A nonfiction travel book about Sri Lanka. Since all travel books these days seem to need some sort of gimmick, Briggs's is that she's recreating the jA nonfiction travel book about Sri Lanka. Since all travel books these days seem to need some sort of gimmick, Briggs's is that she's recreating the journey of James Emerson Tennent, who himself wrote a popular travel book about Sri Lanka in the 1840s. Briggs's one big benefit is that she happened to be traveling in 2010, immediately after the ceasefire of the Sri Lankan civil war, making her the first outsider to visit some of these areas in decades. Overall it's a bit of a 101-level introduction to the country, but her writing is pleasant enough that it's worth reading. Recommended if you have a particular interest in the topic.
A Regency era murder mystery, the first in a series of four. Julian Kestrel is a popular dandy, the arbitrator of coolness in a circle of slightly risA Regency era murder mystery, the first in a series of four. Julian Kestrel is a popular dandy, the arbitrator of coolness in a circle of slightly risque upperclass men, the type who visit gaming hells and have mistresses. Julian is invited to an acquaintance's country house for a wedding, which quickly turns out to be not all that it seems – the bride's father, a wealthy businessman, is blackmailing the family to force them into the marriage. And then a dead girl turns up in Julian's bed, who everyone claims not to recognize, and Julian gets involved in the investigation to keep himself and his valet from being accused of murder.
Someone recommended this to me; it was long ago, long enough that I don't remember who it was or in what context. I have a vague memory that they said it was similar to the Ben January books, but I could be wrong. Anyway, I hope it was none of you, because it turns out that I didn't like the book very much. There's nothing in particular wrong with it, but it engages in all the cliches of Regency romance of the 90s (when, in fact, it was written) without the least critique or new twist to them. Julian is so cool and intimidating that shy young men become infatuated with him after one meeting. People say things to him like, "You'll cause more harm than you can begin to guess! But you don't care, do you?" She laughed bitterly. "A kestrel is a kind of falcon, isn't it? Mr. Kestrel, you were very aptly named for a bird of prey!" He has a charming young Cockney servant, who of course was a pickpocket until Julian rescued him from the street. Little girls declare that they want to marry him when they grow up, to which he responds, "Oh, I don't mind. I rather like making friends with women before they're old enough to be dangerous." I suppose at some point there must have been someone who found that sort of faux-respect charming and flirtatious, but it's always gotten on my nerves as the worst sort of condescension.
It's an interesting idea for a book, and I would love a Regency mystery series, but this isn't the one for me....more
In 1887, in a small town just outside of Philadelphia, a human man's torso was found dumped in a pond. It quickly became front page news as doctors anIn 1887, in a small town just outside of Philadelphia, a human man's torso was found dumped in a pond. It quickly became front page news as doctors and police struggled to identify the victim, or even determine what race he had been: black? white? asian? native american?
Eventually the body was revealed to be that of Waite Gaines, a young mixed race (which, of course, by the one-drop rule of the time, meant he was considered black) man, and Hannah Tabbs, an older black woman with whom he was probably having an affair, was accused of the murder. Gross uses the investigation to explore questions of race and gender during the last moments of Reconstruction. Gaines at least occasionally seems to have passed for white, and Tabbs frequently broke the rules to get what she wanted while skillfully manipulating those around her, particularly white authorities, into seeing a properly submissive, respectable black woman.
It's an interesting case. Unfortunately it suffers from the problem that a lot of historical nonfiction has: there's simply not enough of a record to answer all of the questions. Nearly all of the main actors disappear entirely from written history after this brief moment in the spotlight, leaving us to wonder where they came from and where they went next. It's not Gross's fault, since she can only write about what exists, but it does leave the book with an oddly unfinished feeling.
A nonfiction account of Nat Turner's rebellion (a slave rebellion in 1831 Virginia). Breen focuses as much on the trials and aftermath as the rebellioA nonfiction account of Nat Turner's rebellion (a slave rebellion in 1831 Virginia). Breen focuses as much on the trials and aftermath as the rebellion itself, which is a fair choice, since despite its large repercussions, the rebellion only actually lasted about two days and probably involved no more than forty or fifty people at its height. Breen does a good job of exploring how other black people, both free and enslaved, reacted to the rebellion – a few chose to join, a few threw in with their masters, and many avoided making any choices at all. He also lays out the white reaction, since many of the richest and most powerful men in the area in fact minimized the retribution, since after all executing a rebel meant losing a valuable piece of property, if you were a slave owner. This in turn led to disagreements between the rich and poor whites of the area over how to understand and respond to what had happened.
Breen also does a good job in discussing the image of the rebellion in the time since it happened, and getting back to the original sources. He lays out what has become 'common knowledge' that in fact never happened, and what did happen that has been forgotten. Overall a good book if you're interested in the topic, but probably too academic to be worth it if you're not already engaged.
A collection of short funny essays, mostly about her life and personal experiences. It's quite similar to Kaling's first book, Is Everyone Hanging OutA collection of short funny essays, mostly about her life and personal experiences. It's quite similar to Kaling's first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), so if you liked that one, you'll probably like this one too. None of Kaling's writing is particularly memorable or life-changing, but I find her deeply enjoyable and often hilarious, so if you need to spend a pleasant few hours, I highly recommend this book....more
A cookbook focusing on rice dishes, from rice breakfasts to rice salads to rice bowls to rice smoothies to rice desserts. Usually it's actually rice wA cookbook focusing on rice dishes, from rice breakfasts to rice salads to rice bowls to rice smoothies to rice desserts. Usually it's actually rice which is the primary ingredient, but sometimes it's rice byproducts like rice milk or rice flour. There's a nice diversity of rice included; most of the recipes use the old standard of long-grain white rice, but there's also glutinous sticky rice, brown rice, wild rice, black rice, and red rice, as well as instructions on how to cook all of them. I didn't get quite as many useful recipes out of the book as I'd hoped (one of the banes of my existence in trying to find good cookbooks is that I'm constantly getting 200-page books that only have three recipes I actually want to make), but I have already tried out "Tea-steeped chickpea pot" (which is really just Chole Bhature with the rice mixed in) and quite enjoyed it.
Which brings me to the one thing I disliked about this book: Katona has to give weird names to each of her recipes. Instead of avgolemeno, it's "Lemony egg soup". Instead of poha, it's "Peanut & potato flattened rice". And then there's "Calcutta comforter", which I'm fairly sure is just a regular cauliflower curry, but the description makes it hard to tell. It would make it a lot easier to use the Table of Contents if she would just call things by their actual names.
A f/f romance novel about Gemma, a good church lady who has a secret online life as a Mistress Lorelei, handing out strict spankings and figgings. CelA f/f romance novel about Gemma, a good church lady who has a secret online life as a Mistress Lorelei, handing out strict spankings and figgings. Celine, Gemma's neighbor, has been nursing a crush on her for months. When she accidentally finds out about Mistress Lorelei, she decides to investigate the kink-scene, going so far as to contact Lorelei under a secret screenname of her own.
To complicate matters further, Gemma's best friend has set her up with confident, successful Stella, who seems like the perfect woman, except that a) she's not religious, and b) she's not into kink. Who will Gemma choose?
This is a fairly slight romance, with no particularly deep insights into characters or situations, but as long as you go into it with that understanding, it's a lot of fun. Plus, I've never seen lesbians + kinky + religious combined before, and it's worth reading just for that intersection alone. Actually, I wish there'd been more about Gemma's faith. She believes in no sex until marriage, which I found a little confusing when she was willing to act out BDSM scenes with her girlfriends (I know that's a line that professional dominatrixes often draw, but it makes more sense to me as a business transaction than a matter of faith. Clearly Gemma's activities are leading to orgasms for at least some of the participants, some of the time, so why does she – or God! – not consider that to be sex?). I also would have liked to see a bit more build-up to the happy ending. But I'm probably asking for more from this book than it really was trying to be. I wanted something light and enjoyable, and this was the perfect book for that. ...more
Part fairy-tale, part satire, part retelling of Seven Samurai/The Magnificent Seven, and part critique of the US's immigration issues, this is an amazPart fairy-tale, part satire, part retelling of Seven Samurai/The Magnificent Seven, and part critique of the US's immigration issues, this is an amazing book. Nayeli is a teenage girl in a small town in southern Mexico. One day she realizes that there are no men left in town – they've all moved to the US to find jobs. She teams up with her two best friends and the one guy left (Tacho, a gay man) to travel to the US, cross the border, and start a reverse-migration movement. Partly to protect the town, and also kind of because they want boyfriends.
This book isn't a particularly serious take on the issue – though there are occasional undertones of darker themes – but is full of quirky characters, goofy anecdotes, and madcap shenanigans. There's the long-running rivalry in the town over who is the greatest actor of all time, Yul Brynner or Steve McQueen; Nayeli's aunt, the international bowling champion, and her long-lost, beloved bowling guru; Atómico, who lives in the Tijuana garbage dump and has dedicated himself to being a samurai; and Missionary Matt, local well-meaning white boy who all the girls have crushes on. There's a lot of Spanish dialogue and slang, but I don't speak any Spanish at all and still found it easy enough to follow. It's a fun, light-hearted book that I really enjoyed. ...more
A novel about the friendship between Mark Twain and Henry Morton Stanley (he of the famous – or infamous – line "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"). There'A novel about the friendship between Mark Twain and Henry Morton Stanley (he of the famous – or infamous – line "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"). There's not much of a plot; this is rather a meandering collection of moments across the two men's lives, with a much greater focus on Stanley than Twain. Stanley's wife, Dorothy Tennant, a wealthy painter, is also a prominent character – probably moreso than Twain, which is unfortunate because of all the historical and fictional figures in this book, he was the only one I liked and enjoyed spending time with.
The book switches between epistolary style (diaries, letters, and segments of autobiographies), and more straight-forward third person limited POVs. The only real structure the book has is that it's bookended by twin retellings of the same moment in Stanley's life: when, at about age 20, he went searching for his adopted father who had disappeared in Cuba. The tellings (one by Stanley and one by Twain) differ significantly. Rather than plot, there's a strong thematic thread holding the book together; characters are constantly ruminating on death, the afterlife, fame, their legacies, and especially the inevitability of the passing of time. I don't like to read too much autobiography into novels, but it's extremely hard to avoid the reflection that this is a book written at the end of Hijuelos's life, and in fact only edited and published after his death.
I didn't like this book. The lack of any sort of plot made it feel as though it was dragging on forever, and the constant references to an Ozymandius-like passing of all grandeur just made me think of better things I could be doing with my time than reading this book. In addition, I found it incredibly hard to have any sympathy or patience with Stanley. He's a man who both served in the Confederate Army in the US Civil War and worked for King Leopold. Stanley is, in fact, responsible to some degree in the founding of the Congo Free State (trigger warning on that link for pretty much every terrible thing you can imagine; literally the URL is "Humanitarian Disaster"). And I'm not saying that Hijuelos should have changed these things! They're a matter of historical record, and if you're going to write about real people, these are the sorts of issues you must confront. But Hijuelos chooses to deal with it by... ignoring it, mostly, or including as few references as physically possible, which often involves skipping over entire years or decades of Stanley's life. If I had not already known about the problems of the Congo Free State, I could easily have finished this book without even being aware they existed. The writing itself was great, but it's hard for me to care about Stanley dating some lady when part of my mind is screaming, "ARE WE JUST NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU WORK FOR A LITERAL GENOCIDAL MONSTER?"
And no, we never do talk about it. At least not in this book.
On the other hand, hey, it turns out Mark Twain is cooler than I'd realized! Did you know he was an active campaigner for women's suffrage, spoke out against missionaries, campaigned heavily against imperialism, particularly in the context of the Spanish-American war and the US expansion into the Phillipines, and supported unions and the labor movement? I wish he had been the focus of this book instead of Stanley.
