North Woods - Daniel Mason ------------------ 4 Stars

I'm not sure I've ever read anything like Daniel Mason's North Woods. The book was unique (well, I guess all books are technically unique). While a fictional novel, it was part poetry, biology, art, pro-environment treatise, and historical fiction. While divisive based on reviews post-finished reading, I found I really enjoyed numerous aspects of this story.

As that introduction likely provides little clarity about the plot, let me summarize - the book is about a cabin in the northern woods of Massachusetts. The author precedes to tell the story of the people and land in and around those woods from the first European inhabitants to modern day. I'm not sure how many individual stories are told, but I would guess around 10. Engagingly, each story was quite different and styles being told varied. From a set of twin girls/woman who lived most of their lives on the land in the late 18th, early 19th centuries, to the scientist who ended up there to close out the novel, the characters and stories were excellent and engrossing.

Also, to be clear, about 95% of the book is just a simple fictional story of characters. Other things mentioned, poetry, art, etc., are interwoven in the book very rarely, though, they do give the book a different type of flavor that I've never experienced before and really enhanced the story. The star of the book are the individual vignettes told over the 200+ years of the going ons in the north woods. Those 10+ stories have such fascinating range and varying focuses that it's hard to not to be fully engaged throughout the story. Of course, the book also subtly highlights how much language and nature change over the years to the point that it was quite clear by the end that the current environmental factors are literally killing parts of the world's woods.

Perhaps what I most enjoyed about the book was the ways in which the (originally) simple dwelling and woods shifted over the many decades the book oversees. I've written before about how much I love stories that are multi-generational and tell about a family over a long period of time. I've always been so curious about people's journey over an entire lifetime and few books tend to cover that much ground. That's part of the reason I so enjoyed East of Eden (both reviews) and Pillars of the Earth; like this novel, those also cover a lot of time which makes the evolution of characters (in this case setting), much richer. 

I'm not sure if this novel will be beloved by everyone. If you are like me, you will definitely find some of the stories less enjoyable than others; and, again, if you are like me, you could forego the poetry included. You also might find some of the metaphysical aspects of the book odd, unnecessary, or unrealistic (I loved them as they connected multiple stories). Regardless, I do think it's worth giving this book a try. It's short, it's got a lot to offer, and it's also got a really cool cover I just realized (check below)!

State of Wonder - Ann Patchet -------------- 2.5 Stars

A recent recommendation and a well regarded book by most measures, I thought I'd really enjoy Ann Patchet's State of Wonder. Based on the first sentence of the Amazon description, "In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, scientific miracles, and spiritual transformations, State of Wonder presents a world of stunning surprise and danger, rich in emotional resonance and moral complexity," it really does sound great. Unfortunately, I just didn't end up enjoying it.

Usually when I don't enjoy a book it's because "nothing happens" or "it's too slow." Interestingly, neither was true in this case. The book had a lot happen; in many ways it was an adventure novel. Also, the pace was good, while there were a few times that it either was repetitive or the plot stalled, for the most part, I thought it moved fairly quickly and I was curious what was going to happen next. So, then, while all the hate?

Well, the novel did something that was rare for me - I found I didn't care at all about the characters. And, I'm not sure why. I guess they were likable enough, but I found their motivations pretty surface level and not real engaging. Again, it was a good plot too - the Amazon, snakes, a mysterious death, etc. For me, unfortunately, that couldn't outweigh that vast staleness of nearly every character in the story.

I suppose I should at least check myself as it may be a case of sexism. The core of this novel revolved around two woman doctors; perhaps that's the reason I couldn't identify as much and care as much about the story. There is also a major sub plot about pregnancy; so, again, perhaps that was part of my challenge. Either way, when you find you really don't identify or care about the characters, it makes it much harder to enjoy the story.

Of course, I think I am in a minority on this point. The person who recommended the book loved it, as did many, many people on Amazon and Goodreads. The author, Ann Patchet, she's no slouch either, winning the Pulitzer six years ago. And, to give credit, there were parts that were really great in the story. I found the start quite interesting and it had a good ending. And, to be clear, the book was a page turner; the plot was solid and filled with a ton of action.

So, on a whole, the book is one you'd probably enjoy; most people do. However, like any book, some people will enjoy it more than others, and I'm clearly in the minority for this one. Going back to the Amazon note there was absolutely "emotional resonance and moral complexity" taking place. But, I just found I didn't care much what that emotion and morality looked like. 

Horse - Geraldine Brooks ------------------- 4 Stars

I appreciated the tip from a coworker to check out Horse by Geraldine Brooks. While a very well reviewed book, I'm not sure I would have picked up this gem from a few years ago. A multi-generational novel with the through-line of horses, it probably wouldn't be my first choice but really glad I picked it up and was able to enjoy it.

