Mini Reviews | Natural Disasters

 Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Natural disasters have long been a source of endless fascination for me, starting when I was a child. No surprise then that books like this continue to interest me as an adult.

The book focuses on California and the San Andreas Fault and the information contained within it is not entirely new. Everyone knows the fault is massive, and has spawned countless secondary faults, many just as potentially deadly as the big one. Yet people live over the fault. People drive across it everyday on one or more of the dozens of highways and interstates. Both San Francisco and Los Angeles sprawl out over the fault - and no one seems keen to move away any time soon.

I found this to be an easy enough read, no science background required. yet still well-researched and in-depth as well, thoroughly explaining the geology needed to understand the San Andreas Fault. We are also given a history of the area and pertinent people, such as Andew Larson, the UC-Berkeley prof who named the fault in the late 1800s and Charles Richter, who developed and refined the scale we still use today to measure these beasts.

It is interesting to compare the jump in knowledge from the 1906 SF earthquake, to nearly 60 years later when plate tectonics were discovered. Up until that time, scientists believed that underground volcanoes caused the earth to move. Needless to say, the science has come a long way since then.

But even so, it has not come far enough, and I don't know that it can. We still can't predict earthquakes, and it is possible we will never be able to. Major earthquakes will continue to happen. But don't expect California to one day just go floating off into the Pacific Ocean. Instead the author maintains that the San Andreas Fault and all of its offshoots are actually pulling California apart. Between the fires and the earthquakes, California doesn't stand a chance.

 Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I did not realize this was an older book, published in the 1970s. Even as a I read it, it seemed as if it were a more recent publication, while at the same time also reading as though it was an eyewitness reporters account. Not too shabby to make a reader believe to completely opposite things at one time.

The authors make fantastic use of sources not previously available to the public. They acquired documents from insurance companies, the Red Cross, the military, and also collections of eyewitness accounts of those who managed to survive one of the worst disasters in US history.

As with any other catastrophic event, there are heroes and villains. It will surprise no one that the powers that be were incapable of handling a disaster of this magnitude for a couple reasons - they were corrupt beyond reproach and had no idea what the hell they were doing.

Just as the title says, this truly is a minute-by-minute accounts, from those first terrible seconds in the early morning of April 18th, beginning at 5:13 AM. The book moves quickly and the reader can only hang on for the ride as we move quickly through the city, witnessing the horrors of that day and the aftermath of the fires raging.

One thing I also really appreciated was the interviews the authors did with survivors. It must have been quite difficult for them to share their stories, but I am so glad they did. They gave a depth to the story, sharing their grief over such an awful experience.

 Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Our planet would not be what it is today, giving us life, were it not for natural disasters. We need them for our home to flourish and without these life-giving forces, our planet would die and so would we.

If we were not so arrogant, and did not think that time and time again we could thwart Mother Nature, these disasters would not so often result is huge losses of life.

Yet here we are, living on super active fault lines, building cities below sea level...you get the idea.

This book looks at several incredibly devastating disasters that have impacted humankind. From Pompeii to Katrina, there are many here that prove that not much has changed, and we still think we are in charge.

We know that our world is changing. As climate change continues to wreak havoc, we must learn from past mistakes. Temperatures are rising around the world, ice caps are melting, eventually major life changes are going to start happening for a lot of people living on the coasts. All kinds of natural disasters are getting worse, and will continue to do so. It doesn't have to be this way though, if we could just take five seconds to learn from our past.

The author does a fantastic job examining each natural disaster, then exploring how each impacted society dealt with the aftermath - what they did differently, what they predicted, what they got wrong. Not a bad way to spend a couple hours.

NetGalley ARC | Six Days in August: The Story of Stockholm Syndrome

I received a free digital copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Rating ⭐⭐⭐

Prior to reading this, I did not actually know where the phrase 'Stockholm Syndrome' came from, aside from some vague notion that there was a hostage situation in the 70s that resulted in the coining of that term.

Even after reading the book, it still boggles the mind as to how people held hostage could want to save their captor, but I have never been in that situation so I don't think I can or even am meant to understand it. This is, simply or not so simply, what happened and how it happen, and the aftermath.

On August 23rd, 1973 Jan-Erik Olsson walked into the downtown branch of Sveriges Kreditbank. He wore a wig and sunglasses to hide his identity, fired off rounds from his gun, and what followed became a really weird hostage situation.

From the start this whole thing was a clusterfuck. The media absolutely went nuts for it - and that's saying something, considering the nonsense we are dealing with today. I can't even imagine what it would look like had this happened in now instead of in 1973. The world was captivated by the unfolding drama playing out live on television.

During that six days in captivity, Olsson's hostages became quite attached to him, as well as his buddy Clark Olofsson, who was released from prison in the hopes that he would somehow assist the authorities with bringing Olsson out. I mean, seriously? Come on, like that was going to happen.

After six day, the whole thing finally came to an end and the hostages defended their captors, going so far as to refuse to testify against them. Instead, they helped fundraise to pay for their defense. One of the women also asked Olofsson to father a child a few years later, to which he agreed but wanted nothing to do with the child. Like, what...?

There is a wealth of information here. So much, in fact, that it is nearly a minute-by-minute account from across the entire six days which the group spent within one of the bank vaults. Based on information provided by the publisher, the account also contains information from sources and documents that have not been published before. Many involved in the original event were also interviewed and contributed to the book. I have no basis for how much of this is actually new, as it is my first book on the subject but it does seem quite thorough and detailed.

Even so, this book was a struggle for me to get through at times. Much of that does have to do with the fact that no matter how much I read of the book itself, or what I looked up on my own as I was reading, I could not wrap my head around the fact that the hostages wanted to protect their captors. Self-preservation is one thing, but to continue to defend them afterwards? I just don't get it. And like I said before, maybe we are not meant to, and that's fine, but DAMN, did I want to smack some of these people around after the first couple days.

The author has done a fine job in bringing the story to life and tells it in a readable way. He leaves some questions unanswered here and in this instance that decision actually works - things like whether or not both men were equally guilty in the situation (yes), and if the police knew what they were doing (no).

