Category: Book

The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy My rating: 5 of 5 stars Oh my, LORD! Cormac is a damn American institution–a gift from God. So great. So intense. I mean, just everything about this book is completely next-level. Strongly recommended. View all my reviews

The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis My rating: 5 of 5 stars Greatest author of my generation. This book is structurally so messed up it is hard even to know where to start. Moving slowly with clues dropped amid mindless numb reflection on LA in 1981, this book is true. And Good. And an absolute gift and love letter to all that is right in American letters. Another classic. Must read. View all my reviews

Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee My rating: 5 of 5 stars How am I just finding this now? Mike read a review on a top 100 novels list, and boy was they right–this is a brutal reflection on evil in the world. I like the universal nature of this–like it can be about Nazis, Apartheid, or any other social injustice–unlike Scarlet Letter or Crucible, which seem more directly tied to a specific social ill, this one is universal. And bleak. And just a fantastic book by an utterly untrustworthy narrator who admits his literary ambitions. And sexism–there is a lot of graphic sexual weirdness in this and prisoner torture–not for the squeamish, but first-rate writing. Highly recommended–wish I had read it 30 years ago! View all my reviews

The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection by Michael A. Singer My rating: 3 of 5 stars Ugh. There is nothing wrong with this American new age story, but it is not well-written or creative. The plot is predictable. The lessons are obvious. And the writing was tepid. There are so many best friends and miracle consistencies that the story gets lost. Completely. I would pass on this if given a choice again. View all my reviews

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles My rating: 5 of 5 stars Holy Cow–this is a fantastic book–the author provides a Spotify playlist on his blog and photos of his trip down the Lincoln Highway. I, however, recorded NOTHING on my trip down this Greek Tragedy recreation. Think Oh Brother meets The Sting–a great book full of complex, well-planned character moments and a plot that mysteriously comes together perfectly. A great book. Read this. View all my reviews

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another super fun nerd stomp. Loved the John Hughes stuff. The Prince stuff was great. Of course, all the D&D stuff was fantastic. Having Wil on a narrator is always a joy. A great summer read! View all my reviews

Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a fantastic book that reminds us of Hollywood’s incredibly artistic and talented. A wild collection of diverse short stories, some of which are eternally memorable. Seriously, this book surprised me with how great it is–strongly recommended summer read! View all my reviews

Valkyrie: The Women of the Viking World by Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir My rating: 5 of 5 stars A great historical review of the Valkyrie and women in the Viking World. Lots of great examples from the sagas, lots of clarification of mythology vs. reality, and excellent overall content. Great pacing. A fun overview of a very interesting topic. Strongly recommended. View all my reviews

<table The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life by Mark Epstein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic book. General introduction, reflection on cases, quiet closure–basically everything you could ask for from a Kornfield clone. The highlights include the Zen poetry, the Ram Das, and the general approach to therapy–the reflections on his own motivations, what he sees and what he is trying to do in session is very helpful.

A good integration of meditation practice throught–clearly Epstein has put his time in on the mat.

The early stuff of “justifying” the medical value of meditation was odd for me–I cam up when that was already established and to hear him reflect on the act of establishment was a good reminder that things change. He also reflects on the current state of Mindfulness in ways that I found helpful.

Not a book for everyone, but I really enjoyed it.

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