A bit of wisdom about travel

 This won't be a book review, but something from the book I've just finished, William Boyd's The Predicament, struck me as an excellent view of travel:

"[H]e registered the familiar travel frisson. Almost everything he was about to experience would be new and different – and, in a way, that was the essential requirement of travel, he considered. It made the world fresh and stirring once again, curiosity stimulated, eyes wide open."

Travel really does open your eyes and bring new, exciting views of the world. Whether it's somewhere new or revisiting a favorite place, travel is one of the best things you can do for your mind and your enjoyment of life.

Heated Rivalry

Have you watched Heated Rivalry yet? In case you somehow missed hearing about it, it's about closeted gay professional hockey players. The guys are hot, and the sex scenes are hot. But as one meme succinctly put it, "these fuckers lured us in with porn and then hit us over the head with a frying pan of emotional devastation."

The love between these guys is so sweet and so deep, you'll fall in love with them and be cheering for them.

This started as a low-budget production on a Canadian streaming service called Crave. It was such an overnight hit that HBO picked it up. Wherever you can watch it, watch it. It's a wonderful show!

And if you're a reader like me, grab all of Rachel Reid's books. This series starts with the book Game Changer, which actually isn't about the main characters of the TV series, although the characters from that book get an episode of their own. I enjoyed the whole series of books, and I recommend them as well!

My new favorite travel book

Lonely Planet's Trip Builder by Lonely Planet
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My better half and I enjoy travel, and I enjoy travel books, whether it's travel narratives that take me places without leaving home or travel planning books from Lonely Planet, DK, Fodor's, Frommer's, Rick Steves or others.

With that said, I don't just like this book. I LOVE it. It takes an approach to travel planning and idea generation that's quite interesting and helpful. Each section of this massive book is just two pages. Rather than provide an exhaustive list of places to go in each area, city, etc., with details on how to make reservations, where to eat and other minutiae, it gives very broad strokes and lets you fill in the details if you plan to go. For example, one 2-page section, A Literary Tour of England, suggests London to the Lake District. In the broadest of strokes, it guides you from London to Oxford to Bath to Stratford-upon-Avon to Haworth to The Lake District. There are some details, but not a lot. To give you a better idea, the entirety of the Stratford-upon-Avon part says,

William Shakespeare is arguably the most famous writer ever, and his medieval hometown sees crowds that attest to his continuing popularity. Seek out his birthplace; pay your respects at his tomb in Holy Trinity Church; and enjoy one of his plays at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

That's it. The rest is left for you to fill in. Nothing on how to get tickets to a play or any number of other things most guide books would throw in.

For me, this is perfect. I want ideas. I can figure out the rest on my own. This massive book gives many such ideas--concise itineraries you can review to find what looks like fun for your next trip--and that's why I love it!

View all my reviews

Catching up on a classic I'd never read

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a famous book, of course, and I'm just getting to it now, almost 80 years after it was written. This is a book of tragedy and sadness. Some of it literal, in terms of the characters, but some of it clearly metaphorical. It touches on both the good and bad people in South Africa, as well as the potential for life to be different and possibly better. Having lived through the history of the anti-apartheid movement (including major protests in my college days), I know things didn't change easily, and racial discrimination and inequality continue to be issues in South Africa to this day.

The writing itself strikes me as stilted. Part of that may be the age of this book, but I also felt it didn't flow as well as other books of its era. I realize the author was trying to convey the manner in which his characters would have spoken, but I didn't particularly enjoy that and felt it hobbled the pacing of the narrative, at least for me.

Overall, I think this is an important work for its time, and I was split between 3 and 4 stars. I went with 3, because it was a slow read due to the writing style, and I feel that's a very important consideration.

View all my reviews

Some people really worry me

The three of us were wandering around Sedona yesterday, visiting some of the shops. We went into a fudge shop. In addition to fudge, they made a few other types of chocolates. 

One of the items was called Coyote Droppings. While trying to decide what she wanted to buy for her grandson, a woman asked if they contained actual coyote droppings.

My congratulations to the employee helping her who managed to keep a straight face and answer her seriously.

A simple, deep thought

I just finished a sci-fi book, called All These Worlds. In the book, a leading character is lamenting the loss of a friend and how those in his village seemed to move on with their lives soon after his death. "Archimedes had mattered. He’d made a huge difference to the lives of the people there, and I found it offensive somehow that he was so completely and so soon relegated to the past."

On Goodreads, I added a comment to this, saying, "One of the deeper lessons of life is that most of us are here and gone, and the memories that rest with friends and loves ones are all that's left, until they're gone, too. So enjoy the ride, because our presence is fleeting."

That may not be something we all want to absorb. I think what drives many to practice certain religious faiths is the wish that we somehow carry on in perpetuity. While that's a nice idea, I think the truth is simpler. So make life better for those around you and for yourself. Live well, and recognize that the journey through life is what matters. It won't be long after we're gone that our presence fades from memory. Soon, those who remember us fondly are gone as well. Maybe the good lives we led will have some subtle echo in a part of humanity and make life better, but for the most part, we're here and then we're gone. Even great philosophers, leaders and humanitarians aren't remembered by most. C'est la vie.

Enjoy the ride, folks, and don't trouble yourselves too much over the generations ahead.

That was nice

 There are places we usually don't get to go. Fancy country clubs certainly are on that list. This week was an exception. We volunteer with a food bank called Island Harvest, and this week they had their golf outing fundraiser at a place called "The Creek."

The Creek was founded over a hundred years ago. The founders included J.P. Morgan, Vincent Astor, H.L. Pratt (the President of Standard Oil) and other well-heeled folks. For sure, we're not the usual folks there, especially since we don't play golf.

This property used to be another rich man's estate. With all of that said, I thought you might like to see a few photos of the property...

Really, the nicest part was providing photos to Island Harvest that they can use to thank to donors/participants (we took shots of every foursome, as well as some candid shots) and knowing it saves them money (versus having to hire photographers like us) and will keep people coming back, both the folks they gift our photos to as well when they use them to advertise for next year's golf outing.

This organization does great work, helping feed people who (shamefully, in this rich country) don't have enough to eat. We're happy to play a small part in making things work!

A Very Happy Anniversary

Thirteen years ago today, we'd just finished attending a rugby tournament in Manchester, UK. Our plan was to board a train and head to Edinburgh to extend the trip into a longer vacation.

We had reserved seats on the train. When we got to our seats, there was a guy sitting there who the conductor had to shoo out of the seats, since he didn't have a ticket to be there. But then we sat down, and two other guys sat across from us (it was a 2 & 2 setup).

The other two guys were dressed like rugby players, so we quickly struck up a conversation and determined that yes, they had just come from the same tournament we'd been at. Their names were Tom and Andrew. This was Andrew on the train...

We spent the trip chatting with both of them and had a wonderful time.

When we got to Edinburgh, we said our goodbyes, planning to email each other when we got home so we could stay in touch. We then headed to our respective hotels and checked in. After that, Marc and I did what we often do in a new city, heading out to get on a hop on-hop off tour bus to orient ourselves to the new city. It was a double-decker bus, and we always prefer the top level. So up we went! And as I got to the top, what was the first thing I saw?

From that point on, we decided we were meant to hang out together. After the bus, we went out to dinner, walked around the city, visited some sights, including Edinburgh Castle. The four of us were there for the daily ceremonial firing of the cannon...

And our new friend Andrew let his personality shine through...

Eventually, the Edinburgh visit came to an end, but we really had started a friendship by then. Andrew was from Toronto, but we said we'd keep in touch. We already adored him, so that certainly was our plan!

Happily, it all worked out very well. Over the past 13 years, Dru has become one of our best friends. We see him as often as we can, and we're in touch constantly, even if it's just a daily flow of memes and silly posts going back and forth.

Happy Anniversary to Dru and us! I can't imagine a sweeter, better friend!

A great book: In Memoriam by Alice Winn

In Memoriam by Alice Winn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a great piece of literature. I wish I could go beyond 5 stars, because it deserves as much praise as I can heap upon it. Alice Winn has written a compelling novel of love in a time of the worst of humanity's brutality. Can young love endure through a time of mustard gas and machine gunning, through seeing friends cut down in their prime, through horrible injury to the few survivors?

Alice Winn brings top notch character development, and that makes such a difference, as you find yourself truly caring about these people. Also, she doesn't sugar coat what happens. This isn't a rom-com. This is romance in a time of unspeakable brutality, and the story is completely believable, even if that makes for some very sad (to say the least) aspects of the story.

Pick up In Memoriam, and you won't want to put it down until you've read every page. A great novel, and this is an author to watch! Bravo!

View all my reviews

A few photos from the yard

 It was a beautiful day today. As Marc worked in the yard, I felt the urge to go take a few photos out there. The dogs went with me, to act as models, of course! Here are a few shots:

Romance is fun

Among the friends we've made through rugby is a young man named Connor. A couple of weeks ago, Connor reached out to say he planned to propose to his boyfriend. He wanted to know if Marc and I could take pictures when he proposed. Of course, we loved the idea. So around midday today, we met them in Central Park. Connor's boyfriend, Kevin, thought this was just a meeting so we could take some photos of them.

So we started with that...

Then Connor started talking about how wonderful Kevin was, how much he loved him, and how much he loved life with him. Kevin clearly was confused, wondering why Connor was going on like this. But then...

So wonderful! We were honored to be a part of this special day, and we both wish them many happy, healthy years together!

Go ahead and use the money how you want. It's yours now.

I try to be generous. That extends to strangers, when I think I can help out. When I worked in Manhattan, I bought lots of lunches for guys on the street. How can you go wrong feeding someone? 

Well, we're in Savannah, and we recently went shopping at Publix. It was late for food shopping--about 8pm--and the turn lane into the Publix wasn't well lit. But as we approached, I thought I saw someone. Sure enough, as we got close, I saw that it was a man with a little sign, asking for money.

I had a couple of dollar bills in my pocket. I rolled down the window and gave them to him. With that, he thanked me and apparently was done with his work for the evening. He immediately headed across the road. In that dim light, I was worried he'd get hit by a car. There was one coming, but luckily they saw him.

The man was heading into the same parking lot we were. At first, it looked like he was heading for Publix, too, and I said to Marc, if he goes in there, I want to tell him we'll buy him anything he wants. Marc agreed. Really, whatever he could get and bring home wasn't going to bankrupt us and would brighten his life at least for a bit.

So as we were parking we watched him head towards the Publix entrance. And then right past it, to the corner of the shopping center and the liquor store.

Oh well, if that's what he needed, so be it. More importantly, I suppose it got him out of traffic, so he'd live to see another day. It's his life, not mine, and the that little bit of money was his by then anyhow. But I really did love the idea of helping send him home with lots of fresh food. I hope he gets to a better place where that's his priority.

The troubling transformation of an historic city

We've been part-time residents of beautiful Savannah for almost 9 years. We were fortunate to find a house that was a great fit for us. A big place, built when Thomas Jefferson was President, it’s in a great downtown location. Like many old houses here, its appearance won’t change because of its historic status.  Those same types of restrictions protect the overall look of the historic district, and that’s great.

What’s particularly interesting, though, is how much of the unprotected parts of the city—or areas whose zoning was changed with the right big-money political influence—are seeing major building projects that could be anywhere. They don’t have the Savannah look and feel.

A few decades ago, a house was built near here that was specifically made to look like ours. The very deliberate intent was to maintain the same character. A lot of this new stuff, however, has very little in common with the existing structures of this city.

In our years here, Savannah has grown and changed quite a bit, but these latest developments are another level. We have visited many places over the years where we have heard about the character of those places changing slowly, so no one really grasped how much was being lost. In this case, I think anyone could see it. A lot of things are changing here, and I don’t know that they are changing for the better. A lot of people are going to make a lot of money, and that, of course, is what is driving all of this. But I don’t know if that is the best thing for Savannah. Sure, growth and economic prosperity are good things, but I feel like the pace here is going to get away from people. One day, they will look back and wonder how they lost what used to be.

Book Review: "Resurrection Walk" by Michael Connelly

Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My only problem with Michael Connelly's novels is that they're over so fast. I don't think I'm a particularly fast reader, but I wait a while for his next novel with great anticipation. Then I get my hands on a copy, and I'm done in a couple of days.

Resurrection Walk brings together Mickey Haller ("the Lincoln Lawyer") and Connelly's great homicide detective Harry Bosch. I won't get into the details of the story, other than to say they're looking to help people wrongfully convicted who want to clear their names. This is a powerhouse team, and, with the aid of a couple of other key players, they bring a fight for justice that most needing criminal defense only can dream of. This is a fast, well-written story, and I highly recommend it!

View all my reviews

Book review: "The Exchange" by John Grisham (sequel to "The Firm")

The Exchange: After The Firm by John Grisham
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Exchange isn't really a follow-up to The Firm. There's an early attempt to tie the books together by having Mitch McDeere meet with one of his old colleagues who did time for what happened at the Bendini firm. But it has no real substance in the plot of this book.

The plot itself is a kidnapping perpetrated by terrorists, but the character development is lacking. The kidnapping victim is barely known to us, but we're supposed to be on the edge of our seats. Not that I'd want a stranger kidnapped or harmed, but there isn't sufficient character development to make me really care intensely. Also, if anything, this book makes me like Mitch McDeere less than I might have before. It makes clear he got into the Bendini/mafia mess because he was greedy from the start.

Now, 15 years after the events in The Firm, Mitch is very improbably a partner at the world's largest law firm. I don't see how, with his background--and without lots of major clients to bring in--he could have wound up there. The explanation in the book doesn't ring true at all, for anyone familiar with the machinations of "Big Law." Also, we find out that Mitch, as well as being greedy in general, is a thief. Sure, he felt justified after what had happened, in making off with a very large amount of funds from the Bendini firm, but this doesn't exactly make him a more sympathetic character. Put simply, there's nobody particularly likable in this book. Overpaid lawyers who bill for hours that really aren't work for their clients, wealthy corporate types, and a kidnap victim we barely know aren't people I'm anxious to root for or hang out with.

This doesn't continue the story except we now know what Mitch McDeere supposedly is doing. I really was disappointed in this book. There are so many things John Grisham could have done with this character. He could have made him decide to fight for justice for those who can't afford expensive lawyers. In fact, early in the book, in yet another part that doesn't seem to fit, Mitch visits with a lawyer who has dedicated his life to trying to save people on death row. He could have made an interesting story from that kind of work. He could have made him an environmental lawyer. A government lawyer. There are countless good, honorable things a lawyer can do, but instead, we have a pretty weak kidnapping/terrorism story located in the world of rich Wall Street lawyers with limousines and private jets. What was the point?

View all my reviews

Book Review: "Light Bringer" (Book 6 of the "Red Rising" series)

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another very good book in the Red Rising series. I feel like a strong editor could make the language more concise and have it flow better, as there are parts that seem needlessly verbose and get into tangents that don't add much to the story, especially if you've read the prior five books of the series.

Even so, this is a book that builds connection with the characters, as too many other authors don't or can't, and there's lots of tension that keeps you turning the pages. Of course, be ready for true brutality of war on a massive scale. That brings sadness, certainly, as we see humanity at its worst in ways one hopes will be banished from our existence. There's the loss of characters we're invested in, too, but that's the nature of war.

If you're looking for happily ever after, look elsewhere. Even if book 7 brings a happy ending on a macro level, lots of individual losses will remain and will be extremely sad and regrettable, as some of the people lost are brave, honorable and well-meaning (one in particular comes to mind in this book... of course, I won't say which). Still, this massive book was a relatively quick read for its size, as it kept me wanting more.

View all my reviews

Book Review: "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I'd been looking to read "The Road" for a while. After all, it was talked about so much, and it won a Pulitzer, so I felt compelled to read it. Unfortunately.

I'm beginning to think too many "critics" are impressed if an author drags out all the fancy words he knows and strings them together in a way that normal people don't speak or write.

"The Road" is a story of a father and son wandering a post-apocalyptic landscape (although we're not told exactly what happened, whether a nuclear war or an asteroid impact or what), in search of a better place. The world is covered in ash. All of the trees and plants are dead, and it seems virtually all of the animals are dead, too, except for a handful of humans, most of whom are marauding, murderous gangs. How anything will survive if all the plants are dead is a mystery, so the journey seems pointless. Yes, the father and son find some supplies to sustain them along the way, and those gangs have turned to cannibalism, but if the plants are gone, it's over. Just a matter of how long until everyone else dies.

The story is bleak, and the writing is nothing compelling. It's like Cormac McCarthy wanted to write a dark, hopeless tale that somehow celebrated the idea of a father finding a chance for his son. And for a writing style, "Maybe I should show how I can write like Robert Frost! No, wait, maybe I should write like Stephen King. Hmm, I can't decide. I know, I'll write like both of them!"

Really, this book is over-hyped, and the Pulitzer judges apparently are impressed by this nonsensical drivel. Spare yourself the time. I wish I had!

View all my reviews

A thought-provoking, entertaining book: "Mosaic" by Evan Mandery

Mosaic by Evan Mandery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A good detective story gets my attention. So does a good science fiction story. "Mosaic" provides both, not in some clumsy mashup but in a smart, thought-provoking way. Without giving away too much, the deterioration of our environment has continued and the damage has compounded. At the same time, a system called Mosaic is developed that, through computer advancement, allows people to disappear into another time--a better time--or so it seems from the perspective of the users.

In this alternate setting, someone dies. And in the real world, too, but did the death in Mosaic cause the death in "the real world." And is the death an accident or a murder? If it's a murder, who is the murderer? Into this steps a police officer with a checkered past and demons with which he's wrestling.

There aren't a lot of really smart, inventive stories, whether crime or sci-fi, out there, but this one was great. Entertaining, thought-provoking and well-written. Grab a copy!

View all my reviews

A great book: Antony Beevor's "D-Day: The Battle for Normandy"

D-Day: The Battle for Normandy by Antony Beevor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an absolutely great book. It's hard to have such a densely packed, non-fiction book be so enjoyable to read, but Antony Beevor certainly achieved that.

With this well-researched book, Mr. Beevor takes us into the massive operations that went into the invasion of Normandy, showing both the Allied and Axis sides. In addition to all the detail, individual stories add color throughout, and he shows the great depth of knowledge and strategic understanding that comes with being a student of history.

He also confirmed much of what I'd already read about the poor behavior of Montgomery*, the bottomless egomania and selfishness of DeGaulle, and the unspeakable evil of many of the German troops.

Even for someone who has read a great deal about history and this period in history in particular, Antony Beevor's "D-Day" was well worth reading, and I highly recommend it!

*This bit at the end of the book is worth sharing: "The usually tolerant Eisenhower refused to forgive Montgomery for the claims he made after the war. 'First of all he's a psychopath,' Eisenhower exploded in an interview in 1963. 'Don't forget that. He is such an egocentric man--everything he has done is perfect--has never made a mistake in his life.' It was tragic that Montgomery should have thus diverted attention away from his own undoubted qualities and from the sacrifice of his troops, who had held down the vast bulk of the German panzer formations and faced the greatest concentration of 88mm anti-tank guns."

(I'd share some about the behavior of DeGaulle and some other French "leaders," but that could go on for pages. As someone who had a member of the French Resistance in his family, I was happy to see their bravery and sacrifice acknowledged, but some of the others, starting with DeGaulle, behaved abominably.)

View all my reviews

Book Review: "Goodbye to Berlin" by Christopher Isherwood

Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm not sure where to begin. As I'm sure everyone who picks up the book knows, this is the work that spawned the movie and Broadway musical, "Cabaret." There certainly are similarities that carry from one into the other.

With that said, they most certainly aren't the same by any stretch. Yes, "Cabaret" included the Nazis on the march and foreshadowed their antisemitic oppression, but "Goodbye to Berlin" makes clearer how everyday Germans shrugged off the very obvious evil around them and how some applauded it. It is this indifference and even tacit acceptance that is a warning that needs to be heard generation after generation, including the current one, where too many are ready to ignore authoritarian efforts.

Isherwood shares an overheard conversation: "Those Nazis . . . They mean business . . . You mark my words: they're going to clear the Jews right out of Germany. Right out." This is just one example, but clearly, the "we didn't know" crowd, after the Nazis were routed, were as disingenuous as suspected.

Describing a night of Nazi violence, he shares the comments of one of the ladies of his acquaintance: "Frl. Mayr, of course, was delighted: 'Serves them right!' she exclaimed. 'This town is sick with Jews.'"

While describing the difficult circumstances of many Germans in the aftermath of their loss of World War I, it's painfully clear how these circumstances surfaced the very worst impulses.

By the same token, we see the foolishly naive view of some. A lady with whom Isherwood stayed is annoyed at her debt to the local Jewish tailor, despite his having made it possible for her family to purchase his skills by extending her credit. "'When Hitler comes, he'll show these Jews a thing or two.' But when I suggested that Hitler, if he got his own way, would remove the tailor altogether, then Frau Nowak would immediately change her tone: 'Oh, I shouldn't like that to happen. After all, he makes very good clothes. Besides, a Jew will always let you have time if you're in difficulties. You wouldn't catch a Christian giving credit like he does . . . You ask the people round here, Herr Christoph: they'd never turn out the Jews.'"

Of course, we know all too well the horrors that soon would follow. All of this to say, "Goodbye to Berlin," published after Nazi rule was a reality but before their "final solution" came fully to fruition, is an interesting but, of course, deeply disturbing view of Berlin as Germany and the world hurtled towards unspeakable nightmare. If you're expecting a book that will have the bounce of the very catchy "Cabaret," then you'll be disappointed. But if you're interested in the backstory that informed the creation of that catchy musical, together with an interesting historical perspective on a very important time in history, then grab a copy!

View all my reviews