Review 151: People of the Canyons

People of the Canyons: A Novel of North America's Forgotten Past by Kathleen O'Neal Gear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is magic based and mostly concerned with evil, witches and the dead. The leader of the Straight Path nation is known as evil cannibal witch. He used terror, force and witchcraft to rule, but now is old, nearing death. He dispatches his daughter Blue Dove to find a wellpot claimed to hold his enemy Nightshade’s soul, hoping it will free him to travel to the afterlife. At the same time there is a battle with religion, the old and new, though that is more in the background of the story.

Blue Dove searches out Maicoh known to be a powerful witch killer, taker of souls. She finds a few elder healers, Tocho and Crane instead. Then an albino joins who claims to be Maicoh. Mixed in with these is a young orphan girl Tsilu, who wants to save her adopted grandfather Tocho as he is being marched back to the Flowing Waters Town, the center of the Straight Path nation.

Most of the book leads up to the events when the party arrives in Flowing Waters Town. This is also where I think the book is the weakest. And the ending leaves things very primed for a follow-up book.

While reading this book some of the characters and history felt familiar. None of the summaries I read mentioned this book being a continuation of others, but one reviewer did mention it is a continuation from the book People of the River, which is book 4 in the series. It probably would help to read that book first, but it is not necessary. If you read it a long time ago like me, then you may want to refresh your memory of the story.

For readers new to the series of books, I’m not sure this is the place to start. But since it is mostly a standalone book you won’t be lost. I think there were some stronger books in the series. I always enjoy these books by the Gears. This book did not disappoint, but not my favorite either.

Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

This is the latest book in the series at number 26.
Previously I've read (more or less in order) books number 1 through 15.
All rated 4 or 5 stars.

Review 150: Slam

Slam by Lewis Shiner
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

For much of this book I kept asking myself, why am I reading this book? Somewhere I had a recommendation for the book, which became the hook. The book was short enough that I wanted to see where it would lead.

Dave is released out of prison as the book opens after serving six-months for evading taxes, not paying them, somewhat out of principle. Dave comes across as someone who just floats through life, see what happens next and doesn't have any ambition to speak of, and is running up to aged forty.

There is some weird stuff that happens, weird people show up, while Dave tries being a caretaker of 23 cats all in this one house. I found myself being reminded me of the movie Pulp Fiction, although this book really is completely different. I guess it was the odd stuff that kept happening. Dave hooks up with a grocery store clerk who is half his age, and squatting in an abandoned art house with a few other runaway skaters. Dave befriends one of them too.

Things seem full of despair in this story, but somehow Dave starts to do the right things, by some accounts. There is some philosophy about how to live, and society, and a couple other ideas that actually saves the book. Yet it comes so late in the book that it’s a slog to get there.

Review 149: The Refugees

The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars



The more books I read the less I enjoy short stories, so perhaps my rating is reflected in that aspect. And I would rate it closer to 3.5 stars. I never felt fully immersed in the stories, perhaps that is due to the format. The writing was decent, straight forward. Most of the stories had the theme of children and parents not getting each other, certainly common with immigrants and the next generation.

I listed to the audio book of this collection of short stories. I wasn't a fan of the narrator. Perhaps that did sway my overall rating for this book, but doubtful. Generally I can pay attention to the words, what is being said and not have the narration effect the book itself. Although a good narrator does enhance!  That said, I do not books that start out with ghosts.

Review 148: Greenwood

Greenwood by Michael Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Somewhere in the early part of the book this book was reminiscent of a book I read last year, The Overstory by Richard Powers. Well, soon enough turned out I was mistaken, this book isn’t about trees in that way, with eco-activists and fighting for the trees, although one of the main characters does do direct actions to save trees. Powers book was also a bit more scattered with many stories within, and while this book also has many stories, it’s also more linear and cohesive.

This book is surrounded by trees, it is the subtext, the backdrop, the way all the characters survive, but each has a different approach to the trees. One rails against those cutting them down, while her father was the one doing the cutting. There’s a scientist studying the trees, and another creates thing from the wood.

And yet the book is really about family, and orphans. The opening pages have an image of a cut tree with the rings, with dates attached. This is also the framing of the book, which works great. Each year listed we visit in the book, starting with the future point at 2038, then going back to 1908, stopping along the way at specific years, then going back forward and ending with 2038. The bulk of the book rests in 1934. I like the layers and how the different time periods play upon each other, the years as rings as in a tree.

I enjoyed this book, despite all the bad decisions that the various characters seem to make. I liked the way the family is explored and revealed.

Review 147: The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley

The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Incredible, powerful book. 

Despite it being a book written 55 years ago, it is an excellent read for these times, unfortunately. Too much has remained the same, and much of what Malcolm X says is still true and valid. For instance, the economic situation has been rigged against Black Americans to gain any economic progress. He pointed out even in Harlem how few businesses were black owned.  Although what he is most known for is more sensational statements. What may not be understood is how he was changing his views as more knowledge was learned.

Reading alongside the climate of today makes you realize, sadly, how little has really changed since the 60s. What would Malcolm's views been if he was able to live decades longer? How ironic that he was killed teaching what he strongly believed in, echoing his father's death. Malcolm was left without a father at aged six, his oldest child about the same age.

READING PROGRESS

June 14, 2020 – Started Reading

June 15, 2020 – page 12 - 2.28%
June 16, 2020 – page 41 - 7.78%
June 17, 2020 – page 74 - 14.04%
June 18, 2020 – page 103 - 19.54%
June 19, 2020 – page 133 - 25.24%
June 23, 2020 – page 146 - 27.7%
June 24, 2020 – page 179 - 33.97%
June 25, 2020 – page 195 - 37.0%
June 29, 2020 – page 306 - 58.06%
June 30, 2020 – page 338 - 64.14%
July 1, 2020 – page 384 - 72.87%
July 2, 2020 – page 406 - 77.04%
July 3, 2020 – page 429 - 81.4%
July 5, 2020 – Finished Reading

Review 146: The End of the River

The End of the River by Simon Winchester
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a long essay, or a mini-book. A novella length if this was fiction. The writing style of Winchester’s in this piece is splendid, particularly in the beginning pages. The essays tell us the history of man engineering the Mississippi River and what the future may hold for it. The engineering and taming of this massive river is ultimately going to end in failure, according to Winchester. Perhaps the plans for the nearby Red River and Atchafalaya can be engineered enough, built quickly enough, to take enough of the pressure off the Mississippi to avoid complete disaster.

There are a few images that show the various versions of the Mississippi alongside the Red River with the various stages. The old 16th century natural flows, then how it naturally changed by the 19th century. This is when mankind started to muck about and change the flow.

It is an enjoyable read of history of engineering of the river. I would have liked a longer work as well, adding in more history of the region; although as it stands now it is enough. It is short enough that it could be read in one sitting (but I didn’t). This wasn’t my first read of Winchester, but it reminded me of his writing and the other books I have awaiting my attention.

Thanks to Scribd Originals and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book. 

Review 145: Roadside Americans

Roadside Americans: The Rise and Fall of Hitchhiking in a Changing Nation by Jack Reid
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book provides an insight to economic conditions and sentiments towards self-reliance, leisure, community versus individualism, within the context of hitchhiking.

I must admit I was surprised at how the author connected the overall sentiments of the country with hitchhiking, but the premise is valid and certainly explains the rise and fall of the popularity.

During times of economic scarcity, many people relied on hitchhiking as a valid mode of transportation. Drivers understood the need of hitching and in the cooperation of social good, picked up strangers standing by the side of the road. During WWII some towns built stations for soldiers looking for rides to and from base, so they could get rides without violating the military policy of not hitchhiking.

Even during times of prosperity college students and well dressed men were the most likely to be picked up. During the turbulent 60s more women attempted to get rides, but frequently found unwanted sexual advances, particularly when travelling alone. The 60s also brought in a new style of dress from the younger aged hitchhikers that resembled the itinerant travelers that a typical driver would avoid picking up. But the thumb trippers often found rides from fellow hippies, so the practice was common.

The 1980s brought in more self-reliance and individualism with a strong focus on materialism, which meant young people were more interested in owning their own car than the unreliability of hitching rides. Combining law enforcement curtailing the practice with new laws against hitchhiking, and a strong focus on the danger aspect of strangers, hitchhiking was nearly stamped out.

This was a good book on the rise and decline of hitchhiking. There are personal stories along with newspaper accounts of individual’s experience of getting around for free. The chapters were arranged by time periods, starting out with the Great Depression era of 1928–1940. The epilogue dealt with today, comparing ride sharing with hitchhiking as people jump into cars driven by strangers.

The biggest disappointment for the book was the repetition. The introduction could almost have stood for the entire book, while each chapter goes into more depth. The book is an academic overview of a nearly lost mode of transportation. If anyone has any interest in the topic, the book is recommended.

3.5 stars, rounded down for all the repetition.

Thanks to University of North Carolina Press and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.