Invasion, by Luke Rinehart

I became interested in Luke Rinehart from an article that I read about him. I really wanted to read an early novel by him, but the library had only this one.

The book is lighthearted and fantastic, a humorous account of an alien invasion by creatures that believe that what's wrong with the Earth is that people don't have enough fun.

Unfortunately, I really can't recommend the book. I found it tiresome toward the end and more or less just skimmed the last couple of chapters. The ending seems to me the type of ending that happens when a writer doesn't know how to end his book and stops trying.

Everybody's Fool, by Richard Russo

My wife says this is the best book she's ever read.

Russo is certainly one of my very favorite writers. He has the Mohawk River region distilled in his several works located there, and this one is the best of that lot, for sure.

It's too good and complicated of a story to spoil; go and read it, if you've read the novels that precede it. If you haven't, go read them first. Or don't. This book will stand on its own feet just fine, but you're missing something.

Here's his bibliography on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Russo#Works

The books that are related to Everybody's Fool, in chronological order, are:

1. Mohawk
2. The Risk Pool
3. Nobody's Fool
4. Empire Falls

But, do yourself a favor and read them all. "Living Treasure" is a cliche unworthy to describe Russo, but he is, a living treasure.

T. C. Boyle reviews Everybody's Fool

Timequake, by Kurt Vonnegut

Vonnegut's last novel, I think.

If you've read Vonnegut, you will probably enjoy this as you have his other work. If, however, you are not familiar with Vonnegut, this late work is--in my opinion--oddly a very good place to start. It is a sort of fictional autobiography, a tour-de-force in which some of his fictional characters appear along with the author.

The world is a sadder and poorer place without Kurt Vonnegut.

Something Rich and Strange, by Ron Rash

Short stories set in Appalachia. Excellent.

http://www.npr.org/2014/12/04/368510625/set-in-appalachia-this-rewarding-story-collection-is-rich-and-strange

Under the Influence, by Joyce Maynard

Having discovered Joyce Maynard, it is easy to keep reading.

This review is not terribly favorable, but I enjoyed the book, nonetheless.

It is the story of an alcoholic woman who loses custody of her son. In recovery, she is befriended by a wealthy, philanthropic couple, and begins to put her life back together. Her relationship with the Havillands is a little strange, though, and drives the plot into an interesting and suspenseful denouement.

Superdove, by Courtney Humphries

Someone asked--rhetorically, but in my hearing--how pigeons manage to survive the winter in a city where winter is lethal. I started reading about pigeons on the Cornell Ornithology website.

On the Cornell site, I saw a reference to this book.

Pigeons are sometimes reviled. They have been called "flying rats."

I tend to like birds, and have developed a fondness for some species that are not, generally, highly regarded, such as crows, and starlings, and so I began to wonder--what about pigeons?

Whether you consider pigeons a pest, a pet, food, or just another part of nature, you will probably find something interesting in Superdove.

New York Times Book Review

The 50 Funniest American Writers, by Andy Borowitz

A collection of humor. Some are gems, some are not.

Of note:

A passage from Babbit by Sinclair Lewis is included. I never thought that Babbit was funny.

 "Vacation '58" by John Hughes is the story that was used to make the movie "Vacation," starring Chevy Chase. I believe that this story is much better than the movie.

O Henry's "Ransom of Red Chief" is included, as it should be.

Hunter S. Thompson's "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved" is vintage Thompson. One feels a little sick after reading this.

Woody Allen's "Look at Organized Crime" is very funny.

Phillip Roth's "Letters to Einstein" is a (fictional, I hope) series of letters to the great man from a would-be PR agent who wishes to promote Einstein as an example of and to American Jews.

 Nora Ephron's "A Few Words About Breasts" is amusing, but at the same time rather piquant, and probably just a little outdated.

"Our White Heritage" by Beard, O'Donoghue, and Trow, is basically a good joke but it is far too long, and in today's climate probably would be misunderstood.

"Better Read Than Dead" by Fran Liebowitz is worth the whole book, but then it's always such a pleasure to read anything by Fran.

 "The Laws of Cartoon Motion," by Mark O'Donnell, is an essay that needed to be written. Hilarious and accurate.

Garrison Keillor's "The Tip Top Club" is a good example of Keillor's brand of humor, with a sort of nihilistic outcome.

Calvin Trillin is devastating with "Corrections."

Dave Barry: well, what can you say about Dave Barry. This is his essay about why relationships between men and women can never, ever work.

Susan Orlean complains about the privileges of babies in "Shiftless Little Loafers."

Ian Frazier parodies the Old Testament in "Lamentations of the Father."

Bernie Mac nearly killed me. "I Ain't Scared of You."

David Sedaris, Wanda Sykes, Jack Handey, and many more. This is a great read, and maybe even a great reference book.









Library of America webpage for this book  (L of A is the publisher)