Saturday, July 20, 2019

Book Haul: Politics And Other Problems



Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. I get to show off the books I’ve gotten recently. The books in this haul are all about politics and other society problems.


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Politics And Other Problems







It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis




It Can't Happen Here is a cautionary tale about the fragility of democracy, an alarming, eerily timeless look at how fascism could take hold in America. Written during the Great Depression when America was largely oblivious to Hitler's aggression, it juxtaposes sharp political satire with the chillingly realistic rise of a President who becomes a dictator to save the nation from welfare cheats, rampant promiscuity, crime, and a liberal press. Now finally back in print, It Can't Happen Here remains uniquely important, a shockingly prescient novel that's as fresh and contemporary as today's news.






















Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood by Trevor Noah



Trevor Noah is one of the comedy world’s brightest new voices, a light-footed but sharp-minded observer of the absurdities of politics, race, and identity, sharing jokes and insights drawn from the wealth of experience acquired in his relatively young life. As host of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, he provides viewers in America and around the globe with their nightly dose of biting satire, but here Noah turns his focus inward, giving readers a deeply personal, heartfelt, and humorous look at the world that shaped him.
 
Noah was born a crime, the son of a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother, at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the first years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, take him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.
















The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead



Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood—where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned—Cora kills a young white boy who tries to capture her. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted.

In Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor—engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city’s placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom.
















American War by Omar El Akkad



Sarat Chestnut, born in Louisiana, is only six when the Second American Civil War breaks out in 2074. But even she knows that oil is outlawed, that Louisiana is half underwater, and that unmanned drones fill the sky. When her father is killed and her family is forced into Camp Patience for displaced persons, she begins to grow up shaped by her particular time and place. But not everyone at Camp Patience is who they claim to be. Eventually Sarat is befriended by a mysterious functionary, under whose influence she is turned into a deadly instrument of war. The decisions that she makes will have tremendous consequences not just for Sarat but for her family and her country, rippling through generations of strangers and kin alike.


















The War I Finally Won (The War That Saved My Life #2) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley



Ada and her younger brother, Jamie, now have a permanent home with their loving legal guardian, Susan Smith. Although Jamie adapts more easily, Ada still struggles with the aftermath of her old life, and how to fit into her new life.
 
World War II continues, and forces the small community to come together and rely on one another. Ada has never been interested in getting to know her friend’s family—especially Maggie’s mother, the formidable Lady Thorton. However, circumstances bring them in close proximity along with other unexpected characters.





















Have you read any of these? What did you think?





21 comments:

  1. I haven't read any of these. I do read a ton of political themed books but pretty much all are non fiction. I have a lot of them to read over the next couple of years!

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  2. I haven't read any of these, but I love the cover for AMERICAN WAR and THE WAR I FINALLY WON.

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  3. Oooh I MUST read It Can't Happen Here ASAP! Seems like a really important and relevant read, even all these years later.

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  4. I remember seeing The Underground Railroad a lot when it came out. The idea of it being an actual railroad is pretty intriguing!

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  5. Some interesting reads here. I raid Sinclair Lewis shortly after college. "Underground Railroad" sounds good from all the reviews I read.

    wwww.thepulpitandthepen.com

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  6. I haven't read any of these books yet, but they all sound interesting!

    Here’s my Stacking the Shelves!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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  7. Not surprisingly, none of these are on my TBR. I like to keep my politics and entertainment separate, but I hope you love them all.

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  8. I haven't read any of these, but I have had Born a Crime on My Kindle for ages and I am ashamed I haven't read it yet. Thanks for the heads up on these other books. 👍✨

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  9. American War looks really interesting! I can't wait to see what you think about that one. I hope you enjoy all of these and they aren't too depressing! XD

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  10. I totally listen to Trevor Noah's audiobook a while back. Great guy, very funny!

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  11. Aaaaaay these have all just been added to my already Everest-sized TBR pile! Look forward to getting to them in about 10 years time! xo

    Thea || www.theascott.blogspot.com

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  12. I've read The Underground Railroad and loved the way Whitehead presents this story. I recently grabbed his new book from NetGalley just because of how much I enjoyed the previous one.
    American War is sitting on my Kindle awaiting reading soon :-)

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  13. i really enjoyed trevor noah's book. i watch the daily show all the time, so i was really curious. mr wonderful bought me a signed copy of the book and i love it.
    sherry @ Sunday Memes

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  14. It Can't Happen Here sounds like a frightening read about now. I enjoyed Trevor Noah's book--hope you do too!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  15. Born a Crime is one of my fave books ever. I watched The Daily Show without fail for the entirety of Jon Stewart's tenure and was so very worried when the John Oliver deal didn't happen. I am absolutely glad it didn't, otherwise we might not have gotten the chance to see Trevor Noah truly shine. He is a very important voice right now, and we need him!

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  16. I haven't read any of these honestly. Not really my genre so far but I'd be curious to read your thoughts abou them AJ!

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  17. Some great books you have there. Born a Crime was such a great read and I'd love to try Sinclair Lewis's book, especially considering the current political climate.

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  18. I've been wanting to read Noah's books for years but on audio. My library won't get it though :-( I might cave and buy the paperback or do a 30 day audio trial.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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  19. I haven't read any of these but they sound pretty good!

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  20. Ohhhh Trevor Noah is the best!!! x

    Grace Louise || www.gracelouiseofficial.blogspot.co.uk/

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