Mer Barr
I read this only because I've enjoyed some of the author's other books. I'm normally looking for a story that walks the fine line between plot movement, character building, world building, and the subject the author's is wanting to present for consideration, in the hopes of being drawn in.
I think this book has done most of that except it didn't go far enough in any direction to draw me in. The characters had good beginnings but not much depth, the science would be intriguing if there had been a pinch of something, not sure what, had been added. The only thing I think where it was fleshed out is how human beings would react to being detached from everything that a human being needs to be vibrant, for lack of a better word.
I don't believe I've heard this narrator before; they have an interesting pace to their sentences. I have wondered if that was natural or intended for this book.
- Action moves along nicely,
- Lots of science but doesn't sidetrack too much to explain and doesn't use alot of jargon without simple explanations
- Lots of outstanding unanswered questions that have to be pieced together so you don't guess the answer too quickly.
- Death but not too grisly except for 1 scene early on.
All things I like in a book and get from Mr Crichton's every time.
Graphics are not too busy, not too many slides on a page or bubbles in a slide and they're placed [for me] logically. Internal voice is easily distinguishable from verbal voice.
I am really happy to see a woman doing barbarian stories but saddened by the artist's choice of skimpy chainmail [again] held together by strings [again] but was glad to see more clothing appropriate to the weather as the books progressed.
Nice to see a woman that expresses her sexual desires and emotions without guilt or excuses and nice to see she has a ‘mind'.
Overall a character I can get behind and cheer for.
A great book if you want to see the world of a multi-generational and multi-sibling household, which I didn't grow up with. Also great to understand the difference between a woman's rights and a man's rights for a culture not my own.
I will say I didn't read most of the book only because I like books where the story moves along at a faster pace. I don't say that's a bad thing as it relates to this book, it's just a pace I'm not used to.
The author did a masterful job of presenting her topic and not straying off-topic. Telling the story through interviews of those who were actually there or were related to the deceased, is how I think as much of history as it can be, should be told.
The designer of the book's pages did a fantastic job of helping you keep track of who was speaking! Each speaker is called out before their words and the author's voice is distinguished in the text with italics. As well as providing an index at the back of each of the deceased and wounded for quick reference. A big applause for letting you know that exists on the very first page and not discovering after you'd struggled thru the entire book!
There are areas related to the IRA, Provisional IRA, Sinn Féin, and several other subjects that I would have liked to know more about but applaud the author for not sidetracking the story she wanted the reader to understand, which is all said in the subtitle of her book.
As someone who has grown up and lived in a completely different culture and environment, I found this book to be incredibly helpful in understanding some of the words and phrases I've heard since 2020
- Implicit Bias
- Historical Trauma
- Institutional Racism
I also found it helpful to get to know the person after knowing the name for some years now. The author has done what I believe he set out to do which is to show Mr Floyd with all the weaknesses many people want folks to know about him and can so easily get the word out on, but more importantly to show what his family and friends know about him and struggled to share with the world; as an individual anyone would want to know and be around, and miss terribly.
I found the beginning to be an absolute joy but I moved quickly into ‘lets get to the end'. This book is serious YOUNG Adult, which is not my taste.
This book is the polar opposite to other ‘young adult' books like the Hunger Games which is strangely classified as YA but has a heck of alot of dark and adult subjects that I wouldn't suggest a young adult read.
It does deal with alot of death but is presented more as a child would look at and think about things, not as a book about young adults.
Great characters that I became interested in right off the bat, intriguing technology being explored, a plot that moves along and not spending alot of time in the blow-by-blow of the battles.
I wonder if there's a second book planned to continue the storyline or the author wanted to end on a question. Both work for me.
The author spends a very short amount of time on actual ghost encounters and the rest of the book you'd have to be open to interpretation as to how related the subjects are to the title. Other than that a great catch up on the Japan tsunami [that took out the nuclear power plant] and it's impact on 1 community.
The author spent years going back to and staying in touch with the community. Very nicely written as well.
I love [a:Michael Crichton 5194 Michael Crichton https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1359042651p2/5194.jpg]'s books because they have alot of hard science [even if it's not so factual to those who work in those fields] and he pauses just long enough to explain it and make it real to me, and then he's back on to the plot.I picked this book up because I'd seen the movie and although the plots stay in sync the characters are waaay different.
I remember hearing alot about Israel as a child but I don't hear so much about them today. This is a good book to get caught up on some of the big events for the country as well as fill in the gaps for what I did hear about.
The authors stay focused on the subject of their book, they don't wander off onto other subjects and don't put alot of detail and wording where it's not needed. All things I find make good writing for me.
A continuation of [b:The Heritage of Hastur 472778 The Heritage of Hastur (Darkover, #18) Marion Zimmer Bradley https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1175044337l/472778.SY75.jpg 461050] that picks up several years after but really years that wouldn't contribute to the plot of the 2 main characters' stories. And it brings their stories to a nice conclusion.I did get confused over who was related to who, which families had what traits etc. but I gave up and found not knowing those details really didn't impact the plot or dull the enjoyment of the story.
How wonderful to hear and see Mesopotamiah in the 1900s thru the eyes of Gertrude Bell! A bit saddened tho, because this trip is an focus on architecture that has almost blown away it's [even then] incredibly old!
I did get a thrill reading her description of Babylon, sounds like this was the furthest south she got on the Euphrates before moving over to the Tigris for the return trip. And along that latter route again getting a thrill to read about her stop at one of the locations for the landing of Noah's Ark.
There are many references to other individuals who had travelled in the areas she was in, before her. Sadly men with European sounding names and not locals. But she mentions so much history that she's clearly read far and wide on many subjects pertaining to the regions she travels in.
Well worth the read if you're interest in Ms Bell and her time.
The Darkover universe is one of my favorites. Ms Bradley did a great job of intuiting the culture of some peoples of our Earth today, to a future that I can follow and found believable.
I'd read this book a couple times from my own physical library but today it's much easier to read via audio so I'm grateful Recorded Books took the time to convert it to audio for my use.
This book has nice transitions back and forth between 2 primary characters because the shift is provided in the chapter title. One of my personal pet peeves is no visual or audible clue of perspective / time shift.
Well written! A great mix of research and personal experience, alot of detail and very good presentations of overarching desires, ambitions, and faults that are hard to see and condense without contemplation.
I'm glad someone mentioned this in a bookclub I belong to because I wouldn't have come across it on my own.