Category: Books

Genre: Novel

Grade: A-
Notable People: James Lee Burke
Title: Feast Day of Fools

Review –If you haven’t read Burke-shame on you. A living American master. He has written the magnificent Dave Robicheaux series, set in the Louisiana Bayou, for over 25 years. If you’ve read these –you are probably a big fan. In more recent years he started a companion series about an aged Texas lawman, Hackberry Holland- a Korean war vet whit countless demons in his closet, trying to come to grips with his life, his mortality and the world around him in his eighth decade. There are a lot of similarities between the two series- but mostly they are just really well written, suspenseful, and soulful stories of an America very few of us are really aware of. Burke is an American treasure and still going really strong is his 80s. Classic Americana in every sense of the word.

Genre: Novel

Grade: A+
Notable People: Carlos Luis Zafon
Title: Shadow of the Wind

Review –An absolute masterpiece! A book within a book within a book…the story takes place in Barcelona during and after the second world war- but traces backwards to the nineteen teens. Sweeping, dramatic, engulfing, rich characters, magnificently written. . The work of really great writer with an excellent translation. My book of the year.

Genre: Novel

Grade: A-/B+
Notable People: Terry Kay
Title: Shadow Song

Review –I REALLY liked this book- but I may be skewed on this one. Writing is good- not great, but the story tugged at my heart strings. Georgia boy comes to the Catskills to be a waiter at one of the traditional resorts in mid 50s- meets rich Jewish girl- impossible future. Book lovingly portrays the culture of the classic Catskills as well as its decline. Filled with symbolism, and a very nice forty year love story at its heart. It made me weep at times but maybe that is because of my own mirrored experience. The back of the book had a rave review from Barbara Bush (Honest)- but I recommend it in spite of that.

Genre: Novel

Grade: A
Notable People: Archer Mayor
Title: Proof Positive

Review –In the interest of full disclosure, most of you know that I consider Archer to be a friend (though he may consider me to be more of a benign stalker)- so I could be biased, but I thought this was great read. For my money, it may be his best in the series to date, which is up to 22 or 23 (years and books). I told him via e-mail recently that I read the opening and felt like it was in the great Dash Hammett /James M. Cain/ Film Noir tradition. It did not disappoint after that. Joe Gunther and his crew take on a far reaching mystery that has Vietnam, crooked US senators, Philly hit men, kidnapping, house invasions and the secrets of an eccentric hoarder. What’s not to like? There has been some interesting expansion of characters and relationships within the series as well. Archer seems to get better all the time at story line and character development…and if you like sense of place (read VERMONT) he can’t be beat. Jennifer did feel the need to write him and ask him if there would be conclusion to the end of the book, so she was a little unfulfilled, but I did not share that need (and I’m not telling the answer). Long may Joe and Archer run.

Genre: Novel

Grade: A-
Notable People: Nevada Barr
Title: The Rope

Review –Nevada Barr has written a couple of dozed novels in this series (how can someone named Nevada Barr not be worth reading?). Anna Pigeon is a national park ranger who gets involved with pretty complex mysteries- each book in a different national park. Barr herself is a former ranger- so she knows the terrain. This one is interesting in that, although written in 2012, it is the story of origin about how Anna becomes a national park ranger back in the late 80s. It takes place in Lake Powell and Glen Canyon in Arizona- and is a pretty good nail biter. Barr writes pretty well for the genre and her characters are noteworthy. Good summer read –and a good intro to the series.

Genre: Novel

Grade: A
Notable People: Jim Harrison
Title: Brown Dog

Review –OK- I am a serial reader…can’t stay away from the writers I like and as I’ve said before, I believe jim Harrison to be our greatest American living writer. He happens to also be the absolute master of the novella form- a disappearing art. Harrison at one time was viewed as the second coming of Hemingway with his folksy, macho, great north woods, man against nature style…but he softened considerably over the years and has written a series of novels from the first person feminine- which really blew away his critics. Twenty year ago- he introduced the world to Brown Dog (BD)- a some % Ashkinabe Indian in Michigan’s UP- who is a man living by wits alone. Some see him as a n’er do well, others a modern version of Huck Finn. Some may be put off by his sexual encounters (he describes his lack of concentration and getting trouble as a “pussy trance”)- but he is quite lovable and in his own way, quite the pure American philosopher. So after 20 plus years- Harrison has assembled all his BD novellas into one chronological book offering and updated it with a new one. These are fascinating in that they are sequential- but each one also can stand alone- as he recaps all the previous works subtly in each one. I laughed, I cried, I decided to move to the UP and have my own trance. Love this stuff.

Genre: Novel

Grade: B (but a good B)
Notable People: Sandra Brown
Title: Unspeakable

Review –full disclosure- this is somewhat of a trashy read. When I travel- I get tired of lugging big hardcovers- so I recently went searching in our inherited library for books our benefactress, Karen, left behind. Well- she had interesting taste. This is a mystery novel that takes place in south Texas and is kind of formulaic- but quite entertaining nonetheless. I can’t say it is very well written- but it sure kept my attention. So- it has a deaf femme fatale character, a Marlboro man with unclear motives, an eighty- year old sheriff who is being forced to retire before he is able to resolve his issues with a thirty year old murder, two of the most sociopathic brothers to grace the written page, an insatiable slut, and a massive halfwit killer who is only deterred from torturing people by available popsicles…what’s not to like? It builds to a massive climax (not one you would have a smoke after) that is reminiscent of the end of a John Wayne movie. So it’s all in all not too great- but I really liked it. Take it to the beach and lie in a chaise lounge…you’ll love the deaf woman.

Genre: Novel

Grade: A-
Notable People: Ivan Doig
Title: The Sea Runners

Review –I’ve really enjoyed Doig’s work over the last year. This one is a departure from his usual Montana frontier stories. Takes place in mid-19th century Alaska- called New Archangel, which is true and it was a Russian Territory at the time (Sitka area). I guess Sara Palin was right after all and the Commies did walk across the Bering strait. At the time, it was common practice for the Russians to take indentured servants from Sweden for 7-10 years and make them slaves there more or less. This is the story of four Swedes escape adventure and small canoe paddle down the wild Pacific coast all the way to the freedom of Astoria Oregon. Exceptionally well written in a Hemmingway- Melville- esque man against nature style. Short book- fascinating read.

Genre: Fiction

Grade: A-
Notable People: Russell Banks
Title: Stories- a Permanent Member of the Family

Review –Banks periodically publishes books of short stores-which I find to be a relatively lost art that few do well. Banks does it well. His stories move back and forth from his small hamlet in the northern Adirondacks to Miami Beach-two places that he actually lives. They are very dark. Mostly about sad and lonely people who find themselves at a crossroads- and more than not make the wrong decision. Not uplifting and somewhat depressing but the quality of his writing and the richness of his beat down characters make the read worthwhile. He is one of our gems of living writers and still going very strong.