–> The American Revolution: A History by Gordon S Wood

The American Revolution is no stranger to the tug and pull of partisan cheerleading posing as scholarship (not to say that some of that cheerleading isn’t accurate and worthwhile). I am sure that those with strong interest and/or knowledge in the subject would say that Gordon S. Wood has a bias and/or “a take” on many of the issues involved but he attempts in this book not to make this a moralistic story of right and wrong but instead views “how the Revolution came about, what its character was, and what its consequences were” as “the questions this brief history seeks to answer.”

In my opinion Wood gives a great overview of the historical, political, and intellectual ideas and events that make up this fascinating time in our country’s history. He does so in a way that is accessible to the average reader but that is still thought provoking and interesting.

–> The American Cause By Russell Kirk

If you were looking for a succinct and well-written primer on traditional American conservatism and the enduring values of the American Founders, you would be hard pressed to do better than The American Cause by Russell Kirk. Henry Regnery originally published this short work in 1957 during the early days of the Cold War. It was later republished in 1966 in the heart of the revolutionary 1960’s. The Intercollegiate Studies Institute has recently decided to again publish this short but timely work. Kirk scholar, and speech writer for former Michigan Governor John Engler, Gleaves Whitney has edited the volume and provided an introduction and afterword. The original work had a heavy emphasis on communism and the communist threat that was appropriate to its time. Whitney has seen to abbreviate or generalize some of the focus on communism as such.

This helps to preserve the meat of the book and to limit the distraction of dated political issues. Much discussion remains about communism as an ideology but Whitney’s editing prevents the work from being seen as merely an anti-communist polemic. The result is a book that is still very pertinent to today’s conflicts. In fact, Kirk’s succinct description of American exceptionalism remains one of the most clearly written and eloquently argued synopses of traditional conservatism around.

–> What Would the Founders Do by Richard Brookhiser

The ever brilliant Richard Brookhiser’s latest work, What Would the Founders Do?, seems well suited to be read this weekend. In WWFD Brookhiser uses his witty and urbane style to outline what the Founding Fathers might think about a variety of issues confronting us today.

If you need something to read on the beach or on the porch swing but you prefer history to the typical summer fare of thrillers or romance novels, Brookhiser would be a good choice.

–> Saratoga by John Luzador

The Battle of Saratoga – the pivotal, some say the most important, battle of the Revolutionary War.  It conjures up images of the British march through the wilds that took weeks to travel a few miles and of Benedict Arnold coming to the rescue of the Americans.  These events and many more are covered in detail in John Luzador’s Saratoga: A Military History of the Decisive Campaign of the American Revolution.

I hope all of you have a safe and wonderful 4th of July weekend!

Here is a synopsis of the book (in part) from its publisher:

He was the most controversial American general in World War II–and also one of the most successful, courageous, and audacious. As a post-war administrator of defeated Germany, he sounded alarm bells about the dangers of Soviet encroachment into Europe.  Politically, he was a lightning rod–an outspoken conservative who continually embarrassed his superiors with his uncensored, undiplomatic, and unrestrained comments to the press. He was General George S. Patton Jr., old Blood and Guts.

In 1945, shortly before he was to fly home to the states as a conquering hero, he was involved in a mysterious car crash that left him partially paralyzed.

Two weeks later, just as his doctors were about to send him home to finish his recovery, he was dead.

The army ruled the car crash an accident, his death natural. Yet witness testimony on the crash conflicted, key players in the incident disappeared, official reports vanished, soldiers were ordered to keep silent, and there was no autopsy performed on the body.

Investigative and military reporter Robert Wilcox, author of Black Aces High and Wings of Fury, has spent more than ten years investigating these mysteries, and in Target: Patton he has written an electrifying account of the shocking circumstances–long hidden from the public–surrounding the death of America’s most famous general.

This is a very well-written and researched book.  Wilcox clearly did his homework when he wrote this book.  I am amazed at the amount of information that he puts in writing.  All of this information is well-organized for the most part -  a few times Wilcox’s tangents could have been pared back.  I particularly think that the parts of the book regarding the infiltration of the Soviet spies into our political hierarchy is fascinating.

Two of the more interesting aspects of the assassination theory revolve around  Office of Strategic Services (OSS) agent Douglas Bazata and Counter Intelligence Corps (the U.S. Army intelligence in World War II)  agent Stephen Skubik.  Bazata claims that he was recruited by General William Donovan – Director of OSS – to help assassinate Patton.  Although he has nothing to support his claim other than his own words, Bazata claims it was a clandestine operation that was approved by the higher elements of the U.S. Army command.  Wilcox supports Bazata’s claims about Donovan by stating several instances where Donovan’s motives are suspect.

Skubik’s claims are a little more solid than Bazata’s claims.  At the end of World War II, Skubik was approached by several Ukrainians stating that the Soviets were plotting to kill Patton because of his controversial comments about taking on the Soviets after defeating the Germans.  By citing Skubik’s book and other sources, Wilcox provides an aborbing glimpse into the immediate post-World War II political environment of Europe.  According to Wilcox, the Soviets reigned supreme with their highly developed spy network while the Allies were more than willing to bend over backwards to appease the Soviets in order to avoid conflict.  This appeasement led to many betrayals of possible allies in Eastern Europe and possibly the acquisence to the assiassination of Patton (more on that below).

After reading this and digesting the plethora of information that Wilcox provides, I am not sure what to believe.   Many of the questions that Wilcox brings forth have not been answered, including – (1) all known reports (at least five) on the accident are missing – where are they?; (2) there are several persons who were either involved in the accident or investigated it – their whereabouts are unknown or it is not known why they were not questioned more thoroughly; (3) why did Patton want guards outside his hospital room?; and (4) why was no one else who was in the car injured as seriously as Patton?

I have never been a conspiracy person, but these unanswered questions make me wonder.  I still find it hard to believe that American military and political leaders would sell out one of our own, but I also may not totally understand the attitudes at that time.

Even if you have doubts about Wilcox’s arguments, you will thoroughly enjoy the spy stories and intrigue.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Mercurio’s third novel is a riveting imagining of the inner life of a satyrlike John F. Kennedy, referred to as the subject, as he beds a steady stream of starlets, interns and prostitutes. Kennedy’s well-known insatiable and sometimes comical philandering is juxtaposed against his often cruel relationship with Jacqueline, his brilliance as a statesman (excerpts from his actual speeches are included) and devotion as a father, offering a unique portrait of a powerful yet stricken and conflicted man. The villains are the methamphetamine-prescribing doctors and the bloodthirsty American generals pushing the world to the brink of Armageddon. JFK’s contemporaries are also cast in provocative roles, with the coke-sniffing Marilyn Monroe plotting to be first lady, the mobbed-up Frank Sinatra and Kennedy’s Soviet counterpart—a peace-seeking Nikita Khrushchev—all making memorable appearances. Kennedy has figured prominently in hundreds of books, but Mercurio’s take on the subject is fresh, bold and provocative.

–> Two of the Deadliest: New Tales of Lust, Greed, and Murder from Outstanding Women of Mystery by Elizabeth George

Publishers Weekly

George’s all-original anthology showcases 18 stories by established women mystery writers and five by relative unknowns. While not every entry is a winner, the wide variety of styles and settings will please most mystery fans. Especially strong are Linda Barnes’s Catch Your Death, a classic tale of love gone wrong told by an appealing narrator, and Stephanie Bond’s satisfyingly twisty Bump in the Night. In Gold Fever, Dana Stabenow fits quick characterizations, an exotic locale (Alaska) and a tidy plot into a few pages. Marcia Talley’s tightly written Can You Hear Me Now is modest in ambition—but who doesn’t like to see a rude cellphone user get his comeuppance? Among the newcomers, Z. Kelley’s Anything Helps is particularly notable for its charm. Other contributors include Carolyn Hart, Laura Lippman and S.J. Rozan.

–> The Divorce Party: A Novel by Laura Dave

From the Publisher

Laura Dave is widely recognized as an up-and-coming talent in women’s fiction. Now, with her characteristic wit and warmth, she captures a much-discussed cultural phenomenon that has never been profiled in fiction before—divorce celebrations. Set in Hamptons high society, The Divorce Party features two women—one newly engaged and one at the end of her marriage—trying to answer the same question: when should you fight to save a relationship, and when should you let go?

An insightful and funny multi-generational story, this deeply moving novel is sure to touch anyone whose heart has weathered an unexpected storm.

Here is the publisher’s blurb to give you a feel for the plot:

In just three years, CEO Robbie Case has grown Core Communications, a data technology company, from 30 people to over 5,000. Now a $20 billion company made legendary by its sudden success, Core is based on a technology no other company can come close to copying, a revolutionary breakthrough known as drawing blood from a mainframe. And Robbie, its 35-year-old CEO, is acclaimed worldwide for his vision, leadership and wealth. Except that all of it is based on a lie. The technology doesn t work, the finances are built on a Ponzi scheme of stock sales and shell corporations, and Robbie is struggling to keep the company alive, to protect the friends who work for him and all that they ve built. Each day, Robbie tries to push the catastrophe back a little further, while his employees believe that they are all moving closer to grace, the day their stock options vest, when they will be made rich for their faith and loyalty and hard work.

In essence what Barnes has attempted is to get inside the mind of high tech con man.  What type of person does this sort of thing?  What would it be like to be at the center of such a scheme?  Robbie Case is his attempt at flushing this out; an answer in the form of a character.

I found Shimmer to be unlike almost any other book I have read. It was interesting and entertaining but there was something about it that didn’t quite click.

The book is a techno thriller in a sense (plot focused on suspense with technology at the heart, etc.) but it is also a deeply psychological book and it lacks the action one usually associates with a thriller.  The entire book takes place in one building for the most part and concerns the daily operations of a technology company.

There are basically two intertwined plot threads.  One is the central hook of Core Communications being based on technological fraud and Case’s frantic efforts to keep it from collapsing.  This is what gives the book its drive and provides the suspense.  It also gives what seems like an accurate portrayal of the never ending pressure that prevails at such a company; the never ending stream of communication, meetings, to do lists, crises to avert, etc.

The secondary thread deals with the psychology behind Case or his internal life: his unhealthy relationship with his cousin Trevor; his addiction to high end prostitutes; his relationships with the senior managers at Core; and his own exploration of why he agreed with this giant deception and whether he wants it to end.

The first part is well done.  Barnes drops you in on this ticking time bomb and allows the reader to experience the pressure as the con-man tries to play out the con for as long as he can. As the pressure escalates you get almost a claustrophobic feeling as events begin to close in on Case and you wonder how long he can keep his secret.

Barnes adds in to the mix a nice collection of secondary characters at Core.  And as noted, it provides an interesting portrait of the high-tech high pressure business world; people who feed off the adrenaline and lure of money that comes from these jobs even as they realize it is eating up their families and preventing them from living a life approaching normalcy.

The second aspect I found more problematic.  Perhaps it is just my prudish nature, but I found the sections dealing with Case’s engagement with high end call girls off-putting.  Maybe it was Barnes intention but they were creepy and often downright disturbing.  Other than further indicating that Case’s life had gone off the rails, I am not sure what they added to the plot.

There is definitely a contrast going on between the hard work, dedication,a nd talent on display at Core and the underlying deception involved and Cases fragile mental state.  Case ends up spending four months without leaving the building (he lives on a separate floor at Core headquarters) and sleeps only a few hours at a time; mostly on his office couch.  His entire live becomes subsumed into the need to keep the company, and the giant lie at its heart, going.

But the darker side of Case is often hard to reconcile with the friendship, loyalty, and success that seems to be at the heart of Core’s senior managers.  Barnes also provides little explanation on how someone as troubled and off-kilter as Case manages to function at such a high level for so long with very little sleep.  This stretches belief at times.

The book’s ambiance if you will was creepy and tense. Sometimes this worked others it just felt jarring.

And these two threads come together in the conclusion.  From a purely structural stand point the conclusion “works” in that it brings the plot to a resolution.  But in light of the larger psychological thrust of the book, I found the ending a bit of a cop-out.

I won’t spoil it for you but, while it wasn’t exactly a happily-ever-after type ending, it was a little too neat for me.  Barnes seems to be offering a larger cultural commentary on the nature of business and work but it wasn’t a particularly satisfying character – emotionally or psychologically – resolution for me.

