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2016-19 Activities & Challenges
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2019 Fall Flurry of Holidays Challenge--November Reviews and Discussion
Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich3 stars
The humour made this someone enjoyable for me, but this is very much a romance genre book. I can see why the original books she wrote for that romance line (this was first published before the Stephanie Plum books) went out of print after a short time--that's the kind of romance it is.
That said, the humour helped a great deal. There is no crime and it isn't dark, but there is a potter, a pediatrician and a baby dropped off for a week or two by a young woman who thinks they are married.
If anyone is a member of Audible and still looking for a book to fit November, I just snagged this short, 3 hour audiobook that takes place over Thanksgiving!https://www.audible.com/pd/You-Can-Th...
Nicole, that is such a great tip! I added it to my November collection, so even if i don;t get to it this time around, can get it next season.
Nicole R wrote: "If anyone is a member of Audible and still looking for a book to fit November, I just snagged this short, 3 hour audiobook that takes place over Thanksgiving!https://www.audible.com/pd/You-Can-Th..."
I should add that it is a free Audible Originals this month. For those of you who are members....
Walking On Air by Catherine Anderson4 stars
Gabe is a gunslinger, a very successful one, whose life is spent on women, gambling and defending his life from challenges from those trying to unseat him as the fastest gun in the West. As the story opens, it's before dawn on Christmas Day, 1880, in a Colorado town. As he walks down the street, he is challenged to a gunfight, only this time, he takes a bullet. The last thing he sees an evergreen decorated shop window lit by a candle, and a woman's face framed in it.
Next thing Gabe knows, he's on cloud meeting a couple of archangels who give him a second chance, but only a month to save another soul on earth. He gets his pick of 3 people in that Colorado town: a young boy whose mother seems to have abandoned him, and old man who has sunk into drink and anger after the loss of his family, and a beautiful woman who is hiding from abusers from her past and closed herself off from love and marriage. Naturally Gabe chooses to save the beautiful woman, Nan. Or is that who is actually meant to be saved?
After making his choice, Gabe finds himself back on earth only it's a month earlier, the day before Thanksgiving, and he's just arrived in town. As the story unfolds, and a good part of it takes place over Thanksgiving, Gabe gradually experiences for the first time in his life the warmth of family and friendship, learns to consider others than just himself, and ultimately makes decisions not based on redeeming himself, but on what he believes should be done for others, ready to face his future satisfied with his choices. Nan too experiences an evolution and is instrumental in getting us to a true happy ending for all.
I really enjoyed this story which is far more than just a western historical romance. There are some spicy sexy scenes near the end, just the right amount I thought, and lots of fun characters and events. I did think it dragged a little bit in parts, but not overly. Definitely recommend as a holiday read - a good part of it, including important events, takes place over Thanksgiving, so I'm counting it as November Flurry read, but Christmas is also prominent.
Nicole R wrote: "If anyone is a member of Audible and still looking for a book to fit November, I just snagged this short, 3 hour audiobook that takes place over Thanksgiving!https://www.audible.com/pd/You-Can-Th..."
Thanks for the heads up! I grabbed it as well...
Unfortunately I don't have audible, but if anyone has another quick easy read for November please keep me posted :)
Cold Turkey by Shelley Freydont2 stars
Very short light cozy set at Thanksgiving in Celebration, a small town which has become a family tourist destination due to it's town-wide celebration of holidays large and small.
The town is hosting a Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, and town event planner Liz is participating in the 10K section of the run. Along the way, in an isolated wooded part of the course, she hears gunshots, and investigating, finds one of the runners killed. With help from Liz and other locals, the murderer is apprehended and a conspiracy to ruin the family friendly vibe of the town is uncovered and foiled.
But first you get to see the town's Pilgrim Feast and the re-enactment of the town's 'supposed' First Thanksgiving.
This was fun, extremely light, and a fast read. I've actually read and enjoyed other books in the series, and this fits in near the beginning when Liz is still a newcomer to the town. I only gave it 2 stars because it really is pretty thin.
