Thank you so much for your high praise of The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, which caught my eye and led me to this wonderful book! I've been listening to the audiobook, which I find to be very well narrated. I'm always interested in anything relevant to the period of Germany's Weimar Republic throughout post-WWII, especially with regards to Austria, as that is where my maternal family is from and where my mom was born and spent her childhood (Graz). Yes, I've read everything from Hans Fallada! My family didn't talk about the war, as is the case with most Kriegskinder (war children), so I've furiously researched the period since I was young to better understand my family and their choices - and myself! xx-Christa
Oh yeah. My memoir pitch could read like a Quentin Tarantino film: Drugs! Sex! Rock-n-Roll! Nazis! In the 1980s, when Reagan was trying to kill us off, I felt perhaps I was born homosexual as some kind of generational atonement for the sins of my ancestors. Actually, in August I wrote a Substack post about how the name "4 Non Blondes" is tied to my Austrian lineage (it's titled "What's in a Non-Blonde, anyway?) ... it was like a second coming out ;-)
I love this list of reads. Thanks. Didn't see the Title of Harari's Nexus, A brief History of Information... a consonant laden, hard facts, not too hopeful book about AI. But he did a kids prequel and sequel that the kids I got it for seem to find fascinating and hopeful. Geez is that needed. Unstoppable Us Vol. 1 & 2.
I enjoyed the jaunty lyrical narrative by Quon Barry, We Ride Upon Sticks, she has others I find to be an enjoyable read, especially on the heals of wading through Nexus.
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey was compulsively readable though the main characters weren't pleasant people. It's a lengthy but oddly addictive and sometimes off-putting book. Lacey places the story in a future time when the United States has split into Northern and Southern territories, with the progressives ruling in the north and the fundamentalists in the south. She reimagines Emma Goldman as a powerful politician whose assassination precipitates the divide. When it wasn't annoying me, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Yes, definitely part of the frisson of reading this book is recognizing that potential in our current political reality. And I'm a big Emma Goldman fan, so that appealed to me. The book is really about a woman's search for her dead wife's identity in the context of the alternative history and the undercurrents that you point out.
Once more, will briefly annotate the books I so perfunctorily listed in the survey. The Hungry Season by Lisa M. Hamilton, a writer based in Northern California, traces the life of a woman, Ia Moua, from Laos whose family escaped from the communist regime by traveling on foot to Thailand. Ia grew up in refugee camps and started a family and numerous businesses before immigrating to the United States, where she grows specialty rice in Fresno. Fresno is not known for its rice but through Ia's business savvy and endless physical labor, she supports her extended family in the U.S. and Laos. Having grown up with the Vietnam War on the TV news every night, Ia's story gave me a different perspective on that history.
Thank you so much for your high praise of The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, which caught my eye and led me to this wonderful book! I've been listening to the audiobook, which I find to be very well narrated. I'm always interested in anything relevant to the period of Germany's Weimar Republic throughout post-WWII, especially with regards to Austria, as that is where my maternal family is from and where my mom was born and spent her childhood (Graz). Yes, I've read everything from Hans Fallada! My family didn't talk about the war, as is the case with most Kriegskinder (war children), so I've furiously researched the period since I was young to better understand my family and their choices - and myself! xx-Christa
Sooo good. I love learning this about you
Oh yeah. My memoir pitch could read like a Quentin Tarantino film: Drugs! Sex! Rock-n-Roll! Nazis! In the 1980s, when Reagan was trying to kill us off, I felt perhaps I was born homosexual as some kind of generational atonement for the sins of my ancestors. Actually, in August I wrote a Substack post about how the name "4 Non Blondes" is tied to my Austrian lineage (it's titled "What's in a Non-Blonde, anyway?) ... it was like a second coming out ;-)
Great list of books. Thanks for compiling it.
SAVING THIS LIST
AND SENDING IT TO OTHERS - It's winter adn there is nothing better than a long winter reading list.
I love this list of reads. Thanks. Didn't see the Title of Harari's Nexus, A brief History of Information... a consonant laden, hard facts, not too hopeful book about AI. But he did a kids prequel and sequel that the kids I got it for seem to find fascinating and hopeful. Geez is that needed. Unstoppable Us Vol. 1 & 2.
I enjoyed the jaunty lyrical narrative by Quon Barry, We Ride Upon Sticks, she has others I find to be an enjoyable read, especially on the heals of wading through Nexus.
Would that I had more than one life to give to this list!
So much to read!! And now I want to read “The Sex War”!
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey was compulsively readable though the main characters weren't pleasant people. It's a lengthy but oddly addictive and sometimes off-putting book. Lacey places the story in a future time when the United States has split into Northern and Southern territories, with the progressives ruling in the north and the fundamentalists in the south. She reimagines Emma Goldman as a powerful politician whose assassination precipitates the divide. When it wasn't annoying me, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
In other words, a glimpse of what is coming.
Yes, definitely part of the frisson of reading this book is recognizing that potential in our current political reality. And I'm a big Emma Goldman fan, so that appealed to me. The book is really about a woman's search for her dead wife's identity in the context of the alternative history and the undercurrents that you point out.
Fabulous! Now you’ve saved me from having to look at ANY of the million other year end book lists!
Haha. Well, I mean there MIGHT be something overlooked . . . But this will keep all of us busy.
Once more, will briefly annotate the books I so perfunctorily listed in the survey. The Hungry Season by Lisa M. Hamilton, a writer based in Northern California, traces the life of a woman, Ia Moua, from Laos whose family escaped from the communist regime by traveling on foot to Thailand. Ia grew up in refugee camps and started a family and numerous businesses before immigrating to the United States, where she grows specialty rice in Fresno. Fresno is not known for its rice but through Ia's business savvy and endless physical labor, she supports her extended family in the U.S. and Laos. Having grown up with the Vietnam War on the TV news every night, Ia's story gave me a different perspective on that history.
Yeah, I got real interested in what I read. She’s a photographer too. I like the Fresno connection.