Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton -------------- 4 Stars

Like most people, I saw and greatly enjoyed the original Jurassic Park movie many years ago. At the time, I don't think I was aware that there was also a book, of obviously the same name, the movie was based on. I appreciate that I finally got to the book and enjoyed the much more detailed slightly different experience of the original novel.

While not significantly different than the movie, like most novels that a major movie is based on, there are a number of differences. In an odd experience, this is a movie that I've probably seen over a dozen times prior to reading the book. So, I remembered much of the story and scenes vividly and had an interesting experience comparing parts of the movie that, were in my head, to the written novel. While I'm not sure either version was better, there were certainly much more detail, information, and character/plot development in the novel.

The book was definitely enjoyable, and the level of detail was welcome. The book went too much more of the "science fiction" that Crichton often bases novels on. it was also interesting to see how certain character shifted to the movie. I found there were many more "bad guys "in the book then I recall in the movie. I also found the pace different from the book to the movie. The book actually seem more frenetic with much more of the novel dedicated to the dinosaur attacks than I actually remember in the movie.

Of course, there were some drawbacks of the book. I found the characters not as interesting as the original movie and the story seemed darker. Unsurprisingly, I kept comparing so much of the book I was reading to film going in my head of the same scenes and characters, and right r wrong, found myself constantly annoyed that it wasn't the way it seemed from the movie. It really did take away from the novel though I'm not sure I should hold it against it.

I found it was a very engaging book that I struggled to put down. The story flows easily, and Crichton does a great job of keeping the reader engaged with action scene after scene. While I highly doubt there are many people left who have not seen the movie or read the book, I would recommend the book to everyone, though it might be especially interesting to be able to read it prior to seeing the movie. Though I am not sure that's a realistic idea!

The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides ------------------- 3.5 Stars

A couple years old, The Silent Patient is a book that recently was recommended, and it was a pretty enjoyable read. Really a mystery novel set up as a first person story
about a psychotherapist attempting to help a famous and non-talking artist in a mental institution, the book was a fairly enjoyable read.

As I noted above, the book is really enjoyable as it's a constant "whodonut," never knowing exactly who might be lying or telling the truth. To offer a bit more background, the book is told mostly through the main character who is a psychotherapist with a traumatic past. You also get diary entries from the mute artist who slowly gets you up to speed about her past and catches up to the current timeline. As the novel moves forward, the pace increases and many more pieces of relevant information are offered until the rather shocking ending. Yes, it's one of those books with a big twist ending, which, based on Reddit threads, was very controversial. For me, it was a good ending, and I'm happy the author took a chance with a less than expected way to finish the story.

For the most part I really enjoyed the book. It was entertaining in the sense that I found myself constantly wanting to start the next chapter to see what happened next and found the plot exciting and interesting. On a downside, for a first person novel with the main character owning most of the narrative, I actually found him a flatter character than I would like. While sharing some about his history, much of the book is him simply telling what happens in the plot and very little expository about his own motivations. 

One last piece - I listened to nearly this whole book while driving. While a great way to pass time on a long car ride, I am curious if I would have liked the book more and given it a higher rating had I read it the traditional way. While I received the content and comprehended as much I believe I would have while reading it, I do think it took away from the experience. Perhaps because it was a bit of a binge (basically finished the book in 3 days on the road), I think there is something about pacing your own reading and getting the story directly with your own eyes.    For a future blog - better reading of paper book vs. Kindle?

Boy21 - Matthew Quick ---------------- 3.5 Stars

I would have never planned to read Boy21 if my son had not read the book and exclaimed it was the "greatest book I've ever read." Now, for context, he's not really read that many books but it certainly piqued my interest, and he was hoping that I would read it too.  So, I think I'd give it a try and pretty happy I did.

Some more background as most are probably not familiar with this book. The book is about 10 years old and is considered young adult fiction. Knowing it was YA, I did change my mindset going into reading it. That being said it was enjoyable. The story is told from the first person perspective of a teenage basketball player who befriends, a very talented player, who is struggling with some trauma in his past (he names himself Boy21). Also, fun fact, the author was the writer of Silver Linings Playbook.

There was a few things I really enjoyed about this book. First, it's really engaging. The plot moves quickly and there is not a lot of excess (negative too - see below). Second, as a YA book and related to the above, it's a short, quick read and easy to get through. Finally, I found plot very accessible, along with the characters, and enjoyed the many basketball and school connections.

On a downside, the book doesn't develop characters and plot as more typical adult novels. I figure this is mostly because the author is worried about keeping a young reader's attention, but it is a detriment to the story. Nowhere is this more on display than in the final 20-25 pages. The book was moving at a quick pace but nothing unreasonable and really doing a nice job to move the story forward. Oddly, a TON of things happened in the last chapter or two that really hurried the ending and left a bad taste in my mouth.

On the whole, fun book and happy I read it.

Sharks in the Time of Saviors - Kawai Strong Washburn --------------------- 4.5 Stars

Released a few years ago, I've been a bit skeptical about reading Sharks in the Time of Saviors, though it received high praise from my sister. I think there were two things slowing me down. The first is the emphasis in previewing the book about 'magical realism,' as that's been an area of fiction I tend to not enjoy as much and not be drawn to. Also, the book is based in Hawaii and the place of Hawaii is basically a full character on its own. This made me both interested and skeptical. With Hawaii being such an integral part of my youth, I often fear authors (or others) will not represent it fully and respectfully.  Well, as you can see from my strong rating, I am happy I finally was able to pick this up and get through and could not be more pleased.

Quick background - the book is about a family of five living on the Big Island and their lives growing up in Hawaii and beyond. With three children, the novel weaves each person's tale through a different lens via chapters that are first person accounts from each family member. As noted above, there are some supernatural elements that play a part in the story.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this book. I found it gripping and thought the story really picked up in the final half of the novel. While my skepticism remained for much of the book that it would be overly focused on the supernatural or unreal, I was pleasantly surprised, that while a core element, it didn't have an inordinate focus. In fact, I felt it was quite the opposite. As the author described in an interview, the Hawaiian gods/goddess are a core part of daily life in the islands, and I remember learning about Pele and others growing up. And, I didn't find these religious connections to be separate from daily life and culture. Instead, I think the way the author used the supernatural fit perfectly into my memories of that while in Hawaii.

Other reasons the book is good - it's a really fascinating story and written in a very accessible way. Besides being able to easily relate to the characters (I too spent my formative years on the islands), the experience of the families children going to the mainland and experiencing how different it was from Hawaii also resonated. Of course, there was a notable difference; the characters in the book are 'local' while I'm 'haole,' which, of course, leads to very different experiences. 

It's hard to find many flaws with this novel. Perhaps it was a bit slow in certain parts and the writing was overly individualized (i.e. because each character literally had a different voice, the flow sometimes was inconsistent). I suppose you could also pick nits that one of the main characters doesn't have a voice for much of the book and that gap makes the story read differently.

I strongly recommend this book, whether you are from Hawaii, have visited Hawaii, or simply heard of Hawaii. The story is an easy, modern read that has themes and conflict that should resonate with most people. Of course, there are parts that were even more special for me, and I am so appreciative I was able to read this story and this book exists. 

Rabbit, Run - John Updike ------------------- 1.5 Stars

Rabbit, Run has been on my "to read" list for a very long time. Released in 1960, this book made Updike quite famous and is regarded as a "brilliant and poignant" piece of writing. Well, clearly not in my opinion. Though, I should give credit before bashing this book too much. Updike is a super writer and often I felt like I was reading poetry rather a novel (which may also be part of why I disliked it so much). And while I am about to critique the book below, I do acknowledge that it was written over 60 years ago so some of themes and challenges the main character was going through (and the massive amount of privilege he didn't even realize he enjoyed) perhaps were more timely back in 1960.

Short synopsis (from Amazon b/c it's just easier) - "Its hero is Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, a onetime high-school basketball star who on an impulse deserts his wife and son. He is twenty-six years old, a man-child caught in a struggle between instinct and thought, self and society, sexual gratification and family duty—even, in a sense, human hard-heartedness and divine Grace."

Even this synopsis bothers me. "Hero" - wow, I would certainly not consider this character a hero (and bet most you don't either based even on the short description above). He's actually an incredibly unlikable person; and unfortunately, nearly the whole novel is about him. Perhaps it was because I just read Razorblade Tears which couldn't have been more different. Written last year (and, admittedly, more violent), this book takes on modern challenges - like race, sexuality, socio-economic conflicts, etc. with so much relevance (at least to me) than any parts or Rabbit, Run. And, perhaps, way more important, again, at least to me - that book was super enjoyable to read!  Unlike this book, which I felt like I had to get through in case of, perhaps, a great ending (spoiler alert - also terrible!).

I was actually so conflicted after finishing this book and went to the internet to learn more. Was I really this off? How does this book have 4 stars on Amazon and is so well known?  I actually found two separate articles that helped me better resolve my misunderstanding.

First, is this book review that explains some of the legitimate (again, at least for me), why this book is well regarded. 

Second, is this Guardian article that made me so pleased to find and read as it helped to elucidate my thinking after finishing the book. While this article especially focuses on the implicit misogyny throughout the novel, I am sure there are plenty of other viewpoints that could be found throughout the internet questioning a variety of dated themes of this novel.

