The Woman in the Window - A.J. Finn ---------------------------- 3.5 Stars

The Woman in the Window was being marketed as your next Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train. While it certainly follows a similar blueprint - mystery novel with some death mixed in and not sure who's for real or not - it didn't live up to the standard set by either.

Interestingly, I read Gone Girl first, then The Girl on the Train, and now this. And after each, the rating has gone down a half point. It started at 4.5, then 4, and now 3.5. Perhaps they are all equally good and I am tiring of the story line or genre? Or, perhaps, much more likely, the books aren't as good as the original Gone Girl (which was Gone Girl).

Quick synopsis - really drunk lady in New York looks out her windows a lot because she doesn't ever leave her house (due to mysteries you'll need to read to find out) and sees stuff in other apartments, including, wait for it, a murder!

So, seems like a pretty interesting premise and it is actually. The book had a great start and kept me enamored for at least the first 150 (of 400) pages. The problem with the book, is that it's not nearly enough action. Unlike the other two mysteries mentioned above, the action is limited. Really, this book is much more about anxiety and the challenges of the main character (drunk lady). While there was a pretty good OMG ending, the book could never really get me fully invested or excited like the other two did. Please don't get me wrong, its a solid, entertaining read with some great twists that I did not see coming but if you are looking for then next Gone Girl, probably best to keep looking... but read this if you are bored.

Foundation - Isaac Asimov ------------------------- 4.5 Stars

As you can probably tell from most of the books I read, I'm not a big fan of science faction (or worst yet, fantasy). In fact, I've only read a few in the nearly decade I've blogged about books. In that time, one of the best books I ever read was science fiction,  the 5 star Childhood's End. Nonetheless, I avoid most of these types of books knowing I don't love the genre and know that most will not be nearly as good as Childhood's End. However, I had heard for a while that Asimov's Foundation was on the same level. And, for about 3/4ths of this book, it was, then things turned a bit south.

To begin, this book has lots of similarities to Childhood's End. Both were written many years ago (Foundation was 1951), both take place in the future, both are relatively short, both have great dialogue and interesting characters, both jump over large chunks of time, and both are really political dramas mixed with science fiction. Actually, that last element is probably what I like most about both books. While they do describe a future society that is certainly "fictional", this book is really a struggle about world domination and political power.

As I alluded to in the first paragraph, I found the first 75% of this book phenomenal, 5 star level. It was a crisp and exhilarating read that I could not put down. The premise was fantastic and maybe the most influential character only lasted for a few pages, though his legacy seemed to last a millennium.  As the book continued after its fast start, it was a pleasure to try to keep up with. Asimov also did a superb job bringing up a new story line right as the previous one was getting stale; truly, his timing was perfect.

Then, as the novel was getting to it's close, things slowed down. The text wasn't as crisp. The new characters didn't make quite as much sense. The connections and lines from the beginning of the novel weren't tied as closely and the reader began to get a bit more confused and bored. Don't get me wrong, the last quarter still shines and the story line is nearly as good as the majority of the story just not quite as good. As I finished up, I actually wonder if Asimov knew at that point that this would be a trilogy (that eventually turned in 7 books, I believe) and slowed the story down.

Overall, this is a great read. Other than the slow down a bit at the end, it's an exciting and exhilarating story told be a master storyteller. If you have any interest in classic (or modern) science fiction and/or liked Childhood's End, I strongly urge you to read this novel. There is a good chance you will not regret your decision.

A Man Called Ove - Fredrik Backman --------------------- 1.5 Stars

Apparently, A Man Called Ove is one of the more beloved books in the last few years. I mean, just check out that impressive 4.5 star rating with over 16,000 views. People love this thing! So, what's wrong with all of them and what is right  with my 1.5 star rating? 😊 Read further to find out.

So, actually, we're all right. I mean, its a book and people all have their own opinion of what is enjoyable and entertaining to them. Clearly, this one was neither for me. I knew the premise before I started, curmudgeonly old man melts your heart with his external rudeness but internal kindness. I think I liked it better when I saw it the first time in Disney's Up!

I really did have to check myself after finishing. How is it possible that this book is so well liked by others and so disliked by me? Did I not get that under Ove's tough exterior is this super sweet guy who cares for others? No, I got that. Perhaps I missed this books message that no matter how tough life is, you can still find meaning, and yes, even love later on. Figured that as well. So what is it about this book that others find so mesmerizing? I really do think it's Ove.

But here is where they are wrong; everyone's overthinking it. Everyone is looking so deeply into his character and drawing conclusions that you have to work to get to and missing what is right in front your face - this guy is a huge JERK! I mean, really, he is a miserable, awful human being who enforces rules, is incredibly rude to others, and has unbelievably pessimistic view about the world and people! He is not endearing; he is just an a&*hole!

What I think also did this book in, at least to me, as that the story really is quite boring. The events that occur are so menial; his past so expected. Yes, I get it, it's real life; but guess what, real life is boring. I read for entertainment and excitement. This book had neither.

