Welcome to Litsy!

[Stephen Lewis in 2005 re AIDS in Africa] When people say, sometimes triumphantly, that prevalence rates have levelled off, what they mean most often is that the number of people who have died equals the number of new infections. It‘s Mathematicus Diabolus. I live in hope, but I also live in rage…I will devote every fibre of my body to fighting this virus, but I cannot abide the willful inattention of so much of the global community.

The facts here might be outdated, but the principles aren‘t. I was captivated by these Massey lectures in 2005, given by a brilliant and dedicated Canadian diplomat and advocate whose burning passion for justice for Africans, people with AIDS, and women is palpable. He deconstructs racism and sexism that perpetuate the pandemic, and names needed changes. Progress has been made, but more is needed.
#Booked2022 #AboutAIDS
#Nonfiction2022 #ImASaint

My wrap for #Nonfiction2022 : thanks to @Riveted_Reader_Melissa for the great prompts and @Amiable for some of the AuldLangSpine suggestions. I didn't do the whole card like last year and the year before (blame it on ReadingAfrica, blame it on Wordle) but there's three bingo lines and lots of amazing books int here.

Grand Days by Frank Moorhouse is wonderful. It‘s a chunkster but it kept my interest. Set in Geneva in the 1920‘s, telling the story of Edith Campbell Berry who starts her career at the League of Nations. Edith is wonderful ..naive yet sophisticated, loyal, brave and wise for her years. She‘s also playful and very modern!! Some of the issues she deals with women still deal with today!!

On to The Bluest Eye..
@CarolynM loved it❤️

Next on my list is Grand Days in honour of Frank Moorhouse who recently died. An Australian must read… some say a masterpiece…it‘s been one I should have read years ago! It‘s a chunkster @ 700 pages😊
#australianclassic #fiction #literature

Vale Frank Moorhouse 26/6/2022
Edith Campbell Berry will go down in history as one of the smartest, funniest, most idealistic creations in literature.

This is one of Sam Bourne‘s early books, and a five star read for me. Love his thrillers.
#Final #BeginsWith

I loved this book! Power is so open and raw on her own journey and struggles, first with her alcoholic father and the weight of his loss, then finding her place and voice in a world-wide struggle where despite the proliferation of noise, ppl rarely say anything new. It‘s a fascinating wind from her early days as a war correspondent to one of the most influential political positions in the world. Raw, real and incredibly enjoyable.

While I found the history of the Congo fascinating, the main premise of the book, the mystery surrounding the plane crash that killed the UN Secretary General, was tedious and repetitive. There appears to be a cover up, but whether it was nefarious or just an attempt to avoid embarrassment over gross negligence/ineptitude is unclear. This is my spring audiobook for #booked2021 and counts for #mounttbr.

I really enjoyed this book from my #NewYearWhoDis partner @Amandajoy and my timing of reading this was great as Biden names his administration. A lot of the names in this book are familiar again because they have new roles. But beyond the politics, I most enjoyed how Power shares about her childhood in Ireland and as an immigrant, the struggles of balancing her work/life, and her efforts to improve human rights in difficult circumstances.