Animal, Vegetable, Miracle : A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a combination narrative of a year in a locavore family's food life, and a rich collection of facts about our food and where it can and does come from. I am anxious to put many of the ideas and principles into action in our family food life. I especially enjoyed the facts and quotes included, some of which i jotted down:

"If every US citizen ate just one meal a week composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week."

"Humans have eaten some 80,000 plant species in our history. After recent precipitous changes, three quarters of all human food now comes from just eight species with the field quickly narrowing down to genetically modified corn soy and canola."

"the Colorado River - owing to our thirsts - is a river that no longer reaches the ocean, but peters out in a sand flat near the Mexican border."

and i now have another reason to seek out and read some Wendell Berry:

"I dislike the thought that some animal has been made miserable in order to feed me. If I am going to eat meat, I want it to be from an animal that has lived a pleasant, uncrowded life outdoors, on bountiful pasture, with good water nearby and trees for shade. And I am getting almost as fussy about food plants."
- Wendell Berry, 'What Are People For?'


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Vinyl Dinosaurs

Artauro Productions - I loved seeing your film "Vinyl Dinosaurs" today at Carrboro festival. Being of the generation who started out with vinyl, i loved the story of a young person discovering music the way i did. Additionally, your film conjured up all the sensations of playing an album (i have not done so since the late 80's). I could feel myself holding the record in my hands, positioning the tone arm, and watching it gently fall into the groove, hearing the distinct sound as it did. In college, i can remember cueing up my favorite album, putting on my Koss headphones, turning off all the lights in the room, and losing myself in the music. These little details that i had forgotten all came back to me today with your film. Nicely done, thank you! Wonderful memories. Thank you!

a beautifully written tale

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am now officially a fan of Cormac McCarthy! For being such a gruesome story, this is a beautifully written tale. The Oscar winning Coen Brothers film based upon this book certainly more than does the story justice, but I especially enjoyed the philosophical pondering in Bell's thoughts that are interspersed throughout the story. Having read the Pulitzer prize winning "The Road" and now "No Country for Old Men", I'm looking forward to more from Mr. McCarthy in the coming year, particularly "Blood Meridian" and The Border Trilogy. Great great writing.

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a little let down

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I did not connect with this story as much as i have with other stories that i have loved from Ms. Kingsolver. I believe i understand the story and the messages contained, and i can empathize with the protagonist, drawing upon my formative years spent in the Ozarks of Missouri before i went to college. There are many powerful themes in the story, and looking back on it, i see the challenges put forth, and the hopes that are raised. I was just not drawn in to the degree i have been in most of the other of the authors wonderful stories. I'm not put off, just a little let down. Looking forward to reading more.

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a mediocre experience

Let Me Be Frank with You by Richard Ford
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not having read the other three Frank Bascombe novels, i did not start this book with the history of experiences they provide. This novel, actually a collection of short novellas, is set on the Jersey shore in the aftermath of hurricane Sandy, in the context of multi-million dollar houses and the people who can afford them. The story dealt with some universal human issues - destruction resulting from a natural disaster, chronic and terminal illness, the depth or lack thereof in friendships and relationships. On one hand, these are are life experiences we all face to some degree, and as a reader, i could relate. In other ways, however, the context of the characters and story were too distant from the norm for me to connect at more than a casual level. I do feel that i was at a disadvantage, not having read the other novels. Standalone, however, the reading of this collection of novellas was a mediocre experience.

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Dr. Ehrman blog

my response to Dr. Ehrman regarding his excellent blog (all subscription fees to go charity!)

http://ehrmanblog.org/how-were-doing-on-the-blog/

Dr. Ehrman,

I love reading your blog, and enjoy the varied subject content (of course within the given scope ?? ). I have enjoyed and been enriched by your books, and i have great respect for your research and the honesty with which you pursue it. I appreciate your starting point because i was raised in the same fundamentalist culture as a kid in the 60s and 70s. Thank goodness, education (genuine, not brainwashing) gave way to academic and intellectual enlightenment and a credible view of life and history. Intellectual honesty and humility is so rare in our polarized political and religious culture, and your research and writing bring hope amidst the noisy argument that our society has become. Thank you. And of course i love that the blog supports charity in my home of Durham, and even though i don’t have time to read every post, i’ll continue to subscribe as long as it is available. And last but not least, thanks to my daughter who subscribed me to the blog for the first year !!

