Good Books

I’ve been reading a lot lately beyond my usual psychology and religion stuff. (Anyone up for Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder? My quick review: It’s a little dry.) There are so many great books out there that I can’t possibly get to all of them. I have read some excellent ones lately, so I want to pass along a few recommendations. 

These are in no particular order. 

The Orchid Thief (Susan Orlean) – I recently wrote a post on orchids, and vaguely remembered hearing about this book, so I borrowed it from the library. It is ostensibly the story of a man who is obsessed with orchids and accused of stealing protected plants from the Everglades. But this book deals with much more than just this one event. It paints a picture of an entire culture that has developed around tropical plants and delves into how philosophy, law, tradition, and psychology are all intertwined in this group. Here’s a quote from the book:

“I suppose that is exactly what I was doing in Florida, figuring out how people found order and contentment and a sense of purpose in the universe by fixing their sights on one single thing or one belief or one desire. Now I was also trying to understand how someone could end such intense desire without leaving a trace.” This is a fascinating story, and Orlean describes things so vividly that I could smell the landscape. Recommended. 

A Man Called Intrepid (William Stephenson) – This is the true story of spycraft before and during World War II, and its effects on the outcome of the war. I learned a great deal from this book, including how reluctant Americans were to enter the war prior to Pearl Harbor, and how frequent secret communications occurred between the British and the U.S. The author of the James Bond books, Ian Fleming, was a real British operative, and makes an appearance in the book. This is a detailed history, but it held my interest. 

Stories of Your Life And Others (Ted Chiang) – If you enjoy science fiction, this book is for you. Chiang writes some outlandish stories, but they maintain a sense of humanity that draws you in. I found myself both surprised and engaged by his writing. Each story stands on its own, with situations as varied as encounters with aliens, an interpretation of time, and the rise of something like AI. This is one of those books that gets me thinking, and keeps popping back into my head. 

Hamnet (Maggie O’farrell) – This is a beautifully written but tragic story of a famous playwright who is clearly meant to be Shakespeare, but never named, and the loss of his son to the bubonic plague. This story moves back and forth between the early relationship of the playwright and his soon-to-be wife, and the intense changes in the marriage and his artistic work after the death of their son. O’farrell develops richly imagined characters and allows us to witness the terrible stresses that they feel while attempting to move on with their lives. This is a lovely work of fiction. 

Less (Andrew Sean Greer) – Arthur Less is a fictional character so different from my own experience that I was surprised to find that his story illuminated some of my own struggles. Less is a gay writer who has lost what he thought was his one true love, and is wrestling with his lack of literary success. He embarks on a series of misadventures that are at times hilarious and poignant. While the plot of the book feels like a rom-com with a touch of slapstick, I couldn’t help but be touched by the wonderful descriptions of Less’s inner life — the self-questioning voice that is unwanted but never too far off. This novel won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and in my estimation, it was well-deserved. 

The Lacuna (Barbara Kingsolver) – Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. Readers of this blog know that I have a strong interest in Mexico, and that’s where this book starts. While the main character  Harrison William Shepherd is completely fictional, he interacts with Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Leon Trotsky and the history of the 1920s and 1930s as Kingsolver weaves her tale. The book uses actual clippings from the news of the period to ground the story, and Shepherd becomes caught up in an anti-Communist witch-hunt. I love the way Kingsolver writes her descriptions of the ocean, food, and relationships, but what makes this book really special for me are her overarching themes of love and justice.