bookem's reviews from LibraryThinghttp://www.librarything.com/profile_reviews.php?view=bookembookem's reviews from LibraryThingThe Secret Life of Wombats by James Woodfordhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/163991592<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/47/81/47818de796e0f4959796f414141426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "A delightful science read. I picked it up while in Sydney on holiday and whipped right through it. It's quite astonishing, the work that prompted it. If you're a nature reader, you'll enjoy it."Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:45:25 -0500Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarshhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/163991474<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/10/1f/101f7e9d87650955974374c7341426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "The perfect antidote to J.D. Vance's pretentious &quot;Hillbilly Elegy.&quot; Smarsh's story seems so much more real and so much more the experience of most American's born into the same space in life. Her choice of writing to the child she never had as a teenager is perfect, giving the reader a different - and appropriate - perspective. Two thumbs way up."Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:41:29 -0500The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaifehttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/163991429<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/10/f5/10f5b584b9b19b759756e557167426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "Delightful! A walk through the history of the London Tower, the ravens who occupy it, and those who've cared for them over the years. I love all things raven and crow-related, so of course, I love this book."Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:40:14 -0500Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grannhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/163991359<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/f6/4a/f64a8a25068302e596d47326f41426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "The horridness of humanity knows no bounds. This true-life story was incredibly informative for me. I knew nothing of the Osage Indians or the beginnings of the FBI via the murders of members of the tribe. It's a page-turner of a story, if you enjoy this genre."Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:37:25 -0500Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westoverhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/163991288<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/55/8b/558b6f4b4dde485597671367077426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "My favorite book of 2018. An amazing story, beautifully written. At times I felt physically fatigued (and sore) reading it, given the hard life Tara and her family lived. I feared for sure anyone would die at any moment. But her rise is remarkable and her story one that I could not put down."Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:34:14 -0500Black River by S. M. Hulsehttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/163991125<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/b4/a8/b4a808cb2f6c1345968436d6b41426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "I REALLY didn't like the ending, but everything up to it was an excellent story - wonderful writing. My book club agreed. We all wanted the story to be one more of redemption and hope than what it was, i.e. the uncertainty of much of anything. In truth, this may be more realistic for the characters, but I hoped for more."Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:29:46 -0500Peace Like a River by Leif Engerhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/163991067<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/d2/9d/d29d2c194b3c2e5593462685751426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "One of the best stories I have read in some time. The characters are marvelous, the story moves along with just the right pace, and the landscape is wonderful for the imagination. Davy and Reuben's younger sister, Swede, may well be my favorite young female character since Scout Finch. I love her! I loved the stories she wrote along the way. Marvelous!"Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:27:00 -0500Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhoodhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/163991012<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/a0/8d/a08dfe4cb4b54d8596732496e51426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "I started reading this book in print and admit that I was truly disappointed. The story of Noah's upbringing is interesting, but the writing style put me off. I needed to finish it for book club, though, and running out of time, picked up the audio version. Read by the author, it was COMPLETELY different. Noah's narration gave the writing the intended inflection and nuance missing in my reading of the story, making it much, much better."Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:24:40 -0500A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backmanhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/163990945<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/06/bd/06bdc4a00e011f9596d30506c77426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "A delightful character-driven tale. Ove the curmudgeon, his neighbors who never give up on him, his neighbors who depend on him despite everything, and his cat. The perfect companion. I loved the eccentricities, the dialogue, the failed attempts at giving up, and, in the end, knowing why we don't. Give up, that is."Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:21:56 -0500The Silent Wife: A gripping emotional page turner with a twist that will take your breath away by Kerry Fisherhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/163990784<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/8e/c7/8ec7efdb37fdb905967574c6e77426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "A cast of characters I couldn't be finished with soon enough. All of the drama in the story is the result of lies, betrayal, and people living in denial. So much of it meaningless and senseless. Most disturbing is that the author credits chat room discussions with the ideas for characters and content. Ugh! There is one interesting aspect in that neither of the narrating characters perceives herself inwardly as others do outwardly. That's worth discussion at book club."Wed, 02 Jan 2019 14:18:28 -0500The Liars' Club by Mary Karrhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/94000878<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/54/bf/54bff48e27f16f95934302f5467426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "A masterful piece of writing. I can't remember another book that invoked all five of my senses like this one did. You can feel the heat and dirt of East Texas, smell the stench of stale bars, feel your stomach turn at the horrors of a small child abused, hear bones break in fist fights ... it's a true sign of the resilience of some humans that Karr survived to tell her story, particularly when one knows that it isn't over with the last page of this memoir."Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:00:00 -0500Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cainhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/82202895<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/2b/7e/2b7e9a420a00a54593079576167426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "A well-researched and well-written book on a subject that needed some exploring. So many of Cain's insights prompted &quot;Aha!