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March in Review

3/31/2020

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March has been the longest month!  With the COVID-19 Pandemic, the shutting of stores and schools, all of my travels plans put on hold, and having to play teacher to my kids throughout the week while still holding down a job...it is no wonder I am looking like Grizzly Adams and feeling 10 years older!  In all seriousness I do wish everyone of you health and happiness during this unprecedented time.  

One high note of this past month: my daughter got cast in her first film, albeit a featured extra role. She was so excited and was able to work one day on the film.  I cannot expose the name of the film yet, but I can say it is a Hollywood feature being shot in Austin. Very proud of her!

With regards to the books I managed to read 5 total.  3 of of them National Book Award winners. And 1 of them a gift from a former co-worker.  Selections by Stone, Doerr, Doctorow, Doerr, and Hemingway.  All in all pretty good. 
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National Book Award - 1975
Dog Soldiers by Robert Stone
Signed First Printing
​****

Been excited about reading this one for awhile now, and it did not disappoint.  War, drugs, couter-culture, violence, fully-rounded characters, and perhaps a lesson hidden here and there.  More amazing than the depth and readability of this novel is the fact that this was Stone's first!  Highly recommend. 
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National Book Award - 1984
Stones For Ibarra by Harriet Doerr
First Printing
​***

I enjoy subtlety and classically-enriched works, and Stones has both of these qualities. Yet not without flaws. This novel, which is more like a collection of intertwined short stories, reminds me of works by Maugham, Naipaul, and Haruf. Full of delightful landscapes and interesting characters. The main character in this novel however has to be the village town of Ibarra, Mexico. The place that a middle-aged married couple decides to move, in order for the husband to re-open his grandfather's mine. It is a 'nice' story, yet boring at times. 
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National Book Award - 1986
World's Fair by E.L. Doctorow
Signed First Printing
****

I so enjoy Doctorow's poetic, historical, enriched novels! With this one he takes his readers into the heart of New York City during the tumultuous 1930's.  Seen through the eyes of a young boy, we get to experience life as a Jewish-American, suffer from the Great Depression, witness the promising future by seeing the Hidenburg fly over his home and the splendor and awe-spectacular World's Fair. A wonderful story indeed!
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The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr
First Printing
​****

I became hooked on Anthony Doerr when I picked up his novel About Grace. This was before his Pulitzer winner: All The Light We Cannot See. His style is beautiful and truly all his own. Reading him is like cutting through butter with a hot knife.  

​In this collection of short stories, my favorites are:  "The Shell Collector", "The Hunter's Wife", and "The Caretaker". Highly recommend! 
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Bacchanalia by John Hemingway
Signed First Printing
​**

A former co-worker of mine is a friend of John Hemingway and he gifted me this novel. Yes, the author is related to Ernest Hemingway...grandson to be exact. This is a raucous story of Pamplona: bullfighting, bull-runs, drinking, eating, partying, and debauchery. Did I mention drinking and debauchery? It is a fun story at times yet very repetitive and sophomoric. Need an escape, especially during this quarantine, Bacchanalia is not a bad read.     
What did you read in March?
What are you currently reading?
Anything you recommend?

Thank you and don't forget to check out my Goodreads Page!​
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February in Review

2/29/2020

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​February brought a lot of exciting things!  Rodeo is a big thing in San Antonio this time of year. My wife and I, along with a few friends, saw Carly Pearce and Michael Ray (Country Music acts) perform after the bull riding and other rodeo events...always a great time!  I had a few auditions and got cast in a short film which is filming as I finish this blog post...more news to come on this next month...very excited about this film and the role I get to play!  And work took me back to Hawaii which was a change of pace after not having to travel for close to 3 months.   

With all this busyness I was still able to read a total of 4 books, most of them award winning selections: from Eugenides, DeWitt, Roth, and Updike.  All pretty good.  
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Pulitzer Prize for Fiction - 2003
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Signed First Printing
****

What a fascinating, informative, exquisite, riveting novel! I am so glad this novel wound up being much more than I expected.  The exploration of the 'third sex' if you will taken to new boundaries, expanding several generations and customs and social settings.  Very enlightening. And Eugenides is indeed a force to be reckon with!
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Undermajordomo Minor by Patrick DeWitt
First Printing
***

I thoroughly enjoy DeWitt's humor, yet I don't think it really shined all that much with this novel. Set in a village where a lazy momma's boy takes a job as an assistant to a majordomo at a creepy castle. The castle's namesake is more than distraught about a lost love and the protagonist winds up helping him, but perhaps it wasn't the good thing that he did. Tones of Christopher Moore and Cervantes, but this book just didn't soar for me.  
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National Book Award - 1960
Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth
Signed Later Printing
****

You should know by now I love me some Philip Roth.  Goodbye is his very first book he published. It shows in some areas, yet you can also see his brilliance, his literary stamp of genius throughout the novella and 5 accompanying short stories. Although I enjoyed the title story, my favorite was The Conversion of The Jews. About a young boy questioning his Jewish faith, it has the bite and charisma and silliness that many of Roth's later works encompass.  Absolutely recommend this book! 
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National Book Award - 1964
The Centaur by John Updike
First Printing
***

I have never been big on mythology, therefore it was no surprise that the modern re-telling of the centaur Chiron and of Prometheus did not do much for me. Boring most of the time. Chiron is a high school teacher and Prometheus is his teenage son. Both struggling with self-doubt. However, Caldwell (Chiron) should be described and prescribed as having a depression problem...instead of being half-horse half-man he is more like a half-Eeyore half-man...always moping and just a little tiring.  Although I like Updike's style most of the time this one just left me, meh.  
What did you read in February?
What are you currently reading?
Anything you recommend?

Thank you and don't forget to check out my Goodreads Page!​
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January 2020 in Review

1/31/2020

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​A new year is a new start, which oftentimes means doing something new, something different. Yet it can also mean getting back to your passion, doing something you once truly loved. As mentioned on the last post, I have jumped back into the Filmmaking Industry. Signed with a talent agency. Polishing up a dozen screenplays I had abandoned for way too long and began submitting a few to competitions and festivals.  And I am in pre-production on a short film I wrote and will direct. My 8-yr old daughter is also in the industry and she is beyond excited to see where it will take her.  

I only read two books this past month, albeit not small books. But still only two. Mainly due to the fact I have spent a lot of my 'reading-time' on writing instead. The two I read were phenomenal though! Selections by a couple of my favorites: Michener & Roth.

Without further adieu, here are the reviews... 
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Pulitzer Prize for Fiction - 1948
Tales Of The South Pacific by James Michener
Signed First Printing
*****

Michener is a writer's writer. Insanely gifted in being able to transport his readers anywhere he chooses to take them. With this book, of course we go to the South Pacific where we meet some very real characters and experience war time during WWII as if we were actually on the ground with or in the minds of these soldiers, nurses, and foreign servicemen. A collection of short stories, however all the stories subtly intertwine.  A brilliant book and a must read!
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Pulitzer Prize for Fiction - 1998
American Pastoral by Philip Roth
First Printing
****

I do love me some Roth.  I somehow always find myself immersed in the Jewishness of his plots and themes and characters. Very enriching and sometimes downright self-deprecating, especially since he actually puts himself into his storylines from time to time.
Being part of the Zuckerman series, we begin with the writer Zuckerman getting reacquainted with a few of his old school mates. The one schoolmate who everyone looked up to, including Zuckerman, was "Swede" Levov. Perfect specimen, athlete...seemed to have it all.   Zuckerman slowly pulls the cover off this facade and the real Levov is revealed. His real life. His struggles, especially the troubles with his own terroristic daughter. This novel takes down many roads, mostly through the 1960s; inside an older man fighting inner-demons, we learn of horrific anti-war crimes all done in peace, The upstart of the Weather Underground Organization, all the political turmoil, and so much more.
A wonderful wonderful novel by one of the best!  
What did you read in January?
What are you currently reading?
Anything you recommend?

Thank you and don't forget to check out my Goodreads Page!​
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2019 - 62 Books and 2 other Countries visited

12/31/2019

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Wait, I wasn’t supposed to read that many books?! Way beyond my goal (set at 40 once again). It was an enjoyable year in the books, and I thought I was a harsher critic compared to years past, however my average rating for the third year in a row was a 3.8 out of 5.  Total of 16,235 pages. 

My territory coverage with work changed, and changed significantly.  I still live in Texas, however I am now covering Japan, Korea, Guam, Hawaii, and Alaska.  Gone from home less frequently but obviously longer flights and having to stay a little longer than before (close to 150,000 miles flown this year alone). Perhaps this is why I only managed to attend one literary event this year: San Antonio Book Festival where I met the great Ben Fountain (writer of the National Book Critics Circle Award winning novel Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk). 

With regards to work, I traveled to Hawaii (6 times), Japan (twice), Korea (twice), San Jose, CA (twice), Raleigh, NC (twice), Alaska, Washington, DC, Las Vegas, NV, and Cincinnati, OH.  Related to vacations this year we kept it domestic: Napa Valley + San Francisco, Las Vegas for my father-in-law's birthday, Marfa, TX (artist community) for my father's birthday, Chicago, a few visits to the beach near Port Aransas, TX, and I flew the family out to Hawaii one week where they enjoyed the sun and beach while I worked a conference. 

Overall, 2019 was a wonderful and pivotal year. Health has been great. Kids are thriving in school (1st and 2nd grade), reading a few grades above and soaring at math!  Very proud of them.  Conor got into Karate (Tae Kwon Do) and is excelling at it...we plan to get him  engaged in team sports this coming year.  Caroline is now involved with cheerleading and tumbling.  She is also taking acting classes and recently signed on with a talent agent! My wife started her Real Estate career and her first home she was able to sell within a week!  And I have decided to make a change myself...for several years I was active in the filmmaking community (actor, writer, director), with about 20 films under my belt. The last 10 years I put that aside besides writing screenplays occasionally. Well, now I have decided to get back into it, having signed with a talent agent and currently in pre-production on a short film I wrote and will direct. More to come on this...but now on to the books shall we?!

Here are my top 10 books I read in 2019:
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My Top 10 Books of 2019 (listed in order of when I read them):
  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  • 4321 by Paul Auster  (My ultimate favorite!)
  • Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
  • The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro
  • Operation Shylock by Philip Roth
  • Child of God by Cormac McCarthy
  • In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
  • The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
  • The World According To Garp by John Irving
  • Islandborn by Junot Diaz
   *Interesting note about this top 10:  Most of these authors I collect all of their works, with the exceptions of Alice Walker, Truman Capote, & Howard Jacobson.

My least favorite book I read this year:
  • Call Me Zebra by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi (For the second year in a row, an award winning novel is listed as my least favorite.  Unfortunately, this one could quiet possibly be one of my least favorite books of all time as well!)

​A look at all the books I read in 2019, in one photo! 
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Here is the complete list of the books I read in 2019 and a rating for each (listed in order read):

The Color Purple by Alice Walker *****
4321 by Paul Auster *****
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury ****
Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon ****
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier *****
The Paperboy by Pete Dexter ****
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What Is The What by Dave Eggers  ****
Varina by Charles Frazier  ***
Life & Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee  ***
The Beach by Alex Garland  ****
About A Boy by Nick Hornby  ****
The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro  *****
The Vegetarian by Han Kang  ****
Angels by Denis Johnson  ****
A Gambler's Anatomy by Jonathan Lethem  ****
​Hear The Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami  ****
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Pinball, 1973 by Haruki Murakami ****
Wind / Pinball by Haruki Murakami  ****
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich  ****
The Mystic Masseur by V.S. Naipaul  ***
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk  **
Grimus by Salman Rushdie  **
Operation Shylock by Philip Roth  *****
Bay of Souls by Robert Stone  ***
The Little Friend by Donna Tartt  ****
The Great Swindle by Pierre Lemaitre  ****
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Of The Farm by John Updike  ****
Origin by Dan Brown  ***
Golden States by Michael Cunningham  ***
Welcome To Hard Times by E.L. Doctorow  ****
Watermark by Joseph Brodsky  ***
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill  ****
Child of God by Cormac McCarthy  *****
The Naive & Sentimental Lover by John Le Carre  ***
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote  *****
Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta  ****
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Mohawk by Richard Russo  ****
A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan  ***
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez  ****
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson  ****
Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi  ***
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie  ***
Call Me Zebra by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi  *
Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice  ****
The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani  ****
Drive Your Plow Over The Bones of The Dead by Olga Tokarczuk  ****
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The World According To Garp by John Irving  ****
20 Poems by Tomas Transtromer  ****
Bright Scythe by Tomas Transtromer  ****
The Bat by Jo Nesbo  ****
Whites by Norman Rush  ****
Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini  ****
Islandborn by Junot Diaz  *****
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra  ****
Emperor of The Air by Ethan Canin  ***
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong  ***
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Mary of Magdala by Paul Heyse ****
Facing Nature by John Updike ***
A Christmas Story by Katherine Ann Porter ****
Americana by John Updike ***
Not Cancelled Yet by John Updike ****
Endpoint by John Updike ****
Here are a few photos from our vacations and my business trips throughout 2019:
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Hope you all had a fantastic 2019 and I wish you all an even better 2020!

Thank you for being on this journey with me and see you all next decade!

Don't forget to check out my Goodreads Page!
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December in Review

12/30/2019

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December was a glorious month!  A lot of time spent with the family as work really slows down during this time.  We took a family vacation to Chicago, where we enjoyed Christmas markets, amazing food, art, culture, museums, and met some wonderful people. We hosted Christmas at our house again this year, a smaller gathering as my family was out of town visiting their other grandchildren in Dallas.  This is by far my favorite time of year!

I went out with a bang with regards to reading: a total of 9 books this month, selections from Marra, Canin, Vuong, Heyse, Updike, and Porter. 

