Think Like a Freak

Think Like a Freak: the Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain / Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, read by Steven Dubner, 268 p.

More great anecdotes and thought-provoking observations in the vein of the earlier works.  The title oversells things a bit; no, my brain was not retrained.  But I enjoyed listening and definitely found some things to think about.

Armageddon in Retrospect

Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut  234 pp.

This collection of previously unpublished works was released in 2008, one year after the author's death. The introduction is by his son, Mark and the text of a speech Vonnegut was scheduled to make at Butler University which Mark gave in his place - Vonnegut died a couple weeks before. The remainder of the book is anecdotes and short stories about war, based on Vonnegut's World War II experiences. Much of the writing is grim laced with Vonnegut's quirky humor. As a long term (40+ years) Vonnegut fan, I think this is a marvelous book. I listened to the audiobook which was a less than stellar narration by actor Rip Torn.

Stoner

Stoner / John Williams, 278 p.

William Stoner was raised by hardworking farmers in rural Missouri at the turn of the nineteenth century.  He makes his way to the University at Columbia (not, apparently, called Mizzou at the time) and has an epiphany of sorts about literature and learning.  Effectively, he falls in love, and it's that love that keeps him in Columbia, studying and then teaching, for the rest of his life.  Other relationships, to his wife, daughter, lover, and friends could almost be called unconsummated.  The novel questions where the fault for this lies, and whether it matters.  A beautiful, simple text that asks the deepest possible questions.

The Chain

The Chain / Adrian McKinty, read by January LaVoy 357 pgs.

In this excellent thriller, cancer survivor Rachel gets a call saying her daughter has been kidnapped. Pay the hefty ransom quickly or you will never see her again.  But the money is only the start.  The second step is to kidnap ANOTHER child and serve as a conduit to those parents and "the chain" a shadowy group of victims just like you.  It is really a lot to have on your plate.  In addition, Rachel's last test results have her doctor worried about a recurrence of her cancer.  Can she meet all the demand made on her by "the chain?"' The more she learns, the more she realizes you can never escape.  She gets her daughter back but the demands continue.  How can she extricate herself for good?  An exciting story that, at times, will have you on the end of your seat.  Januay LaVoy is the perfect narrator.  If you enjoy audio books, this one is riveting.

The girl who could move sh*t with her mind

The girl who could move sh*t with her mind / Jackson Ford 482 pgs.

Teagan Frost is part of a secret government team fighting crime and other mayhem.  The front is a moving company.  Her co-workers aren't good friends but effective.  Teagan has special powers...she is the titular character and can move things with her mind.  But there are limits, of course. She has to be close to the item, she has no control over "organic" material, etc. etc.  When two guys end up dead with obvious psychokinetic involvement, Teagan becomes a suspect.  Her co-workers rally behind her and try to clear her name.  They are on the run trying to straighten everything out. Is there someone else out there with the "ability?"  This is an exciting read with a little romantic drama mixed in. 

Uniform Justice

Uniform Justice (Commissario Brunetti #12)  by Donna Leon  294 pp.

The more I read this series the more I like it. In this episode Commissario Guido Brunetti is investigating the death of a student at a local Venetian military academy. What appears to be a suicide becomes an obvious cover-up by the school. The young victim's family has been targeted because of his father's political activities and Brunetti is sure there is a connection to his death. While investigating this tragic death of a teenager, Brunetti also ponders his own teenage children's mental health and his family relationships. The juxtaposition of the crime investigations with everyday life in Venice is one of the things that keeps me coming back to this series.  This was a great way to spend a rainy Saturday.

Giovanni's Room

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin  159 pp.

This book has been on my "to read" list for years. Why I never read it (or any thing else by Baldwin) I can't say. I am sorry I waited so long. Yes, it was a ground-breaking book a the time it was published. But the best thing about it is how beautifully written it is. It is the story of David, a young American living in Paris, who has fallen into a relationship with an Italian bartender named Giovanni while David's girlfriend is on a trip to Spain. The honest and tasteful way Baldwin writes of the characters and their expressions of bisexuality and homosexuality is not prurient. I look forward to reading more of Baldwin's works. 

Superfreakonomics

Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance / Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner, read by Stephen J. Dubner, 270 p.

I know I told Christa I had had enough of these guys - in their quest to turn problems on their sides and look at them with fresh, data-enhanced eyes, they can be painfully glib about difficult human circumstances.  The desperate lives of Chicago street prostitutes are discussed in an almost jokey manner which feels cruel, regardless of the writers' intent.

And yet I keep listening, because there is much to appreciate in the 'freak' way of looking at complex and polarizing issues such as global warming, which they discuss at length in a way far more nuanced than most journalism I've read on the topic.

