Review 639: The Definitions

The Definitions by Matt Greene
My rating: 2.75 of 5 stars

I finished this book a week ago and took some time thinking about it, because it’s not your typical short novel. It is reminiscent of I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman. I started my review of Harpman’s book with “A dystopian book, without a lot of answers.” And that line fits well with this book as well: short and left with ambiguity and more questions in the end. Seems also to be not really my kind of book.

A virus has rendered people amnesiacs. They don’t remember anything, so are at this facility to learn how to behave in society, maybe regain their memories of who they were before. They take new names. The narrator, however is unnamed. They are unsure about the virus, there appears to be a new version that may reinfect or not.

There is a lot of focus on words. The narrator and a friend are focused on the meaning of a few, such as chair and bench. How to define exactly these words and what they represent.

It felt like the students at the center aren’t being told the full truth. Things are going on in the outside world they don’t know about, at least anymore, and are sheltered or given a new story. It’s hard to tell since we as readers never get the full story either.

This will likely work better for some people, while others who don’t like vagueness and obscurity, this may be a pass.



Thanks to Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 635: Trust

Trust by Hernan Diaz
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The book has a unique way of telling this story. It has different versions, which I found confusing at first. I didn’t know this going in. The further into the book goes the more “truthful” is the story, but it is all fiction.

Interestingly, the first two sections are told by men, the last two are by women. The third one was the longest and held more interest for me, the story was more developed. This is one of those books that you really need to read to the end and not give up on.

Review 615: I Who Have Never Known Men

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maybe 3.75 is a better rating than 4.

A dystopian book, without a lot of answers. The narrator doesn't have a name, only called The Child, as she was young when her and 39 other women were put into the bunker. The men guard them closely. She knows nothing other than this bunker, can only learn what the women tell her. As she becomes a teenager she wants to know more.

Interesting and simple book, and yet it isn't.

Review 608: Sleep A Bedtime Reader

Sleep A Bedtime Reader by Robert Peacock
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book did not do well to evoke the feeling of sleep or dreams. A few of the stories or poems did, particularly near the end. Generally the entries seemed random.

The imagery was weird. The book is printed in high-gloss full color pages. The images were more dream-like than the text.

Most of the authors I did not recognize but there were a few bigger names, also near the end of the book: Alice Walker, Lou Reed, Jack Kerouac, and the very last, one of my favorite was by Fran Lebowitz: Why I Love to Sleep. It was very funny. Alice Walker’s poem was good too.

The book is so short, I have no idea why it remained unread until now. Perhaps I did pick the book up a time a two (and forgotten) and wasn’t impressed. The book came to me through a mail order book-club I used to belong to, bought over twenty-five years ago. Without seeing it in person explains why I purchased it. Oh, and good cover image. Overall disappointing.

Review 424: Family of Origin

Family of Origin by C.J. Hauser
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

There are some good parts in this book, but it gets muddied (extremely) by some oddities and weirdness. There is a lot of angst, anger, and plain misunderstandings, which drove me nuts reading it.

Oh, and the lack of quotations marks does not help. Just adds confusion.

A very general over: brother and sister travel to this island upon their father's death to gather his things. Not brother and sister, but half (same father).

No, not half, as sister is by different father.

sorry, that may be spoilers, but no need to read the book actually. It's a pass.

Review 389: The Empire of Dirt

The Empire of Dirt by Ekin Oklap
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Odd little book.

A young girl in the countryside in Italy turning from a girl to a woman, aged 12 during a momentous summer. There are a few jumps around in time, and it is more than just the summer. Swarms of different types of insects and things infest their house. The girl believes she is responsible.

A few other bits and bobs about this book:

The grandmother is just as important as her mother

The village think they are witches (but really?)

                 her father leaves

(SPOILER: later her mother says it is her fault the infestations, and she made her husband leave, she was pregnant and had an abortion after her left. she lost a baby years prior.)

Review 374: The Trouble with Tom

The Trouble with Tom: The Strange Afterlife and Times of Thomas Paine by Paul Collins
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars



Not really a biography of Thomas Paine as the author follows where Paine's bones have appeared in the years after his death. Along the way we meet all sorts of people that are associated, and brief biographies of m0st. We have moments of modern times and compare the current state of that place with what it was like in the past, when Paine was there, or some of his bones.

One person discussed the most is Moncure D. Conway, a minister who published Paine's works. We also encounter Margret Fuller, Henry David Thoreau, Mark Twain and some phrenologists.

Wasn't exactly what I expected from the book, but I'm not unhappy I read it.
Listened to the audiobook.

