Bookshelf

  1. Cover of Orbital

    Orbital

    by Samantha Harvey
    ★ ★ ★ ★

    Orbital

    by Samantha Harvey
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

    This is less of a novel and more of a poetic musing about life, the universe, and everything framed by a day in the lives of astronauts aboard the International Space Station. There’s some lovely language and arresting imagery and an overall feeling of the fleeting beauty of life. The one thing that kept tripping me up though is my knowledge that actual astronauts are chosen for their absolute practicality and they are hardly likely to spend their time in space on such bittersweet meditations.

  2. Cover of BRave New World Revisited

    BRave New World Revisited

    by Aldous Huxley
    ★ ★ ★

    BRave New World Revisited

    by Aldous Huxley
    ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

    An interesting appendix to Brave New World. It mostly emphasizes that literary dystopias shouldn’t be confused for accurate prediction of the future. Many of the things Huxley feared most have never come to pass, and in some cases his convictions about ethical dilemmas seem a bit horrifying by today’s standards. But that doesn’t diminish the novel. Rather, it underscores that the value of literature is as much in its interperability as it’s accuracy.

  3. Cover of Master of the Revels

    Master of the Revels

    by Nicole Galland
    ★ ★ ★

    Master of the Revels

    by Nicole Galland
    ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

    Making Shakespeare a character in your time travel novel is gutsy, but that’s not the main reason I was disappointed by this return to the D.O.D.O. series Galland began with Neal Stephenson in the previous installment. Mostly, it’s the sense of wheel spinning. You get the feeling that the first novel was the pilot episode and the rest of the series will be made up of endless adventures that always return to the status quo the first book established. No sense that the stakes are changing or that the story as a whole is inching toward a conclusion.

    And while the adventures are still fun (especially as brought to life by a full-cast audiobook), they don’t have that spark of weirdness that was Stephenson’s contribution to the first one. I’m not sure I’ll be returning to this series.

  4. Cover of The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.

    The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.

    by Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland
    ★ ★ ★

    The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.

    by Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland
    ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

    I’ve read a number of Neal Stephenson novels, and I think I know his style pretty well. So looking at this collaboration, I have to guess it’s more Galland’s work than his. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a bit more everyday than I’d expect from Stephenson. Less idea density, less eccentricity. It’s there, just not much of it.

    That said, it’s a fun magic-scifi-time-travel adventure story that kept me very engaged. Probably not the most memorable or insightful thing on my reading list, but I had fun. It could be a bit shorter, and occasionally the epistilary style wears a bit thin, especially in the really beauracratic middle sections. But I’ll definitely read the sequel (not least because nothing is resolved!).

  5. Cover of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    by Hunter S. Thompson
    ★ ★ ★ ★

    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    by Hunter S. Thompson
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

    As a young man, I always loved the druggy, countercultural wackiness of Terry Gilliam’s film adaptation of Fear and Loathing, but until now I’d never picked up the novel. Kudos to Gilliam, the film is almost verbatim. But whether it’s my adult eyes or the intimacy a book affords, my take is a little more nuanced now.

    Thompson does a great job of capturing the feeling being a part of counterculture, particularly drug counterculture. There’s this sense of feeling like you really know what’s going on and all other people are just clueless, that you have this secret in plain sight. He also really gets that quasi-self-destructive urge to constantly escalate your transgression, your exploration, and ultimately the terrifying blend of high dose drugs. It rings so true to my experience.

    But there’s a meanness and a darkness that runs through our heroes. It’s not the way they constantly tell outrageous lies to the normals they encounter, it’s not the general trail of drug addled destruction they leave in their wake (particularly the hotel rooms), and it’s not the way they burn through misbegotten cars, hotels, and expense accounts. It’s a certain kind of menace and vindictiveness that feels really heartless.

    For all the wild antics, the novel offers some jarring and apt commentary on the death of hippy optimism at the end of the sixties. You’d almost miss it, but there’s some really poignant stuff.

    Not that they didn’t deserve it: No doubt they all Got What Was Coming To Them. All those pathetically eager acid freaks who thought they could buy Peace and Understanding for three bucks a hit. But their loss and failure is ours, too. What Leary took down with him was the central illusion of a whole life-style that he helped to create … a generation of permanent cripples, failed seekers, who never understood the essential old-mystic fallacy of the Acid Culture: the desperate assumption that somebody—or at least some force—is tending that Light at the end of the tunnel.

