April Books

**Kind of Kin by Arilla Askey deserves the enthusiastic NYT review (nytimes.com/2013/01/27).  When Oklahoma passes a tough "illegals" law, Robert John Brown is sent to prison for hiding migrant workers.  Brown's daughter Sweet Georgia is left to manage a family (including a troublesome son and an orphaned nephew) that is coming apart at the seams as her marriage collapses under the stress. Askew’s treatment of poverty, politics religion, immigration and family (dis)functionality is masterful, heart-breaking and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

*The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro’ s razor-sharp writing and plot twists makes this an absorbing literary thriller that also gives us  three centuries of forgers, art thieves, and obsessive collectors. Claire makes her living reproducing famous paintings   for an online retailer.  To improve her situation, she is lured into a Faustian bargain a powerful gallery owner and agrees to forge a painting—one of the Degas masterpieces stolen from the Gardner Museum—in exchange for a one-woman show in his renowned gallery. Of course, there are a few wrinkles in the well-researched and written novel.

The Black Box by Michael Connelly has LAPD detective, Harry Bosch trying to solve a 20 year old cold case. Bosh links the bullet from a recent crime to 1992 the killing of a young female photographer during the L.A. riots.  The new ballistics match indicate that her death was not random violence, but something connected to a deeper intrigue. Like an investigator combing through the wreckage after a plane crash, Bosch searches for the "black box," the one piece of evidence that will pull the case together. Not Connelly’s best, but still an engaging, quick read.

A Land More Kind than Home by Wiley Cash is a southern coming of age debut novel about life in an unassuming mountain town that believes in protecting its own secrets.  Jess Hall is plunged into an adulthood for which he is not prepared when his autistic older brother sneaks a look at something he isn't supposed to with catastrophic repercussions for his family, the charismatic, snake-handling minister and the strange sect that follows him 

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*Mortality by Christopher Hitchens is accurately described as a "courageous, insightful and candid thoughts on malady and mortality from one of our most celebrated writers". Hitchens maintains his skepticism about religion and life after death while chronicling his losing battle with esophageal cancer while writing columns for Vanity Fair on politics and culture and also describing his personal  and philosophical view of life and death.

*The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change by Al Gore is an important, impressive  jumble of a book. Gore surveys our planet’s clouded horizon and offers a sober, learned, and moderately hopeful forecast “in the visionary tradition of Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock.”  The book reflects great breath of knowledge and research with genuine passion and commitment, but like the former VP himself, it tends to go on a bit and needed a firmer editorial hand.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn is an engaging mystery but not as well-crafted as her later book, Gone Girl. For a price, Libby Day will reconnect with the people involved in the murder of her mother and two sisters in "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas."  At seven, she testified that her brother Ben was the murderer.   Now 32 and down on her luck, she is not so sure as the unimaginable and almost unbelievable truth emerges. The book shows signs of the talent that emerges in her next novel.

Brown’s Guide to the Good Life Without Tears, Fears or Boredom by David Brown is pretty well summarized in the title. The former editor of Cosmopolitan, husband of a subsequent editor (Helen Gurley Brown) producer and author  is wise, witty, and irreverent as reflects on a life well-lived from his tenth decade. "Helpful, humorous bits of advice and sage pithy truisms.”

The Carriage House by Louisa Hall is a “breakthrough debut novel” by the talented daughter of our neighbors.  For three generations, a carriage house has stood on the Adair property, a symbol of their family’s place in the world. Now, the house is crumbling, as is the family.  After a stroke reduces the patriarch, daughters Diana, Elizabeth, and Isabelle take on the battle for the carriage house and a more functional family dynamic. Ultimately they overcome deep and painful misunderstandings and betrayals to find forgiveness and hope.

March Books

*The Lady in Gold by Anne-Marie O'Connor is the spellbinding story  of Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, the beautiful, seductive Viennese Jewish salon hostess who sat for it; the notorious artist who painted it; the now vanished turn-of-the-century Vienna that shaped it; and the strange twisted fate that befell it. O’Connor paints a striking portrait of  Vienna’s  from Fin de Siecle through the  post-Nazi era to the return of the masterpiece to the heirs of the original owner in 2009 when Ronald Lauder bought it for $135 million a century after Klimt completed the society portrait.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn isn’t up to the standard of her later Gone Girl, but shows the potential that will develop. Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” Libby survived–and testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her. She visits her past, an incredibly unpleasant collection of losers  and other “dark places” to shed light on what really happened.