I don't know that I will pursue this subject further, as it seems that this account is well-told and thorough enough for me. Also, not really as interesting of a story as I thought it would be.

NetGalley ARC | The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World - and Globalization Began

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Typically the topics of business and globalization of said businesses is dreadfully boring to me and I don't care. That is still true, except for when we are talking about said topics in relation to how they occurred in one of my most favorite periods to read about.

The one thing I truly disagree with is the author's semi-assertion that anyone still believes that the Vikings got no further than Britain before 1,000. It is fairly common knowledge now that this is, in fact, not true. We know they traveled much farther, reaching what is now Canada. She also makes references to how it is still believed that there were not major cultural developments in Europe prior to that, and all we have to do is look to Ireland's history to see this thought too is already accepted as being false. Quite a lot was actually happening in those so-called "Dark Ages". Otherwise, I enjoyed this book.

One of the highlights of this book for me is the idea that perhaps the Vikings got even farther than we have imagined - perhaps far enough to encounter the Mayan people. She discusses the existence of blond-haired people gracing the murals in the temple at Chichen Itza. Could the Vikings really have gotten as far as Mexico? Wouldn't that be an amazing discovery that we could actually find evidence to prove? Honestly, it would not surprise me if this truly happened. The Vikings were quite determined and driven. Who knows where else they might have gone, and what evidence we may find of those journeys in the future.

The book remains accessible as a popular history despite the obvious fact that many years of research went into the content and cultures explored here. We are privy to all the developments in technology that allowed for the cultures to collide, as well as the sweeping spread of religions far and wide. She makes a great point that at that time, all of these cultures were pretty equal in terms of the weaponry/warfare technology they possessed. This would obviously not be the case less than 500 years later when Europeans would once again return to North America in waves, this time capturing, subjugating, and exterminating hundreds of thousands of the native populations.

Now, certainly globalization to us and globalization then looked far different. But the case is made, and stands I believe, that this first round certainly paved the way for our world to become what it is today, for all the positives and negatives that includes. We are taken on a whirlwind trip crossing five continents, yet nothing felt rushed or glossed over. The narrative was also not bogged down with a boring slew of fact, fact, fact.

I quite appreciated the look at the travels of the Rus, into what would eventually become Russia, and find this culture particularly curious, as I feel like Eastern Europe is never quite as fully given its due as Western Europe is. I am especially intrigued by how Russia came to be, and it's development in this period on. Much like I find with most European history though, my interest wanes by the 16th/17th century - unless we are talking about the last of the Romanovs.

There is much to appreciate here. The author writes in an engaging way and does an excellent job giving the reader a feel for the place and time in each location as we jet from one location to the next. I never felt like anything was unclear, and places remained distinct despite the many cultures examined.

Recommended.

Advanced Reader Copy - Holiday SOS: The Life-Saving Adventures of a Traveling Doctor

I received a free digital ARC from David Haviland and Thistle Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 4 Stars

I had no idea this was even a job. I mean, I suppose had I given it any thought, I would have realized this kind of practice had to exist, but since I've never thought about it, it never occurred to me what might happen to someone who has a terrible accident or becomes deathly ill while on vacation. I now also know that, despite the perks of travelling around the world, it is a job I could never in a million years do myself. So, thank goodness there are doctors like Ben MacFarlane who are more than willing to.

I really found so many of Dr MacFarlane's patients fascinating. Some of the stories were hilarious, some were terrifying, and some were heartbreaking. As Ben is traveling back and forth, repatriating British citizens who are injured while on vacation outside the UK, we also get an understanding of the job, and a peek into his personal life as well. I felt like that was important too, so we got a glimpse of who he is as a person, not just this robotic doctor who flies in and out of the UK constantly, escorting injured travelers for the insurance companies. He seems to truly care about the patients he is escorting, and more than once having to save mid-flight. I found the way the stories were explained to be respectful to all of those most deserving of it (don't even get me started on that extra rude lady).

There was one point in the book where I teared up. Ben was escorting a sweet elderly lady back to the UK. She'd been traveling alone, and upon arrival, there was no one to meet her or stay with her at the hospital. Ben later found out that Mrs. Dean passed away two days after arriving back in England. No one was there for her funeral either. Just typing this gets me choked up, and I appreciated Ben's sentiment that he would have gone, had he known.

I appreciated the fact that this did not read like a medical textbook full of jargon that no one understands besides the doctors and nurses who might read this. It was not watered-down, but explained in a way that made sense, without being condescending. In a high-stress job like this, not only would a doctor or nurse have to be highly skilled at what they do (comes in handy when your charge suddenly takes a turn for the worst when you in the air), but must also be able to be a calming presence, able to be empathetic and comforting, to the patient who is injured and/or sick, scared, and a long way from home. Such a difficult job and, as I mentioned before, one I know unequivocally that I could not do myself. Ben has a tough job to do and not always a lot of time to do it. He gets a patient, studies the case, heads out, then has to deal with the doctors at his destination (some good, others difficult). At that point he then has to assess the patient to see if he or she is even fit to travel. Sometimes that is an immediate yes, sometimes they have to wait a few days, and sometimes the wrong decision is made. Through it all, Ben remains calm and collected, and delivers each patient here back home safely to a hospital in the UK for further evaluation and testing if necessary. Ben does not accompany patients on that leg of their journey. Once the plane has landed and he has delivered him or her to the waiting ambulance, he is off on his next adventure - whether that be traveling to an exotic location, or sleeping at home for the first time in a week.

I've never given a single solitary thought to purchasing travel insurance, but given the multitude of stories presented here, that is something I will most definitely be thinking about in the future.

As I read, time and again I thought about what a great television series this would be. It is certainly unlike all the other medical shows we see - at least, I think so. Truth be told, I got rid of cable seven years ago and haven't looked back. I don't even bother with local channels much, but this would be a show I might watch. Obviously these cases did not all happen back to back to back, but were presented as some of Ben's most dramatic/dangerous/obnoxious/etc stories. Just imagine, all season long there are these really difficult cases, the doctor almost loses a patient mid-flight on a few occasions, all kinds of good, heart-pounding drama. Then the season finale, literally everything goes as perfectly as it can, it's a totally relaxed episode, drama-free, and everyone makes it home alive. People would be so confused, it would be great.

Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe

Rating: 4 Stars

It pains me so very deeply that I have to return this one to the library without being able to give it a proper, in-depth review as I normally would for books about this period in England's history. Unfortunately, it's already had to be returned and honestly, I don't really have that many notes to go off of because I was so into the book that I rarely stopped long enough to jot anything down to mention in said review. Really, the only time I did make any notes is when it came to Mary vs. Elizabeth because this moment in time is forever infuriating to me, so in most books I HAVE to stop a bit when I get too rage-y.

I was happy to see Margaret Tudor given some page-time, and her story being incorporated into the queens of the age. Henry's sisters often get pushed to the side to make room for their larger-than-life brother, and so it was nice to see the focus specifically on women of the age. And not only the typical queens, such as Henry's wives and children, but those of other countries. And really, beyond Catherine and Anne, none of his other wives had any power or control over anything, and none but Catherine (please correct me if I am wrong) ever ruled as regent when he was off at war. Then of course come the next generation of Tudor women, Mary and Elizabeth, and finally their cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. But here we see so many other powerful women at work in the arena of politics: Isabella of Castile, Catherine de Medici, Margaret of Austria, Louise of Savoy. I knew very little about most of these women, and the others also touched on, so that was a fresh change of pace. However, I still remain most interested in the Tudor women and really breezed through those chapters so much more quickly because they were already so familiar to me.

My irritation usually stems from Mary's reign into Elizabeth's, so this will just be repetition for anyone who has read previous reviews of mine on similar books. I think Mary has been judged unfairly through the ages since her short reign, and I don't think the nickname 'Bloody Mary' is so terribly accurate. While it does not excuse the fact that she had many Protestants put to death, I think the trauma of her early teens into young adulthood truly shaped who she would become as an adult. Her mother's treatment by her father, their forced separation even in illness and finally Catherine's death, all of that formed who she was and how she would rule. She never had a chance.

I feel similarly about another Mary - Queen of Scots, that is. She too made some very poor decisions in her reign, the first she can hardly be faulted for though - she expected to be able to trust her half-brother James, Earl of Moray. She had the potential to be a good ruler, but the Protestant faction working against her, combined with her disastrous marriage to Darnley, were her undoing. And don't EVEN get me started on her captivity in England or her unjust execution. Elizabeth could cry all the big stupid crocodile tears she wanted and I will never believe for one moment she was sorry to have signed the death warrant. She knew damn well it would be carried out immediately; Cecil had been clamoring for Mary's death from the moment she set foot in England.

This is rapidly just turning into a rant about the last of the Tudor dynasty, so let me bring attention back to the book. I do have one teeny tiny bone to pick with the text, and perhaps it was unintentional but given my love for the Plantagenets, it jumped out at me right away. On page 213 (hardcover edition) the author states that Matilda had attempted to succeed her father (Henry I) and it started a civil war with her cousin Stephen. Technically yes that is accurate but to me that seems to imply that Matilda was the usurper, when in fact it was Stephen with that title in this scenario. After Matilda's brother William died when the White Ship sank, she was the last legitimate child of Henry I. He'd had his barons swear allegiance to Matilda before he died, and Stephen was among those who swore to uphold the transition from father to daughter. But as soon as Henry I was dead, Stephen swooped in and took the crown for himself. HE is the one who caused the civil war. I know that a female ruler was super scary to these dudes, but Matilda was claiming her rightful inheritance. I guess it all worked out in the end though, because though Matilda would never rule England her son, Henry II would upon Stephen's death. Helloooooo Eleanor!

Again, I do apologize for this not being much of a review, because this book certainly deserves it. Unfortunately time has simply not allowed that to happen here. What I can quickly say is that this is an utterly fantastic look at the powerful women of the 16th century, some names we know so well and others we might not be as familiar with. These women, some as much as any king at the time, helped shaped Europe. The book is so exhaustively research and well-written, it is certainly worth a read. Highly recommended.

Rough Riders: Theodore Roosevelt, His Cowboy Regiment, and the Immortal Charge Up San Juan Hill

Rating: 4 Stars

I do not typically read anything involving military history, tactical planning, etc.; it really is not that interesting to me. But I found this one while wandering the library a month or so ago and thought it would be a great addition for my 2017 President Challenge, where I am attempting to read at least one book about each of our former presidents. Needless to say, once I started writing my own book, this goal kind of got buried.

But FINALLY I have finished this one and it was worth diving into. The day I picked it up from the library, it occurred to me that while I knew who the Rough Riders were, I really had NO IDEA what battle they took part in besides knowing the phrase 'San Juan Hill'. As far as wars go, this one kind of got ignored in history class, what with all the murder and mayhem caused by the Nazis during WWII.

As I recently wrote on the Challenge page, due to time constraints, the books I read for this challenge may not have the typical review I would give, were I not involved in my own work at this time. Basically, I won't be spending nearly the time I usually do on writing reviews.

Despite my aversion to books about military history, I was not bored by this one. So many puzzle pieces fell into place for me as I was reading and finally figuring out what this war was all about and why 'charge up San Juan Hill' was so important. Especially in our time with all the weapons and technology now available, even war seemed so much simpler then, if war can ever be simple. I also greatly appreciated the use of contemporary sources. There are tons of photographs of the men, as well as references to telegrams, letters home, orders, etc. 

Here are a few lines I enjoyed, or struck a chord, or amused me:

The first quote comes from the very first page, from a Medal of Honor ceremony in 1906 during Roosevelt's presidency. He was the first to insist on a ceremony, where the medal was given by the president to the recipient. It is crazy to me to think that the medals were ever sent by mail.

"This is the first time a Medal of Honor ceremony has taken place in the White House, the first time since the nation's highest military honor was created during the Civil War that a president of the United States has personally presented. In all previous years, Medals of Honor simply came in the mail" (page 1).