Meli wrote: "Unfortunately I don't have audible, but if anyone has another quick easy read for November please keep me posted :)"Meli - take a look at Cold Turkey which I just posted -- a very light cozy set at Thanksgiving - and less than 80 pages as it is a novella.
Meli wrote: "Unfortunately I don't have audible, but if anyone has another quick easy read for November please keep me posted :)"Truman Capote's The Thanksgiving Visitor is only 37 pages.
Oh, excellent, thank you both for the suggestions.
Book Concierge wrote: "Meli wrote: "Unfortunately I don't have audible, but if anyone has another quick easy read for November please keep me posted :)"Truman Capote's The Thanksgiving Visitor is only 37 ..."
I'd forgotten that one! Wonder where my copy is???
I thought I'd mention that November is Native American Heritage Month, so reading a book by an indigenous author would also be a good fit for this month.
I wasn't sure I could fit in anything for November but a found a little book today at the library The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears: The Penguin Library of American Indian History series-it is short and will also fit the Tag, so I am going to give it a go.
Fall Flurry: NovemberWhen Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped Us Win World War II - Molly Guptill Manning
4 stars
One of Hitler's pet projects in 1930's Germany was to keep books from his countrymen, books that did not uphold his misguided ideals. Not only did he ban thousands of authors' works but he was responsible for the burning of over 100 million titles. Americans learned of this and was horrified. When America entered the war a Victory Book Campaign was begun to collect donated books for our soldiers. Over 10 million were collected, sorted and shipped to bases around the country and men who had never been readers were soon eagerly awaiting each new donation. Once the men were deployed overseas it became apparent that the hardback copies were not feasible to be carried by the soldiers. The Council on Books in Wartime worked diligently with various publishing houses to devise the Armed Services Edition (ASE) paperback books that could easily be tucked into a pocket. Although paperbacks were already being sold in the US they did not have a broad appeal and accounted for a very small percentage of book sales. The ASE's brought about a huge uptick in the lowly paperback's desirability. The Council shipped hundreds of thousands of books to soldiers and sailors serving in some of the most remote areas of the world. At times, reading was the only recreation available to the servicemen and the books were treasured. I love that one of the most cherished novels read by these men was Betty Smith's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn". Books have such power and they certainly helped many a soldier through extreme conditions.
Just a thought for those still looking for a book: 30 years ago today The Berlin Wall came down-there are a lot of books out there about the Wall. I remember this day vividly as my husband grew up in Communist Poland. I came home from a night class to find him on the ottoman about 10 inches from the TV crying his eyes out. He had defected from Poland about 20 years before this-and had never been back-that Christmas I took him home to see his mother and father.
What an experience Joanne! That must’ve been so moving. I wonder if he or you ever wrote about it.
Amy wrote: "What an experience Joanne! That must’ve been so moving. I wonder if he or you ever wrote about it."No, he's not even much of a reader(let a lone a writer) up until recently (because I have been nudging and passing on books to him). And it is something he rarely talks about, mainly due to his bi-polar.
It was a rough time for us as he experienced PTSD symptoms afterward. My daughter always tells me to write about it-it's a thought, but like him something I rarely talk about due to all the chaos the ensued in our personal life because of it. But it probably would make a good book-LoL
Yes it would make a good book, but it would be potentially healing for you both if either of you wrote about it. But somethings are really hard to metabolize. And that’s OK. If it never gets written about that’s fine. More importantly that he lived and important personal part of history and that he’s dealing with that. I hope you’ve had a close relationship with his parents cents, for as much time as you had.
November There There by Tommy Orange
4 1/2 stars
This books tells the stories of twelve people. Their points of views and histories are different, but they all represent forms of modern life for Native Americans. They live in cities and some of these characters know only little of their own ancestry.
Most stories are related in some way and all have to do with coming to a Native America powwow being held in Oakland. Some characters are there for work, others to perform, while a few have bad intentions.
Tommy Orange ties the book together well at the end. His modern dialogue keeps the book moving quickly along. He captures emotions and thoughts of his characters. Loyalties and connections play a role. Orange tells of the past and tries to make known truths and struggles that many face with being Native American. This was an excellent book.
