The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution   Richard Dawkins
Dawkins’ detailed account of the evidences for evolution by natural selection. He talks about himself too much, and he’s a little condescending, though in a nice way, but the book has good details. Chapter 13, “There is grandeur in this view of life” is an exquisite and beautiful summary of how natural selection works. Glad I read it.

Bridge   Robert Thomas
Beautifully written novel about a woman struggling with mental illness and trying to navigate love, work, and getting past jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Prose is astonishingly beautiful. Really liked it.

Gottlieb Mittelberger's Journey to Pennsylvania in the Year 1750 and Return to Germany in the Year 1754…   Gottlieb Mittelberger
Fascinating first-hand account of Mittelberger’s emigration to America in 1750 and his account of the four years he spent in Pennsylvania. Filled with useful and interesting information about what the colony was like then. Excellent.

Introducing Hegel   Lloyd Spencer and Andrzej Krauze
Brief, general overview of Hegel’s philosophy. Spent too much time on his philosophies of nature, science, religion, and art for me. I was primarily interested in Phenomenology of Mind and Philosophy of History. But a good review. Liked the summary of who was influenced by him as well.

The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism   Andrew J. Bacevich
Bacevich’s history and analysis of the crises facing U.S. governance, foreign policy, and the military, as exemplified by our involvement in the Middle East. Well reasoned, convincing, and really well written. Also, deeply depressing. Continued in a recent article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-bacevich/iraq-assumptions_b_6210920.html.

Deadline   John Sandford
Most recent Virgil Flowers police procedural. This time he’s solving murders, embezzlement, and dog-nappings in Trippton, MN. Entertaining, but not really good until toward the end. Quick, fun read.

Collected Poems   Philip Larkin
Larkin’s published and unpublished poems. Beautiful images and language, all constrained by the omni-present rhyme. My first encounter with him, probably my last as well, though he is a very good poet.

The Odyssey   Homer (Fagles translation)
Re-read this after several decades. Remembered parts of it, but didn’t remember how beautifully written it is. Really enjoyed it. Was moved when Odysseus and Penelope finally reunite. No wonder it has survived for nearly 10,000 years.

Out of the Dark (Du Plus Loin De L'Oubli)   Patrick Modiano
Novel by the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 2014. A writer remembers the brief affair he had with a woman 30 years ago, and his encounter with her fifteen years later. A bit mysterious, interesting, and nicely written.

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer   Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
Excellent biography of Oppenheimer. I’ve been fascinated with him since I was young. Focuses in great detail on the witch hunt to rescind his security clearance during the hysteria of the McCarthy era, as the subtitle indicates. Difficult and infuriating to wade through the extensive excerpts from the transcripts. Very well done and very interesting.

The British Colonies in North America   Peter Benoit
Good, brief introduction and overview of the British colonies up to 1774. Sparse, but useful information. Glad I read it.

The Double   George Pelecanos
Entertaining second installment in the Spero Lucas series. This time Spero cracks a burglary ring to recover a painting. But, of course, it’s not that simple. Pelecanos’ quick, clean prose, sex, and violence. Brutal and, like I said, entertaining.

The Intellectual Life of Colonial New England   Samuel Eliot Morison
Rather than an intellectual history per se, this is Morison’s catalogue of the origins of theology, history, literature, especially verse, and science in 17^th-century New England. A little dry and out of date, but also somewhat profitable.

The Cut   George Pelecanos
Entertaining crime thriller about an Iraq vet who works as an investigator for a lawyer and does work finding things on the side. He takes a percentage (a cut) of what he finds. Hard, realistic, written in quick, clean prose. Enjoyed it.

Sexual Revolution in Early America   Richard Godbeer
Excellent social history of sexual mores in colonial America from the first settlements through the 18^th century. Turns out, there was a lot of independent activity, even among the puritans. Thoroughly researched and well written. Very detailed and informative.

Selected Poems 1934-1952   Dylan Thomas
October 23 was the 100^th anniversary of Thomas’ birth, so I read through this collection. Everybody always says they love Thomas, so I didn’t take him as seriously for awhile, but re-reading these poems confirmed for me that he is really a great poet. Very good.

Not A Drill   Lee Child
Reacher gets involved with some hikers who aren’t really hikers. Prose is back to crisp and clean, but the narrative is pretty thin again. Worth the read, though not the price. Oh well.

Selected Poems   Galway Kinnell
Kinnell died this week, so I wanted to read some more of his poems. This is a very good early selection. “The Avenue Bearing the Initial of Christ into the New World” is an excellent example of his skill. I really enjoyed these poems. Much better than I remembered.

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World Steven Johnson
Another very informative and interesting book by Johnson. The title is an accurate description. As usual, learned a lot about Victorian London, the history of the specific instance, and the development of science. Really enjoyed it, very profitable.

Personal   Lee Child
I’ve read all of Child’s Reacher books, and, unfortunately, this is my least favorite. The crisp, clean prose and quick action that have made all the others so entertaining are absent here. Use of the first person narrative serves only to wash out all the other characters, as well. Too bad. Disappointing.

A Woman Alone & Other Plays   Dario Fo
Plays and stories by the 1997 Nobel Prize winner. Really enjoyed the left political point-of-view, especially the “Tales of the Resistance” and “More Stories”. Wish I had encountered him earlier. Very good.

Kaddish for a Child Not Born   Imre Kertész
Powerful novel about a writer recounting his struggles to be able to live emotionally after surviving Auschwitz. Very well written and translated in a sort of stream-of-consciousness. By the 2002 Nobel Prize winner.

