Review 468: Copper Falcon

Copper Falcon by W. Michael Gear
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A short novel – in 1050 a father and son from a small town, several days down the river, go to the big city in the hopes of getting more warriors. Their town has constant border skirmishes and they need more people to fight the enemy back. Now at the canoe landing the son, Flint Knife Mankiller, finds out from his father, Red Mask, that he was banished from Cahokia and told if he ever returned he would be killed. Can they accomplish their mission and return back to the river before Morning Star or the Keeper realizes he is here? Can he escape his punishment?

The novella is short enough it could easily be read in a day, but it took me several weeks. The problem was not only that I wasn’t reading the book, but I had the eBook on my phone. This is definitely not my preferred reading format.

Review 467: Fever

Fever by Deon Meyer
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars


Good, but a bit too much with the violence aspect.

As the name of this book implies, there was a vast fever, a pandemic that has an such a fast rate of spread and death that nearly 95% of the world’s population did not survive. It was a coronavirus from bats. (The book was published in 2017, before the real coronavirus pandemic.)

The novel follows a teenage boy and his father, Nico and Willem Storm, just after the worst part, when seemingly no one is left alive. They are traveling around their country, South Africa. After a while Willem tells Nico about his plans to establish a new settlement. They met a few people, a woman who has sixteen orphans with her, a man flying a Cessna airplane.

The first people who arrived form a committee, the house they first live in becomes known as the orphanage where the leaders meet. There are always decisions to be made. One of the first people to join was Domingo, a tough man who Nico was relieved his father let him stay. Domingo becomes Nico’s hero to his 13-year-old-self, and as he grows older. Domingo knows how to defend their community, Amanzi.

From the beginning Amanzi comes against people who live by plundering and taking whatever they can find, or by violence against those who have anything. They group together in gangs, steal and brutalize women. Thus, the KTM becomes the enemy.

The focus in the book becomes of this potential violence, then going on patrols, instead of the community building. Perhaps it does make for a more exciting and fast-paced book.

The ending of the book seemed a bit off to me, considering how many pages are in the book, it actually felt rushed. Then part of what was going on in the world was left undone, so it’s left open for a sequel.

After reading this book I looked into the author’s other books, and most are series. Not sure this one will become one as over six years or more have passed and there is no sign of a sequel yet.

Review 466: American Spirits

American Spirits by Russell Banks
My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars


Russell Banks is a good storyteller. These are three stories that are located around the same area, a small town in Northern New York state. They are dark, full of troubled people. Banks certainly knows how to quickly draw a character.

There are three stories: Nowhere man, Homeschooling and Kidnapped. My preference is for the middle story, Homeschooling.

Can't say I fully enjoyed these stories. All were bleak and did not come to happy conclusions. The first the main character is unhappy about how he sold off the land that had been in his family for generations and gets into a feud with the man who had purchased it.

Homeschooling concerns itself with a family that just moved into the town, well more about the neighbors, a lesbian married couple who adopted four siblings who are of a different race. The new neighbors are concerned about how the children are being treated.

The last Kidnapped are descendants of the town's founder, Sam Dent. The elderly couple are kidnapped by some Canadian drug lords and their grandson who they raised is their hope for being released. Their grandson Stevie perhaps is autistic, not sure, but he is different and never had any friends while growing up.

Somehow a MAGA hat made its way into each story as well. Not clear why except to point out the political position for some characters, although politics really didn't play into these stories. There is an undertone of poverty, but really everyone is getting by okay with some doing better than others.


Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book. And to Penguin Random House Audio for an advance audio copy.

Review 465: Falling Angels

Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This historical novel takes place in London during the first years of the 1900's, when class and decorum played a strong role in a way that is not quite so important these days. Society dictated women particularly, and this book focuses on the women of two families: Coleman and Waterhouse.

The two girls Maude and Lavinia meet on the day Queen Victoria dies, when they both visit their family gravesite in the cemetery. Their graves are next to each other, the two girls are fast friends. Then the Waterhouse family moves in next door, so they become close. The mothers though do not like each other. Kitty Coleman is bright and doesn’t seem to fit into her societal role very well, while Gertrude Waterhouse seems to thrive in it.

The cemetery ends up playing a big part in the book, and in the latter portion the women’s suffrage movement as Kitty becomes enlivened when she joins that cause.

The story is told in alternating first person point of view with many different characters, although focused mainly on the women. Time moves quickly through the book, and the date marker was very helpful.

I bought the book many years ago and perhaps it was due to the historical aspect of the women’s suffrage movement, but the details of that were somewhat minimal overall. I found the book well written, decent story, but it wasn't anything that wowed me.

Review 464: Trees in Paradise: A California History

Trees in Paradise: A California History by Jared Farmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Initial Short Review: 

I have eight pages of notes on this book taken while reading, I need to condense that down before providing some notes here. Let's just start by saying I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Covered were iconic California trees, one could says they help define California: Redwoods, Eucalyptus, Citrus and Palm.


Full Review:

Who knew that a history of California could be told with four types of trees? Well, not entirely, but this book does attempt that and does a great job.

The book is in four parts, one for each type of tree, these are iconic trees of California and each can be “read as individual botanical and cultural histories.”

Part I: Redwoods – ideas of time, history, antiquity, and mortality.

Part II: Eucalyptus – immigration, naturalization, nativeness, and alienness.

Part III: Citrus – labor, industry, replication, and growth.

Park IV: Palms – beauty, fashion, image, and style.

Redwoods, for their longevity and largeness, and covered all that went along with cutting down the forests for the wood. At first people didn’t believe that trees could be so enormous, samples were taken, cuttings of the trunk would be shipped around the world. Now convinced they were horrified at the atrocity of killing the magnificent tree. I saw one of these in the Natural History Museum in London last summer, now I know how it got there. In Yosemite area, the land was sold off to three monopoly companies, two lumber companies and one organization of socialists. The socialists took nearly four years to build a road. Just as they started cutting trees the land was turned into a National Park – now they were illegally there, and the government came and kicked them out.

Eucalyptus, while not native it certainly feels like it in California. They have been around over 100 years; doesn’t that make them native? And so, the discussion naturally moves to immigration, naturalization and being foreign.

No where else but in California do you see Eucalyptus tree lines streets. In other countries the tree represents something, such as in India the trees symbolize colonialism. My Dad planted a row of these in our yard, they make a great wind break and natural division line. (We also had a Redwood tree!)

Citrus, the trees that were part of the food industry mainly oranges, but other citrus fruits as well. The grafting of trees created the Valencia orange practically in my backyard (ages ago, of course). This section was also close to home as I grew up around orange groves that (to my horror) were cut down to make way for more cookie-cutter housing developments. This passage explains well, from page 318 “The literal ‘orange curtain’ that once marked the transition from Los Angeles County to Orange County no longer exists. Today the leading local landmark is probably the Orange Crush – the largest and most complicated freeway interchange in the world.”

Palms, the iconic tree of Hollywood, L.A., really of Southern California. They do feel out of place in areas such as Big Sur where different types of trees dominate. The Mexican Palms are in a type of “invasive species” which will grow up out of the asphalt if left alone. The tree doesn’t provide much shade but does give a certain look. They are also high-maintenance trees and can be costly to city governments which causes more controversy for urban tree development. It is dangerous work to keep the fronds trimmed, and when they aren’t the trees look scraggy and not the image desired. Palms can be easily transported and installed elsewhere and for the larger trees big business for instant large palms in flashy places such as Las Vegas.

I could go on, barely touched the surface here of all that is covered by these four tree types, while barely mentioned all the social history. I listened to the audiobook version while had alongside me the print book, which probably is a better way to read this one. The print book included many photos. Also found only in the print book are many, many pages of notes, an index, a lengthy further reading section (there goes my to read list!), and a listing of all the common and scientific names of many plants and trees. The print book was from the library, now I may have to search to get my own copy.

February 11, 2019 – Started Reading

February 12, 2019 – 

page 24

 

 4.05% "this one might take a while too....the focus in on four tree types: Redwoods, Eucalyptus, Citrus and Palms."

February 13, 2019 – 

page 35

 

 5.91% "putting on pause for a little while until I can get hold of a print copy to follow with the audio, lots of photos missing out with only audio"

February 15, 2019 – on pause --turned out a very long pause

November 15, 2023 – Started Reading

November 15, 2023 – 

page 16

 

 2.7% "returning to this book - listening alongside the print book, many photos! restarted from the beginning as it was too long ago when I read the intro prior."

November 22, 2023 – 

page 16

 

 2.7% "seem to be not reading this book...will get to it soon"

November 28, 2023 – Shelved as: own-read

November 29, 2023 – 

page 16

 

 2.7% "another week and still not reading this...maybe I wasn't ready to tackle this book yet. It's long and daunting. But soon...(or remove from currently reading.)"

December 6, 2023 – 

page 16

 

 2.7% "again, another week and still not reading this book. Clearly was not ready to jump into the book just yet."

December 9, 2023 – 

page 53

 

 8.95% "finally got back to this book (yesterday) - finished Introduction. started Part I: Redwoods: The Value of Longevity, chapter 1: Twilight of the Giants....some disagreement on the scientific name for redwoods back in the day"

December 13, 2023 – 

page 78

 

 13.18% "illegal redwood forested land grabs by monopolists in the mid-1800s, was aimed at individuals, yet largely ignored by the government until the California Redwood Company attempted to sell their holdings to a Scottish group in Edinburgh. Monopoly ok, foreign ownership was not."

December 19, 2023 – 

page 78

 

 13.18% "reading this extremely slowly...may take several more months, at least at this rate."

December 26, 2023 – 

page 78

 

 13.18% "haven't moved forward on this book, decided to resume in january but keeping it as currently reading for now"

January 8, 2024 – 

page 78

 

 13.18% "finally returned to this book"

January 9, 2024 – 

page 102

 

 17.23% "continuing with the (section) Consuming the redwoods"

January 11, 2024 – 

page 146

 

 24.66% "just about done with section - Park politics"

January 19, 2024 – 

page 226

 

 38.18% "began Part II: Eucalypts: The taxonomy of belonging - deep into p.ch.03: Immigration and naturalization / mid-way through the (section) Boom and bust. ...planned "crop" of the hardwood blue gum/eucalyptus did not go well at all."