I also think I just have a philosophical disposition that is opposite Ove.  He seems to not enjoy life; he seems angry with most people; he seems to be frustrated a lot... you get the idea. Why live life that way? Worst, why spend time in real life (like I did) reading about a person with this view of life for 300 pages? Well, my recommendation to you is don't do that. Sure, 16,000 people might be right. However, if you want to be entertained with an awesome and exciting story about a well-rounded and optimistic character this is NOT the book for you. If you want the exact opposite, read ahead!

Sing, Unburied, Sing - Jesmyn Ward ------------------------ 4 Stars

I don't necessarily read a lot of new releases or "hot" books, but I simply saw too many out of the universe reviews about Sing, Unburied, Sing to avoid. While not a captivating read, the symbolism and poetic nature of this novel made it shine in many ways.

I remember in an 11th grade English class a teacher and I were talking about what kind of books I liked to read. At that time I had the naive thought that I wanted to be a lawyer and was reading a number of John Grisham novels. After mentioning those, the teacher quickly called them "airport trash" and looked down upon me for reading those types of books. As I pressed him, he gave a fairly snobbish view that I should be reading Literature (think nice English accent). Hundred of books later, I totally understand the difference. Now I don't have the same pretense that some books that are not "literature" are trash. In fact, many of the highly reviewed books I have blogged about would fall into the latter category (because, trash or not, they are highly entertaining!). His point, though, is that books that are Literature have a bit more to them. Well, this book certainly falls in the Literature category.

As I alluded to, this book is getting great press right now, and deservedly so. It is an incredibly well written, poem like novel about a young black boy and his multi-generational family during a short period in their lives in Mississippi. The boy, who's father is in jail, has a drug abusing mother, is being raised by his grandparents, and takes care of his younger sister. The story jumps chapters, and time periods, and first person characters, throughout the novel.

While I enjoyed many elements of the story, I'm not sure I could say it was my favorite book of recent memory. First, the good. The story is fascinating and the plot interesting. I also loved the character development; each of them was unique and full in so many ways. She also is a genuinely great writer with details so vivid it was easy to picture the poor house in rural Mississippi that much of the story takes place. Although I'll go into my challenges in a second, I did love the imagery and poetic nature of the story. So much symbolism and foreshadowing, and though I couldn't keep up (see below), I did appreciate the writing and did what I could with my Poli. Sci. degree.

So, my challenges mostly include that it was written almost too well. Does that make sense? As a true piece of "Literature" (that should be taught in high school classrooms, btw), this book included many literary elements that, while I did my best to keep up with, were beyond me in some cases. I appreciated the creativity but the symbolism, biblical references, ghost like persons, etc. were just too much for me. And, as the novel moved on, they occurred more and more. Some were fascinating though too often, I had to question my own reading of the novel to check for understanding (maybe a good thing?!?).

Overall, I do highly recommend this book. First, my high school English teacher would be proud of you for reading Literature and not airport trash. Second, if you are are like me, you read too many books that are not diverse (check your author list - lot of white dude/gals?). Third, this is a great story with great characters. Finally, don't let my limited/challenged read of the book affect you. You will get out of if what you will, and you'll go online to have smarter people explain to you if you don't 😉.

The Chicago Cubs - Story of a Curse - Rich Cohen -------------------- 4.5 Stars

I'm familiar with Rich Cohen as I read one of his other books and blogged about it here. As you can see, this was about the Chicago Bears. Similarly, both books tell the history of each franchise while going into interesting anecdotes and stories about the many individuals that helped form these great organizations. While I liked the Bears book a lot, I found this one even better!

I really enjoyed this book. From the beginning pages, talking about the start of baseball and what the game was like in the 19th century, through Cohen's vivid and excellent recounting of the 2016 Cubs World Series win, Cohen treats each story, person, and page in the book with humor and care. Perhaps because I knew less about the early times of baseball (compared to football) and it goes back much further, I found the start of the book riveting. Learning about the early "mudball" pitchers, the real Babe Ruth, the early Cubs teams that actually won championships, it was a great walk through history.

Later, he goes through all the "lovable losers" Cubs team that my father's generation knew more intimately. He also posits that part of the reason for the beautification of Wrigley was because the owners knew the team was no good and were hoping fans would come out for a day at the beautiful ball park and enjoy the "friendly confines" (interestingly, he said a Yankee friend had their own way of finding beauty with their team... it was called winning).

Near the end, he goes through the lead up to the World Series championship and had a great interview with Theo Epstein that I found fascinating in helping to understand and explain how the Cubs went from being so bad to so good (hint: you have to the former to get to the latter).  Of course, the summary of each individual World Series game (yes, all 7), were probably my favorite pages of the book. I could so vividly remember each of the big plays, the highlights and the heartaches of one of the greatest World Series in baseball history. And, yes, even a few tears were shed again upon "seeing" them win again in my mind.