Not-So-Fun Fact: Roosevelt felt he deserved this very medal for his part in the battle. While he would not receive it in his own lifetime, it would be posthumously awarded to him by President Clinton in 2001 and received by his great-grandson, Tweed Roosevelt.

On Roosevelt's character:

"Roosevelt made no effort to hide his inexperience as a cavalry officer. He was often seen in camp holding the thick cavalry drill manual and loudly practicing various commands, completely oblivious to the troopers just steps away. His boyish enthusiasm for any task was contagious, and he talked down to no man - unless he deserved it" (page 39).

After San Juan:

"Some Rough Riders apparently thought the law didn't stand a chance, either, and when they got on the wrong side of it, they seldom failed to call on the influential colonel. An exasperated Edith Roosevelt felt "as if we were the parents of a thousand very large and very bad children" (page 257).

The very last lines of the book:

"But Roosevelt did much more than leave a legacy to his children. He and his men authored one of the iconic moments in American history. The Rough Riders forever charge up San Juan Hill, and Roosevelt forever leads them. In that way, they are immortal. And it is all because Theodore Roosevelt craved something "worth doing" " (page 278).

Definitely recommended.

The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes

Rating: 3 Stars

This is a tough one to review, or even rate. I feel like if I give it a lower rating or speak to the disjointed flow of the narrative, then I am somehow devaluing the experience of these three young me and their actions to help stop an ISIS attack on this train and its passengers. That is not my intention at all. The story itself is captivating but the writing really just made it difficult to stick with.

I would assume that Jeffrey Stern did most of the writing despite the fact that the three young men are billed first. That is typically the case with books such as these. If Sadler, Skarlatos, and Stone had done all the writing themselves, I would be far more willing to cut these guys some slack, not being professional writers. But with the presence of Stearn, I expected better. The flow of information and the unfolding of events prior to the attack itself were simply told in a totally boring way. Then the disjointedness comes from the fact that the attack was not told in one section and was interspersed between the stories of each young man and how they met and became friends, growing up together, and eventually meeting up to travel together on that fateful day to Paris.

One thing of interest that struck me was their waffling on whether or not to actually go to Paris in the first place. While traveling, others had suggested foregoing Paris for other locations, but in the end, these men ended up on that train. And thank goodness they did. Who knows how many might have been injured or killed had this terrorist been successful. This idea of fate is an interesting one and there have been many times in my life I have acted on gut instinct to make a decision. Part of the reason is because, in high school I ignored a gut instinct and moments later was hit nearly head-on in my little 1986 Chevy Nova by a Ford Bronco running a light. I don't often ignore my instincts anymore and I am so glad these young men didn't either.

If the book does nothing else, it at least points out the glaringly obvious fact that the media in the US is totally screwed up (something we already knew, given the media's treatment of Bernie compared to Hillary throughout the primary season). I remember when this story first broke, it was all about how three US Marines on leave had thwarted a terrorist attack. That was completely inaccurate. Two of the three young men are in the military, however NONE were Marines. It just goes to show you how quickly the media will jump on a story without having all the facts. This is certainly nothing these men did wrong, but is an big indicator of how ridiculous media outlets here are.

I am really going to miss President Obama and his sense of humor once he leaves the White House. There is a point in the narrative when they are recalling their initial phone conversation with Obama and he says, "...I was just talking to Spencer and told him, like, when I have a class reunion kind of thing, we just have a beer, we don't like, tackle terrorists or anything" (page 84).

In the end, it is not a bad story, but still a poorly told one. The moving back and forth between their childhoods and the event on the train was frustrating because it made the narrative so choppy. That does not diminish the importance of the story and I feel like it is still one that needs to be told and read and applauded. The way it was told simply did not work for me.

Princesses Behaving Badly: Real Stories from History — Without the Fairy-Tale Endings

Rating: 2 Stars

I originally rated this book 3 stars, but time away from it has given me a better perspective and I am debating between 1 and 2 stars even. Really, this book was not very good. Perhaps I felt inclined to give it the original 3 stars because within the first chapter there was a subsection about fierce queens from Antiquity and a page devoted to Boudicca. I would have liked to see a blurb about Eleanor of Aquitaine (though she did not live during Antiquity, I know), because she certainly bucked tradition in her life time with the way she took control of her life to end her first marriage and begin her second within weeks of returning home to Aquitaine (and most likely, she had been planning it long before).

But the more I thought about it, and looked back over the few notes I took while reading, I had to accept the fact that while parts of the book were entertaining, by and large the princesses were never really made to feel like real people. The author relied a lot on the myths surrounding these women and did not do a decent enough job separating the two. I guess I would have been more willing to rate the book higher had the two been more clearly divided. Perhaps even presenting the myths first and then following up with what was true in the myth, why the myth grew to overtake the facts we do know, etc. But there was none of that and so the author does herself a disservice, and her readers as well.

Immediately in the introduction, I had some misgivings about the book. Even in the table of contents, the author referred to Isabella of France (wife of Edward II, more on these two in a minute) as a she-wolf. It was at that point I already expected much of the book to be a regurgitation of gossip and nonsense. She-wolf was not a compliment at that time, and using it now without explanation is no better.

While still in the introduction, I found it kind of ridiculous that the author would call her book 'Princesses Behaving Badly', and then rant against Disney Princesses and these cultural and gender norms that exist in society now. Why would these princesses in the book be considered to be 'behaving badly' then, unless the expectation of the behavior was the opposite, and more Disney-like? The message there is already mixed, and nothing is ever done to clarify it.

Back to Isabella and Edward II. Edward was not the king his father and grandfather were, nor his son Edward III would become. I have always felt a bit bad for him, as he enjoyed activities that were considered beneath a king, but he made his own problems as well when he let his favorites sway his opinion and policy. Piers Gaveston was a terrible influence on Edward and there will be speculation until the end of time about whether or not Edward was gay and Piers was his lover. What matters in that bit of information is that Edward never bothered to at least pretend that Isabella mattered, and from their wedding day on it was clear she was of no importance to him - considering the fact that he gave the jewels she'd brought with her to Gaveston, and Gaveston sat with Edward at the coronation, in what should have been Isabella's place.

This quote was one of a few that really sealed the deal for me on how untrustworthy the book is:

"When Gaveston was around, Edward was worse than useless, barely able to hold a conversation, much less govern. When Gaveston wasn't around, Edward was a wreck" (page 79).

This seems a bit...sensational, don't you think? I was interested to read the chapter on Isabella, but it ended up just being a rehashing of rumors and gossip. In looking at the bibliography for this chapter, I found that the author only used one book, Helen Castor's 'She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth'. That in itself is kind of shady, to use only one source. and Castor's book is definitely not sensational and gossipy. I mean, it has its moments, but it was still well-researched and I liked it. Isabella's behavior was more then justified, by our standards today anyway. As far as we can ever really know, Isabella and her lover, Roger Mortimer took power and eventually Edward II died in captivity under dubious circumstances. At the time her behavior was considered unacceptable, and that is why once their son, Edward III came to power, he had Mortimer executed and Isabella basically under house arrest for the rest of her life.

Basically, the book started out decent, but even after the rough introduction I had concerns. By page 55 when the author referred to Tuthmosis III as 'T-III', I just could not take her seriously. There were some solid stories but over all this is more entertainment than academic. That is not a bad thing necessarily, but it is problematic when myths are presented as fact. If there was not enough factual information about someone available to us today, then perhaps that is a sign that they should not be the subject of a book.

Take it or leave it, but keep in mind its shortcomings.

The Secret Language of Churches & Cathedrals: Decoding the Sacred Symbolism of Christianity's Holy Buildings

Review: 4 Stars

Wow. These photos alone, just, wow.

I had originally received this as a ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but did not feel like I could originally review it at the time because the file was just so screwed up. I felt like I needed a hard copy because the ARC did not justice to the beautiful photographs. There were huge formatting issues, pictures were literally spliced in half and you might not see one half at all, or find it so many pages later. The text was all out of order - seriously screwed up. Then around 31%, the cover, title page, and copy write appear with that table of contents and intro. It was definitely weird, because I have never encountered a file like this from NetGalley before.

I sent a note through NetGalley to the publisher stating why I did not post a review but did not expect to hear back, as for various reasons in the past I have sent similar notes and never received a reply. I was pleasantly surprised then, not too long later, to get an email from Gemma at Watkins Publishing directly, asking if I would like a PDF copy from them to read and review. I accepted and am so glad I did. The book truly is amazing. Even if there were no text at all, and it was simply photographs of the churches and cathedrals, it would be worth it. It is absolutely stunning.

I am completely fascinated by religious buildings and imagery. I love cathedrals especially, and two of my favorites are St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh (which I did not get to go inside of) and St Colman in Cobh, Ireland (which I was able to go inside of, and never wanted to leave). St Patrick's in Dublin is also beautiful, though again we did not get to go in. I think part of my fascination is because I am kind of obsessed with Catholicism, though I am Lutheran. Maybe obsessed is not quite the right word - more like enthralled? - but I watch in eager anticipation every time the Papal Conclave is deciding who the next pope will be. And I dig Pope Francis. A lot. Like, he is a total badass.

The architecture alone is amazing but the author goes into such detail about so many aspects of the buildings, I honestly do not really even know where to start. Within the specific buildings showcased, we see beautiful ceilings, mosaics, windows, and so on. The section alone on stained-glass windows was especially of interest and the Good Samaritan Window at Chartres Cathedral in France. In just two pages it really breaks down each section of the window and I found myself thinking back to the variety of stained glass windows I have seen at numerous churches and what scenery or message I might have missed because I was too busy looking at the pretty colors to see the big picture.

I believe this book would be of interest to many - those interested in history, art, architecture and/or religion. It is completely captivating and I am so glad I was able to have a second chance to take a look at this one.

Women in the Middle Ages

Rating: 4 Stars

I have read several books by this husband and wife team and enjoyed them all. This one is no exception. Though it was written in 1978 and comes across at some points as dated now, it is a thoroughly researched and well-written look at the lives of women in what we refer to as the Middle Ages, roughly 600 AD to 1600 AD. Of course there is always debate as to when the actual Middle Ages occurred - some dismiss the term 'Dark Ages' completely now, others say this time period begins with Alfred the Great and ends with Richard III's defeat at Bosworth. A strict start and end date is of little consequence to this book, as the authors look at seven women who lived in the centuries from roughly 1000 through 1400. And, though Eleanor of Aquitaine is not one of the women profiled in the book (sad face), she does make an appearance and I quite enjoyed that she is given brief but proper due in the chapter dedicated to Blanche of Castile (her granddaughter): "Heading the party was John's mother, and the princesses grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, an almost fabulous queen who had astounded her contemporaries 50 years earlier by coolly deserting one king (Louis VII of France) to marry another (Henry II of England and Anjou), and who, at the age of 80, still played an active role in politics" (page 97). Page 99 then shows a photograph of Eleanor's effigy at Fontevraud Abbey, next to her favorite son, Richard. As an aside, I am forever amused that she was laid to rest next to her son, instead of Henry II, who was also entombed there. Whether this was purposeful planning or not, one would assume she would not want to spend eternity next to the husband who imprisoned her for years due to her habit of helping their sons rebel against him. While Henry was a great king, he was not a great husband (as viewed from our century, at least, though it would have been of little matter in the 12th century).

Now, back to the book...

Question: Even in the Middle Ages, people knew the world was not flat. And this fact was about them knowing this was known in 1978. So why the heck were we still taught in the 90s that people in that time thought the world was flat? It makes no sense.

I like that the authors use the first section of the book to give background and general information, not only about women in the Middle Ages, but in history as well. For readers who do not know much about this time period, this is valuable to give some insight into life for women in a time so different from our own - or even those in 1978 when this was first published.

