This week I'm focusing on some of the more "serious" titles that have caught my attention in recent months:
The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation
, by Sid Jacobs and Ernie Colon - this sounds like a simpler and clearer way to approach the enormous 9/11 Commission Report - found in a comment on Read Street 
War Child
, by Emmanuel Jal - I love his music and his real-life story is heartbreaking - found at Maw Books 
Gunshot Road
, by - found at Desert Book Chick, who says "It’s a book set in the Australian Outback. My home. Not only that, it’s a book that visits Aboriginal communities and homes, and presents Aboriginal people as they really are. No romantic noble savage clichés. The real outback and real outback people. You can taste the dust." - how can I not want to read it after that?!
In The Presence of My Enemies
, by Gracia Burnham - true stories of Christian missionaries taken captive in the Philippines - found at Book Journey (though I'd heard of it before, years ago)
Ghosts of Mississippi
, by Maryanne Vollers - the movie based on this true story of the Medgar Evars murder (US Civil Rights era) is fantastic, and I hear that it stuck very close to the book - found at Watcha Readin', Books?
Earth and Ashes
, by Atiq Rahimi - a very short novella set during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan - found at Bermudonion's WeblogFootprints to the Stars, by Tommy Thrasher - the brief autobiography of a elderly Native Canadian (is that even the correct term? The review didn't mention an ethnicity or people group ...) written as part of his adult literacy class - this book isn't available anywhere except in Northern Canada (sad for me!) - found at Amy Reads
Into The Abyss, by Carol Shaben - this book isn't even completely written yet and still I'm excited to read it - check out the video and details here - I found this because someone I follow shared this through Google Reader ... if it was you, please let me know so I can say thank you!
Share your recent finds and see what books other bloggers are sharing by checking out Friday Finds at Should Be Reading.
10 comments:
Heather, thanks for the link :o) If you thought the movie was good, you're bound to like the book. It's so insightful about the civil rights movement, and many little-known activists involved. Can't wait to hear what you think of it.
Oh, I bet Ghosts of Mississippi is a good one! I hope you enjoy Earth and Ashes!
These are all such great titles - thanks for sharing them with us. I especially would like to read In the Presence of My Enemies. My recent find is "Borneo Tom," by Tom McLaughlin, which is about the author's travels and adventures in Malaysia. The sketches brought me to my knees laughing and his story is amazing.
Oops, sorry for making you want a book that is totally not available many places!
War Child is awesome, as is his music (though he has one song called Skirt Too Short that pisses me off), and I've got Earth and Ashes on my wish list too!
Teacher/Learner - Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
bermudaonion - Thanks - Earth and Ashes looks really good.
audrey geddes - You should check out the review of In The Presence of My Enemies that I linked to - the woman who wrote the book spoke at a local event. And thanks for dropping by my blog! Hope to see you here again.
Amy - That's ok - I love hearing about regional books that I'd never hear of any other way!
I haven't heard of most of these. The graphic 9/11 report looks especially interesting.
I am looking forward to Gunshot Road myself, but if I was you I would start with the first book to feature Emily Tempest, which in the US is called Moonlight Downs. That too was an excellent read.
Alyce - I thought so too - an usual but probably effective way to convey a lot of serious information.
Marg - Thanks! I didn't realize it was part of a series - I hate reading things out of order.
I so hope you enjoy Gunshot Road, although i suspect that many people won't identify with it in the same way that I do, living in the outback and working with Aboriginal people.
I also second what Marg says - read the first book (in Australia, it's called Diamond Dove), which introduced Emily and her world.
Oh yeah - thanks for the shout out!
Amanda - Thanks for bringing it to my attention! There are some books that really evoke a sense of place, and from your description this seems to be one of them. I may not identify with it in the same way you did, but knowing that the setting is authentic will (hopefully) allow me to learn a little about a different part of the world.
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