand page tome of medical jargon to glean a little help and hope. Once you've navigated out of the fog of sleep deprivation, you can bask in the love and beauty of your baby. You’ll see with clarity routes through the many challenges of parenthood and life. Each night you can go to bed relaxed knowing that you have the skills to navigate through future patches of rough water, thanks to your perseverance and this lovely book.
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Easy to Love Difficult to Discipline The 7 Basic Skills for Turning Conflict Into Cooperation
by
Becky A Bailey
Amy BookGirl
, March 27, 2013
Easy to love? Yep. Difficult to discipline? Yep. Lucky for us we have this book to go to for help! I consider myself something of an authority on parenting books, having read at least 25 of them. They seem to fall into categories, Tips and Tricks, Woah You Didn’t Already Know This Hype, Specific Problem, XYZ is the Reason Why Kids Today are Weird, Parenting Through Religious Teachings and finally, Teach Yourself to Teach Your Children Without Screwing Them Up Too Badly. Easy to Love is the only one I’ve read that falls into this last category. This is my third reading of this book in two years. About two and a half years ago was my most difficult time during my relatively short time as a mother. I had been struggling with my then three-year-old since she hit that 18 months mark. I was pregnant with my second, doubting my wisdom in birthing my first and feeling an like an utter failure as a parent. I was so stressed I was actually having chest pains. I was yelling, swearing and otherwise being the exact opposite of what I wanted to be. Despite my fervent attempts at control, (or perhaps because of them) Danielle was misbehaving at every turn; defiant, (NO, YOU CLEAN IT UP!) hurtful, (I HATE YOU!) and quick to melt down at every setback. I’m getting anxious just writing this. I tried everything: time-outs, punishing bad behavior by taking things away, rewarding good behavior and offering choices and incentives. I also tried outright control tactics using all my power as MOM to control her. None of it worked and none of us were happy. I knew there had to be a better way. I searched and searched and when I found this book the synopsis shone like a ray of hope into my desperate heart. I think I may have heard angels harmonizing. Yes, yes this is us! As I read I knew I found that elusive parenting philosophy for which I had been searching! Becky focuses on self-control (for parents and children) and discipline as teaching rather than punishment. Kids develop in predictable ways and no one is born knowing how to negotiate conflict. Some of us never learned. (Me!) As I grew I learned how to avoid most conflicts and internalize the rest. (Awesome strategy, no?) In my mind conflict is BAD. (No wonder I used to fantasize about running away to the mountains to be a hermit.) In actuality conflict is GOOD, because it is an excellent opportunity for learning and teaching. Instead of giving me advice on to manipulate and control my children, it taught me how discipline and control myself, so I could then be an effective teacher for my children. Every time I teach my girls how to negotiate through a conflict I feel more confident negotiating my own conflicts. It taught me how to assertively say “no” and be heard without being hurtful. It taught me to be kind to myself when I make mistakes and give myself credit for my good intentions so that I could see my children’s true (good) intent and be kind with them when they make mistakes. Then guide and practice with them what to do instead. I learned how to turn off the “punitive self talk” (Amy, that was really stupid. What’s wrong with you?) that was programmed into me, so I can also resist hurling the plethora of terrible phrases I have stored away at my children. It taught me that the gift of controlled parenting that I give my children, I also give myself. I feel like I’m finally going through and throwing out my growing-up-baggage rather than handing it down to them. Easy to Love can get a bit confusing with Becky’s Seven Powers for this and Seven Basic Skills for that and GAMES and PEACE plans that don’t fit very well with what you’re supposed to remember. However, if you take it slow and read word to word, stopping to absorb and mentally practice what’s she’s saying, you’ll get it. This book is the exact opposite of a quick-fix, it takes years and multiple reading before everything really start to sink in. Becky stated that for her personally it took about five years before the processes and words felt natural and came to her mind without thinking hard first. I was discouraged initially and then thought, I could be the same crappy, ineffective parent I am now in five years or a better, happier version of myself in five years. Here is an example of a personal situation to which I applied Becky’s teachings. Marker Mayhem! Danielle is coloring with markers at her kid sized table in our front room. Gabi comes up and tries (in normal toddler fashion) to grab the marker right out of Danielle's hands. Danielle shouts, “NO GABI THAT’S MIIINE!! MOOoooooOOMM, Gabi is trying to take my marker!!!” Gabi starts stomping her feet and adds to the