The Which Way Tree

Wanting to minimize the number of things I have to bring in the house, this is the right time to start reading all of the books I haven’t gotten to yet. I am so glad that I had this one, “The Which Way Tree” by Elizabeth Crook. While the “Tree” in the title and the painting on the cover probably first caught my attention, the comparisons to “True Grit” also drew my interest. An epistolary novel told mostly through the written testaments of a young Benjamin Shreve, per the order of a judge (who through these letters he befriends), he delivers much more than what he knows about a suspected criminal, making that shady character just one part of his and his half-sister’s story.

This book made me think of “Life of Pi” and even “The Jungle Book,” for the adventures with a large, wild cat. Though Samantha Shreve can only think of killing the panther that killed her mother and scarred her face, taking out an apex predator is not usually a good idea. However, this one behaves more like a domestic cat that should never be outside because it’s just killing animals for the sake of killing them, and terrorizing the people in the area. Everyone knows of this particular panther, too, because of its two missing toes, hacked off by Sam’s mother Juda. It turns out there is such a thing as a panther dog (at least in this book), which is equally single-minded in pursuing panthers, and the one that enters this story is a homely one to say the least. Benjamin’s writing has a voice that sounds so clear and true, not to mention likeable, sympathetic. I feel like I watched a movie, when I only read the book. A few particular things I liked were the descriptions of trees, and finding out what the titular which way tree means in this context. This also reflects the knowledge people needed to have in that time and place (Texas, end of the Civil War) about the natural world around them. Plus, the way Benjamin spelled Spanish words phonetically made me smile every time. I am again really glad to have received a copy of this through a Goodreads giveaway. If you are you are fortunate enough to have the means to read them, look for the ebook.

Protecting Pollinators

The coronavirus has changed the world in ways most of us were not expecting; I don’t need to further emphasize its importance and consequences, immediate and future. And yet, climate change continues, and all of those challenges remain. Among everything else tied to climate change, the conservation of pollinator species and the plants they are even more closely tied to also remain in flux. Protecting Pollinators, by Jodi Helmer, is a practical and readable book that covers the issues pollinators face, why they’re important, and what we can do. She explains that they are more than just honeybees and almonds, Monarch butterflies and milkweed, which get the same proportion of attention here as elsewhere. Native bees and other insects, along with hummingbirds and bats are also given their due. Helmer explains, in multiple ways, why native plants are the best choice, and why pesticides can be so detrimental, putting them in context from at-home to larger agricultural scales. The last chapter especially goes into citizen science, and may be the most encouraging portion for readers. While the book is not so much about food, it doesn’t need to be. This book is a concise review of the small animals that work for us, without which we wouldn’t have any food. When these issues are properly taken into consideration, we can hope for better health of the systems that produce our food. And even from home, there are ways we citizens can contribute to conservation efforts.

Thanks go to IslandPress for providing this book in exchange for a review.

The Casket of Time

I really enjoyed The Casket of Time, and found it to be a stirring, thought-provoking book. Sigrun’s leap forward in time is a stunning example, the first of several, of the author’s brilliant imagination, with the simple concept in a why-hasn’t-anyone-thought-of-that turn. While the TimeBoxes themselves, made of spider silk, are hard to picture, the rest of the writing is clear as a movie. Even the absurdity – the magical kingdoms and creatures – all unfold in a realistic way.

The premise of people sealing themselves off from time, until any time later, is a powerful reflection of humans’ inability to take proper leadership and act responsibly on issues that can’t out-wait us. The characters here are likable, and the story within the story, which occupies most of the pages, ties everything together with much satisfaction. Not judging a book by its cover, I do admire this one’s artwork, both the colors and the sketches that suggest the contents within. While reading the book gave me an ominous feeling, having time to reflect later has left me with a deeper takeaway.

Review copy provided courtesy of Restless Books

Upstream

I am a little delayed in finishing this review, but in this crazy and cruel world, Mary Oliver’s writing can help one in some small way. In “Upstream” her essays read like poems, her poems are like essays. More than a sprinkling of pretty words, her thoughts here are longer, the analyses deeper. This collection feels like the use of a camera lens, beginning out of focus, then fitting things together in clarity, and blurry again before reversing and readjusting. There is a sweet spot somewhere in there; you will find it if you look. Having my own familiarity with Cape Cod, I enjoyed reading about its landscapes, the fauna including some pets, and a very brief but kind cultural history of Provincetown, all the way at the end of the arm. Found midstream are a few short life stories of writers important to Oliver: a sympathetic biography of Ralph Waldo, a visual portrait of Edgar Allan Poe, and some words on Whitman and Wordsworth. One of the most memorable descriptions, however, was of snapping turtles eggs she collected, rather than letting a raccoon get to them, and how they felt and tasted, scrambled. I’ve been thinking about and doing a lot of photography lately, so like I said, where you choose to find focus, in photography and in reading, you can find whatever you’re looking for.

Warp

Not at all related to “The Magicians,” Lev Grossman’s newly re-published novella “Warp” does have similar characters and voices. Hollis (full name Hollister?) Kessler is a lot like Quentin, but again, they live in different worlds. I call it a novella because it is a bit short to be a full novel. And, that said, the book had promise – a lot more could have happened, if it had been longer, or even extended into a series. It was more like a very long short story or a string of very short short stories. There is also a sub-text, which I did not read very much into. I interpreted this as being Hollis’s thoughts: the things he thought but did not say. Perhaps he was an aspiring writer, and those were some of the things he would have committed to paper, or if not practice writing in his head, the rest are memorable lines from pop culture (if that also includes sci-fi). Why the book is called “Warp,” then, isn’t really explained.

The Invoice

A little book you can read in an evening, “The Invoice” is charming and curious. Comparisons to Kafka are fitting, as our hero is rolled into an undertaking with little control over how to get out of it. The W.R.D. is in the process of a global redistribution of wealth, and every person is evaluated individually, to pay or receive their fair share. The exact methods are cryptic but reportedly very accurate. “Experienced happiness” is one metric brought up, and this is not a reflection of money or possessions, but experiences themselves. Our man, then, who makes the most of every situation and is content with his life, is invoiced for more than he could ever afford. Calling the number on a form, he talks with Maud, who after repeated calls becomes a lifeline in effect. The language author Jonas Karlsson employs starts off very simple, but as the story moves along, both the plot and the narration become more complex. A recommendation: as this book is set in the heat of summer, read then if possible, though at other times this will still feel good.

Note: I received a free copy of this title through BloggingForBooks in exchange for an honest review.

Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast

Everyone I’ve told about this book has said “that sounds very specific,” and indeed this is a niche book. I don’t live near the redwood coast, but rather on the other side of the country, so this isn’t something I’d be consulting any time soon, if ever. But why I wanted to check out this book, besides being interested in field guides and all things natural history, was that there might be some overlap with mushrooms in the northeast. Certainly there are at least some fungi that are so widely distributed one could find them on opposite coasts. The diversity of fungi is overwhelming, so it’s hard to know where to start. I have a thought, though, that if you want to discover a new species – of any organism – the easiest place to look would be fungi. Then you can name what you find however you’d like. But you have to know what to look for, where to look, and make sure it hasn’t been described already. But back to the book.

Donny Hathaway Live

I’m always sad when I ask people if they know Donny Hathaway’s music and they haven’t heard of him. So much about his biography is sad, but I don’t want to dwell on that. If his music is sad, it is also optimistic, and the messages are just as relevant today. Finally there is a book on this great musician for the world to read (there is some poetry out there, too, so this is really the first nonfiction). I always believe the best way to learn about music is to listen, but reading always helps you know what to listen for. In the 33 1/3 series, Emily J. Lordi chose to write about “Donny Hathaway Live” to represent this artist.

Cuba!

