Another one of those books I read because it is just popular enough. So I went into this absolutely blind.
And it is (another) retelling of the HolocauAnother one of those books I read because it is just popular enough. So I went into this absolutely blind.
And it is (another) retelling of the Holocaust, but in this case a particular story from France. It is fictionalized, and in general I prefer non-fiction for what is essentially a memoir. But this worked pretty well and was pretty grounded. And had a great afterword. These stories just need to keep on being told. And told in different ways. And in different media. And from different points of view. Good enough art, gripping very fast read....more
Yes! This one is a keeper. But perhaps that's because it is aimed more at adults than children. But it's funny. And educational? Poor parents. Great aYes! This one is a keeper. But perhaps that's because it is aimed more at adults than children. But it's funny. And educational? Poor parents. Great art. Clever all the way to the end....more
There is so much in this one. And more than I remembered. A friend used the term epic to describe this one and that fits pretty well. Tons of characteThere is so much in this one. And more than I remembered. A friend used the term epic to describe this one and that fits pretty well. Tons of characters. Large amounts of space. And time. Seeing where this story was going did require truly understanding what had gone before. So this may work better on a series re-read. We catch up with a lot of people and places. And end up somewhere that feels pretty new. Maybe the art isn't quite as good as in the earlier books. But the story certainly is....more
I think I would have found this book enjoyable even if it was written about somewhere else. It is beautiful. But it is not written about somewhere elsI think I would have found this book enjoyable even if it was written about somewhere else. It is beautiful. But it is not written about somewhere else. It is written basically about my home since 2018. Over and over reading this, it seemed like it was written just for me. I ran google maps, and walking the google maps route, it is 1.7 miles from their house to ours. We've done one of those planting projects looking across the water from their house - I'm pretty sure their house is in one of my pictures. Their closest garden shop is our closest garden shop. We've never walked to the slough, but we've walked the Children's Arboretum and Kelly Point Park quite a few times and Whitaker Ponds a few as well. We even used the public storage visible from the 33rd street bridge when we moved to the neighborhood - and we garden and we hike - and one of these days we probably will kayak the slough. The book itself is relatively short but quite readable. The switching of the chapters between the two authors worked quite well. Well done. As the third reviewer and sixth rater, I say thank you....more
Continuing along on the grand Elfquest re-read. I have reached the volumes I know less. So I know where this story is going, but I don't know the wordContinuing along on the grand Elfquest re-read. I have reached the volumes I know less. So I know where this story is going, but I don't know the words, I don't know all the details. In some ways, not a lot happens in this one. We start the story and Suntop hears a call, a plea, a cry for help, and by the end of the book he's on his way to find it. In between, a lot of loose ends are tied up. And a whole bunch of the characters get moved around. But there's a lot more here than I remembered. Still too hard to separate the impact of Elfquest on earlier me than this particular read....more
This was a bit of a wow book and relatively short. It had its moments of slowness but mostly it just zoomed.
I don't remember all that much from my yeaThis was a bit of a wow book and relatively short. It had its moments of slowness but mostly it just zoomed.
I don't remember all that much from my year of Latin class in high school - but I do remember bits of a quote from Cicero, "To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?".
And here is another quote, “In all revolutions the vanquished are the ones who are guilty of treason, even by the historians, for history is written by the victors and framed according to the prejudices and bias existing on their side.”
I didn't know the story in this book. In fact I read a fictionalized version of this story, which may have been written ignorant of much of the facts of this book as The Plot Against America.
We lose our history and pay the price. Or worse don't know the facts at the time even.
And the guilty don't pay. And the truth is sqelched.
So nazi germany tried to do to the US in the days before WWII, what Russia did to the US leading up to the Trump years. And I don't recall the parallel every being made.
An added bit - a major part of this book revolves around demonization of Jews in the United States (and elsewhere). That has not really been a part of my life. In my life, I'm a straight white married guy, so part of the dominant power structure. But from the point of view of this book, it is easier to say that other than my recognizable last name, I pass as a white guy.
