#AusReadingMonth2022 Red Zone

 

by Peter Hartcher (no photo)

Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: A+++
Review: Red Zone (ISBN: 9781760642167)

 

UPDATE: 

1. I read this book a few weeks ago but still wanted to share it
2. for  #AusReadingMonth 2022.
3. There are significant implications for Xi’s consolidation of power for Australia.
4. It will be interesting to see how Australia’s new foreign minister, Penny Wong
5. will “navigate the waters” between China and US and Australian’s interests!
6. P. Hartcher was long listed for the Walkley Award 2021 for this book!

 

Good news: Hartcher explains how China works….
“Not like a hurricane coming hard and fast but more like
climate change long, slow, pervasive.” (pg 182)

 

Good news: Australia (and the world) should give this book a “prize” just because it wakes the country up …to see the risks of Chinas’s increasing infiltration of every level of life.

 

Good news: The writer explains in clear and easy terms what China is up to…not only in Australia but in many other countries.
Hartcher used the image of opiatic blue lotus that proved addictive to Odysseus’s crew to make clear what is happening. Australia’s elites becoming addicted to rising corporate profits and having a seat at the table of imperial power. Just think what happened this week: Solomon Islands refused entry to their port for US ships! Prime Minister  Solomon Islands ….taking a bribe from China?

 

Bad news: Chapters 1-5 can be a challenge for a reader who wants to know what is happening today! Hartcher’s writing plan moves slowly to give us some backstory. If you follow the news than there isn’t too much you don’t know. Stick with the book…skim chapters if you must because there is a LOT MORE to learn in later chapters.

 

Good news: My image of Mr Xi is becoming clearer. I knew nothing of his ‘difficult early years’ in China and in the CCP. Did you know Winnie de Pooh is banned in China because “the round-bellied bear with a shy smile and benign expression is thought to resemble Xi Jinping!” (pg 96)
Try to get that image out of your mind the next time you see Xi in the news!

 

Personal: China scares me…as it should scare us all!
What is China’s end game?
Read chapter 18 very carefully. Hartcher gives us China’s 14 demands ….the Rosetta Stone…for reading the psychology of Xi Jinping’s regime.
One of the strongest points in the book is Hartcher’s chapters laying out very clearly what Australia must do NOW!!!  China’s policy toward Australia has been “hostile” since 2017.
I fear Australia in very much in Xi Jinping’s cross-hairs!
This book is well worth your reading time…and EYE-OPENER!

 

Previous reviews:

1. Quarterly Essay “Without America”
2. Has China Won?
3. The China Model
4. A Force So Swift: Mao, Truman, and the Birth of Modern China
5. AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order
6. City On Fire: The Fight For Hong Kong – A. Dapiran finalist 2020 Australian Walkley Award

 

#Wrap-up 20BooksOfSummer 2022

• Summer drinks are ready
• ….now the hard part:
• Make a list for… #20BooksOfSummer
• hosted yearly @Cathy746 Books
• Monthly reading plan
• #20BooksOfSummer22

 

QUICK SCAN:  UPDATE: 31 August 2022

1. READ:  13 of the original list of 20 (65%)
2. COMPLETED:  total: 24 books (01 June – 31 August)
3. ADDED:  12 books during the summer (see: last minute)
4. DNF: 2
5. REJECTED: 1 play
6. LEFT-OVERS:  3 books moved to TBR September
7. FRENCH: read 4 books in French (#ParisInJuly)

 

 

DNF:

1. Atom and Ashes: I started it but was not impressed.
2. It is just a re-hash of the history of nuclear reactor castastrophes.
3. I thought the writing would save it but no…it was just too depressing.

 

DNF:

1. Hooked…I couldn’t get past the first chapter!!
2. The book felt confused, slapdash, inconsistent in sum….a dog’s breakfast.
3. NOT wasting my reading time on this! #Bah

 

REJECTED:

1. Mojo play by Jez Butterworth. Having read some reviews
2. …I decided the book was not worth reading.

 

LEFT-OVERS:

1. Perfume, The Age of Phillis and Bonnard are still on my TBR for September…
2. I just could not manage to squeeze them in this summer.

 

FRENCH:

1. I lost my “French reading mojo” after completing #Paris in July
2. and did not complete Ma vie antérieure…or the thriller by Frank Thilliex.
3. I’ll save them  for another day.

 

Last minute, spur-of-the moment.

I did add a few books …after reading some reviews this summer:

1. Thank You For Your Servitude  (2022)- M. Leibovich (NF) – REVIEW
2. Devil in the Blue Dress – W. Mosley (CF) – REVIEW
3. Portrait of an Unknown Woman – Daniel Silva (CF) – REVIEW
   
4. All the White Friends I Couldn’t Keep – A. Henry (NF) – REVIEW
5. Living By the Word – Alice Walker (USA) (essays) – REVIEW
6. The Crown Ain’t Worth Much – (50 poems) Hanif Abdurraqib – REVIEW
7. Stages of Struggle: Modern Playwrights – J. DiGaetani (NF) – REVIEW
8. Invisible Storm – Jason Kander (memoir) – REVIEW
9. Stony the Road  – H.L. Gates jr.  (NF) – REVIEW
10. When Harlem Was In Vogue – D. Lewis (NF) – REVIEW
11. Gordo – J. Cortez (12 stories) – REVIEW
12. Lungs – Duncan MacMillian (2011) play – REVIEW

 

Complete Reading list:

1. Thank You For Your Servitude  (2022)- M. Leibovich (NF) – REVIEW
2. Devil in the Blue Dress – W. Mosley (CF) – REVIEW
3. Portrait of an Unknown Woman – Daniel Silva – REVIEW
4. Le Dernier Jour d’un Condamné   – Victor Hugo – REVIEW
5. All the White Friends I Couldn’t Keep – A. Henry – REVIEW
6. Le Dieu de Dostoïevski – Marguerite Souchon (France)- REVIEW
7. La Cousin Bette – Balzac – REVIEW
8. Flyboy in the Buttermilk – Greg Tate (USA) – REVIEW
9. Unfollow Me – J. Busby – REVIEW
10. Living By the Word – Alice Walker (USA) – REVIEW
11. The Crown Ain’t Worth Much – (50 poems) Hanif Abdurraqib – REVIEW
12. Stages of Struggle: Modern Playwrights – J. DiGaetani – REVIEW
13. The Periodic Table – Primo Levi (Italy) – REVIEW
14. Invisible Storm – Jason Kander (memoir) – REVIEW
15. Stony the Road (NF) – H.L. Gates jr. (USA) – REVIEW
16. Mildred Pierce – James M. Cain (USA) – REVIEW
17. Profession du père – Sorj Chalandon (France) – REVIEW
18. Hooked: Art and Attachment – Rita Felski (USA) – REVIEW
19. Beachmasters – Thea Ashley (Australia) – REVIEW
20. When Harlem Was In Vogue – D. Lewis (USA) – REVIEW
21. Everything Flows – Vasily Grossman – REVIEW
22. Gordo – J. Cortez (12 stories) – REVIEW
23. Lungs – Duncan MacMillian (2011) play – REVIEW
24. The Impossible Exile – G. Prochnik (NF) – FINISHED…review in September

 

 

 

#Mini reviews August…books by the pool!

AUGUST

by Jaime Cortez (no photo)

Finished: 18.08.2022
Genre:short stories
Rating: D

Bad news: Not my type of writing/stories.
Not one story really entertained me.

 

 

AUGUST

by Vasily Grossman

Finished: 14.08.2022
Genre: novel
Rating: B

Good news: Impressive…reading this with an eye
on what is happening in Russia today.
pg 208″…yet still the same as ever, unchanged.”
Ch 14 – 15 especially difficult to read describing the
famine in Ukraine caused by Stalin.

 

 

AUGUST

by Tim Miller

Finished: 13.08.2022
Genre: non-fiction
Rating: F

Bad news: Awful…don’t waste your money.

 

AUGUST

by John DiGaetani (no photo)

Finished: 06.08.2022
Genre: non-fiction
Rating: A

Good news: So many new insights about plays and playwrights!
If you love the theatre….you’ll love this book!

 

 

AUGUST

by Kate Masur (no photo)

Finished: 01.08.2022
Genre: non-fiction
Rating: A

Good news: One very long but interesting history lesson!
#MustRead for the “real history buffs”
…but if you are looking for a casual read
you will be disappointed. Book demands your
reading committment!

 

 

 

 

#See you in September!

 

Time to enjoy vacation

…with heat waves + mocktails Shirley Temple

…watching movies and series on streaming

…reading back issues of The New Yorker

…making lists for Fall and Winter reading.

 

 

 

#Heat Wave 2022

July 18 2022 Europe….and I’m in the middle of this!

 

 

 

• It is too HOT to sit down and write a long review.
• I’m keeping my notes “short and sweet”!

 

JULY

by Jason Kander (no photo)

Finish date: 18 July 2022
Genre: memoir
Rating: B

Honest, raw, brave
Jason Kander is the poster child for a man recovering from PTSD.
He is persuasive and explores this difficult topic with honesty and simplicity.

PS Please also read:

by Phil Klay

Both Invisible Storm and Redeployment

are #MustReads…to understand what men women  sacrifice to serve USA.

#Paris in July 2022 Mini-reviews

 

1. Les délaissés   (2020)-Thomas Porcher (non-fiction) – READ
2. Update: book is a difficult read…
3. …but well worth the effort!
4. Polishing my French reading skills this morning  @PorcherThomas
5. Chapter 2 “La France de Banlieusards” is impressive
6. …love Pocher’s insights.
7. The man knows what he’s talking about…and it shows!
8. He grew up in a “banlieu”…and through hard work and study
9. …was able to become one of the best writers in France!

 

1. La Guerre des idées (2021) – Eugenie Bastié (French journalist for Le Figaro) READ
2. Update: another book that was a difficult read…in chapter 2  I had to look up
3. 20 names, mostly French philosophers and historians.
4. I hope all this hard work pays off as I continue my reading.
5. Can you name 3 French philosophers?  I can.

 

1. Le fagot de ma mémoire –  (2021) S. B. Diagne – READ
2. Update: book is a difficult read…
3. …but in this case NOT worth the effort!
4. S. B. Diagne may be one of the 50 greatest thinkers of our time
5. …but his memoire did not impress at all.

#Classic Honoré Balzac

#Paris In July 2022

• Oh, is it July already?
• Let’s have a glass of wine and
• think of some things to do for…
• #ParisInJuly
• I cannot change my photo for this yearly challegene
• …I just love this girl in the café!
• Mental note:  put wine in fridge to chill for tonight!
• Drinking my last bottle of a Australian/Tasmanian sparking rosé wine
• …next month it is ALL French!

Paris in July

1. Paris in July is a French themed blogging
2. …experience running from the 1^st – 31^st July this year.
3. The aim of the month is to celebrate our French experiences through
4. actual visits, or through reading, watching, listening,
5. observing, cooking and eating all things French!
6. For more instructions how to share your posts go to Thyme for Tea.

1. There will be no rules or targets …just blog about anything French
2. …and you can join in! Some ideas might include;
3. reading a French themed book – fiction or non-fiction,
4. watching a French movie,
5. listening to French music,
6. cooking French food,
7. experiencing French, art, architecture and travel.
8. #ParisInJuly

What are my plans for 2022?

1. Cézanne: Puissant et solitaire– M. Hoog
2. Caravaggio – José Frèches (French art historian)
3. Le Dernier Jour d’un Condamné – Victor Hugo
4. La Cousin Bette – H. Balzac – REVIEW
5. Le Dieu de Dostoïevski – Marguerite Souchon
6. Profession du père – Sorj Chalandon (France) – REVIEW
7. Le manuscrit inachevé: Thriller – Franck Thilliez
8. Les délassiés – T. Porcher 
9. Le fagot de ma mémoire – S. Diagne 
10. La guerre des idées – E. Bastié 

              

Archive:  July  2018:

1. Paris in July Food Journal
2. Crème du Citron
3. French Wine
4. Biscuits Breton
5. Cocktail: Kir Royale
6. Cocktail: Soixante-quinze ’75’
7. Cocktail: What do I do with Campari, Marguerite Duras?
8. Cocktail: Who Pays the Bartender?
9. Madeleines
10. Biography: Berthe Morisot
11. Quiche Lorraine
12. Retour à Killybegs – S. Chalandon (2019)
13. Mousse aux éclats de chocolat (2019)
14. Je suis fou de toi  (2019) – D. Bona
15. Le Grand Meaulnes (2019) – Alain-Fournier

Archive:  July 2021:

1. La maison du chat qui pelote – H. Balzac (1830)  REVIEW
2. La cagnotte – E. Labiche (1864)  REVIEW
3. Pour une nuit d’amour – E. Zola (1880)  REVIEW
4. Le Bourgeois gentilhomme – Molière (1670)  REVIEW
5. J’Accuse – Émile Zola   REVIEW
6. Âme brisée – A. Mizubayashi  REVIEW
7. Charlotte – D. Foenkinos  REVIEW
8. 4 French Films – REVIEW
9. Le Dossier 113 – E. Gaboriau  REVIEW
10. Une amie de la famille – J. Laclavetine  REVIEW
11. La promesse de l’aube – Romain Gary  REVIEW
12. Sign-up “Summer reading in other languages”
13. Salammbô – G. Flaubert  REVIEW
14. Henri Matisse: Rooms with a view – S. Blum  REVIEW

#Historic Roe Vs Wade

If you thought Roe v. Wade itself led to discord and division, just wait until it’s gone.

 

Feedback:

There was a leak from the Supreme Court about this decision in May…the country knew it was inevitable but this is just a difficult to digest! The judges are now putting abortion in the hands of state politicians and that is going to be the rule by minority…Christian national fanatics! If the Republicans WIN majority in the Congress House of Representatives AND the Senate in November….they are looking to install a blanket ban on abortion in ALL states. Watch you news …watch what happens in this country on….Election Day…08 November.

 

If your a PODCAST listener…today (25 June) the New York Times has a special episode on the excellent PC “The Daily” (27 min) that gives you an idea what is going on…in a nutshell!

 

Eye-opener!!  

1. Podcast “The Rachel Maddow Show”  
2. dd. 25 June
3. “American women’s lives altered as Republican  SCOTUS ends Roe v Wade”
4. This Supreme Court decision.
5. … this is a very well organised and  funded plan started 40 years ago.
6. Ms Maddow explains the backstory and the Republican’s vision
7. …because after Roe v Wade
8. …they are NOT going stop now!!
9. #Chilling
10. Please listen….this makes The Handmaids Tale  my NEXT book I will read!

 

#Classic Victor Hugo

JUNE

by Victor Hugo

Finish date: 19 June 2022
Genre: novella
Rating: A+++++

Good news:
I was surprised how easy this book was to read in French. If you want to polish up your basic French reading skills this is THE book to start. Topic was straight forward: plea to end the death penalty
…and the POV of a condemned man. He decides to keep a journal of is “monologue intéreur” ….with the rationale being “What have I got to lose?”

Good news:
Victor Hugo is one of the best writers. In this book the “tour de force’ were his descriptions of the prison cell, being bound in chains, visits by the prison chaplain who was on auto-pilot…doesn’t give a hoot about the convict’s soul, the guillotine, the blade and how the pulls and trolleys have to be well greased! Just chilling.

Bad news:
There were chapters near the end filled with memories and dreams/nightmares. The convict is quickly approaching “l’instant fatal” and appears to be confusing his visions/dreams with reality. Interesting but these pages did not have the shock effect that pervades in the rest of the book.

Personal:
Powerful…that is the only word I can use to describe this novella. Victor Hugo wants you to be there
…when the convict’s hands are tired, when his hair is shaved off, when he is transported in a “charrette” to the scaffold. You as reader must be there when his head is on the ground and his body is still at the chopping block.
#MustRead Classic

PS: Good reading tip the November challenge #NovNov or #ParisInJuly