Fall Flurries: NovemberHalsey's Typhoon: The True Story of a Fighting Admiral, an Epic Storm, and an Untold Rescue by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin - 4 stars
Read in observance of Veterans' Day and also qualifies as American history.
Dramatic true story of a maritime military operation interrupted by an enormous typhoon. Admiral Halsey’s fleet was preparing to support MacArthur’s invasion of Luzon in the Philippines in 1944, when they steered directly into the course of Typhoon Cobra with its 90-foot waves and over 100 knot gusting winds. This book tells an inspiring story of sailors confronting life-or-death situations. Though much of the story is tragic, the highlight is a valiant rescue effort by a relatively inexperienced captain and crew of a small Destroyer Escort.
The first part of the book sets up the military objectives and participants. The second part tells of the gathering storm, leadership decisions, and the ships’ maneuvers. The rescue effort is riveting, and it is worth reading the book just for this portion. The travails of the sailors contending with the elements, wounds, sharks, madness induced from drinking saltwater, and numerous miseries are heart-wrenching. Though the authors do not dwell on the carnage, the graphic descriptions are not for the faint-hearted.
The authors are journalists, trying to determine if the sinking of ships and loss of life was preventable. The transcripts of the U.S. Naval Court of Inquiry had been recently declassified and formed much of the basis of their analysis, along with survivors’ stories and in-depth research. These stories jump around a bit, and it is sometimes difficult to keep track of which ship is being referenced. The personal anecdotes are particularly effective in showing what the sailors encountered as their ships were battered by the storm.
Two examples of these personal accounts include:
“Clinging to the top of the Cape Esperance’s center mast with every muscle in his body, Paul Schlener was not sure what to do as the storm increased in intensity. His watch was technically over, but whether through oversight or intention, no crewmate had relieved him and no officer had signaled for him to climb down. In fact, the scud was so thick that he could barely make out the deck sixty feet below. He was petrified.”
and
“Kosco sat upright in his bunk. He was overwhelmed “with a feeling of great, leaden weights pressing on [my] shoulders.” He threw on his heavy weather gear and scrambled up the iron skipper’s ladder to the navigation deck. Leaning into the wind and listening to the pounding surf, he surveyed the otherworldly tableau; giant, mottled whitecaps stretched endless in every direction under a black, starless dome. If the dark side of the moon were covered by sea, he thought, this is what it would look like.”
I am very glad that meteorology has progressed since WWII, and it is unlikely that a fleet would be unaware of the location of such a large storm today. There are definitely lessons in leadership to be gleaned from this book, primarily related crisis management. It definitely creates food for thought on how the reader would react in a similar situation. Part military analysis, part man vs. nature, part survival story, this book is filled with peril, catastrophe, and heroism. I read it in observance of Veterans’ Day and found it a powerful tribute to the Brotherhood of the Sea.
I have There There sitting in the back of my car in the AARP car organizer, which I adore! Along with Molokai. One of these is going to be my Native American Book. Molokai is on my TBR, while There There doubles as a Fall Flurry. Both fit American History. What to do....Have the feeling, I will go with Molokai because its on my TBR and the Things They Carried will end up being my November Fall Flurry. Problem solved? Save There There for next November maybe? Everyone seems to love it!
Amy wrote: "I have There There sitting in the back of my car in the AARP car organizer, which I adore! Along with Molokai. One of these is going to be my Native American Book. Molokai is on my TBR, while There..."I did not particularly like There There, definitely not in the love it camp. I don't recommend it. But I am clearly in the minority.
Amy wrote: "Have the feeling, I will go with Molokai because its on my TBR and the Things They Carried will end up being my November Fall Flurry...."I read Molokai fairly recently, and I think you will enjoy it, Amy.
Joanne wrote: "Just a thought for those still looking for a book: 30 years ago today The Berlin Wall came down-there are a lot of books out there about the Wall. I remember this day vividly as my husband grew up ..."I am tearing up just reading this very personal story. Thank you so much for sharing.