&quot; moments in me, meaning that they made such clear sense, but I'd never put the pieces together before. I enjoyed her style of mixing personal experience, narratives from events partaken in for the writing of the book, and solid reference to published research to present her argument. I wish all lawyers could communicate with such clarity. Great book."Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:18:31 -0500The Man in the Empty Boat by Mark Salzmanhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/82912692<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/4d/da/4ddac9a1e28827b593965776167426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "I'm a big fan of Salzman and was delighted to hear he finally had a new book coming out. I downloaded the audio version the day it came out. I'm not an eBook reader and didn't want to wait for a &quot;print on demand&quot; copy from my neighborhood Barnes and Noble, so I opted for the audio. I prefer memoirs in this format to be read by the author, but that not being the case here wasn't any great drawback. The premise - or is it context - of the book, i.e. explaining to the reader why we've not heard from him in so long, was an interesting route to take. He made a story out of explaining why he had such a difficult time coming up with a story. I liked it. The memoir is presented as one capturing his &quot;worst year&quot;, but really it covers many more years than that and while one year in particular is indeed truly wrenching, the frustration that comes with years of struggling to find his writing voice again comes through loud and clear. He tells the tales of his life's circumstances with the same humorous voice he's used in his previous memoirs, though I found it lacked a little compared to the hilarious &quot;Lost in Place&quot;. Perhaps the tone of the last chapters colors my perception on the earlier chapters. Maybe there was more humor in them. But the story of his sister's sudden illness and death, his struggles with panic attacks, his exhausting schedule going from family to family, coast to coast, and unmet deadlines during that &quot;worst year&quot; are told in such an honest, real way that I wanted it to end - not just for Salzman, but for me, the reader. It was hard to take, like standing helplessly by as a friend is pushed to a breaking point. I found the last chapter a bit sappy, a bit preachy, and the story of the revelation through the dog's farting a little out of place, but I don't doubt that it's exactly what happened, given the author's personality. And considering all of the chapters that preceded this last, I cut him slack for slipping into a &quot;the moral of the story is...&quot; ending. I enjoyed the book and was happy to spend some hours with an &quot;old friend&quot;."Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:11:00 -0500The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millenium Trilogy, Book 1) by Stieg Larssonhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/62333651<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/0d/cb/0dcbeab757528785933704b5441426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "The only Larsson I'll read. I didn't care for his style of writing and found the story at times shocking, but fairly predictable."Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:35:54 -0400Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillardhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/22200745<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/a7/6f/a76f4fb4ba6b6f4597761484e51426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "A classic to be read over and over and over again."Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:04:46 -0400The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larsonhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/30479021<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/90/79/907908c8ea5b8f4593877785551426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "Listened to audiobook as opposed to reading. Really engaging story, filled with wonderful descriptors, fully-developed characters, history, mystery, murder and more. Recommended."Tue, 13 May 2008 17:02:01 -0400Hamlet&#039;s BlackBerry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age by William Powershttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/74227650<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/2d/ec/2dec90c8d6e15c5592f364e5a41426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "I really wanted this book to say something. I really wanted it to have some substance to it. Instead, I found it a pretty shallow treatise on a pretty simple fact - time to one's self, time away from the clutter of information overload, is of great benefit to everyone. Kind of like Nancy Reagan saying, &quot;Just say no&quot;, there is certainly truth to this statement, but it deserves more. The subject is too complex and frankly, way more interesting."Tue, 07 Jun 2011 07:38:15 -0400The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Wallshttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/75094679<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/99/59/995977a14a917cf59304f625377426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "Holy smokes! The fact that Walls and here siblings ever survived this childhood is remarkable. The fact that she can tell the story with such grace and poise and even a sense of fondness every now and then... amazing. This is one of those books that sticks with you for a very long time. I read it after Walls', &quot;Half-Broke Horses&quot; and am glad to have done so. While not the way the author wrote them, it allowed me to follow the story chronologically and gave me an understanding of her parents' behavior from the beginning - or at least a start of such."Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:37:35 -0400Sketchbooks: The Hidden Art of Designers, Illustrators and Creatives by Richard Breretonhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/75731203<img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/P/1856695824.01._SX90_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "A terrific diverse collection. Brereton adds to the artwork by providing insight into the contributors. I find inspiration in this book for my own work and I love the thought of being someone called a &quot;creative&quot;."Sat, 16 Jul 2011 09:24:17 -0400Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer by Lynne Coxhttp://www.librarything.com/work/book/75883652<img src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/45/f9/45f9f5fee0a361e59724f716567426141414141_v5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: left;"/> bookem's review: "An interesting and engaging personal account. The descriptions of her swims, the detail she is able to bring to each, is really something. The same can be said for the stories of the places she goes and the people she meets, and who help her, along the way. This is one of those books I read to remember that people can do some incredibly remarkable things when it comes to our bodies. I personally can't imagine doing them, but I enjoy knowing it's within the realm of human possibility."Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:59:16 -0400
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