Of the nine, I rated two excellent, four very good, and one earned the rating “weird book of the Bible.” Pretty good for one month.
Book 1
When I recall my birthplace, Zhucheng, Shandong, I think first of our shiheyuan, the traditional courtyard home that I grew up in.
Book 2
Chapter 1: Labor
New York, Methodist Hospital, November 28, 2005.
I’m in labor
The pain comes in twenty-foot waves and Mà has disappeared.
Book 3
Prologue: Chosen
Crossing the Long Island Sound in dense fog just before midnight on the night of June 11, 1880, the passengers and crew of the steamship Stonington found themselves wrapped in impenetrable blackness.
Book 4
When I was seven, I went up to a little boy in the schoolyard. He was sitting alone on the swings, sucking on a jawbreaker. He had black wavy hair and was a little on the chubby side.
“Davy, do you believe in God?”
Book 5
Mechanics Can Cook
Precious Ramotswe, creator and owner of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Botswana’s only detective agency for the problems of ladies, and of others, had never studied business management.
Book 6
In 1943, Mass Transportation magazine published an article entitled “Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees.”
Book 7
“What do you think?” asked Mariia, smiling, in her bright dress, as I ducked under the doorframe of her orderly little hut and stepped back into the sunshine and rubble. “Everything as it should be?”
Book 8
Adonai’s message that came to Hosea son of Be’eri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash King of Israel.
Book 9
Introduction: More to be Shaped By
So much nature writing is about freedom and access to the vast spaces that provide crisp air and opportunities for fresh perspectives. But this collection’s origins lie in a revelation that came to me while teaching nature writing in a prison setting, where participants didn’t have access to such liberative experiences.
The titles and authors revealed:
Book 1
Daughters of Shandong
By Eve J. Chung
386 pages. Published 2024. Historical fiction.
The narrator lives through extreme trauma brought about by the Chinese Maoist revolution, followed by refugee escape to Taiwan, all while also enduring the generations-long misogynist culture. The viciousness of the grandmother, while over-the-top, also seems quite plausible. The writing is good, if straightforward, with first person narration. I liked reading about these characters. The story is based on the author’s grandmother’s life.
Book 2
The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir
By Thi Bui.
329 pages. Published 2017. Graphic book.
nonfiction graphic history memoir
A very fast read – I read it in a couple hours. Engaging. I rated it Excellent, my highest book rating. There are some similarities to Daughters of Shandong – both concern war, including civil war, and immigration. The art work is well done, evocative of the emotions and events portrayed. I appreciated reading it, and so did the Common Household Husband.
Book 3
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard. 339 pages. Published 2011.
A non-fiction book about President Garfield’s assassination.
Despite the subject, I really enjoyed reading it and learned a lot. It’s very well told. I would sum it up this way: Hubris impedes humanity’s progress, especially the hubris of men seeking power and men who are medical doctors. Still applicable today!
Book 4
Laughing All the Way to the Mosque
By Zarqa Nawaz
256 pages • first pub 2014
nonfiction memoir religion
An often funny portrait of a Muslim family, first generation Canadian. Includes a very interesting description of hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. In places it was a bit tedious, or I got the feeling the author was exaggerating. But overall I enjoyed it and learned from it. There is a Canadian TV show based on the book, available on Netflix.
Book 5
The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #14
By Alexander McCall Smith
242 pages • first pub 2013
fiction mystery
A lovely sojourn in Botswana, peaceful but not without mysteries to be solved. It features snakes, a snake-like aunt, an exciting addition to the character list, and interesting twists in the mysteries.
Book 6
The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II
By Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder
400 pages • first pub 2021
nonfiction biography feminism history
These are meant to be inspiring stories of women who accomplished extraordinary things in difficult times. And they are. But I couldn’t help feeling that we are now taking 1,000 giant steps backward. How many of these women, who waited a long time to be recognized for their service, have had their recognition erased by the current fascists in power? I also spent time thinking about whether the word “Girls” is justified in the title. Part of the theme is that these women started on their path while quite young, and the subtitle uses “Women” so I guess it’s not too egregious a fault.
I had vowed not to read any more books about German Nazis, the Holocaust, or World War II simply because I cannot stomach it. But somehow this book came across my radar. I had to skim some chapters.
Parts of the book are repetitive. But it was well worth reading about these women, of varied background and skill, and what they accomplished.
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Book 7
On Freedom
By Timothy Snyder
345 pages • first pub 2024
nonfiction philosophy politics
The dedication is crushing yet inspirational: “For those who wish to be free.”
So much to think about here. It was published before the 2024 election, and while it is all still relevant, it was bitter reading and thinking about what might have been. I rated it excellent.
Book 8
Hosea, The Bible, perhaps by someone named Hosea
and the “Hosea” portion, from Daniel and the Twelve Prophets for Everyone
(Old Testament for Everyone series)
By John E. Goldingay
Hosea was written between 760 and 720 BCE. Goldingay’s commentary published 2016.
The Hosea portion is 40 pages, and includes Goldingay’s translation of the Bible verses, plus his commentary.
It’s a weird book, and I didn’t gain much from it. I guess it is about loyalty?
Book 9
A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars
Erin Sharkey, editor.
312 pages • first pub 2023.
These essays appealed to me, for the most part, and gave me new perspectives. I bought this book (on kindle, through BookBub). I started it a few months ago; it was good to read every so often, rather than straight through.
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| Anybody else feel like this woman, after this week and after this month? |
