Challenge 22: A Book With Pictures

Donna's Book: We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young by Lt Gen Hal Moore and Joseph Galloway (Presidio, 2004)

I think I may be going against the spirit of this challenge by choosing this book, but it does have a collection of photos in it, and so I'm making it count.  To be totally honest, after finishing We Are Soldiers Still, this is the only book that I wanted to read (again). 

Comments

Challenge 21: A Book With a Great First Line

Donna's Book: We Are Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam by Harold Moore and Joseph Galloway (HarperCollins, 2009)

To be honest, I don't think that a good book will ever have a bad first line.  As a published author (albeit of history text books) I know how many hours I spent getting that first line just right.  So this is really an excuse to read one of the books that's been on my reading list for ages, but hasn't really fit into any of the categories so far.

This one fits, and it also has a great first line as a bonus:  "It has been more than forty years since those nightmarish days of November 1965, when an understrength 450-man battalion of the 7th US Cavalry launched an audacious helicopter air assault into the heart of enemy territory in the Ia Drang valley."

Comments: 

This i' one of the most beautiful and powerful books that I've ever read. I never had the privilege of meeting Lt Gen Moore but, just from reading his book, I know I would have followed him into the Ia Drang valley in November 1965, and anywhere else since. Every chapter brought tears to my eyes. But mostly what made me sad is the complete and utter contrast with the so-called 'leadership' in America today.

I never met Lt Gen Moore but I can still follow where he led: "Never quit. There's always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favour."

I am the proud daughter of a Vietnam veteran. I am proud to be an American. And I will never quit.
#resist

Challenge 20: A Book "Everyone" But You Has Read

Donna's Book: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J K Rowling (Pottermore, 2015)

I've never got the Harry Potter craze.  I watched the films, reluctantly, mainly because Jackie Spencer and I were going on Pointless (BBC TV quiz show) and there had been a lot of Harry Potter-related questions during the time we were preparing for the show.  And I still didn't really get what all the fuss was about.  When I was preparing for this challenge, I asked all my friends what I should read and, pretty much unanimously, the answer was one of the Harry Potter books.  So here goes nothing ...

Comments:

Another confession.  I was as reluctant to read this book as I had been to watch the films, but a challenge accepted is a challenge accepted, so I didn't have much choice.  Plus, it was available for free via the Amazon Prime Kindle Library so I really didn't have any excuse. 

Within a couple of pages, though, I realised that I'd committed the cardinal sin.  I'd watched the film BEFORE I read the book!  Where as I'd never been grabbed by the film, within a couple of pages I was engrossed in the book.  It really is good!!  I'm sure I don't need to share any of the storyline - after all, 'everyone' but me seems to have read it!  But I really enjoyed it.  The story was entertaining and dramatic, the characters had depth, and the descriptions really fired the imagination. 

I'm still not sure that I totally get the Harry Potter craze, and I'm not sure that I'll read any more of the series ... but I might!  And I never thought I'd say that about the Harry Potter books.  So a good challenge, and a good recommendation from my friends!

Challenge 12: A Book with a Lion, a Witch or a Wardrobe

Donna's Book: "Our Zoo" by June Mottershead (Headline, 2014)

I wanted to avoid the obvious choice for this challenge (although I did read the complete Narnia chronicles when I was young) and this is yet another of the books on my bookshelves that I've never got around to reading.  And there is a lion in it!

I love Chester Zoo, and the hour that I spent listening to June Mottershead talk about this book and her childhood memories was one of the best hours of my life!  Sadly, she is no longer with us but as long as there is this book, a part of her will go on and on!

Comments:

Although this ended rather abruptly, when June got married, I may have felt like that because I wanted the book to go on and on.  It was full of June's wonderful memories of Chester Zoo, how it started and grew and prospered.  The tone was often very matter-of-fact, like growing up in a zoo is something that everyone does!  But that just made the book more wonderful.  It makes you wonder why there was never another series of Our Zoo on TV, because there is a wealth of unused material in the book.  That alone makes this worth reading!

Challenge 11: A Book You Started but Never Finished

Donna's Book: "Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy: A True Story of Discovery, Acting, Health, Illness, Recovery, and Life" by Dirk Benedict (Square One Publishers, 1987)

As with the book I chose for the previous challenge, I bought this because I was going to a signing event with Dirk Benedict and wanted a signed copy.  I meant to read it all before I went to the event, but got slightly distracted by Page 13.  It took me quite a while to get passed page 13!!  And so I never finished it.  I will do so for this challenge!

Comments:

I loved this! The overall message seems to be that there's no point trying to search for the meaning of life or of living your life according to some code or another. There is no code; it's just about you. But it's also about consequences. However you choose to live your life will have consequences for you and for the world around you. Accept those, and you've pretty much got it.

