Brief Reviews of Recently-Read Books

Having (at least temporarily) run out of energy to plug A Rare and Dangerous Beast, I thought I’d promote other people’s books a bit. Here are the books I’ve read recently/am currently reading that I particularly liked:

Regenerating Earth: Farmers Working with Nature to Feed Our Future, by Kelsey Timmerman. An eye-opening look at regenerative farming and its benefits, as well as at the destructive effects of current, “modern” farming methods. Timmerman’s research took him all over the place, from Indiana, to Hawaii, Colombia, Kenya, and other places. Great book, with an ultimately hopeful outlook.

Mosaic, by Laura Gaddis. A harrowing and sometimes heart-breaking account of Gaddis’ own experiences with miscarriages and premature birth. Beautifully written, it brought tears to my crusty, old guy eyes a couple times, and really opened my eyes to what women go through with difficult pregnancies.

All Art is Propaganda, by George Orwell. Critical essays on a number of books and plays, as well as genre, and politics and creative writing. Some of the essays were just fun to read, like Orwell’s take on Dickens and Swift, while others were very thought-provoking, like my personal favorite, “Politics and the English Language”, and several others. My personal advice: skip the intros and go right to Orwell’s essays. Read the intros later if you’re so inclined.

Hatchet Girls, by Joe R. Lansdale. The latest Hap Collins and Leonard Pine adventure. The fellas are getting older (and marginally wiser?), but still end up in a world of trouble, taking on a group of homicidal young ladies hell-bent on taking over the East Texas meth business. Lean, mean, and darkly hilarious, Hap and Leonard are always a good time.

Vampires of El Norte, by Isabel Canas. Vampires in northern Mexico at the beginning of the Mexican War. More of a romance with horror and war elements than just a horror story, but a very different perspective on vampire lore, history, and colonialism/conquest.

The Monkey Wrench Gang, By Edward Abbey. In the Four Corners area of 1970s southwest USA, a dim-bulb (and possibly insane) Vietnam vet, a polygamist river guide, a professor, and his girlfriend/assistant, dismayed at the damming of rivers, building of highways, and bridging of gorges begin a poorly-planned campaign of sabotage against construction sites. It is definitely the weirdest of the bunch, with the least-likeable (but not unlikeable) and least-competent protagonists, but it definitely provides a lot of entertainment and food for thought.

Victim 2117, by Jussi Adler-Olsen. The eighth book in the excellent Department Q series. This time, Carl, Assad, Rose, and Gordon are dealing with two very different terrorist schemes: one is a domestic, homicidal, lone-wolf teen, and the other is a Iraqi terrorist attempting the culmination of a years-old plot. A special bonus is the focus on Assad’s (easily the most mysterious character) back story. Can’t go wrong with Department Q!

and finally . . .

In My Own Way: an Autobiography, by Alan Watts. Currently, I’m about 1/4 of the way through it. I thought it would be a good way to begin digging into the work, and thoughts of Alan Watts, the renowned (and undoubtedly reviled in certain circles) Buddhist writer, lecturer, and, as he put it, “philosophical entertainer”. I personally find what I know of his work really interesting, and his writing is intelligent, thoughtful, and charming. He never (as far as I know) claimed to have all the answers, and I have always subscribed to Terry Pratchett’s statement that, "The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they've found it." Watts was definitely a seeker.

Anyway, I guess that’s enough for now. I hope you can find something on this list that trips your trigger!