Book Review #14: "The Three-Year Swim Club"

Hey Everyone,
     Let me introduce this year's first book to make "my favorites list" on Goodreads.com,  it is "The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui's Sugar Ditch Kids and their Quest for Olympic Glory'" by Julie Checkoway. Overall I would rate this book five stars out of five. Where do I begin? Wow, what an amazing story! This book is a true story of a group of Japanese-American children and their coach. It is a story of a coach a Japanese-American who was trying to find himself and found himself in a group of Japanese-American children. These children had nothing, they lived in poverty living as "slaves" on sugar plantations. The coach found a ditch and taught them how to swim. It is about the struggles during this fragile time period of World War II and particularly the struggles that of Japanese-Americans faced. It is a story of will, of never giving up. It is a story of strength and courage in the face of adversity.
     Before reading this book, honestly I did not know anything about it, and never mind not knowing that this story existed or happened in the first place. But boy, oh boy am I glad I read it. I am kicking myself in the butt that I didn't read this sooner, and wishing this book never ended. The way the author narrated this story was magical. Reading it, I felt as if I was there watching as a bystander the events that took place. I truly felt apart of this book and definitely connected to it from the first paragraphs. I almost want to go as far as to say that I wish they would make a movie out of this book. However, I am also weary of wishing for this, because hardly ever are the movies are as good as the book. And when this happens it leaves you disappointed, frustrated and upset, and I don't want to look back feeling this way. So as they say better safe than sorry. I would like to point out that for those people who shy away from reading nonfiction, I would highly consider reading this book. I would read it because of the way the author told the story. This is not your typical nonfiction book, you are going to be hooked from the very first word.
     I literally was holding my breath and sitting on the edge of my seat while reading this book. It was such an amazing story, I could not wait to turn the page to see what happened next. There are not too many books out there where it is difficult to find anything to critique. Reading this book took you on a journey of experiencing the full spectrum of emotions. And this book was a very pleasant change, since recently I have been reading books on the more depressing side. I would again highly recommend this book, for those of you who would like to purchase a copy of this book CLICK HERE.
 I would like to thank The Reading Room, Julie Checkoway, and Grand Central Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Until the next page,

Jill

Book Review #13 "Incarcerated Nations"

Hey Everyone,
     This post I will be reviewing "Incarcerated Nations: A Journey to Justice in Prisons Around the World," by Baz Dreisinger. This book is available to purchase February 9, 2016, for those of you who would like to purchase a copy of this book CLICK HERE. I would rate this book four stars out of five. I chose this book to read mainly because of the subject matter of this book appealed to me. It is not something that I have read a lot about. This book is about the U.S. criminal justice system, in how it compares to criminal justice systems around the world. This book is broken down into nine chapters, each chapter describes a specific country's criminal justice system. This book delves into the history behind the U.S. criminal justice system, as well as the countries that are highlighted in this book. It talks about the author's journey in finding answers to questions that were haunting the author's mind.
     I really enjoyed this book. It was an extremely interesting and eye-opening subject. I am very satisfied that the author chose to write about prisons in the way that she did. Hope for a better system was alive throughout the book, no matter how gloomy things seemed. Actually the hopeful and positive attitude of this book is what made it so good. I think the author chose a well-rounded group of countries to discuss,  from Africa to Australia to Norway to Brazil. Each country had a different and sometimes similar attitudes in how they treat/punish citizens who break a law. There were personal stories narrated throughout the book. It was a great balance of personal stories and facts, history and statistics well mixed in together. I really was pleased with the author's unbiased, nonjudgmental and open minded take on this subject. The author's compassion was very palpable throughout this book. I love books that are written from deep within the author's soul. Her compassion and nonjudgmental stance inspired me to do the same while reading this book.
     Not only did this book discuss the different criminal justice systems around the world but presented solutions to the many issues in this system. So it doesn't just leave you hanging and saying to yourself okay great there are so many problems now how on earth is it going to be fixed? While good, logical solutions were presented, I am just not sure how realistic they are. I don't know, it is probably my fear that is stopping me from believing that things can change. They say after all how common it is to be afraid of change, and the only way to change is to overcome your fears. So for all of you who read this book, go into it prepared to face maybe some of your own fears.
     I would like to thank Netgalley, Other Press, (the publisher) and Baz Dreisinger (the author) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Until the Next Page,

Jill

Book Review #12 "The High Mountains of Portugal"

     Hey Everyone,
   
     I will be reviewing the book "The High Mountains of Portugal" by Yann Martel. For those of you who are not familiar with the author, he wrote "Life of Pi" to purchase this book CLICK HERE. Overall I would rate this book 3 stars out of 5. This is a beautifully written book. Before you read this book you should know that this book is not rich in plot, but is more philosophical. It leaves your mind lingering after you put the book down. This book is divided into three parts. Each part telling a different story, in which the three stories are all interwoven with each other. They all share the same foundation. It begins with a young adult who is mourning the loss of his wife and son. He learns to step out of his comfort zone in search for an ancient artifact. The book moves on to a man, a pathologist who performs autopsies. He also is mourning the loss of his wife. He finds himself unraveling a murder mystery. The last story focuses on a man who finds comfort, friendship, and love with a chimpanzee. Each of these stories share common threads. They all take place in the high mountains of Portugal (hence the title of this book), and the three main characters all are trying to handle a significant loss of a loved one. It is about questioning faith and what having faith means to them. Lastly it tries to discuss and answer what love is? This book asks the common questions of how do we find ourselves again after loss? How do we fill that hole within you?
     I really enjoyed the emotional tone that this book was written. It added a lot more depth and power to the stories being told. It was lyrical almost. This book was very well written. I liked how the author wove all three stories together in making the book flow more smoothly and not disconnected. It tugged at your emotions. This book was universal it brought forward something that we all experience at one point in life. I think we all can relate to the main characters in this book. As I said earlier this book was not rich in plot. Or at least it didn't follow a typical plot. A typical plot would best be described as a diagonal line. Beginning at a certain point and ending at a specific point. I would describe this book being more of a circular plot. In which this book didn't have a clear beginning or ending. I feel this way because in a good way it left my mind spinning, in trying to decode the parables presented. I always do like when books get my mind thinking, it is what keeps me reading.
     I do admit I did have a more difficult time trying to read and finish this book, there were times where I wanted to quit. However, each time when I was about to put the book down and quit, the story was able to pull me back in. I had a hard time reading this also partly because there were parts in the book that were nonessential or irrelevant to the main story being told. I had a hard time reading this because there was too much decoding in trying to figure out the meaning behind the story. Too much of a good thing can be bad sometimes. In this case it was. This book was like an abstract painting. In fact the book itself was very abstract.
      Regardless of what I wrote in this review, I am sure there are going be a good percentage of readers who will enjoy it.  I think I had a hard time because I was expecting something different of it. If I knew more about this book before reading it I would have enjoyed it more. It is one of those books that you need to be "in the correct mood" to read. The author did take a risk in writing this book, and I do enjoy when authors take risks and "go outside the box."
     I want to thank Netgalley, Yann Martel (the author) and Random House Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is available on February 2, 2016 for purchase. To purchase this book CLICK HERE.

Until the Next Page,

Jill

Book Review #11 "The Future We Want."

Hey Everyone,

     In spirit of the upcoming election I decided to read and review the book  "The Future We Want Radical Ideas for a New Century," by Sarah Leonard and Bhaskar Sunkara. Overall I would rate this 4 stars out of 5. This is a brilliant book to read. At first I was skeptical and hesitant to read it, but I am very glad I did. I feel that in reading a political book, it is very black and white. Either it was excellent or horrible, and there is no in between. You are either going to agree with it or not. And when you disagree with political beliefs it is not a very pleasant experience. You get angry and frustrated and many other things. This is why I think it is better having an open and receptive mind when attempting to read this. If you go into this book with an open and receptive mind, I think you will enjoy it and be as intrigued as I did.
     This book introduced a whole new way of political thought. It took on a new approach, different from the democratic or republican mindset. This book was very well organized, it is broken down to ten essays each tackling a different aspect of the political, economic, and social issues that we face today. Each essay attempts to break down the current system of why it does not work, the history behind each issue and finally proposes a new way of solving the issue. Often you hear from politicians how they promise to change the status quo. You hear promises of getting rid of unemployment, create more jobs, raise minimum wage, decrease our deficit and so forth. You hear all these promises and commitments but no one ever tells you how they are going to accomplish it, i.e. what is their plan? This book for the most part, not only committed to solving these same issues but discussed a plan how exactly it would be done and how to get from here to there. It goes deeper than that it explains why things are the way things are, the factors that led to where we are today. I was truly amazed and surprised that this book is not all entirely new set of ideas. That things like full employment by where everyone who wants to work can find work. Where the workweek is shortened to 30 hours but still retaining your 40 hour pay. With having enough money to sustain you and your family. A life where you have more benefits and at the same time, have more time off and more time to spend with your family or leisure activities. Take a moment to ponder this to sit back and imagine what life would be like? How your life would be different? Guess what! This plan was introduced to congress many years ago but sadly never made it into legislation. What if your life or the life of your children could be like this? This book will tell you how it is possible. I bet you are thinking this seems all too good to be true. I did to have that feeling several times while reading this book. With the plans that are presented in this book makes sense. And sometimes it makes too much sense in that you are left wondering why this or that hasn't occurred yet. You find yourself saying jeez this is not rocket science here. And because the ideas and plans presented in this book make sense and are understandable, it gives you that hope you need to be able to believe it, and ultimately not dismiss it as being too good to be true.
     During some parts of the books, although it presented an intriguing idea and plan, I had a hard time envisioning the plans taking place in our society today. Such as there is a chapter in the book that discusses dismantling the police force so that crime, poverty, economies, racism to get better. I definitely think that MAJOR changes need to be done in police force, as well as the criminal justice system and incarceration rates. I agree fully with the information presented in this chapter. The way it is explained, how dismantling the police force would work, it makes perfect sense. I just don't see it happening. I can't envision how that exactly would work in today's current society. I can see it working in an ideal society. But sometimes we have to accept that things aren't going to be ideal. Part of it is, that I think there are too many unpredictable factors that could interfere with this and cause more damage than necessary. Believe me I am no political expert, so this is just my opinion. I guess what I find annoying here and is making me very frustrated, is that I agree with everything that is said in this essay, I understand it, it is common sense to me. I am frustrated because I have my doubts.
     The authors took a lot of risk in writing this book, presenting a novel, intriguing, a different mindset that society is not familiar or maybe comfortable with. It talks about change and a lot of people are afraid of change. They took risk in writing this book because there are going to be people who don't agree and have different opinions.  At the other side of the coin, in order to form an opinion you have to see both sides of the coin. I am glad the authors took this risk, I admire people who are not scared of taking risks. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, yes it was a little dry at times but it was so thought provoking that it made up for the dryness. I can't say enough about this book. It is refreshing. Usually you read political books where the tone and everything in it is so negative, hopeless and is a complete rant of bashing the people you disagree with. This book is different than that, it is different from a lot of any other books that you have read or will read. It is different because it leaves you feeling very hopeful and allows your imagination to wander the what if's in life.
     I want to thank Netgalley, Henry Holt and Co. (the publisher) and the authors Sarah Leonard and Bhaskar Sunkara for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is available for purchase February 2, 2016. For those of you who are interested in purchasing a copy CLICK HERE

