Julie and Julia:  365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen:  How One Girl Risked her Marriage, Her Job, and Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living by Julie Powell

2018 A to Z Challenge - J

Another much anticipated book that languished on my shelves for far too long. This alphabet challenge gave me a reason to advance it to the top of my TBR.

Yet, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.  I wasn't expecting Julie to be as sardonic (she's a New Yorker, but via Texas) or whiny (usually in interactions with her husband).  I do think this is her style of humor - a sarcastic, biting humor, but it didn't work for me.

And while I appreciate the carnivore way of using the whole animal - if I wasn't a vegetarian before, I would certainly be after reading detailed preparations about bone marrow, calf liver, brains, kidneys and LIVE lobster killing.

Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson

2018 A to Z Challenge - I

For a weather buff like me, this was a fascinating book!  Got a little technical at times, but weather/nature is such a complex force that I don't know if you can tell this tale of early weather reporting/forecasting without getting into some of the technicalities.  And admittedly the beginning and the end dragged a bit, but the narration of the storm as it hit Galveston - wow!

While I am often critical of today's weather forecasting (with all the technology they still get it wrong!), they truly have come a long way.  Though we will always endure nature's fury and with climate change this will continue to intensify, but with advances in technology we should be able to build better/stronger buildings and warn people far enough in advance that we can minimize the cost of property and lives lost.  Sadly, Hurricane Marie that struck Puerto Rico in 2017 is now the 2nd deadliest natural disaster to hit the US with deaths estimated to be between 4,000 and 8,000.

The biggest things standing in our way then and now are the greed and pride of men.

Quotes:  "It [anemometer] was capable of measuring velocities as high as one hundred miles an hour, but conditions had never come close to testing this capacity, nor did any rational soul believe they ever would."

"...forecasting, a black and dangerous art that only a few men...were allowed to practice."

"Once again, they tailored fact to suit their expectations."

#2018AtoZChallenge

                    Between Earth and Sky by Amanda Skenandore

                                        Historical Fiction

It has been quite awhile since I have read a book that has made my heart ache.  This story has done just that.

What a terrible time in America's history.!  What an injustice that was done to the Native Americans!!!

The story of Alma and Asku is told in two time periods,  In the 1880's when the white man forced the Native American Indian children into schools to assimilate them into the white man's world and making them leave behind their native languages, traditions, and families. Many called these schools "savage taming" schools. 

Then in the early 1900's when Alma hears of Asku being accused of murder and she and her lawyer husband go back to her home town to try to find evidence of his innocence.  Alma must also face many ghosts of her past and face her hidden knowledge of how the Indians were mistreated and lied to over and over. 

      The Ninth Life of Louis Drax   by Liz Jensen

                             "J" Author
                      "N" - 2018atozchallenge 

What a weird little story,  but I was intrigued to keep reading it.

Louis is 8 years old and appears to be very accident prone. Each year of his life, he has had many near death accidents and his mother always saves him.  Until his 9th birthday when he falls off of a cliff into a river. His mother is beside herself, his father has vanished and Louis is in a coma.  But was it really an accident?  How did Louis fall off of the cliff??  Where is his father??   And will he come out of his coma so the truth will be told?? 

#2018atozchallenge



 

The Woman in the Photo by Mary Hogan

Historical Fiction

2018 A to Z Challenge - W

A well-written fictional account of the true devastation that greed and privilege created in Johnstown, PA.  Living in Pittsburgh, I have been aware of the horrific history of the Johnstown Flood, but admittedly I have not been there beyond passing through.  After reading this book I plan to take a trip to Johnstown to pay homage to those that lost their lives.

Hogan crafts a story within a story all while creating empathy for the hard working people of Johnstown.  Told in alternating time periods (a favorite writing style of mine), she also touches on the challenges of being adopted and the questions of who is family.  We also learn about the rise of Clara Barton and the Red Cross.

The reading of all books, fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction, etc. opens a world for readers that they may have not been aware of or may never be able to experience, but with a skilled pen an author can provide a window into a world in which we can learn from the past, learn from others mistakes and to see the humanity of the world we share.

Quotes: "Human kindness.  The simple understanding that we are not alone on this earth.  Ours is a journey of a million hearts, beating as one."

"What woman could be more interested in a man who thought more of himself than her?"

"A woman born at a time when doctors believed that being scholar damaged a woman's uterus."

"I am humbled to view myself through the lens of reality instead of the blurred vision of privilege."

"'It's been my experience that presence and silence are most helpful....Be there without judgment or advice to listen when he is ready to talk.'"

"Maybe DNA wasn't destiny after all."

#2018AtoZChallenge