'Success and Luck: Good Fortune and the Myth of Meritocracy' by Robert H. Frank

Success and Luck: Good Fortune and the Myth of Meritocracy, Robert. H. Frank (3.5)

What I liked most about this book was that it gave facts and data to back up what I have always believed. While a book with many interesting points, that made it less enlightening than I had hoped. Mr. Frank does a good job at pointing out how hard work is important, but almost always some luck makes the difference in who succeeds. And that those who do reap the benefits usually downplay that luck and consider their hard work the only factor. This makes it much easier to withhold benefits from others, who appear to have not worked as hard. The whole book reminded me of Anne Richards’ famous quote about George Bush: ‘He was born on third base, but thought he hit a triple’.  Sadly, those who should read this book are the least likely to read it.

'In the Lives of Puppets' by T. J. Klune

In the Lives of Puppets, T.J. Klune (4.0)

I enjoyed this book but was disappointed after reading the afterword by the author. He indicated that he had been forced to make changes to the story by his editors. Unfortunately, knowing that, I can’t help but wonder what would have been different and was left feeling a bit unsatisfied. The book starts as a Pinocchio-like story of family and existence and pivots part-way through to a Wizard of Oz-like story with strange characters and a perilous journey. The overall ideas included were interesting and refreshing, with many touching moments.  I recommend this for all who enjoy unique science fiction, though perhaps skip the afterword.

'Digging to America' by Anne Tyler and 'The Diamond Eye' by Kate Quinn

Digging to America, Anne Tyler (3.5)

It took me awhile to get into this book. At first, I found the characters all quite annoying. The story is of two extended families who meet at the airport as they are picking up their adopted children from Korea. We follow the families over a few years as the two girls grow up and the families stay close. Eventually I can to appreciate the nuanced writing as the story illustrated the feelings of various types of immigrants, though mainly affluent ones. Whether they chose to come to the US, are second generational with strong cultural ties to their family’s original country or were adopted into these families, their feelings were oddly both different and similar. The writing was good, even if I didn’t like the characters.

The Diamond Eye, Kate Quinn (4.0)

I normally don’t read historical fiction as it can reshape my memory with regards to actual history. In this case, I enjoyed reading a fiction story about a real woman sniper in the Russian army during WWII. The main character was interesting and more complex than many of the others. Following history, she did make a propaganda trip to the US. She was part of a group invited by Eleanor Roosevelt with a mission to get US to engage on the Eastern front as an ally of Russia. Kate Quinn once again does a good job bringing to life important women in the war. While WWII has been the setting for many books, her choice of unknown heroes makes the stories fresher. I found the love story elements a bit simplistic, but I was anxious to read it quickly to find out what happens to the Lady Sniper.