101 Books to Read Before You Die discussion
What are you reading?
Prayerfulness: Awakening to the Fullness of Life by Robert Wickshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This felt more like a pop psychology self-help book than a primer on prayer. Readings for a 30 day self-directed retreat concludes the book. I took the full 30 days to read through this section, but nothing resonated with me. I was surprised by how rarely God or any member of the Trinity was mentioned. The goal of this book appeared to be self-acceptance, internal tranquility and healthy relationships, all laudable goals, but not intimacy with God or fidelity to Gospel values, which is what I was seeking. 1.5 stars
The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Several generations and story lines from the mid-19th century through the present are tethered to a house, a murdered socialite, a missing diamond and a ghost. I struggled with this book from the beginning. It was too long and too convoluted for my taste, there were too many story lines, too many child drownings and strained romances, too many perfect coincidences that felt extraneous to the mystery at the heart of this novel. My mind kept wandering as I read this and it is very possible that I missed some important connections.
Nabokov’s Favorite Word is Mauve by Ben Blatt
www.goodreads.com/review/show/2775933542
Blatt statistically analyzes children’s literature and best sellers, classics and genre fiction, 19th and 20th century authors for universal trends and for literary fingerprints. I would have enjoyed many of the conclusions in the form of a list of interesting trivia. But I found all the charts and graphs, the explanations of methodology and selection criteria far too wonkish for me. This will be a fascinating book for many readers, but not for me.
The River Wife by Jonis Ageehttps://www.goodr eads.com/review/show/2777244365
This book jumps between two generations that of a mid-19th century Mississippi pirate, a ruthless killer and passionate lover and that of a Prohibition era gangster, a ruthless killer and passionate lover. But it is actually the women in these men’s lives that take center stage as the narrators, all incredibly brave and level headed and both kind to horses and dogs, but not as careful with their human babies. The author marinade his prose in similes like some inferior cut of meat rendered unpalatable by its saturation in far too salty brine. The action whiplashed between eras like a carnival ride leaving one more disorientated than entertained. The action was recounted with more melodrama and less subtlety than a Brazilian telenovela. (Get the picture?) This is the perfect family vacation book; it can be read with one eye on the kids in the pool, one ear on your mother-in-law’s prattle, one side of the brain falling into a coma and still be pretty certain that you will not miss anything important.
Setting The World On Fire by Shelley Emlinghttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I enjoyed this biography of St. Catherine of Siena. It filled in some gaps in my knowledge of her life. I do not know enough to evaluate any of the claims about this 14th century mystic, but her bibliography was solid.
Milkman by Anna Burnshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show... https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I love classical music, but not many of the more modern pieces with their discordant notes and jarring rhythms. I recognize the enormous skill of the musicians playing these pieces, the tremendous talent of the composers, I just do not find the listening enjoyable. That is how I felt reading this novel. The rhythm of the language felt stilted. The substitution of relational labels (e.g. Third Brother-In-Law, Maybe Boyfriend) for personal names felt like a gimmick. I felt a wall between me and the narrative which refused me entry. From the French class’s inability to see the vibrant colors of the sunset to the odd actions and language of Tablet Girl and her sister, this had a surreal quality. It is clear that the author possesses enormous talent and I understand why it would receive the Man-Booker. But appreciation and enjoyment are not always the same thing.
I am currently reading
. Have any of you read it? What did you think? Im almost to part 3.
Good Will Come From the Sea by Christos Ikonomouhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Set on a Greek island, these stories depict lives struggling against organized crime, wide-spread violence and corruption, hopelessness and loss, characters fighting to survive with some shred their dignity intact. These are stories of people suspended between being cut down and allowed to stand tall. These were powerful stories of powerlessness. These were not easy to read, not simply because of the pain they held, but also because of the rambling, circular way they were told
The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
As is so popular right now, this book weaves together two story lines. One story is that of a 12 year old girl and her family who are made refugees by the Syrian war. The other is a legend of a heroine who impersonates a boy so she can travel the world as the apprentice of a map maker, a legend full of swash buckling battles, a magic stone and great acts of bravery. I did not realize that this was written on a middle grade level when my GR group selected it. I can’t fairly evaluate it because I do not enjoy reading books written for a young teen reader.
The Broken Girlls by Simone St. Jameshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The bodies of 2 young women are found on the grounds of a boarding school, separated by 40 years. Twenty years after the second murder, a small town police officer and a free-lance journalist team up for romance and to investigate a cold case. For the most part, I enjoyed this murder mystery. It kept me engaged. I generally do not like the use of the duel time line which feels over used, but it worked well in this novel. My only complaint was with the ending which came together a bit too neatly. I subtracted a half star for that ending, but I suspect that most readers will appreciate the way things tied up. 3.5 stars
Maid: Hard Work, Low, Pay and a Mothers Will To Survive by Stephanie Landhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The title summarizes this memoir. The author moves from her middle class upbringing to poverty when, in her late 20s, she becomes pregnant to a man she moved in with after only knowing him a few months, a man who turns out to have a volatile temper. Land recounts 5 years living on a combination of government subsidized programs and minimum wage part-time work, living in low income housing. She repeatedly tells the reader that domestic labor is physically demanding, that the lack of status and the struggle to pay bills causes unbearable stress, that she is a devoted mother and a harder worker than most, and that her family did not provide a safety net. It is important that those who have never lived in poverty understand the difficulties faced by those on the lower rungs of the income ladder. As a society, we need greater compassion for the financially disenfranchised and more support for safety net programs. Although I think that these stories need to be told, this memoir fell a bit flat for me. The tone became winey as the same complaints were repeated. I kept waiting for some moment of self-awareness that never happened. The author constantly condemned her daughter’s father while being incensed by his criticism of her. She developed less than flattering assumptions of the people living in the houses she cleaned while bristling at the assumptions made about her. From the medical professionals who treated her daughter’s ear infections to the mothers at her daughter’s daycare, to the members of her family, she sees selfishness and shallowness while insisting that the reader know that she has always acted out of the best of intensions, even if overwhelming forces prevented her from always being her best. I think this would have worked better for me had it been a feature length article rather than a book length memoir.
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Millerwww.goodreads.com/review/show/2792898370
This science fiction classic imagines the world decimated by nuclear war in the mid-20th century. The book opens 6 centuries after that catastrophe on a society that is a slightly farcical approximation of the Dark Ages. With the action centered in a monastery founded immediately after the fiery deluge, to preserve the limited texts which survived, the book frames many of its questions about human nature and our proclivity to repeat history in religious terms. I found parts of this story rather entertaining, parts quite disturbing, parts potentially thought-provoking. It was the potentially thought-provoking aspects that might have been more explicitly developed. I felt that the author came to the brink of some profound questions, but backed away without pushing the reader over the edge. I was particularly surprised by the author’s inability to see the changes in Catholic religious practices a decade past his penning of this book. It reminded me how shockingly radical the Second Vatican Council was for most of the faithful.
Hum If You Don’t Know The Words by Bianca Maraishttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The lives of two characters are turned upside down by the 1976 Soweto Student Uprising: a white child and a black mother. The novel is told in chapters that alternate between their narrative voices. How these lives would meet and the resolution of the story was obvious early on. Because the author’s intent was so clear, there was no plot tension and the story simply dragged for me. The moralizing was heavy handed. It was very clear that the point of the book was to show that prejudice is stupid, not just racial prejudices, but also religious and sexual. Rather than invite the reader to experience the crushing pain of prejudice, the reader was treated to a cute story about a plucky 9 year old that gave the book a bit of a Nancy Drew feel. Further, by having the white child accomplish what the black professional could not, the author risked infantilizing the black character as has so often been done.
Dancer by Colum McCannhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a fictional account of the life of Rudolf Nureyev. It is told in an unconventional way. Various voices tell bits of their lives: Nureyev’s sister, the daughter of one of his early dance instructors, his housekeeper, several lovers, etc. Often these stories seemed to be tangentially about Nureyev. Some voices were pure stream of consciousness while others used a more traditional narrative structure. In the end, the reader was given a glimpse at the way Nureyev was perceived by those in his orbit. Largely, he came across as a selfish, arrogant, mean-spirited, vulgar man with immense talent for dance. Yet despite his ugly qualities, people were attracted to a larger than life personality, a man who lived his life flamboyantly. This was not a book to get lost in. McCann was more present on these pages than was Nureyev, showing off his significant talent. This is a book that demands the reader’s full attention, that asked for applause at its cleverness, and while being well written, is not a book I would recommend. If I were not already a fan of McCann, I don’t think I would pick up another book by him had this been my first encounter.
The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doighttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a mid-20th century coming of age story set in a small Montana town. The story focuses on the summer of 1960, when the narrator is 12 years of age. I have heard it said that there are only 2 stories, a stranger comes to town and a person goes on a journey. This is the former with several strangers entering the boy’s life through this summer. The author creates a sense of intimacy with the reader. This could have been a guy sharing his story over a beer at the corner bar. Unfortunately, as with most real life people who share their meandering stories with me, half way through I was growing impatient for the narrator to get to the point. This may say more about my lack of attention or interest in the lives of others than it says about the writing of this author. This started as a solid 4 star read for me, but was sliding to 3 stars as my eagerness for the final page grew. 3.5 stars
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis De Berniereshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The writing was brilliant! The author moved from biting humor lampooning one or another political power to heartbreaking confessions of longing and loneliness, from the tender dialogue between a father and his only child to the laugh-out-loud antics of drunken soldiers with equal skill. Even minor characters came to life with memorable clarity. I thought I disliked romances and had my fill of WWII novels, but I was wrong. I could have finished this in a few days, I simply did not want to put it down, but I forced myself to read it in small chunks so I could make it last as long as possible. I am certain this will make the list of my favorite books of the year.
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choohttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Drawing on traditional Malaysian beliefs about the afterlife and spirit world, this author creates a story that is part mystery, part thriller, part historical family saga. I usually dislike fantasy, but knowing that this is rooted in the beliefs of another culture made it interesting. I would have appreciated it had the author found a way to introduce me to the unique cultural elements without constant explicit explanations. Nonetheless, I found all the information about Malaysia during the colonial period fascinating. 3.5 stars
The Plotters by Un-Su Kimhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I needed something to break me out of my reading rut and this certainly was outside my normal reading. This is part thriller, part comedy, part psychological study. Set in an alternative South Korea where gangs of assassins governed by mysterious leaders control society, this had a dark humor in its preposterous characters and it was stunningly insightful in its exploration of human motivations. The writing was crisp, a delight to read. I am not sure I would want to have a steady literary diet of this type of book, but I am very glad I read this one.
Plainsong by Kent Harufhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is one year in a small Colorado town (I’m guessing around 1980) told through the lives of a few of its residents: a pregnant teen and the elderly brothers who give her refuge on their dairy farm, the high school history teacher and his young sons trying to figure out life in the wake of the mother’s desertion, a high school English teacher caring for her elderly father with dementia, the town bully. Loneliness is at the heart of all these lives and so is human decency (except for that bully). This could easily be adapted for the Hallmark channel. It is a bit too sentimental for my taste.
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijueloshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Through the life of one man, a Cuban immigrant to New York in the 1950s who knew momentary success as part of a Latin band, this book recreates an era. If this is an accurate depiction of a time and place, it was an awful way to live, vapid lives spent in a drug and alcohol haze, obsession with recreational sex devoid of any real commitment, the complete objectification of women as sex objects or servants. The book was far too long, far too repetitive. Had 90% of the mention of pubic hair, nipples and penises been cut from the text, it would have hardly qualified as a novella. I don’t care if this won a Pulitzer; I found it unnecessarily vulgar and insulting to women. 1.5 stars
Catholic Modern by James Chappelhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In half a century, from 1920 to 1970, the Catholic Church dramatically altered its position on several social issues such as religious liberty, individual rights and the secular state. Chappel traces this evolution by looking at 3 key figures in each shift along this transformation in Germany, France and Austria. For the most part, this was over my head. I knew few of the figures studied, almost none of the political or economic organizations examined. Although this is well enough footnoted to suggest that it is well researched, I can not evaluate this work. Although the philosophers and cultural movements present in these chapters seem to support his conclusions, we all know that facts and figures, quotes and characters can be cherry-picked to support any thesis. I simply do not know enough about 20th century political, economic and cultural shifts in Western Europe to determine the validity of what is argued here.
The Power by Naomi Aldermanhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This novel lacked any subtlety, in its writing, its character development, its plot momentum, in the themes it asked the reader to consider. With no warning, teen and younger girls find they have the ability to generate an electric charge strong enough to maim or even kill another person. Initially, they employ this power in self-defense. But, in a few pages, they are using it to carry out grand schemes. They become the megalomaniacal cult leader and preach a religious message that men are inferior to women and must practice humility. They become the ruthless head of a drug smuggling gang and inform men that they do not have the temperament or the head for business. They gang rape guys and sexually humiliate them. They become the corrupt heads of governments and deny males equal rights, imposing a guardian requirement for them. In short, men are subject to the worse abuses that women have experienced under every patriarchal society in history. This outcome should be expected. The author did not change the nature of power, just the group who held it; the story did not change, the lines were simply traded among the players. The total absence of nuance left me with the feeling of being literarily yelled at, not an experience I find enjoyable. 1.5 stars
After The Dance by Edwidge Danticathttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
As a child growing up in Porte-au-Prince, Danticat was forbidden from participating in Carnival by her Evangelical family. As an adult, she travels to Jacmel, the epicenter of Haitian Carnival to experience this cultural phenomenon. This travel memoir recounts her experience, the people she met and the places she visited, while putting Carnival into the cultural context of Haiti’s history. 2.5 stars
Heart In The Right Place by Carolyn Jourdanhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Jourdan was serving as legal counsel on Capitol Hill when her mother’s heart attack brought her back to her childhood home in Appalachia. Agreeing to fill in as the receptionist for her father’s rural medical practice for a few days, until her mother could return to work, she could not have guessed that she would still be there one year later, her life on a new trajectory. This is a series of anecdotes about the quirky, good-hearted people in this rural community and the medical care provided by her unflappable father. These were easy-to-read, sweet stories, much like what one might find in a popular magazine. Although I could have put this book down at any time, not all that curious about what came next, I also never dreaded picking it up or starting a new chapter. 2.5 stars
Mink River by Brian Doylehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a beautiful book that illustrates what is meant by “grace” and the “sacramentality of the ordinary”. Set in a small coastal town, the stories of several graced characters, of their Native American and Irish ancestors, of the non-human creatures are woven together in a pattern of simple, but stunning beauty. Read aloud, this could easily be mistaken for poetry. At times, I wondered if the characters and place was only an interesting canvas on which the author could paint in language. Depending on the reader, the word play might feel like a showy distraction or might be perceived as exquisite. It was the later for me. Even the use of magical realism, which I usually do not enjoy, worked perfectly in this book. 4.5 stars
Stalingrad by Antony Beevorhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I understand why this is a classic of military history. It is thoroughly researched. But not having an interest in military history, I found it to be a slog. I was repulsed by the arrogance, ineptitude and total disregard for human life displayed by those making the decisions, by the culture of obedience and the rampant executions that prevented the legitimate questioning and disobedience of orders that might have saved hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. This deserves 5 stars for the scholarship but it only gets a single star for my appreciation of the book. When will we stop allowing leaders drunk on power to use our youth and innocent civilians on the other side of a border as pawns in their deadly games?
A Mighty Long Way by Carlotta Walls Lanier and Lisa Frazier Page https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Carlotta Walls was one of the Arkansas Nine, the group of nine African American teens who endured taunts, threats and abuse to integrate the Little Rock School District. This is her memoir, focusing on her involvement in that historic battle. At a time that is seeing increased allegations of police violence against African Americans and the rise of hate groups in the U.S. and Europe, this is a story that needs to be told. I appreciated her story more than her writing.
Alien Hearts by Guy de Maupaussanthttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In late 19th century Paris, a young, naïve man of leisure comes under the spell of a worldly, beautiful, young widow. This is a well-crafted subtle depiction of the psychological dynamics at play. Unfortunately, I never engaged with these characters, nor could I enter their world. I realize that I am separated from De Maupassant’s world and intended reader by more than a century and by an ocean. I expect that there will be something alien about what I encounter in these pages. But, it did not have the ring of universality. I never related to what the characters were feeling. The characters, their world and their problems just felt so shallow.
The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopanhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This was not what I was expecting. I thought this was going to be an Asian-centric survey of world history over the past two thousand years. Instead, it was a Euro-centric survey that included the impact on those countries associated with the Silk Road. I found the chapters dealing with the first millennium far more interesting than the later chapters simply because I know less about this period of history in general. As the survey progressed, Western Europe and eventually the United States dominated the narrative to a greater and greater extent. The chapters dealing with the late 20th century focused nearly exclusively on the relationship between the U.S. and the oil exporting nations of the Middle East, a far more narrow focus than I was looking for. 2.5 stars
The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernanhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the story of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the secret research center involved in the development of the atomic bomb. In recounting this history, the author focuses on the experience of the women who worked there as mathematicians, technicians, janitors, secretaries and nurses. Although it was interesting to learn about this aspect of a world-changing nightmare, there was more detail than I wanted. I think I would have appreciated it more as a feature article.
Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwenhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is an excellent, mature, thought-provoking reflection on the famous Gospel parable of the Prodigal Son. In sharing his very personal prayer with this story and its depiction by Rembrandt, Fr. Nouwen has written a universally insightful and challenging book. I need to buy my own copy of this because I will want to return to it again in prayer.
Austerlitz by W.G. Sebaldhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The titular character was evacuated from Austria on a Kinder Transport as a toddler. He narrates his life to the fictional narrator of this book, learning of his history when he was older, his subsequent search to learn of his parents’ fate and his nervous collapses. The meandering narration with its long, convoluted sentences, made this a difficult book. Unfortunately, I did not find anything in this novel worth the effort.
I’ll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamarahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the account of the efforts to identify and apprehend the man who committed at least 50 rapes and 10 murders in California, mostly in the 1970s and 1980s. I was grateful that the author did not sensationalize the details of the crimes. Much repetition was inevitable to show the reader the patterns that helped the detectives crack the case. Not being a fan of the true crime genre, I grew quickly bored with the many descriptions of the houses, the sleeping victims, the perp skulking around in bushes. For those who do enjoy true crime stories, I can see why this is so popular. It is simply not my cup of tea. 2.5 stars
True by Riikka Pulkkinenhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The terminal diagnosis of a 70 year old woman puts those around her in touch with their own mortality, causing each to assess significant life events. This is a very slow moving novel, mostly told through memories. Marital infidelity and its consequences for the children and for the partner outside the marriage are the focus for several generations. The author loves her similes, often repeating the same image over and over. I find it very difficult to be sympathetic to characters whose violation of the marriage bond leaves them wounded, so I failed to develop the connections of understanding with these people. 3.5 stars
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaitehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The bonds between sisters are strong, even more so for those forged in an abusive home, where the older sister comes to believe that she was responsible for the younger one. So, when the beautiful, free-spirited younger sister with no sense of personal responsibility accidentally-on-purpose kills her boyfriend, the older sister feels a compulsion to help hide the crime. And, when it happens again and again, well, what is a sister to do? Despite a brutal premise, this was a fun book.
A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantelhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I both appreciated and struggled with this novel of the French Revolution. Mantel is an excellent writer. The characters are crafted with layers of depth. The dialogue is sharp, observations are witty and insightful by turns, the historical context is brought to life vividly. It was wonderful to read a story in a setting that has not been so over used that it has become a cliché. But Mantel’s novels are not easy, totally engrossing reads. She opens a window on one scene, then pulls the drapes and opens the door on another, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps. Although she has clearly researched her subject, she is also explicitly writing fiction. She does not claim to be giving the reader a historically accurate depiction of these revolutionaries, but giving us her image of their personalities, inner lives, interpersonal dynamics. Not knowing very much about these individuals, I could not distinguish where fact met fiction, but reading the author’s notes, it appears that fiction, all be it plausible fiction, dominated. This is regrettable for me because the strength of this novel means that Mantel’s interpretation will long live in my mind.
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Grayhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The death of a mother leaves 4 young children under the care of their father who is physically violent and neglectful in turns. The oldest child, who is only 12 at the time of the death, has to raise her younger siblings. Twenty-five years later, when this novel begins, the oldest daughter and her husband have been convicted of fraud, the middle daughter is struggling with an eating disorder, the youngest daughter has commitment issues and the brother has a lifetime of anger management problems. I appreciated how the author acknowledged the lingering impact of childhood trauma on a family, even after they become adults. I was disappointed to see the author abandon this realism for a Hollywood ending. The novel is written in the voices of the three sisters which were indistinguishable. 3.5 stars
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelideshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A woman is confined to a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane after she is convicted of shooting her husband in the face as he was tied to a chair. From the moment of her arrest, she refuses to speak. It is her psychotherapist who narrates the story, a man who is obsessed with this woman, who leaves his job to work where she is being held, who spends countless hours tracking down and interrogating those who knew her over many years. I found this book highly implausible from beginning to end. I tried to suspend my skepticism, to just go with the flow of the story, but each page brought a new assault to my credulity.
She Has Her Mother’s Laugh by Carl Zimmerhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a popular survey of the field of heredity, from genes to memes, from ancient folklore to the future potential and pitfalls of CRISPR.
Redeployment by Phil Klayhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a solid collection of short stories about the experience of U.S. vets from Iraq or Afghanistan. I found a couple to be quite thought-provoking. I was offended by the misogyny, the violence against civilians, the plea for sympathy by men who volunteered to participate in what I deem to be an immoral war which ran through most of the stories.
The Jungle by Upton Sinclairhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A young, strong, eager Lithuanian man immigrates with his family to Chicago at the turn of the century where he finds work in the meat packing plants. Soon he and his family are victimized by every set-back of the corrupt, exploitative and dangerous world both in the meat packing industry and in the larger society of Chicago. The plight of this family is a microcosm of the plight of the immigrant poor in Chicago’s very corrupt slaughter industry. I understand why Sinclair’s exposure of the horrors suffered by the poor made this a classic, but it reveals biases that would condemn it today. The deprivations of the women and the children in this family are given glancing recognition, relevant only to the degree that they impact the male character. Although the European immigrants are described as moral and hard working, victims of injustice despite their outstanding work ethic, the poor black brought in to break the strike late in the novel are described as lazy, inept and prone to drunken debauchery.
Notes from the Hyena’s Belly by Nega Mezlekiahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a powerful memoir of growing up in Ethiopia during the final years of Haile Selassie and living through the conflict that followed, a conflict that became a proxy war between Soviet and Western forces. Because the author lived in the Netherlands and Canada for many years before writing this account, he is able to explain his African culture to a western reader. Although the author lived through a brutal and dangerous time in Ethiopian history, he never strikes a self-pitying note or asks for the reader’s admiration for what he survived. I loved his sarcastic humor as he describes the reality of Ethiopian politics. I would highly recommend this book.
The Angels Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the second in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. I loved The Shadow of the Wind for the poetry of its language. The language in this installment did not have the same magical power. Although I read the first book so long ago that I can’t recall the details of the plot, as I read this volume, I kept feeling as if I had read something similar in that first story. In the end, the improbably escapes of the protagonist and the predictable resolution left me less than satisfied.
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David Blighthttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This was a thorough, informative, well-written biography of a man who dedicated his life to abolition and to fighting for the rights and full dignity of blacks in the U.S. At 765 pages plus 150 pages of end notes and bibliography, there were moments when I wondered if it were too thorough. But, even if I might have been satisfied with fewer details, it was still a great biography, one that deserved its Pulitzer.
Less by Andrew Sean Greerhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This should have been subtitled, “Around the World in 80,000 Whines”. I must have a serious pathological humor deficiency because I did not find this the least bit funny. I am sure that those without this condition will enjoy this satire. Although well written, I found the self-absorbed gay man in his mid-life crisis, his never ending worries about the appearance of his aging body or his constant preoccupation with his sex life too distracting and too irritating to be able to appreciate the prose.
I am reading threat vector Tom Clancy 11th hour James Patterson 204 rosewood lane Debbie macomber bizarre of bad dreams and finder keepers and the stand all by Stephen king tigers claw dale brown and ransom canyon Jodi Thomas
At Paradise Gate by Jane Smileyhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Smiley does here what she excels at, exploring the subtle, complex interactions that create family. It is 1972 and 77 year old Ike is debilitated from coronary illness. His 72 year old wife, Anna, his 3 middle-aged daughters and his 23 year old granddaughter flutter around one another, much as they have done all their lives, but with the added intensity of responding to this medical crisis. In their conversations and in the internal musings of Anna, Smiley peals back the layers of sibling rivalries and spousal tension, of joy and disappointments, of steadfast love and of violent outbursts, of the tectonic shift between generations, of the siren call for independence and the deep longing to be part of family.
Epitaph by Mary Doria Russellhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is another excellent historical novel by Russell. Following after her novel “Doc”, this continues the story of Doc Holiday and the Earp brothers to Tombstone, AZ. This book has all that I appreciate about Russell’s writing: great character development, well-written prose, solid historical research.
G. by John Bergerhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am starting to think that I don’t have the intellect, the personality or the aesthetic sense to read the recipients of the major literary awards for fiction. This is the story of a womanizer and the series of women he seduced told against the backdrop of Europe in transition at the turn of the last century, a society being seduced by adventure, novel political theory, economic and national power. I found this to be filled with pretentious philosophizing, repetitive descriptions, self-conscious prose. I did not engage with the characters, the story line or the text itself.
Mariette In Ecstasy by Ron Hansenhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This short novel rests on the reader’s attitude toward and perception of mystical religious experiences. In 1906, in an inconsequential cloistered community of nuns, a young postulant arrives claiming ecstatic trances and religious locutions. In the months that follow, these become more dramatic, including the stigmata. But are these genuine mystical phenomenon? Or are they self-induced injuries, are they psychosomatic manifestations of some form of hysteria? The question is left to each reader to decide.
Circe by Madeline Millerhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the second book I have read by this author. Both books were GR group selections; I would not have picked them up on my own. Miller retells stories from the ancient Greek epics through the voice of a minor character. In this one, it is a relatively insignificant nymph who is exiled by the gods to a beautiful but isolated island. Daughter of the powerful sun god, Circe has the ability to alter the appearance of creatures and landscapes, to weave protective spells and to concoct healing and harming potions. Because of this, Miller gives her the label of “witch”, a term not taken from the ancient sources, but borrowed from popular contemporary fantasy books. Being that the story is a very old one, there is nothing innovative in the plot of this book. Nor did I find the characters or their choices insightful. Circe, the sincere and good girl who is mocked and rejected by her entire family is a staple of fairy tales from Cinderella to Harry Potter. Likewise, the portrayal of love affairs, parent-child interactions, jealousies and self-doubt were clichéd. 2.5 stars.
The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudorhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I enjoyed this mystery. The duel timelines, the time of the original crime and 30 years later when the old mystery is revived, played well off each other. There was more character development than is often found in mysteries. The plot was slower than normal for this genre, but I was always engaged. The ending left me with questions and there was something in that resolution that did not feel right. 3.5 stars.
The Girl From Kathmandu by Cam Simpsonhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In 2004, a dozen men from Nepal were captured by Taliban forces while being transported to work on a U.S. military base in Iraq. Their execution was filmed and posted on-line. This book recounts the investigation by human rights journalists which revealed that these men were victims of human trafficking in the employ of KBR Halliburton. It recounts the tireless efforts of human rights lawyers to try to get KBR Halliburton to take legal responsibility for trafficking humans and to compensate the families of these men. Parallel to the story of lawyers and investigators is the story of one of the young widows who fought to re-make her life after this tragedy and to fight for justice. Maybe because I am aware of global human trafficking, the journey of these poor, uneducated men from job recruiter with grand promises to indentured servitude and physical intimidation did not surprise me. I was far more enraged by the U.S. laws that make it easy for large corporations to violate human rights with impunity and to avoid all responsibility while lining the pockets of shareholders and executives with the profits of their cheap labor.
101 Books to Read Before You Die
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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This book deserves all the praise it has garnered. Primarily a series of interlocking character sketches, it explores the psychic, familial and social ramifications of the cultural genocide of the Native American peoples. An anticipated pow-wow serves as a magnetic pole drawing these lives together, lives that had been connected by other bonds and forces prior to this cultural gathering. Full of alcohol and violence, shattered hopes and familial duty, individual strength and deep sadness, Orange explores the reality of his characters with tenderness, wisdom, compassion and profound insight. This book swept me up and turned me inside out. 4.5 stars