Anna Begins Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 I've seen the name of that book around a lot, but most peoples' reactions seem to fall into the 'meh' region of the spectrum, so I've never bothered with it. Still won't Let me clarify. I am glad that I read the book. Ya I don't see my time as wasted on it, but with so many other books to read... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 Title: a long way gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier Author: Ishmael Beah Genre: Autobiography Age: Adult Pages: 244 Dates 2/21- 2/22 From Amazon: My new friends have begun to suspect I haven’t told them the full story of my life.“Why did you leave Sierra Leone?”“Because there is a war.”“You mean, you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?”“Yes, all the time.”“Cool.”I smile a little.“You should tell us about it sometime.”“Yes, sometime.” This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children have become soldiers of choice. In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who came through this hell and survived.Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. My thoughts: This is a quick read of a tough subject, but it isn’t SO bad you can’t read it. All of my war reading has dealt with American, European and Russian history, so this was a welcome change of geography! a long way gone takes on just one of the sad conflicts which seem to pervade Africa, focusing on the sensitive topic of children soldiers. The late 90’s marked a decade of senseless killing in a civil war in Sierra Leone, one that author Ishmael Beah lived as a teenage soldier. To read these experiences while I sit in my comfortable house in the United States, surrounded by family, was pretty uncomfortable. This book was done really well, with a good setup and war scenes inner woven into parts of Beah’s healing process- so it isn’t just constant war or constant recovery. Beah asks himself the same questions of Primo Levi, Elie Wiesel and countless others that have survived History’s horrors- Why have I survived the war? Why was I the last person in my family to be alive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Thanks! The scene where Susie leaves Heaven and enters Ruth's body to have sex with Ray is very strange. I will reply And ya, that book sounds very harsh and hard to take. But I thought I would draw a comparison on how Susie was raped and killed in that underground tunnel. I'll be curious to see what you pick up next, now the autism book is finished. I agree with your spoilers, that makes sense. I've posted about what I'm reading in the "Your Book Activity - February 2015" thread and in a message to you, but in case you haven't seen those yet, it's Brian Selznick - De Uitvinding van Hugo Cabret (The Invention of Hugo Cabret). It would've done well as a read-a-thon read but so would most of my library loans so . I'll be cataloguing it all later. I'm quite far into the book so I should have it finished not too long from now, hopefully later today. After that.. I'm not sure yet which library loan I'll read next. I'll have to have a think about it (preferably I'll have catalogued the books so I can arrange them by reading order). I've read Lucky, and it is a very good read (though "good" isn't the right word, given the subject matter). She is so brave, and doesn't hold back at all. There are parts that are very graphic and very detailed, but the thing that comes though the most is how strong Sebold was in dealing with it all. She kept fighting back all the way through the process, and never came across as being intimidated or scared after everything that had happened. It's well worth the read, if you can handle the subject matter. Thanks, that's good to hear. Great review, Anna, you finished this book pretty quickly! I'm glad you found it an interesting read. What will you read next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted February 24, 2015 Author Share Posted February 24, 2015 I agree with your spoilers, that makes sense. Great review, Anna, you finished this book pretty quickly! I'm glad you found it an interesting read. What will you read next? Well, we've talked since, but I have settled on Skeletons of the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. I've been naughty again... well, a little bit. I purchased some of Phillip K. Dick's work, A Scanner Darkly and The Man in the High Castle. TMitHC won a Hugo. But I believe his best known work is Total Recall, which to my surprise is only 31 pages How did they make a movie out of that?? Anyway, anyone looking for something different... I think I found it! His synopsis read like science fiction Chuck Palahniuk. Also today came a new find from the authors of Yesterday's Gone, the horror/ science fiction serial I just finished. It is called Crash and is Sean Platt and David Wright's first non- serialized piece. At only 99 cents, I couldn't resist that one either I love how they do stuff for free and for low cost, while still being professional and that all their interaction is solely virtual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Well, we've talked since, but I have settled on Skeletons of the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. I've been naughty again... well, a little bit. I purchased some of Phillip K. Dick's work, A Scanner Darkly and The Man in the High Castle. TMitHC won a Hugo. But I believe his best known work is Total Recall, which to my surprise is only 31 pages How did they make a movie out of that?? Anyway, anyone looking for something different... I think I found it! His synopsis read like science fiction Chuck Palahniuk. Also today came a new find from the authors of Yesterday's Gone, the horror/ science fiction serial I just finished. It is called Crash and is Sean Platt and David Wright's first non- serialized piece. At only 99 cents, I couldn't resist that one either I love how they do stuff for free and for low cost, while still being professional and that all their interaction is solely virtual. I hope you enjoy all your new books ! I've got A Scanner Darkly on my TBR (as well as Ubik by the same author). If you're interested, we could always read it together, some time later in the year, if you want? If not though that's fine too . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Thanks! The scene where Susie leaves Heaven and enters Ruth's body to have sex with Ray is very strange. Oh heck, I had completely forgotten that one . Another good reason not to feel right with the book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted February 24, 2015 Author Share Posted February 24, 2015 I hope you enjoy all your new books ! I've got A Scanner Darkly on my TBR (as well as Ubik by the same author). If you're interested, we could always read it together, some time later in the year, if you want? If not though that's fine too . I'd like to do A Scanner Darkly, as I think Ubik might be too out of my realm. I might read The Man in the High Castle next or Jason Gurley's Wolf Skin. Back to post apocalyptic Oh heck, I had completely forgotten that one . Another good reason not to feel right with the book Ya that is a biggie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Ya that is a biggie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 I'd like to do A Scanner Darkly, as I think Ubik might be too out of my realm. I might read The Man in the High Castle next or Jason Gurley's Wolf Skin. Back to post apocalyptic That sounds good ! I hope you like whichever book of the two you choose to read next . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 Anna - where do you get your book ideas from. Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share Posted February 25, 2015 Anna - where do you get your book ideas from. Just curious. Oh geez... I get a lot, a lot, from here. But mostly I will find an author I like and slowly start making my way through their work. Then, some of those authors endorse other authors or are compared to others and I try those out too. I am always looking at the Amazon bookstore and the Audiobook store, as well as Amazon's recommendations and their "New and Noteworthy" type sections. I always get a Sample so I can keep track, somewhat, of a TBR list, and then not spend money needlessly on a book I might not like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share Posted February 25, 2015 I should also add, a good cover gets my attention like nothing other. I just found Phillip K Dick because most of his books have primarily a huge PKD on them and I thought that was curious, so I checked out the synopsis for The Man in the High Castle. Sounded like my kind of thing, so I looked at the rest of his books and ended up with TWO more samples Jason Gurley, who I mentioned above, was a recommendation from Hugh Howey, one of my favorite newly discovered authors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 Title: Wolf Skin Author: Jason Gurley Genre: Dystopian, short story Age: Adult Pages: 49 Wolf Skin comes with some high praise from short story master Hugh Howey, so I have been waiting with anticipation to get to it. I decided to read this one and a few of Jason Gurley’s others for March’s read a thon. This has a pretty gruesome beginning and is a dark dystopian. Wolf Skin is about a roving gang who harm, kill, mutilate and steal from the few remaining survivors of the anarchy that has settled on the Earth. The unnamed narrator is old enough to remember the days before, when the world wasn’t destroyed. He describes some of the pleasant things vaguely remembered from the past, tells of his life in the brutal new world and mentions how the world was ruined. And then, he is shot by a woman. The idea of a character in a dystopian reading books about the end of the world was kind of a head spinner. There is a love for books in this one. But WARNING: it is graphic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Interesting premise for a book, though the graphic-ness of it would probably not be my thing . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) Interesting premise for a book, though the graphic-ness of it would probably not be my thing . Noooo- I don't think it would Edited: Yes, I liked it. Great ending. Edited February 28, 2015 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) Title: The Caretaker Author: Jason Gurley Genre: Science Fiction, apocalyptic Age: Adult Pages: 40 Alice Quale is in her second tour as the Argus’s caretaker. She lives aboard the space station between the projects, watering the plants and changing the bulbs, so to speak. One day, while looking down at Earth, Alice sees a glimmer, then several, then hundreds- all over the United States. The nuclear fall- out covers Earth and Alice realizes- she might be the last human alive. Although a completely different topic than Wolf Skin (See above), Gurley drops little keys into his writing that sort of link his style- he likes bare dimly burning lightbulbs and his characters read books (bonus: he likes to mention them by title/ author, so that is fun). This one is just a plain science fiction story, no gore or graphicness, it isn’t even that dark. Knowing what I’ve read of Hugh Howey’s, I can see why Howey likes Gurley enough for the endorsement, it’s just that Howey is such a better writer. But that isn’t to say Gurley is a bad one. Gurley also has some longer stuff I wouldn’t mind trying out. I have two more short stories of his to read. Gurley is an indie, self- published author *Wait don’t run away* but great editing and proofreading make the work these authors I’ve been reading really good and it also gives authors another way into the literary world, especially in experimental works, like with the serial or these short stories. Edited February 28, 2015 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 Title: The Dark Age: A Short Story Author: Jason Gurley Genre: Science Fiction Age: Adult Pages: 30 There are no dimly lit light bulbs in this one (See above), but again, we return to the WSA, the World Space Association, as an astronaut has to leave his family, the day his daughter is born. Part of the mission will be to be in stasis for a century and a half. This one is quite emotional. I’ll even admit to crying a bit at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 All three sound like good reads, are they available for free anywhere or did you purchase them? Just curious because they are sort of an awkward length between book and short story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 (edited) All three sound like good reads, are they available for free anywhere or did you purchase them? Just curious because they are sort of an awkward length between book and short story. I read the free Kindle sample and liked them, so I took the plunge and bought them But I kind of don't mind when it is an indie writer, someone self published (and I KNOW its been done