Review of 'Tips and Tricks of Deciphering German Handwriting' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
A handy little book to add to your collection of German transcription resources.
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Lynn reviewed Delving into My Bitterroots by Donise Lei
Review of 'Delving into My Bitterroots' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Much of what this book suggests, as far as using history to better understand our ancestors’ lives, seemed basic to me because I was an historian before I was a genealogist. However, there are many genealogists who haven’t thought about, for example, looking at the laws that were in force in the time and place our ancestors’ lived and how these would have impacted their daily lives. These suggestions, and the helpful charts and checklists in the back, will surely enrich the research of many readers into their families’ history. I found the assessment of personality traits and skills to be a bit more dubious as such things are rather hard to qualify, but perhaps the thought processes the author suggests around these topics will be of use to some readers.
For me, the most interesting thing about the book was the history of the author’s own family, as she …
Much of what this book suggests, as far as using history to better understand our ancestors’ lives, seemed basic to me because I was an historian before I was a genealogist. However, there are many genealogists who haven’t thought about, for example, looking at the laws that were in force in the time and place our ancestors’ lived and how these would have impacted their daily lives. These suggestions, and the helpful charts and checklists in the back, will surely enrich the research of many readers into their families’ history. I found the assessment of personality traits and skills to be a bit more dubious as such things are rather hard to qualify, but perhaps the thought processes the author suggests around these topics will be of use to some readers.
For me, the most interesting thing about the book was the history of the author’s own family, as she traces them from their [dna-discovered] West African homeland, through the years of slavery and how location influencd the kind of work their slavery entailed, and on through the post Civil War era and the twentieth century. None of my ancestors were African slaves, and none of them lived in the deep south, so much of this was new and fascinating for me.
So depending on where you are and what you research, this is either a helpful guide to genealogy or a fascinating work of family history. I’d have given it four stars if it had been slightly better edited.
Lynn rated German Immigration to America: 4 stars
Lynn reviewed The knowledge of the holy by A. W. Tozer
Review of 'The knowledge of the holy' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This tiny book was written in 1961 and reads like it. However, each very short chapter is filled with wisdom for those seeking a renewed vision of a God Who transcends not only poisonous US culture but humanity as a whole. There is just so much packed into this book. I have finished reading it but I expect I will continue to study and meditate on it for some time.
Lynn rated Untitled CRAA: 4 stars
Lynn reviewed Divergent Mind by Jenara Nerenberg
Review of 'Divergent Mind' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I found the first half very helpful; the second half less so. Much of what was said about women is no doubt true of men as well (for example, many of the experiences she described are things I share with my son), but it is true that autism and ADHD are often overlooked in girls and women and so many women suffer in silence for years. This kind of book might help some of them begin to understand their struggles.
Lynn reviewed Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths
Review of 'Bleeding Heart Yard' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I love this woman’s books - they are simply fun. This one was interesting too as a study of how our relationships as teens continue to shape us long after we suppose we’ve moved on.
Lynn rated The Palatine families of New York: 4 stars
Lynn reviewed Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo Galeano
Review of 'Soccer in Sun and Shadow' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Most of the book involved the author bemoaning the corporatization of the Beautiful Game, which is perhaps fair enough. However, even in translation the writing is a pleasure to read.
Lynn rated Entry Island: 3 stars
Entry Island by May Peter
When Detective Sime Mackenzie is sent from Montreal to investigate a murder on a remote island 850 miles away, he …
Lynn reviewed No Strangers Here by J. D. Robb
Review of 'No Strangers Here' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I enjoyed this - it was a quick read, and it held my interest. I found certain aspects a bit far-fetched, and I really didn't like the fact that so many people who claimed to care about the main character felt free to 'out' her to the entire town regarding the secret she had worked so hard to protect - as much a violation, really, as the rape she didn't want everyone to know about. That bothered me a lot. But otherwise it was an enjoyable way to spend a few evenings.
I enjoyed this - it was a quick read, and it held my interest. I found certain aspects a bit far-fetched, and I really didn't like the fact that so many people who claimed to care about the main character felt free to 'out' her to the entire town regarding the secret she had worked so hard to protect - as much a violation, really, as the rape she didn't want everyone to know about. That bothered me a lot. But otherwise it was an enjoyable way to spend a few evenings.
Lynn reviewed How Football Explains the World by Franklin Foer
Review of 'How Football Explains the World' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
The first few chapters of this were kind of disjointed and I wasn’t sure what his point was. (Although the chapter on Celtic and Rangers had the following observation: “The Protestant reformation sank its talons into Scotland with greater ferocity than anywhere else in Europe”, which is quite possibly true.) As I progressed, I kind of got the hang of it. He didn’t really have an overarching thesis, just observations on the different countries where football is played and the various quirks - national and/or corporate - that characterise each club examined. The chapter on the history and character of Barcelona and its fans, and the final chapter (on the. way the sport has been received - or reviled - in the US) were particularly interesting.
Lynn reviewed 1989: An Allie Burns Novel by Val McDermid
Review of '1989' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I really, really enjoyed this, and I enjoyed it on two separate levels: first, the story was quite good and it never lagged; second, the setting - what a year 1989 was! I was living in Scotland then, and each of the events that form the background to the story looms large in my memory. It was something of a jolt to be reminded that Lockerbie, and Hillsborough, and the poll tax, and the fall of the Berlin Wall all happened within twelve short months. Ironically, being reminded of these mostly tragic events takes me back to what was one of the happiest times in my life.
Lynn reviewed The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman (The Thursday Murder Club, #3)
Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club is concerned. A decade-old …
Review of 'The Bullet That Missed' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
When I saw this latest volume awaiting me at the library, I felt like a kid at Christmas. Not only are these books well written, they’re also just ridiculously good fun, and the third one is possibly the best of the three.