X by Sue GraftonMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
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Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Monday, June 15, 2020
Review: Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 stars. This was our classic novel selection for book club this year and one of the few classic novels we've read I actually liked.
It is hard to review this book - I really didn't like the beginning. I felt like it just drug on and Scarlett O'Hara was quite frankly, a vile person. I even asked some of my fellow book club members "Did this book really need to be 1,000 pages long?!" After awhile, however, I found myself wondering if she was the inspiration for "Sweet Valley High's" Jessica Wakefield, a thought I still find intriguing. Yeah, I'm comparing a classic, iconic character to a popular teenage character of the 1980's. I've never claimed to be that deep when it comes to reading comprehension.
As the book wore on, however, it was hard not to both hate Scarlett and at the same time root for her as she faced the hardships brought on by the war and Reconstruction that forced her to finally grow up. Only 16 when the story begins, she was only around 20 when circumstances forced her into the role of head of her family. Still ruthless and vile, however, she was ahead of her time and exhibited a remarkable level of strength and determination to save all that was dear to her.
With current events, however, this book became harder to read. I started it before COVID and George Floyd - I finished it in the midst of both the night before HBO pulled it from their programming - and though written in 1936, the ending was just a little to close to home with what is happening in the country now and that makes it hard to review as I question whether this country is truly heading towards another civil war. What was my escape from reality just saddened me further.
I love that I read this book after visiting Atlanta as I was able to picture some of the places mentioned in the book as I'd seen them. I had a hard time remembering who some of the peripheral characters were as there were so many of them, but the main characters started to feel like family. I could not understand why she was so in love with Ashley Wilkes, as he seemed awfully dull to me! Even as she figured it out in the end, I was still thinking "Seriously, why him?" I truly could not believe Frank thought motherhood would change her into a true lady - because that worked so well with the first kid. I wondered if Rhett Butler was bi-polar or just had nefarious intentions. I loved Scarlett's revelation at the end about Melanie; that was definitely worth slogging it out until the end. I did read the last several pages in great anticipation as to whether or not Rhett utters the famous movie line "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." And while the movie embellishes the line slightly, it was still quite satisfying when that moment in the book finally happened in what is otherwise a rather sad scene. Overall, I'm glad I finally read this, especially after touring Margaret Mitchell's home in Atlanta and visiting her grave. But I still don't think the book needed to be 1,000 pages long.
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Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Review: The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by Deborah BlumMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
If COVID-19 is leading you to gain the "quarantine 15," you may want to check this book out. It will definitely help curb your appetite!
Dating back to the mid-1800's, this book follows the career of Dr. Harvey Wiley, the chemist whose crusade for safer food ultimately led to the creation of the FDA. Though I did find my mind drifting off at times while listening to it, the book was a fascinating look at the additives, such as borax and formaldehyde, which were once considered to be acceptable in our food and how sometimes common spices, such as pepper, contained very little - if any - pepper at all.
I did feel there was a bit of repetition throughout the book - ketchup was mentioned frequently before the section devoted just to it, for example. I was fascinated at times by the logic of those opposed to stricter food labeling and amazed to learn how long big business has had it's hand in this aspect of the government. I didn't realize Monsanto has been around for as long as they have, for example. (Or that Nabisco was once called the National Biscuit Company - fun bit of trivia!). As someone who is allergic to sulfites, I found the part of the book addressing its use in foods to be very interesting. Whiskey has quite a history as to what can and cannot be called whiskey!
Though this book primarily centers around the late 1800's and early 1900's, it still made me wonder what is lurking in our food and considered acceptable - are there still pumpkin rinds in my ketchup or nut shells in my ground pepper? What exactly are "natural flavors?" Given that it's mentioned in the epilogue, what is the current administration doing to our food we don't know about?
Wiley's legacy is quite the story of mostly uphill battles and triumph, but he also faced plenty of defeat as well in his quest to make our food safer and get us to where we are today.
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Review: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor NoahMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 I think I must be broken. While I enjoyed this book, I didn't love it like everyone else I know who has read it did.
I don't watch late night TV and until a couple of summers ago, I had never even heard the name Trevor Noah. Then during a family reunion, both my mother and my brother said I had to read this book. That got my attention - my mother and my brother actually agreeing on something?! This must be worth looking into! And then it came up that half my book club had read and loved the book so that made it a no-brainer for this year's "Celebrity Autobiography" selection.
After starting the book, I watched some clips on YouTube to get a better feel for who Trevor is and I liked what I saw. He's funny, he's intelligent, he's got an adorable accent and he's not hard to look at. He's fantastic when it comes to doing impressions of others. That did help with reading the book as I find it usually does. The book is interesting - don't get me wrong; he has had quite the life and overcame a lot to make it to where he is today as he strove to learn who he is as a mixed race person who never quite fit in with either race.
There were parts of the book that I found amusing and parts I found horribly sad, particularly his not being allowed to know his father because his being mixed race was against the law. His mother sounds like an amazing woman and the amount of love and respect he feels for her jumped off the pages. And there were parts I found incredibly funny, like when he accidentally burnt down someone's house. (My best friend read this at the same time I did and there was one part where he had tears in his eyes because he was laughing so hard). He is a good storyteller, though I did struggle a bit with the way the book jumped around to various points in his life.
The book did lead me to watch his comedy specials on Netflix as well as a couple of clips here and there and I am sure I will continue to do so now that he's on my radar as I do find him enjoyable. I'm definitely a fan now! So I don't know what it is about the book that it didn't resonate with me the same way it has for those around me.
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