Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

I made the mistake of watching the movie before reading this book. That was not a good idea. As a general principle, always read the book first. I find the movie a lightly entertaining romantic comedy set in a lovely … Continue reading

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Book Review: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

For a long time I had avoided reading this book because of the tragic ending to the story of Chris McCandless. In brief, after he graduated from college, McCandless took off on the road and disappeared. He never contacted his … Continue reading

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Book Review: Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound by David B. Williams

I was born in a hospital in Seattle and raised in the Puget Sound area of the state of Washington. In my childhood and young manhood I have fished for salmon and rockfish, dug for clams and geoducks, and confronted … Continue reading

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Book Review: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2020 Edited by John Joseph Adams and Diana Gabaldon

The Best American series, which in recent years has come to include separate volumes of science fiction and fantasy stories, has a distinctive method of selecting its stories. The series editor, who stays the same year after year, reads as … Continue reading

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Book Review: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

I might never have attempted to read War and Peace if it had not been for the enthusiasm of one of my nephews. I know him to be intelligent and discerning, and he told me that War and Peace was … Continue reading

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Book Review: Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush

This is an excellent book. It is one of those rare books that combine science, observations of nature, and memoir to create a unique, vital, and invigorating literary experience. Broadly, it concerns global warming and rising sea levels, but Rush … Continue reading

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Book Review: The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers Edited by Vendela Vida

I’m always on the lookout for books in which writers talk about writing. Not because I need tips or suggestions on how to do it; I think I have that figured out after all this time. My interest is more … Continue reading

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Book Review: Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX by Eric Berger

This book is not a complete history of SpaceX. Instead, it focuses on the beginning years of the upstart aerospace company that has now completely redefined the parameters of space travel. Specifically, it describes Musk’s vision to transform the aerospace … Continue reading

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Book Review: The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr

I should know better than to read books about writing, and yet I am irresistibly drawn to them. I have even written one called Writing as a Metaphysical Experience. However, I figured out long ago that writers are idiosyncratic, that … Continue reading

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Book Review: Drop City by T. C. Boyle

I bought Drop City months ago but put off reading it until now. For one thing, it’s a long novel, and for another, I didn’t know what to expect. Whenever I have taken up novels having to do with the … Continue reading

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