tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41088222577995426202024-03-26T23:35:28.408-07:00The Next-to-Last PageAs a college professor and writer, I'm reading all the time, sometimes so much that I forget what I've read. Two years ago, I challenged myself to use Goodreads and Audible to record my reactions. There are enough of those now that I thought I'd post them to this blog so that anyone interested could browse through them.jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.comBlogger934125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-46745526693838835092024-03-25T13:23:00.001-07:002024-03-25T13:23:44.949-07:00Review: The Nuremberg Trial
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/789376" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1178371520l/789376.jpg" border="0" alt="The Nuremberg Trial" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/789376">The Nuremberg Trial</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/414232">Ann Tusa</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6374017203">5 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6374017203">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-24788134755286770722024-03-17T18:07:00.001-07:002024-03-17T18:07:22.573-07:00Review: The Templars: History & Myth
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4548398" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328640147l/4548398._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="The Templars: History & Myth" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4548398">The Templars: History & Myth</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/126742">Michael Haag</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6352466210">2 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6352466210">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-74142200025597627152024-03-11T19:22:00.001-07:002024-03-11T19:22:06.509-07:00Review: Calico
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/156896079" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1684778510l/156896079._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Calico" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/156896079">Calico</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/67202">Lee Goldberg</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6336810432">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6336810432">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-13230414918600817412024-03-09T08:48:00.001-08:002024-03-09T08:48:44.049-08:00Review: A Very Punchable Face
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48989372" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585145237l/48989372._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="A Very Punchable Face" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48989372">A Very Punchable Face</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16076466">Colin Jost</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6329688194">2 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
I’m hooked on these Saturday Night Live memoirs. For a time that was because, with a son contemplating a career in comedy writing, I wanted to see how these guys had launched theirs. For another, they keep coming up as cheap deals on Audible, and I figure ‘why not.’<br /><br />I like Colin Jost for the most part. He’s been doing Weekend Update for what feels like forever, and I think that he and Michael Che are possibly the best I remember doing it. (I’d say much better than Seth Meyers or Kevin Nealon, and I confess I thought Norm MacDonald was uneven in the role.)<br /><br />So, I was prepared to like this for specific reasons beyond the generic ones I bring to any of these comedy biographies: that the comic will talk about the arc of their career, and that they’ll offer an insight into how their comedy intersects with other comedy of its time.<br /><br />And, in Jost’s case, I had to wonder how it came to pass that he has married Scarlett Johansson. <br /><br />From the start, Jost acknowledges the nature of his humor. As he explains his choice of title, he reflects on the fact that he appears to many people as the embodiment of white male privilege. He is a handsome guy (something he modestly acknowledges but then underplays in descriptions of his overweight, acne-challenged younger self). He went to Harvard where he was classmates with Mark Zuckerberg and the Winklevoss twins. And he was hired as an SNL writer when he was barely 23!<br /><br />Yeah, break out the sad violins for this guy.<br /><br />At the same time, and this is to his credit, he joins in making fun of himself. At root, he is a gag man – a 21st century version of the jokemakers who floated decades of Reader’s Digest columns (for which he admits he wrote in the brief period of his little-money struggles). He says he worked hard to hone his craft, and I believe it. He has written and re-written things to make people laugh. And, after his several thousand attempts, he has a real pro’s sense of what works.<br /><br />He is also a modest insult comedian – this is my analysis here – with a twist. He hurls his insults primarily at himself, owning and taking advantage of his being so “punchable.”<br /><br />He’s good at it, and I enjoy the experience of it on the show, but here in the book, it begins to feel one-note. Yes, for me it’s a helpful insight to see him routinely making fun of himself, but, if he’s going to write a book about his comedy career, I’d like to see him really think about that. To what extent is he aware of that as a political move (“political,” at least, in these times). To what extent is he taking himself, someone he and Michael Che both mock as one of the whitest people imaginable, down a peg in the context of our larger discussions about race and privilege?<br /><br />Instead, we often get what seem to me attenuated riffs that aren’t funny. There’s a chapter on the six times he wound up needing stitches on his face. There’s another, decidedly unfunny one, about the multiple times he has accidentally shit his pants.<br /><br />The weakest chapters in any of these memoirs are the ones where you can feel the comedian relaxing into a “now I can recycle some of the bits I’ve used for years.” Those rarely work in book form, and there are far too many here.<br /><br />There’s a sobering chapter about his mother, who, as chief medical officer for the New York Fire Department, performed heroically during and after 9/11, but it feels out of place next to the funniest bits here – the opening when he describes her as having Large Irish Family Name Syndrome in which she has to run through the name of every kid in the extended family to get to the right one.<br /><br />One striking element that he raises without quite exploring is the sense that he and Pete Davidson, as Staten Islanders, were both stamped by their family’s experiences during 9/11. (Davidson’s father was a firefighter killed when one of the buildings came down, something he has explored in sometimes cutting-edge comedy, opening up about his pain without giving into pathos.)<br /><br />What does it say, I wonder, that their relatively small community was so shaped by those events, and how does his and Davidson’s comedy reflect that?<br /><br />This is a short book, but I found myself hoping it would end soon. I contemplated bailing on it, but I held out hope for one final reveal: how did a guy this self-deprecating (despite his seeming privilege) wind up marrying one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.<br /><br />He name drops her, and he talks about some of the challenges of his relationships in general, but ultimately we get nada. He’s welcome not to tell the story; I’m not interested in the tabloid angle. But, please, don’t start the story and then bail on it.<br /><br />Despite the title, Jost is a likeable guy. That’s enough to raise this above the nadir of the SNL memoir genre – David Spade’s has the bottom run sewn up in my book – but it’s ultimately a cut below most of the others I have read.<br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6329688194">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-31742188891923635012024-03-09T08:11:00.001-08:002024-03-09T08:11:13.865-08:00Review: Charlie's Good Tonight
