I've finished Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel and need to review it, but I'm afraid that since I have about 20 pages marked with page pointers, it will be difficult to boil this one down. Especially since there are so many interesting details and the narrative so engrossing!
Currently reading The Great Mortality by John Kelly, Marley and Me by John Grogan and Hatha Yoga Illustrated (I put this aside when I returned to Chakra Yoga, but have picked it up again). How's that for contrast?
I'm having internal discussions with John Kelly about beginning, middle, and end as a matter of order. It is a proven technique, and it usually works; although there are exceptions, the exceptions are usually in fiction. :)
The Great Mortality is about the plague of the late 1340's and contains some excellent information, but the author's style drives me nuts. He skips around, repeats information and phrases, and includes his own scenarios in rawther florid language.
I'm a little more than half way through, and there is enough that is worthwhile to keep me reading and enjoying making snarky asides to the author. The essential information isn't new, and I'm familiar with much of the factual stuff, but the primary sources, those first-hand accounts, are new to me and are particularly fascinating.
Have not heard from the library about the books I ordered through interlibrary loan. I do have enough books to keep me busy, but I'm eager to get those two books.
Interesting article (via Dorothy Of Books & Bicycles):
From Books, New President Found Voice
You're so right about the organization problems Kelly has and the repetition he's guilty of. Thank goodness it was a relatively short book or those problems might have been harder to deal with. I still appreciated it for the information, though.
ReplyDeleteDorothy - When he keeps moving and sticks to the plague, I'm completely happy! Well, I like making the snarkey comments, too. Like "What were you thinking when you made the mermaid with loose bowels metaphor?" :)
ReplyDeleteMade me think of my library. I requested books and they were in stock, but it has been almost two weeks and I have only received three! I can't get over how slow the library is... All they are doing is moving from one branch to another, so I imagine it will be a couple months before I see the inter-library loans... Reminds me why I gave up on the library a couple years ago.
ReplyDeleteHow are you liking Marley and Me?
Looking forward to your review of Galileo's Daughter. I read that one a while back and am embarrassed to say I've forgotten a lot of it but I do remember enjoying it a lot. Which was a nice surprise for me as it was definitely a book out of my comfort zone.
ReplyDeleteKailana - I checked with the library today...just in case. It has never taken this long before. I love my library and have only used the interlibrary loan a couple of times. I'm not in immediate need of something to read, but am eager to get those books.
ReplyDeleteI just put Marley & Me down because I was crying. Don't know if I can read the last little bit...
Iliana - I really liked Galileo's Daughter. Sobel handled the science very well, and the father/daughter relationship was touching.