phidgt's reviews
465 reviews

"There's no continuity and the world I have come from is utterly foreign to me. I haven't heard its music, seen its paintings, I haven't read its books , except for the handful I found in the refuge and of which I understood little. I know only the stony plain, wandering, and the gradual loss of hope. I am the sterile offspring of a race about which I know nothing, not even whether it has become extinct." 

This is one of those books you can pick up and reread, multiple times. One of those books you can leave laying around and just pick up and read a line here or a paragraph there. It's not very long and can be read quickly. But you won't want to. 

I enjoy reading a story where I, as the reader, am as confused about what is going on as are the characters. There are many unanswered questions that you are only able to speculate about. The plot is simple, the emotions are not. 

It is fortunate for us that Elizabeth Packard was such a prolific writer and was able to write down her story. Much of this book comes from Elizabeth's own words, retelling her experiences at the asylum and her attempts at being heard and believed by the men who were so much in charge of her life. 

Kate Moore, once again, does an amazing job at researching her subjects. The reader can genuinely get a sense of what being a woman meant in the late 1860's. Her only purpose was to marry, have children and be her husband's property. She was absolutely not to speak her own mind, especially if her views differed from her husband. Moore also gives us a bit of the history of what other events were transpiring at the time. Lincoln had just been elected President and the Civil War was in full swing. While the abolition of slavery was occurring under the 13th Amendment, Elizabeth Packard was fighting for women's rights.

The book is written in a narrative style using Elizabeth's own words. It's informative and reads at a medium, sometimes slow, pace. Moore's other book, "The Radium Girls" is also very well written.

Set during WWII in a Russia desperately trying to fend off the German invaders, a deserter and a looter are sent on a mission to procure a dozen eggs for the colonel's daughter's upcoming wedding.

Amidst all of the depictions of war, the death, fear, famine and brutality, is an amazing story of camaraderie and resilience. There were even moments that I caught myself chuckling out loud at some of the dialogue between characters. Even with all of the depravity of wartime, the story is wonderful and flows continuously along. I couldn't put it down.

The ending is slightly predictable, but the ending itself doesn't really matter; it's the journey to get there that does.

"...'Flivverboob', the epithet for an inconsiderate motorist." Great word - can't wait to use it.

I was very happy when I heard that Ben Goldfarb was about to put out a new book. I thoroughly enjoyed "Eager", which is permanently on my recommendation list. 

"Crossings" is an informative book for those who haven't taken into consideration how the proliferation of roads has effected wildlife of all types. I live in a state where a major overhaul was conducted on a much traveled highway that took drivers through an area with high elk, deer and antelope encounters. With the addition of wider shoulders, fencing and overpasses, this highway has become a much safer commute for all involved. If properly engineered and by taking the natural migration of wildlife into account these crossings can make a huge difference and save states a lot of money in the long run.

Although I did find the pace to be a bit slow at times, I feel that this is due to the fact that Goldfarb was preaching to the choir. Road ecology is a very interesting topic in its own right and I think this book would well serve anyone who is considering further study in the field of ecology. It also provides a wealth of ideas for what communities can do to make their roadsides safer and more habitable for wildlife. 

Ben Goldfarb's writing style is informative, but not dry or inaccessible. He often throws in fun facts and anecdotes. I recommend reading the associated side notes. 

This was an amazingly, beautiful novel. I loved everything; writing, characters, story. It was a sad moment when I reached the last page. I suppose that would be why Anthony Doerr won the Pulitzer Prize. 
The writing style is poetic with short chapters switching perspectives between the two main characters, Marie-Laure and Werner. It's a very sensory story relying on sight and sound. This is a book that you will want to take your time with as the writing is lovely. Otherwise, the story itself is fast paced with moments of suspense. 
This is a book that I will be recommending and one that I would enjoy rereading.

I was going to try to get to a solid 10% before putting it aside, but I just couldn't get there. The author was twelve when her mother was murdered and the book reads as if a twelve year old wrote it. Sorry, but am going to have to move on.

Wow, what did I just read? It's as if Groundhog Day and the board game Clue got together with Agatha Christie and Hercule Perot and had a rager. I think if I were to read this again, I would create a story board like the ones you see in detective shows. The kind where they have the pictures of suspects and locations connected by string. It definitely got a little confusing sometimes trying to keep track of all of the different characters, the various plots and all of the other moving pieces. 

The concept of the story is really good. I haven't read anything quite like it before and it was quite a fun ride... and here's the 'but':

Once the Plague Doctor gets revealed as a prison warden and that Blackheath is basically a prison, the whole story falls apart. After watching the whole scenario play out over and over again for thirty years(!) how is it possible for there to be "new" revelations that the Plague Doctor had never entertained before? The ending is not very satisfying, either. Anna and Aiden are set free and that's it.

This book is probably perfect for anyone who likes 'who-dunnits' with twisty plots. 

After the results of the 2024 election I was in the mood for a good dystopian read. I wasn't in the mood for anything with too much science fiction or set way into the future. Therefor, I found it quite interesting (and eery) that the book starts off on Sunday July 21, 2024. The book was originally published in 1993 and I am genuinely considering the idea that Octavia Butler could see into the future. 

Basically, the planet has been ravaged by climate change, the United States is no longer a superpower (more like a third world country), Alaska has seceded and drugs, crime and chaos run rampant to the point of anarchy. It's an election year and the popular candidate believes he can fix all of America's problems with more religion and less regulation. Sound familiar? Well, there are many points throughout the book that either mimic our actual present day events or are so probable seeming that it wouldn't be too far of a leap for them to become reality.

The story starts off in Los Angeles where Lauren Olamina lives with her family and a few other families in a gated community. They are the lucky ones since they have money paying jobs and can still obtain food, water and other necessities. However, due to shortages of everything, vast quantities of the population are constantly on the move, migrating north to find better opportunities. Among the bands of people relocating there are also those who are hell bent on reaping destruction and death along the way. 

There is a religious theme throughout the story. Lauren is somewhat of a prophet for this new religion/cult where she believes that everything we do changes us and everything around us and while we can influence change, we cannot stop it. It is this religion, Earthseed, that Lauren believes is her mission to spread - God is change.

During a conversation in 1999 with Octavia Butler the interviewer asked her, "What would you like readers to get from this novel? What would you like them to think about?" Her response, "I hope people who read "Parable of the Sower" will think about where we seem to be heading - we the United States, even we the human species. Where are we going? What sort of future our we creating? Is is the kind of future you want to live in? If it isn't, what can wed o to create a better future? Individually and in groups, what can we do?" 

The writing is great, characters well developed and, even though the book is 34 years old, it definitely stands the test of time. "Parables of the Sower" is the first book in the Earthseed series.