Reviews 2024

These are the books I read over the last year, and a bit of what I thought about them…

Dandelion Wine — Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury is best known for his dystopian future, Fahrenheit 451, which is the only other book I’ve read by the author. When I first picked up Dandelion Wine, I was confused not only by the idyllic title, but also the picturesque cover of a fine lady sitting on a porch as two young boys pour over a stack of papers. This is not what I expect of a science fiction giant. Indeed, Dandelion Wine is much closer related to Huckleberry Finn, or To Kill a Mockingbird, than it is 1984, or Brave New World.

Set in Green Town, Illinois, the action takes place over the solitary summer of 1928, as Grandpa harvests the dandelions for wine; and the boys, Tom and Doug, put the lessons they’ve learned to paper. More a series of vignettes that skip from one neighbor to the next, Dandelion Wine has an obsession with machines, both common and fantastic. The local trolley, a neighbor’s electric car (yes, in 1928—they are not new), and a fortune-reading arcade gypsy that passes out tarot cards; serve as rather pedestrian examples—but there is also a local inventor that sets out to create a Happiness Machine, and one of the neighbor children swears to know of a time machine just down the street…

Lilting, fascinating, utterly engrossing; Dandelion Wine is as warm and long as a cloudless summer’s day, seeming like it should last forever—until the sun begins to set, and the final chapters thin to the inevitable coming of the cold. This book is so much like it’s namesake; rich, sunny, and perfectly sweet.

Rising Sun — Michael Crichton

This is a twisting tale that takes place at the edge of two distinct cultures; late-80’s America and the surging economic power of that time’s Japan. It’s curious to read 30 years after its original publication, and consider the doom and gloom predictions of Japan’s industrial know-how taking over America; especially since Japan has been in a recession for decades, and America has turned to China for cheap production and exaggerated fearmongering. Still, the cultural differences mentioned in this novel are detailed and intriguing to consider; and the murder-mystery that serves as the vehicle for this clash of cultures offers enough twists and turns to keep a reader engaged. I got through it quickly, and enjoyed it for the most part. Worth a look, especially if one has a taste for this genre.

Bird by Bird — Anne Lamott

I got the twenty-fifth anniversary edition, which tells me this is a well known book—even if I’ve never heard of it. Despite all my years and the stacks of material that’s passed before me, there is still plenty of interesting material that’s never even crossed my path! What an glorious read this is!

Bird by Bird is an intimate and charming book which outlines many of the writing strategies Anne Lamott uses, and teaches to others. It is witty, engaging, and chock-full of good advice—and also exorbitant examples of the proper use of the run-on sentence. It is teeming with anecdote and is an exceptionally fast and easy read—which only proves the writer’s chops—that is, if one is wondering whether she has a leg to stand on. Indeed, I’m quite convinced she has two!

All in all, a stunning achievement with a most approachable and intimate style. An eager and deserved addition to my collection on the craft.

The Last Shadow — Orson Scott Card

Realizing that the great boogeyman of Speaker for the Dead—the dreaded descolada—was never properly resolved, Orson Scott Card did one last book, which also tied the Shadow series back into the original Ender-verse. A worthy effort with warm and interesting characters, The Last Shadow is simply a pretty bow with only half the substance of some of the previous books. The danger and suspense of both the original Ender-verse and the Shadow series faded away long ago, as the heroes became too great to threaten. Now, they simply go through the motions, gregarious and magnanimous in their actions. There is never a real threat—especially when the descolada is simply brushed aside as a cosmic accident. Instead, we meet a completely different society, which is shoe-horned into an antagonistic relationship with our heroes, but never offers any real threat.

Come for the characters, and stay for their relationships. The adventure and danger has long since dissipated from this series, but an enjoyable cast is still at hand.

Children of the Mind — Orson Scott Card

This was the original conclusion of the Ender Trilogy, with the last book being split in two, hence the fourth book. Quite like Xenocide, the science becomes increasingly soft, while the relationships between the characters are just as good as ever. Indeed, this book is more philosophy and psychology than hard science. Enjoyable and frustrating at the same time, but only because I hold Mr. Card to such impossible standards.

Noble House — James Clavell

A peak into Hong Kong high society, circa 1963 (it takes place over ten days in August), James Clavell’s Noble House is an absolute tome. My copy clocked in at 1370 pages—and deserved everyone of them!

Americans Casey and Linc come to Hong Kong with plans to conquer the gateway to Asia, to find themselves in immediate hot water over guns smuggled on their airplane. From there, the plotting only grow more and more complicated.

Although the relationship between Casey and Linc serves as the heart of the story, it is through the eyes and ears of Ian Dunross that we learn about the true nature of the British Colony and all its incestuous history. Even the villains are nuanced and not entirely as they seem. Indeed, Noble House is populated with a diverse cast, with individual ambitions, and varying degrees of talent.

A soft sequel to King Rat; this book is an absolute marvel, unabashedly flaunting—and in turn—sharing the wealth.

xenocide — Orson Scott Card

A worthy effort, Xenocide emphasizes the fantasy in science fiction. A continuation of the extremely worthy Speaker for the Dead, this book finds the protagonists facing impossible odds—but counters them with faster-than-light “wish” travel.

While the science goes off the deep end, the emotional and relational tones of the story are on point.

Podkayne of Mars — Robert A. Heinlein

This is the story of a Mars girl that is newly aware of her feminine charm. It comes off as little more than a travel brochure for the future, with a touch of intrigue and kidnapping toward the end. Mostly, we follow Poddy as she flirts with the shirts, and coos at the babies. Her brother is a boy genius, and her uncle is an interplanetary man of intrigue. Podkayne of Mars is an entertaining read, but not to be confused with the weightier works of this sci-fi legend.

SPeaker for the Dead — Orson Scott Card

The original sequel to Ender’s Game, this book is sci-fi at its very best, with technology taking a back seat to human—and very not human—relationships. Yet, the science is still believable, theoretically possible, and most importantly; internally consistant.

Several mysteries sit at the heart of this novel, slowly unwinding, as Card’s hero collects stories and data directly and surreptitiously. Yet, even the hero has secrets that slowly come to light, bringing divergent communities together—not so they might survive—but so they will prosper. On top of all that, Speaker for the Dead ends in a glorious cliff-hanger; as the stakes continue to stack and the survival of—not one, not two, not three—but four sentient races hang in the balance! In my opinion, this is one of the best books by one of the genre’s giants.

King Rat — James Clavell

This harrowing tale of a prison camp at the end of World War II centers around the friendship of a young British officer who is taken in by an American enlisted that just happens to have a knack for business and an amoral view of the world. Peter Marlowe grapples with dilemmas and quandaries that keep coming to the fore as King engages in one scheme after the next; always looking for a leg up, an advantage, an angle that serves his own survival—as the Second World War slowly grinds to its end. Often hilarious, poignant, and grotesque at the same time, King Rat is the story of war gone wrong, of once strong and heroic men—now cowed, morose, and broken—and the terrible lengths and depths they will suffer just to survive.

to kill a mockingbird — harper lee

This coming-of-age novel based in the rural south, is often touted as one of the greatest stories ever written—and rightly so. It is a delightful and rambunctious tale of a brother and sister growing up in a privileged family, coming to grips with the way the world is, fairly and unfairly. It is a story of class and race that pokes and prods at social norms without becoming preachy—and stars a man that refuses to appear. There are few finer ways to while away the hours. Very reminiscent of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer.