Dead Wake - Eric Larson

Sub-title: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

I've enjoyed many other books by this author - in fact, I've read this one before, back in 2015! I'm just adding some notes from reading this time around.  I have to go look for his latest writing!

Quotes/Comments

"Lothrop Withington was on the ship, an authority of genealogy with a special expertise in Salem, Massachusetts."

"Elbert Hubbard, author of an inspirational book..." A Message to Garcia."

"Wilhelm Uno Meriheina, a race car driver...had been born in Russia in the Duchy of Finland (which became independent in 1917)"

Published: 2015  Read: April 2024  Genre: History

Mutants - Armand Marie Leroi

 Sub-title: On Genetic Variety and the Human Body

I'm on the fence about this one.  I picked it up at a used bookstore that had a shelf of books on genetics, one of my favorite topics.  It's dated, however, the facts explained are still . The book focuses on the impact of mutations in our genetic makeup that are responsible for the deformities seen in humans.  That focus makes the book what could be described as morbidly fascinating, using that appeal to actually provide scientific insights on what makes us different. I felt the author was disingenuous and exploitative of individuals who have had to live with the results. I learned the names of several genetically caused conditions and their persistence since ancient history. I was intrigued by his suggestion that dying before 100 or 120, or just aging itself, could be a mutation in the species that survived because it only occurs after the individual can no longer (or doesn't usually) reproduce and thus hasn't been weeded out by natural selection. Not recommended.

Published:  2003  Read: March 2024  Genre: Science

The Book of Brad - Monica Elizabeth Bauer

Sub-title: A comic novel about finding family

This book was a happy serendipity!  I attended the Tucson Festival of the Book and saw this book at one of the stalls.  My brother is a "Brad" and I wanted a picture of the cover.  To my delight, the author, Monica, shared that she was an adoptee who had found out she had over 50% Jewish heritage.  She had met her biological family and embraced her new found relatives.  Monica is a playwright and chose to write a book about her discovery.  But this is a different genetic genealogy story!  

Monica created a rabbi named Brad.  He's a very progressive rabbi to the Hollywood stars whose written a bestseller "The Book of Brad" to share his philosophy.  We're introduced to him just before his untimely demise while at the same time meeting his previously unknown biological daughter.  The book shares chapters from Brad's book as his daughter attempts to connect with her newly found biological family, thanks to her DNA test.  

At its heart, it's a story of the family we know, the family we find, and the family we chose. However, it's a first on the topic of DNA discoveries that tells the story in a snarky, tongue-in-cheek style that had me laughing out loud.  It was a treat to find a familiar topic with a refreshingly new twist!

You can get your own copy here: The Book of Brad: A comic novel about finding family

Published: 2023  Read: March 2024 Genre: Fiction

King Nyx - Kristen Bakis

Many years ago I read the first book by this author, Lives of the Monster Dogs.  I remembered thoroughly enjoying her writing and fantastical storytelling.  It has been a long time since she had told the story of dogs isolated for 100 years who gained human capabilities.  In her new novel, an insipid young woman marries the master's son and he's disinherited.  They struggle to survive while he writes his opus on phenomena that can't be explained by science.  Annie only sees his good qualities and not the absurdity of his theories.  She defers to him in all things, despite her own obvious intelligence and common sense. She's haunted by her breakdown after the loss of two women from her husband's father's home where she had worked as a maid. They are invited to an exclusive retreat on an island owned by a mysterious host for Charles to finish his book.  The author's writing is lyrical, detailed, and a joy to read.  Finding it was based on a real eccentric quasi-scientist and satirist, Charles Fort, who wrote The Book of the Damned that was published in 1920 made it all the more delicious.  I hope she doesn't wait so long to write her next one.

Quote:

"When everyone is telling your one thing, it can be hard to see something different, even if it's right in front of you.To do so means breaking with the people who make up your world, who keep you safe.   It means walking outside the warm circle around the fire and into the dark unknown, the territory of the excluded."

Published: 2024  Read: March 2024  Genre: Fiction