As I mentioned, this book covers 3 time frames - Kentucky in the mid-twentieth century, 1950's NYC, and Washington DC in modern times. All three stories were connected through different aspects of a horse(s). Of course, there is so much more to it, but to see these different strands all come together as the novel grows was truly satisfying. Making it even more rewarding was learning after that nearly every historical character was based on a real individual. Most of them were connected to the growth of horse racing in the mid 1800's along with the focus on perhaps the greatest racehorse ever - Lexington.

If you are like me, you most likely have never heard of a horse named Lexington. Secretariat, sure, of course you know that one. Man O' War, probably aware of that one too. But Lexington, I doubt it. Well, Lexington perhaps was the greatest ever. Racing before the Kentucky Derby even existed, he won six of the seven races he participated in (before retiring due to blindness). He was also the most dominant sire to exist. He led the US with 16 years of being the lead sire of winning horses. His bloodline is so successful that nearly every major thoroughbred is somehow related to Lexington. 

Even if you are not a horse racing fan or even slightly interested the book is still a wonderful read. Yes, it indulges deeply in the glory that is equines, and if you don't have an interest in horses, it's hard not to finish the book and appreciate their grace, beauty, effort, and importance in American history. The book is also about aspects of slavery, art, and a love story (numerous types of love).

Of course, there are some aspects that I didn't enjoy. Like any book that covers so much ground with three story lines, I found some aspects overly detailed and unnecessary. There is also an odd "wokeness" to the story. I appreciate the author's efforts to highlight certain aspects of race and gender but found many of them came of as awkward and flat.

Overall, the book is a good read. Of course, if you are lover of horses or horse racing, this book will likely agree with you more than the average reader but I think there is a lot offered here for anyone interested in a great story of historical fiction. And, if you are like me. you might even learn something from it.

London Falling - Patrick Radden Keefe ----------------------------- 4.5 Stars

Well, this is my 5th Patrick Radden Keefe book in the last 6 years, and he continues to deliver every time. London Falling, which just came out was another page turner that I had to slow my self down on to relish so I didn't read it too quickly.

This book is new and recent, and I mean that in two ways. First, the book just came out so I felt lucky to get an early copy from the library (think the wait is much longer now). Second, the book is about an event that only happened a few years ago. I find it rare to find non-fiction books that are so quickly written (and written well) and published . Besides making it more topical in reading, it's nice to enjoy and not feel like it was from a bygone era that has nothing to do with the modern life we're living now.

This book is about the mysterious death of a young man who jumped to his death in 2019. While it seems like a clear suicide on the surface, as the author peels back the MANY layers of the onion of his life, acquaintances, and family, there's clearly much more than meet's the eye. 

Like all of his books, Radden Keefe does an incredible job truly investigating every aspect of the story and delivering to the reader and organized, thoughtful, and fascinating account of all the varying pieces. Slowly, the reader is able to put the puzzle together to fully understand each complexity and nuance to make deep meaning of them all. And, collectively, they tell one heck of a story.

Based in a variety of spaces in England - privilege private schools, corrupt police offices, criminals hideaways, rich foreigners residencies - each page felt like I was learning more about a part of the world that I truly had no sense of. A pessimistic read of the book is that it followed too many loose ends and really doesn't have enough substance to be a full book. Some would say that the original full article from the 2024 The New Yorker is sufficient. Well, I would strongly disagree with those people. Sure, it goes down pathways and stories that don't always complete the final conclusion of the book but, as the reader, it feels like you are part of the investigative team working in real time to figure out this mystery.

As you can see, I was truly enamored with this book and did my best to savor each page. While the conclusion that was realized may not feel totally satisfying to some (including myself), this no book of fiction. Just like real life, sometimes things don't always get tied up in a nice, neat bow and that is both the frustration and fascination with real life stories. 

Sleepers - Lorenzo Carcaterra ----------------------------- 2 Stars

Sleepers has been sitting on my shelf for probably 20 years before I picked it up to read a few weeks ago. I was in between books I really wanted to read and thought I'd give it a try. I knew they made a feature film about it when it came out in the 90s and that the premise was interesting - 4 best friends as adolescents share trauma together and as adults two become criminals, one a lawyer and one a writer (of the book). Unfortunately, I kind of wish I hand't picked up the book.

The book started off strong, providing a detailed explanation of the bond the boys shared in the neighborhood of New York City's Hell Kitchen in the 1950s/1960s. Clearly they were not well off and the criminal element surrounding them seemed an ever present part of their lives. As the result of a stupid prank, they were sent a way for a year to a juvenile detention center being only 12 and 13 years old.

