The History Book Club discussion

Christopher wrote: "Ah, looks like I scrolled too far down--at the beginning of the new month is fine. Your format is perfect!"

Okay, good. I appreciate the feedback.

June

30. Jacob's Folly(no image) by Rebecca Miller

Date Finished: June 1
Genre: Historical Ficion/Literary Fiction
Rating: B
Review: A very creative and different book told from multiple, interwoven perspectives. Jacob is a young Jewish peddlar living in 18th century Paris who finds himself reincarnated as a fly in 21st century Long Island. He is connected to Leslie, a firefighter, and Masha, a young orthodox Jewish woman and can read their thoughts and memories. I found the writing a little self-indulgent in places where descriptions read like writing project exercises and added little to the forward momemtum of the plot lines. Nevertheless, there is much to be admired in the novel and the closing pages are just marvelous. The author is the wife of actor Daniel Day-Lewis and daughter of playwright, Arthur Miller

DonnaR............it is not necessary to put up the avatar if there is no book cover available. Just put up the book link followed by "(no image)"

Thanks Jill.

No problem.......thanks for modifying the post.

31. by Joel Fuhrman(no photo)

Date Finished: June 10
Genre: Nonfiction/ Health and Nutrition
Rating: B-
Review: An interesting, well researched book which advocates for a diet that is at least 80% vegetables and fruits to achieve optimum health. There were many testimonials of formerly unhealthy individuals who turned their lives around following Dr. Fuhrman's guidelines.

I was just listening to him on the PBS station - I think whole foods is the way to go.

Bentley wrote: "I was just listening to him on the PBS station - I think whole foods is the way to go."

Lots of good advice in the book, I think. Striving for more fruits and vegetables in favor of processed foods is a worthwhile goal.

32. by Judith Merkle Riley

Date Finished: June 16
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: B
Review: Margaret is a young woman who, having survived the plague, has a spiritual encounter that appears as a vision of light and she receives a gift of healing. Now married to a wealthy tradesman, Margaret feels compelled to write a book about her life and hires a cleric named Brother Gregory as her scribe. Gregory's superior attitude and lack of self awareness coupled with Margaret's subtle manipulation of him are quite entertaining. As a strong, intelligent, and resourceful woman, Margaret is nevertheless subject to the vulnerabilities of all women living in that society, something that the story vividly illustrates. Lots of embedded detail about the lives of everyday people in medieval England. Enjoyable though somewhat predictable.

33. by Lesley Hazleton

Date Finished: June 25
Genre: Nonfiction/History
Rating: A-
Review: The First Muslim is a beautifully written and very readable account of the life of the prophet Muhammad and the rise of Islam. The author incorporates ideas about the importance of clan, lineage, home, retaliation, honor and faith in ancient Arabic culture, the remnants of which are influencing the Middle East today. In this non typical biography, she uses history, philosophy, sociology and even modern day psychology to interpret the mass of information that has accumulated about Muhammad over the centuries.

Muhammad was orphaned shortly after birth. From his lowly beginnings as an outsider in a patriarchal society, he gradually rose to distinguish himself as a businessman. After his initial vision on Mount Hira, Muhammad evolves from messenger to prophet to leader of what would become Islam. The book describes his exile from Mecca and eventual return, his strategies for dispatching enemies and forming alliances, as well as the origins for the veiling of women and the Shia vs Sunni divisions.

On the negative side, the author makes speculative statements that seem out of place in nonfiction writing. So-and-so was thought to have said such and such and therefore, we can deduce that he must have felt this or that way. Also, some of her language and comparisons are a little jarring – comparing Mecca to Wall Street and stating that news of something in 7th century Mecca went “viral.” There’s a substantial bibliography but many assertions lack specific documentation. Nevertheless, the book is fascinating and I feel that it added significantly to my heretofore paltry knowledge about Muhammad and Islam.

Middle Eastern Challenge: Book 3 Saudi Arabia

34. by Stephen Dunn

Date Finished: June
Genre: Poetry
Rating: A
Review: These are the poems of a man looking back on his life with the maturity and wisdom that age hopefully brings. The language is simple and profound.

35. by Mary Oliver

Date Completed: June
Genre: Poetry
Rating: A
Review: Some beautiful poems about observing the natural world, finding its beauty in large and small things, and using nature as a catalyst to look into ourselves.

