Wow! This was kind of amazing. I loved the main character, Kemi. I would have loved this book at ages 9-12.
I have to say one thing though: if the bookWow! This was kind of amazing. I loved the main character, Kemi. I would have loved this book at ages 9-12.
I have to say one thing though: if the book appeals to you, please add it to your to read list and then wait a long time to read it and don’t read any reviews anywhere near to the time you read it until after you’ve finished the book.
I read one review and added it and almost immediately started reading it. I didn’t think the review had any spoilers but there was this one line in it. Just a single sentence. If I’d waited to read the book I wouldn’t have even remembered it. I did remember it though and it changed the way I read the book and that made the book slightly less enjoyable for me.
I loved this story and these characters, particularly Kemi, and I loved all the relationships. I loved the probability & statistics which is a branch of math that I actually enjoy. Kemi is whip smart and I enjoyed that about her character. The story is sweet, sad, amusing at times, and deeply poignant.
This is one of the hardest reviews I’ve ever had to write for a book. Everything I’m thinking of writing could be a spoiler. This HUGE SPOILER is for my benefit, for my memory, and for those who’ve already read the book. Any reader who might read the book in the future I think that you’ll regret it if you read this: (view spoiler)[ The line that I realized was a spoiler only after I started reading the book was about the main character being an unreliable narrator. All the way through the book I figured there was really something else going on and I was constantly thinking about what it might be. There were hints of this within the story but I’m not sure I’d have caught those hints until far into the book. For most of the book I probably would have read it at face value, being reminded of the book Life As We Knew It. In fact, this is a story about racism, gun violence, Black Lives Matter, and loss and grief. I think it’s done brilliantly! Even though I knew something was happening that was being left unsaid, I did not guess exactly what it was until it was revealed 3/4-4/5 the way through the story. I sobbed. (hide spoiler)]
Highly recommended for 9-11 year old girls and anyone who enjoys good children’s novels.
In the first book the focus was mostly on Marjorie and in the second book we got to know Eliza and in this third book the focus is on Wendell’s story.In the first book the focus was mostly on Marjorie and in the second book we got to know Eliza and in this third book the focus is on Wendell’s story. I like how they all come to terms with their struggles. Marjorie’s dad also gradually improves.
This might be my favorite of the books. I loved how everything comes together and how the friendships were explored more deeply, and their healing was advancing, and in a realistic way.
This author captures eighth grade friendships well. The story definitely rekindled some old memories. The story also does a good job of showing grief and mental health issues and showing healing too. It’s done subtly and without excessive drama and with realism and so it’s believable and I appreciate that.
The mystery in this one was kind of interesting.
The book and series is both sad and funny.
I really have to suspend disbelief with these books, but because of the multiple meanings of ghosts it’s really not that hard.
It’s a great series/trilogy when (for me) each book improves and although the three books work as one story for me in general I liked it more and more as it developed.
Many of the illustrations in this book are stunning. The nature scenes are beautiful.
I would definitely recommend this trilogy to many 9-12 year old readers and to some teens and to some adults too. I really enjoyed it. I’m glad I gave book one and the series and second chance, and that was thanks to Caroline’s review of the first book....more
The book doesn’t list every plant that anyone has ever used but has the 80 most commonly used important plants in the United Stated and Canada. PlantsThe book doesn’t list every plant that anyone has ever used but has the 80 most commonly used important plants in the United Stated and Canada. Plants that are medicinal, edible, and sometimes both, and those that are useful in a variety of practical ways such as doe basket making, canoes, shelters, decorations, etc. etc. etc. The harvesting, preparing, cultural and traditions for the plants. The author includes some autobiographical information too. For the plants information is provided about their medicinal properties and/or the nutrients they contain.
For each plant it tells its: Family. Parts Used. Season. Region. Then there is a ton of information that is useful and absorbing.
The plants are listed in alphabetical order. The 80 plants are diverse. Everything including fruits and trees and grasses and flowers. Everything from psychedelics like peyote to commonly eaten foods such as blueberries and blackberries.
Personally, I could have done without the tobacco but of course it’s an important plant. I was interested in all the rest of the plants. For tobacco the author even says: “No other plant holds as much universal importance among the indigenous peoples of North and South America.”
There are photos of each plant and some additional photos too. I appreciated all of the photographs.
It’s a beautiful book.
Useful. Interesting. I learned a lot. This is a book worth owning. It’s a great reference and it’s a fascinating and pleasant read and it’s lovely to view.
I suspect that I’ll occasionally dip into it. I put it on my bookshelves in a place where I can easily see its gorgeous cover.
The one thing lacking that I wish it had has to do with the medicinal uses of the plants. It would have been helpful if there was a symptoms index where for each symptom/ailment all the plants that could be used to treat each one were listed. Having that feature lacking limits this book’s usefulness as a reference book. I guess I should have taken notes. I do remember quite a bit about quite a few of the plants but I don’t have confidence I’ll remember most of what I know now as more time elapses.
The different tribal areas and their origin stories start off the book. The West Coast (British Columbia to Baja California) had more than a third of all Native North Americans living there and was the most diverse region. All areas had abundant resources but I particularly enjoyed reading about the west coast region because it’s the area with which I’m most familiar.
The back of the book has a short Glossary and a very short list of Further Reading. There is an Index.
I loved this book. I took a long time to read it and deliberately finished it at the end of the year so that it would be my last book of the year....more
I had six picture books left at home from the library. I am not in the mood for picture books but I wanted to read these books before the end of 2023,I had six picture books left at home from the library. I am not in the mood for picture books but I wanted to read these books before the end of 2023, and preferably before Christmas. The only way I was able to read the five I read yesterday was to forego writing reviews for them, not even short ones. They were two 5 star books, one 4 star book and two 3 star books, all of them worthy of reviews but I didn’t feel up to writing anything so I just rated the books. Because there are reviews posted for all of them I am fine with not adding my own.
This is the sixth and last book I have at home from the library.
Even though I am not in the mood to write reviews I wanted to review this book because the book A Wrinkle in Time has meant so much to me. I was introduced to it by my fourth grade teacher who read it to my class when it was a brand new standalone book. We loved it so much that the next book he read to us was Meet the Austins, then two years old and also at that time still a standalone book. Both books became favorites of mine and still are among my favorite books.
I have read the book Becoming Madeleine: A Biography of the Author of A Wrinkle in Time by Her Granddaughters, the lead author being the same as for this picture book.
I enjoy reading about writers’ lives and seeing how events in their lives make their way into their books. In Madeleine L'Engle’s case it’s a lot. I recognize so much from her life as I read her books, including her novels for young readers.
I do find it interesting that her strong Christian faith didn’t make it into this book but that’s fine with me personally and hopefully it will make the book (and the author’s books) appeal to widest possible audience. This is a narrative that sugar coats some things about this woman’s life but I’m okay with that too. Thinking about the intended audience there is no need to focus on childhood and adolescent traumas. If readers are interested to learn more about L’Engle there are many other books by her and about her for them to read. This is a lovely little book that I think does well at what it set out to do.
I love the illustrations. They’re beautiful, colorful, expressive and have interesting details, and they fit perfectly with the narrative text.
There is a useful section in the back with a lot of additional information and there is a list of the author’s books (and their series) for young people. I wish the books had been listed with their original publication dates but even without them I’m grateful for the list. I appreciate how readers are directed to The International Dark Sky Association (darksky.org) and given reasons why. I’m off to look at the website.
I’ve noticed that today’s children and adults don’t gravitate to reading A Wrinkle in Time and I think that’s unfortunate. Yes, it now has to be read as historical fiction in addition to speculative fiction but it’s a timeless story. I still recommend it to readers of all ages.
This picture book was fun for me to read. I can see it inspiring some children to write or pursue other creative endeavors.
This is a charming story. It looks as though it’s going to be a series. It took me a while to get used to it because it is an early chapter book writtThis is a charming story. It looks as though it’s going to be a series. It took me a while to get used to it because it is an early chapter book written for younger middle grade readers, probably ages 6-9, but the story is fun, funny, sweet, cute and interesting. The slight mystery is entertaining. I love that it takes place in San Francisco, even though it never leaves the neighborhood and rarely leaves the building and its yard. I appreciate that this is a 5 unit building with a diverse group of residents. It’s pretty perfect except for 9 year old Ella being the only child resident, a fact she doesn’t seem to mind at all. I’d love to be a child or an adult in this building, with neighborly neighbors and each apartment having its own garden plot. The illustrations are outstanding. I adored all of them. There was so much to view in each picture. 3-1/4 stars from me but a full 4 stars from my 7-9 year old self....more
This seems to be a part of series of books for older children about the experiences of child survivors of the Holocaust told in their own words.
This This seems to be a part of series of books for older children about the experiences of child survivors of the Holocaust told in their own words.
This is told by two sisters. The older one was the only Hearing person in her family. Her sister and her parents were Deaf. I’ve read a lot of Holocaust memoirs but I can’t remember any others told from a Deaf perspective. It was really interesting. The older one is listed as the author of this book but even though the younger sister is not given a byline she tells her story too. This is from the Fortunoff Video Archive and
Though what the sisters went through was harrowing the way they tell of their experiences (this is a loose transcript from video testimony) is straightforward and without theatrics. Their experiences are related in chronological order, from when the Nazis arrived at where they lived, to what living as Jews under the occupation was like, to when their parents were deported, to their time in Bergen Belsen, and then in Sweden, and finally in the United States.
While the narrative doesn’t shy away from exactly what conditions in Nazi occupied territory and the concentration camp was like the story is told in a way that is suitable for older children, assuming they are. Up for reading about atrocities and children who were in grave peril.
The book is short and is a quick read and it completely held my attention as I read it. I doubt if I’ll read any of the other books in this loose series because they seem to be designed for children and for this subject matter I usually prefer to read books written for an adult audience and like to know about things in more depth. This book would make a great classroom or family group read/read aloud. I really liked it....more
This was a lovely birthday gift. It’s a keeper. I love that it’s now on my bookshelves.
This is a book whose whole I loved its better than the sum of This was a lovely birthday gift. It’s a keeper. I love that it’s now on my bookshelves.
This is a book whose whole I loved its better than the sum of its parts.
I appreciate that this reprint is unabridged and contains the entire 1884 book. In addition to the lists of flowers and their meanings, there are poems (by well-known poets) about flowers, and there are lovely illustrations. Different editions of the newly reprinted book have different cover illustrations; I don’t know which, if any, is the original.
I like how there are alphabetical lists of the flowers and also another alphabetical list of the meanings. It was easy to look up and find both the flowers and the meanings really easily.
I would love to have learned HOW and WHY the flowers’ meanings were chosen. This book has nothing about that.
What I don’t like about this language of flowers is how many of my favorite flowers have horrible meanings. I don’t personally believe in their meanings but some people might and back in 1800s England I assume many people did so I do wonder if flowers were given/used on the basis of their meanings and not how much they were admired & loved or how beautiful they were or how pleasing their aroma. Some of the meanings are as I would have guessed: love, inspiration, hope, compassion, joy, levity, beauty, youthful love, friendship, and many others. Some are maybe appropriate for funeral flowers: Alas! for my poor heart, calm repose, consolation, sorrow, mourning, my regrets follow you to the grave, widowhood, sympathy, for instance. Many others are truly awful: indifference, coldheartedness, aversion, disgust, deceit, horror, haughtiness, meanness, malevolence, misanthropy, rudeness, revenge, war, and many more. For me it seems odd to label flowers with such negative meanings, unless they’re poisonous and then I could see it making sense.
The meanings are for flowers and also include trees, shrubs, grasses, tendrils of climbing plants, etc.
I was disappointed that one of my favorite flowers wasn’t there but perhaps they weren’t around yet when the book was first published in 1884 or most likely they just weren’t grown/found/known about in England/the British Isles. It’s the California poppy, which is usually a lovely orange, and rarely yellow or cream; I like the orange ones. There are meanings for other colors of poppies but not orange ones.
I like the idea of the “language of flowers” (that I think I first learned about when I read The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh) more than I actually like its execution. This will still be a great book to occasionally take of the shelf and view, either to look up a particular flower or meaning or to just enjoy a poem, a picture, or just the lovely presentation.
I’m struggling to read and this was the perfect book to pick up to read for a bit. I did read it cover to cover but just a few pages at a time so it did take me a long time to read. It doesn’t have to be read cover to cover to enjoy it and I assume many readers will just casually peruse the pages and it’s a fine book to read that way too....more
The story and main character/characters and settings hooked me from the start.
I don’t often like talking animals but here it worked for me because I wThe story and main character/characters and settings hooked me from the start.
I don’t often like talking animals but here it worked for me because I was able to experience the animals from Alice’s point of view.
The characters are believable. I fell in love with Alice and felt affection for many of the others, especially her two best human friends and her grandmother. Alice is autistic, as is the book’s author. I appreciate how autism is shown here, how it’s both a challenge and a strength. I admire Alice’s bravery and her kindness & tenderness.
I did guess the identity of the villain of the central mystery but there were a lot of plausible red herrings and I can’t claim that I was certain that I was right.
It was scarier than I’d been expecting. When I haven’t read any for a while I forget how frightening children’s fantasy books can be.
The (mostly junk) food mentioned was so appealing, as is true in many boarding school stories. I always veganize things in my mind!
(view spoiler)[At ages 9-10+- I would have desperately wished to be part of Alice’s family and would have loved to have been able to fly. I still think being able to fly would be wonderful. (hide spoiler)]
Highly recommended for all children ages 8 or 9 through 11, and all the way up. This story is especially good for any children who feel different in some way, especially neurodivergent kids and kids who know someone who is neurodivergent. Readers with any sort of experience with bullying or feeling excluded will appreciate this story. I’d love to put it in the hands of bullies and also intolerant and unfeeling adults, especially those who work with children. It’s also a great story for readers who love animals. This novel would make a great classroom or family read aloud book and it’s also great for independent readers to read on their own. It’s a great discussion book; I’m finding myself wanting to talk about it with others who have read it. I think this story has the power to make the reader more empathetic and compassionate.
This must be the start of a series! The book’s ending works fine as the story’s ending but this story screams series. I’m hoping for at least a second book and if there are any more books I plan to read them.
Thanks to Kathryn’s recommendation and review I discovered this book and borrowed the e-book Kindle edition and Hoopla audio edition same day from the library. He paper copy wasn’t available until I was almost done reading the Kindle edition. I’m really glad that I had the audio edition to read simultaneously as I read the words on the screen/page. The audio retains the original British English but the Kindle edition & the paperback translated many words to U.S. English. I want to read British English when the book is written that way!!! Most of the changes in this book didn’t make any sense at all. A lot of the words aren’t even specific to only British vs. U.S. English. When they were I knew all but a couple of the British words and those I could easily look up. I feel motived so I have to get up the energy and make some time to write publishers about this annoying translating issue. I don’t know anyone who likes it.
This is a fabulous book. I can’t believe how many of the articles I remember. Great essays about the magazine and many magazine excerpts of articles, This is a fabulous book. I can’t believe how many of the articles I remember. Great essays about the magazine and many magazine excerpts of articles, fiction/short stories, letters to the editor, etc. I didn’t read all the text in the book but I’d probably read most of it in the magazine, especially the ones published in the first decade. I’ll have to borrow this book from the library again to read the rest of it. I want to read it all but I’m still struggling with reading and it’s due back at the library and there is a long queue of holds so it’s not renewable. Great photos and images of some of the magazine covers. I didn’t know the magazine was still around but when it was new and I was in college it was a huge deal and, I think, important. This book could be seen as a coffee table book but one with a lot of substance. It would be a great book to own!...more
The illustrations are charming and fun and fit the poems well. I like the art style and find the pictures aesthetically pleasThis is an adorable book.
The illustrations are charming and fun and fit the poems well. I like the art style and find the pictures aesthetically pleasing.
