Extremely loud and incredibly close read5/23/2023 ![]() Extremely imaginative and incredibly clever in weaving together the horror of the World Trade Center with the devastating bombing of Dresden, Foer’s new book, though not a Jewish story, magically resonates with a Jewish sensibility. Second novels, particularly those that follow the kind of blockbuster success 24-year old Jonathan Safran Foer enjoyed for Everything Is illuminated, bear burdens, or, as the inventive central character in Foer’s new book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close would say, “heavy boots.” Foer’s new linguistic tour de force beautifully surpasses his debut novel, even as it tries a bit too hard to be distinctive by adding illustrations (blurry photos and graphic design) to a text that doesn’t need them. ![]()
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Bridge of birds by barry hughart5/23/2023 ![]() ![]() The repetitive structure of the plot (quest, then return to the village, quest, etc.) combines with the rhythmic style of the prose to manipulate one's emotions. Reading Bridge of Birds was fulfilling-not only cathartic, but reassuring. In showing us "an ancient China that never was," Barry Hughart embraces the atmosphere of a fable and the kernel of darkness it should contain. ![]() There's something seductive about fables and fairy tales-the real, often grim fairy tales that lurk in the subconscious of every culture. I'm starting to get to the age where I'm reading books now and saying, "Why wasn't this published when I was younger?! This is what I've been missing all these years this fills the gap that, until it was filled, I never knew existed!" Although Bridge of Birds was published before I was born, it still provokes a similar feeling (one of, "Why didn't I know about this when I was younger?"). 20-year-old Kara was a precious innocent. I’ll say that I picked up on a lot more of the … uh … sexual stuff this time around. I have little to add about the book itself in this second review-my first review stands. ![]() I just knew it would help.Īnd it definitely did. Gosh, has it really been 7 years-nearly 8?-since I read this? Feels like no time at all.Īnyway, after not enjoying Who Fears Death, I was struck with a sudden … craving (?) for this book. ![]() Better man taylor swift lyrics5/23/2023 ![]() ![]() In 2019, she released Lover, which became the best-selling album of the year worldwide by a solo artist. In 2018, she left Big Machine Records and signed with Republic Records, the label of Universal Music Group. In 2017, Swift released Reputation, which sold over 1 million copies in its first week and was certified 3x platinum by the RIAA. In 2014, she released 1989, which became her first number one album in the UK and spent 11 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200. Over the next few years, she released a string of successful albums, including Fearless, Speak Now and Red, all of which topped the Billboard 200 chart. ![]() Swift began her music career in 2005 when she signed with Big Machine Records and released her self-titled debut album the following year. She has sold approximately 114 million album units worldwide and has topped the charts in several countries. Taylor Swift is a successful singer and songwriter who has released 10 studio albums, 2 re-recorded studio albums, 4 EPs, 3 live albums and 19 other minor works. ![]() ![]() Furthermore, the project has formulated recommendations for politics and for European activities for human rights and anti-discrimination practices. RomPol has been analysing in each of the participating countries the particular state traditions, old and new political measurements as well as mechanisms of exclusion and integration, in which the nation state approaches problems which are considered to be "Gypsy issues". The publication "The State and the Roma in Spain" summarises the results of research carried out in Spain in the framework of the transnational project "RomPol: The State and the Gypsies", supported by the European Commission and coordinated by Jochen Blaschke (Berliner Institut für Vergleichende Sozialforschung, BIVS). ![]() Justin butcher walking to jerusalem5/23/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() Yes, it’s a book about a very long walk, from London to Jerusalem across 11 countries over several months in 2017, but mainly it’s a book about why the walkers did this. ![]() I picked it up again and am very glad I did. A few weeks ago he sent it back as he is weeding his collection. I quickly decided my dad might like it (he recently celebrated walking the equivalent of twice around the earth) so I sent it to him. By the time the pandemic hit 6-7 months later, I hadn’t read it yet, and picked it up. I grabbed Walking to Jerusalem by Justin Butcher. Sometime in the summer of 2019 I was in our local bookstore (where I used to work) and chatted with one of the staff who said she had been trying to get advanced reader copies of books into the hands of customers, to help find good reads and talk them up. ![]() State of Exception by Giorgio Agamben5/22/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() The essay concludes by exploring whether Agamben’s work might enrich legal inquiry, despite its often alien