Book Review - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Title - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Author: Mark Twain
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: This is my second time reading this book. The first time was ages ago and I almost forgot how much I enjoy Mark Twain. Listening to this book on Audible narrated by Elijah Wood was a pleasure and I totally recommend it. The fact that this book is on some banned book lists in America prompted me to read it again to see what could possibly make it a banned book. The only thing I could see is it's use of the N word and description of slavery prior to the Civil War. I love this book and think it should be required reading for all Americans. However, I think there should probably be some supervision for younger people due to its liberal use of racial epithets.

Description (Audible): Ernest Hemingway said, “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn". One hundred years after its author’s death, this classic remains remarkably modern and poignantly relevant. In this new edition, Elijah Wood reads Huck in a youthful voice that may be the closest interpretation to Twain’s original intent. His performance captures the excitement and confusion of adolescence and adventure. Best of all, the immediacy of Wood’s energetic reading sweeps listeners up and makes them feel as though they’re along for the ride, as Huck and Jim push their raft toward freedom.

Description (ChatGPT): Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is Mark Twain’s timeless romp down the Mississippi River, where a boy, a runaway slave, and a raft make the perfect recipe for mischief and mayhem. It’s part coming-of-age tale, part social commentary, and all charm. Huck’s sense of morality might be as muddy as the river he’s floating on, but his wit and wisdom are sharper than a Southern summer. Twain’s mix of humor and sharp critique of society is as fresh today as it was in 1884—proving that even the wildest adventures can make you think. Just don’t forget your paddle... or your conscience.

Book Review - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Title - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Author: Mark Twain
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: Mark Twain is one of my favorite authors and listening to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer narrated by Nick Offerman is about as good as it gets. I first read this book ages ago and hardly remembered the story. So it was almost like reading it for the first time. Mark Twain knows how to tell a story like no one else. Like Mark Twains' other book, Adventures of HuckIeberry Finn, Adventures of Tom Sawyer has received alot of critism for its use of offensive racial epithets (N word 219 times) and depection of racism. As a result, both are on some banned book lists. I love this book and think it should be required reading for all Americans. However, I think there should probably be some supervision for kids due to its liberal use of racial epithets. 

Description (Audible): With The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, not even Twain could have known that when he introduced readers to the inhabitants of the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, he would also be introducing two characters - one a clever and mischievous scamp, and the other a carefree, innocent ragamuffin - whose stories would ultimately shape the course of American literature. But whereas its sequel and companion piece, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, would harken an end to childhood, the story of Tom Sawyer is one that depicts the excitement and adventure of boyhood along the Mississippi. Revisit this enduring classic and you will be struck not only by Twain's skill at capturing a time and place so vividly but also by his uncanny ability to crystallize those oftentimes tumultuous and conflicting emotions that a child experiences at the precipice of adulthood: a longing to be free from the rules and obligations of adults while enjoying the laxity inherent in childhood; a love of all things macabre, like blood oaths, cemetery cures, and haunted houses, that reveal a true innocence - an unawareness of real-life consequences and one's own mortality; and the pangs of guilt when knowing the right thing to do and doing the right thing appear to be at odds.

Description (ChatGPT): The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is Mark Twain’s delightful tribute to childhood mischief, where whitewashing fences, treasure hunts, and river escapades make for the perfect recipe for trouble. Tom’s knack for getting into—and out of—scrapes will have you laughing, while his adventures with Huck Finn remind you that growing up is overrated. Twain’s witty commentary on human nature is as sharp as ever, making Tom’s antics not just a childhood romp, but a clever critique of society. So, grab your slingshot, your friends, and dive into a world where imagination always wins over responsibility.

Book Review - Oregon

Title - Oregon
Author: Don Winslow
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍
My Review: This was a short book that popped up as a freebie on my Audible subscription. I've lived in the Pacific Northwest for the last forty-two years so the title caught my attention. Ed Harris is an excellent narrator and the story brought back many memories of growing up in the 1970's and the Vietnam war. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by Don Winslow. 

Description (Audible): It was 1970 in a defeated Rhode Island fishing town. Vietnam and Nixon dominated the national news. Both the near and distant future looked bleak. But they were five inseparable high school friends with something incredible in common: an unwavering resolve to look after each other no matter what hell life threw at them. And they were on a mission. The plan was simple: Go off the grid before they turned 18 to avoid the draft. They’d sell some grass, stack some cash, then head west and start a commune. What could possibly go wrong?

Descriptioin (ChatGPT): Oregon by Don Winslow is a brutal, fast-paced descent into the morally murky depths of the American West. With his signature mix of gritty realism and sharp, noir-inspired dialogue, Winslow crafts a tale of criminals, betrayals, and high-stakes heists that’s as rugged as the land it’s set in. It’s part Western, part crime thriller, and all heartless, proving once again that Winslow knows how to make you question what’s more dangerous: the law or the people who break it. Buckle up—Oregon isn’t a place for the faint of heart.

Book Review - Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds

Title - Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds
Author: Thomas Halliday
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍
My Review: This is an amazing book full of factual information about evolution, biology, botany, geology and every other kind ology you can think of. I found myself getting a little overwhelmed with the amount of information and I probably only absorbed a small fraction. I think my favorite chapter was the last chapter (epilogue) that discusses humans and our role in what is likely the sixth extinction event in the history of Earth.

