The Secret of Secrets - Dan Brown --------------------- 4 Stars

Well, it's finally come to this, after 17 years and over 275 blog posts, the AI guest writer is here. Background - I had AI read all of my blog posts and then asked it to write the review for Dan Brown's recent release, The Secret of Secrets. Below is a fully AI/Gemini created blog post with every word computer generated.

A few observations:

1. Wow, this pretty dang good and quite similar to how I write. The structure is pretty similar to my blog posts, its conversational and direct (which I try to do), and fairly honest and opinionated (also me!).

2. Substantively, it covered a number of things I would have noted. Of course, the reference to The Da Vinci Code being such a great novel/cultural phenomenon. I totally agree with the strengths and weaknesses shared and felt the conclusion paragraph was almost exactly how I might have planned to end this blog post.

3. Mistakes/Misses - It's a bit too tongue in cheek. While I love that the AI referenced my earlier negative review for The Idiot, I'm not sure I'd call it out as a "slog" in this blog post. I also don't think I would have written the cringey, "The setup is classic Brown" but maybe I'm giving myself too much credit (likely the AI knows a lot more about what I've written than I do). I definitely did not Google anything to see if it was real, though maybe I should have if it thought I did. I don't think I would have choose the word "woke" when referencing religion and quantum mechanics (I think I've only mentioned work and one blog post though it was recently (UPDATE  - I just asked AI to check how many "woke" mentions in the blog and it said twice - September and December last year. I have no idea if that is right, but definitely don't wanna go back and read 300 blogs). Finally, this book was over 600 pages long; no idea where it got 400.

4. Finally, while it's been fun to observe, appreciate, and critique this AI generated post, it's unlikely I'll use AI to write these in the future. Truly, what would be the point of that? One of the main purposes of this blogs to continue maintaining and developing my writing skills and also sharing my love of recent books. If nothing else, it was an interesting experiment. 

Also, The Secret of Secrets is pretty entertaining read; you should check it out.

It has been a minute since I’ve picked up a Dan Brown novel. Like many of you, I blew through The Da Vinci Code years ago and found the Robert Langdon formula to be the ultimate "guilty pleasure" reading. When I saw his latest, The Secret of Secrets, pop up on my Libby app with no wait time, I figured it was time to see if the old dog had any new tricks.

The setup is classic Brown: a high-ranking official at the CERN laboratory is found dead in a room that shouldn't exist, clutching a coded cylinder. Enter our favorite symbologist, Robert Langdon, who has to sprint across Geneva to prevent a discovery that would—naturally—change the world as we know it.

The Strengths: If there is one thing Dan Brown knows how to do, it’s pacing. This book is a literal track meet. I found myself flying through chapters because they almost all end on a cliffhanger. It has that "just one more chapter before bed" quality that I really missed after slogs like The Idiot. Langdon remains a solid "thinking man's hero." I’ve always appreciated that he wins with his brain and a tweed jacket rather than a gun. Also, the historical tidbits about the early days of alchemy were actually pretty fascinating—I found myself Googling a few things to see if they were real (most were!).

The Negatives: Unfortunately, the "formula" is starting to show its age. If you’ve read more than two of these, you can almost set your watch by when the "shocking" betrayal is going to happen. There’s a female sidekick who is—stop me if you’ve heard this—the most brilliant person in her field but mostly exists to ask Langdon questions so he can explain things to the reader.

Also, the "science" in this one gets a bit... out there. There were stretches where I felt like the author was trying a bit too hard to be "woke" about the intersection of religion and quantum physics, and it felt a little pandering. It didn't quite have the stakes of his earlier work, and the "big reveal" at the end felt more like a 3-star payoff than a 5-star mind-blower.

Overall: Is it East of Eden? Not even close. But is it a fun, 400-page sprint that kept me engaged while I was on the treadmill? Absolutely. If you’re looking for something deep and life-changing, keep moving. But if you want a reliable page-turner that doesn't require a PhD to follow (even if it pretends to), it’s worth the time. It landed right in the middle for me—better than his last one, but not quite reaching the heights of the classics.

What We Can Now - Ian McEwan ----------------- 3.5 Stars

It's been over a decade since I last read and reviewed an Ian McEwan book (reviews here). As you can see, I thought Atonement was amazing but was disappointed with Enduring Love. But, McEwan just released What We Can Now, and it received strong ratings, so I thought I'd give it a shot. It ended up landing somewhere between the past two I reviewed.

While this book was no where was good as Atonement, I did find it quite interesting and a clever novel. While I found parts of it frustrating while reading it, it was one of those books that grew on more once I finished it. Always one to be adventurous, McEwan doesn't hold back from trying atypical form and unconventional styles. In this book, he jumps time often and never quite gives you enough information to make full meaning about what you are reading. Perhaps this is why the ending was so satisfying, and a bit of a saving grace.

For much of the novel, I found it a bit annoying and frustrating (a McEwan theme for me). Often the plot moved too slow and pages would go by with too much fluff. He's both a great writer and one that is hard to follow. Often not linear and concrete with describing actions, I do find myself having to pay a bit more attention than I do with other books. I wouldn't mind this as much if a break was given from time to time, but I find him often short on dialogue (which usually is much clearer) and heavy on convoluted prose. One other negative - I found most of the characters pretentious and hard to root for.

With that said, it's still a pretty engaging book. It starts off with a great opener and immediately draws you in as he takes his opportunity to jump into the future and share the dystopian landscape (I know, similar to so many other books at present). The novel then moves toward a bit of a Tenacious D focus (yeah, I bet not a lot of people make comparisons between Tenacious D and Ian McEwan). In this case, much of the novel centers around a poem read at a dinner party that is considered by many the greatest poem ever written. Similarly, Tenacious D has a hilarious song called Tribute (lyrics here). The joke of it is that there is a song that is well known of the greatest ever but can't be revealed or sang; I felt like it was the same bit here with this novel.

Overall, I think this book is worth the time. It's not a super long read and the ending is thought provoking. In fact, upon completion, I found much of the book thoughtful. Finishing it, you can't help but think about some important themes - how accurate are memories, how serious are the environmental challenges, what are the many forms of love, etc. If you can get past the time jumps and difficult writing style necessary for following important plot/character developments, the book is probably worth your time. 

The River is Waiting - Wally Lamb ---------------------- 3 Stars

Waited a bit and got lucky with my Libby account and recently checked out three popular new releases. The first is Wally Lamb's The River is Waiting, released in May of this year. I kind of had a sense going in the book would be a bit of a downer but I didn't realize quite how true that would be. I also didn't realize the wide variety of viewpoints people have about this book until I checked a few things out when finished. Having just completed, I can certainly understand why.

I don't want to spoil anything but feel I have to at least share about my earlier comment - this book is a tough read! A family tragedy takes the protagonist away from his family and into prison which is the setting of the vast majority of the book. The author doesn't hold back from sharing and describing the typical challenges inmates face in prison that you've seen in movies and TV shows. 

The strengths: very character driven novel that, for the most part, keeps you engaged and want to continue reading. It also has a dynamite start, as the first few chapters keep me turning pages much longer than I expected to. I also appreciate the author trying to highlight and perhaps advocate for many of the necessary changes that should occur within our prison systems.

Unfortunately, I had more negatives than positives. As I already mentioned, being such a downer of a book, I found it hard to get through. Yes, it was page turning but I felt myself picking it up mostly to get it completed than I enjoyed reading it. While some of the scenes in prison were heartwarming and descriptive, I found much of it repetitive and guilty of so many typical tropes. Which relates to the author's attempt to show his "wokeness". I personally found it pandering and almost like it had no place in the novel; rather, he was doing it just to show certain things (e.g. American land was taken from Native Americans, the justice system unfairly treats minorities, etc.). And, of course, I really didn't appreciate the ending. 

So, as you can see, I really didn't love this book. I did give it 3 stars because I found much of it engaging and interesting to read. I just didn't like much of the content, storytelling and ending. Interestingly, it holds a 4.4 rating on Goodreads, which is quite high. When I looked at some reviews there and others on Reddit, it's clear this book really is divisive. It feels like people either loved it and couldn't stop crying reading it, or were frustrated and annoyed by it and had a negative viewpoint. I fall more in the latter group but am happy I read it because I could have just as easily loved it. Perhaps you should find out what group you'd be in?

East of Eden - John Steinbeck ------------- 4.5 Stars (Re-review)

Over 15 year ago, I read East of Eden for the first time. It was great and I loved it. I also just did something I almost never do; I re-read a book. Unlike movies which I rewatch all the time, the time needed to re-read a book is a much larger commitment. Rather than 2 hours, it may be 2 months to finish a book. And, while there are a few movies I'd really like to see that I have not, there are dozens perhaps hundreds books I want to read.