At this point the book took a dark turn. While the first third was quite interesting and a strong read, the author decided to share, in detail, the trauma that the youths faced while in this detention center. This includes the violent beatings, constants rapes and sexual assaults, and even deaths that were witnessed. It was quite unpleasant reading. 

Just as I was going to write the book off as one of my least favorites, the final third of the book jumps ahead about 10 years to catch up with the boys, now adults. Just in case you might read it, I won't ruin it but the sequence of events described were exhilarating and the final few chapters left me enthralled.

Just as I was going to change my rating to something much more positive, I was curious to learn more about what happened to these individuals later in life. While the book finished with a short synopsis about them as of the 1990s, I wanted to know what transpired in the past 30 years. Quickly after I began my online search, I learned that it was established that much of the stories in the book likely didn't take place. While it's considered and delivered as a non-fiction story, the NY Times and other publications discredited the story and were unable to verify large parts of it. This was disturbing.

While I think the story is still interesting and perhaps worth reading (though, massive warning about the middle portion), the book loses luster knowing about the accusations of it being mostly fictional. It's still a good story with a solid ending (though, it seemed almost fantastical as I read it so it wasn't that surprising to learn it was fiction). On a whole, I'd probably save your reading time for something else.

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline ------------------4.5 Stars

It's been over a decade since the very popular Ready Player One was released to the world. I've circled around this book for the last few years and for whatever reason, never felt the inclination to pick it up and just read it. Well, I was in between a few other books I've had on my list that aren't available yet, so I gave it a shot. As you can guess from the rating, SUPER happy I did.

I presume you are likely aware of, or even read this book. It was a made into a major motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg (look forward to seeing), and received much adulation and, more recently, critique. Prior to reading it, I figured it was just a book about something in the future that related to video games. Which, was pretty spot on; of course, it's so much more than that too.

I flew through the first half of the book, struggling to put it down because I found the plot so captivating. That, coupled with so much (almost too much) nostalgic references, made me enamored when I began. And, while that enjoyment and engagement didn't go away as I continued the novel, I did slow myself down a bit. Besides having less time after Spring Break concluded to read, it was pretty clear I really enjoyed the book and wanted to do my best to savor the last of it. 

And savor I did. The ending stood up as a pretty solid finish after a super entertaining novel. Again, I think the focus on so many 80's pop culture references - music, tv, movies, made the book especially enjoyable to read. Of course, the age of the cast of characters, full on adventure vibe with almost no slow parts, and light "science fiction" edge made it a great read. 

After finishing I did do some short research into the book as I enjoyed it so much. Besides looking forward to watching the move, which, by all counts, will definitely disappoint compared the book, I was curious to see a backlash against the book that is more recent. Complaints include that it's super repetitive (I'd counter that most adventure stories are as they keep having adventure after adventure - hence the name of the genre), and that the prose is not as strong. I do agree with that last critique, though it never bothered me. I certainly didn't expect an adventure book about video games and 80's pop culture, to have amazing writing and great prose. If you are getting into a book like that with that assumption that's just off. However, if you going in wanting to read a super fun story, with a great plot that keeps you engaged the whole time, this book might be for you.

The Sequel - Jean Hanff Korelitz ---------------- 4 Stars

5 years ago I read and reviewed The Plot. Surprisingly, even to myself who just looked back, this earned 4.5 stars; a rating given to a very small minority of books that I review. While I certainly didn't remember the book being that good, if its similar at all to it's sequel, The Sequel, I can see why I may have given it such a strong rating. Both books are super engaging and real page turners which is often how I determine who much I enjoy a book. As you can see with the 4 stars earned by The Sequel, I certainly I enjoyed it too.

Hard to share much about the plot of The Sequel if you haven't already read The Plot (was that as confusing to read as it was to write?). As it's the follow up to the first book, not surprisingly it takes over pretty much right as the last novel concluded. I read a few reviews saying that this book really did too much to remind the reader of all that went on. And, while I did forget much of the original book (having read it five years ago), I did find it a bit of a slow start as the author really went out of her way to rehash much of what happened in the last book. But, I actually appreciated it as I really did like so much of important details that were retold as it helped set up the reader to most enjoy what was coming.

There are many parts of the book I enjoyed. I liked the mystery aspects that were core the most. Basically, the book spends most of the time focused on who might be the person doing some nefarious things to the new protagonist of this novel. The author does a nice job of having a few leads followed time and again while keeping the reader in suspense of what might be actually taking place. 

