sandraperkins's Completed Shelf

I loved this book so much that I read it twice! As I read it the first time, I was a bit impatient with some of the characters, who appeared to be unusually obtuse and difficult. But I kept reading anyway, and I am so glad I did: the ending totally blew me away! Not only did the author tie everything together in the most satisfying way, but he also showed that the characters had depths that I had missed when I first judged them. One moral of this story is: Your first impression of another person may be totally wrong. Do not give up on them! Keep listening! If you have heard about this book, you may have heard that it is about a group of people at an apartment viewing (what we would call an open house) who are taken hostage by a failed bank robber. Technically, that is true, but this book is SO much more than that! Even the author has trouble telling us what the book is about. Mr. Backman’s writing style is not everyone’s cup of tea, and of course, his work is translated from Swedish, but he is constantly foreshadowing and summarizing. Please bear with him, because he has a lot to say in this book. Here are the opening two paragraphs of the book, to give you an idea: “A bank robbery. A hostage drama. A stairwell full of police officers on their way to storm an apartment. It was easy to get to this point, much easier than you might think. All it took was one single really bad idea. “This story is about a lot of things, but mostly about idiots. So it needs saying from the outset that it’s always very easy to declare that other people are idiots, but only if you forget how idiotically difficult being human is. Especially if you have other people you’re trying to be a reasonably good human being for.” Mr. Backman then presents a list of all of the things we are all supposed to be able to cope with these days, and it is humorous but overwhelming. He points out that we are all doing everything we can just to get through another day, and we think everyone but us has it all figured out. The reality is that everyone is stressed and feels like an imposter at least some of the time (and often most of the time). Warning to all of you in the financial industry: Mr. Backman is not a fan of banks, and he clearly thinks it is horrific that when the economic recession of 2008-9 happened, the people who suffered and lost everything were regular people who trusted banks and financial people, while the people running the banks and other financial institutions got off scot-free. But I think the most important lesson of this book is connection. When I started reading this book, I thought these characters were all disparate people with nothing in common, but that turned out to be wrong. There were all sorts of connections. And new connections were formed during the course of this book. That is why I had to read this book a second time. When I got to the end and saw where the author was going, I had to go back and see how he set everything up. And it is brilliant!! I enjoyed reading this book the first time, but I truly savored every word the second time. I saw all the clever things I had missed on my first reading. And I wept at the end, even though it is not sad—I promise you that it is not sad. It is wonderful! In Anxious People, we not only get to know the people taken hostage in the apartment, but we also get to know the policemen (father and son) who are trying to resolve the hostage crisis. Everyone is more complicated than they first appear. Is that not true of every person on the planet? Some readers might pooh-pooh this book as a fairy tale. Perhaps they are right. I prefer to think of this book as showing that while we may all be idiots, we can rise to the occasion when the chips are down. We are never better than when we reach out and help others who are hurting or in trouble. And THAT is a message we need to hear today and every day!

This Is How It Always Is, Book

by Frankel, Laurie

Book - 2017

Added Jan 02, 2021

Ten Lessons for A Post-pandemic World, Book

by Zakaria, Fareed

Book - 2020

Added Dec 12, 2020

The Captain and the Glory, BookAn Entertainment

by Eggers, Dave

Book - 2019

Added Dec 06, 2020

Comment:

Three Good Things, Book

by Francis, Wendy

Book - 2013

Added Sep 13, 2020

All the Devils Are Here, Book

by Penny, Louise

Book - 2020

Added Sep 11, 2020

Comment:

I bought this book because I could not wait for the library to get it. I LOVED this book! It is so good that I immediately read it a second time, so I could spot what I missed the first time through, and so I could stay in this world a while longer. I did notice additional details, and I loved it even more the second time! It may be the best book in the series so far, though I also loved How the Light Gets In. Nearly this entire book takes place in Paris (before the pandemic), so that is a delight, though it means we hardly see our old friends who live in Three Pines. There is a fascinating and intricate plot (as usual). But my favorite thing about this book is the in depth look at the Gamache family members and their relationships. What I love most about Louise Penny’s books is the people, the characters. We get to know the Gamache family better in this book: his wife Reine-Marie, who is a gifted archivist and librarian; his son Daniel and his family, who have lived in Paris for years; his daughter Annie and her family (Annie is very pregnant with her second child throughout this book); and of course his godfather, who is in his 90s now. I always recommend that a series be read in order for maximum enjoyment. While I still believe that is best, I also think this book could be read with enormous enjoyment by a reader who had not read any of the previous books. (If you have not already read the previous books, you might think it is be too hard to read the previous 15 books before you get to read this one.) If you love Paris, you will love this book. If you love books that incorporate references to art, music, poetry and literature, you will love this book (and this series). If you love books with characters who keep you emotionally engaged for the entire book, you will love this book. If you love books with complicated plots, you will love this book. If you love seeing good triumph over evil, you will love this book. I am not saying this book is all sweetness and light; it is not. But it is deeply satisfying on so many levels. I give this book 5 stars, and really, I could give it 6 stars (still on a scale of 1 to 5). Not every Louise Penny book is a home run, but this one is a grand slam. I can not recommend this book and this series highly enough! Please read them!

The Vanishing Man, Book

by Finch, Charles

Book - 2019

Added Apr 18, 2020

Comment:

This is the 12th book in the series about Charles Lenox, a gentleman in Victorian England who wants to be a detective (even though that is not a respectable line of work for a gentleman). This book takes place in 1853, and it is a prequel to all or most of the other books, so I will relax my rule about reading series in order for this book. You could read this book without reading the others first. The first book in the series is A Beautiful Blue Death (and that may be the weakest book in the series). As this is a prequel, it might even be a better choice to read first. This series is not the greatest literature ever, but it has grown on me over time. I like the characters, and I enjoy reading about this period. I thoroughly enjoyed this book (and I read much of it on my last days of riding mostly deserted buses to and from my downtown office). It was a stressful time, as everything in our area was shutting down, and I found this book to be a pleasant distraction. In this book, Charles Lenox is very young and still trying to get a foothold in the world of detecting. The Duke of Dorset asks him to help discover who stole a painting from his study. The painting is not especially valuable, and there is another painting in the study that is more precious to the Duke. The Duke of Dorset is a very high peer in England—just below the royal family, the 5th highest ranking nobleman in England. This book includes an explanation of all of the levels of peers, which of course I can not find again while writing this review. (The Duke is also a pompous ass.) There are subplots to this book that are quite entertaining. Charles’s young cousin Lancelot is visiting him during this book, and Charles finds Lancelot to be extremely annoying—but Lancelot’s encounter with the Duke of Dorset is priceless! And if you are a fan of William Shakespeare, there is much to enjoy in this book! The Vanishing Man has a clever plot, and it is fun to read. I may be overrating this book, but I am giving it 4.5 stars. I am glad I had it to read during a dark time.

Running With Sherman, BookThe Donkey With the Heart of A Hero

by McDougall, Christopher

Book - 2019

Added Apr 18, 2020

Comment:

I LOVED everything about this book! I knew almost nothing about donkeys, and I now have great respect for them—and especially for Sherman, whom the author and his wife rescued from a hoarder. Sherman had been confined to a stall for way too long; his neglected hooves had grown long and deformed; and I can only imagine the emotional and mental trauma of that awful experience. But fear not! This is NOT a depressing book! The author and his wife live in Lancaster County, among the Amish community, though they are not Amish themselves. They live on a farm and already had other animals, but Sherman was a tougher project than any they had taken on before. Sherman could barely walk when they adopted him. Their neighbors told Chris that Sherman needed a purpose. With that encouragement, Chris envisioned that Sherman could learn to run and eventually to compete in the Fairplay Burro Race in Fairplay, Colorado. In this race, humans and donkeys run side by side over mountains (at high altitude!) and through streams (I am not making this up! Google it and see!). http://burrodays.com/ This became a community project! Honestly, it seems pretty hopeless at the beginning, but Chris recruits others to help—other donkeys, other runners, other animals, and other experts of all kinds. It turns out that this project is as healing for humans as it is for Sherman. The connections between humans and animals are especially moving—this book is a perfect choice for anyone who ever loved an animal! There are so many wonderful moments in this book! I will leave most of them for you to discover for yourself, but I will mention a couple. One of my favorite parts of this book is when Chris explains his insights about the Amish community. If you are like me, you know almost nothing about the Amish, but you probably think that they are deprived of modern conveniences in a way that seems kind of arbitrary. When Chris’s friend Sam asks to borrow his Frederick Forsyth books, Chris asks if that will get him in trouble. Sam explains that Amish life is not about what you can’t have; it’s about what you can. The three things everyone wants are health, happiness, and security. The Amish people are healthier, happier and safer than the rest of us, by far. This is explained in detail on pages 124-127 of this lovely book. Chris concedes all that, but until Sherman came to live with his family, he never understood why the Amish insist on using buggies instead of cars. And then he had this insight: “It’s no coincidence, I realized, that the only Americans who don’t need cops, fists, or therapists to settle their differences are the only ones who haven’t abandoned their business partnerships with animals. Patience and kindness don’t show up on demand; they’re disciplines that require constant practice, and there is no better boot camp for learning those skills than hitching your survival to your ability to discern—and respect—the needs of another creature. My Old Order neighbors understood that horses are less about transportation and more about education; for every hour they devoted to training their animals, their animals were quietly returning the favor.” Isn’t that beautiful? It brings tears to my eyes. If you love animals, you will LOVE this book! There are moving stories in this book about the difference animals can make in the lives of humans suffering from depression and humans with autism. I have to include one more quote that brings tears to my eyes: “Eight forty-five in the morning on July 31, 2016, will go down as the single greatest moment in Sherman’s life. That’s when he looked outside and discovered that donkeys had taken over the world.”

American Dirt, Book

by Cummins, Jeanine

Book - 2020

Added Mar 08, 2020

A Christmas Message, BookA Novel

by Perry, Anne

Book - 2016

Added Mar 01, 2020

Downton Abbey, DVD

DVD - 2019

Added Feb 29, 2020

Climate Justice, BookHope, Resilience, and the Fight for A Sustainable Future

by Robinson, Mary

Book - 2018

Added Feb 23, 2020

Comment:

On Friday February 14 I had the honor and privilege of hearing Mary Robinson speak about Climate Justice to a group here in Seattle. I am a huge fan of the book Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, edited by Paul Hawken. So is Mary Robinson. We both know that the science and technology exist to solve global warming and climate change; we simply need the political will to scale them up and implement them widely. Climate change and global warming are solvable, but we need to act NOW. Time is running out. This should be a moon-shot priority for every nation on earth! Mary Robinson was not here to talk about the science and technology available to solve climate change. She was here to talk about the connection between climate change and human rights. The people who are most affected by climate change are those who have done the least to cause it, and those who have the least resources to address solutions. And they are well aware that the climate change disasters happening in their lives today are directly caused by the lifestyles of people in wealthy countries who do not want to give up their privileged lifestyle to save the planet. She was talking about all of us. As she noted near the end of her talk, there is a fear of giving up privilege to achieve equality. She addressed the problem of climate displacement, which is not covered by the 1951 Refugee Act. If the climate makes it impossible to live somewhere, people need to have the right to move. This is already a huge problem and will become much greater as temperatures rise across the planet. As you know, many people and countries are resisting migration, and there will be many more migrants in the future. How can we make them more welcome? How can we focus attention on the positive impact of migration? She noted that the Irish people need to talk that talk; there has been huge migration from Ireland, and their people have made enormous positive impacts on many countries. We need a new narrative about migration, and better management, because more migration is coming. Her book and her talk told the stories of specific people who are most affected by climate change right now, who have become climate activists: female farmers in Africa who no longer have access to sufficient water; an African American woman who owned a beauty salon in Mississippi destroyed by Hurricane Katrina; people living in Alaska’s indigenous communities; people living in nomadic communities in Chad and Sweden; people living in and near the forests of Vietnam; and the tragic story of the people of Kiribati, a Pacific island that will cease to exist entirely if the oceans rise just a bit more. There is a story about an American woman who made significant changes in her own life that would help reduce climate change, and then was inspired to convince 1,000,000 more women to follow her lead and make similar changes. There is a story about a union official who did his best to prepare his union and his community for closure of a mine, still enduring tragic losses of all kinds. These stories are compelling and inspiring. She talked about three steps we can all take: 1. Make the climate crisis personal in your life; do something personal to solve climate change, such as giving up meat or driving an electric car (the book Drawdown describes many options for these personal changes). 2. Get angry at those with more responsibility; get active! Put pressure on government officials; squeeze the government! Support those who are taking action. And VOTE like your lives (and the lives of your children and grandchildren) depend on it. Because they do! 3. Imagine a future that is healthy, based on relationships, with slow food and slow fashion (the book Drawdown can help you see how that is possible).

Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle, Book

by Gilman, Dorothy

Book - 1988

Added Feb 22, 2020

Comment:

I love the Mrs. Pollifax series (and I do not care about her hats!) In this book, Mrs. Pollifax and Cyrus have planned a lovely vacation trip to Thailand. Mrs. Pollifax is still recovering from her traumatic experience (and torture) in Hong Kong. Right before they leave, Bishop shows up at their home and begs them to undertake a simple job for the CIA—just to pick up a package from an informant who has been very helpful. After some hesitation, they agree to do it. Of course, it is not that simple; it appears that the person Mrs. Pollifax was to meet has been murdered, and then Cyrus is kidnapped and driven away in a blue van. Mrs. Pollifax somewhat impulsively joins forces with Bonchoo, and they drive after the blue van in Bonchoo’s ancient truck. All sorts of adventures ensue. Karate comes in handy once again. Dorothy Gilman must have had the most interesting travels! Very little of this book takes place in Bangkok; instead, there are long treks through the jungle and up steep hills/mountains. They visit an Akha village and learn all about the fascinating culture of these unusual forest people. Mrs. Pollifax ends up entertaining them with magic tricks! Mrs. Pollifax and Bonchoo also visit a “lost” monastery and meet a mysterious holy man. Mrs. Pollifax has a moving spiritual experience during meditation, and she discovers something very surprising about the holy man. There are all sorts of complicated plot twists, some of which I missed until I reread the book to myself. And Bonchoo (who is a teak smuggler wrongly accused of informing, trying to clear his name) turns out to be a wonderful new friend. Mrs. Pollifax has a gift for connecting with people wherever she goes. I expect that this book would be especially fun for those of you who have visited Thailand. I have not, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I really love this whole series, and I especially love Mrs. Pollifax, who is a fabulous role model. Some of you may recall that Mrs. Pollifax is in her 60s and is referred to as “elderly” in these books, but others (especially men) underestimate her at their peril. Not only does she know karate (brown belt), but she is also smart, resilient, clever, and creative; she is exactly the kind of person you would want on your side when the chips are down. And her ability to connect with people is amazing! After eight books, she has friends all over the world. The book we are reading now notes that her postman is very curious about the mail she received with such exotic stamps! I give this book at least 4.5 stars, and I give this series overall 5 stars. Several of the books are 5-star books, including the first book, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. This series must be read in order for maximum enjoyment!

Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha, eBook

by Gilman, Dorothy

eBook - 2014

Added Feb 02, 2020

Comment:

I love all of the Mrs. Pollifax books, and I agree with the other comment that this book is darker than the prior books in the series. But please do not let that discourage you from reading this book, which also has wonderful and inspiring things to offer! There are two old friends from previous books: Robin Burke-Jones, whom we met in A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax, and Sheng Ti, whom we met in Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station (meeting Mrs. Pollifax was the best thing ever to happen in Sheng Ti’s life; she helps him escape a dead end life in mainland China). Mrs. Pollifax also meets a professional psychic on the plane to Hong Kong, and he turns out to be an integral part of her mission (and a wonderful new friend!) as well. I love the way Mrs. Pollifax connects with people, learning from them and always giving them great value in return. She is amazing! In this book, she is sent to Hong Kong because the CIA has recently been receiving obviously false reports from an undercover agent in Hong Kong. They think he has turned to the other side. Because Mrs. Pollifax is so perceptive and smart, she investigates further and figures out what is really going on, which is far more sinister. In this book, Mrs. Pollifax figures out many important things, but she is not able to save the day by herself. The contributions of others (mostly amateurs!) are critically important. I do not want to give away the plot, but there is tremendous courage and redemption. It is inspiring! The real lesson of this book is that we can not sit back and wait for others to fix things or rescue us. We can not rely on the authorities to act in time or act well or do the right thing. We are the ones we are waiting for—we all need to act and do what we know is right! And if that is not a lesson for our time, I do not know what is. And Mrs. Pollifax is indeed a fabulous role model for me and for all of us! She counsels two of her new friends not to be ashamed or disappointed in themselves for mistakes they have made in their lives, but to learn from them and do better. “If living is a process, then how does anyone arrive anywhere except by just such painful routes?” After all, at the beginning of The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, Mrs. Pollifax is wondering if her life is worth continuing—because she decided to apply to the CIA for work as a spy, her life has become so much richer! And she has made so many other lives so much richer too, and she has helped her country, and used her considerable skills and life experience to accomplish things far beyond what the CIA people expected from her! (And she is a brown belt in karate!) I am a HUGE fan of Mrs. Pollifax! If you have not read this series, please start with The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax and enjoy!

A Bitter Feast, BookA Novel

by Crombie, Deborah

Book - 2019

Added Jan 04, 2020

Comment:

How to Be An Antiracist, Book

by Kendi, Ibram X.

Book - 2019

Added Dec 08, 2019

Comment:

Christ in Crisis, BookWhy We Need to Reclaim Jesus

by Wallis, Jim

Book - 2019

Added Dec 08, 2019

Comment:

Mr. Wallis is concerned that the Christian churches in the US have become disconnected from the actual teachings of Jesus. He wrote this book to demonstrate how the words and actions of Jesus should be applied to what is happening in our nation today. Christ in Crisis will be of interest to readers who are Christians, but this book is not just for Christians, and it is not just for people who are religious. This book will appeal to all people who are interested in social justice. I also think this book will speak to those who were raised in a church, but who have been turned off by the behavior and words of those who call themselves Christians in today’s America. Mr. Wallis analyzes and applies the teachings of Jesus to a variety of topics that are in the news regularly today. This is not a political book. Mr. Wallis finds fault with both the right and the left. He is proposing that we look carefully at how Jesus handled certain questions, and apply those lessons to the issues of today. The chapters of this book are well-crafted, well-reasoned discussions of very important issues. Here is one example: The Neighbor Question. Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. When asked “Who is my neighbor?”, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. His example of a good neighbor is a Samaritan, a member of an “outsider” group that was despised by the majority in that day. The Good Samaritan went out of his way on a dangerous road to help a person unlike himself, who needed help. After a discussion of the parable, Mr. Wallis notes that in the US today, we rarely even encounter people who are different from us in our daily pathways. We have residential, racial, economic, and religious segregation; how do we get outside of those boundaries and meet our neighbors who are different from us? In this chapter, Mr. Wallis describes the “talk” that African-American parents have with their children about how to behave in the presence of the police; avoid the police at all costs, and do everything possible to avoid provoking them. Too many African-American people (usually unarmed) have died during police encounters. In contrast, as a white child, he was taught that the police were his friends; if he was lost, he should seek out a policeman, who would help him get home safely. That is a huge difference in perspective; we have to know our neighbors with different perspectives to understand why and how they see things differently. Mr. Wallis then applies this principle to immigration. The US is well on its way to changing from being a white majority nation to being a nation made up of minorities. How would Jesus tell us to treat these new neighbors? Mr. Wallis discusses the separation of children from their parents at our southern border and the Muslim ban. He addresses white privilege, saying, “When you are used to white privilege, racial equality feels like a threat. Or as one young black man at a forum put it, ‘If you can’t see white privilege, then you have it.’” We need deeper conversations across lines of difference such as race, religion, immigration status, and others. We need to listen more deeply to those to whom we have been indifferent.

Big Sky, Book

by Atkinson, Kate

Book - 2019

Added Nov 10, 2019

Comment:

The Weight of Ink, Book

by Kadish, Rachel

Book - 2017

Added Nov 02, 2019

This Poison Will Remain, Book

by Vargas, Fred

Book - 2019

Added Oct 21, 2019

Comment:

The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue, Book

by Glaser, Karina Yan

Book - 2019

Added Oct 13, 2019

Comment:

The first two books are great, but this latest book may be the best yet! The mom of the Vanderbeeker family is running her dream business in her home, baking amazing cookies and other desserts. As the book opens, she has been offered a magazine shoot by Perch Magazine, which would give her small business terrific exposure! And the photo shoot is scheduled the day before her 40th birthday! Unfortunately, the City sends a health inspector to the brownstone before the photo shoot. Mom is not home, but the inspector sees the Vanderbeeker children and all their pets, and he finds her business in violation of health laws because animals are in her kitchen sometimes. The Vanderbeeker children work hard to come up with ways to prepare the brownstone for a second inspection and the photo shoot. Their efforts are hampered by someone who starts abandoning more animals on their doorstep, including five kittens, a dog (not named, but called New Dog by the Vanderbeekers), two guinea pigs, and seven chickens! Needless to say, the Vanderbeeker children do not give up. They are smart and creative children. And they have made wonderful, supportive friends in the past two books, and those friends come through with tremendous help and support! Here is a favorite quote: “Our lives are filled with so many moments that make up years and days and hours and seconds. And sometimes when we’re going through life, we get to a moment when we lose our way and need help finding it again. You helped me when I was very lost, and I believe you can help your mom find her way too. . . . The universe is so big, so much bigger than you and me and bigger than any of our mistakes. There are always opportunities to forgive and be forgiven. You kids have the power to put so much good and love into the world. I know because you shared that good and love with me.” The ending of this book is off the charts outstanding! This book made me laugh out loud, and it made me cry, but with happy tears! I LOVED this book! You MUST start with the first book and read these books in order! Otherwise you will not understand how the Vanderbeekers have so many friends and supporters in their community! These books are funny and uplifting and inspiring! This book illustrates so well how important it is to connect with others and to build community. And if you put good and love out into the universe, good and love will come back to you! I recommend this series for readers of all ages 10 and up. While these books are written for children, I can not believe any child loves these books more than I do!

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Think AgainThink Again, BookThe Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

UnionUnion, BookThe Struggle to Forge the Story of United States Nationhood

Anxious PeopleAnxious People, BookA Novel

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The Captain and the GloryThe Captain and the Glory, BookAn Entertainment

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Running With ShermanRunning With Sherman, BookThe Donkey With the Heart of A Hero

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A Christmas MessageA Christmas Message, BookA Novel

Climate JusticeClimate Justice, BookHope, Resilience, and the Fight for A Sustainable Future

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A Bitter FeastA Bitter Feast, BookA Novel

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Christ in CrisisChrist in Crisis, BookWhy We Need to Reclaim Jesus

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Filter your results by...

Think Again, BookThe Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

Union, BookThe Struggle to Forge the Story of United States Nationhood

Anxious People, BookA Novel

The Captain and the Glory, BookAn Entertainment

Running With Sherman, BookThe Donkey With the Heart of A Hero

A Christmas Message, BookA Novel

Climate Justice, BookHope, Resilience, and the Fight for A Sustainable Future

A Bitter Feast, BookA Novel

Christ in Crisis, BookWhy We Need to Reclaim Jesus