tenor, by reviewing some recent cases in the UK and the US involving exceptional measures. Title: Defending our legal practices: a legal critique of Giorgio Agambens State of exception Journal: Amsterdam Law Forum Volume: 1 Pages (from-to): 113. Engaging with Agamben’s text on its own terms – rather than focusing on the potential deficiencies of an approach that eschews standard doctrinal and empirical research – the essay seeks to distil a set of conceptual and analogical perspectives that might help interpret the significance of the present rise of emergency regimes. This review essay examines in some detail Giorgio Agamben’s recent State of Exception, his third in a series of books that reconstruct sovereignty using a range of interdisciplinary and critical tools. ![]() Anything but Minor by Kate Stewart5/22/2023 ![]() ![]() Alice is quirky and nerdy and I loved her. I really loved reading the progression of the relationship between Rafe and Alice, their adventures together and the little moments where they got to know each other. But I have a feeling you’re worth knowing.” I thought you were one of those bone-headed, stupid athletes who only cared about baseball and women. The two agree to be friends but there is an attraction between them that Rafe doesn’t want to deny. ![]() Rafe makes it clear from the beginning he is interested in Alice, but Alice wants something more substantial than a fling. On a whim, she attends a baseball game for the local minor league team where she meets Rafe, the star pitcher. Having been sheltered by her mother her entire life, Charleston is Alice’s chance to live free and discover new things. “I’m pretty sure I just want you to think of me, Alice.”Īnything But Minor is about a woman named Alice who has left Ohio to live in Charleston and has a new career as a flight instructor. ![]() “I’m not sure what you want me to think of you, Rafe.” I always know one thing going into a Kate Stewart book: she’s gonna leave me with a big old smile on my face. ![]() ![]() ![]() Jekyll, is a nasty brute, while Nemo is an imperious egomaniac, and the once-dashing Allan Quartermain is in the twilight of his powers, yet manages to romance Mina Murray, of Dracula notoriety. Moore spares no opportunity to play up the team's origins. Here, the eclectic team is defending Earth from a Martian invasion, partially set in motion by another pulp hero, Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter of Mars. Set in an alternate, technologically advanced 1898 London, the story finds legendary literary heroes Allan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, Hawley Griffin (the Invisible Man), Edward Hyde and Mina Murray fighting battles that the British Empire can't handle without them. Although the film version was a bust, the source material remains an enjoyable, beautifully executed adventure series. ![]() This collection includes plenty of faux-Victorian backup material, including the comic book series' original covers, and a lengthy prose short story by Moore. Moore continues his trip through pulp genres with this second volume of The League ![]() Cinder meyer series5/22/2023 ![]() ![]() Fans of Meyer’s writing style and intricate world-building will love this standalone novel. In Heartless, she tackles the story of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. Marissa Meyer has a talent for creating captivating and compelling retellings of classic fairy tales. It introduces new characters while continuing the journey of Cinder and Prince Kai. ![]() Scarlet is the second book in the series and follows the story of Little Red Riding Hood. If you loved Cinder, you’ll definitely want to check out the rest of the Lunar Chronicles series. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this blog post, we’ve compiled a list of the 20 best YA books like Cinder, so you can continue to indulge in your love of futuristic fairy tale adaptations ( If you’re looking for a great new YA series to sink your teeth into, check out our favorites right here). ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() As Craig says, "If you have a sound and persuasive case for Christianity, you don't have to become an expert in comparative religions and Christian cults. He shows that there is good reason to think Christianity is true. His approach-that of positive apologetics-gives careful attention to crucial questions and concerns, including: the relationship of faith and reason, the existence of God, the problems of historical knowledge and miracles, the personal claims of Christ, and the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus. Wanting to engage not just academics and pastors but Christian laypeople and seekers, William Lane Craig has revised and updated key sections in this third edition of his classic text to reflect the latest work in astrophysics, philosophy, probability calculus, the arguments for the existence of God, and Reformed epistemology. Gresham Machen once said, "False ideas are the greatest obstacles to the reception of the gospel"-which makes apologetics that much more important. Perfect as a textbook yet excellent for lay readers, this updated edition builds a positive case for Christianity by applying the latest thought to core theological themes. ![]() |