I'm sorry, I'm calling it on this one. I'm super not enjoying it. It's slow, it's dark, and like...there's only so much rape and baby skull crushing II'm sorry, I'm calling it on this one. I'm super not enjoying it. It's slow, it's dark, and like...there's only so much rape and baby skull crushing I can take, you guys. I know people are loving this one, but...not me!...more
So good! I mean, I was kind of bound to like this one.
Great descriptions of the Alaska wilderness and what it’s like to run two 1000 mile dogsled racSo good! I mean, I was kind of bound to like this one.
Great descriptions of the Alaska wilderness and what it’s like to run two 1000 mile dogsled races, the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod. And just...a lot about dogs and how wonderful and amazing they are, and also how they’re total assholes sometimes.
My only complaint is that it completely broke my heart (view spoiler)[Oh, God, Moose and Maximus! I couldn’t take it. My dogs are both getting up there in years and this just killed me. (hide spoiler)] and made me cry in the break room at work. Also at home in my dinner. Ugh! I hate that!
But in the end, it was worth it. I really loved this view into Kristin Knight Pace’s life. It’s a kind of life I’m fascinated with, but that I don’t think I could survive for more than a week.
I'm pretty obsessed with so many aspects of this book (the polar regions, aviation, survival stories), so I really thought it would be right up my allI'm pretty obsessed with so many aspects of this book (the polar regions, aviation, survival stories), so I really thought it would be right up my alley. And I enjoyed it, but...didn't really love it like I thought I would, and I'm honestly not even totally sure why. Except for maybe I wanted more details about all of those things, and felt like instead a lot of it was a little glossed over.
Part of it is that there are SO MANY NAMES, and I didn't feel like I ever really remembered who was who. I got a much better sense of people from the epilogue, but until then I couldn't have really distinguished among any of them.
I guess this was just one of those books that feels like too much and not enough at the same time, you know? Interesting, and somewhat enjoyable, but not entirely satisfying....more
I enjoyed this story of a father and daughter and their three trips to Alaska, living in the wild. I liked seeing both Aidan and Jim grow during theirI enjoyed this story of a father and daughter and their three trips to Alaska, living in the wild. I liked seeing both Aidan and Jim grow during their experiences, as they survive extreme cold, hard work, bear encounters, rushing rapids, bad weather, and short tempers.
There are a couple of things that bothered me. The narrator's "girl voice" is kind of awful, so I found it super annoying anytime Aidan, Edna, or Elizabeth were speaking. He makes every one of them sound like whiny 10-year-olds. And there's a completely unnecessary inclusion of an old-timey trapper word for a certain type of flower that includes a racial slur. WHY.
But other than those things and wanting to know what happened when they got home after the third trip, I found it really interesting. If Campbell ever takes that trip to New Guinea with another of his daughters and writes about it, I'll read it!...more
Excellent, extensively researched biography of a forgotten great--Wilkins was a visionary and a total badass! If you have an interest in the history oExcellent, extensively researched biography of a forgotten great--Wilkins was a visionary and a total badass! If you have an interest in the history of exploration, especially in the polar regions, this is your guy. If you have an interest in war photography, climate studies, submarines, or aviation, he's also your guy. And if you have an interest in weird religions and ESP? Guess what! Totally your guy as well!
This book is super interesting, covering all 1,000 (approximate) of Wilkins's narrow escapes from death and expeditions taken and obsessions obsessed over decades too soon. Excessively modest, scientifically minded, and somehow able to make a 29-year marriage work without both parties being in the same place for more than two months at a time for most of it, I just find him very, very fascinating. In the super dorky shrine to polar explorers that exists only in my head (for now!), his portrait is going up right there alongside the big names.
Highly recommended for polar exploration/aviation nerds like myself!...more
I mean, OBVIOUSLY I was going to read this graphic novel tying together Ada Blackjack and the Karluk, weirdo obsessed with dead polar explorers and AnI mean, OBVIOUSLY I was going to read this graphic novel tying together Ada Blackjack and the Karluk, weirdo obsessed with dead polar explorers and Ant/Arctic adventures that I am. I was a little nervous because a number of reviewers seem to have found this hard to follow or too depressing, but I didn't have that trouble at all. Then again, I already knew how things turned out on both these expeditions, so none of it came as a surprise to me and I didn't go into it expecting a light and fluffy everything-turns-out-great-in-the-end kind of story.
Another complaint I've seen is that people didn't like the third story that takes place in recent times and didn't feel like it fit with the others. But actually...I really liked the parallels, and I appreciate that they're subtle. The theme is dealing with being shipwrecked, through the choices the various characters have made, and about figuring out how to survive and move on from that, and I feel like that third story really worked in that vein. Plus, I love the idea of coming across one little thing that makes you curious and then going down a rabbit hole into a ridiculous amount of reading and research and how it can just...change you. Ahem.
The whole thing is quiet, with the colors of the Northern lights and the sparseness of the Arctic landscapes, and...I don't know, I just really liked it, all of it. I think Luke Healy's done a beautiful job with this one, and I'm really glad I picked it up....more
I am a total nerd for books about Arctic and Antarctic exploration, and I'm also kind of a nerd for Sherlock Holmes, so I obviously couldn't pass thisI am a total nerd for books about Arctic and Antarctic exploration, and I'm also kind of a nerd for Sherlock Holmes, so I obviously couldn't pass this thing up at Half Price Books today. This book is gorgeous, you guys! Photographs of every page in Conan Doyle's journal, including all his beautiful illustrations, and also one of him as a youngster before his mustache got so out of hand--he was actually quite attractive back in the day! Aaaaaanyway, I'm a little bit weirdly excited about this, ha!
Okay, so, young Conan Doyle wasn't much of a journalist. Most of his entries read in short, choppy bits just listing out a few things he did that day. Very matter of fact. However, every now and then, he wrote some really interesting stories in a really compelling way, and you can definitely see his sense of humor showing through. One line that keeps popping up in my brain is something like, "Nothing to do today but complain, so we did that." Boy, oh boy, I've been there, Artie!
He was on a whaler, so naturally there's a lot of stuff about harpooning whales and clubbing seals and shooting polar bears, which I'm totally not cool with, but I guess, I dunno, once again it was the 1880's, man? While I didn't love any of those parts, I did like the way he described things when he actually described them, and the book includes several articles and short stories he wrote about the Arctic at the end which were pretty interesting. The best part of the book, in my opinion, are the illustrations--they really are lovely!
I guess I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone who is not like, super into polar exploration back in the day, or whaling, or just really crazily obsessed with Arthur Conan Doyle, but I enjoyed it!...more
Really beautiful book--just, great art, great font, great format, all of that. And it's full of interesting creation myths and origin stories and taleReally beautiful book--just, great art, great font, great format, all of that. And it's full of interesting creation myths and origin stories and tales of quests and of love and of magnetic disturbances. The one thing that was really missing for me was the emotional impact, but other than that it's pretty much perfect! ...more
Was passing by Junior Bios at work the other day and saw this, and, once again, couldn't resist a Matthew Henson book! Was not real crazy about the ilWas passing by Junior Bios at work the other day and saw this, and, once again, couldn't resist a Matthew Henson book! Was not real crazy about the illustrations, though I think the muted colors actually fit. I find it really interesting that the story ends where it does, and I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it, but Hopkinson does talk about the rest of Henson's life and what happened after his time in the arctic at the end of the book. I think I like that she's chosen to focus on his accomplishments and personality rather than on the fact that society and history ignored him for so many years, although I definitely think that's an important part of his story too.
Anyway, I'm still looking for a really great book about this man, but it's definitely fun having more and more stuff to choose from about him!...more
I'm not a huge fan of the artwork in this one, but how could I resist a graphic novel about Matthew Henson?!? I like the way Schwartz tells the story,I'm not a huge fan of the artwork in this one, but how could I resist a graphic novel about Matthew Henson?!? I like the way Schwartz tells the story, juxtaposing Henson's youth with his old age, and Inuit ideas of heroism vs. those of white Victorian/Edwardian society. It's told with feeling and depth and sensitivity, but at the same time, Schwartz definitely doesn't always stick closely to facts (although to be fair, in the case of Cook vs. Peary it seems there are very few actual facts to be had!). In any case, I appreciate the messages Schwartz conveys here, and am glad that Henson is getting more and more recognition these days....more
5 stars again, for the fourth time! I had another review here from the last time I listened to this audiobook, but there's an infuriating thing that h5 stars again, for the fourth time! I had another review here from the last time I listened to this audiobook, but there's an infuriating thing that happens whenever I mark something read from the app, which is that it deletes everything that was previously in the review box. Argh! I need to quit using the app to do certain things. I always forget that it kind of sucks.
Anyway, McLeod Andrews does a really great job with the narration, as always, and I love the friendship that forms between Ariel and Max and Cobie, and I like the themes and the humor and the super weird, disparate things that Andrew Smith can chain together in a way that actually kind of makes sense. I wouldn't say this is my favorite of his books, but I think it's the one I've read the most now? And it's still great every time....more
Five stars again, duh! I feel like this one...well, I guess I'm still processing. I don't totally know what to say about it, other than that I really Five stars again, duh! I feel like this one...well, I guess I'm still processing. I don't totally know what to say about it, other than that I really loved the relationship between Ariel, Max and Cobie. There are a lot of brothers in this book, and a lot about un-extinction, and a lot of interesting connections and parallels made. There's also a lot of craziness (as you would expect) and a lot of fantastic dialogue. I'm not disappointed at all, and I'm sure I'll be rereading this one in fairly short order. Like I do......more
This book totally sucked me in from the first page! Totally fascinating story of an Arctic expedition that took place in the late 1800s--a quest to reThis book totally sucked me in from the first page! Totally fascinating story of an Arctic expedition that took place in the late 1800s--a quest to reach the North Pole through the warm polar ocean that was thought by many to exist past the ice. Adventures and tragedy ensued.
