Kyera (8 KP) rated The Knowing (The Forgetting #2) in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Samara is one of the Knowing, the gifted people of New Canaan who are unable to forget anything. This is a unique premise, but soon the reader realizes that being unable to forget anything is not always a positive. Pain and bad memories can be relived perfectly, so forgiveness and healing are not entirely possible. On a positive side, someone could read non-fiction books and never forget their contents.
She is an interesting character and it was nice to see the plot from both her and Beck's points of view. As she is one of the Knowing, that identity and ability influenced everything she did in the book and how she reacted to situations - whereas Beck is from Earth and found himself in a completely foreign (yet fascinating) situation when he landed on the planet in search of the Lost City of Canaan. I enjoyed both of their portrayals, although I think I enjoyed Beck a little bit more as a character.
Going into the book, I didn't realize that it was set hundreds of years in the future of the Forgetting. It was a slight adjustment to get used to an entirely new word and way of thinking (the Forgetting versus the Knowing) and the pacing did not help. The first time I started the book, I put it down after a few chapters and decided to read other books. Once it got a few more chapters into the story, it was much more engaging and I really enjoyed the story.
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated When Hitler Took Cocaine and Lenin Lost His Brain in Books
Aug 14, 2018
If only all events in history could be taught this way! This is his hands down one of the most entertaining history books you’ll ever read! The book is composed of 50 chapters depicting from lesser known points in history. The stories are dramatic, compelling, and often shocking. There are tales of heroism, injustice, conspiracy and cannibalism.
Each chapter is it's own little, well written, real-life story. And each is rounded off with a profound sentence or two to summarise. I gained an appreciation of the role of pigeons and dogs in the war, I learned why the Dodo bird became extinct, and I discovered that it’s possible to survive 2 nuclear bombs.
Normally with non-fiction book with so many isolated sections, I'd be tempted to skip sections, but that was not the case this time - I enjoyed every single one! I’ve noticed there are more books in the series, and I intend to read them all!
The best way to convey how well written the stories are, is to leave you with an excerpt:
“There was a sickening crunch and a violent jerk. The right wing of the plane was ripped off by the mountain peak and flung backwards into the rear of the fuselage. The plane, wildly out of control, smashed into a second peak, which tore off the left wing.
Inside the cabin, the terrified passengers expected the shattered plane to plunge them to their deaths. But the plane’s crash-landing miraculously spared some of those on board. The fuselage hit a snow-covered mountain slope and slid downwards before coming to a halt in a deep drift.
As a wall of silence descended over the wreckage, the injured and groaning survivors came to their senses. They were lost in the wilds of the High Andes. But they were alive!”
For more of my reviews, check out www.bookblogbycari.com
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ClareR (6256 KP) rated The Book of Trespass: Crossing the Lines That Divide Us in Books
Sep 6, 2020
Fast forward a few centuries, the few rich people still own the majority of the land in the UK, and seem to guard it jealously. There’s no way that they can use all that land, but they won’t share it. In fact, the law backs them up - if you trespass, you could be prosecuted.
Nick Hayes has written a book where he charts the history of how land has changed ownership from the many to the few, the links to colonisation and the slave trade, those who have fought to keep us and our world safe and he stages his own rebellions throughout the book. He takes us over the fences and walls to look at the land we wouldn’t otherwise see (and the descriptions are beautiful, you can feel the love he has for the countryside). He shows us that this is not a communist ideal, as some would think. In countries such as Sweden, Norway and closer to home, Scotland, there is a culture of space for all. Maybe if we could all use this land, we would learn how to best look after it.
The added bonus were the pictures (woodcuts) - bold and beautiful.
I’m already trying to think of people who would appreciate this book as a gift. It’s definitely a book to share.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and Nick Hayes for making this book available for us to read!