Recent Books

Jose Rizal: life, works, and writings of a genuis, writer, scientist, and national hero, Gregorio Zaide
This book was given to me by my uncle while we were visiting the Philippines. Not knowing much about Rizal, I eagerly read. The book reads quickly, is interesting, and seems to thoroughly cover his life. Rizal seemed like an amazing man.
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
This book is a biography of Lincoln, starting with his 1860 presidential campaign. Goodwin paints a picture of Lincoln as a political genius. The title refers to his cabinet made up of radical abolitionists, Republicans, Whigs, and Democrats. Pretty interesting. His Treasury Secretary even campaigned against Lincoln while holding his post.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Very good story. A biography about the controversial life and death of Chris McCandless in Alaska. As off the wall as he may seem, I strongly relate to that pull for freedom and wilderness. I also saw the movie and liked it as well.
Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Paul Tammet
It is kind of a weird idea to read a biography of someone a year younger than me. Tammet is an autistic man with Auspergers Syndrome and gifted with an amazing memory, synesthesia, the ability to learn languages, and incredible insight into the mind of someone with autism.
The war by Ken Burns and Geoffrey Ward
This book was based on the PBS special on WWII. It lacked a traditional theme, and instead follows citizens from four towns across the US and details their experiences. It covers a wide scope of WWII, and instead of following strategy and generals, looks at suffering, brutality, racism, arrogance, futility, death and life for the common soldier. Very moving.
The Foxfire Books an anthology from Foxfire Magazine
A collection of interviews from the sixties with Appalachian citizens on daily life in times past, meant to capture lore and information before it disappears. It has everything from building a log cabin, butchering a hog, and snake stories, to old recipes. There are 12 books in the collection, and I have only read the first.

The Mayflower

Image from "The Mayflower" at www.nathanielphilbrick.com

I just finished The Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick (who also wrote the great book In the Heart of the Sea). While most of the story of the Pilgrims was familiar to me (from the landing up through the first Thanksgiving), the subsequent generations and King Phillips War was not. The author points out that often American mythology jumps across the 150 years from the Pilgrims landing to the War for Independence. Many of the themes seen throughout subsequent American history can be found in the 17th century New England history. Obviously, the majority of the book deals with the settlers relationship with the Indians and Indian tribes. The greed, racism, deceit, hatred, hypocrisy, and violence are heartbreaking. Paradoxically, this history is also about men of great faith and morality. As the book subtly pointed out, the challenge of loving our neighbor was not just an issue for the Pilgrims and Indians, it is an issue ever before us.

Bleak House

I just stayed up past midnight to finish Bleak House by Charles Dickens. I haven't done that in a while. I had been thoroughly enjoying the book, but then it got even more suspenseful and good and I had to finish it. This is supposed to be the first book with a detective in it and you could see a lot of the themes that future detective novels would follow. There were a lot of memorable characters, and several that were so well written that they deserve to be as well know as Scrooge and Tiny Tim. I have known some real life people that treat money like Richard Carstone and people that love conflict like Mr. Boythorn. Mr. Voles and Mr. Tulkinghorn were great lawyer stereotypes and antagonists. I loved Esther Summerson's narrative and her good nature. (As a side note, I hate the modern idea that a literary or movie character has to be evil or stupid, and that a moral character is unreal and unlikeable.) Overall, I thought this was as good as or better than Great Expectations and I would recommend it.

Mansfield Park

Joy and I just finished Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I came in with very low expectations, but I very much enjoyed it. Not as much as Pride and Prejudice, but more than Emma. Jane Austen does seem to have a talent for painting very unflattering portraits of her characters. I have a hard time deciding who I enjoy hating more, Mrs. Norris (Mansfield Park) or Mrs. Bennett (Pride and Prejudice). Upon finishing the book, I was much struck with the similarity between Mary Crawford and present-day morals. I did not find Fanny too self-righteous and liked her and Edmund.

Rex Stout

Joy and I listened to two Nero Wolfe mysteries on the way back from Canada. I love Archie and Nero, and the humor with which the stories are written.

To Kill a Mockingbird

I just finished to To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (whom I had always assumed was a guy). I had never wanted to read the book because I am against killing mockingbirds. I loved the book, though. (And no mockingbirds were harmed.) I had thought the book was just a racial / trial drama, but I really enjoyed the character development of Scout Finch. Her insights into adult behavior were pretty funny. A good book.

Dubliners

I just finished Dubliners by James Joyce. I had read The Dead in high school and enjoyed it more this time. I remember empathizing with some of the feeling of the story then, but I could understand more now. The short stories seemed to be clever word-portraits. I suppose it is tribute to his writing ability that it always seemed like you were present in the story or watching it on TV. I enjoyed the subtleness of the themes and the understanding of character.

The Spirit of the Border

The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey takes place in post-revolutionary war Ohio. It is inspired by the true story of Zane Grey's own great-great grandmother, Betty Zane. Published in 1906, the book is the second in the Ohio River Trilogy. It did not have any trouble standing alone. I think I will have to track down the other books. (I have had a hankering to read some more Zane Grey with all my driving through Zanesville and past the Zane Grey museum.)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

I just finished reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson). I had not previously read the book and had hated a movie version I saw in elementary school. The nonsense felt confusing and pointless at that age, but I enjoyed it very much now. There were a lot of characters in both books that I had forgotten about and enjoyed being aquainted with.

