Reading still continues to take a back seat to other hobbies and for the past couple of months I’ve been dealing with some health issues. I will note that I’ve read 7 books in the month since my last update so maybe I’m getting back to normal. I’m not sure where I’ll wind up, but I don’t imagine it will be anywhere near 100.
Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar is a memoir about growing up in a famous TV family and all the difficulties and tribulations that ensued when Ms Duggar married and tried to break off from her father’s household to establish her own family with her new husband. My wife is a fan of the TLC shows Nineteen Kinds and Counting and Counting On which feature the Duggar family so I’ve seen quite a lot of it by “osmosis”. I was interested enough to read the book which it must said, holds no surprises for anyone familiar with the show who isn’t part of the Duggar’s religious group. Members of that group may be surprised by some of the behind-the-scenes machinations, but perhaps not.
The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, A War Story, A Love Story by Mark Helprin is the latest book from one of my favorite authors. The basic plot involves a highly decorated and accomplished US Navy Captain (O-6 on the O-7 List) speaking truth to power in the form of an ill-informed but vindictive POTUS and suffering the consequences by being assigned to command a tiny patrol vessel just being built in New Orleans (where the “Love Story” of the title takes place). When a war breaks out in the Middle East things go pear-shaped rather quickly. If you like Helprin’s previous books, you’ll probably enjoy this one, although it isn’t his best work. If you don’t like Helprin, avoid this. If you’ve never read any Helprin, this isn’t the place to start, for that I recommend Refiner’s Fire or Soldier of the Great War.
The Tour by Jean Grainger was a pleasant little page turner about a group of American tourists on a package tour of Ireland. Each of the tourists has a particular issue all of which are deftly sorted before the end of the book by Connor, their friendly Irish tour guide. It was cute and engaging if not great literature.
The Eighth Continent by Rhett C. Bruno & Felix R. Savage was a pedestrian little space opera involving evil corporations attempting to exploit the moon thwarted by a misfit ne’er-do-well employee. You can skip this one (and the even more pedestrian sequel).
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard is an account of Teddy’s Amazon expedition after losing the 1912 election. First off, the author is an excellent writer. Throughout the book her descriptiveness, pacing, and detailed background was simply outstanding. Not only was the narrative enthralling (I stayed up past 1:30am one night to finish it!) but I learned an incredible amount not just about TR, but about Brazil, and the eco-system of the Amazon basin. I was fascinated by how the trip evolved from a slightly more strenuous tour to a life-threatening expedition of hardship which seems to have happened without anyone really stopping to think and take-stock. I had no idea that Teddy was capable of being so, well half-assed, is the term I’d use. MS Millard’s description of how evolution shaped the rain forest to the detriment of the expedition was fascinating and I was very impressed with how deftly she inserted it without damaging the flow of the narrative. I was also fascinated by the account of COL Rondon, who I had never heard of, and his efforts to open up the interior of Brazil. I had no idea there was so much unknown in the world even as late as 1913/14. I can’t recommend this highly enough and I came away with both a new respect for TR and a better sense of his foibles as well.
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez is the sequel to The Friend Zone which I read this past summer. As with that book, this one was an engaging rom-com, but this one had a bit of a dark overlay since it started with a widow and involved some fairly serious challenges for the couple.
A Night at the Tropicana by Chanel Cleeton was a charming little book about a Cuban-American doctor reflecting on her attendance, as a 15 year old girl, at the opening of the famous Tropicana hotel and nightclub in Havana in 1939. Of course she meets, falls in love, and loses a tall, dark, handsome stranger. The book was quite enjoyable and I’ll keep an eye out for more from Ms Cleeton.
67 for the year.
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