Ultimately I leave it up to others to decide. I am sure this book is taught in many college classrooms across the country to learn more about the beauty of writing: I just really worry about what other lessons it may be teaching too. 

Razorblade Tears - S. A. Cosby ---------------------- 3.5 Stars

While not on my radar, and not something I had previously come across, I was happy to take some time to read the recently released Razorblade Tears. A fairly violent read, this book had a great pace and felt like an almost new genre coming across the page.

So, to provide a bit more clarity to the last sentence, I found this book to be unique. A little background - the story is about two dads in southern Virginia whose sons are murdered. Unexpectedly, the sons of the boys are gay and different races (one black; one white). The book then brings together these fathers, both struggling to accept the identities of their sons, to team up to find the people responsible for their murders. 

The book certainly was action packed and easy to read. As I was reading the book, it reminded me of a movie playing out (after finishing, I researched and found out that there are plans to make this into a major motion picture). Besides the story being accessible and interesting, the author has a great way or building excitement and break down action packed scenes with wonderful details to make it read clearer.

What I think will also resonate with people was the diversity of the characters. Unlike so many typical action stories (especially one's from the past century), having the variety of characters was so much more interesting. Besides the race and sexual orientation elements that were through lines throughout the book, characters also include a transgender person and someone adopted. And, the identifies of these people, while noteworthy, were secondary storylines for their characters.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I am not sure it's for everyone. Again, the more modern storylines stood out but what was most noteworthy were the really specific, and on occasion, excessive details of violence. Kidnapping, torture, murder, arson, etc. were commonplace throughout the novel. 

Again, I really had not read a book like this before. While it's both a thriller and crime novel, the Southern element is distinct, along with the diversity or characters. I really enjoyed the social commentary throughout the book and the emotional journey that bother fathers go in, is something memorable. I also am looking forward to seeing it turn into a movie. As it was a richly detailed book, I can already see in my mind who I think would work well in the main roles. 

Eye of the Needle - Ken Follett ----------------- 4 Stars

I've read and reviewed three Ken Follett books (reviews here), including the incomparable Pillars of the Earth, which was one of the few books to earn a five star review. Hoping to enjoy another great story, I learned of a fairly well reviewed Eye of the Needle. While released over 40 years ago, I wasn't aware of the book and was excited to pick it up. For the most part, I was happy I did.

Unlike Pillars of the Earth, this book is set during World War 2 and covers a Germany spy living in England. A fascinating character with an interesting history, the German spy was really the centerpiece of the novel. Beginning with a murder early that sets the tone for much of the novel, the story turns in a spy thriller as it moves into the final quarter of the novel. And, a strong ending helps it along.

While nowhere near as interesting and well detailed as Pillars of the Earth, it's certainly a much shorter book that feels more like a deliberate page turner to keep the reader engaged. And, while I'm not complaining about the pace of the story, I do wish there was more depth created for certain characters and historical pieces. For example, we get a few fictional scenes with Hitler, that simply move the story along, rather than add any profundity.

What may have actually helped my review as I watched a feature film based on this novel just after I finished the book. Filmed in 1981 and starting Donald Sutherland, the movie helped to provide some visual accompaniment to the story that existed in my head but really did not do the novel justice. While I appreciated a greater amount of screen time was given to the relationship between the spy and the other main character - a civilian woman and eventual adversary - the movie too quickly ran through parts and didn't hold my attention.

Perhaps my biggest problem with the book was Follett's introduction in which he prides himself on having a female protagonist be the hero of the story. And, while this woman does end up being a hero, the author's creation of her character is very one-sided and flat. Besides depicting her as unhappily married, he also shows her as sex crazed on multiple occasions. This deliberate focus on her sexual interest ended up being her defining characteristic, which I really found minimized her character significantly.

Overall, the book was an exciting and engaging read that did a great job holding my attention. While it had some character development holes, and ran too fast in some places, it was a fun book to keep my attention and had plenty of chapters ending with a question that made you want to read on.  I would recommend the novel but I would skip the movie.

Trust - Hernan Diaz --------------- 2.5 Stars

Sometimes people's opinions are really different. This is a good example. Released in 2022, Trust went on to be in one of the most critically acclaimed books that year. Besides making numerous top 10 list,s including the New York Times and Barack Obama, it also received the Pulitzer Prize. Well, let's take a look at why I had a different viewpoint.

Let's start with the positives. This book was incredibly well written and the author has a meticulous way to describe scenes, characters, situations. The level of detail is tremendous and you can really get a great feel for situation's and motivations of people throughout the novel. I also really enjoy the ending as I was not quite sure how the book was going to turn out and even felt like giving up on a couple of times (more information below). Finally, it was nice having most of the book be about female protagonists and their impacts in a variety of situations.

