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DAVE K'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2017
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JULY35.
by Jim Bell (no photo)Finish date: July 3, 2017
Genre: Science
Rating: B+
Review: The little engine that could. The Energizer Bunny. Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts. All of these just keep plugging along. This book is the story of the two Voyager space probes that were launched in 1977 and are still sending data back today - even though the have left our solar system and become the first man-made objects to break into interstellar space. I well remember when the Voyagers were launched in 1977 and I followed their missions on and off over the years. Bell conjures the sense of wonder that I felt during those years. Okay, sometimes he overdoes it, which is why I didn't give the book an "A," but for some people, he might be hitting just the right level of awe.
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- stands out better
36.
by
Neil GaimanFinish date: July 5, 2017
Genre: Graphic Novel
Rating: A-
Review: This is book 2 in the compilation of Sandman stories. Sandman, or Morpheus, has regained strength and powers but something still isn't right. Through the course of this collection, he traces down and corrects a vortex in the dream world - and the vortex is a person who doesn't necessarily want to be corrected.
I love the Sandman graphic novels. I think Gaiman did a really good job with these 😊
37.
by
Laurence BergreenFinish date: July 13, 2017
Genre: World History
Rating: C+
Review: Five ships Sailed out with Ferdinand Magellan and only one returned to Spain (minus Magellan) to complete the first circumnavigation of the world. (That doesn't count the one ship that mutinied and returned to Spain long before the fleet even saw the Pacific Ocean.)
A lot of research went into this book and the author makes excellent use of primary sources, including logs and diaries that survived this epic journey. And yet, for the sake of drama, perhaps, he insists on repeating an old myth. It's even evident in the very title of the book. He cites the sailors' fear of sailing off the edge of the world. People knew the world was a sphere long - LONG - before Magellan's voyage. They may have been seeking an unknown route and there were dangers aplenty and very good reasons to be fearful, but sailing over the edge of the world was not one of them.
But the book is still worth reading if you're interested in this "age of discovery." Among other things, it gives us a much more intimate glimpse of Magellan's personality and the day-to-day travails of sailing on relatively primitive ships at a time when they still didn't know what caused scurvy.
38.
by
Bill Bryson Finish date: July 19, 2017
Genre: Memoir, Humor
Rating: B+
Review: Bill Bryson recounts (with only minor exaggeration, I'm sure) growing up as a child in the 1950s and early 60s in Des Moines, Iowa. Being a few years younger and also growing up in the Midwest, I can identify with much of his story: the comic books, the woods that seemed so deep and intimidating, the paper route and the intoxicating aroma of fresh mimeograph ink. If a candle company ever developed a candle with the scent of mimeograph ink, I'm quite certain it would sell much more briskly than the hotcake scented candle.
The only down side of the book for me was the antics of his friends as they hit high school and became adults. Things turned much darker and the ending just didn't fit with the overall tone of the rest of the book.
39.
by
Ken FollettFinish date: July 28, 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: This is the first book in Follett's epic Century Trilogy, following members of families from three continents through the events leading up to WWI and the war itself. His historical research seems to be spot on. I spotted no discrepancies. The stories, while sometimes predictable, are still compelling enough to make you want to keep reading long after you should have turned out the light. The characters are a little uneven - some more developed than others, but you still come to care for the heroes and scorn the villains. It's a big book, but it moves quickly through the period.
AUGUST40.
by
Taylor AndersonFinish date: August 4, 2017
Genre: Alternate History/Science Fiction
Rating: A-
Review: This is the eighth book in Anderson's Destroyermen series - the saga of a group of WWII American sailors transported to an alternate world with its own wars and a different evolutionary cycle. In this book, we learn that the alliance of cat-like Lemurians and 19th-century era British refugees may have more enemies and allies than they knew of, and that there are more alternate worlds than we realized. We discover this even as the allies fight a desperate battle against the lizard-like Grik over what would be southern India and Ceylon in our world. What can I say. It sounds crazy but it's a lot of fun. Anderson has built quite a world here. I only hope he doesn't try to stretch it out too far across too many books. Eventually we're going to want some resolution.
