I hadn't been reading much in the past years for various reasons but the online political commrntator Liz Wheeler had a good suggestion; she sets herself a target of reading thirty books in a year so I decided to adopt the same goal which ironically necessitated quitting keeping up with ehr show. I have a huge pile of unread books that I own and which I periodically add to so I thought I would start there - some of these are older and some are not even the type I would collect today but I will declare it good to expand your universe of literary knowledge.
I just about scraped over the line with thirty. After a fast start I limped to the end as I was out of country for a few weeks in the middle of the year which broke my routine and I failed to make enough time. We'll see what we can accomplish next year - There a few other things I need to take care of first before sitting down and dedicating myself to reading again but the shleves here in the dojo have already been repopulated as you can see below...
The thirty books I read and some brief thoughts on each after the jump.
This was a decent story but one that never truly rose above diverting. Kathryn Telman (who I pictured in my head as resembling Penny Mordaunt when she was first elected to parliament) is a junior executive in a shadowy NGO known as "The Business" which has interests and investments in all corners of the globe going back centuries. She happens upon and begins to unravel a conspiracy that ultimately is not so unbelievable but perhaps a little underwhelming as a result for the high concept setting. I thought the ending was fairly satisfactory though - it made a kind of sense, at least to me.
Feinstein writes about his season covering the Baltimore Ravens in 2004. Most of the kinds of stories he tells will be familiar to veteran NFL fans especially given the proliferation of sports media online. I find the format used here and a few other football books I've read of one chapter = one game does not flow quite so well from a narrative perspective but it's still an interesting insight. One amusing aspect is I get the sense Feinstein did not think too much of the famously braggadocios then head coach Brian Billick who was never quite able to recapture the magic of the Super Bowl winning season of 2000 and after being fired following the 2007 season, never landed another NFL job.
This book was given (loaned?) to me several years ago by someone as an example of a radical feminist author and oh boy, it comes across. I'm told at some point previously Tepper wasn't quite this bad but this is not a great book. It started well with artful, evocative prose and a great concept but the left-wing politics are extremely heavy handed as various hostile alien races land on Earth having decided to conquer the planet and either enslave the inhabitants or consume them whole, spearheaded by the most dangerous tribe of them all - Republicans, including a villainous character possibly based on real-life philandering senator Pete Domenici. Screeds against the lumber industry, pro-lifers and organized religion are also inserted in a mess that held so much potential.
The structure of this compendium is not so well organized and it largely ends up focusing on interactions between natives and settlers and colonialists where the typical academic agenda is brought to bear in guiding the accounts chosen. In that way it gives short shrift to both the rich untold history of the native tribes and the pioneers attempting to tame a wild and hostile environment.
This is a collection of essays written on various works of Joss Whedon - pre his cancellation of course as this was released over ten years ago. It's a mixed bag - along with reviving for me memories of some of the finest and most impactful television I've watched, there are also attempt to polish various turds including late stage Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dollhouse. Inevitably there are also pieces written by the usual post-modernist intersectional deconstructionists that had me rolling my eyes - this will be for hardcore Whedonites only, if there are any left.,
Weir is one of the finer historians and she ends up writing this novel, based on the life of a young Elizabeth Tudor before she becomes Queen Elizabeth I, rather in the style of a history textbook a events are referenced and dealt with almost as though they are on a checklist. As someone interested in history just generally, I still found it an entertaining and informative read but it would not be mistaken for a classic of fiction.
The other Queen would be mary Queen of Scots, serving me as a sequel of sorts to the lady Elizabeth. Gregory adopts the trope of chapters written from a core of different perspectives and uses it effectively as Mary works her wiles in her attempts to escape her internment in England and return to her throne. It's not as breezy a read as The Lady Elizabeth but perhaps better conceived and constructed.
O'Reily dedicates a chapter to each of manyvarious sports and pastimes of note in Australia including the big five of Rugby Union, Rugby league, Soccer, Cricket and Aussie Rules. It's a fun and light primer for non-Australians although MMA is conspicuously absent - even though the likes of Mark Hunt and Robert Whittaker were already established and Holly Holm had knocked out Ronda Rousey in Melbourne.
Morris writes a short novel about Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor which you could easily envision on screen - indeed he credits himself with pioneering the "timey-wimey" devices that would become a staple of the modern television series as the Doctor returns to the same place multiple times out of sequence. His companion for this adventure is Romana, the forgotten Time Lord. I've always thought it a more than a mistake - a disrespectful waste by New Who to regenerate the Master and the Doctor into women when characters like Romana and the Rani existed, ready to be revived and reimagined.
A collection of short stories about various patron saints in the Catholic faith, some historical, some apocryphal and some likely entirely fictional. Of particular note to me as someone less than familiar with most of the stories was Saint Vladimir, the warlord who founded Kievan Rus in what would become modern day Ukraine. Vladimir was shopping for an organized religion likely primarily for political reasons but also to serve as a basis for civil society. After rejecting Islam because he didn't want to give up alcohol and Judaism as he did not want to adhere to kosher rules, he chose Christianity and became one of its greatest and most diligent champions in the region.
This of course became a very fine movie starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort and it's a quick read - I finished the book in a day. I guess it really was meant more for young adults than someone like me - I was not too impressed. I will say that as I read the book, although the main character of Hazel Grace is not religious, I got the distinct impression that the writer was indeed a believer in Christ - later confirmed as John Green is an Episcopalian Christian.
I used to listen to Colin Cowherd daily and he would frequently reference this book for the revelation that former tennis great Agassi was a crystal meth user for a short time during his career which blew his mind. It's an entertaining autobiography to read and Agassi has certainly had his share of adventures, dizzying heights and cratering lows but as much as he claims to take accountability for his own actions, there sure is a whole lot of passive buck passing, for instance in the way he implies his ex-wife Brooke Shields to be frivolous and uncommitted. But it's particularly notable in the way he talks about Pete Sampras who definitively came out on top of rivalry - while Agassi pretends to accept this he takes the sour grapiest swipe at him in relating the story of how Sampras apparently stiffed a valet on a tip. These kinds of cheap shots make "Open" a fun read but inherently unreliable.
This is the second book in the First Law trilogy, the first being "The Blade Itself". It had been a few years since I read that book which had been recommended to me after reading the Song of Ice and Fire series. While The Blade Itself establishes the characters and setting, Before They Are Hanged unites the threads and sends them journeying. It's a good read, full of action and intrigue and the world is rich and professionally built. I will touch on some of the complaints I have with this series a little later but this is a solid entry, though I am at odds with the literary critics and fandom at large in not really feeling Glokta - as one of the plot strands revolves solely around him I am left liking but not loving two-thirds of the story.
No joke, I found this book outside - someone had left it out for people to take like you'd leave an old fridge or sofa. It's probably the only way I would have got it because I wouldn't want any more of my hard earned money ending up in her pocket than needs to be. Hard Choices covers Clinton's time as Secretary of State in the Obama administration and was released in anticipation of her failed run for president in 2016. Not that many will admit it but it was apparently a commercial failure though that's not uncommon for this genre of political book. I stopped counting the lies and distortions after about two chapters as she careens from one international debacle to another passing them off as great applications of geopolitical realism - if her handling of the Arab Spring, Benghazi, the blind dissident and countless others are considered ideal preparation for the most powerful position in the world, it's no wonder neo-liberalism is increasingly seen as a big joke.
Although Card is largely shunned by the online literary community for his religious views and position on same sex marriage but there's no doubt that since writing Ender's Game in 1985 he has tinkered with and retconned the lore in ways that are designed to appeal to modern audiences and reflect the world we live in today. "First Meetings" then is a little bit of a throwback as it tells a series of short stories, a couple about the backgrounds of Ender Wiggins's parents, both coming from religious backgrounds in a familiar future where religion is cast as an archaic hindrance to progress. None of them really recapture the breathtaking depth of wonder of Ender's Game however, including the republished 1977 original story that would be reworked into his seminal novel.
It's kind of incredible that someone was able to convince OJ Simpson to allow a ghostwriter to pen this book which tells the story of how he (would have if it were actually him and not the real killers who he is still on the hunt for) murdered his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her acquaintance Ron Goldman. The Goldman family sued to block the release and after a judgement awarded them the rights to the manuscript, they released it in this form as a written confession. Even at that, it's incredible to read Simpson's account playing down and trivializing the abuse he subjected Brown to. I talked about Hillary Clinton's "Hard Choices" being full of crap but that is mostly a lot of standard aloof, elitist political BS. "(If) I Did It" is full of malicious lies intended to deceive, equivocate and justify a brutal, premeditated murder and that makes it a tough read that doesn't leave you feeling great about the state of the world.
I never watched Twin Peaks so I'm not entirely why I have this book but it's fairly short so I read it. In the show, Laura Palmer's murder serves as the central mystery that precipitates the events ofd the series and this book written by the daughter of co-creator and director David Lynch acts as a prequel. There's just a whole lot of underage sex and delinquency which is pretty horrifying to read. Would not recommend.
I loved Lewis's sports books "Moneyball" and "The Blind Side" so I thought I would check out his book about the 2008 financial crisis which was also made into a successful movie. Not being particularly literate in high finance made this a much harder read to the point of incomprehensibility in places. I didn't feel he took the time to properly explain several key concepts before plowing on with describing the maneuvering of the key players - but it's more likely I just didn't get it.
The third and final book in the First Law trilogy is a triumph of story telling beginning with the twist and coronation for which the groundwork was laid in the previous books and culminating with a spectacular final battle with thrills and resolutions all along the road. The ending, the very end in the way it mirrors the very start was so perfect as to make me want to stand and applause.
There are two major problems I have with the series as a whole however. The first is the modernism which has crept into so many of these stories epitomized by the use of real life swear words - liberal swearing is often used a crutch by writers attempting to seem casual and cavalier and in medieval fantasy stories like this it is jarring and disconnecting. The second is that it's 2022 - or now 2023 and the last twenty years have seen a conveyor belt of deconstructionist stories where heroes and protagonists have been "difficult men" or outright villains struggling in a grimdark world of political realism and ambiguity. I'm just past the mood for a story like this where [spoilers] the great Bayaz is a malevolent manipulator who appoints Jezal as a puppet king and dashes to the pieces the good intentions and development Jezal has made over the course of three otherwise outstanding books. [/spoilers] Good marks to the First Law trilogy for intricate writing and plotting but I'm not tempted to seek out any of the other stories from this universe - I'm ready for something more traditional.
This biography of Claudio Ranieri was written in the wake of his stunning achievement leading Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2015/16 and as a result is necessarily hagiographic. I always enjoy sports stories and this is no exception but it rather fluff-filled. Ranieri had many failures and they are mostly glossed over or excused. It is what it is.
A science fiction novel about the attempts of various Chinese scientists to unravel the three body problem - a theoretical quandary relating to the interaction of three celestial bodies, in this case a planet with two suns, Liu's effort was the first Chinese novel to win the Hugo award and is by turns unnecessarily complex, wildly inventive and surprisingly compelling. A twist that occurs later in the novel is well grounded with clues leading up to it and as the first book in a series does an effective job of establishing the setting and stakes. I will say though, the Three Body Problem game the characters play online sounds phenomenally slow boring - I struggled to believe it would actually be popular enough to drive the narrative. A television series is being developed for Netflix and I recommend extreme apprehension of it.
Stonewalled is the account of former CBS journalist Attkisson's attempt to investigate and report on the Obama administration through various scandals. A word that became popular among the online left earlier in the decade is "gaslighting" in reference to a movie where a man would dim the gas lights in his home and when his wife noticed, he would deny it and suggest it was just her imagination. A similar tactic was deployed against Attkisson who was spied on by the NSA, likely at the direction of the administration which was used to uncritical media coverage and did not appreciate her probing. You get the feeling it drove her a little crazy in subsequent years as she goes hunting for unicorns under every conspiracy rock but the stories she tells in Stonewalled are or all more or less generally acknowledged as true nowadays and make for a revealing look at the political process and the complicity of corporate media in covering only what they're given and covering up the rest.
A sequel to the Black Dahlia and a forerunner of LA Confidential, The Big Nowhere is a fantastic noir detective novel in the same mold, featuring Ellroy's instantly recognizable and absorbing style. Three detectives investigate a series of murders in corrupt, crime-infested post-war Los Angeles as Hollywood, criminal gangs, communists and the gay subculture are all weaved into a narrative atmosphere that forces you to continue turning the page as the pressure builds on our protagonists, all compromised in their own ways. The best novel I read last year.
Jordan's autobiography details his rise from self starting magnate to owner of Crystal Palace, the football club he supported as a boy. It is told in his signature unabashed style and similar to Andre Agassi's book, you're left wondering what exactly he's truly prepared to accept fault or responsibility - but it too is a good story his and confident, unapologetic manner earns respect rather than pity.
Didn't like this one too much. In this novel, the Greek gods are depicted as feckless immortals crammed together in a London townhouse with Appolo and Artemis taking center stage in this story as they become entangled in the lives of two regular folk with lethal consequences. That sounds like it should be great but the tone is dreary and trivializes the existence of all involved - an intentional choice to portray the mundanity of life as a god in the modern era and the emptiness of atheism - but it led to me as a reader being rather nonplussed as to whether any of the characters would survive or get their happy ending. At the end it feels as though no lessons have been learned capping the nihilism of this story.
The unofficial, unauthorized biography of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard released in 1987 is best book I read in 2022. Assuming all or even just enough parts of it are true (and certainly they seem more true than the official Scientology endorsed version) it tells of an extraordinary life as Hubbard traverses and transcends eras and professions eventually cementing his name in infamy. Miller's way of storytelling is warm, funny and ironic and makes for a very satisfying read. Hubbard's lies, hubris and force of nature personality that lead to a cult following with both supporters and detractors believing him to be some kind of great mastermind as he devolves to meandering the ocean while on the run in his Sea Org days invites comparisons to a certain former President. If anyone in the entertainment industry would ever have the guts to adapt this book and do it right, that would be a sight to behold.
Many of the first adult novels I read were by Dick Francis, Felix's father, crime stories always with a connection to the world of horse racing (Dick was former jockey) and Gamble follows that successful formula. Formula is the key word - there's something a little predictable and not wholly satisfying about it - I think the cliché would be that it's a good one to read by the side of the pool.
You can't go wrong relating the classics - this is an effective compilation and recitation of the myths and stories that form the basis of a lot of Wesdtern canon and is a good primer for those who want to refresh their knowledge or add a little depth.
This was given (loaned?) to me by a former colleague I haven't seen in at least a decade so it was about high time. This novel has generated its share of controversy over the years one aspect being its apparently inaccurate, some would say, offensive depiction of geishas - but in fairness the author, a white American man, has not been selling it as a an actual memoir - unlike another similar writer we may get to some day soon. The story is pretty good, entertaining to read as it tracks the story of Sayuri, a girl from a fishing village sold into servitude by her father as she learns the arts necessary to become a geisha and entertain businessmen and other notables in pre and post-war Kyoto. Considering the story begins as a tragedy though, some plot threads wrap up just a little too perfectly and don't leave a satisfying aftertaste including the ending - even if the alternative may have been crushing. It's worth a read if you're willing to go the extra yard and find the real stories and customs distorted for the sake of the plot.
Master historian Andrew Roberts tells the story of Napoleon Bonaparte, the post-revolution Emperor of France in painstaking totality in this all conquering doorstopper. The font is tiny and hurt my eyes and it's a little difficult to get into at first as you're submerged in a confusing sea of names, places, institutions and constitutions. But like all great epics, it gathers steam and all the added detail serves to animate the world as it was for the reader. This is a must have for history lovers - it is not the easiest going and may take some time to digest though.
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