Standing Into Danger: Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response (HMAR)

My blogging buddy Jeanie at the Marmelade Gypsy just shared the books

she read in 2023: 55 books, 17,785 words. I think that's awesome!

As for me, I wasn't going to share my 2023 list,

because it's falls well short of what I usually read in a year: 19 books, 6245 pages.

I also read 4 issues of the 2023 Foreign Affairs journals for about 800 pages more,

but that just pushes me over the 7000 page total.

Pretty sad, even if I have been forced to read with one eye covered with an eye patch.

Each book was well worth reading, some for pleasure, some for learning,

some for asking big questions.

I've arranged my choices alphabetically. Here Goes!

"Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder"

by William Shatner with Joshua Brandon. 199 pages.

Goodreads

William Shatner is the beloved Captain Kirk of Star Trek fame, so I was excited to read

this collection of essays in which Shatner reflects on things he is passionate about.

Instead of looking back at his time on Star Trek, Shatner looks at what is important in life:

learning, curiosity, exploration, our place in the universe,

the meaning of family, the fragility of life, mortality, and making music.

It's an easy, conversational read, but Shatner's passion for life stays with you

long after you finish the last page.

"Death at La Fenice" by Donna Leon. 288 pages.

Goodreads

Venice is one of my favorite cities in the world,

and some thoughtful friend recommended this first book

in the internationally best-selling Commissario Brunetti mystery series.

Brunetti is a detective superintendent in the Italian State Police.

A native Venetian, he is stationed in the city and tackles the mystery of who poisoned

a difficult and disliked German conductor in Venice's famous La Fenice opera house.

Leon has created a shrewd, sophisticated, and charming protagonist,

and she immerses the reader in this magical city.

Her 33-book series has millions of fans around the world, and I want to read more!

A Venetian Canal

‎⁨Rio dei Tolentine⁩, ⁨Venezia⁩, ⁨Venice⁩, ⁨Nord-Est⁩, ⁨Italy⁩

September 23, 2018

"Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Burkman. 140 pages.

Goodreads

This book had the biggest impact of any of the books I read this year.

I'm sure I've read it entirely three times, some portions even more.

It made me look at time as a finite resource,

and it made me consider exactly what I want to spend my time doing.

"God: A Human History" by Reza Aslan. 320 pages
Goodreads

This book looks at humanity's attempt to understand God throughout history.

From the earliest times, humans have thought about God as a divine version of ourselves,

with all that is good and all that is bad in human nature.

Aslan traces how deeply in human evolution this impulse is rooted

and how it has influenced the development of our major religions.

This is another thought-provoking book that I read and reread.

"I See You" by Clare Mackintosh. 384 pages.

Goodreads

This creepy psychological thriller kept me up late reading

and made me uneasy about riding the subway.

Following Terry into the Subway

London, UK

May 29, 2014

"Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann. 352 pages.
davidgrann

Grann's true-life murder mystery about a horrible and shocking series of crimes committed

against the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma in the 1920s haunts me.

It shows how greed can motivate people to do unspeakable things.

Grann captures the passing of the Old West, wildcatting for black gold, the birth of the FBI,

and the callous prejudice against Native Americans

that enabled the cold-blooded killing of so many for so long.

If you read this story, you won't forget it.

"Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus. 423 pages.

bonniegarmus

Hilarious! Poignant, sometimes painfully true

for any woman who lived through the 50s and 60s,

especially those who pursued careers in the sciences ~ this is a wonderful read.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and I did both.

Our Niece and Lady in Science: Dr. Natalie Heembrock

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

May 2023

"Ministry for the Future" by Kim Stanley Robinson. 576 pages.

Wikipedia

Kim Stanley Robinson is one of my favorite writers,

and I have read this visionary book several times.

His story about the effects of climate change

in the near future is both frightening and hopeful.

It is frightening because it vividly portrays the climate disaster that we are hurtling toward,

and it's hopeful because it shows how things might go right

if we started to take climate change seriously now.

Each time I read this novel, I become less hopeful,

because climate change is happening faster than we ever imagined,

and people don't understand the deadly consequences of postponing action.