cacophony, “I neeeeed it! Give it to Gabi!” Before reading this book (or on an off day today) I would have handled it one of two ways: Tact 1. Go after Danielle because she's older and therefore less crazy. Me: “Danielle, can you share your marker with Gabi?” Danielle: “No! Noooo! I need it to finish my horse picture!” Predicting that I’m going to coerce her she digs in. “I don’t want her to use my markers!” Me: I'm getting frustrated at this point and my brains becoming scrambled by all the ambient screaming: “Danielle, you need to learn to share! Gabi just wants to color with you! Why is that such a terrible thing?! Give her one of the other markers that you’re not using.” Danielle: “NO, NOOOOO! I don’t want her to use my markers!!” “Gooo away GABI!” she practically spits out. Gabi ratchets her displeasure up a notch. Me: Feeling desperate I say, “Gabi, lets you and me go read some books!” Gabi: “No, no! Color! Markers! Maaaaarrrrrkers!” Me: “Danielle, share with Gabi or the markers are mine.” Danielle: “No!!!!” I take all the markers and shove them in the box and put them up on top of the fridge. Danielle: “Good, you take them, just so long as GABI doesn’t get to use them. FINE!” Me: *Long angry rant about sharing and sisterly love and you should be so lucky to have so much and this is selfish behavior, etc, etc.* Tact 2: Go after Gabi because she's the offender. Me: “Gabi, you can’t snatch things from other people!” “Let go! Let gooo!” Pry her fingers off Danielle’s marker. Danielle: “Yeah, Gabi don’t snatch!” Gabi: “Maaaaaaarrrrker! I neeeeed it!” Me: “Gabi, lets do something else. Do you want to read a book?” Gabi: “No, maaaarrrrker!” Me: “How about blocks? We can build a super cool tower!” Gabi: “No, marker!” Gabi runs back and grabs the marker again. Then we start with tact 1. Results of doing things “my” way: I’m angry and disappointed, Danielle is angry with me and Gabi, and Gabi is melting down. I did all the work resolving the conflict and nobody is feeling good. This is how it plays out when I use Becky’s methods: I dash in and then squat down to be eye level with the girls. Danielle starts in reiterating the problem, “She’s trying to snatch my marker!!” I look at both girls and say, “Hold on, lets calm down, we can figure this out. Gabi let go of the marker, I’ll help you.” I help release her fingers. Gabi: “Maaarrrker, I need it!” Me: “Gabi, you wanted to color with Danielle so you tried to take the marker.” Gabi looks at me and calms down a little. Danielle tenses up, expecting me to try to coerce her, I reassure her, “Don’t worry I’m trying to teach you guys.” “Gabi, if you want to color with Sister, please ask, don’t take, taking can hurt Danielle’s feelings. Try asking now. Say, ‘Danielle can I have your marker?’” Gabi: “Danielle, have marker?” Danielle: “No! I’m using it! I need it to finish my horse picture.” Me: “Say that to Gabi.” She does, somewhat gentler, and Gabi starts to get upset again. Me: “Danielle, try offering Gabi one of the other markers.” Danielle: “Gabi, here you can use a different color.” (She really did this!) “But don’t color on my picture!” Me: “Danielle can you show Gabi where to get paper?” Danielle: “Gabi come with me, the paper is over here.” Feeling magnanimous, she gets Gabi about 50 sheets. Gabi sits down and starts coloring, Danielle says, “Wow, Gabi I like your coloring.” Result: We all learned something, our relationship is stronger and we are happy. Instead of jumping in and solving the problem using my position of power, I taught them how to work through the conflict. Will they do this perfectly next time? Nope. Will they do it perfectly the next 50 times? Nope. But I see Danielle (5 years old) getting it more and more and trying out parts of it. She's much more relaxed when I come in to help with a conflict because she trusts me to guide her instead of coercing her. She has yet to put it all together, but heck she’s only 5! I don’t do it perfectly every time either, actually I mess up all the time. But, when I do make mistakes I’m kind to myself and remind myself that I’ll have lots of opportunities to practice and I’ll get it eventually. I particularly feel good that they’ll have these skills their whole life! Who has better odds of becoming a better baseball player, one who starts playing at 5 or someone who put a glove on her hand for the first time at 35? My littler one, Gabi benefits from having clear firm boundaries and a Mom who knows how to enforce them without being angry or spontaneously permissive because she doesn’t have the will to fight on that particular day. With these tools, I know how to set and enforce boundaries in a loving way that teaches responsibility, self control and conflict resolution. The principles of this book can be difficult to absorb as you’re learning them, however Becky provides many common real world examples that applies the teachings. At the end of the book she even provides a week by week schedule for practicing each particular skill. I’m not a perfect parent, nor will I ever be, nor do I aspire to be. But I’m doing everything I can to give my girls the best chance at a happy life. In turn, I’m giving myself a happy life with my husband and the two coolest little kids I’ve ever met.
