The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World- and Globalization Began

Today’s post is on The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World- and Globalization Began by Valerie Hansen. It is 308 pages long and is published by Scribner. The cover is picture of a map and a Viking ship in the center. The intended reader is someone who is interested in world history. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In history, myth often abides. It was long assumed that the centuries immediately prior to AD 1000 were lacking in any major cultural developments or geopolitical encounters, that the Europeans hadn’t yet discovered North America, that the farthest anyone had traveled over sea was the Vikings’ invasion of Britain. But how, then, to explain the presence of blonde-haired people in Mayan temple murals in Chichen Itza, Mexico? Could it be possible that the Vikings had found their way to the Americas during the height of the Mayan empire?

Valerie Hansen, a much-honored historian, argues that the year 1000 was the world’s first point of major cultural exchange and exploration. Drawing on nearly thirty years of research on medieval China and global history, she presents a compelling account of first encounters between disparate societies. As people on at least five continents ventured outward, they spread technology, new crops, and religion. These encounters, she shows, made it possible for Christopher Columbus to reach the Americas in 1492, and set the stage for the process of globalization that so dominates the modern era.

For readers of Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel and Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens, The Year 1000 is an intellectually daring, provocative account that will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about how the modern world came to be. It will also hold up a mirror to the hopes and fears we experience today. 

Review- Fascinating piece about the world at the Millennium of 1000, by an expert in the field. Hansen does a fantastic job of showing how the world has been a global market for a very long time. She starts us in the New World with the Vikings traveling from Greenland to Northern Canada and how far south they actually went and ends the book in China showing that China has always been a global place. The writing is engaging, informative without being overwhelming, and very well done. Hanson does a good job of breaking very complicated political situations down and distilling them to the important people, places and facts. She helps the reader see the world from a very close place of the people who lived in it. As she has access to firsthand documentation so this is very easy for her to do. I had a very nice time reading this book, I enjoy history and I know very little about the world at that particular time, so I was quite excited to read this and I was not disappointed. If you enjoy reading about history, want to understand how the world has always been a global market of some kind, or are just interested in reading something more positive than what's going on in the world lately I would give this book a look. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

A Man and His Cat, vol. 2

Today’s post is on A Man and His Cat, vol. 2 by Umi Sakurai. It is 148 pages long and is published by Square Enix Manga. The cover is a close up of Kanda and Fukumaru laying together. The intended reader is someone who likes sweet manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence's in this manga. The story is told from third person close of Fukumaru and Kanga. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Now that Fukumaru and Mr. Kanga have found each other, every new day brings with it a series of surprises and delights. As the pair navigate their new life together, time,  which had frozen for Mr. Kanda, following a personal tragedy, gradually begins to move again…

Review- Another cute volume in a very sweet series. Just like volume 1, this is a series of vignettes following the two main characters through their everyday life together, with getting some more past from Kanda. We see that his wife really liked cats and that they were going to get one right before she died and that Kanda was sort of just existing for a long time after her death until he seeing Fukumaru and decided to take him home. This is a very sweet series that is fantastic considering how stressful the world is right now, so if you're looking for a pick-me-up I would recommend reading this series.

 I give this volume of Five out of Five Stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this mango with my own money.

American Street

Today’s post is on American Street by Ibi Zoboi. It is 324 pages long and is published by Balzer + Bray. The cover is white with a silhouette of a girl with flowers and colors in it. The intended reader is a young adult, interested in the immigrant experience, and some magical realism. There is foul language, mild sexuality, and violence in this novel. The story is told from the first person of the main character, Fabiola and in the chapter breaks from other characters to give the story depth. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie- a good life. But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabliola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own. Just as she finds her footings in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola must learn that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?

Review- Equal parts coming of age and the immigrant experience novel, that does succeed in both but I have conflicting thoughts about this novel. It is well written, the characters are fully realized, the magical realism is very good, and the plot moves fast. But I did not really like the book. I cannot put my finger on what I just do not like about it. Fabliola is fine as a main character, she is trying to make the best of a rough situation, she grows over the course of the book, she makes things happen. The magical realism is the best part of the novel in my opinion, I liked whenever Bad Leg would show up and give Fabliola insight or a warning. He was interesting, different from the other characters, and he did more for the plot and character growth of the other characters than anyone else. I am not sure what I wanted from this novel but it was fine, if the combination of magical realism and immigrant experience sounds interesting to you then you should give this novel a try.

