It became-and remains-one of the worst wars in modern history, a truly continental disaster that has killed millions of people. When he was overthrown in 1997, Congo plunged into a bloodbath that sucked in many of its neighbors. Then, thanks to American meddling, it produced the most corrupt continent’s most corrupt leader, Mobutu Sese Seko, who guzzled pink champagne and feasted on fresh cakes flown in from Paris while his people wasted away. The whip-wielding Belgian administrators who followed were hardly any better, and an ill-prepared Congo stumbled toward independence in 1960. It began in the 1880s, when King Leopold II of Belgium turned this abundantly fertile expanse in the center of Africa into his own personal fiefdom, murdering and enslaving the population in order to collect as much ivory and rubber as humanly possible. What is going on today-with rebels, government soldiers, and armed groups from neighboring countries raping and slaughtering Congolese civilians-is a continuation of the ruthlessness that has been embedded in this country for more than a hundred years. The history of Congo is the history of mass murder. Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa
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She built a career in journalism: as senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at the Mail on Sunday. Awards-National Press Awards-Reporter of the Yearįiona Barton is a British journalist and novelist, born in Cambridge and now living in the southwest of France.But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything ( From the publisher.) She can tell them that there were secrets. They want to know what it was like living with that man. There are people who want to hear her story. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment. There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen.īut that woman’s husband died last week. When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. An electrifying thriller that will take you into the dark spaces that exist between a husband and a wife. I had to strive very hard to make it not me. ERDRICH: It was this woman's voice which, I suppose, is-was not far from my own. Faye's world, Erdrich says, contained the hardest truth she's ever tried to get at. Relationships for Faye are boats, little tippy vessels likely to founder. She's a woman who's ambivalent about feeling anything that rises above pleasant or sinks below unfortunate. It's the story of Faye Travers, who steals a painted drum from an estate she's appraising and decides to return it to the Ojibwa. WOODROOF: But this novel begins and ends in un-magic and un-mythical contemporary New Hampshire. LOUISE ERDRICH (Author, "The Painted Drum"): I work really out of mythology, so often I work out of a story that has remained lodged inside somehow, or I work out of history, you know, out of a sense of historical inevitability with characters. Its middle sections trek back to Ojibwa Nation land, where myth and magic compete to explain the power of "The Painted Drum." Sure, there's territory in the novel that will seem familiar to Louise Erdrich's readers. Martha Woodroof has this profile of the author. "The Painted Drum" is built around the internal life of a contemporary woman, and in it, Erdrich explores new territory: human relationships. Louise Erdrich is famous for writing stories anchored in Native American mythology, but her latest novel drifts free of her literary home base. Reviews and screenshots of book excerpts must contain the book title/author in the post title.Book request titles must contain details about the kind of book you’re looking for and/or keywords that will inform future searches.Rules Post titles must be clear and informative For updated information regarding ongoing community features includings upcoming AMAs, please visit 'new' Reddit. Resource links will direct you to Wiki pages, which we are maintaining. Please be aware that the sidebar in 'old' Reddit is no longer being updated with informative links about Book Clubs, AMAs, etc. Home of the magic search button and endless book recommendations as well as discussions about tropes and characters, Author AMAs, book clubs, and more. R/RomanceBooks is a discussion sub for readers of romance novels. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. She was known for her treatment of gender ( The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems ( The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. Le Guin published twenty-two novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Horowitz came up with the idea for the series when he thought about creating a teenage equivalent of James Bond. In the film adaption of Stormbreaker, Alex Rider was portrayed by Alex Pettyfer, and in the Amazon Prime TV series, he is portrayed by Otto Farrant. He has not only worked for MI6, but also the CIA, Scorpia (in Scorpia), and the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (in Snakehead). When fourteen years old, Alex was forced into this occupation after MI6 noticed Alex's many talents. He has also been featured in three short stories written by Horowitz based in the same canon as the series Secret Weapon, Christmas at Gunpoint and Incident in Nice.Īlex is a boy who works for MI6, the British international intelligence service. Helen Beckett (mother, deceased), Ian Rider (uncle, deceased), Jack Starbright (guardian)Īlex Rider is a title character and the protagonist of the Alex Rider novel series by British author Anthony Horowitz. Alex Rider, as portrayed by Otto Farrant in the television series of the same name.įelix Lester, Kevin Blake, Alex Friend, Alex Gardiner, Federico Casali, Abdul Hassan, Alex Brenner, Alex Tanner Along the way, go for legendary airdrops while avoiding airstrikes to gain that little edge against other players.įast and Lite gameplay - Within 10 minutes, a new survivor will emerge. Search for weapons, stay in the play zone, loot your enemies and become the last man standing. Ambush, snipe, survive, there is only one goal: to survive and answer the call of duty. Drive vehicles to explore the vast map, hide in the wild, or become invisible by proning under grass or rifts. Players freely choose their starting point with their parachute, and aim to stay in the safe zone for as long as possible. Each 10-minute game places you on a remote island where you are pit against 49 other players, all seeking survival. Free Fire, the world-famous survival shooter game available on mobile. When Quan meets Anna’s mom he can tell he was 'the wrong variety of Asian for her daughter.' Guys, the angst, the pain, the love-they are all here in this book. The author does not pull any punches as she lays out the expectations impressed on Anna as a younger daughter and sister, and even on Quan, the guy dating the daughter. The relationship dynamics inherent in an Asian family are so hard to describe unless one is Asian, but they are beautifully portrayed in the interactions between Anna, her sister, and her mother. The love story is beautiful, but there are so many themes that make The Heart Principle the masterpiece it is. One of my favorite moments from this book is when Quan tells Anna 'Just because something isn’t perfect doesn’t mean we need to throw it away.' The way these two characters come together is perfect despite all their 'imperfections.' Their first date ends with Anna hiding out in the bathroom, but the beauty of their relationship is when one falters the other picks up the slack. His confidence took a hit when he lost his health and although he has recovered, he feels like half a man. Only now he’s no longer that same happy-go-lucky guy. However, his action sparks something in her and she signs up for a dating app in the hopes of a one-night stand where she meets Quan, the loyal, happy-go-lucky, shaved, heavily tattooed secondary character who stole everyone’s heart from The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test. Curiosity overwhelms her, and she finds a way into the room, where she discovers. She has freedom to explore the many rooms of her new residence, but she is expressly forbidden to enter ONE of them. He immediately has to leave (b/c reasons). Not a fairytale I was very familiar with, but I knew the basics: wealthy, lord(-like) guy marries a pretty, young thing and takes her home. Revised edition: This edition of The Seventh Bride includes editorial revisions. With time running out and each task more dangerous and bizarre than the last, Rhea must use her resourcefulness, compassion, and bravery to rally the other wives and defeat the sorcerer before he binds her to him forever. In answer, Lord Crevan gives Rhea a series of magical tasks to complete, with the threat “Come back before dawn, or else I’ll marry you.” Determined not to share their same fate, Rhea asserts her desire for freedom. Upon arrival, she discovers that not only was her betrothed married six times before, but his previous wives are all imprisoned in his enchanted castle. Lord Crevan demands that Rhea visit his remote manor before their wedding. Since commoners don’t turn down lords-no matter how sinister they may seem-Rhea is forced to agree to the engagement. Young Rhea is a miller’s daughter of low birth, so she is understandably surprised when a mysterious nobleman, Lord Crevan, shows up on her doorstep and proposes marriage. It was slow burn and actually quite realistic (despite the fact that there are no royals in Scotland…) and I rooted so much for both Millie and Flora, and Millie’s new friends at school. Millie’s and Flora’s journey from enemy roommates to friends and more was very well executed. It all felt very fresh, yet sweet and heartwarming. I also loved the queer perspective as an antipole to all ordinary stories with the common girl falling for the handsome prince. I absolutely loved the witty banter and the way Mille stood up to Flora and was (almost) completely unimpressed with her royal heritage. But the loathing and mutual dislike soon turns into a friendship and something more… One that is spoilt, high-key and totally reckless. What she didn’t expect though was to share rooms with a real princess. Texan girl Millie Quint takes the chance to leave her broken heart behind when she gets a scholarship for a posh Scottish boarding school. |