My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem
I've always been a fan of Gloria Steinem, but I've never read any of her books until now. This book is more of a compilation of her time traveling - both for journalism and for organizing and speaking for the women's movement. Each chapter is centered around a topic - one on politics, one of Native communities, etc. But the overall theme was of travel and how you can't really get to know about issues and people without interacting with all types of people - particularly via public or communal transportation. She talks about how she got started in the women's movement and community organizing, but she also talks a lot about more recent times and events. It's a good mix of both early and current stories and how they shaped her and continue to shape her today. Overall, a good book for anyone who considers themselves a feminist.
Some quotes I really liked:
"In the 1980s, I published my first real book, Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, and discovered the author's tour as a new kind of road trip...That plus two more books and tours in the 1990s made me realize that bookstores were the great community centers. Anybody could come, whether they could afford a book or not, and the spaces reserved for talks and signings invited talking circles. Since no computer can provide this companionship, the more personal the store, the more likely it is to survive." (p. 52) [I would add this also applies to the public library!]
"By treaty, Native nations were supposed to have government-to-government status with Washington, yet in reality they weren't even allowed to teach their own languages in schools. As one Native delegate said, 'Other Americans have histories and families and gene pools in their home countries. If French or Arabic is forgotten in America, it's still being spoken somewhere. We have no other country. If our languages are wiped out, they can't come back. If we disappear here, that's it.'" (p. 62-3)
"If there is one thing that these campus visits have affirmed for me, it's that the miraculous but impersonal Internet is not enough...nothing can replace being in the same space. That's exactly why we need to keep creating the temporary worlds of meetings, small and large, on campuses and everywhere else. In them, we discover we're not alone, we learn from one another, and so we keep going toward shared goals." (p. 123)
Some quotes I really liked:
"In the 1980s, I published my first real book, Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, and discovered the author's tour as a new kind of road trip...That plus two more books and tours in the 1990s made me realize that bookstores were the great community centers. Anybody could come, whether they could afford a book or not, and the spaces reserved for talks and signings invited talking circles. Since no computer can provide this companionship, the more personal the store, the more likely it is to survive." (p. 52) [I would add this also applies to the public library!]
"By treaty, Native nations were supposed to have government-to-government status with Washington, yet in reality they weren't even allowed to teach their own languages in schools. As one Native delegate said, 'Other Americans have histories and families and gene pools in their home countries. If French or Arabic is forgotten in America, it's still being spoken somewhere. We have no other country. If our languages are wiped out, they can't come back. If we disappear here, that's it.'" (p. 62-3)
"If there is one thing that these campus visits have affirmed for me, it's that the miraculous but impersonal Internet is not enough...nothing can replace being in the same space. That's exactly why we need to keep creating the temporary worlds of meetings, small and large, on campuses and everywhere else. In them, we discover we're not alone, we learn from one another, and so we keep going toward shared goals." (p. 123)
The Martian by Andy Weir - Books & Banter book club
I was really excited to read this one for book club, but I was disappointed. While the basic storyline is definitely interesting, there is SO MUCH science and math and astrophysics that bog down the story. About halfway through I just started skimming because I didn't understand the science and honestly it wasn't 100% necessary to the story. Suffice it to say EVERY character is SUPER smart and works really hard to figure out ways to help Mark and get him back to Earth. Overall, I wasn't super impressed, but I do think the movie should be good since hopefully it will scale back all the science talk and stick with the basic storyline. Definitely interested to see what my book club thinks of this one.
The Beginner's Guide to Beekeeping by Samantha and Daniel Johnson
This is a good, basic overview of beekeeping. It's pretty short and I was able to read it over the course of a day. What I like the best is that there are TONS of pictures and that is helpful when you're just starting and not sure what you should or are seeing. It doesn't say it's for children or teens, but it seems like it's geared that way. There is not a lot of text, so it would be easier to read. But, it is very informative and does give a good overview of getting, installing bees, caring for them, extracting honey, etc. Definitely a good reference book with all the detailed pictures.