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60606350" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1655071207l/60606350._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Charlie's Good Tonight" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60606350">Charlie's Good Tonight</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16183009">Paul Sexton</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6329613312">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6329613312">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-9029866804120495552024-03-04T19:14:00.001-08:002024-03-04T19:14:46.782-08:00Review: Bleak House
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31242" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1280113147l/31242._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Bleak House" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31242">Bleak House</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/239579">Charles Dickens</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6317586220">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6317586220">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-88843106861868138952024-02-27T18:23:00.001-08:002024-02-27T18:23:38.832-08:00Review: On the Natural History of Destruction
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/183922" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1702048637l/183922._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="On the Natural History of Destruction" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/183922">On the Natural History of Destruction</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6580622">W.G. Sebald</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6300246869">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6300246869">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-16409941011111362882024-02-27T18:22:00.001-08:002024-02-27T18:22:13.246-08:00Review: The Kingdoms of Savannah
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58724835" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639382308l/58724835._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="The Kingdoms of Savannah" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58724835">The Kingdoms of Savannah</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/290369">George Dawes Green</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6300242951">5 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6300242951">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-7260779949067464372024-02-27T18:20:00.001-08:002024-02-27T18:20:48.420-08:00Review: The Mayor of Casterbridge
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56759" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388276915l/56759._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="The Mayor of Casterbridge" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56759">The Mayor of Casterbridge</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15905">Thomas Hardy</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6300239784">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6300239784">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-7528369109488610962024-02-27T18:19:00.001-08:002024-02-27T18:19:53.462-08:00Review: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65678550" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1685350945l/65678550._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65678550">The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11728">James McBride</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6300236374">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6300236374">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-36337913022369385312024-02-22T15:14:00.001-08:002024-02-22T15:14:27.643-08:00Review: Lake Success
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36739942" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516726955l/36739942._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Lake Success" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36739942">Lake Success</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12437">Gary Shteyngart</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6286004337">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6286004337">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-21023056212977491282024-02-16T12:23:00.001-08:002024-02-16T12:23:07.767-08:00Review: Hands of Time: A Watchmaker's History
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62854814" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1676307699l/62854814._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Hands of Time: A Watchmaker's History" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62854814">Hands of Time: A Watchmaker's History</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22917434">Rebecca Struthers</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6268215170">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6268215170">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-50266163781918410642024-02-16T09:12:00.001-08:002024-02-16T09:12:20.428-08:00Review: A Tale of Love and Darkness
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27574" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1429313277l/27574._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="A Tale of Love and Darkness" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27574">A Tale of Love and Darkness</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15496">Amos Oz</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6267787914">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6267787914">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-85679066137330422872024-02-13T11:58:00.001-08:002024-02-13T11:58:29.121-08:00Review: The Beautiful Bureaucrat
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23848271" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1428639038l/23848271._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="The Beautiful Bureaucrat" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23848271">The Beautiful Bureaucrat</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93757">Helen Phillips</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6260371368">2 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6260371368">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-1254608875097312132024-02-05T17:49:00.001-08:002024-02-05T17:49:56.648-08:00Review: Hollow