Theresa wrote: "Amy wrote: "I have There There sitting in the back of my car in the AARP car organizer, which I adore! Along with Molokai. One of these is going to be my Native American Book. Molokai is on my TBR,..."I have not read it Theresa, but my gut tells me it is not for me. There seems to be a "sign" for me not to read a book. I know it sounds strange, but having gotten to know a lot of people's reading taste here, if too many seem to be in the love camp, my gut tells me not to go there. It was on my shelf at the beginning of the year, I took it off while cleaning house a few months back.
Book Concierge wrote: "Joanne wrote: "Just a thought for those still looking for a book: 30 years ago today The Berlin Wall came down-there are a lot of books out there about the Wall. I remember this day vividly as my h..."Ah, BC thanks-I felt awkward intruding on this feed with it, but I am glad it touched you.
Theresa wrote: "Amy wrote: "I have There There sitting in the back of my car in the AARP car organizer, which I adore! Along with Molokai. One of these is going to be my Native American Book. Molokai is on my TBR,..."I was not a fan of There, There either.
Amy wrote: "I have There There sitting in the back of my car in the AARP car organizer, which I adore! Along with Molokai. One of these is going to be my Native American Book. Molokai is on my TBR, while There..."I'm too anxious to hear your thoughts until next year! But... I know how you feel about hype so maybe another year is enough for it to have fully died down. Although I think it has since its release.
I loved it, some were 'meh on it, a good polarizing book all around, my fav!
November: Native American Heritage MonthNew Poets of Native Nations - Heid E. Erdrich (Editor)
4 stars
This is a collection of poetry by a variety of poets from Native Natives. The poets cover a wide variety of Nations that from North America (including Canada) to Hawaii and Guam. Each poet selected had their first book of poetry published after 2000 and each poet had several poems included. This really gave the reader an overview of their work. I really appreciated the diversity of voices included. Like any collection, there were some poets whose style I appreciated more than others. I really wish I heard most of these poems read aloud, especially those that included native languages. Although the poets represented a diverse group of nations, there were some common themes throughout the collection. I liked that these were modern voices and representatives of their modern cultures. So much of what we learn about these cultures is historical, there is a danger of freezing them in the past in your mind. But these are real people living in the modern world, still dealing with the history of the genocide of their peoples.
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien - 4 stars.
Cross posted to American History and November Fall Flurries due to this book being an account of the Vietnam War.
This book was beautifully written - and again one I would not have picked up without it being an 11th grade English class. Much of it was deeply moving, but it was really the passages at the end that "got me." Stories save us, yes they do. Something about remembering those lost to us, and about the human condition and what makes us tick.
November - NATIVE AMERICAN
There There – Tommy Orange – 4****
In his debut novel, Orange explores the world of today’s Urban Indian through the stories of twelve characters who are planning to attend the Big Oakland Powwow. Their lives are interwoven by coincidence, thin threads of DNA, circumstance, and/or proximity. They are in turn angry, desolate, hopeful, joyous, loving, confused, determined, generous or mean. Orange’s voice is unique and powerful. And I look forward to reading more from him in the future.
My full review HERE
November: Native American The American Indian: From Colonial Times To The Present 0 Stars
I found this book searching through what my Library had on the shelf. However, I had to have a librarian add it to GR's. The book was published in 1974-which explains a lot.
It is basically a reference to all the tribes that lived in the United States. Each paragraph, supposedly, a fact about a certain tribe, or certain events. I use supposedly, as I am a fact checker and there quite a few I could not verify.
I was excited to see a map with all the American tribes.....then I realized there were no tribes in Michigan. Really? Unless every teacher I had in grades 1-8 made up all they taught, there most certainly were/are tribes here. The original Michigan tribes were
*The Fox and Sauk tribes
*The Kickapoo tribe
*The Menominee tribe
*The Miami tribe
*The Ojibwe tribe (also known as Chippewa, Ojibway, or Ojibwa)
*The Potawatomi tribe
The recognized tribes in present day Michigan number 11.
