RecentReads: Sunday 28 July 2024

Let’s chat about my recent and current reads.
#amreading #bookreviews #booktube

Recent Reads Books (in alphabetical order):
#Translated #GlobalSouth #1001Women #buddyread

#nonfiction #buddyread

#scifi #buddyread

#nonfiction

Plus, more birthday presents:

Please note: I said in the video that this was Croft's debut novel, but it isn't. It's her 2nd book.

People and channels mentioned:
Heidi @myreadinglife8816
Terri @MsTerriB
Kim @MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH

Read along with me!
1. Three classics I want to read in the second half of 2024

2. Sandy’s 1001 Books Bookclub
January – No book
February - The Princess of Cleves by Madame Lafayette (192 pages)
March - The Well Of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall (448 pages)
April - Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud (192 pages)
May - The Waves by Virginia Woolf (304 pages)
June – Love’s Work by Gillian Rose (170 pages)
July - The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner (383 pages)
September - The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen (320 pages)
October - The Real Charlotte by Edith Somerville and Martin Ross (415 pages)
November - Anagrams by Lorrie Moore (240 Pages)
December - Life and Death of Harriett Frean by May Sinclair (86 pages)

Name of my YouTube channel:

Find me elsewhere:

I also wrote some books:
Fiction:
available in Dutch

also available in Dutch, French, Italian, Greek, Danish, Hebrew and Turkish

Non-fiction (available only in Dutch):

Crime novels under the pen name Britta Bolt (together with writer Rodney Bolt)
The Posthumus Mysteries:
- Lonely Graves (2014)
- Lives Lost (2015)
- Deadly Secrets (June 2016)

and for German readers:
- Das Büro der einsamen Toten (2015)
- Das Haus der verlorenen Seelen (2016)
- Der Tote im fremden Mantel (February 2017)

[alldbooks]

The science in Henrietta Lacks was so fascinating.

[Zeus]

So glad you are back and feeling better.

[CarolAttrux]

Hello, Britta. Yes, I watched the opening ceremony and it was certainly a spectacle! Not my cup of tea but it was good to see and hear Celine Dion. (I’m in Canada). It was never ending as well. Good to see you!

[recentlyseenreading]

I agree with your sense that Skloof's science writing is stronger than her ability to write the more personal aspects of the story. Skloof benefited from telling the story but in 2010 she also set up a foundation (Henrietta Lacks Foundation) that provides grants to people and their family who were "subject[s] in historic research conducted on individuals—particularly within minority communities—without their knowledge or consent".

[myreadinglife]

I’m so surprised you hadn’t read Henrietta Lacks before! I agree with your assessment, the science bits were better!

[louisep]

I agree with you about Henrietta Lacks. The familuly parts really didn't work for me either.

I have Irena Ray on my shelf so I'lll be interested to hear what you think of it.

[emmavd]

Thank you, Britta!🌷After watching the whole opening ceremony of the Olympics, I also started wondering how it was possible that the organising committee hadn’t thought of some measures to protect the artists and the athletes in the eventuality of a rainy day. While watching though, I was in awe of the professionalism of all performers in the pouring, relentless rain, of the enthusiasm of the athletes, and of the focus on inclusion and diversity of the show. I was worried though that artists and athletes may catch a cold or worse.

As to your new mini-birthday haul, I’ve loved Willa Cather’s books I’ve read so far, The House of the Professor and My Antonia. I have Death Comes for the Archbishop and The Rock still unread on my shelves.

[erinh]

Re: Henrietta Lacks - 2010 was 14 years ago, so more than 5 years! I still think the 90s were like 10 years ago until I do math. Time just keeps going by faster and faster... 🙀

[sandra.]

A small Coda on the Lacks story, last year the family settled with a biotech company for an undisclosed amount. They were represented by Ben Crump, a lawyer who represents many black victims such as George Floyd's family. Interestingly, the family tried to sue John Hopkins but the hospital denied selling or making any money off the cells.

[susprime]

Loved The Google comment because I am reading Madly, Deeply, the diaries of Alan Rickman at the moment and spending more time on Google than on reading the entries. I read Death Comes to the Archbishop long ago, so I look forward to your refresher. The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West was a very fine read. I am going to read Heritage by her. Her novels have some deceptive titles.The first one I ever read was titled Family History.

[thaliad]

Agree with you about the opening ceremonies:( I felt they wanted to showcase the landmarks of Paris and nothing done indoors could compare to the beauty of Paris. They took a risk and, while it was still beautiful, it looked miserable for all the performers. The first woman who sang the national anthem and Celine Dion were my highlights, the rest, I just felt bad for them all..lol. Thanks, as always for opening my eyes to some books I had not heard of! Will be interested in your review of The Extinction of Irina Rey. I checked it out of library, but did not read it. I keep feeling like I should go back and get it again:)

[melissahouse]

V. Interested to hear your Didion wrap up.. im on the fence (despite obvious/ raw talent & wry humour) 🧐👍🙂

[MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH]

You’re not allowed to read Archbishop without doing it as a buddy read with me!!! We’re overdue for a buddy read! 🤣💕

[josmith]

I didn’t watch the ceremony but heard about it and couldn’t believe they had no plan in case of inclement weather! 😉C’est la vie I suppose 😉 I appreciated what Rebecca Skloot was doing with The Immortal Life, the research was great and the story shocking and eye opening, but I wanted more science, less of Skloot’s journey so it didn’t entirely work for me either Britta.

[heatherfoley]

Did I miss you discussing The Women by Kristin Hannah? I might have. Thanks =)

[litticgn]

das hatte ich mich auch die ganze zeit gefragt 😂 man organisiert eine 4 stündige, unfassbar überdimensionale, alles bisherige in den schatten stellende, olympia eröffnungsfeier, die ganze welt schaut zu. und keiner der organisierenden denkt daran, dass die kameralinsen, bei bedarf, vor regen geschütz werden sollten. menschen sind ja eh da und können nicht weg. oder es jemand auf den schiffen gibt, um den sportlern zu sagen, wo sie hingucken sollen ...
... toll wars trotzdem 🔥

[ArtStoriesWithKris]

I felt the same about the Henrietta Lacks story. I was so interested in the science but found I was skipping over the family pages. I have ordered Art Monsters since you first mentioned it and am looking forward to getting to that one.
I did wonder about the Paris ceremony not having a Plan B. In my own life Plan A so seldom works out I feel most comfortable with a Plan B AND C!
I like the sounds of Irena Rey so I will wait for your review on that one.

[BookishTexan]

I'm too busy being embarrassed by the conservative Christian reaction in my country based on a misunderstanding of a tableau with performers in drag and elements of French history as represented in the ceremony to think much about the impact of the rain on the spectacle. The irony of a writer exploiting the descendant of a woman who the medical establishment has and continues to exploit for profit is painful