The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot ----------------- 3 Stars

To be candid, I really struggled with what ranking to give this book: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. The ranking system is predicated on how engaging a book is to me personally. And, while I found this book engaging in many ways, I also found it a painful book to get through which often made me not want to pick it up. Yet, I am so happy to have learned about Henrietta Lacks, her family, and her importance in medical history.

While I clearly am a bit late to it, it's always great to learn about something new. As this book was a NY Times Bestseller over ten years ago, and a feature movie was made about it, clearly it was beloved by many audiences. And, for good reason; it's simply one of the most stunning and unbelievable stories in American medical history. Like nearly everyone, learning about Henrietta Lacks' life was new to me. While I knew the book was popular and had something to do with science and cells, I really had no clue about her impact on so many lives. She truly changed the world for the better.

The book is a captivating read, and the author does a nice job of weaving together both the history and science related to Henrietta Lacks while also presenting a biographical sketch of her and her family. When I picked up the book, I really had no idea how much detail would be included about her family and future generation of Lacks'. The journey, hardships, and experiences of her life and life of her ancestors truly made it so there were parts of the book I couldn't put down.

Unfortunately, I found so many parts of the story so difficult and painful to get through, especially in the final parts of the book. Not surprisingly, being an African American woman in the first half of the 20th century in the southern US was a difficult experience. In addition, much of her family and relatives also suffered a variety of struggles that made many of their lives quite difficult. And like many less privileged groups, so much of their pain and struggle were caused by inequitable and racist systems and people that exist.

As I said, I am so happy I heard about, read, and learned about Henrietta Lacks. If you don't know her story, please take the time to read the book, or at a minimum, learn about her and her importance in American (and world) history. The book truly is fascinating and captivating. However, I often turn to reading to escape some of the pain that exists in our current world. This book made me feel more of it. The way Henrietta, her family, and so many others were treated (and continue to be treated unfairly) is both a useful reminder of the difficult history of country. The irony that a person (and those like her) was treated so poorly but ended up helping the world as much as she did is not lost on me!

The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver ----------------- 3 Stars

I had never read a Barbara Kingsolver book until I took on Demon Copperhead (review here) a couple of summers ago. I heard some good things about that book and, of course, Kingsolver is quite a name in fiction. I really enjoyed Demon Copperhead, and I knew that The Poisonwood Bible is probably her most famous book. While I did, ultimately, enjoy The Poisionwood Bible, I didn't find it as entertaining and enjoyable as the book I read a couple of years ago.

I also add the word "ultimately" above, as I felt this book really started slowly. For me, it was such a slow start that I almost considered quitting. Coming in at nearly 600 pages, it's not a short or easy read. And, I found the first, nearly 200 pages, to be a pretty excruciating beginning. Sure, it was great getting to know the main characters and understanding some of their motives and interest. However, most of the first quarter to third of the book is setting the stage of their lives in Africa. While there were some interesting stories and useful details included about a life very different than the one I am used to, there was really very little excitement or conflict.

Thankfully, the book starting picking up the pace and offered some much more interesting plot turns and action as it continued. I found myself fascinated in learning more about the history of the Congo (the setting for most of the novel). It was exciting to learn that so much of the story was based on real life events and people. The short biography Kingsolver offered of her own childhood growing up in Africa also made the book more appealing.

Finally, I also enjoyed that much of the final quarter was sharing the future lives of the main characters over multiple decades. I always appreciate learning how characters end up and what their future ends up becoming. However, many books tend to not spend the time offering a glimpse of the future. 

The biggest drawbacks for me, besides the very slow start was simply the difficult I had connecting with the characters. While quite different from me and offering a quite varied perspective on the world, most of the novel centered on the female characters and their lives growing up in war-torn Africa. I also struggled with some of Kingsolver's writing style. While I appreciated her well written narratives, some of the descriptions of events, scenery, etc. were too descriptive for me, as I began to lose interest in some of her writing.

On the whole, I see why this book was so popular and was a Pulitzer finalist. It's a fine story, well written and taking on some serious issues of the world and being human. While this may be the last Kingsolver book for me, I remain open to seeing what might strike me of interest in the future.

 

Trapped!: The Story of Floyd Collins – Robert Murray and Roger W. Brucker --------------- 4.5 Stars

Earlier this year I visited Mammoth Cave National Park in western Kentucky. Not really something I had planned much but really enjoyed it once there. I spent a few hours walking about 4 miles of the currently discovered 426 miles (and growing!) cave system. While there I learned about the fascinating story about Floyd Collins. I was so intrigued by it, I looked to see if there was a book about him. As luck would have it there are a few but one is amazing, at least in my opinion!