Dubner is an excellent reader and while the contents here sometimes annoy, they always entertain.

In Stitches

In Stitches by Anthony Youn, M.D.  271 pp.

Anthony Youn was a nerdy Korean-American teen with a physician father who relentlessly pushed him toward medical school. Youn describes his struggles and angst throughout the process with lighthearted self-deprecation. As a teen he had to undergo major surgery on a jaw deformity. This experience combined with that of a baby whose face was mutilated by an animal led to Youn choosing plastic surgery as his vocation. However, he first had to survive the rigors of medical school, sadistic instructors, his social ineptness, and failures at finding a girlfriend. This book ends at the point where he is selected to do his residency in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A second book, Playing God, follows him through his residency to becoming plastic surgeon in private practice. I may read that one someday.

The Word Is Murder

The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz (2018) 290 pages

What makes this murder mystery stand out is that the author, Anthony Horowitz, inserts his real self into the story, giving a synopsis of his work, including his Alex Rider series for youths, his work writing for television series, his later books for adults, and more. In The Word Is Murder, Horowitz is contacted by Daniel Hawthorne, a somewhat secretive ex-police detective who now consults with the police on hard-to-solve murder cases.

Diana Cowper, the mother of a famous actor, was murdered the same day she visited a funeral home to plan her own funeral. Complicating the story is the fact that ten years ago, this same woman had hit two children while driving, killing one and greatly injuring the other. Is the old tragedy connected to her murder? Hawthorne brings Horowitz with him to interviews, locales, and a funeral, trying to get the facts so that Horowitz can write about how the murder was solved; they've agreed to split the book profits. After a second murder occurs, Horowitz feels squeamish, noting how different it is to be at a murder scene that he had not created as an author. The relationship between the two men isn't completely cordial, as when Hawthorne laments that none of the other writers he'd contacted were willing to agree to this project. Horowitz quits and gets back on board more than once!

The pages practically turn themselves in this multi-layered, somewhat comedic story.

The Quest for Queen Mary

The Quest for Queen Mary by James Pope-Hennessy & Hugo Vickers  335 pp.

When I got this audiobook for cheap (via Chirp) I thought it was the biography of Queen Mary that was commissioned by the royal family after her death in 1953. That book is just titled Queen Mary. Pope-Hennessy researched the book for three years. He kept extensive notes during his research and those have been compiled into this book. Included are his meetings with members of the royal families of Great Britain, and other European countries, servants, staff members, and political figures. The wide ranging opinions of those interviewed give a broad view of Queen Mary who was labeled stern, caring, intimidating, charming, shy, and everything in between. Occasionally the interviews were confusing because nicknames for some of the royals differed depending on who was speaking. It also wasn't always clear if they were talking about Queen Mary or her mother, Mary Adelaide. It was a pleasant read while home on a sick day. Last year I read and blogged about Matriarch by Anne Edwards another Queen Mary biography. My interest in "good Queen Mary" stems from my father's admiration of her when he disdained the rest of the royal family. Parts of this book would have reinforced Dad's opinion of the rest of the royals because many do not come off well. Incidentally, the Vladimir Tiara Queen Mary is wearing in the cover photo is my favorite of the crown jewels exhibited at the Tower of London.

The Rosie Result

The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion, 378 pages

In this third book focusing on genetics professor Don Tillman, we find Don, his wife Rosie, and 11-year-old son Hudson all struggling with awkward transitions in their lives. Rosie is attempting to convince her male colleagues that she's more than capable of being a mom and working full-time; Don has landed himself in hot water at work after committing a horrible race-related faux pas; and Hudson's teachers are pressuring Don and Rosie to have their son evaluated for autism. As he has always done, Don attempts to solve all of these problems methodically, with varying results.

After a bit of a dip from the second book in this trilogy, I'm happy to see Simsion return to form. Don's awkward but likeable; Rosie's understanding and strong; and Hudson seems like the kind of kid I'd like my own kid to hang out with. I think this series ended on the right note.

Dracula

Dracula by Bram Stoker  488 pp.

Another appropriate choice for this time of year. I read this many years ago but don't think I ever finished it. The story does bog down about 2/3 of the way through. When I saw the Audible version with Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, Simon Prebble, Kathryn Kellgren and others I just had to try it. I was not disappointed. The classic story of the sinister vampire, Dracula, his unfortunate victims, and the efforts by their friends and spouses to defeat the monster is brought to life by the talents of the full cast of narrators. Through the use of accents, it is not obvious which actor is speaking because they fully inhabit the characters. The only exception was Alan Cumming whose voice and Scottish accent were easily recognizable, but not out of place in the story.

Mistress of the Ritz

Mistress of the Ritz / Melanie Benjamin, read by Barbara Rosenblat, 372 pgs.

Claude and Blanche are a little bit of an odd couple.  She is an American in Paris to work on her acting career.  He is the manager of a hotel.  He prides himself on his service.  They fall deeply in love and marry.  But when Claude tells Blanche how marriage works in France, she is less than impressed.  Claude ends up managing the Ritz and sometimes managing Blanche is as much work.  Then the Nazi's invade.  By now the couple has fallen into an uneasy truce but communication between them is poor.  Both, independently, start their own resistance efforts.  When Blanche makes a mistake and is arrested, Claude is heartbroken and tries to save her.  The narration is well done making the audio version a pleasure to read.

Off season

Off season / James Sturm, 215 pgs. 215 pgs.

Fairly bleak, this graphic novel features a family falling apart.  Single dad struggling to find consistent work that pays and deal with his 2 kids on his own when he has them.  He is in some shock that he and his wife separated, he is concerned about the outcome of the 2016 election.  A die-hard Bernie supporter, he didn't find the passion for Hillary once Bernie dropped out.  Now everything in his life is a bit gray just like the illustrations in this book.  A little slice of life.

My friend Anna

My friend Anna: the true story of a fake heiress / Rachel DeLoache Williams, read by the author, 288 pgs.

Anna seemed like such a great friend.  Generous, RICH, and "in the know." But sometimes she says she will buy drinks but then doesn't have her purse with her.  Sometimes she does pay.  Then she invites the author on a vacation to Morocco.  But then none of her money is "available" (mysteriously) and the author ends up putting the trip for 4 on her personal card and her work card because the personal card is limited.  Anna will wire funds by the weekend to cover everything. Ooops, through a series of excuses that last a year, Anna never wires funds.  Ooops, seems like Anna is a con artist, not a rich friend after all.  On one hand, not too sympathetic with the author, on the other hand, she did a good job investigating after she figured out that she had been conned.  Maybe a lesson learned? 

Wayward Son

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell, 356 pages

This follow-up to Rowell's fantastic Harry Potter-if-they-acknowledged-the-gay-undertones-and-gave-Hermione-her-due novel Carry On finds Simon Snow, his smart best friend Penelope, and his former-enemy-now-boyfriend Baz road-tripping through the American west in pursuit of their friend Agatha, who has suddenly gone off the grid. All three pals are a bit lost, emotionally speaking, and while it's certainly not their intention to find themselves on the road, like many fictional American road trips, that's certainly what happens here. In between fighting off vampires and visiting Carhenge and whatnot, that is. I loved revisiting these characters, and since it ends on a definite cliffhanger, I'm so excited to see what Rowell has in mind for them next.

Our Lady of Pain

Our Lady of Pain by M.C. Beaton writing as Marion Chesney  215 pp.

Lady Rose Summer is the problem daughter of an Edwardian aristocrat. To prevent her parents from sending her to India, Rose arranges to be engaged to a private detective named Harry Cathcart. Against her parents' wishes, she also becomes an employee at his detective agency. Fueled by jealousy at Harry spending so much time with a beautiful client, Rose threatens her in public. The next day she discovers the woman murdered and is accused of the crime. The rest of the story involves trying to keep the press away from Rose while trying to find the killer. Quite frankly Rose and her companion, Daisy, annoyed me with their sheer stupidity. The sappy romance angle and last minute addition of other characters at the end made it seem the author couldn't figure out how to end the book. I enjoyed Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series but this Edwardian Murder Mysteries series is meh.

The War that Saved My Life

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley  316 pp.

This was a re-read in preparation for the next Treehouse Book Club. My original blog about it is here. It's the story of a girl born with a club foot who lives with an abusive mother who keeps her hidden away. When her little brother is to be sent away because of the threat of London getting bombed by the Nazis, Ada runs (crawls) away with him. They end up in the care of a young woman who is bullied into taking them in but soon comes to love them and makes plans to get Ada's foot surgically repaired only to be thwarted by the children's mother. There is a sequel titled The War I Finally Won but I have yet to read it.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by David Rosenfelt (2016) 328 pages

Another fast-paced Rosenfelt mystery. In this story, attorney Andy Carpenter is assisting Pups, a crusty old woman, in her zoning fight against the city, to make an allowance for the puppies she helps save and find homes for regularly. Andy is successful in the process, but when the person who filed the complaint against Pups is found dead, she's charged with his murder.

Enough weird evidence comes up that Andy is sure that Pups has been framed. Pups is already close to death from cancer, but insists she wants to clear her name, so Andy's team pores through boxes and boxes of papers, making lists of properties that Pups's dead husband owned and which others had been eager to buy, with no success. They seem to fit into the frame-up. Andy's computer guru hacks into phone records to find additional information to help clear Pups's name. Meanwhile, twelve puppies and their mother, who had been in Pups's care were being taken care of by another of Andy's colleagues, while she's in jail, awaiting trial.

I suspect Andy's somewhat unhumble (although entertaining) personality mirrors that of the author as when Andy encounters his wife reading "a thriller by David Rosenfelt, one of the great writers of our time"!

Campus Sexpot: A Memoir

Campus Sexpot: A Memoir by David Carkeet (2005) 137 pages

David Carkeet taught writing and linguistics at UMSL for 30 years; I took at least one of his writing classes. His chosen title first made me wonder if he was writing about his own experiences on campus, so I had to read it, but I quickly realized his title is rather ironic with regard to himself. Note the photo on the front cover, which was staged for his high school newspaper.

As a backdrop for his memoir, he uses a real novel titled the same as his, Campus Sexpot, which was written in 1961 by Dale Koby. Koby was formerly a high school English teacher in Carkeet's Sonora, California hometown. Koby's novel weaves a story from the viewpoint of Don Kaufield, a thinly disguised rendering of himself. The book was not marketed to the small town of Sonora, but once it was discovered, the residents clamored for it, to see who else in the story could be identified. It was a bit smutty for the time in 1962, and not a well-written story at that, but Carkeet's mother allowed him to read it. He was just 15 at the time, a four-and-a-half-foot tall trumpet player weighing 75 pounds with a self described baby face and inadequate sexual education.

Carkeet intersperses lines from the novel with his critiques of how poorly written they were; in some rare places, he applauds a well-composed sentence. But also the story allows for Carkeet's own youth and family life to be described while dissecting the book. It's often quite funny, but has sometimes serious commentary.

Diamond Doris

Diamond Doris: the true story of the world's most notorious jewel thief / Doris Payne, read by Robin Miles, 266

Oh my gosh, this book is one heck of a good read.  Doris didn't want to "wipe people's butts" for a living so she became a jewel thief.  She was good enough to support herself and her family.  The adventures she reveals in this book are amazing and her salty language and attitude refreshing.  What a life!  Robin Miles does a good job narrating this amazing story.

The Saturday Night Ghost Club

The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson, 211 pages

Jake is a bookish kid growing up in Niagara Falls in the 1980s. He doesn't have many friends (OK, any friends) and he's the constant target of bullies. But the summer of his 12th year, all that changes when Billy and Dove Yellowbird move to town and the Saturday Night Ghost Club is born. Led by Jake's kooky Uncle Calvin, the club meets at theoretically haunted places around town a few times over the summer, though the haunted locales have a bit more effect on Calvin than they do on the kids.

Set at the same time as the uber-popular TV show Stranger Things and with a similar outsider narrator, this short book is a great, though much more realistic, recommendation for fans of the show. I loved the nostalgic feel, and Davidson captures that fading-magic-of-childhood so well. A wonderful book.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling, 222 pages

In this, her first memoir, Kaling muses on everything from childhood bullies and her early love of comedy to the state of marriage to her plans for her funeral (very solemn, no hot food, gift bags for all). She's funny, intelligent, and honest, and I absolutely loved this book. I particularly enjoyed the audiobook, which Kaling reads, though there is a bit toward the end that suffers, simply because listeners can't look at the photos included in the physical book. But that's a small price to pay for Kaling's narration.

The Woman in White

The Woman in White / Wilkie Collins, 635 pp.

Written in 1850 and considered the first English thriller, this is terrific nineteenth-century-bleak-English-manor-house entertainment that's intelligently written and a true page turner.

Walter Hartright, an upstanding young man of limited means, takes a job as  quasi artist-in-residence and tutor to an eccentric nobleman.  He teaches the half-sisters Marian and Laura and becomes devoted to both, Marian for her wit and strength of character, and Laura for her delicate beauty.  On a journey back to London, he meets a third woman, the wraith-like Anne, who appears out of nowhere on a country road and bears a disturbing resemblance to Laura.

Mistaken identities, an Italian count, a conveniently-timed infectious fever, and inheritance tangles that any reader of Austen will appreciate round out a suspenseful, frequently comical, and just plain fun read. 

Stalingrad

Stalingrad / Vasily Grossman, transl by Robert Chandler & Elizabeth Chandler, 1,053 p.

Written prior to Life and Fate but only now available in English translation, Grossman's novel begins the story of the epic battle which concludes in Life and Fate and introduces us to the Shtrum/Shaposhnikov family and their circle.

I haven't read much of the novel's supporting material yet, but I presume that at the time of writing Stalingrad in the early 1950s, prior to Stalin's death, Grossman was too fearful of persecution and censorship to lay out the horrors of the Stalinist regime which are in full evidence in Life and Fate.  Grossman's many lyrical paeans to the Soviet people and the glories of the industrial and agricultural might produced by their labor would read like tinny patriotism were it not for the beauty of his writing, his acute sensitivity to human character, and his obviously sincere love of country.  If anyone has ever written more rapturously (and eloquently!) about electrical power stations, I have never read them.

A difficult read with an enormous cast of characters, most of whose stories are only developed in fragments, Stalingrad is nevertheless entirely absorbing, moving, and worthwhile.

The swallows

The swallows / Lisa Lutz, read by a full cast, 402 pgs.

Stonebridge Academy is a small New England prep school.  Alex Witt is a new teacher there who had a hard time at her previous teaching job.  This new school seems fine, the kids typical, the head master an old friend of the family.  But are things really as they seem?  A random creative writing assignment turns up some responses that make Witt wonder what is going on.  As she finds out more, she wonders why other teachers have not intervened, instead, one has used oddities at the school as plot for his new book.  The plot turns when an exploited population takes a stand.  This book is narrated by a cast that does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. 

The Halloween Tree

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury  145 pp.

This is the novelization of the script Bradbury wrote for an animated version of the story for Chuck Jones which was never produced (an animated version of the story was produced in the 1990s). A group of young friends meet to go trick-or-treating but Pip, one of the gang has taken ill and is unable to participate. Pip tells his friends to go on without him and directs them to the "Halloween Tree" which is behind the obligatory creepy old house. There they meet the mysterious Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud who takes the boys on an excursion to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, the Celtic Druids, Medieval France and the Notre Dame, Dio de Los Muertos in Mexico, and the Catacombs. It is at the catacombs where the friends must negotiate with Mr. Moundshroud for the life of Pip. Bradbury's storytelling and his lush descriptions make this a delightful, if dark story. My only quibble is Bradbury's historically inaccurate depiction of the Celtic festival of Samhain as being named for the God Samhain. 

When death takes something from you give it back

When death takes something from you give it back / Naja Marie Aidt, 133 pg.

The author's child died in an accident at age 25 and the family can not cope. How do you deal with such loss?  The raw emotions on display here can be jarring but this is the real deal.  How to decide if his undamaged organs should be harvested?  How to deal with the constant reminders of his life and of his death?  How to continue on with your life, your surviving children, anything productive?  The author smoked a lot of cigarettes while pondering and writing. The pain revealed is substantial.  Not for the faint of heart because this will break your heart.

Range

Range: why generalists triumph in a specialized world / David Epstein, 339 pgs.

Specialization certainly has its place. But big problems are often solved by those who can see outside their box.  The old idea that when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail is shown over and over again by examples in this book.  If you are a chemist, the problem can be solved with chemistry.  If you are an engineer, you will engineer your way out of something even when there is a door standing open right next to you.  So, those who see outside a small specialty are valuable to see the relationship between things, ideas, solutions.  I enjoyed reading the many examples and like that the author sees value in way many of us function.

The hold

The hole / Jose Revueltas, translated by Amanda Hopkinson & Sophie Hughes, 77 pgs.

When you are in prison, in "the hole" you can only see out a small slit in the door.  This is an account of the view and the wait.  Visitors are coming, the promise of drugs being sneaked in has everyone in anticipation.  Everyone needs a hit soon.  They are experiencing withdrawal symptoms.  Will the drugs make it through inspection? Nothing to do but wait and watch. This work has been recently translated into English.  It is something you read and experience the story in real time.  Kind of stunning in its simplicity and depth.

A Gentleman of Leisure

A Gentleman of Leisure by P.G. Wodehouse 224 pp.

As Wodehouse novels go, this one is mediocre and forgettable. It's the story of Sir James Pitt, a former jewel thief who has inherited a fortune and retired from his life of crime. After making an unfortunate bet that nearly gets him arrested in New York, he returns to England. He longs to find a girl he became enamored with on the ship and, of course there are complications since her father is a retired New York Police Sergeant who has made a fortune through graft. The plot is thin and the characters pretty bland. Not one of Wodehouse's best.

Dinner in Camelot

Dinner in Camelot: The Night America's Greatest Scientists, Writers, and Scholars Partied at the Kennedy White House by Joseph Esposito  252 pp.

