The [Maryland] state police antiterrorism unit spied upon, infiltrated and documented groups of Marylanders who had the nerve to disagree with the policies of their government.....The troopers zeroed in on Roman Catholic nuns, human rights activists and church groups. They monitored animal rights advocates and cyclists pushing for more bicycle lanes. They opened a dossier on Amnesty International. (That group's crime was listed as "human rights.")...... even Quakers, the ultimate pacifists, constituted a "security threat group." from Neil McDonald on CBC News
Gotta watch out for those Quakers. Geez. They're such a rough and violent type. I'd be worried sick if my girls were dating one of them. Not to mention those bike lane advocates....better be careful of those types.
Moving to something a little less silly....
OK....what are you reading? Other than this blog at this moment...
Here goes, I just finished "At World's End" by Ken Follett. Mini review? OK, but it went on TOOOOOOOO long. Just a leeeeeetle too much drama thankyouverymuch.
I'm also reading "Spoken Here: Travels among threatened languages" by Mark Abley, which is well written and fascinating, though rather more depressing than I had anticipated. That said, I am not sure how I would have thought it could be much but depressing...anyway...
I am also slooooowwlyyyyyy reading "The Land of Naked People" by Madhursree Mukerjee Not as titillating as it may seem, indeed also depressing as it is about the, well, the extermination of an entire culture and group of indiginous people. Cheery stuff.
Recently I finished "Remix: Making art and commerce thrive in the hybrid economy" by Lawrence Lessig, which was utterly fascinating...also Nora Ephron, "I feel bad about my neck: and other thoughts on being a woman", which was funny and had a great line in it that runs through my head...."When your children are teenagers it is important to have a dog in the house so that someone is happy when you get home." Halleluja sister.
"Nine Parts of Desire: the hidden world of Islamic women"by Geraldine Brooks is also a recent read, fascinating, don't let your younger daughters near it gory in spots, horrifying in spots, frustrating in spots and dreary in spots.....and also utterly fascinating, and not without it's good points too....good things are happening as well....
I'm now deliberating between "The Origin of the Species" by Nino Ricci who I have never read, also "The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Díaz, and "The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kinsolver, one of my favourite authors (though I will admit that "The Poisonwood Bible" remains my least favourite of her works....I am also looking speculatively at a Bruce Chatwin reread....Aids has taken so many brilliant people, it would be stunning to have more books by that man.
So? Whatcha readin'?
13 comments:
I'm not reading much recently, though I have plenty of books to read. How can you read several books at once?
Thanks for warning me about those nasty Quakers. Phew! Just in time too. I am dying to read the new Wally Lamb book, "The Hour I First Believed" - I got it for Christmas but on CDs, not in book form - don't know what iMan was thinking...Hmmm, not sure what else to recommend. I just read "An Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life" - Amy Krouse Rosenthal, amusing but not great literature. I don't have any great fiction right now but I'd love to hear what other people are recommending. I have "The Golden Notebook", a little dark perhaps and a big bible, so I haven't tucked into that yet and Andre Dubus (?) "The Bluesman" in my pile of "to read". Right now I'm almost done with "The Secret Spiritual Lives of Children" and then have "Everyday Blessings" - Jon Kabbat Zin (about mindful parenting) - I need all the help I can get over here!
Hmm. I'm reading "Metaphors We Live By" by George Lakoff and someone else (I think, book is upstairs and mouse is malfunctioning so I don't want to try to open another window to double-check). It's not light reading, but it's very interesting and the chapters are quite short, which lends itself well to reading in short bursts. As for fiction, I think I will be ordering the Twilight series for a good escapist read, but not until student teaching is over. I also have a memoir by Patricia Hampl and a collection of short stories by Alice Fulton on my TBR list.
Hi there, me again. I remembered that I gave iMan "Beijing Confidential" (Jan Wong) last year for Christmas and I'm dying to read it. It's in paperback now too.
Timely "reading" post. I plan to send you The Female Brain (mentioned it in my blog comment in response to yours) and Sea Glass by Anita Shreve because I kept thinking of you when the character described the beautiful pieces of sea glass she found.
The news from CBC News? Serious? Unbelievable!
I am not the least bit surprised by the CBC news.
Got to give all those FBI and CIA agents something to do!
Don't forget all the crime and detection serials running on American TV - and then sold off to takers around the world - we got to protect our own! GM
elP...your making me despair...what do you mean your not reading much lately! Get thee to a book and open it NOW!
I read depending on my mood, I usually have one or two heavier books on hand, usually non-fiction which I prefer, and then a lighter book, more often fiction to sort of cut the mood, and I read based on how I feel at that time.... Sometimes I also get on a roll with a book and read straight through. I also WILL not read a book that I hate. Life is too short and there are too many books.
(with all due respect to to JG who is a brave and determined reader.)
Bodhi, I am taking NOTES!!! Thanks for all the great leads. Jan Wong is great...wonder if she still writes for the Globe...I'll have to look that up.
Kate, you are always a great source for fascinating books too...metaphors we live by sounds amazing...what is the basic point he is making?
Beth, the Female Brain sounds excellent, there are differences in brains between men and women very very early, some prenatally even...and within the first few months. The Sea Glass book certainly sounds up my alley. I would be sooooo utterly delighted to get BOOKS!!! WOOT!
Swede: Stunning, eh? Who did they think these folks were? Bizarre.
GM...these were STATE TROOPERS! Homeland defense against who? The homies????
Having been in Canada over a year now I laugh and shake my head at some of the ridiculous news stories out of the US. Was it that crazy when I lived there? Funny but one never thinks that at the time.
Not reading anything at the moment. I tend to gravitate toward gay novels - go figure. Some are poorly written, others are great! And no, I do not look for ones with hunky pictures - that is way too distracting!
Got to love the US. Home of the free...as long as you are with them. Me thinks they are just a little paranoid...but that is just me I'm sure.
Doug...wouldn't want the covers to be TOOOO distracting! I listened to N.A. TV news for the first time in YEARS when I was youtubing video of the plane in the Hudson, I forgot how utterly serious and dramatic they are...it sounds so, weird.
Sirdar....I think you probably are not alone in your opinion I have to admit.
Re: Maryland report, hopefully things will change due to the news report.
Only a few more days until Obama takes office!! Woo-hoo!!
Reading... let's see... I'm a voracious reader, reading multiple books at once.
More serious reading is "Adults on the Autism Spectrum Leave the Nest: Achieving Supported Independence."
Non-Fiction:"Survive!" by Canadian Les Stroud for when I'm lost in the mountains- LOL!
Non-Fiction: "Reading Lolita in Tehran," by Azar Nafisi.
Light reading: The Next Thing on My List. Chick Lit genre type book.
Carla, I am at WORK when the inauguration takes place, I so wanted to watch....the serious reading looks important....Reading Lolita in Tehran...I'd be interested in what you think, I bogged down in that book and never finished it....frustrating. What chick lit do you read?
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