A beautifully drawn tale of Soviet Russia centered around a small group of people trying to live in a crumbling condemned housing project. Each chapter follows one of the residents, examining the defenses and denials necessary to live and survive in a society where the official version of truth cannot be questioned. When lies public and private become a way of life, the only escapes are in fantasy, tradition and whatever hope can be gathered that change can still happen.
Ochsner skillfully recreates life in this oppressive time, but because her characters are fascinating and the stories liberally infused with black humor, it's a fun and compelling read.

A fun, enjoyable light summer read - it's one of those books you could read in an afternoon. The main character and his animal companions are engaging and likable but many of the characters they interact with aren't fully fleshed out and come across as stereotypes. The writing is sometimes awkward as the author tries to get across the formality of 19th century speech and expressions.

What will keep you turning the pages is the well-structured plot and the fascinating elephant Jenny. If you love stories about the special connection between animals and the humans that really care about them, this is your book.

Wendell Steavenson explores an age old question - why do people follow bad leaders even against their better judgment?

She follows the career of one of Saddam's Generals interviewing his family and colleagues, using their stories to illuminate Iraq's descent into years of warfare and dictatorship.

I was disappointed at the lack of any real analysis of how Iraq came to accept brutality as a method of governance. Her writing style seemed very unfocused and meandering at times, getting the General's story across but not really allowing us to learn much in the process.

That being said, I would still recommend this book for anyone looking for an easy to read history of Iraq leading up to the invasion. There are plenty of other books on the subject if you're looking for a deeper social and political analysis.

No one can cut through to the heart of America's dark past like Toni Morrison. The book's perspective floats between the characters creating a full, intricate picture of life when the lines were blurred between indentured servant and slave. People struggle to hold on to their humanity and independence living in the midst of a corrupt society bent on punishing those who stray.

The world is just starting to recognize the renewed power and strength - both politically and economically - of Russia and China. Yet most of us in the West don't have a clue when it comes to the culture and internal politics that shape them. Jeffrey Tayler's unique book uses a microscope to examine some of the most interesting backwaters in between these two giants. He talks to rebellious Cossacks, Muslim minorities and Genghis Khan worshipping Mongols excavating their fears, motivations and passions. It develops into more of an anthropological or ethnographic study as Tayler gathers stories full of nationalistic fervor and closely held cultural mythologies.

This is an important book for anyone interested in world affairs especially given the recent conflicts in the area.

A harrowing adventure story at it’s core, The White Marycenters around Marika Vecera, a war correspondent always seeking out the world’s most dangerous situations because of a life-long commitment to tell the story of victims of war and genocide. But the things she witnesses leave her emotionally frozen.

Escaping problems in her new love relationship, she goes to Papua New Guinea chasing down a rumor that her hero, Robert Lewis might still be alive in a remote village in the middle of a mostly unexplored area. Salak’s development of her characters, their feelings and motivations, can seem a bit wooden and manufactured, but she shines when describing Marika’s journey through the incredibly difficult terrain of Papua New Guinea. Marika deals with leeches, snakes, and the real possibility of deadly illness away from any of the comforts or safety of her western home. Salak, the author, traversed PNG solo and wrote an award-winning non-fiction book about the journey, making her descriptions of Marika’s experiences read like a wonderfully descriptive real life journal.

Being a war correspondent, Marika is used to deprivation and difficulty but when she puts her life on the line time and again in her quest to find a man she never personally knew on the strength of a vague rumor I felt the character was stuck in a plot, rather than Marika’s story simply unfolding. But again, these chapters of her stay deep in jungle of PNG living among people who have rarely, if ever, seen a white person, are captivating.