What Are You Reading 2019

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ellie
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Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 7:48 pm

Re: What Are You Reading 2019

Post by ellie » Sun Feb 24, 2019 1:20 pm

I basically only read on a kindle now. Currently reading "There There" about Native American Culture -- each chapter is basically about a different point of view and different aspect of the Native American culture -- as each chapter is supposedly written by a different person, some are fast reading while others not so fast.

Gerry
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:57 am

Re: What Are You Reading 2019

Post by Gerry » Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:28 pm

I do not watch the Oscars but do read my news page checking the winners for the movies based on true stories or best sellers. One that caught my eye was Ron Stallworth’s ‘Blackkklansman’ based on his memoir published in 2014. The story of his undercover operation infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan. Surprisingly it was available at my e-library and have placed a hold.

ellie
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Re: What Are You Reading 2019

Post by ellie » Sat Mar 02, 2019 9:28 am

Started "the silent patient" last night. This is about a woman who does not speak after killing her husband and the psychotherapist who works with her. It does go back and forth to before the killing and to present time when the therapist is working with her while she lives in the asylum. It should be interesting if not a bit strange.

Gerry
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:57 am

Re: What Are You Reading 2019

Post by Gerry » Mon Mar 04, 2019 10:00 pm

These past months I am seeing far more books becoming available at my elibary. This week impressed, unknowingly a book request for ‘A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I never Chose’ by Samra Zafar was a book not yet released. Received a surprise email advising it had been purchased and I have a hold in place.

Also on hold ‘Small Fry’ by Lisa Brennan-Jobs a New York Times and New Yorker Top Ten Book Of The Year. Lisa is the daughter of artist Chrisann Brennan and oldest daughter of Steve Jobs. A memoir of growing up as the daughter of Apple co-founder.

‘Small Fry’ had me become aware of former executive at CNN Walter Isaacsons ‘Steve Jobs’ biography of a brilliant man, a genius, a visionary and a man all too human. After years of fighting cancer at 56 he spent his final days surrounded by close family members, Steve Jobs' final wish “to get to know his children before it was too late” his greatest concern was “I wasn’t always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand” It was available and will be my next read.

Gerry
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:57 am

Re: What Are You Reading 2019

Post by Gerry » Wed Mar 06, 2019 10:57 am

'A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose' a memoir by Samra Zafar, new release added to our elibrary with a copy arriving shortly after. Once I read the first couple of chapters there was no setting it aside until that final page, a story not soon forgotten.“

Samar Zafar serves as Governor for the University Of Toronto, an international speaker, human rights activist, scholar, author and social entrepreneur and has founded non-profit organization she founded to support abuse survivors”

Samra Zafar at 15 already had plans for university when an arranged marriage to a stranger and at 17 had to leave behind her family in Pakistan to move to Canada soon finding the promises of her new husband and his family of having her own home and continuing her education were empty promises followed by years of escalating abuse. It allows one to understand how hoping the promises of I am sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you, I love you so much it won’t happen again can happen over and over. A life story worth reading and one with a happy ending.

Gerry
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:57 am

Re: What Are You Reading 2019

Post by Gerry » Sun Mar 10, 2019 1:05 pm

A friend reminded me of two novels which I may have previously reviewed but they are two novels that are high on my recommend list. 'All The Light We Cannot See'a second world war novel and a Pulitzer prize winner by Anthony Doeer. A moving story of survival, love, loss and a will to live.

'The Girl They Left Behind' by Roxanne Veletzos, a historical novel based on the authors own mother and grandparents life in war torn Romania, her mother was left on a doorstep with the hopes someone will take her in and she would be safe. Another story of love and survival.

Gerry
Posts: 4676
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:57 am

Re: What Are You Reading 2019

Post by Gerry » Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:13 pm

Having just read ‘By Chance Alone’ by Max Eisen I am not surprised to find that today Eisen won the 2019 CBC Canada Reads. As with several of the recent books I have read the first chapter seemed slow to start but soon found I could not put it down.

It is a book of surviving Auschwitz, ' powerful in that it outlines why society can never forget the past to ensure history doesn't repeat itself. He lost his name and became A9892, saw to the loss of his entire family — his mother, his father, his aunt, his uncles, his sisters, his brothers — up to 300 members of his own family. He lost all sense of normalcy. And, fundamentally, he lost his human rights and human dignity’

Science journalist Ziya Tong, who advocated on behalf of “By Chance Alone” says the book is even more pressing given the reappearance of swastikas in the news and on social media. In the words of Max Eisen “Bad things happen when good people stand by and do nothing."

I got my copy of 'Black Klansman' by Ron Stallworth, my January hold on 'Washington Black' still has two holds to go. Should be great reads, the reviews see them as winners.
What are you reading?

ellie
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Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 7:48 pm

Re: What Are You Reading 2019

Post by ellie » Sat Apr 06, 2019 12:51 pm

Currently I am reading "Tell it All A Woman's Life in Polygamy" by Fanny Stenhouse -- this is extremely well written -- almost like a diary of her life and how the Mormon religion changed during her marriage -- originally published in 1872.

Recently finished "The Nowhere Child" by Christian White -- a really fast read. A child was kidnapped and re-discovered 28 years later - came back to original town and the cult religion to solve the reason for her abduction. A lot of turns.

lovinretirement
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Re: What Are You Reading 2019

Post by lovinretirement » Sun Apr 07, 2019 2:35 pm

Just finished a tender novel by Terrie Todd called "The Silver Suitcase". It's set in the present and the past. It's about a granddaughter and her grandmother and how, after the grandmother died, the granddaughter is given her grandmother's silver suitcase that happens to be filled with diaries from about 1934 to the mid-forties. I didn't want it to end.

Gerry
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:57 am

Re: What Are You Reading 2019

Post by Gerry » Mon Apr 08, 2019 2:48 pm

Great to see new recommends! Thanks to both ellie and lovenretirement I have added Fanny Stenhouse's 'Tell it All' to my e library and placed a hold on 'The Silver Suitcase' As a note of interest also listed at the library 'Hana's Suitcase' by Karen Levine which I plan to add to my holds. I think it could be another good read.

Banged Up Heart by Shirley Melis a Book Bub offering that had me think to Joan Didion’s 'The Year of Magical Thinking' and saw me add it to my e library. It too is a memoir of love, loss and grief but Shirley Melis in her moving memoir takes us past that first year, she falls madly in love two years after her first husband of thirty years passed away.

On her first time setting grief aside and spending time with friends I was surprised to find that she saw meeting a friend who had lost his wife just two months previously a date. But then I live in small town Saskatchewan and not New York. That supper did not go well but surprisingly finds herself in a whirlwind romance with her friend’s brother who was also a guest making for a second happy marriage that ends tragically and left a widow for the second time in four years. Other than on several occasions that I felt she shared a touch too much this is a book filled with love along with loss and is a great read. Best to have a tissue or two handy.
What are you reading?

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