What are you reading the week of February 24, 2024?

On the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I'm reading A Small, Stubborn Town: Life, Death and Defiance in Ukraine by Andrew Harding. It's the tale of how a small group of determined defenders managed to stop a Russian column from crossing a bridge in Voskresens'ka and thus saved the city of Mykolaiv.

Wrapped up Goliath, working on "Messerschmitt Me 262: Development and Politics", Assassin of Reality will follow. Haven't decided how I'm going to start March, though I'm tending towards Mao's Army Goes to Sea.

I'm still reading and enjoying The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry.

Last night I finished Inheritance by Lan Samantha Chang. Inheritance is a novel that takes us through three generations of a Chinese family, from the beginning of the 20th century up through the late-1980s. You can find my longer review on my 50-Book Challenge thread.

Next I'll be reading Death in the Making made up primarily of Robert Capa and two other photographers' photos of the Spanish Civil War, with a pair of explanatory essays.

I finished a thriller this week (The Truth about Melody Browne, by Lisa Jewell), listened to a book about epidemics and pandemics (The Wisdom of Plagues by Donald G. McNeil), and read a novel that spoke to my soul: Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury.

It's been a long time since I read any book that affected me that much. I enjoy Bradbury, I thought The Martian Chronicles was really good, but Dandelion Wine - it has really made me think about my life in a different and more positive way. I loved it.

I just started reading Handling the Undead, by John Ajvide Lindqvist. One chapter in, and he's already working on my heartstrings!

I'm also working my way through Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, by Patrick Radden Keefe. The book flows really really well, and after a lengthy intermission after I ran out of renewals from the library, I caved and purchased a copy. No regrets, it's been great!

Lessons In Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus
Book on CD performed by Miranda Raison
4.5**** rounded up

Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, but in 1960s America her intellect is not valued. After a series of life-altering events, she winds up the host of an afternoon television cooking show. But Elizabeth refuses to bend to the rules of entertainment and insists on treating her audience the way she wants to be treated – with respect for their intellect.

This is basically a fairytale, with many improbable coincidences, a strong heroine (with little need for a big strong man to save her), a kind and common-sense-wise neighbor, a precocious kindergartener, and a highly intelligent dog.

I loved it.

I loved that Elizabeth forged her own path, recognized her mistakes, and did her best to correct them. I cheered for her when she refused to bow to other expectations and kept demanding that she be valued for her real ability to contribute. I applauded the way she inspired so many other women to strike out against repressive societal norms.

My F2F book club had a stimulating discussion, with many of us sharing stories of “how bad it really was for women” back in the day. I don’t think any woman today is asked “When was your last period?” in an interview, but our club members remembered when that did happen to them.

Now, please excuse me while I go sharpen my pencils.

Miranda Raison does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. She brings these characters to life and even gives Six-Thirty a believable voice.

>6 christina.h: Say Nothing is an amazingly good book, at least according to both my wife and my own self. I can't think of anyone I know who's read it that didn't fell the same. Happy reading!

>5 ahef1963: Your comments remind me that I need to start re-reading Bradbury. My Dad introduced me to Ray Bradbury when I was really little, instilling in me a lifelong love of SF and fantasy.

I finished The Thirteenth Tale yesterday which was great. I'm now focusing on The Windup Girl while dipping into The Book Lovers' Miscellany and also finally starting The 1619 Project.

>7 BookConcierge: I got this book for Christmas and am looking forward to getting into it.

Started this audio via Libby ~

The First Ladies
by Marie Benedict

From the library, both non-fiction
Finished: Fortune's Bazaar: the Making of Hong Kong by Vaudine England
Started: The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World by Dan Senor and Saul Singer

In the Shadow of the River by Ann H. Gabhart I won on LT.

I read through and viewed Death in the Making, a book of astounding and emotionally charged photographs, mostly by Robert Capa, of the Spanish Civil War. There are 111 images by Capa, 24 by Gerda Taro, Capa's collaborator and sometime romantic partner and 11 by a Polish photographer known as Chim (born Dawid Szymin). You can find my more in-depth comments on my 50-Book Challenge thread.

Next up for me will be The Teammates: A Portrait of a Friendship, a baseball history about the Boston Red Sox by David Halberstam.

The Edge of the Water
Elizabeth George
4/5 stars
This is the second book of the Whidbey Island Saga series. Becca returns in this novel, but there is also a story of a girl who won't speak and an island mystery about a seal who returns yearly to the Island. Whidbey Island Saga

Crying in H Mart
Michelle Zauner
4/5 stars
This was a wonderfully written autobiography about the rock musician, Michelle Zauner. She writes about her life as a musician, and her Korean family but she also talks about her mother's cancer diagnosis and the effect it had on her family. Highly recommended! Biography

Feelings: A Story in Seasons – Manjit Thapp
4****

What a lovely and remarkable graphic novel! Thapp explores one young woman’s feelings over the course of a year, from the highs of a sunny summer day to the doldrums of a gray winter.

The artwork is beautiful and evocative (and illustrated by Thapp). We see the woman energized and working with purpose, and we see her depressed and struggling to cope. We see her embrace her connection to nature, and find strength in expressing herself through her art. As she nurtures her plants, she nurtures herself, allows herself a quiet respite to regroup and be ready for Spring’s growth.

The text is spare and poetic, although she does begin each seasonal shift with a few paragraphs to set the mood.

Classified As Murder– Miranda James
3***

Book two in the Cat In The Stacks mystery series featuring librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine coon cat, Diesel.

James Delacorte is an aging, eccentric millionaire, who frequents the library where Charlie volunteers. He asks for a private meeting, and lets Charlie know that he had a collection of rare books he would like catalogued. In fact, he suspects someone is stealing from the collection. Within hours of beginning the inventory, however, Mr Delacorte is dead, and someone in the household must have done it.

I like Charlie and we learn more about his background in this installment. His son, Sean, arrives unannounced, but makes himself quite useful in the investigation. And, of course, Diesel is always present.

The mystery is satisfyingly concluded, though I guessed the culprit fairly early. Still, I enjoyed watching the characters figure it out. And, I love all the literary references.

I finished The Windup Girl yesterday which was very good. Continuing with The 1619 Project and The Book Lovers' Miscellany and starting The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Gargantua and Pantagruel.

The new thread is up over here.