'Wild Seed' by Octavia Butler

 Wild Seed, Octavia Butler (3.0)

I’ve heard much about Ms. Butler and her unique take on Sci-Fi and was looking forward to this well reviewed book. While I believe it to be well written and unique, the one-note plot left me hoping for more. I liked the unusual story of two ‘eternal’ beings in African bodies with unique powers existing during the time of slaves. As the Europeans kidnap people from Africa, Anyanwu sees her many generations of children being taken. Doro, the more powerful spirit, is drawn to her and she realizes she is not the only one with powers. We believe Doro is saving any unusual, powerful African, but sadly he is just culling them to become a multigenerational breeding farm in order to come up with a master race. The majority of the story is Doro oppressing as he uses Anyanwu as a baby making machine – with her hating him but obliging. After the chapters began with new and interesting ideas, I was disappointed that the rest of the story was monotonous and painful to read.

'In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex' by Nathaniel Philbrick

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex,  Nathaniel Philbrick (3.5)

I do not recommend reading this book while noshing on sushi! In addition to the description of whale killing and dismembering, one can imagine the tale of how the shipmates tried to survive is not good material to read while dining. Philbrick gives the backstory of the young Nantucket sailors and the culture that leads them to venture on the ocean and return years later with thousands of gallons of whale oil. While Herman Melville based ‘Moby Dick’ on this true story, this author focuses more on the story after the ship is sunk by the whale. As far as adventure goes, I prefer ‘Endurance’ and Shackleton’s, but this is definitely an interesting, well-told story that clearly articulates the stress, tragedy and psychological affects both during and after the event.

'The Way of Kings' by Brandon Sanderson

The Way of Kings, Brandon Sanderson (4.0)

Reading this book is a serious commitment. Not only is it 1000+ pages, but there are 3 more written and 6 more planned after that! We are always looking for the successor to JRR Tolkien in the world building story telling realm and Mr. Sanderson has made a strong start with Book 1 in this series. The story follows three main characters, filling in the world around them through their eyes. I found the characters interesting and the magical elements unique. Unlike many in this genre, most of the beings are human, with a major exception being the various spren, creatures that are mostly small and invisible and are attracted to the energy of their type (firespren, painspren, etc.) and can be sensed near that energy. Not sure yet where they belong in this epic, though they seem important. My biggest complaint is that I think the book leans too heavily on the world building and lacks some key dramatic plotlines. While there is plenty of action (battles, assassinations, killings, etc.), the overall evil (think Voldamort and Sauron) is too ambiguous and out of reach to menace until the very end. The last 100 pages were more satisfying in that respect, though the book obviously does not end here, so the majority of one’s questions are left unanswered. As I said – reading this was a serious commitment to read more!

'The Professor and the Madman' by Simon WInchester

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Writing of the Oxford English Dictionary, Simon Winchester (4.0)

Anyone appreciative of meaningful vocabulary will enjoy this book. Not only does it describe the making of the best-known English dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary, the words used in so doing are delightfully apt and numerous. While not exactly crowd sourced ala Wikipedia, I was surprised to find how the OED staff went about getting volunteers to help find all the quotations for each word. One problem was interesting: many readers submitted quotations for very obscure words with few definitions, but few submitted ones for everyday words with many definitions (i.e. ‘art’). Lucky for us, none were ineffable. The book outlines the bio of the two men involved and how their lives intertwined, but also generously gives examples of engaging definitions throughout the chapters. It’s hard not to like a book that takes a staid subject such as dictionary writing and spices it up with murder and a lunatic asylum!

'Caste: The Origins of our Discontents' by Isabel Wilkerson

 

Caste: The Origins of our Discontents, Isabel Wilkerson (3.5)

This book is very depressing. Filled with important information supporting the author’s points defining the racism in America as a caste system – but it was alarming to read the details of such atrocities as lynching and realize the extent to which they occurred long after you thought they had stopped. One of the most shocking chapters explained how the Nazis looked to the US to understand how to oppress a group of people believed inferior – and that they eventually thought we had gone too far! Nazis look to your country as ‘best practice’ of oppression, but decide you are a little crazy. That says a lot. I appreciated reading the multiple personal accounts Ms. Wilkerson included. It’s often too easy to say an author cherry- picked their stories to make their point. Her passages show she lives it every day. I did find some of the book repetitive and found myself skimming the middles sections. Much of the book was not surprising, but embarrassing (for our country) and sad. 

