Jeffrey Rosen is a law professor at George Washington University and a legal writer. He first met Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg when he was a young law clerk. They discovered a mutual love of opera, and began a friendship that has lasted more than twenty years. These thirteen recorded conversations began in 1990 and continue into the present. They talk about landmark cases, the Bill of Rights and equal protection, her view of Row v Wade, her bouts with cancer and her fitness exercises, the other Supreme Court justices and just about everything important to her. I know less than nothing about the law and the workings of the courts, yet I found the discussions of cases and how they are resolved very interesting, and I loved tiny glimpses of her personal life. If you want a fist glimpse into the workings of a great mind, you will enjoy this book. If you have followed her career for years, you will find nothing new, but may find it interesting to hear her own words.
eGalley review Publication date 11.5.19
Part autobiography, part biography, this is a collection of stories from a master storyteller. As I read, I heard hear his rich baritone telling the stories with the unique cadence of his voice. Each short chapter focuses on a life-changing moment in time for famous person, not revealing the person until the end. He then ties their story with something in his own life. An enjoyable, quick read, this book is perfect for short trips, for shared bookshelves in hostels, resorts, waiting rooms, etc.
Oh My! It was so nice to be back in Botswana, feeling the hot dry wind blowing in from the Kalahari, appreciating the lacy shade of an acacia tree, and listening to the musings of Mma Ramotswe. When she happens to meet up with old friends from her childhood, naturally she feels she must try to help with their problems. Charlie is still working as an apprentice detective and seems to finally be growing up, to be actually helping. Mma Makutsi and Charlie are getting along a bit better and Mma Potokwane is again bribing Mma Ramotswe with fruit cake. That pretty much sums up the plot. If you are looking for an intriguing mystery, murder, grand theft, don’t even think about reading this book. BUT if you are in the mood for a gentle story with thoughtful, lovable, characters, this one’s for you. It would be a bit helpful if you had read the preceding books, but that is not absolutely necessary.
Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth, were the daughters of Edward I, who reigned from 1239 to1307. The traditional view of medieval royal princesses is of quiet young ladies, tending to their needlework, participating in royal pageantry dressed in beautiful silks and velvets, fading into the background and not really doing very much except producing children (preferably males). Not these young ladies. They were well educated and strong willed. They did, of course, make dynastic marriages, endowed religious houses, participated in the pomp and circumstance, but they also were able to influence a husband, and even occasionally defy the king. The survival of the Wardrobe Book for the children’s household allowed a wonderful look into the life of the royal nursery. Many other records still exist, including bills that were paid for jewels, silks and other finery, food that was ordered, horses and carts, builders of castles. All of these records gave the author the ability to recreate the lives of the royals in great detail, to bring these women to life. The illustrations that precede each chapter are a wonderful bonus. This was a lively and interesting book, and I enjoyed it very much.
From the publisher, “In the mythical desert kingdom of Achra, an old law forces sixteen-year-old Princess Kateri to fight in the arena against twelve suitors to prove her right to rule. For Kateri, losing is not an option because in order to fulfil her promise to her late mother, she must win to keep her crown and lead her people. The situation outside the palace is uneasy. The harsh desert is unforgiving, water is scarce, and Kateri’s people are thirsty. To make matters worse, the gang of thieving Desert Boys, the same group that killed Kateri’s mother and her new baby, frequently raids the city wells and steals water, forcing the king to ration what little water is left. The punishment for stealing water is the choice between two doors. Behind one door lies freedom and behind the other is a tiger.
From the publisher, “For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse. 
Midsummer Eve, 1648, the scene is set. A grey church, a grey sky and a woman waiting to meet a ghost. Instead, she meets a handsome priest, running from danger, and her life is changed forever. Philippa Gregory had me hooked from the first paragraph and did not turn me loose until the last sentence. Alinor is a midwife and herbalist, struggling to feed her family after her abusive husband has disappeared, and she is struggling to dismiss the superstitions of her neighbors, suspicions that she just might be a witch. When her son is chosen to be the companion to Lord William’s son, she faces more envy. Set against a background of the English civil war with its conspiracies and plots, everything about this book is great. The wonderful atmosphere of the Sussex tidelands on Sealsea Island and the everyday life of the people are described in rich detail, the characters ring true. This is the first book in a proposed series and I do hope the second arrives very soon.
After defeating the Raggedy Witches and banishing the Queen, Mup’s mother, Mup and family have moved to this world permanently. Mup’s powerful mother has to rebuild a kingdom beginning with regaining trust of the people and it looks like the Queen has cast a curse on the land. Meanwhile Mup is the only one to see a shadow of a little grey girl who darts about scribbling on the walls. Turns out she is a ghost or spirit who has for many many years, absorbed the sadness, grief, and turmoil of those in the dungeons. Touching those scribbles paralyzes anyone near with grief. It’s up to Mup to save everyone.
The world changed for Hanni in 1941. Berlin became a very dark and dangerous place. Hanni knew that her twelve-year-old daughter, Lea, must be sent away. But Lea could not go alone and Hanni must stay with her invalid mother. Desperate, she went to the rabbi for help and was told that the rabbi’s studies must not be disturbed. But his daughter, Ettie, had secretly watched the rabbi and thought of a way to help. So she and Hanni created the golem, a mystical Jewish creature. It was a female golem, instructed to protect Lea from harm. I automatically love anything that Alice Hoffman writes. Her books always include unlikely characters, are always lyrical and beautiful. This is no exception. The harsh reality of the Nazi occupation of France is combined with an almost dreamlike tale of an unusual female golem, and it works beautifully. The story moved me and will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend this wonderful book.
From the publisher:
Prince Albert lived only 42 years, but in that short time his influence helped mold Britain into a center of intellectual advancement. He was multi-talented: engineer, politician, musician, composer. He was interested in everything, and was interested in making everything better. He served as Chancellor of Cambridge, and organized the Great Exhibition of 1851. With a little help from the Queen, he fathered nine children, thus fathering the royal dynasties of Germany, Russia, Spain and Bulgaria. Unlike most fathers of his era, he took a great interest in the education and care of his children. This is a very well researched book, with much of the material coming from the Royal Archives at Windsor, including private letters and diaries. And it is a very readable book, looking into the lives of Albert and Victoria, and their children. It went into much detail about politics, too much for my taste, but that’s just me. Mostly, I enjoyed the book very much.
From the publisher: “The fate of Sage Fowler and her fiancé Captain Alex Quinn is decided in the epic conclusion of the Traitor’s Trilogy. Once a spy and counselor to the throne, Sage Fowler has secured victory for her kingdom at a terrible cost. Now an ambassador representing Demora, Sage faces her greatest challenge to avoid a war with a rival nation. After an assassination attempt destroys the possibility of peace, Sage and her fiancé, Major Alex Quinn, make a dangerous gamble to reveal the culprit. But the stakes are higher than ever, and in the game of traitors, betrayal is the only certainty. Unlikely alliances are forged and loyalties are stretched to the breaking point in the stunning conclusion to the Traitor’s Trilogy.” 
July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. To celebrate the anniversary, Neil Clarke has assembled a wonderful collection of stories written after Apollo 11. The first was written in 1976 by John Varley, and they continue in chronological order to end with a story by Rich Larson written in 2018, twenty-four in all. Stories by Kim Stanley Robinson, John Kessel, Gregory Benford, Ian McDonald, Nancy Kress, just to name a few of the authors. My favorite story, Tyche and the Ants by Hannu Rajaniemi, is about a little girl living alone on the Moon. That is, she is alone if you don’t count Chang’e and the Jade Rabbit, and the Magician. There were many different views of what life of the moon would be like, some grim, some humorous, and not one of them has come to pass. Oh well, we can get our kicks by imagining what might have been.
She had been visiting her son in London. He has cancer and she is very afraid he will die. But now she must return home to Madrid and is very afraid of flying. After some turbulence she converses a bit with the man in the next seat. He returns home to a tragedy, which also impacts a pilot on his way to the airport for a flight to Sao Paulo. The pilot spends the night with a journalist who files the next day to Toronto. And so it goes. The book is a series of vignettes, tiny peeks into lives, with each chapter leading from one flight segment to another, the lives of strangers becoming linked. The writing is beautiful, with carefully drawn portraits of people in crisis. I loved the book, but I find myself wishing to know what else happened in all those lives. This is a quick read. Not to be missed.
It all began in February of 1914. Thomas Edison arrived in Fort Myers, Florida, for his annual escape from the cold of New Jersey with not only his wife and children, but naturalist John Burroughs and Henry Ford, and Ford’s wife and son. Ford and Burroughs had great plans to explore the Everglades, never mind that there were alligators and snakes. Some guides and a gun should be sufficient. But everyone wanted to come too – Ford and Edison’s sons, then the women decided to come. They all set off in three Fords and two Cadillacs, and soon ran out of road. But early autos were tough and they plowed on. Unfortunately, a storm in the night blew over the tents, everyone was soaked. The next day they tried to dry out, but it was no use, and the expedition returned to Fort Myers. The next year, Edison was still wanting to take a car trip, and so were Ford and Burroughs. Harvey Firestone joined the group and they named themselves the Vagabonds. On August 28, 1916 they began their first trip, and they continued taking annual trips until 1925. This was a very entertaining book, full of anecdotes about these four very famous men and background stories to bring the reader into the nineteen twenties. As one who runs to pack a bag when someone says “road trip” I knew I would love this book. I wasn’t wrong. And so, I highly recommend it.
YA Lit Ramblings 
You must be logged in to post a comment.