I give this novel a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Watergate Girl

Today's Nonfiction post is on The Watergate Girl by Jill Wine-Banks. It is 258 pages long and is published by Henry Holt and Company. The cover is a picture of Wine-Banks from the Watergate Trail. The intended reader is someone who is interested in American history and true crime. There is mild foul language, discussion of sex and sexuality, and discussion of violence in this book. The story is told from first person close of Wine-Banks. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Obstruction of justice, the specter of impeachment, sexism at work, shocking revelations: Jill Wine-Banks takes us inside her trial by fire as a Watergate prosecutor.

It was a time, much like today, when Americans feared for the future of their democracy, and women stood up for equal treatment. At the crossroads of the Watergate scandal and the women’s movement was a young lawyer named Jill Wine Volner (as she was then known), barely thirty years old and the only woman on the team that prosecuted the highest-ranking White House officials. Called “the mini-skirted lawyer” by the press, she fought to receive the respect accorded her male counterparts—and prevailed.

In The Watergate Girl, Jill Wine-Banks opens a window on this troubled time in American history. It is impossible to read about the crimes of Richard Nixon and the people around him without drawing parallels to today’s headlines. The book is also the story of a young woman who sought to make her professional mark while trapped in a failing marriage, buffeted by sexist preconceptions, and harboring secrets of her own. Her house was burgled, her phones were tapped, and even her office garbage was rifled through.

At once a cautionary tale and an inspiration for those who believe in the power of justice and the rule of law, The Watergate Girl is a revelation about our country, our politics, and who we are as a society..

Review- A wonderful memoir from a woman who went through fire but came out to the other end a better lawyer and a strong role model. Jill Wine-Banks had been a trial lawyer for a few years when she was tapped to become a prosecutor on the special Watergate prosecution team; which was designed to determine what had been done, what had been covered up, and who was at fault. Wine-Banks takes us from the beginning of being tapped for the prosecution all the way through to the end and we see what she did with her career after. There are lots of notes so if you want to go and follow up  to learn more about the Watergate trial and all the people around it, it will be easy to do. Wine-Banks is an excellent writer, she has an engaging narrative style, and can convey not only what she was thinking and feeling but helps the reader understand the others around her were thinking too by the fact that she can still interview them and ask them what they were going through at the same time. A benefit to this book as opposed to other Watergate books is that Wine-Banks was one of the prosecutors, she sat at the prosecution table and cross questioned and interviewed witnesses throughout the entirety of the trial. So if you would like to have special insight into the Watergate trial I would highly recommend this  memoir. 

I give this memoir a Five out of Five Stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrow this book from my local  Library.

Yona of the Dawn, vol. 11

Today’a post is on Yona of the Dawn, vol. 11 by Mizuho Kusanagi. It is  192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. As it is the eleventh volume in this series and you need to have read the first ten to understand the story. The cover has Yona and Hak on it sitting back to back. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- Yona and her friends head out in search of a crop that can grow even in barren land. On their travels, Hak becomes filled with grim determination while training Yona in swordsmanship. Yona notices that he’s acting differently and tries to cheer him up, but what Hak does next leaves her stunned!

