Burning Down George Orwell's House   Andrew Ervin
Disappointing novel about a man who gives up his life in Chicago for 6 months in the house in which George Orwell wrote 1984 on the island of Jura in Scotland to try to find himself. The prose is adequate, but the protagonist seems adolescent, and the other characters are sitcom-level eccentrics. Found Pitcairn senior to be completely unbelievable, the plot became slapstick, and the concerns shallow. Too bad.

Vanishing Games   Roger Hobbs
Ghostman hooks up with his former partner, who vanished six years previously, to scam a triad boss and mercenary out of cash and jewels. Not nearly as intelligent and entertaining as the previous book. This time, the details just got in the way of the action. Also, I was unconvinced by the resolution, and the woman. Too bad.

Aeneid   Virgil
Virgil’s epic poem about the mythic founding of the roman empire by Trojan survivors of the Trojan war. Very beautiful poetry, so I can understand why Dante had Virgil guide him through hell, but all the detailed battle descriptions and heroic bombast got really tedious. Not as great as Homer,, who it imitates, but still a great work of human literature. Fagles’ translation is superb.

Ghostman   Roger Hobbs
Very entertaining, well-written novel about a high-end bank robber whose profession now is to help people disappear. In this case he has to find money and a robber who have disappeared after a casino heist gone wrong. Violent, intelligent, and fast paced narrative clips right along. A great escape.

The Shot Heard Round the World: The Battles of Lexington and Concord   Nancy Whitelaw
Though a children’s book, a good overview of the military encounter that started the American Revolution. Much more content about the years and causes that precipitated the conflict than expected. A good, quick, intelligent read surprisingly filled with information.

The First American Revolution: Before Lexington and Concord   Ray Raphael
Fascinating account of how the people of the Massachusetts Bay colony rose up in 1774 and overthrew British rule, in particular response to the Massachusetts Government Act. Does an excellent job of setting the stage for Lexington and Concord that triggered the full revolution. Very readable and informative, if a little ideological, which I didn’t mind. Really enjoyed it.

Introducing Chaos   Ziauddin Sardar and Iwona Abrams
Excellent, brief introduction and overview of Chaos in mathematics and science. Much broader than generally understood, for example in population, economics, cities, and the human body. Very interested in the relationship to complexity and complex systems, as well. Very good.

Consciousness Explained   Daniel C. Dennett
Very well written, serious, and rigorous philosophy/science book about the nature of human consciousness and how it functions. Relies more on scientific and psychological experimentation data than philosophical reasoning to make his points: hetero-phenomenology, the multiple drafts theory from a pandemonium, the discussion of the origins and nature of the self, and he makes his case very well. I think he makes a mistake thinking of the self as a thing. Good book, very glad I worked through it.

Our Souls at Night   Kent Haruf
Beautiful, sweet, and sad novel about two neighbors who decide to have a relationship late in their lives, just so they aren’t alone. Beautiful prose, pretty good characterizations, and a believable story line. Loved every word.

The Buried   Brett Battles
Entertaining thriller about Quinn, a cleaner, who discovers women imprisoned in a basement. The prose is pretty clumsy, there is little characterization, and the final 2/3rds of the plot is basically just a chase-scene, but it was exciting enough that I wanted to find out what all the trouble was about. Not too bad. Not like it’s the first book I’ve read by him.

The Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America   Colin G. Calloway
Another excellent and fascinating history. This one concentrates on the social upheavals caused by the Treaty of Paris in 1763 that ended the Seven Years War. Britain, France, and Spain blithely exchanged territory and people they didn’t really own, and caused more havoc than they ended, particularly the destruction of thousands of years of American Indian nations and the beginnings of the American Revolution. Well researched and engagingly written, couldn’t put it down.