Jennifer

Great insight into a bizarre world

Revisado: 05-30-17

If you're a fan of the NatGeo series 'locked up abroad' you will really dig the first part of this book. It's the classic tale of someone trying to smuggle drugs internationally, it's a fascinating start to a crazy journey. The second half of the book was really unexpected to me; it's a detailed account of being in prison in La Paz and it's a very unusual prison. This book is chalked full of details painting a picture of daily life and survival in a foreign prison. Overall I found 'Marching Powder' really interesting and hard to put down, I recommend it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Loved it

Revisado: 02-25-17

As a person who spent my early twenties backpacking across the world I really connected with this book. It reminded me of those magical days and in ways it made me long for them and in other ways not at all. I loved Steph Jagger's story and simply found it inspiring, it made me want to set out on an adventure and that's awesome. This particular quote really resonated with me, "...what if we spent as much time glorifying starting lines as we do finish lines, I wondered? What if we cheered as loudly for people the moment they assumed their position in the starting blocks as we do when they run through the tape at the end of the race...". Yes Ms. Jagger, 'what if?'.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

A page turner, but not scary

Revisado: 10-30-16

The last time I downloaded a book that Stephen King found scary it was called, 'The Troop' and it was truly horrifying. 'A head full of Ghosts', which he claimed, 'scared the living hell out of (him)' wasn't scary, at least it wasn't my idea of scary. It was however, a really easy listen and I love a good page turner. It was a unique, modern-day take on the classic possession trope and it was bold and creative in where it took this story. There's a good twist in this plot and I liked this book a lot overall. It just wasn't scary.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Wow what a story!

Revisado: 07-23-16

When I was looking around for books to read I saw a review of "438 Days" that described this book as 'genuine'. That word is spot on. Jonathan Franklin made this story of survival seem totally genuine (and I hope that's because it was), it didn't feel exaggerated or glamorized it just felt factual and fascinating. This book was a page turner! What the main character survived was nothing short of astonishing. Some of those moments out at sea are pieces of writing that really stick with you, that is a testament to both the writing of Franklin and the true events that transpired. I had never heard of Jose Salvador Alvarenga prior to this book, I'm so happy Jonathan Franklin put this story out there for those of us who missed it the first time around. Great Read! I recommend it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 15 personas

Can't put it down!

Revisado: 06-30-16

Cathy O'Dowd, a South African Mountaineer, opens this book with how she got into high altitude climbing and her first Everest expedition which took place in the notorious 1996 climbing season, the deadliest on record. The first section of this book is downright addictive. It's the kind of book that makes you want to go take a walk or a long drive just to listen to it. O'Dowd wrote great descriptions of climbing and surviving in high altitude. She also wrote candidly of the personal dynamics that occur on a large expedition and the tough moral issues every climber must face. She had a clear voice and an incredible story to tell: attempting to climb all three of Everest's faces, wow! This is a great read, makes me want to climb a mountain! If you love stories about big mountain climbing don't miss this one.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Great if you want to delve deeper into shootings

Revisado: 06-25-16

After the Pulse nightclub tragedy in Orlando the topic of mass shootings was on my mind and I went back to the first one I could remember, Columbine. Why would someone do that? What happens to the families of the victims? What happens to the survivors later in life? How do the parents of the shooters deal with the fallout? I came into 'Columbine' with those questions and I think Dave Cullen did a great job at trying to tackle each and every one of them. Of course you can never know really how a person, able to commit such acts of violence, must feel - but I think 'Columbine' has given me some perspective I didn't have before. The scenes where Cullen recalls the events of the day are extremely captivating, and the analysis, while jumping around and at times long-winded, is very thorough. Possibly he could have shaved a bit off this book but overall it was a great, well researched read! I recommend it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Great perspective & a total page turner

Revisado: 05-31-16

I listened to this book over the course of two days, that's really fast for me and a testament to what a fast read 'Buried in the Sky' is. I love books about mountaineering and extreme sports and I now consider 'Buried in the Sky' among my favorites. The 2008 season on K2 was a tragedy and listening to the telling of it is extremely addictive, but the perspective of the Sherpa climbers, Pemba and Chhiring, was what made this book stand out. How and why the people native to the Himalaya region make the difficult choices (and sometimes they have little choice) to become porters/guides/climbing team members is such a silent voice in the world of mountaineering novels. Exploring the spiritual beliefs of the region was an eye-opening glimpse into the local relationship with the landscape and the prevailing views on mountaineering. I definitely recommend this book - really interesting read.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 11 personas

Reminded me of the Dark Tower books

Revisado: 10-10-15

Something about the world that Peter Brett created kept reminding me of the the world of the gunslinger in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Not the crappy later books but the great early books in the series.

I really enjoyed The Warded Man. Brett creates a barren world where humans are trapped in their warded cities by the demons of the night. It's a great concept and Brett includes a lot of details to make this world feel real. A perfect balance of magic and reality, this novel really sucks you and and transports you.

There is a lot of care given to character development and because of this you grow quite attached to the people in the book. Peter Brett has weaved a great yarn, it's an addictive story I recommend. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Sweet little trilogy

Revisado: 08-01-15

I think these three books are fun and addictive. Like people have said there is an element of 'ripping off' of narnia and maybe a little Harry Potter. But I don't care I love those books and want more of those stories in the world. Grossman certainly puts his own adult twists on these tales and has a lot of great original ideas. There are moments of truly beautiful writing in all three books and this one especially. The end while not perfect is satisfying. I'm sad it's over and I will miss these characters.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

A Great Surprise

Revisado: 06-12-15

I wanted to read this novel because it's something I grew up hearing about referenced in popular culture and I wanted to know this story first hand. I was nervous it would be boring but I was wrong.

Alex Haley's writing is clean and simple, it makes Roots very easy to listen to. Despite its length, the tone of this novel is timeless. This tale starts out so strong with the story of Kunta Kinte following his life from childhood through his golden years. The first part of the novel is filled with rich detail making it clear why Roots is such a piece of history.

The second half of the novel starts to lose steam. Haley covers generation after generation with less and less detail creating less and less of a connection with the characters. It felt like he was so desperate to take this story to the modern day that he rushed to get there at the cost of character building. Also, sidenote, there is a ridiculous amount of writing about cock fighting in the second half that I wish he had spent detailing the lives and times of the characters at hand instead.

All that said I think it's a great book. I think the first half is strong enough to carry the weakness of the second half. If you've got a LOT of hours to spare this novel is definitely worth your time.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña