Book Log 2017 #44: Resurrection Men by Ian Rankin
John Rebus finally takes things too far - or has finally taken things too far once too often - as a blow up during the investigation of a murdered art dealer sees him suspended and packed off for "retraining." He winds up with a group of detectives who have similarly fallen out of good graces, and in the process of reviewing a cold case that's part of the retraining, Rebus get drawn in to investigating a scheme that several of his fellow reprobates were involved in. And to make things even trickier, the cold case the group is reviewing may have happened thanks to a mistake Rebus made at the time it occurred.
At the same time, he has to run interference between Big Ger Cafferty and Siobahn Clarke, as she needs information from the gangster that might help solve the killing. And as usually happens, the cases come together, leading to larger and more dangerous implications for all involved.
Do I honestly even need to tell you that you should be reading this series?
20 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #43: A Legacy of Spies by John LeCarre
After writing some of the most iconic spy novels of the Cold War era, LeCarre managed to move on from East versus West, still dipping a toe into espionage while moving into new territory with new villains. He largely left George Smiley and his colleagues behind, until this book brought the new and old together.
The new intelligence regime in the UK is looking back at what the old guard did in the past, and is starting to call them to account. In this case, one of Smiley's former lieutenants, Peter Guillam, is hauled back to MI6 to answer questions about the events that unfolded in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, as the son of one of the people involved in the operation at the center of that book is suing the British government.
The book bounces between the events leading up to what happened in the earlier book and Guillam's current attempts to dodge responsibility for what happened. It's not only a great callback for long time readers, but an interesting commentary on modern intelligence. It was also apparently written to help make a case for the UK staying in the EU in the wake of the Brexit referendum, which I didn't get at the time. Absolutely worth reading, though if for some reason you haven't read The Spy Who Came in From the Cold you may want to do that first.
After writing some of the most iconic spy novels of the Cold War era, LeCarre managed to move on from East versus West, still dipping a toe into espionage while moving into new territory with new villains. He largely left George Smiley and his colleagues behind, until this book brought the new and old together.
The new intelligence regime in the UK is looking back at what the old guard did in the past, and is starting to call them to account. In this case, one of Smiley's former lieutenants, Peter Guillam, is hauled back to MI6 to answer questions about the events that unfolded in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, as the son of one of the people involved in the operation at the center of that book is suing the British government.
The book bounces between the events leading up to what happened in the earlier book and Guillam's current attempts to dodge responsibility for what happened. It's not only a great callback for long time readers, but an interesting commentary on modern intelligence. It was also apparently written to help make a case for the UK staying in the EU in the wake of the Brexit referendum, which I didn't get at the time. Absolutely worth reading, though if for some reason you haven't read The Spy Who Came in From the Cold you may want to do that first.
18 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #42: The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor
In the aftermath of the Great Fire, a body is discovered in the ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral. James Marwood, the son of a Cromwell supporter, is pressured into investigating the killing by a shadowy figure of some importance to Charles II, who suspects that it is related to the ongoing threat to the king by republicans, Puritains, and others. While doing so he comes across a woman (who he originally mistakes for a boy), whose father belonged to the same religious sect as Marwood's father. Together they work to solve the crime and improve their personal standings.
I remembered nothing about this book before writing this, but as I read a couple of reviews pieces came back to me, and I do recall liking this more than I originally thought I would. Which makes it surprising that I never got around to reading the sequel. Or any of Taylor's other books, as he's written a number of historical mysteries (most of a more recent history than this). Something to rectify for the future.
In the aftermath of the Great Fire, a body is discovered in the ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral. James Marwood, the son of a Cromwell supporter, is pressured into investigating the killing by a shadowy figure of some importance to Charles II, who suspects that it is related to the ongoing threat to the king by republicans, Puritains, and others. While doing so he comes across a woman (who he originally mistakes for a boy), whose father belonged to the same religious sect as Marwood's father. Together they work to solve the crime and improve their personal standings.
I remembered nothing about this book before writing this, but as I read a couple of reviews pieces came back to me, and I do recall liking this more than I originally thought I would. Which makes it surprising that I never got around to reading the sequel. Or any of Taylor's other books, as he's written a number of historical mysteries (most of a more recent history than this). Something to rectify for the future.
Book Log 2017 #41: The Falls by Ian Rankin
A university student from a prominent banking family goes missing, and it's up to Rebus and his colleagues to figure out how her case intersects with the new (an online game she was playing) and the old (a wooden doll in a miniature coffin is found with the body, hearkening back to similar cases in Edinburgh's history). Along the way Rebus gets suspended (of course), and has to maintain an unofficial involvement while Siobahn Clarke risks ending up like the student when she starts playing the online game in order to draw out the person who is running it, known as the Quizmaster.
We're at a point in this series where each book seems to outdo the last. I think what does it for this particular entry is the way in which the new and old elements are portrayed (the depiction of the game and being online in general is better than one might expect, and the historical part is another great use of local flavor in support of the story).
A university student from a prominent banking family goes missing, and it's up to Rebus and his colleagues to figure out how her case intersects with the new (an online game she was playing) and the old (a wooden doll in a miniature coffin is found with the body, hearkening back to similar cases in Edinburgh's history). Along the way Rebus gets suspended (of course), and has to maintain an unofficial involvement while Siobahn Clarke risks ending up like the student when she starts playing the online game in order to draw out the person who is running it, known as the Quizmaster.
We're at a point in this series where each book seems to outdo the last. I think what does it for this particular entry is the way in which the new and old elements are portrayed (the depiction of the game and being online in general is better than one might expect, and the historical part is another great use of local flavor in support of the story).
Book Log 2017 #40: The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett
I had read The Bookman's Tale and while I wasn't blown away I liked it well enough to pick this up. In it, another bookish protagonist gets involved in solving an ages-old mystery, this time involving the Holy Grail.
Our hero, a lecturer at the local university and amateur Grail enthusiast, spends his happiest hours in the library of the local cathedral, where he can wile away the hours looking at their ancient manuscripts. When a young woman from America shows up to digitize the collection, he senses a threat - until he learns she shares his fondness both for old books and the Grail. Together they search for an ancient (and missing) text which contains information about the cathedral and the Grail, which could just help them turn around the church's precarious financial status.
I did like this one better than The Bookman's Tale, maybe because I'm more interested in the Grail than in Shakespeare.
I had read The Bookman's Tale and while I wasn't blown away I liked it well enough to pick this up. In it, another bookish protagonist gets involved in solving an ages-old mystery, this time involving the Holy Grail.
Our hero, a lecturer at the local university and amateur Grail enthusiast, spends his happiest hours in the library of the local cathedral, where he can wile away the hours looking at their ancient manuscripts. When a young woman from America shows up to digitize the collection, he senses a threat - until he learns she shares his fondness both for old books and the Grail. Together they search for an ancient (and missing) text which contains information about the cathedral and the Grail, which could just help them turn around the church's precarious financial status.
I did like this one better than The Bookman's Tale, maybe because I'm more interested in the Grail than in Shakespeare.
12 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #39: Dark Star by Alan Furst
Andre Szara is a Polish Jew, who escaped the pogroms and as of 1937 is a journalist for Pravda in Paris. He's approached by the NKVD to perform some small jobs for the Soviets, using his job as cover. As you might expect, these small jobs lead to more significant ones, to the point where it's not clear if he's really a journalist anymore. This professional crisis is then complicated by a personal one, which would require him to give the British the same sensitive information he's been passing to the Soviets.
This is the second book in the Night Soldiers series, and it travels some very familiar territory if you've read other books in the series. For some reason I only gave this three stars on Goodreads (I've more typically given books in the series four stars). I have no idea what I may have found lacking, but I doubt it was enough to discourage anyone from actually reading the book.
Andre Szara is a Polish Jew, who escaped the pogroms and as of 1937 is a journalist for Pravda in Paris. He's approached by the NKVD to perform some small jobs for the Soviets, using his job as cover. As you might expect, these small jobs lead to more significant ones, to the point where it's not clear if he's really a journalist anymore. This professional crisis is then complicated by a personal one, which would require him to give the British the same sensitive information he's been passing to the Soviets.
This is the second book in the Night Soldiers series, and it travels some very familiar territory if you've read other books in the series. For some reason I only gave this three stars on Goodreads (I've more typically given books in the series four stars). I have no idea what I may have found lacking, but I doubt it was enough to discourage anyone from actually reading the book.
Book Log 2017 #38: The Last Hundred Days by Patrick McGuinness
It's 1989, and a young British man takes job as a university lecturer in Bucharest. Two odd things about the job: he never interviewed for it, and he never graduated from university. It becomes clear when he arrives that his actual job is to front for another faculty member (also a Brit) whose main occupation is actually cataloging (and occasionally selling) bits of the old city before they are destroyed and rebuilt as part of the Ceausescu regime's modernization plan.
As he settles into life in Romania, he quickly becomes enmeshed with disparate parts of its society. He falls in with a group of dissidents who smuggle people out. He becomes friends with a pre-Ceausescu figure who is writing a memoir about the party and corruption. He becomes romantically entangled with the daughter of a ministry official. Managing these relationships becomes increasingly difficult, especially with the backdrop of a regime that is slowly losing its grip over the people.
The author actually lived in Bucharest during the fall of Ceausescu, and his experiences and details give the story additional depth, beyond the average book about life at the end of communism. It's a very interesting book about a very interesting (and fairly surreal) time.
It's 1989, and a young British man takes job as a university lecturer in Bucharest. Two odd things about the job: he never interviewed for it, and he never graduated from university. It becomes clear when he arrives that his actual job is to front for another faculty member (also a Brit) whose main occupation is actually cataloging (and occasionally selling) bits of the old city before they are destroyed and rebuilt as part of the Ceausescu regime's modernization plan.
As he settles into life in Romania, he quickly becomes enmeshed with disparate parts of its society. He falls in with a group of dissidents who smuggle people out. He becomes friends with a pre-Ceausescu figure who is writing a memoir about the party and corruption. He becomes romantically entangled with the daughter of a ministry official. Managing these relationships becomes increasingly difficult, especially with the backdrop of a regime that is slowly losing its grip over the people.
The author actually lived in Bucharest during the fall of Ceausescu, and his experiences and details give the story additional depth, beyond the average book about life at the end of communism. It's a very interesting book about a very interesting (and fairly surreal) time.
Book Log 2017 #37: The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
People from Earth have made their way out into the universe, using something called "The Flow" to make the jump between star systems that would normally be unreachable in a human time scale. After a thousand years of colonization, this has created an empire where trading is handled by noble houses and the state religion celebrates the empire and the Flow as divinely inspired.
Which is all well and good until a scientist determines that the Flow may be collapsing, which would cut off the systems from each other, likely leading to the end of civilization on all but the homeworld, which is the only planet in the empire that supports life on its surface. This information is provided to the new (and not particularly well prepared) emperox, who has to figure out how to handle this information while also fending off the machinations of the nobles (including some in her own house) who would like to seize the throne for themselves.
I really enjoyed this book, both as traditional science fiction and for the ways in which it mirrors our current struggles on Earth (think of the Flow representing climate change, for example).
People from Earth have made their way out into the universe, using something called "The Flow" to make the jump between star systems that would normally be unreachable in a human time scale. After a thousand years of colonization, this has created an empire where trading is handled by noble houses and the state religion celebrates the empire and the Flow as divinely inspired.
Which is all well and good until a scientist determines that the Flow may be collapsing, which would cut off the systems from each other, likely leading to the end of civilization on all but the homeworld, which is the only planet in the empire that supports life on its surface. This information is provided to the new (and not particularly well prepared) emperox, who has to figure out how to handle this information while also fending off the machinations of the nobles (including some in her own house) who would like to seize the throne for themselves.
I really enjoyed this book, both as traditional science fiction and for the ways in which it mirrors our current struggles on Earth (think of the Flow representing climate change, for example).
10 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #36: The Lost Order by Steve Berry
The Knights of the Golden Circle was an organization from the 19th century that looked to create a "golden circle" of slave states encompassing the Confederacy and various Western Hemisphere countries. After the Civil War, the group is rumored to have gone underground to continue their struggle. And that's where Cotton Malone comes in.
The story is that the remaining Knights are having a little civil war of their own, with the group split between keeping their caches of silver and gold hidden for use in the future, while the other wants to cash in and foment the revolution they've always wanted. This somehow involves the Smithsonian Institution, one of Cotton's forebears who was a Confederate spy, and the team of the Speaker of the House and a US senator's wife, who want to make some changes to the country and see the Knights as a convenient tool to do so.
It's another perfectly cromulent US-based story for Malone, better if you don't spend too much time thinking about the story and the hype used to build the plot into something it's not (I'm having a hard time believing the Knights were ever the most powerful and/or dangerous secret society in America). We'll all be better off when Malone gets back to Europe so he can shoot up some cathedrals or whatever.
The Knights of the Golden Circle was an organization from the 19th century that looked to create a "golden circle" of slave states encompassing the Confederacy and various Western Hemisphere countries. After the Civil War, the group is rumored to have gone underground to continue their struggle. And that's where Cotton Malone comes in.
The story is that the remaining Knights are having a little civil war of their own, with the group split between keeping their caches of silver and gold hidden for use in the future, while the other wants to cash in and foment the revolution they've always wanted. This somehow involves the Smithsonian Institution, one of Cotton's forebears who was a Confederate spy, and the team of the Speaker of the House and a US senator's wife, who want to make some changes to the country and see the Knights as a convenient tool to do so.
It's another perfectly cromulent US-based story for Malone, better if you don't spend too much time thinking about the story and the hype used to build the plot into something it's not (I'm having a hard time believing the Knights were ever the most powerful and/or dangerous secret society in America). We'll all be better off when Malone gets back to Europe so he can shoot up some cathedrals or whatever.
Book Log 2017 #35: The Man from the Train by Bill James
America's best-known baseball statistician dips back into his interest in crime with this outing, where he and his daughter try to figure out who was behind a string of early 20th century murders. And, using their advanced analytical and research skills, they actually come up with a highly credible suspect.
The recounting of the murders (which reminded me of In Cold Blood in some ways) and the process by which James and his daughter come up with the suspect are equally gripping. I was also fascinated by how they were able to find additional crimes that fit the pattern of more well-known killings, making me wonder how many other serial killers are out there waiting to be discovered?
This is a much more readable work than Popular Crime, as I think James is better suited to telling a particular story rather than trying to force his analytical approach to a wider array of issues.
America's best-known baseball statistician dips back into his interest in crime with this outing, where he and his daughter try to figure out who was behind a string of early 20th century murders. And, using their advanced analytical and research skills, they actually come up with a highly credible suspect.
The recounting of the murders (which reminded me of In Cold Blood in some ways) and the process by which James and his daughter come up with the suspect are equally gripping. I was also fascinated by how they were able to find additional crimes that fit the pattern of more well-known killings, making me wonder how many other serial killers are out there waiting to be discovered?
This is a much more readable work than Popular Crime, as I think James is better suited to telling a particular story rather than trying to force his analytical approach to a wider array of issues.
Book Log 2017 #34: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Henrietta Lacks is one of the most important people in medical history, though not as a doctor (or any other sort of medical professional). A farmer struck with an incredibly aggressive ovarian cancer, the cells taken from her were found to be especially amenable to growing in a lab environment, and quickly became the cells to use for all sorts of experimentation. They were sold by the billions, used to develop medial milestones from the polio vaccine to in vitro fertilization.
And for all of this, Lacks received nothing. She died without any knowledge of what her cells would become, and without any compensation for her or her descendants.
As much as this book is about Henrietta and her story, it's also about how she's been erased (or never written into) the history of her cell line, while doctors who developed it and used it to find therapies have. It's also about her family, who have learned more about her story, but still have many gaps to fill (and misinformation to weed out). The underlying themes of race and class carry throughout, with poorer African-Americans marginalized by a largely white (and wealthy) medical establishment.
While reading this I thought quite a bit about the book One Blood which tells the story of Charles Drew, the African-American doctor who figured out how to separate blood plasma from whole blood, and the urban legend that he died after an accident because he couldn't get a transfusion at a whites only hospital. Both books shed great light on aspects of medical history and how African-Americans are treated within that history. I highly recommend reading both of them.
Henrietta Lacks is one of the most important people in medical history, though not as a doctor (or any other sort of medical professional). A farmer struck with an incredibly aggressive ovarian cancer, the cells taken from her were found to be especially amenable to growing in a lab environment, and quickly became the cells to use for all sorts of experimentation. They were sold by the billions, used to develop medial milestones from the polio vaccine to in vitro fertilization.
And for all of this, Lacks received nothing. She died without any knowledge of what her cells would become, and without any compensation for her or her descendants.
As much as this book is about Henrietta and her story, it's also about how she's been erased (or never written into) the history of her cell line, while doctors who developed it and used it to find therapies have. It's also about her family, who have learned more about her story, but still have many gaps to fill (and misinformation to weed out). The underlying themes of race and class carry throughout, with poorer African-Americans marginalized by a largely white (and wealthy) medical establishment.
While reading this I thought quite a bit about the book One Blood which tells the story of Charles Drew, the African-American doctor who figured out how to separate blood plasma from whole blood, and the urban legend that he died after an accident because he couldn't get a transfusion at a whites only hospital. Both books shed great light on aspects of medical history and how African-Americans are treated within that history. I highly recommend reading both of them.
09 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #33: The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek - The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman
There are two things I remember about reading this book:
1. It seems like the people behind Star Trek spent as much time trying to work around Gene Rodenberry as they did working with him.
2. People generally didn't like Gene Rodenberry.
I suppose these could be combined into one thing, but it did strike me while reading this exhaustive (and occasionally exhausting) oral history that the success and longevity of Star Trek may be attributed to how much its creator could be kept away from it.
There are a ton of additional details about the original series and its eventual transfer to film, which will entertain even the novice Trekkie.
There are two things I remember about reading this book:
1. It seems like the people behind Star Trek spent as much time trying to work around Gene Rodenberry as they did working with him.
2. People generally didn't like Gene Rodenberry.
I suppose these could be combined into one thing, but it did strike me while reading this exhaustive (and occasionally exhausting) oral history that the success and longevity of Star Trek may be attributed to how much its creator could be kept away from it.
There are a ton of additional details about the original series and its eventual transfer to film, which will entertain even the novice Trekkie.
Book Log 2017 #32: The Virgin in the Ice by Ellis Peters
The English civil war rages on, and as refugees from the fighting stream into Shrewsbury, Brother Cadfael and his fellow monks become aware of a trio that should have arrived at their door but did not: a noble brother and sister being led to their abbey by a nun. Cadfael is too busy tending to a wounded monk to help in the search, but soon determines that the monk may be related to the missing party. His attempt to find the missing trio is made more difficult when a murder is thrown into the mix.
This is one of the better installments of the series that I've read, especially in how it combines the backdrop of the civil war with the mystery being investigated.
The English civil war rages on, and as refugees from the fighting stream into Shrewsbury, Brother Cadfael and his fellow monks become aware of a trio that should have arrived at their door but did not: a noble brother and sister being led to their abbey by a nun. Cadfael is too busy tending to a wounded monk to help in the search, but soon determines that the monk may be related to the missing party. His attempt to find the missing trio is made more difficult when a murder is thrown into the mix.
This is one of the better installments of the series that I've read, especially in how it combines the backdrop of the civil war with the mystery being investigated.
Book Log 2017 #31: Set in Darkness by Ian Rankin
With the Scottish Parliament set to re-open, John Rebus is assigned as the police liaison to the new parliament, as its building lies within his precinct. When a rumored murder from long ago seems to be confirmed when builders unearth an old skeleton, the further discovery of a much newer corpse gives Rebus an unexpected murder to investigate. When a future member of the Scottish parliament turns up dead, and a down-and-out suicide case is found to have considerable financial resources, Rebus senses that there's something to connect all of these deaths.
On top of this, Rebus finds himself having to tangle with Big Ger Cafferty again (now out of prison thanks to a suspect diagnosis of terminal cancer), while both wind up dealing with a young new player in Edinburgh's underworld, who would be happy to take over for Cafferty (and inherit Rebus as a friendly link to the cops).
Highly entertaining entry in the series.
With the Scottish Parliament set to re-open, John Rebus is assigned as the police liaison to the new parliament, as its building lies within his precinct. When a rumored murder from long ago seems to be confirmed when builders unearth an old skeleton, the further discovery of a much newer corpse gives Rebus an unexpected murder to investigate. When a future member of the Scottish parliament turns up dead, and a down-and-out suicide case is found to have considerable financial resources, Rebus senses that there's something to connect all of these deaths.
On top of this, Rebus finds himself having to tangle with Big Ger Cafferty again (now out of prison thanks to a suspect diagnosis of terminal cancer), while both wind up dealing with a young new player in Edinburgh's underworld, who would be happy to take over for Cafferty (and inherit Rebus as a friendly link to the cops).
Highly entertaining entry in the series.
08 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #30: Zoo Station by David Downing
John Russell is a journalist in pre-war Berlin. He has a bit of a complicated past, with a British and American background (he fought for Britain in World War I) and a spell in the Soviet Union as a committed communist. His present isn't that much less complicated - he's in the middle of leaving his wife (and mother of their young son) for an actress. It gets more complicated when someone from his communist days reappears and asks him to do some work for the Soviets. This gets the attention of both the Brits and the Nazis, who both prevail upon Russell to do some work for them as well.
This is a little more of a typical war/spy novel than the Night Soldiers series, though I did find it remarkable that Russell manages to maintain his journalistic cover while both being a spy and a resistance figure.
As you might guess, the Zoo train station does play a role in the book, which is at least the naming theme of this series (each book is named for a train station that figures in each book, with varying levels of importance).
I wasn't blown away by the book, but liked it well enough to stick with the series.
John Russell is a journalist in pre-war Berlin. He has a bit of a complicated past, with a British and American background (he fought for Britain in World War I) and a spell in the Soviet Union as a committed communist. His present isn't that much less complicated - he's in the middle of leaving his wife (and mother of their young son) for an actress. It gets more complicated when someone from his communist days reappears and asks him to do some work for the Soviets. This gets the attention of both the Brits and the Nazis, who both prevail upon Russell to do some work for them as well.
This is a little more of a typical war/spy novel than the Night Soldiers series, though I did find it remarkable that Russell manages to maintain his journalistic cover while both being a spy and a resistance figure.
As you might guess, the Zoo train station does play a role in the book, which is at least the naming theme of this series (each book is named for a train station that figures in each book, with varying levels of importance).
I wasn't blown away by the book, but liked it well enough to stick with the series.
Book Log 2017 #29: A Hero of France by Alan Furst
Another in the Night Soliders series of World War II novels about spies and other behind the scenes people across Europe. In this case we have Mathieu, a Frenchman whose resistance cell is trying to get downed British pilots back home. We see how his cell, made up of a variety of regular people, do their work while trying to avoid German surveillance.
I don't remember much of the actual plot, but liked it pretty much as well as the other books in the series. I did read a few reviews to jog my memory, and found one complaining about the book's lack of intensity. Which struck me, as I never really think of the books in this series as being particularly intense (at least not in the way of your average/stereotypical book about spies and war). I think the lack of intensity makes sense when you're dealing with people who spend most of their time trying to not draw attention to themselves. It's not on topic, but I think Jim Lovell's line from Apollo 13 sums this up when he talks about something being "three hours of boredom followed by seven seconds of sheer terror." In the case of this series, you get both the boredom and the terror.
Another in the Night Soliders series of World War II novels about spies and other behind the scenes people across Europe. In this case we have Mathieu, a Frenchman whose resistance cell is trying to get downed British pilots back home. We see how his cell, made up of a variety of regular people, do their work while trying to avoid German surveillance.
I don't remember much of the actual plot, but liked it pretty much as well as the other books in the series. I did read a few reviews to jog my memory, and found one complaining about the book's lack of intensity. Which struck me, as I never really think of the books in this series as being particularly intense (at least not in the way of your average/stereotypical book about spies and war). I think the lack of intensity makes sense when you're dealing with people who spend most of their time trying to not draw attention to themselves. It's not on topic, but I think Jim Lovell's line from Apollo 13 sums this up when he talks about something being "three hours of boredom followed by seven seconds of sheer terror." In the case of this series, you get both the boredom and the terror.
Book Log 2017 #28: The Quincunx by Charles Palliser
This sprawling novel set in 18th century England tells the story of a boy who, unaware of his background, grows up trying to learn the secret of who is father is and why there are various forces at work trying to prevent this. It's an epic work in length and detail, with a repeated motif of the number five that runs through everything. It's very reminiscent of Dickens, to the point where one reviewer noted that "Mr. Palliser appears to have set out not merely to write a Dickens novel but to write all Dickens novels."
And like the Dickens novels I've read in the past, there's a lot to recommend it, interspersed with moments of tedium and decisions that strain the suspension of disbelief. The attention to detail (both historic and legal) is impressive, and helped keep me involved when the plot seemed a little off (there are points where it is very hard to believe that the narrator isn't putting the clues together).
The book does require a significant investment in time and attention, but if you like Dickens or are a fan of books set in the period it's worth a try.
This sprawling novel set in 18th century England tells the story of a boy who, unaware of his background, grows up trying to learn the secret of who is father is and why there are various forces at work trying to prevent this. It's an epic work in length and detail, with a repeated motif of the number five that runs through everything. It's very reminiscent of Dickens, to the point where one reviewer noted that "Mr. Palliser appears to have set out not merely to write a Dickens novel but to write all Dickens novels."
And like the Dickens novels I've read in the past, there's a lot to recommend it, interspersed with moments of tedium and decisions that strain the suspension of disbelief. The attention to detail (both historic and legal) is impressive, and helped keep me involved when the plot seemed a little off (there are points where it is very hard to believe that the narrator isn't putting the clues together).
The book does require a significant investment in time and attention, but if you like Dickens or are a fan of books set in the period it's worth a try.
06 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #27: The Flame Bearer by Bernard Cornwell
This installment in the saga of Uhtred of Bebbanberg and the early history of England sees a fragile peace broken when Scots lay claim to northern lands while West Saxons invade Northumbria, which also throws a wrench into Uhtred's plan to finally retake the ancestral home that was stolen from him. Can England's greatest warrior restore the peace and his rightful control over Bebbanberg?
I don't recall anything specifically good or bad about the book, but do recall thinking the book moved the overall story along a little better than the previous couple of books.
This installment in the saga of Uhtred of Bebbanberg and the early history of England sees a fragile peace broken when Scots lay claim to northern lands while West Saxons invade Northumbria, which also throws a wrench into Uhtred's plan to finally retake the ancestral home that was stolen from him. Can England's greatest warrior restore the peace and his rightful control over Bebbanberg?
I don't recall anything specifically good or bad about the book, but do recall thinking the book moved the overall story along a little better than the previous couple of books.
Book Log 2017 #26: The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson
This is a kind of sequel to Notes from a Small Island, where Bryson once again travels the UK to get a sense of how things are going (and in this case, what's changed in the 20 years since the first book). I gave this book four stars on Goodreads, so I must have enjoyed it, but I do recall a sense of irritation at how much Bryson complained about little things. But that could just as easily have been a feeling from the earlier book, so I wouldn't let that stand in the way if you're considering picking this up.
This is a kind of sequel to Notes from a Small Island, where Bryson once again travels the UK to get a sense of how things are going (and in this case, what's changed in the 20 years since the first book). I gave this book four stars on Goodreads, so I must have enjoyed it, but I do recall a sense of irritation at how much Bryson complained about little things. But that could just as easily have been a feeling from the earlier book, so I wouldn't let that stand in the way if you're considering picking this up.
Book Log 2017 #25: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm writing these recaps well after the fact (it's currently 2019 and I haven't even started on 2018 yet!), so it's hard for me to give more than vague impressions of each book. I do remember some details here - the Underground Railroad is an actual railroad built underground, which does take slaves northward, but based on a schedule (both in terms of time and destination) that's not exactly predictable.
Each stop made by the main character evokes some instance of racial injustice. A stop in South Carolina recalls the Tuskegee experiments. What appears to be the final stop in Indiana bears resemblance to the Rosewood massacre. All set to the backdrop of a relentless slave catcher, whose continued hunt adds a constant level of dread.
It's hard to say at this remove what I felt about the book when I read it, but I do think that it does an excellent job demonstrating not just the horrors of slavery, but how that horror continued to play out over time. It is very much worth reading.
If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm writing these recaps well after the fact (it's currently 2019 and I haven't even started on 2018 yet!), so it's hard for me to give more than vague impressions of each book. I do remember some details here - the Underground Railroad is an actual railroad built underground, which does take slaves northward, but based on a schedule (both in terms of time and destination) that's not exactly predictable.
Each stop made by the main character evokes some instance of racial injustice. A stop in South Carolina recalls the Tuskegee experiments. What appears to be the final stop in Indiana bears resemblance to the Rosewood massacre. All set to the backdrop of a relentless slave catcher, whose continued hunt adds a constant level of dread.
It's hard to say at this remove what I felt about the book when I read it, but I do think that it does an excellent job demonstrating not just the horrors of slavery, but how that horror continued to play out over time. It is very much worth reading.
05 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #24: The Girl from Venice by Martin Cruz Smith
A fisherman in World War II-era Venice comes across a body in the lagoon, a young woman who is alive - barely. He pulls her into his boat and takes her back to his shack, where he brings her back to health, only to learn that she's a daughter of a wealthy Jewish family on the run from the Germans. Can the fisherman protect the girl while riding out the end of the war?
I did like this quite a bit, especially as a change of pace from the Arkady Renko series of stories.
A fisherman in World War II-era Venice comes across a body in the lagoon, a young woman who is alive - barely. He pulls her into his boat and takes her back to his shack, where he brings her back to health, only to learn that she's a daughter of a wealthy Jewish family on the run from the Germans. Can the fisherman protect the girl while riding out the end of the war?
I did like this quite a bit, especially as a change of pace from the Arkady Renko series of stories.
Book Log 2017 #23: The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova
A young woman moves to Sofia, Bulgaria hoping to put the death of her brother behind her. While helping an elderly couple get into a taxi, she accidentally keeps one of their bags, and discovers it contains an urn with cremated remains. Her attempt to return the urn leads her to learn the history of the person it contains, and how that history puts her (and others) in very real danger in the present.
I mostly enjoyed this book, which tells both the contemporary and historical stories in great detail and with an obvious love for Bulgaria. I did feel at times that the danger posed to the main character and those in her orbit was a little forced, but that's more of a general feeling than anything else.
A young woman moves to Sofia, Bulgaria hoping to put the death of her brother behind her. While helping an elderly couple get into a taxi, she accidentally keeps one of their bags, and discovers it contains an urn with cremated remains. Her attempt to return the urn leads her to learn the history of the person it contains, and how that history puts her (and others) in very real danger in the present.
I mostly enjoyed this book, which tells both the contemporary and historical stories in great detail and with an obvious love for Bulgaria. I did feel at times that the danger posed to the main character and those in her orbit was a little forced, but that's more of a general feeling than anything else.
Book Log 2017 #22: Dead Souls by Ian Rankin
Cases from the past return and merge to create a troubled present, as Rebus has to deal with the aftermath of outing a convicted pedophile, managing the return of a convicted murderer who is keen to settle scores, and a missing persons case involving a colleague's son. It's another solid outing in the series, though I don't remember a ton of details.
Cases from the past return and merge to create a troubled present, as Rebus has to deal with the aftermath of outing a convicted pedophile, managing the return of a convicted murderer who is keen to settle scores, and a missing persons case involving a colleague's son. It's another solid outing in the series, though I don't remember a ton of details.
04 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #21: The Bookseller by Mark Pryor
Hugo Marston is the head of security at the US embassy in Paris, on the back end of his career but enjoying the job and its superb locale. He is a regular patron of a book stall along the Seine staffed by an old man named Max - who is kidnapped at gunpoint during one of Hugo's visits. A lack of interest by the local authorities sees Hugo dive into the case, enlisting the help of his friend (and semi-retired CIA agent) to find Max and figure out what happened. All while dodging rival drug gangs and starting a relationship with a reported, who seems to have some connection to the case as well.
It's the sort of story I should like, and at times did like. But my overall feeling was that I was underwhelmed by the book. Not sure why, but it's enough of a feeling that I've not gone back to read any other books in the series.
Hugo Marston is the head of security at the US embassy in Paris, on the back end of his career but enjoying the job and its superb locale. He is a regular patron of a book stall along the Seine staffed by an old man named Max - who is kidnapped at gunpoint during one of Hugo's visits. A lack of interest by the local authorities sees Hugo dive into the case, enlisting the help of his friend (and semi-retired CIA agent) to find Max and figure out what happened. All while dodging rival drug gangs and starting a relationship with a reported, who seems to have some connection to the case as well.
It's the sort of story I should like, and at times did like. But my overall feeling was that I was underwhelmed by the book. Not sure why, but it's enough of a feeling that I've not gone back to read any other books in the series.
Book Log 2017 #20: Black Gods of the Asphalt by Onaje X. O. Woodbine
Unlike Station Eleven, this was a book that I would not normally have picked up but was determined to read after hearing a story about it and its author on Only a Game, the NPR weekly sports show. The story talked about the book and how it looked at street basketball not only as something that binds a community but as an almost religious experience
At times the book has the feel of a graduate thesis - Woodbine was in a doctoral program when he started going back to games in Boston's Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan neighborhoods - but overall it was an engrossing discussion of how basketball can function for the players, the fans, and the neighborhoods as a way to feel connected (to themselves, each other, etc.), honor the dead, and demonstrate cultural themes that might otherwise be lost.
I admit to struggling through the parts of the book that were more academic in nature (my academic background is nowhere near Woodbine's). But the book was very successful in making me reconsider what I thought I knew about the role of basketball in urban life, which admittedly was only what I'd seen and heard in mass media. Not exactly an easy read - especially compared to your average book about basketball - but worth it for the change of perspective.
Unlike Station Eleven, this was a book that I would not normally have picked up but was determined to read after hearing a story about it and its author on Only a Game, the NPR weekly sports show. The story talked about the book and how it looked at street basketball not only as something that binds a community but as an almost religious experience
At times the book has the feel of a graduate thesis - Woodbine was in a doctoral program when he started going back to games in Boston's Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan neighborhoods - but overall it was an engrossing discussion of how basketball can function for the players, the fans, and the neighborhoods as a way to feel connected (to themselves, each other, etc.), honor the dead, and demonstrate cultural themes that might otherwise be lost.
I admit to struggling through the parts of the book that were more academic in nature (my academic background is nowhere near Woodbine's). But the book was very successful in making me reconsider what I thought I knew about the role of basketball in urban life, which admittedly was only what I'd seen and heard in mass media. Not exactly an easy read - especially compared to your average book about basketball - but worth it for the change of perspective.
Book Log 2017 #19: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
This book kept coming up when I was in Overdrive looking for something to read, and for some reason I never really felt compelled to pick it up. But I'm glad I finally broke down, as I really enjoyed it.
The story jumps between the outbreak of a flu pandemic and 20 years later, when the vast majority of humanity has been wiped out. We follow a group of people through both times, with a connection (not always directly) through a graphic novel called Station Eleven. The post-pandemic timeline focuses on a conflict between a traveling theater troupe and a cult led by a man called the Prophet, over the fate of a couple of actors who stayed behind the previous year.
I really can't do the plot justice here, too hard to explain the shifting narratives and the way you see the relationships between the characters develop between them. It's just oblique enough that there's a real sense of satisfaction when you put some of the dots together.
I admit I'm also hoping that an actual Station Eleven graphic novel sees the light of day.
The book is typically listed as science fiction, but it's really not (at least in comparison to traditional sci-fi), so don't let that put you off if you're not a sci-fi person. I feel like this book is similar to David Mitchell's work, not quite so steeped in the fantastic but more along the lines of how connections are made between people over time. Anyway, if you've not read this you should.
This book kept coming up when I was in Overdrive looking for something to read, and for some reason I never really felt compelled to pick it up. But I'm glad I finally broke down, as I really enjoyed it.
The story jumps between the outbreak of a flu pandemic and 20 years later, when the vast majority of humanity has been wiped out. We follow a group of people through both times, with a connection (not always directly) through a graphic novel called Station Eleven. The post-pandemic timeline focuses on a conflict between a traveling theater troupe and a cult led by a man called the Prophet, over the fate of a couple of actors who stayed behind the previous year.
I really can't do the plot justice here, too hard to explain the shifting narratives and the way you see the relationships between the characters develop between them. It's just oblique enough that there's a real sense of satisfaction when you put some of the dots together.
I admit I'm also hoping that an actual Station Eleven graphic novel sees the light of day.
The book is typically listed as science fiction, but it's really not (at least in comparison to traditional sci-fi), so don't let that put you off if you're not a sci-fi person. I feel like this book is similar to David Mitchell's work, not quite so steeped in the fantastic but more along the lines of how connections are made between people over time. Anyway, if you've not read this you should.
Book Log 2017 #18: Warriors of the Storm by Bernard Cornwell
With Alfred gone, his successors work to make their claims on the various parts of England while trying to drive the Danes out. Uhtred finds himself torn as usual, between his oath to Æthelflaed and the needs of his family, the pull of his Danish upbringing against being born a Northumbrian (and his ongoing desire to win back his estate), and between sides in the growing conflict between Mercia and Wessex (ruled by Æthelflaed's brother).
Another entertaining installment in the saga, to the best that I can remember.
With Alfred gone, his successors work to make their claims on the various parts of England while trying to drive the Danes out. Uhtred finds himself torn as usual, between his oath to Æthelflaed and the needs of his family, the pull of his Danish upbringing against being born a Northumbrian (and his ongoing desire to win back his estate), and between sides in the growing conflict between Mercia and Wessex (ruled by Æthelflaed's brother).
Another entertaining installment in the saga, to the best that I can remember.
03 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #17: The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia
A young Talmudic scholar in 16th century Prague has three days to solve the murder of a Christian child before the Jewish community faces reprisals. Complicating matters is that he has to undertake his investigation under the usual limitations put on Jewish residents by the local authority and the laws of his religion.
It's a novel setting (so to speak) for a murder mystery, bolstered by both the historical and religious aspects of the story. For some reason I only gave it three stars on Goodreads, not sure why.
A young Talmudic scholar in 16th century Prague has three days to solve the murder of a Christian child before the Jewish community faces reprisals. Complicating matters is that he has to undertake his investigation under the usual limitations put on Jewish residents by the local authority and the laws of his religion.
It's a novel setting (so to speak) for a murder mystery, bolstered by both the historical and religious aspects of the story. For some reason I only gave it three stars on Goodreads, not sure why.
Book Log 2017 #16: When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro
A young man, who has grown up from being orphaned in Shanghai to become a celebrated detective in the UK, faces the one case he hasn't been able to solve: the disappearances of both his parents, weeks apart. He returns to Shanghai - currently in the throes of the second Sino-Japanese War - in order to learn the truth.
It's not a bad story, but it never quite came together for me, and at times felt quite generic. I wouldn't seek it out, but there are worse things you could read.
A young man, who has grown up from being orphaned in Shanghai to become a celebrated detective in the UK, faces the one case he hasn't been able to solve: the disappearances of both his parents, weeks apart. He returns to Shanghai - currently in the throes of the second Sino-Japanese War - in order to learn the truth.
It's not a bad story, but it never quite came together for me, and at times felt quite generic. I wouldn't seek it out, but there are worse things you could read.
Book Log 2017 #15: The Hanging Garden by Ian Rankin
I liked this entry in the Rebus series quite a bit, for two reasons:
1. The development of a rival to Cafferty, and the way in which the real-world issue of human trafficking is given light through this particular story line.
2. Significant developments in Rebus's personal life that are related to the case but have impacts well beyond it.
This may also be the first book in the series where I really got a sense of how characters were aging in real time (not that it didn't come up before, but I think I felt it more acutely with this book than those before it). No doubt that theme will only become more prominent in future installments.
I liked this entry in the Rebus series quite a bit, for two reasons:
1. The development of a rival to Cafferty, and the way in which the real-world issue of human trafficking is given light through this particular story line.
2. Significant developments in Rebus's personal life that are related to the case but have impacts well beyond it.
This may also be the first book in the series where I really got a sense of how characters were aging in real time (not that it didn't come up before, but I think I felt it more acutely with this book than those before it). No doubt that theme will only become more prominent in future installments.
02 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #14: Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
This book tells the story of a year in the life of a teenager growing up in England (a character based on the author) and the struggles he faces as he grows older, falls in love, and sees his family change in dramatic ways. As someone who grew up in a similar time (but not in England) I connected pretty well with the main character, and found the cultural references spot on (where I was familiar with them).
Fans of Mitchell's other works will appreciate all of the Easter eggs (which I won't enumerate here so as not to spoil the surprises) to other novels, connections that give some of the more mystical events of this novel some support.
This book tells the story of a year in the life of a teenager growing up in England (a character based on the author) and the struggles he faces as he grows older, falls in love, and sees his family change in dramatic ways. As someone who grew up in a similar time (but not in England) I connected pretty well with the main character, and found the cultural references spot on (where I was familiar with them).
Fans of Mitchell's other works will appreciate all of the Easter eggs (which I won't enumerate here so as not to spoil the surprises) to other novels, connections that give some of the more mystical events of this novel some support.
Book Log 2017 #13: Black and Blue by Ian Rankin
While there's much here that's classic John Rebus, I find the book notable for the inclusion of Bible John, a real-life Scottish serial killer whose identity was never determined. It's a bit of a departure for a Rebus novel to delve this deeply into a real case, though not a bad one I think. I can certainly see why someone who created a highly successful fictional detective would want to give him a crack at one of Scotland's most notable unsolved crimes.
While there's much here that's classic John Rebus, I find the book notable for the inclusion of Bible John, a real-life Scottish serial killer whose identity was never determined. It's a bit of a departure for a Rebus novel to delve this deeply into a real case, though not a bad one I think. I can certainly see why someone who created a highly successful fictional detective would want to give him a crack at one of Scotland's most notable unsolved crimes.
Book Log 2017 #12: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
This was a nice antidote from some of Bryson's more recent books about living in Britain, much less grouchy. Which is understandable, because it sounds like Bryson had a pretty good childhood. We do tend to over-romanticize 1950s America, and while there's some of that there it's not overdone. I liked this quite a bit.
