Better than Fiction

I’ve mentioned before how I love non-fiction. “Aw Man!” you are thinking. No one wants to read a bio of something old and boring. There is no plot no drama no action adventure. As anyone knows as any good reader shows (no more rhyming and I mean it) a good fiction book has to be a tale of true love and high adventure, pirates, princess, giants, miracles, fencing, true love, and rodents of unusual size.

     If you don’t know that quote we can no longer be friends.

But non-fiction doesn’t have those…. Or does it?

Recently with my new commute I’ve decide to fill the hours (yes hours) with audio books. Taking that one step further to mostly non-fiction audio books. Books that I’ve just not been able to commit to because there is no ~ insert quote fingers ~ plot or dramatic page turning. The bonus of commuting is that I am stuck inside a metal time machine for a few hours a day, forced to listed and absorb.

I’d like to share a piece of that time travel for a bit and review a few of the books I’ve read recently. Four to be precise.

The first one I have to give a bit of background first. One of my first Non-Fiction books that I read that I fell in love with is called “Shadow Divers” by Robert Kurtson. About Deep (I mean deeeeep) sea divers who dove the WWII German U-boat and made history and also got a discovery channel deal out of it. I was reading this at the same time as getting my scuba certificate, so I felt like I was part of the action. I loved this book, and now just talking about it I want to read it again. Just recently I found out the author had published another book about diving with the same main character the infamous John Chatterton called. PIRATE HUNTERS! Seriously that is all I needed to know I HAVE TO HAVE THIS BOOK NOW! I have to eat it like a giant cream puff! To be honest I am only about half way through, and already I know it is to be a shining star on my bookshelves. If we reference the above quote….” a tale of true love and high adventure, pirates, princess, giants, miracles, fencing, and rodents of unusual size” True Love – check, high adventure – check, pirates – check, princess – check, giant (if you count the divers personalities, then) CHECK, Miracles – check, fencing – there were gun battles and machetes does that count, YES CHECK, R.O.U.S.? – how about a 4 foot barracuda? I think that counts so CHECK. How about that, as exciting as any fiction. There was one point in the book where one main characters John Mattera was fighting off bandits who’d set a fire to block the road and attacked with machetes and clubs, and he had to protect himself with his hand gun. I had movie scenes flashing through my head with Bruce Willis or Handsome Rob playing his character. Real Action-Hero stuff! I also just read about John Chatterton working across the street from the WTC on 9/11. So I learned first hand knowledge of things that happened on the ground during the attacks. who knew picking up a book about pirates would gain me knowledge on the WTC.

And then there is the actual plot of the book. PIRATES. These deep sea treasure hunters are looking for the lost pirate ship The Golden Fleece as captained by one of the notorious pirates to sail the seven seas, Joseph Bannister. He is not known as well as the dread pirate Roberts or Jack Sparrow, but at the time of the golden age of piracy he was one of the biggest and baddest pirates about. Pirate ships are the hardest of all to find, and they are so rare that only ONE pirate ship has ever been officially documented as being found (to date of the book, I don’t know how it ends oh the drama and suspense!) so it wasn’t just for the bounty it was for the rights to claim they’d done it that John Chatterton and John Mattera go a hunting. I love the history lessons we get, I so much now about seventeenth century history, and what made a pirate, and how the golden age pirates came about, and what made them fade away into the annuls of history. About Port Royal Jamaica, about modern day salvage laws. And of course diving. I can’t wait to finish.

The next three books, by pure coincidence are all based between the years of 1914 – 1927. I felt like I’ve spent the last few months immersed into the early 1900’s learning gloriously about that time in history. My grandma was born in 1928, so this was all before her time. I’ve had her read some of the books for fun too!

