Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review:  People Like Us: A Novel by Jason Mott

Right at the beginning of this enigmatic, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, mystifying, and surreal book, the author states that it is at least partially based on fact, but “to keep the lawyers cooling their heels,” the “whole thing has been … Continue reading

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Thoughts on Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

Another tried and proven book I brought upon the journey to Maine to reread is Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. To be honest, I found it somewhat disappointing, but in all fairness, Miller’s words have not changed, I have. … Continue reading

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Reviews and Reflections on Books, Literature, and Writing: Volume Four Is Now Available!

My latest collection of book reviews, Reviews and Reflections on Books, Literature, and Writing: Volume Four, is now available in paperback and as an ebook at various online outlets. Links to these are below. As I wrote recently in my … Continue reading

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Thoughts on Jack London: Sailor on Horseback by Irving Stone

As I write this I’m in Orono, a town near Bangor, dog-sitting for my son while he embarks on a scientific expedition in Alaska with some researchers from the University of Maine. My thoughts have turned to Jack London for … Continue reading

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Book Reviews as Autobiography

A recent comment on one of my past book reviews points out, somewhat critically, that in the review I talk about myself as much as I do the book. By way of explanation, I offer this essay, which appeared in … Continue reading

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Book Review:  The Maine Woods by Henry David Thoreau

Apart from selected essays, I have never had a strong desire to read any of Thoreau’s books other than Walden, which is a true masterpiece, self-contained, effervescent, powerful, luminous, wholly original, and life-changing. However, recently circumstances have caused me to … Continue reading

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Book Review:  The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams

I had a difficult time deciding whether to review this book or not. There is no question that it is significant and worthwhile, but I usually focus on more secular titles. What tipped the scales is the historical importance of … Continue reading

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Book Review: The Edge of Maine by Geoffrey Wolff

I recently took a trip to Orono, a small town near Bangor where the University of Maine is located, to visit one of my sons, and soon I’ll be returning for a couple of weeks to dog-sit while my son … Continue reading

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Book Review:  The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss

I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, and bookstores have always been a source of wonder and excitement for me. When I was wandering the world with nary a possession but what could fit … Continue reading

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Book Review:  The CIA Book Club: The Secret Mission to Win the Cold War with Forbidden Literature by Charlie English

This true story of spying and smuggling takes place in the 1980s, when Poland, as a part of the Soviet-dominated East Bloc, suffered brutal repression. Its citizens had very little personal freedom; most books from the outside were banned, and … Continue reading

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