Finished CHARLATANS

Saturday morning I woke up because of a nightmare in which I was the protagonist in this story and was in a situation that was quite possible when I left it.  It was early, but I knew I wasn't going to sleep well until I finished the book.  Luckily, I was close.  The theme of the book has to do with the effect of the internet on our lives in general and medicine in particular.  The author leaves it up to us to decide if that effect is to our benefit or our detriment.

I have now started Isaac's Storm, A Man, A Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History, a non-fiction account by Erik Larson.  The title may not be entirely accurate since it is about the 1900 Galveston Hurricane of September 8.  This was the deadliest in American history (killed 6000 people) but maybe not in world history.  Part of the problem was the United States Weather Bureau was in it's infancy.  Isaac Cline had come to Galveston only two years before to set up the first weather station there.  It looks to be pretty exciting.

Finished LITTLE MEN

The protagonist in this book (Jo March Bhaer) and that of The Number 1 Women's Detective Agency (Precious Ramotswe) both have a gentle wisdom that creates a gentle world around them.  It is lovely to visit these worlds every so often.

I have now gone from the sublime to the scary: Charlatans by Robin Cook.  So far it seems to be about the entitled attitude of some doctors...we will see.  A patient has died in the operating room.  The cause is a famous doctor who is trying to do three operations at once, demands that the anesthesia is started before he gets there, gets there 40 minutes after the anesthesia is started, and has obviously not prepared his patient we since the patient ate breakfast and then lied about it.  He also obviously didn't examine him well before the operation because the problem was worse than he was prepared for.  All of which it appears he is going to blame the anesthesiologist for.

Finished DWARFS

Another of the beautiful books of this series, Dwarfs starts us out with their protrayal in Norse legend, and then walks us through the great kingdoms of magical and highly skilled miners and metal crafters, to leprechans, house and farm elves, dangerously alienated dwarfs, and finally their leaving us because of their disillusionment.  Beautifully illustrated and told.

I have now started Dragons in this series.  It begins with a tale that reads very much like Bilbo's trek through the tunnel into Smaug's lair and ends much the same as well.  But, instead of Bard the hero, the hero here is a very much aged Beowulf.  How great!  This book promises to be as delightful as the others in this series.

Finished THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS and THE WITCHES

By following three people through their migration from the South to Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, Isabel Wilkerson writes very readably in this well researched non-fiction piece.  We here stories of other people as we move through the narrative.  Though I certainly knew of this migration, my knowledge and understanding of it is much clearer now.  These struggles are probably not much different from those of modern day migrants, escaping persecution and death.

Then I went back to The Witches, Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem.  Unusual, I know, for me to read two non-fiction books in a row.  They just kind of fell that way.  This last section of the book mostly told what happened to the principles after "spectral evidence" lost favor and was outlawed in the courts of Massachusetts.  The time became a euphemism ("the time of tragedy and confusion,"  "the recent unfortunate time," etc.)  The judges were never blamed by the populace, who believed them above reproach.  But even they seemed not to fair well.  I hadn't expected this section to be as interesting as the rest of the book, but it certainly was.  However, the book suffers from being dry, and often prodigious, which explains why I took so long to read it.



I have now started Little Men by Louisa May Alcott.  Again, I don't know how I escaped reading this at a much earlier age, but I find I am enjoying at at 73, so I guess that can prove these books are timeless.  Jo and the Professor have now settled into their boys' home and are enjoying raising and educating 12 boys, when another arrives, dirty and hungry and forlorn.  We see the Bhaers, the other boys, and staff take him in, make him feel welcome, clean him up, feed him, and then discover his wonderful talent that will enrich their lives.

Finished INCOMING

Almost all of us baby boomers know someone who was in Viet Nam.  But, did we ever hear them talk about it?  I mean, really talk about it? 

Larry never brags in this book--he just talks about what happened, the people he met, his relationships with them, and the work he did there.  Judging from this narrative only, the reader can figure out that Larry was a very good and much loved medic.  Also, we can figure out that he was grateful to be doing something that was helping people, not hurting them.

So, why afterward, didn't he go on to become a doctor?  But that conclusion I also figured out--he had just seen enough suffering and dying for one lifetime.  Of course, the way life is, it wasn't enough.

I found this book extremely compelling.  So compelling I dreamt about it, waking up unsure if the incident I just dreamt about actually happened or did my subconscious make it up?  I had to go back to look.  And now I miss it.  I pick up my next book and wonder what will happen next in Incoming.  Needless to say, I can't wait until Larry's next book.  The only other autobiography I have read as frank and as compelling was written by Maya Angelou.

I have now started The Warmth of Other Suns, The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, by Isabel Wilkerson.  This is about the migration of Blacks from the south to the north and west of our country which took place from about 1915 through 1970.  I was expecting it to read like a dissertation, but, no.  It is a very interesting retelling info from case studies.  I think it will follow three people (and others) from the reasons for the migration through old age.  I already find myself liking both the author and the first person introduced.

Finished SECRETS OF THE U'TANSE

I'm not sure if I have read this book out of order...I may have.  It is now 1000 years after the first human couple was kidnapped by the Cerik and taken as slaves to the poisonous (to us) planet Ko.  (U'tanse is the closest the Cerik can get to pronouncing "humans.)  The U'tanse have multiplied and now populate and serve most Cerik settlements.  Recently a group (rapidly becoming larger) of free U'tanse who have escaped and are having their own children have increased that population.  The protagonist, Joshua, was born free, though, of coure, all of them have to hide because the Cerik want to demolish all people who don't serve them.

Again I love this series and this author.  Marked by richly drawn environment, science, characters, and story these books are always a joy to return to.


I have now started my friend, Larry Sanders' book, Incoming, Memories of a Combat Medic  Growing Up Poor  Getting Drafted to Vietnam  Coming Home and Coming Out.  I have done the math and  Larry has been one of my best friends for 41 years.  I knew he served in Viet Nam as a combat medic, but the visualization of that was always incongruous to me.  Larry is one of the gentlest, most caring, most tender hearted, animal lovers and humane human beings I have ever met.  Seeing him in a war zone just doesn't track.  The Introduction by his writing teacher and his own preface blew me away because the incongruity is explained openly and honestly.  This book is the culmination of a man now in his 60s remembering and coming to grips with this extremely disturbing part of his life.  Though I had heard some of the stories before, certainly not this completely.  Thank you, Larry, for sharing this.  I'm delighted to have a lot left to read.



Oh, Goodreads.com thinks this is only available on Kindle.  Wrong-O.  The paperback book is on Amazon.  It is sitting in front of me right now.

Finished COPPER FALCON

This was actually a prequel to People of the Morning Star.  I liked the two main characters and a chance to see another side of many of the characters from that book.  I hope somewhere in the remainder of the trilogy I will again encounter at least one of the characters of this story.

I have now started Secrets of the U'tanse by Henry Melton.  I have read many books by this author and have given them to a great niece and a great nephew for Christmas.  This book is the continuation of a split saga.  It is several generations since the two people kidnapped by the Cerik and and taken to the alien world of Ko, and most of their decendents are still slaves of their captors.  But some have escaped to start new communities of free humans.  But they must hide on a planet filled by telepaths.