The first one is Endurance - Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage. I actually got this book almost 10 years ago, and started reading it, but it fell prey to the ‘non-fiction abyss’ so when I decided to listen to the audio books it was at the top of my list. Ernest Shakleton is one of the greatest adventurers and survivalists of all time. Time Magazine defined this tale as ‘defined heroism’. Originally published in 1959, it sold over 200,000 copies. Alfred Lansing consulted with 10 of the surviving members and gained access to diaries and personal accounts by eight others. So this is a firsthand account of one of the mightiest feats of survival. There were times I was gripping my steering wheel in anticipation of what happened next. The tale follows Shackleton on his expedition to the Antarctica, to be the first group to cross overland. In the summer of 1914 they set off from England. A year into their journey finds them stuck in ice, and the boat being slowly crushed by the ice. They have to abandon ship, and end up living on.the.ice. for the next half year. This is not the boy scouts going out on their winter campout. This is some of the most savage regions of earth. And this is 1914. The most modern technology they had was an axe. I don’t want to spoil it, but there were time I gasped, other times I shivered (even though it was 104 degrees outside) what a thrilling and moving tale. Yes ok yes I cried a little, ok ok a few times, sheesh.

If there was ever a tale of high adventure and heroism this is it. There is even a scene when one of the members is chased by a sea leopard!

The next one is called “Dead Wake” the tale of the Lusitania. If you read Devil in the White City, or any other books by Erik Larsen, you know you are in for a treat. Luckily there is no mass murderer in this one, but the death toll is even more staggering. Everyone in the whole earth knows the story of Rose and Jack (fiction) and the Titanic (fact). But very little is known about the Lucy. I think in the deep recesses of my brain I knew she sank, it was devastating, and it had to do with the war. I didn’t know which war. I didn’t know how or why or where she sank. Now I do. And as the GI Joes say. Knowing is only half the battle. Here are some facts to think on

Titanic	Lusitania
Sank in 1912 1500 + deaths Sank in over 2 hours Started sinking just before midnight Sank in the middle of BFE Didn’t have half enough lifeboats Was a big ‘whoops’ About 4 hours for rescue to arrive Could have been prevented	Sank in 1915 1198 deaths Sank in 18 min Sank at 1pm Sank 11 miles from shore Had plenty of lifeboats Was an act of war Took 3 hours for rescue to arrive Should have been prevented

Mr. Larsen took most of his accounts from survivor’s journals, so you have an intimate look into the lives of the passengers and the year 1915. He also told the story from several different sides. The British, the German U-boat captain, the PotUS Pres. Wilson, the crew and passengers of the cruise liner. I’m not saying what the U-boat captain did was anything less than despicable and horrible, but it is quite interesting to hear his thoughts and actions, and hear how his country felt about him and the act. And I may be an in the closet conspiracy theorist, but something from the British Admiralty just didn’t sit right with me. What an extremely interesting story, and what a talented author.

I ate this 400+ page book up in days. I now find myself finding reasons to drive somewhere during lunch so I can listen to the story. If that isn’t akin to a pager turner I don’t know what is. Side note, hundreds of years ago I read a book called Isaac’s Storm. Which I loved. Only just now did I realize this is another gem of Mr. Larsen’s.

The third book skips ahead to 1927. What happened between 1916 & 1927??? Ack the not knowing, the mysteries!

Bill Bryson, of the ‘A Walk in the woods’ and ‘In a Sunburned Country’ fame. (At least on my shelves) wrote a non funny book. What?! Right! The interesting thing is that I was almost half way through before I realized the humor was missing. It was that engrossing. This is more of a historical take than one of his personal journeys. Starting in May this is a story of the history of the summer of 1927 in the USofA. You’ve heard of Lindberg, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Coolidge, Wilson, Ford, Al Capone, … maybe even Jack Dempsey or Gene Tunney. If you are a real history buff maybe even Jack ‘shipwreck’ Kelly. What about the movie Jazz Singer, Mickey Mouse, the invention of the Hot Dog, the outing of Tabloids to mainstream, the secret origins of the Depression. Most of these you’ve heard of, but how well do you know the stories. And what about the lesser known ones? Did you know there was an elementary school bombing killing 38 kids? A murder so stupid and clumsy (nicknamed the dumb-bell case) as to be the first biggest tabloid sensation, and the first woman execution since 1899? I found all the early aviation history BEFORE Lindberg and leading up to Lindberg to be just cool. Did you know Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig were BFFs and then enemies, then friends? I am seriously an expert on Babe Ruth now. Before my only knowledge of the Babe was from the boys in ‘The Sandlot’

 

Smalls: I was gonna put the ball back.

Squints: But it was signed by Babe Ruth!

Smalls: Yeah, you keep telling me that! Who is she?

Ham Porter: WHAT? WHAT?

Kenny: The sultan of swat!

Bertram: The king of crash!

Timmy: The colossus of clout!

Tommy: The colossus of clout!

All: BABE RUTH!

Ham Porter: THE GREAT BAMBINO!

Smalls: Oh my god! You mean that's the same guy?

All: YES!

Benny Rodriguez: Smalls, Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player that ever lived. People say he was less than a god but more than a man. You know, like Hercules or something. That ball you just aced to The Beast is worth, well, more than your whole life.

Smalls: [Falls to the ground and clutches his stomach, groaning] I don't feel so good.

All: [Fanning Scott with their caps] Give him air, give him air.

So even though my knowledge was AWESOME, it wasn’t much. I’ve always loved history, I’ve even enjoyed history classes, up until test time. This was one of the best history classes ever. The summer of 1927 holds a plethora of juicy historical facts, and Bill Bryson is a master storyteller.

There you go, hundreds of years of history in a few books. This my friends is the time for non-fiction. The authors are stepping it up and the plots get thicker. 

Another fun piece of trivia is that all the books are connected. Dead Wake mentioned the departure of Shackleton's Journey. Pirate Hunter's reference the Lusitania, and German U-boats. 

Next time I’ll review some boring old fiction to spice it up. Maybe (cackles as she rubs her had menacingly together)

"The Babe": Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered but legends never die, follow your heart kid, and you'll never go wrong.

Curmudgeonly Reviewed

I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again.  I really want to start blogging about books again.  When I read a good book, I feel like Lehi, (1 Nephi 10:12… as translated by Kim)

  And as I partook of the ‘book’ thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family (and friends) should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other ‘books’.

I know not everyone has the same taste as me, but I like to keep them appraised of what I did like, in case they want to… partake.

I have recently read a few books that star, and older generation.  (If I just come out and say the main characters are geriatric it may turn some away-including myself)

The first one is called “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry”  by Rachel Joyce. This is actually one that is getting a lot more traction in the book world that I ever thought it would.  I actually found and bought this at an obscure little book store in Lake Louise Canada.  I honestly thought it was just a local author and self-published book.   I bought it a few years ago but just got to reading it this year.  I loved it! 

Here is the Amazon summary

Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning a letter arrives, addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl, from a woman he hasn’t heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye. But before Harold mails off a quick reply, a chance encounter convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. In his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold Fry embarks on an urgent quest. Determined to walk six hundred miles to the hospice, Harold believes that as long as he walks, Queenie will live. A novel of charm, humor, and profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry introduces Rachel Joyce as a wise—and utterly irresistible—storyteller.

I have to agree it is was a Joy.  I don’t want to say more than what is said above, because well.  the joy is in the journey J

After that one I found a quaint little book called “Lost and Found” by Brooke Davis on my nook deals of the day.  This simple line caught my attention. 

An irresistible debut novel about the wisdom of the very young, the mischief of the very old, and the magic that happens when no one else is looking

Doesn't that not sound charming? Well it was!   Here is the summary

Millie Bird, seven years old and ever hopeful, always wears red gumboots to match her curly hair. Her struggling mother, grieving the death of Millie’s father, leaves her in the big ladies’ underwear department of a local store and never returns.
Agatha Pantha, eighty-two, has not left her house—or spoken to another human being—since she was widowed seven years ago. She fills the silence by yelling at passersby, watching loud static on TV, and maintaining a strict daily schedule.
Karl the Touch Typist, eighty-seven, once used his fingers to type out love notes on his wife’s skin. Now that she’s gone, he types his words out into the air as he speaks. Karl’s been committed to a nursing home, but in a moment of clarity and joy, he escapes. Now he’s on the lam.
Brought together at a fateful moment, the three embark upon a road trip across Western Australia to find Millie’s mother. Along the way, Karl wants to find out how to be a man again; Agatha just wants everything to go back to how it was.
Together they will discover that old age is not the same as death, that the young can be wise, and that letting yourself feel sad once in a while just might be the key to a happy life.

I was engrossed in this book.  it had sad moments and happy moments and swearing and a few uncomfortable moments. So if that is not you then sorry.

This third book is one I just finished, and truly fell in love.   A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman.  And it is literally about.. .A man called Ove.    This book is set in Sweden, it is refreshing to have a setting other than America or England.

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.
Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

It started out a little mellow, I was still totally into it but it was mostly background and setting the story up. But before I knew it I was totally engaged and fould myself almost wanting to cheer Ove on in his crurmudgeonness.  I was moved to laugh out loud, I cried out loud too.  I wont deceive you .. there is crying.  And swearing. Cranky old men swear.. sorry.  If you’ve read the Storried Life of AJ Fikry (another book that should be in this list) and liked it… you will like this one.

And there you go, my list of books on Crazy old people.  Though, now that I am ‘middle aged’ I take umbridge to the age some of these folks are listed as  “OLD”

Ok.. I’ll add AJ to this list, i've reviewed it before, but it is worth doing twice.

The Storried Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

This book… this book is tops.  Honestly I almost gave up the first few chapters, what a cranky man he was.  But it was about a book store so I had to give it more of a chance.  GLAD I DID.  By the end I was hugging the book, not wanting to let go. 

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over--and see everything anew

Oh there are sad moments.  There was ugly crying.  UGLY!  But overall it is one of the top 10 books of 2014 for me. 

So I know old people sound boring, but somehow they know how to teach us a bit about life.

Mad Science

I’m only doing one review today, but I plan on catching up soon.  This book though I just can’t keep quiet about it.   I admit I love a good Non Fiction.   Weather is its Biographical, historical, or just plain 411.  I love it.  If it is written well and makes for good fun learnin.  If you want a good recommendation I have several.  I know NF is usually thought of as boring.  And I’ll admit without drama or a climax of a pivotal plot, it is hard to call them page turners.  But man if you can stick through it the stuff you learn the stuff that you’ve been missing all your life, just pours into your brain.  And the best part?  No test after! I repeat NO TEST!

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean is about the periodic table.  Zzzzz  yeah I fell asleep just reading that first sentence description too.    Here is the full title

The Disappearing Spoon and other true tales of madness, love and the history of the world from the Periodic Table of Elements.  Hmm I think, a little full of himself?  Then the big blurb he has

Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters?

A little more interesting.  And I like knowledge... so maybe I might give it a try.  With my 40 min commute it is a perfect time to plop in the CD and check it out. 

THIS BOOK!!  I can’t get enough of it.  It is so interesting I am driving friends and family crazy with all the tid bits I can’t stop sharing.

Did you know the guy who invented the Gas for the concentration camps was a Jew?

Did you know copper was antiseptic and that is why it is used for wiring, tubing and coinage?

Did you know minerals help identify Megladon?

Want to read stories about real mad scientists infected with mercury or the hundreds of other poisons chemicals?

Did you know aluminum was one the most precious metal, costing hundreds of dollars an ounce!  Your pop can would be a fortune!

Did you know the sun might be moving up and down like a carousel horse?

Did you know a rare metal contributed the near extinction of Gorillas?  And not because they were exposed to it!

Elements cause wars, change the course of history, affect politics, and are the base of most inventions.  The elements of the periodic table are pretty much everywhere and affect your life more that you will ever know.

If you want to gain knowledge in an interesting way, this is my recommendation.

Martians and Meatballs

It is not as fun blogging about books I didn't enjoy or don't really recommend.  So you will have to deal with breaks in between blogs.  sorry. 

Ruth Reichl is a world famous food critic and editor in chief of Gourmet magazine.  She knows a thing or two about food.  She is known as the most important food critic in the country.   Years ago I read one of her memoirs called Garlic and Sapphires. It told about her move to NY to a job as a food critic.  She put on disguises to see how restaurants treated the 'average' person.  Then would give two reviews.  One for what to expect if you were a 1%er, another for what the average Joe would expect.  I loved it, she was very good at her job and she had a fantastic sense of humor.  So the other day I was browsing Powell's (worlds greatest bookstore)  and I saw a book called Delicious, perched on the shelves.  An intriguing title to be sure.  So I read the dust jacket and discovered it was by Ruth, and it was fiction... I was intrigued.

 

 

This past weekend I read Delicious.  It was, and yes I'm trying to be clever, Delicious.  Warning, do not read this book if you are hungry, not hungry or susceptible to food suggestions.  This sweet story (yes I'm being clever again)  opened my eyes to a world of tastes and foods I'd never considered before.  Foods I'd never considered tackling before for example fried pigs ears... she made them sound delectable.  The Heroine, Billie, had a special talent for identifying ingredients in food.  A very sophisticated palate.  I want one! 
Billie gets a job as an editors assistant for a very prominent food magazine ~ Delicious!  She is very shy and fades into the background.  She has panic attacks, she dresses drab, and she refuses to cook.  But she really wanted to write, so she swallowed her panic and got the job.  On her first day she meets Sal, the worlds greatest cheese man, and several other prominent foodies.  Things start to go well at work, when the company is suddenly closed down.  She is left behind to hear customer complaints.  There she discovers the Library and the secret room, and the mysterious letters from Lulu.  

The characters were eccentric and delicious.  There was an adorable love story, a WWII mystery, good food, bad food, and more food.  And did I mention food?!

I really liked it.  Now off to have my bland food.  Food will never be the same

 

Pigs ears.... delicious?

The Martian by Andy Weir

The genius who recommended The Secret Garden, Discovery of Witches and Sugar Queen recommended The Martian.    I wish I knew this book recomendators name, or work schedule, or if I would ever see him again, or if he would marry me.  All my favorite books were recommended by him.  Dang you mystery B&N worker!   So when he recommended The Martian, I was like ummm well....??  a book about an astronaut?  stranded on Mars?  sounds boring.  But then I remembered I doubted his other recommendations too.  So I dug in.  YAY!!  Random B&N recommender comes through again.

Warning.... this book contains a LOT of "F" words.  Fire, Free, Friend, oh and well the word we cant say on this family blog.  A lot of them, so as much as I recommend this book I have to say you will need your censors on high alert. 

Mark is on a routine trip to mars (he was the 17th man to step foot on mars)  when a huge wind storm causes the team to abort.  Unfortunately for Mark, the high winds impaled him with one of the probes, and his crew believing him dead, left.  When he comes too and figures out how to stop the bleeding and patch his suit, he starts taking stalk of his resources, and figuring out a way to survive.  As per NASA rules, all astronauts are geniuses, and Marks fields of expertise are mechanical engineering and botany (lucky him!) he rigs a way to grow potatoes.. ON MARS!  and several other ways to survive.  He needs to survive for 900 days (4 years, when the next team will land on Mars).  He does some things I could never do.  And he does several things (most things)  that I don't even understand, and had to skim because it was worse than reading Russian. Because I'm dumb.  Way dumb, I'd have survived less than an hour.  course I never would have gone in the first place.  I'd be the schlep sitting at home eating my (gourmet.. see review above)  burger, watching the news unravel on CNN.  Mark even mentions me.  Mark has a very witty sense of humor, I laughed out loud several times.   You also get the perspective of ground control and the crew who left him behind. 

I recommend!  minus the Fire, Free and Friend!