50 Books Challenge 2017 – A Legacy …

Another new year – Another 50 Books Challenge

This first books of 2017 that I’ve read were again about kitchen science, an IT text book, and temporary non-fiction. I haven’t started a novel yet.

Nonetheless, I already stumbled upon a good read which has good chances to stay among my favourite books I’ve read in 2017.

When browsing for biographies and literature about Barack Obama, I found one copy of selected speeches from his presidential campaign in 2008 as well as a so-called bestseller by Obama himself: “Dreams from my Father”

For the time being, I prefer reading Obamas own words instead of books about him (books from the earlier years of his presidency lack a lot of events during the last years) – I have the patience to wait for his biography from his own feather.

His bestseller Dreams from my Father has three parts: His childhood, Chicago, and Kenya

The childhood part was interesting to me because I didn’t know so much about his family  background. I couldn’t quite follow the part in Chicago, although, this part might contain the key chapters about black identity, understanding Afro-Americans, and struggle of black people in the US in the eighties. It might also be the start of his political career.

The part when Obama visits his relatives in Kenya caught my attention again.

From my viewpoint, the message about finding own identity, looking for a father he only knew from one visit was clear the big theme of this book.

Digging and searching for his African ancestors history…

Special attention should be given to the Epilogue (a visit to a teacher in Kenya). This last and short part could be interpreted it as an important final appeal and as an attempt to answer a few of the questions of Obamas life journey.

Barack Obama – Dreams from my Father

Some critics in Internet forums complain that the book is not a biography. Well, I was aware of that before and didn’t consider it as biography when I picked it. Some readers complain that the book is boring. Well, there are auto-biographical elements and the book depicts real-life stories from Obamas youth. A reader not interested in Obamas family background and his search/struggle for identity might find it boring.

To me, it was interesting to read because I consider it as a head-start to get to know Obamas heritage, family background, and how early life events/life path lead to him studying and becoming the well-known first black US president.

Legacy of his father – Himself legacy for the USA

Star Trek on the Planet of the Apes

On the chase for interesting reads in my 50 Books Challenge of 2015, I paid a visit to the section of graphic novels in the library. Although, comics don’t count in my books list –  unless the text outweighs the drawings – every once in a while I enjoy the artwork and design of those drawings. I was browsing through Star Trek comic books when a really good cover art of my favourite sci-fi stories met my eye:

A crossover of Star Trek with The Planet of the Apes

It seemed just as interesting and tempting to read it just as absurd it might sound on the first appeal. My curiosity was lighted up. I took it and read it in just two sittings.

The cover art is spectacular. The drawings depict the TOS characters quite accurate. The most accurate depiction to my judgement was the character of the Klingon Kor. Other secondary characters as well (for example, Pavel Chekov).

The story was not as good as in the series, however, worth reading if you are a fan of both series.

Unfortunately, the German translation of the dialogues seemed floppy – either by accident or as a kind of nostalgia (because the dubbed German TOS episodes are also floppy 🙂 )

Anyway, even if the story itself did not blow me away, the cover art does 🙂