Returning by Yael Shahar

We know now where grief untold goes; it goes on to haunt future generations. It gets left behind on the grating; it passes unscathed through temperatures that can melt iron and reduce human bone to ash. And somewhere far removed in space and decades into the future, a stranger wakes out of a sound sleep with an inexplicable nightmare and a despair so deep as to negate life itself.

Somehow, and don't ask me how, I knew immediately that the quote above, taken from the middle of the book, will be the one for the post that I'll write. The book, Returning, appeared to have a special significance for me, and this is what is this post about. That and the need to tell you to read this book.

This is in no way a review, I am not a literary critic (an ugly combo of two words if there ever was one). It is also not a spoiler, I know y'all hate spoilers and I am not going there. So, unfortunately, it will have to be more about me and how I got to read the book than about the book itself.

Strangely, Soviet Union, an almost perfect implementation of a party dictatorship and the ideal of a Big Brother's bailiwick, was inexplicably generous where the literature about the Nazi concentration/mass murder camps and, by extension, about Holocaust, were concerned. There were several books in our home, and there was no problem whatsoever to get more from the local library. My parents, not being very much into censorship, allowed my reading material to be my own choice (and my own problem), and for some reason, the books about Holocaust took a significant part of my adolescent attention.

After a while, though, I just couldn't continue reading. Something bad was taking over me. The mix of pain, sorrow and, not the least, hate, became so intense that it impacted me on a physical level. Thankfully, there were no Germans in the vicinity, nor implements of revenge or knowledge necessary to operate these, but the mental scars left by the acquired knowledge remained forever. It took me a special effort to agree to visit Germany many years after that period (on business) and I have never been in Poland. The visit to Yad Vashem cost me more - on several levels - than I care to recall. And so it rolled with me. I wasn't able to read more about the Holocaust, or to see the movies, or to view interviews with survivors - all this was just too much for me.

But when I have seen the first notice about the book going to be published and about it subject matter, e.g. a member of sonderkommando*, my acquired resistance weakened. The subject was new to me. Not that I didn't know about sonderkommandos, but I have never seen one talking or writing about the experience, although I heard about survivors... So the ebook was duly purchased and downloaded.

Now about the book. Actually, it is again about me - reading the book this time.  I don't know whether many of you have undergone a musical ability test. Part of it is when the musician sits at the piano and plays a musical piece, where the melody passes from the lower octaves (left hand) to the higher octaves (right hand) and back. You are supposed to point to the correct hand when the melody jumps over, without delay if possible. When I started to read the book, for a short while I thought that I keep following the melody switching hands. But then - it very quickly appeared to be not a relatively simple fugue but a whole complex symphony that kept me on the edge of my chair for the whole time.

This book is a tough read.

This book is also a rewarding read.

This book is a mandatory read.

And many thanks to Yael.

P.S. And I had my own vision too, here in Israel - but it is another story.

(*) The only spoiler you are going to get from me.

Another book not to read

In this fast-moving mystery/thriller, ... seek ancient documents hidden since the beginning of recorded time--documents that could forever change the course of human history. By using secret CIA parapsychology techniques for reincarnation based past life regression, they finally locate this treasure trove of ancient knowledge. But this is not before a harrowing journey that takes them around the world. Now is the time to reveal the secrets, but a dangerous and unknown force is trying to stop their efforts. This thought-provoking and suspenseful reincarnation thriller may make you think about the world and events in a new and perhaps disturbing way.

Any book that starts with ancient documents and adds: secret CIA parapsychology techniques, reincarnation, perilous journeys and a malicious unknown force... oh well.

Oh, and the way I think about most things is already disturbing, so there.

The Toynbee Convector - rereading Ray Bradbury

There it is again, after a few thousands other books and a lot of time. Many authors took a shot at time travel, Bradbury himself included. But, in fact, this one short story includes everything you need to know about time travel. Oh, and about some damn fine writing, too.

And, by the way, here it is.

Plumb right - another book not to read

I never read books belonging to the genre called "Apocalyptic". I wouldn't go into the various versions of the doom that is awaiting us, according to the authors of these books - anyhow they are all wrong, it will not end with a bang. Or the bang will come from a direction not a single one of them predicted.

The blurb of that book attracted my attention for another reason, though. Judge for yourself:

If you believe Osama bin Laden blew up the world trade centers, "global warming" is real and political representation means that politicians work to help you then this book is not for you. If you have the courage to look into reality, this book may connect some dots and give you a better grounding to see what is around you.

Nyah nyah nyah.

(Plumb is the last name of the author).

To read or not to read?

Probably the most oblique description of a horse arse I have seen so far:

Behind the glamorous exterior of horse racing, lies the gritty reality of the backside.

Or was it about something else? Cannot figure it without reading the book...

Another book not to read

From the blurb:

An alien army is crossing the astral planes of the quantum field, snapping up the souls of the recently dead and taking possession of the living.