The Invention of Air: A Story Of Science, Faith, Revolution, And The Birth Of America   Steven Johnson
Interesting and informative history of Joseph Priestley’s influence in chemistry, religion, and politics, especially among the founders of the United States. Very well written. Especially interesting sidebars on the nature of intellectual progress and new paradigms. Really liked it.

Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think   Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Kenneth Cukier
Disappointing discussion of the growing influence of the “science” of big data. Distressing that it was not about knowledge and understanding, but about statistics with applications for and about business only. Deeply concerned by their promotion of “inexactitude” and the rule of statistical analysis.

It Can’t Happen Here   Sinclair Lewis
Engaging novel about the ascendance and implementation of a totalitarian government in the United States in 1936. Unfortunately, plausible for now as well. Lewis won the Nobel Prize in 1930.

The City Under the Skin   Geoff Nicholson
Entertaining and off-beat novel about women who are being randomly grabbed, tattooed, and then let go. The mystery brings together an ex-con trying to go straight, a cartographer, and one of the women. Nice prose and a good story, though kind of a weak ending. Enjoyed it.

The Hunting Gun   Inoue Yasushi
1947 Japanese novel that consists of three letters written to a man by three women he loves who are, in different ways, abandoning him. Emotionally bleak.

The Liar’s Wife   Mary Gordon
Four well accomplished novellas. For some reason, they didn’t have the power for me of Spending and her other collections of exquisite novellas, but very good. Liked Fine Art the best.

One Summer: America, 1927   Bill Bryson
Entertaining popular history of the many interesting events that occurred in the summer of 1927 in the U.S., such as Lindbergh’s flight, the Yankee’s, a notorious murder case and others. Worth it, but not profound.

The Golden Boat: Selected Poems   Rabindranath Tagore
A much better selection of Tagore’s poetry, in a translation by an actual poet. His 1913 Nobel Prize makes a lot more sense reading these, accomplished, sometimes almost formalist, poems.

The Half-Finished Heaven: The Best Poems of Tomas Tranströmer   Tomas Tranströmer
A collection of the 2011 Nobel Prize winner’s poems. Quite good, but I agree with Robert Frost that poetry is what is lost in translation. Glad the prize awards poets. Enjoyed this overview of his work.

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.

Dark of the Moon   John Sandford
Another entertaining Virgil Flowers novel. Chronologically, this is the first, about a series of murders in a tiny town in southwestern Minnesota. Good writing, believable characters, and plenty of action. Quick, distracting fun.

The Guns of August: The Outbreak of World War I   Barbara W. Tuchman
Brilliant, beautifully written history of the first month of World War I, the month that determined everything that followed. Thought it appropriate since this is the 100^th anniversary. Deeply sad.

Orfeo   Richard Powers
Stunningly beautiful novel chronicling the life of a contemporary composer who at 70 is suspected of bio-terrorism. Highly intelligent, insightful, and beautifully written. Powers’ mind is incredible.

Mad River   John Sandford
Enjoyable and bleak Virgil Flowers novel about a killing spree in Southeastern Minnesota. Complicated plot, the usual good writing, and moral dilemmas and outrage. Nicely entertaining.

Shock Wave   John Sandford
Virgil Flowers novel about bombings of a megastore site in rural Minnesota. The usual good writing, some interesting characters, and a few twists toward the end. A satisfying and entertaining diversion.

Bad Blood   John Sandford
Very entertaining Virgil Flowers novel about a religious sex ring in rural Minnesota. Excellent police procedural, intense action, humor, and a believable narrative. Really fun.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America   Erik Larson
True crime book about the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition and the serial killer in Chicago at the same time. Fascinating history of the fair and the many things that developed from it. Not nearly as interested in the speculative serial killer sections. In general, good.

Storm Prey   John Sandford
This novel reminded me why I stopped reading these prey books a long time ago. I don’t really like Davenport, found the criminals to be caricatures, and a few too many thriller clichés. Glad it didn’t take too long. Now I’m really done.

Countdown City   Ben H. Winters
Sequel to The Last Policeman. As the countdown to the end of the world continues, Henry tries to find the missing husband of his old babysitter. Well written, good characters, and very entertaining. A little quirkier this time. Still, couldn’t put it down.

The Last Policeman   Ben Winters
Very entertaining mystery novel about a policeman trying to solve a murder with only six months until an asteroid crashes into the earth. Really well written, great characters, plenty of twists, and a satisfying ending. Couldn’t put it down.

Descartes’ Loneliness   Allen Grossman
More beautiful poems about mind in the world, and the fundamental loneliness of thinking and human existence. Really liked them. Wish I could write poetry this good.

The Bright Nails Scattered on the Ground: Love Poems   Allen Grossman
Beautiful, intellectual poems about a man and woman in an unsanctioned love. Mythic, cosmic, symbolic. Wish I had discovered Grossman sooner. Very good.

Storm Front   John Sandford
Complicated, deeply entertaining and satisfying novel set in Mankato about a BCA agent who gets caught up in international smuggling. Pretty good characters, swift prose, and an engaging, and mostly convincing, plot. Good enough to be plenty of fun.

The Salinger Contract   Adam Langer
Entertaining, though implausible, thriller about a writer hired to write a novel that only one person will ever read. Some interesting twists, and good practical moral ambiguity in the characters. And, as would, no doubt, be the case, no really happy ending. Beautiful prose which is what kept me going.

The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II   Iris Chang
A good history of the massacre that occurred in Nanking in December 1937 when the Japanese took the city. Unfortunately, not really a balanced account. Chang’s writing uses too many adjectives instead of letting the innate horror of the action speak for themselves. Also, she talks too much about herself, and writes as if raping a woman is far worse than torturing and mutilating a man. The basic information, especially about the subsequent cover-up, is good. Too bad her intentionally inflammatory language, and her obvious personal dislike of the Japanese, taints the work.

Work Done for Hire   Joe Haldeman
Entertaining thriller about a former military sniper who is recruited to kill someone after he has been back from the war and is a successful writer. Good until the clumsy, rushed ending. But a quick read.

Mortality   Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens’ last book written while he was dying of cancer of the esophagus. Everything in it that I loved about his other work, insight, humor, and stiletto-sharp reason. Sad but really good.

The Rosie Project   Graeme Simsion
Absolutely delightful comic novel about a genetics professor with Asperger’s who creates a scientific project to find a woman with whom he is compatible. Laughed out loud, and wasn’t even disappointed with the clumsy, predictable ending. Couldn’t put it down, read the whole thing in one sitting.

Peeling the Onion   Günter Grass
Grass’ moving, honest, guilt-ridden, and literary memoir of his war and post-war years up to the publication of The Tin Drum. I wish he had kept going, but it is nearly perfect as it is. Really liked it.

Decoded   Mai Jia
Jia’s novel about a math genius who works as a cryptographer for Chinese intelligence. Like a dog repeatedly circling a spot before it lies down, Jia doesn’t get to the plot for the first 300 pages. Nice prose translation, but tedious and full of what seems to me extraneous information. Kind of a waste for me.

George Lukács   George Lichtheim
Excellent overview of the thought and works of the 20^th-century Marxist aesthetician who was such a strong influence on the Frankfurt School and critical theory. Well written, succinct, and very informative.

The Lecturer’s Tale   James Hynes
Delightful, bizarre, imaginative send up of the machinations in an English department at a major university. Strange, interesting characters, a little fantasy and horror, and a lot of fun in a moral tale based on 18^th-century literature. Couldn’t put it down.

The Intellectual Construction of America: Exceptionalism and Identity From 1492 to 1800   Jack P. Greene
Excellent history of how the American colonies were viewed and portrayed during this period, especially the British colonies of North America. Lots of good information, especially about the first half of the 18^th century. Not so interested in the concept of American exceptionalism, at least how it’s used in the 21^st century. Well worth it.

Why Read Moby-Dick?   Nathaniel Philbrick
Engaging and insightful analysis of the greatness of Melville’s classic. Well-written with good examples and extensive reference to the text, full of good critical information. Brief, but very useful.

Brown Dog   Jim Harrison
Finally a collection of the five previous Brown Dog novellas and a sixth. All of them are exquisite. B. D. is a wonderful character, Harrison’s prose is captivating, as always, and B. D.’s escapades and worldview are delightful. Couldn’t put it down. Hope there are more.

Books   Larry McMurtry
Disappointingly dull memoir of McMurtry’s nearly life-long experiences as a bookseller. I love books and bookstores, but I still got bored. The colloquial prose was fine, but his method, and what he talks, about were surprisingly uninteresting. Too bad.

Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life   Robert B. Reich
Reich’s thesis that democratic capitalism, the thing that made America great, has become super capitalism, that is unmaking America. He claims that the separation between capitalism and political democracy has broken down, and democracy is being destroyed by uncontrolled capitalism. No kidding. Well written, good historical background, but I was a little uncomfortable with how much he likes business. Not bad.

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern   Stephen Greenblatt
Deeply enjoyable and informative intellectual history of the re-discovery of Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things and its influence on western culture. Very well written and researched. Really enjoyed it.

The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code Margalit Fox
Enjoyable, well-written, and informative intellectual history of the process of deciphering the linear class B script used by the Mycenaean civilization in ancient Greece and Crete. Really enjoyed it, but sad that Alice Kober died so young.

Hop Alley   Scott Phillips
A sequel of sorts, this novel is Bill Ogden’s further adventures in the 1870s, now in Colorado working full-time as a photographer. Nicely written and engaging storytelling. I’m really going to miss Bill.

The Barbarous Years: The Peopling of British North America--The Conflict of Civilizations, 1600-1675   Bernard Bailyn
Stupendously informative history of the social, religious, political, and even personal construction of the British colonies on the eastern shores of North America. Everything about the struggle to create and sustain them was unbelievably brutal and savage, from external and internal forces. Beautifully written so the incredible detail never becomes burdensome. Excellent.

Cottonwood   Scott Phillips
Interesting, well-written novel about the infamous Bender murders in late 19^th-century Kansas. Bawdy, brutal, and at times touching. Liked the characters, especially the narration of the Bill Ogden character. Really enjoyed it.

Devils in Exile   Chuck Hogan
Entertaining thriller about Iraq war vets who rob drug dealers, destroy the drugs and keep the money. Of course, there’s more going to it under the surface, and everything is complicated by love. Fun, quick read.

The Cairo Affair   Olen Steinhauer
Novel about the Arab spring in Libya and Egypt form the CIA point-of-view. I’ve really liked all of Steinhauer’s other books, even the early eastern Europe cop novels, and especially the Milo Weaver series. But I grew weary of the betrayals, infidelities, and, I guess, the characters, in general, of this one.

The Reluctant Mr. Darwin: An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of His Theory of Evolution   David Quammen
Lovely, well-written intellectual history on Darwin’s development of the idea of natural selection. Begins with Darwin’s return from the Beagle voyage and goes to his death. It is indeed intimate and very engaging and informative. Really, really liked it.

