Author Archive for Jan – Page 2

Sapiens book cover

Review: Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind

By Jan
 on February 27, 2020

Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind

Sapiens book coverAuthor: Yuval Noah Harari;
Genre: History, Anthropology;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Derek Perkins;
Publisher: HarperAudio (2017);
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5).

I took my time with this audiobook because I wanted to concentrate on the topic. Dr. Harari highlights the history of cognitive hominids, which is obviously a huge issue to cover in a little over 15 hours (or 464 pages in the paperback). But the subject is fascinating and the organization of the book is excellent.

As a Christian, I disagree with Harare’s bleak opinion of religion in general, but I’m willing to listen to the scientist’s viewpoint on anthropology and human evolution. My own opinion is there is a way to fuse both (or all) convictions, but this particular author doesn’t agree. He also appears to contradict himself several times throughout the book, and I would hate to be his neighbor, based on his opinion of human behavior.

Narrator Derek Perkins added a bit of mockery to his tone, which may or may not have been intended. It was annoying at times, but I stuck with it in order to absorb what the good doctor has to say about human history.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Non-fiction Tagged with
The Women of the Copper Country book cover

Review: The Women of the Copper Country

By Jan
 on February 27, 2020

The Women of the Copper Country

The Women of the Copper Country book coverAuthor: Mary Doria Russell;
Genre: Historical fiction;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell;
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (2019);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

Ancestors of mine were copper miners in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so I was excited to read this one. This was a character study of several people involved in a mine strike in Houghton County, Michigan in 1913. The main character was Annie Clements, a miner’s wife who did everything she could to help her community and make life better for the miners and their families.

The story was well-written and the characters were interesting. I got bogged down in the middle of the long strike and the struggles of the townsfolk and I skipped some of the second half, but it was an interesting story of early labor struggles and there were several side stories. For anyone interested in early labor union history of the United States, this would be a great read.

As many other listeners of the audiobook have mentioned, the narrator mispronounced several place names, which was distracting. Otherwise she did a good job, but shouldn’t you ask first before you try to pronounce names?

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Novel Tagged with ,
The Card book cover

Review: The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five Towns

By Jan
 on February 27, 2020

The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five Towns

The Card book coverAuthor: Arnold Bennett;
Genre: Fiction;
Format: Kindle ebook;
Publisher: Public Domain;
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

This is a delightful story about a young man in early-twentieth-century England who raises himself up by his shirttails (and some luck). Denry is a bit hapless and clumsy as a young man, but he has flashes of genius when in a bind. His goal is to make money and to rise in society, yes, but also to help his hometown.

The author included a lot of humor as he described the antics of Denry to better himself; he poked fun at the establishment, local traditions, and Englishmen in general, without being nasty. Denry’s mother is a great character, the epitome of the char woman who sticks to what she knows. And Denry’s romantic interests are, needless to say, good hearted but bumbling.

In categories Book Review Tagged with
Recursion cover

Review: Recursion

By Jan
 on January 19, 2020

Recursion

Recursion coverAuthor: Blake Crouch;
Genre: Science Fiction;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrators: Jon Lindstrom and Abby Craden;
Publisher: Random House Audio (2019);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

This title has very mixed reviews, and there are good reasons for that. Overall, however, the clever plot and the good narration really saved it for me.

This is mind-bending science-fiction dealing with memory and how dangerous it can become. A New York City cop becomes obsessed by an apparent suicide where the victim suffered from False Memory Syndrome, a terrifying (and thankfully made up) disease that creates an entire life of memories that never actually happened. This story is woven in with that of the scientist who inadvertently created the virus some years earlier. Hence to two narrators: the male detective and the female scientist.

There are some intense and heartbreaking scenes, but the story is fascinating. Unfortunately, there is a lot of repetition—the nature of the beast—that served to drag out the story a bit. This is one of the most-celebrated science fiction titles of 2019, and it’s definitely thought-provoking.

Similar titles:

Replay by Ken Grimwood

The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters

Brilliance by Marcus Sakey

Infinite by Jeremy Robinson

Copyright © 2020 Jan McClintock
In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Science-fiction Tagged with
Repin_-_Reply_of_the_Zaporozhian_Cossacks_Yorck

Art I Love: Repin’s Reply of the Cossacks

By Jan
 on January 19, 2020

Repin_-_Reply_of_the_Zaporozhian_Cossacks_Yorck

Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of the Ottoman Empire (1891) by Russian realism artist Ilya Repin is actually my husband’s favorite painting, although I like it, too. It depicts the Cossacks supposedly drafting a vulgar reply to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1676, who demanded their allegiance, even though they’d won the recent battle. The Cossacks are having a lot of fun thinking up the best insults, and the expressions on their faces are priceless. You can read more about this painting and the legend on Wikipedia.

Ilya Repin – The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202.
In categories Art I Love Tagged with ,
Days Without End cover

Review: Days Without End

By Jan
 on January 4, 2020

Days Without End

Days Without End coverAuthor: Sebastian Barry;
Genre: Historical fiction;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Aidan Kelly;
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.;
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

This is a fascinating story of a young Irish immigrant to America who joins the US Army in the 1850s. We follow Thomas and his friend—and lover—John through the Indian Wars and then the Civil War, surviving life-changing circumstances, and adopting a young Native American girl to form a sort of family.

There are plenty of uncomfortable scenes filled with violence and brutality, including realistic depictions of war. The main character makes some questionable decisions, but has a good attitude toward life in general, reflecting his background.

The writing is lovely, with great descriptions and good plot movement, and Kelly’s narration was excellent.

The homosexual aspect of the relationship is barely explored, which makes me wonder why it was included at all. Is this another attempt to jump on the LGBT bandwagon?

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Novel
The Night Circus cover

Review: The Night Circus

By Jan
 on January 4, 2020

The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern;
Genre: Fantasy;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Jim Dale;
Publisher: Random House Audio (2011);
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars (2 / 5).

Regardless of the gushing reviews and hype about this book, I’m giving it two stars.

This was a tough go for me. I almost quit a few times in the first half of the book, and this is the second time I’ve tried to read this story. One of the problems was, I think, that I chose the audiobook. Yes, Jim Dale is the narrator, and he’s absolutely one of the best. However, the chapters jumped around chronologically, which made it very difficult for me to keep track of the time period. There are a lot of characters, too, which should have been a red flag for me. The second half was much better—things actually started to happen—and I stuck it out.

Yes, the writing is lovely, the descriptions are lush, but I would recommend this book be read, not listened to.

The publisher’s summary: “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will…”

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Fantasy Tagged with
The Hoarder cover

Review: The Hoarder

By Jan
 on January 4, 2020

The Hoarder

The Hoarder coverAuthor: Jess Kidd;
Genre: Mystery;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Aoife McMahon;
Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks (2018);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

Another fun listen from Jess Kidd, this one narrated by Aoife McMahon. The story is contemporary, but uses flashbacks, and includes dysfunctional people, much like the author’s 2017 novel, Himself. The writing is lyrical, with absolutely wonderful descriptions and sharp, clever dialog.

I turn to him, breathing like Darth Vader through my mask, and shrug. I hope my shrug communicates a profound respect for his discarded possessions (twenty refuse sacks of empty sardine tins) combined with the regretful need for practical living.

He narrows his gimlet eyes. ‘You’re a little shit, aren’t you?’

The protagonist, Maud, has some mysteries in her past and now she finds herself immersed in a current one. Chapters alternate between time periods, and I was a little confused by character names, but it wasn’t a story that I had to concentrate on to enjoy.

Most Americans love Irish accents, and McMahon’s narration is wonderful; she differentiates between characters very well. I did listen to most of the book at 1.25 speed because it was a little slow for me.

Themes include hoarding (obviously), family secrets, caretakers, friendship, greed, and morality.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Modern Mystery Tagged with ,
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