101 Books to Read Before You Die discussion
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Everything Happens For a Reason by Kate Bowlerhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
At 35, Kate Bowler is married to her high school sweet heart, the mother of a one year old, teaching at a prestigious university, celebrating the publication of her first book and diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Her scholarly background is in the Christian movement known as the Prosperity Gospel. She weaves her experience of rage, desperation, fear, hope and the gut wrenching need to make sense of this diagnosis with the language and theology of the Prosperity Gospel. She shows how the desire to control the future makes the Prosperity Gospel attractive and how its promise of miraculous Divine intervention fails those in the dark valley of sorrow and loss. Bowler is nakedly honest with the reader about the devastating emotions she passes in and out of. 3.5 stars
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleetonhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I doubt this book would have been on my radar had it not been a GR group monthly pick. I did not realize it was a romance, a genre I do not gravitate to. This romance was set against the Cuban Revolution, told in 2 time lines, a wealthy 19 year old who has fallen in love with a Castro soldier and her granddaughter 60 years later returning to Cuba for the first time since the opening of limited travel between the US and Cuba. I thought this story was predictable and full of repetition. Part of the problem is that there are only so many ways that a writer can tell us that his lips grazed her neck or her breath caught at the sight of him or their arms snaked around one another. But, part of it was that the author told us numerous times that the granddaughter questioned her Cuban identity when on Cuban soil or that there was tension between those Cubans who fled into exile and those who stayed or…. For those who like romance novels, I think this will be enjoyable, but I wanted more of the Revolution, more family conflict, more social tension and less kissing and lustful breathing.
The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America by Frances FitzGeraldhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is an extensively researched, detailed survey of the establishment, growth and acquisition of political power of Evangelical Christianity in the United States. Although FitzGerald has synthesized a great amount of information from the historical record, I feel I know less after reading this tome than I did before. Maybe that is a sign of a good study, after all, the more one knows, the more one should realize how little one knows. And, maybe I wanted something from this scholarship which it was not intending to provide; I wanted to know why they hold such outsized political power while this book asked how they gained their political position.
Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contrerashttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this coming of age story set in Bogota in the 1990s. Gorillas and drug lords, military forces and vigilantes, this is a time of violent social unrest in Columbia. But the middle class living in gated communities are supposed to be protected from it all. Violence can never be confined to the slums. I often find it difficult to relate to stories narrated from a child’s recollection. But this one drew me in immediately; I found the voice authentic and the scenario entirely believable. It was not until the author’s end notes that I learned that this account was based on her own childhood experiences.
River of Grace: Creative Passages Through Difficult Times by Susan Baileyhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The author uses the metaphor of kayaking and her personal experiences of family death, health issues and financial problems to help the reader through times of loss and pain. Several exercises involving creativity, art and journaling are included in each chapter. I am not personally in a “difficult time”; I did not do any of the exercises. Rather I bought this at a highly discounted price and wanted to read it before donating it to the parish library. It is likely that the book would have resonated differently with me had I been looking for its answers, had I engaged with its suggested activities. Apart from that, I found the writing mediocre, the insights superficial, the self-reverential examples repetitive.
Countdown City by Ben Wintershttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I love the way Ben Winters tells a story. He creates alternative settings, just slightly outside what we know and makes them vividly real. His characters are nuanced yet straight forward. In this second book of the Last Policeman trilogy, we are less than 2 months from the anticipated earth-destroying asteroid impact. Society is devolving into anarchy. And in the midst of all this turmoil, Henry calmly goes about investigating a disappeared man. This is old-fashioned gum shoe detective work, and utterly satisfying. I really should not let so much time go by before getting to the next book in this series.
Tracks by Louise Erdrichhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Despite being written with Erdrich’s consistent talent, this book failed to grab me. I am certain that the fault is with me. I struggle with magical realism and it was ubiquitous in this book. The depiction of one character’s Catholic spiritual experiences was far from positive, bordering on the demonic, which I found off-putting. Throughout the book, I felt like a voyeur listening to a family story that was not meant for my ears, for which I did not have sufficient context and to which I was not really welcome. This is the story of an extended Chippewa family in the second decade of the 20th century told through two voices, an elder who distained and resisted the encroachment of white culture and a young woman who sought a strange form of salvation from personal daemons in a self-destructive expression of Catholic asceticism.