The Land of Dreams   Vidar Sunstøl
Very enjoyable, noir mystery about a policeman’s struggle with what he thinks he knows about a murder he discovered and the past that haunts him and his family. Very much the first volume of a trilogy: we’re just left hanging with all the dilemmas unresolved.

Falling in Love through a Description   Keith Waldrop
April is national poetry month, so I finally got to Waldrop’s trilogy that won the National Book Award. The poems in this volume are not nearly so obscure as the previous volume, but I couldn’t get inside many of these either. All craft, I guess.

Shipwreck in Haven   Keith Waldrop
April is national poetry month, so I finally got to Waldrop’s trilogy that won the National Book Award. The poems in this volume are so obscure and the punctuation so idiosyncratic, that I’m not sure I understood any of them. Too bad.

Sartre   David Drake
Nicely written introduction to the French author/philosopher. Follows his life chronologically. Emphasizes his literary and political writing and work, and almost completely ignores his philosophy. For that reason, disappointing.

Archetype   M. D. Waters
Recommendations I read about this book failed to mention that it’s really a romance novel clothed in science fiction. Writing is better than most romance novels, but that didn’t save it. Couldn’t take it. Quit after 30 pages.

Wildwood Boys   James Carlos Blake
Beautifully written historical novel about the savage guerrilla war along the Missouri-Kansas border during the civil war, told from the point of view of the infamous Bloody Bill Anderson. Very, very good. Excellent novel and excellent history. Didn’t want it to end.

Woman from Shanghai: Tales of Survival from a Chinese Labor Camp   Yang Xianhui
Unbearable, fact-based tales from Jiabiangou prison camp in China from 1957-1961. What happened to these people is beyond horrifying, and there was no reason for any of it. So bad, I wish I hadn’t read this book. Hope I can get over it.

By Blood We Live   Glen Duncan
This book is well written, has fairly well-developed characters, and plenty of action. But I quit after about 100 pages because I felt stupid reading about vampires and werewolves. Couldn’t imagine that I would consider it worthwhile when I finished.

Purgatory   Ken Bruen
Latest Jack Taylor novel. This time, a serial killer is haunting Galway. Even I have gotten tired of Jack’s bitterness and ineptitude. As usual, his friends pay the price. Even though the writing is superb, I think this will be my last one. Sláinte.

Give Us a Kiss   Daniel Woodrell
Well written and entertaining hillbilly noir about a man finally finding his place. Liked the characters, violence, sex, erudition, and fatal, inevitable outcome. Intelligent, quick entertainment. Very nice.

The Glass Slipper and Other Stories   Yasuoka Shotaro
Bleak and strange stories about the self-perception and inner lives of odd characters. I felt off balance reading all of them, and didn’t like any of the people. Too bad.

The Return   Michael Gruber
Entertaining novel about a man who returns to Mexico to avenge his wife when he finds out he has an inoperable brain tumor. Nicely written, and there is enough violence and sex to keep it interesting. But the increasing religious fantasies and plot improbabilities made it seem hollow. Not really bad, though.

The Thief   Nakamura Fuminori
Slim, well-written novel about an accomplished Tokyo pick pocket who gets involved, against his will, with an evil yakuza. Much rumination about fate that keeps us from what we want. Pretty good.

The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend   Glenn Frankel
History of the Cynthia Ann Parker story that was the foundation for the John Ford film. I was far more interested in the actual history in the first 2/3rds of the book. Great American history about the Indian-White wars in the southwest. Very well written and researched. Really liked it.

Introducing Baudrillard   Chris Horrocks and Zoran Jevtic
Excellent, brief introduction to the chaotic and provocative thought of the French sociologist/philosopher. Not as quick a read as I thought. Baudrillard requires effort. Very glad I read it.

Darwin's Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution   Rebecca Stott
Beautifully written account of the long history, starting with Aristotle, of the idea of evolution, or as it was called, transmutation. I love this kind of intellectual history. Read the whole thing in the Nook app on my tablet. Really enjoyed it.

A Death in Summer   Benjamin Black
Forth novel in the Quirke series. This time, he is investigating the apparent suicide of a very wealthy businessman. He gets involved with the widow, and as usual, his investigations get other people hurt. Beautifully written, in-depth characterizations, and a good plot. Nice ending. Really enjoyed it.

A Darwinian Left: Politics, Evolution, and Cooperation   Peter Singer
Brief, ineffectual attempt to establish left politics on Darwin rather than Marx. Completely unconvincing. First Singer I’ve read and, most likely, the last.

The Difference Engine   William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
Overlong, but interesting, novel that started Steampunk. An alternate history Victorian England where Babbage’s difference engine became pervasive. Unfortunately, the middle sections of the book don’t really connect with the narrative begun in the first third and that resumes in the final third. But good enough nonetheless.

The Wrong Quarry   Max Allan Collins
Guilty pleasure of a book about an assassin who kills other assassins. Plenty of violence and sex, and a good plot with a big twist. What more could a guy ask for. Well executed, and a lot of fun.

Zero History   William Gibson
Gibson’s most recent novel continues the exploits of Hollis Henry in the employ of Bigend. Brings back all the people from Spook Country, and even, Pattern Recognition. Beautifully written, very interesting, and loved the characters again, especially Hollis, Milgrim, and Heidi. Couldn’t put it down. I’ve now read all of his fiction. Wish he had another one.

