Review: Blonde

I've got very mixed feelings about Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates. It was a really interesting look at Marilyn Monroe, and it really made her a hugely sympathetic figure (and made you not really like a lot of the people around her). On the other hand, I wasn't crazy about the writing style, which made it hard for me to love the story in the way that I wanted to. It was almost but not quite there for me.

This is a fictionalized telling of Monroe's life, although it seems to hew pretty closely, at least in the broad strokes. Names are changed for many of the characters, but it's pretty obvious who they are. I have a biography on my to read very soon list to help me sort out what is fact and what is rumor in this book, which I think will help.

The thing that is either a strong pro or con of this book, depending on whether you like it, (for me it was a mix) is that parts of the book seem to be an internal monologue of Monroe's, or at last form her perspective, which makes for a jumbled (not to mention unreliable) narration. The pro is that this really adds to the atmosphere of the book and the sympathy you feel for Monroe - this version of her, at least, is clearly ill. On the other hand, though, at least for me it made for an at times unpleasant reading experience. It also made it hard to tell at times what was "real" and what was in Monroe's head or imagination or dreams.

The real strength of this book is the emotional reaction of the reader - you really feel for Monroe and are disgusted at what can only be called exploitation by many of the people around her. You definitely end up feeling like she really never had a chance, and understanding how she ended as she did.

I'll be really curious to see how this squares with a biography of her. While it really wasn't to my taste from a writing style perspective, it was a powerful book and I can see why it was a National Book Award finalist. While it was not my favorite, it's something I could easily recommend to others, which is not something you can say every day.

Review: Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are

I was lucky enough to hear media literacy guru Julie Nilsson Smith speak at a recent conference, and she recommended Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, which sounded really interesting and relevant to a project I am working on, so I had to run out and buy it. I am glad I did!

This book didn't tell me much I didn't already know in an abstract way, but it did give some really concrete and eye opening examples. And some of the data was just plain fascinating. And, he didn't stick only to internet data. For example, he discusses how data sets were used in the decision to purchase race horse American Pharoah.

Stephens-Davidowitz, a former Google data scientist, spends a lot of time talking about internet data, particularly from Google, but also from Facebook and other providers like PornHub (yup, he talks a lot about sex). 

Overall this book was very fascinating, but it's purpose really goes beyond that. We all need to understand how our data is collected and used, and what it tells the world about us - both in good and bad ways. We all share an awful lot of data about ourselves without even realizing it; it's hard not to these days. But we should at least be aware of it and be thoughtful about when and how we do it. 

Stephens-Davidowitz does have a short chapter at the end that deals with the ethical implications of this information, but I think this issue really could have used a more in-depth discussion and been a more prominent part of his book. 

Despite that, I still think this book can be a great educational tool (which is part of why I read it). First, it helps educators be more aware of what is going on. But more importantly, I think it can be used as an educational tool with students directly. For older students, it could be assigned as a course reading, or parts of it could. Even with younger students, using some of his examples in a discussion or presentation adds interest and helps reinforce the point that we are sharing a lot of our personal data. 

It's also just plain interesting to think about how much data scientists and social scientists can learn about us as a species from these new forms of data, and you can see Stephens-Davidowitz's enthusiasm for this throughout the book. It certainly opens up a whole new world for researchers. 

Review: Red Poppies: A Novel of Tibet

I've been interested in Tibet for a while, so I grabbed Red Poppies, which discusses the period before the Tibetan incorporation into China. 

Ultimately, this book disappointed and frustrated me a little bit - I felt there were so many missed opportunities! It was overall lacking in detail and needed to be fleshed out and expanded on in many ways. I am not sure how much is due to losses in translation, but at almost every turn I felt like the plot and setting could have been so much more developed. 

For example, the Goodreads description for the book says "When the chieftain agrees to grow opium poppies with seeds supplied by the Chinese Nationalists in exchange for modern weapons, he draws Tibet into the opium trade -- and unwittingly plants the seeds for a downfall." This is true, to some extent. It does discuss the planting of the poppies and some of the negative effects that followed, but I wanted to know so much more. Did it lead to any problems with abuse or addiction in Tibet, as it did in China itself? Did the Tibetans understand exactly what it was they were growing? Exactly how manipulative was the relationship involved in bringing the poppies to Tibet? This could have been so interesting with just a little more detail, but it basically left me looking to see if there was another book I could read that would delve into this a little more. Ditto for the political situation.... I really would have liked the book to develop a better understanding of what was going on in Tibet at this time, the existing relationship with China, and why China ended up taking over Tibet. This is largely glossed over and/or left for the reader to sort of infer. 

Part of the issue, I think, was the narrator. He self identifies - and is identified by everyone else - as an "idiot," yet he has strange insights that lead the people around him (and the reader) to wonder if he really is an idiot. However, this "idiot" guise of the narrator also hampers the ability of that narrator to understand - and therefore explain to us - what is going on around him in any depth, and I think that really contributes to the shallowness of the overall discussion of the political situation. This may not bother other readers as much as it bothered me, as that is why I read historical fiction, and why I wanted to read a book about Tibet in particular. For similar reasons, I felt most of the characters were shallow and underdeveloped, probably in part because the narrator doesn't really understand the motivations of other people. 

However, it did reinforce the fact that Tibet is pretty interesting and worth reading about, and gave me some ideas for particular things about Tibet that I want to learn more about, particularly the role of the opium trade and the growth of trade between Tibet and China, and at times it was an interesting story. It's also a quick read, so it isn't a huge investment to get through. 

I think the book also has the virtue of being written by someone (an ethnic Tibetan, according to Amazon) who has a different perspective on events than an outsider might, so that is a strong mark in favor of giving it a read.

Review: Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

Spillover,  which I have been meaning to read for a long time, was one of those books where I was on the fence about starting it - will it be really interesting? Or really dry? I am happy to say this book was utterly fascinating. It may be the best non-fiction I read all year; I had a hard time putting it down at times, and I was always looking forward to picking it back up again. 

The book is a combination medical history of zoonotic diseases (diseases that spread from animals to people) and warning, as well as some musings on what the next big epidemic might be. (You can see why I thought it might be dry.)

The book tackles the history of diseases from Ebola, SARS, Hendra, AIDS, to influenza, with side tracks on other diseases like rabies, and it was utterly fascinating. I had no idea how much we actually know about the emergence of some of these diseases, particularly AIDS - right down to what animal it came from, where, and when. And Quammen's description how we figured this out was so interesting, at least for me. 

Quammen also manages to keep the book interesting without resorting to sensationalism (indeed, he takes a few swipes at Richard Preston's The Hot Zone {which I admit I enjoyed} for this reason along the way). He also doesn't forget the animals; the discussion of the impact Ebola has had on gorilla populations was something I had never heard of that was really interesting. 

This was narrative non-fiction done really well, and if you have any interest in medical history or the history of disease (AIDS and Ebola particularly) it's hard for me to recommend this book highly enough. 

If you're interested in updates with my new reviews, subscribe to "follow by email" in the upper right corner of my page. 

Stay tuned for reviews of:

• Red Poppies: A Novel of Tibet by Alai
• River God by Wilbur Smith
• Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates 
• Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
• Genghis Khan: His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy by Frank McLynn

Review: The Perfect Horse: The Daring US Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis

I actually finished The Perfect Horse a while ago and forgot to review it - ooops!

I will admit, this one took a while for me to get into, and it never became un-put-downable for me. I usually read multiple books at a time, and this one was never the first one I'd pick up when I sat down.

However, I definitely wouldn't say it was boring. The book has a lot of interesting history about the Lipizzaner and Arabian breeds and horse breeding in general. If you're not already familiar with the Lipizzaners, there are a lot of good YouTube videos of them in action that you may want to check out to help give you an appreciation of these horses.

As an animal lover, and someone who spent time around horses growing up, it was certainly heart wrenching to read about what the horses went through during WWII, and it was also a part of the war I've never really heard discussed, so it was interesting from that angle alone. And, if you're interested in horses, the history of the breeds is also pretty fascinating. There was also a healthy dose of military history in here, particularly with regard to the move away from use of horses in the cavalry, that I found interesting and I think would probably intrigue military buffs out there.

What was also interesting, at least to me, were the lengths that some of the men discussed in the book were willing to go to protect these horses, including in some cases risking their lives.  It also reminds the reader that no matter how strongly we disagree, sometimes it's necessary and worthwhile to set aside differences for a greater cause.

Overall, while this may not be my favorite book I've read so far this year, it was well worth reading and I can recommend it to anyone interested in horses, military history, or WWII.

Series Review: Phèdre's Trilogy by Jacqueline Carey

I am not even sure where to start here, other than to say that this has been one of my favorite reading experiences in recent years, if ever. I recently finished Phedre's trilogy, the first three in the Kushiel's Legacy series, by Jacqueline Carey.

First, the basics. The first trilogy is made up of Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, and Kushiel's Avatar. The trio wraps up in a way that you could easily quit there (in fact, I would argue that you could read Kushiel's Dart as a stand alone, if you really wanted to). If you want to continue on, though, you move on to Imriel's trilogy (Imriel is a character introduced in the last book of Phedre's trilogy).

Second, a disclaimer. As amazing as this series is for various reasons I will address in a minute, if you cannot handle (or enjoy a book the portrays) violent sex (sometimes consensual, sometimes not) and rape, or don't think you could enjoy a book that portrays it, this probably isn't the book for you. That said, the sex is generally furthering the plot - indeed, in the first book in particular, it's pretty central to the plot. It's not generally there for no reason. And, it's also portrayed through a character that is very empowering - she's no one's victim. So take all that into consideration before picking this book up.

All that being said, it took me a long time to pick up the first book for that reason. Here's the Amazon description for Kushiel's Dart:

A nation born of angels, vast and intricate and surrounded by danger... a woman born to servitude, unknowingly given access to the secrets of the realm... 

Born with a scarlet mote in her left eye, Phédre nó Delaunay is sold into indentured servitude as a child. When her bond is purchased by an enigmatic nobleman, she is trained in history, theology, politics, foreign languages, the arts of pleasure. And above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Exquisite courtesan, talented spy... and unlikely heroine. But when Phédre stumbles upon a plot that threatens her homeland, Terre d'Ange, she has no choice. 

Betrayed into captivity in the barbarous northland of Skaldia and accompanied only by a disdainful young warrior-priest, Phédre makes a harrowing escape and an even more harrowing journey to return to her people and deliver a warning of the impending invasion. And that proves only the first step in a quest that will take her to the edge of despair and beyond. 

Phédre nó Delaunay is the woman who holds the keys to her realm's deadly secrets, and whose courage will decide the very future of her world. 

Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart-a massive tale about the violent death of an old age and the birth of a new. It is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. A world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, deposed rulers and a besieged Queen, a warrior-priest, the Prince of Travelers, barbarian warlords, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess... all seen through the unflinching eyes of an unforgettable heroine.

Reading this, I was sort of expecting fantasy version of 50 Shades of Grey (I'm not at all bashing it, if it appeals to you, it's just not really an area I read much in), so I really didn't think I would like it. But it was on so many must read fantasy lists I stumbled across, though, so I eventually gave it a try. (Side note, I see it as a Kindle deal for $1.99 fairly regularly, so if you're really not sure, wait for it to go on sale. Or better yet, borrow it from a library.) I was wrong, and sorry I waited so long. Yes, there's a lot of sex, but as I mentioned above it's integral to and woven into the plot. And there is a lot more going on than sex.

Alright, now that I've told you all the reasons not to read the books, let me tell you why I loved them. They're chock full of political intrigue, interesting cultures and religions, and strong and interesting characters. In other words, they check all the boxes for me. They also have some great romance, if that interests you. If it doesn't (as it doesn't me, particularly), it doesn't detract from the story either.

