★★★★★ | History | Print | Own | StoryGraph | Goodreads
I paused reading this history to read The Odyssey by Homer to give me a better insight to that classic’s role in Greek history.
My mind seems most interested in philosophy these days, so my notes and highlights below tend to center on that area of the book vs. historical events, of which there were many.
…★★★★☆ | Psychology | Print | Own | StoryGraph | Goodreads
We perceive reality not exactly as it is but as our brains interpret it. (Page 15)
…Between the idea and the reality … Falls the Shadow.
— T.S. Eliot
★★★★★ | Mystery-Suspense | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads
Mary Pat Fennessy is one of the most compelling characters I’ve encountered in a while. She made the bleakness of the story worth it. And yes, the story is bleak!
Dennis Lehane is a terrific storyteller.
…★★★★☆ | Spy-Detective | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads
My first John D. MacDonald novel–this one with his famous protagonist Travis McGee. I liked the Florida boat setting and MacDonald’s frequent use of sharing his opinions on excess consumerism, “normal” 9 – 5 living, and the vagaries of human nature. The writing about women is so dated, but this was written in 1964.
…★★★☆☆ | Spy-Detective | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads
The third installment of the Nero Wolfe mystery series. A muscle man who’s quite a thinker himself is the protagonist in these books. Wolfe is the enigma that we collectively marvel at for his brilliance and idiosyncrasies. Reading this book after just finishing Storycraft by Jack Hart forced me to look at the joinery work and finishing of the plot and how it moved along. One of the downsides of studying the craft of writing is that some of the enthralling magic of the story fades away as you better understand what the author is doing.
…★★★★★ | Writing | Print | Own | StoryGraph | Goodreads
One of the best, most practical writing guides I have ever read. I read Hart’s WordCraft ahead of this one. Really great.
…★★★★☆ | Horror | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads
This is my sixth Stephen King book I’ve finished over the past month.
Lisey’s Story started slowly and was confusing at times with so many flashbacks (including flashbacks within flashbacks, which can’t be easy to pull off as a writer). While there is a supernatural element, the book centers on rebounding from grief, in this case, the death of Lisey’s husband.
…★★★☆☆ | Mystery-Suspense | Audio | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads
I listened to this on audiobook and was put off by the strong Maine accent of the narrator — too heavy to be understood at first — but it slowly grew on me.
This is one of Stephen King‘s Hard Case Crime books (Joyland and Later were the other two and I’ve read them both). I’ve wanted to buy a slew of books of this mystery/crime series just to have on the shelf for when I need a quick read. I still might.
Spoiler follows …
…★★★★★ | Horror | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads
An amazing collection of early short stories. My favorite — because of the utter difficulty I had in reading it — was The Ledge. The story involves the protagonist having to climb over a balcony railing on the 43rd floor of a luxury apartment building onto a 5″ ledge that he must use (without handholds) to climb around the entire building. Gusting winds and pecking pigeons make him stagger and sway, along with his antagonist who is there watching and taunting him. Mr. King tapped directly into my singular fear. I had to stop reading at different times and remind myself that it was fiction. I am sure my blood pressure was spiking. I tried to close my eyes a few times, but it’s awful hard to read with your eyes closed. What a storyteller!
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