Kendra Shannon
The collection of Napi stories is very interesting. And the introduction includes some very useful context of how the stories were used and developed. The author gives some insight into the character of the “trickster” in Aboriginal story telling and how the listeners interpreted the lessons. But I feel like the author is overly concerned with including every single variation from every tribe and getting the story as close to the original as possible. The very nature of oral story telling is that stories are fluid and change with each teller. I think the book would have felt more natural had the author explained this in the intro and then let the stories speak for themselves.
This is an important read for any soccer fan, male or female. It shows first hand the incredible obstacles female players face as they pursue their dream to play pro. The author speaks with players from around the world who play in leagues around the world and illuminates a wide range of issues in the women's game: money, sexism, motherhood, even religion. The book talks about the struggles of domestic teams, leagues, and national sides. We see the successes and heartbreaks of a diverse group of players. Ultimately it ends with hope for the women's game as we end up in Portland with the Thorns and their fans, a place where pro soccer (men's and women's) has rooted and taken hold in the city.
The author offers memories of growing up in a small farming community that remind me of my own family history (yup, I'm a Mennonite). The most interesting is the end when his family moves to Coaldale, where I grew up, and describes the town in the early 1950s. The stories can be awkwardly long, wordy and unfinished.
I read this at the tail end of winter in my mountain town and it made me desperate to get back on my bike. Dreaming of sunshine and hills to climb!
This book is full of super easy, super delicious recipes and great ways to use any leftovers. Everything I've made from this cookbook so far has been husband approved (seriously, that's high praise)!
This book was a little disorienting, but I found that when I just gave in and let the strange and crazy pull me along it was very enjoyable!
Halfon is one of my favourite authors and I was so pleased when an English translation of this book popped up at the library. A beautiful continuation of his story told in his beautiful words.
Despite normally really enjoying dystopian books like this, it took me an awhile to get into it. I think maybe because writing style is a bit wordy for my liking.
As an English teacher, I had so much fun reading this book! I have never before read such an excellent explanation of the sense of anxiety I feel while reading anything in brackets.
The synopsis that I read before reading this book lead me to believe it would be a novel about The Struggles and the IRA. It is not. It's more of a commentary on “revolutionary” culture in England. The characters are simplified, over exaggerated, and one dimensional, which is perhaps the point, but for me it wasn't enjoyable. The only reason I read till the end was to see what conclusions/comments the author was trying to make.
I love listening to the music a book like this describes as I read. With “Our Noise” I found myself discovering a great band I'd never heard of (Lambchop), rediscovering great bands I hadn't listened to for awhile (Polvo, Archers of Loaf) and getting into bands I'd heard of but never got around to listening to (Spoon). I really enjoyed the way the book was laid out as well. The author set the scene with a short background paragraph and then he let the people involved tell the story, interview style. It was fun to read and I loved that so many old photos and posters were included. A great history of great music!
Meh, I think it just wasn't for me. Made it to the end to see what happened but wasn't a fan of the writing style.
There wasn't any information here that I hadn't already known or experienced, having worked at a record store in that time. But the book is well written and it was nice to have the overview and history of the shift to digital music in one place. The book focused mainly on the artist/label relationship and I would have liked to hear more from music producers and engineers about how their role changed and how they adapted their techniques and studios during this time.
A fabulous collection of conversations with Nick Cave. He talks deeply about life, grief, religion, relationships, and of course, music and art. Incredibly edifying.
Literally scanned copies of Kurt's journals, personal notes, letters etc. It's interesting and more of a coffee table book than something you would want to sit down and read cover to cover. I felt a bit weird reading so many very personal things...like I was invading his privacy.
I absolutely loved this book! The author skillfully creates a world that is both familiar and believably futuristic and leads the reader through different perspectives of love, emotion, and what it is to be human.
