Book Recommendation – The Prophet and the Idiot

It had been awhile since I had read a Jonas Jonasson book. The Prophet and the Idiot has been on my “to read” list for some time. It has probably been on my list since I read The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. As soon as I started reading it, I wondered why I had waited so long.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

The brand-new, hilarious, feel-good adventure from the internationally bestselling author of The Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

Sweden, late summer of 2011. Self-taught astrophysicist Petra has calculated that the atmosphere will collapse on the 21st of September that year, around 21:20 to be more precise, bringing about the end of times.

Armed with this terrible knowledge, Petra, a doomsday prophet, meets Johan and Agnes, a widow of 75 who has made bank living a double life on social media as a young influencer. Together, the trio race through Europe as they plan to make the most out of the time they have left, in more ways than one.

But of course, things rarely go to plan, even the end of the world…

Jonasson once again had my laughing out loud with this book. His characters are unique and weird (in a good way). The scenarios are sometimes so ridiculous and take things to an extreme that as unbelievable as it is, it is totally believable.

Johan’s brother is not very nice to him. Instead of leaving him their 12 bedroom home that their father left to them, his brother sells it so he can go to Italy to be an Ambassador. He doesn’t leave Johan homeless, though, as he buys him a spiffy RV to live in. When Johan decides to take the RV out that he finds Petra and then Agnes.

The three go out to set things right with things from their personal lives before the world ends. This takes them on a jaunt to a few different countries and along the way experience some crazy situations. These three truly had me laughing and hoping that there is a sequel.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Book Recommendation – The Show Won’t Go On

This is one of those books that I found fascinating. It is written by Jeff Abraham, who I follow I Facebook. He has a lot of interesting Hollywood stories and an amazing vinyl record collection. The Show Won’t Go On, as morbid as it might seem, was very interesting.

Before I tell you my thoughts, here is the short Goodreads synopsis:

There has never been a show business book quite like The Show Won’t Go On , the first comprehensive study of a bizarre performers who died onstage. The Show Won’t Go On covers almost every genre of entertainment, and is full of unearthed anecdotes, exclusive interviews, colorful characters, and ironic twists. With dozens of heart-stopping stories, it’s the perfect book to dip into on any page.

Prior to reading this book, I was only familiar with one celebrity who died on stage – Dick Shawn. He was known for his roles as Sylvester in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the Snow Miser in The Year Without a Santa Claus, and his role in Mel Brook’s The Producers. He was also a very popular comedian who was known for doing insane things during his act. A search of YouTube will bring you many clips of him on variety shows and such.

In April of 1987, he was in the middle of his act when he fell face first to the stage after having a heart attack. The audience initially assumed that it was part of his act. After he had remained motionless for several minutes, a stage hand examined him and asked if a physician was present. He died on stage at age 63.

I had no idea that there were plenty of other performers who had also died while performing. This book is loaded with those stories. The book is very well written and researched. It is full of names that you’ve heard of and some you don’t know, but the stories will intrigue you.

4 out of 5 stars

Book Recommendation – Stoogeology

As a Three Stooges fan, I have pretty much read every book about them. I have read Moe’s autobiography, Curly’s biography written by his niece, Larry’s biography written by Steve Cox, both of the Shemp biographies, and just about every other “compilation.” This book has popped up on my Amazon “You Might Like” list for some time. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a book full of essays, but Stoogeology was actually a very good read.

Before I offer my thoughts, here is the short Goodreads synopsis:

In the world of slapstick comedy, few are more beloved than the Three Stooges. Throughout their 190 short films, they consistently delivered physical, verbal and situational comedy in new and creative ways. Following the trio from outer space to ancient Rome, this volume provides an in-depth look at their comedy and its impact on twentieth century art, culture and thought. This analysis reveals new insights into the language, literary structure, politics, race, gender, ethnicity and even psychology of the classic shorts. It discusses the elements of surrealism within the Stooges films, exploring the many ways in which they created their own reality regardless of time and space. The portrayal of women and minorities and the role of the mistake in Stooges’ works are also addressed.

What did I learn from this book? There was a lot more to the Stooges comedies than I imagined. I knew that the were all Jewish, of course, but I didn’t realize how much of their Jewish/Yiddish vocabulary was slipped into their shorts. The look at the surrealism was very interesting. I really never thought about how that worked into so many of their films.

What I really enjoyed was the very honest look at how race, gender and ethnicity played into their films. Obviously, many of the Stooges shorts were shot during World War II. The way Germans and the Japanese were played in the films was skewed to belittle them. The in-depth analysis of the portrayal of women in the shorts was very interesting.

Some folks may see the phrase “psychology of the Stooges” as humorous, but there really is a lot to it. I found myself taking photos of some of the pages and sending them to another Stooges friend who said he needed to pick up the book. He really enjoyed the breakdown and analysis as well.

I’m biased, I know, but it was a 5 out of 5 stars for me. Might be less for you.

Book Recommendation – Not Quite Dead Yet

When I listen to an audiobook, I use the Libby or Hoopla apps in my car. Most of the time I will go to my Goodreads “Want to Read” list and search the apps for what is available. One thing that I have noticed is many of the recommendations on all of the apps are the same. I will see some of the same books popping up on them. I also see them being recommended by other bloggers.

One of those books that seemed to come up a lot was Not Quite Dead Yet By Holly Jackson. It has been on my “to be read” list for a bit. My wife read it and said I needed to read it next.

I won’t lie, sometimes I worry about reading a book that has a lot of hype. When it is all hyped up and it is good, it’s no big deal, but if it is hyped up and is a let down, it bugs me. I am happy to say that this one did live up to the hype.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

A twisty thriller about a young woman trying to solve her own murder.

In seven days Jet Mason will be dead.

Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. I’ll do it later, she always says. She has time.

Until Halloween night, when Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder.

She suffers a catastrophic head injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm.

Jet has never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend.

She has at most seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish something:

Jet is going to solve her own murder.

It was a unique murder mystery because the dead person wasn’t dead yet. We follow her from the night she is attacked through the week that follows. The police are running their own investigation, but it is not fast enough for Jet. So she sets off to do her own investigation.

The hardest part of the book for me to swallow was how much she is able to do after being injured. I even asked my wife, “How is she able to do this and that when she had that head injury?” She told me, “Well, she is a very strong and determined woman driven by the need to solve the crime.”

That didn’t deter me from finishing the book. As she goes through the week, there are things that begin to happen to her body that lets you know her time is almost up. So, I guess it’s not like she is Super Woman.

The book has many twists to it. It is one that has you believing one person did it, and then makes you think someone else did it, and then pulls the rug out from under you. I had a hunch, but kept ruling out who I thought it might be the more I read. I was totally wrong and surprised at the end.

Worth the read. Lived up to the hype.

4 out of 5 stars

Book Recommendation – I See You’ve Called In Dead

Here is another example of a book that I picked up because of the title – I See You’ve Called In Dead. It is also an example of a book that I found to be funny and thought provoking at the same time.

Before I get into my thoughts, here is the Goodreads synopsis:

The Office meets Six Feet Under meets About a Boy in this coming-of-middle-age tale about having a second chance to write your life’s story.

Bud Stanley is an obituary writer who is afraid to live. Yes, his wife recently left him for a “far more interesting” man. Yes, he goes on a particularly awful blind date with a woman who brings her ex. And yes, he has too many glasses of Scotch one night and proceeds to pen and publish his own obituary. The newspaper wants to fire him. But now the company’s system has him listed as dead. And the company can’t fire a dead person. The ensuing fallout forces him to realize that life may be actually worth living.

As Bud awaits his fate at work, his life hangs in the balance. Given another shot by his boss and encouraged by his best friend, Tim, a worldly and wise former art dealer, Bud starts to attend the wakes and funerals of strangers to learn how to live.

Thurber Prize-winner and New York Times bestselling author John Kenney tells a funny, touching story about life and death, about the search for meaning, about finding and never letting go of the preciousness of life.

The book starts off with a good question:

“What would you write if you had to write your obituary? Today, right now. What comes to mind? What memories, days, moments? What people and experiences? I realize, at first glance, that the idea of writing one’s own obituary while still alive may sound morbid. It’s not, though. I promise you. It’s a needed reminder of who you are, of what truly matters. Because it’s your life and there’s still time to write it. Before I have to.”

When in college, I took a class on the psychology of death and dying. One of the first assignments was to write a letter to your loved ones to be read at your funeral. THAT was a difficult assignment. We were never asked to write our own obituary, but I would imagine that would be just as difficult.

I listened to the audio book on my way to and from work. I can tell you that I am going to go and purchase a copy of this book because there were so many times I wanted to highlight things I wanted to remember. For example, at one point in the book, French philosopher Michel de Montaigne is quoted:

“We do not know where death awaits us: so let us wait for it everywhere. To practice death is to practice freedom.”

It was only after reading the book, that I found what others were saying about it:

I’ve always thought that we should tell people what they mean to us or how they impacted our lives while they are still alive. What good is it to be silent until someone passes away? I can tell you that when people come up to me who used to listen to me on the radio and say, “You made me laugh every morning!” it feels so good. Why wouldn’t we want to share those things with people?

In discussing a book with the main character, someone says,

“A character in the book is asked what the greatest wonder in the world is. And he answers … He says, The greatest wonder is that every day, all around us, people die, but we act as if it couldn’t happen to us.”

I do want to say before wrapping up, that the book is not just about death, it is also about life.

“Life prevails. How strange and wondrous. In the midst of death, life prevails, calls to us, begs us, says, Come, please, don’t you dare waste this precious gift.”

It is early in the year, I know, but this is the best book I have read so far. I highly recommend it.

5 out of 5 stars.

Book Recommendation – How The Penguins Saved Veronica

It seems that I am reading faster than I can write recommendations. I’ve read at least four books that I want to write about, and will get to them. I know some blogger friends write about 4 or 5 books in one post, but I’d rather do them one at a time. I appreciate your patience.

The title of the book is what peaked my interest – How the Penguins Saved Veronica.

When my wife and I got married, we went to an aquarium in Tampa. They had a penguin exhibit and for a few extra bucks, we got to see them up close and personal. My wife loves penguins, so she was in heaven.

That experience is what came to mind when I saw the title of the book, so I had to read it. Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

A curmudgeonly but charming old woman, her estranged grandson, and a colony of penguins proves it’s never too late to be the person you want to be in this rich, heartwarming story from the acclaimed author of Ellie and the Harpmaker.

Eighty-five-year-old Veronica McCreedy is estranged from her family and wants to find a worthwhile cause to leave her fortune to. When she sees a documentary about penguins being studied in Antarctica, she tells the scientists she’s coming to visit—and won’t take no for an answer. Shortly after arriving, she convinces the reluctant team to rescue an orphaned baby penguin. He becomes part of life at the base, and Veronica’s closed heart starts to open.

Her grandson, Patrick, comes to Antarctica to make one last attempt to get to know his grandmother. Together, Veronica, Patrick, and even the scientists learn what family, love, and connection are all about.

This was truly a heartwarming story. You really wouldn’t know by the way it starts off, but it is a book about family. It is a story of dealing with the past and how time in nature can lead to healing.

Veronica is a “set in her ways” kind of character. There is an issue in her past that she has avoided almost all of her life. Her time with the penguins brings her to the point where she trusts someone enough to talk about her past. Through this, the reader comes to understand why she is so set in her ways. The reader also comes to understand how strong she is because of her past.

The story is an uplifting one about finding family and healing personal wounds. It lived up to the praises I read about it prior to reading it.

4 out of 5 stars.

Book Recommendation – Reports of His Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Here is another example of my reading a book simply because the title intrigued me – Reports of His Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated by James Goodhand.

This book was just fantastic. That isn’t always the case when you start reading knowing nothing but the title. However, as the story began, I connected with the characters (Especially Ray) and was hooked with the series of events that fall into place.

Let’s look at the Goodreads Synopsis:

A lifetime ago, Ray “Spike” Thorns was a well-regarded caretaker on a boarding school’s grounds. These days, he lives the life of a recluse in a house rammed with hoarded junk, alone and disconnected from family or anyone he might have at one time considered a friend.

When his next-door neighbor drops dead on Spike’s doorstep, a case of mistaken identity according to the police, the hospital, the doctors—everyone—Spike is dead. Spike wants to correct the mistake, really he does, but when confronted with those who knew him best, he hesitates, forced to face whatever impression he’s left on the world. It’s a discovery that brings him up close to ghosts from his past, and to the only woman he ever loved.

Could it be that in coming face-to-face with his own demise, Spike is able to really live again? And will he be able to put things straight before the inevitable happens—his own funeral?

This is the best kind of feel-good it’s deeply affecting but full of clever mishaps and enough laughs along the way. It takes the message from Dead Poets Society and mixes it with the tragedy of It’s a Wonderful Life and tops it off with an ultimately lovable guy like in A Man Called Ove. The result is a heartbreakingly beautiful look at life and what we would all do if given a second chance.

I absolutely love the description of Dead Poets Society, It’s a Wonderful Life, and A Man Called Ove. It really describes what you can expect from the book. I found myself jotting quotes from the book down on paper as I was listening to it.

This book follows the common format of moving back and forth between time. We see the main character as an old man, as well as his younger self. How do the actions and events of the past play into who he is as an old man? It’s that kind of thing.

There were some funny moments, some moments where you were are on the edge of your seat waiting to see what is going to happen, and moments that warm your heart and fill your eyes with a tear or two. It was really a great read. Some reviews said that the ending was predictable, but I didn’t think so.

I felt like the ending was a culmination of all I had read up to that point and then presented a wonderful surprise that had me smiling and holding back a tear. This didn’t fall into the “mystery/thriller,” “Historical fiction,” or “Based on a True Story” categories. It was simply a lovely story that deserves to be shared.

