The History Book Club discussion

Douglass, this is your thread for 2017. I have included the link to the required format thread and an example. If you had a 2016 thread - it is archived - but you can still add books to it for the last few days of December.

Please follow the standard required format below - I hope you enjoy your reading in 2017. Here is also a link for assistance with the required guidelines:

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Our Required Format:

JANUARY

1. by Winston S. Churchill
Finish date: January 2017
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

IMPORTANT - THE REVIEW SHOULD BE SHORT AND SWEET - THERE ARE NO LINKS OF ANY KIND IN THE BODY OF THE REVIEW ALLOWED. NONE. DO NOT REFER TO ANY OTHER BOOK IN YOUR BRIEF REVIEW. THE ONLY BOOK CITED IN YOUR REVIEW IS THE ONE YOU ARE REVIEWING - NO OTHERS. ALL LINKS TO OTHER THREADS OR REVIEWS ARE DELETED IMMEDIATELY - THERE WILL BE NO WARNING. WE CONSIDER THIS SELF PROMOTION AND IT IS NOT ALLOWED AND IS IN VIOLATION OF OUR RULES AND GUIDELINES.

Happy New Year!

JANUARY

1. by Winston Graham
Finish date: January 2, 2017
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: B
Review: In this second book of the Poldark series, Demelza finds her footing in a higher class of society and earns her place in the Poldark family as well. While Demelza unselfishly cares for her cousins-in-law, Ross puts himself at risk to help his employees, business associates, and the entire community. The tension on class divisions in Britain builds as revolution brews across the Channel. All of these events come to a head in an ending with equally tragic and exciting events that will change the lives of Ross and Demelza and challenge their marriage and their position in society. Poldark #2 is not as good as the first, but it continues a great story that has potential to continue being enjoyable in the rest of the series.

You guys are going gang busters - great job

2. by Malala Yousafzai
Finish date: January 3, 2017
Genre: Memoir/Autobiography
Rating: A+
Review: This is one of my favorite books of all time. Malala and her father are obsessed with education and risked their lives standing up for it. Malala must have been terrified at age 15 that the Taliban had published direct threats against her, but she continued to go to school every day and to fight for her beliefs until one day she was shot in the head by a Taliban fighter on her way home from school. Malala's love for her heritage is also inspiring. She is so proud of the Pashtun culture. She paints a picture of the Swat valley in Pakistan that is breathtaking, and the stories of her family and her homeland are so fantastic that one could have written them into a fantasy novel. Malala and her family are strong in their faith. Everything in the book is related to God. She is an example of the peaceful faith that I believe most Muslims have and too many non-Muslims do not understand. Malala is filled with love for all people. She shows how the problems of violence in Pakistan, in Islamic extremism, and anywhere else they can be found are almost always tied to lack of education. In an interview in the back of this edition, she is asked if she still fears for her own safety. She laughs and says that she cannot imagine being afraid for her own life when so many people a far less safe than she is because of hunger, crime, war, poverty, and disease. Malala reminds us how much good there is in this world and inspires us to keep fighting for it.

I loved the book too.

3. by Thomas L. Friedman
Finish date: January 12, 2017
Genre: History/Business
Rating: A+
Review: While it seems a little early to write a "history of the 21st century," The World Is Flat is full of amazing insights that reshape the way we look at our world. What do the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Netscape IPO, and 9/11 all have in common? Thomas L. Friedman shows how these and other events are both causes and effects of the flattening of the world that has been on a fast track from 1989 to today. There is no aspect of our lives that isn't affected by the flattening trend. Most of these effects are good for us, but only if we understand them. 9/11 is an example of what happens when one group of people takes advantage of the flattening world for destructive purposes while another is unimaginative about its possibilities. This book is an absolute must-read for every global citizen, whether they hold a political office, invest in emerging markets, or work on an assembly line. So many non-fiction books I read start off interesting and then become dull, as if the author had a great idea, but had trouble filling a few hundred pages with it. TWIF gets more and more interesting as you go, building up to a final chapter where Friedman offers a viable solution to create global peace, while simultaneously predicting the populist revolution that is happening today. It is clear that this book has not been read by enough people, and that needs to change!

