kurtwombat's reviews
887 reviews

The World's Worst Assistant by Sona Movsesian

funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

3.75

Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere by Maria Bamford

challenging dark emotional funny informative fast-paced

4.75

The Marx Brothers Scrapbook by Groucho Marx

funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

 A mostly enjoyable romp down Marx  Brothers memory lane. These interviews with the then surviving brothers and several folks involved in their careers interspersed with often rare photographs and clippings are a feast for the hungry Marxophile. The highlight and sometimes lowlight is the irascible octogenarian Groucho. Always the brightest and most loquacious of the brothers—sometimes Groucho delivers tasty barbs but other times he is just cranky—and prepare yourself for more than a few F-ing-bombs.  Mostly that language refers to Chico’s off the set activities.  I was particularly interested in the early years—their upbringing and movement into vaudeville. Some fascinating early pictures. Some fascinating early anecdotes. Like sitting around with family going through scrapbooks with someone old enough to tell you about them. Only with more profanity than your grandpa might use. 

 

This book can also be used as a drinking game. Every time Groucho adds “He’s dead now” to the end of an anecdote—take a drink. You’ll be pasted in no time. 

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King

emotional funny informative sad medium-paced

4.25

There have been roughly 450 treaties between the governments of the US & Canada and the various Native American tribes of North America. Virtually every single one was broken by the white governments of US & Canada. This sets the tone for an unfriendly relationship. And an imbalance of power. That’s where this book steps in. Most of what I’ve read by or about Native Americans was either biographical or event driven (or a history of events). This book is different. While balancing humor and pathos with undercurrents of pain & rage, the author provides a template showing the systemic dismantling of Native American (US & Canada) lands & cultures. Approaching a tough subject with some levity, the author being Native American himself, makes the subject more personal…more approachable for the reader.  Considering much of the book is about self-justified & self-satisfied legislation aimed like cannons at Native Americans over and over again—this book remains incredibly readable. Just like the civil rights battles waged by African Americans didn’t stop in the 1960s, so Native Americans struggles didn’t end with the “winning of the west” by white folks. For both groups it was only a beginning. Well worth a look. If you are not interested in the topic when you start, you will be by the time you finish.  

American Desperado: My Life by Jon Roberts, Mark Bramhall, Evan Wright

dark informative sad tense fast-paced

4.5

The Last Temptation by Neil Gaiman

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Ultimately, this wasn’t as tempting as I wanted it to be. There are some fantastic visuals and a pretty good set up but it seemed a bit too reminiscent of Stephen King’s IT replacing Pennywise with Alice Cooper. Nice short cut guys. Unfortunately, also like IT, the ending seemed a little bit too simplistic (trying not to spoil either—loved IT by the way).  I wouldn’t seek this out but it was fine because I had it around—local library used book sale. 

Dr. Bloodmoney by Philip K. Dick

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

 My favorite character in Dr. BLOODMONEY is the astronaut left orbiting an earth mostly destroyed by nuclear war. He stares down and communicates randomly with civilians on earth who have survived and managed to acquire a working radio. That’s how I felt reading this book. Characters would pop up randomly deliver some information—often outing themselves and their various levels of desperation or ennui. Then on to the next character. Sadly for me, these mostly interesting characters fail to cohere into anything I found interesting.  There is an attempt to run a thread through the characters and draw them together near the end but by then I was feeling a lot like the astronaut—mostly uninvolved.   

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

adventurous funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Pope at War: The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler by David I. Kertzer

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Phule's Company by Robert Lynn Asprin

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

 I’ve always been a sucker for a motley crew: a band of folks brought together by a specific task or event who otherwise likely would never cross paths. From the French Foreign Legion to The Lord of the Rings to any book involving “that one final heist before I retire” –I  am your audience. 

Then in walks PHULE’S COMPANY—a military comedy with sci-fi trappings and mis-matched characters—and sits down in my wheelhouse. Main character Willard Phule is a kind of Ferris Bueller type—everything rolls his way. The sheer charm of the character keeps him from being one note or vastly annoying. In his forward folly through events, Phule generally uses his good luck and vast fortune (money makes it’s own luck)  in ways the reader can get behind. The diverse members of Phule’s command (in fact some not even human) have all come to some sort of dead end—their lives derailed by bad luck or bad choices. The author does a sharp job creating these characters—spurring an affection for them.  Phule gets them back on track initially by making their lives harder—then the little victories come. There’s really not much at stake here but reading it was like a warm meal.