A Life in Alaska
Author: Miranda Weiss
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live on the Alaskan Frontier, to leave the modern world behind and step back into the pages of history? Tide, Feather, Snow is one woman’s experience that leaves a definite impact.
You will receive a plethora of information that will likely surprise, enrich, and fill your imagination beyond belief. The beauty of nature at it’s finest is detailed, broad, and bluntly portrayed as survival of the fittest always wins. The harsh elements will never be tamed, but the value of experience and hands-on learning can mean the difference between life and certain death.
Homer is a small Alaskan town at the end of the road. Miranda shares her thoughts, daydreams, and reality through vivid writing, painting mind pictures that you can see, here, feel, touch and smell as you walk along her path. She shares openly her daily routines of gathering food in the spring, summer and fall to prepare for the harsh winters that lie ahead. Lacking confidence in many areas, Miranda relies on her boyfriend, books and old timers to gain the wisdom needed to keep on going where many others return stateside. Miranda is faced with many challenges. Determined one moment and confused the next, her life is filled with emotional and physical roller coasters.
I found Tide, Feather, Snow packed with unique information from which I gained new insight into life in Alaska. However, the writing style felt disconnected. One paragraph or two we would be off on an adventure or facing a new challenge then memories of another time or experience would intrude for several paragraphs and then back to the adventure. Even though the writing was very descriptive and informative it felt like I was reading in a monotone. The same scenes were often described over and over with slightly different perspectives.
Tide, Feather, Snow allows the restless spirit to experience the cold, hard realities of life on the edge of the Alaskan frontier.
Showing posts with label 3 Stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3 Stars. Show all posts
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Homecoming
Author: Bernard Schlink
Homecoming is usually a memorable and happy experience however this journey is one filled with so many twist and turns I found myself lost on several occasions.
The story starts out simple enough. Young Peter travels across the German / Swiss boarder to visit his grandparents during the summer. The descriptions here are well done and easy to visualize. The stories were interesting.
Peter becomes infatuated with a story his grandparents are editing and is frustrated when he can’t find the rest of the story pages. Growing into adulthood, his life focuses on finding more information about a specific P.O.W. featured in the story and what has become of him.
There are several long quotes from the P.O.W.’s story inserted into the text and to me they were very distracting. Other stories were quoted from as well that seemed only to confuse rather than enhance.
Peter lives an unsettled life and goes through a number of women after his is dumped by one for whom he had deep feelings.
Over all I did not care for the organization of the book. It was too disjointed to keep a realistic flow and forward motion. It seemed to go left and right and left then a step forward and even a circle.
If you enjoy applying detective work to your reading or like solving involved mysteries then you may find this book enjoyable.
I enjoy reading about people’s lives. The challenges, the trials and the happy times often inspire. But with Homecoming, the challenge was reading the story.
Homecoming is usually a memorable and happy experience however this journey is one filled with so many twist and turns I found myself lost on several occasions.
The story starts out simple enough. Young Peter travels across the German / Swiss boarder to visit his grandparents during the summer. The descriptions here are well done and easy to visualize. The stories were interesting.
Peter becomes infatuated with a story his grandparents are editing and is frustrated when he can’t find the rest of the story pages. Growing into adulthood, his life focuses on finding more information about a specific P.O.W. featured in the story and what has become of him.
There are several long quotes from the P.O.W.’s story inserted into the text and to me they were very distracting. Other stories were quoted from as well that seemed only to confuse rather than enhance.
Peter lives an unsettled life and goes through a number of women after his is dumped by one for whom he had deep feelings.
Over all I did not care for the organization of the book. It was too disjointed to keep a realistic flow and forward motion. It seemed to go left and right and left then a step forward and even a circle.
If you enjoy applying detective work to your reading or like solving involved mysteries then you may find this book enjoyable.
I enjoy reading about people’s lives. The challenges, the trials and the happy times often inspire. But with Homecoming, the challenge was reading the story.
Crazy Faith:
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives
Author: Susan K. Williams Smith
Faith is an astounding thing, especially when you test it…
Crazy Faith emphasizes the amazing accomplishments of several biblical persons and latter-day counterparts. It is well thought out and the conclusions drawn by Susan Smith are thought provoking, giving the reader another paradigm to consider.