Here is a book that could be worth getting just for the photography, but also a book about food and culture that happens to have recipes. The recipes in Cuba! come from the three authors’ trips to the island, what they learned there, and how they can be made here. Unless you’re a real foodie with a decent budget, most people would realistically find one or a few recipes here to actually make; although, because of the simplicity of the ingredients, there is a higher percentage of “doable” recipes than in other niche cookbooks. Whether you make one, none, or many of these recipes, having this kind of book lets us learn more about cuisine and culture that we might not otherwise know much about, and is colorful joy to look through.

Whisper Not

Benny Golson is one of the best composers in the history of jazz, so it’s not surprising that his autobiography is also one of the best in writing. Credit goes too to Golson’s friend Jim Merod, for making this into a very entertaining book, and a master class in jazz. I didn’t know much about Benny Golson, but had the understanding that he is a good person respected by everyone who has worked with him, and the tenor saxophonist who penned some unique tunes in the jazz repertoire.

Photographs from the Edge

There are only so many words that can be used to describe light and conditions for taking a photo, yet it is said that a picture is worth a thousand words – but why stop there? Photos speak for themselves, in as many or as few words as the viewer feels like. Knowing what to look for, or how the picture was composed, of course adds food for thought. “Photographs from the Edge” is a new book by Art Wolfe, with Rob Sheppard, that tells a lot of stories in a selection of beautiful photos, and also in the words behind them.

Beyond Words

“Beyond Words” by Carl Safina is a wide-ranging book. How do I begin to say what it’s about? “What is consciousness like for other animals?” is one central question, explored in many ways. This book deals with misconceptions, even in the scientific community. Humans really are not that different from other animals, and the mind and many other traits have deep roots from common ancestors. The author often ends a section with a line about things that might “make us human.” He shows, too, how if something is found not only in humans but also in other organisms, it doesn’t make sense for that to be a defining human characteristic. For a scientist of Safina’s stature, just to write and research such a book is notable. Beliefs about human exceptionalism are so common yet not based on any evidence (he even singles out philosophers, saying they have no data), and it’s time we lose our bias and become more scientific.

Though a relatively long book, at close to 500 pages, my recommendation is that this is definitely worth reading. The conversational tone makes this suitable for readers of any background. If it seems repetitive, thus making for a longer read, that is made up for by the content, that is so interesting, and so much information everyone would be better for knowing. He provides multiple definitions or rephrases things to ensure the reader will understand – we’re not just given one cold offering. He really takes the time to fully explain concepts. I took a lot of notes, so for a long book, here’s my long review.

Punderdome

Here is my first review of a non-book: Punderdome, a card game. The creators say the objective is to make the most groan-worthy pun, although if I were the host, I’d give higher points to the most clever pun – sometimes puns are cheap or overused, so usually the less predictable is better, in my opinion. If you’ve watched a show like @midnight, you’ve seen the instantaneousness of pun generating (of course, those are professional comedians) – so 90 seconds, or 120 if you won the first round, might be a little long, but in that time you can come up with several puns and choose the one you like best. Having bad jokes on each card could help keep the players in a punderous state of mind, and there is a card of “just for pun!” examples if more inspiration is needed. While mostly a card game, there is the addition of two mystery envelopes, keeping with the game-show vibe. If you don’t have anything on hand to give away, I think it’d be just as funny to write something imaginary that would make a bad – or good – prize. I like the suggestion of having one awesome prize in one envelope and something terrible in the other. And depending on who you’re playing with, something that could go either way – say a CD of Yanni’s “Greatest Hits.”

Until We Are Free

What at first feels like a collection of disconnected events becomes a more linked memoir of Shirin Ebadi’s ongoing efforts for human rights, and her life after receiving her well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize. Unable to keep her judgeship in Iran, she was still able to practice law, and it is clear from her interactions with anyone working against her that she excelled at this. She knows very well how the system operates, having learned the hard way, but this makes her stronger and better prepared to bring about justice. She is a human like any of us, and includes the details she remembers from her home country, the food, the sounds, the interiors of buildings where she worked, the way people presented themselves. Even though she is exile, and the intelligence ministry has done unthinkable things to try to stop her, she continues to work for what is right.