The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonassonwww.goodreads.com/review/show/2553783175
Key Stone Cops meets Forest Gump and moves to Sweden in this slap stick farcical comedy. I did not find the ridiculous situations remotely humorous and was offended by the use of violence to generate laughs. The writing was simplistic and repetitive giving it a juvenile feel. I am certain that many will appreciate the humor in this novel, but I did not. 1.5 stars
Ragtime by E.L. Doctorowhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is one of those books that I leave a bit baffled. We have the story of two N.Y. families in the first decade or so of the 20th century, one wealthy with long roots in the City, the other poor Jewish immigrants newly arrived. Weaving in and out and alongside of these families is a host of famous people from Harry Houdini to Emma Goldman. While the members of these families are never named, identified only by relational titles, the famous and fictional people that brush by them are known by their names. At the heart of this novel’s plot is an act of racial cruelty. But this seems to be as much about racial tension as it is about who makes and interpretes history, about the clay feet and odd behaviors of those we claim to admire, whether close up or at a distance, about …. Well, that is what has me baffled. I could easily follow the story line of this novel, but I am not sure what Doctorow was trying to get at.
Back from vacation and getting caught up!Finished 4
by Jane Austen My Review:
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by Yaa GyasiMy Review:
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by Attica LockeMy Review:
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by Amy BloomMy Review:
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The Reunion by Samantha Hayeshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Twenty years after 13 year old Eleanor goes missing from her seaside town, Claire, her older sister, organizes a small reunion. Its purpose is to help her father’s cognition which is becoming increasingly impaired by dementia. But, it is a strange group if the point is to help the father reminisce: the estranged brother and his very pregnant wife, Claire’s best friend from childhood and daughter, Claire’s high school crush, none of the father’s friends or siblings. The reader has to be aware that the solution to Eleanor’s disappearance is in this group of people. In addition to the missing person plot line are numerous other dysfunctional family dynamics, sexual tension, old grudges, bulimia, and more. I found all these added plot lines created an atmosphere of unnecessary sensationalism. The resolution of the mystery left me with many questions. In short, it felt forced and not believable.
The Rent Collector by Camron Wrighthttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Set among the residents of a garbage dump in Cambodia, This is a heart-warming story of the power of story to heal, transform, empower and forge deep bonds of mutual respect. Although I loved this novel and its beautiful message of hope and the goodness of people, I am too much of a cynic to believe that such happy endings are likely.
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Joneshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the story of half-sisters whose father is married to both their mothers simultaneously. The novel is divided in half, the story being told from both of their perspectives. Dana, the author of the first half, knows of her father’s other family because that is where he lives, her mother knowing of his marriage when she gets pregnant and demands that he legitimize their relationship and his daughter. Claurisse, the second narrator, only learns of her father’s other family late in the book. It is obvious from the start that these girls will eventually meet. This is about the impact of this family arrangement on the lives of two girls growing up in middle class Atlanta neighborhoods. Overall, I thought this was an engaging story, solidly written. I am not sure exactly why, but I struggled with the switch from Dana’s to Claurisse’s voice. I was aware of the author’s pen when reading the second half in a way that I did not feel in the first section. 3.5 stars
Finished
by Brunonia BarryI Loved the Lace Reader, somehow skipped over book 2 and found this one just a meh...
My Review:
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Finished
by Anne Bogel If you have any interest in personality assessments, this is for you!
My Review:
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The English Patient by Michael Ondaatjewww.goodreads.com/review/show/2572206241
This novel of 4 people isolated at an Italian villa transformed into a field hospital in the final days of WWII is a haunting bit of literature. This read more like poetry than prose, the rich language is deeply atmospheric, the cadence creates a dreamy feel, the predominance of memories adding to a general feel of seeing the story through a gauze. I was very tired when I read this; it needed and deserved more from me as a reader than I was able to give. For the quality of the writing, it deserves its status among the Man Booker award winners. On a personal level, it never engaged me, never captured my imagination or pulled me in on an emotional level.
A Nnew Way To Be Church: Parish Renewal From the Outside In by Jack Jezreelhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Jezreel, well known to U.S. Catholics involved in Catholic justice and peace work, argues that parishes need to be more intentional about the social mission of the Gospel. Serving those in need, advocating for policies that support the most vulnerable in society, lobbying for laws that protect the environment, promote international peace, foster just economic systems and fight for equality for all people should be at the heart of every Catholic parish’s life because this is what is at the heart of the Gospel. He would like to see every parish allocate half its financial, staffing and campus resources for carrying out the social mission of the Gospels. Although I would like to see jezreel’s vision become reality, it did not always feel do-able. This book had me cheering, challenged and discouraged in equal measure. 3.5 stars
Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backmanhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
There seems to be a glut of novels that feature socially inept characters in a mix of humor and poignant life lessons. Had I not already read of Eleanor Oliphant, The Rosie Project, A Man Called Ove, watched the Big Bang Theory, and more, I might have been more entertained by Brit Marie. But I felt like I had heard all these jokes before. And the way everyone in this town fell instantly in love with Brit Marie was far too sacrin for my taste.
Confessions of a Convert by Robert Hugh Bensonhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a classic spiritual memoir. Benson, an Anglican priest and the son of an Anglican priest, became attracted to Catholic sacramental theology, devotional practices and historical continuity with the apostolic era. He joined several other high profile late 19th century men who left the Anglican Church for the Catholic Church in search of greater ritual, tradition and doctrinal certitude.
Doc by Mary Doria Russellhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Russell has made Dodge City come alive in this fictional account of Doc Holiday. A great book by a great author.
Ten North Frederick by John O’Harahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a quiet novel of a social class, a family and a man on the decline. The Chapin family has held a position of prominence, occupying the large house on prime realist ate, served by a loyal team of servants, holding places of great significance in the political, economic and social arenas of their communities. As the novel opens in 1945, Joe Chapin is being buried with the pomp that a man of his standing deserves. But as O’Hara retraces the family history and Joe’s life in particular, the facade is dismantled brick by brick to reveal the rot, the decline that makes it clear that not only has Joe passed away, but so has this social order and this once great family. This novel deserves its literary recognition. The characters are carefully crafted, the turn of the century town is well portrayed, the brokenness is shown with nuance. But this is a very slow novel focused on character development, including the character of the town of Gibbsville, more than on plot. And the pace is slowed further by O’Hara’s tendency to be a bit wordy. In the end, the book dragged for me to the point that I lost interest. That may say more about my mind-set than about the book. Although it was a 3.5 star read for me, it deserves to be rounded up to 4 stars.
Dopesick by Beth Macyhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Beth Macy presents a compelling and very readable argument for who should hold the blame for the current opioid crisis killing as many as 7 people an hour in the U.S. First she points to pharmaceutical companies that developed these drugs and aggressively marketed them to doctors despite convincing research showing its highly addictive properties. And she blames the doctors who over prescribed these opioids because it was easier than monitoring patients or helping them find other means of pain management. Second she blames dealers who take advantage of vulnerable addicts for their own enrichment, providing them with ever more deadly substances. Third, she holds the public at large responsible for their unwillingness to face the crisis until they are personally involved, refusing to allocate tax dollars for treatment, criminalizing addiction rather than addressing it as a medical condition. Along with the society that makes recovery so difficult, she condemns the insurance companies for their lack of adequate coverage for medication and treatment plans for addicts. Macy does a wonderful job intertwining personal stories with policies and procedures.
The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Once again a book group pick had me reading a book that I was predisposed to dislike, young adult romance. I found the scenario highly improbable. I thought the dialogue was cheesy and sounded nothing like the voices of N.Y.C. high school seniors. I felt that the tangential sections were just too cutzie and the use of alternating voices overdone. Simply, this is not my type of book. 1.5 stars
The Monk by Matthew Lewishttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Am I the only person who is perplexed by the rationale behind the books on “must read” lists? I read this gothic novel because it was recommended by such a list. My only guess for its strong recommendation is that it is a quintessential example of the form. With its ghosts and demons, its pregnant nuns and raping and murdering abbots, its excessively naive maidens and vain and superstitious older women, it has all the elements of the gothic tale in spades. But this was so melodramatic, so ludicrous in its plot line, so ridiculous in the characters presented, that I thought I was reading a spoof of the genre. I spent most of the book wanting to laugh. The inclusion of numerous lengthy poems did nothing except add volume to a book I was not enjoying.
The Wave by Susan Caseyhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In this book, journalist Susan Casey investigates the world of extreme surfing, those who travel the globe, spend a fortune and risk their lives to ride ever larger, more dangerous, more powerful waves. She invites the reader to spend time with a band of surfers, to listen to what drives them. Between the chapters with these men, she interviews physicists studying waves, salvage crews rescuing ships broken by waves, shares archived accounts of people who lived through extraordinary waves and hears the concerns of insurers and others whose economic success can be destroyed by freak waves. I read this because it fulfilled a challenge, but I also hoped to understand men who would risk everything, who are willing to endure horrendous injuries and watch their colleagues die, just for a thrill. That did not happen. I admire firefighters, police officers, social workers serving in dangerous neighborhoods and others who risk their lives for little gain just to help others, to make the world a bit better for someone else. But, I still can’t comprehend nor condone engaging in such dangerous behavior for bragging rights or an adrenalin high.