Love that journalist

4. by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Finish date: January 30, 2017
Genre: Business
Rating: D+
Review: While Nassim Taleb presents some thought-provoking ideas, he is overly vague and pretentious. He spends much of the book pointing out how much smarter he is than other people, but shares little wisdom and even fewer specific strategies.

FEBRUARY

5. by Michio Kaku
Finish date: February 2, 2017
Genre: Science
Rating: B+
Review: This book has a misleading title, which may or may not be the author's fault, but it is a valuable resource for considering the possible technological developments of the next several decades. Dr. Kaku focuses a lot more on biology than physics, which is the one thing I found disappointing about the book. However, his coverage of nanotechnology makes a nice recovery. His realistic discussion of artificial intelligence presents the most important conclusion of his research in future technologies: we cannot recreate the human mind. He writes,

Since we are drowning in an ocean of information, the most precious commodity in modern society is wisdom. Without wisdom and insight, we are left to drift aimlessly and without purpose, with an empty, hollow feeling after the novelty of unlimited information wears off.

Much like Friedman in The World Is Flat, Dr. Kaku shows how the economy progresses from commodity capitalism to intellectual capitalism through processes like the Four Stages of Technology and Moore's Law. Your mind is the one thing that disruptive innovation can never replace.

6. by Dava Sobel
Finish date: February 6, 2017
Genre: Biography
Rating: C+
Review: Galileo's Daughter is really a biography of Galileo centered around letters with his daughter, Suor Maria Cheleste. A most prodigal daughter, Sister Maria asks Galileo for money, food, or supplies almost every time she writes him, and they rarely discuss much beyond the state of their health and the gifts and recipes they exchange. While Galileo's biography is fascinating, and this book covers it fairly well, the daughter hook is a bust, making this an average biography.

7. by Carl Sagan
Finish date: February 9, 2017
Genre: Science
Rating: A
Review: Carl Sagan, one of the most influential scientists of the last century, explores are place in the universe: the "pale blue dot" we call Earth, but also life, our species, our little corner of the Milky Way, and the time in which we live. Sagan's thesis is that humans within the last century have reached a significant tipping point: we now have the power to destroy ourselves, yet simultaneously have the power to prevent our own destruction. We can alter the Earth's climate and detonate nuclear weapons, but we are also able to leave the planet, explore other worlds, and one day inhabit them. Exploring other worlds helps us to understand our own. Sagan envisions a potential future where humans survive beyond Earth, settling the moon, Mars, Titan, asteroids, and even beyond the solar system. Almost every paragraph of this book could be the premise of a sci-fi novel. Sagan provides a steady flow of science, philosophy, and imagination, just like he did with Cosmos. I highly recommend The Pale Blue Dot for any reader who wishes to ponder our little place in this big universe.

8. by Pamela Rotner Sakamoto
Finish date: February 10, 2017
Genre: History/World War II
Rating: A+
Review: This may be the most incredible story about World War 2 that I have read. The Fukuhara family immigrated to the American Northwest from Hiroshima, of all places. When their father died, they had to move back, but many of the children still felt more closely tied to America than to Japan.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, two of the family's five children were in the United States, while the rest of the family was still in Hiroshima. Sakamoto's thorough research gives the family members' first-hand experiences as prisoners in the Japanese-American internment camps, as soldiers on both sides of the war, as civilians trying to survive in war-time Japan, and as victims of the bombing of Hiroshima.

The coincidences that form the story of the Fukuhara family are so extraordinary that it is hard to believe that this is a non-fiction book. Sakamoto tells their story beautifully, with reverence for the cultures of both nations and empathy for the horrific experiences of people on both sides of the war.

So many history books tell us about the events of a given time and place, but Midnight in Broad Daylight brings us deeply into the lives of the people most profoundly affected by the war.

9. by Orson Scott Card
Finish date: February 11, 2017
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: B-
Review: Orson Scott Card has a fantastic vision for humanity's future in space, which he fills with great characters, military strategy and Sun-Tzu-like wisdom, and exciting battles. However, many of his books do not have their own story-line and instead function as bridges between other books in the Ender Universe. This is one of those books. If you are a big fan of books set in the Ender Universe, you will enjoy how Card loads the Formic Wars prequels with easter eggs that set things up for Ender's Game and its sequels. The Swarm's science focuses on nano-tech, chemistry, and bio-engineering in ways that are imaginative yet realistic. It is great stuff, but the story is disappointingly incomplete, and we'll probably have to wait through 2 more book releases to resolve it.