Women in Science

Very inspiring! is one way to describe “Women in Science,” an awesome new book by Rachel Ignotofsky. Reading this reminded me why I wanted to be a scientist in the first place. The excitement of discovery, defying the status quo, and the positive impact of applying scientific findings to benefit communities. Not only were these women brilliant scientists, they worked just as hard to advance social causes, and to apply their findings to the betterment of humanity.

The Man Who Touched His Own Heart

“The Man Who Touched His Own Heart” is the kind of book so good you’ll be re-telling some of these stories to your friends and family the whole time you’re reading. It’s a good thing I’m not so squeamish anymore – and a wonder I was a biology major – but after a few chapters, I found myself adjusted and just absorbed in the fascinating complexity of the circulatory system, and the adventurous history of how we came to understand what we now know about it. Like the titular character (that was one story I had to share multiple times), these are people who went into new territory at times when doing so was unthinkable. Many of them used their own bodies when no other options were available, and all sought, with a vision, a solution to a known problem. The progress of medical knowledge had slow beginnings, with frustratingly long gaps and setbacks, even the delayed inclusion of women and people of color to contribute. Now this pace seems accelerated, where many of the discoveries described in this book are commonplace, made into standard practice – where available, as the author takes care to point out: the world is still not equitable.

Beaks, Bones, and Bird Songs

Birds are amazing, and not just because of Roger Lederer’s (or my) bias. His new “Beaks, Bones, and Bird Songs” is a comprehensive book about birds, not limited to the elements mentioned in its title. In particular, he explains the evolved physical and behavioral characteristics of these animals and why they’re important in the face of threats ranging from the immediate to long-term. There is always a trade-off, a disadvantage for every advantage. However, it’s not a totally bleak picture: how adaptable birds can be comes up many times in many ways. Plus, there are many unknowns, meaning more areas for future research, which can help inform conservation.

Genesis

In jazz, the Real Book is the standard book of standards, where each song takes up one page, sometimes two. Here in “Genesis” Eduardo Galeano follows a similar layout, but rather than sheet music for popular songs, it is condensed history of the Americas. This is the first of three volumes in his Memory of Fire trilogy. The first part of this volume is only about a fifth of the whole. It begins with pre-Columbian myths, and with the history that follows, is neither fiction nor nonfiction. 1492-1700 are the years, up to the near-present by the end of the trilogy. Not everything happens in South America nor is even limited to the Western hemisphere: certain momentous occasions in Europe fit in the timeline as well. I found that if you only read one or two of these one-page stories at a time, it is not easy to follow, and perhaps a little too disconnected for one book. However, this is unlike anything I’ve ever read, and for a serious student of Latin American history, Galeano’s work is classic. Keep an eye out for these e-books, as they are sometimes on sale for significant discounts.

The Drawing Lesson

This is just what I needed. I read “The Drawing Lesson” in pretty much one sitting and will be reading it again and again. I draw birds and stuff – mostly birds. Like everyone else, I want to develop my own style, but I also needed more info on some of the basics in visual art. For example, what author Mark Crilley calls “negative space” (this is probably the common term in professional art), which is like the pieces of the picture that don’t really have interesting details yet hold the whole drawing together. One thing that makes this such a helpful book is how it summarizes each lesson and builds upon all previous lessons.

Chronicle of a Last Summer

“Chronicle of a Last Summer” stands out for its modern structure. Rather than writing about what happens in the book, I can write what is in the book, since events are secondary to periods of time. The narrator, whose name never surfaces, lives in Cairo in a family house she describes as being like a castle, in relative socioeconomic privilege. The house is unchanged through all the nameless revolutions and power turnovers from one dictator to the next, through all the family deaths and disappearances.