The poems are entertaining and will be appreciated by those who know and love dogs. I didn’t completely “identify” with all of them but each one will have dog loving readers who will identify with them.
I was going to just read bits of this book every day, a few poems at a time, but once I started reading I didn’t read anything else until I’d finished it, the same day that I started reading it.
I want to share this book with children who love dogs, whether or not they have dogs as a part of their family. I haven’t had a dog companion for many years but I found myself wanting some more poems where I recognized my dog and others’ dogs even more than I did in these poems. That gave me an idea that one great and enjoyable activity for children (and adults!) who read this book would be to encourage them to write a poem or poems, about dogs or any other subject that interests them if they don’t have anything to say about dogs. They could also illustrate their poem the way these poems are illustrated.
I love the photos in the back, of the author & her dog and the illustrator & his dog, and then of each of their two dogs/muses. The book is dedicated to those two dogs.
I really liked it. I will say though that the poems are too sickly sweet for my personal taste but I tried to put myself in the place of a very young child and I could see the appeal.
I won this (autographed) book at LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review....more
This was a tough read but a good one. I see a lot of people have shelved it as humor but I didn’t because while I noticed some humor I didn’t notice tThis was a tough read but a good one. I see a lot of people have shelved it as humor but I didn’t because while I noticed some humor I didn’t notice that much bcause I was focused on the serious and sad content.
I think she does an excellent job concisely explaining exactly what it feels like to have an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder) and it’s probably applicable for addiction too, of how the mind is so full of the obsession that there isn’t much room for much else including life experiences, relationships, etc. By the way she draws herself as fat but in photos she currently looks neither overweight nor too thin. Her anorexia started at age 14. She seems to have been only 22 when she was creating this book and it’s heartening about how much progress she’s made with her eating disorder and mental health issues which include anxiety and depression. She does a good job of explaining how managing mental health issues is complicated. I found the last illustration with text in the book particularly poignant and I’m glad that she included it and placed it in the book where she did. I also especially loved and appreciated the “in the same boat” cartoon.
I would read more of this author’s books!
3-1/2 stars
I read a Hoopla e-edition, not a Kindle edition this is shelved. It was the only way I could borrow this book from my public library....more
I have to say upfront that I don’t believe in using horses (or any animal or human child) in any way for any sort of financial gain. I don’t believe iI have to say upfront that I don’t believe in using horses (or any animal or human child) in any way for any sort of financial gain. I don’t believe in riding horses either, even though I know there are good therapeutic programs and in some cases great love between horses & human riders. One half star off for that personal reason. 4-1/2 stars. That said, I will review the book.
The book is pretty much perfect. The illustrations, including the illustrated pictorial maps, are beautifully done and I loved them all. I could spend ages looking at the pictures.
The information provided is first rate excellent. Great history, great info about different horses & places and horses in human history. An author’s note, a short list of sources, and a timeline are included in the back. Any young (or any age) reader interested in horses is bound to appreciate and enjoy this book. I was never horse obsessed but I have several friends who were (and/or are) and this book would be perfect for them. I wish it had been around when I was young because I can think of a few friends I’d have bought it for as their birthday gift.
Until I had the book in hand I hadn’t realized that it was written & illustrated by the same person who did the book Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island, another book I loved. I’ll be looking out for more books by Jennifer Thermes.
Highly recommended for anyone who has interest in the subject....more
All the facts about interpreting cat communication.
A psychologically minded narrative about human feelings and communicatWhat I liked about this book:
All the facts about interpreting cat communication.
A psychologically minded narrative about human feelings and communication that I think will be really useful for some children and a good reminder for everyone.
The author and illustrator photos at the end, each of them with their cats, and their dedications of the book, to their cats.
The information presented again at the end, this time mentioning specific breeds of cats (my two favorites weren’t there, I don’t think: Maine Coon and whatever breed male orange cats are??/maybe THEY are there?) and I wish I’d known specific breeds were had in mind as I was reading the book proper.
What I didn’t like about this book:
The facts are good and interesting but it’s just one fact after another and not told in story form, which is okay.
This is just my personal taste and many will disagree but I didn’t’ fully warm up to the illustrations. I did like their expressiveness and they conveyed what they were meant to show about cats in various moods, but I didn’t not enjoy them aesthetically. AND this should probably go in a middle section because on a second reading I appreciated the pictures more than I did the first time I read the book.
Overall:
I liked it. I think this would be a great book for children to have, especially those about to get a cat or have interactions with cats. I’m sure some adults could learn a lot and benefit too. I have nobody in mind so I might put my copy in a Little Free Library and hope that the right reader(s) find it.
I am a “dog person” but I love cats too and have been especially fond of several of my friends’ cats.
3-1/2 stars
I won an ARC copy of this book from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review....more
I would love to see this exhibit but I’ve decided to not make the trek to southern California which is where it is now and it’s the closest place to mI would love to see this exhibit but I’ve decided to not make the trek to southern California which is where it is now and it’s the closest place to me for this traveling exhibition. Perhaps someday I’ll go see it when it’s at its permanent location but that will be across the country. This is an exhibit catalog and in order to fully appreciate the material I do think that the exhibit needs to be seen on site. I know a few people who’ve visited the exhibit and it’s taken them 3 or 4 hours or longer to see it. It’s massive. This book can give only a sense of what is presented. It does that as well as it could though.
The print and images of the map were so miniscule I had to sometimes use a good magnifier to see much of it. The book was also hard for me to read because it was incredibly heavy and my preferred way to reading is lying in bed with a book resting on my chest. Those are my only complaints about this book.
Otherwise, it’s worth a sold 5 stars.
Beautifully organized. Powerful. Great images (photos, maps, objects) and text/essays too. The narrative manages to tell one long story, even though it’s about different people and places and times. There are many heartbreaking accounts and some heartwarming and inspirational stories too. There are too many in my mind to choose to list just one or a couple to represent them so I won’t mention any specifics. Everything in here is worth reading/seeing. I’ll leave it at that.
Well researched and with lots of documentation. Fine Further Reading lists which are not comprehensive (how could they be – that part would be hundreds of pages long) but are excellent. I love the categories: Collection of Documents; On the History of Oswiecim; On Jews and Judaism; On Jewish-Gentile Relations, Anti-Judaism and Antisemitism; On World War I; On the Weimar Republic; On the Third Reich; Biographies of Key Nazis; On German Concentration Camps; On the Expulsion of the Jews; On World War II; On the German Occupation of Poland; On the History of the Holocaust (general); On the History of the Holocaust (topics); On the Porajmos; On the History of Kulmhof and the Opeeration Reinhard Camps; On the History of Auschwitz (general); On the History of Auschwitz (topics); Testimony and Memoirs (Auschwitz); Aftermath. I should add some of the included books before I return this book to the library.
It’s divided into sections that have many parts. The major sections are The Encounter, Before Auschwitz, Auschwitz, After Auschwitz.
The poem on the last very last page of the book strongly affected me:
“You who are passing by I beg you Do something Learn a dance step Something to justify your existence Something that gives you the right To be dressed in your skin in your body hair Learn to walk and to laugh Because it would be too senseless After all For so many to have died While you live Doing nothing with your life”
- Charlotte Delbo, Auschwitz survivor (1971)
This is a must read book (or exhibit) for anyone interested in learning more about the Holocaust....more
A 5 star book all the way except for the too tiny print and too small to see easily maps. An e-book is included with this book and perhaps there you cA 5 star book all the way except for the too tiny print and too small to see easily maps. An e-book is included with this book and perhaps there you can use your fingers change the contents to a readable size. I haven’t tried it yet but might.
Other than those drawbacks I thought that this was a helpful and informative and interesting book.
I liked the history that is included.
Whether or not I get to England it was fun reading about places I’d read about in books and places people I know (living in or visiting England) have been to and talked about and sometimes shared photos.
The eating recommendations in these books are rarely of any use to me. Occasionally a veg*n restaurant is listed but it’s rare. I can’t use these books for food suggestions. In a perfect world vegans would write these books and list vegan places. Instead of books I make use of personal and vegan society/groups recommendations and https://www.happycow.net/ and its app. I hope that I get to the UK but I don’t feel quite as badly that I struggle to plan and make an itinerary. I signed up for these emails (https://uktravelplanning.com/) and no wonder I find it challenging. Wow! Their advice is overwhelming with multiple steps but I’ll bet trips would be better if following at least some of their advice. I’m getting nearly daily emails from them chock full of tips and other information.
I’ve been reading many guidebooks about the UK. This is the last one I plan to read unless/until I make specific plans for an upcoming trip.
I need at least a year in the UK. Five years would be better. I need at least a month in London. A year would be better.
This is an exceptionally good science book for children interested in science, natural history, and especially the ocean.
The information provided is This is an exceptionally good science book for children interested in science, natural history, and especially the ocean.
The information provided is wonderful and as thorough as could be expected from a picture book. In fact, the book is dense with information. There is an informative and engaging poem in the book proper and it’s excellent but it’s the wealth of material at the end that make this book special. There is a note from the author, a note from the illustrator, an illustrated general timeline of creatures including an impressive fold out page, a list of key terms and concepts, and helpful lists of additional resources: books, videos & pages for children, resources/pages for educators, a mention of the availability of museums & aquariums, and a short selected bibliography.
The illustrations are marvelous. Most of them are gorgeous and fascinating. I liked the ones in the first third and the last quarter of the book better than some of the middle (sea life) pictures but they’re all fun to view. That page toward the end that folds out large and includes tons of facts is spectacular.
It's a well-designed and put together book. It would make a lovely gift for many children. I also hope that every library will have it available for borrowing.
It’s a beautifully written and a really touching memoir. He’s a good storyteller. I liked how he went back and forth wiI fell in love with this book.
It’s a beautifully written and a really touching memoir. He’s a good storyteller. I liked how he went back and forth with times in his life and with a change of focus, especially with his museum job and with his brother and with his family life. His narrative was riveting.
I haven’t been to the Met in nearly 50 years and I’ve never been to the Cloisters. I might have enjoyed this book even more if I was more familiar with the museum. I would like to visit it (and many NYC museums) again. The armchair traveling I did when reading this book whetted my appetite for another real visit.
I loved reading about the guards and their various backgrounds.
I appreciated how he gave Emilie Lemakis some page space and made a point of saying this was her real name and encouraging his readers to buy her art. I did a google search on her – very interesting.
This is a special book. It’s a memoir, an art book, a history book, a philosophy book, and a great book about a great museum. As I read I wanted to learn more about most of what the author was writing. The art, the artists, the history, the Met, and more.
I now wish I’d kept my copy of The Quilts of Gee’s Bend, at least long enough to look at the quilts again.
Despite the long chapters it was an easy read and I found it hard to put down and couldn’t wait to get back to it.
I appreciated the humor!
I greatly enjoyed the drawings by Maya McMahon. They made the book even better. Because of them I would not recommend reading an audio edition of this book. I’m unclear about why she does not get official illustrator credit. There are also a couple of images that include a thank you to museums for permission to include them in this book.
I’m thinking I might now have some different perspectives when looking at artworks during museum visits and I’ll definitely feel more curious about the museum guards I encounter....more
I thought that this book would be a really fast read. It wasn’t. This was a lot more text heavy than I was expecting but I’m actually glad. There was I thought that this book would be a really fast read. It wasn’t. This was a lot more text heavy than I was expecting but I’m actually glad. There was a lot of interesting information included and thankfully it was presented with some humor. As I’d expected I wasn’t a huge fan of most of the art though I did like some of it. I like being challenged by art but I don’t like most unpleasant images, or at least not more than an occasional one, and a lot of them are included in this book. Sometimes they were so bad they were funny. “Wound Man” is a good example of that. Not surprisingly there were many religious images of devils and other images that were meant as warnings to their viewers. I could have done with many fewer of those. Thankfully most of the art works in the book were not too, too disturbing. I was fascinated by reading about and seeing the Mona Lisa(s). Cannibals, especially “Tapuya Woman,” Hirsute women. Mr. Barker’s Monster Panoramas. Frieda Kahlo’s Wounded Deer and one of her supportive corsets. How J.M.W. Turner in the 1800s used “fugitive colours” and nobody alive today sees his paintings the way they were when painted. Fate of the Animals by Franz Marc and Paul Klee’s participation. Revernge hoax and fake art. Some of the insults artists gave to other artists are amusing. Lots of torture/too much torture and other awful subject matter. Interesting about how much fake art there is and how many forgeries there are. “At least half the artworks in circulation in the global market are fake.” This book is packed with information, most of it fascinating. There are some lovely art pieces too but they’re not in the majority. The art is presented in chronological order, from 38,000 BC to 2018, but there is very little from the present century. I think it’s a shame that the present day art is heavily represented by performance art and AI made art since so much of modern art is created more traditionally. I liked this book more than I thought I would and I’m planning to also read The Madman’s Library: The Strangest Books, Manuscripts, and Other Literary Curiosities from History. This book: 3-1/2 stars, and it was hard for me to choose 3 or 4 stars but I decided to round down. It’s an excellent book and I liked it but I didn’t really like it. It wasn’t that pleasant a reading experience....more
I’m not sure I was supposed to be laughing most of the way through this book but she is funny, even when writing about serious things. It did get deepI’m not sure I was supposed to be laughing most of the way through this book but she is funny, even when writing about serious things. It did get deep/dark though and I didn’t laugh the whole way through but I did smile a lot and she does tell her story in an entertaining way and most often in an amusing manner.
“I’m aware that this process was called the Liverpool Care Pathway by the NHS but for reasons outlined elsewhere in the book, I don’t do well with obfuscating language. I think if we called it ‘starving and dehydrating someone to death’ a lot more of us would become pro-euthanasia overnight.”
“I realized that those people who say money isn’t everything are liars.”
I figured that she would be a great stand-up comic. I looked online and watched part of a few videos of her routines and I do think she is funny. Great writing and delivery & timing.
This memoir? I loved it. I found it hilarious. I found her perspicacious honesty funny and touching too. I greatly appreciate how the author explains (at least her) autism incredibly well and that I think readers will come away with an understanding of people with autism and the behaviors they might have. I’d like to put this book into the hands of most readers, particularly doctors, therapists, teachers and others It’s a must read for parents of people diagnosed with autism and I think it will help people with autism, those diagnosed with the condition and those not yet diagnosed. I also love how she takes a good hard look at society and is a feminist.
I simultaneously read the Kindle e-book edition and the Libby audiobook edition. I love her Scottish accent. With a memoir I’ll listen (in addition to reading the words on the page or screen) only if the author is the narrator and she is for this book....more
I love the characters in this series. I’m very fond of many of them. Their stories and the book’s story are heartwarming.
I think of these books as huI love the characters in this series. I’m very fond of many of them. Their stories and the book’s story are heartwarming.
I think of these books as humorous and there are quite a few amusing lines & situations in them but it wasn’t until a tragedy happened in this book that I remembered how the first two books also had many serious parts. I will also say that I smiled a lot at the funny things but I didn’t laugh and I think I did laugh at lines in the two previous books. (It might have been my mood.)
My favorite parts were the personal relationships and characters. Here I really liked Emmy and Bunty and Guy, as I always do, but also the children and Harold and Hester and Clarence, and many others too. I could have done without the two dimensional Mrs. Porter though. I would have preferred that she’d been depicted just a tad less the villain but I know that there are people like her. I was much more irritated than entertained though.
I think that this book/series does a wonderful job showing what it was like in London during WWII. I love all the historical details. I appreciate the author placing her fictional characters in real events of that time. Powerfully done!
Most of the way through it was 4 stars for me but the ending bumped it up. It’s only the start of 1944 when this book ends so I imagine there will be a fourth book. If there is I will read it. 4-1/2 stars
I’m struggling to read and for even this book it took me longer to get through it than it would have otherwise but it always held my interest and I enjoyed it throughout.
“You didn’t miss someone any less, you just made room for other things to surround the gap they had left.”...more
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