Books 15, 16, 17 and 18 of 2018

Brothers of the Gun is a harrowing first-hand account of the collapse of Syria into civil war. The story is centered on Raqqa. The narrator is a student of English Literature who sloughs off what he regards as a sort of backwoods religiosity in his upbringing, and who wants to experience the wider world. The Arab Spring brings hope, but this is quickly dashed by barrel bombs from the Assad regime, and then by warring factions, and finally by the arrival of ISIS.

Marwan Hisham at once recreates and critiques his Syrian culture and history with wit and sensitivity. He bemoans the cost of revolt and what was lost as a result, but not without humor and wisdom. The people he describes are hardscrabble survivors who are determined to build the best life they can in increasingly dire circumstances. I can't recommend it enough. Fantastic illustrations by Molly Crabapple from photos by the author lend further pathos to the text.




A colleague middle school teacher told me she was having her Lit students read Tripods: The White Mountains over the summer break. I'd never heard of the novel, which she claimed was her favorite childhood book in New Zealand.

Not sure how I missed it, but it was a great read--very exciting and sort of what the world might have been like had Wells' War of the Worlds ended in a loss for humanity. Great fun.

 


Manly P. Hall brings the wisdom of the Mystery Schools into the modern age. Want to incorporate Pythogrean principals into your busy late-phase capitalist existence? These short tomes are full of helpful tips.