Review 200: The Night Always Comes

The Night Always Comes by Willy Vlautin
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Lynette, a young woman who lives with her mother and disabled older brother who needs constant watching, wants to buy the house they’ve lived in for the past 15 years. The house has been going into disrepair, but Lynette has plans once they buy the place. On the cusp of signing the papers Lynette’s mom says she doesn’t want to live there the rest of her life, in fact would rather not live with Lynette.

A crazy night ensues where Lynette goes around getting as much cash as she can. This part takes up most of the book and it is a wild ride!

The book pulls you into the story and you can’t wait to find out what happens next. There were some long conversations between Lynette and another character: her mom, an ex-boyfriend, etc. The background of the story unfolds in these conversations. I like the way that was done. The driving force behind the book: high housing prices and people barely scraping by, living on the edge.

Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 199: Ms. Adventure

Ms. Adventure: My Wild Explorations in Science, Lava, and Life by Jess Phoenix
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jess Phoenix seems to thrive on danger, full on excitement when a volcano is erupting.

This book contains snippets in her life with not much detail on how it all came to be. The beginning held more on the decision-making process, of how she got into geology, and I enjoyed the first few chapters, for the most part. Although if you’ve camped before you may wonder about all that detail if it’s necessary.

Once Phoenix started in the field and working on field assignments, there was detail of what happened, but it felt like a large part of the narration was missing. It felt a little too much like she was skipping around to these moments and didn’t provide much in the bigger picture. How did the work she was doing contribute to the overall science? What is the meaning, what did she make of it? Why is this particular moment being told in this book other than saying well, I did this, and this happened? I wanted a little more in cohesion of her life and science.

My hope was the book would be aimed towards young women to encourage them to enter the science field that is typically dominated by men. I’m not sure this book does this. Perhaps I will be in the minority and others will find this memoir more satisfying and inspiring.

I listened to the audio book narrated by the author herself. She does a decent job of narrating and enunciating. You can hear her enthusiasm on her adventures. I’ve heard several author narrations leave me wishing they hired a professional, but not in this case. If you want to read this book, the audio version is a good way to go. 4.5 stars on the narration. Book overall 3.5 stars.

Thanks to Workman Audio and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 198: The Kindest Lie

The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The book was decently written and paced. The main character is Ruth, who returns to her hometown to find out what happened to the baby she had to leave in order to succeed and continue onto Yale.

During the search Ruth connects with a family friend’s grandson, Patrick nicknamed Midnight, who becomes a major part of the story, having his own point of view sections. This was an interesting choice, as this kid is certainly not Ruth’s, as he is white, but you know he will be important to the story.

The first section as this narrator felt like the child was younger than 11, a bit naïve for his age and circumstances. We see through his innocent eyes how some adults react to his friends who are not white, how they seem to accuse them of things quickly. He sees racism in the community without understanding it.

There are a couple of points in the book that didn’t ring fully true to me, but perhaps I’m projecting my own attitudes. If I were married five years and we had a major blowout argument I still would call or text my husband during Christmas if we were apart. This having the husband on hold was hard for me to accept. There were a couple of scenes that seemed off to me, out of character, but that is a minor flaw. I rounded the book up to four stars since the aspect of talking about racism and classism was handled deftly, it wasn’t in your face pushing these issues. It’s part of life, especially in hard hit towns where manufacturing has left, and it was seamlessly added as part of the book.

Thanks to William Morrow/Custom House and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 197: Working: People Talk about What They Do All Day and How They Feel about What They Do

Working: People Talk about What They Do All Day and How They Feel about What They Do by Studs Terkel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I could write a very long review for this book, but I’ll leave that for my notes. Going in I expected this would be a tad boring at times, and would take me a while (months) to read this. Instead I was quite fascinated by all of the different stories and found myself not wanting to put it down.

Despite the age, this book is still timely and worth reading. A few entries show their age, such as jobs that no longer exist (see: Harold Patrick - elevator operator), or talk about their pay in 1970s value. Some entries show the age as a surprising statement at how things have changed in the workplace, particularly for women. Attitudes towards people of color have also advanced, but not quite as noticeably. A couple of jaw dropping entries will prove things do change (see: Barbara Herrick – writer/producer in advertising). There's also one or two I never heard of before (see: Richard Mann - Installment Dealer). And then there's the entries reminding me of jobs I had and why I didn’t like them (see: Nancy Rogers - Bank Teller).

There is a lot of craft in this book as well, that may not seem obvious. The entries are not directly from the people’s mouth, but edited down. You still get their words and personality, but it is modified. Also the placement of the entries, they could lead you towards a certain emotional response, which could be different if read in a different order.

I’ve known about this book since college, read a few of the passages back then for a class I ended up not taking. I’ve always wanted to go back and read the entirety and glad I finally did. This is a book that could spark a lot of book discussions about life and especially about work.

I’d love to see an updated version of this book, as it’s been 50 years now. There is this book: Gig: Americans Talk about Their Jobs. Sounds so similar, like an update, and already 10 years old. Moving it up the reading list.