The Memory Palace by Mira Bartokhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the memoir of author and illustrator Mira Bartok. Mira and her sister were raised by a mother with paranoid schizophrenia and an absent father, by a violent alcoholic grandfather and a grandmother struggling to hold things together. When her mother’s intrusive behavior followed the sisters across state lines and became violent, both young women had to sever ties for their own safety, emotional health and professional success. Seventeen years later when they discover that their homeless mother is dying of cancer, they return to her hospital room to reconnect. This memoir recounts an erratic childhood and explores the impact of these childhood experiences on her adult life. Even though she did not see or talk to her mother for nearly two decades, her mother continued to have an outsized influence on her life. Bartok portrays her mother with sensitivity and respect, realizing that she loved her daughters fiercely, that she was a brilliant piano prodigy, but that her mental illness was destroying her and had the potential to destroy Mira and her sister. 3.5 stars
Rose Kennedy: The Life and Times of a Political Matriarch by Barbara Perrywww.goodreads.com/review/show/2605176395
This biography read like an ambitious term paper trying for a maximum word count. Perry piles excerpt upon excerpt from diaries, letters and articles, all making the same point. The same information about Rose Kennedy is repeated and repeated, that she ate like a bird because she had a delicate tummy, that she insisted on order and punctuality from her family, that she was extremely concerned with how she appeared in the public eye, etc. Her personality was flattened by attributing every action and reaction, every attitude and behavior to her devout Catholic faith. I read this book because it is the pick for my in-person book group. When I read the biography of a person who I don’t know much about, I am hoping for insight, to be persuaded that this person’s story is significant. But this did not happen. Rose Kennedy came across as a micromanaging society woman whose only claim to fame was her relationships to wealthy and powerful men.
A Piece of My Heart by Richard Fordhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am ambivalent about this book. Two directionless, self-absorbed men meet at the rural home of an equally self-absorbed and rather strange older man. These men may be broken and not very likable, but they have a depth and complexity that I admire in fiction. Much of this novel unfolds in dialogue rendered with an excellent ear for the natural and colloquial. Ford avoids spoon-feeding the reader anything; we are allowed to watch and to listen, but we must figure things out for ourselves. Unfortunately, much of my time in this story, I felt disoriented, scrambling to try to understand what was really going on. Early in the book, there is a scene along a road through the desert of the Southwest. Giving a ride to a stranded motorist, one of the characters stops at an isolated service station/convenience store supervised by an adolescent girl. On the property are several cages containing small animals. In one is a bob cat and a terrified jack rabbit soon to be the cat’s dinner. In a way, this felt like a metaphor for the novel. These men postured as if they were the bob cat while knowing themselves to be the jack rabbit. And, I, the reader, felt like the desperately disgusted traveler, wanting to rescue a pathetic animal I neither liked nor respected but powerless to do anything. Reading this novel had all the appeal and all the compulsion of watching a train wreck, and all the grace of watching a ballet. Because despite all the brokenness and ugliness in these pages, Ford tells this story with a technical grace that is beautiful. 3.5 stars
Mountain City by Gregory Martinhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the memoir of a tiny rural community settled by immigrants and depopulated by economic forces in the span of a few generations. And, this is the memoir of a family whose multiple generations are at the heart of this community. In these stories of births and decline, of fragile bodies and strong spirits, of trust and betrayals, we are given a glimpse into a particular group of people and a reflection of a universal story. 3.5 stars
Thomas Merton, Brother Monk: The Quest for True Freedom by M. Basil Penningtonhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Fr. Pennington, brother Cistercian, writer and spiritual guide, reflects on the life and witness of Thomas Merton with a particular emphasis on how Merton sought and found true freedom in the strict confines of the Cistercian Order. Not only does Pennington provide an insightful encounter with this spiritual master, but he also offers the reader insights into his or her own spiritual journey.