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World Without End
by
Ken Follett
Amy BookGirl
, March 24, 2013
I loved Follett’s Pillars of the Earth and was thrilled when my husband found it has a sequel --of sorts. AWWE is also set in the fictional English town of Kingsbridge, about 150 years later in AD 1327. Several of the main characters are descendants of our heroes from Pillars. Fourteenth Century Europe was a lively place historically speaking, but a deathly place for those that lived during that time. It was a time of the Black Death that ravaged Europe killing about half the population. It was also the beginning of the Hundred Years War between England and France. Like Pillars, this fictional story is threaded through historical events and beaded with factual details creating an utterly compelling tapestry that is at once lovely and horribly ugly. I was left with a feeling for what life was like for the people who lived (survived?) during those times. For the first time, I’m truly thankful to be alive in our modern world (medicine, judicial system, equality, welfare, economy) even with its many flaws. Synopsis: Four pre-adolescent children, Gwenda, Merthin, Ralph and Caris witness a knight being ambushed by two men-at-arms in the forest near Kingsbridge village. With Ralph’s help the knight, Sir Thomas Langley, defeats the two men. Merthin helps the knight bury what turns out to be the historical Fieschi Letter. The children’s fate remain intertwined from that day forward. The beauty of this book lies in the depth of the historical research. Through each of the main characters we learn different aspects of daily life, social structures and economy. The many dozens of minor characters fill out all 1181 pages beautifully. Through Merthin’s eyes we see the wonders of medieval architecture and Europe. He and Caris develop a maddening and sometimes just annoying romance that lasts the duration of the story. Through Caris, who is the daughter of a prosperous wool merchant we learn about the economy and hierarchy of craftsmen of medieval England. Such as how the craft guilds operated (and from Merthin as well) and how apprentices were used. We also see how weavers and dyers worked and how their lives and their work are one. It is no wonder they were named for their livelihood, Caris Wooler, Merthin Builder, Dick Brewer, they are very much what they do. Also through Caris we learn about the operation and hierarchy of the church and the medicine they practiced. The prevalent use of animal dung in poultices for “bringing forth the pus” and how patients were diagnosed with evil humours which were treated by bleeding pint after pint of their life’s blood. It was common for someone to be treated for a broken arm, then later die of some unknowable infection. Innovation in medicine was heavily discouraged and anyone who tried risked being charged with witchcraft or blasphemy. A priory hospital was a truly terrifying place. Through Gwenda’s eyes we see what life is like for the daughter of a landless laborer. Summers of backbreaking labor in someone else’s fields and winters of picking pockets and enduring starvation. It is baby brothers and sisters dying because your mother didn’t have enough to eat to maintain her milk supply. After Gwenda marries we see life for a serf of a nobleman. How they could only grow what the lords declared, how they paid their taxes and were required to labor on their lord’s fields as well as their own. They essentially belonged to him and were treated as such. For the first time I understand why people flocked to the wilderness of the Americas simply for the promise of owning their own land. Through Ralph’s eyes, we see the inner working of the nobility class and how one rises through the ranks. We also see the horror of King Edward III’s Battle of Crécy and Battle of Blanchetaque to reclaim Gascony. Ralph rises from squire to Earl of Shiring through equal parts dumb luck and ruthlessness. By the story’s end in the year 1361, the bad guys are dead, the good guys are happy-ish and the buried letter is revealed, in a somewhat anticlimactic fashion. Grrrrripes A first I felt the characters were obvious derivatives of the Pillars characters. Merthin is clearly Jack, for whom I suspect the author has a particular affection. Caris is Aliena, Ralph is a cross between Richard and William... So much so, that I referred to Merthin as Jack in my mind to keep the names straight as I got to know the characters. However, by the end of the story, they succeeded in forming their own identity in my imagination. He and I share a tendency to be overly verbose. However at least I am aware of it. He wastes page after page recapping past events. I DESPISE THAT! It feels condescending. He also takes an extraordinarily long time to get around to making a point; then he takes it and lays it on the sidewalk for you to step in over and over again. Dammit! I already stepped in that pile twice already! One particularly wet pile was hearing how Caris wouldn't marry Merthin for fear of spending her life as a slave to him and their