The second section is devoted to seven specific women, spanning the centuries of the Middle Ages. I loved that the authors profiled women from all over Europe, not just England (though I do love England quite a bit). Here we meet Hildegarde a German nun who lived in the 1100s; Blanche of Castile (Eleanor's granddaughter), who became queen of France; Eleanor de Montfort, youngest daughter of King John (and another granddaughter to Eleanor of Aquitaine - are you picking up on her importance yet?);Agnes li Patiniere, a textile worker who lived in Flanders in the 1200s; Alice Beynet, who lived in England; Margherita Dantini, an Italian woman whose home, built by her husband (an Italian merchant) still stands today - or least did so at the time of publication; and finally, Margaret Paston, of whom we know so much about because of the multitudes of correspondences between her and her husband and sons that survived the Wars of the Roses.

These women are so fascinating because of the varied lives they lived. From peasant women, to the granddaughters of queens. The authors present these women as they deserve. They are made real, not just distant figures in time, as people who might have existed. There are existing documents that prove as much. It was great to see these women stand on their own and not be defined by the men in their lives, whether that be their fathers or brothers or husbands. This is important, because when we think of that time period, we don't think of women being successful in their own right in a very male-dominated society.

The only thing that bothered me was the photos. They're all black and white, and directly on the page with the text - no fancy glossy paper stuck in the middle of the book here. I would have loved to see some of these paintings in color, they would have been beautiful On page 35 there was also a chart of consanguinity from the 13th century which I would love to see in a more clear photo. You can't read the writing at all, so it would have been helpful to have not only the full photo, but then a close-up of the writing so it would actually be legible.

Otherwise, I have no real complaints. Frances and Joseph Gies were fantastic and thoughtful researchers who were thorough in their work. Both have passed away now, but have left many books behind to introduce the new readers to the world in the Middle Ages. Highly recommended.

180 Days Abroad With the Chinese Locals: What Textbooks and Classrooms Don't Tell Us About China

Rating: 3.5 Stars (4 Stars with an additional proofread/edit)

I received a free PDF copy of this manuscript from the author, Aldo Quintana, in exchange for an honest review.

At this time there is not a cover but I will add it to the post when it becomes available.

My rating means just that. While the copy that I received had been proofed, the author indicated in an email exchange that he was planning to do at least one more read aloud and I provided a short list of minor errors I came across such as typos or awkward phrasing. There are not things that necessarily take away the strength of the story, which is the author's voice and personal experiences while in a foreign country, but are needed fixes in order to make the story a bit more polished.

The author and I have been Twitter and Facebook page followers of one another for some time now and I have to admit that as I was seeing his posts or Tweets about the manuscript, I was was kind of hoping he would ask me to review it. I know next to nothing about China, save for snippets about the Great Wall, and the documentaries I have watched about the Terracotta army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. To use a phrase you might recognize as one I say often, "It is almost embarrassing how little I really know about China." I was interested in reading it because of the premise, of spending six months in a foreign country, as well as the topic, China.

I learned four very valuable lessons that I would like to share right off the bat that make me positive that I could never actually live in China:

• Fireworks are legal every single damn day of the year. If you know me, then you know that every year, from roughly June 25th through July 3rd, I rage about idiots shooting off fireworks every day leading up to the 4th. It would drive me batshit insane to hear them year-round. The 4th is one of my favorite holidays and every year these morons around me try to ruin it by setting them off constantly. If though, as it is mentioned in the book, they are set off to signify the birth of a baby, I am okay with that.

• The pollution is seriously out of control. If there was ever a need for environmental reforms, this is it. When your government has to issue a chart that helps determine pollution level each day, and that there will be some days the pollution is so bad that the general public is told to stay indoors, then you have a problem. China has just such a problem. In the book the author discusses the mask he wore on the high-pollution days and he says he still has it. What a souvenir! As an additional note, the author included this chart as a graphic within the text. It was nice to have the visual.

• Negotiating would make me seriously crazed and impatient. I am not a patient person to begin with (I'm working on it), and to haggle with street vendors is something I would not be able to do well because I don't like wasting time, and I don't like people trying to sucker me out of money. I know this is common in many countries besides China, but I would either never buy anything or end up broke really quickly because I just don't have time for tomfoolery.

• You are not allowed to use Google Chrome. Sorry China, this was the deal breaker. All I use is Google Chrome.

Upon graduating with an MBA, the author noticed an internship via an Internet job board and applied, never imaging he would actually get it. But he did, after a few phone interviews, and he found the job was actually in China, not the US as he had thought. The book that followed is a conversational collection of his observations, thoughts, and conversations with fellow interns and the local population that he worked with and lived among. I love to travel and this would be amazing - though I would be highly anxious jumping into living in a city where an estimated 90% of the population did not speak the same language as me. That would terrify me - I was scared enough when Mom and I got separated at the tube station at Heathrow in London our first night in England. I can't even imagine being in a country where I couldn't read road signs, directions, anything. I do admire someone who can take risks like this and just pack up and go. The author provides many tips for getting around the language barrier. He suggests having phrases already written or typed out in a doc on your phone, which he would then show to taxi drivers and such. When that did not work, having a photo of the place you want to go works well also. I also appreciate the fact that the author attempted to learn some Mandarin before leaving (he had about 30 days to do so, from the time he had the phone interviews to the day he got on the plane). I think this piece is critical, whether you are going on vacation, or moving to a foreign country. Regardless of whether or not the 'business language' of the country is English, I think it goes a long way to show those you come in contact with that you made the effort to speak their language instead of expecting them to speak yours.

I really related to the author when he made reference to the fact that textbooks and class work are great in theory or hypothetical situations, but not so much for problems and situations encountered in the real world. This has never been more clear to me than when I was working on my own Master's degree in Special Education. I had a couple professors who had been out of the classroom for many years, and while some of the scenarios and solutions worked in a perfect world, they were simply not applicable anymore.

The way the author presented the information, I would consider this book a combination of a how-to guide (for living abroad), memoir (sharing his own experiences with both work and leisure), a travelogue (for the places he visited while living in Langfang), and non-fiction/history (for what he shares regarding the history of China). he also uses a variety of ways to present information - checklists, graphics and printed conversation. The third one is tricky; if you have read any of my reviews in the past, you know I am not a fan of this. Unless any author recorded the conversation at the time to know word-for-word what was said, I generally find it suspicious. But here I think it works, because of the topic. It relates to the author's experiences and observations. All throughout the book, the author uses initials to identify the various people he lives with, works with, and socializes with. In regards to these conversations, he also identifies the person by gender and nationality, the latter of which I think is helpful because it speaks to that person's perspective in regards to whatever they are discussing. Other graphics the author included referred to items needed while working abroad (and this would apply to any country, not just China. He also included a currency table, which is highly important - especially on a budget. This is useful whether on vacation or not - as I can attest to. In 2010 Mom and I were stranded in Amsterdam for an extra week and it was terrible because we had definitely not planned for 7 additional days of hotel fare.