Trapped!: The Story of Floyd Collins was originally written in 1979 to tell the story of the rescue attempt of Floyd Collins in 1925. If you were like me, you know nothing about this story. A bit of background: there are hundreds of miles of continuous cave in western Kentucky. In the 1920s, explorers were trying to map and find parts of it. Collins, thinking he could get rich by finding undiscovered areas, spend much of this time searching underground. Unfortunately, while out on an expedition, he was moving through a very tight passage and got stuck. It led to a 3 week adventure that was both unexpected and captivating.  Ultimately, this story became the biggest in the world. Yes, you read that correctly, the rescue attempt for Floyd Collins became sensational and updated daily on every newspaper in the world.

When I learned how famous this event was, I really didn't understand why. But, as I spent more time learning about it, it made more and more sense. To help explain it further, here's a paragraph from the book that summarizes far better than I would:

As you can probably infer from what I've shared so far, there are a couple of reasons I enjoyed this book so much. First, I think my visit to the cave really helped me picture and better understand what it's like exploring a cave (something I had never considered previous to this visit). This helped me connect far more deeply with the story. Second, it's truly an incredible story and there's a reason it became the biggest one in the world.  Themes like - man vs. nature, greed and exploitation, heroism, isolation, and the power of media - were all major parts of the story. Third, I also love how the story was told. It was a fascinating mix of historical reporting, journalism, an amazing storytelling.

4.5 stars is a very high rating (I've only had five - 4.5 star books and seven - 5 star books in the 16 years I've had this blog). I'm also not foolish to believe that many others would not have a 4 1/2 star rating for this book (however, 4.5 stars is the net average on Amazon for the 88 people who reviewed it). I would imagine others might still find the story incredible, but will find the book slow in some parts and probably far too detailed. Either way, I urge you to take it or at least read the articles about it as the story truly is incredible and worth learning about.

The Idiot: A Novel - Elif Batuman ------------------ 1.5 Stars

A Pulitzer Prize finalist from 2018, I had read people really enjoyed The Idiot. They said it was clever, funny, and an interesting read. Well, I did not find myself with the same impressions of the book as many of those who enjoyed.

This story is a bildungsroman focusing on a Turkish immigrant beginning her first year at Harvard. The book tells the story of her experience in college and, later, trip to Hungary. That's it. That's the plot. 

As you can guess from my rating, I really disliked this book. While I know that the plot wasn't actually why it was so liked, I did think it might have a bit more... something. I've read many, many books when the plot is not the central focus of the novel, but this one probably is the most disappointing of all of them. Truly, it felt like nothing ever happened.

Now, all this could be forgiven if the other areas of focus - character building, prose, dialogue, ideas, etc.-  were interesting. Unfortunately, I struggled to enjoy any other aspects of this book as well. Perhaps it has to do with me struggling to identify with the main character; it is true that I am not a college age Turkish immigrant at Harvard. However, I've enjoyed so many books with characters and people that are dissimilar than me. I don't think that's it.

I can only explain it as one of those things that happens with "art" sometimes where the "in" people (critics, other writers, etc.) determine that a piece is actually much better than any average observer would actually feel it is. I'm sure there was things that I missed that perhaps were clever, thoughtful, or funny that added something to this novel. But I believe that any average reader picking this up would hate it. And, in many ways I felt like the idiot continuing to stick with it even though I never enjoyed any part of it. But, I continually hoped it might get better and felt obligated to finish it. Perhaps I am wrong and you did or would enjoy this more than me. If that's true, that's great. But for me, this one just didn't resonate. They're not all winners!

Hard Rain Falling - Don Carpenter ----------------4 Stars

I'm going to bet the most people are not familiar with Don Carpenter's, 1966 novel, Hard Rain Falling. And, up until recently, I was part of that large group as well. But, after a recent video I watched suggesting this book never got the attention it deserved, it's having a small revival and I'm happy I came across it.

Set solidly in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s, this book is about an orphan who goes throughs some really difficult life situations, always finding a way to come out on the other end. While it's got a bit of A Catcher in the Rye quality to it, I found it closer to another favorite novel of mine from half a century ago - Revolutionary Road (review here). At its core, this story is about growing older and navigating the transition from youth to adulthood and how a person comes to live the life they were given, rather than the one they once hoped for.

As you can tell from this strong rating, I really enjoyed this book. I found the story quite captivating and love books where you can enjoy a longer arc of a person's life. This story, goes back to even before the protagonist is born and runs through much of his adult life. Of course, I admired the storytelling and the great detail to really understand life in the Pacific Northwest many years ago. Whether it be the seedy pool halls that many of the scenes take place or life in prison, I found myself consistently drawn back into the book even after putting it down. I also found his writing simple but with enough depth and complexity to keep me engaged. This is a great compliment as the current style of writing for most novels has changed so much that often when you read prose from decades ago it can feel stale and slow. Not here.

