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50 Museums to Blow Your Mind
Lonely Planet and Ben Handicott
Book
Thank the stars for the world's eccentric collectors; hoarders of objects beautiful, strange or...
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Tell Me How it Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions in Books
Jan 3, 2018
A human portrait of child migrants
With the world being shaped by migration, this essay comes at a timely fashion. Exploring the nuances of this reality, Valeria Luiselli, a skilful and gifted Mexican writer knows the migratory experience first-hand having travelled across the globe. This compassionate, short book finds her in a head-on confrontation with daily reality.
Based on her experiences working as an interpreter for dozens of Central American child migrants, she speaks to those who risked their lives crossing Mexico to escape their fraught existence back home. To stay in the US, each must be vetted by the Citizenship and Immigration Services, a vast, impersonal bureaucracy. It's her job to help these kids, but in order to do so, they must answer 40 questions that will determine their fate.
The truth about the crossing may be much more brutal in reality, with 80% of women and girls who cross from Mexico to the US being raped, hence some of the children appear evasive when answering questions. But this book is fueled, in no small part, by Luiselli's bottles up shame and rage. She's aghast at the gap between American ideals and the way they actually treat undocumented children, yet her writing is measured and fair-minded.
Luiselli takes us inside the grand dream of migration, offering the valuable reminder that exceedingly few immigrants abandon their past and brave death to come to America for dark or nasty reasons. Fantastic read.
Based on her experiences working as an interpreter for dozens of Central American child migrants, she speaks to those who risked their lives crossing Mexico to escape their fraught existence back home. To stay in the US, each must be vetted by the Citizenship and Immigration Services, a vast, impersonal bureaucracy. It's her job to help these kids, but in order to do so, they must answer 40 questions that will determine their fate.
The truth about the crossing may be much more brutal in reality, with 80% of women and girls who cross from Mexico to the US being raped, hence some of the children appear evasive when answering questions. But this book is fueled, in no small part, by Luiselli's bottles up shame and rage. She's aghast at the gap between American ideals and the way they actually treat undocumented children, yet her writing is measured and fair-minded.
Luiselli takes us inside the grand dream of migration, offering the valuable reminder that exceedingly few immigrants abandon their past and brave death to come to America for dark or nasty reasons. Fantastic read.
I have no explanation for why young adult story anthologies are SO. GOOD. But they are. This particular one revolves around queer teens in historical times. That's about the only commonality; the genres vary from normal fiction to fantasy to magical realism. There are gay, lesbian, transgender, and asexual teens represented. I am a little annoyed that there don't seem to be any bisexual teens in the anthology; it could be argued that at least one if not more are bi simply because they had opposite-sex relationships before the same-sex romance in the story, but that's also common before realizing your sexuality/coming out. No one is explicitly bisexual in this book. There were also two transmen but no transwomen.
There was a decent amount of cultural diversity while remaining mostly centered in the US; Chinatown in 1950s San Francisco, 1870s Mexico, Colonial New England, 1930s Hispanic New Mexico, Robin Hood-era Britain.
The stories were really good, I just wish they'd included a bisexual story and a transwoman. They did have an asexual girl, which is a sexuality often overlooked, so that was nice.
It's a great collection of stories, just limited in scope. They could have cut a few F/F stories and added in bisexual, nonbinary, and transwomen, and lived up to the open umbrella of the "queer" label a bit more. I really enjoyed it, I think I'm just a little disappointed because I was expecting more of the spectrum.
There was a decent amount of cultural diversity while remaining mostly centered in the US; Chinatown in 1950s San Francisco, 1870s Mexico, Colonial New England, 1930s Hispanic New Mexico, Robin Hood-era Britain.
The stories were really good, I just wish they'd included a bisexual story and a transwoman. They did have an asexual girl, which is a sexuality often overlooked, so that was nice.
