The History Book Club discussion

Kacy, here is your new thread in 2015. Happy reading in the new year.

Our Required Format:

JANUARY

1. by Winston S. Churchill
Finish date: January 2015
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

JANUARY

1. by Margaret Atwood
Finish date: January 7, 2015
Genre: Speculative Fiction/Sci-Fi
Rating: A
Review: Last year I discovered that I enjoy Science Fiction books. This book had multiple themes and elements that I enjoy in a work of fiction: Dystopian world; Environmental issues; Genetic Engineering; Corporate Conspiracy; A believable but not completely likeable protagonist. As such, I believe this book will appeal to a lot of people for different reasons.

This is the first book in the MaddAddam trilogy, and it starts in media res. The main character, Snowman, is trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland while visiting a strange group of new humans known as "the Crakers." This book explains how Jimmy became Snowman, the origin of the Crakers, and why Jimmy is alone in this wasteland. Margaret Atwood is a fantastic writer, and this book has me looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.

I am a big SF fan.

Kacy pretty good job. Only issue that I can see is the month.

Remember all caps and bold so it stands out.

JANUARY

You only have to place the month in bold and caps for the first book completed in any month.

I use to be a sci fan myself.

Update: Thanks Kacy - everything is looking good.

Thanks Bentley. I made the appropriate changes.

2. by Laura Hillenbrand
Finish date: January 11, 2015
Genre: Narrative Nonfiction, Biographical Memoir
Rating: A++
Review: I would recommend this book to EVERYBODY. Seriously, this is the best book I've read in a long time.

The story follows the life of Louie Zamperini as a precocious child, an Olympic athlete, a bombardier in the Army Air Forces, a castaway at sea, a POW in multiple Japanese prison camps, and as a civilian struggling with PTSD and making peace with his captors.

I'm not usually inclined to read war history books and have a hard time reading books about suffering and cruelty. Somehow this book maintains the humanity of the soldiers (Read: I didn't get bogged down reading death statistics, highly detailed equipment information, or military tactical strategies)without degrading into torture porn. This made for an inspiring story, moving me to tears in places, and left me feeling grateful for all the WWII veterans.

Great book choice by the way

I have edited it. Thanks, Bentley.

Thanks for the edit.

3. by Margaret Atwood
Finish date: January 19, 2015
Genre: Speculative Fiction/Sci-Fi
Rating: A
Review: This is the second book in the MaddAddam series, and although many people thought this book was inferior to Oryx and Crake, I found that I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than the first book.

This story happens concurrently with Oryx and Crake but follows different characters, two women from the God's Gardener cult. It ends in the same place as the first book, and the reader meets up with Jimmie again.

I found the story brilliant in its execution and in its connections with the first book, which were subtle in places. I love studying religious cults and the history of religions, so I felt that I could appreciate the interruptions in the story for sermons, hymns, and stories from the God's Gardner group. These religious details shed light on the world created by Atwood in the first book.

Kacy, please erase the line between your rating and the review according to our official format and put a space between the author's picture and her name. Otherwise, that seems to be a good book, although a bit too speculative at least for my tastes.

Thanks Jose. I fixed it on The Year of the Flood and on the previous books. I've been putting in that line space on all of my books. Oops!

4. by Megan Abbott
Finish date: January 23, 2015
Genre: Fiction/Thriller
Rating: C+
Review: The premise of The Fever is absolutely brilliant, and I wanted to like this book more. The Fever is based on an actual even that took place in Le Roy, New York, where a group of high school girls experienced convulsions and mysterious symptoms fueled by a sort of mass psychosis. The novel uses a similar event to explore how things like the Salem witch hysteria and the Le Roy incident start and spread through a community.

I loved the plot, but I only gave it a C+ because the book was far too short to explore such a massive topic, even in fictional/novel form. We see the events taking place around the characters and the reactions of some of the community members, but because the setting and characters aren't very well developed, it's not completely believable. Of course now I want to read about the Le Roy, NY incident, which I avoided researching to prevent possible spoilers.

FEBRUARY

5. by Margaret Atwood
Finish date: February 3, 2015
Genre: Speculative Fiction/Sci-Fi
Rating: A
Review: The trilogy ended with a strong finish. I enjoyed learning about the history between Adam and Zeb and the strong role of Toby in this book.

Thanks Bentley. I took care of the corrections.

Thx.

6. by Héctor Tobar
Finish date: February 13, 2015
Genre: Non-fiction/Chilean History
Rating: A++
Review: In 2010 I eagerly watched the news to receive daily updates on the miners trapped underground after a mine collapse in Chile. This book goes into detail about what happened to the men during their 69 days underground. It's a classic man vs. nature story, but it is so much more--the story of brotherhood/teamwork below ground; the international rescue effort on the surface; the emotions of family members during crisis; and the struggle with PTSD after the rescue. I don't usually cry while reading books, but I found myself moved almost to tears in places. It is also important to note that all 33 men trusted Hector Tobar to tell their story. While underground, they made a pact to share their story only when all the men came to an agreement and could equally share in the proceeds. Knowing that this is the authorized account of the mine collapse and rescue makes this book extra special.

It was a story that kept everyone praying for the miners' rescue and when it happened it seemed like a miracle. The book sounds wonderful and will go on my TBR. Thanks, Kacy.

You're welcome, Jill. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Here's an article from 2010, Kacy, to show how miners around the world are treated. Human waste and greed is to blame for this carelessness:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-a...

Let's hope things improve.

Thanks for the article, Jimmy. The first part of the book goes into the horrible conditions of the mine before its collapse and the disregard of protocol taking place among superiors. I do hope that things have improved since 2010.

That was very thoughtful of you Jimmy and a very good article.

7. by Graham Greene
Finish date: February 28, 2015
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: B
Review: Three men meet aboard a ship on their way to Haiti, Brown, who owns a hotel in Port Au Prince, Jones, a charismatic man with a dodgy past, and Smith, a vegetarian and former US presidential candidate. They arrive in Port Au Prince to find it in the midst of political chaos. The Tonton Marcoute are arresting communists and political dissenters. Smith find Haiti to be unlike his expectations and leaves for the Dominican Republic to start a vegetarian center. Jones gets caught up in the mix, and Brown attempts to help him leave Haiti. Throughout the story Brown renews a love affair with a mistress. The setting made the story compelling, and I enjoyed the academic sorts of dialogue between the characters, exploring themes such as religion, communism, vegetarianism, and racial tensions. I give the book a solid B. While the dialogue was enjoyable I wish there had been more suspense surrounding the actions of Tonton Marcoute and more interesting female characters. The mistress is the only female character, and she's shallowly depicted as a mere mistress with childcare responsibilities on the side. Greene was writing in the 60s, and was certainly a product of his time.

Great Kacy, from now on write Finish date, with a little "d". You got it.

MARCH

8. by Neil Gaiman
Finish date: March 5, 2015
Genre: Fiction/Short Stories
Rating: A
Review: I first encountered Gaiman last year when I read American Gods in a book club. That novel became a favorite and led me to check out his short stories. This is a solid collection of stories, prose, and poems. Each story is very different from the others, both in tone and in theme, so it's hard to write any sort of summary. My favorites stories were "Chivalry," "Troll Bridge," "Murder Mysteries," and "Snow, Glass, Apple."

9. by Eiji Yoshikawa
Finish date: March 10, 2015
Genre: Historical Fiction, Translation, Japan
Rating: B
Review: This is an epic tale spanning three generations of soldiers in the Heike clan. It follows the rise of the Heike during the 12th century. The book was completely engrossing, and had pretty much everything--action scenes, macabre elements, social commentary, religious reflections, and love stories. I give it a solid B because the book is unfinished. The author died before completing the story, which leaves loose ends and an abrupt stop.

Thanks Bentley. I went back and took out the blank lines. I noticed the same problem a few books up and made the necessary corrections in those places too. One day I'll get it right!

You will - thank you (smile)

10. by Greta Christina
Finish date: March 14, 2015
Genre: General Nonfiction
Rating: A
Review: Many people assume that religious beliefs are the only way to find comfort when thinking about death. Greta Christina uses this short book to offer non-religious alternatives for thinking about death and offers the reader reflections on human mortality After the death of her father and a cancer diagnosis, two difficult events that occurred within a two week period, Greta Christina spent a lot of time thinking about death and her own mortality. She uses this book to share her journey and give insights into the topic. She's also looking to provide a "landing place" for those on their way out of religion but still struggling with how to think about death apart from an afterlife.

I enjoyed this book, and it was a comforting read. My mom was murdered two years ago, and since that time I have found comfort in some of the ideas presented in this book. One of my favorite chapters discusses how to comfort an atheist who is dealing with the death of a loved one. Many atheists find religious "comforts" about death disturbing and uncomfortable, but for many these ways of talking about death are a social default. If religious people tried to understand secular ways of discussing death, it would help them comfort non-believers who have recently experienced a tragic loss.

There is a resource section at the end of the book, giving websites and support group resources for secular people experiencing grief. I was already familiar with many of these resources, but I'm glad to see this section included in a book on this topic.

Kacy....there is another book I would recommend that deals with seeking comfort when death has occurred or is imminent. I went to a seminar given by the author several years ago when she was concentrating on AIDs sufferers and how to deal with the disease. Highly recommended.

by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Thank you for the recommendation, Jill. I'll check it out.

11. Jill Alexander Essbaum
Finish date: March 26, 2015
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: A
Review: "Anna was a good wife, mostly." Anna Benz is a bored and depressed housewife living in a foreign country. She regularly goes to psychotherapy and attends German classes, and the author uses these elements to provide glimpses into Anna's state of mind. After several affairs, Anna's world comes crashing down.

I found this book well written and smart. Anna is not a likeable character, and I wouldn't recommend this book to just anyone. The tension in the story builds, and the ending is very fitting. It reminds me of a certain work of classic fiction, but I won't say which one, in fear of giving away spoilers.

Can I guess which one it is?

Go for it, Samanta! I actually think it's a bit obvious.

APRIL

12. by Lance Weller
Finish date: April 15, 2015
Genre: Literary Fiction/Historical Fiction
Rating: B
Review: This book was beautifully written while covering difficult subjects like the brutality of war, racism, and child death. The main character, Abel Truman, is a soldier in the Confederate Army. The story meanders, as the reader catches glimpses into Abel's life. The plot isn't chronological, and I found it difficult to find my bearings in the middle of the story. On the whole, Weller makes up for this in his ability to set the tone and atmosphere of the period.

13. by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Finish date: April 17, 2015
Genre: YA/Apocalyptic
Rating: B
Review: Emily Bird finds herself in the hospital after a party. She has no memories from that night, but an agent believes she has information crucial to national security. While trying to find her missing memories, the world is crumbling around her. War is breaking out, and Washington D.C. is under quarantine to stop the spread of a deadly flu virus. Bird finds hope and solace in armature drug dealer and conspiracy theorist, Coffee. They go on an adventure to find themselves, uncover Bird's memories, and bring to light government secrets. I needed a fun, plot-driven book after all the literary fiction I've been reading lately. This book worked perfectly.

Kacy wrote: "Go for it, Samanta! I actually think it's a bit obvious."


Sorry, I've only now seen your message. My first thought was The Awakening.

Good Samanta, don't forget the citations :-)

by Kate Chopin

MAY


14. by Yukio Mishima
Finish date: May 16, 2015
Genre: Literary Fiction/Japan
Rating: A
Review: This is the first book in the Sea of Fertility series, which begins in early 20th century Japan and follows the lives of two families into the post World War II era. It is on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list, and I can understand the acclaim. The story is beautifully written and covers complex themes such as Passion vs. Reason; Tradition vs. Modernity; Western values vs. Eastern values. I read this book as part of the Japan challenge, and it was a great choice. The setting is so vividly written that I feel as if I have a good understanding of the Taisho period, not just its place in Japanese history but the sensibilities of its people. I will be following this up with the other three books in the series.

Samanta wrote: "Kacy wrote: "Go for it, Samanta! I actually think it's a bit obvious."


Sorry, I've only now seen your message. My first thought was The Awakening."

I haven't read The Awakening. That's not the book I was thinking about.