Review: A Reader on Reading

A Reader on Reading by Alberto Manguel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Went back and forth on this book 3 stars or 4? Went with 4 because its so well written. Many of the essays are exquisite many are annoying.

I despise Alice in wonderland so the fact that it is woven throughout nearly every essay grated.

Overall if you are looking for essays on reading and literature as well as some nice insights on authors, I recommend. Personally, I probably wouldn't have read.

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Review: The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity

The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If your a political junky a fun read.

The one knock is that for most political junkies, much of this book is already known. Indeed, given the lengthy notes and bibliography, most of the stories in here have been reported in prior books and articles. What this book does quite nicely is put them in a coherent context.

There is little to no original history and the sections on the more recent presidents (George w bush, Barack Obama) are quiet thin.

Nevertheless, recommend.

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Review: How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book deserves a detailed review but, I think the best review I could give it is this:

Oh how I wish I had read this when I was 18!

Highly recommended.

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Review: The Celtic Conspiracy

The Celtic Conspiracy by Thore D. Hansen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Good idea bad execution.

I almost stopped reading this about a quarter of the way through. But, in the sprit of fairness I kept going hoping it would get better. It didn't.

Should be a 1 star review but I gave it an extra star because the central idea of the plot could have made a good book. Alas it didn't.

Not recommended.

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Review: The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America

The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not a happy book. But does weave a narrative that must be told about how America in 2013 came to be - not through the acts of the famous but through the lives of everyday people.

After reading this, I'm left with the thought that any hope of undoing the "great unwinding" of America will happen by the actions of everyday people.

Recommended with reservation: you will be depressed while reading this.

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Review: Casino Royale

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Classic.

Not like the films, much darker.

Highly recommended

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Review: Ender's Game

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great scifi is many things at once: a great story, philosophy, commentary on human history, psychology and more. Very few scifi novels reach that pinnacle. Enders game does.

Why not 5 stars? Despite the fact that it is great scifi, with a great story and characters, for me there still is a one flaw: it's difficult to follow the battles and this makes it just a bit too esoteric for 5 stars.

Also, on a fundamental level it's a kids book or at least should be.

Despite that, highly recommended.

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Review: The Alchemist

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Beautiful little book but alas not my cup of tea.

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Review: Wool Omnibus

Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very good but long (it's original format was as an amazon kindle serial) post apocalyptic story.

Recommend

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Review: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

To be honest I thought long and hard about giving this 3 stars instead of 4. The plot is simply a puzzle you have to patch together on your own from the various interview "vignettes" that make up the book. But, as an end of the world Zombie story, it's very good. So, for that and it's attention to every small detail, I give it the extra star.

Recommend.

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Review: The Nature of Things

The Nature of Things by Lucretius
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Read this in preparation for reading "The Swerve" about the discovery of Lucretius' poem. Have to say that it is a difficult read. The translation is not "modern" in any sense. That said, the ingeniousness of Lucretius is evident: very nearly explaining the true scientific nature of the world at a time when humankind ascribed everything to "the gods".

My recommendation is to find a different (better) translation (although I don't know if one exists).

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Review: The Eye of God

The Eye of God by James Rollins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun read. Really well done.

Recommend.

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Review: The Alienist

The Alienist by Caleb Carr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Although not really a "page turner" of a mystery, this is a really well done book. The plot and story are more of a "whydoneit" than "whodoneit".

I did find it hard to get through the first half if the book - mainly because there's lots of backstory and speculation vice "action". Additionally, there is an incredible amount of science - namely psychology. Nevertheless, even this is interesting given the setting - New York in the 1890's when Teddy Roosevelt was police commissioner.

The action picks up in the last half of the book and I found that despite my initial misgivings, I would like to pick up the adventures of the stories investigators in the sequel.

If you like historical fiction and mystery, you will like this book.

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Review: Odyssey

Odyssey by Homer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As with my review of Lombardo's translation of the Iliad, I will not comment on homers masterful and classic story. Many others have done so and I can add little.

But, like his translation of the Iliad, Lombardo's modern and dramatic style make this classic engaging.

Highly recommended.

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Review: Iliad

Iliad by Homer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The back cover of lombardo's translation of the Iliad boldly states "this is as good as Homer gets in English". I don't doubt it. The language is clearly more modern than other translations I have sampled and its pace is gripping.

Obviously, the are tons if ink spilled in reviewing the Iliad, so I will not even attempt to add to it in describing Homer's story.

But, I will say it is, at essence a war story and Lombardo has captured it in English incredibly well. The average reader may dread the suggestion of reading Homer as it has a reputation as dense ancient poetry. Not so with Lombardo.

Highly recommended.

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Review: Live by Night

Live by Night by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A classic prohibition gangster tale, masterfully told.

As a reader, I enjoy a lot of fun junk food. But occasionally I'll enjoy a nice steak dinner. This book is one of those.

Incredibly plotted, paced and characterized this book about a Boston Irish gangster in the 1920's through the 1930's follows the now classic gangster path but with a few new twists.

No doubt it will be adapted sometime down the road, although it will be tough to do.

Highly recommend.

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Review: The Fear Index

The Fear Index by Robert Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting thriller about a hedge fund math genius and his master money making algorithm.

Well written, quick paced read.

Recommended.

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Review: The Angel of Darkness

The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you enjoyed the alienist, you will like this book even more. Not only because there is more to like but because many if the weaknesses of the first book are missing in the second.

Now, it is a long slog but it is a pleasant one. While there are a few patches that drag and many of the authors foibles are on display (character after character constantly saying "I'll tell you what I've learned as soon as we get with everyone else and sit down to a fine meal." And then several pages describing the walk to the restaurant before the character tells his tale. ) the choice of voice in this book (as compared to the alienist) seems to smooth over these patches.

As usual, the author has a fine eye for per turn of the century New York but he does not let it get in the way.

All in all worthwhile.

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Review: The Hangman's Daughter

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good historic thriller set in the 1600's. very well written. As several reviews have noted the hangman's daughter is not really the focus of the book. Rather, it's the hangman who is kind of the neighborhood executioner, doctor, private eye.

SPOILER (kinda) One knock against it is that since it is a "whodoneit", would have been better to have even suspected the ultimate villain. He kind of pops in at the end and says "oh,yeah, I did it".

All in all very good worth the time.

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Review: The Malice of Fortune

The Malice of Fortune by Michael Ennis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very good historical mystery with most of the characters based in real people. Great theme of "science" (represented by di Vinci) vs psychology (represented by Machiavelli).

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