To the Editors: Gordon F. Sander covers the dramatic changes underway in memorializing World War II in Latvia [“Memory Wars in Latvia,” NYR, July 21], highlighting important shifts in popular opinion along with some ambiguities and insecurities that will likely remain even once Soviet monuments are removed. However, I believe that Sander omitted two important […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/09/22/latvia-world-war-ii/
To the Editors: Robert Kuttner portrays much of recent Democratic Party governance, especially the Clinton administration, as “neoliberal,” an epithet for policies that he and the author under review, Gary Gerstle, consider a short step from laissez-faire in service to oligarchy [“Free Markets, Besieged Citizens,” NYR, July 21]. By so doing, the reviewer promotes a […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/09/22/was-the-third-way-the-right-way/
In 1969 a UCLA student who was also an undercover FBI agent revealed in the campus newspaper that the school’s philosophy department had recently hired a member of the Communist Party. A week later, the San Francisco Examiner reported that that person was a twenty-five-year-old professor named Angela Davis. The University of California Board of […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/09/22/hell-yes-we-are-subversive-angela-davis/
Like most works of history, W.E.B. Du Bois’s Black Reconstruction in America concludes with a bibliography listing primary and other sources consulted by the author. Most of the groupings are unexceptional—for example, monographs, government reports, and biographies. But Du Bois’s first and largest category comes as a shock to the modern reader: it consists of […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/09/22/the-complicity-of-the-textbooks-teaching-white-supremacy/
The Ukraine war and global economic troubles momentarily overshadowed domestic discord in the United States earlier this year, but it didn’t go away. The groundless insistence by former president Donald Trump and his supporters that the 2020 election was stolen, Republican efforts to limit voting rights and to install state officials willing to disregard adverse […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/09/22/these-disunited-states-steven-simon-jonathan-stevenson/
Narrated by Seth Numrich and author Stephen King, Fairy Tale shares a dark fantasy as a young man named Charlie Reade traverses to a world filled with danger and despair. A stunning masterpiece that hooked me from the start.
Fairy Tale
by Stephen King
Narrator: Seth Numrich, Stephen King
Length: 24 hours
Genres: Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.3x
Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for their world or ours.
Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse with a big dog in a big house at the top of a big hill. In the backyard is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape. When Mr. Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe, and a responsibility far too massive for a boy to shoulder.
Because within the shed is a portal to another world—one whose denizens are in peril and whose monstrous leaders may destroy their own world, and ours. In this parallel universe, where two moons race across the sky, and the grand towers of a sprawling palace pierce the clouds, there are exiled princesses and princes who suffer horrific punishments; there are dungeons; there are games in which men and women must fight each other to the death for the amusement of the “Fair One.” And there is a magic sundial that can turn back time.
A story as old as myth, and as startling and iconic as the rest of King’s work, Fairy Tale is about an ordinary guy forced into the hero’s role by circumstance, and it is both spectacularly suspenseful and satisfying.
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Stephen King introduces us to Charlie Reade, a young high school student whose life has been filled with hardship. He is genuinely a good kid. When he comes across Howard Bowditch, he step into help. Howard’s injured and Charlie calls an ambulance. Before they take Howard to the hospital, Charlie agrees to look after Radar, the recluse’s dog. Howard lives in the house at the top of the hill from Charlie and so he travels back and forth to care for the dog and eventually help the old man himself.
In Howard’s yard, you’ll find an old shed with a padlock. If you open the door, you’ll find a hole with stairs that take you to another world filled with large bugs, strange people, and a fallen kingdom. The story that unfolds held me spellbound. The tale is narrated by Seth Numrich as the voice of Charlie, our protagonist and Stephen King himself, narrates parts.
The tale is fantasy with an underlying horror. The world found in the shed is dark and the people their strange and oppressed. Some are kind and others are only looking out for themselves. Here you will find banished royalty, twisted rulers and dark, dank dungeons. Only travel by day because when the two moons race across the sky, danger will find you. You’ll find magic here as well. There is a sundial that will turn back time and more. It was horrifying and yet fascinating. Think original Grimm fairytales. Much of the book is spent in this alternate world.
Weaved with fairy tales from my youth, we travel with Charlie and Radar into the portal. We see character growth, sacrifices and witness the birth of a hero.
King fleshes out his characters and takes his time building the back story as he gives readers/listeners a panoramic view of the world. Each character is developed from the main characters to the guard serving food. They are flawed and realistic. I soon found myself fully invested. The detail and prose are rich, allowing me to see and experience things right along with Charlie. If I closed my eyes, I could see it all.
Fans will love the Easter eggs as we explore this dark fairy tale. When an audiobook is twenty-four hours long and you lose track of time, you’ll understand the magic of this author’s storytelling.
I highly recommend listening. Seth Numrich has narrated previous novels for King. He did a fantastic job with this tale. His tone, pacing and unique voices pulled me in. Parts are narrated by King and I appreciated how it was done.
Amazon | Audible
Fairy Tale by Stephen King delivered a dark fairy tale that you'll remember long after the narration ends. #NewRelease #Fantasy #AudiobookReview #SethNumrich
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Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1973, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world’s most successful writers. Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.
Seth Numrich is an American stage, television, film actor and voice-over artist.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/09/fairy-tale-by-stephen-king.html
A family of penguins has left their icy home to take their son to a university in England called Ox-fjord. Junior Nerdy-Birdy Pingo-Bongo dreams of becoming a famous ice cream maker. On the way there, their aircraft malfunctions, and they are forced to land in a desert. Here they are distraught and have no idea how to get their plane fixed. Rather than give up all hope, Junior convinces his parents to make their dreams come true there in the desert and bring the ice cream they love to the people there.
