Let's take a moment for me to orient you to what's here
On the pages linked to this one there are dozens of book reviews.
To make finding what will interest you easier, I've given you two browsing pages (the Book Shelves) -- one for fiction, the other for non-fiction. If you hover your cursor over the title, my rating of the book appears. Then there are two pages of reviews (right .... one for fiction, one for non-fiction). I've arranged all the books in each category in alphabetical order by author.
I approach my book reviews from the perspective of my subjective experience of reading the book. There is a bit of a synopsis of the book there too, but you will figure out how I feel about it.
Here are the links:
Fiction Bookshelf
Non-Fiction Bookshelf
Fiction Reviews
Non-Fiction Reviews
But that's not all that's here on these pages. Immediately below is a review of my most recent read. Below that is the title of the book I am currently reading.
And then we get to my faves. There is a memoir I really recommend (and a couple of other memoirs too). Then there are my top picks for each of the fiction and non-fiction categories. Finally, there's an interesting grouping of four books that have helped me come to terms with a perplexing social/ political issue.
To make finding what will interest you easier, I've given you two browsing pages (the Book Shelves) -- one for fiction, the other for non-fiction. If you hover your cursor over the title, my rating of the book appears. Then there are two pages of reviews (right .... one for fiction, one for non-fiction). I've arranged all the books in each category in alphabetical order by author.
I approach my book reviews from the perspective of my subjective experience of reading the book. There is a bit of a synopsis of the book there too, but you will figure out how I feel about it.
Here are the links:
Fiction Bookshelf
Non-Fiction Bookshelf
Fiction Reviews
Non-Fiction Reviews
But that's not all that's here on these pages. Immediately below is a review of my most recent read. Below that is the title of the book I am currently reading.
And then we get to my faves. There is a memoir I really recommend (and a couple of other memoirs too). Then there are my top picks for each of the fiction and non-fiction categories. Finally, there's an interesting grouping of four books that have helped me come to terms with a perplexing social/ political issue.
CRUMMEY, Michael
Sweetland
★★★★☆
Sweetland is the surname of this novel’s protagonist as well as the name of the small island on which the story is set. The island Sweetland is sweet to him, in fact he cannot imagine ever living anywhere else. On the other hand it is a harsh existence for Moses Sweetland and the handful of other folk living there, a rather diverse, enmeshed, and unconventional cast of characters. Daily life is suspended between the lighthouse and the government wharf, backing onto hard rock and a tangle of vegetation, and then extending out onto the sea.
Sweetland, the island located off the south coast of Newfoundland, is at the mercy of the North Atlantic with its wild waves and brutal storms.
The government had provided a ferry between Newfoundland and Sweetland, but it became no longer viable given the small population of the island. A generous offer of grants was made to all the residents for relocation and compensation so the ferry could be cancelled. However, it required all the inhabitants of Sweetland to sign on. Moses Sweetland becomes the last hold out, much to the chagrin of, and continuing pressure from, all the others who want to take the package and start life elsewhere.
As a novel Sweetland challenges us with what it means to be forced out of our comfort zone, how to cope with an impossible but incontestable requirement placed upon us. We must draw deep into our own resources and our personal sense of meaning to cope. Moses Sweetland faces this challenge with more strength, endurance and practical skills than good judgment. In the end the struggle yields more loss than gain.
As a novel Sweetland also takes us to an unique geography, providing a sense of the life, natural history and perils involved with life in this distant Canadian province. My curiosity was satisfied, at least from the perspective of what it is like well off the beaten path.
I suspect Moses Sweetland will stay in my mind after closing the cover of this book. He remains the epitome of stubbornness and independence which makes him both hard to abide and hard to ignore. As difficult as this story is, one is left hoping there is something of the Moses Sweetland in us all.
Sweetland, the island located off the south coast of Newfoundland, is at the mercy of the North Atlantic with its wild waves and brutal storms.
The government had provided a ferry between Newfoundland and Sweetland, but it became no longer viable given the small population of the island. A generous offer of grants was made to all the residents for relocation and compensation so the ferry could be cancelled. However, it required all the inhabitants of Sweetland to sign on. Moses Sweetland becomes the last hold out, much to the chagrin of, and continuing pressure from, all the others who want to take the package and start life elsewhere.
As a novel Sweetland challenges us with what it means to be forced out of our comfort zone, how to cope with an impossible but incontestable requirement placed upon us. We must draw deep into our own resources and our personal sense of meaning to cope. Moses Sweetland faces this challenge with more strength, endurance and practical skills than good judgment. In the end the struggle yields more loss than gain.
As a novel Sweetland also takes us to an unique geography, providing a sense of the life, natural history and perils involved with life in this distant Canadian province. My curiosity was satisfied, at least from the perspective of what it is like well off the beaten path.
I suspect Moses Sweetland will stay in my mind after closing the cover of this book. He remains the epitome of stubbornness and independence which makes him both hard to abide and hard to ignore. As difficult as this story is, one is left hoping there is something of the Moses Sweetland in us all.
What I'm currently reading
A highly recommended memoir.
The Dark Threads (★★★★★) is a memoir of an unnecessary and traumatic journey of a young woman through the mental health treatment system. I have the privilege of getting to know this author (we met on Twitter no less!). We are beta-readers for each other and email pals with daily correspondence. Her memoir depicts psychiatric diagnosis and treatment at it's worse. It is horrifying to read. But she has survived.
I have also pictured below a couple of other memoirs which I really enjoyed.
I have also pictured below a couple of other memoirs which I really enjoyed.
And some other fascinating memoirs...
My Fiction Faves
You can find the reviews for these books with the other fiction reviews through this link
My Non-Fiction Faves
You can find the reviews for these books with the other non- fiction reviews through this link.
Timely reads ...
Our recent global politics have undergone a radical shift as strong-men leaders of powerful countries have imposed their might in an effort to take control over vulnerable neighbouring states. Two non-fiction books examine this trend. The third book in this collection is a novel set in Prague in 1968 which provides a subjective account of what citizens living in the state overtaken experience.
A final thought ...
While I worked as a psychologist I didn't have the time or mental energy to read. The books reviewed on the following pages have come into my life over the last six years. I've found myself expanded by them in understanding the human condition and the context in which we explore our subjective experience of living the life we have. I hope you will find here the books that will do that for you too.