The other reason I liked this is because it shows Dirk's intelligence, depth and insight. He's not the cardboard cutout, two-dimensional characters that you sometimes see him portray on the screen, but much more than that. Someone that I'd like to get to know for HIM!


Oh, and page 13. Definitely worth reading for page 13!!

Challenge 10: A Book Set Somewhere You've Always Wanted To Visit

Donna's book: "And Then We Went Fishing: A Story of Fatherhood, Fate and Forgiveness" by Dirk Benedict (Square One Publishers 1995)

I bought this ages ago because I was going to an event where Dirk Benedict would be signing and I wanted a signed copy, but I never got round to reading it.  Half if it is set in Montana, which is one of the states in the US that I have yet to visit.  I've got a 'bucket list' goal to visit every American state (33 down, 17 to go) and so I thought this would fit nicely into Challenge 10.  Besides that, I'm going to another signing event with Dirk, and I wanted to be able to tell him that I had actually read his book this time!

Comments:

This is a truly beautiful book. I can't remember the last time that I read a book from start to finish in one sitting, but I couldn't put this down. Without giving anything away, the intertwining and juxtaposition of two momentous events in Dirk Benedict's life, builds to a climax that is breathtaking, and both heartbreaking and heart warming. Think you now Dirk Benedict? Unless you read this book, you don't, and you never can.  It's now nearly two weeks since I finished reading this, and it is still touching my soul.  I think that it always will.

Challenge 9: A Book With A Colour In The Title

Donna's book: "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House: Humor, Blunders, and Other Oddities from the Presidential Campaign Trail" by Charles Osgood (Hachette Books, 2008)

OK, I admit that I might have cheated slightly with the theme for this challenge, but white is definitely a colour!  Given the upcoming presidential election, and all the hatred that it seems to have generated, I thought that something that put the humour back into American elections might be just the tonic!

Comments:

This was such a disappointment.  It felt like Osgood got bored half way through writing this and lost interest.  There are some funny quotes but many of them needed more context or explanation to show why they'd been included.  There was a very basic summary of the themes for each election that provided a reasonably good overview but, as I often say to students, this reads more like a final draft than the finished product.

Challenge 8: A Book At The Bottom Of Your "To Be Read" Pile

Donna's Book: "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: Travels Through my Childhood" by Bill Bryson (Transworld, 2010)

I confess.  I just want to read some more Bryson.  But I got this book back in 2010 when it first came out and I've never got around to reading it, so I think it fits well enough into this challenge.  Bill Bryson writes with both intelligence and humour, and he is the perfect antidote to the madness-that-is-end-of-year-marking!

Comments:

I finished reading this ages ago, but the end-of-year-marking madness, and then the trying-to-write-as-much-as-possible-for-the-new-book-over-the-summer madness rather took over!  As always, Bill is wonderful and I recommend this to anyone who wants a nostalgic, humorous and insightful look back at the 1950s.  In telling the story of his own growing up, he also tells the story of the way that America 'grew up.'  As such, I realised that while I was reading this, I was actually 'at work.'  This will be added to the list of recommended reading for my students who study cultural changes in the US during the Cold War.  I recommend it to you too!

Challenge 7: A Book By An Author You Love

Donna's Book: "The Road to Little Dribbling" by Bill Bryson (Transworld Publishers, 2015)

It wasn't hard for me to pick a book for this challenge.  I've always loved Bill Bryson's books and I've got about three that I haven't read so this challenge is the ideal opportunity to finally getting aroud to reading at least one of them!  I have to confess that I've already read the first few pages, and I laughed out loud at every single one of them.  I'm really looking forward to the next month!

Comments:

Because of the annual madness-that-is-end-of-year-marking, I had a feeling that I'd get a bit behind with the reading challenge, but that just means that I had longer to be entertained by Bill Bryson.  I'd post my favourite quotes from the book here, but that would mean that I'd had to type out virtually the whole book!  (And besides the time that would take, there is a teensy problem with copyright infringement if I do that.)  Suffice to say that I laughed out loud at virtually every page.  Mr Bryson has not lost his keen observational skills, or his comic touch in describing what he's seen and done.  This is brilliant from start to finish.  Do yourself a favour.  Read this book!!

Challenge 6: A Book By An Author That You've Never Read Before

Donna's Book: "A Wilder Rose" by Susan Wittig Albert (Persevero Press, 2013)

I grew up reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's series of "Little House" books, and then relived all of them through the TV series.  I'm proud to say that I read the books first though.  So, when I came across this book, it had to go on my reading list.  It's a fictionalised account of the relationship between Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter, Rose, as they worked to publish the Little House books against the backdrop of the Great Depression.  Although Susan Albert declares it to be a work of fiction, it's based upon letters and private papers and so will also be biographical.  I'm hoping that this will make them very similar to the Little House series and will continue Laura's story told in her original series.

