REVIEW: Under The Naga Tail by Mae Bunseng Taing with James Taing

I have always heard about the Cambodian Genocide, but this book really brought it to life. The first hand account of a Chinese-Cambodian family fleeing from the Khmer Rouge showed what terrible things we do to each other as well as a person's ability to keep hope when there seemingly is no reason to.

This is a true story written from the perspective of Mae with help from his son James. Mae faces many harrowing situations at the hands of the Khmer Rouge all while being nearly starved to death. This is not an easy story to read, but it is an important one. I highly recommend this book.

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review through The Library Thing Early Reviewers Program.

REVIEW: And Poison Fell From the Sky by Marie Therese Martin

Earth Day is this month, although I think we are all figuring out every day should be Earth Day by now right? Either way I was happy to have a copy of Marie Therese Martin’s And Poison Fell From the Sky from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program to read this month.

This memoir by Marie Therese Martin detailed her life growing up and raising a family in Maine’s Cancer Valley. She really drives home the fact that our tendency is to ignore the truth when it will impact our paycheck.

I think this book is successful because it’s not preachy. Martin understands what it’s like to live in a mill town dependent on polluting wages. She has lived through controlling relationships of all types, and brings a unique perspective to he pollution poisoning her town and many others.

On My Nightstand March 5, 2023

Happy weekend! I had a great week. I took a day off and took myself on a field trip to the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall. It’s been a long time (like 20 years) since I spent a day wandering through museums by myself like that. I went specifically to see a certain bookish display, and I’ll post more about that later this week.

This week it’s back to normal working for the man and reading as much as possible!

Have a great week everyone.

What’s on my nightstand this week:

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King -- I’m re-reading this series in anticipation of Stephen King’s new book Holly which is coming out in September.

Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck -- I read and loved this at the suggestion of a friend a few years ago. John Steinbeck is our Author A Month on Litsy this month, and I’m looking forward to re-reading this one.

A Corpse in the Koryo -- This is for my work book club, and it’s actually not bad! Work book club can be hit or miss.

Quote of the Week:

I’ve found that while a grilled cheese won’t solve my problems for me, it makes them a bit easier to manage.

From Rivals by Katherine McGee

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This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Non-Fiction November Wrap Up

What is Nonfiction November? It’s a challenge to read as much nonfiction as possible in the month of November. I track my challenge results on Litsy, but I’m sure it’s done elsewhere as well.

Non-fiction November was really successful for me this year. After not really liking anything I read in October (I didn’t even bother with a reading wrap up), November showed up in a big way.

Here are my top 5 2022 Nonfiction November reads:
(In no particular order…)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - Wow, why did I wait so long to read this book? I have so many feelings after reading this. I‘m sure there has been a lot written about this amazing book so I won‘t even try, but I am so glad this book is now in my life.

Dear Bob and Sue by Matt and Karen Smith - In this travel memoir couple Matt and Karen write about the time they quit their jobs to visit all of the National Parks. At first they upset me because they didn‘t properly appreciate Cuyahoga National Park (a favorite) but they eventually grew on me. Their travel was interesting but approachable, and I liked that they seemed to keep a budget in mind most of the time.

Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan - I loved what she had to say about grief and parenthood. This book was well worth reading.

Agatha Christie An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley - I absolutely loved this book. Lucy Worsley did an excellent job of making Agatha Christie come to life. I‘ve only read a few Christie books, and liked not loved them so don‘t let that hold you back from reading this biography!

We Had A Little Real Estate Problem by Kliph Nesteroff - This history of Native American comedians was so interesting. I meant to read this last year, and am so glad I finally got to it this year. This was heavier than you might expect a book about comedy to be, but so informative.

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Food and Lit: the Philippines

December’s country for #FoodandLit was the Philippines. December wasn’t a great month for trying new recipes. The holidays plus my busiest few weeks at work just don’t give me a lot of spare time or days to experiment. I did find a great cookbook at the library though (The Food and Cooking of Indonesia and the Philippines), and tried a delicious mango and lime drink.

I didn’t read a book set in the Philippines, but I did devour Dear America by Jose Antonio Vargas. This book brought the immigration process to life like no other book I’ve ever read. This should be required reading.

I’m excited to continue #FoodandLit in 2022. Next up is Egypt!

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Non-Fiction November

Of all the challenges I do each year #NonfictionNovember is one of my favorites. It’s low key and casual, and keeps my brain awake during a season where all I really want to do is sleep. Here’s what I read for the challenge this year.

Four Star Reads

A Promised Land by Barack Obama - The audiobook was great. I appreciated the care and deliberation President Obama seemed to put into each decision he outlined in the book. To be honest after everything we‘ve been through since March 2020 I was kind of nostalgic for some of the crises he talked about here. I can‘t wait for volume 2.

The Five by Hallie Rubenhold - A in depth look at Jack The Ripper’s victims. This was such a fascinating book. I really appreciated how it gave voice to the previously voiceless.

The Third Pole by Mark Synnott - I really enjoyed this memoir of a 2019 Everest climb combined with the history of the Mallory/Irvine climb post WWI. If you like Everest books this one is worth the read even if it seems like you‘ve read enough books about Mallory.

Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar - This is a great book that not enough people know about. It‘s about a group of students who died in the Ural Mountains in Russia in the 1950‘s. Recommend for fans of Serial and Into Thin Air.

The New Wild West by Blaire Briody - During the oil boom years in Williston, ND Blaire Briody immersed herself in the everyday lives of oil workers and their families. This was a great book.

Three Stars

Big Girls Don't Cry by Rebecca Traister - This book brought me right back to the 2008 election and all of the mess that went down against women in the US election. I would love to see an update.

Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell - I had it on my mental to-do list to learn more about the history of Hawaii this year, and this was an entertaining way to do it.

Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt - I‘m not even sure what I just read, but I enjoyed it, and I really want to travel to Savannah. This was billed as true crime. If even half of it is true it‘s a great story.

The Misfit Economy by Alexa Clay and Kyra Maya Phillips - This book examines how modern day Pirates and hackers operate, and the lessons we can learn from them. It was a quick read with some interesting parts, but I wish it had more substance.

Food And Lit: Zambia

October’s Food and Lit country was Zambia. This one was a challenge, but I ended up finding a delicious okra and green bean stir fry that I happily ate for lunch all last week. This recipe will be a repeat.

I also read Scribbling The Cat by Alexandra Fuller. I had such mixed feelings about this book. It’s a non-fiction account from when Alexandra visited her parents in Zambia and met K, a troubled African soldier. Parts were poignant, parts were delightfully daffy, parts were gruesome, and other parts just went on forever. I’m not sorry I read it, but I’m not sure I’d recommend it either.

Next month we visit Mexico.

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Food And Lit June: Russia

June was a really busy month for me with school ending, and all of my kids’ activities suddenly wanting to have an end of year party JUST BECAUSE WE SUDDENLY COULD. So I did a lot of cupcake baking instead of experimenting with Russian food.

Russian food sounded surprisingly excellent judging from the cookbook Please to the Table by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman. I was able to try two recipes- mushroom caviar and the herb omelette. Both were good although there were grumbles at the table about green eggs for dinner. Something along the lines of I am glad I’m a kid in America not Russia.

This cookbook also had some fabulous sounding sweets and bread that I’m dying to try. Just because things are opening up again does not mean we should abandon the restaurant appropriate quantities of yeast we purchased last year, my friends! Just as soon as the heat index goes back below 90 degrees that is.

Russian Reading

I did slightly better on the lit part of Russian Food and Lit. I read three books and liked them all.

Mud and Stars by Sara Wheeler - This was part travelogue, part Russian literature review, and part food diary. I wasn‘t sure if I would follow it because I‘m not a Russian literature expert, but I enjoyed it quite a bit despite my reservations. Sara Wheeler has a dry sense of humor, and a spirit of adventure that I like.

Stalin's Daughter by Rosemary Sullivan - This chunkster was a fascinating look at the life of Svetlana Alliluyeva, a.k.a. Stalin‘s daughter. It took me all month to read, but it was worth the time.

A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles - This is my 4th time trying to read this, and I even thought about bailing again. Then I got to the end and wow, I want to read it again.

In July we’re on to Morocco. I’m super excited to be back in Northern Africa.

Past months of Food And Lit:

Israel

Ethiopia

Vietnam

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The 2021 Audie Award Finalists

I was introduced to The Audie Awards as a new book blogger and it’s become an obsession ever since. Starting in January I check the website over and over until the finalists are announced. Last Tuesday was the day I finally saw the list, and I am really excited to start listening my way through.

I was happy to see favorites Louise Penny and N.K. Jemisin get nods for two books I loved last year: All The Devils Are Here and The City We Became. I’m looking forward to checking out some of the short story collections, and I’m patiently waiting for my turn to listen to Barack Obama’s memoir on Libby. (Six months and counting.) But my very favorite category is History/Biography and I will listen to all of them by the end of the year.

The nominees are:

The Dead Are Arising by Les Payne and Tamara Payne, narrated by Dion Graham, published by Recorded Books

Deep Delta Justice by Matthew Van Meter, narrated by Brad Sanders, published by Hachette Audio

His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon Meacham, with an afterword by John Lewis, narrated by JD Jackson, published by Penguin Random House Audio

J.R.R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend by Colin Duriez, narrated by Simon Vance, published by Oasis Audio

Just Us: An American Conversation by Claudia Rankine, narrated by Janina Edwards, published by Audible Studios

The Lincoln Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch, narrated by Scott Brick, published by Macmillan Audio

I can’t wait!

The Best Audiobooks About Presidents

I love listening to audiobooks, and audiobooks about the presidents are some of my favorites. Here are some that I find myself recommending over and over. (I’ve included one VP and one alternate history here just because.)

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My Last Two Audie Award Reviews

I finished listening to all of the nominees for the 2020 History/Biography this month. Here are short reviews of the last two I listened to:

I loved the idea of this book- Theodore Roosevelt goes to court to save his legacy- but in practice this was really bogged down by all of the court transcripts. I wish Abrams had used his words to tell the story instead.

I absolutely loved this book when I read it in print, but then I was disappointed that the audio didn’t really add anything.

So there you have it. Blame 2020, but I didn’t love any of these nominees. I have high hopes for 2021 though!

[REVIEWS] 2020 Audie Awards - History and Biography

It’s one of my things to listen to all of the nominees from the History and Biography category of the Audie Awards to see if I agree with the winner. I listened to American Moonshot earlier this year, and this week I listened to two more.

The First Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer - I didn’t love this one, and I think it was because of the audio format. Personally when there are dates and names I need to remember I need to see them. I’m also just tired of learning about the Revolutionary War. I much prefer to listen to books about things I didn’t learn about in school.

The Queen by Josh Levin - This was a really interesting topic. Turns out the welfare queen that Ronald Regan vilified during his presidential campaign did things that were way worse than welfare fraud. I do wish Levin had gone more into the politics of the situation because I think these types of things are still happening today, and a tie in to current events would have enhanced the story.

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REVIEW: American Moonshot by Douglas Brinkley

American Moonshot is a different look at the space race than I’m used to. From World War II until the assassination of President Kennedy so many things had to come together in order to give the moon landing momentum, and this book is a very detailed and interesting look at them. I’ve read many, many books about NASA in the 60’s, but never one that looked at the behind the scenes politics in the way this one did.

Readers should be aware that the astronauts never make it to the moon in this book. It wraps up right around the time Kennedy was assassinated. I did enjoy learning about all of the back channel negotiations that took place in the early years of NASA, but missed the payoff of the successful moon landing. I would recommend this to any NASA fan.

One of my favorite things to do every year is to listen to all of the nominees of the Audie Awards history/biography category. This year’s nominees were:

American Moonshot by Douglas Brinkley Narrated by Stephen Graybill, published by HarperAudio
The First Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch, narrated by Scott Brick, published by Macmillan Audio
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep, narrated by Hillary Huber, published by Penguin Random House Audio
The Queen by Josh Levin, narrated by January LaVoy, published by Hachette Audio
Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense by Dan Abrams and David Fisher, narrated by Roger Wayne and Dan Abrams, published by Harlequin

REVIEW: In The Dark, Soft Earth by Frank Watson

In The Dark, Soft Earth by Frank Watson

I was thrilled to get a review copy of In The Dark, Soft Earth by Frank Watson from LibraryThing.

This collection bills itself as poetry of love, nature, spirituality, and dreams, and that’s exactly what you get. Frank Watson collection of mostly short poems transport you to another world, and the paintings that he paired with most poems are your ticket.

“on earth
we sometimes fly

in wind
we borrow wings

on sea
we sail or drown

and fire fuels it all

but in the pollution
of the elements

we burn”

— forture by Frank Watson

This stunning book is available on July 7th

Four Books You Should Read For National Poetry Month If You've Never Read Poetry Before

April is National Poetry Month!

Among other things April is National Poetry Month, and this year we need it more than ever. When my head is spinning from the news, and I feel like I can’t think after a long day of working, teaching, foraging for food that no one likes anyway, and generally acting as my family’s Corona Cruise Director I may not be able to curl up with a book, but I can always manage a poem. Poems have been my balm and my escape this month.

I’m not a natural born poetry reader. I only started a year or two ago when a book of poems was on some book challenge list I was trying to complete. Thank goodness for book challenges!

If you’d like to start reading poetry, but aren’t sure where to start try these five:

(Just a note- I usually don’t concern myself with how you get your books. I provide amazon links for information, knowing that very few people will ever buy on that site. (But I am very grateful when you do. Those little payments go towards paying fr my domain each year.) Because of the circumstances I did provide a little more information than usual about where you can get these books.)

The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur - These are poems about heartbreak and love. They’re lovely and relatable. (This is available for free on Kindle Unlimited)

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost - Most people have read poems by Robert Frost, but his genius goes way beyond The Road Not Taken. My favorite is Gathering Leaves, a celebration of a bountiful but mostly useless crop. The version I linked to is an old book from a relative’s college class, but there are many other versions available.

the princess saves herself in this one by Amanda Lovelace - Poems about fairy tales meets real life. So, so relatable and emotional. This one is only $.99 on Kindle right now.

Devotions by Mary Oliver - I’ve been reading a few of these poems each night before bed, and I think they’re perfect for this time of shrinking worlds. No, you can’t go on vacation, but there’s a whole world in the birds and trees right in your backyard. Devotions is a anthology of her best works, and a great introduction if you’ve never read Oliver before. I got this one from Libby trough my library.

Hang in there my friends!

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During Times of Crisis FDR Also Worked From Home

My daughter thought she could fool me into thinking she was working on her math

I’m sure I’m not alone in noticing how this crisis has brought out the best in some leaders and the absolute worst in some others. I was talking about it with a friend who has the complete opposite political views as me, and other than agreeing that Woodrow Wilson was no good the conversation didn’t get very far. So as usual I turned to a book.

The first page of this book is a layout of FDR’s second floor family quarters in the White House during WWII. Every room on that floor was filled with staff and friends, and right next to his bedroom FDR had a study where he could work from home. Since I’ve been struggling with telecommuting with a full family in the house, I wondered if I could pick up a few tips from FDR.

