SA Book Club! Current: North Woods by Daniel Mason

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > SA Book Club! Current: North Woods by Daniel Mason

Enfys: Feb 17, 2013; The ocean is calling and I must go

I read An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Oof, this is a difficult read. I thought I already had a decent grasp of how brutal the treatment of indigenous people was, but boy was I wrong.

The historical narrative is put together really well, with a lot of analysis of colonialist attitudes and the violence inherent in US expansionist policies not just during the founding of the United States but in US policy abroad. Despite covering ~400 years of history, it is really focused and does a great job of explaining how deliberate political choices, government and military structures and systematic policy led to so much violence and the elimination of entire peoples (and set the foundation for American foreign policy).

She includes a lot of primary sources concerning specific events. Her description of what the North American continent was like before colonisation and the web of different societies and cultures was eye-opening, and her deconstruction of a lot of dearly held US mythology is sharp and damning.

Not a light read, but a great one.

# ¿ Jan 30, 2024 14:09

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# ¿ May 9, 2024 19:46

Enfys: Feb 17, 2013; The ocean is calling and I must go

I've started Orlando and am really, really enjoying it. Pretty sure my only experience of Virginia Woolf was indeed To the Lighthouse in school, so this is a treat :v:

# ¿ Feb 5, 2024 16:57

Enfys: Feb 17, 2013; The ocean is calling and I must go

I'm still fairly early into it (he has just read Nicholas Greene's work), and I hadn't expected it to be so funny :allears:

# ¿ Feb 14, 2024 00:08

Enfys: Feb 17, 2013; The ocean is calling and I must go

McSpankWich posted:

Just finished it, and I have to say it's probably the most beautifully written book I've ever read, Woolfs imagery and prose are truly remarkable.

Very much agree with this. I'm definitely going to reread it because there were parts that I just didn't understand at all, and parts that were so stunningly beautiful that I want to read them over again and again and again.

There were a lot of parts of the last chapter where I wasn't entirely sure what was happening.

# ¿ Mar 1, 2024 11:19

Enfys: Feb 17, 2013; The ocean is calling and I must go

corker2k posted:

I hope that's true! I put a hold on Libby after reading the review, and am 64th in line now (started 80th). Estimates I'll have it in 22 weeks if nobody returns it early, so hope they all tear through it!

I did manage to get The Son from the review list pretty quickly, would recommend that as maybe next month's book (so I end up doing BOTM in reverse order!)

I was going to vote for The Son, but I saw that it's described as "loosely" the second in a "thematic trilogy" that starts with American Rust (which I have in my TBR pile). Can it be read as a standalone or should you read American Rust first?

e: I am also waiting for my Libby hold on this month's book, though mine should be available soon :woop:

# ¿ Mar 2, 2024 20:10

Enfys: Feb 17, 2013; The ocean is calling and I must go

Well I started American Rust while waiting for my hold on This Is How You Lose The Time War to be available, so I'll find out :v:

(also it's pretty amazing so far, so I'd second The Son being a future book of the month if it's anything like this)

# ¿ Mar 3, 2024 12:25

Enfys: Feb 17, 2013; The ocean is calling and I must go

I've started the audiobook for This Is How You Lose The Time War as it was available first from the library, though I'm loving it so much that I'm definitely going to read the physical book as well for a reread. The narration is great.

I'm not too far in, but the part where Blue spends a century writing a letter using the rings of a tree just floored me so much that I had to stop for a bit to process all my feelings.

Mr. Enfys also overheard the start of the book and became so interested in it that we've been listening to it together, which is extra special :3:

# ¿ Mar 6, 2024 12:24

Enfys: Feb 17, 2013; The ocean is calling and I must go

I'm really drawing this one out because it's so good it hurts and I don't want to finish it

# ¿ Mar 9, 2024 17:58

Enfys: Feb 17, 2013; The ocean is calling and I must go

81sidewinder posted:

I liked this. We didn't get mired down in the details, it was focused on the the love they had for each other

I really loved how the details of the story's universe and background weren't really explicitly laid out or the focus of the narrative, but I didn't feel lost.

# ¿ Mar 28, 2024 16:01

Enfys: Feb 17, 2013; The ocean is calling and I must go

Bilirubin posted:

Sorry all, been busy with end of term and other things and honestly not reading a lot myself of late

Guards! Guards! was my second Pratchett, after Mort, on the recommendation of the forums. I have since read through all the guards books except Night Watch which someone said I should save until I read most of the rest of Discworld? Well anyway, I've also read most of the Death books so I will probably read it next. They are fun, light romps but I'm not a huge fantasy reader so I have no strong motivation to finish them all.

This is actually the perfect time of year to read Night Watch due to the setting :smith:

It's my favourite Pratchett. I don't think you need to have read most of Discworld for it, especially since you've read all the other Watch books.

# ¿ May 3, 2024 04:33

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# ¿ May 9, 2024 19:46

Enfys: Feb 17, 2013; The ocean is calling and I must go

I've placed a hold on North Woods. Hopefully the 73 people ahead of me read quickly :ohdear:

# ¿ May 3, 2024 08:48

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > SA Book Club! Current: North Woods by Daniel Mason