Tin Man by Sarah Winmanhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This short novel goes for maximum poignancy. The book is divided in half, each part told by one of the primary characters who were best friends in adolescence. Initially, we meet Ellis who is mired in grief over the death of his wife 5 years prior. Through recollections, we not only learn of their romance, but of Ellis’s childhood losses and his bond with Michael, whose friendship he still values even though they lost touch over time. The second half belongs to Michael who is also grieving, grieving Ellis who was his only true love. This book was a quick read, holding my attention throughout. I enjoyed Ellis’s section much more than Michael’s. In part, Ellis, being the first voice I heard, came across as the more natural. Michael’s voice seemed to be crafted by the author to be slightly different, instead, I heard the author’s pen too loudly. Michael’s section focused far too much on sex for my taste. Even though Ellis recounts his attraction to and growing intimacy with his wife, sex is not emphasized nor described in messy detail. I also struggled with the character of Michael character as presented in Ellis’s memories. His young adolescent flirtatious banter with Ellis’s mother, his conversations with Ellis, never felt age appropriate. 3.5 stars
Factfulness by Hans Roslinghttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rosling, a physician and public health expert, is concerned by the wide spread misconceptions about the progress of global development and how best to tackle global problems. This book is not simply a report on current poverty rates or literacy levels, but explores why people generally hold a much more negative perception of development issues than is correct. His concern is that governments, development organizations and the general population must have a clear perception of successes, current needs and those practices which have actually produced the most gains if we are going to avoid pessimism and donor fatigue and if we are going to move all people out of dire poverty and the environment away from ecological devastation. Rosling has an engaging and accessible style. Even though I did much better than average on the pre-test, I still found much in this book to challenge my way of thinking.
In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwinhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This classic of the travel genre is a collection of short sketches of the Welsh shepherds and North American outlaws and Russian housewives and German farmers and Indian captives and the many others the author met on his travels through Patagonia. Alongside these sketches are legends of bandits and tales of shipwrecks and hearsay of mythical creatures and more. According to the introduction, Chatwin did not want this categorized among travel books, but regarded it as a reflection on human restlessness. Apparently, Chatwin took liberties with the truth. The people he photographed and named felt that they had been exploited and betrayed when they learned of their presence in these pages. I wonder if I would have enjoyed the book more if I had not read the introduction, had not realized that Chatwin held the truth loosely, that he had used people’s stories without permission. I never felt connected to the individual’s I met in this book. Rather I felt as if I were peering at spectacles in a freak show. Maybe each sketch was too short to allow for that connection, or maybe he had a bit of ridicule in his presentation.
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turtonwww.goodreads.com/review/show/2620557313
This was a unique approach to the traditional murder mystery. At an isolated estate with guests gathered for a ball, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young adult daughter of the family is killed. The narrator must solve the crime. But this is no ordinary world; the day of the murder is repeated in an infinite loop as the narrator spends it in the body of 8 different guests of the family. If he does not solve the murder by the end of the 8th day, his memories will be erased and he will begin the cycle again. If he figures out the answer, he will be released from this world. As he works to uncover clues, he is also being hunted by those who do not want him to solve the mystery. Although I appreciated the inventiveness of this novel, I prefer the more traditional approach to the genre. I struggled to get my imagination around some of the logic of various magical elements. But, for the reader who enjoys murder mysteries but is not a stickler for realism, this is worth picking up.
Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendihttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a thorough review of racist attitudes in the United States from the time of the Puritan settlers to the administration of President Obama. The book is organized around 5 historical persons who somehow exemplify the racial attitudes of an era. For me, these figures did not help to organize my thoughts around the subject. Entire chapters in a section might only mention that person in passing while the attitudes or policies discussed were simply one more approach to the question, not that of the focal figure nor a reaction to that person’s thoughts. But this is a minor quibble. For the most part, I found this to be very complete. From the title, it is clear that the author will argue that racism has always been and continues to be prominent in the US. I agreed with this thesis going into the book and was familiar with much of the historical information prior to reading it. Nonetheless, there was still much for me to learn and new insights to glean. For a reader unfamiliar with the topic, this book might be overwhelming.
101 Books to Read Before You Die
Books mentioned in this topic
Persuasion (other topics)It (other topics)
The Immortalists (other topics)
The Hate U Give (other topics)
Timekeeper (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jane Austen (other topics)Madeline Miller (other topics)
Sarah Henning (other topics)
Sarah McCoy (other topics)
Sarah Pekkanen (other topics)
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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
These three fantastic novellas, each featuring a man hired to pursue and/or watch another, went in remarkable and unexpected directions. I am not sure I grasp a fragment of what the author was saying, but I didn’t have to in order to enjoy them. The writing was amazing, the stories were inventive.