THE ADDRESS BOOK by

 THE ADDRESS BOOK

What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power

by

Deirdre Mask

    The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power, by Deirdre Mask, is a 2021 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award Nominee for Nonfiction, a Finalist for the 2020 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction, One of Time Magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of 2020, and Longlisted for the 2020 Porchlight Business Book Awards. Mask considers how streets are named and the effect that having (or not having) a street address has on a person. Many of us think that we have addresses so that we can receive mail; but their purpose, Mask tells us, instead is so that we can be found.

    The Address Book deals with addresses across the world and touches on some fascinating issues. Mask considers the more mundane - for example, the difficulty for emergency vehicles responding in a rural area without street addresses, and the need for an address to complete an application for government benefits - as well as the more obscure - for example, purchasing addresses in Trump's Manhattan for a building that is not located on that street, and differences with addresses in Japan and Korea that may be linked to language differences. 

    Although each of the disparate areas and issues is interesting, there does not seem to be one theme throughout the book. In my opinion, this makes it feel disjointed, like a collection of short pieces rather than a fluid work addressing one issue. Despite the lack of a unifying thread, the material is interesting. There is more to addresses than the superficial, like the mundane mail delivery, and I never considered the complexities involved in having or issuing an address. This was a thought provoking read, and I recommend it.

THE MADNESS OF CROWDS by Louise Penny

 THE MADNESS OF CROWDS

by

Louise Penny

   In The Madness of Crowds, the seventeenth book in Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, Gamache and Three Pines, like the rest of us, are trying to return to a post pandemic "normal". Gamache was spending the winter holiday/New Year at home in Three Pines with his family when he was asked to oversee security while an academic statistician, Abigail Robinson, spoke at the local university. Robinson's position was that statistics mandate the genocide of the weak, infirm, and disabled. Although Gamache detested the position she was espousing, he was required to see to her safety when there was an attempt on her life. And then there was another murder in Three Pines, with multiple suspects.

    Louise Penny is a master at character study, and her work in The Madness of Crowds is no exception. In fact, she may have outdone herself, as this book considers both the more superficial look at Robinson's proposal and the deeper underlying reactions of the suspects and others repulsed by Robinson's arguments. Gamache was not excepted from this, and I found it interesting how his reactions influenced the investigation.

    As is usual when I finish a Gamache novel, I am saddened that my friends in Three Pines are gone again. Like many other fans, I would love to live in Three Pines, with the Gamaches and the others. It is interesting how many people want to move to this village, despite spotty internet connectivity and a very high (for its size) murder rate. 

    Meanwhile, I will anxiously await the next installment and the return of my friends. But, The Madness of Crowds is a quality addition to this exceptional series, and I highly recommend it.

THE BOOKMAN'S TALE by Charlie Lovett

 THE BOOKMAN'S TALE

by

Charlie Lovett

    In The Bookman's Tale, by Charlie Lovett, we meet Peter Byerly, a bookseller from North Carolina who is living in Kingham, Oxfordshire. He moved to Kingham after the recent death of his wife, Amanda. While browsing in a bookstore one day, Peter was surprised to find a Victorian era painting of Amanda that had been inserted into a book on Shakespeare forgeries. We accompany Peter as he tries to unravel the mysteries surrounding the painting. Along the way, we learn about a longtime feud between two neighboring families and about Shakespeare forgeries. Resolving the mystery even requires that Peter authenticate a book that allegedly formed the basis for Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale.

    The Bookman's Tale is a lovely book. The complex plot meanders through three different time periods, leaving me wishing that I had paid more attention to the dates in the chapter headings. I am a book collector wanna be and always love books about books and book people. But Lovett's book included more detail than others that I have read, including a description of the process of repairing/rebinding a book that I found fascinating.

    I thoroughly enjoyed The Bookman's Tale, and I highly recommend it.

BETTER OFF DEAD by Lee Child and Andrew Child

 BETTER OFF DEAD

by

Lee Child and Andrew Child

    Better Off Dead, by Lee Child and Andrew Child, is the 26th installment in the Jack Reacher series. Its anticipated publication date is October 26, 2021.

    In Better Off Dead, Reacher is heading west and entering a small border town in Arizona. He meets another army veteran, Michaela Fenton. She is looking for her twin brother, Michael, who has gone missing. Naturally, Reacher offers to help.

    I am a long time fan of Jack Reacher, having followed each of his adventures, wherever his wondering has taken him. But after I began reading Better Off Dead, I was taken aback; this was not the Jack Reacher whom I know and love. For example, Reacher is described as scruffy and unkempt, like a hobo. Although the quirky Reacher buys, wears, and tosses cheap clothes, he is rarely scruffy and unkempt. It is mentioned about Reacher being a civilian. Reacher might be "separated" from the army, but I do not think that he sees himself as a civilian; his entire life has been the military, and his entire being is military. There does not appear to be a military presence in this Reacher, not in his demeanor or in his thinking. And, although Reacher has no qualms about using force, he does so only if needed, only if there is no other way, and even then, only to the level required; much of the violence I was reading about in Better Off Dead felt gratuitous. 

    Both the character and the writing were unsettling. They seemed flat, lacking the usual depth found in Reacher books. Facts about Reacher seemed to be thrown out there, almost as a second thought rather than incorporated within the plot. And, the plot of Better Off Dead also felt linear and flat, lacking the usual robustness and complexity I recall from prior Reacher adventures.Yet the conclusion to this book felt overly complicated; I still do not understand the resolution, and it does not seem to fit nicely together like prior Reacher books.

    Near the end of my reading Better Off Dead, I read that Andrew Child has taken over writing the Reacher books. I don't know whether this is true or, if so, whether it is the reason for my discomfort with this book, but I do not like this incarnation of Reacher. Better Off Dead was a nice experience with a new character, but as another adventure with Reacher, I was disappointed.

THE VANISHED DAYS by Susanna Kearsley

 THE VANISHED DAYS

by

Susanna Kearsley

    The Vanished Days, Susanna Kearsley's new novel (expected publication October 5, 2021), is set around the time of the union between England and Scotland, a time of turmoil in Scotland awash with rumors about a return of the exiled King James. But, The Vanished Days is Lily's story. Lily has filed a claim to recover monies owed her for the loss of her husband, a sailor on the Darien expedition. Her claim has been challenged, and Adam is asked to investigate. During the course of this investigation, we learn Lily's story.

    I was especially looking forward to The Vanished Days as I was under the impression that it was a prequel to The Winter Sea, my favorite of Kearsley's books. I was puzzled, after completing the book, as it did not strike me as being a prequel; I then saw the book referred to as a "companion novel" (or, a "prequel and companion novel"). Although the book is not really a prequel, much of it does involve the Graemes, the Morays, Captain Thomas Gordon, and others well known from The Winter Sea.

    The Vanished Days meanders through Lily's story in typical Kearsley fashion until the end where Kearsley included a plot twist that left me feeling a bit like I had been sucker punched. After taking a quick spin through The Winter Sea (because of the prequel issue, noted above), I immediately began reading The Vanished Days once again. I have a few concerns whether the "plot twist" works, but as that involves spoilers, I won't pursue that further here.

    One of my favorite parts of all Kearsley novels is her author's notes, entitled "About the Characters." In this, Kearsley notes what is historically accurate, what historical support she has, what she has introduced and why, and the like. And, her "About the Characters" in The Vanished Days does not disappoint. I love how Kearsley respects historical accuracy and weaves the fiction around what can be found.

    I am a longtime Kearsley fan and usually love everything that she writes. I do not love The Vanished Days; it is probably my least favorite Kearsley book. To be clear, although it may be my least favorite, it is, nonetheless, a Kearsley book, and, hence, held in very high regard. I did not particularly care for Lily. Throughout the book, I felt like I was learning about Lily as an outside observer (like I was reading about her); more often with Kearsley books, I feel like the characters draw me into the book with them. And, the book felt a bit choppy, like it jumped from stage to stage in Lily's life. Although Kearsley has masterfully smoothed out some of that "jumpiness," those transitions seemed more tenuous than is typical for her. 

    Nonetheless, The Vanished Days does provide welcome background for The Winter Sea. It is a solid addition to Kearsley's complex weaving about Scottish history and the Jacobites. Highly Recommended.

ARIADNE By Jennifer Saint

 ARIADNE

by

Jennifer Saint

    Ariadne is Jennifer Saint's debut novel. Ariadne is a princess of Crete, sister to the infamous Minotaur who roams Daedalus's labyrinth beneath the palace. Ariadne is essentially the story of King Minos and the Minotaur told from Ariadne's point of view. Ariadne helps Theseus, who arrives in Crete to kill the Minotaur, and then leaves with him for Naxos. We learn of her life with Dionysus and her younger sister Phaedra's life in Athens.

    I did not particularly care for Ariadne. It felt to me like a Circe (by Madeline Miller) wannabe, and I loved Circe. I am tired of the myth of the Minotaur, and I do not care for Dionysus. The book is dark; there is a lot of death and destruction, particularly involving animals. This is something that I do not enjoy reading in general, and I find it worse to tackle during pandemic times.

    Saint's writing is fine, and I appreciate her presenting a new perspective on an old myth. Nonetheless, I was not thrilled with this reading experience.

    

THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

 THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER
by
Bill Clinton
and James Patterson

(Expected publication June 7, 2021)

   

    The President's Daughter is the second novel written by Bill Clinton and co-authored with James Patterson. I enjoyed their first collaboration, The President Is Missing, and have been looking forward to this book. And, Clinton and Patterson did not disappoint; I love this book!

    In The President's Daughter, we meet Matthew Keating, a former Navy Seal and a one term president of the United States. After he has served his one term, his daughter is abducted by a terrorist, and the former president has to knock the rust off his Seal's training to plan and carryout a special op to try to rescue her.

    The President's Daughter is a true thriller; its pages are filled with thrill. From the outset, this reading experience felt like riding a thoroughbred who broke well from the gate and went wire to wire at a record setting pace. The President's Daughter did not slow from page one. 

    It has been a long time since I have become so lost in a book that I had to work to control the need to continue to read it. But at 608 pages, this meaty text seems to require some pacing. And, the short chapters did not help that compulsion, as "just one more" becomes difficult to deny.

    As with the first novel, this book is well written with interesting, well-drawn characters and a rich and complex plot. The ending is bittersweet, both in the substance of the book and in my realization that I am going to have to wait a long time for Clinton and Patterson to write another 600 pages.

    The President's Daughter is highly recommended.

NOMADLAND by Jessica Bruder

 NOMADLAND:

Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century

by

Jessica Bruder

    Nomadland, the movie currently nominated for a number of Academy Awards, is based on the book, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, by Jessica Bruder. The book was a Discover Award winner, a New York Times Editors’ Choice and Notable Book, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book, a Library Journal Top Ten Book, a Booklist Editors’ Choice, and a Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle Selection. It was also a finalist for the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize and the Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism.

    Nomadland is about the new American migrant worker, some of the displaced older members of our society. This community of mobile laborers move around the country, following whatever employment opportunities they can find: for example, campground hosting positions; bringing in beet crops; and, seasonal work in Amazon warehouses. The majority of these new migrant workers are older Americans who have lost homes and jobs and who, despite qualifications, cannot locate new jobs. Many end up traveling and living in used RV's or vans to work these temporary, low paying positions in order to survive. These communities of migrants -- a new class of "retirees" in America -- seem to encompass all walks of life. They have created new families with others in similar situations, helping each other create a "home" in his/her RV or van, thankful that they are not homeless.

    Bruder befriended and followed these itinerant workers for three years. She bought her own used van to travel, work, and live with her subjects. So, the result of this time spent, namely Nomadland, is not a detached, academic study of a growing plight of older Americans; rather, the book is a heartfelt, insightful examination of the genesis of the problem. Although the situation described in the book can be depressing, the resilience shown by these people is remarkable. They face so many challenges -- for example, how to receive mail; how to obtain/maintain a valid driver's license; how to keep the RV/van warm (or cool); and, where to park without having to pay (and without being arrested) -- and it is incredible to read about the often ingenious methods used to resolve the problems they encounter.

    It is disconcerting to learn of this growing community. They are often unseen by most of us who have been unaware of their situation. But, Bruder does a great job introducing us to the issue, educating us as to what has been going on around us. Nomadland is well-written, thought provoking, and an all around powerful reading experience. Highly recommended.

HOMEGOING

 HOMEGOING

by

Yaa Gyasi

    Homegoing is Yaa Gyasi's debut novel, winning the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, the PEN/Hemingway Award for Best First Novel, the Audie Award for Literary Fiction and Classics, and the American Book Award. It was also shortlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize, longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, and nominated for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the International Dublin Literary Award, and the Andrew Carnegie Medal.

    In light of all these accolades, it feels presumptuous (and perhaps a tad pretentious) of me to say, but I did not like Homegoing. I very decidedly did not like this book. Part of intense dislike might be unfortunate timing: I undertook Homegoing shortly after completing There There. There are similarities between the two, and those are the parts that I disliked in each; perhaps my dislike is even more intense toward Homegoing because I had just "endured" the same experience with There There. 

    But, like There There, Homegoing feels like a literary fiction wanna be. The modern literary fiction appears to be one that has a plethora of characters and spans a large time frame and/or vast areas. I think the first book like this that I read was The Overstory, by Richard Powers. The Overstory has actually become one of my favorite modern novels; but, when I initially encountered the first part of the book, the part where the reader is introduced to the nine disparate characters, it felt like a collection of unrelated short stories. Other books that I have recently read that are similar to this - with a number of main characters and tracing through time and/or area - include Disappearing Earth, by Julia Phillips, The Weight of a Piano, by Chris Cander, and the abovementioned There There, by Tommy Orange. It might be clever how the authors weave through locations and times, eventually connecting up the multitudinous characters, but as a reader, I found the experiences to be confusing and frustrating.

    And, unlike these novels, Homegoing has at least fourteen major characters. It spans from the eighteenth century to present day, and involves, at the least, Africa and multiple locations in the United States. It felt to me like Gyasi looked at the format of award winning modern novels and decided to make hers even bigger and broader.  But, in addition to this breadth, it felt like the book jumped back and forth; you might be in civil war America in one chapter and back in the African slave trade in the next. 

    I found it all very confusing, and I could not get beyond the frustration to appreciate any redeeming literary value that the book might have. Perhaps this says more about my lack of literary sophistication than about the book; nonetheless, it is my honest opinion of my experience with the book. And, my plebeian opinion does not recommend this book.

ONCE A CROOKED MAN by David McCallum

 ONCE A CROOKED MAN

by

David McCallum

    I have long been a fan of David McCallum, the actor, and of mysteries. So, I was excited when I heard about McCallum's debut novel, Once A Crooked Man. It is a crime novel. Nonetheless, the characters, the plot, the writing - none of it appealed to me, and I found it difficult to get through. I was very disappointed.

THERE THERE By Tommy Orange

 THERE THERE
by
Tommy Orange

    There There is the debut novel by Tommy Orange, winning the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and the American Book Award. It was also shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist.

    The book is centered around Oakland, California. It follows twelve different Native American characters and culminates in the Big Oakland Powwow.

    I have mixed feelings about There There. Much of the time, I did not like the book. It seemed to me to be a literary fiction wanna be. I found the ending to be predictable, and when I reached the end of the book, it felt abrupt and not well wrapped up. There were so many characters that I had difficulty keeping track of them, although this may have been exacerbated by the fact that I was listening to the audiobook.

    On the other hand, there were some interesting and thought-provoking parts: for example, when grandkids who were being raised by their grandmother wondered what made the grandmother an Indian; what was it about her that others who met her knew that? Also, Orange did a good job portraying the plight of the modern, urban Native American. Hence, it was even more poignant when it was evinced that the modern day plight, as depicted in culminating events, was carried out by the modern, urban Native American.

 OCEAN PREY

by

John Sandford

    I am a longtime fan of John Sandford's Lucas Davenport series and his Virgil Flowers series. I feel like I begin every Sandford review like this, but it is true, and I believe that knowing this should help potential readers who consider my review. I feel like I've been here for the long haul, even sticking around when I suspected either one or the other of the series took a wrong turn and was headed down the drain.

    So, once again, I was delighted to have the opportunity to read and review an advanced readers copy of Sandford's latest book, Ocean Prey, the thirty-first installment in the Lucas Davenport series. I was even more excited to learn that the book is also the thirteenth installment in the Virgil Flowers series. Two of my favorite detectives in one book!

    Ocean Prey begins as a Davenport book. A fancy boat stops and picks up a diver in the middle of the water off the coast of Florida. An off-duty member of the U.S. Coast Guard witnesses the suspicious activity and calls it in. The Coast Guard is in pursuit, but the men on the boat kill the pursuing Coast Guard members and get away. The subsequent investigation stalls, and U.S. Marshall Lucas Davenport is called in to do his thing. When Lucas runs into difficulty, he calls in his longtime friend and associate, Virgil Flowers.

    I think Ocean Prey is one of the best prey/Lucas Devenport books. Although Sandford usually does a good job at leading the reader step by step through the investigation, this seemed more apparent in Ocean Prey. Ordinarily in prey books, when Lucas enters a case, it feels like everything moves at a rapid fire pace. Here, however, Lucas's investigation seems to proceed at a slower rate, and obstacles impede his investigation. I am still in shock over one such impediment (a spoiler which will remain unnamed); I both dislike and deeply respect Sandford for making that move. But, the obstacles and the seemingly slower pace make Ocean Prey feel more realistic. I also think Ocean Prey is one of the best Virgil Flowers books. I am not a fan of Frankie, so the same old Virgil working a case with Lucas in Florida (i.e., far from Frankie) makes it an outstanding Virgil Flowers book. 

    Quite simply, Ocean Prey is outstanding - one of Sandford's best books ever. Highly recommended.

    

THE TOWER OF NERO by Rick Riordan

 THE TOWER OF NERO

(The Trials of Apollo #5)

by

Rick Riordan

    The Tower of Nero is the fifth and final installment in Rick Riordan's The Trials of Apollo series. In some ways, it seems a long time since we learned that Apollo (the Greek god) was ousted from Mount Olympus, landing in New York City as the awkward mortal teenager Lester Papadopoulos. But, even after he and Meg, his young demigod "master," battle their way across the country, the adventures of the first four books seem to have come and gone in a snap. Now Apollo/Lester and Meg return to New York to face Nero. Will they be able to defeat him, and will Apollo/Lester be able to reclaim Delphi?

    I am a big Rick Riordan fan, and The Tower of Nero does not disappoint. Like all the Riordan books that have come before, this finale is well written, clever, engaging, and action packed. And, it amazes me that, after all this time, Riordan can still make me laugh. 

    Rick Riordan is the master of myth, and I cannot wait to see what he does next. Highly recommended.

MOONFLOWER MURDERS by Anthony Horowitz

 MOONFLOWER MURDERS

(Susan Ryeland #2)

by

Anthony Horowitz

    Moonflower Murders is the second installment in the Susan Ryeland series by Anthony Horowitz. Like its predecessor, Magpie Murders, this installment also involves a book within a book. And like its predecessor, it is a smash!

    Susan Ryeland had retired from publishing and moved to a Greek island with her boyfriend, Andreas. One day, the Trehearnes appeared. One of the Atticus Pund novels on which Susan had worked - Alan Conway's Atticus Pund Takes the Cake - portrayed a murder that had taken place at the hotel that the Trehearnes ran in England. Their daughter, Cecily, read Conway's book, concluded that the wrong person had been convicted and jailed for the crime, and then disappeared. Susan returns to England to assist in locating the missing Cecily.

    Moonflower Murders is delightful. It is well written and engaging; clever and convoluted. Susan Ryeland is not my favorite of Horowitz's characters; nonetheless, I soaked up every word. 

    Anthony Horowitz is clearly one of the best classic mystery writers of our time. I cannot wait to read more of his work.

    Highly recommended.

THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig

 THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY

by

Matt Haig

    In The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig, we meet Nora Seed. Nora was going through a rough patch in her life. In fact, she hated her life and wanted to die. When she took steps toward that end, Nora ended up in the midnight library, a place "in between." The books in the midnight library are all the possible lives of Nora Seed, lives that might differ from Nora's "root life" because of decisions that she made. Nora is able to visit all these alternate lives; however, as the librarian explains, you cannot take out the same book twice.

    One of my favorite things while studying philosophy was thinking about other possible worlds, and this book kept taking me right back there. The Midnight Library is a treasure. I thoroughly enjoyed this creative, refreshing reading experience.