Like any book there were some challenges. It's not perfect with pace and there were certainly a few parts that I wished moved a bit quicker (that being said, it's a pretty tight 336 pages). It's also a hard book to read if you're looking for happy, sweet story. It's gritty and tough and filled with lots of heartache. It has violence, sex, and alcohol and drugs. It was also written at a time, by a white writer, where language is used freely that would no longer be considered appropriate. For all those reasons, I do suggest caution to some readers.

On a whole, however, I was pleasantly surprised with how easily this read and how much I enjoyed the content of this book. Like most themes that are deeply part of the human condition, much of it comes off as timeless, and Carpenter does a great job of telling a fairly simple story in a very thoughtful way. 

The Playground/The Overstory - Richard Powers ------------ 3.5 Stars/4 Stars

So, in preparing for this review, I really was excited to share about the second Richard Powers book I've reviewed. Of course, the first being the Pulitzer Prize winning, The Overstory. Except, when I looked through my blog to find my review of this book, I couldn't find it. That is super weird to me; in general, I review every book I read. Plus I really adored the The Overstory. So, wanted to make a note how much I enjoyed that book before sharing about the book I just finished - The Playground. While similar in many ways to The Overstory, I just didn't find it quite as satisfying or entertaining. Still good though!

Since I mentioned The Overstory too, both books really are quite similar. Both have to do with an important part of the Earth (trees in the first book; oceans in The Playground). The author makes a not at all veiled point of just how important the trees and oceans are too our world. Further, just how much humans are doing t
o cause harm to these things. Both books have a few main characters with seemingly unrelated timelines and stories that do come together at the end. Finally, both books really do have some amazing prose and storytelling.

This book is a pretty engaging and interesting read, that, aside from a few slow parts, really had a great pace. As Powers quickly will go from story to story (in sometimes non-sequential order), it keeps the reader on their feet and focused on the novel. I also just adore how beautifully he can share about the wonders of the world. In this book, his description of the ocean, fish, etc., is just amazing. You can't help but feel like you are in the water, visualizing these amazing creatures in your head. The book also has an incredibly unexpected ending that really made me rethink many parts of the novel. This was really not something I was anticipating and added so much more to the book.

As a whole, I really found both of these books to be enjoyable and entertaining. Although they can feel long at times, with a bit too much prose and detail about his favorite aspects of the novel's focus (trees/oceans), his great characters, amazing ability to create detail, and wonderful storytelling, go a long way to offset any annoyances the reader might have. I strongly recommend both books.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling ----------------- 4 Stars

Yes, I know; I'm super late to the Harry Potter phenomenon. In trying to figure out why I had never read one until now, I think I've realized its a timing issue. See, the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was released in 1997. At that point I was a 17 year old junior or senior and I would venture to guess reading about a childish magician didn't seem like the coolest thing to be engaging with. Then, of course, as things blew up and got crazy with HP, I was in college; and, again, I probably wasn't in a great place to enjoy these types or books. But, here I am, 28 years after release enjoying the first Harry Potter book.

Unless you've been living under a stone for the past quarter century, you know who Harry Potter is and you know about the many books and movies (and everything else that go with it). So, no point in summarizing the book. Rather, I'll share my mid-40 year old thoughts about this first HP book - it was pretty dang entertaining!

And, to be honest, I wasn't sure it would be. See, I'm not a huge fan of these types of books they're not really based in reality. Of course, I like a great story and interesting characters, which this book has plenty of, but my preference tends not to be these types of novels. But, of course, this book is wildly fun to read, easy to digest, and a great story arc with wonderful characters. As a huge Roald Dahl fan in my youth, I found it as many similarities to some of his books. The whimsical nature and easily connectable characters make them easy to consume.

Of course, the book isn't perfect. For me, it still reads like a "young adult" book, but that also makes it a smooth read. And, I've been promised, should I decide to continue with the series, future stories will seem more grown-up and "darker". Perhaps knowing there might be some future books coming, I do feel like some of the characters also are a bit flat, and I'm really curious about their backgrounds and wanting to learn more about them. Again, I assume that is in the future books.

Unfortunately, I'm now at a difficult point. I feel like I should continue reading other HP in the series but know the newer books are longer and many more of them than I feel like I have time for. For now, I'm gonna try something else and see if my interest come back to Harry Potter or this might be the one that I can check the box having read. If so, I can see why these were so popular and happy to at least be catching up now with this global phenomenon. 

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt ---------------- 3.5 Stars

So, I know I'm super late coming to the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil party, seeing as the book was released 20 years ago this year and spent a record 216 weeks on the NY Times Bestseller list. But, with an upcoming trip to Savannah planned and an understanding that this book has been on my "to read" list for a while, it was a perfect time to give it a try. And, for the most part, I'm happy I did.