The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov

 Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation, Isaac Asimov (5.0)

After hearing that it was being made into a TV series, I decided to return to the O.G. of Science Fiction, Mr. Asimov, and his most famous trilogy. We follow a Galactic Empire where mathematicians use Psychohistory to predict the destruction of their worlds and a dark age that lasts 30k years. Hari Seldon (lead psychohistorian) has taken the predictions out in time to find a path that will reduce the dark ages to 1 millennium. He establishes a Foundation of scientists to manage the process and claims there is a Second Foundation on the opposite side of the Galaxy. Due to the long- term nature of this plan, the first book jumps 30-50 years per chapter. This makes it more like a group of short stories and can be a little disjointed. The second and third books allow the reader to follow and appreciate characters, which I found more enjoyable. ‘Foundation and Empire’ is my favorite – for both introducing one of the most interesting characters (The Mule) who spends much of the book in the shadows and for one of the best female characters in Science Fiction (Bayta Darell in book 2). This is quite an accomplishment, given the books were written in the 50’s. If you claim to like Sci-Fi, you must read this trilogy.

 

'The Woman in White' by Wilkie Collins

 The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins (4.0)

I guess a few very hot days allows one to lay around and read a 500+ page book quite quickly – or I was reading the first ‘sensational’ novel written in the 1800’s and it was very compelling. Mr. Collins, a friend of Charles Dickens, also wrote of the rich and poor but put them in a scandalous plot which is complicated, full of devious characters, and fraught with fear.  ‘The Woman in White’ is considered one of the first ‘page-turners’. This book is to be enjoyed with no spoilers, so I will just say expect to be worried for the safety of several women at the hands of what may or may not be conniving scoundrels. My main complaint is that while the author manages to highlight the precarious existence woman of the time had (no voice except for one’s father, husband or guardian), and wrote one of the strongest woman characters of the time, he often put ridiculous words in her mind that only a man of that time would write: ‘oh well, I’m just a silly woman’. It’s not to be mistaken for Dickensian excellence, but it does make for a nail-biting experience. It’s rare for me to put a book down due to concern for where it might be going!

'To The Lighthouse' by Virginia Woolf

 To The Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf (4.0)

I found this book very sad. Having recently read about Ms. Woolf via her association with Keynes and the Bloomsbury group, I wanted to experience her unique writing and discover what all the fuss was about. Her writing reminded me of Jane Austen’s (a slice of life concerning ‘gentry’ where nothing really happens) with a lot more focus on the inner thoughts of her characters. To that end, the Ramsay family and their summer guests could have been from the Midwest of the US – never really saying what they mean and usually very polite. This slim book is really three sections. The first has the family and guests at their summer home on an island off the coast of Scotland. The activity is really just the interaction of the people with the thought of visiting the neighboring lighthouse driving their feelings. The middle section is a twisting allegory of time passing, though not linear, introducing major changes to the family. And the last bookends the first with at long last a trip to the lighthouse. Since this book is known to be autobiographical and we know Ms. Woolf suffered from depression or bi-polar disorder, it’s not surprising that the inner thoughts of the characters are often conflicted and quite negative. I was saddened the extent the family would go to indirectly hurt one another – it all felt quite dishonest. I admire the writing, and the book moved me, but I can’t say I enjoyed reading it.