"Personal (Jack Reacher) by Lee Child. 416 pages. Wikipedia

Jack Reacher is so much fun as a character,

just, honorable, willing to fight for what is right, and determined to live life on his own terms,

but Jack is also happy-go-lucky, doesn't dwell on problems, roams where life takes him,

and has an ironic, jaded perspective expressed in terse, funny, dialogue and commentary.

To date there are 28 novels in the Jack Reacher series and I hope to read them all.

"Personal," written in the first person, involves Reacher investigating

a sniper who attempted to assassinate the President of France.

"Relentless" by Dean Koontz. 356 pages.

Wikipedia

I can always count on Dean Koontz to give me a good read.

I never know what to expect except that his books often take an unusual slant on a topic.

In this book, Cullen "Cubby" Greenwich, his wife, son, and family dog, Lassie

are hunted by Shearman Waxx, a national book critic, who is feared and respected.

Waxx writes a scathing review of Chubby's latest book

and begins to stalk Chubby and his family.

Then Chubby learns that other authors

Waxx didn't like have had their families brutally murdered.

Now Chubby is fighting for his family's survival.

Suspenseful and thrilling!

"Rising Tiger" by Brad Thor. 352 pages.

Goodreads

I love a political thriller with a crisis that threatens the world,

especially when you can see the plot in current newspaper headlines,

like the bitter border dispute between India and China

as they compete to be the top power in Southeast Asia.

With America's top spy Scott Harvath on the job to defuse tensions and protect democracy,

you know you're in for an intense and consequential story.

My brother loves this genre as well, so it was an added bonus

to learn he had read "Rising Tiger" a couple of months before I did.

We had lots of fun discussing the conflict

between India and China and the plot of the novel.

My Brother Roy, Always Ready for a Good Political Conversation

with My Sister Donnie Joining In

Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Aurora, Colorado, USA

November 7, 2020

"River and the Ms" by Pat Hatt. 35 pages.

Amazon

If you follow author Pat Hatt on Instagram (pathatttime) like me,

then you are familiar with the antics

of his westies Miles and Milo and his cats, Meadow and River.

So when Pat published this children's picture book about River joining the threesome,

I had to read it. And I was not disappointed with this funny tale.

I can always count on Pat for a good yarn.

"Skunked and The Witch's Curse" by Patrick Hatt. 105 pages. Amazon

I've lost track of the number of books Pat Hat has published, but it's well over a hundred.

If you know Pat, then you know he has been a wonderful uncle to his twin nephews

since they were born five years ago.

They had been hounding him to write an adventure story about them featuring

a witch, a skunk, zombies, pirates, and Lord knows what else.

Of course he was up to the challenge and last year he published this children's novel.

Pat's free-ranging imagination spun a unique and fun-filled adventure

which I found a delight.

Finally Meeting Pat Last Summer!

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 28, 2023

"The Blue Bar" by Damyanti Biswas. 395 pages.

amazon

Singapore writer Damyanti Biswas has established a reputation as a exceptional writer

of gritty, thrilling, murder mysteries set in India (New Delhi and Mumbai).

Publishers Weekly said in a review of "The Blue Bar"

"This searing portrait of marginalized people struggling for survival is unforgettable."

And it is! Damyanti not only creates compelling plots and memorable characters,

she writes eloquent, well-paced prose that captures her characters and Mumbai vividly.

I'll read anything this author writes!

"The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate―Discoveries from a Secret World" by Peter Wohellben. 272 pages. amazon

If you are fascinated by trees, this book will deepen your fascination with them.

Author Peter Wohlleben is a forester and has spent his life

working among trees in Germany's Eifel mountains.

Drawing on his experience and love of trees and forests,

Wohlleben opens our eyes to the life cycle of trees

and the scientific processes that sustain them.

The book is controversial because Wohlleben writes that trees

are social beings that communicate, feel, and live in social networks,

and he often uses anthropomorphic language to describe them.

Some scientists are strongly critical, while other readers have made the book very popular.

I'm with Wohlleben, Tolkien, Suzuki, and Simard.

There is a lot more to trees than meets the eye.

The Kuhio Beach Banyan Tree

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 25, 2024

"The Horse" by Geraldine Brooks. 416 pages. geraldinebrooks

I loved this book from beginning to end.

It's a powerful novel about a famous real-life racehorse Lexington

and the deep bond he has with his fictional, enslaved groom Jarrett.

But it's much bigger than a book about horse racing.

It encompasses art, history, osteology, racism, slavery, and social injustice.

"The Noise" by James Patterson. 432 pages.
goodreads

I'm used to reading a thrilling murder mystery when I pick up a James Patterson book,
but this strange and disturbing book veered into science fiction and horror.

The ending was unsettling; the whole book was unsettling.

It's the stuff of nightmares.

"This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom" by Martin Hägglund.

464 pages.

Wikipedia

This was the most challenging book I read this year.
Swedish philosopher and atheist Martin Hägglund examines

fundamental existential questions and current social issues.

He analyzes religion and capitalism, concluding that we are finite beings

who need to focus on our physical life on earth and not on eternity

and who need to pursue democratic socialism to improve the lives of humans.

He argues that what matters is how we treat one another

and what we do with our finite time together in this life.

"Three Women" by Lisa Taddeo. 320 pages.

amazon

This book was well-received and well-reviewed by critics and readers

and has topped bestseller lists worldwide.

Lisa Taddeo spent eight years researching and conducting interviews for this book,

focusing on the sex lives and emotions of three real American women.

It has been described as breathtaking, riveting,

groundbreaking, and a dazzling achievement,

but I found it disturbing and very sad.

I'm sure every woman can relate to something in Lina, Maggie, and Sloane's stories:

the misogyny, the abuse, and the injustice

that they and too many women experience in their lives.

This book is unforgettable.

A heads-up. It is sexually explicit.

There, you have it, my 19 books, a good number of which I read more than once.

I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date Nicole's Friday Face Off

and Tom's Aloha Friday.

For Rain: the theme "Candles"

I searched for candles in my photo collection and one of the images that came up

did include a candle, but of more interest to me was the flaming Sambuca shot.

I've followed it with the photo of my two sweet and innocent nieces

leading their aunt (me) and their aunt and mother (Donnie) astray with delicious "candles."

A Flaming Sambuca Shot

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

September 26, 2016

For Nicole: Such Innocent Faces

Lisa and Sara

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

September 26, 2016

For Tom: Aloha!

Terry and I were having coffee and goodies at Liliha Bakery

a favorite of ours in the International Market Place in Waikiki.

We noticed a lot of little birds flittering and chattering above the seating area.

We had great fun watching them trying to outwit the waitstaff and eat scraps on the tables.

And sometimes those sharp little birds won!

Opportunistic Birds Watching and Waiting

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 29, 2024

Success and a Sweet Syrup Reward

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 29, 2024

And More For Nicole:

A basking monk seal enjoys the warm sunshine by the Outrigger Reef Hotel.

I spoke with two people from Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response (HMAR)

who assured me that the female monk seal was fine and behaving normally.

A Basking Monk Seal

Behind a Protective Perimeter

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 31, 2024

Two People from HMAR

Monitoring the Seal and Answering Questions from the Public

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 31, 2024

A Basking Monk Seal

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 31, 2024

Have a great weekend! 🌺 Aloha!!! 🌺

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

My next post will be soon! 🤞

The Work of HMR: "Thousands of times yearly, HMAR volunteers, interns, and staff respond to Hawaiian monk seals resting on Oʻahu’s shoreline. Because of their very endangered status, every animal is important so during their time on shore volunteers identify the individual seal, assess its body condition, and look for signs of injury or illness while also providing outreach to the public from behind the perimeters they set up so that the seal has a space to rest. This response activity occurs multiple times each day all around Oʻahu, which is Hawaiʻi’s most populated island." Quoted from lexreception

There is a lot more information at LexReception on the link above.

Standing Into Danger

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Thursday, February 1, 2024

Books I've Read in 2023

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