Free Will   Sam Harris
Unfortunately, this is a dumb book. Harris never develops a coherent argument, makes numerous logical mistakes, and looks down on his readers from a mountainous self absorption. Even though brief, this book is a waste of time. Too bad.

Death of the Black Haired Girl   Robert Stone
She dies about half-way into this dark novel. The prose is so beautifully manufactured that we are reminded of the author’s skill in every sentence. Not such a good thing. I disliked every character, probably, again, because Stone dislikes them. Even with all its accomplishment, didn’t like this book at all.

Marxism and Literary Criticism   Terry Eagleton
Very well written, highly informative, though brief, introduction to Marxist literary criticism. Marx, Engels, Trotsky, Lukacs, Macherey, Benjamin, Brecht, Althusser, and a couple of others are covered, as well as the important ideas. Excellent.

Skinner   Charlie Huston
Wonderful thriller filled with high intelligence, current events, and surprises, all written in perfect, invisible prose. Loved Skinner, and especially Jae, and Dharavi. Even though we got nicely to the end of the configuration, wished it wouldn’t end.

Duino Elegies   Rainer Maria Rilke
Stunningly beautiful poems in Stephen Mitchell’s beautiful translation. Can’t remember how many times I’ve read them, but they never disappoint. Too many angels, but that’s OK. The Ninth Elegy is still my favorite:
                      “ Ah, but what can we take along
into that other realm? Not the art of looking,
which is learned so slowly, and nothing that happened here. Nothing.
The sufferings, then. And, above all, the heaviness,
and the long experience of love...”

Never Go Back   Lee Child
Excellent, latest Reacher novel. He finally got back to Virginia, but he’s stumbled into a conspiracy to destroy the woman he came to see. Bad guys are right there in the army. Once again, Reacher is much too smart and violent for them, he and the woman get along great, the prose itself is worth the read, and the good guys win. Loads of fun.

A Wanted Man   Lee Child
Penultimate Reacher novel. He’s in Nebraska, still trying to get back to Virginia. This time he gets mixed up with domestic terrorists and FBI counter-terrorism agents. Interesting until the last couple of sections which read like a single-shooter video game. But Reacher’s mind is so intelligent, and the prose is so clean and crisp, I still really enjoyed it.

Suspect   Robert Crais
Disappointing, latest book by Crais. No Elvis Cole or Joe Pike. This time it’s a wounded cop working to become a K-9 officer and his dog. The sections from the dog’s perspective were cheesy to the point of being embarrassing. Too bad. Lucky it still had Crais’ prose and was a quick read.

Tatiana   Martin Cruz Smith
Latest Arkady Renko novel set in Kaliningrad in the new Russia. Murder, a lost corpse, trouble with Zhenya and his girlfriend, all while being targeted by Russian mafia. Complicated plot develops well, characters are interesting, and an enjoyable and believable ending. I have really enjoyed all of Smith’s novels, this one now included on that list.

The Twelfth Department   William Ryan
Second of the very enjoyable Chief Inspector Korolev novels. This time he is investigating murders at a psychiatric institute run by the NKVD. Well written, well plotted, and an excellent character. Kind of wished it didn’t end.

Ecclesiastes
My annual re-reading of this book that doesn’t really fit in a bible for believers. “How sweet is the light, what a delight for the eyes to behold the sun! Even if a man lives many years, let him enjoy himself in all of them, remembering how many the days of darkness are going to be. The only future is nothingness!” (11:7-8) That about sums it up.

Rivers   Michael Farris Smith
Well-written novel about a very believable near future U. S. ravaged by constant storms. Excellent prose, compelling narrative, and some good characters. Couldn’t put it down.

Tenth of December   George Saunders
Outstanding collection of short stories propelled by the characters. Magnificent use of changing perspective and each character’s inner world. Excellent, idiosyncratic prose. Characters remind me a little of Larry Brown. Can’t believe I knew nothing of Saunders until recently. Very, very good.

Dead Brides: Vampiric Tales by Edgar Allen Poe   Edgar Allen Poe
Some of my favorite (Berenice, Ligeia, Morella among others) Poe tales collected with two critical essays, H. P. Lovecraft’s mere homage to Poe’s greatness and Jeremy Reed’s interesting analysis of The Fall of the House of Usher as a description of Poe’s growing madness. Well worth it.

The Man from Berlin   Luke McCallin
Fairly interesting and well-enough written novel about a German Abwehr officer investigating a double murder in Nazi occupied Yugoslavia. Plot moves a little slowly with the protagonist’s self-examination that doesn’t really help us get to know him. Good enough I guess.

Karl Jaspers: A Biography: Navigations in Truth   Suzanne Kirkbright
May be one of the worst books I’ve read. Clunky, pretentious writing that says almost nothing, incredible lack of information about Jaspers and his life. Didn’t get any information about him and the development of his ideas that I was looking for. Terrible waste of time.

Hitler’s Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields   Wendy Lower
Excellent history of women who became part of the Nazi killing fields in the Lebensraum areas along the Eastern front in World War II. Very well written and documented, 55 pages of notes. Provided extensive information about Nazi culture and how these women got involved. Excellent history.

High Heat: A Jack Reacher Novella   Lee Child
Another deeply entertaining Reacher plot about mobsters, a New York City blackout, and even the Son of Sam. Child’s usual excellent prose and intelligence. Very enjoyable.

dot.dead   Keith Raffel
Lame and predictable mystery set in Silicon Valley about a tech startup executive framed for murder. Weak plot and lame characters. Read quickly enough, but still a regrettable waste of time. Too bad.

