sloanelCPL
Calgary Public Library
sloanelCPL's Completed Shelf
Filter your results by...
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Feb 08, 2024
Added Apr 02, 2023
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Jan 05, 2023
Comment:
I enjoyed this novel -- and the audio version was acted wonderfully. A vision of post apocalypse in which women have a physiological (and spiritual) advantage over men, but without going for a simple reversal of the paradigm (like The Power) . It was realistic but a bit frustrating to have so little information about the source of the apocalypse. It reminded me of aspects of the British series, The Survivors. And I am always discouraged at the alcohol-worship aspect of our culture unthinkingly pulled into a new future.I enjoyed this novel -- and the audio version was acted wonderfully. A vision of post apocalypse in which women have a physiological (and spiritual) advantage over men, but without going for a simple reversal of the paradigm (like The Power) . It…
What Rose ForgotWhat Rose Forgot, Downloadable AudiobookA Novel
by Barr, NevadaDownloadable Audiobook - 2019Downloadable Audiobook, 2019
Available
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Sep 22, 2021
The Western Alienation Merit BadgeThe Western Alienation Merit Badge, BookA Novel
by Cullen, Nancy JoBook - 2019Book, 2019
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Jun 22, 2021
Comment:
From The Western Alienation Merit Badge by Nancy Jo Cullen ©2019.
“After the inland sea dried up and its beaches turned to sandstone and the plant life turned to coal and gas, the ice advanced and ground the stone to dirt, then later retreated from the riparian valleys, coulees and rolling plains where now a girl stepped through the rabbitbush, rough fescue and western wheat grass. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, pulled her six-shooter cap gun out of its holster, pointed the pistol in the air and fired. A loud pop and the choking smell of the burning cap, but nothing else.”
I enjoyed reading this book. It was interesting in a lot of different ways: It was set in Calgary so there were frequent references and names that were more than familiar. Further, it was set in the wake of the recession resulting from Canada’s 1980 National Energy Program. I liked the dad who takes up sewing when his daughter, Bernadette, tangled in her own ideas of how people should comport themselves, would mightily prefer that he do wood-working. I liked Frankie, who comes home to help dad keep the house in the age of 18% mortgages. Robyn was a complicated character – much kinder as a child than the adult she turned out to be. The backstory of Frankie & Robyn’s childhood friendship provides an important context to the relationship they have after Frankie comes home. It was a little eerie to read about being queer on the prairies in the early 80s – much different from now. People who don’t like chronology-hopping will be irritated by this book, but it made sense to me.From The Western Alienation Merit Badge by Nancy Jo Cullen ©2019.
“After the inland sea dried up and its beaches turned to sandstone and the plant life turned to coal and gas, the ice advanced and ground the stone to dirt, then later retreated from…
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Jun 19, 2021
Comment:
I enjoyed listening to What Rose Forgot, Nevada Barr's standalone novel (her others are the Anna Pidgeon series that I have loved for decades. Each book is a murder mystery set in a different national park, and Anna is a park ranger). Rose Dennis, 68, wakes up in a hospital gown, to discover that she's been committed to a Memory Care Unit, a premise that will hook most of us over 60. Over the course of the story, Rose figures out who committed her and their nefarious plans for her… I missed Anna Pidgeon, who has a parallel relationship with her sister, but Rose and Mel were satisfying protagonists and there were some good action sequences. Good black humour as well.I enjoyed listening to What Rose Forgot, Nevada Barr's standalone novel (her others are the Anna Pidgeon series that I have loved for decades. Each book is a murder mystery set in a different national park, and Anna is a park ranger). Rose Dennis,…
A Divided LoyaltyA Divided Loyalty, BookAn Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery
by Todd, CharlesBook - 2020Book, 2020
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Mar 28, 2021
Comment:
I was hoping the book would be an opportunity to learn about post-war culture, about police procedure in the time before mobile phones or much in the way of forensic analysis. A Divided Loyalty is yet another book about women being murdered. Rebecca Solnit: “In war the people who try to kill you are usually on the other side. In femicide, they’re husbands, boyfriends, friends, friends of friends, guys on the street, guys at work…” I thought at first that this author must not like women, but realized that he must not like men either. It's painful to read the implicit acceptance of men killing women so their, the men's, philandering remains hidden. There is a casual assumption that when a woman spurns a man's attention his response is to kill her. And the philander-in-chief is rehabilitated to be a sympathetic character despite causing, indirectly, the protagonist victim's death.I was hoping the book would be an opportunity to learn about post-war culture, about police procedure in the time before mobile phones or much in the way of forensic analysis. A Divided Loyalty is yet another book about women being murdered.…
The Collected SchizophreniasThe Collected Schizophrenias, BookEssays
by Wang, Esmé WeijunBook - 2019Book, 2019
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Feb 13, 2020
Comment:
This is a wonderfully intense and brave book; I'm glad that it exists, and I'm glad that I finally read it. Far from being condescending to less high-functioning people with psychotic illnesses, I think Wang asks us to look at ourselves: What are your signifiers of adulthood, success, mental health, worth…? We all use them, or intentionally spurn them to communicate a different message. I always appreciate a little critique of capitalism as well as the mental health industry (within which I work): “… employment remains the primary marker of someone who is high-functioning, as having a job is the most reliable sign that you can pass in the world as normal. Most critically, a capitalist society values productivity in its citizens above all else, and those with severe mental illness ae much less likely to be productive in ways considered valuable: by adding to the cycle of production and profit.” I appreciated Wang's exploration of the many facets of living with a mental illness, like the question of having a child. In considering how difficult it is to be the child of a mentally ill parent, it can be tempting to see the decision (or non-decision) to have a child as selfish, but that factors out the huge pressure that women experience to have children, as well as the biological imperative. I appreciated Wang's incisive observations like: “A fictional narrative is considered nuanced when it includes contradictions, but a narrative of trauma is ill-advised to do the same.”This is a wonderfully intense and brave book; I'm glad that it exists, and I'm glad that I finally read it. Far from being condescending to less high-functioning people with psychotic illnesses, I think Wang asks us to look at ourselves: What are…
Fatal Grace [or, Dead Cold]Fatal Grace [or, Dead Cold], BookA Three Pines Mystery [featuring Armand Gamache]
by Penny, LouiseBook - 2006Book, 2006
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Feb 09, 2020
Comment:
I'm sure it is irrational to rate a book lower because one of the characters is so vile, but there it is. Another wonderful Louise Penny, and an enjoyable introduction to Billy Williams (Whale Oil Beef Hooked).
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Feb 09, 2020
Comment:
I'm forever grateful to the person who suggested this book as one of our book club selections, thus introducing me and several others to the miracle that is Louise Penny and her oeuvre.
The Cruelest MonthThe Cruelest Month, Downloadable Audiobook
by Penny, LouiseDownloadable Audiobook - 2008Downloadable Audiobook, 2008
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Feb 09, 2020
Comment:
I have a decided bias in commenting on this novel in that I love all of Louise Penny's work. I love the fairy tale Three Pines; the characters who live there; Gamache & Reine-Marie, Lacoste, even Jean-Guy; the sensuality of the descriptions of food; the respect and awe for the environment; the philosophy and the psychology (Penny's books could be used as texts to illustrated the power of our interpretations to shape our worlds and thus influence our happiness...). With this one, though, as I listened to the audiobook for the 3rd time (it was a book club selection), I began to doubt that the motives for murder and other bad behaviour were proportional. Would a person really murder for the reasons described in the novel? Is the reaction out of proportion to the situation? Or do all murders depend on an out-of-proportion reaction?I have a decided bias in commenting on this novel in that I love all of Louise Penny's work. I love the fairy tale Three Pines; the characters who live there; Gamache & Reine-Marie, Lacoste, even Jean-Guy; the sensuality of the descriptions of…
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Feb 09, 2020
Comment:
a book that combines two of my interests -- dogs and FBI. It is a pleasure to encounter a very well trained dog, even if on the pages of a book. Interesting peek into disaster services and body identification.
