Welcome to Litsy!

Heartbreaking memoir of war.

Next up for Nonfiction November. Listening to this on Scribd.

Hard to read. But worth it. I like to read about brutal truths of the world. Syria is about as brutal as it gets at present. Harrowing.

A bit disjointed at times, but a firsthand look into two sides of what is going on in Syria. It is haunting as it follows the progression of war in Syria and the failed response to the war thereafter.

😭😭😭😭

#readaroundtheworld #syria A Parisian journalist's insightful investigations into the beginning of the civil war in Syria. For the first time I understood what the various sides imagined they were fighting for and how ultimately everyone has already lost. The country that was rich and diverse is gone, and the war has left 300,000 dead and over 3 million refugees. The book also contains a historical chronology. On to a Syrian writer next.

A chilling reminder about the Syrian War. The veteran war reporter interviews citizens of Syria during the early years of the war (pre-rise of ISIL) sharing their experiences (and her own) about modern warfare and its brutality. What's interesting is that Syrians who felt betrayed by fellow Syrians. Comments that Syrians don't/shouldn't do this to other Syrians. But, shouldn't the issue be that humans don't do this to each other?

#todayinsj 2011 the city of Daraa is sealed off by the Syrian government, in response to peaceful demonstrations.

#libfaves16 #3 Didn't finish this before the end of the year. Wrapping it up.

We meet victims of Assad's secret police, Assad supporters, and the learn of the result of an endless war. It is living under the threat of being shot or killed by a bomb, but also the complete breakdown in government, where even basic services are no longer met. We see the destruction in slow motion. The book will be part of the testament of what happened before.

I scored at the used book store the other day 😱 these were all half off their original price and in practically new condition! I can't wait! Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching was one of my favorites last year (last year!)

Happy New Year, everyone!! Thank you for being one of the best things to happen in 2016. May we all have awesome, bookish fun in the coming year. 🥂

Why would you do this? I'm holding the book as you normally would. In order to read these maps, you have to turn the book two different ways!! #OCDisReal

I'm not going to say that everyone should read this, because I don't think everyone can. It's a very brutal book - the author spares absolutely no details about all aspects of this war and I'm sure entire sections of this book could be extremely triggering for some people. But, if you feel up for it and you want a clear look at what is happening in Syria and at the atrocities that come with any war, this is it.

This is the lengths people go to, what they're willing to endure, to stay in their homes during wartime. So it should help us imagine what it takes to make the choice to leave the country, travel through unsafe means, to try to seek refuge in places where you don't speak the language and don't share the customs. Choosing to flee is just as devastating a decision as choosing to stay, and people usually don't intend to leave permanently.

The previous 2 pages describe the physical torture this student suffered (I can't describe in words how revolting the account is) and yet, after having survived the worst pain imaginable, the sense of betrayal is still what hurts him the most. There's nothing else to add, really.

And here's another one about rape as a weapon of war - one of the oldest war weapon in the books actually. Since the mere threat of it generally has the desired impact, it's a pretty low-cost (economically speaking), quick and effective tactic.

Bam! The most concise explanation of the terrible repercussions of torture (and not just on the victims) I've ever encountered - and I have read a lot about it in the past 8 years. I have a feeling I'll be posting a lot of quotes from this one...

Powerful read, but not an easy one emotionally. I've read a fair amount recently about war and what sticks out is that when it starts, it's hard to see if you are in the middle of it. Doesn't matter if you are looking at Germany,Syria, or any other country -- it's hard to believe that these kind of things are happening in your own country. This is an important book and more people should be talking about it. #NonfictionNovember2016

Another one of those important but disheartening books. It seems a little disjointed but it truly is "dispatches" as the subtitle says (results in some repetitive passages). Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for the paperback advance copy.

Started this today. I won it in a Goodreads giveaway. Also sharing my bookmark I picked up at Booktopia.