Review 354: Liberation Day

Liberation Day: Stories by George Saunders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Initial thoughts: Not sure why it took me so long to read that last story, it wasn't very long. Anyway, a few thoughts on the collection:

This is a collection of nine short stories. About half of the stories are fairly short, while the others are much longer, taking up most of the book. A few feel a bit gruesome, and may make one shudder with the contents, this is not due to gore, but for how humans may treat other people.

There is a bit of variety, and the author portrays different characters easily with just a few lines. All are intriguing providing a different way of looking at being human, living life in your own way.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 324: The Past Is Red

The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After reading (listening) to this book I have since found this contains a short story and a novella.

The audiobook did not indicate this, and it should be announced so the reader/listener doesn’t have the confusion like I did.

The first part of this book we are introduced to our main character, mostly as a child, and where she lives in Garbage Town. We find out about how there is a community of several area on this huge pile of trash that’s floating about a world of water. There is a teasing and lead up to what she, Tetley, does that makes her shunned and alone by everyone.

Part Two now begins anew. It’s the same world but there’s retelling of what was just given before, but much more of the story as well.

As far as the overall story, I enjoyed Part two more than the first, it seemed like all the swearing was toned down, or less of it anyway, and the story arc was more appealing. There was quite a lot of things contained in these stories that was unbelievable, you really had to pretend this is plausible, which I generally don’t like in books. The world seems different, and yet not entirely new. It’s a mash-up of other science fiction that is out there. Yet despite all that I will say this story will stay with me for a while.

The best part of this story is the main character Tetley. She is one of the strongest characters out there.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an audiobook review copy of this book.

First thoughts: a bit odd, Part 1 and Part 2 of the book seem like separate novellas.

more thoughts on this soon.

Review 322: Lost at Sea

Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries by Jon Ronson
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars



I didn't enjoy this collection as much as other books I've read by Ronson. All of them have been audiobooks narrated by himself. He has a unique voice, which he does briefly mention in this book. 

Some of these essays leave you with saying, and so?

Part I: Things we're willing to believe

ch.1 - Thinking inside the box

ch.2 - Doesn't everyone have a solar?

ch.3 - The chosen ones

ch.4 - A message from God

Part II: Rebellious lives

ch.5 - I looked into that camera. And I just said it

ch.6 - Have you ever stood next to an elephant, my friend?

Part III: High-flying lives

ch.7 - The name's Ronson, Jon Ronson

ch.8 - I'm loving aliens instead 

ch.9 - First contact

ch.10 - Citizen Kubrick

Part IV: Everyday difficulty

ch.11 - Santa's little consipirators

ch.12 - Phoning a friend 

ch.13 - Who killed Richard Cullen? 

ch.14 - The sociopath mind guru and the tv hypnotist

         ch.15 - Death at the chateau

ch.16 - I've thought about doing myself in loads of times...

ch.17 - The mystery of mingering Mike

ch.18 - You may know me from such roles as terrorist #4

Part V: Stepping over the line 

ch.19 - Blood sacrafice

ch.20 - I make it look like they died in their sleep

ch.21 - Is she for real? 

ch.22 - The fall of a pop impressario 

 Part VI: Justice

ch.23 - The big-eyed children

ch.24 - Amber waves of green 

ch.25 - The man who tried to split the atom in his kitchen

ch.26 - Lost at sea

ch.27 - The amazing adventures of Phoenix Jones

ch.28 - Frank: The true story that inspired the movie

Review 302: Hummingbird Salamander

Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I haven’t read any of VanderMeer’s previous books, but I’ve heard of them, being some weird ecological horror type book maybe. This one seemed less horror-like, I guessed from the brief descriptions. Basically didn’t know what I was getting into. Perhaps that didn’t help, but the book itself was keeping you in the dark about what is going on, so I was confused for much of the book, and didn’t really enjoy that.

At the end the book felt like a thriller, or quest type book, where one clue leads to the next, and you have to be ahead of the bad guys that keep trying to kill you or those around you because they think they know something. Somewhat strange book for me. But I kept going trying to figure this thing out.

In the preface the main character says, “you can call me Jane. Jane Smith. If that helps.” She seems to be a typical suburban woman; married, one teenage kid and a job. The job is in a male dominated area, being a manger in the security industry (not fully defined) which helps companies be more secure. This brings along a level of knowledge and paranoia about privacy and tracking that most people likely don’t have. Add in her unusual size being tall, bulky, lots of muscle, an ex-wrestler turned weightlifter, maybe Jane isn’t so average.

Jane follows these clues to the detriment of her job, then her family. Then things get even worse. There were some interesting bits that remained with me, like how she named inanimate, yet important objects, like the huge purse had the name shovel pig and a burner phone named bog. The book seemed to have some statement on the upcoming environmental disaster but was so vague, difficult to get grounded into that.

