Bookish Liaisons – Page 16

San Antonio Day Trip

April 4, 2018June 23, 2019 RaeAnna

Attention!!! Books are no longer my only friends in Houston. I have human friends in my most recent home city. It’s a very exciting development for me.

Even better, I’m growing close with another blogger. A business blogger and digital nomad (goals) from New Zealand. Elise runs the blog House of Brazen! She has limited time in the US, and we’re exploring as much of it as we can before she’s off on her next adventure. Where? No one knows.

On Thursday, we hopped in the car early heading West on I-10 until we ran into the San Antonio River Walk…. There were a couple turns, but not many. Being the non-early birds that we are. Starbucks was our first stop. Quickly followed by the first Buc-ee’s we saw. If you’re not from Texas and happen to be in Southern Texas, find a Buc-ee’s, go to the bathroom, buy a kolache, and try some beef jerky. I guarantee you have never seen anything like it before. It’s the most Texas gas station you’ll ever encounter, and we are absolutely bonkers over them.

Three hours later, we hopped out of the car and headed right to the river walk. We walked along the river looking at the beautiful architecture, bridges, art, and people watching.

The river walk is such a beautiful place. It stretches on a long while in several directions. There are areas where the tourists congregate, and areas where you hardly pass anyone. Sidewalks, usually, run on both sides of the river. They aren’t very wide, so you often have to “think thin” as people pass. Restaurant patios spill into sidewalks. You won’t have to search far for food, and everything smells amazing.

The river walk is teaming with life. People. Flowers. Water. Wild life. I really can’t tell you how gorgeous it is. The architecture is beautiful and varies. The bridges across the river keep changing. My favorite, however, was a bridge covered in bright green ivy… I don’t know if it was ivy, but that is what I’m going with.

Elise and I headed to the Alamo because, well, it’s the Alamo. It’s not very big. It’s beautiful. It’s always crowded. You could probably walk around reading every plaque for hours if you wanted. There are guided tours and audio tours. We weren’t that concerned with more than strolling through, which is free! Save money where you can to spend it on things like day trips to cool places or saving to visit her in New Zealand. (Fingers crossed you’ll all follow my adventures there.)

After the Alamo, we went to lunch at Rita’s. Elise threw chips for the birdies to eat. I stared at a gorgeous dog who sat next to us. We ate Mexican food completely content with our lives. Finishing up, we walked around the river walk for a little while longer.

After a fun day in San Antonio, we hopped back in the car for the three hours home… But also another stop at Buc-ee’s because duh. More kolaches were consumed. Beef jerky was bought to be taken home – I highly suggest the Bohemian Garlic. I dropped Elise at her place before heading to mine. Beau was ecstatic to see me. I – the non-morning person I am – crawled straight into bed.

Books, Fiction

Sinner

April 3, 2018 RaeAnna

Read: No
Difficulty: IV – because it was so painfully bad
Quick Review: A very poorly written novel about a man whose troubled past manifests in serial killing ways.

I have been avoiding writing this review. That would mean I have to think about this novel again, and reading it once was horrific enough. Not because it was a thriller, but because it was just that bad.

I just… It’s… I can’t… I mean I can; I don’t want to… But here it goes.

I was approached to review this novel. I don’t typically read thrillers. I have been trying to branch out, so I said “yes!” I would create a time machine just so I could go back and say, “STOP, DON’T READ IT!” Or go back even further into time and convince Christopher Graves writing may not be his calling.

The basic concept of Sinner is there is this group of violent, religious, women killing vigilantes. A dude named Zeke goes around killing women of loose morals… basically any lady who isn’t chained to the stove with three babies banging pots around her… due to his religious conviction. Come to find out he had a rough upbringing. (Poor white man, your daddy didn’t love you.) The “strong” female characters fight back. Yada yada yada… It’s terrible.

