On Tyranny

On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder

7/60 | Started 02.03.25 • Finished 02.07.25 | 2 stars

I didn't read the graphic edition, this is just what my library had. I think if I had read it this way I would have been even more upset with the whole thing, because, hey, let's misuse historical photos too!

This book didn't claim to be what it is at all in my opinion. I was expecting twenty lessons on tyranny from the twentieth century... go figure. Instead, what I got was a bunch of comparisons of Trump to various tyrants of the twentieth century. Without much information given about the actual tyrant and much more given to hate against Trump.

I'm no Trump-er but this did not live up to the hype and I was sorely disappointed.

Maria

Maria, by Michelle Moran

6/60 | Started 01.21.24 • Finished 01.30.25 | 4 stars

Aside from the weird love story that our book club assumed was forcefully inserted by the publisher, this is a really great book. I loved learning about the real story behind The Sound of Music and though it wasn't knock-your-socks-off writing, it was well told and enjoyable to read. The true story is quite different from the one portrayed in the movie, and we spent a lot of time discussing Maria's motives as well as how the way she handled the family's needs affected the children as they aged. I've already recommended it to my mom and I would think any reader would like it quite a bit. Might have to watch the movie again as it's been a long time!

The Secret Valley

The Secret Valley, by Clyde Robert Bulla

5/60 | Started 01.09.25 • Finished 01.27.25 | 5 stars

"The book is about a boy and a girl named Frank and Ellen. They go to California but don’t find any gold! Then they go to the secret valley that a man named Father John told them about. They didn’t find any gold in the river, so they were about to go back to the tent city but they found something in the box that Nugget the cat was sent back in. It was a little leather pouch with a note attached. The note said that Polly was giving them something to show how thankful she was. They opened the pouch and found good! There was enough gold to buy the land in the secret valley! My favorite part was when Miss Polly sent them gold."

Carolyn, age 7