So, it was with surprise that I felt the motivation to re-read Steinbeck's classic, East of Eden. I really can't place why I felt the need to take this book on again, especially as it's on the longer side, but something about it carried with me. I was also curious how the book might read differently; both as a second read and also a third of my life later. Candidly, neither of those things seemed to make much of a difference. I still enjoyed it immensely and many of the thoughts and sentiments I had after the first read were similar. 

How do I know that? Well, I wrote this (thoughtful?) blog giving it 5 stars back in '09. Besides enjoying the book a second time, I appreciated reading my thoughts about it these many years later. In many ways, that blog still captures the essence of most of my observations about the book. Unlike the first review, I did drop it half a star. Perhaps it was because it was the second time reading and it just didn't strike me the same way, or perhaps I simply misjudged it to begin with. Either way, it's still a great read with great characters. 

Be it a 4.5 star or 5 star novel, for me, this is Steinbeck's best and most layered story. While this book is nearly 75 years old, the themes and ideas are just as relevant today as they were then. And while it is squarely placed in the early 20th century Salinas Valley, the human elements endure to today. If you haven't read this book, I urge you to pick it up. I'm quite confident I won't be writing a third review to recommend it!

 

The Secret of Santa Vittoria - Robert Crichton --------------------- 3.5 Stars

I would have never picked up (or even known about) The Secret of Santa Vittoria but a coworker mentioned it is their favorite book, so I thought I'd give it a try. And I'm not really joking about not knowing about it; this book was certainly not on my radar. Even more amazing, it was incredibly hard to find. The giant library system I borrow from didn't have one physical copy, and I had to use a different online app than normal. But was it worth finding, yeah, pretty much!

Since it's a fair assumption you don't know of the book, quick AI synopsis: "The Secrets of Santa Vittoria by Robert Crichton tells the story of an Italian hill town that, during World War II, unites to hide a million bottles of wine from the occupying German army. Through humor, courage, and cunning, the villagers—led by the unlikely hero Italo Bombolini—defy oppression and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit." I basically knew about that much going in too, and it was a really enjoyable read. 

There were a number of things I really enjoyed about the book. First, it was a bit of a mix of both romance, war story, and dark comedy. I thought the author did a great job moving through all different types of storytelling throughout the book. Second, because the book was many years old, it had a feel of almost from another time period of living. What I mean by that is, it felt like a book wreaking of nostalgia. And while the book had many difficult parts to get through (violence, torture, assault, etc.), the way the story is told makes it feel more wholesome than I was actually going on. In some ways it reminded me of the movie, It's a Wonderful Life. Finally, it's simply a great story. As a description above explains, it really does show off the best of humanity and there were multiple parts I found myself smiling about what took place.

There were some drawbacks, however. While not a long book, I did find there were parts that got a bit boring and slow. I found some of the characters either unnecessary or unsure why they were given parts in the story. And, as it's alluded to above, they really were some parts that were hard to stomach and read; not surprising, though, considering it's a book taking place in the middle of World War II.

As I'm quite certain most people reading do not know of this book, I would recommend at least considering it. Though it was written all the way back in 1966, it did spend nearly a year on the New York Times best seller list. Yet, it's still quite unknown at this point. I think there's also a very good movie based on the book, though I have yet to see it. Perhaps I'll have to give it a look; would imagine, like this book, I'll be pleasantly surprised

I did.

The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream Paperback – Patrick Radden Keefe ------------- 3 Stars

In the last year or two, I inadvertently became a giant fan of the Patrick Radden Keefe, as this is now the fourth of his books I've reviewed. I also recently enjoyed a great podcast of his titled Wind of Change, which I highly recommend. As I've really been enjoying his recent work, I thought I'd go back and pick up one of his earlier books, written over a decade ago. The Snakehead was an engaging and interesting book, but I didn't find it as strong as his more recent efforts.

As you may not be able to tell by it's extended title, this book is mostly about illegal Chinese immigration in America, peaking the '90s and 2000s. This book goes into great depth, sharing more about the push factors leading to thousands leaving China and the significant increase in criminal activity helping to find pathways to hep these immigrants to America.

