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Draw Your Weapons
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A single book might not change the world. But this utterly original meditation on art and war might...
philosophy social sciences
Obscura Camera
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There's always a better camera than the one you have with you. And that's Obscura. Designed with...
The Endless Shimmering by And So I Watch You From Afar
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Instinct. We all know what it is, but are hard pressed to acknowledge just how it guides us....
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy in Books
Nov 16, 2017
An honest look at the Obama years
The simplest way to describe "We Were Eight Years in Power" is as a selection of Ta-Nehisi Coates' most influential pieces from The Atlantic, organised chronologically. The book is actually far more than that, establishing Coates as the pre-eminent black public intellectual of his generation.
Coates is one of the first to show up to discuss all three contemporary themes: the man, the community, national identity. He critiques respectability politics. He writes about mass incarceration. He writes about Michelle Obama and Chicago's South Side. He writes about how Barack Obama was exceptional, in many senses, and about the paradoxical limits of the first black president's power to address race and racism. He writes about the qualitative difference between white economic prospects and black economic prospects, thanks to discriminatory policies promulgated by the government even during progressive times, and about how, in his view, reparations would be the only way to redress the problem.
An air of resignation begins to bleed into Coates' writing even before his last essay, coming into the final years of the Obama administration. It is an eloquent eulogy to the struggles that African Americans are facing and increasingly fearing today.
Coates is one of the first to show up to discuss all three contemporary themes: the man, the community, national identity. He critiques respectability politics. He writes about mass incarceration. He writes about Michelle Obama and Chicago's South Side. He writes about how Barack Obama was exceptional, in many senses, and about the paradoxical limits of the first black president's power to address race and racism. He writes about the qualitative difference between white economic prospects and black economic prospects, thanks to discriminatory policies promulgated by the government even during progressive times, and about how, in his view, reparations would be the only way to redress the problem.
An air of resignation begins to bleed into Coates' writing even before his last essay, coming into the final years of the Obama administration. It is an eloquent eulogy to the struggles that African Americans are facing and increasingly fearing today.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Calling Invisible Women in Books
Jan 15, 2018
So I have to imagine that all of us have felt invisible at some point in our lives. I know that I have. It seems like no matter what you do, say, or wear you just aren't there. That is what this book is about, in a sense. The big difference is that Clover really does disappear one day. It starts off as being just a few minutes & eventually she is just gone...physically. The killer is that her husband & children don't even notice!
Clover eventually finds a group of women who are all in the same predicament...the Invisible Women as they call themselves. Through this group Clover learns that she is not by herself in this. She also starts to realize that she's given up her power & she finally works at getting it back.
The women finally manage to organize & rally against the evil, overly wealthy, giant, uncaring drug company whose drugs when taken in combination caused these women to disappear in the first place.
This book was a quick, easy read. Ray has an easy, conversational writing style & the characters were easy to relate to. The story was touching & made you think without being overly preachy. I enjoyed it!
Clover eventually finds a group of women who are all in the same predicament...the Invisible Women as they call themselves. Through this group Clover learns that she is not by herself in this. She also starts to realize that she's given up her power & she finally works at getting it back.
The women finally manage to organize & rally against the evil, overly wealthy, giant, uncaring drug company whose drugs when taken in combination caused these women to disappear in the first place.
This book was a quick, easy read. Ray has an easy, conversational writing style & the characters were easy to relate to. The story was touching & made you think without being overly preachy. I enjoyed it!
A coming of age story
A coming of age story, set between Ghana and London, this is the story of Belinda, a housegirl, who moves to London to help the daughter of her employers friends. Amma (the friends daughter) has become withdrawn and is struggling with something in her life - not her studies though, she's a straight A student. She won't talk to her parents about it, and to begin with, it doesn't look as though she'll talk to Belinda either. Their friendship builds over a period of weeks and months. In this time, Belinda goes back to school in order to gain some qualifications. She seems to feel guilty of having left her fellow housegirl, who she refers to as sister (even though the 12 year old Mary is not her sister by blood, they have bonded over being in the same circumstances of separation from their families at young ages).
This novel explores African attitudes towards sexuality, family and responsibility. It's funny at times, but also incredibly moving. I really enjoyed it. We can see the contrast between life in a Ghanaian city and village, and the difference again between those places and London. A fascinating novel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this fantastic book.
This novel explores African attitudes towards sexuality, family and responsibility. It's funny at times, but also incredibly moving. I really enjoyed it. We can see the contrast between life in a Ghanaian city and village, and the difference again between those places and London. A fascinating novel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this fantastic book.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Uglies (Uglies, #1) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The style of writing reminded me a bit of the Twilight saga, fast-paced, with lots of teenager-style lingo mixed in. I loved all the the little details that created the world of "post-Rusties," such as the groups of people - Uglies; New, Middle, and Late Pretties; Special Circumstances; Smokies and New Smokies - as well as the shortened version of names - Tally, Ellie, Sol, Croy, Shay, Peris, Astrix, etc. The way that our world is portrayed in comparison to the world in the book is also interesting in various details such as telling the difference between roller coasters and railroads, Tally's reactions to eating meat and making clothing from animal skins, David still referring to his parents as "Mom" and "Dad", and Tally finding David's name odd. The reader sees the negative aspect of the way we presently live, as well as the positive and negative aspects to living in the extreme opposite of "Rusty". It seems that neither extreme is the answer, but rather finding the "happy medium," which is rarely ever easy. This post-apocalyptic world fits right in with works such as 1984, Anthem, and Brave New World. I look forward to continuing the series with the next book, Pretties.