With that being said, I really struggled with numerous aspects of the book. While book does, indeed, have a great amount of detail, it was clearly too much for me as I found much of it distracting and overwhelming. Again, very well written, I did find many of the scenes overdone with superfluous information offered. The next challenge that I found was the structure of the novel. I actually found the plot to be fairly interesting, as it was about a Wall Street tycoon in the 1920s and his eccentric wife. And while the structure was novel, at least to me, I don't feel like it it reach the high expectations that I held for it. Basically, the story was told four times over with different narrators and/or in different ways. Certainly creative, I did find the repetitiveness of certain parts frustrating and didn't find enough differentiation between the stories to fully enjoy the book.

Based on the very strong reviews on Amazon and in many other places, clearly I'm in the minority on my opinion of this book. I would suggest you read it yourself though and make your own opinion. If nothing else, I'd be surprised if it didn't at least evoke some strong views about how much you enjoy it.

 

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It - Chris Voss ------------- 3 Stars

While I didn't really think I did a lot of negotiating in life, this book was recommended to me. And, even with an awfully serious title - Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It , the author actually makes the point that much of life is a negotiation. Really, any time you want something, you are taking part in a negotiation. Oh, yeah, and he did negotiate for people's lives a lot,

so he certainly seemed to know his stuff.

I say "he" as, Chris Voss, the author, is an important part of the book. There are many autobiographical parts, and he shares his credentials and experience often to make you feel he's authentic and trustworthy (it definitely worked for me). In addition, the book includes many stories from his negotiations as part of the FBI along with his support of many students on the business side of things. It all works out to make you believe fully in his messaging.

The book has about a dozen chapters and each offers a different suggestion to help you negotiate better. What I found most useful in the book was how much it resonated to my experience and sense of what works best; namely, it's all about connection and empathy. The old view of being a "tough guy" and creating and adversarial and dominating relationship does not work. Throughout the 200+ pages, I really felt like Voss was providing great examples and actually usable suggestions.  

While I have tried a couple of his suggestions, I am finding that they are not as applicable as I would have hoped. While I guess I negotiate multiple times a day, it's so low stakes that the tools he suggested really don't seem to make a difference. I am looking forward to trying some of his strategies in a real negotiation soon. 

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared Paperback – Jonas Jonasson ----------------- 2 Stars

The 100 Year Old Man who Climbed Out the Window, was released about 10 years ago and was popular upon its release. However, I had not ever heard of it until a few weeks ago when someone said to give it a try. It was described as a nice, fun, airy and easy to read book. While not wrong, I found it just a bit too silly.

For those that are not familiar, as you may have gleaned from the title, the book is about an 100-year-old person who leaves a nursing home through a window. The rest of the book follows a Forrest Gumpian tale of his exploits after leaving the institution and many flashbacks about his life that brought him to this place. It is nothing if not fantastical, but I can see the allure to some readers.

While I thought they were parts of the book they were entertaining and even funny, I struggled with how unrealistic the book was. I understand it was a fictional story, but it was constantly on the verge of being so unrealistic it was silly. The main character is certainly alluring and the best part of the novel where the flashbacks when he was a major player in Geopolitics for nearly half a century. I less enjoyed the current story that include his getaway, eventual connections with numerous bizarre characters, and unanticipated ending. 

As noted in the last paragraph, I really struggled with just how light this novel was. While I am not opposed to a fun story that is totally unreal, I didn't feel like it had enough humor or exciting parts to carry the unseriousness. I also found the characters really not that exciting. Again, the 100 year old man was interesting but there are four to five other complimentary characters that I just couldn't find myself caring for. By the end of the book, I really just wanted to find out what happened, rather than enjoy the journey.

As I was curious what others thought of the book, I did check out some reviews afterwards. From what I could tell, it was a fairly polarizing story. There are some readers who absolutely loved it and others, perhaps more like me, that really didn't enjoy the story. In many ways, it reminded me of a slightly more positive version of A Man called Ove. Not surprisingly, that was one of my least favorite books I've read (review here). If you haven't read, perhaps it's worth giving it a try and seeing where you fall.

Genealogy of a Murder: Four Generations, Three Families, One Fateful Night - Lisa Belkin --------------- 3 Stars

When I first read the synopsis for Genealogy of a Murder, I figured it was a book made for my tastes. A nonfiction story about a murder many years ago with a fascinating confluence of events. In addition, the author takes a fascinating historical path, describing the history of three different families that led to awful event. Yet, for some reason, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I hoped.

Continuing the synopsis, the three people include a police officer who was killed, the seemingly reformed ex-con who shot him, and a doctor (related to the author) who pledged that the killer was reformed. The book has a few notable and interesting themes. First, what leads people to a life of crime; is is nature or nurture? And, how much can those paths change by life events and how likely are they to change after being locked up. In addition, how easy is to predict a person's success after prison? What information or data could be used to inform a parole decision?