On April 29, 1962, President and Mrs. Kennedy hosted the U.S. and Canadian Nobel Prize winners and other distinguished scientists and literary figures at a state dinner at the White House. Included in the group were Linus Pauling & his wife Ava Helen, who picketed the White House earlier that day, J. Robert Oppenheimer and other Manhattan Project scientists, John Glenn, Robert Frost, James Baldwin, Pearl S. Buck, John Dos Passos, William Styron. This account of the evening details the dinner, the entertainment - actor Fredric March performing literary excerpts from Ernest Hemingway and other Nobel Literature Prize winners, and the gathering afterward in the Kennedys' private rooms. The gathering exemplified the idealism and the ideals of an era when "intellectuals were esteemed and divergent viewpoints could be respectfully discussed at the highest level." An afterword contains "a message for us in today's severely polarized political climate." The dinner is perhaps best remembered for Kennedy's called the event "the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge that has ever gathered at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

Shortest Way Home

Shortest Way Home by Pete Buttigieg (2019) 352 pages

Pete Buttigieg, currently the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, but also a Democratic candidate for the presidency, presents his life thus far in this candid memoir. He's young‒just 37‒and is very service-oriented with a large resume of life experiences (administrative, military, consulting, volunteering) that have all contributed to his skill set. He speaks of his political successes and failures and what he's learned from them. He also speaks about being gay, his decision to come out to his parents and the community at age 33, and how he met his husband. I wanted to read his memoir to see whether I think he'd make‒later, if not in 2020‒a statesman that could make our country move in a positive direction. I recommend this book.

Red, White, & Royal Blue

Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, 421 pages

Alex Claremont-Diaz is the mixed-race politics-loving son of the first female president of the United States. Henry is the Prince of Wales, spare to the throne after his stuck-up brother Phillip. Considered two of the world's most eligible bachelors, Alex and Henry are also bitter rivals, and a cake-centered dust-up at Phillip's wedding has U.S.-British relations on tenterhooks in the press. The resulting fake friendship slowly turns real, and somewhat unexpectedly (especially to Alex) becomes something even more. Soon Alex and Henry are fighting to keep their private steamy relationship out of the press during a re-election campaign for Alex's mom and increasing pressure from Henry's stodgy grandmother to settle down with a proper young woman and maintain the family bloodline.

This is a sweet and wonderful bit of escapism, a dream of what our country could be like (if only a few states swung a different way in 2016) as much as it is a fun euphemistic examination of "international relations." I loved the characters, their imperfections and confusions, and the excellent humor McQuiston instilled in their interactions. This was a perfect feel-good read.

Fall; or, Dodge in Hell

Fall; or, Dodge in Hell: a novel by Neal Stephenson  896 pp.

Richard "Dodge" Forthrast, a character introduced in Stephenson's novel REAMDE, suddenly becomes brain dead after a routine medical procedure. The billionaire's only will is a cut & paste affair with instructions on freezing his body to be cryogenically preserved until technology advances enough to reanimate him. His family ultimately uploads the contents of his brain into digital cloud storage created for that purpose. Dodge and other uploaded brains have a sort of amnesia but he creates a virtual world based on what he does remember. As more and more brains are uploaded the world of Dodge's creation is inhabited with beings who evolve in a myriad of ways. Dodge, who has named himself Egdod finds himself in a battle for supremacy against El, the mentally ill, billionaire megalomaniac Elmo Shepherd. El overpowers Egdod and seals him away then proceeds to subjugate the other inhabitants of the cloud with himself as God. A group of former friends and colleagues of Dodge join together in a quest to release him and defeat the evil El. In addition to Dodge, there are characters, or descendants of characters in other Stephenson novels most prominently The Baroque Cycle. This one has earned a spot in my favorite novels by this author.

Pumpkinheads

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell, art by Faith Erin Hicks, 209 pages

It's Halloween, and thus the last day of the work season at the pumpkin patch. Best friends Deja and Josiah have been working the Succotash Hut together for the past three seasons, with Josiah daydreaming about the pretty girl who works at the Fudge Shoppe and Deja daydreaming about all of the snacks served at all the other stands throughout the patch. Grasped by the "last chance" feeling, the pair blows off work (something very off-character for the multiple MVPPP-winner Josiah) to track down the objects of their obsessions. This is a cute, heartwarming story that teaches a bit of a lesson about overlooking the obvious, drowned in autumnal flavors and flannel. I enjoyed it, though I'd probably like it more if I was a fan of pumpkins. Ah well, it was still cute and sweet and fun.

The City of Brass

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty, 532 pages

Nahri is a bit of a con artist in 18th-Century Cairo, albeit a con who has the power to heal people. But her con bites back when she accidentally summons a powerful djinn warrior named Dara and attracts the attention of the demonic ifrit. Soon, Dara is racing Nahri across the desert to the djinn city of Daevabad, where he hopes she can find some safety from the ifrit, and where Nahri hopes she can find out a bit about her healing ability. But tensions between different djinn tribes have made Daevabad a much trickier city than either Dara or Nahri expected. This was an intriguing tale of magic and politics, and I'm excited to hear what the Orcs & Aliens think of it at book group on Monday.

Lamb

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore, 444 pages

Those who are familiar with the Bible will generally admit that there's something of a gap in the gospels, leaving a large chunk of Christ's life unaccounted for. This hilarious novel takes a stab at filling that gap, as told through the eyes of Christ's foul-mouthed, womanizing, and generally unscrupulous best friend, Levi, who is called Biff. According to Biff (and Moore), at the age of 12, Josh (which is what Biff calls Christ) has no idea how he's supposed to be a messiah, so he and Biff seek out the three wise men who attended Josh's birth. If they knew that this kid was the messiah when he was born, perhaps they'd be able to tell him what to do now. What follows is a physical exploration of Asia — including the grand home of a magus, a Buddhist temple, and a poor village in India — and a theological trip through Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

This has long been one of my favorite books, but this time, I tried the audio version, read by actor Fisher Stevens. Stevens did a great job differentiating the voices and elevated the humor with his inflections. I highly recommend the book in either form, though be prepared for saltier language than you might expect in a "biography" of Jesus Christ.

Off the clock

Off the clock: feel less busy while getting more done / Laura Vanderkam, 244 pgs.

I always enjoy Vanderkam's books even if they don't take care of all my time management issues, there is always a gem or two that make reading worth while.  In this book I particularly liked the (my phrasing) "don't spend too much time deciding about stuff that you don't really care about anyway." Give yourself 5 minutes to look at reviews to pick a restaurant.  It doesn't have to be the perfect restaurant, and it isn't likely your last supper.  Just go eat and enjoy the company.  She also applied this to bigger purchases (and smaller).  If you know someone who is into cars and liked theirs, maybe just buy the same model.  They probably did the research so save your time.  If the car you drive is super important, by all means take your time.  For the many of us, we aren't that particular.  There are other good things here and she values your time by making it pretty short and sweet.

The Martha manual

The Martha Manual: how to do (almost) everything / Martha Stewart, 400 pgs.

Say what you want about Martha, but I'm taking her advice on a LOT of things.  Not a natural at any household task or party planning, she can take you through it all.  I checked this out and read a few pages each day.  Maybe some of the lessons will stick. 

Bunny

Bunny / Mona Awad, read by Sophie Amoss, 305 pgs.

A sublime story about a writing cohort at a fictional college.  Samantha doesn't fit in with her group, the titular bunnies.  They are all on the "same page," dressing alike and speaking alike.  They are from rich families and have great educations.  Samantha is a real outsider but is a little pleased in her second year, to get an invitation from the group.  Next thing, she is one of the gang.  They are dressing her and doing her hair.  She hardly recognizes herself. Her friend Ava accuses her of being in a cult.  Of course there is more to it.  No plot spoilers here.  I'll be honest, I probably only understood about half of this but I liked it.  Narrator Amoss does a great job of differentiating characters.

The Helpline

The Helpline / Katherine Collett, read by Jane U'Brien, 294 pgs.

Germaine isn't great with people and she doesn't need any friends.  She is really good at math and puzzles and stuff like that.  When she finds herself unemployed, she discovers senior mathematicians with no people skills aren't all that in demand.  She uses family connections to get a job at city hall answering calls on the Senior Citizens Helpline.  It is not a dream job but puts her in contact with the dashing national sudoku champion...a real celebrity to Germaine.  The mayor shows interest in her abilities and gives her a special project.  How can they close the beloved senior center and maybe sell that property for higher use?  Germaine works hard on the assignment but then thinks maybe it isn't really in the best interest to those who use the center,  a group that befriends her on accident.  Maybe friends can be a good thing?  Jane U'Brien does a marvelous job of capturing Germaine and the other characters with her excellent narration.

Girl on the block

Girl on the block: a true story of coming of age behind the counter / Jessica Wragg, read by Billie Fulford-Brown 245 pgs.

At 16, Jess applied for a job at a nearby farm shop and ended up in the butcher department.  At first she was a little put off by it but then decided to learn all that she could.  In addition to the personal story of her development in the butcher trade, she tells us about the history of the meat industry taking us to modern practices.  Like may "foodie" memoirs but also not like them because this is a deeply different perspective from those who cook or "create" meals.  Interesting reading especially for the foodies among us.

Freakonomics

Freakonomics: a Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything / Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, read by Stephen J. Dubner, 242 pages

Asks and answers a series of questions: If drug dealers make so much money, why do most of them live with their mothers? and How is the Ku Klux Klan like a group of real-estate agents? among many others whose answers can be gleaned from some original thinking and a lot of data.  Fun, fast, and smart, and ably read by Dubner.

Big Little Lies

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (2014) 458 pages

Early on we learn that there has been a death at a grade school trivia night fundraiser. The police are investigating it as a murder. Then the story shifts back in time six months to when Jane, a young single mother new to the area meets Madeline, a mother of a teenager and two grade school children, and Celeste, the quiet, elegant mother of twins, married to an extremely rich man. The parents of the school's children become divided over an incident during the kindergarten orientation, in which a child, Ziggy, is accused of hurting the daughter of a rich, influential parent. Madeline and Celeste side with Jane (Ziggy's mother) while the other side starts a petition to oust Ziggy from the school. Ziggy is a sweet child, but he refuses to talk about the incident, which has his mother wondering about whether he might indeed be responsible.

Meanwhile, all sorts of other things are happening: Madeline's teenage daughter is keeping Madeline's emotions all over the place. We learn about how Jane became pregnant and why Ziggy's father is not in his life. Most prominently is a deep look into the abusive relationship between Celeste and her husband as they continue to outwardly portray the perfect couple.

As I read, I couldn't help but obsess about the murder, with so many unknowns. The points of view from several different people who attended the trivia night are inserted at the end of many of the chapters, reminding me of the interview style used in the TV show The Office. By seeing their statements, we have clues‒but not nearly enough‒about who didn't die. But who DID die?! Very fast-paced book, entertaining even though it deals with serious subjects. I can see why this book was chosen for the HBO miniseries with its likable characters (as well as unlikable ones), mystery and intrigues.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne  240 pp.

I don't usually select audiobooks solely on the basis of who is reading it, but in this case I did because Tim Curry. I never read this classic Verne story but have seen the 1959 film starring James Mason as Professor Lidenbrock and Pat Boone as his nephew, who in the book, narrates the story. After finding an ancient Norse manuscript the professor is convinced that there is a direct route to the Earth's center via an Icelandic volcano. He plans an expedition, to the objections his nephew, Axel. They travel to Iceland and with the help of a guide undertake their underground adventure where their lives a frequently in jeopardy. The book was first published in installments in the early 1870s and the scientific knowledge of that era is obvious. However, the descriptions of the different geologic layers are quite accurate (if I remember my college geology as well as I think I do). I enjoyed it in spite of its age. And an added plus is it fills a vacant title spot in my A to Z title challenge.

Best Friends

Best Friends by Shannon Hale, art by LeUyen Pham, 239 pages

In this follow-up to their Real Friends graphic novel/memoir, young Shannon is now in sixth grade and is dealing with all of the confusion of growing up: her friends are starting to notice boys and are less interested in her games of make-believe; the rules at home prevent her from keeping up with the trendy music and TV shows; and the rules of what's cool and what's not keep shifting. Oh, and Shannon's anxiety seems to be ramping up as she gets older.

This is a wonderful, incredibly real look at what it's like to be a kid. I feel like every kid, and every parent should read this, if only to understand that those experiences are universal. And I really hope Hale and Pham continue this series — it brings so much comfort, even for those of us looking back at our own experiences.

An Elephant in the Garden

An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo  199 pp.

This is the first book for the new season of my Treehouse Book Club. It's the story of a family of refugees and their companion, a Canadian airman, from the bombing of Dresden near the end of World War II. What makes this story a bit different is the presence of a friendly elephant, once a resident of the Dresden Zoo, who travels with the family. The mother, a zoo employee, rescues the elephant from certain death when the animals were slotted for death to prevent their escape if the city was bombed. The story is told by the oldest daughter who, as an old woman, becomes a patient in a nursing home. Keeping the secret of the airman's identity while he aids the family in their escape adds tension to the story. Morpurgo, author of War Horse, created this novel after hearing a true story about a zookeeper in Northern Ireland who saved an elephant from the zoo during WWII.

Kopp Sisters on the March

Kopp Sisters on the March by Amy Stewart, 355 pages

In this fifth book in the Kopp Sisters series, Stewart sends the indomitable former sheriff's deputy Constance Kopp and her sisters to a National Service School for patriotic women intent on helping out in the upcoming Great War. While there, the Kopp sisters cross paths with a young woman who's living under an assumed name and running from a scandalous past.

While Stewart admits in her historical notes at the end that she diverges from the historical truth more in this book than in any of the previous Kopp Sisters novels (yes, Constance Kopp and her sisters, and many of their travails, are real), the scandalous young woman, the National Service Schools, and so many of the minor characters in this novel are firmly based in history. I love this series, and the excellent women at the center of it.