Through intriguing imagery, familiar bible renditions of struggle, faith, and courage come alive. Individuals who pressed forward in the face of doubters and unbelievers were able to achieve the humanly impossible. Keeping an open mind will give the reader a chance to appreciate the authors’ interpretations.
The stories of crazy faith taken from more modern experiences are informative and truly inspiring. Each is presented with vivid details that will leave the reader in awe. The accomplishments are remarkable. The journey of faith begins with just one small step, followed by dedication, perseverance, and the hand of heavenly intervention. Many attitudes, visions, and lives were altered for the better because one person had enough crazy faith to stand up in the face of impossible odds. Even the hardest heart will be touched.
I found Crazy Faith to be a wonderful source of inspiration intermixed with honest preaching from a single perspective. Never the less, it felt like the same points were emphasized again and again. Different areas of focus were presented, but still the same point over and over again.
Author: Susan K. Williams Smith
Faith is an astounding thing, especially when you test it…
Crazy Faith emphasizes the amazing accomplishments of several biblical persons and latter-day counterparts. It is well thought out and the conclusions drawn by Susan Smith are thought provoking, giving the reader another paradigm to consider.
Through intriguing imagery, familiar bible renditions of struggle, faith, and courage come alive. Individuals who pressed forward in the face of doubters and unbelievers were able to achieve the humanly impossible. Keeping an open mind will give the reader a chance to appreciate the authors’ interpretations.
The stories of crazy faith taken from more modern experiences are informative and truly inspiring. Each is presented with vivid details that will leave the reader in awe. The accomplishments are remarkable. The journey of faith begins with just one small step, followed by dedication, perseverance, and the hand of heavenly intervention. Many attitudes, visions, and lives were altered for the better because one person had enough crazy faith to stand up in the face of impossible odds. Even the hardest heart will be touched.
I found Crazy Faith to be a wonderful source of inspiration intermixed with honest preaching from a single perspective. Never the less, it felt like the same points were emphasized again and again. Different areas of focus were presented, but still the same point over and over again.
Labels:
3 Stars,
Inspirational
Up in the Old Hotel
Author: Joseph Mitchell
Mitchell, a well known reporter has filled a role in history that will always be remembered and loved by those who lived the life he wrote about.
The people in his stories are unique and have qualities some would find interesting. His writing is very descriptive and he captures countless details not understood or seen by the casual passer-buyer. You can easily place yourself as a fly on the wall soaking in your surroundings.
If you read “Up in the Old Hotel” with literary merit in mind then you will be in for a good dose of excellent writing by a standard of yesteryear. If you are looking for people who fit outside the box, you will surly find them. If you are looking for a glimpse of the past them be prepared to journey back with a fine guide who didn’t miss a thing.
There will be many of the older generation that will remember, with clarity, when Mitchell’s writings first appeared and the impact they made. It is to this group that I recommend “Up in the Old Hotel”.
Though a brilliant writer, I was not drawn to his stories. For me they lacked the “snap, crackle, and pop” of today’s aggressive writing style. If New York had been my home over the years, then I would have found a deeper appreciation and understanding for those who made up Mitchell’s fine work.
Mitchell, a well known reporter has filled a role in history that will always be remembered and loved by those who lived the life he wrote about.
The people in his stories are unique and have qualities some would find interesting. His writing is very descriptive and he captures countless details not understood or seen by the casual passer-buyer. You can easily place yourself as a fly on the wall soaking in your surroundings.
If you read “Up in the Old Hotel” with literary merit in mind then you will be in for a good dose of excellent writing by a standard of yesteryear. If you are looking for people who fit outside the box, you will surly find them. If you are looking for a glimpse of the past them be prepared to journey back with a fine guide who didn’t miss a thing.
There will be many of the older generation that will remember, with clarity, when Mitchell’s writings first appeared and the impact they made. It is to this group that I recommend “Up in the Old Hotel”.
Though a brilliant writer, I was not drawn to his stories. For me they lacked the “snap, crackle, and pop” of today’s aggressive writing style. If New York had been my home over the years, then I would have found a deeper appreciation and understanding for those who made up Mitchell’s fine work.
Labels:
3 Stars,
NonFiction
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Discovery! The Search for Arabian Oil
Author: Wallace Stegner
The beginning of something big often starts out small….
