Books (not Boobs)

Since the topic of wars and history was brought up I would recommend Another Day of Life by Ryszard Kapuściński. It is a super well-written book on the Angolan Civil war and provides an interesting, non-western perspective since he was from the eastern bloc. It also really breaks down and shows the motives, forces, and reasons for the war, which is enlightening since the majority of past, and current coverage of wars in Africa paint them in an arguably racist light as a bunch of savages mindlessly killing each other.

Just finished The Lonely Century by Noreena Hertz. Good read, recommend. Looks at loneliness at both individual and societal levels, in the context of the rise of neoliberal capitalism, individualism, the decline of traditional social structures like churches and unions, digitization and social media, automation, robotization etc. And how loneliness relates to anger, polarization, attraction to populism, etc. It didn't make me particularly cheerful or optimistic about the future of humankind though.

https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2021/11/22/Hopeful-Message-Dawn-Everything/

Another interesting book review from the Tyee

https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2023/05/15/Why-do-Monstrous-People-Win/

I've been discovering Haruki Murakami, so far I've read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and 1Q84. So different, I like the strangeness and the slow pace.

I just read " Kafka on the shore " by Murakami , yes very different

Just Finished reading The Glass Hotel - Emily St John Mandel

Its dark, sprawling and compelling. Frustratingly never resolves to my satisfaction, but does life ever resolve?

Has a lot of Vancouver/Vancouver island content and links.

Thanks guys, I grabbed both Kafka on the Shore and The Glass Hotel from Overdrive for my upcoming vacation.

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BTW for those who don't know about Overdrive, with your local public library membership you can access tons of e-books and audio books.

Libby and/or Overdrive/and your local library  is  an awesome resource.  Always have something to listen to or to read..

Almost finished reading "Adrift" by Lisa Brideau. It's her first book and I m really enjoying it. Nice mix of mystery, slightly dystopian future, local BC setting, and a look at what could happen with climate change.

Just finished Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.

Extremely good. Very difficult subject matter about places and people we would rather look away from but very much worth reading.

EDIT: I didn't even realize this but apparently this book is a retelling of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens . It's a harrowing tale of a boy with everything stacked against him being constantly failed by adults around him. It takes place in Appalachia around the beginnings of the modern opiod epidemic. 

This book was so good im gonna read David Copperfield now.

I enjoyed “A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived” by Rutherford. An interesting look at modern man, our DNA, and inherited traits.

Summer, time to read books!

Norwegian Wood by Murakami.

I was pretty sure it was written by an emo 8th grader right up till the last page when I saw it was a middle aged dude.

Childlike parroting sentence structure is a chore to read, and without a discernable storyline or redeemable character development it's tough to keep turning the pages. The one dimensional passive female characters was a bridge too far, and I eventually just starting skimming till it sputtered out at the end.

Maybe the adolescent goth manga crowd is keeping sales going?

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=Norwegian%20wood#internal=1

In the other stack, books I have here that are worth the price of paper:

The Martian by Weir

Just finished this a few days ago. It's marketed as a page turner, and I guess it is, but it seems like mostly an excuse for the author to fill pages with technical jargon. Lots of jokes that mostly fall flat. There's enough bright spots to keep interest till the end.

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=the%20Martian#internal=1

Moonglow by Chabon

Pages of well told stories by an old man who's seen everything, hard to go wrong.

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=moonglow%20Chabon#internal=1

We were Eight Years in Power by Coates

Encompassing and brief, not just about Obama's presidency. Very well written.

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=we%20were%20Eight%20years#internal=1

Last Argument of Kings by Abercrombie

Main character is an antihero trainwreck that you can't turn away from. This is the last book of the trilogy, if you want to have a week of time just vanish these are the best page turners I've read in recent memory.

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=last%20Argument%20of%20kings#internal=1

The Forge of Christendom by Holland

Not necessarily the first or only book to read by him. I dig the historical genre so it was an easy win.

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=forge%20of%20Christendomntom%20Tom%20Holland#internal=1

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Doerr

Haven't read this yet. Time traveling librarians? Got rave reviews. After reading the first few pages I'm already intrigued.

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=cloud%20cuckoo%20land#internal=1

Where the Crawdads Sing by Owens

Glowing reviews from friends. Loved Peanut Butter Falcon, so hoping for some of the same except with Mowgli the Swamp Girl

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=where%20the%20crawdads%20sing#internal=1

Bastard Brigade by Kean

WW2 Commandos, holy shit do operations generally not go to plan. Hollywood versions omit the stumbling bits, and apparently it was all stumbling.

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=bastard%20brigade#internal=1

Jackson Land by Inskeep

Turns out Andrew Jackson, a huge proponent of slavery was also a colossal asshole in other areas. His brainchild of forced reservation marches killed tens of thousands of native Americans.

Fun fact: The Orange Turd's favorite president besides himself, he's the reason that Harriet Tubman isn't on the $20 US bill instead of Jackson yet.

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=Jackson%20Land#internal=1

Murder on the Orient Express by Christie

When's the last time you read an Agatha Christie book? Dripping with 1930's style and with steam powered plot devices. Every page is a pleasure.

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=murder%20on%20the%20Orient%20Express#internal=1

I’ve never read Dune (saw the latest movie version which was good) but know a bunch of you have and thought you might like this article on the original book. 

https://bigthink.com/high-culture/dune-herbert-science-fiction-rules/