A brilliant exploration of the depth and breadth of what it means to be human

The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A handful of strangers, thrown together for 24 hours by chance circumstances, discover themselves and each other as none of them imagined possible. The bus on which they are traveling breaks down, not once, but twice, creating a dynamic mixing of events and personalities, which probe and reveal some of the deepest aspects of who they are, who they want to be, and why. A brilliant exploration of the depth and breadth of what it means to be human, both alone, and in a chance community formed by fate. Steinbeck remains one of my favorite and most respected authors for the realism and depth with which he paints his characters. This is a great story of life's real journey, covering so much of what life is about.

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some pretty wild tales

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Norse Mythology is a creative and enjoyable retelling of exactly what the title says, Norse Mythology. I picked it up because it was by Neil Gaiman, not knowing how accurate the title was. After reading it, it reminded me that some of the first mythology that caught the interest of the young C.S. Lewis was that of the Norse. These are some pretty wild tales, retold by an excellent author. Well worth the read to get a taste of the myths included in this collection.

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a wonderful tribute

The Greatest Story Ever Told—So Far: Why Are We Here? by Lawrence M. Krauss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having worked as an Electrical Engineer, analyzing semiconductor physics and designing analog integrated circuits, i thought i knew a decent amount about atomic physics and quantum theory. After reading this brilliantly written book, however, i now realize i know next to nothing. This story is truly a great story, a wonderful tribute to the brilliant and tenaciously hard working physicists, mathematicians, scientists and engineers and their astounding discoveries as they probe and poke at the very nature of matter, energy, of life as we know it, and life as we never even imagined it to be. Despite my graduate degree in applied physics (Electrical Engineering) specifically semiconductor circuits and design, technically speaking, i was lost after the first few chapters. But even as completely over my head the subject matter of this book is, the way that Dr. Krauss presents this amazing and ongoing tale is both engaging and accessible, even without understanding the esoteric field of science it is about. This is a worthy tribute to the fantastic intellects who worked together to help us understand our world, and our very existence better. A great book!!!

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a great story!

La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OMG, what a great story! La Belle Sauvage is another wonderfully written tale by Philip Pullman. It is fast moving, immediately engaging, with rich characters and deep and moving themes and plot. I found it hard to put down, anticipating each new chapter. I am excited that this is the first of another trilogy by Philip Pullman, and i'm looking forward for this story to continue.

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worst book i'll read in 2018?

Artemis by Andy Weir
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After reading and loving "The Martian", i guess my expectations for this book were too high. "Artemis" is a mediocre story, with some cool science facts sprinkled in, told in a "voice" similar to the narrator of "The Martian" - except it is a different protagonist. It did not work for me. This will probably be in the running for the worst book i'll read in 2018. My advice is read "The Martian" again, and skip this one altogether.

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why i read books

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sing, Unburied, Sing is a wonderful story. I don't even know how to describe it other than it connects me with what it means to be human, both good and bad, on so many levels - which is one of the main reasons i read books - to experience life through others that i cannot experience first hand. This story is rich and deep and shares the best and the worst of what it means to be human, as a person of color, in Mississippi; both today and in the past. If you get a chance, read this book, you will be richer for it. Looking forward to Salvage the Bones.

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Great story telling by Ron Rash

The Risen by Ron Rash
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Risen is a story of family secrets, friendships, betrayal, coming of age, success and failure, the dedication and love of brothers, and the dark underbelly under the pillars of a community. Set in a small Appalachian town in the mountains of NC, the events of a fateful summer play out with lifelong consequences for all involved. Great story telling by Ron Rash.

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cute collection of recollections

In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a cute collection of recollections of the adult Ralphie Parker about his depression era childhood. A favorite holiday movie, A Christmas Story, is based upon this book. The author is the narrator of the film.

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Wendell Berry documentary on Netflix

http://civileats.com/2017/12/21/farmer-poet-wendell-berry-is-the-quiet-narrator-of-this-new-documentary/

rich and compelling story

Serena by Ron Rash
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Serena is another excellent story by Ron Rash. It details through historical fiction the forces working against each other in the Depression era mountain forests of North Carolina, later to become the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Showing clearly that today's fight between big business, their lobbyists and the advocates for our environment and our planet has been going on for over a century. Ron Rash includes much history in this tale, filling in the missing details with fictional, but realistic characters. The story telling is rich and compelling, and makes it difficult to put the book down, especially in the second half when the true character of the players emerges and the plot vectors toward a certain, yet unknown outcome. Empathy is evoked for many of the characters, both major and "minor". The devastating nature of the timber barons and their logging "machine" was deadly for both the environment and for the people consumed in the process. We are lucky to have recovered so much of their devastated land to preserve and enjoy today.

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interesting

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A priest, a chance eyewitness to a deadly accident, explores the lives of the five victims, seemingly linked only by the accident in which they died, discovering the mark and memories they left behind.

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a very cool collection of stories

I Am Legend and Other Stories by Richard Matheson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very cool collection of stories. The title novel "I Am Legend", creative and significant when it was published in 1954, has been adapted to film four times, as well as being the inspiration of the classic "The Night of the Living Dead". The rest of this book contains some excellent short stories which have the flavor of some of the best Twilight Zone episodes. This is a great collection, well worth the read.

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truly a must-read

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautifully written tale of one man's terrifying and difficult journey in a world turned upside down and sideways. What was once thought to be good has become evil, condemned, and treason. What once appeared black and white has become every shade of gray. In this story, there are no good or bad characters, just very deeply human and flawed ones. As the protagonist (is he really?) is hunted down by the idealistic authority figure, i am reminded of Les Mise'rables and how the very foundations of what is good and evil are examined and questioned, and we see the supernatural yet very human struggle between law and grace.

This book appears on multiple must-read lists, and rightly so. This is a wonderful story, truly a must-read.

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very weird yet very creative

Ubik by Philip K. Dick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is one very weird yet very creative story. I read it because it was on the Time Magazine 100 list and because i've read a couple of his other books, which are really good. This is a pretty cool story, with lots of plot twists and turns.

http://entertainment.time.com/2005/10/16/all-time-100-novels/

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Excellent - worth a listen!

Excellent - worth a listen! @ThisAmerLife episode 603: "Once More, With Feeling" https://t.co/WbN6fwQLiz

— Kevin Routh (@KcRouth) November 23, 2017

helpful perspective

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this book because it was on my bookshelf and it appears on several "must-read" lists i have. This is a cool story that offers insight into pre-modern African culture, and also some perspective on how western influences of the 20th century affected their society. It is sad to read yet another story of the western white man coming in with supposedly superior religion and culture and imposing it on the native peoples in the name of progress and "salvation". The characters are especially interesting in that we see how very much alike they are to us "moderns", even though on the surface they seem so different. I'm glad i read this, but i feel that much of its acclaim probably has as much to do with when it was written as with its content. I see that it may have influenced Barbara Kingsolver in her The Poisonwood Bible, which is a much better book, IMO.

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coincidence

Our internet was out this morning (thanks Spectrum) while i was picking my next book to read. When i got back online, i loaded google and found that today is the 87th birthday of the author of the book i picked. That is pretty cool. Have been wanting to read this one for a while, looking forward to it. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37781.Things_Fall_Apart

thinking at every corner

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

i read this one on the heels of Cat's Cradle because it is so highly recommended, and because i had it on the shelf. This is one extremely good book that is written in a very unusual way. It took me a while to get into his mode of telling the story, but once i was in, i was all in. I think that for this reason, and because the deep topics dealt with, this book merits re-reading sometime soon, perhaps in the next year. This is a sobering yet zany story, that will have the reader thinking at every corner. I am now wondering if all of Mr. Vonnegut's novels are as unusual as these two i've recently read! great story.

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an outrageous tale

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cat's Cradle is a zany yet thoughtful tale about the end of the world and all that leads up to such an event. This outrageous tale reads like one of the best social / political satire films you've ever seen, for example Dr. Strangelove. I would LOVE to see a good film adaptation of this one made! Great story!

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a well thought out and wonderfully told story

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It has been a long time since i picked up a book and within 10-15 pages was totally hooked and did not want to put it down until it was done. This is one such book. I used to think that if i did not care about any of the characters within the first 100 pages, then i didn't care how the story ends and stopped reading. This story is the opposite. By page 6 i deeply cared about the protagonist and was pulling for him, and felt his sense of loss on page 12.

American Gods is a story about America (as in the U.S. of) and her gods (and other related religious personalities and objects). Because there are no truly native Americans (all humans migrated to North America at some point in their story) it is also a story about the world, the history and traditions of people, and what is brought with a people when they move to a new place. Through creative and well reasoned characters and situations, we read not only a history of ourselves, but also a critique of our present society, and a challenge for our future. The story is deeply engaging on many levels, and leaves the reader with much to think about related to what we believe, and why, and with both challenge and hope as it leaves off (it doesn't really end because the story is our story and our story is ongoing). I really loved this book, a well thought out and wonderfully told story.

This is my first full length novel by Mr. Gaiman. I had read an excellent short story of his entitled Goliath in The Matrix comics series ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/92058.The_Matrix_Comics_Vol_1 ) and wanted more.

I also hope to catch the recent TV series adaptation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gods_(TV_series)

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