A Little Ludwig Goes A Long Way

• The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. Not sure why I decided to make this book my 3rd Atwood. Well written and engaging but you probably need to be very well-versed in Greek myth to fully enjoy, and I am not. Amazon says 4 stars, metacritic gives a 74, these both seem a little high to me, I’d say 3.5 stars.
• Arthur and George by Julian Barnes. A fictional retelling of the odd true story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his defense of George Edalji, who was falsely convicted of animal mutilation and other crimes. Oddly engaging although drags a bit in the middle. Amazon says 4.5 stars, metacritic gives a 79. I’d say 4 stars, this is quite a good book, I was suprised at the end to discover just how much of this story was true.
• Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd. No good deed goes unpunished — a man tries to return some papers left mistakenly at a restaurant and stumbles into a murder, is chased by the police and the cabal behind the murder, takes to the streets, is mugged, changes his identity, and very nearly loses his life. His impetuous decisions bring him to the brink and his wits eventually lead him out. Fun tale. Amazon says 3.5 stars, not listed on metacritic. I’d say 3.5 stars, I enjoyed this as much or more than the Atwood.
• People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. A book conservator puzzles out the history of an ancient Jewish text. The story is fleshed out with flashback chapters to the historical characters who created and preserved the text. Thankfully avoids veering off into the Dan Brown/National Treasure realm, but doesn’t quite replace silly adventure with emotional depth despite attempts to do so — ultimately the characters were a little thin. Amazon says 4 stars, not listed on metacritic, I’d say 3.5 stars — a solid and engaging tale but could have used a bit more character depth. 

• Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. Well regarded YA novel, tells the tale of a young man from humble beginnings who with the help of several mentors discovers his magical powers and rises to great heights. Well worn territory but nicely told. Amazon says 4.5 stars, that might be a little rich, I’d say 4, but it is a quality tale.
• All Other Nights by Dara Horn. A ripsnorter of a tale. A young Jewish Northern spy during the Civil War wrestles with his duty to country, his family, himself. Makes a lot of poor decisions along the way but an element of redemption at the end. Amazon says 4 stars, that seems good, tho I could even inch a little higher; while the setting is familiar, the character is unique.
• American Rust by Phillip Meyer. Life in the rust belt sucks, there are few ways out. Somehow two young men turn a tragedy into an escape for themselves, but not without a lot of trials. Amazon says 4 stars, I might stop at 3.5. It is a good story and gives much to think about, but, well, it is a little bit of a downer at times.
• The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. A trendy story, Amazon gives 4.5 stars. It is a very interesting story, doesn’t follow the typical novel structure as it weaves and bobs over 30-40 years of the operation of a newspaper seen through the eyes of different people, all with their own personal issues. But it hung together for me and ultimately was a rewarding tale.

While not the major element of the last two books, they both had themes of parent/child estrangement. And they both leave you feeling that there is no worse hell than being estranged from your child, particularly when the estrangement is largely of your own making. And the best way to become estranged is to make the relationship about you, instead of about your child. Good lessons.