Ryan's Book Blog – Page 52 – I read therefore I am.

Where the Crawdads Sing

October 8, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in 2018, Where the Crawdads Sing is the first novel of Delia Owens about an orphaned girl raising herself and the community around her. Known as the “Marsh Girl”, she is used to life on her own but she can’t just go to where the crawdads sing…

My Thoughts

This was a very well written book so I can understand the groundswell of support behind it. My wife was surprised I read it as most of her friends had read it as well. I guess a book with a strong female protagonist isn’t normal husband material.

I wasn’t that surprised by the ending but I didn’t want to believe it. The foreshadowing of the praying mantis tipped the scales on the hint. Again though, I didn’t want to think of her as anything but a pure well doer. It does bring up the uncomfortable truth of all people having to set up boundaries and enforcing them. As she was on her own, it was really left to her to defend herself. As the husband and father, I feel this weight and can understand where she was coming from.

Recommendation

I’m mixed on whether to recommend this or not. If folks are talking about it than sure. If not… Well, I wouldn’t be running out to get it.

Inside the Five Sided Box

October 4, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Ash Carter has been around government since he wrote a review of Ronald Regan’s “Star Wars” program. He rose to be the Secretary of Defense for Barak Obama and has been an influential figure throughout his long career. This book was a review of his thoughts and experiences as he went through all the major events impacting our government.

My Thoughts

This was a well written biography but it was a little daunting to get through. At just under 500 pages, it took me a bit more than my usual read. However, I have found myself quoting it at work more than a few times. I didn’t fact check the claims made but they do seem to ring true.

Recommendation

If you have interest in contemporary American history, I would recommend this book.

Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star

September 30, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Book 2 of the Fablehaven series, published in 2007, we see a revisiting of Seth and Kendra to the world of Fablehaven. This time around, Seth is tricked to bring back a powerful demon who gets stronger and stronger until he has devoured Seth. However, this is just the start of the ploy to take down Fablehaven itself.

My Thoughts

This book was a fun read like the book before it. The author has an easy style which is relaxing and yet keeps you engaged.

Recommendation

This is a great book for young readers

How to Stay Human in a Fd up World

September 30, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

A relatively new book, this was published in July of 2019 by Tim Desmond who was one of the organizers of the “Walk on Wallstreet”. He currently leads a team at Google helping others with emotional support.

My Thoughts

This book wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. As an “esteemed Buddhist”, I felt Mr. Desmond had a lot of anger still left in him. Perhaps it was simply rhetoric to connect with the younger audience but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

Recommendation

I would pass on this one.

The Innocent

September 23, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in 2012, The Innocent is the first of 6 books featuring the hit man “Will Robie”. Will ends up saving a young girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My Thoughts

As with the rest of the David Baldacci novels, I really enjoyed it. Everyone likes a good underdog story and this was a great one.

Recommendation

A good read.

The Power of Habit

September 20, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The power of habit was published in 2012 and outlines habits as consisting of three elements: a cue, a routine, and a reward. It gives some history as to when these principalities started being used by companies and gave some ideas as to how they are being used today.

The book also spends some time discussing how someone can change their own habits.

My thoughts

In general, I liked the book. I think some concepts were forced into the theory put forward but on the whole, It seemed like it was well written and gave some good ideas about how to go about change in life.

Recommendation

Not a bad book.

A is for Alibi

September 18, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

This is the first of many mystery books by Sue Grafton or book 1 of the “The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries”. These book are each titled with a letter from the alphabet. Starting from A through Y at the time of this review.

Kinsey Millhone is a private eye who is hired to help prove a woman who had already been convicted of murder was really innocent.

My Thoughts

This was a fun read. I was refreshed that the book didn’t spend so much time on the sexuality of the main protagonist who is a woman. The book was written in 1982 so I didn’t quite know what to expect. I was concerned it would have been a throw away quasi romance novel or something else. These days I’m sure we would have had to hear a whole diatribe on her sexual preferences…

However, it was just a mystery novel about how a woman private eye went about life and solved her case. I liked it.

Recommendation

A good read if you like mystery novels.

Beyond Charlottesville

September 13, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Beyond Charlottesville is a book by Terry McAuliffe who was governor of Virginia during the time of the tragic events in Charlottesville VA and had to deal directly with the build up and aftermath of those events. This book gives his perspective as to what transpired and the actions his administration took before during and after the events.

My Thoughts

Terry McAuliffe is a politician and I can’t say I believe everything in the book. In fact, I found myself wanting to fact check several of his statements and realizing there was no way to do so. However, if I take the book at face value, I believe he did all that could have legally been done. I learned a lot from the book.

Recommendation

If you have interest, it is worth the time to read it. I would recommend it be balanced with supplemental reading about the event as this account seemed to be fairly one sided.

Thank You for Being Late

September 7, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Written in 2016, this book as about modern life and the breakneck speed that everything seems to be changing. Three time Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist Thomas Friedman shares his perspective on how quickly things have changed and his quasi-biographical observations of how to deal with it and what else might be coming down the line.

My thoughts

I started reading this because my boss’s boss’s boss made an off handed comment about it. Now that I’ve read it, the comment didn’t make any sense. But that’s motivation for you…

The book was very interesting as it seemed to catalog the technological growth throughout my career. There were a number of antidotes that I felt could have easily been my experience. I don’t know that I agree with all of the observations but I do agree that we haven’t seen anything yet in terms of technology and general disruptions to our lives in general.

Recommendation

It is worth the read.

Fablehaven

September 6, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Fablehaven is one of several preserves which house mystical creatures are alive and well and kept in check by a treaty which keeps them from running amok. Fablehaven has a human caretaker, Stan Sorenson, who tries to keep the peace along with his wife Ruth and other helpers at the preserve.

Fablehaven is the first of 5 books by Brandon Mull and was first published in 2006.

My Thoughts

Great book. My sons have read the series so this was one of several books I read just to make sure I knew what they were reading. It was a lot of fun. It is full of teen angst and general goofiness. The one thing I had a hard time getting use to throughout the series is how quickly people get over other folks and creatures dying. A main character will pass away and everyone just kind of moves along…

Recommendation

If they like fantasy, they will love this book.