There was a time when the Persian Gulf was simple, quiet and undisturbed. Where religious pilgrimages were made with little interruption and life went on as it had for centuries. But then came change….
It was gradual and slow to start. The government leaders were cautious, skeptical of the advanced nations. Yet they desired the betterment of their people and country. There were many voices and the choices were vast. Who should they trust? What country offered the most?
King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud allowed numerous companies the opportunity to explore for oil. But it was the influence of St. John Philby, a former English intelligence office and Muslim convert that opened doors for the Americans.
During the 1930’s depression, taking risks could be disastrous. However, the American oil company was successful. After many negotiations the Saudi King granted a partnership. The Americans agreed to share profits, build roads and towns, and most importantly train employees. There was much the Saudi people needed to learn and it would take many years before Aramco could stand on its own.
The American families who came will never be forgotten. Their influence had a lasting effect on those who they trained, helped and befriended. However, there were struggles and challenges along the way, which no one could have foreseen.
Discovery! The Search of Arabian Oil, summarizes the blossoming of a lasting business affiliation between King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud and the United States, spanning the depression of the 1930’s to the end of World War II
This intriguing, and vividly descriptive story, was compiled and written some fifty years ago. Page by page you are transported back through the passing of history. The experience will definitely give you with a new perspective!
The beginning of something big often starts out small….
There was a time when the Persian Gulf was simple, quiet and undisturbed. Where religious pilgrimages were made with little interruption and life went on as it had for centuries. But then came change….
It was gradual and slow to start. The government leaders were cautious, skeptical of the advanced nations. Yet they desired the betterment of their people and country. There were many voices and the choices were vast. Who should they trust? What country offered the most?
King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud allowed numerous companies the opportunity to explore for oil. But it was the influence of St. John Philby, a former English intelligence office and Muslim convert that opened doors for the Americans.
During the 1930’s depression, taking risks could be disastrous. However, the American oil company was successful. After many negotiations the Saudi King granted a partnership. The Americans agreed to share profits, build roads and towns, and most importantly train employees. There was much the Saudi people needed to learn and it would take many years before Aramco could stand on its own.
The American families who came will never be forgotten. Their influence had a lasting effect on those who they trained, helped and befriended. However, there were struggles and challenges along the way, which no one could have foreseen.
Discovery! The Search of Arabian Oil, summarizes the blossoming of a lasting business affiliation between King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud and the United States, spanning the depression of the 1930’s to the end of World War II
This intriguing, and vividly descriptive story, was compiled and written some fifty years ago. Page by page you are transported back through the passing of history. The experience will definitely give you with a new perspective!
Labels:
3 Stars,
NonFiction
Baby Proof
Author: Emily Giffin
Deciding early in life not to be a mother, invited a myriad of confrontations…
Even as a little girl, Claudia’s decision was very clear. When she played dolls with her sisters, she only wanted to be an aunt, so she could move on to more exciting pursuits. In later years, discovering boys didn’t change her mind. When her high school prom night rolled around, the number of children she wished for was a firm zero.
Claudia, now in her thirties, is a well known book editor in New York City. Her personal convictions are still unaltered. Life is filled with work, friends, and enjoyable pursuits, minus children.
Love, that’s a different story. Everyone needs emotional attachments of the enduring kind. But for Claudia, her relationships quickly dissolved when the “no kid’s factor” came up. That was true, until she met Ben. It just seemed they were soul mates, everything just clicked.
Claudia was thrilled when Ben was a firm believer in the “no kid’s factor” and they have been married for three years. The impulsiveness they enjoy, while being unencumbered with children, is a vital part of their relationship. They share many common interests and dreams, life just couldn’t be better.
However, when their idyllic relationship is hit by a tornado, everything changes. Their best friends, ardent supporters of the “no kid’s factor”, have decide to have a child! Ben becomes absorbed in the entire process and when the baby arrives, he is hooked!
Claudia is confident this is just a passing phase and eventually Ben will move out of it. He makes numerous attempts to convince her that a baby would be a wonderful experience to share. Claudia, on the other hand, emphasizes how a baby will burden and alter the life they now enjoy.
What will be the outcome of this dilemma? Family influences, stubbornness and pride, will definitely have an impact.