Movies, books, court cases, demonization of Jews forgotten....more
For me this was a wow book. It wasn't really a children's biography. It was more an illustrated short biography for adults. It included quite a bit ofFor me this was a wow book. It wasn't really a children's biography. It was more an illustrated short biography for adults. It included quite a bit of the subject's art as well as art of the time showing places of importance to the artist. It wasn't the fastest text but it was quite readable. And it showed the artist to be one of the sources of much of graphic art. Fascinating....more
There is so much in here. So many characters, so much plot. And this felt so familiar. And there are still lines that I just plan remember. I often feThere is so much in here. So many characters, so much plot. And this felt so familiar. And there are still lines that I just plan remember. I often felt like our cats would go up to the back door and do their Strongbow imitation. And our first look at Dart as he gets close, he does kind of look like a thistle. Perhaps the art isn't quite us good as the earlier volume, perhaps the colors are a bit more garish. But there are also details that still came as a surprise....more
This is not a fair review. This is an emotional review. Sometimes you have to tell and sometimes you have to show. Getting ourselves out of the climatThis is not a fair review. This is an emotional review. Sometimes you have to tell and sometimes you have to show. Getting ourselves out of the climate hole we've dug and jumped into is going to take everything. And more. And this book is a part of that. In a large part I took this book as an optimistic take. Okay until pretty close to the end. A lot of the right things get done. This was a quick read and pitched young. It is not fair. It is not even handed. But lots of things have to be done to set the agenda. And maybe getting people to read books like this one is one of them....more
I read this series mostly all at once and I don't remember it well. But I remember bits and pieces. This one starts out with the author saying that itI read this series mostly all at once and I don't remember it well. But I remember bits and pieces. This one starts out with the author saying that it is a "fan service piece", and I would agree with that. Sweet. Beautiful. And also a reminder of the entire series that kind of makes me want to read it all over again, perhaps in chronological order rather than publication order....more
Caldecott honor biography. This tells a story that should never be forgotten. And to a large degree it has been forgotten. It hints at the story of puCaldecott honor biography. This tells a story that should never be forgotten. And to a large degree it has been forgotten. It hints at the story of public attended and enjoyed lynchings, a story which has absolutely been forgotten. The art is not really to my taste, but serves the story well. The text is straight forward and clear. And with multiple worthwhile afterwards. Painful but necessary. But this also makes the case that what we are talking about is people not symbols....more
Yet another family favorite. And thus impossible to rate on its merits, given its load of memories. And there's a lot in this. War and mayhem and magiYet another family favorite. And thus impossible to rate on its merits, given its load of memories. And there's a lot in this. War and mayhem and magic. An origin story and an orgy. And always the distinctive detailed art....more
A fairly low-key covid book. It is non political, but even that is a matter of perspective. It doesn't explain what happens, it just describes it. AndA fairly low-key covid book. It is non political, but even that is a matter of perspective. It doesn't explain what happens, it just describes it. And puts a positive spin on something that may have changed the world forever, certainly forever-ish. It is written in a generic way, but comes across personal anyway. Good enough art. Good enough writing....more
A lot of words for a picture book, this was almost as much text as art. This is a generational story from the civil war of two young union army boys, A lot of words for a picture book, this was almost as much text as art. This is a generational story from the civil war of two young union army boys, one black and one white. It is not set in a specific place but it ends up in Andersonville. Andersonville is a place I could have visited at any given point but never did - it is just east of 19 in Georgia between Ellaville and Americus and I did the run up and down 19 many times from Albany to Butler to Atlanta. I first heard of Andersonville as a story from my wife's family, something about visiting there to bring food to the pitiful prisoners. Apparently if you were white in Andersonville, you might get out and raise kids and pass on this story. And if you were black you died immediately. Well that's the story told here. This book was a find from just reading picture books off the tag list....more
I've said this before in reviews, rating a memoir is hard. Was this the best artwork? no. Was this the best writing? no. I didn't fully appreciate theI've said this before in reviews, rating a memoir is hard. Was this the best artwork? no. Was this the best writing? no. I didn't fully appreciate the full page of text for the fire stories of others. But was this a story worth tell? Hell yes. And it was told in a compelling and thoughtful manner. And without ever really saying it, it reminded me that sometimes you really have no choice but to consider what is really important....more
And this is the best thing about a good series. You can right a snippet of a story. You don't have to but barely introduce the characters or the settiAnd this is the best thing about a good series. You can right a snippet of a story. You don't have to but barely introduce the characters or the settings. And it just works. And a series like this, which is stylistic and moody, it really just needs to feel the same. In this one we get just a bit more backstory on Jack (and maybe a tiny bit on Jill). The Mad Scientist never looked so compelling.