I would recommend this to no on
Fall Flurries: November - ThanksgivingOnce Upon a Thanksgiving: Season of Bounty\Home for Thanksgiving - Linda Ford & Winnie Griggs
4 stars
Two inspirational historical Thanksgiving novellas comprise this book. Linda Ford's story involves a well off daughter of a town leader and a cowboy with an adopted half-breed son and a shady family history finding a way to solve each other's loneliness and make a better future. Winnie Griggs' story involves a young woman who has been a town's obligation most of her life, reaching out to make a fresh start and finding an escort to take her to a new city who then gets extremely sick along the way. Each finds in the other what they didn't know they needed. Both were heartwarming holidays tales.
Linda C wrote: "Fall Flurries: November - ThanksgivingOnce Upon a Thanksgiving: Season of Bounty\Home for Thanksgiving - Linda Ford & Winnie Griggs
4 stars
Two inspirational historical Thanksgiv..."
I have this to read this month! Glad to see your positive review!
Homesick | Eshkol Nevo | 5 starsI thought I’d do Yitzhak Rabin memorial as my november flurry (not that the topic is very flurry, but it’s very November)...
I couldn’t find the book anywhere (in hebrew that is). It’s wasn’t sold as an ebook. no one I know has it. I visited ‘Israelis in Sydney’ facebook page and asked if anyone happen to have it. A dude thought the Israeli Scouts library had a copy. He actually found it, I met a randomly nice israeli and got a copy of the book. So Yay for facebook, sydney and Israeli scouts.
The book itself: The time is the days before and after Rabin’s assassination. A lot of suicide attacks. Fear and confusion. Amir and Noa are a young couple of uni students who rents a small house in a small town near Jerusalem. The town was an arab village before 1948.
Sima and Moshe are the owner of the main house. They are from more traditional families. In another house across the field a family lives who grieves their son who died in the army. And the 4th house is being built by Palestinian laborers.
The story moves between these characters, mostly in first person.
I’m not sure how the translation will work, but in Hebrew the writing is very enjoyable.
At the beginning I thought there was a lot of mannerism, but I think it was on purpose and actually beautifully done. It captured some israeli essence. A lot of metaphors, a lot of cuteness, but also very clever and with a gentle sense of humor but it worked.
I thought it was a lovely book and was wiping tears this morning when I finished.
I would never have read it if it wasn't for flurries! so thanks Nicole
Remembrance Day. I pretty much consider anything war-related to fit here...The Librarian of Auschwitz / Antonio Iturbe
4 stars
Dita was 9-years old when the war started, and 14-years old when she and her parents were brought to Auschwitz. At Auschwitz, for a while, there was a children’s school in Block 31. Dita was soon asked to be the school’s “librarian”. Books were prohibited, but somehow there were 8 books that had been smuggled in. It was a dangerous job, as Dita would have to make sure the books were never discovered by the guards.
Dita was a real person, and the author interviewed her. Many of the additional people were also real – a couple of additional people/situations the author included were people who escaped (one SS guard, and one Jewish boy who was was helping in the camp, so actually was in a “good” position, as compared to some of the others) to try to get help (the SS guard wanted to help one of the prisoners escape, along with her mother, and the Jewish boy wanted to get word out to the international community as to what was really happening in the concentration camps). I quite enjoyed this one, and it was interesting to read about the Block 31 school, the “library”, and the escapees, none of which I’d heard about before (that I recall).
These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901, 5 starsCross posted with Tag American History, Trim, and
November Fall Flurries for Veteran's Day and Native American Heritage.
This is a wonderful story about settlers in the Arizona Territory in 1881- 1901. I learned a lot about this time in American history, and I fell in love with Sarah and her family. The book is full of adventure, challenges, and family life.
The book follows 20 years of Sarah's life, beginning with her experience as a teenager traveling with a large group in covered wagons. It was a dangerous trip, There were all sorts of dangers, and losses on the road. Sarah became very strong, and she had to keep the whole family going when her mother was "addled" due to grief. One wondrous bit of luck though, is that Sarah found an abandoned wagon full of books on all different subjects.
