La Voz De M.A.Y.O.: Tata Rambo

La Voz De M.A.Y.O.: Tata Rambo / Barajas, Henry, 127 pgs.


This book based on the oral history of Ramon Jaurigue, an orphan and WWII veteran who co-founded the Mexican, American, Yaqui, and Others (M.A.Y.O.) organization. The story covers three generations and was occasionally difficult to follow but the art is fantastic and I learned something about the Yaqui people and their struggle for recognition.

The Women Warrior

The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts / Maxine Hong Kingston, 209 pgs.

A powerful story of the author's history and youth. A bit of growing up, dealing with family and being an immigrant with a backdrop of Chinese myths and reality.  The sections of the book kind of all stand alone. Starting with the family history in China and ending in the family business in California - a laundry of course.  There is suffering and some funny parts too.  If you can read this in a sitting or two, it would be best, I think.

Untamed

Untamed / Glennon Doyle, 343 pgs.

I have never read a book by this author and was not familiar with her story at all.  Upon reading, she is writing here about finding herself.  And I mean, she was lost from her true self.  She changed and found happiness.  Who doesn't love a happy ending even if the path to it is a little jagged.  And I'm not really talking about her life, I'm talking about how she tells the story.  But enough about that...the most amazing thing I learned from this book is that Abby Wambach plays soccer on a co-ed recreational league.  Who in the world wants to play on the opposing team?  What a shock that would be. If you don't know why this book reveals this little nugget, then maybe give it a read.

Object Lessons

Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen (1991) 262 pages

Twelve-year-old Maggie and her parents, Tommy and Connie Scanlon, are the main characters in this coming-of-age story. Tommy's father, John Scanlon, is a force to be reckoned with. He is an outspoken Catholic, angry that the Mass is now said in English instead of Latin. His opinions are harsh and his sons and wife dare not cross him, although Tommy did that just once when he married Connie, his pregnant girlfriend. Connie feels that she has been the scapegoat of the family and avoids the Scanlons when possible. Maggie has been the most comfortable with her gruff grandfather, but when he becomes hospitalized one summer, the family dynamics seem to be in flux. Meanwhile, a developer is building new houses in a wooded area behind Tommy and Connie's house. The neighborhood kids can't stay away from the construction work. Maggie's friendships are changing, to her dismay. Her mother seems less available lately. Her parents don't seem to spend time together anymore. This book is a trip back in time, but its lessons are current for any modern time period.

A Memory Called Empire

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, 462 pages

I first read and blogged about this book almost exactly a year ago, so instead of rehashing my description of the plot here, I'll simply link to my previous blog post. Basically, it's about the new ambassador from a small space station to an ever-expanding empire that she both loves and fears. It's an incredible novels that has racked up lots of award nominations over the last year, and I'm excited to discuss it with the Orcs & Aliens book group tonight. It's clever, nuanced, and interesting on so many levels, which means it's ripe for discussion.

Space at the speed of light

Space at the speed of light: The history of 14 billion years for people short on time / Becky Smethurst, read by the author, 144 pgs.

When I started this book I was amazed that it was being narrated by a 12 year old girl!  Recovering from my ageist view, it is  actually narrated by the author - a British astrophysicist at Oxford.  She is fantastic and so in love with her topic, I couldn't stop listening.  Unfortunately the text is so very technical, I can't imagine it would be too popular.  So much above my head but also she does a good job in interspersing relatable stories along with the high tech astrophysics. Perfect for the science or astronomy interested.

Why we swim

Why we swim / Bonnie Tsui, read by Angie Kane, 277 pgs.

This book covers so many aspects of swimming, I could not even fathom there were so many.  The history of, medical and curative aspects, competition, type of swimming (did you know that Samurai were trained to swim in all of their armor?), the physical and mental benefits.  I mean if you are someone who likes any aspect of swimming, this is a great book. The listening is easy and the information is completely fascinating.

Big Black: Stand at Attica

Big Black: Stand at Attica / Frank Smith & Jaren Reinmuth, 171 pgs.

A memoir by a man who was at the center of the prison riot at Attica in the 1970's resulting in death and mayhem.  A short takeover by prisoners who held guards hostages and demanded to be treated as humans was met with derision and a governor who would not back down.  Not wanting to be seen as weak, Nelson Rockefeller approved breaking up the stalemate with fire power.  Thirty nine inmates and hostages were killed.  Following the standoff, prisoners involved were beaten and tortured for a long time.  Frank Smith was one of those who suffered at the hands of prison guards and officials.  Within a short period of time, all charges were dropped against inmates when deaths were discovered to have been 100% at the hands of the troops that stored the prison.  A lawsuit settled many years later awarded a settlement to the prisoners.  Frank Smith continued to suffer from PTSD until his death in 2004. His legacy post prison was exemplary as he worked as an investigator, a drug counselor and became a notable prison reform activist. In a lot of ways this was a tough read.  Also, viewed from the lens of 2020, you wonder if things have changed.

Economix

Economix: how our economy works (and doesn't work) in words and pictures / Michael Godwin, art by Dan E. Burr, 304 pgs.

I borrowed this on Hoopla then got so engrossed in all the details I had to check it out again.  Fundamental economics education tracing back through the big thinkers and how things have changed but also how they have stayed the same.  Near the end when we are talking about modern times, the author takes an unapologetic liberal stance but also points out the many ways policies of the "conservative" have failed. A great way to make the dismal science a bit less dismal. 

Broken People

Broken People by Sam Lansky (2020) 297 pages

Sam is a gay man who has written a memoir about his early messed-up life, immersed in drugs and sex. Even in sobriety, he has continued to sabotage his relationships with other men. At a party, he overhears someone talking about a shaman who can do the equivalent of ten years of therapy in a single weekend. He and Buck, the host of the dinner party, go to meet Jacob, the shaman, to learn about his field of "transdimensional intercession." They decide that they're willing to give the process a try.

The book switches back and forth between Sam's past  relationships and the present, weekend-long session with the shaman. If the reader is firmly entrenched in the here and now, the mystical connections might be hard to swallow, but the factors that have caused Sam's brokenness are very believable.