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56212878" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617707208l/56212878._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Hollow" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56212878">Hollow</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1657883">Brian Catling</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6238942631">5 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6238942631">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-25410769782916140772024-02-03T16:10:00.001-08:002024-02-03T16:10:53.935-08:00Review: The Seed Detective: Uncovering the Secret Histories of Remarkable Vegetables
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61068882" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1652196506l/61068882._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="The Seed Detective: Uncovering the Secret Histories of Remarkable Vegetables" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61068882">The Seed Detective: Uncovering the Secret Histories of Remarkable Vegetables</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3244496">Adam Alexander</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6232469720">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6232469720">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-42844153553493946872024-02-01T15:12:00.001-08:002024-02-01T15:12:07.789-08:00Review: Last Summer on State Street
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58884738" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648412987l/58884738._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Last Summer on State Street" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58884738">Last Summer on State Street</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21339320">Toya Wolfe</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6226506258">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6226506258">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-58394293070013517242024-01-31T09:50:00.001-08:002024-01-31T09:50:45.177-08:00Review: Dog Soldiers
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/380364" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1306365286l/380364._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Dog Soldiers" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/380364">Dog Soldiers</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/41938">Robert Stone</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6222438860">5 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6222438860">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-57043441956901304792024-01-28T07:37:00.001-08:002024-01-28T07:37:04.441-08:00Review: Not Funny: Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Et Cetera
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61273783" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1679504102l/61273783._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Not Funny: Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Et Cetera" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61273783">Not Funny: Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Et Cetera</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22476443">Jena Friedman</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6212593101">5 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6212593101">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-60925801505482902812024-01-27T09:29:00.001-08:002024-01-27T09:29:40.843-08:00Review: The Nickel Boys
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42270835" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593115396l/42270835._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="The Nickel Boys" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42270835">The Nickel Boys</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10029">Colson Whitehead</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6209804301">5 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6209804301">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-19229606820837441882024-01-23T13:25:00.001-08:002024-01-23T13:25:10.112-08:00Review: Easy Beauty
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58438546" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1642351567l/58438546._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Easy Beauty" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58438546">Easy Beauty</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19814577">Chloé Cooper Jones</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6198631021">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6198631021">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-34487548821434813242024-01-21T09:17:00.001-08:002024-01-21T09:17:00.908-08:00Review: The Best American Essays 2023
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127654372" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1681126134l/127654372._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="The Best American Essays 2023" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127654372">The Best American Essays 2023</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/75060">Vivian Gornick</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6191151666">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6191151666">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-14710480636287072582024-01-20T20:32:00.001-08:002024-01-20T20:32:35.420-08:00Review: And Quiet Flows the Don
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78024" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1444113702l/78024._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="And Quiet Flows the Don" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78024">And Quiet Flows the Don</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/44202">Mikhail Sholokhov</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6189706296">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6189706296">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-15455299667429201022024-01-16T08:37:00.001-08:002024-01-16T08:37:34.428-08:00Review: Inside, Outside
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113194" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344266927l/113194._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Inside, Outside" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113194">Inside, Outside</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9020">Herman Wouk</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6174559372">3 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6174559372">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4108822257799542620.post-60555686751759295702024-01-10T13:12:00.001-08:002024-01-10T13:12:39.339-08:00Review: Our Hideous Progeny
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61067597" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1665590745l/61067597._SX98_.jpg" border="0" alt="Our Hideous Progeny" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61067597">Our Hideous Progeny</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22200362">C.E. McGill</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6154011979">4 of 5 stars</a>
<br /><br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6154011979">View all my reviews</a>
jkraus2427@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04228764491192945772noreply@blogger.com0