A sequel to Sorcery & Cecelia, Kate and Cecelia go on their honeymoon across Europe, though the trip quickly turns from tourism to a race to prevent aA sequel to Sorcery & Cecelia, Kate and Cecelia go on their honeymoon across Europe, though the trip quickly turns from tourism to a race to prevent a magical spell which will conquer all of Europe. It's still an epistolary novel, though instead of letters, one character writes a diary and the other's story is told through a "deposition". This is a really weird conceit that didn't work at all for me; the characters are much less engaging and fun when they're no longer having a conversation but are just retelling what happened. The characters in general (not just Kate and Cecelia but their husbands as well) are much less distinct than in the previous book. I had trouble remembering who was who, and eventually just gave up on trying to keep anyone straight, since it didn't seem to matter anyway. The most interesting character turned out to be Kate's new mother-in-law, who unfortunately is only in the first few chapters. Despite being for much larger stakes, the plot in this book is much more boring, and the mystery aspect of it is incredibly obvious (when you only meet one new character in all your travels, it's clear that he's going to be involved in the mystery), which makes the characters seem dumb for not figuring it out until the end. I will say that the final climax was exciting and charming, but that's not enough to make the rest of the book worthwhile.
Sadly, a real disappointment, especially compared to how much I enjoyed the first book....more
A book I decided to read solely on the basis that it seemed like an excellent comfort book for lying on the couch under blankets and cats. And it was!A book I decided to read solely on the basis that it seemed like an excellent comfort book for lying on the couch under blankets and cats. And it was! It's an epistolary novel, told entirely in letters between Cecelia and her cousin Kate, young woman in a Regency England where magic is normal. Kate has gone to London for her first Season, while Cecelia was left behind in the country, due to a theory that they would cause too much trouble if brought out together. A plot involving evil stepmothers, nefarious wizards, a mysterious marquis, poisonous hot chocolate, and a fake betrothal soon develops. The whole thing was hilarious and delightful, and I finished it in a day....more
A novel which begins in Kerala, India in the early 1940s, before traveling to Colombo, Sri Lanka for the late 1950s (ie, just in time for both places A novel which begins in Kerala, India in the early 1940s, before traveling to Colombo, Sri Lanka for the late 1950s (ie, just in time for both places to undergo major political crises). The narrator is Indu, the pampered only child of a lawyer and activist involved in the freedom movement. She receives an unusually advanced education for a girl in her time and place, and eventually becomes a reporter. But despite the setting, the book is far more concerned with Indu's daily life, her domestic dramas, private griefs, and friendships, than it is with riots or marches or independence movements. Early on, limiting the story to Indu's POV is very frustrating - does anyone on Earth think this sort of thing is cute rather than irritating?: Damu exploded. "You are mad. Reckless to get involved in all this Congress–bongress speechmaking and processions when you have a family to look after." Indu, startled, looked at Damu and then at her father. Why was Damu so angry? "I’ll be arrested within a week if they pass the resolution on the twelfth," Gopalan said. "We know it’s going to be passed; all the provincial committees have voted for it." "What’s ’rrested?" Indu wondered. It sounded bad.
But thankfully she quickly grows out of that. The whole book does feel a bit like a first draft – there are idioms that are misused, plot threads that disappear, that sort of thing – but nonetheless there's a real engrossing, page-turning quality to the book. There's nothing new or radical here that isn't the same as a million other coming-of-age dramas about young women from small towns, but if you like that genre, this is a particularly well-done example of it.
Someone is summoning dragons in Ankh-Morpork, with the goal of scaring the populace into crowning a new king. Unsurprisingly, this does not go as planSomeone is summoning dragons in Ankh-Morpork, with the goal of scaring the populace into crowning a new king. Unsurprisingly, this does not go as planned. To save the day we have Vimes, captain of the Night Watch and satire of the cynical alcoholic noir detective; Carrot, the Watch's newest recruit, full of idealism and naivety; and Lady Sybil, breeder of pet swamp dragons (miniature, less dangerous versions of the real thing).
A lot of people recommend this book as the one where Discworld "gets really good". And... I have to agree! There is a noticeable jump in the complexity of the world and the depth of the satire (though I'm still going to stick with Wyrd Sisters for my favorite of these first eight books, but that's just because I prefer Shakespeare to noir). This has the introduction of so many wonderful characters, not just the main ones, but it's the first time we see Vetinari as Vetinari, and Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, and Colon! and Nobby! I don't know what more there is to say; it's a wonderful book, funny and dark and exciting, and I love it so much....more
In a faux-medieval Spain where gods, saints, and demons are all far too real, Penric finds himself possessed by a demon (or twelve demons, depending oIn a faux-medieval Spain where gods, saints, and demons are all far too real, Penric finds himself possessed by a demon (or twelve demons, depending on how you count them). The impoverished younger son of a minor noble who's never before left his small town, Penric now finds himself of great interest to the church, nobility, and well, his own demon, which has never before possessed a man, and is far too interested in how they differ from women.