There are so many things I learned about daily life in China, that I am not sure I could actually recount everything here without making my review into a book itself. The "Beijing Belly" and kids just peeing and pooping at will on sidewalks in public weirdness aside, there were many moments that made China more real to me and gave me a clear picture of life as the author lived it for those 6 months. Some of these stories make China almost seem like a very primitive country with no modern conveniences (such as the fact that some buildings have no addresses, such as the author's apartment complex which was "untraceable on Google Maps"). Then in other instances, China seems like the place to be in the future, such as when Langfang (population roughly 700,000) is considered to be "next Silicone Valley of China". It is definitely a study in opposites, and a country with a very complex past, present, and future.

I know China is kind of used as the big bad bogeyman here in the US, and most people who know me would classify me as pretty liberal, but I have to admit I am kind of a fan of the way the Chinese government deals with rapists and child molesters. In a nutshell, the guilty party must apologize to their victim's family, pay the family an amount of money, after which time they are executed by the military. The victim and their family are invited to watch the execution. China does not mess around when it comes to sex offenders and I am a staunch supporter of this. Given the rape culture flourishing in the US and the insane amount of victim-blaming that goes on here, coupled with the laughable-if-it-wasn't-so-infuriating prison sentences handed down (prime example: RAPIST BROCK TURNER and his lousy 3 months), it is almost refreshing to see these horrific crimes dealt with in such a definitive manner.

Overall, I enjoyed reading about the author's experiences as he lived in China for this time. The book reads almost like you are having a (one-sided) conversation, and for those who like a little more formality in their non-fiction, it may bother you. The author makes a point to explain as much as he can in a variety of ways about his experiences (i.e. the conversations, graphics, etc). I also appreciated that he took the time to show both the ups and downs of his experiences. He was off to a rough start when he first arrived, due to his assigned living quarters being totally disgusting, and the fact that no one at the company seemed to expect him when he arrived on his first day. He dealt with insane amounts of pollution, public transportation, and people constantly coughing all around him and never covering their mouths. But then again, he also got to see fascinating tourist stops like the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, and gain valuable work experience through his internship. This is an interesting and informative read that I can definitely recommend to others who enjoy that travelogue/memoir combo. 

Making Monte Carlo: A History of Speculation and Spectacle

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:

I received this as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Normally as I read I make multiple notes with the aid of Goodreads. I update my progress constantly to keep track of thoughts and ideas I have as I go, in order to match them up to the page or percent I was on at the time. When looking back at my log of reading for this one, there is one single, solitary note at 60%:

"Elsa Maxwell is fascinating."

Seriously, that is all I wrote the entire time I was reading this one (which took me all of four days total because it was a fantastic, fun read that I did not want to put down).

And it is true. I had never heard of Elsa Maxwell before this, but the pages devoted to her and her relationship with Monte Carlo, as well as her life in general, made for a great read. 

I have little interest in gambling in itself, but a special place in my heart for the glitz and glamour of the 1920s - the decade following WWI which saw Monte Carlo rise again as the destination for the rich and famous in Europe.

This is just as much a biography of sorts of Francois Blanc, the founder of Monte Carlo, as it is of the resort-casino itself. I have very little knowledge of the place as it is now - as I am neither rich nor famous - but as you might know if you have been reading my reviews for a while, I love history and am always looking for a good story. I found his life story to be a very interesting one, starting in his younger years with a variety of stock market scams, to his first successful casino ventures, to what can be considered his crowning achievement in turning Monte Carlo from a sleepy, small town into what we know it as today.

Aside from Blanc, there are numerous other names you will recognize - notably of course F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, Picasso, and Hemingway. There will also be some you may be unfamiliar with, as I was. Worth mentioning a second time is Elsa Maxwell, who is best described as a party-planner to the stars so to speak. She was famous for the outrageous soirees she held and brought her magic touch to Monte Carlo to help revive the resort and bring it back to the forefront of society again.

Overall, this was a great read that I really enjoyed. It was a fast-paced read with a writing style that flowed well. Definitely recommended!

A History of Civilization in 50 Disasters

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:

I have this habit of going through the new release section of the public library catalog and putting a bunch of books on hold that I am interested in. Half the time, the books end up being YA/juvenile, despite me clicking specifically on the history section on the adult list. Sometimes I read the book anyway and this is just such an occasion.

First, I love these kinds of history lessons, these sort of lists that look at some sub-section of human history and how those pieces matter and come together to form one aspect - another good one is 'The History of the World in 100 Objects'. Very interesting.

Anyway, despite being about a depressing subject matter, the content was highly interesting and worked well for an adult, as easily as it would for a YA reader. The book covers a wide range of topics, from earthquakes, plague, volcanoes, to a molasses flood. For real. A flood of molasses. It would be funny if people had not died. I guess the phrase "Slower than molasses in winter" is not really accurate after all. I don't say this to be cheeky, I had never heard of this disaster and it was very interesting, I love that Santorini, the burning of Rome, and Pompeii were included, though the majority of the disasters that the author focused on were 13th century and beyond. This makes sense of course, those darn dinosaurs Neanderthals never bothered to write anything down.

Each chapter is between two and four pages long, so not overly detailed for the intended audience, but still giving enough information to keep the reader interested. This would be a great resource for research, or for a reluctant reader to find topics that might be of interest to them. In addition, there are a few further resources - a glossary for readers who might be unfamiliar with the terms in the book, and additional resources related to each topic, as well as a brief introduction to the research process. There are also tons of maps and photos throughout, great color photos that add to the content.