Review 196: Better Luck Next Time

Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fun historical novel. The book is set primarily in the 1930s in Reno at The Flying Leap ranch, catering to rich women staying to get residency and their quickie divorce. This is something Reno is known for in the past, back when if you stayed in the state for six weeks you could establish residency and apply for a divorce that would be settled fast.

The story is told through the lens of one of the ranch hands Ward, looking back 50 or so years later. He is talking to someone who found a photograph with a group of ladies that stayed at the ranch one summer. Ward retells that summer’s adventures, which were many, and turns out to be momentous for him. You do have to suspend disbelief that someone could remember with such details all that happened and conversation and everything such a long while ago.

The book has a campy sort of feel, at least at first, with the antics and colorful language. I enjoyed the sentences and phrasing, a way of putting things in a unique style. I did say this book was fun, but that campy fun part did diminish as the book went along, with the tone and all being more serious. Feels a little uneven with it starting out being light-hearted and laughing along the way.

Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers/Custom House and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 195: Being Henry David

Being Henry David by Cal Armistead
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A teen wakes up in New York City and doesn’t know anything about himself, not his name, where he lives, anything. The only thing he has is a few dollars in his pocket and a book, Walden by Henry David Thoreau, so he names himself Hank. The story is about Hank finding himself and coming to terms of who he is once his memory starts returning.

What’s interesting is that the book in his hand provides something for him to seek, he goes to Walden Pond in Concord, MA makes a couple of friends, and manages to find shelter, food and clothing. While on the train there he read all of Walden (really?) and afterwards discovered he could recite passages perfectly. Amazing kid.

If you take out the references to Thoreau, which was more in the beginning of the story anyway, you’re left with the kid with amnesia. It was okay, not spectacular. There’s a bit of a romance and about runaway kids. It felt like the author was hoping to introduce young adults to some of the ideas of Thoreau, and a few other transcendentalists by this approach. Perhaps it works that way, the book would probably work better for a teen than it did for me in any case.

Oh, there were some hallucination scenes where Thoreau himself appeared. That was weird.

The audio narration was done well, no problems there at all.

Review 194: You're It!

You're It! On Hiding, Seeking, and Being Found by Alan W. Watts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

15 sessions, or talks. Although two are broken into to parts, so one could say it's 13 sessions.

session 1: Spiritual Authority (heard this talk before)
session 2: Mysticism & Morality (portion)
session 3: The Game of Yes and No
session 4: On Zen
session 5: The Art of Controlled Accident (part 1)
session 6: Uncarved Block, Unbleached Silk
session 7: An Introduction to Hinduism
session 8: Oriental Philosophy in the West (part 1)
session 9: The Art of Controlled Accident (part 2)
session 10: Oriental Philosophy in the West (part 2)
session 11: Introduction to Buddhism
session 12: The Veil of Thoughts
session 13: Mind Over Mind
session 14: What is Reality
session 15: Not What Should Ne, Not What Might Be, But What Is

I've heard many talks by Alan Watts for many years. For me many of these are repeats, but with his lectures they hold up to multiple listening. I find it relaxing and calming. Perhaps not for everyone, and he isn't a spiritual advisor, philosophy and some teachings of what is Hinduism, Zen, etc. as in the 60s this was new to the West. Of course some of his thoughts are flawed, as we all are, and he would be the first to admit it. Take it or leave it. I enjoy the humor.

Here's one of his sayings: "You cannot lift yourself up by your own bootstraps. It's impossible, you cannot do it. You cannot physically lift yourself from the floor."

Review 193: The Four Winds

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I had high hopes for this book but was disappointed. Many years ago I read and thoroughly enjoyed Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, and looked forward to another take on the Dust Bowl, Great Depression and migration of farmers to California searching for a better life.

The beginning of this book gives us the early life of the main character, Elsa who was unloved by her family presumably because she wasn’t pretty and been sick with Rheumatic fever at age 14. Elsa desires much more than being a spinster, taking care of her parents, and attempts to take charge of her life. Those early years in the book, along with the family life on the farm are not easy, and they only get worse as the drought remains with becoming more frequent and severe.

Once the decision to leave for California is made the rest of the book became too reminiscent of Steinbeck’s. Although we have a single parent instead of a multi-generational family trekking over to the golden land of California, the main story line is so similar I nearly stopped reading to go re-read the original.

Another aspect that bothered me while reading was the naming of things. Calling out, well this is the Dust Bowl or, this is the Great Depression, we know and it was awkward to read these labels. This was being shown and there was no need to tell it as well. There was a line that was hopefully cut or changed before publication (I read an advance review copy). This is a modern phrase coming from immigrant Italians who used the line “more power to you,” a phrase I highly doubt anyone from the early 1930s, but definitely not these characters.

The book was overall depressing, as were those difficult years. There isn’t much to enjoy, or hold onto in the book, with a few exceptions. The bright spots for me were the town librarian and the hairdresser, who looked beyond the clothes and saw the person.

The book also felt overly long, as there was a lot of repetition and similar scenes. There is a good book in here, but not the one I read. I had hoped for another take on this time period, and there are some slight differences, but not enough. If you haven’t read Steinbeck’s book, do yourself a favor and go read that one instead.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Previously Read books by Kristine Hannah:

• The Great Alone - 4 stars
• February 7 to 18, 2018