THIS WAS ADORABLE. Penric is a sweet, earnest, thoughtful character, and his adventures are small in scale, but completely uplifting. It's a novella rather than a full-length novel, but I was made so happy by reading this. ...more
I'm a huge fan of the genre that can be loosely described as "popular books about weird science"; it includes authors like Mary Roach and books like PI'm a huge fan of the genre that can be loosely described as "popular books about weird science"; it includes authors like Mary Roach and books like Parasite Rex or Sex on Six Legs. So obviously when I saw this book offered on NetGalley, I had to read it immediately.
I'm not sure how to summarize it, because really, the subtitle says everything you need to know. If you want to read about how much lobsters pee on each other during sex (answer: lots) or the octopus that can detach its penis and throw it like a dart at the females of its species, this is the book for you. The writing style is a nice mix of breezy and funny, while still conveying a good amount of scientific information. There's also a chapter at the end about how all this studying of sex has influenced conversation efforts. It was fairly optimistic, which is a nice change from the "EVERYTHING IS GOING EXTINCT AND NO ONE CAN EVER EAT FISH AGAIN" tone of a lot of current writing about overfishing and ocean pollution.
Overall, a fun read, though not particularly life-changing.
The fourth (and final!) book in the Finishing School series, a YA series about a finishing school for girls in a steampunk 1850s England. Except this The fourth (and final!) book in the Finishing School series, a YA series about a finishing school for girls in a steampunk 1850s England. Except this school is in a dirigible, and the girls are taught how to be spies just as much as society ladies. Also, there are vampires, werewolves, robot dogs, and a massive plot seeking control of the government. I love this series and recommend it highly, even to people who didn't like Carriger's previous series so much.
But I have to admit that I didn't quite like this book as much as the previous three. Mostly it's simply the fact that it's the final book, and therefore there's a hell of a lot of plot to cover. So much plot, in fact, that there's very little time for emotions or relationship development. Sidheag (one of my favorite secondary characters) doesn't even appear once! And much as I understand that it would have been difficult to work her in, I was disappointed by her absence. Dimity, Agatha, Pillover, Lord Akledama – no one got much screentime. Also, there was not nearly enough Soap in this book, imho. Though I did really like the argument between him and Sophronia, which I felt addressed important points of difference between them, and the eventual resolution of their plot was adorable and fitting.
It's hard to summarize this book, because it's so much about the plot and secrets and back and forth. I will say that if what you've been longing for is dramatic action sequences, fight scenes, and the final revelation of everyone's machinations, this is the perfect book for you. If not, it's still a good resolution to the series. (Plus, I so want the sequel about Sophronia the adult spy.) ...more
Teppic is the newest pharaoh in a faux-Ancient Egypt country, except that he doesn't really want to be pharaoh. Meanwhile, the ghost of his father deaTeppic is the newest pharaoh in a faux-Ancient Egypt country, except that he doesn't really want to be pharaoh. Meanwhile, the ghost of his father deals with the process of becoming a mummy, the high priest is deeply committed to preventing change, and there's a handmaiden who really enjoys her job.
Rereading this series in publication order continues to be so much fun! This book introduces some of Pratchett's deeper satire and philosophy that will come up again and again throughout the series – but most particularly in Small Gods - ideas like human belief being what gives gods their power, the contrast between tradition/ritual and faith/individualism, the dangers of ossified religious hierarchies while still supporting the importance of belief to humanity. This is also another book about what is starting to seem like one of Pratchett's favorite tropes: people who can't quite go home again, who have been changed by their life experiences to the degree that they have trouble relating to those around them. I hadn't noticed that as a major theme before, but it's been in these early books over and over again: Rincewind (who is explicitly told "wizards can't go home again"), Mort, Teppic... even Granny Weatherwax, who never left home in the same way, is quite clearly not just one of the villagers. Also the reveal at the very end about Dios is straight-up horrifying.