Comments:

I really loved this!  Although it's hard to always remember that this is a work of fiction, that may be because I wanted so much for it to be true.  The characters seem so real, with Albert bringing the letters and documents upon which this book is based truly to life.  What was so great is that the Laura in this book came across as a real human being, with all the flaws and frailties that humans have, rather than as a fictionalised heroine.  I think that, in reading this, I finally found the real Laura; the Laura that I was hoping to find.

The main storyline addressed the debate that has arisen in recent years over who was the true author of the Little House books -- whether it was Laura, or whether it was Rose.  Not having read anything on that subject, it's easy to be convinced by Albert's argument.  However, I'm not sure that it really matters to me who actually wrote the books.  They were written; that's enough for me.  What I found much more interesting was the way that this book delved into the relationship between a mother and her only child; how Rose clearly adored her mother and the conflict she felt between wanting to do everything that she could for her mother while at the same time living her own life.  If Rose sacrificed to write the Little House books, as Albert seemed to imply, then I got the impression that it was a sacrifice that Rose never, ever regretted.  To me, a greater understanding of that mother/daughter relationship is the real gem of this book.

Challenge 5: A Book Published This Year

Donna's Book - "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" by Alan Dean Foster (Century, 2016)

As it's only January 22, I thought that choosing a book published in 2016 was a bit of a challenge but not only did I find one that has an official publication date of January 1, it also is one that I've been dying to read since December 17 last year!

I chose this book because I read the novelisations of the original Star Wars films back in the 1970s and 1980s, and they added so much depth and dimension to the storylines that they made me enjoy the films even more.  In fact, that may be why I love them so much, and have loved them for so long.  And yes, I admit that the main reason why I read the book of "The Return of the Jedi" was because it came out before the film and I couldn't wait any longer to find out who Yoda meant when he said "there is another Skywalker."

I absolutely loved the film of The Force Awakens, and I'm hoping that reading the book will have the same effect as in the past, and I'll end up loving it even more.  We shall see ...


Comments:

WARNING!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!

If you haven't seen "The Force Awakens" then read on at your peril.  There will be spoilers.  However, I hope that enough time has passed that nearly everyone will have seen the film who wanted to.

If you're a reader, and you loved the films, then this book is a must!  It adds depth to the storyline of the movies, and helped to fill in some of the gaps.  For example, right at the start there's an explanation as to why the happy ending at the end of the "The Return of the Jedi" didn't last, and how the First Order was able to rise and gain popularity and support.  Without solving the "who is Rey" debate, there are some tasty clues -- my favourite being Ren's gasp of "it is her!" during the epic lightsabre battle in the snow.

As I read on and on through the book, and got nearer and nearer to "that" moment, I got more and more nervous.  I think that's to the credit of Alan Dean Foster as well as the sheer emotion of what I knew was coming.  The writing was beautiful and really captured the depth and emotion of all the characters.  When Han and Leia shared one last look, when Han and Chewie looked at each other before Han stepped out to face his son, and when Han reached to take the lightsabre from Ben -- all three descriptions were almost too painful to bear.  If anything, I thought the book was even more emotional and sad than the film had been.  Sometimes adding depth to celluloid images is not easy to take!

Overall, then, a great read that really added an extra dimension to the movie.  I'm already looking forward to the novelisation of Star Wars VIII!

Challenge 4 - A Book Your Friend Loves

Donna's Book: "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens 

(1843)
(Project Gutenberg E-Book, FREE, so no excuse)

For this challenge, I asked several friends for recommendations and ended up with a great list.  One of the suggestions, though was this book and, as I was reading over Christmas for this challenge, and as I'd never read the original book -- and just seen various versions of the film -- I felt like I should choose this one.

Comments:

I'm sure that there isn't anyone who doesn't know the story, but no matter how many film versions you've seen, there is absolutely no excuse (in my opinion) for not reading the book.  The original books are always best, and I wondered if that would hold true for A Christmas Carol, especially given how long ago it was written.

Well, of course it goes!  Books are always best.  But I admit that I will still be watching "The Muppet Christmas Carol" next Christmas Eve.  However, what really struck me was how the script to Muppet Christmas Carol follows the text of the book so closely, which is probably why Charles Dickens receives credit for the movie on IMDB!  Sometimes, you just can't improve on the original!

Seriously.  If you've never read the book then, along with watching your preferred version of the film next Christmas, give yourself a treat and read the book too.  

Challenge 3: A Book You Pick Solely Because of its Cover

Donna's Book: "Stranger Child" by Rachel Abbot (Black Dot Publishing, 2015)

I get an email from amazon every day advertisng various deals on kindle books.  I usually delete them straight away, but this one caught my attention -- possibly because of the pink tinge!  But also because of the haunted expression on the girl's face, and the title intrigued me too.  I know nothing about the author or about this book other than I like the cover.  Let's find out more ...