A Working Theory of Love  Scott Hutchins
Entertaining and kind of sweet novel about a guy trying to work out his relationships while using his father’s journals to help create an A.I. to pass the Turing test. Enjoyable, but it felt a little weak thematically and in characterizations.

Japantown   Barry Lancet
Clumsy, overwritten, emotionally overwrought novel about a murder in San Francisco’s Japantown by a secret ninja society. Shallow, unbelievable characters and an obvious plot. Another waste of time.

Devil May Care   Sebastian Faulks
Rather lame update of the Bond series. Didn’t have the energy, wit, or sex of the Fleming originals, though it followed the plot formula closely. Too bad, kind of a waste of time.

My Brief History   Stephen Hawking
Disappointingly lame “autobiography.” Very short and superficial. A complete waste of time and money, even though I got a 30% discount. Useless.

Bloodmoney   David Ignatius
Involved plot about a rogue CIA group whose members start being assassinated and the woman agent sent to find out what’s going on. A little surprise, but not nearly good enough to justify the effort; shallow, unbelievable characterizations, unjustified resolution, and a dopey ending.

The Deep Zone   James M. Tabor
Cliché-filled novel about a CDC researcher required to do extreme caving to get microbes to combat a new super bacterium. Embarrassing characterizations, and a tiring plot. Waste of time.

Bertrand Russell: The Ghost of Madness 1921-1970   Ray Monk
Deeply disappointing second volume that covers the second half of Russell’s life. Monk seems intent on character assassination, disparaging anything good that Russell accomplished and writing like a tabloid expose about everything else. Too bad, especially in light of the quality of the first volume. Glad to get the whole 1200 pages behind me.

Bertrand Russell: The Spirit of Solitude 1872-1921   Ray Monk
Excellent, well-written, philosophical, and excruciatingly meticulous biography of the first half of Russell’s life. Felt great sympathy and empathy for his personal struggles and awe for what he accomplished. I’ve always been interested in him because of our shared name, and I was very aware of his politics when I was a teenager. Very glad I read it.

Savages   Don Winslow
Story of Ben, Chon, and O and their attempt to live the California lifestyle fuelled by their drug business but without any consequences. Guess how that turns out. Exactly like the Oliver Stone movie except for O’s narration and the silly, focus-group required second ending. Liked the more recent prequel better.

The Kings of Cool   Don Winslow
Beautifully written (I really like Winslow’s prose) prequel that gives the background, even generational, of the characters and circumstances described in Savages. Actually liked this book, and the characters, better.

A Mercy   Toni Morrison
Excellent, beautifully-written novel about women in slavery in 17^th century America. Tragic, sad, abhorrent, and hugely insightful about what slavery does to people. Couldn’t put it down. Very good.

Capital Punishment   Robert Wilson
Very enjoyable thriller about a kidnapping consultant who gets involved in a situation that is more than it seems. Well written, complicated and compelling narrative, and surprisingly good characterizations. Really liked it. Wish it hadn’t ended.

The Love-Charm of Bombs: Restless Lives in the Second World War   Lara Feigel
Disappointing account of five literary figures in London during World War II. The writing is good, the exhaustive research and insights of connections between the writers’ lives and their fiction are well-done, but it’s never more than just these individuals. Somehow, the book feels trivial, and I don’t feel like I’ve really learned anything. Too bad.

All That Is   James Salter
Salter’s latest novel composed of snapshots of 40 years from World War II to the early 80s. Exquisite prose, perfectly constructed sentences and narrative that somehow captures the mundane, lovely, surprising, and heartbreaking truth of human existence in this one life. This is what a novel should be. Really sad it ended. What could I possibly read now?

Femme   Bill Pronzini
As in Fatale, not a fabulous gay man. Disappointing noir novel about a woman manipulating wealthy men with sex. The plot and all the shallow characters have already appeared thousands of times. Luckily, it didn’t take too long to read.

Dead Aim   Joe R. Lansdale
Brief, violent, stylized, noir novella about partners who agree to protect a woman from her husband. As always, they get involved in something completely different. Quick, enjoyable read. Might try something else by Lansdale.

Masaryk Station   David Downing
Latest in the John Russell/Effie Koenen series. Now it is 1948 and they are struggling through the cold war politics of a divided Germany, especially Berlin. Well written, interesting, more thriller tension, and some important developments. Very enjoyable.

Bend, Not Break: A Life in Two Worlds   Ping Fu
Story of Ping Fu’s journey from persecution during China’s Cultural Revolution to founding Geomagic a 3D software company here in the U.S. I have been very interested in the experiences of intellectuals in the Cultural Revolution, not so much in entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, had the tone of a women's self-help book. Not too bad though.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore   Robin Sloan
Loved every second I spent reading this novel about a bookstore clerk who stumbles into a secret society. Finished it in a day. Perfect mix of high tech and love of books. One of those books you wish you hadn’t read yet so you could still have the experience of reading it. Wish I enjoyed everything I read this much.

A Fringe of Leaves   Patrick White
Beautifully written novel about a woman in 1830s Australia shipwrecked and captured by aborigines. White won the Nobel prize in 1973, thus my interest. Enjoyed every exquisite word of it, and would have liked to meet Mrs. Roxburgh.

Phantom   Jo Nesbø
Latest Harry Hole novel. This time Harry is trying to save his “son” Oleg which entails defeating the biggest drug dealer in Oslo. As usual, very entertaining, well-written, a complex narrative, and extremely violent. Ended abruptly, and nearly everything is left hanging. Even so, once again really enjoyed it.

Odds Against Tomorrow   Nathaniel Rich
Interesting, intelligent, and especially timely novel about the futurist Mitchell Zukor whose personal fears help him warn about future catastrophes. Didn’t really like the ending, seemed pretty fanciful and certainly not a future I would like. But I really enjoyed the novel.

The River Swimmer   Jim Harrison
As usual, two exquisite novellas by one of my very favorite authors. Wished they wouldn’t end. I especially liked “The Land of Unlikeness.” Can’t ever get enough of his work. Really, really enjoyed them.

A Man Without Breath   Philip Kerr
Latest Bernie Gunther novel. I have read everyone. This time Gunther is causing problems in Smolensk in 1943. Read quickly enough, as usual, but less interesting. Bernie’s sarcasm seemed stale, the plot was obvious, and the relationship with the woman felt contrived. Not bad, but a little disappointing. May be my last one.

The Great Agnostic: Robert Ingersoll and American Freethought Susan Jacoby
Interesting, well-written introduction to Ingersoll, his historical place, and his ideas. Too much a polemic telling us what we should take from it, especially the letter at the end, but much good information nonetheless. A fascinating figure. Very Good.

A Delicate Truth   John LeCarré
Perfectly executed novel about a rendition attempt gone wrong and the damage it does to some of the people involved. Beautifully written, interesting characters, and a timely, if depressing, plot. Excellent.

Walter Benjamin   Esther Leslie
Well written intellectual, or critical, biography of the German “philosopher” and critic who is currently so popular. I’m still not sure what to think of Benjamin, but there is much of him that is deeply intriguing, and this is an excellent overview. Well worth the read.

The Leopard   Jo Nesbø
Another excellent installment in the Harry Hole series. Harry returns to Oslo to track a serial killer to the Congo and back, while dealing with the encroachment of Kripos, his own addictions and demons, and the death of his father. The increasing damage to Harry’s body reflects the damage to his mind. Longest in the series so far and well worth it. Can’t wait for the next one.

In the Tunnel   Okubo Takamichi
Very disappointing Novella about two people trapped when the bus they are on is caught in a tunnel collapse. Read more and more like a pep talk on a positive mental attitude. Waste of time even though it was short.

The Destroyed   Brett Battles
Disappointing installment in Battles’ cleaner series about an unfinished job that comes back to haunt Quinn. Not enough character development, and Battles’ seemed to strain at the plot. Really quick read, but not that much fun.

Second Son, A Jack Reacher Story   Lee Child
Short story about a 15-year-old Jack Reacher solving a case the way the adult Reacher does. Nice to meet his family. Same intelligence of style and plot that makes the whole series so interesting. Really liked it.

The Infinite Tides    Christian Kiefer
Beautifully written, thoughtful novel about an astronaut returning from the ISS to deal with his daughter’s death and his wife leaving him. Thoughtful, interesting, and as already mentioned beautifully written. Too bad the ending was so disappointing. Too bad.

California Fire and Life   Don Winslow
Entertaining, well-written novel about an insurance fire investigator uncovering murder and fraud by a real estate mogul tied to the FBS and Russian Mafia. Enjoyed his conversational style. I was nicely entertained.

Helsinki Blood   James Thompson
Latest in this deeply entertaining, brutal, emotionally bleak series about inspector Kari Vaara. Everyone is seriously damaged as he tries to get out from under police corruption, win back his wife and daughter, and save their lives. Hope there’s another one.

Deep Down, A Jack Reacher Story   Lee Child
Very entertaining “Kindle Single”, set back in the 80s, about Reacher solving the penetration of the Navy by a Soviet spy. All the things that make the novels so good are here. Just too short. Really liked it.

Hit Me   Lawrence Block
Latest in Block’s Hit series. Now Keller has a wife and child and thought he was retired. Not so fast. As usual. Block’s quick, clean style, entertaing dialogue, and interesting plot made this novel hard to put down.

The Winter of Frankie Machine   Don Winslow
Entertaining novel about a mafia hit man who just wants to be a San Diego businessman. Characters are pretty shallow, but the style is entertaining, and there’s plenty of slam bang action. Quick, pleasant read.

The Snowman   Jo Nesbø
Latest Harry Hole police procedural where a snowman is integral to a series of murders of women. As always in this series, excellent writing, interesting characters, and a complex plot that is perfectly executed. This time Harry’s loved ones are also targets. Very good.

Death in Breslau   Marek Krajewski
Strange, difficult mystery, set in Breslau during the rise of the Nazis, when it was still part of Germany. Three women are sliced open, then scorpions placed in their bodies. The difficulty derives primarily from the poor translation that includes some sentences that unintelligible in English. Too bad.

War Stories, Poems about Long Ago and Now  Howard Nemerov
I’ve loved Nemerov’s poetry since I was a teenager. This collection is about WWII, Vietnam, and since. I wish more people knew his poems. Very good.

Getting Off    Lawrence Block (writing as Jill Emerson)
Utterly entertaining guilty pleasure of a novel about an irresistible woman who murders anyone she sleeps with. And she sleeps with a lot of people. Clean, simple style that pulls you right along. Absolutely loved it.

The Devil’s Star   Jo Nesbø
Inspector Hole investigates a serial killer who uses a pentagram, chases the head of a smuggling ring, tracks the killer of his former partner, loses the woman he loves, and gets kicked off the police force. Well-accomplished, and very interesting and entertaining. Enjoyed it so much, I wish it hadn’t ended.