But besides that philosophical stuff, this book is really hilarious. I love the take on Ancient Greece, the ~magic~ of the pyramids, the camels, and the long line of translating mummies. It's still not one of my very favorite Discworlds, but I loved it so much more than I remembered. ...more
A novel set in Gurgaon (a suburb of Delhi), though the book itself constantly refers to the location as "New City". Gurgaon is a planned development (A novel set in Gurgaon (a suburb of Delhi), though the book itself constantly refers to the location as "New City". Gurgaon is a planned development (I mean, there was a village there before, but nearly everything that exists there now has been built since the 1990s) of massive skyscrapers, highways, malls, etc. It's the home of many corporate headquarters, as well as many of the richest people in the world. But because it's come up so rapidly, and is populated by such incredible wealth, there are several fundamental problems with it as a city: there's almost no public transportation or sidewalks, the servants and workers of all those rich people have nowhere nearby to live, forcing them to commute hours, and social services for the poor are basically non-existent. All this in a suburb of Delhi, a city in which poverty is not exactly an issue of the past.
I'm going on and on about the setting, because Gurgaon itself is basically the fundamental premise of the whole book: that juxtaposition of extreme wealth and extreme poverty which characterizes a lot of India today, but is most extreme in this one suburb.
Okay, so as for what actually happens: She Will Build Him a City is composed of three strands of characters, who don't reveal their connection until the very end. In one plot, an elderly woman speaks in the first person to her sleeping adult daughter, retelling the story of their (fairly normal, middle-class) life. In another plot, a newborn named Orphan is abandoned in front of an orphanage. This thread involves a lot of magical realism not present in the rest of the book: Orphan talks to dogs, narrowly escapes becoming a celebrity, learns how to disappear and how to literally step into movies. Finally, an unnamed wealthy man reenacts American Psycho for India in 2015. Right down to the constant recitation of brand names and prices, and the extreme violence against animals, woman, and children which the narration calls into question, leaving it unclear how much actually happens and how much is fantasy. Well, I suppose the critique works as well for modern Gurgaon as it did for NYC in the 80s.
The narration is all stream-of-consciousness, which I really liked for about half a page, then thought it seemed rushed and full of run-on sentences that made me feel like I couldn't catch my breath, and then finally I adjusted to it enough that it was no longer noticeable.
I did like the book, although the more I think about it, the more trite I think its ultimate message is (see, the killer represents the decadence and immorality of too much wealth too fast, and the baby is the soul of the poor that the wealthy are abandoning, but the two middle-class women have to "build him a city" by being mothers! Get it?), but ah well. There are lots of memorable characters and images, and many of the side details are far more interesting than the main thrust. I'll be checking out other books by the author.
A retelling of Macbeth (well, with a little Hamlet and Richard III thrown in, plus a smidge of King Lear) if the three witches were the main characterA retelling of Macbeth (well, with a little Hamlet and Richard III thrown in, plus a smidge of King Lear) if the three witches were the main characters, Duncan had a surviving child, and Shakespeare were around to witness the events before writing his play.
This book is SO GOOD. SO GOOD. It's always been one of my absolutely favorite Discworld books, and I was shocked to realize how early it comes in the series. How can the first appearances of Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick already be this good? How can someone who so far has only been writing satires of the contemporary fantasy genre leap all the way up to Shakespeare and take him on? (And honestly, what Pratchett does with the "out damned spot" plot is both more logical – of course it should be Macbeth who obsesses over this, not Lady Macbeth! – and far, far more horrifying than Shakespeare's original.) How does Pratchett go from pure comedy to a book full of philosophy and humanism and analysis of the power of words and stories and quite dark undertones?
I don't know. But I love it. I happen to have read Macbeth* just last week, and so I caught a lot more references and quotes that I would have otherwise, which deepened by enjoyment. But even if you've never read a single Shakespeare, this is an excellent book: funny, full of complex characters, and with plenty of social commentary. And hint, hint – if you've never read Discworld before, this is a great book to start with....more
