Three Books

  Maybe today's theme is literary diversity.  I'm frankly impressed with what a wide range of books move through our library box.  Some of the books are titles I'm vaguely familiar with (Morality for Beautiful Girls), others are on the edge of what I'd usually read (A Wanted Man) and others are books that significantly affected my thinking and life (The Lost Boy.)  

  For me part of the beauty of reading is this very breadth of topics and tastes.  Books communicate the nuances of life in the full range of textures, tastes and temptations.  I have to say temptations because Lee Child is one of those authors I'm tempted by and have heard of, but hadn't actually picked up one of his novels.  Likewise I've heard Alexandar McCall Smith raved about, but hadn't gotten around to actually reading his works.  So here are my one word reviews of these three books.

Inane: A Wanted Man, Lee Child:  Sorry Lee Child but I was completely unable to suspend disbelief even for an infinitesimally small amount of time to buy into your Jack Reacher character.  The writing here is page turning and airplane seat suitable, but my first thought finishing the book was this was one of the worst books I've actually stuck with and managed to finish.  Yuck.

Enjoyable:  Morality for Beautiful Girls, Alexander McCall Smith:  By contrast McCall Smith's "Morality for Beautiful Girls" was an exceptionally enjoyable read which although a somewhat simple story, its setting in Botswana and cultural references turned it into a compact and pleasant read.  McCall Smith has actually written technical works and novels and this book will definitely keep me looking for his writing. 

Challenging:  The Lost Boy, David Pelzer:  A final literary contrast is David Pelzer's book "The Lost Boy."  Warning, this is a book filled with reality and a young man's horrible experience as an abused child.  The Lost Boy was followed by Pelzer's adult story in "A Man named Dave."  This is stark reality, the reality of our country, our children and the grinding poverty and neglect known to our most vulnerable citizens.

  Read McCall Smith for pleasant diversion, read Pelzer to be challenged, and if you're desperate for an intercontinental page ripper pull out a Lee Child.  For more on the home front and the challenges facing today's youth, check out the articles below.

Cheers,

Stephen

Invisible Child Series

Improved Poverty Metrics