right). Hugh Howey, who built himself a career in this way, always tries to have his short stories cost a dollar. So I don't mind supporting them. Gurley's cost a bit more, and I agree, were an indulgence to buy. I am basically stuck in this world of bizarre pieces of written work though and am seeing it as an overall quest for 2015 I would point you to Andy Weir's (The Martian) website that has some very interesting short stories for free here: http://www.galactanet.com/writing.html Just scroll to "One off's" I thought I would just go to Jason Gurley's promoted website and see if he had any free shorts to link to, but he doesn't. BUT interestingly, he does have a link to the book covers he has designed, a lot of them are Hugh Howey's so that is probably the connection between them. I particularly liked the cover for Peace in Amber by Howey when I first saw it. http://www.jasongurley.com/portfolio/ Otherwise, his website is depressingly... depressing. And I did find a FREE Kindle book of about 5 minute short stories by Indie Authors from Amazon, if anyone is interested... it is called Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories from 101 Authors. Edit: And has a set limit of a 1,000 words. Edited March 1, 2015 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Noooo- I don't think it would Edited: Yes, I liked it. Great ending. I'm glad you liked it . Nice reviews, I'm glad you enjoyed the books . And I did find a FREE Kindle book of about 5 minute short stories by Indie Authors from Amazon, if anyone is interested... it is called Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories from 101 Authors. Edit: And has a set limit of a 1,000 words. This was free for me too in NL so I downloaded it , hopefully there will be some good stories in there . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 . And I did find a FREE Kindle book of about 5 minute short stories by Indie Authors from Amazon, if anyone is interested... it is called Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories from 101 Authors. Edit: And has a set limit of a 1,000 words. This was free for me too in NL so I downloaded it , hopefully there will be some good stories in there . We are going to read these together, if anyone wants to join us, we will be doing them in segments, 15- 20 short stories per segment. They have included as many genres as possible in this collection, and the stories are meant to be "on your desktop computer, laptop, or tablet at home or in the office, but also on your smartphone, on the go, while you are commuting or waiting at a coffee shop for your significant other to arrive." They set a limit of a thousand words and you should be able to read each story in under five minutes. (Amazon). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I read the free Kindle sample and liked them, so I took the plunge and bought them But I kind of don't mind when it is an indie writer, someone self published (and I KNOW its been done right). Hugh Howey, who built himself a career in this way, always tries to have his short stories cost a dollar. So I don't mind supporting them. Gurley's cost a bit more, and I agree, were an indulgence to buy. I am basically stuck in this world of bizarre pieces of written work though and am seeing it as an overall quest for 2015 I would point you to Andy Weir's (The Martian) website that has some very interesting short stories for free here: http://www.galactanet.com/writing.html Just scroll to "One off's" I thought I would just go to Jason Gurley's promoted website and see if he had any free shorts to link to, but he doesn't. BUT interestingly, he does have a link to the book covers he has designed, a lot of them are Hugh Howey's so that is probably the connection between them. I particularly liked the cover for Peace in Amber by Howey when I first saw it. http://www.jasongurley.com/portfolio/ Otherwise, his website is depressingly... depressing. And I did find a FREE Kindle book of about 5 minute short stories by Indie Authors from Amazon, if anyone is interested... it is called Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories from 101 Authors. Edit: And has a set limit of a 1,000 words. Wow thank you for all these suggestions. I think it's awesome that indie and self-published authors have so much opportunity because of technology. I would not mind supporting someone like that either. Are all of these dystopian or a bunch of different stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Wow thank you for all these suggestions. I think it's awesome that indie and self-published authors have so much opportunity because of technology. I would not mind supporting someone like that either. Are all of these dystopian or a bunch of different stuff? The Andy Weir ones are all just odd and strange. If you want dystopian, I would have suggested Hugh Howey's website, but I don't want to push him too much http://www.hughhowey.com/books/ Just scroll to "Free to Read" and skip the Molly Fyde ones, as they are part of a series. The rest stand alone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 We are going to read these together, if anyone wants to join us, we will be doing them in segments, 15- 20 short stories per segment. They have included as many genres as possible in this collection, and the stories are meant to be "on your desktop computer, laptop, or tablet at home or in the office, but also on your smartphone, on the go, while you are commuting or waiting at a coffee shop for your significant other to arrive." They set a limit of a thousand words and you should be able to read each story in under five minutes. (Amazon). I look forward to it . They are all sorts of genres so I look forward to see what kind of different types of stories are included. It'll be nice to discuss them together, and with anyone else who wants to join in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 The Andy Weir ones are all just odd and strange. If you want dystopian, I would have suggested Hugh Howey's website, but I don't want to push him too much http://www.hughhowey.com/books/ Just scroll to "Free to Read" and skip the Molly Fyde ones, as they are part of a series. The rest stand alone I wasn't necessarily looking for just dystopian; I just wasn't sure what genre they were and know that you have posted a lot about dystopians. Thanks for the tips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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