Ivan Doig |  Nonfiction/Memoir

Doig is a stunning, beautiful writer!  Here’s one example from page 16; you can find such examples on most every page.  “School struck me as the kind of job where you weren’t allowed to do anything; I had free time in my head by the dayfull, and spent it all in being lonesome for ranch life and its grownups and its times of aloneness.”

This House of Sky is Doig’s story of growing up in Western Montana.  On June 27, 1945, Ivan turns six and his mother takes her last breath.  He writes, years later, of his life, his father’s life, and a way of life that has gone out of existence … of sheepherders, almost nomads, and small ranchers high in the Montana mountains.  It was a rough time of subsistence and cold, cold snow.

But three hearts?  Yes, I fear it is so.  I realized upon completing this book that a sense of place, and where we grew up, stays with us forever.  Eventually, I became a bit bored with the story.  And I suspect that is because I grew up in Detroit and not in the West.  I am eager to discuss This House of Sky at book club this week, because I expect the native Westerners, of which we have many in our book club, will love this book more than I did.  I do, however recommend it.  Try it on for size.  Even if you are mixed in your experience, you will learn about a time in our country not too long ago, and you will discover an evocative and deep writer.

Bill Clinton & James Patterson |  Fiction

Ah, I breathe a sigh of relief after the last James Patterson I read (see my review on Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas)  This is James Patterson back at his best.  Just enough complexity and intrigue; a page turner near the end; relationships that have soul and heart; a vivid plot; a noticeable number of strong women characters; the stark reality that may come from having an ex-President as your co-author.

The President is Missing (wishful thinking?) is about a potential crisis of epic proportions.  It takes great creativity to imagine this crisis ... clever and scary, beyond a doubt.  And President Jon Duncan is the only person who can prevent the crisis.  Hold your breath!

My only criticism is slight ... I believe the book is mis-titled.  It gives the impression that the President has been kidnapped and cannot be located.  That is not the story line.  The plot is richer and more interesting than a kidnapping.  I might have titled it Dark Ages.  Let us know what your title is, after you read The President is Missing, which I DO recommend!

Claire Leslie Walker & Charles E. Roth |  Nonfiction

Earlier this summer I was inspired by an article in our local paper about a man who creates and teaches Nature Journaling.  I began to think that keeping a nature journal might be a good way to be more present on my hikes, and less focused on accumulating miles and elevation.  And so, I researched the topic.  And yes, I now have a journal, pens, and watercolor pencils that I take with me when I hike alone.  I am beginning to expand the use of this journal to non-hiking times.  Here are four books that further inspired me:

The Naturalist Notebook: from a week on the Noatak River.  I discovered this book at the National Park Service visitor center in Bettles, Alaska.  Kristin Link, the author, created a watercolor journal of her time in the Brooks Range.  This is a beautiful book, very inspiring.  The only way to buy this book is to track down her website, which I did.

A Life in Hand:  Creating the Illuminated Journal by Hannah Hinchman has some great exercises to get you started, and to free up your voice.  She also has a good section on supplies.

How to Keep a Naturalist's Notebook by Susan Leigh Tomlinson is a pretty book, with some good ideas, but for my taste, an over-emphasis on drawing.

Keeping a Nature Journal:  Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You  is, for my purposes, the cream of the crop.  This lovely book expands beyond nature drawing and brings in much of what I was personally looking for … ideas on how to use your journal, to slow down, as a spiritual practice, how to see and be present with the world around you, in the natural world and not. They have chapters on seasonal journaling as well as information about journaling with kids, varying your layouts, different ideas for keeping your journal fresh and new. And it is a gorgeous book, with many black & white and color journal examples.  If you buy only one book, this is the one to purchase.

I bought all four of these books, so if you would like to borrow any, just let me know.

Spencer Quinn |  Fiction

I was with my college friends Janet and Mark in August. Together, we visited Isle Royale and Voyageur‘s National Parks.   But perhaps the best times were playing pinochle in the evenings ... ah, reminiscent of Ann Arbor evenings.

But I digress from my intentions.   While we were traveling together, Janet and Mark recommended that I try on some Spencer Quinn novels, his Chet and Bernie mysteries.  And so I did.  Dog On It was a nice respite between heavier books.  This is a book you can read in a few evenings.                                                                                                                       

Bernie is a Private I.  Chet, his sidekick, is a “K-9 Trained Dog”.  The story is told from Chet's point of view.  So if you don't like dogs, or never lived with a dog, leave this book on the shelf and instead search for funny cat videos on YouTube.  But if you know and love dogs, you may very well appreciate Chet's perspective on humanity, and what we do, and how we smell, and what is confusing about working with us.  In this novel, Chet and Bernie search for Madison, a missing 15-year-old.

Dog On It is definitely light reading.  I actually laughed out loud a few times.  If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know I don't think the written word is capable of being funny, except sometimes it is.  I am still cracking up at this, from page 42:  A silence.  And then — yes: She barked.  A bark that sent a message, a she-message of the most exciting kind.  I barked back. She barked.  I barked.  She barked.  And then: Yip! Yip! Yip.  Iggy was back. He barked.  She barked.  I barked.  He barked.  She —

Anyway, as I say, if you’ve never lived with a dog that won’t be funny.  It may not be funny to you if you DO.  Nevertheless,  Dog On It is the first of 8 Chet & Bernie books and I will read more!

Deborah Harkness |  Fiction

This is the third and final book in the All Souls Trilogy. I sped through this book; it entertained me completely.  One friend said she found it dark – well, yes, quite a few souls are killed to free up the new generation.  One friend didn’t like the ending – I found it satisfying myself.

What I most like about Harkness’ deep writing is her ability to make me laugh every once in a while.  I still giggle now recalling Chapter 10 when the witches could not get Fleetwood Mac to stop playing everywhere.  “I hate Rumours!” exclaims witch Sarah.  I think it would behoove Harkness’ style if she found a way to insert just a tiny bit more humor.  She goes deep into relationships; this book has a lot of action (my criticism of the second book, Shadow of Night, was the lack of action); and she builds a creative story line.  If I smiled once or twice more, I feel it would relieve some of the tension of the conflicts.

I definitely recommend The Book of Life, but start at the beginning with the first book,  A Discovery of Witches.

Anne Tyler |  Fiction

We read about the defining moments of Willa's life, each a decade or two apart, but the bulk of the story occurs after Willa receives a confusing phone call and ends up traveling across the country to care for a woman who has been shot in her leg and her daughter, neither of whom Willa knows.

The story is somewhat entertaining.  The character development, and the characters themselves, are shallow and weak.  I had hoped the ending would redeem the book.  It didn’t.

You can find something better to read.

Mark Adams |  Nonfiction

I think this is probably a pretty good book.  I was disadvantaged by reading Tip of the Iceberg on my tours of Cuyahoga and Shenandoah National Parks, because my reading opportunities tended to be short and often distracted. Every time I found a reasonable period of time to read, however, I grew enamored of this book.

Mark Adams takes off in modern times (2016, 2017?) to retrace an 1899 voyage to the wilds of Alaska.  Traveling 3000 miles, Adams makes the stops the earlier voyage made, and compares his journey to the journey of the Elder.  The Elder was a steamship converted by the railroad magnate Edward R. Harriman to a “floating university” and was populated by some of America’s best scientists, biologists, archeologists, specialists in flora, fauna, geology, climate and the well-known glacier specialist, John Muir.

Adams tells a story of the changes in the culture and economies of Alaska over the 100-plus years, but also the natural history, ecological shifts, and climate change.  The contrasts are interesting.  Sometimes, not much has changed; sometimes he sees a very different world.  I particularly loved the chapter in which he and Teddy Roosevelt visit Alaska together, and he shows the President a few of the wonders of Alaska.

Tip of the Iceberg will entice you, if you have any interest at all in this wild and remote wilderness state.

By the way, some of mentioned you don't see replies to your posted reply.  I always reply to your posts!  Next time you make a comment, be sure you have the option checked to see all replies... that way, we can share our perspectives and knowledge!!

Rhiannon Navin| Fiction

Writing Only Child took considerable courage, I believe.  This is Navin’s first novel (she has two previous nonfiction books) and it is written from the perspective of Zach, a six-year-old first grader who survives a school shooting.  Nineteen of Zach's fellow schoolmates and teachers die in the shooting, however, including one very close to Zach, so be is hardly unharmed.

We learn about Zach's feelings, his assumptions, what (and how) he discovers about the shooting, the support he receives and doesn't receive from the adults in his life. Most compelling  is how he works with his feelings.  A self-proclaimed “very good artist,” Zach becomes overwhelmed with the complexity of feelings he has, and how unrelated feelings pile upon one another.  He colors pieces of paper different hues to represent different emotions and, in this way, he is able to separate, manage and integrate his emotions.  Well done!

The entire novel is written in Zach's six-year-old voice.  While that is interesting and draws the reader in, it also left me wanting.  I wish the novel had interspersed Zach chapters with chapters by his father, who doesn't have a clue what Zach is experiencing; or his mother, who is more emotionally connected to Zach, but loses him in her obsessive search for justice; or Charlie, the father of the shooter.  I would like to know what was in their emotional library and how and why they made some of the decisions they made.  And I would have liked a break from the logic, words, and perspectives of a six-year-old.

Voice fatigue aside, what I find at best disappointing and at worst unconscionable and irresponsible is that Navin apparently does no research for this novel.  She doesn't talk with a single child survivor.  She doesn't interview a crisis counselor.  She doesn't speak with school administrators.  She readily and proudly admits in interviews and on her website that her “focus group” comprises her own three young children.

The story is an interesting and quick read.  I was going to take it on a plane with me this Sunday, but I finished it already!  The lack of research, however, makes me hesitant to believe I have read something that is based in truth, real information, or accurate perception and insight.

David Michie |  Fiction

This is the second book in David Michie's trilogy about Buddhism through the eyes of the cat adopted by the Dali Lama.  His Holiness’s Cat (HHC), aka Rinpoche, Little Sister, Snow Lion, Mousie Tung, Swami (a new name she acquires in this book), is delightful!  Smart, articulate, able to read and understand human conversation, she allows us to see Buddhism through her innocent eyes.  These short novels are really fun!  The voice of HHC is pure delight.  She knows it is impossible not to love her.  She knows she is gorgeous.  And she is the most intellectually curious and humble cat.

The Art of Purring came to my shelf at a particularly good time.  This book is about happiness; how to acquire it; how to stay with it; how to choose it; how to BE it, and, of course, its relationship to purring. I began reading The Art of Purring after returning from a delightful trip with my college roommate Janet and her husband Mark, to Isle Royale and Voyageurs National Parks.  The trip was perfect, but upon my return I found myself thrust into a sad grieving funk with days of crying and loneliness.  Michie’s book arrived in my life not only when I needed it, but also when I was quite motivated to read it.  For this, I am grateful.

This trilogy is quick, enjoyable, fun and enlightening!  I heartily and highly recommend it  Thank you, Julia!

Robert Kurson |  Nonfiction

In 1991 two divers discovered the remains of a U-boat deep in the Atlantic off the New Jersey coast.  But this was a U-boat that could not be there.  No American, German or British records indicated a sunken or lost U-boat anywhere in the vicinity.  As the mystery unfolded, I learned a great deal about deep diving to explore wrecks, U-boats, World War II action off the U.S. coast, and especially about the values and uncompromising integrity of the men who discovered, researched, and dove this wreck, not all of whom survived.

Shadow Divers is dense and rich with knowledge and mystery.  This is not a book you will read in an evening.  It takes thinking to read this true narrative.  You will follow six years of diving and research to positively identify the U-boat’s number and crew, 1991-1997. It is, however, quite a fascinating and satisfying read, and I highly recommend it.  The story is compelling, the characters are complex and real, the writing is engaging.  I cried reading the Epilogue. 

The New Yorker describes Kurson’s writing as “adrenalized prose.”  I will recommend this book to the "Casting Crew Book Club" as a 2019 read, and I recommend it to you.

Thank you, Dan, for this magnificent addition to my reading list.