Before we get to the books, here is our lovely Christmas card we sent out this year...
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Now on to the books...
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A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Signed First Printing
****

This was certainly not what I expected. Truth be told, I was not aware it is basically historical fiction (albeit not-too-far-in-the-distant-past).  I can't recall reading much about the Chechnya turmoil and the devastation it caused thousands upon thousands.  A father is ripped from his daughter, napped by Russian soldiers.  A neighbor decides to make it his mission to protect this young girl. We meet a talented female doctor. There is espionage, spies, war, grief, sadness, and a taste of humor. Loads of memorable characters. Marra is a gifted young writer, cannot wait to read more from him! 
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Emperor of The Air by Ethan Canin
Signed First Printing
***

On a whim I began collecting all of Canin's work. Though I have read much about him from his critics and elsewhere, this is the first book of his I read...and it is his very first book. A collection of short stories. Very Americana for the most part. A little bit of Rick Moody and a smidgen of Denis Johnson. This collection didn't blow me away, but I did enjoy most of the stories.
My favorites:  "Emperor of The Air", "The Year of Getting To Know Us", and "Star Food".
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On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Signed First Printing
***

I am a harsh critic when it comes to books that are given a lot of praise right out of the gate and ones that are long-listed or short-listed for literary prizes. Therefore I am giving this poetic novel a 3 instead of a 4. 
Ocean Vuong can absolutely write. After publishing several poems, this is his first novel. So of course, it is very poetic throughout and he somewhat plays with literary form and measures and techniques.  As the flap states, this is a letter to his mother, one in which she will never be able to read. It is about life and love...but really at the heart of it it is a romance. Good at times, but never great in my opinion.
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Nobel Prize for Literature - 1910
Mary of Magdala by Paul Heyse
First English Edition
****

This is a beautiful 5 act play which takes place in and around Jerusalem during Jesus' final days. We never hear from or necessarily see Jesus, as the main characters are the minor players within his day...Mary of Magdala, Rachel, and of course Judas.  Gloriously poetic and an easy smooth read. We get a real sense of Mary of Magdala's dilemmas, her loves and griefs.  Judas' wrenching decision and what his desires entailed.  I loved this one, and what a perfect time of year to read this too.
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Facing Nature by John Updike
First Printing
***


I have been methodically working my way through Updike's poetic works. Facing Nature is his 5th collection of poetry.  Not my favorite but enjoyable nonetheless.

My favorites:  "Spanish Sonnets", "An Oddly Lovely Day Alone", and "Light-Headed in Sweden".
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A Christmas Story by Katherine Anne Porter
Signed First Printing
****

Every Christmastime I read a book with the theme of Christmas, and this year was no exception. This is a simple tale of an aunt taking her niece shopping yet it has a nice moral; reminding us of what the true meaning of Christmas entails. Beautifully written and the epilogue nearly had me in tears. 
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Americana by John Updike
First Printing
***


This particular collection steers away from the light verse which put Updike on the poetry map (and what I like best of his) and instead focuses on nature and life.

My favorites:  "Americana", "Shinto", and "Song of Myself".
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Not Cancelled Yet by John Updike
First Printing
****


This is a limited release, a rare collection of his poetry. These poems can  be found in various magazines, and most (published posthumously) are in Endpoint, his last collection of poetry.  I am not sure how these were chosen, collected, and comprised, but I am glad they were...a very delightful assembly of poems.

My favorites:  "Levels of Air", "To a Well-Connected Mouse", and "Stolen".
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Endpoint by John Updike
First Printing
****


Ah, Updike's last collection of poems.  I really miss his wit, his sense of nature and man, and of course his unique style.  I thoroughly enjoyed Endpoint, as it was a great way to wrap up his career in poems. An assortment of light verse, sonnets, nature and personal poems.

My favorites: The poems that comprise the first section entitiled "Endpoint" and "Outliving One's Father".
What did you read in December?
What are you currently reading?
Anything you recommend?

Thank you and don't forget to check out my Goodreads Page!​
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November in Review

11/30/2019

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November was notably wonderful.  Enjoyed almost a week off of work around Thanksgiving.  We hosted again this year, which is always part craziness and part delight. Ate way too much and watched some great football...so pretty much a typical Thanksgiving around here.  I finished my work travel for the year, travel which took me back to Japan and Hawaii.  

With regards to the books I read, it was a 4 star kind of month..with one exception, a 5 star awarded to a Picture Book, nonetheless!  Selections by some of my favorite authors:  Irving, Transtromer, Nesbo, Rush, Hosseini, and Diaz. 

