The Wanderers

The Wanderers by Meg Howrey 
Penguin Publishing group:3/14/17
eBook review copy; 384 pages
ISBN-13: 9780399574634

The Wanderers by Meg Howrey is a highly recommended novel exploring the psychology of a Mars mission on the astronauts and their families.

Aerospace giant Prime Space has chosen three astronauts for its upcoming mission to Mars. Helen Kane, Yoshihiro Tanaka, and Sergei Kuznetsov have been selected for the mission, but first they must undergo a 17-month realistic simulation in the Utah desert in an operation known as Eidolon. This simulation will force the three to endure both the physical and emotional pressures of what the trip might entail for the crew. Not only are their technical, physical, and interpersonal skills tested, they are also under constant surveillance by the Prime Space’s team of "obbers" as are their family members. As their time in isolation increases both astronauts and family members question the stories they chose to tell and what is being told to them.

The Wanderers explores the psychological aspects of a long  mission to Mars on both astronauts and family members. The narrative focuses on what all of the characters are thinking. Not only do we have the distinct voices of Helen, Yoshihiro, and Sergei, but also Mireille (Helen's daughter), Madoka (Yoshi's wife), and Dmitri (Sergei's 16-year-old son), and a member of the "obbers." 
 
What we have here is a character study of all the people involved rather than a science fiction novel. It is well written and there is an incredible depth of insight into the characters, making them complex, realistic people. Two important things to note are that not all the characters stories have closure and the novel does feel a bit slow at times.

While the psychological insight and exploration of the different characters is interesting, what drew me to this title was the phrase "Station Eleven meets The Martian." Since these are two novels I loved and both were in my top ten lists for their publication years, I was sure The Wanderers would be a winner. While the writing is certainly good and the insight interesting, the novel was done a disservice with the comparison to these other two novels. I will admit that I felt let down. Probably a 3.5 rounded up

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the Penguin Publishing group.

Ill Will

Ill Will by Dan Chaon
Random House Publishing Group: 3/7/17
eBook review copy; 480 pages
ISBN-13: 9780345476043

Ill Will by Dan Chaon is a highly recommended psychological thriller that contains murder, drug addiction, and satanic ritual abuse.

In June of 1983 the parents of Dustin Tillman, 13, and his cousins Kate and Wave were murdered. At the time his adopted brother, Rusty, was convicted of the crime. Now Rusty is being released from prison as DNA evidence now proves he was innocent. Dustin testified about his memories of witnessing a satanic cult ritual at Rusty's trial which helped convict him.

Now Dustin is in his 40s and a psychologist in Cleveland who uses hypnotherapy. He is still recovering from his wife's death from cancer. His oldest son is off at college, but the youngest son, 18-year-old Aaron, is quickly acquiring an addiction to heroin and has been secretly talking to Rusty and learning about his dad's past. At the same time a patient of Dustin who is a former police officer is telling him about the series of drowning deaths of drunken male college students that seems to point to a serial killer on the loose.

Dustin is someone who is easily persuaded and influenced by others, although the extent of this isn't clear at first. The story is told through several characters, flashbacks, and in multiple timelines, as well as following two different story lines. At one point Aaron's narrative is even shared through a split two-column page and in first-, second-, and third-person points of view, which works surprisingly well in this story where disconnection is a theme. 

Charon has created a disturbing thriller with Ill Will and presents its many complexities in surprisingly straightforward eloquent prose. There is more going on, in the past and present, than is evident at first. The characters are complicated and unreliable. There is a sense of foreboding and doom that looms over the novel while you are reading. Because of the multiple points-of-view and timelines, you won't have any answers to nagging questions right away and some questions will never be answered.

My only complaint about Ill Will is that it seemed to drag a bit in the middle, making it feel overly long. If the narrative is compelling enough that it commands my complete attention I normally don't notice the length, which makes me think that there could have been a bit of tightening of the plot in the middle to keep the sense of foreboding at the fore-front of your mind rather than allowing the "this seems a bit long" thought to enter.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the Random House Publishing Group.