Not sure if the style of this book is typical of VanderMeer, if it is I’ll likely avoid any future book. Didn't like the being confused nearly the entire time.

Review 273: Dare to Know

Dare to Know by James Kennedy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We have the unusual world of salesmen who can calculate using subject math the exact date of your death. This is told in first person, we follow this one guy, a salesperson, who’s better days are way behind him. The book is told mostly of looking back, and details get layered on, so specific moments and events take on more meaning as the book progresses.

It's a spiraling of despair and then into a hallucinogenic tale to where it is unclear what is reality or not. Death is the center of this book as is fairy tales, which leads one to suppose there will be the happily-ever-after, except this is a satire. It’s an odd one to be sure. A bit too magical realism for me, but for the right reader this will be a good book.

Review 217: Switch

Switch by A.S. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The book starts out difficult to read. The text is unusual, jarring with the slash marks. The nature of the story is unusual, time has stopped and Tru's house has plywood boxes, covering the switch. Her father built boxes around boxes, hers is box#7 with a Tru sized hole in it, her brother’s #11. It’s odd.
After a little while the story starts to cohere, the flow finds itself, and I sank into the story.

What we have is a misfunctioning family, it’s torn apart. The older sister was a pathological liar, of extreme. Her mother left, the father lost his job. She the sister is now gone, still calls and tells more lies. The house shifts and these aspects in the story feel like metaphors for what is going on with the family, or society. The metaphors are abundant in the book.

One could look at the stopped time as a correlation to the pandemic, or perhaps it is more closely related to the family.

It’s a wild ride of a book, and I have a feeling teen readers will connect with the book. It approaches difficult subjects and deals with them, but not in a straight-forward manner.


Thanks to Dutton Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 214: Oval

Oval by Elvia Wilk
My rating: 2.75 of 5 stars

Part of the book was interesting, mostly in the beginning, then it seemed to go off the rails for me. This is a fictional book taking place in the near future in Berlin. A big part of the book is the house where Anja and Louis live, a new type of eco-community that is completely sustainable. Yet there are cameras everywhere and the company involved is where Anja works, who just got fired but then hired as a consultant. Anyway, when it ended I just had to ask -- what did I just read? I know much of it is satire, but still trying to make sense of it.

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 177: Desert Oracle: Volume 1

Desert Oracle: Volume 1: Strange True Tales from the American Southwest by Ken Layne
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The book starts out very wisely in letting you know how to survive the desert – bring lots of water, more than you think you need. If you get lost, or your car breaks down, stay by your car! There are brief mentions of those who didn’t make it out…

The next section is about the Yucca Man, and other very short tales of a creature seen in the desert called by many names, such as Bigfoot.

A little boy is lost. A scout leader failed in his job.

It goes from there….

These are little vignettes…tales of quirky people and tales of mysterious things that may be true, or not (ghost bighorn sheep).

Most of the entries read like snippets, not complete stories, and the writing tends to jump from one thought to another, then end abruptly. But don’t let that dissuade you from reading this. It adds to the sense, a layer to the oddness that are desert dwellers.

As a compilation, there tends to be a few places where something is repeated. For myself, too much on UFO’s and aliens when considering the whole work, would have liked more on history of place, or characters, those were the better entries. The snippets are of varying length with one section about cowboy music being very long. The writing isn’t polished either, you take what you can get when you’re out on the desert.

The book also contains photos and line drawings, which adds to the character of the book.

You don’t have to love the desert, but if you do this book will thrill you!

I'll read a volume 2, if/when that comes out.

Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 157: The Bee-Loud Glade

The Bee-Loud Glade by Steve Himmer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a different sort of book entirely. Partly creepy and partly sedate. Not a lot happens in the book.

Would you accept a job to be a hermit that is watched constantly? I'm fairly sure I would not, where is the privacy? Yet this job seemed to have some freedom for Finch. At least he found it better than the desk cubicle job.

some good lines, such as...“I allowed myself to be provoked, others dictate my own feelings for me, others I don't even know"

Review 23: Gateway to Paradise: Stories

Gateway to Paradise: Stories by Matthew Vollmer
My rating: not rated

This collection of stories was not for me. I read half of them and couldn't continue knowing the others were not going to be something I could get into.

How to categorize the stories? I put them into my weird area. They aren't all the same type, as may be true for other short story collections. The first one set the stage for me, a dentist who keeps seeing his dead wife, but takes it further than that, way further. Too odd.

The next story was better for me, and if they were along those same lines perhaps I could have stuck with it. But when the back of the book write up said something that about one story that likely is bestiality with a woman and dog, nope. no. I'm done.

I guess these are considered dark? If so, then I don't like dark.