Showing posts with label memoir. Show all posts

Review: Escape from Camp 14

Posted by Kate on Friday, November 1, 2013. Filed under: , , , ,
No Comments »


Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to
Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden
Published by: Viking Adult
Our source: Our local library

What it’s about (from Goodreads):

In Escape from Camp 14, acclaimed journalist Blaine Harden tells the story of Shin Dong-hyuk and through the lens of Shin's life unlocks the secrets of the world's most repressive totalitarian state. Shin knew nothing of civilized existence-he saw his mother as a competitor for food, guards raised him to be a snitch, and he witnessed the execution of his own family. Through Harden's harrowing narrative of Shin's life and remarkable escape, he offers an unequaled inside account of one of the world's darkest nations and a riveting tale of endurance, courage, and survival.

 Our thoughts:

This is a fascinating story. It's not particularly inspiring or uplifting - but it's incredibly eye-opening. Even though North Korea is now a staple on the news, hearing what goes on there from a first-person account is hard to swallow.

 I actually listened to this as an audiobook and while I could appreciate the story, I didn't actually enjoy hearing it. The narrator was incredibly dry and monotone, which made the book come across boring when it really wasn't. If you're interested in this, skip the audiobook and go for the written copy.

We would recommend this to:

People who interested in world affairs and human rights

Review: The End of Your Life Book Club

Posted by Unknown on Monday, October 28, 2013. Filed under: , , , ,
No Comments »



The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
Published by: Knopf
Our source: Our local library

What it’s about (from Goodreads):
“What are you reading?”

That’s the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they sit in the waiting room of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2007, Mary Anne returned from a humanitarian trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan suffering from what her doctors believed was a rare type of hepatitis. Months later she was diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, which is almost always fatal, often in six months or less. 

This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a “book club” that brings them together as her life comes to a close. Over the next two years, Will and Mary Anne carry on conversations that are both wide-ranging and deeply personal, prompted by an eclectic array of books and a shared passion for reading. Their list jumps from classic to popular, from poetry to mysteries, from fantastic to spiritual. The issues they discuss include questions of faith and courage as well as everyday topics such as expressing gratitude and learning to listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world. Reading isn't the opposite of doing; it’s the opposite of dying. 

Our thoughts:

Book about a Mom dying of cancer? And they spend their time reading together? I was 100% convinced this book was going to completely wreck me. It didn't. I couldn't connect with Schwabe's characters at all.

His writing seemed almost clinically impersonal at times where it should have been heart-wrenching. The book was touted as a love letter to his Mom, which it was, but he included a lot about himself that didn't add to the story and really just made me dislike him. (The one point that really got me was that he quit his job to start a website, but had no idea what kind of website to actually start and complained about being stressed about it. Quitting to start a passion project? Fine. Quitting when you have no real idea what to do and then whining about it? Please.)

I think another sticking point was that I hadn't read most of the books they discussed so I felt even less connected. Ultimately, it just seemed to fall short of the emotional tribute I was expecting.

We would recommend this to:
Those coping with a loss, fans of literature

Review: Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail

Posted by Cathie on Thursday, September 19, 2013. Filed under: , , , ,
No Comments »


Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Published by: Knopf
Our source: Our local library

What it’s about (from Goodreads):

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. 
 
Strayed faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Our thoughts:

While I would find hiking The Pacific Crest Trail to be a wonderful adventure, one that I would take in a heart beat, I do think it was crazy that she made this trip alone. Even the most experienced of hikers doesn't travel such a distance on their own.

I found it quite sad that through this months long trip, her greatest threat was not from any wild animal, but rather from another human being. I also found it a little sad that she burned books along the way. I understand the concept of not wanting to have any extra weight but I think I would have tried to trade more of them with other hikers or simply left them behind in the camp boxes.

When the author divorced her husband she chose a new last name. Rather than return to her maiden name, which is the most common thing to do, she chose to have the name Strayed. To me, that is like advertising that she cheated on her husband. It's like wearing the scarlet letter. I think if she truly wanted to help with her healing process and forgive herself for simply being human, she should get rid of the title that brands her.

Ultimately, I ended up not really enjoying this because I couldn't identify with or appreciate Strayed's choices.

We would recommend this to:


People who big fans of midlife rediscovery stories like Eat, Pray, Love

« Previous Entries