The book is told in first person so that also kept me engaged. The person telling is it fairly reliable but also fairly psychotic so it was actually a good mix of humor and seriousness about what is going on. I found the writing crisp and often I found myself wanting to continue after each chapter end to learn more. I did find it was slower at the start at mentioned above, but after getting a good refresher about the past book it picked up fairly quickly.

I do recommend the book if you want an engaging "whodunit" mystery that it's a not too long page turner. I would suggest picking up the original and reading that first before taking this one on. There is nothing worst than trying to read The Sequel, a sequel, without knowing the plot of The Plot to ensure you understand how The Sequel's plot related to The Plot :)

 

Football - Chuck Klosterman ---------------- 4 Stars

I've read and reviewed a couple of Chuck Klosterman's books (reviews here) and have always found them quite entertaining and unique. He has a writing style that is really his own and a fascinating way of taking mundane things or topical issues and putting a philosophical spin on them. That is the same with his recent release, Football. I found it an engaging read with some deep thinking and really novel ways to reflect about the incredibly popular past time that is modern day American football. 

This book only came out a couple months ago and I was lucky enough to borrow a copy from the library and I'm pretty happy I did. Like this other books I've read, I always find myself thinking far more deeply about whatever subject I'm reading about with a Klosterman book. This was no exception as he made me really consider why football is so popular, when/how long might it continue to be popular, and other engaging ideas.

The book was pretty short and a fairly easily read. Of course, with Klosterman, I found myself realizing just how silly certain things are, especially with the ways he explains them, but also having to re-read sentences or paragraphs, either because of the elevated vocabulary used or confusing observations and viewpoints. Oddly, this book seemed a lot longer than it actually was. On the Kindle, I "finished" it while only 70% completed; the rest was Index with, what seemed, a reference and listing of page number to nearly every word in the book. Which reminds me that I also enjoyed just how funny this book was. I enjoy Klosterman's bizarre sense of humor, and it was fully on display in this book (one example, he's telling a story about something that happened to him in high school and wrote something like, "my friend was there, let's call him Tim, since that was his name").

Of course, even with all these positives, the book can drag on occasion or make a reference to something so obscure that I have to believe most people reading have no idea what he's talking about. The book, of course, is quite focused on football, and, again, really is quite philosophical at some points. While interesting, I am not sure if this book would actually be enjoyed by most passionate football fans. It's a bit ironic that I think the audience for this book is much more likely to be readers of Klosterman books than general people who like football. Perhaps you can check it out and see what you think about it?

The Minds of Billy Milligan: A True Story of Multiple Personality - Daniel Keyes ------------ 3.5 Stars

The Minds of Billy Milligan is not a new book. The book was released a year after I was born and described the life of Billy Milligan - the first person to be acquitted by the insanity defense due to multiple personality disorder. I'm not sure when I came across this book and realized I wanted to read. I do know that it was difficult to procure. While some/many books can be found as an electronic copy with Libby, nearly all others have a paper copy in the library. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a paper copy in the local library either! So, to eBay, where I found a quite old paperback copy. This was both great and awful. On a positive, finally got a copy; the negative - it was about 8 point font and had to pick up reading glasses for the first time in my life. After all that, I did enjoy the book.

As I mentioned above, this book is about Billy and his 24 (yes, 24!) different personalities. Of course, there is some dispute about whether each or any of these are real. Unfortunately, Billy and/or these other personalities committed some burglaries and rapes which put him on trail and in jail and brought his condition out to the public.

The book is interestingly partitioned. In three parts, it begins with the trail phase and eventual decision about his sentence to a mental hospital. Then, it spends the majority of the book, recounting Billy's childhood all the way through the personalties taken over and eventual crimes. The final focus of the book was about Billy's time after sentencing going between mental hospitals while both sides appealed his case.

While I found the book quite interesting, Billy's timeline in the book ended only a few years after he was sentenced (when the book was published). Knowing there was probably much more to his story (there was), I did a pretty deep dive on the rest of his life. There is an uneven and somewhat interesting 4 episode docuseries on Netflix about him (bizarre editing, only need to watch the last two episodes). 

What I've not explored in this review (because it's both complicated and controversial) is how incredible, sad, and bizarre Billy's case of multiple personality disorder (now classified as disassociate personality disorder) truly is. I mean, the guy had 24 different people supposedly living in his head; besides being hard enough to even keep track of that many, the way he seemed to truly change when each one of them took over the "spotlight" was like nothing else I ever read. 

It's hard to know if this particular book would appeal to the average reader. While incredibly fascinating, it's quite long and can be a slog. While hard to believe, it's also quite sad and evident who much trauma and abuse can really change a person. Perhaps check out an article or video about Billy and decide if you want to go much deeper before jumping in. 

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.