Until the next page,

Jill

Book Review #10 "Blackballed: The Black + White Politics of Race on America's Campuses" by Lawrence C. Ross

Hey Everyone,
     I want to start off by thanking Netgalley, Lawrence C. Ross (the author), and St. Martin's Press (the publisher) for the advanced reading copy of "Blackballed The Black + White Politics of Race on America's Campuses." This book will be available for purchase on February 2, 2016.
   I would rate this book 4 stars out of 5. This was a very powerful, enriching book. I want to start off by saying yes, I am racist, I am ignorant and I am very uncomfortable writing, talking, and discussing such an important topic of racism. I can't deny what I am not aware of. Yes, like many of you I try not to be racist, I have good intentions, but because I can not go through every event, thought, action, conversation, belief, comment, or criticism I have made throughout my life and say that absolutely none of it, 0% was racist. I can't say that there is no one that I have ever offended by anything I did, said, or thought. So yes I am racist. I believe that racism still exists, in many forms. It is still a significant problem, that has never gone away. It is an issue that needs to be brought to the front, to be confronted. We as society need to talk about it, and stop hiding from it and pushing it under the rug. That is the first step but like I have learned in this book, there is so much more than this that needs to be done.
    This book was deeply honest, it genuinely confronted racism, and brought it to the front of the table. The author spoke from his heart, his words were charged with all sorts of emotion. I felt his words, understood what he was saying. He was direct, upfront, he was blunt and he presented the subject well. Racism is a huge issue that is present in every platform of society. I want to say that the author did an excellent job of narrowing down the topic of racism to pick out to discuss racism within the college campuses. Because the subject was not to broad, this book was clearly able to discuss how prevalent racism is in college campuses. This book was well organized, that it pointed out the different ways that racism is displayed in our colleges. It discussed the power that the Greek system has in continuing to allow racism to prevail. It talked about the admission process, the dorms, how the college systematic procedures, its inner core promoted racism. It talked about the social life on campus how it promoted racism. How something simple and easily fixed such as buildings that are named after racist people, how that instilled racism into the atmosphere. It pointed out how racist acts can and do affect that person deeply and more than one can imagine.
     Another thing I really liked with this book, was how the author backed up what he had to say. He backed it up with facts, statistics, experiences, events. I hate how there are people who will make erroneous written or verbal statements, present them as if it was a fact and have nothing to back it up with. No resource to fall back on. By backing up what he said the author was more powerful and confident in getting his ideas across. He did a fair job of presenting facts. He gave credit where it was due.  He presented the negative events as well as the positive. He also didn't just leave you hanging in presenting a problem without having a way to fix it. He provided a solution, a where to go from here plan. The only thing I can criticize here is that I wish he spent more time in the book in providing solutions, an exact plan of action. I did think he spent a little too much of the book focusing on the Greek system. That if he shortened it and held back a little, the book would have been all that more powerful.
     This book meant a lot to me. I can't tell you how much I learned from this. I mean I know racism exists and is prevalent a lot in our society, but it just shows me how ignorant to this subject I really was and am, how much I didn't know and still don't know. I will leave you guys with this, one of the most powerful moments of this book, is we can't sit by the sidelines anymore. We need to stand up together and face it, confront it, and act on it. At this point actions can sometimes speak louder than words. How apologizing and saying your sorry backed up with ignorant excuses is not good enough. You know when someone does something that irritates you all the time and continues to do so after you told them to stop? How there comes a point in time when their apologies mean nothing to you. I know that this previous example does not display the magnitude and prevalence of racism in our society. But we have to get over our uncomfortableness and face it, and to change it. Instead of apologizing we need to act to solve this issue at its core.
     If you are interested in pre-ordering this book click Here. This book is available for purchase on February 2, 2016. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Until the next page,
Jill