It's a great collection of stories, just limited in scope. They could have cut a few F/F stories and added in bisexual, nonbinary, and transwomen, and lived up to the open umbrella of the "queer" label a bit more. I really enjoyed it, I think I'm just a little disappointed because I was expecting more of the spectrum.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Spy School Goes South in Books
Nov 12, 2018
Spring Break in Mexico - Spy School Style
Spy in training Ben Ripley is shocked when Murray Hill asks to speak to him. This junior SPYDER agent hasn't said a word since he's been captured several weeks ago, but now he has agreed to lead Ben to the evil organization's secret headquarters, but he will only reveal this location to Ben and Erica Hale after they have left. Unfortunately, Ben's suspicion that it might be a trap are proved true, and he and his friends find themselves stranded in Mexico. Is SPYDER really nearby? Can Ben stop their newest plan? Or will they even make it back to civilization?
Those familiar with this series will know exactly what to expect from this book, and they won't be disappointed. If you haven't found Ben's wonderful adventures, you are in for a treat. The action is non-stop with plenty of twists along the way that keep the pages flying. Yet there is still enough time for the characters to get some development. There is definitely more to them than we see on the surface. And there is plenty of humor; in fact, I might have been laughing out loud while reading one part. If you are new to the series, you might want to back up and read them in order. Trust me, you'll find yourself reading all of them and thinking of some kids you can pass these great books on to.
Those familiar with this series will know exactly what to expect from this book, and they won't be disappointed. If you haven't found Ben's wonderful adventures, you are in for a treat. The action is non-stop with plenty of twists along the way that keep the pages flying. Yet there is still enough time for the characters to get some development. There is definitely more to them than we see on the surface. And there is plenty of humor; in fact, I might have been laughing out loud while reading one part. If you are new to the series, you might want to back up and read them in order. Trust me, you'll find yourself reading all of them and thinking of some kids you can pass these great books on to.
Fatal Love: Spousal Killers, Law, and Punishment in the Late Colonial Spanish Atlantic
Book
One night in December 1800, in the distant mission outpost of San Antonio in northern Mexico,...
Position Location Techniques and Applications
Cesar Vargas, David Munoz, Frantz Bouchereau Lara and Rogerio Enriquez-Caldera
Book
This book is the definitive guide to the techniques and applications of position location, covering...
K3
K'oben: 3,000 Years of the Maya Hearth
Book
K'Oben traces the Maya kitchen and its associated hardware, ingredients, and cooking styles from the...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Revenge on Route 66: A Tracy Eaton Mystery in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Tracy is planning to introduce her husband Drew to the pleasures that are Route 66. But when a family friend is murdered in a small New Mexico town, they find themselves having to solve a mystery 30 years old to find out why he died now.
These books are always wacky capers, and this is no exception. The mystery is well plotted, but Tracy's antics are a blast the entire way through. A perfect light mystery for any road trip.
And keep an eye out for a character named Mark Baker.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-revenge-on-route-66-by-kris.html">Carstairs Considers</a.>
These books are always wacky capers, and this is no exception. The mystery is well plotted, but Tracy's antics are a blast the entire way through. A perfect light mystery for any road trip.
And keep an eye out for a character named Mark Baker.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-revenge-on-route-66-by-kris.html">Carstairs Considers</a.>
Vegas (725 KP) rated Ingobernable in TV
Sep 19, 2018
Engrossing (2 more)
Action packed
Political conspiracy
The First Lady of Mexico is a wanted woman, wanted for the murder of her husband, the President...
A cat and mouse game between her and the authorities who want her caught and bought to justice, Determined to try and prove herself innocent and not knowing who to trust and where to turn she leaves her family behind to try and find the truth...
The story is gripping and fast paced and reminds me of 24 in some ways, you feel for the characters and get drawn into the story with enough twists to keep it interesting. This is one of the better political thrillers of recent times.
A cat and mouse game between her and the authorities who want her caught and bought to justice, Determined to try and prove herself innocent and not knowing who to trust and where to turn she leaves her family behind to try and find the truth...
The story is gripping and fast paced and reminds me of 24 in some ways, you feel for the characters and get drawn into the story with enough twists to keep it interesting. This is one of the better political thrillers of recent times.