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HELGA'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2017
JANUARY1.
by
Colson WhiteheadFinish date: January 5, 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: TBA
Review: TBA
2.
by
David SedarisFinish date: January 7, 2017
Genre: Humor, short stories and essays
Rating: C+
Review: I read this book because it was around the holidays and fast reading during a busy time. He is a bestselling author of humorous stories and essays. These stories all had a Christmas theme. These stories show how masterful he is at satire and he exposes how seriously Americans take Christmas and their holidays. I like David Sedaris’s books for their humor. This was not his best.
Samanta wrote: "Hello Helga! Everything looks great except one tiny thing. You put the name of the month only in the first post of the month, there is no need do put it in every post. January should only be in mes..."Okay, thanks. I'll correct it.
Mod
3.
by
Frank McCourtFinish date: January 22, 2017
Genre: Memoir
Rating: A
Review: The 3rd book of the Frank McCourt series is an inspiring book about his 30 year teaching career. It describes how he found his voice by teaching Creative Writing and all of the other classes he taught in the many different schools he taught. It was in the last school he taught as a teacher for creative writing, after 30 years of teaching, that was instrumental for him write his first highly popular book, Angela's Ashes about his childhood in Ireland. I loved the stories he told and how he always told his students they had stories to tell and he always got them to tell them. What a wonderful teacher. It would have been great to have had him for a teacher. I recommend this book as part of the series of his life.
4.
by
Steven D. LevittFinish date: January 26, 2017
Genre: Non-fiction,economics
Rating: B
Review: I enjoyed the Freakonomics series alot. This one is a bit more light hearted but is still an interesting take on economics in their weird fashion. They have a unique take on different subject matter like "What do King Solomon and David Lee Roth have in Common" and we find out it's their clever strategic thinking when a problem arises. They bring up topics that I just wouldn't think about. Their take on economics is interesting and it has made reading economics a bit easier for someone like me who usually would not be interested in it. Many of these topics have been talked about on their podcasts but reading them in this book was just a good repeat and review.
5.
by
Leonard CohenFinish date: January 30, 2017
Genre: Inspirational Verse and Poetry
Rating: A
Review: Most people have heard of the late Leonard Cohen’s inspirational music like " Hallelujah". But he was also a very good Canadian writer of poems and verse. “Book of Mercy� is his classic book of contemporary psalms and is filled with so much spiritual meaning, and Jewish symbolism. He prays to the father of mercy and is on a spiritual journey and cries out from the soul. He writes of moments of despair and anger and also is uplifting in praise, beauty and hope. I found this to be a very inspirational book and much needed during this turbulent time.
He's left so much of himself behind he can't ever really be gone.
Dimitri wrote: "He's left so much of himself behind he can't ever really be gone."Yes, so true.
FEBRUARY6.
by
Steven RowleyFinish date: February 4, 2017
Genre: Fiction, animals
Rating: B
Review: This is a dog book by a debut writer. It is charming and a touching story about a man and his aging dachshund. It is a story from the heart that dog lovers will understand, especially the grief over the loss of man’s best friend. It is a unique story with fantasy elements around an octopus (cancerous tumor on her head) and symbolism and adventure. It will make you cry at times and laugh at other times. It was a touching tribute to a dog.
7.
by
George OrwellFinish Date: February 10,2017
Genre: Political Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Due to the political situation in our country today and the “alternative news�, I decided to reread this book. This reading was a lot more lucid then 30+ years ago. It is quite an amazing book about a dystopian society.
Winston Smith is the protagonist who toes the line and rewrites history for the Ministry of Truth but along the way he starts to think for himself and realizes Big Brother is watching. He seeks the truth and is caught.
Orwell introduced a whole new vocabulary that is used on a regular basis today, like Big Brother. The 3 slogans of the party are: WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH. The world is divided into 3 super-states in constant warfare and a new language used called Newspeak. Terms like Thoughtcrime, crimestop, Doublethink, blackwhite. It is part of “reality control�, conscious deception. The day to day news of the past is falsified. It is changed constantly and rewritten for the stability of the regime to suit Big Brother who is omnipotent and infallible, a semi-divine leader. And he has to remain so. And to do so, the society stays at war constantly though they do not conquer each other. War is important for the economy but without raising the standard of living. Goods must be produced, but they must not be distributed. The news from the past is falsified so no one learns the real truth but the party workers are constantly writing and rewriting and have work. By these means, the Party can arrest the course of history. This is how the masses live. They are fed this “news� on a daily basis and are indoctrinated to “Love Big Brother� or be vaporized.
This was an excellent book about a dystopian society that I will remember for a long time. It was so convincing during the reading. I was glad after finishing it to know our society won’t be like that because we live in a democracy with checks and balances and elections every 4 years.