FDR Stuck To A Schedule

Every morning at 8 am Roosevelt started his day with breakfast in bed- oj, eggs, coffee, and toast. While he ate he prepped for the day by reading the papers. He then reviewed his schedule with his advisors.

FDR Knew What Worked For Him

FDR had a method that drove some of his generals crazy. He liked to solve problems through conflict. He called everyone by their first names from his butler to Winston Churchill. There was often confusion around FDR, but he knew what worked for him and he went with it.

Even When He Was Working Far Away From His Allies FDR Kept In Touch

Have you heard the phrase “Social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation.”? Roosevelt couldn’t travel as much as he would have liked due to his disabilities. Instead he relied upon his wife’s observations and regular communications with his contemporaries. He told Winston Churchill “I shall at times welcome it if you will keep me in touch personally with everything you want me to know about. You can always send me sealed letters through your pouch or my pouch.”

FDR Took Breaks

A big struggle for me is feeling like the work day never ends since my home office is also my dining room table. After about a week I realized working every minute I wasn’t helping the kids with school or cooking our meals wasn’t going to last. FDR kept a cocktail hour every day when talk of politics and war was banned. It was a time to rest and recharge. I don’t have the stamina to drink like FDR in the middle of the day, but a quiet hour with tea and a book helps me out a lot.

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Food For Thought: Invisible Women and the Current Crisis

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez is a deep dive into how we are analyzing data wrong when it comes to men and women. I listened to it last week, and was all up in arms about clinical trials not even looking at how drugs impact men vs women. I work with data for a living and we study things that are way, way lower risk that harmful drug interactions and we always look at the gender spllt.

Then my kids’ schools closed. And my office closed. And I’m here working more hours than usual and home schooling, and foraging for food (and toilet paper), and cleaning like a mad woman. And I wondered is anyone going to look at what this crisis is doing to women? Or will we keep on assuming that when it comes to data the default human is a man? Will the story of the corona virus tell the whole story?

If you are at home this month and need something to think about I highly recommend this book.

Memoirs Make Me Feel Icky

This week I read my latest Early Reviewers book from LibraryThing, Malnourished by Cinthia Ritchie. I had a lot of trouble with it, and I finished it with an overwhelming feeling of why. Why do people write with such detail about their lives? Am I the only one who jut feels icky about reading about a person’s really intimate history?

I was really happy to see an article in National Review that expressed a lot of my feelings better than I could. If you’re feeling icky about memoirs give it a read: Educated - Tara Westover Shares Too Much Too Soon.

Spring Fever Reading

This winter has not been bad at all, but I have spring fever and it shows in my reading.

It started with the house plants. On a nice day I re-potted all of my plants, and realized I now have way too many. The library to the rescue! I checked out Decorating With Plants by Baylor Chapman. I loved this book, and it has helped me spread my plants out around the house in a way that doesn’t make me look like a crazy plant lady.

I’ve also been cleaning out my freezer and re-filling it with healthy meals and ingredients. The library to the rescue again- The Make Ahead Sauce Solution by Elisabeth Bailey has been super helpful. I like that I’m just freezing the sauce, not the entire meal. It’s a great space saver.

I’ve also been trying to streamline my schedule and be more productive. 5-Minute Stress Relief by Elena Welsh had a ton of great tips for quieting my mind, and productively dealing with my stress (instead of looking at Twitter and feeling like the world is going to end.)

Happy Spring everyone!

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Non-Fiction November

I know I was just complaining about theme reading, and now here I’m talking about another monthly reading scheme I signed up for.

But, but, my TBR! I swear this will help.

This month I’m taking part in Non-Fiction November (hashtag #NFNov on Litsy.)

I have so many non-fiction books I have started, but haven’t finished. My planned stack is in the picture above, audio on top and paper on bottom. Plus I might have one or two saved to the kindle app on my phone.

Anyone else taking part in Non-Fiction November?

You might also like:

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