ClareR (5879 KP) rated Gallowstree Lane (Collins and Griffiths #3) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Fans of The Wire or Broadchurch will love this.
I didn't realise until after I'd finished this, that it was actually the third in the series - not that it made any difference whatsoever to my enjoyment!
It's a really well told, gritty police procedural, heavy on the character building. In fact I became very attached to these characters: the struggling single parent WPC; the teenaged boys who had become involved in drug dealing; the officer involved with a big operation; the DC investigating a murder. I didn't like the big drug dealer though (which I think was the whole point. He was a man devoid of conscience).
The mothers in this really resonated with me: women trying to do their best , one working long hours and sacrificing time with her baby to be able to provide for him in a job she loves; the other, a woman who risks losing her son to drug dealing and violence. Both women backed into impossible-to-get-out-of corners.
I really, really enjoyed this book, and I'll be buying the first two in the series to read and catch up!!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to the author, Kate London, for reading along with us!
It's a really well told, gritty police procedural, heavy on the character building. In fact I became very attached to these characters: the struggling single parent WPC; the teenaged boys who had become involved in drug dealing; the officer involved with a big operation; the DC investigating a murder. I didn't like the big drug dealer though (which I think was the whole point. He was a man devoid of conscience).
The mothers in this really resonated with me: women trying to do their best , one working long hours and sacrificing time with her baby to be able to provide for him in a job she loves; the other, a woman who risks losing her son to drug dealing and violence. Both women backed into impossible-to-get-out-of corners.
I really, really enjoyed this book, and I'll be buying the first two in the series to read and catch up!!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to the author, Kate London, for reading along with us!
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) in Movies
Mar 9, 2019
Stays true to the book
This is by far the best adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel and aside from the hilarious Dracula: Dead and Loving It, there has never been a decent Dracula film since. The fact that it stays true to the novel is the best thing about this, there’s very little difference between this and the book and I’m so grateful about this. The effects are very old school and in parts a little bit cheesy and very dated watching it back now, but I think that’s part of the charm. It was made in the early 90s after all.
Gary Oldman does a fantastic performance and Anthony Hopkins too is wonderful as Van Helsing, and it’s these two that really make this film as good as it is. The rest of the cast range from good (Richard E Grant), unremarkable (Cary Elwes), to downright awful. And yes, I am talking about Keanu Reeves. I know he was a big star when this was made, but he really is a terrible actor. And he’s even worse when he’s trying to put on a horrendous English accent. I wish they’d have found a decent actor to play Harker, if they had I would’ve scored this a little higher!
Gary Oldman does a fantastic performance and Anthony Hopkins too is wonderful as Van Helsing, and it’s these two that really make this film as good as it is. The rest of the cast range from good (Richard E Grant), unremarkable (Cary Elwes), to downright awful. And yes, I am talking about Keanu Reeves. I know he was a big star when this was made, but he really is a terrible actor. And he’s even worse when he’s trying to put on a horrendous English accent. I wish they’d have found a decent actor to play Harker, if they had I would’ve scored this a little higher!
plausibility (2 more)
well researched
likable characters
Jane is a Filipino immigrant trying hard to support her baby daughter.
Reagan is white, educated and wants to make a difference in the world.
Jane and Regan are just two of the many girls who work at Golden Oaks as ‘Hosts’.They are basically surrogates for the rich and influential.
But is all as it seems at Golden Oaks, (nick named ‘The Farm’ by some of the hosts) and can you truly sell a part of yourself without ramifications.
The story essentially focuses on Jane and her struggles, but it is also told from the perspective of Reagan (Jane’s room mate) Ate (Janes Cousin) and Mae (The manager at Golden Oaks).
This took me a little while to really get into the characters at first, but once I had the story flowed nicely and it was easy to get engrossed in. The thing that drew me to the book was that it had been highlighted at ‘A Handmaids Tale for 2019’ and you can definitely see that. The set up at Golden Oaks is all very plausible and sounds idyllic, the Hosts are all there willingly and being paid handsomely. However, you can see how an institute like Golden Oaks could descend into Margaret Atwoods dystopian nightmare.
Reagan is white, educated and wants to make a difference in the world.
Jane and Regan are just two of the many girls who work at Golden Oaks as ‘Hosts’.They are basically surrogates for the rich and influential.
But is all as it seems at Golden Oaks, (nick named ‘The Farm’ by some of the hosts) and can you truly sell a part of yourself without ramifications.
The story essentially focuses on Jane and her struggles, but it is also told from the perspective of Reagan (Jane’s room mate) Ate (Janes Cousin) and Mae (The manager at Golden Oaks).
This took me a little while to really get into the characters at first, but once I had the story flowed nicely and it was easy to get engrossed in. The thing that drew me to the book was that it had been highlighted at ‘A Handmaids Tale for 2019’ and you can definitely see that. The set up at Golden Oaks is all very plausible and sounds idyllic, the Hosts are all there willingly and being paid handsomely. However, you can see how an institute like Golden Oaks could descend into Margaret Atwoods dystopian nightmare.