The Great Forgetting

If you're up for a wild ride between fiction, fantasy, and conspiracy theory, this is your kind of book. It's hard to describe. It's basically about the fact that a secret group has altered history and made people to forget what's happened over the past 100 years. It's a fun book and you do get wrapped up in the story. It starts out petty believable and gets crazier and crazier. I'd like to read his earlier novel--I'm guessing it's great.

"The Condition"

Here's one to avoid. Based on the spine, I thought this would be a great read. Didn't turn out so. It started out great, taking place in one of my favorite locations, "The Cod", as I like to call it. Well, the interesting scenes in Cape Cod devolve into your typical book about academia. I gave up after a couple chapters and some quick peaks into future chapters. Don't waste your time. What's disappointing is this was one of the staff recs. at the library.

"Just Kids"

I finally got around to reading Patti Smith's first autobiography. What an interesting book indeed. It's a fascinating look into her life in the late sixties and early seventies in New York City. She discusses her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe and chronicles the art and music scene of that era. I was surprised to find out just how straight-laced she was. My favorite line in the book is when she's rehearsing for a play and the director says to her, "You don't shoot up and you're not a lesbian. What do you actually do?" She's a gifted writer, although what would you expect from an artist, poet, and singer-songwriter? Just reading about her encounters with Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Todd Rundgren is reason enough to dive into the book. Now I can't wait to read her most recent one.

"Bel Canto"

The thing I love about discovering a new author is that I have so many good reads ahead of me. When I read "Bel Canto" several years ago, that's exactly how I felt. And I was pleased learn that she had written several books. And unlike most authors, each of her books is written from a totally different voice. I really don't know how she does it. 

Bel Canto tells the story of a South American embassy that's taken over during a party by a group of armed militants. It's loosely based on a true story. The government won't give into their demands and they end up staying for nearly a year. It's beautifully written and goes into detail about the relationships that develop between captors and their captives. If you enjoy it, be sure to check out the rest of her novels. Every one is a great read. 

"The Museum of Innocence"

This wonderful tale by the Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk, paints a beautiful portrait of Istanbul in the early 1970s. Describes the city, the nightlife, and the rituals to such an extent, you feel like you've been there. It's also the tale of a young man who has a torrid love affair with his cousin. When she marries someone else, he pines for her for years. Interestingly, the author assembled a detailed diorama for each chapter of the book as he was writing it. And as a result, he opened a fascinating museum which contains all the dioramas, each on a true piece of art. I was lucky enough to visit the museum last year--however it was before I had read the book, so much of it was lost on me. 

Mr. Pamuk also published a book titled "The Innocence of Objects" which includes photos of all his dioramas, historic photos, and explanations of how they relate to his story. Well worth owning, if you enjoyed his novel. 

"H is for Hawk"

Another work of non-fiction that I found fascinating. It's about a woman who deals with her father's recent passing by training a young goshawk. She describes in great detail the interesting world of falconry--both her dealings with her goshawk and the history of falconry. She also tells the story of T.H. White who, along with writing "The Once and Future King" also wrote "The Goshawk". It's a look into the private life of a troubled man. 

"The Boys in the Boat"

The cover pretty much sums up this wonderful book. It tells the story of a bunch of back country Washington state boys who end up at the University and on the crewing team. It focuses on one boy, Joe Rantz, but follows their quest to with the National Championship and ultimately, their bid to compete in the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany Berlin. I rarely read non-fiction, but I found this story infinitely compelling. I couldn't wait to finish it. At times, the action read like a fast-paced action flick. And he gives you a hint of what's to come of the horrors of Nazi Germany. What a well written, and well researched book.

I must confess, I've taken several rowing classes and own a rowing machine which I use almost every day. So I can relate to these rowers in a way. It is the ultimate workout.

 I predict, this will be turned into a movie in a year or two. But the book will still be better. I just wished Costco carried it!