Description (Audible): This book is an exploration of the Earth as it used to exist, the changes that have occurred during its history, and the ways that life has found to adapt―or not. It takes us from the savannahs of Pliocene Kenya to watch a python chase a group of australopithecines into an acacia tree; to a cliff overlooking the salt pans of the empty basin of what will be the Mediterranean Sea just as water from the Miocene Atlantic Ocean spills in; into the tropical forests of Eocene Antarctica; and under the shallow pools of Ediacaran Australia, where we glimpse the first microbial life.

Otherlands also offers us a vast perspective on the current state of the planet. The thought that something as vast as the Great Barrier Reef, for example, with all its vibrant diversity, might one day soon be gone sounds improbable. But the fossil record shows us that this sort of wholesale change is not only possible but has repeatedly happened throughout Earth history.

Even as he operates on this broad canvas, Halliday brings us up close to the intricate relationships that defined these lost worlds. In novelistic prose that belies the breadth of his research, he illustrates how ecosystems are formed; how species die out and are replaced; and how species migrate, adapt, and collaborate. It is a breathtaking achievement: a surprisingly emotional narrative about the persistence of life, the fragility of seemingly permanent ecosystems, and the scope of deep time, all of which have something to tell us about our current crisis.

Description (ChatGPT): Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds by Thomas Halliday is a thrilling ride through the planet's prehistoric past, where time travel isn't just possible—it's downright awe-inspiring. Halliday invites readers to explore ancient ecosystems that vanished long before humans existed, from vast forests of towering ferns to deserts teeming with bizarre creatures. His prose is rich, vivid, and laced with just the right amount of humor, making extinct worlds feel both alien and strangely familiar. It’s like Jurassic Park, but with more science and less "run for your life" action. A captivating blend of history, imagination, and pure wonder.

Book Review - James: A Novel

Title: James: A Novel 

Author: Percival Evertt
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review:  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one my favorite books by one of my favorite authors, Mark Twain. When I recently found out that there's a version of Adventures Hucklebery Finn written from the point of view of Hucks' enslaved friend Jim, I had to read it.The book is full of surprises and kept me riveted to the very end. I loved this book and highly recommend it. 

Description (Audible): A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view.

Description (ChatGPT): James: A Novel by Ian McGuire is a gripping, no-holds-barred dive into the murky waters of guilt, obsession, and self-destruction. The story of James, a man on the edge of madness, reads like a slow-motion train wreck—painfully fascinating, impossible to look away from. McGuire’s prose is as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting deep into the psyche while leaving just enough flesh to make you squirm. It’s a novel that doesn’t let its protagonist off easy, and neither does it let the reader rest, dragging you through the dark recesses of a tortured soul with a relentless, almost gleeful force. If you like your literature a little raw and unapologetic, this is a perfect plunge into the depths of human complexity. Buckle up—it’s going to be a bumpy, but strangely captivating, ride.

Book Review - The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

Title -The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Author: Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: I used to think a stoic was someone who could endure pain and suffering without complaining. I recently discovered however that stoicism is actually an ancient philosophy founded in Athens Greece by Zeno of Citium. According to Wikipedia, "The Stoics believed that the practice of virtue is enough to achieve eudaimonia: a well-lived life. The Stoics identified the path to achieving it with a life spent practicing the four virtues in everyday life—wisdom, courage, temperance or moderation, and justice—as well as living in accordance with nature."  

I had heard of stoicism through the book "Meditations: A New Translation". So, when I saw this book, I was intrigued. The book has daily quotes, anecdotes and teachings from ancient stoics such as Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus and others that can be read and pondered each day of the year. I especially like that it gives an explanation of each quote and how it relates to modern day life. I love this book and totally recommend it to anyone who seeks to find clarity and meaning in every day life. 

Description (ChatGPT): The Daily Stoic is like a pocket-sized philosopher for your day-to-day life, delivering 366 doses of wisdom that make you feel simultaneously enlightened and mildly guilty for not living up to your full potential. Each meditation is a mix of ancient Stoic wisdom and modern-day application, so you can finally stop stressing about your email inbox and start stressing about becoming a better version of yourself. It’s the philosophical equivalent of adding spinach to your smoothie—good for you, if you can get past the fact that you’re still sipping on something vaguely green.

Book Review - Boone: A Biography

Title - Boone: A Biography
Author: Robert Morgan
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: Daniel Boone was a legend in his own time. I have many fond memories of the old Daniel Boone TV series. I realize the show was not completely accurate. So, it was satisfying to read a historically accurate account of what Daniel Boone was really like. I loved this book and would highly recommend it.     

Description (ChatGPT): "Boone: A Biography" is a compelling and richly detailed account of one of America's most iconic frontiersmen, Daniel Boone. Morgan brings to life the adventurous spirit and rugged determination of Boone, navigating his remarkable journey through the wilderness of the 18th century. The biography is meticulously researched, combining historical fact with evocative storytelling that immerses the reader in the trials and triumphs of Boone’s life. Morgan's narrative skillfully captures both Boone's legendary status as a pioneer and the complexities of his character, including his interactions with Native Americans and settlers. Overall, it is a fascinating exploration of American frontier life, making it a must-read for history buffs and those interested in the stories that shaped the nation.