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Feb 09, 2020
Comment:
It is such a nice surprise to find a book by a favourite author on the trade paperback shelf just inside the door at the library, while all catalogued copies are out and the hold list is long. This was a satisfying read of a couple of days. It is fun to get absorbed into a suspense novel, and interesting to speculate how a city like New York would fare if the elevators were out of service.It is such a nice surprise to find a book by a favourite author on the trade paperback shelf just inside the door at the library, while all catalogued copies are out and the hold list is long. This was a satisfying read of a couple of days. It is…
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Jan 31, 2020
Comment:
I picked this book up for two reasons: Graeme Simsion and an intrigue about El Camino. I was disappointed to find it difficult to get into this novel, and committed to getting to the half-way point before I made the decision about whether to go on. Then I realized I was over half-way. So there was just enough there to keep me skimming, despite being frustrated at the thing that leads me to avoid reading romances -- the miscommunication, unchecked assumptions, things not said... Another oddity: this book has more references to how much things cost than all the books I've read in over 50 years of loving books, all put together. Don't start this book based on expectations based on reading the Rosie books.I picked this book up for two reasons: Graeme Simsion and an intrigue about El Camino. I was disappointed to find it difficult to get into this novel, and committed to getting to the half-way point before I made the decision about whether to go…
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Jan 23, 2020
Comment:
I enjoyed and recommend this book. It does read like a long magazine article, the kind I would mentally categorize as tl;dr. But as a book, oddly, it was invitingly short.
I appreciated this useful reframe of PTSD: “What I had was classic short-term PTSD. From an evolutionary perspective, it’s exactly the response you want to have when your life is in danger: you want to be vigilant, you want to avoid situations where you are not in control, you want to react to strange noises, you want to sleep lightly and wake easily, you want to have flashbacks and nightmares that remind you of specific threats to your life, and you want to be, by turns, angry and depressed. Anger keeps you ready to fight, and depression keeps you from being too active and putting yourself in more danger. Flashbacks also serve to remind you of the danger that’s out there – a “highly efficient single-event survival-learning mechanism” as one researcher termed it. All humans react to trauma in this way, and most mammals do as well. It may be unpleasant, but it’s preferable to getting killed.”
There were many interesting tidbits, like the difference in kinds of heroism displayed by women and men; the frequency of white people integrating into Indian tribes; the significance of littering as a symbol of the fundamental lack of connectedness in our society...
Junger's references are listed in the back, but it's unwieldy to read through 30 pages of references to find the ones specific to, for example, heroism.... Even including references at the end of each chapter would have been more reader-friendly.I enjoyed and recommend this book. It does read like a long magazine article, the kind I would mentally categorize as tl;dr. But as a book, oddly, it was invitingly short.
I appreciated this useful reframe of PTSD: “What I had was classic…
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Dec 03, 2019
Comment:
I love Terry Fallis's work but IMO this was not his best. I liked that Bobbie was the hero; cried and cried at Adam's loss of her. BUT, how did two 17 yo have enough $$ to indulge their pen geekiness? I did not geek out myself to the point of adding up how much they had invested, but it's more than I have, and that's more than is rational. I did not like the Gunnarson character – he 'decided' to take off the social acceptability filter? = decide to be on the autism spectrum? I would not recommend this one to a Fallis fan, unless you are also a fountain pen geek AND a golf geek.I love Terry Fallis's work but IMO this was not his best. I liked that Bobbie was the hero; cried and cried at Adam's loss of her. BUT, how did two 17 yo have enough $$ to indulge their pen geekiness? I did not geek out myself to the point of…
The Elephant in the BrainThe Elephant in the Brain, UnknownHidden Motives in Everyday Life
by Simler, KevinUnknown - 2018Unknown, 2018
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Dec 03, 2019
Comment:
I listened to the audiobook, and it was good company for a couple of weeks. A lot of research presented in a fairly palatable way. I was surprised at the shallow analysis of rape, assuming rape is universally condemned, and ignoring that we live in a rape culture and that rape is used as a weapon of war and subjugation. The research findings on schooling were amazing and disheartening. I found the analysis of motivations regarding charity enlightening. The authors were a bit too flippant regarding religion, in my opinion -- the research can stand for itself without sarcasm added.I listened to the audiobook, and it was good company for a couple of weeks. A lot of research presented in a fairly palatable way. I was surprised at the shallow analysis of rape, assuming rape is universally condemned, and ignoring that we live…
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Dec 03, 2019
Comment:
I just could not do this. I'd like to have liked it. Although it is smart and innovative, my reading appetites are more traditional.
I Like to WatchI Like to Watch, BookArguing My Way Through the TV Revolution
by Nussbaum, EmilyBook - 2019Book, 2019
Added Dec 03, 2019
Comment:
I'll refrain from posting a rating on this book, as I enjoyed greatly the chapters on the shows I'd seen (Buffy & Leftovers), but skimmed or skipped the majority of chapters because I'd never seen the shows. If you watch more TV than I do, you'll like this smart examination.I'll refrain from posting a rating on this book, as I enjoyed greatly the chapters on the shows I'd seen (Buffy & Leftovers), but skimmed or skipped the majority of chapters because I'd never seen the shows. If you watch more TV than I do, you'll…
Things I Don't Want to KnowThings I Don't Want to Know, BookOn Writing
by Levy, DeborahBook - 2014Book, 2014
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Dec 03, 2019
Comment:
I enjoyed the beginning and ending more than the middle reminiscence. Some lovely thought-provoking musing at the intersection of being female and being a writer in our current culture: "The notebook... It would probably be more romantic to describe it as "my journal", or "my diary", but I thought of it as a "notebook", perhaps even a sheriff's notebook because I was always gathering evidence for something I could not fathom." "To speak up is not about speaking louder, it is about feeling entitled to voice a wish." "What do we do with the knowledge that we cannot bear to live with? What do we do with the things we do not want to know?" "A female writer cannot afford to feel her life too clearly. If she does, she will write in a rage when she should write calmly."I enjoyed the beginning and ending more than the middle reminiscence. Some lovely thought-provoking musing at the intersection of being female and being a writer in our current culture: "The notebook... It would probably be more romantic to…
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Nov 08, 2019
Comment:
This was fun. I read it after enjoying The Swallows; this one was MUCH lighter. If you like Veronica Mars, you'll enjoy The Spellman Files.
Against MemoirAgainst Memoir, BookComplaints Confessions & Criticisms
by Tea, MichelleBook - 2018Book, 2018
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Oct 31, 2019
Comment:
This is WONDERFUL! At least the essays that I read (about 2/3) were wonderful. A collection of previously published or spoken pieces, well worth gathering and republishing. My reaction can be described using Tea’s own words, about reading Eileen Myles. “Reading this made me feel happy and alive. I was of this people...” I found myself reading at douple speed, it was so compelling.This is WONDERFUL! At least the essays that I read (about 2/3) were wonderful. A collection of previously published or spoken pieces, well worth gathering and republishing. My reaction can be described using Tea’s own words, about reading Eileen…
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Oct 27, 2019
Comment:
The Swallows is a good book about rape culture and girls/women fighting back. The book was a morbidly compulsive read for me partly because it was set in a HS boarding school in 2009. If I had to re-do HS as it was the first time (in the 60s) I'd be pretty sure I'd died and gone to hell. If I had to do HS now, or in a boarding school setting - ARGH! I feel sick at the thought. It was interesting to 'hear' the story from various characters -- mostly those on the side of 'right.' Different people knew different parts of the story. Just think if Alex had taught fencing at Stonebridge! “You can keep telling girls to be polite, to keep a level head and it’ll all work out in the end. But don’t be surprised when they figure out that you’ve been feeding them lies.”The Swallows is a good book about rape culture and girls/women fighting back. The book was a morbidly compulsive read for me partly because it was set in a HS boarding school in 2009. If I had to re-do HS as it was the first time (in the 60s) I'd…
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Oct 27, 2019
Comment:
not my favourite by this author, but enjoyable. Offers a peek at how circumstances can pull an ordinary person from an ordinary family into extraordinary and frightening situations. Very twisty.
The Bookish Life of Nina HillThe Bookish Life of Nina Hill, BookA Novel
by Waxman, AbbiBook - 2019Book, 2019
sloanelCPL's rating:
Added Oct 19, 2019
Comment:
chick lit, lit lit, chick lit lit -- sounds like a flavour instead of a genre -- a chick lit lit rom com. Very satisfying. Some nice descriptions of the adaptations we make to manage anxiety, and some nice explorations of complementarity -- the grounding effect of someone who is not anxious on someone with a vulnerability to anxiety. It was fun to read about a protagonist who, although prone to anxiety, is so completely comfortable in her sexuality. The embracing of a new family member might be a teeny bit idealized, but not too much for a chick lit lit rom com.chick lit, lit lit, chick lit lit -- sounds like a flavour instead of a genre -- a chick lit lit rom com. Very satisfying. Some nice descriptions of the adaptations we make to manage anxiety, and some nice explorations of complementarity -- the…
Comment: