101 Books to Read Before You Die discussion
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What’s the Smoke For and Other Burning Questions About the Liturgy by Johan van ParysIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of What’s the Smoke For?: And Other Burning Questions about the Liturgy | Goodreads
The Ear of the Heart by Dolores Hart and Richard DeNeutIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows | Goodreads
Dolores Hart was a successful movie actress with a promising career when she jettisoned the fame, the fortune, the glamor, the professional acclaim to enter a cloister Benedictine convent in 1963 at the age of 25. This is her autobiography dictated to a longtime friend. This covers her childhood, her years in Hollywood, her growing sense of a vocation to a cloistered life, her adjustment to the monastery and her role in reforms of the community in response to the Second Vatican Council. For those with an interest in the spiritual memoir, this is a worthwhile read. The writing is mediocre, but I found the story compelling.
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexanderhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The author argues that the way the war on drugs has been executed and the way the American criminal system has been structured, has been explicitly designed to keep African Americans in a position of inferiority and marginalization. Beginning with Reconstruction, policies that force blacks into a lower social cast with little possibility of social or economic change are traced. This is well researched, clearly articulated and convincingly argued.
Stoner by John WilliamsIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Stoner | Goodreads
The New Testament of the Bible promises that the meek shall inherit the earth. William Stoner’s life would appear to challenge that promise. This is a quiet novel, the account of a man who was born on a small Missouri farm in 1891 to hard working, taciturn parents. Sent to college to study agriculture, he discovers literature and abandons the family farm for the life of a mediocre professor. From his marriage to his career, life disappoints and he accepts these disappointments with patient equanimity and a keen sense of responsibility. I enjoyed this novel which was very well written and insightful.
Nightblind by Ragnar Jonassonhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...
This is a straight forward police procedural set in a small Icelandic town.
From The Pews In The Back ed. Kate Dugan and Jennifer OwensIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of From the Pews in the Back: Young Women and Catholicism | Goodreads
This is a collection of personal essays by Catholic women raised in the post-Vatican II Church. All are well educated, many with degrees from the Harvard Divinity School. All choose to be Catholic despite struggles with various Church teachings and/or practices, particularly the exclusion of women from the ordained clergy and same sex couples from the Sacrament of Matrimony. Each woman explores what keeps them Catholic and how they have carved out a place in this tradition. I appreciated the honesty and vulnerability of these essays, many of which resonated with my own experience.
Longitude by Dava SobelIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time | Goodreads
For centuries, navigating the oceans, with no fixed landmarks, was extremely difficult. It was easy to get disoriented and desperately lost. Sailors died of scurvy or drowned when ships crashed on rocks. The lack of accurate measures of time was the greatest hindrance to calculating longitude. This is the story of an 18th century self-taught clock maker who figured out how to build a clock which would not be influenced by the rocking of the waves, the expansion of parts due to heat or the need for lubrication.
Have You Seen Luis Velez by Catherine Ryan HydeIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Have You Seen Luis Velez? | Goodreads
If this were not selected for my in-person book group, I would have quit this book early on. I thought I was reading a middle-grade chapter book. The language and plot development was juvenile. The characters were one dimensional. The dialogue was stilted; no one sounded like actual people. The lessons on prejudice, privilege, kindness, self-acceptance, etc were delivered in a heavy-handed fashion. The portrayal of the elderly blind character was so patronizing, it was insulting.
The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsenhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a detective story featuring a missing person cold case being investigated by a cantankerous detective and his brilliant side kick. The chapters alternate between the police work in the present and the crime in the past. I struggle with novels that describe the suffering of the crime victim, especially when the perpetrator is sadistic, but the author gave enough to relate to the victim without being overly graphic. I would read more in this Danish series.
Plains Song by Wright Morriswww.goodreads.com/review/show/5078929243
This is a family novel featuring 3 generations of women in a Nebraska farming family. In less than 240 pages, close to a century of family history is conveyed. The author manages to reveal much, but even more is left unsaid. I was not drawn into the center of this family. For all that I was told about each character, I never felt as if I knew any of them.
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo IshiguroIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Klara and the Sun | Goodreads
Klara is an “artificial friend”, a human-like robot whose artificial intelligence allows it to function as a friend and servant to adolescents. Klara narrates the world as her algorithms interpret it. The importance of relationships in self-understanding and individual value are at the heart of this story. Klara’s voice was engaging, even when there felt like there were inconsistencies. The story line fell a bit flat for me.
Women In Love by D. H. LawrenceIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Women in Love | Goodreads
This is a novel of ideas. It follows 2 young couples in early 20th century England. Much time is spent listening to their conversations, both their dialogue and internal monologues. These are the context for the author to explore evolving attitudes toward all the big questions of life: the purpose of art, labor, education, the meaning of life, culture, relationships, attitudes toward gender roles, sexual behavior, wealth, the prospects of the future. Had I read this when it was published, I suspect it would have been provocative. But my current experience was that it became a bit too self-important and tedious, despite the fine prose.
Chalice of God by Aidan Nichols, O.P.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This was my first encounter with this brilliant theologian. It was not a good starting point. It presumed a familiarity with his thought and writings.
The Kingdoms of Laos by Peter Simms
Irene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Kingdoms of Laos | Goodreads
My Euro-centric education taught me nothing about the history of Asia and Africa before the period of colonization. This is a brief overview of 2,000 years of power struggles and migrations in what is now Laos. I won’t remember much of what I read, but it was interesting.
Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth
Irene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime | Goodreads
The author tells the story of leading an undercover investigation of the KKK as they tried to establish a presence in Colorado Springs in the 1970s. The author was the first and only black officer working undercover on that force at the time. He depicts the members of the Klan as remarkably stupid and easily duped.
The Complete Stories of Truman Capote by Truman CapoteIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Complete Stories of Truman Capote | Goodreads
These short stories explore human foibles. They had engaging characters and clear plots.
The Maytrees by Annie DillardIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Maytrees | Goodreads
This novel explores the nature of love, what makes it flower and grow, what causes it to persist across the years, despite the pain, in the presence of absence, and what shapes and re-shapes a relationship during a lifetime. This is a quiet story of a 20th century couple. 3.5 stars
Nemesis by Jo Nesbohttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I think I was a little too distracted for this installment in the series because it struck me as unnecessarily convoluted.
A Capitalist in North Korea by Felix AbtIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of A Capitalist in North Korea: My Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom | Goodreads
The Swiss author spent most of the first decade of the 21st century living in North Korea as a foreign entrepreneur. He argues that the repressive image of life in North Korea commonly held by those in the West lacks nuance. Most of what is reported comes from dissidents who fled that country. Although the standard of living is lower than in most of Europe and North America, most people he knew did not feel deprived. The amount of corruption and red tape was less than he experienced in other parts of the world. Like in many countries, there are regional differences in life experience and attitudes. There are regions with greater poverty and discontent. But most of the urban people with whom he worked shared the national vision. Although people can be imprisoned for crimes against the state that would not be a crime elsewhere, they have a much lower imprisonment rate than the U.S. I can’t evaluate the accuracy of his depiction of North Korea, but I found his balanced portrait refreshing and hopeful.
The Paper Menagerie by Ken LiuIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories | Goodreads
This is a brilliant collection of short stories that sit on the border of magical realism, science fiction, human psychology and historical fiction. I loved the clarity of his writing, the creativity of his stories, the depth of the questions they posed. In any collection of stories, some will resonate more with the reader than others and this was the case for me. But even with those stories that did not grab me, I still recognized the quality of the writing.
The Vatican Diaries by John ThavisIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Vatican Diaries: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Power, Personalities, and Politics at the Heart of the Catholic Church | Goodreads
The author has spent many years as part of the press corps covering the Vatican. In this book, he goes beneath the headlines to reveal aspects of stories and Vatican life that do not make the papers. The writing was engaging and the stories fascinating to someone who is very interested in the institutional Catholic Church.
Last Orders by Graham SwiftIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Last Orders | Goodreads
This is a slow, character driven novel. A group of drinking buddies drive the ashes of their friend to the shore to be scattered. Through their conversation and their recollections, the reader comes to know of the lives of each. This is a novel that I appreciated more for its literary quality than enjoyed for its pleasure.
The Winners by Fredrik BackmanIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Winners | Goodreads
This is the third installment in a trilogy focused on two small towns in remote northern Sweden, towns where youth hockey is an obsession. In these books, Backman takes on numerous social ills: date rape, macho violence, alcoholism, poverty, prejudices, bullying, etc. Not completely sure why, but this volume dragged for me. Much of it was spent reviewing the story from the prior books. Too many scenes between older tough guys and younger vulnerable children, between siblings or friends, felt cheesy. Although there were many moments when I was swept up in the story telling, there were even more when things skated too close to the maudlin and the life lessons were delivered with an abundance of sentimentality.
Mere Anarchy by Woody AllenIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Mere Anarchy | Goodreads
Allen is a master at a certain type of humor. But the verbal slapstick and the ethnic jokes and adolescent insults is not my thing.
Small Things Like These by Claire KeeganIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Small Things Like These | Goodreads
In this novella, the reader is asked to contemplate the way in which seemingly small acts of kindness can change someone’s world. Maybe we can’t do everything, but we can do something and that something is our sacred calling.
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Half Gods by Akil KumarasamyIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Half Gods | Goodreads
This is the story of a Sri Lankan family across generations. The account shifts back and forth across an ocean and between decades. The prose is luxurious. I did not realize that these were considered interlocking short stories until I had finished. I spent too much energy trying to figure out where we were in the family history, who the narrator was in relation to others I had met. I should have simply appreciated each section on its own, enjoying the connections when they were revealed.
Pietr The Latvian by Georges Simenonwww.goodreads.com/review/show/5147386265
I was unfamiliar with this prolific and celebrated author of detective novels until someone recently recommended that I give him a try. This first in a long series that features a Parisian police officer left me wondering about the fuss. Set in the early 20th century, this short book was filled with familiar tropes and stereotypes.
This Will Not Pass by Jonathan Martin and Alexander BurnsIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future | Goodreads
Two N. Y. Times journalists chronicle the 2020 election, the January 6 insurrection and the first 6 months of the Biden administration. They describe two fractured political parties and a democracy in crisis.
The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Champagne ButterfieldIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey Into Christian Faith | Goodreads
I was looking for something from this spiritual memoir that it did not offer. The author was a successful literature professor with an emphasis in feminist hermeneutics. She was antagonistic toward Christianity. Researching the Oath Keepers, she contacted a local pastor with questions. He invited her into conversation over multiple dinners which led to her embrace of conservative Christianity. She would repudiate her former life as sinful, leave academia and take on the role of a traditional homemaker. I was intrigued by her story because it differed from the more typical conversion narrative rooted in an experience of crisis, finding God at rock bottom. She was not looking for salvation, not dealing with any personal crisis. Her conversion began as an intellectual shift that upended her world view. I was interested in learning what she heard that prompted such a change in perspective. She does not reveal the content of the conversation that brought her to accept Christianity. Nor does she give the reader an adequate explanation of some of the questions leveled against the practices of the denomination she made her home. Instead, she points to a book and moves on. I enjoyed reading about her experiences as a foster parent. But there were other places, such as her defense of home schooling, that came across as heavy handed. For a professor of literature, I expected fewer clichés and greater depth of intellect. 2.5 stars
The Magician’s Wife by Brian MooreIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Magician's Wife | Goodreads
A mid-19th century celebrity illusionist is recruited by the French government on a mission of dubious diplomatic value. In an attempt to dissuade the North African population from rising up against the French, his performance is supposed to convince the natives that God is on the side of the French. I enjoyed this unique story line and setting. I appreciated the ethical questions that were raised. But the writing lacked the dynamism I have come to expect from this author. The dialogue was stilted. The characters felt like literary creations, not vibrant living people. Elaborate scenes of French court and Arab towns came across as attempts to educate the reader rather than to tell a story.
A Stay Against Confusion by Ron HansenIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of A Stay Against Confusion: Essays on Faith and Fiction | Goodreads
I enjoyed this collection of essays exploring the intersection between the vocation of a writer and his Catholic faith.
Walking The Disciple’s Path by Linda Perrone RooneyIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Walking the Disciple's Path: Eight Steps That Will Change Your Life and the World | Goodreads
Each chapter examines a different aspect of Christian discipleship: responding to Christ’s call, generosity, prayer, trust, etc. The content would be accessible to someone new to the Christian life. For anyone who has read extensively on the topic, this book would not contain anything new. 2.5 stars
An Elepahnt In My Kitchen by Francoise Malby Anthony Irene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of An Elephant in My Kitchen | Goodreads
This memoir continues the story begun in The Elephant Whisperer. The author is the widow of the previous book, a Parisian with no background in big game conservation, she moved to South Africa for marriage and found herself living on a game reserve. While her husband was alive, she ran the tourist lodge which funded their work. After his sudden death, she managed the reserve, started a nursery for injured and abandoned rhinos and elephants and expanded the work they began in many ways. Interactions with these large animals is the focus of this story.
The Forest Lover by Susan VreelandIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Forest Lover | Goodreads
This is a fictional account of the life of Emily Carr, an early 20th century painter who found inspiration in the indigenous culture and landscape of British Columbia. I had not heard of Emily Carr prior to picking up this book, so I do not know how much license the author took with the historical record. The afterword indicates that she did alter the record for the sake of the story. I enjoyed learning of this pioneering female artist. I frequently felt as if the author was reaching through the page to give me a lesson. Other than Emily, there were no positive British characters or cultural contributions.
Secrets We Kept: Three Women of Trinidad by Krystal SitalIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Secrets We Kept: Three Women of Trinidad | Goodreads
The author tells the story of her mother and grandmother, and in doing so, finds her own story. Both her mother and grandmother grew up in rural Trinidad, a world of deprivation and violence, violence at the hands of fathers and husbands, violence at the switch of the school masters, violence at the fists of school yard bullies. Both women sought to find a way out of the home of their tyrannical fathers through marriage. The grandmother found herself in a marriage that mirrored her childhood home. It was only in immigrating to the US that her mother found economic independence and the author found a voice for the women in her family.
Not For Ourselves Alone by Ken Burns and Geoffrey WardIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony | Goodreads
Although I did not find much new in this account of these pioneering women and their fight for women to get the vote, I did enjoy the way it was presented here.
Deamon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Irene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Demon Copperhead | Goodreads
This is supposedly a retelling of David Copperfield. It is set in contemporary Appalachia. The narrator was born to an addicted single mother, the product of the foster care system, who also ends up in the foster care system and also develops an addiction. I thought this book was far too long and unnecessarily vulgar. I suspect that the constant use of profanity and ugly slurs was to create an authentic voice. But there was nothing authentic in this very self-aware young addict who could remember his entire life in the smallest detail and who told his story with a literary flair. If you want me to believe that this high school drop-out has to use the crassest language and the “f” word three times in every sentence, then you can’t have him speak of memories coming to him like eggs breaking on his face. The ending felt like it was written for a movie adaptation. 2.5 stars
It Could Happen Here by Jonathan Greenblatt
Irene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of It Could Happen Here: Why America Is Tipping from Hate to the Unthinkable—And How We Can Stop It | Goodreads
This book, written by the head of the ADL, chronicles the prevalence of hate speech and violence in the US and globally. Suggestions to counter this rising trend are offered. There is nothing new in this book for anyone who is watching the news. My only problem is that the author seems to consider criticism of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians as hate speech. 2.5 stars
The Captain and the Glory by Dave EggersIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Captain and the Glory | Goodreads
This is a spoof of Trump and his presidency. This was hysterical for the most part, but also challenging in its depiction of the many people, like me, who carried on with life while atrocities were being perpetrated against good people.
A Summonse To Memphis by Peter Taylor
Book Review | Goodreads
This Pulitzer Prize winning novel explores the relationship between parent and child. The middle aged narrator recounts the story of his family’s relocation to Memphis when his siblings were all teenagers. His father was never able to acknowledge the trauma of this move on his children and his children were never able to forgive him. The characters and their reactions are captured with incredible nuance.
Horse by Geraldine BrooksIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Horse | Goodreads
An enslaved man skilled with horses, a 19th century painter, a 21st century Australian zoologist, a grad student in art history, a mid-20th century art critic are all joined by a celebrated race horse. This novel is told in 3 time periods. I enjoyed learning about the world of 19th century horse racing and liked this portion of the novel most. The author also tried to connect the violence of slavery to contemporary racial prejudices and police violence. Overall, this is a good historical novel, even if multiple time lines is not my favorite way of telling a story.
The Southern Gates of Arabia by Freya StarkIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Southern Gates of Arabia: A Journey in the Hadhramaut | Goodreads
The author was the first female to travel alone into rural parts of Arabia, what is now Yemen. This is her account of that trip in the 1930s highlighting the people she met and the things she observed.
Moonflower Murders by Anthony HorowitzA story within a story, this offered two fun who-done-its.
Last Call At The Hotel Imperial by Deborah CohenIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Last Call at the Hotel Imperial: The Reporters Who Took on a World at War | Goodreads
This book looks at the groundbreaking foreign correspondents who covered international affairs in the 1920s-1940s. Their work defined an era, shaped popular opinion, dramatically altered the way news was covered and reported, and forced America to face the threat unfolding in Europe. This book looks at both their professional and private lives. Hard drinking, multiple love affairs, psychoanalysis, personal tragedy and great ambition marked these lives. I enjoyed the sections that followed the journalism much more than the sections that chronicled their private lives.
Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister by Jung ChangIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China | Goodreads
This is the account of China in the late 19th and early 20th century told through the lives of three prominent women, all sisters, all playing significant political roles. Although they ended up on opposing sides of the fight between communism and nationalism, they remained devoted to each other. Found this book fascinating.
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentillwww.goodreads.com/review/show/5284230898
Four young adults are in the reading room of the Boston Public Library when a scream leads to the discovery of a body. They immediately become best friends. But could one of them be a murderer? Each chapter ends with a brief email with advice for the author of this novel. Apart from those emails, this was a traditional mystery with suspicion alternately cast on various characters and a heavy reliance on coincidences.
Midnight Sun by Jo Nesbowww.goodreads.com/review/show/5286005992
I loved this novel with its balance of sweetness, humor and tension. The narrator was a “fixer” for Oslow’s most notorious drug lord. He was great at intimidation, but not so great at actually killing. Now he is the target of his former boss. He flees to a remote village on Norway’s northern edge in the hope of hiding. Instead, he is found, by a quirky community.
The First Conspiracy by Brad MeltzerIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington | Goodreads
In the early years of the Revolutionary War, a plot was underway to capture or kill General George Washington. Members of the elite guard responsible for guarding Washington were involved. This is the account of the discovery of the treachery and the prosecution of those implicated. Although this was an interesting bit of history, it was a stretch to turn it into a full length book. There was much that felt like filler. Written for a popular audience, the author seemed to be reaching for the sensational.
Leaping by Brian DoyleIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Leaping: Revelations & Epiphanies | Goodreads
I loved this collection of essays, reflections on the vocation of being a writer, the vocation of being a father and husband, the vocation of being a Catholic, the vocation of being splendidly alive.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Irene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Remarkably Bright Creatures | Goodreads
A 30 year old Californian with no family except for an aunt, has serious difficulties adulting. A 70 year old Washingtonian who cleans an aquarium part-time befriends an octopus. An octopus who is confined to an aquarium tank understands human behavior and the English language better than most humans. This novel brings these characters together in a sweet story propelled by incredible coincidences and a universe filled with goodness and caring. I can see why this is popular, but I need at least a teaspoon of grit in my novels.
Legs by William Kennedywww.goodreads.com/review/show/5311205425
This is the first in a trilogy. Since one of my GR groups selected the award-winning third title for its February discussion, I wanted to read the earlier volumes. Although the writing is strong, I did not enjoy this story about a Prohibition era gangster with the violence, vulgarity and misogyny associated with that culture.
Calico Joe by John Grishamwww.goodreads.com/review/show/5314406496
A broken father-son relationship, a moment of horrible pain reverberating through the decades, a moment of unexpected grace, all set against the back drop of baseball in 1973, this novel nicely balanced loss and hope in a narrative that kept me engaged. 3.5 stars
Family Lexicon by Natalie GinsburgIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Family Lexicon | Goodreads
Based on the author’s family, this novel of life in the early 20th century Italy has received much literary acclaim. I missed its charm. The observations felt more like a disjointed list than as a revelatory story. I never felt as if I knew these people and therefore never cared about them. I gather that I was supposed to find humor in the depiction of this family, but it eluded me.
Surrender: 40 Songs One Story by BonoIrene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story | Goodreads
Maybe I am just exhausted, but I did not find this memoir as compelling as I expected. Bono has been in the public eye so long, that there is no revelation here. The reader is taken from his mother’s death through the discovery of his father’s infidelity, from forming the band through their huge success, from experimentation with mew sounds and staging through his activism, but none of this put me in the moment, enabled me to feel what he was feeling. I also thought it tended to be rather wordy. But, as a fan, I am glad I read it.
101 Books to Read Before You Die
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Irene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Year of the French | Goodreads
In 1798, Irish enlisted the aid of French revolutionaries in a failed uprising against their British landlords and the oppressive system that was resulting in devastating poverty for large numbers of the native population. This is a fictional account of that doomed revolt. This award-winning novel is written in a more flowery style than favored today. This is a great look at a tragic moment in Irish history. The reader is provided with extensive background from various perspectives. That said, I found that the story sometimes got bogged down. This is probably because I dislike war narratives and wanted to rush past all the gore.