All Stories Are Love Stories by Elizabeth Percer
On Valentine's Day two major earthquakes hit San Francisco. Three survivors lives are connected on that fateful day. It's Max's birthday and just after the first earthquake hits he sees Vashti, his lost love that he never got over. They are trapped together during the second earthquake and finally have the conversations they never had when they broke up 14 years earlier. Gene is a professor of geology and knows more than most the danger and possibility of earthquakes. While trying to get home after the earthquakes he gets roped into rescue missions, which is how he meets Max. A beautifully told story that takes place mainly over the day of the earthquakes, this novel explores how fragile and fleeting both life and love are, but how much they can change people.
Counter Culture by David Platt - Meck book club
I had read Platt's previous book Radical and really liked it, so I was looking forward to reading this one too. Platt explores 10 aspects of culture that the Christian faith is called to counteract - areas like abortion, marriage, poverty, caring for the orphan and widow, etc. While he did a good job of explaining the importance of Christians being counter culture to our society's norms, I wish that he would have given more practical advice in each section. While there are resources in the back of the book, it just seemed like he focused more on how God can impact these areas for people instead of how the Church can help counter today's culture. While I did like it I didn't like it as much as Radical. I could see how this book could be very helpful to a new believer who is trying to adjust their life to a new Christian faith.
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
This was one of the weirdest books I've ever read. Patricia and Laurence meet when they are in middle school. Both are outcasts both at school and in their own families. Patricia can talk to birds and thinks she might be a witch, while Laurence is building computers and a time travel device. When someone at their school comes between them it shatters their friendship. Ten years later they are both living in San Francisco and run into each other - Patricia has graduated from an academy for the magically gifted and Laurence is an engineering genius who is working with a select group of people to save the world from natural destruction. While working in both magic and technology, Patricia and Laurence find themselves drawn to each other, yet also unknowingly working against each other. Is the love they have for each other enough to sustain them in a world that is catastrophically falling apart?
This unique book looks at the roles of nature and technology, love, and the limitations of humans. A very bizarre love story that takes place in a potential apocalyptic future.
This unique book looks at the roles of nature and technology, love, and the limitations of humans. A very bizarre love story that takes place in a potential apocalyptic future.
From A to Bee: my first year as a beginner beekeeper by James Dearsley
We are getting our own bees in a little over a week, so I was excited to read this book about James Dearsley's first year beekeeping. While it was somewhat interesting and helpful, this is what I call a bumbling memoir - you write about how you bumble through something in your life and it's supposed to be funny and self-deprecating. But, there is a fine line between bumbling through and really doing dumb things with bad results. While James isn't on the dumb side of that line, I didn't love the book. It seemed like he did a lot of dumb things that could have turned out really badly - like moving a full hive by himself to another location just because he REALLY wanted to get a jar of honey his first year. But, there were other aspects that I did appreciate like his honesty about being kind of scared to check his hives each week, etc. Overall, it was OK, but not one I would really recommend. I did really like that he gave a LOT of beekeeping resources at the end.
How to Hygge: the Nordic secrets to a happy life by Signe Johansen
Hygge (pronounced HOO-gah) is a Danish word that translates to a feeling of coziness. In How to Hygge Signe Johansen explores this philosophy of hygge and how it can impact all areas of life. The main points she makes are the importance of nature and regular exposure to nature, the importance of exercise (particularly outdoors instead of a gym), staying active and self-sufficient, the importance of cooking and enjoying food with friends and family, and she also touches on minimalism in the home. There are also 3 chapters of recipes as well.
I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book, but I had heard about the hygge craze and wanted to check it out. Overall, I liked it and I can definitely relate to most of the tenants - I prefer to exercise outside and I love to garden and cook from scratch. I will definitely be checking out more hygge books in the future. This was a good overview of the philosophy.
I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book, but I had heard about the hygge craze and wanted to check it out. Overall, I liked it and I can definitely relate to most of the tenants - I prefer to exercise outside and I love to garden and cook from scratch. I will definitely be checking out more hygge books in the future. This was a good overview of the philosophy.
Bunny's Book Club by Annie Silvestro (children's picture book)
This is one of the cutest picture books I've seen! Bunny falls in love with books while listening in to storytime at the library. But when storytime moves inside at the end of summer he must find a way to get access to more books. So, he finds a way to get into the library and borrow books. Soon all his animal friends notice he's not around as much and one by one bunny introduces them to the library. The illustrations are just beautiful and the story is so cute and illustrates a love of reading and the library.
