'Leonardo Da Vinci' by Walter Isaacson

Leonardo Da Vinci, Walter Isaacson (3.0)

While I often read books using my Kindle, due to the large number of figures in this book, I recommend reading it in paper format. Isaacson does a great job describing details of the process and resulting drawing or painting so I was often referring back to them reviewing details. In typical biography form, this book follows Leonardo’s life from birth to death. I doubt there are any surprising or new elements brought to life here, but for someone who has not read a full biography of the famous artist/scientist, it serves as a thorough review of his masterpieces, inventions, and the curiosity of the man. In addition, Isaacson does a good job in explaining how each affects the other, such as how his fascination with anatomy down to the nerves and muscles of a smile likely was used to create the most enigmatic smile in art. As with ‘Steve Jobs’, Isaacson points out the weaknesses of his chosen genius, but it is extremely clear how much in awe he is about his subject. Also, the other people popping in and out of his life are more caricatures and generally felt as if they were dealt with at arms length.  I believe this is a good, approachable (albeit long) book about Da Vinci’s life, but couldn’t help but wonder of one of the many cited other biographies might be better?

'La Belle Savage' by Philip Pullman

La Belle Savage (The Book of Dust #1), Philip Pullman (4.0)

With regards to returning us to the warm fires of Pullman’s alternate Oxford, this long awaited prequel to ‘His Dark Materials’ did not disappoint. My only complaint is that, not surprisingly, it is lacking any new exciting information about this very interesting world. The first trilogy was filled with creative ideas and thoughtful characters. This book begins to describe the backstory of many of those characters and set-up the overall political environment – set about 10 years prior to the start of the original trilogy. The protagonist, Malcolm, is a young, sweet unassuming boy who works at his family’s pub – which happens to be next to the convent where the nuns are caring for the baby, Lyra. At this point, Lyra’s mother and father are estranged and he is already trying to protect her with anonymity. Malcolm’s strong observational and analytical skills drive him to realize that not all is as it seems with the learned people in and around his parent’s pub. And his sense of valor pushes him to protect Lyra at any cost. On it’s own, I think this is more of a 3-star book, but for fans of ‘His Dark Materials’, it is a comforting return to a favorite world.

'Strange Pilgrims' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Strange Pilgrims, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (4.0)

This translated title of the book turns out to be quite accurate (it is alternatively known as ‘12 Pilgrims’)– each of the twelve stories held in this book contain strange characters or strange happenings to ordinary characters and they all are pilgrims of sorts as we find them outside of their birth countries. While many of the short stories dwell on death, they are more uplifting in spirit than you would expect, such as the woman who suspects she is dying so she teaches her dog to cry upon her grave. Marquez looks at young and old with a similar lens to describe the magical events in their life as they travel amongst foreigners. The most disturbing happens to also be my favorite: ‘I Only Came to Use the Phone’ is the story of a young wife whose car breaks down. She hitches a ride with a bus full of women and mistakenly gets put in an insane asylum. As with other Marquez works, you often need to suspend reality and just enjoy where the colorful prose takes you.

'Fantasyland' by Kurt Andersen

Fantasyland, Kurt Andersen (2.0)

My low scoring review for this book comes with a caveat: I know many people have and will enjoy reading it. The premise was fascinating – a discussion of how we got to the current state of fake news, science denying, etc. by reviewing the history of the US as far back as the Salem witch trials. Unfortunately, my expectation for a non-fiction book filled with statistics is that the data is backed up with sources. There were many footnotes, but they were additional rants, not cited references. This was particularly troublesome when I got to a fact that was doubtful or wrong, all succeeding facts were cast in that light. Also, while I agreed with much of Mr. Anderson’s assertions, the childish words he used in his disrespect for virtually everyone who did not agree with him was distracting and too informal for a serious book. If you are aghast at much of what is going on in our politics and news with regards to facts and need a cathartic read to validate those feelings – this book will be enjoyable. Ironically, just don’t expect actual fact checking for those facts in the book.

'The Garden of Evening Mists' by Tan Twan Eng

The Garden of Evening Mists, Tan Twan Eng (4.0)

There were many things I liked about this book and with just a few minor detractions. I particularly enjoyed reading about a time and place with which I was unfamiliar. The story takes place in Malaysia after WWII. It is told from the point of view of a Chinese Malaysian judge who returns after many years to the rural area near to where she was held in a POW camp by the Japanese. The story dips back to the time immediately after the war, when she worked with the tribunals to bring various Japanese and Malay collaborators to justice. It then spends most of the time on the many years of healing where she searched for solace as a survivor of the camp. During that time, she apprenticed with a Japanese gardener to create a tribute to her sister, who died as a prisoner. The angst and anger she feels towards the gardener battle with the admiration she has for his work. At first the writing of the book seemed too overwrought for me, but it seemed to become less flowery and more poetic as the story progressed. I appreciated his ability to paint a picture with words. He also made clear the conflicts of culture and history with the various people living in Malaya during and after WWII. Throughout the story, these facets are woven around the mystery of where she was held and what role the gardener had in the war – both making for a compelling plot.