These are fascinating questions that should have made for a great read. And, to be fair, it was an interesting and enjoyable book. The story she told was a page turner, and the history she shared about each person was clearly researched and informatively shared. In addition, it was great she was able to share a bit of a postscript about each of these families. Although the murder took place in 1960, she followed up on the status of family lineage to literally last year.

With that said, I struggled with certain aspects of this text. First, while not necessarily too long, it seemed to focus on the wrong things. I was really hoping to get more of a story about the three main characters. And, while they are still the priority of the book, the author felt it important to cover both breadth and depth of their ancestors and extended family. As each came from families of European immigrants with many siblings, I felt much of the first half of the novel was telling the many stories of these people. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep up with all of them (many having the same name didn't make it easier), and I am grateful for the complex family tree in the preface that I went back to often.

My other biggest weakness has to do with the eventual murder. Based on the title and all preceding chapters, it's clear the book is slowly chugging along to reach that point. Once there, however, the author choose to tell the story of what happened in an odd time sequencing that took away from the story. While there was limited information and eyewitnesses to what occurred, I found it an odd way to conclude what was supposed to be the apex of the story.

As a whole, not a bad book at all. I love the story and ideas raised by it; I just struggled with the way the author shared information. She also has a very deliberate and informative writing style, that moves you through the facts but doesn't always keep you fully engaged with the story. Maybe take a look for yourself.

Libra - Don DeLillo --------------------- 4 Stars

This book ended up being an interesting read that had connections to two previous review. First, I really found DeLillo's Underworld an interesting read when I took on a while ago (can't believe it's been a decade!). Here is the review. The connection is more odd as this book had such a fascinating overlap of the recently read and reviewed American Tabloid by James Ellroy. In fact, Ellroy based much of his book on Libra as the similarities are notable.

If you have not read either, both are historical fiction narratives about the life of Lee Harvey Oswald and the people and events surrounding his eventual part in the assassination of JFK. As an interested and well read student of the JFK assassination and many conspiracy theories, I found both of these books interesting reads though I struggled most with the historical fiction aspects of the book. After reading multiple non-fiction books about the assassination (my two favorites - Oswald's Tale by Norman Mailer and Case Closed by Gerald Posner), it's hard to "buy into" these books that take many real life and historical events and make up the dialogue and other actions. And while I appreciate the intent of painting a much clearer and detailed picture, I often reminded myself that the author is often guessing and taking a lot of artistic license. 

That being said, I did find this book entertaining and an enjoyable read. In fact, I really couldn't put it down during the last third of the book as the preparation and plans leading up to the assassination began. Unlike American Tabloid, this book was a bit less gritty, and I preferred DeLillo's writing style to Ellroy. Ellory has much shorter prose; almost staccato like; whereas DeLillo has a more refined and smooth writing style. I also find Libra did a better job rounding out characters and giving a better and fuller representation of the people around Oswald that likely led to the events of November 22, 1963. 

And while I enjoyed the book, I could imagine others not having the same regard. First, it's a fairly dense and long book, coming in at nearly 500 pages (with some small print!). It also is pretty niche. Besides having an interest or appreciation for DeLillo (which you should because he's a great writer), the content is very specific to the JFK assassination and Oswald. Perhaps last, while not as dark as American Tabloid, it's still a story mostly about violence, deception, and spycraft. Again, great for some readers, probably not the cup of tea for others.

Feel free to check it out for yourself; meanwhile, hyperlink record with five this blog!

The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession - Michael Finkel ----------------- 3 Stars

The Art Thief recently was released and seemed like a book that I would really enjoy. Even by the title alone, one could see why it seems like a great read. And, while I did enjoy the story for the most part, I didn't find the book met the expectations I had for it.

So, the story was unknown to me and actually pretty unbelievable. This book is about the most prolific art thief in modern times (or ever?). Beginning about 20 years ago and carrying out over 200 heists of 8 years, this book chronicles his life. 

As a whole, I enjoyed the story immensely. Partly this is because I knew nothing about these crimes and also because it was so interesting to learn about the life and mindset of the man responsible for these crimes. Also interestingly, because this book is so recent, the author takes you up to almost the present in understanding the current status of the main characters of the story. It also makes clear (as much as possible) the status of the many, many pieces of art that were taken.

While the story is fantastic, and almost beyond belief, I thought the telling was just average. While there was nothing wrong with the book and the author did an acceptable job of retelling the story, I felt it was pedestrian in many ways. Amazingly, he spent over 40 hours speaking with the art thief and learning all about his crimes and story. And, even with that amazing direct access, I found the book never captured my excitement the way it could have. No cliffhanger chapter endings and nothing that left me agog. This isn't to take away at all from this incredible tale; I just felt it could have been told in an even better way.