5 out of 5 stars

Book Recommendation – Joy Moody is Out of Time

Most of the books I read are because of book suggestions on Goodreads, BookTok, or book blogs. I honestly don’t know what made me add this to my “To Read” list. I may have thought this was a time travel novel, I’m not sure. Whatever the reason, I recently finished Joy Moody is Out of Time.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Strange things are happening behind the bright pink facade of Bayside’s premier laundromat, Joyful Suds; home to Joy Moody and her twin daughters.

For much of their lives, Joy has been lying to Cassie and Andie. What started as a colorful tale to explain how the twins came to live with her grew over the years and was always something she meant to set straight. Joy really did think she had more time. Worse still, Joy is struggling to define the truth from the lies.

The girls have long believed they are vital to the future and must stay hidden to stay safe. Joy has told them that their impending 21st birthday is significant; they will step into their roles as daughters of the future revolution and life as they know it will change. Joy was right – everything will change, just not in the way the expected. On Andie and Cassie’s birthday, Joy Moody is found dead and her girls face a world they are not prepared for without their mother. Joy Moody is out of time… in more ways than one.

There is a sense of mystery throughout the book. You get the feeling that Joy has done something, but you’re not sure what. You also get the feeling that she is a bit weird and overprotective. She seems to have a reason for everything she does, even though it is a bit bizarre.

Right from the onset, you know that Joy is going to die at some point. No spoiler here, as it is in the synopsis. What happens after her death is where things fall apart and come together. There were some stand out characters who you either like or dislike. There is one point in the story where I got the sense that what is going on is something strait out of a predictable Hallmark movie.

I suppose I expected something a bit more from this. It wasn’t bad, it was just average.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Book Recommendation – Kill For Me, Kill For You

I always love when I can write about a book that I really enjoyed. That is the case for Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh.

When I saw the title of the book, my thoughts immediately went to Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train. Come to find out, that film inspired the book and plays a small role in the story itself. I’ll tell you my thoughts after you read the Goodreads synopsis:

For fans of The Silent Patient and Gone Girl, a razor-sharp and Hitchcock-inspired psychological thriller about two ordinary women who make a dangerous pact to take revenge for each other after being pushed to the brink.

One dark evening on New York City’s Upper West Side, two strangers meet by chance. Over drinks, Amanda and Wendy realize they have much in common, especially loneliness and an intense desire for revenge against the men who destroyed their families. As they talk into the night, they come up with the perfect plan: if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you.

In another part of the city, Ruth is home alone when the beautiful brownstone she shares with her husband, Scott, is invaded. She’s attacked by a man with piercing blue eyes, who disappears into the night. Will she ever be able to feel safe again while the blue-eyed stranger is out there?

Intricate, heart-racing, and from an author who “is the real deal” (Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Kill for Me, Kill for You will keep you breathless until the final page.

The synopsis mentions The Silent Patient and Gone Girl, both of which I haven’t read. So I don’t necessarily know how it compares to them. What I can tell you is that I really hoped that this would not be a literal copy of Strangers on a Train. I am glad to say that it wasn’t. There were similarities, but I suppose that’s where the inspiration comes from.

I could not put this book down. There was always a sort of “what happens next?” at the end of each chapter. There were times I was surprised, times that I was suspicious, and times that left me questioning what had just happened.

This was another one of those books where everything and everyone comes together in the final chapters. No spoilers from me, but I can tell you the ending was one I never saw coming.

5 out of 5 stars.

Book Recommendation – Dark Matter

After seeing this book come up as a recommendation on Goodreads, Facebook and Tik Tok, I finally had the chance to read Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.

I was on the fence as to whether or not I wanted to read it. I wasn’t sure I could get into the “sci-fi” of it. I kept seeing people saying how great it was and how it was the best book they had read all year, etc.. So when I saw it on the shelf at Goodwill for a buck, I figured I would pick it up.

It sat on my “To read” pile for a while before I began to read it, but I recently finished it. Before I give my thoughts, here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie—when his reality shatters.

“Are you happy with your life?”

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”

In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that’s the dream?

And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human–a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad book. It certainly held my interest and I wanted to see how it all wrapped up. At times, I felt the scientific jargon was a bit over my head. I found myself reading a paragraph twice a couple times to be sure I got what was being said.

Honestly, as much as everyone loved this book, I didn’t feel it lived up to the hype. I went into it expecting to really be blown away by the story. I wasn’t. I’m not saying it was a waste of time to read, I just expected more based on the reviews and suggestions. If I had gone with my gut and what I felt before seeing all the hype, I probably wouldn’t have read it.

If I had to compare it to something, I would say it is like comparing it to your favorite TV show. I love the Twilight Zone, but there are episodes that just didn’t live up to those classic ones. This would compare to the “not so good” episodes.

3 out of 5 Stars.