By Jeffrey F. Barken
A collection of stories, a few set in the US, others in various parts of Israel. Some of the stories are connected. It's interesting to read about Israel from the point of view of an American who had volunteered to work in a Kibbutz. [129 pp.]
Book link
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Fantasy & Science Fiction - February 1993
Interesting stories, for the most part. I had a bit of trouble with From Our Point of View We Had Moved to the Left, but the other ones were pretty good. The Grass is Always Greener was particularly fun. And it was very interesting to read about the Internet (in the Science section) as it was viewed back in 1992.
[160 pp.]
[160 pp.]
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Brave New World
By Aldous Huxley
A book published in 1932 with an outlook to a future, that is, unfortunately, not too different from our times. Perhaps not biologically, though the advances mentioned in the book in regard to that technology are no doubt here. But the consumerism aspect is spot on. Clothes that fall apart so you'd buy new ones all the time? A drug to make you happy without side effects? (well, we're still working on that). I liked the idea of worshipping Ford and his factory mentality. I didn't find this book to be beautifully written, or that I could easilly get lost or immersed in the new world, but it did offer some insights and made me laugh at times.
Link to book.
A book published in 1932 with an outlook to a future, that is, unfortunately, not too different from our times. Perhaps not biologically, though the advances mentioned in the book in regard to that technology are no doubt here. But the consumerism aspect is spot on. Clothes that fall apart so you'd buy new ones all the time? A drug to make you happy without side effects? (well, we're still working on that). I liked the idea of worshipping Ford and his factory mentality. I didn't find this book to be beautifully written, or that I could easilly get lost or immersed in the new world, but it did offer some insights and made me laugh at times.
Link to book.
Monday, August 3, 2015
The Art of Racing in the Rain
By Garth Stein
A story about an amateur car racer and his struggles to keep his family intact, told from the perspective of his dog, who has aspirations to become a human in his next incarnation. The book is very readable and though at time it felt a bit too new-agey, it wasn't too bad. I guess when the new-agey individual is a dog, it's okay. I expected the dog to be more egocentric, but I guess, he was so selfless because he was a dog, not a cat. Same could be said of his admiration of his owner. Overall, a pleasant read, and at times tear-jerking. [321 pp.]
Link to book.
A story about an amateur car racer and his struggles to keep his family intact, told from the perspective of his dog, who has aspirations to become a human in his next incarnation. The book is very readable and though at time it felt a bit too new-agey, it wasn't too bad. I guess when the new-agey individual is a dog, it's okay. I expected the dog to be more egocentric, but I guess, he was so selfless because he was a dog, not a cat. Same could be said of his admiration of his owner. Overall, a pleasant read, and at times tear-jerking. [321 pp.]
Link to book.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Fiction Gallery
By Gotham Writers Workshop
A collection of excellent short stories to learn from or simply enjoy. They are arranged in sections, based on connecting themes, and each section is briefly introduced, bringing out important aspects of each story. [357 pp.]
Link to book.
A collection of excellent short stories to learn from or simply enjoy. They are arranged in sections, based on connecting themes, and each section is briefly introduced, bringing out important aspects of each story. [357 pp.]
Link to book.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Through the Safety Net
By Charles Baxter
A collection of short stories. I fairly enjoyed most of them. They are well written and do seem to have a point, or at least a story to tell. With the exception of the last story, which I found dragging. [216 pp.]
Link to book.
A collection of short stories. I fairly enjoyed most of them. They are well written and do seem to have a point, or at least a story to tell. With the exception of the last story, which I found dragging. [216 pp.]
Link to book.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Flight Behavior
By Barbara Kingsolver
A book about entomology! Well, not only. Mostly about what we do when we face problems (deny them), and where that leads us (not good places), both on a personal and on a societal level. [436 pp.]
Link to book
A book about entomology! Well, not only. Mostly about what we do when we face problems (deny them), and where that leads us (not good places), both on a personal and on a societal level. [436 pp.]
Link to book
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