seabun
Tulsa City-County Library
seabun's Completed Shelf
Filter your results by...
Format
seabun's rating:
Added Nov 23, 2017
Killers of the Flower MoonKillers of the Flower Moon, eBookThe Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
by Grann, DavideBook - 2017eBook, 2017
Available
seabun's rating:
Added Nov 10, 2017
Comment:
Really enjoyed this book. Had never heard of the Osage Terror, even though I grew up in nearby Tulsa. I honestly couldn't put this book down. The history is captivating, transporting readers to the wild west, and the beginning of the oil boom years in Oklahoma. At its heart this book is also a thrilling murder mystery, with the foundations of the FBI being explored as well. What occurred in Osage County, OK at the turn of the century is hard to believe, if it weren't for the copious amounts of research, including many photos, done by the author. This was certainly a captivating exploration on a much-forgotten era, place and event in American history. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is history that needs to be taught in high school history classrooms, and the pain of the victims and the tenacity and focus on justice of Tom White and his team need to be remembered. If you are looking for a fast-paced, easy-to-read murder mystery with plenty of interesting American history to boot, I strongly recommend this book for you.Really enjoyed this book. Had never heard of the Osage Terror, even though I grew up in nearby Tulsa. I honestly couldn't put this book down. The history is captivating, transporting readers to the wild west, and the beginning of the oil boom years…
seabun's rating:
Added Nov 10, 2017
Comment:
Having learned about the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot(Massacre) in high school but wanting to know more, I was curious to check out this book after hearing an interview with the author on the radio. I'll admit I was skeptical at first of the premise, as well as the YA and fiction-take on the story; I wasn't sure if the truth would be "watered down" or if certain artistic liberties (the protagonists, all characters with dialogue, are fictional) would be disrespectful or take the reader away from the reality of the time. This is a story that needs to be more widely known and understood.
I was pleasantly surprised and happy that my fears were unfounded. Dreamland Burning was a riveting page-turner, and as a long-time Tulsan I found myself beaming with pride whenever I recognized a local reference (there are lots of Tulsa name-drops in this book, from local locales to historical figures to the "pace" of life here) and equally appalled or disgusted when faced with the harsh reality that was Tulsa, OK in 1921. This was a terrible time in Tulsa's past, and for too long the city has tried to forget it ever happened. Thankfully that is changing, in part to books like this.
Yes, at its heart this is a YA novel, so i felt at times like the dialogue was clunky and certain aspects of the history were "softened", though never omitted entirely. To her credit the author addresses as much in an epilogue. But the positive aspects of the book far outweigh its flaws, and I think everyone from a high school student to an adult history buff can enjoy this book very much. This is not the definitive tome on the Tulsa Race Massacre mind you, but it is an enthralling introduction to a sensitive subject from history and heated topics that sadly are still very relevant today. The decision to stagger two narratives, one in 1921, one in present day, ends up being a compelling way to bring history to life, to show in what ways progress has been made, and in what ways it hasn't.
I have spent many of my formative years in and around the Greenwood area of Tulsa, what was once a burgeoning hub for an isolated black community known as "Black Wallstreet", and it can be hard to picture what once was, and what was lost. But "Dreamland Burning" transports the reader to a forgotten era and a once-forgotten tragedy, and hopefully plants even the tiniest seeds of understanding and growth, so that all the pain suffered in 1921 will not have been for naught.Having learned about the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot(Massacre) in high school but wanting to know more, I was curious to check out this book after hearing an interview with the author on the radio. I'll admit I was skeptical at first of the premise, as…
seabun's rating:
Added Feb 28, 2017
Comment:
I've seen some of Cronenberg's films, and was intrigued by the synopsis on the dustjacket so I picked this up on a whim. I have to say I was getting into the book, despite the needless explanations of electronic equipment, for the characters and premise, but around 75% of the way through, it really fizzled out. Around when the narrator voice changed, I felt like the book got bogged down and began to rely too heavily on the mentioned equipment descriptions and use of "fancy" adjectives that, as we are to assume are coming from the voice of the characters, were entirely unconvincing; at times I actually chuckled at the premise that we are to believe that the characters are using these words and talking like this. It turned into an exercise of "look what I (the author) know about cameras and how big my vocabulary is" instead of wrapping up the plot and fleshing out the interesting themes presented in the first half of the book. As I often do, I keep a notepad of interesting things referenced in a book to research further later, and again the first half-75% of the book gave me a lot of intriguing concepts,places,things and ideas to ruminate on, but as for a satisfactory reading experience overall, I was left wanting a lot more.I've seen some of Cronenberg's films, and was intrigued by the synopsis on the dustjacket so I picked this up on a whim. I have to say I was getting into the book, despite the needless explanations of electronic equipment, for the characters and…
Comment: