Book Report

 
I just did a book report, but two of the books on this one are short, and a third was a page-turner. (Plus let's just admit that I read a lot!) 

 

Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice by David S Tatel – Memoir by the now-retired federal judge who is blind. He was born with decent eyesight but due to a mutation, he gradually lost it and was legally blind by the time he turned 30. What is even more impressive is that Tatel has been a fighter for civil rights his whole life. Man, reading this memoir….so many things in this country have backslid. Schools are just as segregated now as they were when he began his work, only this time all three branches of government seem to SUPPORT segregation. Tatel also talks about how at one time, he made less money working in corporate law than he had for a nonprofit, and how his wife made more as a public school teacher. That was back in the 60s. Looks like we really backslid there too. And Tatel also describes how he was nominated to a federal bench by Clinton and his confirmation hearing lasted 1 hour and it sailed through. He said now he’d be lucky to get a handful of Republican votes. There’s also a section on how right-wingers have a whole pipeline where they seek out clerks who lean their way and groom them, and work only with them. (Tatel would look for clerks from a variety of backgrounds, and he welcomed open and honest debate). The book is not all political doom and gloom. I loved reading the practical aspects of how Tatel navigated life as a blind judge. It was never boring. Grade: 7

 

Between Breaths by Elizabeth Vargas – Listened to this on audio. I need to watch TV news someday because apparently the author is a famous TV anchor but I’d never heard of her. Anyway, in her memoir she describes her struggles with anxiety and alcoholism. One might think ‘another celebrity goes to rehab’ book, but honestly? I loved it. I loved the rawness of her story, and I was never remotely bored. Grade: 7

 

The Rest is Memory by Lily Tuck – The author saw the photograph of a 10 year old Polish girl who was taken to a concentration camp, and she decided to write a novella based on her life. This story is stark, vivid, and painful. Sidenote: maybe don’t read this when literal fascists are taking over your own country. I won’t give the book a rating other than to say Tuck is a renowned writer and of course the book is a heartbreak.

 

The Life Impossible by Matthew Haig – Listened to this novel on audio, and the voice actor was sublime. The story itself was just meh. A 72 year old woman describes her life, and how a chance encounter decades ago led her to Ibiza and an adventure she never would have imagined. Grade: 6 (largely due to the voice actor!)

 

Into the Planet by Jill Heinerth – This is non-fiction at its finest! Heinerth is a cave-diver. She explores underwater caves. She has been around the globe, including Antarctica. Her memoir here is perfect. She takes you right on her journies with her, she keeps it action-packed, she includes “just enough” personal stuff, and I read the whole thing in 2 days. Grade: 8