*The Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva begins in Rome, where Gabriel  Allon, art restorer, assassin, spy, is called upon to investigate a murder at the Vatican, one with potentially disastrous repercussions.  Allon jets around the world to protect the Vatican, Israel and the world in a formulaic story that is both engaging and almost believable. Daniel Silva’s thrilling universe of intrigue, danger, and exceptional spy craft is one of the best in a crowded genre. The Philadelphia Inqurer concludes, “The enigmatic Gabriel Allon remains one of the most intriguing heroes of any thriller series.”

Standing in Another Man’s Grave by Ian Rankin features the return of former Detective John Rebus  who has never shied away from lost causes. Now he's back as a retired civilian, reviewing abandoned files and never missing the opportunity to upset his bureaucratic bosses, have a nip of the hard stuff or seeing missed  connections in the cases of missing women.  Rankin has an international fan base who raves about his ‘nuanced prose’, but I’m not a member of the group and thought a little less nuance might have saved a couple of hundred pages.

February Books

*Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan “is a suspenseful plot-and-character-driven novel with an unexpected postmodern twist.” Serena is brilliant and beautiful, a speed-reading lit geek and Oxford math major, who is recruited by MI5 in the 1970s.  “Sweet Tooth” is her only operational assignment which is to infiltrate and influence the literary circle of a promising young writer named Tom Haley.  Although slow at times, the book offers a bit of suspense, romance, political intrigue and insight into the human psyche.

Hallucinations, according to Oliver Sachs, are not the exclusive property of the insane.  More commonly, they are linked to sensory deprivation, drugs, intoxication, illness, or injury. Told largely through well-crafted anecdotes,  Sacks emphasizes  Charles Bonnet syndrome, a condition characterized by intricate visual hallucinations and his own experience with hallucinogenic compounds.  The book is moderately engaging, but I did not find it substantive.

*Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is masterful, witty and humorous  suspense story  about a marriage gone  terribly wrong.   On Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary, clever and beautiful Amy disappears. Her diary is found, and Nick is exposed as a lying, cheating jerk, but the alpha-girl  Amy could put anyone on edge. Under mounting pressure to find the person responsible for a wealth of clues, the police become increasing focus on Nick.   “Marriage can be a real killer,” but just how guilty is Nick?

The Boy Kings of Texas: A Memoir by Domingo Martinez is a “lyrical and authentic book that recounts the story of a border-town family in Brownsville, Texas in the 1980's.”  It is a tribute to all the smart kids who knew they had to leave home or die or boredom. “Martinez lushly captures the mood of the era and illuminates the struggles of a family hobbled by poverty.”

**Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver is “is a brilliant and suspenseful novel set in present day Appalachia; a breathtaking parable of catastrophe and denial.” The story introduces a young wife and mother on a failing farm in rural Tennessee who experiences something she cannot explain and how that discovery energizes diverse factions—religious leaders, climate scientists, environmentalists, politicians to  address issues of poverty, consumerism, illusion and fear. “Flight Behavior is arguably Kingsolver's must thrilling and accessible novel to date” and the best fiction I’ve read in over a year.

What’s a Dog For? The Surprising History, Science, Philosophy, and Politics of Man's Best Friend by John Homans explores the dog’s complex and prominent place in our world and how they evolved from wild animals to working animals to nearly human members of our social fabric. Homan reviews the extensive serious scientific studies concerning pet ownership, evolutionary theory, and even cognitive science. He explores how dogs moved into our families, homes, and beds in the span of a generation, while becoming a $53 billion industry in the United States in the process.

*Ancient Light by John Banville portrays  an actor, Alexander Cleave,  in the twilight of his career as  he plumbs the memories of his first love (when he was fifteen)  with the mother of his best friend. The story explores  the impact of  his daughter’s madness, a movie role portraying an enigmatic  literary figure and his young, famous and fragile leading lady.  “Ancient Light is a profoundly moving meditation on love and loss, on the inscrutable immediacy of the past in our present lives.”

January Reads

A Good American by Alex George spans more than a century in the story of three generations of the Meisenheimer family in the Midwest. Beginning with an improbable love affair ignited by the power of song, the story follows an unorthodox young couple as they flee to America in search of a new life together. From prohibition to the Kennedy assassination, the family is caught up in the sweep of history as they find their place in America—engaging, but pretty formulaic.

Sutton by   J.R. Moehringer  is a fictionalized biography of Willie Sutton that traces his life, the ill-fated first love, and his surprise pardon on Christmas Eve in 1969. He had stolen more than $2 million from banks, engineered three dazzling prison breaks, and become a folk hero to thousands of cash-strapped Americans. The book imagines the day after his pardon when he agrees to tell his story to a reporter who revisits some of the major places/events in his life.  

*The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon is the story of Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, who decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his parents. Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher shows great courage and insight in his quest—reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and “The Big Bang Theory.” 

*Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe takes on most of Miami’s ethnic groups with his trademark acerbic  sociological satire.  He also skewers the pretentions of city politics, ‘society’, the police, journalists and  the art community.  Hard going in some places but Wolfe still delivers insight and humor in an entertaining manner.

Unnatural Acts by Stuart Woods is the latest in the Stone Barrington series.  The hero is hired to talk some sense into the wayward son of a hedge fund billionaire.  The hidden sins and temptations of the ultra-wealthy are soon revealed as  Stone and his erstwhile protégé, Herbie Fisher, probe into just how far some people will go to cover up their crimes. Crispy written, but very predictable and formulaic.

Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd is set in 1913 Vienna. Lysander Rief, a young English actor is seeking psychotherapy and gets caught up in a feverish affair with a beautiful, enigmatic woman—until she charges him with rape.  Two British diplomats save him from trial and then recruit him for murder and espionage. The plot moves from Vienna to London's West End and from the battlefields of France to hotel rooms in Geneva. Billed as “a mesmerizing journey into the human psyche,” I found it engaging but predictable.

Bob's 12 Best from 2012

FICTION

Girl Child by Tupelo Hassman is an exquisite counterpoint to “Starboard Sea” as Rory Hendrix devours the Girl Scout Handbook to discover a way out of the Reno trailer park where she lives with her mother, Jo, a hard-luck bartender at The Truck Stop. Rory’s been told that she is a “third-generation bastard surely on the road to whoredom.”  From diary entries, social workers’ reports, half-recalled memories, arrest records, family lore, Supreme Court opinions, and Tupelo’s grandmother’s letters, Hassman crafts a devastating collage that shows the frighteningly unfair world of the bottom 1%.

The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont is “A rich, quietly artful novel that is bound for deep water, with questions of beauty, power and spiritual navigation.” Jason Prosper lives in the elite world of Manhattan penthouses, Maine summer estates, old-boy prep schools, and exclusive sailing clubs. Now at a “last chance” school trying to cope with the suicide of his sailing partner and best friend, Jason needs to grow up.  The novel is reminiscent of Catcher in the Rye with a little mystery thrown in for good measure. 

The Barbarian Nurseries by Hector Tobar is the “great panoramic social novel (of) Los Angeles”. Araceli is the live-in maid in a once affluent household. She is the last of three Mexicans employed and financial pressure is causing disturbing domestic arguments. After a particularly dramatic fight, Araceli wakes to an empty house—except for the family’s two sons she’s never had to interact with before. Their parents are unreachable, so she does the only thing she can think of and heads to the bus stop to seek out their grandfather. None of the family and much of Southern California will ever forget the adventure that follows. With shades of The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tortilla Curtain and Babel, this empathetic, insightful novel was named as the Boston Globe’s Best Fiction Book of 2011.

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante is a literary thriller about a retired orthopedic surgeon suffering from dementia and suspected of killing her best friend, Amanda, who was found dead with four fingers surgically removed.  The prime suspect, Dr. White doesn’t know if she did it. Told in White’s fractured and eloquent voice, a picture emerges of the surprisingly intimate, complex alliance between these proud, forceful life-long friends. As the investigation deepens, White’s relationships with her live-in caretaker and two grown children intensify and everyone wonders if White’s shattered memory is preventing her from revealing the truth or helping her hide it? “A startling portrait of a disintegrating mind clinging to reality through anger, frustration, shame, and unspeakable loss.”

The Expats by Chris Palone is a confident, complex first novel by an ex-patriot editor. Dexter is offered a job in Luxembourg with a private bank, and his CIA agent wife Kate,  who hasn’t told Dexter about her real job, finds housework and lunches with other expats boring. Moreover, Dexter's  uncharacteristic , behavior and the curiosity of new friends Julia and Bill raise her suspicions. “Kate's character, her CIA experiences, and her new life are examined in granular detail, all of which helps drive an intricate, suspenseful plot that is only resolved in the final pages.”

Defending Jacob by William Landy is a gripping, multiple-faceted story with well-crafted plot twists and turns.  A 14-year-old boy is stabbed to death near his middle school in a Boston suburb, and Assistant DA Andy Barber takes the case despite the fact that his son, Jacob, was a classmate of the victim. But when Jacob become the prime suspect, Andy is removed from the case and spends the next several months trying to understand his son and assist in his defense. I thought the work was a worthy heir of Scott Thurow at his best.

The Lost Prince by Selden Edwards is a pleasing sequel to his debut success, The Little Book.  Recently returned from the experience of a lifetime in fin de siècle Vienna, Eleanor Burden settles into her expected place in society--except for one small difference. Eleanor possesses an unshakable belief that she has advance knowledge of major historical events to occur during her lifetime-- and incredible insights into investment opportunities-- “A ‘Back to the Future’ for intellectuals."

NON FICTION

The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care by Eric J. Topol, one of the nation’s top physicians and a leading voice on the digital revolution in medicine, argues that radical innovation and a true democratization of medical care are within reach. Topol asks “what happens when you combine cellular phone technology with the cellular aberrations in disease or create a bridge between the digital and medical revolutions?”  This marvelous book by Eric Topol, “ a leading cardiologist, gene hunter and medical thinker”, was my ‘best of 2012’ and answers these questions and many more with an amazing combination of breath, depth and excellent writing.

The End of Illness by  David Agus tackles some fundamental questions about modern medicine and “taking a cue from physics, he views the body as a complex system and helps us see how everything from cancer to nutrition fits into one whole picture.” The result is both a useful guide on how to stay healthy and a fascinating analysis of the latest in medical science.  “A bold call for all of us to become our own personal health advocates, “The End of Illness is flawed only by his overemphasis on the potential of work being done by Navigenics, a company he helped found.

  

Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think  by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler  optimistically  documents how four forces—exponential technologies, the DIY innovator, the “Technophilanthropist”, and the Rising Billion—are conspiring to solve our biggest problems  in the near and medium term future.  The authors introduce dozens of innovators who are making great strides in each our major problem areas--water, food, energy, healthcare, education, freedom and lays out a strategic roadmap for governments, industry and entrepreneurs.

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Pulitzer Prize–winner Jon Meacham “brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times.” Jefferson is depicted as a great and complex human who hated confrontation, and yet was able to marshal ideas, to learn from his mistakes, and to prevail. Passionate about women, his family, books, science, architecture, gardens, friends, Monticello, and Paris, Jefferson seemed to love the idea of America most. Meacham lets us see how Jefferson found the means to endure and win in the face of rife partisan division, economic uncertainty, and external threat. Meacham’s use of original letters and speeches convey impressive scholarship, but make the book a slower read than necessary.

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist who won the Nobel prize for economics, draws on an impressive stream of research to introduce his "machinery of the mind" model on human decision making to reveal the faults and capabilities of intuitive versus logical thinking—and how easily we slip away from our assumed rationality.  He weaves threads of Charles Darwin, Adam Smith and Sigmund Freud and is “arguably the most important psychologist in history.”  “Kahneman has reshaped cognitive psychology, the analysis of rationality and reason, the understanding of risk and the study of happiness and well-being.”