Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: The Eclectic Edition

This month is an exciting one for sky watchers. Although it was too cloudy to seem much of the pleiades meteor shower on Friday night (which was supposed to be the peak viewing time), we did go out on Saturday night and were able to see several shooting stars before the clouds moved in again. Next week is, of course, the eclipse.

In other news, I spent most of the week researching a new laptop (PC), and I think I'm now ready to place my order. It's always such a difficult decision because whatever I buy, I'll be using 10 to 12 hours a day for 3 to 5 years. My research took up most of my reading time, but I still managed to complete three very different books.

What I Read

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens (Seventh Street Books, 2014): I've been meaning to read this psychological thriller for a while now, so was very happy that it was the summer selection for my postal book club. For a college project, Joe interviews a dying convicted murderer, who has always insisted on his innocence. During the course of their conversations, Joe begins to believe the old man. But the more he digs into the past, the more he puts himself in danger. There is much to love about this novel, from the great characters to the action. Everyone, it seems, has parts of their lives they'd like to hide from the public, and Joe himself is no exception. Besides the murder case, themes include friendships, family, PTSD, and autism. Highly recommended and deserving of all its many awards.

Age of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan (Del Rey, July 2017): The newest installment in the epic fantasy series Legends of the First Empire is everything Sullivan fans have come to expect. There are several plot lines in this book, but all are leading to the seemingly unavoidable war between the humans and elves, and even dwarfs are entering the conflict. First, we have the elves who are more concerned with rebellion among their own than they are with weak and powerless humans. Next, we have the humans, who are trying to band together, to catch up technologically, and to learn to fight. The final group consists of a handful of human women and dwarf men who undertake a dangerous journey. I love this universe and can't wait until the next book comes out. The audiobook (Recorded Books; 20 hr, 2 min) was read by Tim Gerard Reynolds, who is the absolute best voice for Sullivan's work. He's great at picking up the personalities of the characters and delivers both the action and the humor with perfect timing.

Get Well Soon: History’s Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright (Henry Holt, February 2017): I picked this audiobook based on several recommendations of trusted friends and because it is so absolutely up my alley. This is a nonfiction account of the major plagues that have affected humankind from Roman times to the present. Some of the diseases covered are the black plague, smallpox, leprosy, and the Spanish flu. Wright's focus is on the ways government, society, and contemporary medical practitioners dealt with the horrors of incurable sickness that affected the masses. You might think this could be dry stuff, but you'd be very, very wrong. I was utterly fascinated with things like the exploding frog cure for bubonic plague and nose reconstruction for syphilis. I didn't realize the classic movie The Red Shoes had a foundation in a real disease, and I didn't know the behind-the-scenes history of the polio vaccine. I loved Wright's sense of humor and the many references to pop culture, television, movies, and books. The unabridged audiobook (Blackstone; 7 hr, 43 min) was read by Gabra Zackman. I think this is my first experience with Zackman, who nailed this book. I loved her conversational tone, which perfectly fit Wright's writing style; the way she signaled quotes from the running narrative; and her delivery of both the humor and the gruesome. One of my favorite books of the year.

Giveaways

I have a great giveaway going on now for Big Little Lies: one person will get a Blu-Ray/digital download of the fabulous HBO series plus a copy of the book. Click the link for more information. Tomorrow I'll have another giveaway--this one for a collection of short stories you won't want to miss. Note that both giveaways are for people with USA mailing addresses only.