Never Give Up by Anna Maledon and illustrated by Wenny Stefanie is an inspiring and creative story with many lessons packed in. Children will learn from this picture book about using their imagination, problem-solving, immigration, entrepreneurship, and different climate and weather conditions. The author uses humor to help teach many of these lessons and show children how even when things look impossible, you should never give up on your goals.
The artwork in this beautifully written picture book brings the characters to life, their personalities jump off the pages, and you feel all the emotions they do as you read through this story. The expression on Junior’s face as he goes through the different stages of the story helps young readers understand the complex emotions he is experiencing. This is a great way to teach emotional empathy and social skills.
Never Give Up would make an amazing gift for a classroom teacher or for someone getting ready to graduate as a reminder to never give up on their dreams. Of course, there will always be setbacks, but learning to adapt and see through the problem is what makes a person successful.
Pages: 47 | ASIN : B0B5FJ2D1R
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/05/never-give-up-2/
Desert Angels by Lyman Ditson is an eloquently written short story interspersed with bursts of poetry throughout and charmingly drawn illustrations. The reader follows our protagonist and his dog Lion as he wanders the desert trying to find his way home to his cabin. Along the way, he meets a host of characters amidst a series of fantastical interactions with them, starting with a Slavic angel named Boris, who implores him to conduct a sacred mission.
The desert wanderer appears in an active state of confusion and, following his meeting with Boris, is catapulted to the bow of a ship where he meets a parrot trying to seek the tree of eternity.
Throughout the book, various philosophical themes are examined, from immortality to the secret of life. In addition, the theme of belief is addressed throughout the story, with multiple characters asserting what they promised can only come true if the recipient truly believes it will happen.
Ditson’s writing is both philosophical and humorous. I particularly liked the funny aspects of the book; it was both easy to read and comical, which made the story entertaining. All the characters are well thought out and written with sharp, flowing dialogue. The dynamic between the protagonist and his dog is particularly amusing as Lion the dog begins to talk.
The author Lyman Ditson is clearly a talented poetry writer, and the poems included throughout add a level of depth to the story. I liked how the poems are spread through the book, making them easier to relate to compared to a traditional volume of poetry. The book’s ending is somewhat ambiguous, and we are left wondering what exactly happened to the protagonist. However, that suits the style of the story. Readers looking to take an adventure with side trips into the author’s poetry and philosophical thoughts will find this short read magical.
Pages: 78 | ASIN : B0B57RBP6K
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/05/desert-angels/
Mystical Force Volume 4: Many are 1, 1 is 0, by Craig Weidhuner, is the next installment in the series following a Taman Knight from the planet Thalia. An evil sorceress, Zolida, is trying to find an ancient scroll. Unfortunately, the scroll releases an omnipotent being named 0, whom she wants to control and use against her enemies.
The story begins with Zolida hiring a mercenary to steal the scroll. Shi-ria, a Taman Knight from the previous volume, tries to prevent Zolida from obtaining the scroll. Shi-ria does not know what power the scroll has but knows Zolida will use it to try and change the future for the worse. Zolida ends up with the scroll and releases 0 from its world. 0 is an almost God-like being that can change matter, time, and space. He becomes an important character and alters the reality that humans, mages, and demons know.
The writing in this book unveils a lot at a fast pace. There are many different characters involved in the plot, which gives the book depth. However, there is still minor individual character development. Nevertheless, the pace and tone of the book are well written and easy to read.
Although this is another installment in the series, this book focuses on a different character. The main characters from volume 3 were involved, but I don’t think you need to read the previous book to understand this one. I would’ve liked to see more depth in the characters between volumes and a better continuation of the plot overall. This volume reads as a stand-alone that could potentially have a sequel.
Mystical Force Volume 4: Many are 1, 1 is 0, by Craig Weidhuner, is a continuation that focuses on the evil mage Zolida. If you like action, adventure, magic, and triumph over evil, this book is for you.
Pages: 72 | ASIN : B09VY2KVRZ
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/05/mystical-force-vol-4/
Faith is a young girl that has freckles, fifty-five to be exact; she has counted them all. Faith hates having freckles, no one else in her school has freckles like her, and she is constantly being teased by the other girls. They tell her that she has dirt on her face and laugh. One girl, McKenzie, however, thinks Faith’s freckles are beautiful. Through McKenzie’s kindness, Faith learns to accept that her freckles are part of who she is and learns to love that part of herself.
Faith’s Freckles by authors Shermaine Perry-Knights and Baylei Hinds-Perry is an empowering picture book for children that are self-conscious about their unique looks. In this story, Faith has freckles that no one else in her school seams to have, but the message applies to all physical differences that children are often picked on about. This story shows how much it hurts children when they are teased, emphasizing that comments about others’ looks are not funny or a game.
McKenzie stands out as an example of true friendship and how children can be friends with those they see struggling. She offers positive support and listens to what her friend says rather than brushing off her feelings or invalidating them. Teaching children how to be good friends to those that are hurting is a life skill they can carry with them.
This children’s book teaches the messages of self-love and self-acceptance. Aimed at young elementary students, this is a critical time in their lives to learn self-esteem. That makes this book ideal for classrooms and libraries. It would be a wonderful gift for a child with freckles who is afraid of being teased and made fun of. It is a heartwarming picture book that teaches children social and emotional awareness and acceptance for those that look different from themselves.
Pages: 15 | ASIN : B0B9FQP4LB
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/05/faiths-freckles-a-book-to-build-self-esteem/