The Toll, Shusterman
I wasn't sure if I'd finish this series. And I kinda wish I hadn't. The ending was so weird. Spoilers, but most of the characters just escaped planet Earth by rocket. They ran away and abandoned their planet. They never even knew what had happened after they left.
"The Snow Leopard," and "The Cloud Forest," Matthiessen
I read the first one because I thought it would be about snow leopards. It wasn't. More of a travelogue about hiking through the Himalayan mountains. It sounded fascinating, but his writing didn't really strike me. The only reason I tried the second book was because it partially took place where I went in Peru. It made me remember why I didn't click with the snow leopard book. He's pretty condescending about the local people.
"Mort," "Sourcery," and "Wyrd Sisters," Pratchett
I've been pretty divided on Terry Pratchett's books so far. Some I think are okay, others I don't like, and others are fascinating. These three are my favorites so far. They're funny, and I like the premises.
Soundless, Mead
This was fascinating. It makes you think about hearing in a while new way. I didn't expect the bit of the fantasy element at the end, but it was cool too.
Zamba, Helfer
This was one of the first people who used kind methods to train a lion for films. Back when they actually used real animals in movies (cough cough). Working at a zoo, I know full well how much more secure everything is of no one goes in with the lions. But man, reading this book makes it really tempting to snuggle with a lion. Zamba was an amazing cat.
We Bought a Zoo, Mee
A great story of saving a zoo and the animals that live there. Pretty different from the film version, though that's good as its own separate story.
My Life with Animals, Baldwin
Stories from a guy that worked at the Hearst Castle menagerie, and the San Francisco Zoo. These are very old stories, and the way they worked with animals back then was very different to what they do now. It's fascinating, but it's good to know that things aren't that way anymore! Considering some of the stuff he experienced.
A Walk in the Woods, Bryson
An account of two people hiking along a trail that crosses much of the country. One of those people got so frustrated on the first day of walking that he started chucking stuff randomly out of his pack. It sounds like a fascinating trail. But it also seems like the kind of thing that people just charge through, instead of slowing down and appreciating the mountains and woods.
White Fragility, Diangelo
Wrote a separate post about this book.
Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Lasky
I finished the main series because I liked that they used real owl biology. But the character development and stuff is too tacky for me to want to read anymore.
The Bridge, Konigsberg
A pretty heavy read, especially part three. But a very good book. Two teenagers go to the top of the bridge, ready to jump. There are four stories. The boy jumps. The girl jump. They both jump. Or they both turn around and go home. I met the author, and he signed my book.
Uncle Tom's Cabin, Stowe
Whoever first described this book to me did a very bad job. It sounded like Tom was happy to serve a terrible, abusive slave owner. But Tom comes as a saint to help people who are suffering. I was afraid this book would portray African Americans very badly. And it could be better, but it was way better than I expected. Considering what society behaved like back then, the author tried very hard to do a good job. Two of her points really stood out to me. Good slave owners make it possible for terrible people to own and abuse slaves. And while the south was where the slaves were, the north wasn't much better. Because it wasn't as though the north would happily welcome in the slaves if they were suddenly released and moved north.
Encounters with Animals, Durrell
Crazy animal tales by a guy that collected animals for zoos (back when that was considered acceptable).
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, Bittner
I finally read it! It was fascinating. I've seen the parrots from a distance a couple times. I'm not sure if it's the same ones, or a different flock (there are a couple). I'm sure most, or all of the original birds are gone now. Parrots can have a good long, life, but less so in the wild. Anyway, I want to actually go to Telegraph Hill at some point and see if I can see them.
No comments:
Post a Comment