Merged review:
And this is the best thing about a good series. You can right a snippet of a story. You don't have to but barely introduce the characters or the settings. And it just works. And a series like this, which is stylistic and moody, it really just needs to feel the same. In this one we get just a bit more backstory on Jack (and maybe a tiny bit on Jill). The Mad Scientist never looked so compelling....more
Another Elfquest volume that I have no way of judging on its merits right in front of me. It just feels too familiar. The art, the writing, the characAnother Elfquest volume that I have no way of judging on its merits right in front of me. It just feels too familiar. The art, the writing, the characters. Winnowill as evil, Two Edge as mysterious chaos agent. "Petalwing much vexed". At some point I'll make it to Elfquest volumes that I know less and I will presumably be a much harsher judge. ...more
I'm not sure how I missed reading this earlier. Maybe the library didn't have it? Or maybe I read this and I didn't manage to get it on goodreads?
ShorI'm not sure how I missed reading this earlier. Maybe the library didn't have it? Or maybe I read this and I didn't manage to get it on goodreads?
Short and to the point essays, written from 2012 to 2014. And they say a lot of what many other things I read say. But these are clearer and more focused. And by being published earlier, they extend the time that these issues should be known.
Much of these essays are around unpaid internships and ridiculously expensive college education and basically companies raking in profits and paying executives more and more while finding a way not to pay their "employees" at all.
But all of those are trying to speak truth to power, truth to truth. Worth reading. Worth re-reading...more
So I was feeling grumpy and was reading something very dark. And I went through my pile and picked this up instead. And it is interesting to look at oSo I was feeling grumpy and was reading something very dark. And I went through my pile and picked this up instead. And it is interesting to look at other reviews who clearly read a different book. I generally hate high school romance books of all sorts. The drama. The triangles. The miscommunication. The bullying. But for me this felt different. And I bought the out-of-orderness. And the reframing of who people were. This is a story told of the past in the order of the story and not the order it happened. The characters were believable. The story was believable. And even with telling some of it up front, there were still interesting twists and turns. And I liked the art. And I liked the ending. 4.5 of 5....more
I like finishing a book, kind of writing a review in my head as I get close to the ending, head to the keyboard and write it up. So I didn't do that tI like finishing a book, kind of writing a review in my head as I get close to the ending, head to the keyboard and write it up. So I didn't do that today - my day intruded. What was I going to write?
This is probably not a good starting point for this author. I already trust this author, especially with her consistent use of footnoted references. But she comes across as a crazy person in this one.
Which I think is fair. Because this book is about conspiracies and their near cousin, conspiracy theories. As a paranoiac, I get it. But as the saying goes, are you really paranoid if "they" are actually out to get you?
This book was hard to take. I had to put it down multiple times.
And that's before her predictions of where we are possibly heading next.
Where we are really does seem worse than I think. And the solution - actually hold people accountable, preferably without the investigator being murdered, unlikely.
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