Sarah marries a retired Captain who was active in many military campaigns, along with fighting and negotiating with indian tribes. Her brother also joins the service. Sarah and her husband form a close friendship with an Indian man who is often a guest at their table.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand, 4 starsAmerican History tag
November Fall Flurries - Veteran's Day.
The book also deals with his challenges as a veteran to recover, both physically and mentally from the trauma he suffered in the Prisoner of War Camps.
This book is beautifully written and highly compelling. She tells the story of a real person, Louis Zamperini, who was an Olympic runner before joining WWII to fight the Japanese. Each period of his life is interesting, as his high energy, physical ability, and sheer force of will enable him to make the best of every situation. The tale of his survival in the ocean on a raft for 47 days was one of my favorite parts of the book. Then he finally reaches land, only to be locked up in a prisoner of war camp. I recently watched Empire of the Sun, about Chinese and American civilians imprisoned by the Japanese, so I was somewhat prepared for the conditions in this book. But the level of targeted cruelty leveled on the soldiers here was far worse.
The First Conspiracy The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George WashingtonAmerican History Tag
November Fall Flurries - Veteran's Day
I was disappointed with the espionage angle of this book (see my review the folder November - American History), but it does provide a decent history of the American Revolutionary War. It details the challenges to Washington and his new army. There was little money for pay, food, training, uniforms, or pensions for veterans.
Gratitude by Oliver Sacks - posted to November Fall Flurries as an aspect of Thanksgiving Reflection and thankfulness. This a a beautiful little thing. I have always appreciated Oliver Sacks. He write this little ditty as he prepares to meet his 80th birthday. Since the book is so short, (composed of three or four essays or reflections) I dare not give a thing away. But it wasn't what I expected. Its more memoir style than uplift and inspiration. I will say this. I never knew he was gay, and he came out decades ago in an Orthodox Jewish family. I was sad that he (and plenty others) was not welcomed or received in a way that respected both his identity and personhood, and that his religion and community both suffered. I certainly hope times are changing in this regard, although I know change happens slowly. I also found myself mourning Oliver. This book was written in 2015. He did not expect to be alive in 2019. Probably is not. I felt like for a moment, the book did what he wanted it to after his death. It spoke to me and I felt him.
Remembrance Day. Another war (in part) bookBloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin / Timothy Snyder
3 stars
This book looks at Stalin’s Soviet Union and Hitler’s political policies, mostly in the years leading up to and including the 2ndWorld War. Stalin took over many of the Baltic states, and – via policy – starved many of the peasants in the Ukraine: even as they were growing food for others, they were left to starve. I didn’t know any of this, so this part was particularly interesting to me. Both Stalin and Hitler wanted to take over Poland, and of course, we ended up with the Holocaust and World War II.
I feel like I would have liked this better if I hadn’t listened to the audio. I was afraid right from the start, though, when I heard the voice. Male voice (already a bad sign for me), and I’m sure I recognized it from another audio that didn’t hold my attention. There were parts that did, though, particularly about the starvation of the people in the Ukraine. Overall, I’m considering it ok.
The Forever War - Joe Haldeman - 3 starsI picked this up to read myself (rather than just taking it back to the library when my husband had finished with it) because I'd been half-heartedly looking for something to read that fit a Veteran's Day theme, and I noticed that the incredibly positive book jacket blurbs were praising it as a great war novel rather than a great sci-fi novel. When I investigated further and discovered that Haldeman had written it with his own Vietnam experiences in mind, I decided that it qualified.
"I felt my gorge rising and knew that all the lurid training tapes, all the horrible deaths in training accidents, hadn't prepared me for this sudden reality . . . that I had a magic wand that I could point at a life and make it a smoking piece of half-raw meat; I wasn't a soldier nor ever wanted to be one nor ever would want-"
I liked the idea of the book's 'big idea' - that the laws of relativity mean that the space travel technology used in the war makes time pass at a different rate for the soldiers to the civilians back on Earth, creating a strong metaphor for the strangeness of returning to civilian life for returning veterans. If I'm honest though, I'm not sure I got much more out of actually reading the book than I did from reading about the impressive central ideas in summaries & reviews... (Possibly I'm just not the right reader for the book - I do admit that I have a tendency to skim over the technology / battle portions of these types of stories, in search of the more psychological / human angles.)
