What book are you reading?

[Firehorse66]

Finished "The Beekeeper of Aleppo" by Christy Lefteri https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...eper-of-aleppo

This one didn't have a lot of there there, all the chapters seemed repetitive to me. This was a 2.5 star read for me.

Finished "Heft" by Liz Moore https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13707758-heft

This one read like a young adult novel to me. This was a 3 star read for me.

[jbgusa]

"...while China was doing class war, the West was doing business", just one of many notable quotes in No Wall Too High: One Man's Daring Escape by Xu Hongci. Another: "Study hard. Knowledge is the only thing people can't steal from you" from Wang Jinru, Communist prison detachment leader (a relative good guy). I just finished reading this epic, non-fiction thriller. tijlover, in a post on Must.Read.Non.Fiction recommended this book and I thank that poster. Xu is one of the few, if not the only, successful escapee from a Maoist Chinese labor camp. The book graphically details his three escape attempts, especially his last, successful one. People whose views are perceived to deviate one jot or tittle from the accepted "thought" are subject to years of brutal torture, public "self-criticism" and sometimes execution or fatal beatings.

Without trumpeting any ideological views itself, the book illustrates why the free West succeeds and almost every other system fails. More information would require a spoiler alert.

[loves2read]

Started historical fiction “The Wolf Den” about a brothel in Pompeii and the lupas or prostitutes working there
Fairly depressing needless to say but I am interested in historical Rome and Pompeii and this is different point of view for sure
Part of trilogy

[kj1065]

Originally Posted by loves2read

Read review of that Status and Culture online—sounded very interesting
Does he focus on other cultures in other continents or just the US?

Not far enough in to say, but I'll let you know. Queen Elizabeth's death distracted me from my reading.

[Mayvenne]

Reporting back that I finished Next Year in Havana and while I definitely enjoyed reading it, I couldn't really rave about it. I mean, it's an engaging read which is always nice, and there were historical and geographical references which definitely helped provide context and inform, the plot was a little questionable.Still overall I 'd give it 3 stars.

I just started Bettyville (at about 20% mark) and it's a very good read so far. I do enjoy when it's not "work" or I have to push myself to read. This is so far pretty effortless. It came highly recommended.

[Chicagoland60426]

Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Conquest: Cortes, Montezuma, and the Fall of Old Mexico by Hugh Thomas

[ladyvibrant]

I borrowed this from the public library. First time reading her work. A conversational style of writing.

[southwest88]

Originally Posted by Chicagoland60426

Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Conquest: Cortes, Montezuma, and the Fall of Old Mexico by Hugh Thomas

I like Tchaikovsky's Science fiction.

[Firehorse66]

Finished "Purity" by Jonathan Franzen https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23754479-purity

This was a 3.5 star read for me.


Finished "Freedom" by Joanathan Franzen https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7905092-freedom

This was a 4 star read for me.


Finished "Sea of Tranquility" by Emily St. John Mandel https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...of-tranquility

This was a story of time travel, I couldn't make heads or tails out of it, seemed utterly pointless. I don't know what's up with all the positive reviews! This was a 1 star read for me.

[farm fatale]

"The Curse of High IQ" by Aaron Clarey. I read it 6 years ago and now I'm reading it again. Funny little book.