Book Post: Abgaryan, Baldwin and Bujold
Mar. 1st, 2019 10:48 amС Неба Упали Три Яблока [Three Apples Fell from the Sky] by Narine Abgaryan, [in Russian], c.200pp
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pax_athena recommended this book about a year ago and I put it on my reading list because she described it so wonderfully and also because I do try to read at least one book in Russian per year. I got my Dad to email me the book (he has ways) and put it on my Kindle to wait its turn.
This was a beautiful book. The characters are mostly older people who live in a dying mountain village in Armenia where only the elders are left. There is a lot of tragedy in these people's lives, a lot of tough times from family to war to earthquake etc., which we learn about through their recollections, but at the same time there is so much hope and friendship and love. I felt so much for these characters and rejoiced for them when times were good. This book made me tear up several times and I'm not that usually prone to crying at fiction (I am much more emotional since my oldest was born and movies and books move me more often now but still). This book was just so wonderfully written too. I loved it very much. I also got my Dad to read it too and I highly recommend it.
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, 105pp
Our work assigned this book for Black History Month bookclub. Unfortunately I couldn't go to the book club itself because it was in the Brooklyn location, while I work in Manhattan and I wouldn't have had the time to take a train there, do the book club and get back in the lunch hour. But I did get the book from the library and read it.
This book is really two non-fiction essays that Baldwin wrote in the 60s. It is well written because he is, of course, a pretty famous writer. Some of it was interesting to see his perspective and the lives of the black men in the 60s - I was really interested in the dinner party he described with Elijah Muhammad leader of Nation of Islam. Some other part were a little too slow or too much sometimes. It really does show how different it is to grow up in black America. And I did like his overall point of learning to expand your perspective. I think I really would have liked the book club discussion as this kind of book needs to be discussed and really digested more. As it was, some sections dragged for me or made me uncomfortable, but that I think is the point and it is a good thing. I think my ideas about this book with evolve more over time.
Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold [Vorkosigan Saga], 196pp
Every time I know it is time to read Bujold (and I'm trying to read three Vorkosigan books a year), I resist for some reason even though I always end up loving it. This time I was just unsure because this is not a Miles book. But of course I loved it.
( Read more... )
pax_athena recommended this book about a year ago and I put it on my reading list because she described it so wonderfully and also because I do try to read at least one book in Russian per year. I got my Dad to email me the book (he has ways) and put it on my Kindle to wait its turn. This was a beautiful book. The characters are mostly older people who live in a dying mountain village in Armenia where only the elders are left. There is a lot of tragedy in these people's lives, a lot of tough times from family to war to earthquake etc., which we learn about through their recollections, but at the same time there is so much hope and friendship and love. I felt so much for these characters and rejoiced for them when times were good. This book made me tear up several times and I'm not that usually prone to crying at fiction (I am much more emotional since my oldest was born and movies and books move me more often now but still). This book was just so wonderfully written too. I loved it very much. I also got my Dad to read it too and I highly recommend it.
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, 105pp
Our work assigned this book for Black History Month bookclub. Unfortunately I couldn't go to the book club itself because it was in the Brooklyn location, while I work in Manhattan and I wouldn't have had the time to take a train there, do the book club and get back in the lunch hour. But I did get the book from the library and read it.
This book is really two non-fiction essays that Baldwin wrote in the 60s. It is well written because he is, of course, a pretty famous writer. Some of it was interesting to see his perspective and the lives of the black men in the 60s - I was really interested in the dinner party he described with Elijah Muhammad leader of Nation of Islam. Some other part were a little too slow or too much sometimes. It really does show how different it is to grow up in black America. And I did like his overall point of learning to expand your perspective. I think I really would have liked the book club discussion as this kind of book needs to be discussed and really digested more. As it was, some sections dragged for me or made me uncomfortable, but that I think is the point and it is a good thing. I think my ideas about this book with evolve more over time.
Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold [Vorkosigan Saga], 196pp
Every time I know it is time to read Bujold (and I'm trying to read three Vorkosigan books a year), I resist for some reason even though I always end up loving it. This time I was just unsure because this is not a Miles book. But of course I loved it.
( Read more... )
