Review: More Gross

More Gross by Sam Gross
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I remember being in junior high and discovering National Lampoon, and trying to keep my issues hidden from my folks. I had convinced my Mom it was like Cracked or Mad, but it was quite a bit more adult than that. And hilarious. Little did they know. So when you have to secretly read your adult (or at least college) humor magazines, you need to be quick with your reading. And what is quicker than a one drawing cartoon? That's how I found Gross, and why his cartoons were so memorable to me. Reading this book, now more than 45 years after I found National Lampoon, was a trip down memory lane. They don't all hit, but those that do make me recall those feelings of humor, of confusion, and of naughtiness that I felt back then. Nice trip down memory lane, but still not safe to share with the parents, or with the humorlessly woke. Or, in the words of Sam Gross, "That's not funny, that's sick."

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Review: Normal

Normal by Warren Ellis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As others have said, this is a set up for some big discussions, but in the end it was unfulfilling. Perhaps a bit more focus, and a bit more storytelling instead of backgrounding.

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Review: The Year of Magical Thinking

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I got some feels but not as much as I expected. It did make me appreciate Isabel Allende's "Paula" more for the dealing with a slow moving death.

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Review: Rough Sleepers

Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Kidder’s first book, “Soul of a New Machine”. I read it in college and switched majors because of it. I’ve enjoyed all of his books since. This one, though, seemed less complete than his other books. Kidder’s previous books mostly were told in a story arc. Here, it feels more like straight reporting. Perhaps this was mostly covering a shorter timeline than his other books. Perhaps it’s because this didn’t really have an ending, or at least the ending it had didn’t tie into the beginning. Kidder did make his topic, homelessness and the services supporting the homeless, interesting. The most interesting aspect of this book, like a number of his recent books, is the description of an individual’s self-sacrifice for the greater good.

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Review: From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life

From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Innocuous little book. Nothing earthshattering here, but a comfortable read and reminder to keep using your head as you age.

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Review: This Is How You Lose The Time War

This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting and confusing, but it was kind of fun in the confusion watching the characters express themselves in their different ways. The world the author created for this book to relate was very odd, and I find myself thinking about it long after the reading, although I can't say I liked the book.

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Review: The Creative Act: A Way of Being

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

How does Rick Rubin get the best out of the musicians he produces? He goes through that in his book, but it reminds me of how I deal with headstrong kids. Try this, then if that doesn’t work, try the opposite, then try something else entirely. Here, Rubin runs through many different suggestions for a creator to think through a problem, or working with others, or coming up with that initial spark, or over-focusing. Everything he says has a little theatrical new-age tinge to it, or a lot – there’s a gong sound between concepts in his audiobook. I found it a mildly interesting listen, but would have liked it more if I spent more time creating. And I do believe I’d read a Rick Rubin book on raising kids.

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