History of a Pleasure Seeker   Richard Mason
Interesting, well written historical novel about a young tutor trying to improve his station in early 20^th-century Holland. He is irresistible to both women and men and that causes his greatest advancements and failings. Not nearly as erotic as it sounds, and a little light on characterization. Though it says “to be continued” at the end, I think I’m done.

Nemesis   Jo Nesbo
Excellent police mystery about Nesbo’s detective Hole investigating murder and bank robberies in early 21^st Century Oslo. Cleanly written with gypsies, infidelities, corruption, and several believable narrative twists toward the end. Well, maybe one twist too many, but a very enjoyable read. Plan to read more in the series.

Betraying Spinoza: the Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity   Rebecca Goldstein
Disappointing “philosophy” book that begins by stating that there is no sense in which Spinoza id a Jewish thinker and then proceeds to discuss him as just that. Some good intellectual history about Jewish philosophy in the 17^th century, but valueless about Spinoza. A bit of a waste of time.

Lehrter Station   David Downing
Latest in Downing’s fascinating thriller series with John Russell. Now the war has just ended and Russell and Effie go back to the Berlin they barely escaped from to work for the Soviets and the Americans, and combat murderous smugglers. Excellent historical narrative very well written. Really enjoyed it.

The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibniz, Spinoza, and the Fate of God in the Modern World   Matthew Stewart
Excellent, very well written historical philosophy book. Perhaps the best, most lucid description of Spinoza’s Ethics I have ever read. Made me appreciate Spinoza’s achievement even more, and also dislike Leibniz personally and as a philosopher. Outstanding.

Flight from Berlin   David John
Long, marginally interesting thriller and historical novel about the lead-up to the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. While the history about the disaster, the 1936 Olympics, and Hitler’s growing power is accurate, the characters were, for the most part, not very likable, interesting, or believable. Not a total waste though.

The Iliad   Homer (Fagles translation)
Finally filled this giant hole in my education. Really enjoyed the beauty of Homer’s language and the power of an epic so ancient. Fagles’ translation made it easy and enjoyable to read. Deeply rewarding narrative and language. I wish everything I read was this important. Have to work on that.

An American Spy   Olen Steinhauer
Complex, superbly written spy novel that continues the Tourist saga. Even though Milo is trying to be retired, he is pulled into an operation ostensibly to revenge the murder of the entire department at the hands of the Chinese. Perfectly constructed, plotted, and executed. Steinhauer gets better with each novel. Excellent.

The Medusa Amulet   Robert Masello
Overwritten, overlong mystery/fantasy about a renaissance amulet that grants eternal life when a person looks at it during a full moon. Unbelievable and not very well written, so it was mostly tiring.

The Dead Do Not Improve   Jay Caspian Kang
Odd “mystery” about a down on his luck content provider and a surfer detective investigating the death of a hippie porn star in San Francisco. Yeah. Prose was convoluted. Didn’t really enjoy it. Too bad because the title was fantastic.

The Information   James Gleick
Deeply impressive chronicle of the history, theory, and impact of information. As usual in Gleick’s books, very difficult ideas expressed clearly in sometimes-even-beautiful prose. Non-fiction book of the year, so far. Absolutely fascinating.

Viral   James Lilliefors
Ingenious thriller about the plan to use a constructed virus to depopulate areas of Africa and the agents trying to stop it. Way too believable in the current political climate. Prose is pretty good, and there is some characterization, but the real impetus is the evolving plot. Enjoyed it very much.

The Informer   Craig Nova
Dark and atmospheric novel set in pre-war Germany about a prostitute who informs for both the communists and the Nazis, and the female detective trying to solve the serial murders of prostitutes. Grim, like the times. I have loved all of Nova’s other novels. While I liked this one the least, it was still good.

Up in Honey’s Room   Elmore Leonard
Typically entertaining Leonard novel about German spies and escaped POWs in 1945 Detroit. A Raylan-like marshal, some hot women, and violence. As usual, the dialogue and accomplished prose propel the narrative. Enough of a distraction.

The Professionals   Owen Laukkanen
A group of twenty-somethings who can’t get decent work become professional kidnappers. An FBI agent and a Minnesota BCA cop hunt them down. I liked the criminals the most, though all the characters had a little more depth than usual in this genre. Couldn’t put it down.

Satori   Don Winslow
Very entertaining “prequel” to Trevanian’s Shibumi. Nicholai Hel is entrapped to work as an assassin for the Americans, kills everything in sight, falls in love, deftly eludes those trying to kill him, avenges his mother, helps lay the foundations for the Vietnam war, and barely gets out alive. All based on the game Go. A lot of fun.

Dublin Dead   Gerard O’Donovan
Extremely well plotted sequel to The Priest. Mulcahy and Fallon are both on the trail of drug thieves, even though Fallon doesn’t know it. Nicely written as well, though there is still not enough characterization, and there wasn’t much mystery about who it was. A pleasing and entertaining read.

The Priest   Gerard O’Donovan
First Inspector Mike Mulcahy novel. He finds himself chasing a Dublin serial rapist and kidnapper who tortures his victims by burning them with gold crosses. Narrative moves well, writing is good enough, just enough characterization, and a rushing, slam-bang ending. Good entertainment.

Blueprints of the Afterlife   Ryan Boudinot
Highly imaginative and well written science fiction novel about the end of the world as we knew it, who caused it, and what follows. New York Alki, people popping into quantum super position, corporate war against the new humans, Bionet embodiment, and the last dude. Very entertaining and even a little thoughtful.