Bit Rot

Bit Rot: stories + essays by Douglas Coupland
Penguin Publishing Group: 3/7/17
eBook review copy; 432 pages
ISBN-13: 9780399575808

Bit Rot: stories + essays by Douglas Coupland is a very highly recommended thought provoking eclectic collection of over 65 essays and stories. "'Bit Rot' is a term used in digital archiving that describes the way digital files of any sort spontaneously (and quickly) decompose. It also describes the way my brain has been feeling since 2000, as I shed older and weaker neurons and connections and enhance new and unexpected ones."

I enjoyed the intermingling of the essays and the stories in this very diverse and satisfying collection. The pieces range from insightful to personal to witty to hilarious, and include a level of perception and depth along with technological and cultural observations. I will admit that I liked the essays more than the short stories, but a few of the fictional pieces stood out. Almost all of the essays were winners (with the exception being the Google searches, although it was interesting).

Anyone familiar with Copeland's writing knows that he has an exceptional way with words and a unique way of observing the world. It is all evident here. Normally I try to avoid including quotes from review copies, but these pieces are finished and previously published. The quotes will give you a taste of what Copeland has served up in this collection:

A common question I ask people whenever film discussions come up is, "What is the movie that scared the shit out of you when you were eleven or twelve - the film that you were probably too young to watch, but you watched it anyway, and it totally screwed you up for the rest of your life?" Everyone’s got one. Mine was Lord of the Flies, but other common answers are The Exorcist and Event Horizon. The point is that we all know that magic window in time when one is most susceptible to fear." (This is a great question to ask people. I know my older brother took me to a movie...)

Last summer in Reykjavik, I learned that one in ten Icelanders will write a novel in their lifetime. This is impressive, but the downside of this is that each novel gets only nine readers. In a weird way, our world is turning into a world of Icelandic novelists, except substitute blog, vlog or website for novel - and there we are: in Reykjavik. (As a long-time blogger, I actually laughed aloud over this.)

It turns out that smell is a vector, and for every smell there exists an anti- smell, and the anti- smell of human death is artificial cinnamon. You learn something new every day, and this is what you learned today.

The slowness and cluelessness of some Starbucks staff drive me insane. I want a brewed coffee, here’s two dollars, so come on, just pour the damn thing. Starbucks needs an express lane. Do they ever count how many customers leave because they don’t want to wait for ten minutes behind useless people ordering complicated, useless beverages? I think they must.

I don’t know if it’s me or what, but having to speak to college students is like having to address a crowd of work- shirking entitlement robots whose only passion, aside from making excuses as to why they didn’t do their assignments, is lying in wait, ready to pounce upon the tiniest of PC infractions. (This translates to employees that are students too.)

Worrying about money is one of the worst worries.... Worrying about money is anger-inducing because it makes you think about time: how many dollars per hour, how much salary per year, how many years until retirement. (oh yeah.)

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the Penguin Publishing Group.

The Coming Apostasy

The Coming Apostasy: Exposing the Sabotage of Christianity from Within
by Mark Hitchcock and Jeff Kinley
Tyndale House Publishers: 3/7/17
eBook review copy; 224 pages
ISBN-13: 9781496414076

The Coming Apostasy: Exposing the Sabotage of Christianity from Within by Mark Hitchcock and Jeff Kinley is a very highly recommended plea to the church to return to sound Biblical teaching.

Apostasy is falling away from the faith. It is the rejection of sound and wholesome teaching that is based on the Bible. The Bible warns that, "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths." 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NLT)


"Apostasy represents an abandonment of faith, and it can happen over time without a person realizing it. In fact, just the opposite may occur, as pride mixed with false doctrine leads to an attitude of superiority, complacency, and self-righteousness." Authors Hitchcock and Kinley have four purposes for writing this book: (1) to help Christians understand what apostasy is; (2) to help us understand that it’s surging all around us and is a serious sign of the end times; (3) to guard us from spiritual shipwreck and the danger of sinking; and (4) to help us understand the truth so that we stay on course as we await Christ’s return.

Many Christians can see that we are living in a time when sound doctrine is under siege and the Bible is being reduced to an outdated book of suggestions. It seems that people are more concerned with how they feel about whatever moral or theological topic is under consideration rather than what the Bible says. As pride mixes with false doctrine, it "leads to an attitude of superiority, complacency, and self-righteousness." Individuals, churches, and whole denominations are subject to a falling away from sound doctrine. Our guide to what is right and wrong should be the Bible.

The word of God does not change - people do. God does not compromise or rewrite his truth - people do. And in our quest to be relevant and up-to-date we are trying to please unbelievers by compromising the very inerrant and infallible word of God. Bringing home the point that it is currently unconscionable that we are even considering negotiating with a certain ideology that believes they have "holy mandate" to subjugate or kill outsiders. Right now Hitchcock and Kinley are spot on in their observation that: "The war in the East is to establish a religion. The war in the West is to eradicate a religion."

The Coming Apostasy is well written and organized, making it easy for readers to follow and understand the points being made. I agree with everything written in it, although I would prefer one or maybe two translations of the Bible be used rather than five, or at least do a parallel version to see/compare alternate translations. This is just a personal preference, but I also understand why different translations can make points easier to comprehend for a wide variety of people.

 
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers.

The Underworld

The Underworld by Kevin Canty
W. W. Norton & Company: 3/7/17
eBook review copy: 256 pages
ISBN-13: 9780393293050

The Underworld by Kevin Canty is a highly recommended novel about a mine fire in a small Idaho town.

Set in 1972 The Underworld is a fictionalized story inspired by a real event. Life in Silverton revolves around the silver mine, hard labor, and heavy drinking. Canty follows a handful of the people whose lives have been irrevocably affected by the mine, even before the disaster. David is a college student who is trying to escape Silverton and life in the mine where his father and brother work. Lyle has money in the bank and could retire, but he returns to life in the mine, thinking it will keep him from drinking all day. Ann thinks a baby will improve her marriage, but trips to the fertility clinic haven't helped.

The fire kills 91 men; 80 men survive. With so many lives lost in such a small town, the disaster touches every life in this small town.  We are introduced to the characters before the accident and then, afterwards, Canty portrays the grief, trauma, and devastation in the town as these survivors try to deal with the loss of lives brought about by the tragedy. "It’s a tough, hard-working, hard-drinking town, a town of whores and priests and bar fights, but nobody’s tough enough to get through this undamaged." It seems everything is always balanced right on the edge of turning violent. As these characters struggle with their lives, the town itself becomes a character. The amount of drinking to excess is overwhelming.

Canty manages to create these characters and flesh them out, while giving their inner thoughts voice and portraying their grief as they deal with their trauma. A disaster like this in a small town can decimate the town, literally, as people decide if they will stay in town or leave. How can they cope and keep going? Each character makes a different choice. Canty's writing is understated and reserved, but manages to capture the lives of these people in an empathetic yet realistic way.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of W. W. Norton & Company.

The Hearts of Men

The Hearts of Men by Nickolas Butler
HarperCollins Publishers: 3/7/17
eBook review copy; 400 pages
ISBN-13: 9780062469687

The Hearts of Men by Nickolas Butler is a highly recommended epic covering six decades and three generations of (mostly) men with ties to the Boy Scouts' Camp Chippewa in Wisconsin.

Part one opens in 1962, 13-year-old Nelson Doughty is the Bugler for the camp. He is a social outcast, overachiever, and victim of an abusive father. This summer marks several changes for Nelson's life. He has one older boy, Jonathan Quick, who sometimes defends Nelson, but this time Nelson learns about the limits of that connection. Wilbur Whiteside, owner and Scoutmaster of Camp Chippewa, lets Nelson know how much he appreciates him and sees great character in him. This summer marks a betrayal by Jonathan and a saving action by Whiteside.