I still recommend this book strongly. It's an easy read and a good book. And, even though only 3 stars, it's an engaging read from start to finish. It's possible I just had too high of an expectation for this book. Perhaps you should take a read for yourself and see what you think! 🧐 

But What If We're Wrong?: Thinking About the Present as If It Were the Past -- Chuck Klosterman ------------------- 4 Stars

I don't think I've ever read a Chuck Klosterman book before, though I am very familiar with him and his writings. An asitute and creative cultural critic, I've read a number of his articles in various magazines and heard his musings on a few podcasts. Then, one of his books, But What If We're Wrong?: Thinking About the Present as If It Were the Past popped up as an easy borrow on Libby so I thought I'd give it a try. What a fun, thought provoking and entertaining book!

While the book is 7 years old, it feels recent and the premise, timeless. As the title states, Klosterman does his best to think about much our modern world and what will actually be remembered hundreds of years in the future. Spoiler alert - he believes it's many things that we are currently not considering. Covering art, literature, media, movies, sports, tv, and science, the book also offers commentary from many notable scientists, theorists and futurists. 

What makes this book so interesting are two things. First, is the premise on it's own - we're really bad at actually determining what matters and predicting the future so maybe we should question some of our beliefs. Many of these posits are really "hot takes" and curious. One for example, is that democracy is overrated and not that great. While he makes some strong arguments, hard to believe the alternatives might be any better (this was part of a chapter predicting how/why America may eventually fail). The second reason this book is interesting is classic Klosterman - he's super funny and has irreverent viewpoints. In a sentence explaining theoretical physics, he might offer a joke about a modern pop star. Relatedly, there were nearly 100 footnotes and many of them served as another place that he shares jokes and thoughts.

The biggest downside of the book is that parts are complicated and hard to follow. Besides making the reader really have to think through highly difficult topics, a lot of tightrope walking of thoughts (if that is a thing) is necessary. There are multiple times where it's really hard to imagine what is being considered - though this is an actual theme of the book. However, that may be also what I most enjoyed; working to understand his arguments and thinking about them later. It's one of those few books that really make you consider his writings when not reading it.  Also, I suppose if you don't appreciate his jokes and incessant footnoting, you might also not like.  

This book may be a bit of a specialized taste and recommend reading some other Klosterman before diving in. Between the complicated subject matter and unique author's style, it may be off putting to some. However, if you are open to giving it a try, or want to read a uniquely funny and highly entertaining and thought provoking book, this would be a good one to try!

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder Hardcover – David Grann ------------------- 3.5 Stars

While not planning to read The Wager, this new release was recently available and well regarded, so I thought I'd give it a shot. And, although it wasn't a book that I simply couldn't put down, it was engaging and did a great job holding my attention.

As this is a new book, quick synopsis - an 18th century British boat was sent passed South American looking for Spanish treasure. Unfortunately, the nasty Cape Horn caused a sea wreck and marooned the many sailors in a tough section of Patagonia. While there, the men struggled to live successfully and peacefully and a mutiny occurred leading to surprising and fascinating consequences.

I hate to write more and spoil some of the surprise of the book, but know that the "true" story told has some exciting twists and turns. I also include "true" in quotation marks as the author makes it quite clear that he did his best to review hundreds of centuries old sources to determine what really happened. But, many of those writing the history had strong motivations for their version of what took place to be the "truth." Nonetheless, I believe the author does a stellar job at ensuring as an objective retelling as possible.

For the most part, the book is a good read. While very heavy about life as a sailor and the work of living on a mid 1700s sea vessel, the author does a good job of explaining less relevant aspects and even connecting many modern phrases which originated as parts of sailing culture. Conversely, the first third of the book is the most difficult read. Rounding out characters and sharing the monotony of many seaman's daily lives, is not as exciting as the rest of the book's retelling of fighting off challenging storms, violence between crewmates, and the incredible stories of perseverance put forth by many when left in nearly impossible situations.

On a whole, I think this book is a worthwhile read. Fairly short and, for the most part, accessible, if you can push through the first few chapters, the payoff is worth it once the author gets to the more exciting parts. Great story and I'm really happy I wasn't a sailor in the 18th century too!

Where Men Where Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman - Jon Krakauer ------------- 4 Stars

I've been reading a lot of books lately and really enjoying many of them. Like always, however, the search to find a (hopefully) great book is a challenge. So, when I paused after my last book and thought about what might be a good read, I looked back at my favorite authors and landed on Jon Krakauer. 

CRAZY UPDATE - so, I just took a moment and reviewed my blog to see how many other Krakauer books I've read and had a stunning realizing... I actually read and reviewed this book in September 2010!  

I am not sure if it's sad or wonderful that I didn't remember reading this book (and reviewing) and enjoying it as much as I did this second time around. I seemed to enjoy it more this time as it moved from a 3.5 stars to 4.

One other result of this is that I don't think there are any other Krakauer books that I haven't read worth reading and, I believe, he is no longer writing any books. Which is very sad.

Well, here was my original review -https://bookmarkthatbook.blogspot.com/2010/09/where-men-win-glory-odyssey-of-pat.html

Still a great book!

 

The Hare with Amber Eyes - Edmund De Waal ---------------------- 3 Stars

When this book was recommended to me, I was certain I had never read or even heard of this book. And, while only a couple years old, and a NY Times bestseller, this quiet book about a subject completely unknown to me turned into a pretty enjoyable read.

I feel I should share a bit about The Hare with Amber Eyes before going into a review, as you likely are also less familiar with this book. To clear up my first misconception - based on title, I figured it was a book of fiction. It is not; rather, it's a non-fiction story that covers the fascinating history of De Waal's family and their collection of netsuke.  Again, if like me, you are not aware of what a netsuke is. They are basically Japanese carvings made of wood or ivory (the hare with amber eyes is one such that belonged to his family). I googled a few collections to get a better sense and appreciate their aesthetic. Besides being a potter as a day job, the author has a much deeper connection to these objects as it connects to his family's legacy.

In fact, the book is really a story about his research and the life of the many members of the Ephrussi family. The Ephrussi's were a rich Russian family who gained wealth as grain traders eventually growing their empire across much of western Europe. They were also Jews living in Europe in the 20th century and much of the book shares the challenges they faced with anti-Semitism and eventually navigating the Holocaust while living in Austria.

The book is an interesting read, and I enjoyed large parts of it. His family story is fascinating and the journeys and history of the Ephrussi's included a large array of charming and notable characters. I also enjoyed learning much more about the collection and beauty of netsuke.  Some of the most fascinating parts of the book were the author's musings about the importance of "things"; especially things you could hold and provided meaning and depth to the owner. I also enjoyed the author often offering his own personal commentary about his own status of the writing process mid text. It was like a television character breaking the fourth wall and telling you their thinking about a scene as it's paused. His own personal musings about challenges, surprises, etc., added more flavor to the story.

The book can be slow at certain parts and didn't fully engage me throughout. The final quarter shares the story of the collection of netsuke moving back to Japan from Europe and it was the weakest part of the story. I also struggled with some pieces of vocabulary. I feel less bad about the more than occasional dropping in of native French, Russian, Austrian or some other language. It was the English words I didn't know that was frustrating. I am fine with an author using impressive and thoughtful language but it becomes frustrating when a dictionary is necessary on nearly every other page (it also makes this humble reader feel less smart).

On a whole, I recommend the Hare with Amber Eyes as it was one of the more interesting books I've recently read. I also appreciated learning about a slice of life I knew nothing about. While the family story was truly the heart of the book and engaging tale, learning about the story of these hidden treasures being passed down to the author was fun.

The Ferryman - Justin Cronin ------------------------ 4.5 Stars

I have been a huge Justin Cronin fan for many years, beginning with his captivating book - The Passage (eventually made into a pretty awful tv show with the amazing Mark Paul-Gosselaar (who, even at his best, had no chance of saving it)). One of the few 5 star review on this blog, it was joined later by The Twelve (a decent sequel) and City of Mirrors (review of all three can be found here). So, imagine my excitement when a new book was announced earlier this summer. 

The Ferryman, a less dark, non post-apocalyptic story, was a nice change of pace from his prior novels. Moving into slightly lighter dystopian future, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and finished the 530 pages quickly in under two weeks. The basic premise revolves around the main character who works as a ferryman to take people who are close to dying to a placed called the Nursery to be "renewed". The setting is a beautiful, utopianish country that is hidden from the challenges of the modern world. Of course, not is all as it seems and he begins dreaming (something that was not believed possible), and other class conflicts begin to arise.

As noted, I really couldn't put this down. From the opening pages, I found the book engrossing and the characters, and perhaps more notably, the plot, very engaging. I also found Cronin has improved his delivery and become a writer with smoother prose, better dialogue, and greater hooks than in some of his previous works. 

Perhaps what most stuck out to me, especially as I neared the ending and finished the book are the twists and turns and how much that made me think about what I just read. I was even tempted to go back and start over to try and better understand certain plot pieces that didn't fully sink in (I didn't, thanks mostly to the excellent people on Reddit who helped me better understand pieces I missed or misundestod). As I finished the book, I realized it did have many connections to movies that I have enjoyed, and I think I most consider it a mix of Inception and Interstellar with a pinch of the Matrix mixed in. Perhaps after thinking about those movies, it makes a bit more sense why I was thinking of re-reading (not the most straight forward set of movies). But, of course, that's what made the book so exciting. Each new detail unraveled a new thread in my mind that I had not thought of or realized before, ultimately making the book much more fulfilling. 

With all this praise, I feel I should mention concerns for some potential readers. As I alluded, the book has a complicated plot and can be difficult to follow. It's also possible that the major twist at the ending, or ending by itself, may be off putting for some readers as it comes late and really changes the narrative. Most obviously, this book would fit most clearly into the the "sci-fi" realm that includes dystopian and/or the post-apoclapytic genre. If that's not for you, this may not be best.  That all being said, I think this book is a super fun and enjoyable read and do recommend strongly. 

Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver ------------------- 4 Stars

I am so happy my sister recommended the newly released Demon Copperhead. While I have never before read a Barbara Kingsolver book, I found this a great read and struggled to put it down.

Connected in premise to Dickens' famous David Copperfield, this book also tells the story of a young boy struggling with the challenges of institutional poverty and less than desirable parental figures. While Dickens famous tale did inspire Kingsolver, her version is a much more modern and painful look at the difficulties of poverty and the onset of easily attainable oxycontin in the late 90s in southwestern Virginia (and adjoining states).

While the books is filled with heartache and sad stories, it was an unbelievably engaging read. Even though this book focused on less than a decade of time of Demon (Damon's) life, the story was powerful as it detailed the formative years of his life in and out of foster care situations and battle with his other's powerful drug addictions. Coincidentally, a major theme of the book was the quick and horrific rise of oxycontin in America; a subject I read about in detail and reviewed less than two months ago via the powerful Empire of Pain (review here). Observing real life (albeit fictionalized) details of the painful consequences when large numbers of people begin abusing this powerful drug was an omnipresent aspect of this story.

Like many novels of longer length (this comes in at over 500 pages), Kingsolver did an amazing job of creating depth and a richness to most of the book's characters. That, coupled with her strong storytelling skills, truly made this book a super read. While there were some parts were it almost felt too sad or depressing to carry on, she would offer a small joke or positive spin on something less consequential to offer some much needed relief. The arc of the story is also to connect with due to her playful and easy to access writing style. Written in the first person perspective of an adolescent (and eventual teen) boy, the book is right on tone and kept me fully immersed in wanting to know what would happen next. While there were a few notable twists and turns (especially in the last 20% of the story), much of the book was a description of day to day lives (again, not ones that are as familiar for many of us (while probably too real for others)).

While I am not confident that everyone will enjoy this book as much I did, I do think it has a lot to offer. While a sad story, it's feels realistic and full, and I think is accessible to most readers. The main character is a one you can't help but root for, especially as you learn more and more about the difficulties he had to battle to live a positive life. Enjoy what is truly a modern (and better!) version of a classic story.

Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus ------------- 3 Stars

I had heard a few people have very positive things to say about the recently released Lessons in Chemistry. And while the cover should have given me pause about what I might be getting into; ultimately, I appreciated reading this novel.

Lessons in Chemistry came out last year and was a popular book. Set in the 1950s, the book makes a strong statement about feminism and questions so many of the archaic decisions and policies that existed half a century ago. The main character, Elizabeth, is a highly intelligent and impressive scientist who, mostly because of her appearance, has to settle for a television show to demonstrate her intelligence, rather than a science lab, or classroom, or many other more appropriate places that she lacked access because of her gender.

On a positive, the book is fairly short and a moderately entertaining story. There were memorable twists and turns and the author did a good job of rounding out most characters. The book also offered enough mystery to keep the reader interested until the end and wanting to understand why certain actions were taking (or taken) place. Also impressive was how thoughtfully the author checked so many of the poorly created, or just plain stupid, rules and norms that existed many years ago.

Unfortunately, while I did enjoy the ending and general story of the book, I found the pace to be a bit slow for me. There we multiple chapters where I struggled to keep my interest as, I found the plot slowed to a nearly standstill. I do think that my gender may have something to do with this. As this book takes on gender norms and deals with the joys and challenges of motherhood, some of those experiences did not resonate with me as deeply as other experiences might.  My other observation that made this book less desirable was the change in constant change in style. I found that much of the book was playful and "fun" yet there were other very serious parts (rape, death, etc.). It seemed confusing to me, though, as to what type of book this was trying to be (in defense, when I offered this critique to someone else, they countered that this is what life is like too!).

As a whole, I think this book may be enjoyable for many. It's a fairly accessible plot and the author tells the story in an entertaining way. While there are gaps that the plot and storyline slow down notably, the highs more than make it up and the high praise this book received from many readers seems genuine.