Perhaps the most unexpected and enjoyable part of the book was Cohen's take on the whole thing. While he delivered the facts and history with great fashion, much of the book was about his own life growing up around Chicago and the life of being a Cubs fan (his father urged him not to be and for part of his life he truly did give up on the team). And that really is the recurring theme of the book; what it was like to be a grown adult while still trying to be a Cubs fan. In my life, it took 35 years to see them win; but for many other Cubs fan, it took a century or never happened. Was there a curse for those 100 years, was there not? All part of the great narrative of his wonderful story!

Ordinary Grace - William Kent Krueger ---------------------- 3 Stars

Ordinary Grace had been on my to read list for a while now after seeing excellent reviews about this book when it was released a few years ago. While I did enjoy many aspects of it, I found the entertainment value lacking leading to an average, 3 star rating.

It's a very slow novel. That's really it's biggest problem. The characters are fairly interesting, and the plot is actually quite fascinating. I also liked that it was told from the beginning of the events all the way through the final part of the main characters' lives (who were children at the beginning of the story). The story, which centered around three deaths in a small town during one summer, really had legs to it. The challenge I found was that the author drew out too many parts, slowing down far too often and filling large parts of the novel with inconsequential, though occasionally interesting scenes.

When I started the novel, I really appreciated the authors style and pace. It was a like a slow, beautiful walk. The scenery was described in great detail, and I could picture the town and environment as well as any novel I've read. As the drama of the story began to rise, I would have thought the speed of the story would have quickened with it. Instead, the author continued to slow play the action, perhaps hoping the reader would appreciate the slowed pace and continue to want more. While I certainly wanted to know what happened with the mystery of the various deaths, I would have preferred to have it done in a quicker way.

Overall, Ordinary Grace is not a bad novel at all, and I can certainly understand why it has received such strong endorsements and reviews from many critics. The story is great and the author has a great hand for storytelling...just know that it's going to take a while for that full story to be delivered.

The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah ------------------ 4 Stars

Kristin Hannah is most well known for the wonderful novel, The Nightingale (review here). So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I decided to take on her newest book, The Great Alone. This was not a book I was particularly looking forward to and, knowing how strong her last novel was, I was worried she couldn't match. But as I couldn't find another book to take on at the moment, I gave it a try. And, for the most part, I'm pretty glad I did.

The story follows a family of a Vietnam vet venturing to a remote part of Alaska to set up a new life. The family includes a caring wife and open minded daughter. The book starts off slow and continues to be real slow. In fact, nearly the whole first half is told in a very meandering, placid style. I'm quite convinced that the author does so partly to build interest, but more so, to have the reader better appreciate and get a sense of the pace of living in Alaska. One of the most enjoyable, and frightening parts of the novel, is how well Hannah describes and makes you, almost viscerally, understand what it's like living in Alaska. Her descriptions of this amazing state is one of the reason I enjoyed the novel as I did. To be clear, I would never want to live there and appreciate more now than ever before, the great challenge those living in Alaska year round face.

After a lot of set up and a couple of quick time changes, the novel started to really take off. Actually, for a little while, I thought it took off too quickly. It was odd to go from no real action to an avalanche of wild things taking place so quickly. I was beginning to think the author blew it and took this carefully told story and went full on action movie. But, with great care, she turned it back to the tender love story from the beginning and brought the reader back to where she began. I really think she did a phenomenal job of returning to ome of the original story lines while making sure that they fit with the movement forward of the story.

Overall, this is a well told story about life in Alaska, young love, and the unpredictable challenges life provides. Although I doubted the book before I even began, about half way into, and again as the story neared the end, I should not have. Hannah did a great job of taking the reader on an interesting and enjoyable adventure into Alaska and beyond.

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood --------------------- 2.5 Stars

You'd probably have to be under a pretty large size stone to not know about or heard of The Handmaid's Tale. While the book has been around since the 80's, it's become much more well known since Hulu made a television series about that earned a Golden Globe. While I did have this book on my "to read" list well before the series, I did feel the push to read after hearing how  great the show was. And, the book is always better than the movie/show, right?

Well, to answer my own question, I am not sure. I actually haven't seen the show, but based on my dislike of the book, it may not turn out to be accurate in this case. So, what gives, right? How can this phenomenal tv series and beloved book only earn 2.5 stars? Well, it's mostly because it made me angry and sad. If you're totally unaware of plot, this is a dystopian novel about a future that is a monotheocracy (yeah, I had to look that word up too), that more or less enslaves woman (and many men).

What's really quite astonishing about the novel is Atwood's amazing ability to make the reader, almost viscerally, feel what the protagonist is going through. Written from a first person perspective, it's powerfully penned. I truly felt much of the anxieties and fear of the main character which actually led me to have displeasure about the book. So, in many ways, this book is quite incredible. It's one of the few books I've read lately that had me thinking about the themes and characters while not reading. It's also not a coincidence that Hulu took a risk on making this into a show in our current politically charged environment. In fact, one could not help but make the connections and have fear about the "fictional" future from this book and the actual future we are making for ourselves right now.

