Category: Books

Title: Rain Gods

Genre: Novel

Grade: B

Notable People: James Lee Burke

Review If you are a Burke fan- this is probably an “A”- for others not so much. Burke has serialized the Dave Robicheaux books for years- but has maintained a sideline series about Billy Bob Holland a small county Montana lawman. This is one step removed and is about Billy Bob’s elderly cousin- Hackberry Holland- a lawman in remote south Texas. Korean war vet, recovering alcoholic, man of many old demons..and a genuine sage- Hack is a pretty interesting character in a good yarn with all the eccentrics you could ask for. Not too demanding- a good quick summer read.

Title: Sunset Park

Genre: Novel

Grade: A/A-

Notable People: Paul Auster

Review Have you read any of Auster? Well- he may be the most intense novelist writing today and this book is no exception. Very interesting tale of young man who runs away from everything for eight years after semi-accidentally killing his step brother. The book moves from South Florida to a shabby abandoned house in Brooklyn. The characters and relationships are really good. And angst…well Auster just does angst. Probably not for everyone, and I found the end disquieting- bit I really liked this book. Auster is tortured and brilliant.

Title: The Christmas Kid

Genre: Short Stories

Grade: A

Notable People: Pete Hamill

Review I’m not often a big short story fan- but was totally captivated by this set of stories about a Brooklyn neighborhood from post war through the early 80’s . Hamill is a native and lifelong Brooklynite and a great writer. He wrote for many years for the NY Post in its glory days alongside Jimmy Breslin and Norman Mailer. His feel for place and characters in perfect. I had to stop myself form going through this book of stories all at once. What characters!

Title: Angle of Repose

Genre: Novel

Grade: B+

Notable People: Wallace Stegner

Review This is an old book (1971) that i had never read before- by Stegner, who some consider one of the great American writers of the 20th century. It is a fascinating (but very slow) autobiographical novel that moves from his time in the 1960’s back to his grandmother’s life story amidst the settling of the West. His GM was indeed a pretty famous artist and writer and gave up her cultured east coast life to go west with his engineer grandfather- who was engaged in creating massive dams and waterways. A lot of the book is in the form of his grandmother’s letters- but they are quite a portrait of settling the west and the conflicts of a pre-feminist , feminist with following her husband to a series of brutal living situations in a primitive land. Very real; exceedingly well written- easiest read in short installments over a long period of time. Great and real characters.

Title: Spooner

Genre: Novel

Grade: B+/B

Notable People: Pete Dexter

Review: I really liked this book- though I thought the second half petered out a bit. Dexter has been around awhile and wrote Deadwood about 15 years ago; I’ve read all his stuff and this one was quite a departure- pretty autobiographical and quite Tom Robbins-like in style. Story of a life- from 1950’s Deep south to Seattle at the turn of the century. A pretty funny and moving book with very short chapters- making it an ideal bedtime read.

Title: A Time to be Born

Genre: Novel

Grade: B

Notable People: Dawn Powell

Review: got this boo as a Christmas gift. Strange but interesting story of the upper crust in pre-war America. Good story; well written. I think it is mostly tongue in cheek but who knows. Some focus on emerging feminism and very cynical on the economic titans of the time and their lifestyle. Depends on your taste- but I liked it.

Title: Buddhaland in Brooklyn

Genre: Novel

Grade: B+

Notable People: Richard C. Morais

Review: Found this book at local library- intrigued by the title. Very interesting and well written book about lifelong journey of Japanese Buddhist Priest, his early years in small village in Japan and then his earthshaking assignment to bring the first American Buddhist temple to US….in Brooklyn. Touching and slyly amusing. A little slow at times but worth the time

Title: Day After Night

Genre: Novel

Grade: A-

Notable People: Anita Diamani

Review: Really, really well written and interesting book/story. True depiction of little known post war events in which Eastern European Jews made their way when liberated from concentration camps to their dreams in British held Israel. The British then interred them in their own mini-camps. This is the story of an escape from such a camp to life on the Kibbutz- told through the eyes of four young woman survivors. Sweet and bittersweet at once, it chronicles the last months of the British empire there and the seedlings of modern Israel. I read it in two days-quite compelling.

Title: The Bartender’s Tale

Genre: Novel

Grade: A-

Notable People: Ivan Doig

Review: Never heard of this author or book before- total hunch from library shelf…and it turned out to be a gift. Great tale of reminiscence from a middle aged guy about his growing up in rural Montana in the 50s and 60s. Indelible characters, wonderful story and a really good writer to boot. This will make you want to go west, young man (or young woman). A great winter’s find.

Title: Paradise City

Genre: Novel

Grade: A-

Notable People: Archer Mayor

Review: Everyone already knows I am biased as Archer has become a friend of mine. If you like serial murder mysteries (he publishes one a year- 22 in all to date) you can’t go wrong with this series or this one. Joe Gunther gets out of Vermont to Northampton MA in this rather convoluted but entertaining story; lots of focus of the erratically interesting Willy Kunkle character. Good late night reading.