Sarah
Interesting - on my first reading, I gave this a three. On my second reading, a bit over a year later, I'm going to give it a 4.
I think on my first reading I was more caught up in possible plot issues, such as travel and finding people issues. However, on the second reading, I could focus more on the characters.
I'm still not entirely sure what I feel about this book, but I'm glad I read it again.
Interesting discussion at book club about what people felt about this book. I think it basically came down to us liking Rill's story, and not being interested in Avery's story. Avery's story seemed like a typical sort of “chick-lit” type of book, and then perhaps some more research was done, and a bit of Rill's story was inserted into the book. Rill/May should have then taken over completely, instead of only part way. Think of it - would you rather have had some hints of Avery's (fairly boring) love life, or more about Rill and her 3 husbands?
I didn't know much about Omarosa before I read this book - only that she had been on the Apprentice, was on Trump's campaign, and now worked in the White House before being fired for some reason.
This book gave me a lot more information about her background, and actually she may have been far more qualified for White House work than a lot of the people currently in the White House. Odd how the story about her, in particular, keeps on being about how she's unqualified, vs. the story on others in the same administration...
At any rate, I'm quite sure that this is her side of things, but I'm also sure that I trust her side of things more than many others in the current White House administration. Recommended.
This is a book that I wish to share with all Canadians I know, and enthuse about it until they read it. After that, I want to take steps to ensure that the future envisioned in the book comes to pass.
Have you ever wondered why there is such a population difference between Canada and the United States? We take a fascinating look at the history of Canada, from the point of view of population, and the competing pulls of Britain and the United States. We review the history of Canada's First Nations, the past betrayals and the positive movement forward. We look at how various waves of immigrants came to Canada, and left Canada.
And we look at what it would mean to Canada - to our cities, to our wildernesses, to our environment, to funding for health care, education, pensions - if we increase our population to a more sustainable number. 100 million may or may not be the right number - but it would make Canada a better place (if done correctly, the author does go into some ways in which it may not work). I found the book connected areas that I hadn't previously connected, and I could see how various policies and past decisions had impacts.
It's well written, I enjoyed the book immensely, and it's an important book for Canadians. Highly, highly, recommended.
Note: I received my review copy from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Note: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I found this to be a fascinating book. I wasn't previously familiar with the author, and have never called myself a conservative. I've also been horrified by the vitriol evidenced in the current political climate, and flummoxed by support for Trump by those who you think would know better.
What this book has done is provided more information and context for the changes in the American political climate over the years, the threats of creeping authoritarianism, and more of an underlying philosophy and rationale of conservatism. It speaks to the “need for that careful balancing of their opposition to both elitist autocracy and populist demagoguery”.
Highly recommended, to conservatives, liberals, moderates, and anyone with any interest at all in the current American political climate.
Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley, but my review has not been impacted by this.
It felt just like Christmas to see this book on NetGalley. A new Connie Willis book! Well, it's not 100% new - it's a new and expanded version of the book Miracle and Other Christmas Stories - but that's OK, as I love reading that book!
Miracle and Other Christmas has the stories Miracle, Inn, In Coppelius's Toy Shop, The Pony, Adaptation, Cat's Paw, Newsletter, Epiphany, A Final Word, and as an afterword, adds 12 things to read and 12 things to watch.
A Lot Like Christmas adds All About Emily, All Seated on the Ground, deck.halls@boughs/holly, Now Showing, Just Like the Ones We Used to Know, and adds more recommended movies, books, and TV shows.
I was trying to think of how to describe the book and the stories, and possibly it's caring is the commonality. It's about what the Christmas season is supposed to be like - love, and caring, and changing. As she puts it in the introduction: “But Christmas is about someone who believed, in spite of overwhelming evidence, that humanity is capable of change and worth redeeming.”
We see that in many ways - perhaps it's about an artificial human who wants to be a Rockette, or a Christmas designer trying to manage other people's Christmas's, and the client who wants to change her, or the aliens who glare disapprovingly, the choir director, and the Hallelujah chorus, or the alien parasites and the Christmas newsletters, or Kris Kringle and the office staplers and the black sequined dress, or the British murder mystery with the gorilla butler... I could go on for ages. We even see Mary and Joseph, having lost their way from Nazareth to Bethlehem, ending up in a current day church in America. As Reverend Wall says, “Though we know nothing of their journey, we know much of the world they lived in. It was a world of censuses and soldiers, of bureaucrats and politics, a world busy with property and rules and its own affairs” - just like our world, with concerns about homeless people and church property.
And it's so wonderful to find out all these other books, movies, and even TV shows from this book. A Chorus Line, The Drowsy Chaperone, the Little Princess, Dickens, how the Muppet adaptation of A Christmas Carol is one of the best, how Miracle on 34th Street (the original) is so much better than It's a Wonderful Life... so many references to other wonderful things. Connie Willis refers to discovering Three Men and a Dog through reading a Robert Heinlein book when she was young, and she passes on the wonder of discovering other favorites through the book she writes.
Not only do I recommend reading this book, I recommend re-reading this book regularly, whenever you are in need of some Christmas spirit.
Disclosure: I read this online through NetGalley, which has not affected my review.
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I read Red Hood and the Outlaws back when the series was first released - back when they did some real disservice to the character of Starfire. Hadn't felt compelled to read it since then.
But I really enjoyed this book, and am interested in reading more! I liked the new version of Artemis, and this version of Bana Mighdall. I also enjoyed the character of Bizzaro, and this version of Jason Todd - which was also definitely a surprise!
Recommended - and if you're skeptical, try it.
Spoilers alert!
I recently re-read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, as I had recommended it to my book club and originally read it 2 years ago.
It was interesting everything I picked up on the re-read, having found out the big twist at the end. The “calls” from the mother are interesting, as you pick up that there's no text about the telephone being used, for example.
Good news - everyone in the book club loved it, and we had an interesting discussion about whether or not she would be considered to be on the spectrum (and apparently the author has said that she isn't).
One person brought up reactive attachment disorder, and this to me makes a great deal of sense as to what's going on with Eleanor. This is when infants don't securely bond to someone - and I can't imagine that infant Eleanor was able to bond with her mother.
One page that I googled about reactive attachment disorder in adults said this:
“Infants and young children with reactive attachment disorder face long-term risks that have consequences in their adulthood. Reactive attachment disorder in adults can mean poor adjustment in many areas of life. RAD also causes low self-esteem and sense of self-efficacy; the lack of support and attachment from birth results in adults who don't believe in themselves and their ability to live well. This is especially true for those who haven't received treatment for reactive attachment disorder.
Perhaps the biggest risk reactive attachment disorder has in adults is with relationships. The first attachment relationship is important in paving the way for future relationships. Without forming a bond with a caregiving adult, the person often has great difficulty forming and/or maintaining future social and intimate relationships.
Reactive attachment disorder in adults can also put someone at risk for other mental disorders. Anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, dissociative disorders, and personality disorders are commonly experienced by people with reactive attachment disorder or other attachment problems.”
Great book, have kleenex available, and enjoy meeting Eleanor!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
It's been a little while since I read the Prospero's Children series, but was delighted to see another book by L. Jagi Lamplighter. I loved some of the short stories in this book, liked a couple, and didn't really bond with a couple of others (but still enjoyed reading them). Overall, a great read, and one that I read with enjoyment.
I enjoyed this book very much. I liked hearing from the different people, and the different views of the same events. Each person could have had a book written about them - I'd actually love to read more about Embeth, much to my surprise. It has definitely left me wanting more!
Disclosure: I received an e-galley of this book from NetGallery.
As nice as it was to see more books in this series, I have some major issues with how many of the great characters from the previous books happened to be murdered off-stage, or just disappeared, or died in childbirth.
Not to mention the whole three Rowan princes who killed each other off fighting over the throne of Argonia, after Bronwyn died in childbirth trying to get another heir - the Christening Quest explicitly said that Bronwyn was Princess Consort of Ablemarle (having lost the title of Crown Princess of Argonia when her brothers were born). The three brothers were Raleigh (who was named the heir), Roland (who was the war leader), and Rupert (the diplomat). Bronwyn's death, and her daughter's disappearance, should not have had any effect on Argonia.
This is one of my favorite re-reads - I'm not entirely sure why, but there's something about it that makes it appealing to curl up with.
I was reading BC Business magazine today, and found an article about a house of roughly the same vintage as the one in the book! Actually, I started looking at the pictures, and immediately thought that it was THE house. Wrong area of town, doesn't seem to have a ballroom - but I think I recognized a number of other rooms.
Enjoy!
https://www.bcbusiness.ca/Big-Fat-Deal-19-million-for-a-Shaugnessy-mansion-with-spicy-backstory
I read Life after Life for my book club, and then was surprised to discover there was a sequel / companion book, A God in Ruins. I enjoyed the structure of the book immensely, as I did the description of Teddy's life. The ending, though - the ending was such a surprise, and so obvious at the same time, and so right - I'm still trying to determine what I actually think about it, but my first reaction was to give it 5 stars on Goodreads and then write this. Can't wait to get to book club this week and force a God in Ruins upon everybody.
This was a wonderful book, that I read based on Jo Walton's review. I had been looking for a copy, couldn't find one, and then found that the author makes an electronic, updated version of it available on her website!
Read this book.
On second reading, I don't know if I'd still give it a 5, but still a good book.
