On the Shores of Eternity   Rabindranath Tagore
The subtitle says “Poems from Tagore on Immortality and Beyond.” Didn’t like any of them, even found the wish for death expressed in many of them to be obscene and offensive. Read them because he won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.

The Great Gatsby   F. Scott Fitzgerald
Embarrassed to say, I hadn’t read this book until now. All the high school book reports and movies made me well acquainted with the plot, but I was unprepared for the beauty of Fitzgerald’s prose and the insights into American society. Very good.

The Sixth Extinction   Elizabeth Kolbert
Informative, disturbing, and fascinating description of the anthropocene era where humans are driving pretty much every species extinct, including themselves. Engagingly written, though a little less personal journalism would have helped. Great information.

Night Heron   Adam Brookes
Engaging spy thriller about a Chinese prisoner who re-activates his spying for Britain and the journalist who gets caught in it. Well written, interesting characters, thrilling escapes. All the good stuff except sex. well done. Really enjoyed it.

World of Trouble   Ben H. Winters
Final volume of the Last Policeman trilogy. As the end of the world gets very close, Henry searches for his sister Nico. Horrifying, sad, and pitch perfect. Incredibly inventive and accomplished. Really enjoyed these three books.

To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918   Adam Hochschild
Fascinating, beautifully-written history of Britain’s involvement in World War I coupled with those who dissented against it. Outstanding history of an enormous tragedy. Deeply moving. Really, really good.

Shovel Ready   Adam Sternbergh
Spademan is a hit man in a near-future New York that has been spoiled by a dirty bomb. Writing is hip and quick, the narrative unravels a little toward the end, but everything works out OK. And that’s how the book was, OK.

Rough Country   John Sandford
Another entertaining Virgil Flowers novel about a series of murders up in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Lesbians, country music, some good dialogue, with interesting characters and a quick narrative pulse all add up to a lot of fun.

Heat Lightning   John Sandford
A series of professional executions puts Virgil Flowers on the trail of Vietnamese revenge killers. Good action, the usual humor and cynicism, good prose, good characters make an entertaining thriller. Lots of fun.