Here is a photo of my wife and I with our son enjoying the Thanksgiving Feast at his school.  He insisted I dress up as a Native American (and his mom a pilgrim).  They taught him and his class about the indigenous tribes and they played fun games. 
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Now, on to the books...
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The World According to Garp by John Irving
First Printing
****

John Irving is a master storyteller. A true shame this is only the second novel I have read of his (the first being A Prayer For Owen Meany).  We first meet Garp's mother, the eccentric and soon-to-be-accidentally-famous feminist, Jenny Fields.  Garp is an eccentric himself, altogether as unique and odd as his given full name, T.S. Garp. He becomes a great high school wrestler and shortly after decides he is meant to be a famous author, similar yet different from his mother (Jenny wrote an accidental manifesto for women-rights...a manifesto which spawned characters of all kinds to enter Jenny's and Garp's life in good and awful ways.  Irving really shines when it comes to the characters he creates, characters such as Ellen James and the cult-followers called the Jamesians...so realistic I actually embarked on some research).  Most of the novel is about Garp's eccentric life and his stories and novels he creates, along with the colorful people he is surrounded by.  Funny, heartfelt, and wonderful!
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Nobel Prize for Literature - 2011
20 Poems by Tomas Transtromer
First English Edition
****

I am slowly working my way through all of the Nobel Literature winners, and I have finally arrived at  one of the best poets of all time, Tomas Transtromer.  I am part Swedish, this might be a reason why his poems really spoke to me.  Poems filled with such beauty and imagery.  My favorites within this collection (from 1954 through 1970):  "Balakirev's Dream" and "Solitude". 
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Nobel Prize for Literature - 2011
Bright Scythe by Tomas Transtromer
First American Edition
****

This collection encompasses most of Transtromer's famous poems through his entire lifetime.  Some, of course, can be found in 20 Poems. Some of his poems can be strange and dark, yet they are all filled with such illustrious imagery.  My favorites within this collection:  "Baltics", "The Forgotten Captain", and "Sorrow Gondola No. 2". 
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The Bat by Jo Nesbo
Signed First British Edition
****

Perhaps it's some minuscule undiscovered element within  the Norwegian Sea which enables these Norwegian writers to write thrillers so well.  Whatever it is, bravo!  I read Nesbo's The Snowman years ago, not realizing at the time it was the 7th book in the Harry Hole series.  It provoked me to collect all of the books in the series and The Bat is the very first.  Where we meet Harry Hole and discover his backstory, his flaws, and his brilliance.  His post in Oslo sends him down to Australia to help solve a crime, a murder of a minor Norwegian celebrity.  We meet some interesting mates and goons and a mystery unravels.  A great novel and hell of a lot of fun to read!
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Whites by Norman Rush
Signed First Printing
****

Norman Rush is a superb writer, in the vein of V.S. Naipaul and Kent Haruf.  This is the 3rd book I have read of his and Whites is his first published work,  a collection of short stories.  Rush is a White-American who writes about Africa and its peoples, as well as the visitors of this great continent.  Whites is filled with stories of Bostwana, Bastwana people, local customs and rituals, and Foreign Service Officers and other outside visitors. 
My favorites:  "Bruns", "Near Pala", and "Alone In Africa".
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Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini
Signed First Printing
****

I have collected and read everything Hosseini has published.  My favorite, of course, being The Kite Runner. 

Sea Prayer is more of a letter to a son than an actual short story.  But it does not take away the brilliance and depth of beauty this short letter is filled with...not to mention the beautiful sketches that accompany the prose.  They are refugees on the run about to embark on a perilous sea journey.  I did choke up a little at the end, and I have no doubt that if there was more substance and length, a tear would have flowed down my cheek. 
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Islandborn by Junot Diaz
Signed First Printing
*****

5 stars for a picture book?  Sure, why not? Diaz is the writer of the acclaimed Pulitzer winning novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, so I already knew he could write.  However picture books are an altogether different genre. He was able to pack in so much beauty, sadness, warmth, and creativity inside this gloriously illustrated book. 
I read this book aloud to my 6-year-old son on Thanksgiving morning and afterwards we discussed how we are from many places and it is a wonderful thing we are all so different. 
Islandborn is about a young girl who can't quite remember where she emigrated from since she was too young at the time.  She finds a substitute for memories through the stories of others.  "Just because you don't remember a place doesn't mean it's not in you."   
What did you read in November?
What are you currently reading?
Anything you recommend?

Thank you and don't forget to check out my Goodreads Page!​
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October in Review

10/31/2019

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October was a spooktacularly wicked month, in a good way.  We participated in Fall Feasts at the kids' school and we watched my daughter cheer at the homecoming football game.  Cold weather finally arrived, which we welcome with open arms here in Texas.  And we are getting ready to go trick-or-treating tonight...my so is a Ninja and my daughter is Mal from the Disney show The Descendants...see photos below. Work-wise I only had to travel once, to Raleigh, North Carolina. 

October wound up being the month of female authors (not to mention authors with hard-to-pronounce-names).  Not planned, yet absolutely enjoyed.  Selections from Adichie, Van der Vliet Oloomi, Rice, Slimani, and Tokarczuk.

Ready for Halloween!
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Now on to the books...
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NBCCA - 2013
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
First Printing
***

This is a novel about immigration, and the effects on ones persona, psyche, and viewpoints. At times it was moving and gripping, at other times it crawled and slithered.  It is filled with philosophy, sociology, and adventure...but at the heart is a love story, an everlasting one.  As teenagers growing up in Nigeria, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love.  Soon after, they part ways, one to America to attend University and live a solid life and the other to London to live a dangerous undocumented life which marks his destination.  Through all of this we get a first-person point of view of what it is like to struggle with your identity as an immigrant, documented or not.  A good read.     
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PEN/Faulkner Award - 2019
Call Me Zebra by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi
Signed First Printing
*

Zebra (she gives herself this odd nickname) is a self-proclaimed anarchist, atheist, and autodidact. She is also very annoying.  She is "recrossing borders I have already crossed in order to map the literature of the void and prove...that thought worth preserving in our pitiable human record was manifested in the mind of an exile".  Starts out promising with her father and her having to escape Iraq and winding up in America.  After her father dies, she decides to trek back to where she came from, re-living the treacherous trek back 'home'.  However, nothing really happens and the whole novel is just frustrating as hell.  Do yourself a favor, and skip this one!
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Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice
Signed First Printing
****

I finally got around to reading this masterpiece.  And a masterpiece it is.  I put this up with there with  Shelly's Frankenstein (not quite on the level of Stoker's Dracula).  The first book in the Vampire Chronicles.  A fascinating and bloody tale of how one becomes and learns to live life as a vampire.  Louis is the main vampire who is telling his tale and we learn of his first 'master' Lestat and the young girl he is enchanted by name Claudia.  Other vampires (Lestat) show up later in his centuries-long journey.  One character trait of Louis I did find shocking is that of him being almost weak, enfeebled.  My favorite character by far was Claudia.  A wonderful Halloween read!
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Prix Goncourt - 2016
The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani
First American Edition
****

This one has been on my to-read shelf for some time now and I am glad I finally got to it.  A gripping, spine-chilling, horrifying subtle tale of a family entrusting a meek seemingly fragile nanny to their two young children.  I don't want to give anything away, therefore I won't say any more, other than Leila Slimani is an amazing writer and I am surely going to be checking out more of her books in the near future!
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Nobel Prize for Literature - 2018
Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
First American Edition
****

I read Flights, her book which won the Man Booker International Prize and I liked it but wasn't quite blown away.  After she recently was crowned the Nobel laureate, I had to read her latest.  This one nearly blew me away...it was so so good.  I could have read it in one sitting if it wasn't for my pesky job getting in the way.  The story takes place in a remote location in Poland where we meet an elderly seemingly sweet lady and a few of her neighbors and friends from the nearby village.  During the wintertime the place is mostly vacant shy of her and two of her neighbors.  This elderly lady is adamantly against hunting and the killing of animals, which most other neighbors take part in.   Peacefulness is suddenly interrupted by strange murders one-after-the-other. Could the murderers really be the animals within the area avenging the deaths of their fallen? Tokarczuk loves to blend a lot within her novels, and this one has a bit of astrology, philosophy (mostly Blake), and plenty of subtle suspense and crime.  A magnificent novel and a stupendous writer!
What did you read in October?
What are you currently reading?
Anything you recommend?

Thank you and don't forget to check out my Goodreads Page!​
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September in Review

9/30/2019

1 Comment

 
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September somehow flew by way too fast. Enjoyable month, but just over way too soon.  The most memorable event that occurred this past month, my daughter Caroline turned 8.  Unbelievable!  Only one work trip, back to Hawaii.  This time we were able to build in some fun.  I took a couple of my co-workers to a local Rum distillery: Ko Hana.  They make a delicious sippable all-natural Agricole Rum.  A must try. 

I managed to read 4 books, all award winners.  And from authors I have never read before. Selections from Egan, Nunez, Jacobson, and Alharthi.

Before we get to the books, here is a photo of the birthday girl, my beautiful daughter Caroline.
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Now on to the books...
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Pulitzer Prize for Fiction - 2011
NBCCA - 2010
A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Signed First Edition
***
Don't let the 3 stars fool you, Egan is a great writer.  This novel however, just didn't do it for me.  It starts out promising when we first meet Sasha, one of the two main protagonists.  She is a kleptomaniac, a New Yorker, and a former employee of the other main character, Bernie Salazar.  Bernie is an aging punk-rocker and successful record producer.  Believable characters, interesting quips, but way too circuitous and tortuous with no real reason for this format, in my opinion.  But as I said, Egan is a great writer and I look forward to reading her other work. 
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National Book Award - 2018
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
Signed First Edition
****
I have always liked dogs, however no one would ever truly label me as a dog lover.  After reading this poignant affecting novel right after losing our dog Charlie of 11 years, my affection for our canine brethren has certainly grown.  This story is not just about a dog.  It is a story about human friendship and love.  A woman suddenly loses her longtime friend, mentor, and possible love.  From this loss, she inherits his Great Dane.  A giant of a dog she must somehow keep inside her small NYC apartment.  She grows to love this dog as he alleviates some of her grief.  This is a powerful novel...a must read!
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Man Booker Prize - 2010
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
Signed First Printing
****
Perhaps I was Jewish in my previous life, because I do love Jewish authors, Jewish tales, and Jewish humor.  Within this novel we meet and spend lots of time with 3 men, 2 Jewish, and 1 want-to-be.  It is an exploration of what it means to be Jewish.  Libor Sevcik is an elderly retired professor.  His two students: Sam Finkler a well known philosopher, and Julian Treslove a former BBC radio announcer and non-Jew.  After spending a mournful evening together remembering Sevcik's and Finkler's wives, Treslove embarks on his journey home while it is nearing midnight.  This is when he is unexpectedly attacked, an anti-Semitic attack Treslove believes.  Although Treslove is not Jewish, nor does he or his friends believe he looks Jewish.  This begins a great internal and external journey where Treslove explores his Jewishness. Quirky characters.  Hilariously funny at times.  And very touching.  A great solid novel!
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Man Booker International Prize - 2019
Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi
Signed First UK Edition
***
More historical fiction than literary fiction, this is a novel of Oman.  A country in the Middle East most people - including myself - do not know much about.  Centered around 3 sisters and how they embrace life and marriage and love.  We learn a lot about Oman, how it evolves from a slave-owning society to a promising yet complex nation seeking it's own voice and identity.  Alharthi is a spectacular writer.  Poetic and beautiful at times.  However, most of the time, I hate to say, I was a little bored. 
What did you read in September?
What are you currently reading?
Anything you recommend?

Thank you and don't forget to check out my Goodreads Page!​
1 Comment

August in Review

8/30/2019

0 Comments

 
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August was an incredibly busy yet productive and fun month.  It marked the first of the fiscal year at work where we held our annual conference in Las Vegas.  We celebrated my father-in-law's birthday in Vegas the weekend before this conference.   Speaking of birthdays, I had a birthday (hint: I am now twice the legal drinking age...yikes!)  The second week of the month I was in Korea for business.  And my kids started back to school, 1st and 2nd grade. 

I managed to read a total of 4 books.  Each one interesting in their own way, all very different from one another.  Novels by Le Carre, Perrotta, and Russo.  And a Non-Fiction Novel by the stupendous Capote. 

Before we get to the books, here is a photo of my kids on their first day back to school...
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​Now on to the books...
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The Naive & Sentimental Lover by John Le Carre
First American Edition
***

This novel is a complete detour from all of his other works that are filled with governmental workers, spies, politicians, and villains.  The Naive is a love story, yet a very quirky one at that.  About a straight-laced successful man becoming enamored with a bohemian couple  and deciding to forego work and responsibilities and his own wife in order to prance around in Paris and other extravagant and seductive locales.  It was as if Le Carre and Henry Miller spent a scandalous week together consuming as much absinthe and hallucinogenic drugs as possible and afterwards Le Carre crawled home to his writing desk where he wrote this twisted stream-of-consciousness tale.  It was messy at times.  Overall, a tad above average at best.    
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In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
First Edition
*****

Capote is a master of the pen.  I am embarrassed to say this was the first time I have read this book.  It is grim and insightful and rich...rich with characters and stories-within-stories and scenery...and life and death!  This is a non-fiction novel, therefore everything in this book actually took place.  Most of the quotes are to a 'T'.  Capote did extensive research and it shows through his brilliant re-telling.  A family of 4 is gruesomely murdered, seemingly for no reason whatsoever. A true scene of macabre. A hunt of the killer or killers ensues.  Capote then takes us into the minds and shoes of the killers themselves...the why, the how...breaking down their lives and psyches.  A gripping tale for sure...you never want to stop reading!      
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Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta
Signed First Printing
****

I enjoy a Tom Perrotta novel or short story.  His characters are always full of life and flaws.  His stories are filled with satire, fearlessness, and laugh-out-loud humor.  He does not hold back with this story about a 40-something woman who is dealing with single life, possible breakdowns, her clueless sometimes-wayward college-aged son, her own sexuality, and the fact that someone anonymously texted her calling her a MILF.  It is a quick read, and a great one at that!
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Mohawk by Richard Russo
Signed First Printing + Signed Re-Issue
****

If you are following my blog and/or IG, you will know I am awestruck by Russo.  He is one of my favorite authors.  Similar (yet better in my opinion) to John Irving.  He is what I call an Americana Novelist.  He gives us more than a glimpse into American culture, diving deep into communities and individual personas.  The characters he creates come to life and stick with you long after you turn the last page. 

Mohawk is his first novel and it is brilliant.  It is about a town in upstate New York and its inhabitants; within the 1970s.  There are rich characters, mysteries that slowly unravel, and stories that will engulf and enrich.  Worth the read! 
What did you read in August?
What are you currently reading?
What do you recommend?

Thank you and don't forget to check out my Goodreads Page!​
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July in Review

7/31/2019

0 Comments

 
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July was a sweltering month here in Texas, but a great one!  My son turned 6...it is an old saying yet so true: they grow up way too fast!  We rescued a new puppy from the Humane Society, I am sure I will feature him sitting beside my books in the near future.  Work took me to Cincinnati, OH (first time and I really enjoyed it) and back to Hawaii.  Regarding work, we wrapped up our Fiscal Year, a successful year in which I finished with over 100% in bookings!   

Book-wise it was as strong month.  How I read a total of 6 books at over 1,600 pages is beyond me.  I enjoyed each one and most of these had a slight intertwining theme that was not planned which I found fascinating.  Works from Brown, Cunningham, Doctorow, Brodsky, Hill, and McCarthy.

Before we get to the books, here is my amazing son, Conor, over the years.  Still can't believe he is already going into first grade here in a couple weeks...
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Now on to the books...
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Origin by Dan Brown
First Printing
***

Dan Brown's fiction is enjoyable, although predictable and downright silly at times.  Origin is the latest Robert Langdon adventure.  We find the professor of symbology and religious iconology this time unravelling the mysteries behind the unveiling of answers to the most sought after questions:  'Where do we come from?' and 'Where are we going?'.  Attacks on religion aside, it was a fun ride.  But - and it is a big 'but' - I was really disappointed in the answers...I was expecting something much more profound.  There was such a huge build up of around 300 pages, and then bam a huge let down.  I really do hope Brown abandons Langdon, at least for awhile, and writes another stand-alone novel!  
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Golden States by Michael Cunningham
Signed First Printing
***

I love reading an established author's first novel.  You can always sense greatness, in fact sometimes their first effort is their best effort.  In the case of Cunningham, his first is not as bad as he wants you to believe (he'd rather you not read it and has taken it off his oeuvre).  There is not much substance to this novel, but you can surely sense his greatness.  The story sort of meanders at times, just as the protagonist, David Stark, does as he approaches and swims through the depths of adolescence. A story about growing up, finding oneself, and making it through a broken home.  A nice story, not awful at all...and hopefully Michael Cunningham will soon realize this fact.   
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Welcome To Hard Times by E.L. Doctorow
Signed Re-Issue
****

Another first-novel.  This time by the great E.L. Doctorow.  This a little bit of a departure from most of his later novels and short stories.  If you were to tell me that William Styron, or Thomas Berger, or even Patrick DeWitt wrote this novel I would believe you.  It takes place near the Badlands in a town called Hard Times.  A mean SOB wreaks havoc, killing, raping, and nearly burning down the whole damn town.  Even so, our subtle hero decides to re-build the town and establish a place of decency...will he succeed?  A great and gritty tale!
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Nobel Prize for Literature - 1987
Watermark by Joseph Brodsky
First American Edition
***

This is a love story, an ode, to Venice, Italy.  And I liked this novella about as much as I liked visiting the city Venice itself...It was just so-so.  Some beautiful scenery/prose.  No watered-down passages in this book, however not much substance; not much of anything grows out of Brodsky's serene and delightful words. It was nice and it was pretty, yet perhaps I will like Brodsky's poetry much more, how I like Venice's sister cities of Florence and Rome significantly more?   
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NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
First Printing
​****

Ok, WOW!  I did not expect to like this as much as I did.  I have read most of Joe Hill's work and I personally like him already over his father, therefore I knew this one would be good, but his best-to-date?...nope!  I love how Hill blends horror with comedy and mystery.  NOS4A2 is about a man named Manx who takes kids from their 'rotten' parents and delivers them to a place called Christmasland where Christmas is year-round and unhappiness is never allowed.  It is also about a young lady named Vic McQueen who uses her 'inscape' abilities to find things and people...and now she must find Manx and his Wraith.  An extremely enjoyable ride, unlike the one his victims take within the Wraith!   
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Child of God by Cormac McCarthy
First Printing
*****

This may just be my favorite McCarthy novel.  And that is saying a lot, considering I gave 5 stars to the Border Trilogy.  But, man was this book terrifying, gripping, and even gratifying in a twisted way.  And the Faulkner-esque writing is superb...but of course you expect this from McCarthy.  This is a book I cannot wait to read again within the next 5-10 years to see what my thoughts are then. This story takes place in the hill country of Tennessee and our protagonist/antagonist is a 27-yearold  orphan who turns to brutality and disgust after losing his home.  The savage violence he commits are not usual, they are breathtakingly gruesome, yet you find herself craving the bloody yet poetic descriptions McCarthy offers and spews.  So poetic, so moving, so terrifying....so brilliant!    
What did you read in July?
What are you currently reading?
What do you recommend?

Thank you and don't forget to check out my Goodreads Page!​
0 Comments
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    Michael E. Johnson
    ​Father, Husband, Bibliophile, Traveler, Technologist

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