Locked Rooms

Joy and I just finished Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King. This is the third book of the Mary Russell mystery series that I have read (although it is not the third book in the series). The book is set in San Francisco in the 1920's and deals with the events and aftermath of the great earthquake and fire of 1906. I enjoyed the book, and especially how King wove in the historical character of Dashiell Hammett, a real-life detective and author who worked for the Pinkerton Detective Agency and wrote the Maltese Falcon (the Maltese Falcon is another book I recently read and would recommend).

The Hornet's Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War

I just finished the first work of fiction by a President of the United States. The Hornet's Nest, by Jimmy Carter, is a historical fiction novel. I like using historical fiction to better learn history. The action mainly takes place in Georgia and the Carolinas before and during the revolutionary war. Carter really emphasized the incredible struggle it was for independence. I enjoyed the book, and was excited as it came up to battles that I remembered (the ones the US won).

O Jerusalem

I just finished O Jerusalem by Laurie King. I have also read The Beekeeper's Apprentice, the first book in the series, which introduces the detective pair of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. O Jerusalem was a good book, but it is not exactly a pure mystery in the whodunit sense that the real Sherlock Holmes stories were. It could equally be called a historical fiction or an adventure novel. It is set in post-WWI Palestine during an interlude in the action of The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I really enjoyed this book (and The Beekeeper's Apprentice), but I am not sure I can vouch for the whole series.

Animals in Translation

I just finished Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin. This was one of the most interesting non-fiction books I have ever read. Temple Grandin is both an animal scientist and a person with autism and has incredible perspective both on human and animal behavior from her 30 years of animal study and interest in autism. The book is biographical, relaying stories from her childhood, how she has dealt with autism, and her work with slaughterhouses. The book also covers current research on the biology of autism and the human brain. Thirdly, Temple Grandin brings all this background together in her understanding of animal behavior. Check out the two links for another review of the book and some information on Temple Grandin. I highly recommend this book, both for its entertainment value and for the insights on how people and animals think.
Temple Grandin
Animals in Translation

Mark Twain, A Life

I just finished Mark Twain, A Life by Ron Powers. I realized that there was a lot I didn't know about Mark Twain. I have read a bit of his work, but there is a lot left I would like to read. The last part of the biography was fairly sad, especially so because of his raging and rebellion towards God. That rebellion is doubly sad because his image of God was formed from experiences with hypocritical followers of God. It is interesting to learn about his political writings and viewpoints in the turn-of-the-century America. It is also interesting how time allows us to disconnect a person from their politics or beliefs or labels and to enjoy them on our terms. The biography portrays Theodore Roosevelt and Samuel Clemens as political opponents, yet both are well-regarded today as great Americans. Living one hundred years ago, it might have been hard to appreciate both.

Five Little Pigs

You know it is going to be a great Agatha Christie mystery if it has a nursery rhyme for a theme. This mystery has an interesting premise; the death/murder took place 16 years ago and all Hercule has to work with is the memories of the five living witnesses. Agatha Christie shows her skill as a story-teller by keeping interest and tempo despite a complete lack of action and telling the story of the same event about 15 times. There were ample clues to solve the mystery before it is revealed, which is a large part of the fun.

Wuthering Heights

Joy and I finished reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte together. It was quite a different book than I was expecting. I liked the style in which it was written and the way the story was developed, often hearing the action 4th or 5th hand. (Going by the principle that a story gets more interesting the more times it is told by a good story-teller.) I expected a typical love story about two people being continually separated and frustrated by culture and fate until they finally get together and live happily ever after. (My copy of the book has a couple sitting under a tree together. Maybe I shouldn't judge books by their cover...) This book is anything but that. Halfway through, the love interest, Cathy, dies and Heathcliff goes mad. I found it very hard to empathize with the principle characters (especially the first Cathy) and their decisions. I did like Hareton and the second Cathy Linton and Nelly Dean, and felt sorry for the older Edgar Linton. Overall, it was a good book and a very well told story.

Miss Marple; Complete Short Stories

I love Miss Marple stories the more I read them. I think Agatha Christie writes Miss Marple better than any other character, because I imagine they are more autobiographical. The stories and character are fresh even though the Victorian Miss Marple was in her eighties back in 1930.

The Big Year, A Tale of Man, Nature, and a Fowl Obsession

Joy and I just finished this book by Mark Obmascik. After an introduction and history of birding, the book covered the 1998 competition for the Big Year record number of bird species to be seen in North America (US and Canada). There men competed to break the record. The winner set the current record at 745 species. The book combines the fun of a travelogue, the drama of a sports competition, and stories about birds. Even Joy enjoyed the book, so being a birder is not a prerequisite to reading the book, although knowing a birder probably helps. It was amazing how much money and time these birders spent. The author does a good job explaining birding. Here are some reviews and other info about the book.

Hercule Poirot Casebook

This is a compilation book of all 50 Agatha Christie short stories that star Hercule Poirot. A lot of fun. I think I like the 12 Labors of Hercules stories the best because of how they fit a theme. This is a good summer read and a good way to make sure you catch all the Hercule stories that are out there. Agatha Christie is right up there with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in my book.

A Double Barrelled Detective Story

Joy and I just read A Double Barrelled Detective Story by Mark Twain. It was, as expected, pretty humorous. I don't think any other writer could make fun of Sherlock Holmes and get away with it.