Review: Esther

Esther by Henry Adams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Headstrong socialite gets mixed up in an art project at a church, falls for the minister, then realizes she can't stand the ways of the church. You can picture this as a Merchant & Ivory production with some humor, but as written there isn't much out and out humor but more a comedy, or is it a tragedy, of "modern beliefs" meeting a congregation. Enjoyable.

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Review: If on a Winter's Night a Traveler

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The writing was well done, the concept was interesting. Truthfully, listening to this on audio felt quite a bit like listening to an extended Joe Frank episode, which I tend to like. Weird, fun in a way, but I wonder if I got lost along the way, or if there wasn't really a path were I thought I was going...Might be worth trying again, but not on audio.

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Review: The Unfinished Odyssey of Robert Kennedy

The Unfinished Odyssey of Robert Kennedy by David Halberstam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Halberstam writes one of the better books to analyze the candidate Robert Kennedy, following him on the campaign trail while relating his history and analyzing his turn from a rough anti-crime, anti-communist fixer to a champion of hopeful causes. I picked this book up to read a page or two, and got pulled into finishing it. That rarely happens to me. I was not very knowledgeable on Kennedy, so perhaps that helps make this a book that grabs you. The ending was very abrupt, much like the ending of "The Diary of Anne Frank", and for about the same reason. Halberstam shares many anecdotes from his life on the campaign trail with RFK. The funniest was that campaign advisor Dick Tuck was given responsibility for keeping track of RFK's dog while campaigning. When others commented how the mighty had fallen and asked how he liked taking care of the candidate's dog, Tuck replied that while they saw a dog, he saw an ambassadorship.

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Review: God and Starbucks: An NBA Superstar's Journey Through Addiction and Recovery

God and Starbucks: An NBA Superstar's Journey Through Addiction and Recovery by Vin Baker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The story of addiction, mostly to alcohol but also to the NBA star lifestyle. Starbucks wasn't the savior here, just a small step on the path between Baker's playing (and drinking) career and his role in an NBA team's player development. Baker also had a stint as a preacher that was probably longer and more interesting than his Starbucks experience, but perhaps it wasn't novel enough to put in the title of his book. The most interesting thing about this story is that Baker had a drinking problem when most of the addiction stories you hear about now are for drugs. An old school addiction for an NBA star is different. Also, his inside view of the NBA star lifestyle was everything you'd expect.

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Review: American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A set of three very different stories that come together in the end in a very nifty way. I've thought about this quite a bit since I originally read it six months ago. It wasn't the story that stayed with me, it was the feeling and the ah-ha understanding you got at the end. Nicely done.

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Review: Birthday Stories: Selected and Introduced by Haruki Murakami

Birthday Stories: Selected and Introduced by Haruki Murakami by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A collection of short stories having a connection to "Birthdays". I recall the stories being hit or miss, but overall enjoyable. I write this about a half year after reading, and the only part I recall clearly is the introduction. So I guess I really appreciated Murakami explaining himself.

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Review: Pitch by Pitch: My View of One Unforgettable Game

Pitch by Pitch: My View of One Unforgettable Game by Bob Gibson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of the best baseball books I have read. A lot of my enjoyment has to do with Gibson's personality, during the game in the 60s that he dissects here, and his changed personality as the reflective, older writer. Gibson the pitcher was a mean fellow back in the day. Gibson the writer is willing to tell you why -- how he used his meanness to his advantage on the mound and in life. And you get the impression he has mellowed with age. Not completely, but enough to learn from. Great read.

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