Douglass wrote: "8. by Pamela Rotner Sakamoto
Finis..."

Sounds wonderful. Going on the list.

Douglass wrote: "8. by Pamela Rotner Sakamoto
." TBR.

You won't be disappointed! It is a great read!

10. by Chris Hadfield
Finish date: February 18, 2017
Genre: Autobiography
Rating: A
Review: I am a musician who is a space science fanatic. Chris Hadfield is an astronaut who is a music fanatic. I have taken in countless books, articles, and videos over the years to feed my obsession with astronomy, planetary science, astrophysics, and space exploration, but it turns out that I did not know nearly as much about space exploration as I thought I did.

Hadfield shares his perspective from a space shuttle mission to add a docking port to the Mir Space Station, a space shuttle mission to install a robotic arm to the International Space Station, and a 5-month mission to the ISS via the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He shares fascinating details about life in zero-g and about the life of astronauts before, after, and between their missions to space. Hadfield weaves in important life lessons from his experiences that can be relevant to anyone, including musicians!

Hadfield explains some unconventional keys to success, such as why "sweating the small stuff" isn't always a bad thing. The most important take from the book for me is how trying to make a positive impact to a new environment can often result in making a negative impact instead. Hadfield encourages readers to strive to be a "zero," by "trying to have a neutral impact, to observe and learn from those who are already there, and to pitch in with the grunt work wherever possible."

Thanks Douglass and great progress

11. by Kathleen DuVal (no photo)
Finish date: February 22, 2017
Genre: History/American Revolution
Rating: B+
Review: Dr. Kathleen DuVal explores the often overlooked role of the southern frontier during the American Revolution. While people on the Gulf Coast did not have a significant impact on the outcome of the war, their involvement is interesting, and their perspective makes the outcome of the war all the more fantastic.

The Gulf Coast was perhaps the most diverse part of the New World at the time, including several Native American tribes, free and enslaved African Americans, French and Spanish settlers, and British colonists both loyal to Britain and rebellious.

The popular mythology of the war might suggest that third Native and African Americans were taken advantage of by both sides. While DuVal shoes that some of this took place, these parties were mostly looking out for their own economic interests. In many cases, their leaders expressed insincere loyalty to the Spanish and British empires in order to gain benefits from them, while they did as best as they could to stay out of violent conflicts. They sort of said, "Sure, Britain, trade with us and give us gifts, and we'll make sure no Yankee rebel troops come floating down the Mississippi" a promise they may or may not have been capable or willing to follow through on. Alliances with Spain and Britain were mainly based on the assumption that those powers were much more likely to maintain power in the New World.

Spain and France only supported the American side in hopes that they would weaken their British rivals. Almost nobody seemed to believe that the final outcome would be a strong, independent American nation and a significant decrease in European power in the Americas.

Dr. DuVal does an excellent job of incorporating women and minorities–largely left out of the mainstream narratives of early American history–in a way that is not forceful. She acknowledges their limited role, points out many injustices and atrocities, but doesn't come off as a staunch activist. This is a very balanced history with research, analysis, and narrative helping the reader navigate through an interesting frontier of American history.

MARCH

12. by Matt Ridley
Finish date: March 4, 2017
Genre: Non-fiction/Philosophy
Rating: C+
Review: The Evolution of Everything focuses on how the concept of evolution applies beyond the world of biology. The book gets off to a great start with many examples of "bottom-up" successes. However, the book ultimately disappoints, lacking in research and originality. Half the book is quotations from Lucretius, Ron Paul, etc. These quotations don't do enough to support the thesis. While I agree with most of Matt Ridley's politics, the book is too political. Trying to convert his readers into libertarians probably gets in the way of them appreciating a lot of the valuable things he has to say. I would much rather read an author I disagree with whose arguments and evidence make me think than read an author who I agree with but tries to tell me what to think.

13. by Richard Hofstadter
Finish date: March 9, 2017
Genre: History & Politics
Rating: B+
Review: Hofstadter's characterizations of the radical right from more than 50 years ago are today more relevant than ever. The election of Donald Trump is probably the apex of the movement's accomplishments, and it bears stunning resemblance to the Goldwater campaign and other movements that Hofstadter writes about. My only frustration is that Hofstadter thinks almost exclusively in the right-left paradigm and fails to acknowledge the role of paranoia in the American left and elsewhere.

The essays in this book are not entirely focused on the topic of the paranoid style. I am really not sure what a history of the Spanish-American War and failed occupation of the Philippines is doing in this book. I feel like the first 3 essays are on point, while the 3 that follow were added as an afterthought for filler. The first half of this book is essential reading for anyone interested in American politics. The rest is okay if you want to brush up on your 19th century American history.

14. by David McCullough
Finish date: March 10, 2017
Genre: History, Science, & Biography
Rating: A
Review: The Wright Brothers have a fascinating story. One couldn't grow up in Ohio without hearing a lot about them, but there was so much in this book that I did not know.

The Wright Brothers are often seen in the mainstream as mechanics and tinkerers, with building planes a seemingly natural progression from owning a bicycle shop. This book reveals their scientific intelligence and their intellectual interests, which combined with magnificent creativity and tenacity to make them 2 of the most successful investors and adventurers in human history.

It also follows their story beyond their first flights in Kitty Hawk to show their years-long struggle to get the rest of the world to buy in–both literally and figuratively–to the possibilities of human flight. It is a story so brilliant that it should only be told by a writer as gifted as David McCullough.

15. by Richard A. Ferri (no photo)
Finish date: March 26, 2017
Genre: Business & Finance
Rating: B+
Review: I almost put this book down after a few pages when the author started talking about efficient markets theory (I am not a fan of it), but I decided to push through to see if there was anything useful for the finance class I teach or for my own personal finances. I am so glad that I did!

Ferri uses tons of charts to help demonstrate the effectiveness of various kinds of diversification of the portfolio. He identifies the roles of various kinds of securities in the modern portfolio. He makes excellent cases for the importance of real estate exposure and international equities. He points out the weakness in the simplistic approach that many financial advisors take to investing in bonds.

Ferri demonstrates various strategies for hedging against inflation, interest rates, and other risks. He creates suggested allocation plans for investors at 4 different age levels and 3 different risk profiles. While I do not agree with all of Ferri's theories and strategies, everything he advocates is research-based. His approach is appropriate for investors at any level, young or old, advanced or beginner. This is a great resource for anyone committed to meticulous portfolio management.

Good progrèss

APRIL

16. by Marc Lichtenfeld (no photo)
Finish date: April 1, 2017
Genre: Business & Finance
Rating: D+
Review: The wealth-building power of dividends is something every investor must investigate. The dividend-growth investing strategy targets companies with consistent, long-term dividend growth. Marc Lichtenfeld discusses the benefits of dividend-growth investing, as well as some other strategies, including high-yield dividends and, surprisingly, some options trading. I agree with most of what Lichtenfeld writes about the topic, and I would recommend this book as an introduction to dividend-growth investing–at least for some readers. The problem is that, while Get Rich with Dividends gets 5 stars in the "idea" department, it gets 2 stars for the quality of the content and 1 star for the quality of the writing.

I would characterize the writing style as "informal blogging." The book's many technical explanations are not structured very clearly, and everything in between them is trying to be cute and funny. I feel like Lichtenfeld is trying to force some inside jokes with me so that we can be buddies. This may be his strategy for reaching out to novice investors, and it may work for some of those readers. It might be a great book to give to that family member of yours who is a great guy, but he's not terribly bookish, and you know he could use some direction planning for his financial future. But I would hesitate to recommend this book to many people I know because they might not take Lichtenfeld seriously. The writing style is too informal and the technical advice too jumbled. There are footnotes, but they aren't effectively or consistently used. There are some statements made in the book that I like, yet I have know idea what research is backing them up. Maybe it is the history nerd in me that has read too much academic writing, but books that do this drive me a bit crazy.

This book has some great advice to offer if you are willing to overlook its problems. I respect Lichtenfeld and what he is trying to do, and I highly recommend people look into dividend-growth stock investing as a relatively low-risk, high-return strategy, particularly if you want to open an IRA. I hope my low rating and criticisms aren't too harsh and do not scare readers away. Ultimately, it is a book about personal finance, not a Gordon Wood history book or a Tolstoy novel. Lichtenfeld is absolutely pointing people in the right direction, and I salute him for it! The book just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you for your honest rating

"Maybe it is the history nerd in me that has read too much academic writing, but books that do this drive me a bit crazy."
Definitely a factor. Academic immersion renders one allergic to Gilligan's Island tones of writing

"Definitely a factor. Academic immersion renders one allergic to Gilligan's Island tones of writing"

Lol.

17. by Jennifer Woods (no photo)
Finish date: April 13, 2017
Genre: Business & Finance
Grade: C-
Review: While this is a useful resource with accurate information and some helpful charts and definitions, it is only introductory about most concepts covered. Most of the information contained in it is easy to find online. It introduces strategic concepts that are interesting and could be useful, but doesn't provide enough information to help the reader apply any of the strategies. If you find this at the library or a used book store, it is worth checking out for a quick overview of the fundamentals ETF investing. If you are looking for something that really digs deep into these concepts, there are better resources out there, both in print and online. This book is basically a list of things that can be done and a list of tools you could use to do the things (at least the tools that were on the market 8 years ago), but it doesn't actually tell you how to do the things. I guess you'll need another book for that.

18. by Michael Lewis
Finish date: April 14, 2017
Genre: History/Business
Grade: A
Review: The Big Short is more technical and more entertaining than I had expected. When it comes to coverage of the 2008 financial crisis, there are few in books or media who do an adequate job of explaining the mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations, credit default swaps, and other technical finance concepts involved. Michael Lewis manages to make sense of a complex system of debt speculation that the people who were responsible for understanding didn't seem to understand. It is exactly what one might hope to get out of this book, but it's not the thing that makes this book truly special.

What is really surprising about this book is its tone. Wall Street investors can be very brash. The investors covered by Lewis are outsiders. They share many characteristics with Wall Street stereotypes, but for various reasons they don't fit in to those social circles. They are rogue investors, searching for any niche they can find, striving to be contrarian. They speak with a colorful vernacular; Lewis doesn't bowdlerize. In fact, Lewis adopts a bit of the voice of his characters to better tell their story.

As the story progresses, the tone drastically changes. The events that unfold have huge implications for capitalism, democracy, and the history of the world going into a new century. Seeing how the men who predicted it and profited from it eventually react to it is what The Big Short is really about.

Douglass wrote: "18. by Michael Lewis
Finish date: April 14, 2017
Genre: History/Business
Grade: A
Review:..."

I saw the movie that came out last year about all of this and enjoyed it. I might have to add this to my to read list.

Ragan wrote: "Douglass wrote: "18. by Michael Lewis
Finish date: April 14, 2017
Genre: History/Business..."

The book is better... That's my unpredictable Goodreads post for today.

19. by Chuck Wendig
Finish date: April 27, 2017
Genre: Sci-fi/fantasy
Grade: D-
Review: In a universe full of amazing characters and stories, tied together by fate and "the force," there are apparently uninteresting people in uninteresting places doing uninteresting things too. Aftermath is a book about them. Attempting to create as much action in 400 pages as possible, it is basically a description of events with too many characters–none of them well-developed–and nothing of literary of philosophical interest whatsoever. It's not horrible–I might read the rest of the trilogy just for how it fits into the greater plot–but it is definitely disappointing.

20. by Maya Angelou
Finish date: April 30, 2017
Genre: Memoir/Autobiography
Grade: A
Review: This is one of those stories that reminds you that beauty persists even in the deepest sadness. Maya Angelou's prose is as colorful and musical as her poetry. Her experiences as a young African American girl from a broken family in the 1930s and 40s are a reminder that there is a lot of darkness in our society that those of us who didn't have the same experiences as Maya can easily ignore. Most people who have been through what she has might not tell a single person their story. Maya courageously pours out her soul to us, and it is beautiful.

MAY

21. by Kevin Hearne
Finish date: May 2, 2017
Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy
Grade: B
Review: Heir to the Jedi is surprising in many ways. It is written in the 1st person from the perspective of Luke Skywalker, taking place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. It reads like a more typical science-fiction space adventure story. Luke, doing odd jobs for the Alliance after his heroic destruction of the Death Star, joins a new sidekick, Nakari, on a mission to save a Givin woman named Drusil, who is being held captive by the Empire. Drusil is a highly intelligent mathematician who specializes in probability and cryptography. She has a unique, wise perspective. As Luke opens up to Nakari, she encourages him to believe in himself and to experiment with the Force, while Drusil enlightens him with wisdom that is like mathematical logic peppered with Buddhism. Drusil quickly became one of my favorite characters in the Star Wars universe. This book is worth reading just for her.

Some great choices Douglass

22. by Ashlee Vance
Finish date: May 14, 2017
Genre: Biography, Business, & Science/Technology
Grade: A
Review: Elon Musk is a business and technology revolutionary. Ashlee Vance details his rise to power in Silicon Valley, showing how Musk's tough upbringing, odd personality, and high level of intelligence took him on a path toward achieving what others thought was impossible. Musk is making space travel and transport, electric cars, and solar power accessible and affordable. Musk has done this with an impressive comprehension of physics and mastery of engineering and computer programming, but he has also taken unique approaches to the organization of his businesses. Vance shows how Musk has been able to pursue some of humanity's most expensive and ambitious endeavors at a small fraction of the price that other companies are charging for them. Vance addresses Musk's critics, including his ex-wife, former business partners who have been fired, quit, and/or sued him, journalists and competitors who have spoken out against him, and even the idiots on forums who tell everyone to short Tesla's stock. While Vance reveres Musk, he does not hold back from giving a voice to his critics and reporting the full story in a fair manner. This is an excellent biography that is culturally interesting and useful for any reader interested in business, science, and technology.

23. by James Luceno
Finish date: May 27, 2017
Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy
Grade: B
Review: Catalyst is the prelude to the Rogue One film. Its core concept is how peaceful, ethical scientists like Galen Erso end up developing weapons of mass destruction like the Death Star. In terms of advancing the greater plot, Catalyst doesn't serve much purpose, as everything that happens in it is implied in the Rogue One film anyway. There also isn't nearly as much action as the typical Star Wars film or novel. However, James Luceno's quality writing saves the book from obscurity. Catalyst is a well-written and thought-provoking addition to the Star Wars canon.

JUNE

24. by Benjamin Graham
Finish date: June 5, 2017
Genre: Business & Finance
Grade: B
Review: David Abrams summed up Security Analysis the best when he called it "the value investors' equivalent to Deuteronomy" in his introduction to Part VII of the 6th edition. It is an extremely thorough explanation of how to evaluate stocks and bonds, primarily focusing on a company's income statement and balance sheet. It is not an ideal starting point for young investors–I have read several finance books before this one, and parts of it were still over my head–but it is essential reading for any serious investor.

Graham and Dodd discuss the philosophy of value investing eloquently. They provide detailed analysis of dozens of companies' finance statements to support their arguments about how investors should analyze securities. It is an excellent reality check for anyone who thinks he knows a thing or two about investing.

The examples given by Graham and Dodd are a bit dated (1930s), but most of the principles are still relevant today. The organization of the book is a bit awkward, but I don't presume that I could organize such a massive quantity and variety of material any better.

It took me a long time to get through this, and I will probably explore many parts of it again over the next few years. It is a valuable addition to any business library and a resource that you can use for a lifetime of investing.

Thank you for following the rules and guidelines.

25. by Jennifer Worth
Finish date: June 19, 2017
Genre: Memoir & Autobiography
Grade: A-
Review: I read this after watching five seasons of the BBC television series that is based on it. Like the TV series, the book took a little time to grow on me. Jenny takes you from one short story to another, each about a patient she treated or a person she worked with. It takes time for the larger story and the development of her character to take shape.

As the book progresses, the stories get more an more dramatic. At first, they are short tales that deal with the state of medicine in the 1950s and the idiosyncrasies of the Cockney culture in London's East End. As Jenny works there for a longer time, the deeper issues of society are revealed. The chapters about women working in prostitution are horrifying, then there are the workhouses, adoption, and the London smog.

These issues had a powerful effect on people, both physically and emotionally. Finally, Jenny reveals how these experiences and her relationships with patients, co-workers, and the nuns at Nonnatus House changed her during this period of her life. If you take the time to read this book from cover to cover, it is certain to have a profound effect on you too.

Thank you Douglass, it sounds fascinating. Somehow this has escaped me but I will certainly check it out.

I missed it too Lorna - sounds interesting

JULY

26. by Hakan Günday
Finish date: July 7, 2017
Genre: Fiction
Grade: A
Review: More is the most challenging book I have ever read. I initially picked it up because I loved the cover. I took interest in it because it was by a Turkish author and dealt with the refugee crisis. It turned out to be so much more than a story touching on social issues. More is a psychological and philosophical masterpiece, but it will beat you to the ground, keep kicking you until you are unconscious, spit on your face, and leave you in the gutter to rot. This isn't a novel, it is a psychological weapon of mass destruction.

Hakan Günday takes you inside the mind of a boy, Gaza, in one of the most disturbing environments on earth. The product of a sick, cruel world of crime, violence, and greed, Gaza is raised by a killer to be a killer. Gaza's father and the human trafficking ring he works in mold Gaza's mind into an abstract expressionist sculpture.

Günday barrages the reader with rants, puzzles, and atrocities, taking place in the mind of a sick, perhaps psychopathic, boy. He blurs the lines between reality and hallucination, order and anarchy, morality and evil, and logic and insanity. Each chapter is a question that only leads to more questions, never answers.

Despite issues in translation, the prose is highly sophisticated. Concepts in the organization of the book are unusual, which works very well when the story is told in first person from the perspective of a protagonist who is crazy. The book is so effective at getting into the mind of a madman that the reader risks going mad himself.

More is a frightening exploration of anthropology, sociology, psychology, and philosophy, set in the most dangerous social environment on earth. It is bold and relentless. It is highly intelligent, yet completely crazy. It is esoteric madness. Only the most daring readers will be able to endure it. Read at your own risk!

It sounds like a very challenging book but you appreciated and met the challenge and that is great.

Thank you, Douglas for your review of "Call the Midwife. I think I agree with you: it is an acquired taste. It takes a while for characters and stories to develop. But, if you start from the beginning of the Netflix TV series, you will get hooked in about 2-3 episodes.

I started reading the first volume of the book series primarily because I wanted to prolong the emotional connection to the characters that I had developed watching the TV series. The prose is descriptive and, at times, clinical...literate nurses' notes. The story gets told without rhetorical flourishes designed to keep the reader engaged during down-time between labors and deliveries. Characters develop gradually the way true friendships develop.

I am a pediatric nurse practitioner. I am very proud to see nurses depicted as courageous and skilled and heroic. Also, I was raised and educated by nuns. I have never seen the religious life depicted so authentically and affectionately and beautifully. It's inspiring to experience characters devoting their whole lives to something bigger than themselves.

Marianne a very beautiful post but you must also cite the book at the bottom of the comment box

by Jennifer Worth

Ok. Thanks.

27. by Linda Sue Park
Finish date: July 8, 2017
Genre: Children's/Young Adult
Grade: B+
Review: A Long Walk to Water is the true story of a Dinka boy, Salva, living in South Sudan during the Second Sudanese Civil War and a Nuer girl, Nya, living there a generation later. It is targeted for young readers, so the writing is nothing special, but the story is amazing.

It is important that we read stories like this to understand the real hardships that people are facing throughout the world. As someone who has the means to be selective about the quality of the water I drink and the foods I eat, it is easy to take those things for granted. A Long Walk to Water is a good reminder of how much we should appreciate those things and how we should do what we can to help those who are struggling to survive in parts of the world plagued by draughts, wars, disease, and poverty.

28. by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Finish date: July 9, 2017
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel
Grade: B
Review: Black Panther is Ta-Nehisi Coates's first comic book, so one has to expect that it is not going to be perfect. This new series begins somewhat confusingly for many readers, as Coates rushes into establishing the context. You can get away with that when you are writing about a popular and not overly complicated character like Captain America, but Black Panther is more obscure and complex, without a clear and familiar narrative leading up to this point. That being said, one can't blame Coates for beginning a hero's adventure in medias res.

I find it funny that the publishers include T'Challa's first appearance in the 1961 Fantastic Four#52 in the back of this book, as it displays the juxtaposition between the styles of Stan Lee in the 1960s and Coates more than 50 years later. Coates never uses more words than is necessary–he actually could afford to use a few more to make things less confusing. For Coates, it's not about the narrative, but about the ideas.

Black Panther is political and philosophical. It lets Wakanda stand on its own with no dependence on the rest of the Marvel universe for relevance. Brian Stelfreeze's art makes it worth reading by itself, but the direction Coates is taking has the potential to transform the Marvel franchise. I am very excited to see where this series can go.