Comments

I enjoyed this!  I can't talk about the plot too much because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.  There are numerous twists and turns, but never so many that it gets confusing, and enough to keep you turning the pages.  I thought I'd figured out the main twist at the end as I was reading, but I hadn't!  And it's begging for a sequel, or at least an epilogue.  It kept me interested, and engaged, and was written well and with intelligence.  If you like a good mystery/thriller, then this is worth a read.

Challenge 2: A Book That Was Made Into a Movie

Donna's Book: "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett (Fig Tree/Penguin, 2009)

I've been meaning to watch this film ever since one of the students in my 'Black America' history class talked about it during a class discussion.  I still will try to watch the film sometime, but it's a always a good idea to read the book first!

I have a feeling that I will either love this book or give up halfway through.  We shall find out which it is over the next month!

Comments:

And the answer to that question is that I loved it!

This is a truly amazing book and I would recommend it to everyone.  It deals with the sensitive issue of race relations in Mississippi in 1963 but from the point of view of the women, both black and white, who were all, in their own ways, prisoners of the time and place in which they lived.  At times this book is utterly heart-breaking and I could almost taste the terror that the women felt as they prepared to publish their stories.  However, their strength shines through and, without wishing to give away the end or the twists and turns to the plot, ultimately this is a very positive tale.

What is most striking though is the simplicity of the women's stories.  The public image of Civil Rights is of marches, speeches, legislation, sit-ins, grand public events.  What "The Help" shows, though is the way that simple acts of kindness and caring, and touching the heart of a child can also change the world.

Once I started reading The Help, I couldn't put it down and, perhaps the best compliment I can pay is that I want to read MORE.  I want to know more about the lives of these women.

The challenge this month was a book that had been made into a film.  I haven't seen the film yet, and I don't know if I want to.  Can a film do justice to the warmth and depth of the characters that shines through on every one of the book's pages?  I don't know if I want to risk finding out!

Challenge 1: A Book You Own but Haven't Read

Donna's Book: "A Full Life: Reflections at 90" by Jimmy Carter (Simon & Schuster, 2015)

Reasons for choice:
When I was an exchange student at Georgetown University in 1995/6, I took a class on American foreign policy.  The professor, Dr Q, gave a lecture on Carter's presidency and talked about how he'd ignored the Cold War when formulating his foreign policy and it absolutely fascinated me.  I wanted to learn everything that I could about Jimmy after that.  I wrote my PhD on his foreign policy towards the Horn of Africa and published my first book on that subject.  Without Jimmy Carter, I wouldn't be where I am today: I wouldn't have the career that I have and I wouldn't have the life that I have.  But besides that, I think he's a really amazing man.  He works constantly to make the world a better place, and even though he's battling cancer he's still working for that same cause.  He is my inspiration and I adore him.  And that's why I want to read his latest book.

Comments:

Having read this book, in which Jimmy Carter reflects on his ninety years of life, I feel more like I've had a conversation with him rather then having spent a few hours reading about him.  Jimmy has packed so much into his life that it would have been impossible for him to go into any detail and there seems to be a basic assumption that most readers would already know much of what happened.  The sections on the presidential years read more like a series of lists of what was accomplished -- which is far more than most critics would give him credit for -- and what still remained to be done.  Even with the latter, the foundations laid by Carter were far-reading and widespread and many subsequent presidents too credit for achievements that were not theirs alone.  But what this book did for me was make me feel like I knew Jimmy-the-man a little better.  His memories of his childhood were endearing but probably shocking to the average childhood, even in the rural south, today!  His attitude and approach to his life was, if anything, a bit daunting.  This man was clearly a force of nature ... but maybe that's the reason why achieved as much as he did, and why the Carter Center has the recognition and the reputation that it does.

Carter's honesty was also refreshing, especially when he talked about his relationship with his beloved Rosalynn.  At times I was left wondering why she put up with him, but then I'd turn a page and read some more, and I realised why she did.  And why he cherishes her so.

Perhaps the hardest section to read was when Jimmy was discussing his family medical history and the deaths, at relatively young ages, of his father, brother and sisters from pancreatic cancer.  At the time of writing, Carter explained that he was being regularly monitored for signs of the disease but was still in good health.  As we all know, that has since changed and his rather stark assessment that, should he develop the disease and it spread to other vital organs, his life expectancy would likely only be a few months was, given his current health condition, chilling.

Having read this book, though, and learned more about Carter-the-man, I know that Carter is not dwelling on that but instead is focusing on what needs to be done today.  Carter has LIVED every one of his ninety-one years and, if nothing else, his "Reflections at Ninety" proves that.

It also proves that the world would have been a much poorer place without Jimmy Carter. And I know that my life would too.