'Skinny Dip' by Carl Hiaasen

 Skinny Dip, Carl Hiaasen (4.0)

Another fun Hiaasen adventure! The usual crazy characters: smart loner ex-cop, obnoxious guy ruining the environment, idiot who kills for no good reason, etc. In this case a very horrible guy throws his wife overboard on an anniversary cruise – seemingly forgetting that she was a college swimmer and could possible survive – all because she may have found out about his bad work practices. While we always know the bad guys will not get away with their shenanigans, Hiaasen always makes it fun to figure out what will happen. 

'Playing Possum' by Susan Monso and 'The Wedding People' by Alison Espach

 Playing Possum, Susana Monso (4.0)

I really enjoyed how the author systematically walked the reader through the levels of recognizing death in animals. The examples were broad and interesting. She was careful to avoid anthropomorphism where possible and pointed to our human foible of assuming if an understanding is not the same as us, it doesn’t occur. As with most things in life, the answer is more grey than black and white. While some of the chapters were hard to read (infanticide and predation) she built a strong case for a diverse understanding of death within animals, just not the same as the human more emotional connection to it.

 

The Wedding People, Alison Espach (3.5)

I found this book funny and unique, though oddly quite predictable. The protagonist, going through a tough time and having a crisis of identity makes a trip to a fancy New England resort. When she gets there, it has been taken over by a wedding party – with her the only non-party guest. She gets swept up in the people and activities and starts behaving as she wants, for once in her life. While I was swept up as well, it did seem odd that she could change so thoroughly in such a short time. Somewhat surprised that this book has gotten such renown, it makes a good light read, but it’s certainly not grand literature.

'Dinosaurs at the Dinner Table' by Edward Dolnick

 Dinosaurs at the Dinner Table, Edward Dolnick (4.0)

My favorite analogy given for the difficulty of understanding dinosaur fossils in this book: you are working on a jigsaw puzzle with only a couple pieces and no picture to follow. Add to that the understanding of the time that none of God’s creatures could have gone extinct and it’s hard to imagine how anyone would have envisioned the existence of larger than life (as they knew it) reptiles based on a couple of bones. It did take decades and this book does a great job of telling that story. The author clearly walks us through the timeline balancing discoveries with religious dogma. For example, as scientists were finding 1,000s of new species during the mid 1800’s, the story of Noah’s ark was harder and harder to explain. Finding bones that didn’t fit any living creature had many coming up with very creative theories. Not exactly a spoiler, but the discoveries and theories of an unassuming Mr. Darwin helped find the answers.

'Kon Tiki' by Thor Heyerdahl

 Kon Tiki, Thor Heyerdahl (4.0)

I believe I enjoyed this book because I tended to ignore the overall purpose of the voyage and focused on the trip itself. The basis of the trip was considered racist and pseudoscientific both before and certainly afterward. In the late 1940’s Heyerdahl wanted to prove his theory that people from Peru could have crossed the Pacific to Polynesia using the materials available at the time and the winds/currents. Against much push-back from scientists and people familiar with crossing the Pacific, he convinced 5 others to join him and they went across the ocean on a large raft. His rendition of the voyage is riveting. I was most surprised at the number and variety of ocean life that followed them throughout the journey. They seemed fascinated with the raft in their territory and surprisingly more curious than aggressive. This is an interesting true tale of adventure.

'Orlando' by Virginia Woolf and 'Living on Earth' by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Living on Earth, Peter Godfrey-Smith (2.5)

I was quite disappointed with this book. There were many interesting pieces of information, but the writing often had me asking: ‘what is your point again?’. Even the habit of telling the reader what they will read at the start of a chapter didn’t help me navigate through it. The concept of describing how humans and other life started on the planet and have affected the planet is laudable, but I found the execution lacking. I enjoyed the chapter on birds – both well written and fascinating. I could now watch a whole show on Bower Birds. Not surprising, as a vegetarian, I applauded the chapter on what we have done with animals both as food and experimental subjects. I would also add I found this more philosophical than scientific.

 

Orlando, Virginia Woolf (3.0)

A lot more happens in this novel compared to the other Virginia Woolf book I read (‘To the Lighthouse’), particularly given the main character, Orlando, lives ~400 years. Again, I found her writing interesting, but not enjoyable. In this case we follow a young nobleman who starts as a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I and ends in the author’s real time (1920’s) having gone through love, hardship and many other things along the way. The book is quite fantastical as the author considers the fluidity of sexuality and the similarities and differences of life as a man or woman. You can see that these are important concepts to her.

'West with Giraffes' by Lynda Rutledge and 'Becoming' by Michelle Obama

Becoming, Michelle Obama (4.5)

I found this book to be an interesting, engaging memoir that reads as much as behind the scenes look at a woman coming of age as a sweet love story of a wife and mother. I found myself tearing up several times at the poignancy of the Obama relationship to each other and to their children. Ms. Obama has done an amazing job at raising to seemingly normal children during a very non-normal time for their family while also keeping true to her own strong path forward.

 

West with Giraffes, Lynda Rutledge (4)

I appreciated that this book was based on the newspaper clippings the author found while researching something else at the San Diego Zoo. It is a fictionalized story of how two African giraffes were transported across the US during the depression. The description of how the giraffes interact with the main characters is lovely – makes one want to run to a zoo and interact with them. The backstory of the dust bowl’s effects on society was also very interesting. Some of the characters were a bit melodramatic, but overall I enjoyed the story.

'A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon' by Kevin Fedarko

A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon, Kevin Fedarko (3.5)

Many people hike the main trail down to the canyon floor, but very few people through-hike the Grand Canyon from northeast to southwest. Reading Mr. Fedarko’s account of his trip makes one realize why this is true. He and his photographer friend attempt to document their backpacking trip for National Geographic. Given their lack of experience, ‘attempt’ becomes ‘attempts’ and their experience is harrowing. This book is very similar to ‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed – albeit exchanging the Pacific Coast Trail with the Grand Canyon. The author also spends a significant time describing the actual hiking while also discussing the history of the Canyon with respect to the indigenous people of the area. While I really enjoyed reading about the hike, I found the lack of training and knowledge abhorrent. It’s hard to take someone seriously when they continue to say how stupid they were. In addition, the author admits at the end that he may have exaggerated their incompetence.