Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Blue Shoes and Happiness
by Alexander McCall Smith
Another book in the series--number seven, to be specific. There are only a few cases in this volume. Mma Ramotswe looks into food theft, blackmail, and unspoken dread at the Mokolodi Game Reserve. The rest of the book is filled up with the relationship issues between various characters. All in all it makes for amusing waiting room material.
LibraryThing link
Another book in the series--number seven, to be specific. There are only a few cases in this volume. Mma Ramotswe looks into food theft, blackmail, and unspoken dread at the Mokolodi Game Reserve. The rest of the book is filled up with the relationship issues between various characters. All in all it makes for amusing waiting room material.
LibraryThing link
Labels: AlexanderMcCallSmith, No1LadiesDetectiveAgency, WaitingRoomMaterial
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Rise Up!
by Linda Katz
I'm afraid I'm incapable of not liking this book, a collection of anecdotes from a volunteer in a first grade classroom. First off, Ms. Linda, as the kids call her, is married to a friend of ours. Second, my daughter is a second grade teacher in a similar socio-economic community, so I am extremely sympathetic with grade school teachers and their young students. Third, the school is located in the quadrant of Seattle where I also live, so I feel quite neighborly towards the students and their families. Of course, there is also the fact that Ms. Linda writes well and has some heartwarming stories to share.
Rise Up! is set in Hawthorne Elementary School, located in one of Seattle's less prestigious zip codes. Ms. Linda describes her experiences as a classroom volunteer, introducing us to a lovely collection of young'uns. (The stories you're about to read are true, but details have been changed to protect the innocent.) She takes us on a journey throughout the school year, sharing in the joys, sorrows, and struggles of these little scholars. At the end, she vents a bit about what's wrong with the education system and offers ideas for improvement, all with an eye on helping our kids.
Check it out!
LibraryThing link
I'm afraid I'm incapable of not liking this book, a collection of anecdotes from a volunteer in a first grade classroom. First off, Ms. Linda, as the kids call her, is married to a friend of ours. Second, my daughter is a second grade teacher in a similar socio-economic community, so I am extremely sympathetic with grade school teachers and their young students. Third, the school is located in the quadrant of Seattle where I also live, so I feel quite neighborly towards the students and their families. Of course, there is also the fact that Ms. Linda writes well and has some heartwarming stories to share.
Rise Up! is set in Hawthorne Elementary School, located in one of Seattle's less prestigious zip codes. Ms. Linda describes her experiences as a classroom volunteer, introducing us to a lovely collection of young'uns. (The stories you're about to read are true, but details have been changed to protect the innocent.) She takes us on a journey throughout the school year, sharing in the joys, sorrows, and struggles of these little scholars. At the end, she vents a bit about what's wrong with the education system and offers ideas for improvement, all with an eye on helping our kids.
Check it out!
LibraryThing link
Labels: CheckItOut
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Turn Coat
by Jim Butcher
In the world of The Dresden Files, Harry Dresden is not a popular fellow. At least among the wizarding community, that is. The White Council of Wizards seek to protect the world from dark magic--setting specific rules for magic's use. It strictly enforces those rules, enforced by the Wardens, threatening harsh penalties for those who would violate them. Harry, unfortunately, was orphaned and was originally mentored by a dark wizard. He narrowly missed being executed for his upbringing and although pardoned, has been held in suspicion ever since. A number of wardens watch him carefully, waiting to pounce the moment he screws up. Harry, of course, holds the strict enforcement of the laws in disdain and often dances on the line in his pursuit of true justice. And then one day, one of the veteran Wardens, Morgan, Harry's arch nemesis on the White Council, shows up asking for help. It seems he's been falsely accused of murdering one of the senior members of the Council...
My practice in reading The Dresden Files has been to pick up the next volume ever few months or so. Rather than getting a list and shopping for that novel, I've been snagging a copy at the used book store or at library sales. I usually consult whatever novel is on the shelf to find out the title of the book I want. As a result, I read the book jacket description for this one years ago. I've been looking forward to reading it. At first I was underwhelmed. Even the best series fall into formula after a few novels and Turn Coat was proving that. But as I got further into the book, I began to enjoy it more and more. As much as Harry Dresden is an outcast in his world, he has, over the series, accumulated a diverse group of friends and allies. It was enjoyable seeing some of these come together, one by one, to help out on the case. I don't know if Mr. Butcher has some overall message that he's trying to share in the series, but this spirit of "family" is definitely one of the core themes in the saga. Even in a mere sequel, it was enjoyable to see that played out.
Check it out!
LibraryThing link
In the world of The Dresden Files, Harry Dresden is not a popular fellow. At least among the wizarding community, that is. The White Council of Wizards seek to protect the world from dark magic--setting specific rules for magic's use. It strictly enforces those rules, enforced by the Wardens, threatening harsh penalties for those who would violate them. Harry, unfortunately, was orphaned and was originally mentored by a dark wizard. He narrowly missed being executed for his upbringing and although pardoned, has been held in suspicion ever since. A number of wardens watch him carefully, waiting to pounce the moment he screws up. Harry, of course, holds the strict enforcement of the laws in disdain and often dances on the line in his pursuit of true justice. And then one day, one of the veteran Wardens, Morgan, Harry's arch nemesis on the White Council, shows up asking for help. It seems he's been falsely accused of murdering one of the senior members of the Council...
My practice in reading The Dresden Files has been to pick up the next volume ever few months or so. Rather than getting a list and shopping for that novel, I've been snagging a copy at the used book store or at library sales. I usually consult whatever novel is on the shelf to find out the title of the book I want. As a result, I read the book jacket description for this one years ago. I've been looking forward to reading it. At first I was underwhelmed. Even the best series fall into formula after a few novels and Turn Coat was proving that. But as I got further into the book, I began to enjoy it more and more. As much as Harry Dresden is an outcast in his world, he has, over the series, accumulated a diverse group of friends and allies. It was enjoyable seeing some of these come together, one by one, to help out on the case. I don't know if Mr. Butcher has some overall message that he's trying to share in the series, but this spirit of "family" is definitely one of the core themes in the saga. Even in a mere sequel, it was enjoyable to see that played out.
Check it out!
LibraryThing link
Labels: CheckItOut, DresdenFiles, JimButcher
Tuesday, June 06, 2017
Who I Am
by Pete Townshend
My friend Dave introduced me to many concepts back in high school. One was the concept of going to the library and reading up on an entertainer or show that you enjoy. Another was the band The Who. So I dedicate this review of Pete Townshend's biography (which I, of course, borrowed from the library) to Dave.
Who I Am is the autobiography of Pete Townshend, guitarist and principal songwriter for The Who. It was enjoyable to read, as many such life stories are. What struck me most was not the quality of the book but the revelation of my preconceptions as I read it. My connection with Pete Townshend has always been his work with The Who. Even his solo albums, to me, were just a side interest--a hobby as opposed to his real calling. Of course, for Pete Townshend, the Who was just one part of his life and his career as an artist. His autobiography is filled with so many other things that he felt and experienced. So I got a bit of a mini "culture shock" as I read about his marriage, his writing, his musical interests and the breadth of his work. It removed the image of Pete Townshend the rock idol in my mind and replaced it with the image of Pete Townshend the human being.
Check it out!
LibraryThing link
My friend Dave introduced me to many concepts back in high school. One was the concept of going to the library and reading up on an entertainer or show that you enjoy. Another was the band The Who. So I dedicate this review of Pete Townshend's biography (which I, of course, borrowed from the library) to Dave.
Who I Am is the autobiography of Pete Townshend, guitarist and principal songwriter for The Who. It was enjoyable to read, as many such life stories are. What struck me most was not the quality of the book but the revelation of my preconceptions as I read it. My connection with Pete Townshend has always been his work with The Who. Even his solo albums, to me, were just a side interest--a hobby as opposed to his real calling. Of course, for Pete Townshend, the Who was just one part of his life and his career as an artist. His autobiography is filled with so many other things that he felt and experienced. So I got a bit of a mini "culture shock" as I read about his marriage, his writing, his musical interests and the breadth of his work. It removed the image of Pete Townshend the rock idol in my mind and replaced it with the image of Pete Townshend the human being.
Check it out!
LibraryThing link
Labels: CheckItOut
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