Baby Proof is an insightful look into personal choices and how they deeply affect those you love. However, it felt like the first person viewpoint occasionally droned on and on, with surplus information.
Deciding early in life not to be a mother, invited a myriad of confrontations…
Even as a little girl, Claudia’s decision was very clear. When she played dolls with her sisters, she only wanted to be an aunt, so she could move on to more exciting pursuits. In later years, discovering boys didn’t change her mind. When her high school prom night rolled around, the number of children she wished for was a firm zero.
Claudia, now in her thirties, is a well known book editor in New York City. Her personal convictions are still unaltered. Life is filled with work, friends, and enjoyable pursuits, minus children.
Love, that’s a different story. Everyone needs emotional attachments of the enduring kind. But for Claudia, her relationships quickly dissolved when the “no kid’s factor” came up. That was true, until she met Ben. It just seemed they were soul mates, everything just clicked.
Claudia was thrilled when Ben was a firm believer in the “no kid’s factor” and they have been married for three years. The impulsiveness they enjoy, while being unencumbered with children, is a vital part of their relationship. They share many common interests and dreams, life just couldn’t be better.
However, when their idyllic relationship is hit by a tornado, everything changes. Their best friends, ardent supporters of the “no kid’s factor”, have decide to have a child! Ben becomes absorbed in the entire process and when the baby arrives, he is hooked!
Claudia is confident this is just a passing phase and eventually Ben will move out of it. He makes numerous attempts to convince her that a baby would be a wonderful experience to share. Claudia, on the other hand, emphasizes how a baby will burden and alter the life they now enjoy.
What will be the outcome of this dilemma? Family influences, stubbornness and pride, will definitely have an impact.
Baby Proof is an insightful look into personal choices and how they deeply affect those you love. However, it felt like the first person viewpoint occasionally droned on and on, with surplus information.
Before
Author: Joseph Hurka
A troubled mind full of snarled webs can be treacherous. Are the voices and visions real or just imagined? Where will they lead and whose life will they ensnare? It was in a small neighborhood of Cambridge Massachusetts, on a poorly lit street that an uninvited stranger crept, unnoticed. Will the unsuspecting residents get more than they bargained for? Who is truly safe or just unaware? The answers are elusive.
Tika, is a budding photographer, young and full of exuberance. She has become attached to an older couple in her apartment building. Juri, the husband, is recovering from a stroke and having difficulty adjusting to his current limitations. Anna attempts to care for him alone, but appreciates Tika’s helpfulness.
Juri is plagued with vivid images of the past, as he struggles with memories of the Nazi invasion. His losses were so great they still rip at his heart. He tries diligently to separate these events from current reality but waivers back and forth. Writing, he is always writing down what he remembers. The doctor says it is good for him, so he tries. But the memories bring unbearable pain and tears fall unbidden.
The residue of Ghost-Man’s deplorable youth still lingers, triggered by the simplest of things. He fights with his own inner demons and recollections as well, but they are more recent. Tragedies of the Gulf War were experienced in a gruesome and personal way, adding to the well of sorrow and pains from the past. His special training was meticulous and careful but also deadly. When things don’t go as planned, events spiral out of control and many lives are endangered.
Past and present collide and the results bring Tika, Juri and Ghost-man into a battle of wills, determination, and a triumph. But who will ultimately win the day?
Before is filled with vivid descriptions and emotions. However, the character’s stories are so intermingled from past to present and back again they are at times difficult to follow, thus making the overall flow a bit bumpy. There is also a tad of explicit material that could be offensive.
A troubled mind full of snarled webs can be treacherous. Are the voices and visions real or just imagined? Where will they lead and whose life will they ensnare? It was in a small neighborhood of Cambridge Massachusetts, on a poorly lit street that an uninvited stranger crept, unnoticed. Will the unsuspecting residents get more than they bargained for? Who is truly safe or just unaware? The answers are elusive.
Tika, is a budding photographer, young and full of exuberance. She has become attached to an older couple in her apartment building. Juri, the husband, is recovering from a stroke and having difficulty adjusting to his current limitations. Anna attempts to care for him alone, but appreciates Tika’s helpfulness.
Juri is plagued with vivid images of the past, as he struggles with memories of the Nazi invasion. His losses were so great they still rip at his heart. He tries diligently to separate these events from current reality but waivers back and forth. Writing, he is always writing down what he remembers. The doctor says it is good for him, so he tries. But the memories bring unbearable pain and tears fall unbidden.
