Theo of Golden

Allen Levi's first novel is pretty long; however, you never want it to end. Every chapter pulls at your heart strings with its random acts of kindness and tenderness. Theo is a mysterious 86-year-old Portuguese gentleman that decides to make seemingly random "bestowments" of portraits to the citizenry of Golden. The selfless gifts endear him with each of the many recipients through his observations and caring for each one. Each receiver has a story to be told and Theo brings it out. There is a tragic ending to the story from a random act of violence and the demise of Theo. Nonetheless, goodness prevails with the discovery of the identity of Theo as the famous artist Zila, his connection to Golden and Asher, and the triumph of the people of the Promenade of Golden. The author brings to life Tony, Shep, Minnet, Mr. Ponder and Mrs. Gidley, Ellen, Lamisha and Kendrick, Simone, Basil, and many more. Overall, a very sweet book that I will likely read again.

Levi shines a positive light on a true Christian and Southern hospitality. These are two things that I believe are rare, however they can exist. Theo was a "saintly" man of faith that believed that everyone is capable of being a saint. What a pleasant thought.

Next Book Club Meeting

The next meeting will be held on March 10th at 6pm at Higgin's house, even though it is John S's turn. The book is "Theo of Golden" by Allen Levi.

The rotation is Bill, Bob, John S, Dave M, David J, Stanley, and John H.

Book Ratings - 300 and counting

The following is the link to the complete list for your entry: Compete book list. Please click on the link and input your ratings on a scale of 1-5.

We are in our 26th year and have read over 300 books. We have read a lot of very good books with an average rating of 3.64 on a scale of 1-5. 90% of our books received a rating of 3.0 or greater with the top 10 4.5 or more. Stanley and Dr. J are the toughest critics with and average of 3.41 with everyone else averaging between 3.68 and 3.73. On the low end we have just a few that fall below the Mendoza line established by Who Moved My Cheese at 2.86. This includes the third book chosen overall (by me) of "A Pirate Looks at 50" and Bill's "There is no Toilet Paper on the Road Less Traveled"(which also holds distinction of the longest title). We still have only read one book twice, "The Limits of Power", in 2009 and 2014 and I still can't remember it even though it rated very well at 4.13 and 4.25.

The book list covers a wide variety of books consisting of roughly 2/3rds non-fiction. Topics include the classics, politics, business, adventure, history, science, environment, humor, and morality. Multiple authors include Thomas Friedman (4), Malcolm Gladwell (4), Bill Bryson (5), Phillip Roth (3), Dan Brown (3), Sam Harris (3), Michael Lewis (3) and 2 from Russell Banks, TC Boyle, Tom Brokaw, David Brooks, David Guterson, Laura Hillenbrand, Hope Jahren, Jon Krakauer, Krueger, Eric Larson, Annie Proulx, Alan Weisman, Eric Weiner and Irvin Yalom. We have branched out over the years to include a wide variety of authors and topics.

The Kindness of Color

Bob's selection is a sweet memoir by a Japanese woman and her Hispanic friend. Their lives were intertwined by a shared family farm in Westminster. Each woman endured the racism of their time, one through internment and the other from school segregation. Both overcame their challenges with the aid of their families and friends. There are many stories of random acts of kindness that are emphasized by a hand with a plant and "kindness is..." The reader leans about the Japanese internment, and the inmates calm and stoic coping with the injustice. You also learn of the desegregation of the Orange County schools for Hispanic children 7 years before the federal desegregation laws were enacted. It is a lovely book about normal people making a difference through acts of kindness. Very Zen.

Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir's latest Sci-Fi adventure is an imaginary Earth saving tale with science lessons. We learn about interstellar space travel, rocket ships, robots, nutrition, comma induced sleep, gravity, EVA suits, and Tau Ceti. We also learn about Astrophage, Eridians, xenonite, and Tauomeoba. Dr. Grace is an unwilling high school science teacher who saves Earth (with help from the Beetles) and his friend Rocky, who saves his own planet Erid. Between his scientific knowledge and problem solving, and Rocky's superior engineering knowhow, they somehow accomplish the impossible. 

The book is long, but a page turner. I thought there was a little too much time dedicated to the prep time on earth and the reluctance of the hero to sacrifice himself for the mission. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the ending despite the improbability. Overall, an enjoyable read.

The Ice Master

The "Ice Master" is a lengthy tale of the doomed voyage of the Karluk. The title refers to the hero of the book, Bartlett, and his quest to save the members of his crew. The villain of the story is famous anthropologist, Stefansson, who organized the ill-equipped fiasco and then abandoned ship to continue his exploration. But mostly, it is the story of the 22 men, 1 woman, and two children who stayed and who came back and who did not. The main story tellers are Mamen, the diary of the dead man, and McKinlay, who lived to an old age to tell the tale. Like the book "Animal Farm", many of the men were either lazy or rotten, especially when their leader went off for help. It is very unlikely they would have made it without the help of the native Alaskans. The 13-month ordeal on the sinking ship, the ice flow, and on Wrangel Island was horrendous and hard to fathom. 

Coming Up Short

Robert Reich's memoir is a long book from a man that has experienced a long and impactful life. In the vein of "Ours was Brighter Future", Reich tells personal stories of what happened and what could have been regarding politics in America. With titles like my date with Hillory and I inhaled with Bill, he tells of his personal relations with the Clintons, W, Bernie, Biden, Trump and other individuals his age. Though his eyes, the reader sees how Wall Street has moved into the U.S. administrations, including those of Clintons and Obama. The hiring of Goldman Sachs CEO's and the loosening of the banking regulations paved the way to greater inequality and a financial collapse. You relive the Bush Gore election and the influence of Fox and the Supreme Court. You feel his frustration from working in the Clinton administration as the Secretary of Labor and his faith in the future from his 40+ years as a university professor. Reich is a champion for the working class and challenges the gross inequalities in America today. The title "Coming up Short" is appropriate for what he feels his generation has left for the future generations to fix. The final section is titled "The Long Game" and he provides his ideas for a road forward.

The Great Gatsby

 ...or the Great American Novel.

Why is The Great Gatsby considered a classic American novel? Is it for the depressing plot and unlikeable characters? Is it for the wordy and flowery language? Who is your favorite character? Gatsby, Nick, Daisy, Jordan, Myrtle, or any of the old or new rich party goers? The narrator, Nick Carraway is likeable enough but is drawn to the flawed Gatsby and Jordan Davies. I tended to root for the tragic Jay Gatsby, or westerner Jason Gatz, in spite of his hopeless obsession with Daisy.

AI says, "The Great Gatsby is considered the Great American Novel because it encapsulates the essence of the United States by examining the American Dream, capturing the spirit of the Jazz Age, reflecting on the social materialism and moral decadence, and embodying key themes like self-invention and the pursuit of happiness through a perfectly crafted and stylistically masterful American prose." 

Or, as my big sister used to say to me on occasion, "Phew, you are full of words."