Ghosts of the Tsunami | 
so-so3.5⭐
I wanted to like this book more than I did. The narrator for the #audiobook had an incredibly soothing and easy to listen to voice. The firsthand accounts of the loss, devastation, resiliency, and strength were powerful. The book just felt too drawn out. If the author had condensed things a bit, which I fully believe he could have done without sacrificing the integrity of his work, then I think this would have easily been a 4-4.5 star read.
pickWhile Richard Lloyd Parry could have easily written a book to match the scale of the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami, he chose to focus his attention elsewhere: an elementary school where 74 students and 10 teachers died due to negligence. As the title suggests, there is a supernatural element to this tale but it is minor and underdeveloped. The first-hand accounts of the historic tragedy are what makes this a truly harrowing read.
#Audiobaking #iLovePie #BananaCreamPie #WiaN #Wian2024 category: Natural Disaster
Wow - this is so good. Devastatingly sad, super-intriguing on the ghosts part!
pickFor my #nonfiction #bookspin reading month I started off with this one. It was chilling, sad, and at the same time a total page turner. There are several first person accounts of this tragedy. Highly recommend this one. @thearomaofbooks
pickRemarkable journalism on the aftermath of the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. I live in the PNW and remember this and the subsequent meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant vividly. I was unaware of the preventable tragedy that unfolded at the Okawa Elementary School. Parry‘s deep respect for his subjects is evident, and the persistence for answers amidst a culture of deference to authority is powerful. Truly haunting. 5⭐️
I managed to get Henry (the 5 year old) to put on pants long enough to run by the library and do a curbside pickup of our holds. These were my picks. I think I'll start Ghosts later today after I finish Turn Right at Machu Picchu.
“Question one: Is this apartment conveniently located, well-appointed, and reasonably priced? Question two: Will it crush me to death when the ground starts to shake?“
What is house hunting in Japan or California o.O
I can't seem to get into any fiction, even in audio. So I'm sticking with nonfiction (the only books I've been able to finish this month).
Since finding out I have ADD last month, I've wanted to understand even more urgently what it's like for other people processing and experiencing life, even what we consider to be extreme experiences. It's quite something to realize that the way your mind works isn't how most people's minds work.
pickThis book is really amazing. It‘s a treatise on Japanese culture, death, parenthood ,and how you rebuild yourself after a tragedy. The story surrounds a particular incident during the Tsunami in 2011.
About halfway through this book and I‘m finding it fascinating and poignant... there is so much about Japanese culture that Is unfamiliar to me.
pickInteresting take as Parry focuses on the people affected by the tsunami of March 2011.
pickAn absolutely heartbreaking account of the tsunami that destroyed Japan 03/11/11. This follows the residents of the Tohoku region the devastated families that lost 74 children and 10 teachers from Okawa Elementary School. The author completely captures the inconsolable grief experienced by the families and community. Skillfully researched and written. Everyone read/listen to this. 5⭐️10💔
pickExcellently told and well researched account of the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, focusing mainly on the tragedy of the Okawa elementary school. Very sad but an absolutely worthwhile listen.
pickI have read two other books by Richard Parry, both very good. This book is about what happened in a particular town when the 2011 earthquake hit Japan and generated a huge tsunami. A small school was directly in its path and many children died. Parry is the Tokyo bureau chief for the Times of London and he knows Japan and Asia. He has lived there for many years so he knows Japanese culture and the Japanese mindset. Highly recommend.
pickIf you feel like sobbing into your pillow while in the fetal position, then do I have the book for you. Bleak, gutting, and beautifully written.
I have a “woe is me” #bookhaul to share today. I‘ve got a bum tooth that I thought just needed a root canal. Nope, it has to be pulled because of a big crack in the root. Ugh. I‘ll likely get an implant too. More pain and $$.
So of course I went book shopping today. Thankfully I still have Christmas money to spend. The books turned backwards came in the mail for the #mybloodyvalentineswap. That makes a bad day all better!
pickThis is a tough book. Didn‘t quite have the gut punch of Wave, which I adored. But, it does hit many nerves and is through and haunting.
A very good book but not exactly what I want to be reading when there‘s a 4.4 earthquake here in tiny Delaware! (I was driving & didn‘t feel it)
Afternoon reading. ❤️
People Who Eat Darkness is one my favourite non-fiction books, so I've looking forward to this. One hundred pages in and it's FANTASTIC.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeee! I could not be more excited if I swallowed a cat and broke out in kittens! PEOPLE WHO EAT DARKNESS is the *creepiest* true crime book of the 21st century, and I'm so interested to see what he has for us now. 🤘🏻🤘🏻