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest HemingwayMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
'Initially published in 1929, A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his passion for a beautiful English nurse. Set against the looming horrors of the battlefield - the weary, demoralized men marching in the rain during the German attack on Caporetto; the profound struggle between loyalty and desertion—this gripping, semiautobiographical work captures the harsh realities of war and the pain of lovers caught in its inexorable sweep. Ernest Hemingway famously said that he rewrote his ending to A Farewell to Arms thirty-nine times to get the words right'.
-Blurb, book jacket 2004
Hemmingway's narrative style was strange to me...factual, minimalistic and very unemotional. I almost DNF this book as I really struggled with the unfamiliar stark, journalistic style and the masochistic interpretation of a female character. Everything, even Catherine’s own first person voice seemed to be heard from the male POV. Like she was a slightly idealised person, not very real, that he never really understood. Almost like the way I imagine a narcissist would interpret another persons perspective if writing a book. Hence her constantly conflicting and confusing statements? I guess there was a gritty realism that left off the Victorian and Edwardian romanticism of the past authors when telling stories of war and relationships. Leaving off the great passion and the concept that the two people involved somehow were more important and suffered more terribly than any others through that time. Both of the main characters came off as superficial, unwilling to examine their deeper feelings. In some ways I guess that is probably a more authentic voice for a war novel. They survive their circumstances by living superficially. Examining how they really felt about what was happening around them and to them may have been so soul destroying that they would be unable to function. In times of crisis, people deliberately don’t question their true feelings too deeply. Survival instincts prevent it. That is my experience anyway. You get done what must be done and say what must be said and interact only superficially with those around you. I am aware from the foreword introduction to the book that this is a loosely based autobiography of the author. It must have been quite cathartic for Hemingway and remains a valuable narrative of what war and the experience of war was really like and how the everyman caught up in it, survived its atrocities and basic wrongness and unfairness. I imagine all norms of society and social rules were put aside by many of those involved, so it is not a reflection of societal social norms of the period.
Hemmingway's reflections on the morality and perception of war from the viewpoint of the common man are powerful. He portrays the ultimate disillusionment of the 'Great Generation' whose romaticised notions of war and combat and service to country for the greater good were challenged and ultimately destroyed by the grim reality of World War 1.
'If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially.'
I absolutely love Hemmingway's vivid prose paintings of landscape and weather throughout the story. These lived and breathed in my mind as I read. I loved the way that the war was reflected by the weather and the weather was reflected by the war. The seasons and the magnificent landscapes surrounding and the emotional struggles and situations of the couple were reflected and re-reflected in each other, like when you stand looking into a mirror that reflects another mirror and you see an infinite reflection of the world repeating itself, all in one place at one time. I also appreciated the moments of authentically wry, sardonic - almost gallows humour, that would have been very prevalent amongst men living through these conditions. moments of humour and comradeship brought bright glances of light to otherwise dark, dank and literally muddy plotlines. There is no doubt when you are reading this book that is is a first person account of the war, from a man who lived it- observed it, felt it, breathed it, heard it, smelt it and tasted it first hand and who then wished to portray it in a way others could understand it with powerful and stark authenticity, putting aside glossy, rose hued lenses of victory, defeat, battle, civilisation and courage that are usually placed on the head, through with which to view war in greater comfort.
'Through the other noise I heard a cough, then came the chuh-chuh-chuh-chuh—then there was a flash, as when a blast-furnace door is swung open, and a roar that started white and went red and on and on in a rushing wind. I tried to breathe but my breath would not come and I felt myself rush bodily out of myself and out and out and out and all the time bodily in the wind. I went out swiftly, all of myself, and I knew I was dead and that it had all been a mistake to think you just died. Then I floated, and instead of going on I felt myself slide back. I breathed and I was back.'
I will own that I didn't like the ending at all. In fact I even would have preferred the 'Nada' ending to the one Hemmingway chose. Given that he wrote it 39 times over, he must have been confused and conflicted over it. My best guess is that he lined them all up and thew a dart at them and then went with the one he actually hit. One he wrote at the arsenic hour of 3 am when the brain is most likely to dwell somewhere between reality and the alternate world of eccentric dreams. would have chosen another ending - at least 3 out of the 10 options I read, I would have preferred and even admired. I struggled a little with the selected one's abruptness. It seemed to me to go beyond stark to almost uncharacteristically absurd, in contrast to the narration that immediately proceeds it. Like a bandaid stuck over an open wound or an improperly flapped amputation.
These reflections are, of course, merely my personal feelings on reading this book and given that this, my first encounter, was not initiated by an inspired teacher who helped to illuminate the mysteries of Hemmingway prose for me, I did struggle with some aspects of the storytelling style. I feel that Hemmingway is an author whose writing may mature in appreciation within me over time.
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You Can Thank Me Later: A Novella by Kelly Harms3.5 (round up to 4)
When this novella popped up as an option for a free Audible original this month, I instantly snagged it for a Thanksgiving-themed read. It was short--a mere 3 hours long--but it was not lighthearted. It was actually kind of sad, but had a happy ending.
Sophie and Annette have been best friends since college. Annette also happens to be Sophie's sister-in-law, married to Sophie's older brother Charlie. But, when Annette is diagnosed with a terminal illness with little time left, she makes Sophie promise to help Charlie through his grief after she is gone. Sophie agrees, never thinking that part of that promise would be dealing with Charlie bringing someone new to their Thanksgiving tradition a mere two years later.
Told over the course of three Thanksgivings--2016, 2018, and 2020--we check in on Sophie, Charlie, and their brother Pete to see how the siblings are doing and where they are in their lives. Obviously, this story deals with death and coping with losing loved ones, but also address how you honor their life and move on.
The novella was not as light-hearted as I typically like for my holidays, but was better than I expected. I am glad it was short though.
Once Upon a Highland Autumn by Lecia Cornwall4 stars
Ah, regency romance. Where the women are expected to be virgins but give it up to the first broad-shouldered man to walk past, and the men expect to marry virgins while having no qualms about sleeping with as many women as they want before marriage.
It is one of the tropes I find the most eye-rollingly aggravating, but the one I just have to let go if I am going to read these books. So, I let it go, but always reserve the right to comment on it!
Megan McNabb is a Scottish woman living outside Iverness. She loves the land, the people, and the history of her clan, especially the well-known curse of two people desperately in love who were separated by Culloden. Legend has it the woman haunts the ruins of her castle.
But, Megan's mother is insistent that her three daughters all marry English lords, and starts preparing them to go to London the next season despite the fact that Megan has told a local boy she will wait for him.
And isn't it convenient when Lord Kit Rossington just happens to show up in the area, desperate to escape all trappings of London society as he is determined to never marry.
I think we see where this is going.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit! Yes, Megan is the stereotypical virgin. And yes, Kit fits his stereotype as well. But, I really liked both of their characters! And their story was interwoven with chapters about the legend of the curse which were short but interesting.
All in all, a pretty great way to cap off my November reads for Fall Flurry!
Oh this is the perfect Nicole book! Love that you found each other!Hey, do you have a romance for me set in the Dominican Republic? There is a gay romance set there called Forbidden Paradise which sounds just the ticket, but I can't seem to find it. Maybe you have the Golden touch.
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Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
The Thanksgiving Visitor (other topics)Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage (other topics)
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War (other topics)
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI (other topics)
Chanticleer A Thanksgiving Story of the Peabody Family (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
William Loren Katz (other topics)Vicki Lewis Thompson (other topics)
Linda Ford (other topics)
Winnie Griggs (other topics)
Gina Henning (other topics)
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