'Red Rising' by Pierce Brown

 Red Rising, Pierce Brown (3.0)

I struggle with the review of this book. It was one of the few books on the ‘100 Best Science Fiction’ list on Goodreads that I had not read. While I did enjoy reading it, I’m hard-pressed to explain why. This book presented a constant dichotomy. I like books that surprise me – it did that, but also had some incredibly predictable parts. I like Sci-Fi books with new concepts- it had them but was also very derivative of ‘Hunger Games’ among others. I like characters that are complex, some were but many were soooo one dimensional. The story is based on a future where people are divided into colors based on their station in life (golds are at the top, reds are the menial laborers at the bottom). The protagonist, Darrow, is a red whose society is terraforming the planet, Mars, from the inside (really didn’t like the science of this) in order for the ‘top’ colors to escape earth and live. Not surprising, everything is not as it appears, and Darrow starts to figure this out. I won’t say more, as the surprises are the best part of the book. If you liked ‘Hunger Games’, you will likely enjoy this book. I should warn that it is often considered a Young Adult book, but there is a lot of violence and gore on top of very disturbing mental situations, not appropriate for most young adults.

'Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland' by Patrick Radden Keefe

 Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, Patrick Radden Keefe (3.5)

I think my biggest surprise in reading this book, was how intimate ‘The Troubles’ felt. By that, I mean that the long conflict in Northern Ireland during much of my childhood always seemed bigger and more deadly with many thousands of players over all of Northern Ireland. In reading this book, one realizes it was mostly in Belfast, with many of the main players active for many years, with 3,500 people dying over ~30 years. Of course, one can only imagine the daily stress of those living in Belfast at the time, though Mr. Keefe does an admirable job of allowing the reader to do just that. He meticulously interviewed those still living (and/or their families) and his research included reviewing the taped interviews of some key players who had died. Side note: a book should be written about the ethical issues concerning Boston College’s involvement and actions! My only disappointment is that the author spends most of the book on the paramilitary group, i.e. IRA, and has less focus on understanding the loyalist groups and British Army and government.

'To Say Nothing of the Dog' by Connie Willis

To Say Nothing of the Dog (Oxford Time Travel #2), Connie Willis (3.0)

This is the second time travel book by Ms. Willis. Set a few years beyond the time of ‘Doomsday Book’, time travel has been highjacked by a rich sponsor in order to rebuild a cathedral with all the details confirmed by many historians going back multiple times to before it was bombed in WWII. When the hero of the book makes too many trips, he has a time travel sickness and it sent back farther (to the late 1800’s) to rest in those bucolic times. This book is a much lighter and funnier companion to the plague themed ‘Doomsday Book’. I liked the juxtaposition of modern-day people in Victorian Oxford, but it was a bit too loose with the time travel concept – people were popping in and out in a very non-serious manner.

'Doomsday Book' by Connie Willis

Doomsday Book, Connie Willis (4.0)

I first read this book many years ago and was surprised how little I had remembered. While it won both the Hugo and Nebula award, I would not classify it as Sci-Fi. It’s a combination of the history of 14^th century Oxford, England and time travel from ~2040AD. In that future, the time travel is used by historians to verify their understanding of past events, so the majority of the book is set in the Middle Ages. The book was published in 1992 and Ms. Willis was amazingly prescient. As the historians of future Oxford send a student to the Middle Ages, a flu pandemic arises in the area and they are all quarantined. What a time to read this book! While the student has been inoculated for the diseases of the 1300’s, she brings the flu through the net with her. It becomes obvious that she also has missed the time (i.e. slippage occurred) and she is really smack dab in the days of the plague. The book has some humor to deflect the horrific details of a life in plague, but what was really scary reading this in 2020 was how unphased many people were to the seemingly common-place occurrence of a new flu pandemic.

'The Crystal Shard: Forgotten Realms, Icewind Dale' by R. A. Salvatore

The Crystal Shard, R. A. Salvatore (2.5)

Always looking for a worthwhile fantasy book to be the heir of LOTR, I read this very short and reasonably well-regarded Forgotten Realms: Icewind Dale trilogy. Sadly, early into the first book, I realized it was patterned after a Dungeons and Dragons game and very derivative of those who have gone before (dwarf, elf, human, Halfling on a quest – sound familiar?). Very few original ideas here, but with lots and lots of battles with orcs and goblins. I found the bad guys were one-dimensional and the heroes a bit too heroic. I did like the idea of a troubled dark elf and who doesn’t love a magical panther that lives on another plane of existence? But, that is not enough for me to recommend this series except to someone wanting a novel to replace an AD&D game.

'The Red and the Black' by Stendhal

The Red and the Black, Stendhal (3.0)

I found this book among our ‘100 Greatest Books’ collection and was surprised that I had never heard of it. Stendhal is a pseudonym for Henri-Marie Beyle who wrote this as a thinly veiled autobiography. The book centers on Julien Sorel, a carpenter’s son with grand ambitions to move up in life. It is set in the mid 1800’s – post Napoleon with the politics that go with that time. Sorel moves up in the world due to his remarkable memory and good looks. The neighborhood clergy sees an opportunity for him to tutor a rich man’s family and off he goes. The book is mostly about his ambitions and the two affairs he engages in as he moves through society. I’m sure the writing was considered scandalous at the time, but it was so obtuse I found it hard to understand how far these ‘affairs’ had actually gone. I was eventually clued in when one character got pregnant. I wanted to get more out of this book than I did. The main character was annoying and unlikeable as were his mistresses. This is the kind of book that is probably better read in a class with some guidance as it was just too arcane for me.

'The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy and the Life of John Maynard Keynes', by Zachary Carter

The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy and the Life of John Maynard Keynes, Zachary Carter (4.0)

While this book begins as a documentary of Keynes, it continues past his death to chart his legacy with other economists and specifically his effect on decisions of US presidents to present day. Maybe due to the effect of time, I enjoyed reading the first half of the book as an unemotional education of Keynesian economics. As the book entered my lifetime, the reading was far less enjoyable as it unwrapped the many failings of ALL our Presidents with regards to economics. I do understand there are a lot more factors involved than Mr. Carter’s highlighted points, but I recognize enough of the truth to feel disappointed and let down by ‘democracy’.

'War and Peace' by Leo Tolstoy

War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy (4.0)

Re-reading this book was a real pleasure. I’m sure when I read it in my 20’s, I skimmed the ‘war’ philosophic discussions, Tolstoy’s musings on whether or not Napoleon was a genius. With more time and wisdom (?) I really enjoyed his take on the realities of war versus historians’ interpretation. While the ‘peace’ sections can be quite melodramatic – the scene of Nicholas Rostov nearly fainting at seeing the Tsar in person comes to mind – the characters were compelling enough to keep one interested through a 1000+-page book. Since Tolstoy wrote this just 50 years after the war, his take on the attitudes of the nobility were believable. Their lack of concern with war on their doorstep is frightening and telling. I’m not sure I’m ready for the 4-hour movie and certainly not ready for Henry Fonda as the stout, bookish Pierre, but I do want to read more about Napoleon and particularly his battles with Russia in 1812.

'Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage' by Alfred Lansing

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, Alfred Lansing (5.0)

Wow, it would be hard to find a book that packs more adventure into ~350 pages and is a true story! I’ve heard of many tough experiences, but to endure so many repeatedly was quite remarkable. Lansing has used Shackleton’s and other’s diaries and written the tale as if he was there every step of the way. A bit of a spoiler, but I was hard pressed to find the most amazing survival bit – crossing the treacherous Drake Passage in a 22 foot boat, hiking in the snow over multiple 5k ft passes on Saint George’s island (with no sleep, dehydrated and virtually no food), or the >500 days of cold with constantly wet clothes and sleeping bags. I’m not sure any modern day person, given our wealth of comforts, could survive. While I can understand our forbearers crossing the Atlantic to find the New World, I am harder pressed to understand why one would choose to undergo this type of ‘adventure’, just to have done it, but I can marvel at the story.

'The Miracles of the Namiya General Store' by Keigo Higashino

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, Keigo Higashino (3.0)

I found this a sweet story that drew me in well, but didn’t hold me throughout. I think it had to do with the time jumping narrative and too pat coincidences. The General Store is a run down, seemingly abandoned shop in a distant suburb of Tokyo. The rumor has it that the old owner would give advice – if you dropped off your letter stating your situation and question, he would answer the next day in the box behind the store. Mr. Namiya was wise and his advice thoughtfully given. Early on we realize that something is odd about the store and the advice keeps being give long after the death of Namiya-san. I enjoyed many of the tales as we followed those who got advice, whether they adhered to it or not. While sweet, about two thirds of the way through, the coincidences were too much for me.

'Atmosphaera Incognita' by Neal Stephenson

Atmosphaera Incognita, Neal Stephenson (4.0)

This re-released novella is a short, wild ride – a treat for Stephenson fans that don’t have time for his usual 1000 page tome. Our narrator takes us on a journey to make the tallest building. Being Neal Stephenson, this is not Burj Khalifa type tall, this is a 20 km high behemoth, where near the top you can see the curvature of the earth and have to wear space suits. In just over 100 pages, we follow the design and construction of the building with all its unique challenges (winds, materials, etc.). While there is not a lot of time for character development, we get an Elon Musk type visionary with his childhood friend cum real estate mogul as our narrator. It does work, as the building is really the main character with most of the pages devoted to its description.

'The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence has Declined' by Steven PInker

The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence has Declined, Steven Pinker (2.0)

I was hoping that this book would be uplifting, but should have realized that with over 1000 pages, we likely would need to review the violence in detail in order to establish that it has declined. I found that to be very painful. For those who want a scholarly review of all the violence of human history, Pinker does an extremely thorough job. Unfortunately I did not need 10-20 cases reviewed for every act of genocide, type of torture and incentive for murder. I almost never do this – but I skipped through many examples. I believe I got the point by reading the first two chapters and the last. One interesting note is that this was published in 2012. There was a particularly prescient comment about narcissistic leaders that should scare us all!

'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman

American Gods, Neil Gaiman (4.0)

Why didn’t the gods of the old country survive the trip across the ocean and thrive in the US? Mr. Gaiman spins a complicated, though poetically written tale discussing their current state. Surprisingly, in his vision, they exist, though diminished due to their lack of devotees, and they are getting ready to go to war with the newer, shinier gods (think of commerce, TV, etc.). In some ways this book reminded me of ‘The Stand’ – albeit no one here really represents ‘good’. While the story and characters can be distracting and sometimes quite unsettling, I loved how I was transported to a truly realistic representation of Northern Wisconsin. His description of a bone-chilling walk 500 ft from his front door convinced me that Gaiman had indeed been to the small town where my parents grew up (a little Googling confirmed this). I can still feel the frost on my eyelashes from 30 years ago while walking to my dorm. Great books do just that: show, don’t tell.

'The Snack Thief' by Andrea Camilleri

The Snack Thief, Andrea Camilleri (3.0)

This is a good mystery novel, though not a great one. It’s a reasonably happy murder mystery, if there is such a thing, and a nice distraction if you are stuck in your house and would like a little escape. The protagonist, a small town detective in Sicily, reminds me of a softened version of the typical Norwegian and Swedish flawed detectives. In this case he has a temper, not a lot of patience, and issues with interpersonal relationships. This episode has the police department following two murders that seem unrelated: a Tunisian sailor is killed seemingly randomly on a ship and a retired importer is stabbed in his elevator. You realize right away that they will eventually be related and the journey is filled with odd and funny characters. By the way, I don’t recommend reading this when you are hungry – he has a passion for Italian food and the descriptions will leave you drooling!

'Exhalation: Stories' by Ted Chiang

Exhalation: Stories, Ted Chiang (4.0)

Excellent short stories by the author who inspired the movie, ‘Arrival’. While considered Science Fiction, the stories are profound and thought provoking-  such as the musings of a parrot, wondering why humans try so hard to communicate with life forms outside our galaxy while ignoring those who are trying to communicate with them on earth, i.e. said parrots. Chiang introduces potential technologies, and then exposes the possible moral and ethical issues they could bring. I enjoyed the unintentional consequences, which were not always bad. I particularly liked at the end, he discusses his motivation for each story, which gave even more depth to them.