future children. I think stating that once is plenty, and perhaps it could go unsaid and just revealed in dialogue or her actions. This is a technique called “show don’t tell” from which he could benefit using. As a wife and mother myself, I would have been able to sympathize with those feelings, if I wasn't so tired of wiping my shoes in the grass. He occasionally uses modern idioms in dialogue and in his narration. In one case, he wrote of Ralph’s reluctance to invite his parents to live in with him at Tench Hall because they would “cramp his style”. (Another opportunity for use of the show-don’t-tell axiom.) A petty thing for sure, but my illusion of living alongside the people of medieval England shattered and suddenly here I was, in the 21st century reading a book. Guess I better go start a load of laundry. Missed Opportunities for Redemption I was disappointed when the two primary villains Godwyn and Ralph died. Their deaths were punitively gruesome, however I was hoping for some kind of growth or redemption. We spend a lot of time in each of their point of view’s and both while both did vile acts, I was still hoping for something meaningful to come out of their lives. Godwyn, the Prior of Kingsbridge was not an evil man, but he was arrogant and prideful. I was hoping he would be stripped of those attributes through some sort of suffering or some first hand exposure to what people sacrifice for those they love. Then he'd live out his life in a very humble subservient way or perhaps he could have saved the day somehow to someone else's glory. Ralph, I’m afraid had to go. However, I was hoping there would be some meaning to it. Throughout the story he is self-centered, self-serving and utterly without conscience. Once he discovers Gwenda’s son Sam is his own, there are flickers of something almost like love. I was hoping Follett would fan that into a flame inspiring Ralph to perhaps fall in love with Gwenda (true love, not ruthless-take-what-I-want love) and die in some altercation in which he sacrifices himself for Gwenda or Sam or both. He still dies, but we would see that man he could have been if something more than his killing instinct had been nurtured and praised. At one point while ranting about some aspect of this book, Charley said, “I’m sorry you’re not liking this book.” “What? No, I’m loving it!” At times I was passionately angry with characters, his writing, the way the plot was going, because I was all in! I couldn't (willingly) put this book down. I would almost subconsciously make excuses to get a moment to read. “Took Gabs a little while longer to fall asleep tonight.” “Girls I’m a bit tired, I’m going to rest for a few moments and read a bit.” Those thousand pages were gone in a flash. The historic detail, the lifelike characters, the engaging story made the words come off the page and swirl into full color life, complete with fresh breezes lilting through trees full of the scent of grass and blossoms, stifling rooms reeking of shit and death, and the wonder of living in a time long past that is part of our composition today.
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Surely Youre Joking Mr Feynman Adventures of a Curious Character as Told to Ralph Leighton Uk Edition
by
Richard P Feynman
Amy BookGirl
, February 07, 2013
A fascinating foray into the fun yet formidable physics of Mr. Feynman. Actually, this book is less about physics and more about the life of Nobel Prize Laureate, Richard Feynman. (Richard just rolled over in his grave; if you want to know why -- read this book!) Once I adjusted my expectations from education to entertainment, I absorbed every word. He was always interesting, at times very entertaining and despite his obvious genius he had an utter lack of pretentiousness and conceit that I previously assumed afflicted all venerated scientists. I left this book wishing for more, and feeling inspired to pursue my own adventures in curiosity. What could I achieve if, like Richard, I abandoned my Western culture imperative of accomplishment through suffering and played with my talents in ways I felt was fun?
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Surely Youre Joking Mr Feynman Adventures of a Curious Character
by
Richard P Feynman
Amy BookGirl
, February 07, 2013
A fascinating foray into the fun yet formidable physics of Mr. Feynman. Actually, this book is less about physics and more about the life of Nobel Prize Laureate, Richard Feynman. (Richard just rolled over in his grave; if you want to know why -- read this book!) Once I adjusted my expectations from education to entertainment, I absorbed every word. He was always interesting, at times very entertaining and despite his obvious genius he had an utter lack of pretentiousness and conceit that I previously assumed afflicted all venerated scientists. I left this book wishing for more, and feeling inspired to pursue my own adventures in curiosity. What could I achieve if, like Richard, I abandoned my Western culture imperative of accomplishment through suffering and played with my talents in ways I felt was fun?
