'The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority' by Martin Gurri

 The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority, Martin Gurri (2.0)

I was quite disappointed in the second half of this book. It was recommended by someone whose opinions I respect. While the first half he did a good job of describing his thoughts on how traditional ‘Authority’ sources have lost their power in the new era of accessible information, unfortunately the second half was repetitive and wandering so any point was lost to me. It also was very focused on politics as opposed to broader subjects also impacted. I tended to disagree with him on many of his comments (some also proved wrong in hindsight). Readers don’t have to agree with all put forth by a writer, but his tendency to generalize and some inaccuracies left me less inclined to be generous. He added a last chapter a few years later, during Trump 1.0, to comment on how things were moving forward and if representative democracy was moving towards authoritarianism. Sadly, he didn’t wait for Trump 2.0, so his points fell flat again.

'Calling Me Home' by Julie Kibler

 Calling Me Home, Julie Kibler (4.0)

A woman in her 90’s remembers a difficult past in Kentucky. Her story unfolds to her friend as they make their way from Texas to Kentucky to attend a funeral. Her love for a man of another race was forbidden in many ways in the 60’s. Their story is poignant and tragic. I liked that the author was inspired when she heard something similar had happened to her own grandma. My one complaint was how much was held to the last few pages – which then hit you in a downpour of emotions. 

'Whistler' by Ann Patchett and 'The River' by Peter Heller

 The River, Peter Heller (4.5)

I always appreciate a well written story with a compelling plot, interesting characters and a good sense of place. This book has all of that. Two seniors in college are on a river trip in a remote part of Canada. They are travelling in a canoe going along a river with lakes along the way. A large wildfire is growing nearby, and they come across two pairs of somewhat suspicious characters. The rest of the story balances the approaching fire, the mystery of the strangers and their own survival. I happened to read this while on a lake in a forested part of northern Wisconsin with the Canadian wildfire smoke blowing in – very apropos. 

 

Whistler, Ann Patchett (4.5)

Ms. Patchett writes about families well. The characters in this story are interesting and well thought out. The protagonist runs into her estranged stepfather at a museum in New York and they work to get to know each other anew. I liked that their obvious affection from the past is underlying their adventure in finding out why they had drifted apart. I also appreciated that while the mother could have been written in two dimensions, her actions become more understandable as the story unfolds. The twists and turns of the plot do not feel like trickery or coercion.