'Artemis Fowl' by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl 1 and 3 (The Eternity Code), Eoin Colfer (3.0)

I will preface this review by saying these are Young Adult novels. I generally appreciate that genre and those books that respect the ‘Adult’ in that moniker. I found parts of this book series to be clever and funny, but the insertion of various whoopee cushion type instances made it feel farther towards the ‘Young’ side of the genre than I like. The main character, Artemis Fowl, is a pre-teen criminal genius. In the first book he is quite unlikeable – not surprising for a conceited, rich youngster. I did like the addition of the underworld, in this case defined as the place where the magical folk of the world have gone to escape the ‘mudders’, or humans. Artemis tricks someone to find out all the secrets of the Faeires and is determined to steal their gold (as we all know, they have pots of gold). Sadly, you are not rooting for him to win. At least by the end of the first book, he seems to soften and become more likeable. The third book revisits many of the same characters with the introduction of a criminal worse than Artemis. Now that we have an official bad guy, Artemis can be more of an anti-hero, which works better. Not bad for a quick escapist read, but doesn’t compete with many of the YA books as far as depth is concerned.

'Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town' by Jon Krakauer

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, Jon Krakauer (3.0)

While I usually enjoy Mr. Krakauer’s books and this topic is extremely important, I did not enjoy reading this book. I felt like I was being bombarded with ‘rape, rape, rape, incompetence, rape, rape, victim shaming, incompetence, legal system let-down, rape, rape.’ I know I only needed to read the details of each rape once for it to be etched into my psyche. Having the examples repeated (sometimes 3 or 4 times) was dulling. Many reviewers of this book remarked that the second half (mostly having to do with the trials) was too dry, but I felt it was needed after all the emotional trauma of the first half. This is a book that should be read, but is very hard to read.

'The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism' by Karen Armstrong

The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism, Karen Armstrong (3.5)

I learned a lot reading this book in which Ms. Armstrong thoroughly examines the branching of fundamentalism in the three main global religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. While the timing is often different, there were many parallels in why and how they emerged. I appreciated that she gives equal time to all three and carefully draws the comparisons, which were numerous. She often discusses the mythos and logos parts of culture and how as logos (mostly as science) advanced, mythos was often pushed aside. The fundamentalists were often disillusioned by a culture, which could not easily accommodate the spiritual. In simple terms, I can agree with this, but she does go back to it too often, in my opinion. Also, much of this book is depressing – such as the fact that progress always seems to be partnered with war as so many cannot deal with any change. My own faith in my fellow humans was often tested in reading this book – are we really that weak and fragile?

'The Testaments' by Margaret Atwood

The Testaments, Margaret Atwood (5.0)

While not as shocking as its predecessor, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, this pre/post-quel certainly lives up to the hype. I really enjoyed following Aunt Lydia’s back-story while also satisfying the reader’s desire to know more about what happens post Handmaid’s Tale. While the first book hinted at how Gilead’s formation was possible, experiencing it from the eyes of someone seen as co-conspiring gave clearer insight into something quite complicated. And who ever thought we’d root for Aunt Lydia in anything? I also found I was less angry reading this book. While the first book surprised and shocked, the second book gave some insight and some redemption. Given Ms. Atwood’s feelings about present politics around the world and her participation in the Hulu series, I look forward to the third book in the series a lot sooner than the wait for this one! I’m not sure if this book can stand on it’s own, so my 5 rating really goes for the two books read together: extremely interesting and thought provoking.

'Alta California' by Nick Neely

Alta California, Nick Neely (4.0)

This is an educational and enjoyable travelogue of Mr. Neely’s hike from San Diego to San Francisco where he endeavored to track the path of Portola and Crespi, the Spanish men who famously led (and documented) a party throughout California in the 1700’s. The travel narrative includes his current day issues (e.g. how to get through the air force and marine bases) with bits of history from Crespi’s diaries describing the differences they encountered. He highlights the nature – both flora and fauna along with the lack of nature (too many highways!). I was surprised by the nature he did find in and around LA and I loved following him as he walked through many of the areas and even neighborhoods well known to a 30+ year Californian.