great space saga continues

Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A great space saga continues - this installment not as compelling as the previous ones, but still action packed, full of suspense and plot twists and turns and fairly interesting characters. Time to return to the TV series to catch up with the books.

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A breakthrough book

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A breakthrough book for Willa Cather, O Pioneers! is rooted in the land and people of the northern plains of Nebraska. Bold topics and strong characters, especially the heroine of the story, shine in this revolutionary and grounded book published in 1913! Ms. Cather was certainly ahead of her time as a writer and advocate of gender roles and rights. I am looking forward to reading more of her celebrated works.

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precious jewels

Black Elk Speaks by Black Elk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Black Elk Speaks is several books in one.

On one hand, it is a personal history of man living within a society and culture under siege and risk of extinction by the self appointed heirs of the North American continent. Through the "words" of Black Elk, a Oglala Lakota medicine man, as written and felt by John G. Neihardt, a dedicated poet historian and mystic, we are able to see and feel what it was like being the last generation of a great and noble people to live in freedom in their homeland. We also experience, just a little, being the targets of a genocide both of our people and of our culture and environment. It is refreshing and sobering to be able to learn and feel a little of what it was like to be the victims of our European descended ancestors.

But Black Elk Speaks is also a philosophical and spiritual glimpse into the Great Vision that Black Elk was given as a child that defined his purpose for most of his life, and of his "brother" from outside his race and culture who was able to bond and translate more than just words, but a life and people's philosophy into a language we can experience and try to understand.

At times the book was beyond my grasp as a 21st century skeptical reader and thinker, but the story and meaning inside are precious jewels and we are lucky that they were captured for us before they were lost forever to our own peoples acts of genocide and destruction.

We discovered this author and book because of his connection to the University of Missouri, and of his influence on another excellent and loved author William Least-Heat Moon, the author of Blue Highways.

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suspense and tension right to the very end

Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We just recently heard Josh Ritter and his band in concert for the first time, and fell in love with his music and lyrics. Doing some homework after the show, not only do we discover many great CDs, but we also find out that Josh had written and published this book! Given the depth and richness of his lyrics, we immediately picked this book up at our local library.

Bright's Passage is a beautifully told tale that is rich in imagery and feeling. The method of story telling makes it difficult to put the book down until finished, and maintains the suspense and tension right to the very end. The story opens with both drama and mystery, and then fills in details little by little as the story progresses. The chapters jump around in space and time to gradually paint a complete picture of the characters and situations, right on through to the uncertain conclusion of the story, and at the same time leaves an open path for our hero to walk on. Excellent story and writing!

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critique of our culture and society

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This one was a little too over the top for me. It swung between totally outrageous and a true representation of our culture and society. I didn't mind the swings so much as the rate of the swinging. Certainly, the reader is left with many points to ponder, and as outrageous as a literal reading is, it is a valid and biting critique of our culture and society. Definitely worth reading.

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three travelogues in one

A Little House Traveler: Writings from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Journeys Across America by Laura Ingalls Wilder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

this book is three travelogues in one, spanning the time between 1894 and 1930. All three accounts are quite interesting, but especially interesting is the detailed description of the city of San Francisco in 1915. Lots of fascinating details, as seen through the eyes of a country woman visiting. I really enjoyed these accounts of traveling in the late 19th and early to mid 20th century.

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very interesting reading after watching the series

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-read with three seasons of the Amazon video series based upon this story under my belt. The series is a significant embellishment and somewhat divergence from the plot of the book, although anchored in the same "world reality".  It was very interesting reading after watching the series. I got more from the book, and it made a lot more sense, even with the vast differences. I tired of the emphasis on the Oracle however. It is hard to believe that it could play such a widespread role in the culture.


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The Wheel of time turns once again

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my 3rd reading - hoping to finish the series again. On to book 3 :)

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outrageously zany and great fun

Mort by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mort is outrageously zany and great fun! If you loved Hitchhikers Guide, you'll love this one!

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a very special collection

Burning Bright by Ron Rash
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A really nice collection of short stories that portray real people and their lives set in the mountains of Appalachia. The tales cover a range of topics and time periods, but portray in gritty and sometimes gruesome detail life as it really goes down. This is a very special collection, i heartily recommend it.

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realities of life at the margins

Above the Waterfall by Ron Rash
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another beautifully told story of the realities of life at the margins. Told from the POV of the two central characters, we experience the paradoxes of good and evil, right and wrong, and how life seems to settle out somewhere in between. The word imagery the author uses, especially in Becky's account, is top shelf. Wonderful writing and reading, one can't help but feel the story as if living it.

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great conclusion!

The Graveyard Book Volume 2 by P. Craig Russell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great conclusion to Neil Gaiman's first volume of this graphic novel format of his Graveyard Book. Now i find out that these two volumes are based on a novel by Mr. Gaiman, which i will soon obtain and read. I'm sure it will not disappoint!

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America and Americans

America and Americans by John Steinbeck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

America and Americans is an interesting and nicely written collection of essays on topics related to . . . America and Americans. Steinbeck displays his wisdom and knowledge on a range of topics and discusses how the current events and issues of the 1960's are related. It is fascinating (as always) to read Steinbeck's insight and thoughts, but the context of the 60's should be kept in mind when reading them today, in the 21st century. While some of his views are somewhat dated, those are the exception to the mass of wisdom and intelligence that are conveyed as he works through each topic. The book's pages are the majority photos from famous photographers, but aside from the photographer credits in the back of the book, there are no captions or descriptions of any kind, which is frustrating when viewing the pictures for content and context, etc. This is a great read for Steinbeck fans and Americans alike.

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thoughtful and accessible form of an important story

March: Book One by John Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book relays some of the history and events of the civil rights movement in the US as experienced by John Lewis. The graphic novel format is a thoughtful and accessible form of an important story. I am looking forward to continuing with the next installment of this series.

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the classic dystopian trifecta

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finally got to read the remaining novel of the classic dystopian trifecta "Brave New World, "Nineteen Eighty-Four" and "We". This is a nicely written, visionary, and insightful novel that was written in Russia in 1922, after the Bolshevik Revolution, and banned from publication there until 1988! The writing uses creative and compelling imagery as it tells the tale of a Utopian society of the future where happiness mandated and not a choice. It creatively weighs the tension between technology and humanity, and offers wisdom related to the dangers of having one without the other. Though not published in Russia, it was published in 1924 in New York, and as can be seen, was influential to both Huxley and Orwell in their classic works mentioned above. This one was worth the searching and waiting to get to read, i recommend reading it to complete the dystopian trifecta.

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blockbuster movie in book form

Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This third installment of the Expanse saga is fast moving, engaging, with great story telling and character development. I will definitely be proceeding on in this series. Like a blockbuster movie in book form.

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smack dab in the middle of disfunction junction

Oral History by Lee Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A tale of generations of mountain folk, told in multiple character point of view and using the narrative style of Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. Interesting inside insights into a family living pretty much smack dab in the middle of disfunction junction. This story has the feel of authenticity and real family history, and with some name changes, probably applies to a multitude of families, including my Missouri roots. A good read.

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fascinating behind-the-scenes look

Casablanca: Behind the Scenes by Harlan Lebo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow - it is a wonder that Casablanca, one of my top favorite movies, ever got made! This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the making of arguably one of the best films of the 20th century. We get lots of fun and interesting facts about the script, the players, the filming, the drama and politics with the directors and producers, and the wheeling and dealing of Warner Bros management. This book gives a detailed look into movie making in the context of the studio system that was in play in the 1940s. It also gives surprising insight into the constraints put upon the movie making process during the early days of WW-II. All in all, the odds were stacked against Casablanca, yet the resulting film is one of our finest. I can't wait to watch it anew with this collection of facts in my memory. A great book!

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clarity to the M.A.G.A. mantra

White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well . . . this is one of the more disturbing books i've read in a while. It is disturbing because it is well documented U.S. history and i don't like what it says about us as a people and as a nation. The romantic image of our founders and their founding philosophy that we have come to believe in and aspire to is largely myth and political spin. This book details the role that class and privilege (and lack thereof) has affected and shaped all the people of the U.S. over the last 400 years. It also examines how class and privilege have been used to define policy and laws, and maintain control and power over those without. Be ready for a lot of eye-opening documented historical facts that lower the bar of who we as a nation are, and what motivates and drives us. This gives great clarity to the M.A.G.A. mantra being flung around by neo-cons in the 21st century. Knowing the facts behind the role class has played over our history as a colony and nation sheds frightening light on what "great again" really means to the privileged powers that be.

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great story telling and character development

Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OK, I'm sold on this series, and giving this book 5 stars. This installment 2 of the Expanse saga is again fast moving, engaging, and great story telling and character development. I will definitely be proceeding on in this series. I have not yet picked up the TV series based on it, but will this summer. I heartily recommend this series to all sci-fi and fantasy fans.

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