8.
by
Michael LewisFinish date: February 14, 2017
Genre: Business, sports managment
Rating: B
Review: I like Michael Lewis's style of writing. I have read most of his books and decided to read this one since baseball season is around the corner. He has a way of writing about economics, statistics and money crunching that is so readable for the lay person to really enjoy.
This book was about the General Manager, Billy Beane, of a low budget baseball team, the Oakland Athletics, some undervalued professional baseball players and executives who didn’t make it to the big leagues. Michael Lewis told the story of how they became a successful franchise. It all came down to numbers, numbers collected over the years by software engineers, statisticians, Wall Street analysts and others. It all led to the base-on-balls concept. He left us with a morality tale:� Big Money, like Goliath, is always supposed to win…how can we not cheer for David?� We can’t help but root for the underdog and Michael Lewis’s well told story about baseball. Now I’m ready to see the movie.
Mod
Thanks. I enjoyed them. And I really got into 1984 this time more than the 1st time. Some books need to be read more than once.
Helga wrote: "7. by George OrwellFinish Date: February 10,2017
Genre: Political Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Due to the politic..."
I read this book over 50 years ago as an incoming college freshman - time for a reread.
Donna wrote: "Helga wrote: "7. by George OrwellFinish Date: February 10,2017
Genre: Political Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Due ..."
You should Donna. I don't think I got as much out of it when I read it in the early 80's as I did this time with maturity.
9.
by
John BanvilleFinish date: February 16, 2017
Genre: Irish Literature
Rating: A-
Review: I read this as part of the Ireland Challenge.
John Banville’s writing is not like reading a novel about the sea. It is Irish literature and a Booker Prize winner. Banville employs a style of writing in the first person that can only be described as poetic/literary. His descriptions of the sea are exquisite. I can see myself there. His use of vocabulary is astounding. I’m glad I read this with Kindle so I could look up so many words. But I really enjoyed how he used language and learned so many new words in the process.
This book has to be read with thought and can’t be rushed to get into the depth of the plot. It is about Max Morten, the main character after his wife, Anna passes away from a long illness. He is grieving and so secludes himself in a coastal village where he spent his summers as a boy. He has memories from those years and digresses. It is a book of loss, love, regret and how memories play into the grieving process.
“Memories may say nothing but they are never silent�.
This book has many insights and memorable scenes and is beautifully written.
10.
by
Agatha ChristieFinish date: February 22, 2017
Genre: English Mystery
Rating: B
Review: This is the first Christie book featuring Tuppence and Tommy Beresford. This is not the usual Christie novel with Poirot or Miss Marple but still an entertaining read which takes place in 1922 after WWI. Tuppence and Tommy are looking for work and advertise that they will do ”anything�. They are approached to search for a missing girl that has important documents that were given to her during the sinking of the Lusitania. This leads to their becoming detectives and the adventures begin.
This wasn’t as much of a mystery as most of Christie’s book but it was still an enjoyable read by a great writer.
11.
by
Georges SimenonFinish date: February 26
Genre: Crime, Mystery
Rating; A-
Review: I read Simenon many years ago and am very pleased that Penguin has reprinted the Simenon series starting with this one as the first in the Inspector Maigret series. Simenon from Belgium is best known for his stories featuring Commissaire Maigret but also novels from his � American Period� and “psychological novels�. Pietr the Latvin, formerly known as The Case of Peter the Lett, is a crime novel where Inspector Maigret is warned by Interpol of the arrival of Peter the Lett by train. He arrives at the station to find a dead man that resembles Peter the Lett. He follows the man that looks like Peter the Lett to an exclusive Hotel where he consorts with millionaires, and follows the case through theatres and seedy boarding houses. He chases him and haunts him until the end. We picture Paris with the dark, damp allies and hotels.
Maigret is a thinker and we don’t always know what he thinks so it is fun to wait for the case to unfold. If you like police procedurals, you will like Simenon and the Maigret series. They are masterful and great reads. I am thrilled that there are 70 in this series and many non-Maigret novels. They are fun to read in between other books and when you are in need of a good police procedural. This is the first in the series. We see Maigret’s first appearance and see how he evolved. I recommend the series.
Mod
Thanks for reading these and your comments.
Mod
12.
by
James JoyceFinish date: February 28, 2017
Genre: Irish Literature, short stories
Rating: A-
Review: This is a collection of short stories by a great Irish writer. It gives a multi-faceted vision of Dublin in the early 1900’s. The themes described in this book are visions of childhood, adolescence, and maturity. The array of topics include careers and money problems, trapped marriages, alcoholism, religion, and politics. We see the bleak streets of Dublin and its inhabitants. We get a realistic picture of what Dublin was like in the early 1900’s. These were worthwhile stories and recommended. Since we are reading it as part of the HBC Buddy Read, I won’t go into any more details.
Mod
I do enjoy the buddy reads and thank you for moderating it and all of the other books we read.
Mod
I appreciate your kind words Helga.
MARCH 13.
by
Yuval Noah HarariFinish date: March 7, 2017
Genre: Science, Anthropology
Rating: A+
Review: This is a really interesting and thought provoking book about humanity. The author begins with humans inhabiting the Earth one hundred thousand years ago from six different species and how we evolved into homo-sapiens of today. What happened to the other species like the Neanderthal man? All aspects of humanity are covered, evolution, anthropology, geography, psychology, religion, ideologies and the future of humans. The author examines the role of the evolving humans and their impact on the global ecosystem. He describes the different ages in the ecosystem starting with the beginning: the Cognitive Revolution-early beginnings with humans as hunter gatherers, the Agricultural Revolution which was the prehistoric transition from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture (10,000BC). This lead to the unification of Humankind where religion, money and imperialism became important. The final revolution is the Scientific Revolution which deals with capitalism, science, and the industrial age. With scientific breakthroughs, man is bending the laws of natural selection through a biological revolution. This involves biological engineering with human intervention through genetic engineering and other things. We are acquiring the ability to design the world around us and also humans. We are changing humankind. And this can become scary.
This is a highly recommended book to make us think about our world today and in the future. It should be read whether you are interested in evolution, its history or its future.
Good review. Wide-reaching topics such as Homo Sapiens carry the danger of lapsing into textbook generalities.
Thanks. They could but this is a highly readable book if you like science and anthropology and the like. And thought provoking type of book.
14.
by
Paulo CoelhoFinish Date: March 9, 2017
Genre: Spiritual and inspirational
Rating: B+
Review: I don’t know why I didn’t read this book sooner but it was delightful. This is an inspirational fable by the famous Brazilian author, Paula Coelho. It is an inspiring tale about Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who dreams of seeing the world. He becomes a shepherd to travel and then sells his sheep and travels a long distance to the pyramids in Egypt for a worldly treasure. He meets different people, a camel driver, a learned Englishman, and many spiritual messengers including the alchemist who travels with him to the pyramids. He is learning the wisdom of listening for you.� He also told him, “Tell your heart that fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and eternity.� He also learns about the meaning of love. “Love is the force that transforms and improves the Soul of the World.� And with the power ofto his heart. He recognizes omens and learns how to follow his dreams and his heart.
When Santiago asked about alchemy, the alchemist told him, “You already know about alchemy. It is about penetrating to the Soul of the World, and discovering the treasure that has been reserved love, he says, “we always strive to become better than we are.�
I recommend this book for its simplicity and wisdom. It's an inspiring book.
15.
by
Alexis de TocquevilleFinish date: March 10, 2017
Genre: American History, Politics
Rating: A
Review: This was a superb highly accessible book about how democracy works in America. It is a highly intellectual and highly researched work. I was surprised while reading it, how much of it is true today and how easy it was to understand.
This is the best book ever written about the United States. It is unfathomable how he amassed such insight and understanding of the workings of our country in so short a period of time, 9 months, he visited. He discusses central government, religion, women, slavery, and free press among some of the topics. He discussed the strengths and weaknesses of an evolving politics. He sees America as an inspiration for other countries and the importance of social equality.
This book should be read by every student and everyone to see how democracy works. It was worth the time I spent reading it for the last 3 months.
Mod
Bentley wrote: "You are welcome - odd some of them were right and then the others - sorry we did not catch it before."I didn't notice it either but I am aware of it now.
16.
by
Agatha ChristieFinish date: March 16,2017
Genre: British Mystery
Rating: B+
Review: This is a Miss Marple mystery though she doesn’t appear until late in the book. But as usual Christies’s books always are good reading for her fans. I always immerse myself in these books and enjoy them. This one is about a poison pen letter writer and murders committed. A visitor comes to town to recuperate with his sister and they are drawn into the murders and trying to find out who is the poison pen letter writer. There are 2 romances that ensue. Miss Marple is brought in by one of the town members to solve the mystery in her incomparable way. These are fun books for lighter reading and in between other books.
17.
by
Leonard Pitts Jr.Finish date: March 20, 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A
Review: My city of Columbia, SC picked this book for our One Book, One Community selection this year. It’s an annual event encouraging residents in our community to all read the same book and this initiative brings together readers from all over our area and promotes literacy. Leonard Pitts Jr is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for the Miami Herald. In this political thriller, he takes us on a historical tour spanning four decades of US race relations through the eyes of 2 journalists. This book is a complex and suspenseful story about black and white relations in America. It begins in 1968, with Martin Luther King’s final days in Memphis and moves to the eve of the 2008 election of Barack Obama. The disheartened journalist Malcolm Toussaint, his name is a story in itself, hacks into his editor, Bob Carson’s computer and posts an incendiary story in the newspaper. Malcolm gets abducted by two white supremacists who are plotting to explode a bomb at Barack Obama’s rally in Chicago’s Grant Park. Bob Carson gets fired as a scapegoat from the newspaper because Malcolm hacked into his computer and Malcolm is fired. But Malcolm can’t be reached because he has been abducted. Bob Carson gets involved and wants to find him. Both men were activists in the 60’s so this story goes from 1968 to 2008 and it causes these men to remember these days and the choices they made and how their lives changed by their work in the civil rights movement.
The white supremacists in this story has significance for me because of the white supremacist, Dylann Roof, who did the killings in the Charleston church last year. This was a racist hate crime and Dylann Roof’s mind worked much like the two men in this book. Pitts really understands race relations. I highly recommend this book. I think with the election of Trump it is even more pertinent. I commend Columbia’s One book One Community for this selection and encourage everyone to read this compelling fast paced book.
“Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead.� -Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr April 3,1968.
“But what we know-what we have seen-Is that America can change.� -Senator Barack Obama, March 18,2008
Mod
Thanks Bentley. I've been traveling to Ca for business so I have limited internet access.
18.
by
Ann PatchettFinish date: March 27, 2017
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: This is an interesting read by a very good writer. This book spans 5 decades. We see portraits of 2 families that emerge from a chance encounter 5 decades ago. We see marriages dissolve with the stories of 6 children and step children and their interactions. It takes place in California and a move to Virginia. One of the children dies. It will resonate with a lot of people who live blended lives experiencing divorce, remarriage, children, step children, etc. It also echoes the author's life as she had a similar move from LA to Tennessee. Her father had a career in the LAPD as did a character in this book. Their are multiple stories from all the characters and the book moves around in time over the years and back and forth between the children.
If you like family drama, you will like this book. I met Ann Patchett at a book reading which was very exciting. I found her to be gracious and smart and an excellent writer.
Mod
Thanks. Done. Trying to do this with a mobile device traveling.
19.
by JJ Virgin (no photo)Finish date: March 28, 2017
Genre: Non-fiction, health
Rating: A-
Review: "Miracle Mindset" is a very heart warming book by a health, wellness and personal development expert. The author, JJ Virgin, reveals how the life altering event, when her son was left for dead by a hit and run driver, defied the odds to save his life. In 2012, JJ Virgin was in a hospital room by her 16 year old son's side and was told by the doctors he would not survive his coma, torn aorta, broken bones, etc to be air lifted to a trauma center. His chance of survival was . 2%. She snatched this small chance and did everything she could with the help of the right doctors, health specialists and others to fight for her son, Grant at 110%.
During this time she worked on her career writing her nutrition book and lessons on life to rebuild her life and find success and saving her son. The lessons she learned were things like, "Don't wish it were easier, make yourself stronger" and "Limitations will become your life". We see how her son slowly and miraculously improves against the odds stacked against him.
This is an insightful, heartfelt and inspiring book. If you have children who have had challenges or you have had challenges, you will relate with this book.
20.
by A. Scott Berg ( no photo)Finish date: March 29, 2017
Genre: History, Biography
Rating: A
Review: This was a fascinating book about a compelling figure, aviator Charles Lindbergh, written by a very deserved Pulitzer Prize writer. He writes with clarity a very definitive biography of a legendary, controversial and mesmerizing man and his wife. I learned much about his life from his early childhood, his early heroic aviation successes, the kidnapping of his son, his anti-war non-intervention stance, and how the press treated him. It was also fascinating to learn about his interests in science and medicine and how he was involved in the early design of the artificial heart and medical research. He spent his later years on advocacy of the environment and traveled the world in support of it. He was a very complex figure. We also learn a lot about his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, her life and her trials and her husbands neglect. It was well worth reading and an excellent pick as the BOM for the History Book Club which is still reading it. I highly recommend this book.
Mod
Thanks Bentley. I usually do hold off a review completely but I know we are finishing this book as a group this week and I wanted to comment while I could before I travel again. I did find it outstanding.
Mod
Good book and good review - I think he was an enigma even unto himself.
Helga wrote: "20. by A. Scott Berg ( no photo)I highly recommend this book."
You just drew me over the line.
Dimitri wrote: "Helga wrote: "20. by A. Scott Berg ( no photo)I highly recommend this book."
You just drew me over the line."
You should definitely read it.
The History Book Club
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JANUARY
1.
Finish date: January 2017
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
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