Pam Webb

Reader Roundup: August

August around my parts is a combination of 90+ heat and smoke saturation creating one to two weeks of limited outside adventures. Fortunately I had a stack of really good reads to pass the the time. These are ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ reads.

Wink by Rob Harrell

Kid cancer stories. Usually maudlin, right? Not so with Wink. The author, basing Wink on his personal experience with eye cancer, creates an uplifting story of seventh grader Ross who must cope with not only dealing with all that goes with cancer treatments, but he also faces friendship schisms, bullying, crush disappointment, along with the usual angst of being a middle schooler.

The Leopard is Loose by Stephen Harriman

The Leopard Is Loose is a surprise read. The cover seems deceptively simple more suited to a juvenile read than a novel that reexamines a childhood trauma through the perception of an adult. The narrative is from a seventy year old man remembering the summer when as a five year old a leopard escaped from the town’s zoo. The loose leopard becomes a working metaphor as it represents a threat to the security to young Grady as does other aspects such as the volatile personality of his Uncle Frank who suffers from PTSD from his WWII experiences. Then there is the possibility of his widowed mother marrying which would mean moving away from all Grady has known. The author is deftly able to capture events and describe situations through the eyes of a five year old, yet embellish the unfolding with the perception of an adult looking back with gained knowledge and wisdom.

Wool by Hugh Howey

A success story certainly deserves attention. Hugh Howey’s feat of shaking up the e-publish world with his short story and then the subsequent editions, proves ingenuity still survives. A unique dystopian idea where people live in underground silos as “seed” for better times definitely garners praise. While there are some plot holes as to how these people are able to successfully live from generation to generation as a self-functioning society, it’s the interpersonal connections that makes the long hike through the 500 page Omnibus so mesmerizing.

I read it eight years later after watching the Amazon series. After watching Rebecca Ferguson’s interpretation of Juliette I decided to reread the book. I wasn’t eager to revisit the story, remembering how it was difficult to fully get involved in the setting—a community living in a giant silo for how many generations? Yet, the story riveted me the second time because the series helped me visualize it this time around. Rebecca captured well Juliette’s plucky determination and most of the plot was covered.It’s a case of the book is the book and the movie is the movie.

I do suggest watching the series first and then reading the book. Shocking, I know. But it did change my rating from a four to a five.

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

Lab Girl is a hybrid of a scientist’s insights about plant life and a revealing memoir that reveals the soul of poet who happens to be quite adept with the workings of a lab. She’s built three of them so it’s not surprising that Hope Jahren is recognized (by many, despite how she reckons women scientists don’t get all the credit due them) as a scientist of merit. Jahren’s intertwining vignettes, like the tree rings she fondly refers to, form her memoir, one that eloquently and at times is profoundly lyrical as she shares with her readers her unique perspective of seeing science through an English literature lens.

S by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst

With JJ Abrams listed as author I knew The Ship of Theseus would go where no book reader has gone before. Yes, his directorial credits of Star Trek and Lost are on full dial. However, Abrams is more of a show runner than author for this meta fiction wonderment. The writing credit goes to Doug Dorst, who may not be as well known yet proves he is a talented writer.

There are two novels. The first is The Ship of Theseus (SOT) which is an enigmatic tale of an amnesiac who sails kim with a gruesome crew and is tasked with ridding the world of a despotic autocrat. And our hero (antihero?) searches for the woman he deems as the key to his identity (as well as his heart).

The second novel consists of two college students. Jen has serious senioritis and Eric is an expunged grad student living in the shadows of the campus while he tries to complete research on VM Straka, the mysterious writer of SOT. These two tell their story through marginalia that first consists of their interactions and interpretations of SOT which leads to a friendship that blossoms into a relationship. As they trade ideas they reveal an undercurrent of espionage, intrigue, and conspiracy that is involved with Straka.

This not your usual read. While there is great effort to create a real book, library markings, aged pages, etc. it is all false. It is the illusion that there is a Straka, a conspiracy, two readers who literally get caught up in the book. It is very impressive and visually a treat. It is an experience and not merely another good read chalk mark on my Reading Challenge.

Oh, and the book contains over 20 inserts ranging from newspaper clippings to postcards to a decoder wheel. I enjoyed all the reviews, fan sites, and analysis about the book almost as much as reading it.