betsyrisen's reviews
828 reviews

"She'd been lucky in rape, unlucky in other ways. She was counting on luck to keep her rapeless, counting on street greetings to stay greetings."

"We often laugh. And thereby preserve the species."

Hard, but important, to read.

"How dangerous it is to be a powerful woman, depending on which academic paper you're reading. We don't quite have everything we need to charge her with her crimes. There are rumors of an incriminating diary lost somewhere in Hungary, and there are scholars who want to clear her name. With so many vanished centuries between her life and ours, we may never get definitive forensic proof of her guilt. And yet she certainly seems to find herself around a lot of blood." Never skip an Erzsebet Bathory chapter! 

And an entire chapter dedicated to the "Angel Makers of Nagyrev"? WHO KNEW. 

"In his first work of nonfiction since The Innocent Man, #1 bestselling author John Grisham and Centurion Ministries Founder Jim McCloskey share ten harrowing true stories of wrongful convictions."

It's as bad as you think. And also worse. Heartbreaking. 

"Women's history does not need to be exceptional to be relevant."

I enjoyed this book so, so much. Considering how much is known and has been written about the Tudors, how refreshing to read something from this angle. 

So much intrigue! (Who is surprised). All of the usual suspects make their appearances, of course, but bringing the ladies in waiting to the forefront of this storyline really does color the whole history in a different way. 

I picked up this book because I, like many, am fascinated by cults. And this was a great overview of many organizations I've never heard of, as well as some I have. Also, the cover is epic.

One thing I learned that I had no clue about was Synanon. Never heard of this group or its very real impact on addiction and treatment. And the leader was born in Toledo! Who knew. 

I don't write the rules
I just write poems

"What do you get when you mix tribal weapons possessed by ghosts and women possessed by tiny humans? Possibly a curse. Definitely a public relations mess."

"So has anything bad happened to the people of Prague thanks to their cursed clock? Maybe. Do Nazis count?"

I think my favorite story was about "Irish-born American sculptor August-Saint Gaudens" because, I mean, what a guy. Followed closely of course by the curse of Shakespeare's tomb. 

This was a very clever book, although a bit of a slog to get through. And I didn't like how it sometimes seemed as if the author was actively trying to make me believe there is no such thing as cursed objects. Excuse me? I'm a believer!

I had fairly high hopes (and medium expectations) for this book, and it delivered on all counts. Very well written, incredibly well organized, kept you guessing constantly, and I couldn't have predicted that ending for anything. All the stars and recs.

 “Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise, what’s the use of seeing?” 

 “This is the attitude of bodhisattvas: to practice meditation not only for yourself, but for the world, to relieve the suffering. And, when others suffer less, you suffer less. When you suffer less, they suffer less. That is interbeing. There is no separation between yourself and others. You do not live just for yourself; you live for other people. Your peace, freedom, and joy also profit others; you are already helpful. And so, when you breathe mindfully or walk mindfully and create joy and peace, that is already a gift for the world.” 

"If a habit is hard to shift, it's likely to have been transmitted to us through several generations, or held in place by society, culture, and our context, or environment. We can discover a lot about ourselves and our Ancestors, as we begin to make changes to align our choices with our values.” 

I already had pretty high expectations for this book, and it just kept getting better and better. I really liked the way this book was organized, and was so, so helpful.

"Just wait till forty, I think.
Forty is when you say, Hey,
wait,
I am not who I am!

After that, there's a few
more surprises,
If you get that far-
that far into the woods
you keep hoping you're out
of."

A 700+ page poetry collection is not for the faint of heart. But totally worth it.