But credit Barnes for taking a creative idea and exploring it in an interesting way.  Shimmer is an entertaining suspenseful read and a unique fictional look at the world of high tech bubbles and corporate fraud.

Here is the description from the publishers:

Donita K. Paul’s 250,000-plus-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles series has attracted a wide spectrum of dedicated fans–and they’re sure to fall in love with the new characters and adventures in her latest superbly-crafted novel for all ages. It’s a mind-boggling fantasy that inhabits the same world as the DragonKeeper Chronicles, but in a different country and an earlier time, where the people know little of Wulder and nothing of Paladin.

In The Vanishing Sculptor, readers will meet Tipper, a young emerlindian who’s responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate during her sculptor father’s absence. Tipper soon discovers that her actions have unbalanced the whole foundation of her world, and she must act quickly to undo the calamitous threat. But how can she save her father and her world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions–including the nearly five-foot tall parrot Beccaroon–and eventually witnesses the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder. Through Tipper’s breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.

Interestingly enough, the first and last sentences above are points worth discussing. I missed the strong connection to the Dragon Keeper Chronicles when I first started reading and I think this had an impact on my experience.  And I also think the last sentence (re: the beauty of knowing and serving God) over-states things a bit.

More on those issues, and more, below.I will admit that the first issue tripped me up a bit and it is really my fault. I have not read the Dragon Keeper books nor was I aware of Paul’s writing before reading Vanishing Sculptor.  For some reason it didn’t register that this book is set in the same world but in a different country and time. Although, this is a stand alone book I have a feeling reading the earlier series would provide a lot of helpful background and ease the reader into the universe Paul has created.

I am not sure if it was a result of this misunderstanding or background but I found Vanishing hard to get into. Paul just drops you into this world with no real background or introduction.  You meet Sir Beccaroon the parrot guardian and Tipper the “emerlindian” and the story slowly unfolds.  But the fictional universe is never really explained or flushed out.  You just have to try and figure it out as you go along.  There is an appendix with a cast of characters and a glossary, but this doesn’t help to “set the scene”.

My suspicion is that if you are familiar with the larger DKP universe than getting your bearings in this latest book is a lot easier. The story is a classic quest adventure.  Tipper, her father – the vanishing sculptor of the title – and a collection of interesting characters are seeking to reunite three sculptures that have caused upheaval in the structure of her country.  Their adventure involves small dragons with healing powers as well as more traditional riding dragons; magical wizards; the help of a the Paladin; and some evil henchmen determined to stop them.  In the end, the quest will involve no only healing the rift that is causing Tipper’s father to disappear but also the family rift that has kept her family banished from the royal court.

The ingredients for this adventure make for an interesting story and the world of Chiril is an intriguing setting.  Paul introduces some good characters as well.  The wizard Fenworth and his librarian assistant are mysterious, comical, and philosophical; which make for an entertaining blend.  And the concept of the dragon keeper as paladin ads a sense of mystery.

But to me the story seemed a bit thin at times.  The last third is by far the strongest section as the action comes to a head.  But for the first two thirds the quest lacks the kind of rising action or suspense that pulls the reader forward.  It alternates between travel, action, and character development but never really builds on the various parts but instead meaders.

I also found both Beccaroon and Tipper to be fairly irritating characters; Bec haughty and easily offended while Tipper seems prone to pout and whine.  Perhaps this is shallow on my part, but I tend to struggle with characters like this even as I understand that it might be an accurate portrayal of a girld her age and in her circumstances.

Lastly – finally, I hear you saying – the book didn’t really have the impact implied by the publishers blurb: “Through Tipper’s breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.”

Although there is subtle notion of this in the Wulder thread, I am not sure the theme comes through as clearly as that.  Again, I can’t help but wonder if knowing the Dragon Keeper series would make this element more clear.  But if you picked this book up looking for a sort of Christian allegory or fable I think you would be disappointed.

So.  What to make of all this?  My recommendation would be to read the Dragon Keepers Chronicles first.  If you enjoy the world and style they offer then you can move on to The Vanishing Sculptor.  While I found it intriguing, and entertaining in parts, this book felt too disconnected and thin without a larger context in which to put it.  I am assuming that context is The Dragon Chronicles.

BTW, I would love to hear from any who have read the earlier series.

One of my oft repeated phrases is: “Better late than never.”  The sad fact is that I have all too many chances to utter it.  I bring this up because it seems a perfect application to this review.  Those bloggers who are organized and on top of things tend to offer reviews when a topic, book, or author is in the news and/or the hot topic of conversation.

While The Shack is still the topic of conversation around the country and around the world, the story is by now well know and thoroughly debated. (See this New York Times article for a flavor)

I first read the book back when it was much more a burgeoning phenomenon but never got around to putting my thoughts and reactions down in pixels.  But when my church’s Sunday School class offered this as one of its book discussions I decided to go back and resist it.

For those of you unfamiliar with the book here is a brief description:

Mackenzie Allen Philips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever.

After a second reading, I found that while its literary merit left a lot to be desired, and its theology was shaky in parts, as a whole it was a thought provoking and worthwhile read.

Below I will look at the book’s literary, theological, and philosophical implications. I’m not sure this matters at this point, but there will be “spoilers” involved.The first thing that needs to be said is that as a “novel” the book fails.  It isn’t that the action leading up to, and following, the encounter with the Trinity that makes up the bulk of the book isn’t interesting in some ways, or even well done in places, it is that it really isn’t a novel at all.  Oh sure, if you want to get hyper-technical it is a “fictional prose narrative of considerable length” aka a novel.  But really the story isn’t the focus or point of the prose.

To me the book is really a conceptualization or thought experiment.  It uses fiction and story form to help readers challenge their assumptions and think about theology and spirituality in different ways.  Dinner with a Perfect Stranger and God’s Debris are two – very different – examples that come to mind. Didactism first story only as need to allow for dialog, etc.

Not surprisingly then, if you are looking for literary merit in the traditional sense you likely won’t find it in The Shack.  There isn’t much plot, suspense, deft description, character development, etc.

What there is a lot of is emotion.  Given the author’s background and the subject this is also not surprising.  Sometimes the emotion leads to evocative, and even powerful prose, and sometimes it leads to an overly cheesy style.  On balance I didn’t find the style distracting or off-putting – because I wasn’t really looking for literature – but obviously people’s tastes will differ on this aspect.

In the heart of the book Mack encounters The Trinity in the form of a African-American woman, a Jewish carpenter, and an Asian women with a hard to pin down quality (God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit).  Over the course of a weekend Mack interacts with and learns from these manifestations of God.  Basically, the interactions are physical representations of his spiritual healing and growth. Whether his encounter actually happened or is the result of drugs administered after a nearly fatal car crash is left unanswered (more on this later). If you are interested in theology and spirituality I think these are interesting and engaging chapters

And to me this highlights that the point of the book is to explore the theology of the Christian’s response to pain and suffering.  While there are tangential aspects dealing with the problem of evil, the real focus is how does a person of faith deal with life altering pain or suffering.

And if there was one insight I think the book offers is the way it portrays, and works through, how it is necessary to really believe God is good in order to trust him.  Now many Christians might casually think “Of course, God is good. This is part of his nature.”  But anyone who has suffered, or struggles with questions of justice, might not have fulled unpacked their emotions and deeper feelings.  This is the case with Mack.

In a critical section where Mack is discussing his spiritual growth, Papa tells him:

The real underlying flaw in your life, Mackenzie, is that you don’t think I am good.  If you knew that I was good and that everything – the means, the ends, and the processes of individual lives – is all covered by my goodness, then while  you might not always understand what I am doing, you would trust me.  But you don’t.

I think this is a very valuable idea to contemplate. I find it is a bigger problem then most people might think.  A proper understanding of God’s character and a true belief in those characteristics is crucial to not only good theology but spiritual growth.  Once Mach wrestles with this he is able to remove some the blocks and see growth.

I don’t have time to get into all the other theological issues involved (for the most popular critique see this review), but I wanted to note that the over-arching flaw I saw is the emotionalism of much of the interactions Mack has with God.  Mack always seems to ask the right questions and God in various forms is so attractive and loving that Mack is immediately drawn in and able to tackle his most serious issues.

There is a great deal of emotion, and a sort of romanticism, tied up in these interactions.  But they leave out the complications and difficulties people so often struggle with “real life.”  Sure, envisioning some of this discussion in a fictional way might help people see things differently, and think about issues they might not otherwise have, but after you put the book down you don’t have a physical Papa, Jesus or Sarayu to interact with nor do you have the incrediably beautiful and peaceful setting in which to do it.  In many ways the shack is helpful in helping people work through these emotions but in other ways it uses emotions in place of the necessary hard work of spiritual growth.

The other aspect I found the most unsatisfying is the books discussion of hierarchy and authority.  At times the Trinity describes relationships – with God and others – as a sort of radical egalitarian, near anarchical, structure where everyone gives up their will to power and submits to others.  And again, there is some insight and truth to some of this philosophical perspective.  Faith is not about power in the traditional sense (political, economic, social, etc.) and there is a very real danger of coming to worship institutions and rules rather than the God they are supposed to point us toward.

But ultimately the loosely laid out ideas that are touched on in the book leave you with a mistaken notion of how human beings actually opperate; and more dangerously the idea that the phrase “all God wants is a relationship with us” captures the true nature of God.  At times it is an overly-touchy feely Opraphied sort of perspective which distracts from the more orthodox, and insightful, sections.

I have always had a lot of problems with the Christianity isn’t a religion type thinking.  As if spreading the Gospel all over the world could be accomplished without organization or structure. As if human beings can function in the long term without habits, processes, and institutions that help guide them.  Just because institutions fail doesn’t mean we don’t need them.

To wrap this overly long review up, I think The Shack is an interesting read that has some theological insights and packs some emotional punch but leans toward emotionalism and lacks coherence on a few issues.  I don’t think it is a threat to orthodoxy as some seem to think, but neither do I think it should be the basis for spiritual guidance on its own.

It has obviously touched a nerve and that should be explored. Think of it as a conversation starter instead of a book with answers.

Since becoming a book reviewer/blogger – and as my life has grown busy with kids, work, etc. – I have gotten more comfortable in not finishing books.  I guess I have less time to waste and so feel less charitable towards bad books.

But it isn’t always a bad book either.  Sometimes a book just doesn’t work for me at the time.  I am not able to focus on it or my mood doesn’t match the book’s style or form. Sometimes things just don’t click and I find it necessary to abandon a book or keep reading out of guilt.

I thought it might be interesting, as a sort of confession, to offer five books I have failed to finish in the last year or so. At least this way the books get a little publicity (there’s no such thing as bad, right?).

Here is my list:

1. Amerika: The Missing Person: A New Translation, Based on the Restored Text by Franz Kafka.  This is one of those that I don’t blame the book so much as my inability to focus.  When I picked this up I had a lot going on and was only reading it in small snippets before bed.  I just never got into it and so put it aside.  I still plan to read it in the future.
2. Binu and the Great Wall by Tong Su.  This one just fell flat for me.  I have read most of the Canongate Myths books and enjoyed them.  But at some point I had to recognize that this one was a chore to read and I didn’t want to finish.  It had some interesting aspects to it, but the story didn’t seem to be going anywhere and held no insights for me.  Perhaps, my unfamiliarity with the source of this myth and the underlying culture handicapped me.
3. George Washington on Leadership by Richard Brookhiser.  This is another one where I blame me rather than the author (who is one of my favorites).  If you are interested in history and leadership this is actually an interesting and informative book.  But I had a lot of other reading to do for my job at the time and I put it aside to work on a project and never picked it up.  It has joined its brothers on the To Be Finished pile.
4. Wide Awake: The Future Is Waiting Within You by Erwin Raphael McManus.  I am not sure what to make of this one.   A publisher was kind enough to send me an advance copy and I thought it would be an interesting book.  But, while I didn’t hate it, it just never seemed to connect for me.  It was a little to close to Christian pop psychology for my tastes and I never finished it.
5. Enduring Justice (Defenders of Hope Series #3) by Amy N. Wallace.  This was a combination.  I was reading it when I had a lot of books I was trying to review and this one was part of a blog tour where I need to post by a certain date.  I had two choices: finish it and all likelihood write a negative review or drop it and move on.  I chose the later.

As you can see, there isn’t really one type of book or genre involved.  What also jumps out at me is the circumstances surrounding my reading.  If I am very busy, under a lot of stress, or doing a lot of reading for work my patience seems to give out quickly.  If I am reading for pleasure, and particularly when I have a lot of books I am really excited about reading, I just have a hard time reading something I don’t enjoy or that seem like work.

When do you stop reading a book?  Do you feel guilty or do you see it as an essential time management tool (life is to short to read bad books)?  Do you put books aside and pick them up again later?  I would love to know your experience.

UPDATE: This book giveaway now closed. Congrats to Phil the winner.

I have a free copy of The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul to giveaway.

Donita K. Paul’s 250,000-plus-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles series has attracted a wide spectrum of dedicated fans–and they’re sure to fall in love with the new characters and adventures in her latest superbly-crafted novel for all ages. It’s a mind-boggling fantasy that inhabits the same world as the DragonKeeper Chronicles, but in a different country and an earlier time, where the people know little of Wulder and nothing of Paladin.

In The Vanishing Sculptor, readers will meet Tipper, a young emerlindian who’s responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate during her sculptor father’s absence. Tipper soon discovers that her actions have unbalanced the whole foundation of her world, and she must act quickly to undo the calamitous threat. But how can she save her father and her world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions–including the nearly five-foot tall parrot Beccaroon–and eventually witnesses the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder. Through Tipper’s breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.

The winner will be drawn from the comment section of this post via the random number generator.  Deadline for entry is Thursday, June 25.

So if the above sounds interesting leave a comment and tell your friends.

Publishers Weekly

Hough’s eighth book (after The Last Summer) is a dramatic and tragic tale of Civil War-era brutality and suffering as seen by soldiers, slaves and civilians, culminating at the battle of Gettysburg. Hough writes about the Civil War with a novelist’s insight and a historian’s eye, creating a vivid story of two teenage Massachusetts brothers, Luke and Thomas Chandler, who naïvely enlist in the Union army and end up on the killing field of Gettysburg. As privates in the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Luke and Thomas endure hunger, fatigue, illness and some hard soldiering, with the elder Luke looking after younger Thomas, though their relationship is strained due to a secret love affair that threatens the close bond they will need in battle. When they are thrown into the titanic fight at Gettysburg, they land in the middle of a firestorm of musket balls, exploding shells and the screams of the wounded and dying as Pickett’s charge nearly carries away the Union center. Amid the blood and fury of battle, a tender and poignant story of idealism, love and brotherly devotion shines through.

–>Promise of the Wolves: A Novel by Dorothy Hearst

Publishers Weekly

The debut of former Jossey-Bass senior editor Hayes is a crackling foray into a dangerous past, the first of a projected trilogy. On Wide Valley plain 14,000 years ago, wolf Kaala is born into the Swift River pack-a half-breed outcast with Outsider blood. As she grows into adulthood, the spirited pup continues to come into conflict with pack leader Ruuqo. She also sneaks off to be with humans, who are encroaching on wolf territory and who often drive the wolves from their kills. Fraternization is strictly forbidden, but as Kaala’s mother has foreseen in dreams, it may also be the key to saving every wolf and human in the valley. Hayes’s remarkable fluency when writing in Kaala’s voice is immediately absorbing. The mythologies of the societies she invents are underdeveloped, but the relationships between the human characters and the wolf characters are keenly felt, and the conflicts sharply imagined. Hayes’s keen interpretations of wolf behavior, senses and sensibilities will enchant paranormal fans and animal lovers alike.

For those of you not golf fans, or who inexplicably didn’t follow the amazing events of last year, here is recap.  Tiger Woods was coming of April knee surgery and hadn’t played a 18-hole round of golf before the US Open started.  Many wondered if Tiger would finish the tournament.  But if Tiger is in the field then he is the favorite; and he had won at Torry Pines, the US Open site, many times including earlier that year at the Buick Open.

Rocco Mediate was a successful PGA journeyman whose bad back had kept him from achieving the kind of success his talent might have brought him.  He was more famous for his talkative demeanor than for competing in majors. If you had to pick a player that would challenge Tiger Woods for a major championship, and in spectacular fashion, you would not have picked Mediate.

But last year these two very different golfers produced one of the most memorable US Opens in golf history.  Tiger mixed in some very ugly golf with the kind of shots only Tiger can make to storm to the lead after 54 holes.  Thirteen times before Tiger has taken the lead after three rounds and thirteen times he has won.  And yet Mediate pushed Tiger to the brink; twice forcing him to make birdie on the final hole to stay alive.

Mediate in turn frequently seemed about to fade away and let Tiger grab another spectacular win.  But on numerous occasions he pulled himself together and played remarkable golf in the most pressure cooker of situations (three successive birdies on the Monday playoff to take it too sudden death).  In the end it took Tiger 92 holes to beat Rocco.  Tiger may have had a bad knee, but Rocco still forced arguably the greatest golfer of all time, and one of sports most dominant competitors, to use everything he had to win.  And Tiger labeled it his greatest win ever.

You don’t have to be a golf or sports fan to appreciate the drama and appeal of this story.  But what Mediate and Feinstein offer in Are You Kidding Me? is not just a shot by shot recap of the tournament – although the coverage of the event is well done – but rather a better understanding of the person and golfer behind it.As a pretty avid fan of the PGA I knew who Rocco Mediate was and knew of his back problems.  But I didn’t really know that much about his career and how he came to be on the Tour.  It turns out that Rocco wasn’t a high school or college superstar but rather someone who came to golf relatively late and who became a pro through hard work and dedication.

Sure, Mediate clearly had talent and athletic ability (his dad was a semi-pro baseball player and avid golfer) but he wasn’t one of those young phenoms who everyone expects to join the PGA and make a splash.  He didn’t win a college national championship or US Amateur championships, but his personality was such that when he wanted to do something he put his whole heart and mind into it.  And that is exactly what he did with golf.

AYKM also provides a interesting snapshot of what it is like to make a living on the PGA Tour.  It shows the growth of the tour, and the explosion of purses post-Tiger, but it also highlights all of the myriad decisions and the emotional roller coaster ride that the tour involves if you are not one of the elite players.  Qualifying through Q-school; worrying about making enough money to keep your tour card; figuring out which tournaments to play; knowing when to rest and when to play; managing your finances; working with coaches, caddies and mentors to improve your game; dealing with the logistics and difficulties of having a family while being on the road; all of these and more go into being a successful tour professional.  Watching golf on TV, or even in person, you might not be aware of all that goes on behind the scenes and in the golfers lives.

What stands out in this story is Mediate’s struggle with back problems.  All golfers struggle with back pain, and Rocco is not the only one to have his career threatened by injury, but his story is an interesting one nonetheless. The up and down nature of the injury made for a very challenging career.  When he was healthy Mediate was one of the better players on tour and, particular if his putter was hot, a threat to win most weeks.  But if his back flared up he could end up face down in the parking lot unable to move or stuck mid-round trying to figure out how could finish the round without embarrassing himself.

Mediate made a lot of money on the PGA Tour as Tiger’s impact on the game pushed purses higher and higher.  But imagine wondering if your career, and your only real opportunity to make a living, could go away with one twist of muscle.  It is a testament to Mediate’s determination and dedication that he never gave up.  And this competitive nature helps illuminate what led him to challenge Tiger Woods last year at Torrey Pines.

All of this struggle and all of this pain made the amazing days last June all the sweeter for Rocco.  He got his dream of facing the best player on the planet for a chance to win the US Open.  And he gave it everything he had and came within inches – a rotation of a golf ball one way or the other – from winning it.  Even losing that week changed changed his life, but there will always be a bitter-sweet element to it.  As Rocco has said many times: “I lost. The other guy won.”

The fact that he did so with so much skill, courage and good humor, however, only added to the incredible events last summer.  His obvious enjoyment of the game and of the moment reminded us why we love sports. And it caused millions of people all over the world come to appreciate his character and his game.

Are You Kidding Me? is a must read for golf and sport fans – and would make a great Father’s Day gift.  But you don’t have to be a fan of the game to appreciate the story.  It really is a classic tale of overcoming adversity and giving your best when everything is on the line and letting the chips fall where they will.

Who knows what will come of this year’s Open.  Maybe another incredible fight to the finish will result from the weather problems.  But last years battle at Torrey Pines will be remembered for a long time.  And Rocco Mediate and John Feinstein have told the story as no one else can.