May 2017

 The Handmaid’s Tale

By Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid’s Tale was a chilling, dystopian tale.  Although it was first published in 1985, it is even more relevant today, With all of the current political unrest in the USA, the tale is too close to reality for comfort.  I listened to the Audible audiobook with excellent narration, mostly by Clare Danes. There is a full cast for the final Symposium section, and an essay by Margaret Atwood along with additional commentary at the very end.  The audiobook is the perfect format, since the tale is told in first person through the voice of one of the handmaids.  The story was totally engaging… I kept finding mundane chores to do so I could spend hours listening without guilt.  I haven’t seen the current television series, and am not sure that I ever will.  Atwood is a wonderful writer and I have a very clear picture of the story and events in my mind.  This may be one of those times to stay with the book.  Definitely a great listen!!!

Palm Trees in the Snow

By Luz Gabas

I just finished reading Palm Trees in the Snow by Luz Gabas, one of the January 2017 Kindle First titles.  I love Kindle First program through Amazon, because once again, it has introduced me to a book I would never have known existed.  Many Kindle First books, including this one, are translations of best selling books from other countries.  Palm Trees in the Snow was originally written in Spanish by Gabas, with an excellent translation into English by Irishman Noel Hughes.  The novel follows the lives of several generations of a Spanish family as they migrate between their homeland Spain and the island of Fernando Poo in Equatorial Guinea.  Their lives are contrasted with those of an aboriginal family from Fernando Poo. The timeline bounces between 1953, when Fernando Poo was a Spanish colony, through 2003 after Equatorial Guinea achieved independence.  It is a country and a history that I did not know anything about.  There was sadness in seeing that the United States is not the only country with a serious history of racial discrimination and violence.  The story is very well researched, which Luz documents at the end of the book.  Her characters and their lives bring the history alive and tell a very compelling story.  Palm Trees in the Snow was a historically significant and engaging… definitely a good read!

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

By Neil deGrasse Tyson
I had great hopes for Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.  I love Neil deGrasse Tyson and have watched many of his programs.  I especially loved the updated Cosmos series and felt it helped me to understand a lot about space.  When I heard about his latest book, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, I ordered it right away.  It looked small and simple.  It wasn’t.  I couldn’t read more than a chapter at a time, especially the first few chapters.  I’m glad I didn’t give up, though.  I did learn a little more about astrophysics, and some of the chapters were more interesting than others.   I particularly enjoyed Chapter 7, Cosmos on the Table, possibly because I had some background knowledge of the Periodic Table. In fact, most of the chapters from that point on made more sense to me.  The last chapter, Reflections on the Cosmos, was my absolute favorite.  Even though it was one of the shortest chapters in the book, it was packed with Tyson’s philosophy and cosmic perspective.  Even though Astrophysics for People in a Hurry was a little intimidating at first, it was definitely a good read.