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Spinward Fringe Broadcast 0: Origins
by
Randolph LaLonde
Amy BookGirl
, December 20, 2012
Sci-fi has never been my genre of choice, perhaps because I’m a bit claustrophobic and the idea of being confined to a ship for years and possibly dying the the frozen vacuum of space is a bit, well, awful. However I appreciate how writers of sci-fi stories can be wonderfully imaginative. Free from the limitations of current technologies and geography, writers can pluck choice apples of theoretical physics and bake them into their stories. The pie comes out warm with super sweet gadgets and chewy with fun cosmological science stuff. I love it when authors invent new social and societal structures that are recognizable vectors of current society, with cool original ideas for connecting people across the vastness of space. But regardless of the genre, it is good solid characters, their interactions and personal growth that makes or breaks the story for me. And that’s what broke the story for me. With the exception of the character, Oz, I never had any feeling (like nor dislike) for the characters. I had trouble remembering their names, they were just flat, one dimensional things. The author, Randolf LaLonde belabored their development with long discussions that were intended to reveal character depth but in the end just detracted from the story and slowed things down. I kept thinking that a discussion or meeting was somehow important foreshadowing for future events. I would mentally catalog ideas but they never turned into anything. Arg! Perhaps one of the inherent limitations of writing in the first person is that you can only see everyone through the window of one dull character’s eyes. When I mentioned this to my husband, he said, “If he’s really good with the technical stuff he’s probably not that great with people.” Of course! Had Randolf known his strengths better he would have devoted that energy to the plot and technical aspects of the story. I wouldn't have cared about the characters, they’d just be props in an amazingly interesting story. What Mr. Lalonde did well was the application of theoretical physics into the machinery of the story. Their ship is composed of metal that will regenerate itself when damaged, it has inertial dampeners to soften the blow of impacts, they capture a power source that derives energy from a singularity (an itty bitty big bang). They also capture a particle accelerator, and put it to use making antimatter for weapons. The ship can generate worm holes for fast fun travel experiences. Need something? Just go to a handy materializer station. Drop in your garbage, program in what you want, a sandwich say, and it’ll re-scramble the atoms into a hot turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy. Cool. And that’s just the ship. The idea that they’re on a “shadow ship” out capturing technology for their home station, Freeground is fun too. The evil corporations are also fun to see operate on a galactic scale. I love how corporate technology is cutting edge (in their time) but mass produced and cheap (like in our time). I liked all the creativity that went into how the disparate governments and corporations and the inevitable politics therein work on a grand galactic scale. *Breathe* He did a great job revealing all of this in small digestible pieces, that you eat up and ask for more. And then the characters start talking again...
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Illusions
by
Richard Bach
Amy BookGirl
, November 20, 2012
This book tears down the fabric of reality and alters perceptions, yet it is light, entertaining and engrossing. It is a story as unlikely as an auto mechanic turned messiah, turned barnstormer from the holy lands of Indiana; a glass of spring water in a literary world polluted with the lead and chlorine of writing for the mass market. Richard is a barnstormer pilot of a Fleet airplane who flies out of the cornfields of the American Midwest selling ten minute rides for three dollars. His is a free existence, sleeping under the stars with a belly full of pan bread that only he can love. His unburdened mind flies with the idea that reality isn't. That men could fly if they could only forget that it was impossible. One sunny day he lands his Fleet next to a better-than-mint Travel Air 4000 and finds the teacher for whom he has been searching. Richard rediscovers a bond of friendship with Don Shimoda that extends beyond this life. Don teaches Richard what he has yet to remember; that he can walk on water and swim through dirt; that this life is a story of our own creation from which we are meant to simply learn and enjoy. This is a book that belongs on life's reading list.
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Illusions The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah
by
Richard Bach
Amy BookGirl
, November 18, 2012
This book tears down the fabric of reality and alters perceptions, yet it is light, entertaining and engrossing. It is a story as unlikely as an auto mechanic turned messiah, turned barnstormer from the holy lands of Indiana; a glass of spring water in a literary world polluted with the lead and chlorine of writing for the mass market. Richard is a barnstormer pilot of a Fleet airplane who flies out of the cornfields of the American Midwest selling ten minute rides for three dollars. His is a free existence, sleeping under the stars with a belly full of pan bread that only he can love. His unburdened mind flies with the idea that reality isn't. That men could fly if they could only forget that it was impossible. One sunny day he lands his Fleet next to a better-than-mint Travel Air 4000 and finds the teacher for whom he has been searching. Richard rediscovers a bond of friendship with Don Shimoda that extends beyond this life. Don teaches Richard what he has yet to remember; that he can walk on water and swim through dirt; that this life is a story of our own creation from which we are meant to simply learn and enjoy. This is a book that belongs on life's reading list.
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A Dance with Dragons: Song of Ice and Fire 5
by
George R R Martin
Amy BookGirl
, January 01, 2012
Get out your series notes or do as I did and buy a Game of Thrones app for your e-reader because the adventure continues. This book does not disappoint. The 1000+ pages disappear faster than donut samples at your coffee shop. The story takes turns that were completely unexpected and at times heartbreaking. It is rich in back story and history (sometimes a little too rich for my taste) that add substance and context. The writing is as always, superb. The story engaging. I've read many books this year but none that bring together these three elements as well as this one does. I can't wait to eat up the next book too!
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