deborah

A big ballad of a book

Revisado: 07-08-23

I inhaled this book taking every opportunity to listen between patients, late at night under the covers and rising early to sneak more in. Demon Copperhead captured my heart. The world has so many people affected by the opioid epidemic but this book paints a community held together in a sick way and torn apart at the same time. Kingsolver writes a story that pulled at my heart, painted a beautiful and mysterious world and sometimes made me laugh and cry. You could not help root for Demon. Indeed she has the voice of Dickens but so much more.

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A Gripping Novel

Revisado: 05-30-22

I liked the wonder and mystery of the story. It was a puzzle which piece by piece formed a cohesive picture. It was a very contained story that had an expansive story line. You will get to know the characters again and again and each time more of the onion is revealed. I woke up in the middle and two stormy nights and had to listen. I like the way the pandemic was woven into the storyline of time travel and simulated reality. You will not be able to put it down.

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Full hearted story of coming of age again and again

Revisado: 10-13-20

I loved the development of Vivian as a character and as a person. It started out with Vivian being a two dimensional young woman and we watch her grow in richness and warmth over many decades. It is a growth that was stitched carefully and creatively. I liked strong sense of being at peace with one’s body and sex and sense of self.

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Identity

Revisado: 07-18-16

This novel is timely as we struggle as a nation with or past, present and future identity. The Sympathizer is a novel about a man and a nation struggling it's just that. I could not put this book down both listening to it and reading it as time may allow. The narrator is excellent and does not interfere with the voice of the book. Vietnam Than Nguyen wove a complex narrative and pieces of history and identity into a novel that flowed like water. I could not stop reading or thinking about it. Although I knew a fair amount about the war, the resistance movement post war was new to me as were the details of the reeducation camps.

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Jim Crow has yet to retire

Revisado: 06-15-16

Unfortunately I didn't learn about Jim
Crow laws until I was older and felt I needed to learn. Woodward traces the history of Jim Crow and reconstruction in clear and concise terms. He is able to give a contextual picture of the laws and the forces behind them.
I would recommend all teachers, politicians and curious citizens read this.

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I now have excitement about the college search

Revisado: 04-11-15

This book appeared at a most opportune time as we set out on college visits. I am working with my daughter to broaden her search and expectations about prospective schools. Many exciting options if one steps back and looks at what it is you really want college to be. This book confirmed my sense that a different approach to and assessment of the schools we look at will pan out to a richer experience. I am going to relax a bit and trust it will play out well.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Predictable Act

Revisado: 10-19-14

Ian Mcewan often has similar themes running through his fiction: religion, stalking, power and a moral decision. He plays the themes with variation but predictability of momentum and ending.

I grew bored as the book progressed. I knew what was coming and but hoped he would fool me.

He hammers religion and only portrays it in the most conservative manner. His characters are flat and lack complexity,

Too black and white for me.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

A Clearer Understanding of the Israel

Revisado: 06-07-14

I listened to this book as I traveled to Israel. Immediately I grew to understand the history before my eyes in a more sophisticated manner that I had on my other two trips. Halevi does and excellent job weaving history and biography into a story that flows like fiction. It is a long listen but well worth the time. i was disappointed when it was over because the story was moving and the men were complex real figures that played a huge role in Israel's History.

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esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

Gracefully Done

Revisado: 06-07-14

As a Jew the concept of Grace is not something we theologically discuss to any great extent. Thus, I hesitated at first because of the title and the beginning overtones of the book. I was rapidly engrossed in the story and wanted to get to know the characters better. The story line, one of loss and coming of age in the early 1960's in Minnesota hit close to home even though it involved a minister's family. The story one of great pain at times was rough to listen to because I identified with Frank and Jake and their parents' at through out the story. I appreciated Krueger's ability to work with the pain and the fall out from it and the quiet love of the family. It is the journey of acceptance and integrity and moving with the pain that I loved.

It is hard to put down, well worth your time and your credits. Enjoy!

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Flirting with Disaster

Revisado: 01-30-14

Critical Mass is timely for both story line and show casing women in science. Ms Paretsky give us a tight plot with somewhat predictable twist. I was fascinated by the role of female physicist in Austria prior to WWII. It was a fun mystery and sent me searching for more information on women in physics. Science Friday has a nice interview about this with the author.

The narrator was horrible. She overstates voices, uses inappropriate intonation and was irritating to listen to. She tried to do the characters' voices and ended up sounding angry most of the time.

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