I like this series, I think it is an interesting way to hook those readers who have had a hard time finding things that they want to read about. Short chapters, with addition resources if they do find something of interest.

My only real, tiny complaint is in the form of the 50th disaster - it was actually called 'Disaster in the Making' and discussed climate change in our century and the possible ensuing consequences that will come if we do not reverse course and try to get global warming under control. So really, this is not actually a disaster that has happened, but one that is in the process of happening as I type this review. And even then, this is not major - more of an aside.

I recommend this both for those YA readers looking for something engaging, and those who are interested in learning more about these types of disasters and how they have impacted our history.

Out of the Storm: The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:

I should start this review off with a couple statements religion as it pertains to my life:

1. I was baptized Lutheran and attended a Lutheran church up until the middle of my freshman year of high school.

2. I started going to the Methodist church and was confirmed there because a pastor at my home church found it appropriate to discuss church financial matters at an Easter service. This was very off-putting to me.

3. I did not attend church for over a decade after high school.

4. Eleanor was baptized at the Covenant church where my grandparents got married and where my mom was baptized.

5. Eleanor and I now attend a wonderful Covenant church and I am so grateful for this place that is allowing me to recapture my faith every single day.

I am not sure what compelled me to share these things, but maybe it will help people understand why I am still kind of stupid in religion-related discussions. I feel like when it comes to the Bible itself, I have a decent grasp. When it comes to the hows and whys of some aspects, I am still unclear at times. I love learning about the history of religion, how it has developed and evolved over thousands of years, and who the prime movers and shakers were that made things happen.

So, that makes Martin Luther kind of an important guy, right? And probably someone who I should already know a lot about, seeing as how he is the inadvertent FOUNDER of my section of Protestantism.

As it turns out, I didn't really know anything, except one day he marched himself up to the cathedral in Wittenberg, nailed his 95 Theses to the door, and set off on a one-man crusade to stop Catholicism in its tracks.

And even THAT is not entirely accurate.

So, I knew even less about Luther than I thought, and despite the somewhat love/hate relationship I seem to be developing with the author, and this biography really opened by eyes to who this man was. I don't know why it took me so long to actually read a biography about Luther; perhaps I thought I knew all I needed to, with the whole theses-nailed-to-the-door thing. As it turns out, there is a question of whether or not events actually played out that way, and early on the Theses didn't even make as big of a splash with religious leaders as has been portrayed. In addition to that, I thought I knew more than I did because I have spent so much of the last few years reading about the Tudors, and of course Henry VIII is especially involved in this time period. I have always read about this from the Tudor perspective and Henry's in particular. I'd always wondered what Luther's responses had been to all of Henry's ridiculousness. Of course it is what you'd expect.

Luther's primary motivation for writing his 95 Theses was due to the selling of Indulgences by the Church and the fact that it appeared to even be sanctioned by the Pope. Imagine how different the course of Christianity might have gone had the Pope agreed and stopped the practice? At least in England, how would Henry have wriggled out of his first marriage? He would not have had the excuse to break with Rome, could not have declared himself the Supreme Head of Church...or maybe he could have, this is Henry we are talking about. But what religion would he have wandered toward?

I found the aspects dealing with Luther's personal life more intriguing even than all the uproar he created after his Theses were published. There were so many things I found interesting, the first being that Luther himself eventually married and had many children. How amazing would it have been to have been a student staying in the Luther home, attending University and learning from him at the same time? I can imagine what lively dinner discussions might have been had in the old cloister, and what hustle and bustle would have constantly been going on with students and family around constantly.

Near the end of the book Wilson brings up the thought-provoking point as follows:

"It embarrassed his friends who realized that their leader was becoming increasingly an eccentric, angry old man at odds with the world. It gave unsympathetic historians the opportunity to concentrate on style rather than on substance. And it actually obscured the finer points of his argument" (page 317). Basically, Wilson surmises that perhaps Luther lived too long and actually may have done damage to the movement, though by then it had outgrown him and taken on a life of its own, and to his own legacy. Due to my own limited knowledge, I can not say I agree or disagree, but he makes an interesting point.

I was pleased to discover the author had included Luther's 95 Theses after his notes. I've not read these since high school, and feel like today I have a much better understanding of what he was saying. I've reread that section several times.

Overall I can say I can recommend this book on the basis of both religion and biography. For those interested in the Reformation from the perspective of those who got it really going, this one is definitely recommended. But also I can recommend it as a biography of a highly important figure in history as well.

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings

Edited by Peter Sawyer

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:

I really enjoyed this collections of essays for a number of reasons. My primary level of interest in is Anglo-Saxon England and the Wessex kings especially - Alfred the Great is great for a reason (and the only king of England with this descriptor!) I also enjoy learning about the Vikings, as so much of the history of Norway, Iceland, and Greenland was only passed down from one generation to the next by word of mouth. What we do have written is truly a treasure, as these people and cultures can come alive to us once again by these words.

The text is a series of essays. Each author focused on their own area of interest, ranging from the Vikings in England, the end of he Viking age, Vikings in Russia, the ships, and so on. While I am not really interested in the ships themselves, or learning about maritime travel, that essay still help valuable information. One essay I found especially interesting was 'Religions Old and New', which discusses the old religion of the Vikings and their gods and the advent of Christianity. Greenland and Iceland were of particular interest too, not only because it is amazing that the ships were able to travel that far, but even beyond to reach North America - long before Columbus and his germ warfare. I would love to see the settlement ruins someday, and it is definitely on my bucket list. The essay focusing on Ireland, etc. was of great interest as well, as I have been to Dublin. Upon my visit with Mom in 2010, I had no idea that the Vikings had ruled Dublin for so long and that it was an area of focus for them. When visiting Dublin Castle on one of our tours, we were able to go below street level to see what remained of not only the medieval castle from the 13th century, but the earthen bank/stone wall of the original Viking town. Photographs belong to me and were taking in Dublin in July of 2010.

Helpful info to start with (2010) Unfortunately I don't have a great shot of the remains of anything but the medieval castle.

Overall, while some of the essays were a bit more dry than others, I enjoyed this collection. Certainly recommended for those interested in various aspects of life as a Viking.