Reported by Ambrea
This
week, Nevermore shared a The Good Man of
Nanking: The Diaries of John Rabe. John Rabe was a native German, a supporter of
the Nazi party, and an unexpected hero in China. In November 1937, prior to the alliance of
Germany and Japan in 1940, Japanese troops overran Nanking and began one of the
cruelest campaigns of genocide imaginable.
Japanese soldiers slaughtered Chinese citizens, slowly eating away at
the country and acquiring vast swathes of territory for their native
country. John Rabe, who became known as
the Oskar Schindler of China, put himself at great personal risk to save the lives
of more than 200,000 Chinese men, women, and children. Our reader said John Rabe’s diary was intense
and incredibly heart-wrenching; however, she highly recommended it to her
fellow Nevermore members, calling it a very interesting and engaging book that
offers insight into the complex political and social landscape of China prior
to World War II.
Next,
Nevermore checked out The Night Ocean
by Paul La Farge, an unusual piece of fiction that tells the strange
intertwining stories of H.P. Lovecraft, Robert Barlow, William S. Burroughs,
L.C. Spinks—and Charlie and Marina Willett.
Marina has a big problem: Her
husband, Charlie, has become obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft and the relationship
he cultivated with Robert Barlow, a young gay fan, in 1934. When a new scandal strikes Charlie, he
suddenly disappears—and Marina is left holding the pieces, trying to find out
what happened and why. Our reader said
it seemed to focus on “crazy and quasi-crazy people,” which made it difficult
to read. She admitted she couldn’t
finish it. The story didn’t hold her
interest and it didn’t spark a connection.
She managed to make it to page 44.
Nevermore
also returned to a current favorite: Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney
Boylan. In her latest novel, Boylan
introduces a story of suspense, betrayal, and survival. It’s 1980, a year full of promise and hope,
until six college students sneak into the dilapidated ruins of Philadelphia’s
Eastern State Penitentiary—and someone doesn’t make it out alive. Fast forward to the future, Judith Carrigan
has made a career and built a family for herself. When her friend, Jon Casey, is arrested for
murder, Judith must decide if she’s willing to risk the life she’s created and
unleash the secrets of the past. Our
reader said he found Boylan’s book “very interesting.” Filled with intricate characters and deadly
secrets, Long Black Veil handles
sensitive subjects very well and creates an enjoyable, atmospheric story.
Nevermore
picked up The Case Against Sugar by Gary
Taubes, a sweeping book about the health risks and dangers of sugar. According to the cover, “diabetes is more
prevalent today than ever; obesity is at epidemic proportions; nearly ten
percent of children are thought to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. And sugar is at the root of these…” Our reader said she started reading Taubes
book, but she eventually decided she’d had enough and she gave up. She said she “left greasy streaks on [her
Kindle] screen,” because reading about sugar had made her ravenously hungry.
Last,
Nevermore looked at Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass Castle. In her
memoir, Jeannette tells of her and her siblings’ remarkable story of survival
and resilience in a family that was unique but terrifyingly dysfunctional. Jeannette’s father was an intelligent,
charismatic man with a drinking problem; her mother was an artist and a “free
spirit” who chafed at the idea of taking responsibility for a family. Jeannette and her siblings learned to take
care of themselves, even during the most trying—most terrifying—of their
lives. Our reader complemented The Glass Castle for its incredible
writing, calling it a joy to read. “Not
joyful,” she noted, “but [incredibly] well written.” It details the struggles and desperate times
the children faced; however, it does so with care and thoughtfulness,
highlighting the bonds Jeanette forged with her brother and sisters.
No comments:
Post a Comment