More Weight: A Salem Story

More Weight: A Salem Story by Ben Wickey (2025) 532 pages 

I loved the in depth history, mostly in black and white, of the 1692 events. So much more disturbing than Arthur Miller's version of events in The Crucible. The focus on Giles and Martha Corey works well. I also appreciated poets Longfellow and Hawthorne's tour of Salem in the 1860s. It goes in an otherworldly direction, which seems odd, until you realize that this part has been a ghost story all along. The two parts connect because Longfellow had written a play about the Salem Witch Trials focusing on the Coreys and Hawthorne is related to one of the judges with his family living in the Salem area for generations. The Intro and Outro about the aftermath of the witch trials leading to modern day Salem is super dense with litigation from mishandled justice, politics, consumerism, and ongoing fictions and frauds. So much fascinating educational material. It took longer to complete than I expected, but I'm glad I stayed with it.

The story of more

The story of more: how we got to climate change and where we go from here / Hope Jahren, read by the author, 208 pgs.

What are the facts about climate change?  Is it even a thing?  No seriously, how do we know? Why don't you let Hope Jahren tell you all about it. The facts are here, the research is here and the writing is excellent.  Jahren tells the earths story as well as the story of her time on earth.  Wonderfully personal and an effective way to tell the story.  What are you doing to save the earth and save us all?

Holidays on Ice

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris  166 pp.

David Sedaris launches a humorous attack on the holiday season with tales of time spent as a Macy's elf, a horrifying "keeping up with the Joneses" story of competing neighbors, a hilarious review of multiple school Christmas pageants, an annual holiday letter gone wrong, the problems of explaining American holidays to foreigners, and much more. Much to laugh out loud at while retaining thoughtful critiques on the madness of the holiday season.

You too can have a body like mine

You too can have a body like mine / Alexandra Kleeman 283 pgs.

Not an easy book to summarize, I can say that there are many issues that are featured including consumerism, body image, roommate relationships and disappearing dads.  The dads are disappearing then reappearing a town or 2 away with no memory of their previous family but often living with a new one.

B is A's roommate, C if A's boyfriend.  Both relationships are a little fraught.  A seems in love with C but they mostly spend time together watching TV, porn or having sex.  B is slowly becoming A by cutting her hair in the same style and using A's make-up.  She is a bit needy and always wants to know where A is spending her time and what she is doing.

Kandy Kakes is a product that is often being advertised throughout the book while A is watching TV or grocery shopping.  However, there is a shortage of Kakes when it becomes apparent that someone is emptying all the boxes before they are delivered. A ends up in a cult-like religion that exclusively consumes Kandy Kakes.

Why is any of this important to the story?  I'm not sure I know the answer. This was certainly a unique book and I'm still trying to decide what to think about it.

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