In Part two it is 1996 and the night before wealthy 49-year-old Jonathan Quick is taking his 16-year-old son, Trevor, to Camp Chippewa, they are meeting his friend Nelson, for dinner. Nelson, after attending West Point and serving in Vietnam, worked odd jobs until he took over Camp Chippewa, which he inherited from Whiteside.  This night sees a drunken Jonathan introducing his son to his mistress and strippers, in an attempt to keep his son from becoming serious with his girlfriend Rachel, and taunting Nelson.

Part three is set in 2019 when Rachel brings her and Trevor's son and Jonathan's grandson, Thomas, to the camp. Nelson is now 70-years-old and ready to retire. This time something shocking happens that demonstrates Nelson's bravery and character. Part four is the conclusion set in 2022.

This is a novel that explores bravery, loyalty, and friendship as it questions what it means to be a man and a role model to young men. It also looks at the ugly side of life and families as they face challenges that they will either overcome or fail. In this way it also explores good and evil. The main characters, until Rachel at the end, are all men and this is a very masculine novel in some ways. The characters are all flawed, struggling with life and trying to find their place in the world. They are well developed and memorable.

The writing is in The Hearts of Men is admirable. Butler's prose is full of careful insights and the plot is well-paced in this character-driven novel. Each part of the novel is separated by decades in the future, you will have to adjust to the characters now older and with more life experiences behind them as they negotiate the new challenges set before them.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Doubleday Publishing: 4/18/17
eBook review copy; 352 pages
ISBN-13: 9780385534246

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann is a very highly recommended account of the Osage murders in Oklahoma during the 1920's. This is sure to be on my top ten nonfiction books of the year. Simply Excellent.

"In April, millions of tiny flowers spread over the blackjack hills and vast prairies in the Osage territory of Oklahoma. There are Johnny-jump-ups and spring beauties and little bluets. The Osage writer John Joseph Mathews observed that the galaxy of petals makes it look as if the 'gods had left confetti.' In May, when coyotes howl beneath an unnervingly large moon, taller plants, such as spiderworts and black-eyed Susans, begin to creep over the tinier blooms, stealing their light and water. The necks of the smaller flowers break and their petals flutter away, and before long they are buried underground. This is why the Osage Indians refer to May as the time of the flower-killing moon."

After oil was discovered on land where the mineral rights were owned by the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma, the Osage became the richest people per capita in the world. Millions of dollars was distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" which could not be bought or sold but only inherited. As history has often shown, with great wealth come unethical, immoral people looking for a way to take advantage. In the case of the Osage it was through several methods including: charging them more than others for any good and services; having them declared incompetent to handle their financial affairs so influential white men were declared administrators of their estates, allowing them to legally swindle the Osage; and marrying an Osage tribal member. If these corrupt practices weren't bad enough, it became clear that the Osage were being murdered, through car accidents, poison, bombings, or outright shooting.

Mollie Burkhart saw her family slowed killed off, one by one. One sister was likely poisoned, while another sister was shot. Her mother was poisoned - and Molly herself was in danger. Molly wasn't the only family experiencing murder and mysterious deaths either. To make matters more complicated, anyone looking into the deaths turned up dead too. It became known as the "Reign of Terror" and it was unknown how high up the corruption went to protect the perpetrators.

A young J. Edgar Hoover took notice of the death toll of over twenty-four Osage, and saw solving these cases and bringing the perpetrators to justice as a means of increasing the importance of the new FBI. He put former Texas Ranger Tom White in charge. White proceeded to amass an undercover team, including one of the only Native American agents in the bureau, and set out to uncovered the people and corruption that were behind the murders. Grann continues his research beyond the initial investigation, exposing facts which show that the corruption extended even further beyond the limited scope of the FBI investigation.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a riveting historical true crime account that reads like a mystery/thriller. The writing is superb and the presentation flawless. Grann does an excellent job describing the setting and people involved. Adding to the narrative are many period photographs of the people involved. This is a well-researched book and covers everything I look for in nonfiction. Grann has documented his sources in a vast section of chapter notes and includes an extensive bibliography, as well as sources for the numerous photographs. Killers of the Flower Moon is a great choice for history buffs, true crime enthusiasts, and anyone who appreciates a well-researched historical account of specific events in USA history.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Doubleday Publishing.