The book has many positive qualities. Besides the great descriptions of the main character and her thoughts described above, it's a fascinating description of this dystopian world. In some ways the book is a mystery, because it's written as first person, and it jumps timelines, so its never quite clear to the reader what is going on. Even the epilogue, which takes place centuries after the time setting of the novel, does make clear exactly how the country changed or who was ruling.

Overall, I grade the novels on how entertaining they are to me. While occasionally interesting, I did not feel a constant need to finish this book; in fact, there were times, mostly due to anxiety, that I almost wished I didn't have to keep reading. While this is a testament to the great writing skills of the author, it did not make want to continue the book. Perhaps you might feel different, but know that you have been warned (poor offering of me trying to be ominous like many parts of this book).

Fatal Vision - Joe McGinniss --------------------- 5 Stars

Fatal Vision has been on my "to read" list for a number of years. It's one of the best true crime books ever written, some saying on the same level of Capote's In True Blood. While it is a bit dated, and certainly has lead to some controversies, the book was enthralling and I couldn't put it down. As you can see above, it is one of only a few books I've ever read to earn a 5 star rating.

Quick premise if you are unaware about what it covers: Jeffrey MacDonald, a Princeton educated, Green Beret doctor is accused of killing his wife and two young daughters. Although the murders occurred in 1970, he was not put on trail and found guilty until 1979. Why? Well, that's what much of the book covers. Actually, the book goes back well before 1970, tracing MacDonald's early life, through the murders, and much afterwards. What's fascinating is that McGinniss became quite close for a number of years to MacDonald while working on the book (which led to some of the controversies noted earlier). McGinniss does an amazing job of weaving the varying timelines throughout the novel. So, while you are moving forward from the murders through the various evidence gatherings and trial, he also is going back in time to reveal more and more about MacDonald's life and history. In fact, the first quarter of the book vacillates between a love story between MacDonald and his wife (at least from MacDonald's vantage point) and a gritty crime story.

So, why did the book earn an elusive 5 star rating? Because it's undeniably fascinating and addicting! While close to a 1,000 pages, I flew through this book in only a few weeks (aided by lots of free time during Spring Break). I really struggled to put it down. As much as many have questioned and derided McGinniss' work, I found his writing simple, yet exhilarating. His way of slowly raising small issues, detail by detail, and then letting it grow until it overtakes your thoughts is simply amazing! While I have read my share of true crime novels before, this was the most awesome in scope, story and mystery. And that truly is what this book is all about - mystery! Did he do it? Could he have done it? If so, how? If so, why? If not, why is the evidence and stories (yes, stories, they all change often) so confounding?

In fact, that was another remarkable piece about the book - how much I still wanted to read and learn about after finishing. While this book came out in the early 1980s, McGinniss wrote two epilogues,  the last in 1989 to directly address other staying that he tricked MacDonald and got too close to him. Since, then, of course, there has been more "evidence" and statements brought about. This includes a 2012 book offering a different viewpoint about what really happened.

In the end, I'm left a bit like I am with the JFK assassination (an area of deep immersement of mine for a few years); while I think I know what happened, there is about 15% doubt in my head. And this 15% doubt is really tough for me. I want so much to know what happened on that night. Who is lying and why? But, alas, like many great crime mysteries that will likely never be solved, and, instead, I'll have to continue thinking back to the vivid experience of reading Fatal Vision and continuing to guess at what might of happened to the MacDonald family that evening.

Classic Krakauer: Mark Foo's Last Ride, After the Fall, and Other Essays from the Vault -- Jon Krakauer --------------------- 4 Stars

So, Classic Krakauer is actually a newly released book though it is a collection of essays he's done over the past 20 years. Nearly all are focused on nature, or some connection to nature, but his classic straightforward and pure writing style is a commonality of each essay.

I must profess that I am a big fan of Jon Karkauer's writing. He has written some great non-fiction books. Among my favorites are: Under the Banner of Heaven, Missoula, Where Men Win Glory, and probably his best, Into Thin Air. It's odd, because I often don't realize how much I like his writing until I finish one of his books and realize just how engaging and well he tells stories; it was no different  with this one.

Classic Krakauer is a collection of about a dozen essays he wrote in various publications over the last few decades (Smithsonian magazine, Outside magazine, etc.). Only about 150 pages, the varying subject matter and classic succinct language, makes this an easy but thoroughly enjoyable read. Many of the essays cover climbing; be it going downwards, into deep New Mexican caves, or more often, going high up, either at Everest, the Cascades and everywhere in between. My favorite two essays included a fascinating exploration of Mark Foo's (a famous surfer from Hawaii) final wave and a look at the terrifying wilderness programs that teens are sent to and, far too often, die while part of the programs.

Clearly, if you don't like a good adventure story, hate nature or find  Earth an uninteresting place, these will not be for you. If, however, you are in awe of our beautiful world and the amazing places on it and man's continued push of himself to conquer this planet, than this book is for you!

The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas ---------------- 4 Stars

One of the pleasures of my job, is working with people who put me onto things that I might not otherwise encounter or check out. This is the case of The Hate U Give.

This book was certainly not on my radar for a couple reasons. Primarily, it a YA (Young Adult) novel and I don't usually read much YA as I'm often not a huge fun of how those types of books are written/stories told (though I did give a shot with Wonder a few years ago). Second, the protagonist is not someone I would have a lot of connections with; she is an African-American high school student from a low socioeconomic area.

Thankfully, these two reasons why I might not have checked out this book were outweighed by the excellent reviews by those who have checked this out. And, as I learned more about the plot, I realized it was certainly worth my time. As for that plot -- the book begins with the main character witnessing a childhood friend (black) killed by a police officer (white). The book then follows the struggle of the protagonist as she was the only witness to this; to complicate, she attends a very white, independent school (with white boyfriend). All of this challenges her as she often feels pulled between two different cultures and parts of her life.

My only real complaint with the book is that it's written as YA fiction. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that, I did find that author would often over explain and/or hit the reader over the head with whatever point she was attempting to make. Additionally, as it's a first person novel written from the place of a 15 year old girl, much of the specifics about her life were hard to me to relate (it's hard being an old white guy!).

Reading diverse books is a great goal for any reader. While I'm open to doing so, I still want to read books of great interest and entertainment to me. With the Hate U Give, I was so pleased it was able to meet both goals. Although it may not have been quite as captivating/interesting as some of the other books I read (mostly due to the YA writing style), it did provide much more awareness into ideas, cultures, and thoughts that are often not common to me. I do recommend this book for any interested reader!

World Without End - Ken Follett ------------------- 4.5 Stars

It has been almost 9 years ago to the day since I reviewed Follett's masterpiece Pillars of the Earth. What a great book, and one of the very few that has earned 5 stars on this blog! While I'm not sure why it took me nearly a decade to read the sequel, World Without End, I am quite happy it did come back in front of me (literally, it was being given away on a table as I was putting together my lunch!).  Did it equal it's predecessor? Not quite, but pretty darn close.

If you are not aware of these two books, you should be. While they are dated over a half a millennium ago, the stories are simply fascinating. I'm not a huge fan of this historical time (knights, castles, religious leaders, church building, plague, etc.), but due to Follett's excellent character development and story telling, one can't help but be intrigued and entertained by these books. A word of caution, both come in over a thousand pages, but due to the addicting nature of the story, they are easy to connect with and push through.

What I also enjoy about both of these stories is the varied timing of people's story arc. Both of these books are really about individuals. Often, very "normal" people who were not necessarily born into privilege who make great things of their lives, while battling others (who, are more or less "evil" (yeah, it's a pretty typical good guy/gal vs. bad guy/gal narrative - but it works!)). I really am fascinated by what goes in people's total lives, and Follett does a great job of telling each person's story from their childhood through middle/old age or death. It makes for a fulfilling read.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, hence the 4.5 star rating, it was still not quite as strong as the original. First, the story was pretty much a straight copy of the first in many directions. And while this is great, as the first was awesome, it certainly loses some originality points. Second, while the characters are still very well rounded and easy to root for, they were not quite as compelling as those in the first book. Third, this book had a couple of dry spots that went on a bit too long and were harder to push through than the first.

Overall, this book was still incredibly compelling and very entertaining to read. I couldn't put it down for long periods of time and nearly always looked forward to getting back to it. And not just near the end, there are many cliffhangers throughout that kept me engaged while reading. Again, if you have not read either of these, clearly you should start with the first (and slightly better), Pillars of the Earth. If you haven't read the sequel, I strongly urge you to do so as well. While it was worth the wait, I wish I would have read sooner than a decade later!

The Sympathizer - Viet Thanh Nguyen ------------------ 2 Stars

Without a doubt, this is the longest break between blogs since I started over seven years ago. There's a couple of factors. First, the fall tends to be the busiest time at work during the year. Second, I try to read the Atlantic cover to cover and they have two double issues during this time; this kind of kills the available reading time I have. Third, and by far the most important, The Sympathizer was tough to get through.

Now, I'm a bit torn. This book was highly recommended and won the Pulitzer Prize last year. And though it was a slog to finish, when I did, I was really happy I stuck with it and completed. It had some great themes and nuanced points to make about main characters struggles. (Plot side note: the book is about the end of the Vietnam war and subsequent life of the main character (a communist sympathizer) and others living abroad in America).
In fact, the interview with the author, postscript, actually helped clarify much of the novels purpose and shed light onto a number of not yet realized, at least to me, plot developments. One more positive, there was a few funny parts of the book as well.

Though, as much I enjoyed finishing up the novel and understanding more about the author's intent, I couldn't get past the difficulty of actually pushing through the entire novel. The problem -- it simply wasn't interesting. The plot set up was one with a lot of promise, but clearly did not live up to my expectations. While there are some "action" scenes in the novel, they are told so slowly that you can't help but wish the author would speed them up. Interestingly, I didn't even find the details he continually offered helped anything. Rather, I'm not sure what took up so many pages of the novel. Also, what bothered me immensely, the book had no dialogue. Well, it did have people talking on few occasions (thus neglecting one of my favorite parts of a book), but the author refused to use quotation marks. This cool writing style did not go over well with me. So, I was left with a book with a very slow plot, occasional dialogue (always fun to try to remember who was talking), and some less than interesting characters.

So, clearly, I was not a huge fan of this book. I really tried to be, and there must be many others that are (like the people that give the Pulitzer!). I, also, can see why this book did receive so many awards. There is a smartness to Nguyen's writing that few authors have. In the end, however, I base my ratings exclusively on entertainment value, and this one just didn't do it for me.

When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi ------------------------- 4 Stars

I tend to shy away from "sad" books. There seems to be too much despair in the world, and too many things I've studied in world history, that I always prefer to avoid the subject. When Breath Becomes Air falls into the "sad" group of books, but it is also falls into the another category - "rewarding" books to read.

If you've not heard about this book, you should! It's about an incredibly accomplished and, beginning to be world-renowned, neurosurgeon and neuroscientist who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer at only 36 years of age (something like a .0002% chance).  Not long after, the author passed away and this is his nearly finished memoir which he began writing after his diagnosis and almost finished before he passed.

To begin, the author is a superb writer and, overall, incredibly smart dude. As he was doing his undergrad, he struggled between learning about one's physical mortality (doctor) and understanding one's morality (philosopher side). Through his life, he was an avid reader and writer, and this shows through during the novel. It's almost hard to believe how accomplished a doctor Kalanithi is while also being such a superb writer.

The story is told in two parts; pre- and post- cancer. Not surprisingly, the second half is much more challenging to get through. As I reflect more upon the novel after finishing, I think I understand more now about why it came across as so tragic. I think part of it is the importance and value a person like Kalanithi has to a society and world. As you learn more about his work, and the accomplishments and ways he has helped others, you realize how much was taken from others. Truly, his death, without doubt, has/is leading to deaths/illnesses of others. This was not a fun take-away. To complicate and make things harder to digest, his wife and family were large parts of the joys of his life. In fact, there is a beautifully written afterword by his wife, that really got the tears flowing!

So, I do recommend the book but you need to know what you are getting into. I'm not a huge fan of crying on my book while reading, but I made an exception for this one! It's a truly tragic story but one that's worth reading to give you a lot more insights about both death and life.

Carousel Court - Joe McGinniss, Jr. --------------------- 4.5 Stars

So, how time flies. 8 years ago, I read and reviewed Joe McGinniss Jr's first novel The Delivery Man. I knew him briefly from playing some basketball while living in D.C.  Anyway, the book was pretty awesome and well worth reading if you have not picked it up. However, I would recommend you read his newest book first.

Carousel Court came out earlier this year and is a fantastic read. Similar in many ways to his first novel, it's gritty, drug induced fun for the whole family. And this one really is about a whole family. Newly married couple moves to California with a young child and quickly goes under water on their new home. As they struggle to figure out what to do, their marriage begins to unravel and both find their own outlets to maintain whatever sanity they have left.

As I rate books on entertainment value, this one is a knock out. Gripping and hard to put down, I flew threw it in about a week. It was a kind of a mix of Gone Girl and Girl on a Train but seemingly more realistic. The author does a fantastic job describing the history of the two main characters in engaging ways while still keeping the pace of the novel moving forward. Also, he has a great knack for quickly moving from a description about a scene, that includes intimate details to help visualize, to out of control drug use and violence.

The book also hits closer to home than the last. Not that my marriage is falling apart and am behind on mortgage payments, but I can relate to the loss of one's 20s and the "grind" of work and kids on a daily basis. Again, the author does a good job of framing, albeit probably an outlier of a situation, what many in some parts of country are struggling with too often.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was an engaging and entertaining read, and it's wonderful to see the author continue to hone his already impressive skill set further.  Like this last book, it would get an "R" rating, but the story is a good one and characters quite interesting. I only wished he would write books more often than every 8 years (though, if there always this good, I can wait!).

Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami ----------------------- 3.5 Stars

Haruka Murakami is one of the most accomplished and well known contemporary science fiction writers.  I've had1Q84 on my list to read for a few years now and was going to tackle but persuaded myself to check out Norwegian Wood instead. Why? Two reasons. First, 1Q84 is like 1,000 pages and I wasn't up to take that on after just finishing one of a similar length and I didn't know if I really wanted to go "all in" on one of his science fiction books. Sure, I could have read one of his shorter books that were more typical of Murakami's style but instead choose the very "straightforward" Norwegian Wood. Did I regret it? A little.

This book is a very slowly told love story about a college age student who has fallen in love with two women. The book is also incredibly depressing, has a dreary outlook on the world, an over abundance of focus on sex, lots of elements of suicide and a confusing ending. Sooooo, I had a real mixed experience with it.

On a positive, this book actually made me think far more about it after I finished it then during. The book is a bit of a slog to read, with nothing extremely exciting for long periods. However, the book is beautifully written and has a great deal of nuance and subtlety. Unfortunately, sometimes the book was so subtle and points made so hard to decipher, that it simply felt boring. Nonetheless, upon concluding and thinking/looking back at what transpired. I was more intrigued than when I was reading. What to make of that? Certainly, it's a good sign the novel was so thought provoking and ending open to interpretation that I continued to mull over various parts but what does it say about the entertainment value of reading it that I continually felt it wasn't moving anywhere?  I know one might argue that the novel was supposed to mirror real life, and is most likely Murakami's most "traditional" novel, but when the reader continues feels frustration from the lack of plot movement does that matter?  Will I continue asking more questions of myself in this blog?

Well, I'm not sure what to think about Murakami at this point. This book made him a star in Japan and at least three of his books are incredibly well acclaimed, but I really didn't love this one.  It was fine but I really couldn't get into the "love" story aspect of it and the dreariness of the tone. However, I definitely want to take one of his more traditional science fiction novels to try to get the full Murakami experience. In the meanwhile, do feel free to check this one but be forewarned about some of the concerns noted above.

Shantaram -- Gregory David Roberts ------------------------ 4.5 Stars

One of the great parts about summer, is that I finally have some real time to put toward reading. I purchased Shantaram over a year ago, and it's been sitting on my Kindle as I wanted to make sure I had a good chunk of time to invest into this page 944 page behemoth. Well, I finally had that time and enjoyed it immensely.

While not as well known as other longer books I've read, this book did not disappoint (though, all other books I've read at this length did earn 5 stars). If you are not familiar, briefly, it's a story about an escaped convict from Australia who winds up in India and gets connected with unsavory characters while also falling in love in different ways. More than anything, this was a book about Bombay, India, a city and country that I was mostly unfamiliar with.

At 944 pages, it really is a saga. Many, many things transpire and the book had a strong plot that kept me interested and wanting to pick it up often. It's a tough couple hundred pages to get through at the start as the author is setting up the varying storylines, but once it gets going, it's a fascinating story.  It also had a lot of great dialogue between interesting characters; which I enjoyed immensely.

The book also was a love story. Not just between Lin, the main character, and a girl, of course, but other people/things as well.  He was in love with India, with the slums, with a godfather type figure, with friends, etc. Further, the book was a look at what love does to people and how it motivates self-interest. The book was also about crime and violence, which, of course, is fascinating. Besides being a criminal to begin with, Lin gets back to his old habits in parts of the novel. War was also given it's fair due with a trip to Afghanistan during it's war with Russia (timing is 1980's for the novel).

So, why not 5 stars? Well, as much as I loved the novel, I did feel like the author would it pour it on a bit heavy sometimes with some of his writing. To say some of the prose is flowery and exaggerated is a large understatement. While most of it comes off as fitting and just part of the book's style, there are some parts that are just cheesy. Also, like I mentioned, it was tough to get into.  Any book earning 5 stars should not take 200 pages to get you connected and fully engaged.

Overall, I would strongly recommend this book to most people. If you have any interest at all in learning more about the sights and sounds of India, I would highly recommend. Even not, it's a great read and great story!

The Daily Show (the Book) an oral History -- Chris Smith -------------------- 3.5 Stars

Like many college educated liberals in their mid-30s, I was a HUGE fan of Jon Stewart's Daily Show. I remember falling in love with it during George W.'s presidency and enjoying it further during Barack's eight years (sad to say I didn't even give Trevor Noah a chance when Stewart quit two years ago (though John Oliver's show in HBO is fantastic!)). So, it seemed like a no brainer to check out a very complete and comprehensive history of the show.

What was cool about The Daily Show (the book) an Oral History as it's simply interview after interview, spliced together, from everyone who was a big part of this show. Of course, Jon Stewart is a big part, so are the producers, writers, directors and correspondents on the show (John Oliver, Stephen Colbert/Carrell, Jessica Williams, Lewis Black, etc.). The book is a fun and easy read. While Chris Smith, includes some small notes throughout, he does an incredible job of taking these individual interviews with each person and include small chunks, sometimes only sentences or paragraphs, one after another to tell the history of the show. And it really is comprehensive; he starts from the days when Stewart took over for Craig Kilborne all the way through Trevor Noah taking the reins.

For the most part, the book is what you might imagine. Them going through the history of the show and the various individuals interviewed providing their memories of various events and shows throughout the years. For the most part, its an enjoyable read. I forgot about many of their shows and the comedians interviewed are just as funny when talking about the show as they were on the show. I even pulled up YouTube to check out some clips I had forgotten about over the year (like his "fights" with Bill O'Reilly or Jim Cramer).

What I liked most about the book were two things. First, the nostalgia I felt about those past years and the joy I had watching the show. I loved how Stewart always was willing to comment and make a point about things in society and the world that he thought needed to be questioned or discussed. The show was great at making people laugh but always having a point in doing so. Second, and more surprisingly, I learned a lot about Stewart and what kind of person he is. Besides brilliant and funny, he proved to be incredibly caring, for those that worked for him, and for those that need to be supported.  He also always striving for excellence. This meant working hard, very hard in pursuit of trying to master something that he considered to be most important: Truth. I admire Stewart even more after the book and I would bet you would as well if you check out this interesting book.

Neuromancer - William Gibson --------------- 2 Stars

So, I realized that my dad recommended Arthur Clarke's Childhood's End to me almost seven years ago. Besides being an incredible book, it was one of only a few ever to receive 5 stars on this blog.  If you have not read, I would check out as soon as possible. As I was talking to him recently about how much I enjoyed, he said I had to check out Neuromancer, another class science fiction novel. Unfortunately, I didn't find nearly as much enjoyment with this suggestion.

So, this book is, like, for real, science fiction. I say that only as a descriptor to understand that, compared to Childhood's End (CE), this stuff is much more "out there."  I think I liked CE so much because it seemed in the realm of possibility. This book, not so much. It was written about 30 years ago and took a view of the future that is very different than we are currently experiencing. (Though, the positive reviews of this book, and there are MANY, (this is regarded as one of the best science fiction books of all time) explain how, actually, much of what we have experienced in the past 20 years of new technology was described in this book. Some argue, in fact, that the Internet was something that was written about in this book (which seems accurate)).

The books plot is not straightforward at all. But, I think, it's about a data thief guy, who has some health issues, who gets hired by a powerful guy to break into some data software. There's much more than that, but it's got a Matrix type feel; again, this was 30 years ago when written. The plot is actually pretty interesting but I got so bogged down in trying to understand what was happening I really couldn't appreciate. The characters are very well described and you understand, for the most part, the motivations of the individuals in the book, but keeping up with details of the plot was a challenge.

I guess why I disliked this book so much was sort of alluded to in the last paragraph; I really couldn't understand it.  Perhaps worst, I couldn't picture it. What's so nice about most books of fiction is the visual you have in your head of the characters and events taking place and watching them take place through your own versions in your brain. With the complexity of what Gibson is describing, that was impossible for me for much of the book. And without the pictures, it's really hard to follow what's going on.

I was trying to think about how to be describe how I felt reading it, and I think the best way I can equate is to try to imagine someone describing art to you in words but not being able to see it. They would be saying things like, "Picture a blank canvas and lots of colors on it in different ways, and there is shading, and different hues, and things like that." Now, this may be easy for us to picture since we've seen it, but if you've never seen a piece of art before, it would be very challenging. That's what reading Neuromancer was for me. Gibson really is an artist and his canvas are the words he is writing from his imagination of the future. While reading it, you could feel that he was on another plane from others, which, I believe, is why this book is so beloved, but if you aren't the type of person who can visualize the art he is describing, it's a a frustrating experience.

With all that being said, I do recommend others read the book. While I did not feel entertained, was lost for much, and did not really look forward to reading each night (hence, 2 star rating), I am happy I read it and appreciate the importance of Gibson's work.

Walter and Me - Eddie Payton -------------------- 2.5 Stars

This won't be one of the longer reviews for a couple reasons. First, this book is mostly going to interest Bears fans. Second, it's a biography and not a ton to say about it.

Walter and Me is a biography/autobiography written by Walter Payton's brother Eddie Payton. If you don't know who Walter Payton is, you should.  He may be the greatest running back of all time (football, folks!). He was also my favorite player for most of my youth. This was due to two reasons. First, he was on the Bears famous '85 championship team which won the Superbowl when I was 5. The team was awesome and included Walter, the Fridge, Jim McMahon, and a few other interesting characters. Second, I loved the video game Tecmo Bowl on the original Nintendo. This was mostly due to the Bears being the best team and Payton the best player on the game.

As for the book, it's okay. While I got a few new insights into Walter, most of the book was really his brother's viewpoint on their lives. While I appreciated the early chapters learning about their lives growing up in poor, rural Mississippi, the subsequent chapters about his life were less interesting. Getting glimpses into his personal life (e.g. he is a huge practical joker, he is very introverted) was interesting, but it seemed like Eddie was more interested correcting misinterpretations about Walter than anything else.

As you may or may not know, Walter was only 45 years old when he died in 1999. He had a tremendous life and great career. One of my favorite memories was when my dad returned from a trip and gave me an autograph from Walter. He happened to see him on a plane and Walter, like many described, was very giving of his time, chatting with my dad until they were ready to take off. He truly was a great individual and amazing football player and if you revere him as much as I do, this book is for you. If not, you may want to skip this read though you should take a minute to check out the incomparable Superbowl Shuffle (Walter is #34!).