My plan this year is to read 60 books and I am getting there. I have read 49 so far! But I didn't get around to reviewing all 49 books and so I wanted to mention three which I read earlier in the year and really enjoyed. I read these books months ago and so I can't give the detailed review I would like but here are a few of my thoughts:
The Civil War continues to be such a relevant historical event in American history. And earlier this year I decided to check out Tony Horwitz's Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War (2011). I was curious about the 19th century abolitionist John Brown. Who was he and what led him and 21 other men to the disastrous raid on the armory at Harper's Ferry, WV in 1859? His fellow abolitionist Frederick Douglass warned Brown against the raid.
But John Brown was a strict Calvinist who felt passionately that slavery was a sin against God. He was right but the way he went about it was the problem. It's a fascinating book and Tony Horwitz goes into John Brown's life, his family and the lives of the 21 men who joined him on the raid. It's one of the best books I have read this year and I wish there were more books coming from Tony Horwitz but sadly he passed away in 2019. But his books will live on and are so worth reading.
I found Swamp to be an interesting read that did not drag for me. I would say though that it's a long book and needs to be listened to in audio. That's how I read it and Michael Grunwald's writing and Adam Verner's narration are the perfect combination
"Ramona despaired. Nobody understood. She wanted to behave herself. Except when banging her heels on the bedroom wall, she had always wanted to behave herself. Why couldn’t people understand how she felt? She had only touched Susan’s hair in the first place because it was so beautiful, and the last time—well, Susan had been so bossy she deserved to have her hair pulled"
And for a change of pace I also read Ramona The Pest (1968) by Beverly Cleary this year. It's the second book in Cleary's Ramona series. Last year I read the first book Beezus and Ramona. I liked it well enough but I finished it wondering why the Ramona series has attained such classic status. And then this year it all became clear when I read Ramona The Pest which is excellent.
Ramona is now in kindergarten and she is learning that she can't have everything her own way. But this is not a book where Ramona gets her comeuppance. Instead she is learning how to interact with her teacher, her fellow students and she is still maintaining her curiosity and spunky spirit. If you have never read Ramona you must and I advise beginning with Ramona The Pest.
Hope everyone is doing well and Happy Reading!
Have you read Tony Horwitz's A Voyage Long and Strange? I read it ten years ago and some of the sobering details of what Europeans did to the native tribes have stayed with me to this day. I will look up Midnight Rising... I was so shocked when I read that he had died!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read A Voyage Long And Strange but I did read Confederates In The Attic which I believe is his most popular book and it was very good. I must read more by Tony Horwitz because he writes wonderfully and makes reading history such a pleasure. I too was shocked by his death and he was only 60 which is so tragic.
DeleteRamona the Pest was a favorite of mine growing up. She's such a spunky character. I read that book a lot. And that Horwitz book on John Brown sounds SO interesting! I try to start each year with a list of good nonfiction books I want to read, then try to read one each month. I will be putting that one on my list for next year. :D
ReplyDeleteMidnight Rising is a very interesting and well written book. I highly recommend it. I am glad I decided to read Ramona The Pest as well. Never read many of these children's classics growing up but I am happy to be reading them now.
DeleteI loved Midnight Rising when I read it a few years ago. I went into it not knowing much about John Brown, and I though Horwitz did an excellent job. I miss his writing so much--I loved the subjects he chose to write about, and he was so eloquent and insightful.
ReplyDeleteSwamp sounds great--I really want to visit the Everglades, and I know very little about the area so I do need to read up on it before I go.
Midnight Rising is so good. Tony Horwitz made reading history fun and exciting. Swamp was very good too and I am not usually someone who reads environmental literature. And if you get to the Evergkades this book and River of Grass are must reads.
DeleteThanks for the hint on reading the Ramona books starting with Ramona the Pest. It surprises me that I have not read something in the series, but I don't remember the books at all. When my son was young I read a lot to him, even after he could read for himself, so I don't know why I missed these.
ReplyDeleteI missed alot of children's books growing up. I just never read them so I have been trying to make up for it and Ramona The Pest was a real find. The first book in the series not so much. But I definitely recommend Ramona The Pest. It's good for all ages.
DeleteThese all sound good. I worked at The Post when M.Grunwald was there. I remember when he put out his book -- seems pretty definitive. I'd like to get to the Horwitz book ... love the history ... and John Brown is a fascinating figure. Thx for letting us know.
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you worked with M Grunwald and I would say The Swamp is the definitive book on the Everglades. And I highly recommend Midnight Rising. It will probably be on my top 10 list at the end of the year.
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