The book had a pretty interesting structure. The first third is a variety of vignettes about a half dozen or so eccentric personalities the author met during his time living in Savannah. Some connected with one another, some not, and he does a nice job pulling you into the life of Savannah by sharing these characters backgrounds, traits and relationship to the city. Then the book moves to a true crime focus, with the details leading up to a murder (of course, with a couple of those main characters). Finally, the book captures what happened, the (long) trials (yes, multiple), and the aftermath of that trial and subsidiary characters.

For the most part, the book was quite entertaining. Really capturing the flavor and heart of this interesting city, I found the book an enjoyable read. Going in, I knew a bit about the book and thought it would be much more about the murder and trail, as opposed to being a minority of time spent in the story. But, the other characters and stories about each of them was easy to read and fun to keep up with. I did have occasional frustrations that he didn't spend a bit more time with the murder trail and a bit less on these bit characters, but I understand that wasn't really his main focus in writing this story.

Of course, the movie that came out not longer after the book's release really vaulted this book to a higher level and it's safe to say it was a cultural phenomenon (too strong?) for a couple of years. While I'm about 20 years late to it, I am happy to have finally had the pleasure to see what all the excitement was about. Now to see if the city lives up to it too!

The Premonition: A Pandemic Story - Michael Lewis ----------------- 2.5 Stars

I've really enjoyed books written Michael Lewis. I've read a few and was so impressed (review from a few months ago) with Going Infinite, the story about Sam Bankman-Fried, I figured I'd enjoy The Premonition: A Pandemic Story. Unfortunately, it was my least favorite Lewis book to date.

One of the things that I've been so impressed by, is Lewis's ability to write books so quickly about topical modern events. The Going Infinite book was like that and this book was written only a year after the pandemic was in full swing (this book was published in May 2021). To have detailed and lengthy books come out so quickly, Lewis has to work quickly; I mean, I think there's no other way to do it. Unfortunately, this book really feels like it was written in a few months. While it started out drawing the reader in and had a great few opening chapters, I found it unravelled the more I read it with the final chapters seemingly all over the place.

The book has some pretty interesting stories about the response in place for the COVID pandemic. In addition, Lewis does a great job of identifying fringe people that were not and are not famous but play into the pandemic response across America. And, like many of his books, these small, unknown people and stories really are the best parts of the book.

However, as an overall narrative, I just found it to fall flat. Besides jumping from subject to subject with not always the most logical order (at least most of the time it was chronological), I struggled to follow some of his anecdotes. Their relevance to story often left me questioning why it was included. Truly, by the final chapter or two I felt like he was stream of conscious writing, which seems so odd for a fiction story. 

I'm not sure I'd recommend this book. While I love Lewis, I thought I'd get a bit more insight about how the pandemic played out and the various responses of the government (Fauci and Trump are bit characters at best). Of course, it's still a fairly enjoyable read with some interesting people involved, just not one of my favorite by a very strong writer. 

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind - Yuval Noah Harari --------------- 2.5 Stars

On my list to read for a while, I was excited to finally tackle Sapiens during the Winter Break. I actually started it in early December and figured it'd be an engaging read that I would get through quickly. Well, I was wrong in a couple ways.

Coming in at nearly 600 of fairly dense writing, I struggled to get through and enjoy this book. It was odd though, when I was reading it, I often was interested and did find it engaging, but I really struggled to read in long bursts and want to pick it back up day after day. Taking over a month and a half to get through (while having larger amounts of free time than normal), I was a bit surprised this book didn't resonate with me more fully.

If you are not familiar, the book has a great premise. Here is it as Amazon writes it better, "From renowned historian Yuval Noah Harari comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.”

One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?"

Really, its a history of humans; a subject that seems fascinating. And many parts of the book really are fascinating. I learned a ton about the biology of people, the evolution of Sapiens, and became more much more aware of how many things have changed. I think this book does an amazing job offering perspective about our current world and living while also making you realize just how big and long our universe has existed.

I also will say that Harari's writing style is enjoyable. Again, for a nearly 600 page retrospective about the history of humans, he does a fairly good job of keeping the reader engaged through an informal, and occasionally funny, writing style. It actually reminded me a lot of a Bill Bryson book I love titled, A Short History of Everything. Bryson's book was much more science focused and bit more humorous, but similar all the same.

Ultimately, I don't know if I struggled to engage with this book because other things preoccupied me (tv, phone, family) during Winter Break or it just a book that I would have struggled with regardless of place and time. I am thinking more and more it's the latter. I usually fly through books when I have some time away and usually read multiple during previous Breaks. It's also odd as I tend to prefer books about people and politics rather than other areas of non-fiction. But again, this book never could make an impression on me.

So, I leave it to you to decide what you think. With a 4.3 Goodreads and 4.6 Amazon rating, it's clearly a book that many enjoy (and a Obama and Bill Gates summer reading pick!). And, the content was great and I actually did learn many things. However, I never felt super excited to get back to it and stay engaged with it.