August 2017

Swing Time

By Zadie Smith

Great books take us into new and different worlds, which was exactly my experience when reading Swing Time.  The setting fluctuates between England, Africa and New York City.  The main character is an English woman of Jamaican descent.  I loved seeing the world through her eyes and her experiences.  Swing Time  appeared on quite a few recent booklists and I can see why.  Zadie Smith’s words have contributed to my ever-expanding awareness of race… this time, as it exists more globally, outside of the United States.

Food Rules

By Michael Pollan

Food Rules is the kind of book that should be kept handy and reread regularly.  It’s filled with healthy advice and folklore related to our eating habits.  The book is divided into three sections that describe Pollan’s philosophy on eating:  Section I Eat food, Section II Mostly Plants, Section III Not Too Much. I picked up a used copy at the local library sale, where I had donated another copy a while ago.  Maira Kalman beautifully illustrates this later edition.  It’s definitely a keeper!

The Dead Key

By D. M. Pulley

Thrillers are not my favorite genre, so I’m not sure if The Dead Key is a great book or not. The story bounced between the fifties and the early 2000s in Cleveland, Ohio.  A series of young women, generations apart, unknowingly became involved in a large banking crime.  Murder, mystery and plenty of mid-century period details abound. It was incredibly suspenseful, and I couldn’t put it down.  I found it engaging, even though I don’t regularly read or really even like thrillers.  I’d recommend giving it a try, even if you’re not a regular reader of thrillers.

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos

By Dominic Smith

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos was my sister’s book club choice for this month.  I listened to the Audible version of this book, which included the discussion questions read at the end. I think the book demonstrates how both the art world, past and present, are both dominated by men.  Women must work harder to belong, and rarely achieve the same success as men.  The lives of Sara and Ellie, living and working centuries apart, were deeply influenced by the art world of their time. 

Watch the relationships and marriages while reading, including Sara and her two husbands, along with Marty and Rachel.  I would include the relationship with Ellie and Marty. 

Several reviewers mention that this is a book about mistakes and I would agree.  They also mentioned the similarity to The Goldfinch by Donna Tarff and I would agree with this, too. While the books are different in many ways,  too, both are good reads.  The themes of mistakes, consequences and regret occur in both.  The Last Painting of Sara de Vos was a very enjoyable listen and would be a good read.

West With the Night

By Beryl Markham       

Perhaps this was not the best time to read West With the Wind by Beryl Markham.  It’s August 2017 and our country is embroiled in racial and political turmoil, which definitely affected the way I felt as I read this book.  It was well written.  I generally like memoirs, and West With the Night was a good one.  Many of Markham’s stories were engaging and entertaining.  However, her language was frequently infused with racism.  Her lifestyle and attitudes were those of White privilege and entitlement. I was also horrified by Markham’s descriptions of elephant hunting.  She was very proud of the fact that she was the first person to track elephants for hunting by plane.  I do realize that all of this was a reflection of the times in which she lived, but that does not excuse or make any of those elements acceptable.  At the end, I had mixed feelings about West With the Night.  It’s totally out of step with my values and I have a big problem with parts of the book.  But I cannot deny that it is very well written and an interesting memoir.  Would I have chosen to read the book knowing it’s down side?  Probably not, but I can’t say that I’m sorry that I read it.  Beryl Markham was a notable twentieth century woman and for that reason, it was a valuable read.

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

By Sarah Vowell

I wish that I could say something positive about Lafayette in the Somewhat United States.  I chose to listen to the audiobook, hoping it would be better than the actual book.  It wasn’t. In fact, it might have been better just reading the old-fashioned way.  This book is a shining example of writing that is telling rather than showing.  It was nothing more than a cutesy, flippant rehash of history. There was no attempt to make the recitation of a historical timeline creative or interesting. The author and a few other mostly male readers did the narration, which was terrible.  In this age of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, it just did not work for me. I’m going to give the book two stars, one for the Revolutionary War review and one for the attempt to relate it to our present political situation.  Once again, I’m sure that I’m in a minority.  Sorry, but Lafayette in the Somewhat United States was not my cup of tea.

The Year of Reading Dangerously

By Andy Miller

The Year of Reading Dangerously by British author, Andy Miller, was my favorite read this month.  It was a book about books and how they were woven into Miller’s life, which is my ideal reading material.  I loved Miller’s British sense of humor and laughed my way through much of the book.  He does warn that there are spoilers, which from my perspective, made it even better.  The used copy that I purchased at the local library book sale has found a permanent spot on my bookshelf!