“Phantom” by Jo Nesbo

This was a good read. The stories are becoming more and more complex and intricately structured.

"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl

This book was not revolutionary for me. It did give some useful hints for finding meaning in life. Every person's meaning is different, and the meaning can vary from moment to moment. Take charge. Find the positive, even in suffering.

“The Zookeeper’s Wife” by Diane Ackerman

I enjoyed many parts of this nonfiction book. It gave me a good appreciation of World War ll Warsaw, and of the psychology of survival. I bought it for my mother, but I’m glad I read it as well.

Diane Ackerman is extremely well educated and her intellectualism and careful research shine through. She is rigorously honest, I think, and I’m sure all Poles appreciate the fact that she called the area outside of the Jewish Ghetto ‘Aryan’ rather than ‘Polish’. Ackerman even describes the mindset of the Germans, and you do recognize that all sides consisted of good and bad individuals. That said, I now have an even clearer idea of why so many people loathed the Germans after the war.

The author obviously loves nature. The book does contain too many descriptions of animals, but those can be skipped over. And thanks to Ackerman, I have become aware of Poland’s amazing Bialowierza forest.

“Horror at Fontenay” by Alexandre Dumas

This is an entertaining collection of loosely linked horror stories. It’s part of “The Dennis Wheatle library of the Occult” and the book required editing by the translator.....It seems that Dumas threw these stories together as a money-making venture, so that the original versions are quite sloppy. The main thread of the book is a chopped off head which retained consciousness long enough to address her murderer. Dumas is quite an entertaining writer.

“The Leopard” by Jo Nesbo

I quite enjoyed this book for the intricacy of its plotting and for its exploration of flaws in human nature. That said, it did describe some pretty gruesome scenes, and one wonders how much more damage Harry Hole can do to his body. Also, I’m pretty sure there were one or two minor inconsistencies in the plot. I always wonder if these issues are due to the translation process. On to the next book.

“The Snowman” by Jo Nesbo

This was an enjoyable read, though somewhat gruesome. I’m not sure if I want to see it brought to life in a movie. I think it’s probably the best Harry Hole book I’ve read so far.

“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah

I enjoyed reading this book because it was very human, and taught me a lot about South Africa. And Noah’s mother is a great role model for resilience, strength and optimism in the face of adversity. The book was slightly choppy, though, and not as coherently structured as Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography. On the other hand, it was consistently concrete, which is better when you’re writing a narrative.

"Night Shift" by Charlaine Harris

This is Volume 2 of the Midnight Texas series, and it was a good, fun read. I enjoy the author's light-hearted sense of humour. The defeat of the demon was, of course, achieved with much more subtlety and simplicity than in the tv show. The main ingredient in the book was sex between Bobo and Fiji in the crossroads. The one aspect that bothers me is that Fiji the witch is too clearly Charlaine Harris ... including the fact that she's curvy. Even though the book is from the 3rd person point of view, it's only Fiji that you get to know intimately, due to continuous descriptions of her emotional life.

“Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky

What can one say about one of the world’s great novels!! It was very good. I would appreciate it even more if I reread it to better analyze its themes. As with all great novels, it is quite contemporary in many of its sensibilities....timeless. Though, truth be told it was too intellectual to be as emotionally satisfying for me as ”Pride and Prejudice” or “Emma”.

It’s also quite amusing. I was reading Jo Nesbo at the same time as this book, and noticed some striking thematic parallels.

"The Redeemer" by Jo Nesbo

Overall I enjoyed this book, though, as usual, I found some of the philosophical musings to be a bit too abstract for total understanding. I like Harry Hole because he is an imperfect, 3 dimensional human being. I like the Norwegian/European flavor of the setting. As is often the case with Jo Nesbo, religion was an important theme. It seemed as if the Salvation Army is a significant religious organization in Norway. I wonder if that's actually the case. I remember the heavy religious presence in Ingmar Bergman movies, so I wouldn't be surprised. Ah, those rigid Scandinavians.

“Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich” by Stephen Leacock

I enjoyed listening to this audio book, though the satire was a bit depressing due to its accuracy about human nature. Since Leacock is Canadian, I was rather surprised that the stories took place in the United States. I guess I should do some research about this one of these days. The reader, Kate Adams, was very good. I think she must be the reader Eva has been praising. Unlike Eva, I don’t think I’m that fond of the audio format, though it is very convenient. I much prefer to have the written word in front of me.

“Reading into Photography” selected essays 1959-1980

I finally “finished” this book which was recommended by a photography course I took years ago. The initial few essays were quite readable for me, and even interesting, but as the book progressed, the level of scholarly discussion rose above my understanding and interest. The main question posed by the book was, I think, is photography art. It would be interesting to hear the authors’ thoughts on digital phtography.

"The Devil's Star" by Jo Nesbo

Of all the books I've read by Jo Nesbo, this was the best so far. He's obviously improving with practice. It also helps that I've become used to his style. There are always red herrings, and some of the descriptions continue to be tricky to understand or place in time. I read this book as a hardcover instead of an ebook, just to make sure I wasn't missing something due to formatting errors. I wasn't. The plot revolved around an apparent serial killer. I was pleased that I had no idea the guilty party was the grief-stricken producer. And, of course, the subplot, the downfall of the evil Mark Waller, was satisfying. Unfortunately, (and to his credit), Nesbo somewhat humanized Waller at the end of the book, so that I felt very very very slightly sorry for him.

"Midnight Crossroad" by Charlaine Harris

This was a fun, light read. I enjoyed most of her "True Blood" books so I already knew that Harris can entertain me. And I find her even more likeable due to her strong moral values that include treating all people with respect regardless of their differences. This is quite obvious in stories that include vampires and werewolves. I decided to read this book because I enjoyed the junkie NBC series that was based on it. The book is missing my favourite tv character, Manfred's dead grandma Zylda, but that's life, I guess.

"Nemesis" by Jo Nesbo

Another typical Harry Hole story. As usual, I'm not always sure what emotion/fact the writer/translator is trying to portray, but it doesn't bother me. I think the fact that the books do not seem to be slickly written somehow makes them more appealing to me. .. Another technical issue is that the ebook version does not indicate the beginning of new sections clearly. I can't wait until they nab Tom Walker, that nasty piece of police work. As always, Harry Hole is well written.

"House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski

As I was finishing this book, I realized it fit in quite nicely with David Lynch's "Twin Peaks the Return", which ended last night. I think both belong in the category "post post modern" due to their totally bizarre and non-linear nature. (I saw this term when reading about this book, and must admit that I feel rather than know how to explain its meaning.)

This book is about much more than a home with infinite corridors. It contains multiple points of view and personal stories and is so studiously pedantic, that the end result makes it difficult to feel much of anything. It does, admittedly, give quite an accurate feel for a descent into madness.

I don't even know precisely where this comes from, I put down the book determined to look for the joy in life around me.

"Collapse : How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" by Jared Diamond

Ray gave me this book to read after I took a course on Norse mythology, which included some history. And I did, in fact, find the section on the medieval Norse settlement in Greenland to be very interesting. Many parts of the book were, in fact, interesting, and gave me new insights into the relationship between society and environment. After awhile, though, it became repetitive, and I totally skipped the last section, dealing with the present, which contained the motivations behind the mining, forestry, etc industries. Apparently there are some reasons for optimism, but I just couldn't take reading another sentence about self-interest outweighing the greater good.

"Say You're One of Them" by Uwem Akpan

It took me years to finish this book of short stories because it was an emotionally difficult read. It gives a realistic account of the misery and the atrocities experienced by children in modern Africa. The writer is now a Jesuit priest in Africa, and as far as I can tell, this is the only thing he has written. I bought this book in a sales bin, because I remembered that it had been chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club. I'm glad I read it.

"The Manganese's Inheritance" by Brian Moore

This was definitely an odd book, and for the most part, I'd say it wasn't a good book. It was filled with so much useless exposition and description, that I ended up skipping over much of it. I did enjoy the final part, where the "loser" poet met his incestuous look-alike uncle and saw his own sad future, .... obsessing over a poet ancestor, who was really not that great. Much of the book takes place in Ireland, but not from an enjoyable point of view.

"Come Along with Me" by Shirley Jackson

This collection contains an unfinished novel, and Jackson's famous short story. "The Lottery." I enjoyed the book, though sometimes one gets tired of her grimness. The comical stories about her home life were a welcome relief. A fair number of stories made me quite grateful I wasn't a homemaker during the 1950's. I would have died of boredom and a feeling of imprisonment.

"The Redbreast" by Jo Nesbo

These Harry Hole books are definitely improving as they progress in the series. I took a pause of several days in reading this one, because I was very sad about the murder of Ellen, Harry's great friend in the police force. I figure Nesbo got rid of her to make way for Rakel, Harry's love interest.

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison

I guess I'm glad I read this book, but it wasn't the gothic horror story I expected. It was more a story about the horrible mistreatment of slaves in the US and the psychological toll it took on them. Thankfully for readability, it also described their coping mechanisms for survival.

"House of Seven Gables" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

I enjoyed this book, probably more so because it was not what I expected. I thought it would be a dark and gloomy gothic novel. Instead, I found Hawthorne to have a light touch, and to be quite modern in his thinking. It is never explicitly stated in the novel that the ghosts actually exist. They are described more as flights of fancy. As far as I can tell, the movies based on this book have been overwrought.

"Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

This was an enjoyable book which, in a few instances, made me laugh. The Norse gods are finally becoming concrete to me. It's amazing. Gods and Giants and structures are described in unbelievably huge proportions, and yet, in my mind, they're totally believable. I guess that’s the magic of myths.

"I Feel Bad about My Neck" by Nora Ephron

I quite enjoyed this short collection of essays about aging. Ephron's observations didn't always resonate with me, but her entertainingly ironic and self aware attitide enabled me to zoom through the book effortlessly.

"The Cockroaches" by Jo Nesbo

One of the fun things about this book is that it takes place in Bangkok, which I've visited, so I could relate to some of the scenery and atmosphere. Jo Nesbo certainly has a lot of murder in his books, but I enjoy them enough to read further. One weakness is that I'm pretty sure there is a bit being lost in translation. Sometimes the text is clunky, and it does not help that the translator uses very British terminology/slang, some of which I don't even know or recall ever having seen.

"The Bat" by Jo Nesbo

This was Jo Nesbo's first crime novel, so perhaps that's why I wasn't too impresses by it. There was much to much exposition about Australian Aboriginal mythology, and about Harry's drinking problem. I had trouble believing the motivations of the characters, or even actually understanding what was going on. It was a poor translation.

"Slade House" by David Mitchell

I loved the structure of this book. Every chapter is told in the first person from the point of view of the unsuspecting victim. And each chapter subtly points to increasing danger for the predatory twin brother and sister. This is the first book I've read in a long time which I couldn't put down. I finished it in the middle of the night. I have to say, the ending wasn't even disappointing. But the book did make me wish that I better remembered the other titles I've read by Mitchell. It seems all his books are interrelated via recurring characters and supernatural themes.

"The White Bone" by Barbara Gowdy

I think I loathed this book. Elephant spirituality --- give me a break! Admittedly, it was interesting getting into the headspace of elephants.

"Homeland" by Barbara Kingsolver

This was quite a depressing, but well written, set of short stories from the point of view of mostly down-trodden women. I'm very glad to finally be finished with it.

"The Postman" by David Brin

This is the first book I have read by David Brin that I did not like. In fact, there were times when I found it to be repulsive. Ray is quite accurate when he describes the book as a Survivalist's wet dream. The characters are very shallow and 2 dimensional. Even the postman is more an ideal than a person. And the inclusion of feminism is done in an outdated and clumsy manner.

"Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen

I enjoyed reading this book, though in parts the writing was so abstract that I didn't quite understand the point. Also, the parts that waxed euphoric over musicians and music were lost on me, because I'm so unmusical. I particularly liked the way Springsteen dealt with feelings. You can tell he's been going to a therapist for decades because he has such a good understanding of his motivations. His personal revelations make him very human. I also admired that Bruce said so much, and yet so discretely, that he simultaneously preserved privacy and was bravely honest. And lastly, I have more in common with him than I expected. His father was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, so, like me, he has experience living with mental illness.

"The Little Stranger" by Sarah Waters

This book was an unusual read. A large percentage of it was simply a description of the evolution of British society after World War 2, from the perspective of the boring, every day affairs of a small town doctor and a local wealthy family and their deteriorating home. And yet, surprisingly, even those sections were quite interesting. Throw in a malignant supernatural force of subconscious evil desires, released, probably unknowingly, by the doctor, and the book eventually becomes quite bizarre indeed. Nevertheless, there is a bit of something missing, that keeps it from being great. The problem for me was that even though the author finally practically hits you over the head with the doctor's guilt in the destruction of the family, that plot twist never quite feels concrete. I actually went to the GoodReads site to make sure I interpreted the ending correctly.

"Yiddish for Pirates" by Gary Barwin

I did not enjoy this read. This is what I get for reading a clever, inventive book. There was so much emphasis on the parrot's raunchy Yiddish personality and vocabulary, that it kept taking me out of the story. The worst culprit was the jokes which the parrot kept throwing in out of left field. The story was muddled because of the parrot's odd story-telling style. I was very glad when I finally finished it. Good riddance! That said, I did learn some interesting tidbits about the Spanish inquisition and Christopher Columbus's trip to the New World.

"Nineteen Eighty-Four" by George Orwell

A dreary, depressing and enlightening book. Doublespeak. Taking away liberty to give people freedom. Donald Trump. This book was much more theoretical and less a story than I expected. Interesting that "Brave New World" came out 20 years earlier. I actually thought of this book as being the older one.

"Still Life" by Louise Penny

Not a bad book, but I don't see what all the fuss is about. I think Penny's characters are clumsily drawn, and leave me with a feeling of insularity. All they think and talk about is themselves. This is definitely not literature and I am not tempted to read more Inspector Gamache stories.

"Barkskins" by Annie Proulx

I finally finished this overly long and overly convoluted "mouthpiece" novel about the destruction of forests worldwide. I think it's the worst thing Proulx has ever written. Too too many of her characters do nothing but spout dogma and business information, and never come alive. Any attempts at subtlety are buried under mountains of detail, and it was depressing reading about all those deaths and about the miserable plight of the aboriginal population. The book was somewhat educational, but that's about it.

"Doctor Sleep" by Stephen King

This was a fairly enjoyable sequel to "The Shining". I like the fact that King rehabilitated Danny's father. I wonder if King dislikes the movie because it made Jack Torrance a 100% monster. And oh yes... I think the book lost some of its logical consistency during the battle with Rose, and became excessively silly. ... Harnessing the monsters from the Overlook who happened to be locked in Danny's head... having his father's ghost appear and help him... using the steam of the cancer ridden grandmother to kill the vampires...

"The Museum of Hoaxes" by Alex Boese

A fun enough read about hoaxes throughout time. It was especially significant in this year of fake news and Donald Trump's win of the presidential election.