Book Log 2015 #5: The Anatomy Lesson by Nina Siegal

Set in one day in Amsterdam, this novel tells the story behind The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, one of Rembrandt's best-known works. Each of the characters - Rembrandt, Tulp, the man who became the cadaver, his woman friend (and mother of his unborn child), the man in charge of the corpse, and Rene Descartes - are referred to by an anatomical term (Rembrandt is the hands, for example), and each section is told from that person's point of view. There is also a series of present day observational notes by an art restorer, who uses the examination of the painting and some recently-discovered historical documents to make a significant discovery about it.

While I liked the book overall, I did feel like there was probably one character too many (I'm going with either Descartes or the steward who procured the body). I also found the modern day notes didn't really work with the rest of the book. It should have had a more prominent place in the novel or none at all. Still, if you're interested in art or 17th century Europe, this is well worth reading.

(Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book by a female author)

Book Log 2015 #4: Brick by Brick by David Robertson

Confession time: I picked this book up thinking it was a history of Lego rather than an examination of how the company almost innovated itself out of business and then innovated its way back to the top. I didn't finish the book, and skimmed the more business-heavy sections, but got the general idea that innovation for innovation's sake is bad, while innovating while staying true to your core values and honoring your relationships with customers and retailers is good.

There were significant parts of the book about the company's history and product lines, and these I enjoyed quite a bit. So in the end I did enjoy the book, but it's probably more enjoyable if you're actually interested in the business end of things.

(Popsugar Reading Challenge: A non-fiction book)

Book Log 2015 #3: La Place de la Concorde Suisse by John McPhee

Switzerland has followed a policy of neutrality for centuries, but that doesn't mean that they're pacifists. The Swiss have carefully prepared to fight, developing a citizen army and creating an infrastructure where bridges are pre-wired for detonation and mountains contain bunkers for artillery, hangars for jets, and barracks for soldiers and citizens alike. The general staff (who represent the bulk of the Swiss military professionals) are confident that they can use their training, planning, and terrain to successfully defend themselves.

On the other side is a recon battalion whose citizen soldiers are much less optimistic about their chances. They fulfill their service requirement, but when asked about an actual war have little doubt that the enemy (at the time of this writing, likely the Soviets) would be successful. It's this juxtaposition that is so well examined, the way in which the Swiss plan so meticulously but rely on semi-interested conscripts to carry out their plans.

This book was published in 1984, when the assumption was that an invasion would come from the east (be it the Soviets or other Warsaw Pact forces). It'd be interesting to see how (or if) the end of the Cold War has changed Swiss planning. Still, an informative book about an unexpected topic, which is kind of McPhee's thing.

(Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book set in a different country)

Book Log 2015 #2: You Might Remember Me by Mike Thomas

I don't have strong memories of many celebrity deaths, but I can still remember clearly when I heard about the killing of Phil Hartman. I was at work, and got an email from a friend about it. I spent the rest of the afternoon surfing the Web, reading stories and trying to make sense of what happened to one of my favorite actors. I didn't know much about Hartman other than his performances, which I universally enjoyed, and the news didn't fill too many gaps other than those specific to his death.

Filling many of these gaps is this biography, which paints a picture of Phil as someone, from a relatively early age, used humor and a laid back attitude to get attention and forge relationships (in some way, I think, to compensate for parents who were distracted by a large family and financial insecurity). As an adult, he used these talents to work his way into improv, where his work with the Groundlings set the stage for his work on SNL and The Simpsons.

And while Phil didn't have what you could call a dark side, there is the suggestion that he had a kind of a veneer, that what you saw from Phil was a persona cultivated for public use. Whether he used that to keep a distance from others, or to mask insecurities lingering from his past, it seems like there were few, if any, people who could claim to know Phil. There was also the part of this persona that manifested itself in having nice things and keeping the company of beautiful women. You can see where this would lead to his ultimately fatal choice for a third wife.

There are places where I'd have liked more - the section about his time on NewsRadio seemed especially short - but I do feel like I have much more complete understanding of Phil's life and death, and what made him such a unique performer.

(Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book by an author you've never read before)

Book Log 2015 #1: Back Channel by Steven L. Carter

A Cornell student is recruited by a professor (who has a mysterious link to her dead father) to escort Bobby Fisher to Bulgaria, ostensibly to cover the tournament he is playing in but really to make contact with a Russian who has information about missiles his country is putting in Cuba. So begins her descent into the world of Cold War espionage in this thriller.

This is the most audacious of Carter's novels that set African-American women at turning points in American history. In this case, the student becomes the US end of a back channel communication line that officially does not exist. putting her very life in danger. She is surrounded by the sort of calculating political and intelligence officers that can make that determination in good conscience and cold blood, which makes her even less sure of who, if anyone she can trust. And on top of all of this, she risks her personal reputation when her meetings with the President to deliver information are disguised as being of a more intimate nature.

For its portrayal of the lengths to which both sides would go and its continued examination of upper class African-Americans in the 20th century, this is a very highly recommended book. It's also recommended as Carter helps to connect some of the characters in this book to his earlier works, from minor characters making a repeat appearance to the supporting character of Jericho Ainsley, who as a disgraced - and retired - CIA director is the focus of the action in Jericho's Fall.

(Popsugar Reading Challenge: a mystery or a thriller)

Book Log 2015: The Popsugar Reading Challenge

So I saw this challenge on a friend's Facebook timeline, and thought it would make a good overlay to my reading this year. The challenge is to read books to meet these categories:

 

I'll have to go back and see if it's cheating to have a book complete more than one category.