I have checked, and the astral planes of my quantum field are well fortified by the peripatetic effluvium of my soul.

So I shall keep that book on the shelf for now, as a survival manual. Just in case the planes are... er... you know.

Because of the blurb (another book not to read)

"He becomes a new man, a new hero ready to fight for the rights of the oppressed, and eliminate all who stand in his way."

Er... well, thanks, I shall wait with that one, if it's all the same to you.

Another book not to read

... was about twenty-five and, besides her deep auburn-brown hair and lovely face, she boasted an equally attractive body. He found himself captivated by the warm thrust of her breasts beneath the silk blouse. The clear milk of her flesh, at the “V” of her throat excited him in a strange way.

All in all, I think no...

Happy towel day, you all!

And to the hoopiest frood who burnt so bright and so quick.

Another book not to read

The blurb that starts with:

A young CIA lawyer uncovers a dangerous worldwide conspiracy, masterminded by forces within the US intelligence community.

and ends (more or less) with:

With the help of a neurotic hacker, ... unravels a conspiracy older than the CIA itself.

Nah... try again, please...

Why would a lawyer uncover... how could these CIA characters mastermind... nah... peace...

A soldier's book: The Bloody Thirteenth by Dick Stanley

Edward P. and Mary Lenora Stanley

Rev Edward P. Stanley, the great grandfather of Dick Stanley**, pictured with his wife above, contributed in at least three ways to the book in question. First of all, by being a soldier of the 13th Mississippi Volunteer Infantry Regiment for three bloody years, before a cannonball took a part of his leg (and, possibly, saved his life to marry and father children, thus begetting the author of the book - the second way). And the third way Edward P. Stanley contributed to the book is by being a private. It is only my guess, but this is probably what made Dick Stanley to eschew the usual pitfall of many historians: writing about wars from a colonel level and beyond, making the war look more like a set of an eagle-view battle formations, fitting a standard page in a book. (That and, of course, the fact that Dick Stanley himself was an infantry officer, going with Vietnamese militia units through the treacherous paths of Vietnam.)

The Bloody Thirteenth is mostly a book about soldiers*: southern farmers most of them, who volunteered to fight for a cause we are rejecting today, out of faith we do not share (nor does Dick Stanley, I haste to add). But, putting the matters of politics and faith aside, a reader will definitely admire the selflessness, the courage that sometimes bordered craziness, the iron will of soldiers who went through the harshest and the cruelest conditions one could imagine - and fought till the bitter end.

Anyone with even a smidgen of military experience will wonder at the picture of the trials and tribulations that the regiment went through, feeling a deep respect to the soldiers. To see through the routine and matter of fact reports and personal letters how a big (more than twelve hundred enlisted men) unit goes from an inexperienced (albeit willing) gang of rookies to a diamond-hard fighting team - to see this is to wonder and to admire.

Private Newton Nash

And, since personal letters were mentioned, one can't pass over the name of the man pictured above, whose letters provide more color to the story of the regiment than any discussion of strategy and tactics employed by the generals. His constant worry about the problems his wife Mollie (pictured below) experienced during his absence, while he himself shares the ultimate hardships with the regiment, is worthy of admiration.

Mollie

I could go on more about the book, its undeniable impact and its fine points, but suffice to say that the only beef I might have with it is the lack of the Rev Edward P. Stanley's picture on its cover. In my opinion, he deserves it no less than the regiment's first commander, general Barksdale, whose image appears first in the book.

Once again, it is a book about soldiers, and it will definitely help non-soldiers to understand the former. For a purely symbolic fee, I have to add.

***

(*) It is not that the author doesn't mention and discuss the colonels and the generals in the book, but he does so in quite a critical way, frequently using non-complimentary opinions about the former that come from the soldiers and other officers.

(**) More about Dick Stanley, quoted from his main blog:

Retired Texas newspaperman (politics, crime, science, medicine, meteorology), married father of a soon-to-be 14-year-old boy, antique rose gardener, adult student of the violin, fiddle dance-band sideman, independent publisher, and Vietnam combat veteran (MACV, I Corps, 1969).
I’ve written three books of fiction that may interest you. Here, here, and here, and a new non-fiction one here. More about all of them here. Check them out!

More about the 13th Mississippi Volunteer Infantry Regiment in Dick's dedicated blog
13th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. But go there only after you you've read the book!

Republican Punk – A Book Review

By: Terresa Monroe-Hamilton of NoisyRoom.net.

(Cross-posted with permission of the author)

Get your copy today at Amazon.com

I received a copy of Jason Price’s Republican Punk a short while ago. With the holidays, it took a bit to get to it, but once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. Frankly, the book is a great escape from everything that is going on out there. Well written, with a great plot and characters — I heartily recommend the book.
Here is the overview of the book:

Jack Turner lives a content life as a devoted family man and small-business owner. That is, until the day he confronts a politician at a staged rally. When footage of the encounter goes viral, the self-described “everyday, hard-workin’ American” becomes an unlikely celebrity.

Traveling in a used Winnebago with his family and close friends, Jack leads a national movement to save America from the fat cats and bureaucrats-one city at a time. His overnight fame attracts the attention of wealthy Republican Party financiers; and his popular cross-country tour soon explodes into a full-fledged campaign for the Party’s nomination.

But Jack’s resolve is tested when rumors surface of an internal coup. As tensions rise, and his poll numbers fall, he realizes his greatest threat isn’t a single candidate but the Party itself-a powerful enemy who will stop at nothing to ensure his defeat.

Ah, life imitates art, but with a twist. Whereas Jack Turner is a good guy, John Boehner is not. And an internal coup of the Republican Party is coming, with the Tea Party leading the charge into the fray. If you look at the story from the Tea Party’s point of view in the House, the Republican party is indeed a powerful enemy. So, you can see why I am enamored with the storyline.

Jack Turner could be any one of us… he certainly could be Joe the Plumber. In fact, aside from being a great read, this book should be a clarion call for those who can, to step into the battle and fight now as never before. Either in the political arena, at protests or at a key board… we are all Jack Turner now. The Tea Party is viral and is the basis for a return to Constitutional foundations. This is a book for our times and cheaper than therapy. Seriously.

Buy Jason Price’s Republican Punk today. It will make an awesome Christmas gift or a holiday release valve. Think of it as survival enhancement.

Reading Slash Coleman's The Bohemian Love Diaries

Normally when I see a book having "a memoir" added in small letters under the title, I run to the other end of the book store. And I cannot deny that it was hard to suppress the familiar feeling of slight dread, liberally mixed with foreboding of a long and boring task, when I opened the first page. Of course, I have perused the dust cover of The Bohemian Love Diaries first, just to find out an elegant way to skip most of the book and still produce a believable book report. And of course, the dust cover only exacerbated that foreboding. Cynic that I am, the more a book is lauded by the kind of people who are allowed onto its dust cover, the less I believe it is any good.

Anyway, this is all behind me. I am happy to report that the dread and the foreboding disappeared somewhere during the first page. And that I have finished the book roughly in two consecutive sittings (well, lying downs in my case). Only now I have another problem. It is indeed an uncommonly good book, and now I have two difficult goals: how to avoid using the superlatives already used by the people that were allowed onto the dust cover and how to overcome another, even more difficult limitation I've imposed on myself. You see, I consider that using quotes from this book, even short ones, will be akin to spoilers. The book is definitely a finely cut gem, and quoting from it will be like chipping off pieces and destroying its integrity*.

So I've kind of painted myself into a corner now. And I have to get to the task from a different end. Instead of talking about the beginning sentence (which is also a good one, believe you me, but I can't quote it here), the narrative, the style etc., I can tell you the first thought in my mind after I've read the last sentence (which sucks, in my opinion**) and closed the last page. The thought was short and consisted of one word only - "kaleidoscope".

You see, as a kid I was totally enthralled by my first kaleidoscope. As long as it lasted, and I was very talented and single-minded in dismantling things to get to their innards, so it didn't last too long, I was spending hours in mindless observation of the endless colorful patterns. This feeling, never totally forgotten, tends to come to life pretty rarely when I read a new book. And this was the main or, at least, the first impression I carried with me when I've surfaced from the first reading of The Bohemian Love Diaries. It shines, it sparkles and it shows a lot of different patterns.

If I could be allowed another general observation: Slash is a wicked storyteller. But, unlike many other successful TV, radio or just your living room storytellers, he also knows how to put his stories on paper in a way that doesn't make them wilt.

And the book is frequently very funny, as the blurb writers suggest. Even more: in places it really makes you laugh out loud (which my near and dear prefer that I avoid to do in the restroom, of all places). I can tell you that many a famous stand-up comedian's book left me cold in that sense, but not this one. However, this is not what the book is about. It is indeed about love, about life, about being open - well, as open as the publisher and the Amazon could bear, which is quite a lot these days, I have to guess.

And, like the daddy polar bear told its polar bear son about an igloo: it may be crunchy on the outside, but inside it is really tender and soft. There is a lot of tenderness and love in this book, and in my mind this is what it's really all about. Of course, aside of pursuit of happiness, fame and a few bucks, which the book richly deserves.

So yes, go and buy The Bohemian Love Diaries, it will not change your life, but it will definitely make it richer.

Enjoy.

(*) I wouldn't even disclose his full first name, it appears on the dust cover and is explained in the book itself, but you will have to go there and buy it. Suffice to say it's one of the very few cases when somebody's first name licked my last name. In fact, it left my last name standing. In the dust, I mean.

(**) Unless Slash intends to write a sequel, of course, which will change that opinion somewhat considerable)