The book was similar to many others I've read by Radden Keefe - focused on criminal elements while providing a superb explanation of complexity. This introduced a variety of content that was quite new to me, so I appreciated how easy it was to access. Perhaps most interesting was simply the story at the heart of the book: the desperate plight people are willing to go through to land in America. Until reading a book like this, I truly had no idea how much people are/were willing to endure to be in the USA.

I also learned much more about China, Chinatown (in NYC), the criminal element, and immigration policies. The latter is especially topical now with all that is going with ICE and other government agencies currently in our country. Perhaps most stark were the descriptions of differences between the lives that many have in other countries and the opportunities that are present in America. This book certainly made me realize just how much we often take for granted when we are born American.

While I liked many parts of this book, I struggled with a few areas. Perhaps most notable was the length and depth of this book. I was thinking on multiple occasions how this book would have been better served by a more willful editor (this was not something I recall thinking with this other books). Besides the nearly 70+ pages of footnotes, I found multiple chapters simply too long or not necessary at all to deliver the most crucial aspects of
the story. In the last third, the book really turned from being a story about a few key characters to, almost a textbook style, dedicated to explaining and detailing varying aspects of America's immigration policy. My other challenge with the book is simply the number of characters he covered. Again, illustrating the point about needing a good editor, it was hard to follow all the threads throughout the the story. 

Overall, this is a super, albeit long book that really does provide an interesting slice of history detailing illegal immigration from China in the early part of this century. While I found it more complicated than necessary, I still found much of the book fascinating and a rich read. I certainly recommend for those who enjoy this author. 

The Day the World Came to Town - by Jim DeFede ---------------- 3 Stars

The Day the World Came to Town was a fairly popular book than turned into (I think) a more popular musical, Come From Away. Telling the story about Gander, Canada on 9/11, both the book and musical tell the incredible stories of the people who welcomed hundreds of people and dozens of flights that were diverted there rather than their intended destinations.  

As the book wasn't particularly long and the story uncomplicated, I don't have a long review to offer today. While I gave this book a middling rating it's not at all because the story being told is not extraordinary. In fact, it's quite the opposite. What stands out from reading this book is simply how incredible the people of Gander offered their hospitality and kindness to a bunch of perfect strangers. It's impossible to read this book and not think about the amazing and heartwarming examples of showing the best of humanity in a distinct moment of awfulness and evil.

The average rating comes more from my disinterest in parts of the book than anything about the story. I found the start fascinating and lead up to the planes landing to be quite interesting. Unfortunately, while the individual stories are noteworthy, I found them quite surface level and not enough in-depth to make me interested. Of course, much of the experiences people had for 4-5 days until they moved on were incredible and warming to hear. I just found that it went on longer than I was interested in learning about many of them (perhaps why the musical is so popular). Yet, I still am grateful that I read it and learned about this amazing small, but powerful, piece of history connected to 9/11.

Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks - Patrick Radden Keefe ----------------- 4 Stars

This is now the third book I've read (and reviewed) by Patrick Radden Keefe, and I'm realizing I really enjoy his writing style and subjects. I think he's overcome Jon Krakauer as my favorite non-fiction writer (which also makes sense as Krakauer is no longer writing!). Radden Keefe has a new book coming out next year, and there is an older book I need to pick up now as well.

Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks is a collection of some his best essays during the time with the New Yorker. There are about a dozen of them, and I found each of them fascinating. I also found them to each be about a subject that I was vaguely familiar but learned so much more. Much like David Foster-Wallace's Consider the Lobster  (also, probably a record on hyper links for this blog!), a book with a number of short stories is both great and annoying. On a positive, I found myself so curious about each of these people/stories, and it was wonderful to jump from place to place and get a quick dive into something new. On the downside, I found myself wishing there was more to learn (often leading to a deep web search after finishing the essay).

Like his other books, I find Radden Keefe to have a wonderful writing style. It's engaging and well written enough to keep you hooked, and he almost never gives you too much or not enough. I'm not sure if it's a great editor, but his choices of what to include and pace is fantastic. I also enjoyed the decisions of who to cover. Like many, I'm curious about the "true crime" genre that has become so popular, and this book covers many of that type (check the title!). From the biggest drug/crime lord in Mexico, to the Boston Marathon bomber, to many, many others, this book may not be for some. If you struggle with the story of violence, death, etc., this can certainly be a tough read. 

As you can tell, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it, and his other, fuller stories, to any interested readers. While there are parts that can be tough to get through, understanding more about the types of people and stories that you don't often come across in every day life is exciting. Strong recommendation!

Shogun - James Clavell ----------------------------- 3 Stars

I'm a big of taking on large, hopefully rewarding books over the summer. With the added time to be able to engage and read more, it's sometimes fun to take on those books that would take months to get through at other times of the year. So, I thought I'd give James Clavell's epic Shogun a try. Besides being a over 40 years old, it's been on a few lists of books recommendations I follow. That, plus the new award winning Hulu miniseries that everyone’s been talking about, made me want to give it a shot. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my high expectations. 

As this books is over a thousand pages, it’s not something you just breeze through in a week. That being said, there are plenty of parts that that make you want to keep going. The story follows John Blackthorne, an English pilot who shipwrecks in Japan in the early 1600s, and gets pulled into the political and cultural world of the samurai. Clavell’s detail is incredible; he clearly did his research, and the immersion in Japanese society and customs is fascinating. Some of the set pieces, like Blackthorne learning how the culture works or navigating loyalty to the warlords, are really engaging. I read that for many original readers of this book, this was how many around the world learned about Japan.

There are also some fantastic characters beyond Blackthorne. Toranaga, the powerful daimyo, is a brilliant mix of strategist and manipulator. I never quite knew what he was thinking until the move is already made. Mariko is another standout, a woman caught between cultures who ends up being the emotional core of the story. Their arcs, and the relationships they have with Blackthorne, give the book some of its best moments. 

However, the length is daunting. There are whole sections that feel like they could have been trimmed, and after a while, the politics between the different lords start to blur together. It’s also packed with characters, some of whom fade in and out, so it’s not always easy to keep track of who matters most. There's simply too many people in the story. And while the depth is impressive, Clavell doesn’t always know when to stop explaining. It can get pretty dense, which makes it a slow read at times. Yet, ironically, with all the time he takes on certain parts I found the end incomplete and unfulfilling. That was frustrating!

I'm writing this having finished the book and am halfway through the miniseries. Honestly, if I were to do it again, I think I'd just watch thew show. It's beautifully shot, and in many ways, takes the best parts of the book and even makes them stronger. 

The book is… massive. Still, when the book is working, it’s fantastic. The clash of cultures, the rise of power struggles, and the vivid sense of place really do transport you. It’s a commitment, but if you’re willing to settle into something long and detailed, it can be rewarding. I’m glad I read it, though I’ll admit the show moves a little faster and spares you some of the bloat.

The Hunt for Red October - Tom Clancy ------------- 4 Stars

Like most, I've been aware of Tom Clancy for many years and have enjoyed a number of the movies based on his book. However, it wasn't until I just finished The Hunt for Red October (his most famous book?) that I can say I read one of his novels. This was his first book, the one that made him famous, and supposedly even got a presidential shout-out. That was enough to make me curious. 

The setup is fantastic: a Soviet submarine captain, might be defecting with the most advanced sub in their fleet. The Americans and the Soviets both scramble, and in the middle of it is Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who would go on to star in a whole series. It's a pretty simple set up but the book really does a nice job of slowly building tension and keeping the reader engaged.

The story absolutely has its strengths. Ramius is an interesting character, and Jack Ryan is a good “thinking man’s” hero who pieces things together without ever firing a gun. There are moments of real tension where you feel the weight of what’s at stake, and the chess match between navies can be fun to follow. I was also fascinated by just how patriotic this book ended up being. Not surprisingly as it was written mid Cold War, but wow, Clancy really makes you not like the Soviet Union while detailing all the advantages of America.

But this book is also a lot. Clancy is famous for technical detail, and wow, he really doesn’t hold back here. There are entire stretches that feel more like a submarine manual than a thriller, and while it’s impressive, it slowed me down. On top of that, there are way too many characters to keep track of. Every few chapters a new captain, commander, or analyst pops up, and it’s not always clear if they matter in the long run. I found myself thinking this was a 5 star book about a third of the way in and that number kept diminishing as I continued.

Overall, if you love military detail and don’t mind following a huge cast of characters, you’ll probably enjoy it. For me, it was more of a mixed bag, worth reading, but not the masterpiece some make it out to be. Still, this book deserves the credit, as I found it engaging for the vast majority of the read. It’s smart, suspenseful, and very much of its time, and I can see why it made such a splash when it came out. 

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.