43. Internment by Samira Ahmed

listened on Audible
read by Soneela Nankani
Unabridged audio (11:17)
2019 Hachette Audio/Little Brown Books for Young Readers
387 pgs.
YA CRF (I cannot call it anything else!)
Finished Sat. May 11, 2019
Goodreads rating:  4.05 - 2128 ratings
My rating: 2
Setting: Contemporary California

First line/s:  "I strain to listen for boots on the pavement.  Stomping.  Marching."

My comments:  Well, I'm going to go against the general flow of raving reviews for this book.  I had many problems with it and I'm not exactly sure how to put my finger on all of them, but I'll try.  However, I do want to say that the premise of this book is spectacular, and very, very timely. 
          I think the author tried, but her writing style and character development didn't work.  And there were so many things included that were hard to believe and so many things not included that needed to be.  (A few possible small spoilers follow.)  Layla's insta-relationship with Jake?  Smuggling her boyfriend in and out of a prison camp - more than once?  NO adults other than an 80-year-old woman with any gumption to say or do anything?  Spending copious time with a prison guard, including in a female prisoner's bedroom, amid cameras and drones and constant surveillance without ever being spotted?  Unfortunately I could go on and on and I haven't even touched on the character development!  Layla's (or the author's) long, drawn out thinking about situations actually work to slow down any action that takes place.  Too much tell, not nearly enough show.  Again, a great premise for a book, but its execution didn't work at all for me. Big sigh.

Goodreads synopsis:  Rebellions are built on hope. 
          Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.
          With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp's Director and his guards.
          Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today. 

MOVIE - War Dogs

R (1:54)

Wide Release 8/19/16

Viewed at Roadhouse Cinema on Tuesday 9/13/16

RT Critic:  61  Audience:  73
Critic's Consensus:   War Dogs rises on the strength of Jonah Hill's compelling performance to take a lightly entertaining look at troubling real-world events.

Cag:  4.5 Liked it - and learned a lot - from it (and I don't consider it a comedy!)

Directed by Todd Phillips

Warner Brothers Studio

Miles Teller, Jonah Hill, Bradley Cooper, Kevin Pollack

My comments:  I enjoyed this movie, and since it was based on a true story, truly eye-opening.  I've turned a blind eye to all the crazy government spending, especially when it comes to the military, but this movie is a should-watch for everyone in the US!  Both leads portray their characters really well, I've been an especially strong fan of Miles Teller, so I particularly enjoyed watching his performance in this movie.

RT Summary:  Two friends in their early 20s living in Miami Beach during the Iraq War, exploit a little-known government initiative that allows small businesses to bid on U.S. Military contracts. Starting small, they begin raking in big money and are living the high life. But the pair gets in over their heads when they land a 300 million dollar deal to arm the Afghan Military—a deal that puts them in business with some very shady people, not the least of which turns out to be the U.S. Government.

MOVIE - Fair Game

Excellent - Entertaining AND educating
Limited Release 11-5-10
PG-13 (1:48)
12/9/10 at El Con with Sheila & Ronnie
RT: 80% Flixter: 72% cag: 93%
Director: Doug Liman
Naomi Watts, Sean Pen

This was the real-life story of Valeri Plame, the CIA agent whose covert CIA cover was blown by the WHITE HOUSE and her husband, Joe Wilson.

My friend Sheila, a wonderful writer, tells about this much more eloquently than I ever could. She's begun a great blog of her thoughts, and you can read her review here. Please do! It's great.

The Brothers Kennedy - Kathleen Krull

Illustrated by Amy June Bates
S & S Books for Young Readers, 2010
$16.99,
for: grades 1-5
40 pages
Rating: 5
Endpapers: Royal blue

My kind of book. I love good picture book biographies - and this one is wonderful - a heart-tugger, actually.

Joe -- John -- Robert -- Edward -- the four boys in the powerful Massachusetts Kennedy family. This book is all about how they fit together, felt about each other, what their passions and beliefs were, and how they died. Their stories are woven beautifully to really present them as brothers. Brothers who teased and supported each other through everything. It's hard to believe they're all gone now.

Amy June Bates superbly illustrated this book. There's one absolutely tremendous illustration - the full-two-page spread of Robert and Edward on the dunes by the sea. The only words are, "And then there were two brothers."

There are two full pages at the end of "further information," then a timeline and sources list. Excellent history - interesting, not-at-all boring....real. Informative. A good read.