By Eshkol Nevo
Read this book while in Israel. It was very engaging, as all of his books that I've read so far. It tells the story of one fictional town with a high concentration of resting (i.e. dead and buried) righteous people (tzadikim). It's actually a collection of a number of intermingled love stories of people living in the town, nearby it, or who have come from far away to it. [240 pp.]
Link to book.
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Friday, November 9, 2018
My Mortal Enemy
By Willa Cather
This book tells the story of a woman who defies her rich uncle wish and marries the man she falls in love with. As time goes by, the man she still loves she also sees as her enemy. It's said in the introduction that many people dislike the main character. I don't understand why. She's a great complex character. [112 pp.]
Link to book
This book tells the story of a woman who defies her rich uncle wish and marries the man she falls in love with. As time goes by, the man she still loves she also sees as her enemy. It's said in the introduction that many people dislike the main character. I don't understand why. She's a great complex character. [112 pp.]
Link to book
A Lost Lady
By Willa Cather
This is probably my least favorite Willa Cather book, but of course, it's still pretty good. It's a small little book about a woman who rises and falls, but is never defeated, told from the point of view of a much younger architect who knew her since he was a child. [150 pp.]
Link to book
This is probably my least favorite Willa Cather book, but of course, it's still pretty good. It's a small little book about a woman who rises and falls, but is never defeated, told from the point of view of a much younger architect who knew her since he was a child. [150 pp.]
Link to book
Sunday, October 28, 2018
The Storyteller [Hebrew]
by Eshkol Nevo
A pseudo autobiography in the form of answering questions sent by readers to an internet site. The lines between reality and fiction blur so much, intentionally. [352pp.]
Link to book review.
A pseudo autobiography in the form of answering questions sent by readers to an internet site. The lines between reality and fiction blur so much, intentionally. [352pp.]
Link to book review.
Sunday, October 7, 2018
7,250
By Ilan Heitner
A fun read about a disfunctional couple who takes a year off and goes on a trip to the Far East with their four little kids in an attempt to fix their marriage. [Hebrew, 208 pp.]
A fun read about a disfunctional couple who takes a year off and goes on a trip to the Far East with their four little kids in an attempt to fix their marriage. [Hebrew, 208 pp.]
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Possession
By A. S. Byatt
This book wasn't easy to read, but it was amazing. It's amazing to me how a person can write in such a diverse way, from different points of views, about different people and different eras, and bring it all together so nicely. One of the reasons it was a slow read for me were the poems. I find poems hard to read, maybe because I'm not used to it. They require a different mindset. At first I thought she wrote about actual poets, but then found out these are fictional poets, writing in their own distinct styles. Mind blown. Another great book from a great writer. [554 pp.]
Link to NYT book review
This book wasn't easy to read, but it was amazing. It's amazing to me how a person can write in such a diverse way, from different points of views, about different people and different eras, and bring it all together so nicely. One of the reasons it was a slow read for me were the poems. I find poems hard to read, maybe because I'm not used to it. They require a different mindset. At first I thought she wrote about actual poets, but then found out these are fictional poets, writing in their own distinct styles. Mind blown. Another great book from a great writer. [554 pp.]
Link to NYT book review
Saturday, September 22, 2018
Ivanhoe
By Sir Walter Scott
This book took me a while to read, but not as long as it may seem from the dates. I finished it a while back.
It's kind of an adventure book, with bad guys and good guys, though most of the characters, with the exception of women, are fairly well-rounded. The women, of course, are perfect, unless their ugly, in which case they of course cannot be perfect. It is set in the middle ages, so I guess this attitude is appropriate. I guess it could easily be adapted into a movie. hehehe.
[497 pp.]
This book took me a while to read, but not as long as it may seem from the dates. I finished it a while back.
It's kind of an adventure book, with bad guys and good guys, though most of the characters, with the exception of women, are fairly well-rounded. The women, of course, are perfect, unless their ugly, in which case they of course cannot be perfect. It is set in the middle ages, so I guess this attitude is appropriate. I guess it could easily be adapted into a movie. hehehe.
[497 pp.]
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Oh Pioneers!
By Willa Cather
I enjoyed this book so much, yet for weeks and weeks kept forgetting to record it here. Just like others books by this amazing author, lives from distant times and places unfurl as if you are part of them. I just want to read more and more of her books.
I enjoyed this book so much, yet for weeks and weeks kept forgetting to record it here. Just like others books by this amazing author, lives from distant times and places unfurl as if you are part of them. I just want to read more and more of her books.
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Metamorphosis And Other Stories
By Franz Kafka
I have read this before, and yet, I remembered it completely different. Isn't it weird? Especially the main story. This time the experience was quite different from the way I remembered it. I have no idea why.
This is a small collections, which also includes In the Penal Colony, The Country Doctor, and The Judgement. [88 pp.]
Link to Book [though this link includes many versions of Kafka story collections]
I have read this before, and yet, I remembered it completely different. Isn't it weird? Especially the main story. This time the experience was quite different from the way I remembered it. I have no idea why.
This is a small collections, which also includes In the Penal Colony, The Country Doctor, and The Judgement. [88 pp.]
Link to Book [though this link includes many versions of Kafka story collections]
Terms of Service
By Jacob Silverman
This book has so much information about the information age. Although I was already a bit weary of what all of the social media and Co. are doing with my input (which is why I use StartPage as a search engine instead of Google), there are still a lot things I was not aware about, or haven't considered, that are mentioned in this book. Definitely worth the time to read through and take note. It is also very interesting and approachable, so reading it is really not such a big chore. [NF, 448pp.]
Link to book
This book has so much information about the information age. Although I was already a bit weary of what all of the social media and Co. are doing with my input (which is why I use StartPage as a search engine instead of Google), there are still a lot things I was not aware about, or haven't considered, that are mentioned in this book. Definitely worth the time to read through and take note. It is also very interesting and approachable, so reading it is really not such a big chore. [NF, 448pp.]
Link to book
Bad Feminist
Essay by Roxane Gay
This collection of essays talks about race, gender, and how entertainment is involved. Many of them are very personal, but in way that related to subject matter. They talk about what it means to be a feminist (a very complex term?), and what it means to be a woman, a person of color, a person of unfavorable physical measurements, etc, in this world and society. The essay are approachable and enjoyable to read, even when they talk about really heavy, non-fun issues. [NF, 318 pp].
Link to book
This collection of essays talks about race, gender, and how entertainment is involved. Many of them are very personal, but in way that related to subject matter. They talk about what it means to be a feminist (a very complex term?), and what it means to be a woman, a person of color, a person of unfavorable physical measurements, etc, in this world and society. The essay are approachable and enjoyable to read, even when they talk about really heavy, non-fun issues. [NF, 318 pp].
Link to book
Saturday, April 14, 2018
My Antonia
By Willa Cather
I don't know why it's taken me so long to write a few words on such a greatly-written book. It is based on the author's own experiences moving as a child from Virginia to Nebraska toward the end of the 19th century. It chronicles the hardships people faced by Mid-West pioneers, especially those who newly immigrated from Europe, Antonia being one of them. These challenges showcase the individuals' distinct personalities.
I always tell myself that I shouldn't read the introduction to books that were not written by the author (those often appear in classic books) after I read the book itself. And this time, I finally did - and it made so much more sense than when I read it prior to reading the book. [290pp.]
Link to book.
I don't know why it's taken me so long to write a few words on such a greatly-written book. It is based on the author's own experiences moving as a child from Virginia to Nebraska toward the end of the 19th century. It chronicles the hardships people faced by Mid-West pioneers, especially those who newly immigrated from Europe, Antonia being one of them. These challenges showcase the individuals' distinct personalities.
I always tell myself that I shouldn't read the introduction to books that were not written by the author (those often appear in classic books) after I read the book itself. And this time, I finally did - and it made so much more sense than when I read it prior to reading the book. [290pp.]
Link to book.
Saturday, March 3, 2018
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
By Muriel Barbery
Through the journals of two individuals, both living in the same building, but hardly ever crossing paths, separated by class and generations, yet have more in common than they'd ever thought. They are finally brought together by the presence of a new neighbor, who despite - or maybe due to - his cultural difference, manages to show them both truths of their lives. [325 pp]
Link to book.
Through the journals of two individuals, both living in the same building, but hardly ever crossing paths, separated by class and generations, yet have more in common than they'd ever thought. They are finally brought together by the presence of a new neighbor, who despite - or maybe due to - his cultural difference, manages to show them both truths of their lives. [325 pp]
Link to book.
The World Without Us
By Alan Weisman
I have read this book before, and it was funny to discover, upon the second reading, how selective my memory of it had been. I still got the same feeling I got from it on first reading - of awe and wanderlust. I'm glad I have this book to keep and read over. [NF, 320 pp.]
Link to book.
I have read this book before, and it was funny to discover, upon the second reading, how selective my memory of it had been. I still got the same feeling I got from it on first reading - of awe and wanderlust. I'm glad I have this book to keep and read over. [NF, 320 pp.]
Link to book.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
The Star Fox
By Poul Anderson
This is a science fiction book, which I'm not used to reading, so it took me a while to get into. Even after getting into it, I wasn't completely convinced. Maybe because it was written at a very backward time. Or maybe some political views came into play. The only reason I chose this book was because of its beautiful cover (you can check in the link below). Anyway, it's about this guy who gets some evidence that an alien race that seems beneficial - or at least non-maleficent -- and also very beautiful) is actually lying about their conducts and intentions. So he decides to go on a one-man's rogue mission (of course, with a gathered team) to change the course of history. Kind of reminds me of The Legends of Tomorrow series I'm watching these days, except that the journey is in space, not in time. [Sci-Fi, 278 pp.]
Link to book
This is a science fiction book, which I'm not used to reading, so it took me a while to get into. Even after getting into it, I wasn't completely convinced. Maybe because it was written at a very backward time. Or maybe some political views came into play. The only reason I chose this book was because of its beautiful cover (you can check in the link below). Anyway, it's about this guy who gets some evidence that an alien race that seems beneficial - or at least non-maleficent -- and also very beautiful) is actually lying about their conducts and intentions. So he decides to go on a one-man's rogue mission (of course, with a gathered team) to change the course of history. Kind of reminds me of The Legends of Tomorrow series I'm watching these days, except that the journey is in space, not in time. [Sci-Fi, 278 pp.]
Link to book
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