Review- An excellent next volume in the long-running series. We pick up right where volume 10 left off with Yona and Company deciding to travel out of Kohka and then into one of the northern kingdoms to try and find a plant that will grow in the fire tribe lands. They are of course met with suspicion but they do find a plant that will grow, now they just need to find a way to get it back. Hak has some serious character growth in this volume, as he and Yona now try to navigate their relationship. We also get to see more of Hak, Yona and Su-Won’s childhood together. Su-Won has leadership skills even from a young age, but as we see from when he became an adult, he does not use it for everyone's good but only his own. The volume ends with Yona performing a sword dance that fully expresses both her grief and her rage, and it moves everyone who sees it. It will be interesting to see how they get this new grain back into the Firelands or even if they can at all. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Bloodborne issue #15: The Veil, Torn Asunder

Today’s post is on Bloodborne issue #15: The Veil, Torn Asunder by Aleš Kot, illustrated by Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson. It is the 31 pages long and published by Titan Comics. The cover has a hunter walking through Yarnham with crows following them. The intended reader is someone who has read the first two issues of the series. There is mild foul language, no sex, nudity, and mild violence in this comic. The story is told from third person close of the nameless man. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the eblurb on Hoopla- The city of Yharnam: an ancient, gothic metropolis and home to the Healing Church.
The Healing Church is known for its miraculous blood-based curatives, of which many – citizens and travelers alike – seek to exploit.
Recent days have seen the city fall foul to a nightmarish plague known as the Ashen Blood disease, the source of which remains a mystery.
Trapped in a threatening world of gods and monsters, where reality is never what it seems, one man resolves to welcome the madness, and the truth it may reveal…

Review- The plot for this arc is finally coming into focus. The nameless man is some kind of traveler moving from place to place seeing what is happening in Yarnham and those who are doing things like the hunter with the pale blood child or Elieen the crow as she goes through her madness. I think that I know who the man is but I am not sure. This was the best volume of the series so far with more answers than we had been given in the previous issues.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this comic from my library’s Hoopla account.

If You Tell: A True Story if Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisiterhood

Today’s Nonfiction post is on If You Tell: A True Story if Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisiterhood by Gregg Olsen. It is 405 pages long and is published by Thomas and Mercer. The cover is a picture of a valley covered in mist with a lone house. There is foul language, discussion of sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the family. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the dust jacket- After more than a decade, when sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek hear the word mom, it claws like an eagle’s talons, triggering memories that have been their secret since childhood. Until now.

For years, behind the closed doors of their farmhouse in Raymond, Washington, their sadistic mother, Shelly, subjected her girls to unimaginable abuse, degradation, torture, and psychic terrors. Through it all, Nikki, Sami, and Tori developed a defiant bond that made them far less vulnerable than Shelly imagined. Even as others were drawn into their mother’s dark and perverse web, the sisters found the strength and courage to escape an escalating nightmare that culminated in multiple murders.

Review- One of the most horrendous, heartbreaking, and disturbing true crime stories I have ever read. Olson interviews as many of the first-hand participants in this story as he can, and the story they have to tell is one that is truly horrifying. The three daughters tell the story from their memories and what journals they were allowed to keep to try and get all of the facts as clear as possible. Olsen follows all the history he can on Shelly Knotek.  He interviews her stepmother who has known her from the time she was about five years old, all the way until the end with her daughters giving him access to the letter she has written them from prison. She was a truly disturbed person who should never be allowed out in public again because she would only find someone else to torture to death as she did to at least two people, or someone else to murder for their money. Knotek was cruel to everyone she met. There was not a person who knew her beyond a casual, extremely casual, acquaintances who could say anything positive about her. the fact that her daughter's managed to survive in a household where beatings, bathing with bleach, being forced to go out in the Washington winters without clothing on and being sprayed down outside, survived and have become loving giving members of the society says so much about their character. If you like true crime stories and are prepared for a story that is of this intensity level I do recommend this but with caution. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Midnight Secretary, vol 4

Today’s post is on Midnight Secretary, vol 4 by Tomu Ohmi. As it is the fourth in the series you need to have read the first three volumes to understand the story. The cover is yellow with Kyohei and President Takasu on it. There is mild foul language, sex and sexuality, and no violence in this volume. The intended reader is someone who likes josei manga, vampire love stories, and manga. The story is told from the first person close of the main character Kaya. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Kyohei has left the family firm to start his own business, and Kaya is at his side as his indispensable secretary...but only at night. By day she’s still the executive secretary for Erde, a subsidiary of the company Kyohei just quit. The increased workload isn’t a problem, but when the president of Erde discovers that Kaya is seeing an ex-Tohma Corp executive, he starts to question her professional ethics! Will being a vampire’s secretary put an end to her career?

Review- Kaya this volume is forced to make a choice between her career at the two places that she is currently working. Of course she goes on to become CEO Kyohei executive secretary for his new company, which is not really separate from his family's old company, but it is still something that he is still branching out to do on his own. Also they are starting to really have to deal with the discrimination that they face a vampire and a human being involved more deeply than just food and sex. Kyohei of course is being ridiculous and stubborn, Kaya is not helping by pretending that her feelings do not run deeper than they do. With an old friend of Kyoheis’ coming around more frequently now Kaya is going to have to deal with her feelings if she wants to be satisfied in her life at all. Of course as this is a romance I fully expect the two of them to end up together at the end but with only three more volumes to wrap up the series I am sure that the author will have lots of trouble for them to get into between now and then. 

I give this manga volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money. 

Screenshot

Today's post is on Screenshot by Donna Cooner. It is  295 pages long and is published by Point Books. The cover is a series of snap shots of the main character. The intended reader is young adult, likes drama filled stories, and interesting main character. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. The story is told in many ways from first person as the main character Skye then chapter breaks with different characters in third person. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Skye's social media game is always on point. Until her best friend, Asha, posts an embarrassing video of Skye at a sleepover. But Asha deleted the post, so everything's okay. Right?
Then someone texts Skye a screenshot from the video. This person threatens to share the shocking photo everywhere... unless Skye does whatever they say. Suddenly, Skye's perfect image- and privacy- are in jeopardy. What will Skye do to keep the screenshot under wraps? And who is trying to ruin her life?

Review- Online bullying is a very serious issue and this book gives the reader a look into that experience. Skye is just goofing off at a sleepover when her friend takes a joke picture and everything goes from there. The person who is bullying her was surprising but their reasoning was terrible. The story itself is very interesting with Skye trying to handle this by herself, the writing is good very engaging, and the world building is good. The chapter breaks with the other character's perspective is how the world is build for the reader, we see the world from other character's perspective away from Skye. The side characters are really great, they add so much to the story and to Skye's character development. 


I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Rosemary: The HIdden Kennedy Daughter

Today’s Nonfiction post is on Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson. It is 302 pages long and is published by Mariner Books. The intended reader is someone who is interested in American history and likes biographies. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Joe and Rose Kennedy’s strikingly beautiful daughter Rosemary attended exclusive schools, was presented as a debutante to the Queen of England, and traveled the world with her high-spirited sisters. And yet, Rosemary was intellectually disabled — a secret fiercely guarded by her powerful and glamorous family. 

In Rosemary, Kate Clifford Larson uses newly uncovered sources to bring Rosemary Kennedy's story to light.  Young Rosemary comes across as a sweet, lively girl adored by her siblings. But Larson also reveals the desperate and duplicitous arrangements the Kennedys made to keep her away from home as she became increasingly difficult in her early twenties, culminating in Joe's decision to have Rosemary lobotomized at the age of twenty-three and the family's complicity in keeping the secret. Only  years later did the Kennedy siblings begin to understand what had happened to Rosemary, which inspired them to direct government attention and resources to the plight of the developmentally and mentally disabled, transforming millions of lives. 

Review- Memoir about a forgotten child in a glamorous family. Rosemary Kennedy's life was marked from her birth, when her mother was unattended by a doctor and some kind of birth trauma happened to her. From a young age she was markedly different from her other siblings and at first her family didn't know what to do but over time they sent her to different schools, doctors, and tried many different methods ultimately ending in a lobotomy. Rosemary's brothers and sisters had no idea what her parents had done to her for so many years and so were very shocked when they discovered the true extent of what had happened to her. A very heartbreaking story about a young girl who was mentally disabled yes and was going through frustrating time, but ultimately was horribly mistreated by the people who should have taken more care of her. Although Rosemary's life itself was very tragic the final chapter of this book is called Rosemary made a Difference because when her siblings realized what happened to her, they became very concerned about what else was happening to other people and her siblings were people with power; so they did something. If you are interested in a piece semi-forgotten of Kennedy family lore I would recommend this book but be warned it is very heartbreaking and at times extremely difficult to read, not because of the writing style because of the content.