41.
by
Graham GreeneFinish date: August 9, 2017
Genre: Classic Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Written in 1940, this classic tells the tale of an unnamed "whiskey priest" in Mexico during the government's crackdown on Catholicism and its murders of priests. This priest is the sole remaining priest in the state and is being hotly pursued by a Lieutenant who resorts to extreme measures in his efforts to capture the outlaw priest. It's a fascinating story and you really get inside the heads of the two major players.
Dave wrote: "40. by Taylor Anderson sounds like an interesting series, I'm tagging the first volume. thx.
Dimitri wrote: "Dave wrote: "40. by Taylor Anderson sounds like an interesting series, I'm tagging the first volume. thx."
Hope you like it.
42.
by Roy Rosenzweig (no photo) and David Thelen (no photo)Finish date: August 12, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: B-
Review: Two historians put together a massive research project to learn how everyday Americans relate to the past. This book presents the results of that study. It's not a dry recitation of facts. they personalize the findings quite well. I don't completely agree with the premise and some of the methodology, but it's very interesting to see how Americans learn about history and who they trust to tell them the straight facts. The study also compares differences between ethnic groups. As expected, American Indians and African Americans are going to have a different take on American history than those of us descended from Europeans.
43.
by Tammy Gordon (no photo)Finish date: August 19, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: B+
Review: In 1976, the nation celebrated its 200th birthday. Historian Tammy Gordon outlines the national efforts to pull this off - including what came to be known as the "buycentennial sellabration" - and the many local and state events that people most appreciated and remember. Planning for the commemoration began as much as 10 years earlier, but as late as 1974, the organization in charge at the national level was going through major upheavals and corruption charges. This was the first major historical commemoration to really involve consumerism and corporations, but in her epilogue, Gordon makes it clear that this was just the beginning. Ten years later, Liberty Weekend - the centennial of the newly refurbished Statue of Liberty, became a Hollywood-style extravaganza.
SEPTEMBER44.
by Ibram X. Kendi (no photo)Finish date:September 1, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: This is an amazing book that traces the history of racist ideas across 500 years of American history. the rationalization for racism has changed over time, the end result is the same. Kendi looks at this history through the lens of five "travel guides:" Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, William Lloyd Garrison, W. E. B. DuBois, and Angela Davis. Given today's environment, I strongly recommend this book to everyone I know.
45.
by Walter Johnson (no photo)Finish date:September 14, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: "Soul by Soul" is a classic work of history - one of the first that truly delved into slavery from the perspective of the slaves. It also provides interesting insight into Southern whites who were not slave owners, and how becoming a slave owner increased their standing in the community.
The focus is on one of the largest slave markets in the country at New Orleans. It is a story that needed to be told. His research is impeccable, the numbers staggering, and the first person stories emotional.
46.
by Kirk Savage (no photo)Finish date:September 17, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: "Monument Wars" tells the story of the National Mall in Washington DC, from the original plan by Pierre L'Enfant to the establishment of such monuments as those for the Vietnam Veterans and Franklin Roosevelt (but it was published before the Martin Luther King Memorial was developed). The Mall has undergone many changes since the original plan. As recently as the late 1800s, it had more of the look of a wild forest than the manicured space surrounded by stately museums that we see today. As those changes took place, monuments and memorials were planned from the west side of the Capitol all the way to the Lincoln Memorial - and almost every one of them had detractors who fought for changes, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. It is a great story!
47.
by Martha Ackmann (no photo)Finish date:September 18, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: B
Review: This is the story of what could have been. Shortly after the first American astronauts - the Mercury 7 - were selected, some of the people involved in that process decided that the space program should also consider female astronauts. though the plan was never sanctioned by NASA, thirteen women - experienced, professional pilots of one sort or another - were selected and began to take the physical and psychological tests that had been administered to the men. In almost all cases, their performance matched, and sometimes exceeded, that of the men. But the program went nowhere - even when the women's leaders argued before Congress that the USSR was preparing to send a woman into space and if we wanted to beat them, this was one way to do it.
It is a very interesting story, but somehow the book doesn't quite capture the excitement of the times and falls a bit flat. Still worth reading, though.
48.
by
Dean KoontzFinish date:September 20, 2017
Genre: Fiction Thriller
Rating: C
Review: In the start of a new series, Koontz introduces Jane Hawk, an FBI agent widowed when her husband commits a suspicious suicide. Hawk investigates his and other similar deaths to discover a massive conspiracy, and is now on the run to fight them while being chased by the government as a rogue agent.
I have to say that I was disappointed in this book. The premise is good - the rise and ethically questionable uses of technology - plus a sub-theme of privacy issues in this digital age. I keep giving Koontz's books a try, but they just don't seem to have the magic of some of his earlier works.
49.
by
Benedict AndersonFinish date:September 21, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: B
Review: In "Imagined Communities," Benedict Anderson puts forth theories of the development of nations in the 18th and 19th centuries. There is a lot of philosophical history here that occasionally soared over my head. Historians have hailed his efforts, so who am I to question any of his theses? But there are a few points that don't ring true for me - especially when he turns his attention to former colonial holdings in Africa as they became independent nations.
50.
by
John le CarréFinish date:September 28, 2017
Genre: Spy Fiction
Rating: A
Review: This book signaled Le Carre's arrival as an important espionage novelist. One book review publication lists it as the best spy novel of all time. I probably won't go that far, but it is impressive, especially considering its time. Like Tolkien and all of the later fantasy copycats, Le Carre inspired a lot of imitators over the years. This is not to say that Le Carre invented the spy fiction genre, but he did raise it to a more literary level. His spies are not flashy, flamboyant heroes. They quietly do their jobs, often beset by very human failings. They're more interesting that way.
OCTOBER51.
by
Sheila FitzpatrickFinish date:October 10, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: B+
Review: With the centennial in 2017 of the Russian Revolution, I decided it was time to learn more about it. Historian Sheila Fitzpatrick's book seemed like the most succinct book on the event. That can be a strength as well as a weakness. There were times when I wished she would elaborate a bit more - but if she did, she's have a book like several others on the topic running 900 pages.
One interesting twist that Fitzpatrick provides: she takes her history of the Revolution all the way to the 1930s with Stalin's purges, claiming that was the true end of the Revolution. Not sure I agree, but she backs up her claim pretty well. it's an interesting idea.
Dave, you're not exactly helping my whether-to-purchase-or not decision here...:-)
52.
by David E. Kyvig (no photo)Finish date: October 12, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: B+
Review: "Nearby History" explores ways of studying and presenting local history. It is an excellent "how-to" book for small local museums and historical associations to explore the past in their area.
53.
by June Meyerowitz (no photo)Finish date:October 24, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: A-
Review: In the 1960s, Betty Friedan publiched "The Feminine Mystique," chronicling how women in the 1940s and 1950s were forced into the role of stay-at-home wife and mother. This is a collection of essays by historians that refutes that stereotype of women in the mid-20th century. There were female factory workers, nurses, students, activists, and other workers in many industries - and yes, housewives (although quite a few of these were active in protesting nuclear weapons and other problems of the day). The book provides a view that is not typically available to us or discussed and is a must-read if you have an interest in women's history.
54.
by Mae M. Ngai (no photo)Finish date: October 31, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: B
Review: "Impossible Subjects" looks at the question of illegal immigrants to the U.S. and the government policy that created them. Our immigration policy was much more open before 1924 (except with regard to Asians, which is another whole story about extreme prejudice). We're not just talking about people who slip in over our southern border. The Canadian border has been a sieve at times and many have taken advantage of that. But mostly this is a story of the U.S. government's efforts to keep so-called undesirables out - Asians, Mexicans, homosexuals and others. It is not our nation at its best, and relates directly to today's issues.