Kevin

All the King's Men

All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! This is one of the best books I've ever read. All the King's Men is a book about politics in the early 20th century, but it is also about so much more. It is about relationships, self worth, choices and consequences, means and ends, love and hate, destiny and chaos. I loved Robert Penn Warren's writing style. He uses rich detailed creative descriptions, which require a lot of words, but at the same time invite and compel the reader to devour each and every one of them. This story is a saga which approaches the scale, complexity, and depth of Steinbeck's East of Eden. I loved this book. It really is one of the best I've read. 5 stars.

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chilling tale

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a chilling, creatively told tale of survival in a post-apocalyptic US. It is captivating in its intensity and its tenderness. Of course, images from post-apocalyptic movies i've seen came to mind, specifically "The Book of Eli" with Denzel Washington. A great book, albeit troubling.

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Wow!

I can't help but wonder if most of Trump's supporters can even read, much less comprehend this fine summary.

https://goo.gl/g3FtX3

oops

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One of the three stars i gave this book is in honor of John Steinbeck, who remains one of my favorite authors. The other two are for the book itself. This is the least enjoyable book (by a decent margin) of all Steinbeck's works that I've read. It felt disjointed (as if published in installments with plot gaps in between), and I could not discern the point of the story. My wife gave me some hints partially through and I still missed the point. Given that Steinbeck was a master and a powerful writer, I'm inclined to believe that my (lack of) impression of this story is my lacking and not his. That being said, this is my least favorite, and I would not recommend this as a sample of the wonderful Steinbeck canon that I've read. Everyone has an "oops" i guess. :)

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leaving us with HOPE

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Barbara Kingsolver is a great storyteller! I love the characters, the places and situations, and the substantive insight and wisdom that is conveyed through her novels. The characters in this story deal with life situations and feelings we all deal with. So much insight into our own lives and those of the people we know is illuminated through this story. We all have dealt with: family secrets, issues growing up, escape from and return to our hometown, life purpose and calling, love in all its forms whether real, imagined, or superficial, political, economic, and social powers overwhelmingly large, yet still conquerable. This is a wonderful story with 3D characters to care about and love, with many twists and turns, and in the end, leaving us with HOPE.

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superbly written tale of disfunction and excess

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Robert Redford version of "The Great Gatsby" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071577/) came up on my Netflix menu and i started to watch it. But before the opening credits were through, i stopped it and went upstairs to grab this book off the shelf and (finally) read it after all these years. I knew it was fairly short and i read it in a day. This is a superbly written tale of disfunction and excess of the rich and famous living on Long Island during the 1920's. Todays reality TV and scandals have nothing on the people there 100 years ago. It was during prohibition, but booze and money were flowing like old man river. F. Scott Fitzgerald tells this story wonderfully, and i loved every page. For such a short story, the characters and places are painted with a rich economy of words that immediately put the reader in contact with and in the middle of this story. I loved it and highly recommend this version of the text which is "authorized" and contains many notes and explanations (at the beginning and end, NOT in the text itself). Now back to watch the Redford film version. :)

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Still one of my favorite books

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read it again, slowly. Still one of my favorite books. Love it.

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the infinite area of gray rationalization in between

The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The only reason i shouldn't give this book 5 stars is because i already gave 5 stars to The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck's crowning masterpiece. Oh heck, I'm giving it 5 stars anyway, I loved this book. The Winter of Our Discontent is a wonderfully told story with deep meaning and authentic characters, places, and situations. Steinbeck was a master storyteller. Ethan Allen Hawley's story captures what so many people have experienced at some point in their life. The conflict of right and wrong and the infinite area of gray rationalization in between is brilliantly laid out in this story. This was Steinbeck's final novel, published in 1961. As i look over the Steinbeck canon, i am saddened that I have nearly reached its end. But with the end will also come a beginning of re-reading my favorites, of which this is surely one. Hope to catch the TV version also.

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weird

Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This young adult story is a combination of the Jewish flood myth and the theory of relativity, with some ethics, politics, sexuality, social science, and ecology mixed in. Some interesting thoughts, as well as some pretty weird ones. Not sure what the author was smoking. The merging of the story of Noah with modern physics felt forced. Oh, and i forgot to mention the angels and fallen angels that are behind much of the weird goings on, when they are not masquerading as animals. Strange.

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our diverse and lovable city

27 Views of Durham: The Bull City in Prose and Poetry intro by Steve Schewel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very nice collection of prose and verse about our city, Durham NC. This little book contains a variety of articles which have whet my appetite for a deeper dive into the history of Durham. There were even details of some happenings over the past 30 years that we had missed while living here. And the book ended with a song by Rebecca Newton entitled "One Square Mile", which you can listen to here - All in all, this book is a must read for residents of our diverse and lovable city.

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a beautiful collection

BLUE HIGHWAYS Revisited by Edgar I. Ailor III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The authors of this book present a beautiful collection of photographs along the original path of William Least Heat-Moons' journey in "Blue Highways" (30 years later). Quotes and page numbers from "Blue Highways" are included to tie the photos to the original book, in many cases including original black and white photos for comparison. In addition to visiting the places, the authors track down many of the people interviewed in the original book. It is both interesting and inspiring to see the paths these lives have taken as time has changed their circumstances, their work, and the places they call home. This book is a great tribute to Blue Highways, and a perfect follow-on volume. I'm still looking forward to the remaining books in Mr. Heat-Moons' travel "trilogy".

map: http://www.bluehighwaysrevisited.net/The-Route.html

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farsickness

Blue Highways: A Journey into America by William Least Heat-Moon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. The author, William Least Heat-Moon leaves Columbia MO in 1978 to embark on a trip literally around the entire continental US (map here)  in a 1975 Ford Econoline van (the van he named Ghost Dancing) .  I arrived in Columbia as a freshman engineering student the following year, 1979. His plan was to follow the secondary roads rather than the main highways (blue on the map, interstates were red), hence the title "Blue Highways". This account of his journey is filled with history, real people and places, and a depth and authenticity in the telling of these peoples stories that allows the reader to experience the interaction that the author is sharing with us. The places visited, and people encountered and interviewed on this journey are fascinating and offer a rich cross section of the US. Historical depth is provided, sometimes by the author, but most often by the people interviewed. This account bears a similarity to another travelogue I recently read by John Steinbeck entitled "Travels with Charley". Both of these books are excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

I couldn't help but feel like embarking on a journey of this kind myself. Maybe that feeling is what is referred to as "wanderlust"? The Wiki article suggests that a better term may be "farsickness". Whatever it is called, I felt it, and also am reminded of a trip my wife and I took 2 years ago. After a family reunion in Colorado, we kept the rental van, and spent 2 more weeks driving around Colorado and New Mexico, just seeing what we could see. It was but a small taste of what this wonderful book shares, but a taste nevertheless. I'm jumping into the companion volume "Blue Highways Revisited" which is a pictorial journey over the same route some 30 years later. In addition I'm in search of the remaining 2 books of the so-called travel trilogy by William Least Heat-Moon
1. Blue Highways
2. PrairyErth
3. River-Horse

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Follow your bliss

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the companion book (although not identical) to the 6-hour 1988 PBS miniseries of the same title. It is a fascinating journey as Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell chat about "The Power of Myth". Not only does this volume provide explanation of what myth is, and how it fits into our society and species, but it gives a multitude of illustrations from prehistory up through recorded history to the modern age in which we live. This book was great follow-on to the Karen Armstrong book i just previously read "A Short History of Myth". I particularly enjoyed the discussion of the relationship of myth to religions over the ages, and to the religions with which we are familiar in this century, and also the contrast of myth with religion, and the effects religion has on myth. Myth draws on many aspects of our lives, and in turn feeds many aspects of our lives. This is a great discussion, and i'm looking forward to watching the PBS series on DVDs which i checked out at our local library. I love Joseph Campbell's personal worldview, and how inclusive and really true it is, to himself, and to those around him, and to his world. He offers the same to all of us, if we each just, as he instructs us "Follow your bliss".

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How true, how true.

A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a great summary of the history of mythology. I enjoyed the overview, and am looking for some more detailed books to follow with. I especially liked the last chapter "The Great Western Transformation" which discusses the place of myth in our modern society and religious teachings. A favorite quote, related to the modern era in which we live: "It has been writers and artists, rather than religious leaders, who have stepped into the vacuum and attempted to reacquaint us with the mythological wisdom of the past." How true, how true. I really enjoyed this short but information filled volume.

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