Tag Archives: non-fiction
Best Books Read in 2011
2. The Christ-Haunted Landscape: Faith and Doubt in Southern Fiction by Susan Ketchin
The Christ-Haunted Landscape takes its name from a quote by Flannery O’Connor: “I think it is safe to say that while the South is hardly Christ-centered, it is most certainly Christ-haunted.” Having grown up in the South, this rang true. Rarely do I spend so much time thinking about a book while reading it or take 5 months to do so. Comprised of interviews with and excerpts from the works of 12 authors, this book reminded me of where I am from. I recommend it to anyone interested in writing or in the interaction between beliefs and reality.
Original Review
3. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
4. The Forever War by Dexter Filkins
5. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
6. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
7. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
8. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
9. A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
2 comments | tags: 5 stars, appalachia, best books read in 2011, bibliophilia, book review, books, christ-haunted, christ-haunted landscape, culture, down south, essays, favorites, heard about on public radio, non-fiction, racial tension, re-read potential, recommended by a friend, religion, review, short story, south, susan ketchin, writing & literature | posted in Best Books Read in 2011, Lists, Words
Best Books Read in 2011
4. The Forever War by Dexter Filkins
With wars as complicated as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is natural that many of the books published dwell heavily on the hows, whys, blame, and credit. The Forever War did none of that. Written by Dexter Filkins, a reporter who spent long stretches of time in both countries and was embedded with troops on multiple occasions, it reads more like oral history than your typical history. It is a story about the people living and fighting in those countries. For that, it receives every bit of praise I can give.
Original Review
5. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
6. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
7. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
8. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
9. A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
4 comments | tags: 5 stars, Afghanistan, araaaaabian niiiiiights, best books read in 2011, book review, books, current affairs, dexter filkins, history, Iraq, journalism, mission still not accomplished, non-fiction, oral history, re-read potential, review, the forever war, war, world affairs | posted in Best Books Read in 2011, Lists, Words
9 comments | tags: 1.5 stars, abandoned, bloody spiders, book review, books, crime, criminals, godawful, heard about on public radio, jennie erin smith, non-fiction, reptiles, review, smuggling, stolen world, turtles, up to no good | posted in Lists, Words, Worst Books Read in 2011
Worst Books Read in 2011
10. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale
I first encountered The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher in a review a few years ago and loved the idea. Unfortunately, came nowhere near living up to its potential. While the underlying story was fascinating, its telling was dull, had polemic tendencies, and overall fell far short of the English fiction it is said to have inspired.
Original Review
9 comments | tags: 1.5 stars, book review, books, country houses, crime, criminals, disappointing, intriguing review, kate summerscale, non-fiction, review, suspicions of mr whicher, worst books read in 2011 | posted in Lists, Words, Worst Books Read in 2011
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Incredible. Parts of “How to Tell a True War Story” come to mind regularly. I love Tim O’Brien‘s writing. Those were the three things I had to say about The Things They Carried when I initially “reviewed” this book. I hold to all of those. This is my third reading and I found the book even better than it was eleven years ago. “How to Tell a True War Story” has probably influenced my views on writing and literature more than anything else I have ever read. There is a beautiful clarity and painful honesty that permeates this book. I can’t say enough good things about it.
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Leave a comment | tags: 5 stars, book review, books, favorites, fiction, historical fiction, history, jungles & swamps, military, non-fiction, re-read potential, read multiple times, recommended by a friend, review, the things they carried, tim o'brien, vietnam, war, xposted to OSgA reviews | posted in Words
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I cannot remember a time in my life when I have not loved music and loved to sing. I was raised in an environment where singing, and singing in front of others was pervasive. That being said, other than voice lessons, I have very little formal knowledge of what music is. I do not play an instrument or read music easily, and I most certainly have never been taught how music impacts the brain. Fortunately for me, in Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain Oliver Sacks addresses the latter, and does so in his beautiful flowing style. Somethings I’ve suspected were confirmed. Other pipe dreams, like that I could someday acquire perfect pitch, were dashed, but that is fine because of how fascinating the book was. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in any facet of music or the workings of the human brain.
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Leave a comment | tags: 4 stars, book review, books, brain, brainworm, earworm, hard sciences, little grey cells, music, musicophilia, neuroscience, non-fiction, oliver sacks, review, the arts | posted in Words
Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Let me say up front, I did not finish this book. Why am I reviewing it then? Well, because I might return to it at some point. From the first section, I feel comfortable saying that it is a well written story about a relatively interesting pair of women. Why did I abandon it if that’s the case? Well, I have well over 2000 books I want to read and the subject of this one just isn’t one that interested me enough to continue reading. I’ve decided I don’t have enough reading time to finish books solely because it is my habit to do so if I don’t have another compelling reason. In this case, I don’t. Maybe I will return to it another day when I am more interested in the days of the frontier.
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Leave a comment | tags: 2.5 stars, book review, books, did not finish, disappointing, great frontier, may try again, non-fiction, review | posted in Words
You Don’t Look Like a Librarian: Shattering Stereotypes and Creating Positive New Images in the Internet Age by Ruth Kneale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I stumbled across You Don’t Look Like a Librarian: Shattering Stereotypes and Creating Positive New Images in the Internet Age while randomly browsing at a library today. Shocking, right? Given the title, length and terrible choice of font, I did not have high expectations, but it seemed worth checking out. I’m glad I did. Not so much because the book said anything particularly profound, but because it is a trove of other books and media I now want to find. It was rather irking to see just how terrible a survey the author conducted and cited was, but Ruth Kneale did acknowledge its shortcomings. Overall, I’m glad I read this. Even though I could probably have found the resources elsewhere, I’m fine with doing it the lazy way.
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Leave a comment | tags: 3 stars, book review, books, librarian, libraries are awesome, library, library sciences, non-fiction, random discovery, review | posted in Words