This was a nice antidote from some of Bryson's more recent books about living in Britain, much less grouchy. Which is understandable, because it sounds like Bryson had a pretty good childhood. We do tend to over-romanticize 1950s America, and while there's some of that there it's not overdone. I liked this quite a bit.
Book Log 2017 #11: Let it Bleed by Ian Rankin
I have to admit, I don't recall the plot of this installment in the Rebus series, and the linked page doesn't do much to refresh my memory. This Publishers Weekly blurb is better (so maybe I just should have linked to it to begin with?), and do recall liking the way it depicted the corrupting influence of power backed by money and the return of Gill Templar, who I always wished was more prominent in the run of the series (I feel similarly about Samantha Rebus, though it seems true to type that Rebus would fall out of touch with his daughter).
Another thing I read about the book was the prevalence of suicide and how it reflected on Rebus and his own potential for suicide. I don't remember how deeply developed that was, but I've never seen Rebus as likely to do himself harm (outside of the bottle, at least). Still, it's easy to see how it's worth examining that particular topic given how isolated Rebus is.
I have to admit, I don't recall the plot of this installment in the Rebus series, and the linked page doesn't do much to refresh my memory. This Publishers Weekly blurb is better (so maybe I just should have linked to it to begin with?), and do recall liking the way it depicted the corrupting influence of power backed by money and the return of Gill Templar, who I always wished was more prominent in the run of the series (I feel similarly about Samantha Rebus, though it seems true to type that Rebus would fall out of touch with his daughter).
Another thing I read about the book was the prevalence of suicide and how it reflected on Rebus and his own potential for suicide. I don't remember how deeply developed that was, but I've never seen Rebus as likely to do himself harm (outside of the bottle, at least). Still, it's easy to see how it's worth examining that particular topic given how isolated Rebus is.
01 December 2017
Book Log 2017 #10: Night Soldiers by Alan Furst
This is the book that inspired the series, and I apparently didn't like it as much as most of the books that came later (three stars on Goodreads). Don't know why, it's been a while since I read it. Where most series take time to develop, it could be that the book wasn't quite at the level of later installments, and I graded on a curve based on having read those other books. Maybe I would have rated it higher if I'd read the books in order, as I try to do with series. Anyway, as with Cornwell there's nothing in this series that I've never liked on some level.
This is the book that inspired the series, and I apparently didn't like it as much as most of the books that came later (three stars on Goodreads). Don't know why, it's been a while since I read it. Where most series take time to develop, it could be that the book wasn't quite at the level of later installments, and I graded on a curve based on having read those other books. Maybe I would have rated it higher if I'd read the books in order, as I try to do with series. Anyway, as with Cornwell there's nothing in this series that I've never liked on some level.
Book Log 2017 #9: Gallows Thief by Bernard Cornwell
I literally remember nothing about this book. From looking at the description it appears to be a stand-alone detective novel featuring a former military officer who, down on his luck after returning from Waterloo, takes a job as an investigator to look into petitions for mercy on behalf of those condemned to die. His first case involves a painter due to hang in a week's time for a murder it looks like he didn't commit.
I gave the book three stars on Goodreads, which is what I usually give books that I liked but didn't have any specific affinity for (which may explain why I don't remember it at all). So it's probably a perfectly cromulent book, I don't think I've ever read anything by Cornwell that I didn't like to some degree.
I literally remember nothing about this book. From looking at the description it appears to be a stand-alone detective novel featuring a former military officer who, down on his luck after returning from Waterloo, takes a job as an investigator to look into petitions for mercy on behalf of those condemned to die. His first case involves a painter due to hang in a week's time for a murder it looks like he didn't commit.
I gave the book three stars on Goodreads, which is what I usually give books that I liked but didn't have any specific affinity for (which may explain why I don't remember it at all). So it's probably a perfectly cromulent book, I don't think I've ever read anything by Cornwell that I didn't like to some degree.
Book Log 2017 #8: The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
We don't often think of diseases as having histories - they just kind of are - but this book seeks to give a "biography" of cancer, finding its earliest mentions in history and literature and detailing how humanity has tried to identify, treat, and prevent the disease ever since.
Mukherjee is an oncologist, and his approach to the material balances history, science, and his own experience in treating cancer patients. The blend is highly readable and engrossing, especially if you have an interest in medicine or public health.
There was the odd moment here or there where I thought the focus went a little too strongly on treatment and trying to find a cure (which I suppose makes sense for a book written by an oncologist), but the book never bogs down in scientific detail.
And if it makes any difference to you, the book did win a Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction. So if you don't trust my opinion, maybe you can trust the Columbia School of Journalism?
We don't often think of diseases as having histories - they just kind of are - but this book seeks to give a "biography" of cancer, finding its earliest mentions in history and literature and detailing how humanity has tried to identify, treat, and prevent the disease ever since.
Mukherjee is an oncologist, and his approach to the material balances history, science, and his own experience in treating cancer patients. The blend is highly readable and engrossing, especially if you have an interest in medicine or public health.
There was the odd moment here or there where I thought the focus went a little too strongly on treatment and trying to find a cure (which I suppose makes sense for a book written by an oncologist), but the book never bogs down in scientific detail.
And if it makes any difference to you, the book did win a Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction. So if you don't trust my opinion, maybe you can trust the Columbia School of Journalism?
30 November 2017
Book Log 2017 #7: Green Earth by Kim Stanley Robinson
This is an edited-down version of the Science in the Capital trilogy, which I decided to pick up as I had read 40 Signs of Rain and really liked it, but never got to the other two books (mostly because I'm too cheap to actually buy books).
While I generally liked the book I wasn't a fan of some of the major choices made by the author, between a lot of attention going to who I thought of as a supporting character (including a weird romantic subplot that I didn't care for at all) and the way in which the youngest child of the family that I thought of as the main characters is used as some sort of spiritual pawn. But I do like the idea of using climate change for a realistic sci-fi novel of how government may (or may not) address the issue, what a changing climate might look like, and how we can try to remedy the problem.
I don't think the issue here is the revision - Robinson thinks the single volume flows better than the three novels (as he says in this discussion of condensing the trilogy), and I can't say he's wrong - but is more of personal taste. So if you like Robinson's work I do think this is worth reading.
This is an edited-down version of the Science in the Capital trilogy, which I decided to pick up as I had read 40 Signs of Rain and really liked it, but never got to the other two books (mostly because I'm too cheap to actually buy books).
While I generally liked the book I wasn't a fan of some of the major choices made by the author, between a lot of attention going to who I thought of as a supporting character (including a weird romantic subplot that I didn't care for at all) and the way in which the youngest child of the family that I thought of as the main characters is used as some sort of spiritual pawn. But I do like the idea of using climate change for a realistic sci-fi novel of how government may (or may not) address the issue, what a changing climate might look like, and how we can try to remedy the problem.
I don't think the issue here is the revision - Robinson thinks the single volume flows better than the three novels (as he says in this discussion of condensing the trilogy), and I can't say he's wrong - but is more of personal taste. So if you like Robinson's work I do think this is worth reading.
Book Log 2017 #6: Conclave by Robert Harris
Taking a break from historical fiction, in this novel Harris depicts the inside workings of a papal election, from the ceremony surrounding the process to the dirty laundry that makes leading candidates for the office fall by the wayside.
Cardinals are not allowed to talk about conclaves, and while details inevitably come out the lack of public information presents a mostly blank canvas for someone writing about a fictional one. Harris uses this canvas fairly effectively, though there are times where the book heads out towards Dan Brown territory, not always to its benefit.
There are several surprises along the way, with the largest surprise at the end of the book (one that I kind of suspected, though wasn't fully convinced). I won't say more than that about it.
Out of all of Harris's contemporary novels this is probably the one I liked the most, though I tend to like all of his historical fiction better.
Taking a break from historical fiction, in this novel Harris depicts the inside workings of a papal election, from the ceremony surrounding the process to the dirty laundry that makes leading candidates for the office fall by the wayside.
Cardinals are not allowed to talk about conclaves, and while details inevitably come out the lack of public information presents a mostly blank canvas for someone writing about a fictional one. Harris uses this canvas fairly effectively, though there are times where the book heads out towards Dan Brown territory, not always to its benefit.
There are several surprises along the way, with the largest surprise at the end of the book (one that I kind of suspected, though wasn't fully convinced). I won't say more than that about it.
Out of all of Harris's contemporary novels this is probably the one I liked the most, though I tend to like all of his historical fiction better.
Book Log 2017 #5: Champion of the World by Chad Dundas
I'm not much of a wrestling fan, and even after hearing an interesting piece about this book on the NPR sports radio show Only a Game I wasn't thinking too much about picking it up. But then I hit a patch where everything I wanted wasn't available on Overdrive, so I decided to give this book a try.
I'm glad I did. While it's set in the world of wrestling, you do not need to have much of an affinity for it to get into the story, which is really about things like redemption and adapting to change in order to secure a future for yourself and your loved ones. It also doesn't hurt that the characters and settings are extremely colorful. Of course, if you do like wrestling then the book is going to be just that much better.
I'm not much of a wrestling fan, and even after hearing an interesting piece about this book on the NPR sports radio show Only a Game I wasn't thinking too much about picking it up. But then I hit a patch where everything I wanted wasn't available on Overdrive, so I decided to give this book a try.
I'm glad I did. While it's set in the world of wrestling, you do not need to have much of an affinity for it to get into the story, which is really about things like redemption and adapting to change in order to secure a future for yourself and your loved ones. It also doesn't hurt that the characters and settings are extremely colorful. Of course, if you do like wrestling then the book is going to be just that much better.
29 November 2017
Book Log 2017 #4: Surrender, New York by Caleb Carr
I am a huge fan of The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness, and had been waiting patiently for another novel in the series while Carr wrote other novels (generally good, but not as good as the two mentioned above) and all sorts of publications for his day job as a military historian. A couple of decades pass, and then this book, set in The Alienist's universe, comes to light.
It's not really a sequel in conventional terms. The main character is a criminal psychologist who fell out of favor with the NYPD and moved to a farm upstate, where he teaches online criminology courses with a fellow NYPD refugee and trace evidence expert. They get brought back into the fold of detective work when the local sheriff asks for their help in the killing of a teenager, which appears to be linked to other teen deaths. The pair - working together and with their students - begin the process of investigating the case (and the related cases), with the main character applying the theories of Laszlo Kreizler (on whom he is the world's foremost authority) to help identify the killer.
Even with the application of these old theories, the case (and novel) are decidedly contemporary, and asks some pointed questions about the use of forensic evidence like DNA (refuting the idea that such evidence is the "gold standard") and the general administration of justice, policing, and youth services in present-day America.
It's a good novel, very suspensful and loaded with the sort of detail and diversions that made the earlier Kreizler novels so great, but I admit to being let down that it wasn't set in the turn of the 20th century world of those other novels. It's unfair to this book to put that sort of expectation on it, but I can't help it.
It's very much worth reading, if you can be a bigger person than I and judge it strictly on its merits. But if you're like me and wanted a novel narrated by characters like Sara Howard or Cyrus Montrose, it's back to waiting.
I am a huge fan of The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness, and had been waiting patiently for another novel in the series while Carr wrote other novels (generally good, but not as good as the two mentioned above) and all sorts of publications for his day job as a military historian. A couple of decades pass, and then this book, set in The Alienist's universe, comes to light.
It's not really a sequel in conventional terms. The main character is a criminal psychologist who fell out of favor with the NYPD and moved to a farm upstate, where he teaches online criminology courses with a fellow NYPD refugee and trace evidence expert. They get brought back into the fold of detective work when the local sheriff asks for their help in the killing of a teenager, which appears to be linked to other teen deaths. The pair - working together and with their students - begin the process of investigating the case (and the related cases), with the main character applying the theories of Laszlo Kreizler (on whom he is the world's foremost authority) to help identify the killer.
Even with the application of these old theories, the case (and novel) are decidedly contemporary, and asks some pointed questions about the use of forensic evidence like DNA (refuting the idea that such evidence is the "gold standard") and the general administration of justice, policing, and youth services in present-day America.
It's a good novel, very suspensful and loaded with the sort of detail and diversions that made the earlier Kreizler novels so great, but I admit to being let down that it wasn't set in the turn of the 20th century world of those other novels. It's unfair to this book to put that sort of expectation on it, but I can't help it.
It's very much worth reading, if you can be a bigger person than I and judge it strictly on its merits. But if you're like me and wanted a novel narrated by characters like Sara Howard or Cyrus Montrose, it's back to waiting.
Book Log 2017 #3: Arcadia by Iain Pears
So I made a comment about not reading a lot of fantasy works when talking about The Library at Mount Char. I should probably remove it, as I jumped pretty heavily back into fantasy with this book, where a former intelligence agent is writing a novel set in a Tokeinish world, only to find that a neighbor girl, while chasing his cat, runs through a portal in the basement that takes her to a world very much like the one he's writing about. The book then progresses through various worlds, from the present to the world of the book to a dystopic future to earlier and later versions of the present. It's not as confusing as it sounds.
Pears is an excellent writer who avoids genre classification - most of the books I've read of his are contemporary art crime stories - though he did display a knack for this kind of writing with An Instance of the Fingerpost, which is a Rashamon-style retelling of a murder in 17th century England. Both books are well worth reading, but give yourself ample time, as both are long and will require concentration (just because I said it wasn't as confusing as it sounds doesn't mean it's not confusing at all).
So I made a comment about not reading a lot of fantasy works when talking about The Library at Mount Char. I should probably remove it, as I jumped pretty heavily back into fantasy with this book, where a former intelligence agent is writing a novel set in a Tokeinish world, only to find that a neighbor girl, while chasing his cat, runs through a portal in the basement that takes her to a world very much like the one he's writing about. The book then progresses through various worlds, from the present to the world of the book to a dystopic future to earlier and later versions of the present. It's not as confusing as it sounds.
Pears is an excellent writer who avoids genre classification - most of the books I've read of his are contemporary art crime stories - though he did display a knack for this kind of writing with An Instance of the Fingerpost, which is a Rashamon-style retelling of a murder in 17th century England. Both books are well worth reading, but give yourself ample time, as both are long and will require concentration (just because I said it wasn't as confusing as it sounds doesn't mean it's not confusing at all).
Book Log 2017 #2: The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
What causes two people with similar backgrounds to grow up following very different paths? That's the idea behind this book, where the author Wes Moore tries to figure out how he grew up to become a Rhodes Scholar and successful author and entrepreneur while the other Wes Moore, also born in Baltimore and raised in a single-parent household, would go on to life in prison for murder.
I'll admit to not remembering many of the details about the book (having read it 10 months ago), but there were a couple of differences that stood out to me:
1. The author Wes Moore did have his father in his life until his father died unexpectedly when Moore was three. You can argue about what amount of impact his dad was able to exert upon Moore in that short amount of time, but I do think there's a positive benefit to knowing that you had a dad who was involved and in the picture
2. When times got tough for the author, there were people there to make tough choices and stick with them. I'm thinking here primarily of Moore's mother's decision to send him to military school, and the leaders at the school who put up with Moore's initial bad behavior and gave him the chance to mature and grow.
Lack of detailed memory aside, I did like the book.
What causes two people with similar backgrounds to grow up following very different paths? That's the idea behind this book, where the author Wes Moore tries to figure out how he grew up to become a Rhodes Scholar and successful author and entrepreneur while the other Wes Moore, also born in Baltimore and raised in a single-parent household, would go on to life in prison for murder.
I'll admit to not remembering many of the details about the book (having read it 10 months ago), but there were a couple of differences that stood out to me:
1. The author Wes Moore did have his father in his life until his father died unexpectedly when Moore was three. You can argue about what amount of impact his dad was able to exert upon Moore in that short amount of time, but I do think there's a positive benefit to knowing that you had a dad who was involved and in the picture
2. When times got tough for the author, there were people there to make tough choices and stick with them. I'm thinking here primarily of Moore's mother's decision to send him to military school, and the leaders at the school who put up with Moore's initial bad behavior and gave him the chance to mature and grow.
Lack of detailed memory aside, I did like the book.
20 November 2017
Book Log 2017 #1: League of Denial by Mark Fainaru-Wada
Part of me thinks I really should finish the 2016 entries before moving on to 2017, but then there's the other part that says if I don't start 2017 now I probably won't get them done before the end of 2018.
Anyway, seems fitting that I started off the NFL playoffs by reading this comprehensive - and frustrating - account of how the NFL tried to keep the concussion crisis at bay. It's an interesting combination of PR and (willful?) ignorance on many parts, which will often have you wishing that the league would be razed to the ground... but not if it means the games would stop. I share complicity with fans everywhere who would love to see the NFL get hammered for their role in downplaying this problem, but can't stop watching (even though may are watching less, myself included).
A less noted but also interesting subplot of the book involves the researchers, and how they battle each other to get access - to players, families, funding, former players' brains - and primacy in the research world around concussions and CTE. Working in academia this didn't surprise me, but seeing it play out on the page was a good reminder that the researchers aren't dispassionate observers in this whole thing.
This is very much worth reading, especially for football fans.
Part of me thinks I really should finish the 2016 entries before moving on to 2017, but then there's the other part that says if I don't start 2017 now I probably won't get them done before the end of 2018.
Anyway, seems fitting that I started off the NFL playoffs by reading this comprehensive - and frustrating - account of how the NFL tried to keep the concussion crisis at bay. It's an interesting combination of PR and (willful?) ignorance on many parts, which will often have you wishing that the league would be razed to the ground... but not if it means the games would stop. I share complicity with fans everywhere who would love to see the NFL get hammered for their role in downplaying this problem, but can't stop watching (even though may are watching less, myself included).
A less noted but also interesting subplot of the book involves the researchers, and how they battle each other to get access - to players, families, funding, former players' brains - and primacy in the research world around concussions and CTE. Working in academia this didn't surprise me, but seeing it play out on the page was a good reminder that the researchers aren't dispassionate observers in this whole thing.
This is very much worth reading, especially for football fans.
15 April 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 40: Let's not forget why we did this.
And so we wrap up another year of Lentorama, perhaps not as good as last year's use of Twitter if I'm being honest. I suppose next year we'll see if Tumblr has enough content to fill 40 days. Beats having to come up with something original.
Day 40: Let's not forget why we did this.
A post shared by Mitchell Sturges-Kershisnik (@mitchthetenor) on
And so we wrap up another year of Lentorama, perhaps not as good as last year's use of Twitter if I'm being honest. I suppose next year we'll see if Tumblr has enough content to fill 40 days. Beats having to come up with something original.
14 April 2017
13 April 2017
12 April 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 37: One way to spend all that time you're not on social media.
I like the idea of sacrificing for Lent not by giving something up, but by doing more (though as I alluded to above, there's also the idea of being able to do more by giving something up).
Day 37: One way to spend all that time you're not on social media.
A post shared by Elena Nazzaro (@_french_toast_girl_) on
I like the idea of sacrificing for Lent not by giving something up, but by doing more (though as I alluded to above, there's also the idea of being able to do more by giving something up).
11 April 2017
10 April 2017
08 April 2017
07 April 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 33: Maybe I missed this part when I posted that link on how Orthodox Christians calculate the date for Easter
A post shared by St. Basil the Great (@stbasilcharlotte) on
You think after so many years of doing Lentorama I'd have this figured out, but apparently the Great Lent starts on a Monday and includes Sundays, so it ends before Holy Week. The Orthodox churches also don't do Ash Wednesday, which I didn't know but should have figured out from having relatively observant Greek Orthodox friends. All in all it seems like a much tidier affair on the Orthodox side.
06 April 2017
05 April 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 31: Where's my passport?
The main drawback with this week's theme is that I'm getting the traveling jones and am clearly not getting to Italy or Russia or anywhere like that any time soon. So maybe I can say I gave up international travel for Lent?
Day 31: Where's my passport?
A post shared by Jon Fincher (@jpfinch16) on
The main drawback with this week's theme is that I'm getting the traveling jones and am clearly not getting to Italy or Russia or anywhere like that any time soon. So maybe I can say I gave up international travel for Lent?
04 April 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 30: In Soviet Russia, Lent gives up you!
Just in case you were wondering, this is why Orthodox and Western Easter often fall on different dates. But not this year, so no cheap Easter candy for our Orthodox friends!
Day 30: In Soviet Russia, Lent gives up you!
A post shared by Victoria Popova (@vickycat124) on
Just in case you were wondering, this is why Orthodox and Western Easter often fall on different dates. But not this year, so no cheap Easter candy for our Orthodox friends!
03 April 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 29: A week of buildings?
So I think this week might just be pictures of churches. I may switch it up depending on the number of pictures out there that I like, but I'm admittedly not feeling this year's version of Lentorama.
Instagram isn't helping this, either, in two significant ways:
1. Their search function is not very helpful. Twitter at least let me search for #lent and a date or date range.
2. When I click on a photo to see the post, and then decide to go back into the main page, it bring me back to the top, meaning I have to scroll all over again. Thanks for nothing! I guess the ad they have saying that the mobile app is the best way to enjoy Instagram is true.
Day 29: A week of buildings?
So I think this week might just be pictures of churches. I may switch it up depending on the number of pictures out there that I like, but I'm admittedly not feeling this year's version of Lentorama.
Instagram isn't helping this, either, in two significant ways:
1. Their search function is not very helpful. Twitter at least let me search for #lent and a date or date range.
2. When I click on a photo to see the post, and then decide to go back into the main page, it bring me back to the top, meaning I have to scroll all over again. Thanks for nothing! I guess the ad they have saying that the mobile app is the best way to enjoy Instagram is true.
01 April 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 28: Which one?
Matthew? Mark? Luke? John? Paul? David? Moses? Peter? Or any number of unknown writers and editors? There are a lot of people to choose from!
Day 28: Which one?
A post shared by Alfred Street Baptist Church (@alfredstreetbc) on
Matthew? Mark? Luke? John? Paul? David? Moses? Peter? Or any number of unknown writers and editors? There are a lot of people to choose from!
31 March 2017
30 March 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 26: The three types of #lent posts on Instagram
It seems like there are three basic types of Instagram posts marked #lent:
1. Food photos
2. Quotes from the Bible or the pope or something which are meant to be meaningful but, devoid of any wider context, feel a little flat.
3. Posts with no obvious connection to Lent, but were posted during Lent so it gets the hashtag.
I'm trying to find the posts that don't fall into those categories, but it's hard. In the meantime, here are some happy dogs.
Day 26: The three types of #lent posts on Instagram
It seems like there are three basic types of Instagram posts marked #lent:
1. Food photos
2. Quotes from the Bible or the pope or something which are meant to be meaningful but, devoid of any wider context, feel a little flat.
3. Posts with no obvious connection to Lent, but were posted during Lent so it gets the hashtag.
I'm trying to find the posts that don't fall into those categories, but it's hard. In the meantime, here are some happy dogs.
29 March 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 25: Speaking of gender stereotypes
There's value in a silent retreat, and there's value in a retreat that separates truth from lies, regardless of topic. But why have the men do the "strong and silent" retreat and the women one that sounds kind of gossipy?
Day 25: Speaking of gender stereotypes
A post shared by SMU Catholic Campus Ministry (@smucatholic) on
There's value in a silent retreat, and there's value in a retreat that separates truth from lies, regardless of topic. But why have the men do the "strong and silent" retreat and the women one that sounds kind of gossipy?
28 March 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 24: Real men resist gender stereotypes
Real women serve their country and their flock. Real women provide for and protect their families. Real men sometimes stay home with the kids. The reality is that everyone has a role to play in promoting their community, and that role is not dictated by gender alone.
Day 24: Real men resist gender stereotypes
A post shared by JMJCat3™ (@jmjcat3) on
Real women serve their country and their flock. Real women provide for and protect their families. Real men sometimes stay home with the kids. The reality is that everyone has a role to play in promoting their community, and that role is not dictated by gender alone.
27 March 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 23: I'll be here all Lent, try the veal... except on Fridays.
The pun here is based on yesterday being Laetare Sunday, the traditional midpoint of Lent where a certain amount of festivity is allowed as a way to encourage the faithful to stick with their Lenten discipline for the rest of the 40 days. I always forget about it until I see the celebrants in rose-colored vestments, which I guess they find festive.
I've also never heard of Lenten resolution, but I suppose it's as good a term as any for whatever you give up during Lent.
Day 23: I'll be here all Lent, try the veal... except on Fridays.
A post shared by Catholic Sistas (@catholicsistas) on
The pun here is based on yesterday being Laetare Sunday, the traditional midpoint of Lent where a certain amount of festivity is allowed as a way to encourage the faithful to stick with their Lenten discipline for the rest of the 40 days. I always forget about it until I see the celebrants in rose-colored vestments, which I guess they find festive.
I've also never heard of Lenten resolution, but I suppose it's as good a term as any for whatever you give up during Lent.
25 March 2017
Lentorama 2017: Lenten Observers of Instagram
Day 22: Nearly the end? Did you give up math for Lent?
Posted less to mock the counting than to mention hot cross buns, which I've never quite developed a taste for, I think due to the consistency of the bun itself. I usually manage to choke one down each Lent, hoping at some point I'll find one I like.
Day 22: Nearly the end? Did you give up math for Lent?
Posted less to mock the counting than to mention hot cross buns, which I've never quite developed a taste for, I think due to the consistency of the bun itself. I usually manage to choke one down each Lent, hoping at some point I'll find one I like.
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