Review: Nickel and Dime

Nickel and Dime by Gary Soto
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This somewhat short book contains three related stories. They take place in Oakland, California in the 1990s.

The first story: We Ain't Asking Much the main character is Roberto Silva, happy to have been let go at Walnut Bank as a security guard. His job was replaced by a security camera. Soon enough though, Roberto finds himself out of money and homeless, trying to sell something in order to eat.

The second story called Literary Life has Silver Mendez as the main character. A poet past his prime and happy to have this reading a small college in central California. Once home he finds his stuff on the lawn and kicked out of his apartment. Mendez at least has a car for shelter and ends up befriending Roberto who’s been homeless for two years now.

In the last story called The Untimely Passing of the Clock Radio we return to Walnut Bank as the other security guard, Gustavo Hernandez, is about to retire. Despite working for the bank for years he doesn’t have much savings. Roberto appears in this story as well, five years after his parting with the bank, and now asking Gus for help.

These are not joyful stories, looking at Hispanic men as they become homeless, or very poor despite loyally working for a company for years. What I didn’t like his how the three men are portrayed as simple, not very intelligent. And yet, there is a wee bit of humor laced into these stories as well.

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Review: Nickel and Dime

Nickel and Dime by Gary Soto
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This somewhat short book contains three related stories. They take place in Oakland, California in the 1990s.

The first story: We Ain't Asking Much the main character is Roberto Silva, happy to have been let go at Walnut Bank as a security guard. His job was replaced by a security camera. Soon enough though, Roberto finds himself out of money and homeless, trying to sell something in order to eat.

The second story called Literary Life has Silver Mendez as the main character. A poet past his prime and happy to have this reading a small college in central California. Once home he finds his stuff on the lawn and kicked out of his apartment. Mendez at least has a car for shelter and ends up befriending Roberto who’s been homeless for two years now.

In the last story called The Untimely Passing of the Clock Radio we return to Walnut Bank as the other security guard Gustavo Hernandez is about to retire. Despite working for the bank for years he doesn’t have much savings. Roberto appears in this story as well, five years after his parting with the bank, and now asking Gus for help.

These are not joyful stories, looking at Hispanic men as they become homeless, or very poor despite loyally working for a company for years. What I didn’t like his how the three men are portrayed as simple, not very intelligent. And yet, there is a wee bit of humor laced into these stories as well.

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Review: Nickel and Dime

Nickel and Dime by Gary Soto
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This somewhat short book contains three related stories. They take place in Oakland, California in the 1990s.

The first story: We Ain't Asking Much the main character is Roberto Silva, happy to have been let go at Walnut Bank as a security guard. His job was replaced by a security camera. Soon enough though, Roberto finds himself out of money and homeless, trying to sell something in order to eat.

The second story called Literary Life has Silver Mendez as the main character. A poet past his prime and happy to have this reading a small college in central California. Once home he finds his stuff on the lawn and kicked out of his apartment. Mendez at least has a car for shelter and ends up befriending Roberto who’s been homeless for two years now.

In the last story called The Untimely Passing of the Clock Radio we return to Walnut Bank as the other security guard Gustavo Hernandez is about to retire. Despite working for the bank for years he doesn’t have much savings. Roberto appears in this story as well, five years after his parting with the bank, and now asking Gus for help.

These are not joyful stories, looking at Hispanic men as they become homeless, or very poor despite loyally working for a company for years. What I didn’t like his how the three men are portrayed as simple, not very intelligent. And yet, there is a wee bit of humor laced into these stories as well.


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Review: Nickel and Dime

Nickel and Dime by Gary Soto
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: The Last Season

The Last Season by Eric Blehm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book details the account of what happened when an experienced backcountry ranger went missing in July 1996. Randy Morgenson was a seasonal ranger for the Sequioa and Kings National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains for 28 years. He grew up in Yosemite Valley and was one of the most capable people in wilderness. Yet he went missing on a routine patrol of his assigned around from the Bench Lake Ranger Station.

The book chapters alternate between the biography of Randy with the detail and action of the search and rescue effort for him.

A search and rescue operation started several days after later and they searched for two weeks and did not find one trace of Randy. There were several theories of what may have happened. Was it an accident, did he get attacked, or did he commit suicide? There was even the theory that Randy left the mountains entirely and disappeared. Those who were very close to Randy discounted this was a possibility, but all scenarios were considered.

Randy was in turmoil that season. He brought had divorce papers with him to his ranger station. In recent years had had an affair with another backcountry ranger. Randy and Gail had been married for over twenty years. But the months long absence had put a definite strain on their relationship. Randy was someone who could not live without the mountains and wilderness. Yet he started to question if his season employment was something that he should continue.

The detail in the book is extensive, his biography, the search and rescue, and the terrain of the mountains. It is clear in the beginning that Randy does not survive, so the main question remained if he committed suicide or had an accident of some sort. While I enjoyed the book, the one caveat is how the author put in this mysticism of the mountains, which was a bit heavy handed in the final portion of the book.

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Review: The Last Season

The Last Season by Eric Blehm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book details the account of what happened when an experienced backcountry ranger went missing in July 1996. Randy Morgenson was a seasonal ranger for the Sequioa and Kings National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains for 28 years. He grew up in Yosemite Valley and was one of the most capable people in wilderness. Yet he went missing on a routine patrol of his assigned around from the Bench Lake Ranger Station.

The book chapters alternate between biography of Randy and his life with the detail and action of the search and rescue effort for him.

A search and rescue operation started several days after later and they searched for two weeks and did not find one trace of Randy. There were several theories of what may have happened. Was it an accident, did he get attacked, or did he commit suicide? There was even the theory that Randy left the mountains entirely and disappeared. Those who were very close to Randy discounted this was a possibility, but all scenarios were considered.

Randy was in turmoil that season. He brought had divorce papers with him to his ranger station. In recent years had had an affair with another backcountry ranger. Randy and Gail had been married for over twenty years. But the months long absence had put a definite strain on their relationship. Randy was someone who could not live without the mountains and wilderness. Yet he started to question if his season employment was something that he should continue.

The detail in the book is extensive, his biography, the search and rescue, and the terrain of the mountains. It is clear in the beginning that Randy does not survive, so the main question remained if he committed suicide or had an accident of some sort. While I enjoyed the book, the one caveat is how the author put in this mysticism of the mountains, which was a bit heavy handed in the final portion of the book.

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Review: The Last Season

The Last Season by Eric Blehm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book details the account of what happen when an experienced backcountry ranger went missing in July 1996. Randy Morgenson was a seasonal ranger for the Sequioa and Kings National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains for 28 years. He grew up in Yosemite Valley and was one of the most capable people in wilderness. Yet he went missing on a routine patrol of his assigned around from the Bench Lake Ranger Station.

The book chapters alternate between biography of Randy and his life with the detail and action of the search and rescue effort for him.

A search and rescue operation started several days after later and they searched for two weeks and did not find one trace of Randy. There were several theories of what may have happened. Was it an accident, did he get attacked, or did he commit suicide? There was even the theory that Randy left the mountains entirely and disappeared. Those who were very close to Randy discounted this was a possibility, but all scenarios were considered.

Randy was in turmoil that season. He brought had divorce papers with him to his ranger station. In recent years had had an affair with another backcountry ranger. Randy and Gail had been married for over twenty years. But the months long absence had put a definite strain on their relationship. Randy was someone who could not live without the mountains and wilderness. Yet he started to question if his season employment was something that he should continue.

The detail in the book is extensive, his biography, the search and rescue, and the terrain of the mountains. It is clear in the beginning that Randy does not survive, so the main question remained if he committed suicide or had an accident of some sort. While I enjoyed the book, the one caveat is how the author put in this mysticism of the mountains, which was a bit heavy handed in the final portion of the book.


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Review: The Last Season

The Last Season by Eric Blehm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Poverty, by America

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: More Than Enough

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Had a hard time connecting with this story in the beginning and considered not continuing, but pushed on and by the end was happy I stuck with it.

The novel is told from a first-person point of view and is almost a stream of consciousness type writing. There are all these people in Polly’s life at first it was hard to keep it all straight who and what was going on, as there are multiple threads.

One main theme is the infertility issues Polly and her perfect husband Mark are going through. A second is the DNA test she recently took that showed a close relative, a niece, but it couldn’t be. Her gay brother didn’t have any children. She obsesses with this while meeting with her book club and friends, visits to her father in a care facility for his dementia. Her mother just couldn’t take care of him any longer, which didn’t help Polly with her somewhat chilly relationship with mom. This is not all that’s going on either.

The book is about life and things that are thrown your way. For the most part it is not a happy story, but there are happy parts and it isn’t written in a depressing way at all, instead very upbeat.

Book rating: 3.25 stars


Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book. However, I listened to a published audiobook copy of the book.

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Review: More Than Enough

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Had a hard time connecting with this story in the beginning and considered not continuing, but pushed on and by the end was happy I stuck with it.

The novel is told from a first-person point of view and is almost a stream of consciousness type writing. There are all these people in Polly’s life that it was hard to keep it all straight who and what was going on, as there are multiple threads.

One main theme is the infertility issues Polly and her perfect husband Mark are going through. A second is the DNA test she recently took that showed a close relative, a niece, but it couldn’t be. Her gay brother didn’t have any children. She obsesses with this while meeting with her book club and friends, visits to her father in a care facility for his dementia. Her mother just couldn’t take care of him any longer, which didn’t help Polly with her somewhat chilly relationship with mom. This is not all that’s going on either.

The book is about life and things that are thrown your way. For the most part it is not a happy story, but there are happy parts and it isn’t written in a depressing way at all, instead very upbeat.

Book rating: 3.25 stars


Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book. However, I listened to a published audiobook copy of the book.


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Review: More Than Enough

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore

Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A history of black-owned bookstores, starting with the very beginning in the 1830s with David Ruggles and his pushcart selling books at a time when many blacks were enslaved and forbidden to read. Then the turbulent 60's and 70's, and through the decades to today. There are only a few people and stores profiled. The book could not be comprehensive for all stores that existed at one time

In the late 60s there weren’t many black-owned stores, and the FBI kept tabs on those that did exist. Unfortunately, they were also targeted. Drum and Spear was one such store and worker Ralph Featherstone was killed in a car bomb likely planted by the FBI. Another store, Liberation, had been sent a package of dynamite that killed a bookstore employee and injured the owner Una Mulzac.
Later, in the aughts Karibu Bookstore was profiled as the chain of stores didn’t last long. Among other problems, it also was up against what all bookstores have a problem with, the big box stores and the online giant amazon.

More recently black-owned bookstores had a surge of sales for a while when the Black Lives Matter protests and movement was started. That surge has since eased off back to the usual level of bookselling and activity.

Listed in the back of the book are over 50 black-owned bookstores by state and around 40 online stores that were once brick and mortar stores. This type of list can only be a snapshot in time. Likely more stable is the list of 10 books black booksellers want everyone to read.


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Review: Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore

Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Buckeye

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A moving fictional account of several people, two families really, over several decades. It starts with Margaret, a baby abandoned at an orphanage and ends with her child Thomas Salt.

The book’s title comes from the nickname of the child - Thomas Aquinas Salt, so perhaps the book is more about him than anyone else, but the book starts with his parents and stays there nearly for the entirety.

A good portion of the book takes place during WWII, but the war is not front and center. We remain mostly stateside, in the small town of Bonhomie, Ohio.

Another long section is later, during the Vietnam war era. Some years are glossed over, described in quick sentences, but with such a long time frame all can't be detailed out. The book is well written, engaging and very moving.

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated quite well, with emotion and emphasis that adds a little extra to the story

Book rating: 3.75

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Review: Pale Fire

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The format of the book is unusual, not your typical novel. All of it is fiction, where the form is a critical analysis book of a long poem. The long 99 line poem is called Pale Fire, by fictional American author John Shade. The bulk of the book is the commentary by Charles Kinbote, author of the foreword and editor of the poem. The commentary dissects the poem by lines, or sometimes just a word.

Kinbote was the neighbor, and “close friend” of the author in the last months of his life. Shade had just finished the poem when he died. Kinbote expected the poem to be about his country Zembla, where the king was overthrown, but escaped while being held captive.

The details of all this comes out in the commentary, which is not what the poem is about, but Kinbote misinterprets it, or adds all of his own details. It ends up being quite entertaining.

I even read the index entirely since there was humor found in those referenced notes. Nabokov writes so incredibly well. I love all the unique words he uses in his writing, makes for delightful reading.


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Review: Pale Fire

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Buckeye

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

A moving fictional account of several people, two families really, over several decades. It starts with Margaret, a baby abandoned at an orphanage and ends with her child Thomas Salt.

The book’s title comes from the nickname of the child - Thomas Aquinas Salt, so perhaps the book is more about him than anyone else, but the book starts with his parents and stays there nearly for the entirety.

A good portion of the book takes place during WWII, but the war is not front and center. We remain mostly stateside, in the small town of Bonhomie, Ohio.

Another long section is later, during the Vietnam war era. Some years are glossed over, described in quick sentences, but with such a long time frame all can't be detailed out. The book is well written, engaging and very moving.

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated quite well, with emotion and emphasis that adds a little extra to the story

Book rating: 3.75

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Review: Buckeye

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
My rating: 0 of 5 stars



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