The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert
This was a very unique and odd book about a unique and odd man named Eustace Conway. Conway was born in South Carolina, but mostly grew up in Gastonia, NC. Through his parents he developed an intense love of nature and being outdoors. He taught himself TONS of survival skills and studied Native American and other indigenous cultures to learn more natural ways to live. Conway's father, also named Eustace Conway, was an incredibly demanding and exacting man and he constantly let Conway know what a disappointment he was as a son - even though Conway was incredibly skilled and talented. Unfortunately this terrible relationship with his father would be a constant shadow on Conway's otherwise incredible life. He experienced things only a handful of people in the world ever experience. He devoted his life to trying to teach other how to live a more meaningful and natural life. But, he was also very similar in personality to his own father and most people could never live up to his expectations, which strained most of his relationships. Conway lived on 1,000 acres outside of Boone, NC called Turtle Island. He acquired his land piece by piece and wanted nothing more than to live his back-to-the-land existence with a family, but it hasn't happened, at least by the end of this book anyway. While Conway's story is fascinating, it is also sad because from the outside it's obvious that his strained relationship with his father has affected him so much. Being from North Carolina myself, I can't believe I'd never heard of Conway until I found this book. He is an incredibly accomplished person who's led a unique and fascinating life. At the end of this book I'm curious to know more about Conway and what he might be doing now.
Some quotes I liked:
"So Eustace pulled out a huge map and unfolded it before him, as if he were a pirate. His land was blocked out in small and large connected parcels, and he told me how he'd acquired each piece over the years. What emerged was a portrait of genius. Eustace had put the thing together like a chess master. He first bought the 107 acres that made up the valley of Turtle Island, and then, as he earned money over the years, he slowly bought the peaks of each hill that surrounded the valley. The peaks of a hill are the most valuable real estate to developers, after all, since everyone wants a home right on top of a mountain. By securing those peaks, then, Eustace had made the hills below them much less attractive to any roving land speculator and therefore much less likely to be sold to someone else before he could afford to grab it...Once he owned the crests, he filled in the gaps, buying the slopes that connected his valley to the surrounding mountaintops. In this way, he guarded his watershed. What he was doing, actually, was transforming his holdings from a small, flat, low-lying basin into a large teacup - a perfect valley - which would be protected by mountains on every side." (p. 116-7)
"My initial reaction on witnessing Eustace Conway's life was relief. When I first heard of his life and adventures, all I could think was Thank God. Thank God somebody in America was still living this way. Thank God there was at least one genuine mountain man, frontiersman, pioneer, maverick out there. Thank God there was one truly resourceful and independent wild soul left in this country. Because, at some deep emotional level, Eustace's existence signified to me that somehow it's still true, that we Americans are, against all other available evidence, a nation where people grow free and wild and strong and brave and willful, instead of lazy and fat and boring and unmotivated." (p. 125)
"Jason was the very model of the young guy who typically comes to Eustace Conway for guidance. He was trying to discover how to be a man in a society that no longer had a clear path for him. Just as Eustace Conway had struggled as a teenager to find rituals to lead him into manhood, Jason was struggling to find some ceremony or meaning that would help define his own ascension. But he had no role models, his culture had no satisfying coming-of-age ritual for him, and his background had provided him with none of the manly skills that were so attractive to him. He was, by his own admission, lost." (p. 202)
Some quotes I liked:
"So Eustace pulled out a huge map and unfolded it before him, as if he were a pirate. His land was blocked out in small and large connected parcels, and he told me how he'd acquired each piece over the years. What emerged was a portrait of genius. Eustace had put the thing together like a chess master. He first bought the 107 acres that made up the valley of Turtle Island, and then, as he earned money over the years, he slowly bought the peaks of each hill that surrounded the valley. The peaks of a hill are the most valuable real estate to developers, after all, since everyone wants a home right on top of a mountain. By securing those peaks, then, Eustace had made the hills below them much less attractive to any roving land speculator and therefore much less likely to be sold to someone else before he could afford to grab it...Once he owned the crests, he filled in the gaps, buying the slopes that connected his valley to the surrounding mountaintops. In this way, he guarded his watershed. What he was doing, actually, was transforming his holdings from a small, flat, low-lying basin into a large teacup - a perfect valley - which would be protected by mountains on every side." (p. 116-7)
"My initial reaction on witnessing Eustace Conway's life was relief. When I first heard of his life and adventures, all I could think was Thank God. Thank God somebody in America was still living this way. Thank God there was at least one genuine mountain man, frontiersman, pioneer, maverick out there. Thank God there was one truly resourceful and independent wild soul left in this country. Because, at some deep emotional level, Eustace's existence signified to me that somehow it's still true, that we Americans are, against all other available evidence, a nation where people grow free and wild and strong and brave and willful, instead of lazy and fat and boring and unmotivated." (p. 125)
"Jason was the very model of the young guy who typically comes to Eustace Conway for guidance. He was trying to discover how to be a man in a society that no longer had a clear path for him. Just as Eustace Conway had struggled as a teenager to find rituals to lead him into manhood, Jason was struggling to find some ceremony or meaning that would help define his own ascension. But he had no role models, his culture had no satisfying coming-of-age ritual for him, and his background had provided him with none of the manly skills that were so attractive to him. He was, by his own admission, lost." (p. 202)
The One and Only by Emily Giffin
I really like Emily Giffin, but this one was not one of my favorites. The story follows Shea Rigsby who from a very young age LOVED football - specifically the college team of her hometown of Walker, Texas. It also didn't hurt that her best friend Lucy is the daughter of Coach Carr, the head football coach at Walker. Fast forward to Shea's mid-thirties and even though she's working on staff at Walker, her life feels stuck. She knows she's just coasting and could be doing more with her life. When Coach Carr recommends her for a new job and she starts dating the star quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys it looks like Shea's life is starting to shape up. But, she still feels like something is missing. When she starts to realize what she really wants Shea has to decide if it's worth taking the risk or if she'll keep taking the safe route.
There was enough going on in the storyline that I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen, but it also felt very scattered and there was a LOT going on. There was also a LOT of football - which I'm not super interested in, but it was important to the story. I did like the overall theme of fighting for love and that you don't choose who you fall in love with, but I just didn't like the feel of the book. I still really like Emily Giffin, but this wasn't her best book.
There was enough going on in the storyline that I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen, but it also felt very scattered and there was a LOT going on. There was also a LOT of football - which I'm not super interested in, but it was important to the story. I did like the overall theme of fighting for love and that you don't choose who you fall in love with, but I just didn't like the feel of the book. I still really like Emily Giffin, but this wasn't her best book.
Sous Chef by Michael Gibney
This is one of those books that leaves you almost exhausted at the end. Michael Gibney takes you through a typical day in a higher-end restaurant working as the sous chef. The sous chef is one step down from the head chef, so there is a lot of hard work and responsibility involved. Gibney does a great job walking someone unfamiliar with a restaurant kitchen through a typical day working on the line. It definitely makes you appreciate the kind of hard work that goes into running a smooth restaurant. I wish I had been able to just sit down and read this book in one sitting since it only covers one 24-hour period. There are also a few pages at the end that defines kitchen terminology, some of which Gibney defines throughout the book. I would recommend this one for anyone interested in chefs and restaurant work.
Problems with People by David Guterson
I'm not much for short story collections, but I really like David Guterson so I decided to try this one. I didn't like it at all. All of the stories are about people dealing with grief or loss, but you didn't even really like most of the characters themselves. Almost all of the stories had a very uncomfortable feeling, which a little of that is OK, but the whole thing?! Overall, it was just not good in my opinion.
A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick Jans
In the winter of 2003 Nick Jans encountered a lone wolf near his Juneau, Alaska home. Having seen wolves in the wild before, but only rarely he is amazed at how much this wolf seems to seek out human and canine attention. Over the next few years Romeo, as the wolf becomes known locally, interacts with dozens of humans and dogs - always seeking the interaction himself. Within a few years though there are a faction of local residents who are not happy about a wolf hanging around so much. There is also the increasing problem of Romeo's popularity with local residents who are thrilled to have the chance to see a wild wolf so close. Jans knows that this increased attention to Romeo could easily backfire if the wolf feels threatened and lashes out. Jans is also worried about dog owners who don't have control of their dogs or have aggressive dogs - although he never personally saw Romeo react poorly to an aggressive dog. But, unfortunately in 2009 at trophy hunter from Pennsylvania comes to Juneau with the intent of killing Romeo solely because of his local popularity. He does and when locals like Jans find out they bring it to the attention of local authorities. The trophy hunter is arrested, along with his friend who is a local resident, but their prosecution is a joke and shows that even with an animal like Romeo - in Alaska it's just another wolf that's been hunted illegally.
While Romeo's story does have a sad ending, his impact is still felt on the community in Juneau. Especially with a few people like Jans who had a more long-term, intimate relationship with Romeo. Interspersed throughout Romeo's story Jans also gives a lot of information about wolves and shows just how unique the situation with Romeo was. He also gives a lot of the complicated and sad history of human interaction with wolves, both in the Continental US and specifically in Alaska. He also includes a few beautiful pictures of Romeo that he took over the years of their interactions. Overall, even though the end is sad, this is an incredible book about a very unique wolf and how much he impacted a small community over just a few years.
While Romeo's story does have a sad ending, his impact is still felt on the community in Juneau. Especially with a few people like Jans who had a more long-term, intimate relationship with Romeo. Interspersed throughout Romeo's story Jans also gives a lot of information about wolves and shows just how unique the situation with Romeo was. He also gives a lot of the complicated and sad history of human interaction with wolves, both in the Continental US and specifically in Alaska. He also includes a few beautiful pictures of Romeo that he took over the years of their interactions. Overall, even though the end is sad, this is an incredible book about a very unique wolf and how much he impacted a small community over just a few years.
The Bees by Laline Paull
Flora 717 is a sanitatation bee who is born into the lowest caste in her hive. The sanitation bees clean up after the other bees and remove dead bees from the hive. But, from the very beginning Flora 717 is different. She is curious and smart and doesn't just go along with what's expected of her - which is very little. She quickly is able to feed newborns in the nursery, she works as a forager gathering pollen and nectar to make into honey, she then helps fight off a wasp which grants her seldom-given access to the Queen. Soon Flora 717 is doing things that are NEVER done in the hive - things that put her life in jeopardy. The motto of the hive is Accept, Obey, and Serve, but Flora 717 is starting to realize things must change in order for the hive to survive. She uncovers secrets and risks her life to do what she knows is right even if no one else agrees. In the end her courage to go against the hive mentality of Accept, Obey, and Serve will change not only her life, but the life and future of the hive.
This is one of the most unique and interesting books I've read in a really long time. On one level it's a unique look at the culture of a beehive from an "insider's" perspective, but on another level it's also a story about power, hierarchies, risk, and the importance of believing in yourself and doing what is right no matter what. A fascinating book that I just could not put down.
This is one of the most unique and interesting books I've read in a really long time. On one level it's a unique look at the culture of a beehive from an "insider's" perspective, but on another level it's also a story about power, hierarchies, risk, and the importance of believing in yourself and doing what is right no matter what. A fascinating book that I just could not put down.
Exodus by Deborah Feldman
I loved Deborah Feldman's first memoir Unorthodox, where she described growing up in the Hasidic Jewish community and making the decision to leave. Exodus picks up shortly afterUnorthodox ends. She has to work out how to support herself and her son and make the HUGE adjustment to life outside the rigid and secluded Orthodox Jewish community. Feldman is also trying to work out how she can connect with her Jewish heritage and religion outside of the Hasidic community. In order to work through a lot of her issues she travels across the US and decides to trace her Grandmother's roots in Europe - starting in Hungary where her Grandmother was born to the concentration camps in Germany that her Grandmother survived. Feldman discovers a lot on her European journey, unfortunately one thing she finds is that there is still a lot of anti-Semitism there. She struggles the most in Germany thinking about all that happened to the Jews there because of the Nazis. Incredibly though she also falls in love with a German man who's grandparents were Nazis!
Overall, I think this book was almost as good as Unorthodox. The story is not strictly chronological, but it works. She walks through some of the journeys she took to discover herself after her Exodus and also explores her family's Holocaust history and shows just how much that affected her growing up and still today. My only complaint was there was some definite weirdness/awkwardness with her relationship with the German guy who's grandparents were Nazis - she was very conflicted about their relationship even though he was ashamed of his family's history. There were a few weird/uncomfortable sexual scenes that I did not need to know about with him. But, overall it was a really good book and I definitely enjoyed it. I look forward to her future work.
Overall, I think this book was almost as good as Unorthodox. The story is not strictly chronological, but it works. She walks through some of the journeys she took to discover herself after her Exodus and also explores her family's Holocaust history and shows just how much that affected her growing up and still today. My only complaint was there was some definite weirdness/awkwardness with her relationship with the German guy who's grandparents were Nazis - she was very conflicted about their relationship even though he was ashamed of his family's history. There were a few weird/uncomfortable sexual scenes that I did not need to know about with him. But, overall it was a really good book and I definitely enjoyed it. I look forward to her future work.
Goodnight June by Sarah Jio
This was a really enjoyable and light read. June Andersen is a successful vice-president of a banking company, but she works 60+ hours a week and has absolutely no personal life. When she finds out that her beloved aunt Ruby died and left June her children's bookstore Bluebird Books in Seattle, WA, June thinks she'll fly out for a week and get her aunt's bookstore ready to sell. But, once she gets there she remembers how much her aunt and the bookstore meant to her as a child. She always loved reading, but now barely has time to sleep much less read for pleasure. She also starts to unravel some secrets about Bluebird Books, but also about her aunt's life. As June starts to understand the secrets of Bluebird Books she realizes there is an important connection between her aunt and Bluebird Books and the famous children's author Margaret Wise Brown and her most famous book Goodnight Moon. Soon June has quit her banking job and decided to make a go of running Bluebird Books. Will she be able to save Bluebird Books and reinvent her life?
There were a few things that were pretty predictable, but not painfully so. There was also a weird storyline with June's sisters Amy that I felt like didn't really work and didn't add much to the overall story - I think that whole part could have been left out completely. But, overall I did like the story and even though it was somewhat predictable I still wanted to keep reading and see it all play out. A fun and light-hearted read with a happy ending.
There were a few things that were pretty predictable, but not painfully so. There was also a weird storyline with June's sisters Amy that I felt like didn't really work and didn't add much to the overall story - I think that whole part could have been left out completely. But, overall I did like the story and even though it was somewhat predictable I still wanted to keep reading and see it all play out. A fun and light-hearted read with a happy ending.