January 25, 2024 – 

page 292

 

 49.32% "deep into chapter 04: Natives, Aliens, and (Bio)Diversity.....still discussion Eucalyptus trees. now starting (section) Invasion of the Nonnatives"

January 26, 2024 – 

page 318

 

 53.72% "starting up Part III: Citruses: The Industry of growth and chapter 05: Orange revolution"

February 2, 2024 – 

page 318

 

 53.72% "some listening today...nearly done with ch.05: Orange revolution. next section is last: Managerial Control."

February 5, 2024 – 

page 372

 

 62.84% "finishing up ch.05: Orange revolution. next section is last: Managerial Control."

February 8, 2024 – 

page 444

 

 75.0% "deep into chapter 6: Cultural costs. Finished section: Subdivide and uproot. Next up is section: Bugs in the System. - last section and chapter for this part on Citrus. (Next up: Palms)"

February 9, 2024 – 

page 493

 

 83.28% "now in the last part - Part IV - Palms: The Ecology of Style and deep into chapter 07: Cosmopolitan Fronds. Nearly finished with (section) Street trees and city boosters."

February 14, 2024 – 

page 532

 

 89.86% "continuing chapter Aesthetic Infrastructure, finishing (section) Sunbelt design and next up (section) Wilted crowns...this is the last chapter, although Epilogue is quite long."

February 14, 2024 – Finished Reading

Review 463: Still Life with Woodpecker

Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins
My rating: 2.75 of 5 stars

Fairly disappointed with book. Perhaps I enjoyed this writing style more when I read them many years ago, or I had too much expectation from this book based on previous reading, way back when. Still has that zany humor and a few nuggets were embedded but so much other junk to wade through. I have another Robbins book that I got way back when, perhaps I'll attempt that at some point, but not any time soon.

Skinny Legs and All made me want to write a comparative literature paper, or maybe a critical analysis paper, when I wasn't even taking an English course. It sparked ideas that were brought up in another book I had read around that time as well, but no longer remember which book and never did get around to writing down those thoughts...but here it is years later and I still remember there was that spark. 

Previously Read Tom Robbins books:

• Jitterbug Perfume
• (4 stars) March.1994
• Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
• (3 stars) April.1995
• Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas
• (4 stars) January.1996
• Skinny Legs and All
• (5 stars) December.1997

Review 462: The Moor's Last Sigh

The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie
My rating: 3.25 of 5 stars

A long generational saga from India that begins during the colonial rule through the painful split into the 1990s. The Zogoiby family are wealthy Christian spice merchants. And there’s a lot of family drama. Everyone is a bit crazy. The narrator is called Moor, born as the last child eight years after his three sisters, who were born in quick succession. His mother Aurora is indeed a bright star, a famous painter who married at age 15 to a man her father’s age, and Abraham happened to be Jewish. Of course that was a problem. He takes over the family business and turns it into an empire.

The book is well written, sometimes humorous, and very witty. I did not like the book. I wanted to quit reading nearly the entire time. But it’s Rushdie and I never have read a book of his, and this one I’ve had sitting on my shelf for way too many years. So I pushed myself to read it through. I guess I’m happy to have finished, to have not wondered how the book ends, but as the rest of it, a bit ridiculous and odd.

There are many who have tagged this book as magical realism and it is a type of book that I typically don’t enjoy, but the “magical” aspect found here is not heavily handed. Some of the characters see things that aren’t there, but then just about everyone is a little bit crazy too, so it does match their character.

I’m not going to rush out and read another Rushdie book anytime soon.

Review 461: When You Finish Saving the World

When You Finish Saving the World by Jesse Eisenberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This short audio book is a character study of a small family: father, son, mother. The format is with audio tapes, and in different time periods, so for the father, Nathan, we have the present providing tapes to a therapist. Rachel feels that Nathan isn’t properly bonding with their newborn son. Nathan is trying to get more in touch with his feelings, and it sounded to me like he may be on the autism spectrum. Maybe that was unintentional by the author?

The son, Ziggy, is the second section, and in the future. It’s 2032 and he has counseling sessions for hitting someone who made a derogatory remark about another. His sessions require him to talk, without any prompts to a psychology bot. The future is vastly different (it’s idealized and maybe more like 2050?).

Then the last section is Rachel, which is in the past during her first year of college sending audio tapes to her boyfriend who joined the army just after the September 11 attacks. We already know he dies, so that does add poignancy to this section.

The title refers more to Rachel than the other characters, although she attributes that to her boyfriend; though overall, this “saving the world” is somewhat subtle. During the different tapes we see the different sides to the characters, at least for the first two sections. With Rachel we see her embarking on her changing understanding of the world through her classes, such as the manipulation in advertising.

The psychology aspect to the book is to just let someone talk about anything, just stream of consciousness, and will heal thyself. (works for some) One reason why journaling is good therapy? Anyway, I found the book was okay, not spectacular or anything, and was happy it was on the short side of length.