The thing that made me hate this novel straight off is the narration switches between Zeke (creepy serial killer) and the ladies being serial killed or other key ladies in the story. When dealing with women who are being raped… it’s best not to try and enter the psyche of a woman being raped when you are, in fact, not a woman. I yet to read a male author who can portray these scenes well. It falls flat at best. As a rape survivor myself, it was nowhere near realistic for me. It even came across as flippant, disrespectful, and, quite frankly, offensive. Every section where the woman is narrating, it’s hollow from the dialogue to the internal monologue to the description of how she views herself. You want to buy into the characters and feel for them, but Graves does such a poor job in character development none of the characters even approach likable.

Graves’ writing is unfocused, disorganized, lacks cohesion, and reads like a bad high school first draft. The timeline jumps around in a state of confusion. I don’t think he knows how to organize a novel. Timelines don’t have to be linear, but they do need to make sense. Spelling mistakes run rampant. There are grammar and syntax issues. His word choice is questionable at times. Over all, the writing feels amateurish. I can almost imagine him flipping through a writer’s handbook, pointing at a literary device, and thinking yes, I’ll try that one. When there’s an absence of literary device, don’t fret an analogy is just around the corner. It’s not the work of a capable author probing into the psyche of a troubled man… I would be interested in reading that. It reads like an aspiring writer trying to be all of those things.

Total side note… What is with all the female characters winking? It’s obnoxious and unrealistic. What sane woman winks in the middle of awkward silences or at staring strangers or constantly. As a living, breathing woman, I can’t tell you the last time I winked at someone. I can almost guarantee you it was at a small child and not at the creepy dude staring at me in a pizza joint.

Sinner by Christopher Graves will be released April 5, 2018 (tomorrow) for audiences enjoyment(?). Please don’t read it. It’s not even ironically painful to read. It just caused me pain.

Memorable Quotes:
There were none. Too painful.

Title: Sinner
Author: Christopher Graves
Copyright: 2017
ISBN: 9780999643723

Books

Get Money

March 27, 2018 RaeAnna

Read: Yes
Difficulty: II
Quick Review: Kristin Wong writes about finances in the most approachable way possible. She doesn’t overwhelm you or make you feel stupid while comprehensively covering everything from basic savings to investments and taxes.

I can’t recommend this book enough. Especially for the millennials who are entering and working through adulthood. I was lucky enough to have parents who taught me about finances, but, in adulthood, I have realized so many of my peers have not been so lucky. Which is a shame because money is a huge part of our lives… Usually something we struggle with because it’s money or we don’t have enough of it or whatever.

Kristin Wong has tons of experience with money because she writes about it for all the biggest outlets and she’s also human. Money is scary. Money can be depressing. Money can seem like a distant dream belonging to our favorite Instagrammers. She is unafraid to talk about the nitty gritty details without dumbing it down or making it too hard to understand.

Balance. The overarching theme of Get Money is balance; balance between savings and living. From the beginning of the book, Wong talks about the Oh Shit Cycle; us adults out there adulting are probably over familiar with this cycle of blame, shame, and a bit of depression. Wong gets to the real point of money, it’s personal. How we spend, save, and look at money is different with each person. She is consistent in pointing out in order to put your finances in order, you must look inward to your motivations, which takes time and work.

Money is rough, but it is a part of life. It is part of friendships and relationships. Who we are is intrinsically linked with money. Wong understands this and so much more. She gets money. No pun intended. She wants her readers to understand money and the choices they have. Banks. Everyone needs one. What we don’t realize: we have options. Wong wants her readers to know they have options. She does not want anyone to be blinded by their fears and reservations of money.

Things included in Get Money that you need to know/Reasons to buy her book: a) credit scores are confusing b) taxes c) compound interest for the good and the bad d) savings e) IRA, 401k, what? f) debt g) financial advisers h) negotiating incomes/interest/anything. You need it!

The book is organized into three sections covering about every aspect of money issues normal (non-financial sector) people need to know. There are work spaces throughout, so you can make plans and complete the exercises. If you’re awkward or shy like I am, Wong includes advice and scripts for calling to negotiate with insurance companies, banks, etc. She gamifies money/reading into levels, so you can level up instead of dealing with boring old chapters. Advice from other financial experts is scattered throughout, as well as, outside information and resources. If you’re wanting to put her words to work and use it as a guide to getting your money in order, it’s not a quick read. Although, I would suggest reading it all at once, and then going back using it as a personal game plan.

Kristin Wong is competent, funny, motivating, helpful, understanding, and human. I don’t want financial advice from someone scary, and she is anything but scary. Her book is fun to read and informative. Everyone and anyone can learn something from her.

Memorable Quotes:
“If you’re bad with money, take solace in the fact that you’re not stupid, you’re just human.”
“Sticking to your budget is really about sticking with your goal.”
“Sex is an awkward topic, but based on my experience, money is leaps and bounds more taboo.”
“If you want to stick to your budget and goals, learning to spend consciously, with a purpose, is a must.”

Title: Get Money; Live the Life You Want Not Just the Life You Can Afford
Author: Kristin Wong
Publisher: Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780316515658

Books

The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu

March 23, 2018 RaeAnna

Read: Yes
Notable: New York Times Bestseller
Quick Review: A look into the collecting, conserving, hiding, and rescuing the most important manuscripts documenting African history, literature, culture, life, philosophy, science, religion and more.

Abdel Kader Haidara is not a name most of us are familiar with. Joshua Hammer reveals the heroic efforts of Haidara and his team to save not just once but twice the illuminating manuscripts documenting a little known history of Africa in his third book The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu.

Africa has a reputation for not having a history because it lacks written documentation of their vast and varied history. Haidara began a journey in the 1980’s to contradict the stereotype of a dark continent. Timbuktu was the center of scholarship in Africa for centuries. Out of fear from jihadis and colonizers in the past five hundred years, those who possessed valuable manuscripts began hiding them in order to protect. Haidara spent years accumulating these precious manuscripts that had been buried, hidden, and even forgotten. In the early 2000’s, Haidara gained recognition for his conservation efforts and building a large library to house his family’s manuscripts. In the 2010’s, Al Qaeda began moving into the region and took over Timbuktu. In order to protect the manuscripts, Haidara moved them into private homes before smuggling them out of the city.

The book is split into several chapters alternating between Haidara’s story and the terrorist activity in the region. The sections describing the terrorist activity are very dry full of facts. The area has been a hotbed of religious extremism for centuries, so the information is incredibly important. A lot of the names and events are familiar because they were mentioned in the news at the time but never went into in any detail.

Hammer does a great job in relaying the emotions the citizens of Timbuktu went through during the Al Qaeda invasion. He relays a great deal of information in a concise package. There is a lot of cultural, religious, and regional information, which he describes to those who may not have a knowledge of Northern Africa. It is well written but a tad dull.

Fun Fact: Bouctou means: the woman with the big belly button. Tin means: well. The Tuareg tribe was a nomadic tribe. In the twelfth century, they found an area with good water. When they described the area to others in their tribe they said it was the Tin of Bouctou or the well of the woman with the big belly button. Over Tin Bouctou evolved into Timbuktu.

Fun Fact: Hammer refers to the kidnapping of 276 girls. Alexis goes deeper into the subject in her debut work A Moonless, Starless Sky. A great book also dealing with extremism in Africa.

Memorable Quotes:
“The confrontation between these two Islamic ideologies-one open and tolerant, the other inflexible and violent-would bedevil Timbuktu over the following five centuries.”
“He was particularly interested in manuscripts that contradicted Western stereotypes of Islam as a religion of intolerance – pointing with pride to Ahmed Baba’s denunciation of slavery…”

Title: The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu
Author: Joshua Hammer
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2016
ISBN: 9781476777412

Books

An Irish Country Doctor

March 17, 2018 RaeAnna

Read: Yes
Length: III
Quick Review: A sweet tale about the finding the beauty in a small town.

Patrick Taylor writes about Northern Ireland and doctors with authenticity because he’s a retired doctor from Northern Ireland.

An Irish Country Doctor is a sweet story. None of his writing feels trite or imaginative but grounded in reality, which is how I like my novels. Even though the town of Ballybucklebo is imagined, it is obvious Taylor has native experience with the region and people he’s inhabiting.

Ballybucklebo remains deeply rooted in their traditions and heritage. Doctor O’Reilly is the esteemed and trusted village doctor. It’s 1964, and the world is changing. O’Reilly brings young Doctor Barry Laverty into the fold as his assistant bringing with him new medicine and point of view. The town is inhabited by a group of highly eccentric yet totally lovable villagers. Barry is put off at first by O’Reilly’s unconventional treatments and rather bizarre medical practice in general. At a shocking pace, Barry is taken in by the community and begins to fall in love with the entire profession of General Practice in a small village.

The novel is full of Irish phrases and Taylor’s own unique word plays. It’s hard not to be drawn into his prose. His style is straightforward, but there are lots of descriptive bits. Normally, I am not a fan of too much descriptors, but Taylor is not excessive nor too flowery.

Ireland is a majority Catholic country, and was just as conservatively Catholic as you can imagine in the 1960’s. Taylor deals with issues that were prevalent during the time – and today, as well. The plot is thickened with touches of pregnancy out of wedlock, birth control pills, abortion, poverty, deadbeat dads, among other things. If the novel were any shorter, the abundance of hot button issues would have been a bit much; however at 429 pages set in a poor village, it’s appropriate. Taylor has touches of feminism as the books is riddled with strong female characters including a female civil engineer student. Even the aging Doctor O’Reilly is pro birth control, pro choice, and tells husbands to help their wives with the children.

The story is a sweet one allowing you to escape into a lovely small village of Northern Ireland. Every storyline wraps up with a nice, neat bow.

Memorable Quotes:
“Sometimes we doctors aren’t much better than a bunch of Druids.”

Title: An Irish Country Doctor
Author: Patrick Taylor
Publisher: Forge Books
Copyright: 2004
ISBN: 9780765368249

Books

To Rise Again at a Decent Hour

March 15, 2018 RaeAnna

Read: Yes
Length: 352
Quick Review: He’s an opinionated dentist with almost no online footprint until someone else did it for him. Funny, witty, insightful, and highly originally.

To Rise Again at a Decent Hour is Joshua Ferris’ third novel, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. I didn’t know a thing about the book when I picked it up, but I knew it was different than what I have been reading lately.

Paul O’Rourke is a dentist in New York City. He’s an average man. He’s addicted to his phone, but abhors people attached to theirs. He smokes, is a fan of the Red Sox, an atheist, has an obsession with religion, falls into obsession with the women he dates, and is alone. Paul O’Rourke has many opinions and a thriving internal dialogue. He keeps his online presence to a minimum hiding behind a different name; his dental practice doesn’t even have a website. He continues leading his rather mundane life until someone hijacks his identity online, which he deems wildly violating. What begins in anger launches him into a full inspection deep into his soul.

Ferris has an incredibly unique style. The majority of the novel is not action based but thought based. He has an uncanny ability to bring the reader into the mind of someone who, otherwise, would be difficult to relate to. He makes the mundane wildly funny. Paragraphs can go on for a brief sentence or several pages.

The novel could have been a complete disaster, but Ferris is very successful. The book is captivating.

Total side note… While reading this book, I was waking up at an age appropriate time. Coincidence? Most definitely.

Memorable Quotes:
“To me, a church is simply a place to be bored in.”
“”How could you be a good person and not believe in God?””

Title: To Rise Again at a Decent Hour
Author: Joshua Ferris
Publisher: Back Bay Books (Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group)
Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 9780316033992