NOVEMBER55.
by Margot Canaday (no photo)Finish date: November 5, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: B
Review: In "The Straight State," historian Margot Canaday examines efforts by the U.S. government to control homosexuality in the areas: immigration, the military, and welfare, from approximately WWI era to the 1960s. You can see the connection between past efforts and what some of today's politicians would like to enforce. It was so difficult to read of lives ruined over this obsession by "the moral right."
56.
by James Oliver Horton (no photo)Finish date: November 9, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: A-
Review: This book is a collection of essays by public historians on how museums, historic sites, memorials and other landmarks are dealing with the issue of slavery. For many years, if you went on a tour of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello or George Washington's Mount Vernon, you might never hear the word "slave." Euphemisms like "servant" would most often be used. For the most part, that has changed. Most sites and museums have embraced the concept of telling it like it really was, but it hasn't been easy, and there are still some holdouts. But for the general public to get a full picture of American history, slavery can't be minimized. Some of these essays show how much of a struggle it was to be allowed to tell the story, some show a struggle still ongoing. Still, there are many success stories in this book.
57.
by
Ari Kelman Finish date: November 27, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: Since 6th grade when an excellent teacher first introduced my class to a more complete history of the interaction between Native Americans and the U.S. government, I have been fascinated by this topic. If you're like me, you will want to read this book. It tells the story of the efforts of the National Park Service to create a memorial to the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. The process took almost a decade and was complicated by negotiations between the four tribal groups who descended from the massacre victims, land owners where the massacre occurred, local and national politicians, the Park Service itself, and local businessmen. Oh, and the fact that the creek apparently moved, and these groups couldn't even agree on exactly where the massacre took place.
Did I say massacre? For more than a hundred years, it was described as a battle, not a massacre. And that was just one point of contention. After describing the events of Nov. 28, 1864, Kelman describes the various historic sources of information and the delicate balancing act that the park service performed in bringing everyone together in agreement on how to proceed with the memorial. Alexa Roberts of the park service in particular had incredible patience to keep tempers and egos from getting too far out of hand. A great story of western history and how it can still have repercussions today.
58.
by
Michael CrichtonFinish date: November 29, 2017
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: C-
Review: I read this book in my teens when it first came out, and just finished it again for a book club. I remembered it as being much better than it was. There is almost no character development and the plot is stretched pretty thin at times. Maybe this is a lesson to leave the books I enjoyed in my youth safe in my memories.
DECEMBER59.
by
James A. MichenerFinish date: December 13, 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: B-
Review: Chesapeake is one of James Michener's vast, sweeping historical novels that follows generations of several families, in this case those who settled on the eastern shore of Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay. He brings these families through several highlights of American history - colonization, Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War. the Great Depression and the Vietnam War. The history isn't perfect, but reasonably close. And along the way, we learn about ship building, geese hunting (there is a really odd section in the middle that anthropomorphizes a family of geese - very odd and it brought the rating down), and we even get a rather vigorous defense of Richard Nixon (the book was published in 1978, five years after Watergate). That defense brought the rating down a bit too - not so much because I disagree with him (I do), but mainly because it just felt so out of place. All in all, though, it is classic Michener. A few characters are well drawn, a few are pretty flat, and the story is well told.
The only Michener I've ever been able to complete is "Tales From the South Pacific," probably his shortest novel. I find that he gets tiresome, as you said about the geese. Your review was excellent though. You covered all the bases and stayed pretty objective.
60.
by
Amin MaaloufFinish date: December 18, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: B+
Review: "The Crusades through Arab Eyes" is exactly what you would expect. Maalouf gathers accounts from Arab chroniclers who lived through the Crusades or lived shortly after, and presents them in roughkly chronological order. Those of us who grew up and were educated in the West - especially any time prior to around 1970 - were taught of the noble battles to save the holy city of Jerusalem for Christendom. Well, as Paul Harvey used to say, here is the rest of the story.
You tend to trust Maalouf's sources because they don't always portray the Arab side as "better" in any way. Atrocities are committed on both sides. Oaths are broken on both sides. Infighting is present in both camps. And alliances are often bizarre - one faction from the West allying with one group of Muslims against a different group of Western Christians allied with a different group of Muslims. Keeping track of "who's on first" can be dizzying at times.
The book isn't perfect, but it definitely presents a view of the Crusades that we should be aware of, especially today.
61.
by
Dava SobelFinish date: December 22, 2017
Genre: History
Rating: A-
Review: This book blends two of my favorite non-fiction topics: history and science. It examines the Harvard Observatory from around 1882 to the mid-20th century, and particularly the contributions made by the women who worked there. Most started out as computers, doing the complicated but tedious tasks. Eventually some gained doctorates in astronomy themselves and were honored around the world for their discoveries. Not with equal pay, of course. Two long-time directors of the observatory and a wealthy widow fascinated by astronomy herself were in large part responsible for the hiring and the recognition of these talented women. Interestingly, the directors often had to proceed against the wishes of the university itself to give the women their due.
It's an interesting story. Sobel mines personal letters for some of her sources, and this brings some of the women vividly to life.
62.
by Frederik Backman (no photo)Finish date: December 25, 2017
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: The most recent Backman book was not what I expected. It has the same vivid characters I've come to expect. Some pretty darned good insights into people and society. But it took such a dark turn near halfway that I almost didn't finish it. But I'm very glad I did. It's a powerful book that you won't soon forget.
63.
by Thomas Parkes (no photo)Finish date: December 27, 2017
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A-
Review: I've been working on this book, on and off, for more than a year. It is a collection of 59 short stories covering about 200 years: Nathaniel Hawthorne to Joyce Carol Oates. All of the authors are familiar but some of the stories selected are not the stories you tend to think of when you think of a particular author, which is a nice change. It's a good sampling, but don't let it be the end of your exploration of short fiction.
64.
by
Gregory MaguireFinish date: December 29, 2017
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B
Review: This is another of Maguire's "behind the scenes" stories of classic tales - in this case, The Nutcracker. We follow Dirk from childhood as a foundling in the Bavarian woods to his death as a skilled toymaker. And it is a good story, but it feels incomplete. Maybe it's just me, but a mystical event in his childhood is constantly referred to in his later life, but not properly wrapped up. Maybe I missed it, or maybe it was intentional, but I felt it hurt the story to some extent. (NOTE: I received a copy of this book in a giveaway from the publisher.)
65.
by
Terry PratchettFinish date: December 31, 2017
Genre: Fantasy/Satire
Rating: A
Review: I'm slowly finishing the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett, savoring each one because I know that there will be no more. This particular book pokes fun at all of the old myths and more recent media treatments of vampires - or vampyres, as they prefer in this telling. A new generation of vampyres is coming down out of the mountains to take over the kingdom of Lacre. Four witches - normally invincible - stand against them. As one of the witches says, "Nothing happens to us. We happen to other people." And yet, they are powerless against this new breed that can toss down garlic hors d oeuvres, face down crucifixes and other religious symbols, and even walk around in daylight. What can the witches, assisted by a somewhat confused Omnian priest, an army of six-inch tall warriors, and a disgruntled servant named Igor do to stop them? You'll have to read the book.
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The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Carpe Jugulum (other topics)Hiddensee (other topics)
The American Short Story (other topics)
Beartown (other topics)
The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Terry Pratchett (other topics)Gregory Maguire (other topics)
Thomas Parkes (other topics)
Fredrik Backman (other topics)
Dava Sobel (other topics)
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Finish date: June 28, 2017
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Free or not, I loved this book. I've only read a couple of Atwood's books before so I was ready for a reasonably grim work. I was not ready for laugh-out-loud moments. It is a retelling of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," but also includes a production of the play within the book by a fine group of actors who just happen to be prisoners enrolled in a literacy program.
Like the original, it is a tale of revenge, magic (of a sort), love and madness. And it all comes together beautifully. The climax may come a little soon and what follows may be a little slow, but it is necessary and interesting in its own way. Surprisingly, you don't have to be intimately familiar with "The Tempest," but some knowledge of the basic plot would be helpful. Atwood provides quite the analysis of the play as production of the play within the plot proceeds.