I give this biography a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for this review and I was given this book as a gift. 

The Promised Neverland, vol. 1

Today’s review is on The Promised Neverland, vol. 1 by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover is a picture of the three main characters on it looking at the reader. There is no foul language, no sex, and implied and discussion of violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.

Review- Fantastic first volume and a new series with an incredible start. The Promised Neverland starts off very slow with the reader not being sure anything is wrong until well into the first chapter; all you see the idyllic life that the children are lead, some of them are adopted and some of them are not but they all get enough to eat, their clothes are clean and they receive an education, everything that they could possibly need to thrive including a woman that they call Mother. But by the end of the first chapter our main characters Emma and Norman realize that they are being raised as food for things they call Monsters. From there the story continues slowly with them discovering the limitations that they have on them, how far they can go, and how tragically little they know of the real world. Emma is a driving force in the manga and she is determined to save every one of her siblings that she can, even though she understands that no matter what she does a lot of them are probably going to die. I look forward to seeing where this manga goes and what the outside world is really like.

I give this manga a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing from my review and I bought this mango with my own money. 

The Wallflower Wager

Today’s post is on The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare. It is the third in her Girl Meets Duke series but you do not have to have read the first two in order to enjoy this story. It is 353 pages long and is published by Avon Romance. The cover has the two main characters on it about to kiss. There is some mild foul language, sex and sexuality, and no violence in this book. The story is told in third person close of the two main characters moving as needed by the story. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The Call Him the Duke Of Ruin
Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society- and now he wants to get even.
Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.
When her imposing- and attractive- new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals. Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges is He can find them loving homes.
Done, Gabriel says. How hard can it be to find homes for a few kittens? And a two-legged dog. And a foul-mouthed parrot. And a goat, an otter, a hedgehog…
Easier said than done, for a cold-blooded bastard who wouldn’t know a loving home from a workhouse. Soon he’s covered in cat hair, knee-deep in adorable, and bewitched by a shyly pretty spinster who defies his every attempt to resist. Now she’s set her mind and heart on saving him.
Not if her ruins her first.

Review- A cute story about two misfits finding home with each other. Penny has to start doing something in society or she is going to go back to her family’s country estate and she will do anything to not go back there. Gabriel has bought the house next to her, is remodeling it, and Penny is important to his getting the most money for it. So they work together to get what the both want; Penny her continued freedom, and Gabriel more money. As they are thrown together, they begin to see each other in a new light and a romance is born. The story is pretty fast paced, doesn’t get too bogged down in details, and has good central characters. If you are looking for a quick read then you should try this one.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

 

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Today’s post is on Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. It is 273 pages long and is published by Little, Brown, and Company. The cover is white with a silhouette in black on the center. The intended reader is someone who is interested in American history, African American history, and repressed history. There is no foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Racist ideas in our country did not arise from ignorance or hatred. Instead, they were developed by some of the most brilliant minds in history to justify and rationalize the nation's deeply entrenched discriminatory policies. But while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited. In examining the history of racist ideas in America, this remarkable re-imagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s National book award winning Stamped from the Beginning also offers the tools needed to combat them.

Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative that speaks to young people as only Jason Reynolds can, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racism-  and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts and their daily lives. 

Review- A good first primer on racism in America and how systemic racism is built into every facet of our society.  Reynolds and Kendi help take a very difficult dense subject and break it down to its important moving parts that can be lost when you start looking at the overall picture of America and racism in America. and they do a very good job of that, the language they use is appealing to a young reader but not skipping out on the complexity of the topic. They can be read and engaged with by persons of any race, as they are just telling the truth about how America was built and on the backs of who it was built on. The notes of the back or helpful, if the reader wants to do a more in-depth study, and everything that is presented in this book is presented in an approachable easy style. If you are looking to start to learn about America's racist past or have a young person in your life who is interested in why Black Lives Matter movement is happening and why it's causing such controversy Across the Nation, then I would recommend this book. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars.