The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Well-paced, but a bit too carefully constructed for dramatic effect.
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Review: Harpo Speaks!
Harpo Speaks! by Harpo Marx
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a treat. I don’t know much about the Marx Brothers, but this autobiography of Harpo is a delight even if you aren’t a fan.
The Adventures Of Augie March by Saul Bellow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Great novel, beautiful writing. I see why it’s a classic.
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Review: Between the World and Me
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A powerful and clear-eyed assessment of the status of blacks in the United States.
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Review: The Black Echo
The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Nice police procedural.
The Pursuit of Glory: Europe 1648-1815 by Timothy C.W. Blanning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A sweeping look at European history from 1648 to 1815. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
You Don’t Know Js: Types & Grammar by Kyle Simpson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Another solid work in this series.
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Review: The Forever War
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Some pretty darn good sci-fi. Haldeman illuminates the cultural and social dislocation experienced by soldiers returning home using the time dilation effects of high velocity space travel. There is also a middle section set in the distant future of 2007 (this novel was published in 1974). It’s a bit weaker than the rest of the book, but at least provides the unintentional comedy that seems to be the fate of most science fiction once the present has passed it by.
The Reactionary Mind: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Sarah Palin by Corey Robin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An insightful look at the wellsprings of conservative thought.
There Is Simply Too Much to Think About: Collected Nonfiction by Saul Bellow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Some really good essays, but also a lot of repetition and hand-wringing over modernity. Sometimes you just want to shout “Deal with it!”.