Tag Archive: historical



The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIAThe Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Whoa! This is a lot! A crazy book to read at bedtime. My emotions were all over the place.

It’s worth the read. So much information! I love that the author did the narration, as you could tell her heart was in the read.

It’s so late at night that I can’t think of what to say that will help others to want to check out this book. It is so worth the read. I’m just warning you. If anger, excitement, sadness, hopelessness, regret, hope, and other huge emotions keep you awake, you might want to read this earlier in the day. I had too many 3 AM bedtimes that didn’t turn into actual sleep. Emotions about women, historical events, and all the wins and losses we’ve all lived through, but receiving only partial information played through my head, wondering what I would have done. What could I have done? How about the personal situations I’ve been through like some of these women; what needed to be done?

So read it for yourself and learn what you can. I was lucky to get to read (listen to) it on Libby.

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Shogun, Part 2Shogun, Part 2 by James Clavell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finally, I finished reading (listening) to part 2 of the tome. However, I couldn’t find the actual Audible version on which to write the review.

Ralph Lister was the narrator. Sorry. I think he may be the worst. Or maybe this would have been better with a cast of actors. The problem with Mr. Lister is it is hard to tell the characters apart. And his women sound demeaning to all women. Well, the whole book, and that time in history, was degrading to women, but there were positive things stated in the book, such as how wives took care of the money the men made, which may have been their only power. The next level from wife is Geisha, a step up from prostitute. So, to hear that demeaning voice just continued to make me angry.

My review for the first part can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show…. There is a lot to this book, which includes my history of reading and watching this series.

Anyway, I am looking forward to watching the new series and will rewatch the old one. We don’t need to hide from past mistakes; we certainly can learn from all of them. Meanwhile, learning more about Japanese culture and beginning steps in the language was fun for me.

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Shōgun (Asian Saga: Chronological Order, #1)Shōgun by James Clavell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this way back in the 80s. It was a big, thick paperback. I loved it. Then I watched the movie (or was it a series?) with Richard Chamberlain. Then I was blown away. I was already crazy about Mr. Chamberlain—so much so that, as an early teen, I’d sneak a mirror into the bookshelf in the hall at just the right angle so that even though it was past my bedtime, I could watch Dr. Kildare. I still think I got away with it.

What I loved about every iteration of Shōgun was the passion, history, culture, and language presented. Richard Chamberlain is going to be hard to beat in his portrayal of Anjin-san, especially in the scene where he is committing Seppuku. But in this Audible edition, I felt that passion through the reading by narrator Ralph Lister.

I have gotten used to Mr. Lister’s reading, but I think this book needs separate actors. I absolutely hate hearing a man do a female voice. It always sounds demeaning to women. And all the men sound similar to each other.

Still, since I am taking Japanese on Duolingo I feel I understand more than the last time I read the book. I’m looking forward to book II and the new streaming series.

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The Plains of Passage: Earth's Children, Book 4The Plains of Passage: Earth’s Children, Book 4 by Jean M. Auel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this a few years ago. Below is my last review. I am having a hard time separating the books. I have already started The Shelters of Stone. I love Sandra Burr’s narration, that is until Shelters. Why did she change how Ayla’s accent in Shelters? But aside from that, I enjoyed the Plains and the adventure of hiking the glaciers. Ayla’s growth and the growth of Jondalar as they move between societies and bigotries and Earth’s growing and evolving made a story I don’t want to stop. I know it ends, but I may love it more than I loved the last read.

~~~
June 23, 2016
This was probably my favorite of the series, both for the writing/research and also for the narration of Sandra Burr. I think Ms. Burr finally hit her Cave-womyn height with this one. I more often pulled away from the Kindle version and let Sandra tell me the story. In the Audible version, the characterizations were seamless. When it was a man talking, I pictured the man. I often forgot a woman was narrating. She kept each female voice different and consistent enough that I wouldn’t have needed to look to see who was talking. Amazing!

Another reason I enjoyed the Audible more than the Kindle (written) form because there were so many passages (no pun intended) with descriptions. I’m sure a lot of the research Jean M. Auel did was represented here. But if you follow Discovery or other science channels, you would have covered much of it. Ms. Burr kept those flowing and interesting. And her ability to pull the very essence of a sexual scene without making it raunchy was amazing (and sexy!)

I am writing this after starting the next book. I couldn’t leave Ayla out there in the ether!

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