Read at Alma's insistence. Novels in verse can be fantastic, but they can also be gimmicky. Unfortunately, I think this leans toward the latter. Read at Alma's insistence. Novels in verse can be fantastic, but they can also be gimmicky. Unfortunately, I think this leans toward the latter. ...more
A great case for the veracity of the Resurrection based on things that even secular historians hold to be true. I appreciate that Bass notes any inforA great case for the veracity of the Resurrection based on things that even secular historians hold to be true. I appreciate that Bass notes any information that doesn't meet that consensus, even if he personally believes it. It's small, and if you have more than just a passing interest in the subject, you'll want to do a lot more reading, but he cites all his sources meticulously and provides lots of places to branch off. The last chapter is the least compelling and drifts farthest from the book's strong point: "just the facts, ma'am."...more
My biggest takeaway from Jerusalem: The Biography is that almost everyone who publicly declares an opinion on the Israel-Palestine conflict has an oveMy biggest takeaway from Jerusalem: The Biography is that almost everyone who publicly declares an opinion on the Israel-Palestine conflict has an oversimplified understanding of its history. It just doesn't fit in a TikTok, period. The author's impartiality is striking; if he has a religious affiliation or sympathetic leanings toward any particular historical players, it doesn't make its way into the text. He tells the story chronologically, turning the spotlight on key people groups--the Jews, Christians, Muslims, crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, Israelis, and Palestinians--and its intense glare is fair, but not always flattering.
I loved this book. Much of it gave me the feeling of reading an IMDb trivia page about the Bible--behind the scenes tidbits, extrabiblical sources, even just the secular academic view of biblical historicity. It's apparently been updated and covers everything up to 2024, which seems important. It's footnoted to the gills and exhaustively researched, includes maps, photos, and family trees, and casts over all of it the spell Jerusalem holds over much of the world. I understand more how little I understand about the world. That's always a cool feeling.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)...more
I had this pegged as a "something bad happened to me and I overcame it" memoir going in. I really couldn't have been more wrong. Josh Miele, blinded bI had this pegged as a "something bad happened to me and I overcame it" memoir going in. I really couldn't have been more wrong. Josh Miele, blinded by an acid attack when he was 4, devotes a surprisingly small amount of this book to the attack. He covers it briefly, moves on, and never looks back. This guy isn't Matt Murdock, but from the very start he's been adept at figuring out the world more independently than many sighted people. It's gratifying to see him refuse to identify with victimhood and go on to use his above-average intelligence to make life more accessible to the blind. He seems like a chill dude, and at times, the memoir is almost too chill--I found my attention lagging during descriptions of his various dating relationships, for example--but it's fairly short and well worth the read.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)...more
A girl has grown up with her father living under the radar, intentionally leaving no records of their existence. Then her father disappears. How do yoA girl has grown up with her father living under the radar, intentionally leaving no records of their existence. Then her father disappears. How do you find someone who has spent their whole life being untraceable? He's left her a clue, but it's as vague and mysterious as he is. The story weaves in and out of the account of a mathematician in 1930s Vienna, the man he loves, and the man who's determined to destroy him. And it all comes together very satisfyingly.
The Expert of Subtle Revisions could easily have collapsed under the weight of all the stories it tells, but it's written with wisdom and restraint, touching on themes it doesn't have the space to explore and then leaving it to linger in the reader's mind.
(I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.)
I adore García Lorca. This is a fantastic collection of poetry, and I can't even imagine the enormity of the task of translating it into English. StilI adore García Lorca. This is a fantastic collection of poetry, and I can't even imagine the enormity of the task of translating it into English. Still...I know just enough Spanish to be dissatisfied with many of the translations. Is that the fault of the translators? I don't know. I don't think you can truly translate poetry. You can write new poems that capture certain elements of the originals, but judgment calls have to be made, and people aren't going to agree on which elements should be sacrificed in order to preserve others.
Here's an example: the line “¡Rabia, rabia, Marco Polo!” is translated as “Now hear this, Marco Polo:” instead of the literal “Rage, rage, Marco Polo!” I guess the translator is emphasizing that this is a statement of defiance and that Marco Polo isn't actually raging. But it loses its fire.
Another example: “Abejaruco. / Uco uco uco uco. / Abejaruco.” is translated as “Bee-eating bird. / Heard, slurred, blurred, deferred. / Bee-eating bird.” They're trying to keep the riff on the last syllable of the first line, but changing it from nonsense words into words that mean things makes it less wild, less "mad repetition" and more "rhyme dictionary."
Anyway. I'm sure all the poems I read in translation have these issues and I just don't usually notice, either because I'm not directly comparing it to the original in a bilingual edition like this or because I don't know enough about the language. It's not fair to dock a star from this absolutely fantastic book because of something that's inherent to the genre....more
It's a smart, subtle, kaleidoscopic take on a tale, but I still found myself not enjoying most of it. The third of the four parts was by far the most It's a smart, subtle, kaleidoscopic take on a tale, but I still found myself not enjoying most of it. The third of the four parts was by far the most interesting....more
Aliens--basically a teenage girl and a handful of friends--come to Earth to “rescue” the girl's brother, who’s been living incognito as a human movie Aliens--basically a teenage girl and a handful of friends--come to Earth to “rescue” the girl's brother, who’s been living incognito as a human movie star for years. They crash-land in various spots across the US, mostly near other teens who have similar gender identities or parent issues.
Word gets out immediately and humanity accepts it without question. The humans who encounter aliens are all remarkably calm and credulous, even when the aliens' appearance generators malfunction, revealing that they look like the guys from Strange Planet. Everyone meets the people they need to meet or learns the things they need to learn, and then the aliens go on their way. (The government can't interfere because of a treaty a president made with aliens back in the 1800s.)
If you don't care about science fiction and just want cheesy, affirming, easy-to-read YA stories, you might enjoy this. There are plenty of confessions of love and musings about humanity, and the anthology format is fun and easily digestible. Even from that point of view, though, pop culture references that somehow already sound dated, forced humor that falls flat, and far too many soliloquies about gender would still keep me from recommending it.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)...more
This is a collection of essays, so it doesn't read as a cohesive whole. Each of the essays treads very similar ground, and the anecdotes might not be This is a collection of essays, so it doesn't read as a cohesive whole. Each of the essays treads very similar ground, and the anecdotes might not be interesting to someone who isn't already familiar with Bradbury's work. But the main thrust of the book--get out of your head and just write about what actually means something to you as an individual--is important enough that the repetition didn't bother me. ...more
![[(Selected Poems)] [ By (author) Federico Garcia Lorca, Introduction by Christopher Maurer, Edited by Christopher Maurer ] [July, 2006]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1697888854l/131649451._SX50_.jpg)
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