Just finished reading #IlanPappé's 'the ethnic cleansing of Palestine'. It is a sickening read. It has two great merits and a couple of minor faults. The faults: the book is not written for professional historians, but it sometimes slips into that mode; it has a bit of a tendency to romanticise the Palestinians and Palestinian life. They are all brave and live in picturesque villages. The later is a very understandable response to the dehumanisation and erasure that Zionist historiography indulged in.
Much more importantly it forces the reader to confront what those maps showing the dispossession of the Palestinians mean: a planned, systematic, brutally violent programme of destruction and expulsion with a fair number of massacres. It gives the lie to the idea that the conflict is complicated. It isn't. One group of people violently destroyed and then erased another to create their new state.
It also is optimistic in a way. It beliefs that sharing that space has always been possible, but it requires the Israelis to give up their dreams of a Jewish state built over the ruins of Palestinian life. That doesn't seem impossible.
I’m listening to this song now while reading Star Wars Thrawn. No, it’s not a direct allusion to the Thrawn of Rebels (because there it seems to me a little different from the books), but it definitely helped me get in the mood.
I finally started reading the origin tale of Mitth’raw’nuruodo! He’s one of my favorite Star Wars characters since the Thrawn Trilogy. It’s good to be back.
CODS. The scrotum. Also a nick name for a curate: a rude fellow meeting a curate, mistook him for the rector, and accosted him with the vulgar appellation of Bol--ks the rector, No, Sir, answered he; only Cods the curate, at your service.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Allen Grossman's provided the inspiration for this week's #blog post, which is chock full of thoughts on #poetry and #AI, with additional help from #Adorno, #PaulCelan, and other stellar representatives of #Humanity :
At the store and came across a pretty discounted hardcover copy of "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver. It is worth purchasing a physical copy? I usually try to stick to library books and purchase books I really like, but the library wait list is long and the price is tempting.
About to travel and was looking for something good to read.
The power of childrens’ imaginations takes center stage in this gorgeous, playful rhyming picture book about a group of kids who build a make-believe world in their homes.
I've been indulging myself by re-reading Robin Wall Kimmerer's 'Braiding Sweetgrass' this weekend. It's such a gift to look at the world through her eyes.
"When we braid sweetgrass, we are braiding the hair of Mother Earth, showing her our loving attention, our care for her beauty and well-being, in gratitude for all she has given us." #CurrentlyReading#BookQuote#reading#books@bookstodon
This colorful picture book is a celebration of love, understanding, openness and diversity. It is beautiful and powerful read, perfect for #pridemonth !
When the daughter of a diplomat fake dates a Scottish celebrity in Italy, she soon finds herself living her own Roman Holiday until the feelings get real and the paparazzi's knives come out.
Thank you for your comment. A varied reading list keeps boredom away and helps to improve mood. After all, it is said that “variety is the spice of life”.
Book review #37 for 2024 is Colin Dexter's The Wench is Dead. While recuperating from surgery, Morse finds his mind engaged in a murder that happened 140 years earlier. Morse concludes that the wrong persons were hung for the death of Joanna Franks. This is now at least in my top 10 favorite mysteries. ☕☕☕☕☕ review. @bookstodon@bookstodon@books#ColinDexter#books#bookreview#mystery
Book review #36 for 2024 is Colin Dexter's The Secret of Annexe 3. Another Inspector Morse case to solve. To me, it is one of the more complex plots of the series. And, until the end, if you think you know who did it, you don't! ☕☕☕review @bookstodon@books@bookstodon#ColinDexter#Mystery#books#bookreview
#35 Kelly Oliver's Villainy in Vienna. This is the third and final book in Oliver's inaugural series, the "Fiona Figg Mystery" series. This time Fiona is off behind enemy lines to Vienna (who is on Germany's side in WW1) to catch her nemesis, Fredrick Fredricks, the dashing German spy. The dry humor that comes through the conflict with the various characters is one of the highlights of this series. ☕☕☕☕review @bookstodon@books@bookstodon#books#bookreview#kellyoliver#mystery