Belated Book Notes
Some long overdue comments on some of the books I've read this year.
27. The Elves and the Otterskin - Elizabeth Boyer
A fantasy that leans heavily and outright borrows from Norse mythology. When I was a kid Boyer’s The Sword and the Satchel was a favorite and oft-repeated read. I don’t know if my youth and memory have combined to make that book much better than it actually was, but The Elves and the Otterskin was rather plodding.
28. The Summer of the Great Grandmother - Madeline L'Engle
This is the second of L’Engle’s Crosswicks Journals. A couple of months back there was an article in the New Yorker about L’Engle, in which family members claimed that parts of her Crosswicks Journals were fabrications. That maybe so, but I still really enjoyed this book, and L’Engle’s thoughts on death and the process of dying.
29. Slan - A.E. Van Vogt
A classic from the golden age of science fiction from which I derived little pleasure. Some classics (such as Heinlein’s Starship Troopers) age well. This one did not; in my opinion it comes off as very hokey, much like a black and white episode of Flash Gordon.
30. A Good Life: Adventures in Newspapering - Ben Bradlee
A breezy and easy going autobiography that left little impression in it’s wake. Call it a vacation read. As you might expect, much of the book is devoted to Watergate and the Nixon era.
31. Positively Fifth Street - James McManus
One of my favorites of this year. In 2000 McManus took on assignment from Harpers magazine to go to Las Vegas and cover the World Series of Poker and the Binion murder trial. McManus, a life-long poker player, took things a step further: putting up his advance from Harper’s, he gained a seat in the ‘Big One’ and advanced all the way to the final table. Even if you’ve never played a hand of Hold ‘Em in your life, this make for engrossing reading.
32. Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille - Steven Brust
A novel about a bar and it’s patrons that is regularly catapulted through time and space. There’s not a lot of heavy mental lifting here, but the book is nto a bad way to pass the time if you’re a sci-fi fan in need of a fix.
33. Hard Revolution - George Pelecanos
Crime fiction from a master of the genre. I’ve raved about Pelecanos in this space before, so I"ll simply say go read him.
34. Big Deal - Anthony Holden
Journalist and biographer Anthony Holden’s account of the year he spent as a professional poker player. Holden plays (or at least played) in the same weekly game as A. Alvarez (The Biggest Game in Town) and you could string their two books together along with Positively Fifth Street and come out with damn good poker trilogy. Start with Alvarez’s book though.
35. Retreat, Hell! - W.E.B. Griffin
A potboiler of military/ historical fiction. Skip it unless you’ve followed this series (The Corps) from the beginning.
36. Cicero - Anthony Everitt
A sharp little biography of one of Rome’s greatest statesman. I took a lot away from this book, in large part because my knowledge of the final days of the Roman Republic in general, and Cicero in specific, were pretty spotty going in. Anyone dismayed with the current state of politics should read this book and see how truly bad things can get.
37. Sharpe's Escape - Bernard Cornwell
A formulaic Sharpe book. How formulaic? So formulaic I can barely remember what the plot involved, save that there was a girl to be won, a villain to be overcome, and a battle or two thrown in for good measure. Makes me wonder if Cornwell is losing his fastball, or the Sharpe series is just bereft of new ideas. Next time I need a fix I’ll re-read Sharpe’s Eagle.
38. Last Car to Elysian Fields - James Lee Burke
The latest novel featuring New Orleans detective Dave Robicheaux. Burke’s prose is so damn good, and the themes he explores so compelling, that you can forget that he seems to be recycling plots.
39. The Intelligent Guide to Texas Hold 'Em Poker - Sam Braids
A very basic guide to the game. Ideal for new – and I mean brand spanking new – players; it even explains the rankings of hands for those who don’t know if a strait beats a flush. The book also introduces some elementary concepts of Hold ‘Em strategy and tactics. Experienced players should feel free to pass over this one.
40. Lost Dorsai - Gordon Dickinson
Forgettable military science fiction. This one left me cold.
27. The Elves and the Otterskin - Elizabeth Boyer
A fantasy that leans heavily and outright borrows from Norse mythology. When I was a kid Boyer’s The Sword and the Satchel was a favorite and oft-repeated read. I don’t know if my youth and memory have combined to make that book much better than it actually was, but The Elves and the Otterskin was rather plodding.
28. The Summer of the Great Grandmother - Madeline L'Engle
This is the second of L’Engle’s Crosswicks Journals. A couple of months back there was an article in the New Yorker about L’Engle, in which family members claimed that parts of her Crosswicks Journals were fabrications. That maybe so, but I still really enjoyed this book, and L’Engle’s thoughts on death and the process of dying.
29. Slan - A.E. Van Vogt
A classic from the golden age of science fiction from which I derived little pleasure. Some classics (such as Heinlein’s Starship Troopers) age well. This one did not; in my opinion it comes off as very hokey, much like a black and white episode of Flash Gordon.
30. A Good Life: Adventures in Newspapering - Ben Bradlee
A breezy and easy going autobiography that left little impression in it’s wake. Call it a vacation read. As you might expect, much of the book is devoted to Watergate and the Nixon era.
31. Positively Fifth Street - James McManus
One of my favorites of this year. In 2000 McManus took on assignment from Harpers magazine to go to Las Vegas and cover the World Series of Poker and the Binion murder trial. McManus, a life-long poker player, took things a step further: putting up his advance from Harper’s, he gained a seat in the ‘Big One’ and advanced all the way to the final table. Even if you’ve never played a hand of Hold ‘Em in your life, this make for engrossing reading.
32. Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille - Steven Brust
A novel about a bar and it’s patrons that is regularly catapulted through time and space. There’s not a lot of heavy mental lifting here, but the book is nto a bad way to pass the time if you’re a sci-fi fan in need of a fix.
33. Hard Revolution - George Pelecanos
Crime fiction from a master of the genre. I’ve raved about Pelecanos in this space before, so I"ll simply say go read him.
34. Big Deal - Anthony Holden
Journalist and biographer Anthony Holden’s account of the year he spent as a professional poker player. Holden plays (or at least played) in the same weekly game as A. Alvarez (The Biggest Game in Town) and you could string their two books together along with Positively Fifth Street and come out with damn good poker trilogy. Start with Alvarez’s book though.
35. Retreat, Hell! - W.E.B. Griffin
A potboiler of military/ historical fiction. Skip it unless you’ve followed this series (The Corps) from the beginning.
36. Cicero - Anthony Everitt
A sharp little biography of one of Rome’s greatest statesman. I took a lot away from this book, in large part because my knowledge of the final days of the Roman Republic in general, and Cicero in specific, were pretty spotty going in. Anyone dismayed with the current state of politics should read this book and see how truly bad things can get.
37. Sharpe's Escape - Bernard Cornwell
A formulaic Sharpe book. How formulaic? So formulaic I can barely remember what the plot involved, save that there was a girl to be won, a villain to be overcome, and a battle or two thrown in for good measure. Makes me wonder if Cornwell is losing his fastball, or the Sharpe series is just bereft of new ideas. Next time I need a fix I’ll re-read Sharpe’s Eagle.
38. Last Car to Elysian Fields - James Lee Burke
The latest novel featuring New Orleans detective Dave Robicheaux. Burke’s prose is so damn good, and the themes he explores so compelling, that you can forget that he seems to be recycling plots.
39. The Intelligent Guide to Texas Hold 'Em Poker - Sam Braids
A very basic guide to the game. Ideal for new – and I mean brand spanking new – players; it even explains the rankings of hands for those who don’t know if a strait beats a flush. The book also introduces some elementary concepts of Hold ‘Em strategy and tactics. Experienced players should feel free to pass over this one.
40. Lost Dorsai - Gordon Dickinson
Forgettable military science fiction. This one left me cold.
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