The major protagonist and the major villain are both women (hurray!), and they are compelling and interesting women at that. As with George R. R. Martin's Petyr Baelish, I feel I'd really enjoy reading this same story again from the villain's point of view - I want to know what she is thinking and why she does the things that she does. The political intrigue here is top notch; there's spying, lying, back stabbing, intricate plots and pretty much everything you could want in political fantasy novel.

Also like Martin, Carey isn't afraid to kill off important characters we know well - although she's certainly not in Martin's league -  which adds to the tension and sense of urgency as you're reading. I won't say you can't guess what will happen - I think you can, especially in the last book - but you definitely can't be certain, and even if you guess some of the broad strokes, the details may surprise you.

The other really enjoyable thing here is the different cultures and settings. Phedre does a lot of traveling through all the books, exposing herself and the reader to lots of different cultures - everything from a nation reminiscent of ancient Egypt to a snowy mountain setting that might remind you of Beyond the Wall in Game of Thrones.

I feel I'm making too many GOT parallels here, but it definitely did remind me of the political intrigue and world building of GRRM, yet Carey has absolutely created her own world here. If you're wondering where's the magic? it is subtle. Again like GRRM, this is fantasy where the fantasy doesn't predominate - it's a part of the plot but not the plot. Here the primary fantasy element is that it clearly isn't our world (at least as it exists now), and that the Gods are very much considered to be/have been real people, and they are very much drivers in Phedre's personal story and journey.

Overall if you like strong world building and political intrigue, I really think you'll love this trilogy
it's already in my pile of things to re-read, and I've also already bought Imriel's trilogy. It far surpassed my expectations, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Review: The Seven Wonders

Having previously read Steven Saylor's Roma and Empire, I have been looking forward to picking up his Gordianus the Finder series for a while.

My understanding is that there are two ways to read this series; one is to stick to the core books, known as the Roma Sub Rosa series, starting with Roman Blood. The other is to start with the Ancient World series, which is sort of a prequel series to the Roma Sub Rosa books, the first of which is The Seven Wonders. I decided to start there, in part because I like to follow books chronologically, but also because I was really interested in the idea of a tour of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Colossus of Rhodes,
by gravure sur bois
de Sidney Barclay, c. 1880

I loved the history here; the book is set up as a world tour by Gordianus and his teacher, Antipater of Sidon. Antipater explains the history of each wonder as they stop, which is a great way to organically fill the reader in on the history, which was often fascinating. I also felt it was a good amount of detail; enough to be immersive and set up the history of the wonder, but not so much as to bog the reader down.

I also loved the variety of settings, as it kept the whole book interesting and engaging for me. We toured not only the various wonders, but the cultures and locales in which they are set as well, and I love learning about different cultures and eras.

The only thing I wasn't crazy about with this book was the fact that it was set up almost as a series of short stories, with a climax for each section. The primary series, Roma Sub Rosa is (as I understand it) basically an ancient mystery series, with Gordianus as an ancient detective. This, as a prequel series, is intended to show us how he got his start, which makes sense. However, I think I personally would have preferred that he focus on just the overarching mystery that runs throughout the whole book; the small mysteries in each location just felt a little contrived to me.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Ferdinand Knab, c. 1886

Gordianus just happens to stumble upon a mystery at every place they stop? It just didn't feel organic to me. I think the other reason this may have not really worked for me was precisely because so far I've only read Roma and Empire, which also have a bit of a short story feel. (They are a Michner or Rutherfurd style following of Roman history through various generations of the same family, so each section is set in a different era with a different generation.) I am looking forward to seeing Saylor stick with a character and story arc more long term - through a whole novel - rather than in shorter chunks, and this book didn't entirely deliver that for me, even though we do follow Gordianus throughout. I'm curious to see if the feel is different in the second book, Raiders of the Nile.

The Great Pyramid, Alex lbh

Overall I enjoyed this book a lot, and I'm looking forward to seeing where Gordianus' journey takes him in the future. Part of me wants to skip right to Roman Blood, but I'll restrain myself. I really do like to read series in order, and Raiders of the Nile is set in Egypt, one of my favorite settings for a book.

I can recommend this book for both historical fiction fans and mystery fans. I am hoping the mystery is more mysterious and better set up in future books - this one seemed pretty easy to spot to me - but I can see how this as a good set up for a detective just starting out and how he could learn and grow from here, so I am looking forward to seeing how Gordianus grows in future books.

Review: The Agony and the Ecstasy

I've wanted to read something by Irving Stone for a while, but put it off because most of his books are long and are not available as e-books (which surprises me as his books seem pretty popular), which is my preferred reading method. I finally inter-library loaned (if you don't know what inter-library loan is, ask your library if they offer it - it's an awesome service) The Agony and the Ecstasy, his historical fiction biography of Michelangelo. I was excited enough that I posted in a Facebook group for historical fiction fans the day I picked it up, and many people told me it was great - and they were right!

This book follows Michelangelo from he start of his career through the end of his life in his late 80s, with all the triumphs and failures (in his eyes) that this entails. It covers the creation of many of his greatest works, from the famous statue of David and paintings of the Sistine Chapel to other lesser known works.

The book is heavily focused on Michelangelo's life, but also incorporates some external events as well, particularly where they impact his life and art work. I would have liked to see some of this a little more fleshed out for my own personal preferences, but this is already a hefty read at 758 pages, so the average reader would probably disagree with me. It did make me want to pick up some other books on this era. (I already have some in mind, thanks to research I did after enjoying CW Gortner's The Vatican Princess.)

Michelangelo was very prolific and crossed mediums, which I find interesting. Stone did a great job of capturing Michelangelo's passion for his art (indeed, I've seen others poke fun at the overtly sexual way he describes carving marble, which is fair). Stone portrays him as willing to make himself ill in service to his art, and willing to stand up to popes - a dangerous proposition at the time. I particularly found his discussion fascinating regarding the lengths to which Michelangelo had to go to dissect cadavers, something he felt was necessary to be able to properly sculpt and draw the human form. This is one of the details I am hoping to confirm by reading a biography at some point.

Overall, Stone evokes a very interesting but somewhat tragic figure; Michelangelo never marries, and his great loves are generally denied to him, and he is often at the mercy of circumstances and powerful people around him.  He even sees some of his greatest loves - his artworks - damaged or destroyed by events.

Overall, I am very glad I picked this one up, and I plan to check out some of this other books in the future. I can recommend this one to anyone interested in historical fiction about Italian history or art history.

Don't forget, if you're interested in getting updates when I post a review, you can subscribe to my blog from the homepage:

Keep an eye out for upcoming reviews of: 

1. The Seven Wonders of the World
2. Phedre's Trilogy, the first three in the Kushiel's Legacy series
3. The Perfect Horse: The Daring US Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the 
     Nazis
4. Red Poppies: A Novel of Tibet

Review: Anna of Kleve

Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait is the third in an (anticipated) six books historical fiction series by Alison Weir on Henry VIII's wives. As with the others in the series, it starts with Anna's childhood years before meeting/marrying Henry, details how she comes to be his wife, and the end result. If you don't know her fate, I won't spoil it!

For entertainment value, this was on par with the other books in the series; I enjoyed it. I didn't really know anything about Anna going in, so I got a lot out of it. She definitely portrays Anna as a sympathetic character and, as with his other wives, you can't help but feel sorry for her.

It's also been interesting over the course of the books to see the evolution of Henry's relationship with his various wives and how different the dynamics were, at least in Weir's interpretation. Her portrayal of Henry throughout the books is nuanced; sometimes you hate him, sometimes you feel sorry for him. Sometimes you just don't know what to think. I look forward to reading her biography on him at some point. He was a little less "real" to me as a character in this than in her previous two books; because there is less of a connection between him and Anna than between him and his first two wives, we don't really get to know him as well. However, that fits well with his relationship with Anna as Weir has protrayed it.

Anna of Kleve, painted by Hans Holbein 

I always love Weir's books; you're always going to get a good story out of her fiction, and her non-fiction generally lays out her argument where there is some question in the historical record, which I appreciate. I'll always recommend her to anyone interested in the Tudor period.

My only real gripe with this novel is that she played it a little fast and loose with historical accuracy with regard to some pretty important plot points. (Incidentally, I have a similar complaint about her novel The Lady Elizabeth.) She is very clear about this in her afterward, where she explains what is factual and what is fiction (which I always very much appreciate), which absolves her somewhat. I understand that she did it to make the story more interesting, and it did make for a better read - over all Anna is just not as interesting as Katherine or Anne. However, on balance I prefer my historical fiction to stick as close to accuracy as possible, with deviations on minor plot points. This is particularly true for someone like Weir, who writes both fiction and non-fiction. This is especially true as she has made thinly veiled references to lack of accuracy in other novels, particularly The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. (Full disclosure, I put off reading Gregory for a long time because of the accuracy issues, but have been working my way through her books lately and I must admit, they do make for an enjoyable read.)

Anyway, overall I enjoyed it and can still recommend it, despite some bumps with regard to accuracy. If you're interested in this book it can be read as a standalone, although I recommend reading the other books in the series, Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen and Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession. The remaining books in the series are forthcoming (she seems to finish them about once per year).

Review: The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold will probably end up on my list of favorite reads this year. This is not true crime in the traditional sense; if you're looking for a detailed discussion of Jack the Ripper or his crimes, this is not that book. However, if you're interested in all things Ripper and want to know more about his victims, or you're interested in society in England during this time period or the plight of the poor, this is the book for you.

I was excited, but skeptical when I read the description of this book - how would she find enough detail to fill a book about these women who, other than being Jack the Ripper's victims, might have been an oversight to history? But I should not have doubted - Rubenhold found far more detail than I would have expected. She clearly spent a lot of time with primary source materials, including (I am guessing) things like deeds and property records.

She manages to take the small details that make up the lives of these women and spin into an interesting narrative of their lives, but more importantly manages to place them in the context of their time. She punches a huge hole in the idea that all of the Ripper's victims were prostitutes, and does a great job of showing how these 5 very different women wound up in circumstances that allowed them to become his victims. In doing so, she sheds a light on the horrendous conditions in that area of London at the time, but also delves into the challenges women of that period faced, particularly if they lost the man they relied on for support and protection.

Rubenhold really resurrects these women from history and gives them back their dignity, and makes them figures of sympathy - and does so without resorting to the salacious details of their deaths. She focuses almost exclusively on their lives, barely touching on how they died, and in doing so really makes you feel the tragedy and pain of their lives, not just their deaths.

Review: The Bees

Ok, this was an interesting one. I recently finished The Bees by Laline Paull. If I had the describe it in one sentence, this book is like a mix of The Handmaid's Tale and Watership Down (yes really), but with bees; but there is really no describing this one in one sentence.

The Bees is the story of the life of a hive, through the eyes of one bee - Flora 717, who starts the story as a sanitation worker, cleaning the hive of refuse and dead bees. Through various happenstances, Flora ends up showing us various aspects of life in the hive.

Paull has created a fully-fleshed world, with history, myth and religion to guide the lives of the bees and explain the things that happen to them and to their hive. She also creates a very hierarchical world that seems to draw on the actual biology of bees - I wish she had an afterward discussing her research for this book - but that also seems to be a commentary on inequality in our own society. Not all bees are created equal, with the sanitation workers as the lowest of the low - they can't even speak. The queen, the only one who can breed, sits at the top of the hierarchy and is venerated as a god. There are also overtones of big brother, with a "hive mind" that can guide and control the actions of all of the bees.

Flora begins to deviate from what is expected of a good bee, particularly a good sanitation worker. Will she manage to evade the fertility police, and the priestesses that control hive behavior? It really did sort of remind me of a less well-fledged Watership Down, with a group of sentient animals that have their own society and culture. It was definitely not your run of the mill book, but I enjoyed it. I think it's a great book for the right reader, but is probably not for everyone.