This was my first time reading a book by Hampton Sides, but I'm pretty sure it won't be my last. He does a fantastic job here of bringing the people involved in this story to life and imparting a sense of immediacy to his descriptions of what was happening, so that most of the time I forgot that this all happened more than 100 years ago and not right now!
Definitely highly recommended.
P.S. I received through First Reads--thanks!...more
Naturally when this came in at the library I wanted to read it because it's a comic about polar bears. And it is a fairly cute story. However (and thiNaturally when this came in at the library I wanted to read it because it's a comic about polar bears. And it is a fairly cute story. However (and this is probably pretty nerdy of me), I felt like for a very informational comic, this one contained a good bit of information that is misleading about polar bear behavior. The fantasy and real-life elements of the story just did not mesh well for me, and I kept finding myself distracted by one element or the other feeling out of place. I really wanted to like this one, but ultimately couldn't connect or stay focused on the story. ...more
Once upon a time, Seti and I were on desk together discussing which movies we would be in charge of running at the library, and she said she wished thOnce upon a time, Seti and I were on desk together discussing which movies we would be in charge of running at the library, and she said she wished that she could have been in charge of The Rise of the Guardians, which one of the other libraries had shown (jeez, me too--sitting through Treasure Buddies was kinda painful, ha!). I had never heard of The Rise of the Guardians, so she started telling me about it. And I was like, "a story about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman? Whaaaaat? Ew, no thank you!" But she insisted that it's really good, so I said I'd add the first book to my to-read list. And then she told me that Santa Claus was actually the best thief in the world, and I was like, "SOLD! I'm putting this ridiculous book about Santa Claus on hold right now!"
And so anyway, I started reading it last night and was completely smitten by the time I finished the first page, I think. Pretty soon after that there was our-neighbors-won't-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash drama and the resulting sitting-at-the-emergency-vet-waiting-for-my-dog-to-get-staples-in-his-head-until-12:30-a.m. drama (poor little Bear!), so I couldn't finish it right away like I wanted to, but I read the rest of it today and I just totally loved it--the fairy tale quality of the storytelling, the creativity, the name of the boy with a moonbeam inside him...gosh, just the way Joyce and Geringer made Santa Claus interesting!
I can't wait to see what they do with the tooth fairy...
So, yeah. Seti was right! Guess what I'm putting on hold right now!...more
I think this a really good overview of polar bears in the wild and our history and future with them. Mulvaney does a great job of describing both the I think this a really good overview of polar bears in the wild and our history and future with them. Mulvaney does a great job of describing both the beauty and power of polar bears, as well as the struggles they face with humans and climate change. It obviously made me very sad.
One thing I expected to be touched on in some way, but which wasn't at all, was polar bears in captivity. I would have been interested to read about that side of things too, but Mulvaney doesn't even mention zoos once, which made the picture feel somewhat incomplete, especially since the polar bears in zoos are the only ones most people are ever likely to encounter. That seems like a huge part of the story to be left out entirely. I would have liked a few more photographs and maps as well.
Another thing some reviewers have complained of is the anthropomorphism present during the bits told from a young bear's point of view, but that didn't really bother me a whole lot. We give human thoughts and emotions to animals because we want to connect with them, and connecting with them is what makes us want to protect them. And then there's a long, long history of thinking of polar bears in these terms among the cultures that have overlapped with them. So it seemed fitting in this case.
Anyway, for the most part, I really liked this book, and found it compelling and informative, and I read the entire second half in one sitting. Definitely well worth a read if you have an interest in polar bears.
What does an oceanic-based environmental conservation group do after a series of worldwide disasters has decimated marine life and humanity alike? In What does an oceanic-based environmental conservation group do after a series of worldwide disasters has decimated marine life and humanity alike? In this story, the world has changed drastically in a fairly short span of time, and become a much more ruthless and dangerous place, and it's especially difficult for a former mercenary turned pacifist to make his way while sticking to what he believes in. The cast of characters is pretty interesting, if only sketchily developed so far. And several mysteries are set up that are pretty intriguing--what on earth happened to the Massive, and who on earth is Mary, really? While I'm by no means hooked yet, I'm definitely interested enough to check out the next volume of the series when it comes out in trade later in the year. ...more
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