July

36. by (no photo) Robert M. Edsel

Date Completed: July 3
Genre: Nonfiction/History
Rating: B-
Review: A detailed account about how Italy's priceless works of art were saved from Allied bombs and Nazi looting during WWII. Also included were the fall of Mussolini, the retreat of Germany through Italy, and the secret surrender of Italian-based German forces that led to the end of the war in Europe. Many parts of the story are fascinating but unfortunately the writing gets a little muddled in places making for a tedious reading experience.

37. by Sally Cabot

Date Completed: July 5
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A-
Review: A surprisingly good novel in which Cabot weaves a story around known facts about Franklin's illegitimate son, William. She creates the character Anne, a poverty-ridden girl who begins to supplement her wages at a tavern by entertaining male clients, the first being a young Benjamin Franklin. When she bears his son, he convinces her to turn the baby over for him and his common law wife Deborah to raise. A complicated relationship evolves between William and each of his parents, culminating in his eventual break with Benjamin over their divergent political views.

A fast, fun read with a great blend of fact and fiction embedded in colonial Philadelphia.

Good progress Donna R

Bentley wrote: "Good progress Donna R"

Thanks.

August

38. by Joanne Harris

Date Completed: August 15
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A
Review: My reading was on hold while I was on a great two week vacation in Ireland. This was the first book I picked up when I returned and it was a real page turner. The narrator is Flamboise, a 60ish woman who is relating the story of her childhood with a distant and unpredictable mother in a small French village during the German occupation. Even though the main characters are damaged and emotionally stalled out, the writing is delicious and the narrative has the perfect amount of tension. One of my favorites of the year.

39. by Helene Hanff

Date Completed: August 16
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: C
Review: I have had this book on my tbr list for some time, so I was happy when it became available on Paperback Swap. When it came in the mail, I was shocked to see it was only slightly thicker than an envelope - 84 pages. It consists of letters sent back and forth from Helene Hanff, a New York script writer and employees of a London book shop. The correspondences span 20 years beginning in 1949. There are some lovely moments in the book but it's much more sparse than I had been expecting for all the raves I had read.

40. by Colum McCann

Date Completed: August 20
Genre: Literary Fiction/Historical
Rating: A
Review: I know I have a good book in my hands when life stops until I finish it. TransAtlantic relates the crossings to and/or from Ireland of several real persons in history, interspersed with the personal stories of four generations of fictional women. The book spans about 150 years of history through these stories but they are not told in a linear fashion. The writing style - which is not fancy but elegant all the same - reminded me a little of E. L. Doctorow, whose books I have enjoyed immensely.

E.L. Doctorow

41. by Ken Follett

Date Completed: August 30
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Having not been a huge Follett fan in the past, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Follett does a very good job of giving an overview of WWI from the perspective of various fictional families: German military; English aristocratic; Welsh mining; American political, and Russian peasant. By the magic of fiction writing, characters from these diverse families manage to cross paths throughout the time period of roughly 10 years. It is certainly soap-operish, but very entertaining and a fast read in spite of it's length.

Jaye, I read Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, a sort of sequel. They are very well liked historical fiction novels about cathedral building in the Middle Ages. I got a bit bogged down with both of them and would have to say I enjoyed Fall of Giants more.







all by Ken Follett

DonnaR wrote: "August

38. by Joanne Harris

Date Completed: August 15
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A
Review: My reading was on h..."

I just love Joanne Harris. I love to read her books when I just want to "get away".

September

42. by Kate Atkinson

Date Completed: September 2
Genre: Fiction/Historical/Fantasy
Rating: A-
Review: A very clever, fascinating fiction in which the main character, Ursula, is born, dies and is reborn into the same life a number of times. Each time some small thing changes, which in turn changes nearly everything else. It is historical in the sense that the time span is mainly 1910 to the mid 1940s and there is much unflinching detail about the human effects of the bombing raids on London during WWII. Far from a neat little wrap up at the end, but one that I'm sure I'll be thinking about for a while.

That sounds interesting and I'm not much of a fiction reader.......I might have to look for that one.

Jill wrote: "That sounds interesting and I'm not much of a fiction reader.......I might have to look for that one."

If you do read it, Jill, I would be interested in knowing what you think. Seems to be one of those that people either rave about or just can't get through.

43. by Azar Nafisi

Date Completed: September 9
Genre: Nonfiction/Memoir
Rating: A+
Review: This is a brilliant memoir about life in Iran before, during and after the Islamic revolution in the early 1980s. Nafisi, a university professor of literature, resigns her position because of the restrictions imposed on women and teachers by the Islamic regime. She begins a secret class in her home with a group of women, all former students. Literature becomes a vehicle for them to try to understand and transcend the sadness and struggle with oppression they encounter in their daily lives. This book reminded me once again that we should never take our freedoms for granted!

Middle East Challenge Book #4 - Iran

Excellent Donna R

Thanks, Bentley.

44. by Kate Morton

Date Finished: September 24
Genre: Fiction/Historical
Rating: B-
Review: Laurel, a famous British actress begins searching for clues about her dying mother's past. Laurel's focus is on a traumatic childhood memory of having witnessed her mother murder a stranger in their home. This leads to a long-winded, convoluted story taking place in London during the Blitz. The writing is uneven and the unraveling of the mystery relies on a maddening array of coincidences. However, the book is largely redeemed with a fast-paced and well written last third and a surprising and satisfying ending.

45. by Peter Cunningham

Date Finished: September 29
Genre: Fiction/Historical
Rating: B-
Review: A tale of love and loss during WWII in Ireland. While the war is being waged throughout Europe, Anglo-Irish landowners in Ireland face turbulent times as the Land Commission appropriates their land on behalf of the Irish poor. The young and beautiful Ismay finds herself in the middle of the struggle. This book is compulsively readable but ultimately left me with a feeling of incompleteness.

October

46. by Lawrence Wright

Date Finished: October 1
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: A
Review: This is a detailed account of the genesis and rise of Islamic fundamentalist groups and their leaders that begins with Sayyid Qutb, the Islamic writer and martyr in the 1960s and culminates in the 9/11 attacks. It provides an understanding of the source of so much of the conflict and violence that has occurred in the Middle East - past and present. It also highlights - very chillingly - how the lack of cooperation and information-sharing between (and within) the CIA and the FBI in the months leading up to 9/11 resulted in the failure to prevent the attack. An unforgettable book that reads like a novel - very highly recommended.

Middle Eastern Challenge - Book 5 Egypt

47. by Tan Twan Eng

Date Finished: October 3
Genre: Fiction/Historical
Rating: A-
Review: The story is set in British Malaya (now Malaysia) during the 1950s. The Japanese have surrendered and Communist guerrillas are attempting to overtake the country. Yun Lang is a retired judge and former prisoner of war who returns to the mountain village where she had been apprenticed to a famous Japanese gardener and artist, Aritomo. She has been diagnosed with a degenerative brain disease that will eventually take her memory and is encouraged to write down the story of her past - a story that is both lovely and very sad.

48. by Jhumpa Lahiri

Date Finished: October 7
Genre: Fiction/India
Rating: B
Review: Two brothers, born 15 months apart in a Calcutta neighborhood, are inseparable until the younger of the two becomes involved in the altruistic, 1960s Naxalite rebellion, with disastrous results. The other one moves to America but is inextricably linked to his sibling for
life.

There is the skeleton of a very good novel here but it isn't fully developed in my opinion. I would like to have seen more depth of character and plot and fewer detailed and mundanely written descriptions of scenery.

Exotic Cavalcade to Iconic India Challenge: # 1, West Bengal, Calcutta

49. by Logan Beirne

Date Finished: October 10
Genre: Nonfiction/History
Rating: A+
Review: TBA

50. by Thomas Mullen

Date Finished: October 15
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: B-
Review: During WWI, a remote lumber town in the Pacific Northwest quarantines itself against the raging flu epidemic with unintended and disturbing
results. Human nature in all its variations is on display as the book's characters grapple with difficult moral dilemmas. I liked the story line and the historical context but was less a fan of the writing style.

51. by Jane Alison(no photo)

Date Finished: October 31
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: B-
Review: I read this book as part of an on-line course I'm taking about historical fiction from coursera. The author builds a story around the banning from Rome of the poet Ovid during the reign of Augustus. She imagines Ovid's obsessive relationship with a mystical, mysterious sorceress, Xenia. It's sort of a psychological drama written in lyrical prose with vivid imagery of ancient Rome. But it is oddly repetitive and lacks a strong narrative flow.

November

52. by Ruta Sepetys

Date Finished: November 1
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Fifteen-year-old Lina and her family in Lithuania are swept up in the WWII Soviet "cleansing" of the Baltic region and sent to a Siberian labor camp. An excellent story of love, hope, strength, and survival told with unflinching reality while still maintaining appropriateness for a YA reading audience. Very moving.

53. by Miriam Grace Monfredo

Date Finished: November 3
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
Rating: C+
Review: A cozy mystery featuring Glynis Tryon, a 30-something, unmarried librarian in Seneca Falls, New York. In this series debut, Glynis is involved in the first Woman's Rights Convention of 1848 and solves the murder of a young woman. Nicely embedded historical detail blended with an entertaining read and a plucky but believable heroine in Glynis.

54. by Diane M. Kennedy

Date Finished: November 5
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: A
Review: The authors give an in depth analysis of the DSM - the system by which exceptional children receive diagnoses, such as Autism, ADHD, etc. They lay out an argument as to why this system is fundamentally flawed, resulting in inaccurate labels that can be damaging to children and keep them from receiving the treatments they need. The book address specifically the 2e (twice exceptional) child who is gifted and also autistic. It is an excellent starting point for parents and teachers of 2e children. Additional resources are listed at the end.

55. by Diane Glancy (no photo)

Date Finished: November 7
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: C
Review: This is a novella-length book with a very unique format. It alternates on the same page the fictionalized thoughts/voice of Sacajawea with excerpts from the actual journals of Lewis and Clark.
I didn't enjoy the format much but it did whet my appetite to read more about the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Teri wrote: "DonnaR wrote: "August

38. by Joanne Harris

Date Completed: August 15
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A
Review: My r..."

Joanne Harris is an author I haven't read yet, although I loved the movie of Chocolat. This sounds like a wonderful introduction to her books. Thanks for your review.

It was a great introduction for me, Teri. And you reminded me that I want to check out some more of Harris' books.

Joanne Harris

56. by Miriam Grace Monfredo

Date Finished: November 11
Genre: Historical Mystery
Rating: A-
Review: This is the second in the series of murder mysteries involving the amateur sleuth, Glynis Tryon, a librarian and women's rights activist in 1850s Seneca Falls, NY. In this one, Glynis becomes involved in the Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act as she seeks to solve a series of murders occurring in Seneca Falls. A great blend of historical authenticity and a satisfying mystery that is not at all hard-boiled - very entertaining read.

57. by Paul Scott

Date Finished: November 15
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A+
Review: TBA


Exotic Cavalcade to Iconic India Challenge: #2

I hope you will continue commenting on the Raj discussion even though you have finished the book. Your comments are always thought provoking.

by Paul Scott

Jill wrote: "I hope you will continue commenting on the Raj discussion even though you have finished the book. Your comments are always thought provoking.

by [authorim..."

Thanks Jill. I always enjoy your questions and comments, too. I just had to finish the book today - finally we get to the bottom of what happened in the gardens!

Thank heavens.....I have my ideas but I'm sure they are wrong. We shall see.

58. by Miriam Grace Monfredo

Date Finished: November 18
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
Rating: A-
Review: In this third book in the series, the mystery becomes somewhat more complex and the themes more adult. The people of Seneca Falls must grapple with discrimination against the Seneca Iroquois in the aftermath of a cruel crime. Glynis fights to prove the innocence of Jacques Sundown while dealing with her conflicted feelings for him. The series is getting better and better.

59. Miriam Grace Monfredo

Date Finished: November 26
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
Rating: B+
Review: Glynis Tryon returns to Seneca Falls from Springfield, Illinois, after a year away, to discover many changes in her small home town. Predictably, she becomes immersed in a series of murders, this time involving a counterfeiting ring. A back story is John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. Good stuff, once again.

60. by Miriam Grace Monfredo

Date Finished: November 29
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
Rating: B-
Review: This installment in the series features Glynis Tryon's young niece, Bronwen, as a Pinkerton agent who is sent to Alabama to investigate the plight of southern railroads at the brink of the Civil War and uncovers a plot to assassinate the newly elected Abraham Lincoln. Not as intricately plotted as some of the others.

December

61. by Kay Shaw Nelson(no photo)

Date Finished: December 7
Genre: Cookbook
Rating: B+
Review: I collect and read cookbooks. This one provides a nice combination of Gaelic history, culture, tourism, and, of course, food. I especially enjoyed reading about the origins of some of the common Gaelic foods and their names. The recipes are quite simple with few ingredients and include such staples as Irish soda bread, colcannon, fish and chips, and Irish stew.