  6. Cover of Practicing History

    Practicing History

    by Barbara W. Tuchman
    ★ ★

    Practicing History

    by Barbara W. Tuchman
    ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

    I was keen to read a book on the practice of historiography, and this book really failed to deliver. The first couple of essays are fine, but after that, most of the essays don’t really concern the practice of history. And, funnily enough, this book about history is quite dated, especially when it comes to Tuckman’s attitudes. She’s curmudgeonly, Eurocentric, and has some politcal stances that just make me cringe.

  7. Cover of Narrow Road to the Interior / Hojoki

    Narrow Road to the Interior / Hojoki

    by Matsuo Bashō
    ★ ★ ★ ★

    Narrow Road to the Interior / Hojoki

    by Matsuo Bashō
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

    An interesting look at the Japan of Basho’s time. Though I must say I was hoping for something a bit more poetical, given the author. There is a sense of whistfulness here, but mostly it’s a straightforward account of his travels. More interesting to me as a historian than as a fan of literary form.

  8. Cover of The Robots of Dawn

    The Robots of Dawn

    by Isaac Asimov
    ★ ★ ★

    The Robots of Dawn

    by Isaac Asimov
    ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

    I knew that Asimov had taken nearly thirty years to publish this next entry in his landmark Robots series, so I was pretty curious as to how different it would feel. And in a lot of ways, it doesn’t feel that different at all. The universe is familiar, Elijah Baley and robot partner Daneel Olivaw are the same characters we grew to love, and the mystery is as impossible and surprising as usual.

    Where it is different is that this an Asimov ready to talk about sex, and frankly, it feels weird. It’s too much like hearing your grandpa talk about such things, with all the awkwardness and dubious mores that entails. It doesn’t ruin the book by any means, but there are certainly long passages where you find yourself uncomfortably looking around in search of a change in subject.

    Still, like all Asimov, the book is fun to read, and I’m still looking forward to continuing the series.

  9. Cover of The Return of Sherlock Holmes

    The Return of Sherlock Holmes

    by Arthur Conan Doyle
    ★ ★ ★ ★

    The Return of Sherlock Holmes

    by Arthur Conan Doyle
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

    Holmes is back from the dead! And he and Watson are back in the crime-solving saddle (or rather private train compartment). Ah, sweet comfort.

    I’m not sure the actual mysteries in this volume are quite as good as the early works. And Watson seems to be single again without any explanation. But none of that matters. What matters is seeing these two friends face derangement and danger while at the same time staying as comfortable and proper as only the Victorians could.

  10. Cover of Brave New World

    Brave New World

    by Aldous Huxley
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    Brave New World

    by Aldous Huxley
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    I hadn’t read Brave New World since high school, but it had always left an indelible mark in my psyche, so I was eager to see it with adult eyes and see if it lived up to my memory. And yep, still brilliant.

    People usually refer to Brave New World as a dystopia, speaking about it in the same breath as 1984, but I’d argue that satire is a much more accurate description. Huxley himself said that he was lampooning American culture, and the citizens of the World State aren’t oppressed by a brutal regime, they’re happy. We just find it frightening because of what they give up in exchange for happiness. Still, I think Huxley would feel rather vindicated to see how much Americans (and the rest of the world) have leaned into that bargain in the last century.

    But socio-politics and genre definitions aside, the writing is just sharp. The prose sings, the images stick. It’s a great read.

  11. Cover of The Design of Books

    The Design of Books

    by Debbie Berne
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    The Design of Books

    by Debbie Berne
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    A book about books—you’ve got my attention. A book about the design of books—now we’re talking!

    Berne does a great job of explaining all aspects of book design, from the physical artifact and materials, to the principles of typography, to the process of working with a publisher and designer. And though this is targeted at authors and others in the publishing industry, she does a surprisingly great job of outlining the core skills of typography and composition. So much so that I think I’m going to recommend this to all my design students, even those without any particular interest in books.

  12. Cover of Never Use Futura

    Never Use Futura

    by Douglas Thomas
    ★ ★

    Never Use Futura

    by Douglas Thomas
    ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

    I love the idea of a cultural history of a typeface, and this book does a good job of leading us through Futura’s origins and many uses throughout the last century. But it fails at giving this story any sense of meaning. It’s mostly just a list of brands and campaigns that have used the typeface. There’s always this looming sense that something greater is implied by those uses, but whatever it is never quite comes into focus.

    It’s still a worthwhile read for type nerds like me, but temper your expectations.

  13. Cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Primary Phase

    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Primary Phase

    by Douglas Adams
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Primary Phase

    by Douglas Adams
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    As familiar as I am with the novels and the mini-series, the original Hitchhiker’s Guide radio series is pretty new for me (though I think I listened to it once long ago). Apart from the joy of hearing one of my favorite stories brought to life by voice actors and sound effects, it’s also fascinating to observe the differences from the story’s final form in the novels. There are a few gags that were replaced by better ideas, a few that work great but were changed for reasons unknown, and even a few places where the original adds a bit of explanation to elements that felt disconnected in the books.

    Hilarious, smart, and just pure joy. (But I hope you find a version with better audio fidelity than I had.)

  14. Cover of Double Star

    Double Star

    by Robert Heinlein
    ★ ★ ★ ★

    Double Star

    by Robert Heinlein
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

    A lot of the best authors have pet themes that they return to again and again. Sometimes it gets repetitive, but never with Heinlein. He’s concerned with asking how people should be governed, and he’s endlessly inventive in how he explores the question. Double Star is a great example, with a silly plot device that leads to unexpected depth. It’s fun, it’s poignant, it makes a self-important protagonist really work.

    My only quibble—and it’s a small one—is that the first few chapters are pulpy in a way that the rest of the book just isn’t. It sets you up for a very different kind of story.

  15. Cover of Translation State

    Translation State

    by Ann Leckie
    ★ ★ ★

    Translation State

    by Ann Leckie
    ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

    A bit uneven and a little too cozy for my tastes, but still strange, creative, and compelling.

  16. Cover of The Body in The Library

    The Body in The Library

    by Agatha Christie
    ★ ★ ★

    The Body in The Library

    by Agatha Christie
    ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

    At times hilarious and at others poignant, this is a fun read. Still, the mystery and the big twist fall a little flat for me. Though I do enjoy that Miss Marple barely appears and most of the investigation is done by quite competent police detectives. For me, that’s a bigger subversion than the lauded twist ending.

  17. Cover of Permutation City

    Permutation City

    by Greg Egan
    ★ ★ ★ ★

    Permutation City

    by Greg Egan
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

    I love the kind of science fiction that considers a speculative technology and extrapolates startling and paradigm shattering outcomes. I won’t say that the plot of this book is perfect, but it takes you places you never expected. Egan is brilliant.

  18. Cover of Charlesgate Confidential

    Charlesgate Confidential

    by Scott Von Doviak
    ★ ★ ★

    Charlesgate Confidential

    by Scott Von Doviak
    ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

    This is the kind of book I say is a three-out-of-three stars. It’s not shooting for the moon in terms of literary merit, it’s just a pulpy little story told reasonably well. The three time frames are balanced, the telling draws you in, and things escalate enough to keep you going. I can’t say I care too much for all the baseball stuff, and the end is a mite anticlimactic, but I had fun reading it.

  19. Cover of The Hound of the Baskervilles

    The Hound of the Baskervilles

    by Arthur Conan Doyle
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    The Hound of the Baskervilles

    by Arthur Conan Doyle
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    One of the best know Holmes stories for a reason, The Hound of the Baskervilles makes great use of the juxtaposition of the detective’s logical, worldly perspective against the phantasmagoric specter of an infernal hound. What’s more, Conan Doyle cleverly tucks away his genius detective for much of the story so that the mystery can deepen and confound as we explore it through the eyes of the more human (but still admirable) Watson. Delightful.

  20. Cover of The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

    The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

    by Arthur Conan Doyle
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

    by Arthur Conan Doyle
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    There’s a lot of talk these days about cozy fiction as a new phenomenon, but I’m in my happy place with Holmes and Watson. Their comfortable Victorian lives, intellectual repartee, and the way they never seem to let the stakes of the mystery get in the way of tucking into a good breakfast curtesy of Miss Hudson; it’s all just wonderful. And of course, this particular collection has the added drama of “The Final Problem” as the last story.

  21. Cover of Claudius the God

    Claudius the God

    by Robert Graves
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    Claudius the God

    by Robert Graves
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    Picking up right where I, Claudius left off, the story of this accidental emperor finds its tragic conclusion. Far more than the first book, this one brings home its themes of inevitability and the blind selfishness of human nature. And because over the course of the two books you’ve learned to like Claudius so much, every betrayal he faces lands like a sting in your heart.

  22. Cover of The Invincible

    The Invincible

    by Stanisław Lem
    ★ ★ ★ ★

    The Invincible

    by Stanisław Lem
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

    Lem has an incomparable imagination for the alien, for the unknowability and incompatibility of the infinite unknown. The Invincible takes us to a world where something inhuman, unthinking, something that isn’t even really alive lurks waiting. We follow a no-nonsense crew of space professionals who must struggle to fathom what is going on. And I love the careful, scientific way they approach the problem — none of the insufferable trope of them making obviously stupid choices for the sake of drama.

    My only complaint is that the ending is rather unsatisfying. But in way, that is appropriate; how can you find a satisfying resolution with something so truly alien?