Christmas is almost here, and though I’ve had an unexpected amount of reading time lately (thanks mostly to the foot of snow we got over the weekend), the time and energy for writing reviews just isn’t there. Plus, I figure most of you are in the midst of your own pre-holiday craziness and aren’t exactly sitting around reading blogs all day. I was contemplating saving these for after the holidays, but I’d rather write about them while they’re relatively fresh in my mind and then commence with unplugging for the rest of the holiday season.
Also, any one of these would be a great stocking stuffer if you’re still looking for quick gift ideas.
I’ll just go ahead and say it: my love for Barbara Ehrenreich knows no bounds. In Bright-Sided, Ehrenreich, in her typically no-nonsense voice of reason, attacks the “relentless promotion of positive thinking,” arguing that our refusal to acknowledge potential negative outcomes is a contributing cause of social and economic crises, as it devalues critical thinking skills in favor of positivity in the face of even the direst circumstances.
Ehrenreich criticizes the corporate mindset that insists on viewing every failure as an “opportunity” and expects workers to suppress their doubts and express optimism even when asking questions and considering negatives could benefit the company in the long run. She also calls out pastors like Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer for essentially confusing Jesus with Santa Claus and encouraging their congregations to believe that God will give them everything they want if they can just exhibit the right amount of faith, as if He doesn’t have anything better to do than help you get a good parking place at the mall (something Osteen once gave Him credit for).
And before you go assuming Ehrenreich is out to get the Christians (she’s not!), let me tell you that she also goes after motivational speakers, law of attraction enthusiasts, and those who profess that The Secret really did change their lives. If all you have to do to get what you want is want it badly enough, then it becomes YOUR FAULT when you don’t get it (and YOUR FAULT when bad things happen to you because, hello, you must have manifested them through your thoughts), and it ignores the fact that there are often many people wanting the same thing.
The bottom line here isn’t that optimism is bad; it’s that the insistence on positivity to the exclusion of critical thinking is dangerous on many levels. As usual, Ehrenreich’s latest book is engaging, witty, well-argued, and an all-around great read. 4.75 out of 5.
In this follow-up to her debut In the Woods (which I loved), author Tana French changes up the narrative voice, writing this time from the perspective of Detective Cassie Maddox. The Likeness picks up several months after the event of In the Woods and it begins with a bang. Having transferred out of the murder division and into domestic violence, Cassie is confused when her boyfriend, murder detective Sam O’Neill, calls her to a scene. But she is blown away when she discovers that the victim not only looks just like her but is carrying IDs with the name Lexie Madison, an identity Cassie invented (and thought she destroyed) for undercover work several years back.
Cassie’s spitting-image resemblance to the victim offers the murder squad an opportunity they’ve never had before: to solve the murder from the inside out. Telling the victim’s housemates and the media that Lexie did not die but was instead in a coma, they buy some time and learn as much about the enigmatic girl as they can. Then Cassie, doing something she swore she would never do again, goes undercover as Lexie Madison and moves into the home she shared with four other graduate students.
From the original premise to the complicated relationships between the housemates to the gorgeous writing and incredible suspense, The Likeness is a riveting, can’t-put-it-down, unforgettable read that mystery lovers and lit fic cross-over readers alike will appreciate. Whether it’s the female perspective or simply the experience that comes with no longer being a first-time author, French seems more comfortable and agile in Cassie’s voice, and her grasp of the psychological complexities makes this much more than your typical mystery. 4.5 out of 5.
Why, oh why, did I let David Grann’s The Lost City of Z languish on my TBR pile for so long? Chronicling his growing obsession with early twentieth-century explorer Percy Fawcett, who was himself obsessed with mapping South America and finding the legendary lost city of El Dorado (which Fawcett simply refers to as “Z”), Grann deftly weaves information from dozens of primary sources into a gripping narrative that tracks Fawcett’s Amazon adventures, the hundreds of explorers who lost their lives trying to solve the mystery of what happened to him, and his own journey into the Amazon.
The Lost City of Z is, at its core, a story about adventure and adventurers. Grann investigates Fawcett’s drive to be the first man to uncover Z, his ongoing competition with other explorers, and his insistence on discovery at all costs. Incorporating information from official documents, Fawcett’s own private communications, interviews with experts and Fawcett’s descendants, and much, more more, Grann gives life to the most exciting story you’ve never heard and, like the best storytellers, he saves the best surprise for the big finish.
I devoured The Lost City of Z in just a few sittings and was very impressed with Grann’s ability to combine his story with Fawcett’s so seamlessly. I’d recommend this book for longtime lovers of nonfiction and newcomers who want to enjoy a true story that reads with all of the excitement and tension of a good mystery. 4.5 out of 5.
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