The residue of Ghost-Man’s deplorable youth still lingers, triggered by the simplest of things. He fights with his own inner demons and recollections as well, but they are more recent. Tragedies of the Gulf War were experienced in a gruesome and personal way, adding to the well of sorrow and pains from the past. His special training was meticulous and careful but also deadly. When things don’t go as planned, events spiral out of control and many lives are endangered.
Past and present collide and the results bring Tika, Juri and Ghost-man into a battle of wills, determination, and a triumph. But who will ultimately win the day?
Before is filled with vivid descriptions and emotions. However, the character’s stories are so intermingled from past to present and back again they are at times difficult to follow, thus making the overall flow a bit bumpy. There is also a tad of explicit material that could be offensive.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Queen of the Underworld
Author: Gail Goodwin
Young Emma Gant, a new graduate from J school, has recently received her first assignment, working as the Miami Star’s newest reporter. This is her chance to break free from a small town existence, a controlling step father and to live her dream. Following an interesting train ride she arrives at her hotel, escorted by her aunt Tess. The surroundings are not what she expected, not even a view of the beach. Disappointed yet pleased with its potential, the Julia Tuttle becomes her sanctuary, her comfort, her shield from the harshness of the real world. Emma is anticipating a phone call; it will be the voice of her married lover, Paul, coming to whisk her away. The owner of a resort where Emma worked last summer, he was her every heartbeat. The reunion will be sweet. Will they have a future or will fate change Emma’s perfect plans? With a mired of multi-faceted characters crossing her path Emma finds her first days on the job to be a roller coaster of events. Writing obits, avoiding the “glass cage” of the women’s section, visiting the papers “morgue”, interviews with tornado survivors and even an encounter with “The Queen of the Underworld” give her many challenges. It is the time of Cuban unrest and Fidel Castro’s usurping of land. The city has an influx of immigrants from varied walks of life, mingled with local color, from aristocratic know-it-alls, to young madams to mafia warnings; each seems a potential threat to her developing “Emma-ness”. Feeling diminished by the experience of other reporters, Emma goes the extra mile to make her mark. Can she carve a niche out for herself? Will she live up to “Lucifer’s” expectations or will she be cast off, banished, to a small town office? The entire book takes place over a period of about 2 weeks and it is filled with Emma’s constant thoughts and imaginings. To truly understand and appreciate the story to the fullest, one should have lived in that era or studied about it. By the way, don’t forget your Spanish-English dictionary.
Young Emma Gant, a new graduate from J school, has recently received her first assignment, working as the Miami Star’s newest reporter. This is her chance to break free from a small town existence, a controlling step father and to live her dream. Following an interesting train ride she arrives at her hotel, escorted by her aunt Tess. The surroundings are not what she expected, not even a view of the beach. Disappointed yet pleased with its potential, the Julia Tuttle becomes her sanctuary, her comfort, her shield from the harshness of the real world. Emma is anticipating a phone call; it will be the voice of her married lover, Paul, coming to whisk her away. The owner of a resort where Emma worked last summer, he was her every heartbeat. The reunion will be sweet. Will they have a future or will fate change Emma’s perfect plans? With a mired of multi-faceted characters crossing her path Emma finds her first days on the job to be a roller coaster of events. Writing obits, avoiding the “glass cage” of the women’s section, visiting the papers “morgue”, interviews with tornado survivors and even an encounter with “The Queen of the Underworld” give her many challenges. It is the time of Cuban unrest and Fidel Castro’s usurping of land. The city has an influx of immigrants from varied walks of life, mingled with local color, from aristocratic know-it-alls, to young madams to mafia warnings; each seems a potential threat to her developing “Emma-ness”. Feeling diminished by the experience of other reporters, Emma goes the extra mile to make her mark. Can she carve a niche out for herself? Will she live up to “Lucifer’s” expectations or will she be cast off, banished, to a small town office? The entire book takes place over a period of about 2 weeks and it is filled with Emma’s constant thoughts and imaginings. To truly understand and appreciate the story to the fullest, one should have lived in that era or studied about it. By the way, don’t forget your Spanish-English dictionary.
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