Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

 This memoir of the co-founder of Nike totally captivated me because it was like a roller coaster ride that never let up. There was challenge after challenge, and I kept wondering, how on earth can Knight stand this level of stress? I enjoyed learning more about how a company can become a cultural phenomenon, and what level of commitment and crazy that takes. I enjoyed learning about atheletic sponsorships and the feet on the ground over years of work that eventually paid off. It was interesting to read about how Knight met and hired his inner circle (the Buttfaces) that took this fledgling company into the behomoth it is today. 

What was heartbreaking to read about was how totally consuming this effort was, while his two sons languished with his wife. There's a chapter where he writes that one son refused to wear Nike's and both refused to be in sports. This was their retaliation for his absenteeism and it's a sad story. You can feel Knight's regrets, but that doesn't make it easy to read about.

He often depended on his father for encouragement and as that relationship developed over time, it was interesting to watch Knight understand some things about his own drive and impulses. It was impressive that his wife Penny stayed with him through all of the ups and downs. The Japanese characters were also intriguing to read about, and it opened a curtain on some of the cultural challenges that doing business there can uncover. 

He's definitely cut from a different cloth. I can't conceive of hanging in there when contracts were broken, when innovations didn't work, and when slapped with a 25 million dollar tax bill... Wait, what? You keep going as if it's all going to turn out well? Knight's life has not been easy! I liked how it was never about the money for him... And I liked how loyal he was to his friends and his state of Oregon and his school, the U of Oregon. All interesting things that I knew little about, and his writing style is captivating and engaging. There were lots of deals and accounting and banking things that I needed more details to understand. But if he had made them understandable, it could have been a boring and technical read. What I got was a snapshot of the issues like importing, going public, etc., and I would have appreciated more detail. Still, a good ride for sure. 

P.S. Here's a miracle! I was thinking about sending this book to Jane because I sensed she would like it, but I didn't. Then, in a recent convo, I told her about it, and she had just read it too!!! And yes, she did enjoy it and made lots of connections too, including one with her ex-husband, Larry, who wore Converse tennis shoes back in the day and laughed at her for suggesting better shoes would help his game... There wasn't such a thing as specialized shoes for specialized sports back then!

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

 This was a tough book in some ways, because of the tough situation that Demon was born to... And yet it kept calling me back to see what would happen next. Demon's character is so endearing and you're pulling for him and sense his goodness despite his challenges and his reckless choices.

Just as interested as I was in the plot, I was also captivated and totally impressed with Kingsolver's amazing ability to weave the characters that mirrored Dickens' characters in David Copperfield. They were like shadows of each other...not totally alike or predictable, but you could sense the similarities, and the names and common characteristics were like, WOW. Knowing David Copperfield's world and just waiting for how Kingsolver might interpret it for her time and place, was a real kick. I loved that aspect of this entire read. Knowing that Copperfield ended up happy helped me hope that Copperhead would too, and then kept me going despite the depressing milieu of the story. 

I also learned a lot about drug addiction and about the values of the people of this Appalachian country folk. Their culture and people are maligned and they feel it keenly. What Demon doesn't know is amazing...and this is revealed throughout the book, but mainly when he first goes to a city and a zoo. It was heart-wrenching to understand the breadth of his ignorance. 

Kingsolver is brilliant. The characters and plot were beautifully and naturally crafted and completely believable. Heartbreakingly so. For example, Angus's father, the coach, and his drinking and inability to connect much with the world outside of football. I really admired Angus as a character too, and her independence of thought and action. She was like a lifeline for Demon. The entire Peggott family was so fascinating and such a model of love and acceptance for Demon and the other "misfits" in their family. It was amazing to read about a character like June Peggott and what a fabulous influence she was...It made me hope that I could be that person for someone in my world...

All in all, an inspiring and challenging read. Will I take it on again? I'm not sure... But it definitely is enhanced by knowing Dickens' story first. A great pair of readings. 

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

 This book attracted me at Deseret Industries because it was a hard copy with an interesting, artsy cover, and when I opened it to browse, there were several paintings throughout the book. The jacket reminded me that Steve Martin is an author besides a talented banjo player and comic. The jacket also described that the story centers on art auctions and art dealers and that whole world, which intrigued me because I love art, and know little about the commercial side of it.

The characters in this book are an art reviewer and an up and coming art dealer with loose morals. She's an intriguing character, however, because of how she navigates her way through that world. There is some foul language, a few sex scenes, and quite a bit of confusion (at least in my mind) about who is dealing what and for what profit, etc., I just floated along with the story and enjoyed, for the most part, learning about this urban world. I have no doubt that most of it is fiction and that the players are not as flamboyant or free of morals as they were portrayed. It did recall for me some of the education I've had around art history and what constitutes "good art." I enjoyed pondering that question again as the characters dealt with modern art vs. Picassos and Rembrandts. It's clear that Martin knows a lot! But this book was not particularly compelling...just kind of fluffy and gratuitous... But worth the $1.00 I paid for it, just to enjoy the paintings!

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

 I have been so disappointed in my books lately that I returned to a classic for relief. I had heard that Dickens was a master storyteller, and I vaguely remember reading Great Expectations in high school and enjoying it, and...I knew that one of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver, had modeled her Demon Copperhead on David Copperfield...So, I decided to take it on, all 1001 pages of it! I was going to order it on Amazon, but people complained about the size of the print, so I thought, maybe I could borrow a copy. So I put the word out on the Picturesque Ward Facebook page, and Ricqui Griffiths responded right away to offer to lend me her copy. She had read it in high school and really liked it, and was willing to give her copy up for as long as I needed it. And so...I borrowed it, taped it's loose front pages back into place and dug in!

I'm so happy I did! I cannot count the happy hours I spent deep in London and Canterbury and the surrounding communities, learning about child labor, life in the nineteenth century, and getting to know absolutely wonderful and interesting characters. There were fascinating themes that were so different to our lives here and now. For example, the absolutely seemingly worthless lives of women, the cruel discregard for the welfare of children, and of course, the differences in class. There was a rigid class structure that I'd read about before, but this added to my knowledge and understanding.

Usually I resent it when characters are all good or all bad, but it didn't bother me so much in Dickens' world. There were clearly evil people with no redeeming thoughts or actions, and good ones who did no wrong. But they were so interesting and diverse that it was not annoying to me. 

I especially enjoyed Dickens' relationship to his star character. He described his David Copperfield with great affection and gentle humor. He could see the foibles of his youth and described them eloquently. It was a joy to read his description of the angel Agnes. It was also delightful to watch the development of David's love and respect for Agnes. It was delightful to watch his Aunt develop from a crusty cranky woman into one of great heart and affection. The Pegotty family was also a treasue to learn about, and the simple way they lived. The story drew me in and kept me engaged for a couple of weeks. 

Dickens' description of his love for Dora and the way he tried to change her and then finally accept her was heart-breaking and yet reassuring. He kept his love strong by his will and integrity, despite his disappointment in her lack of development. I love that he eventually got "his reward" by enjoying a richer relationship with the mature and angelic Agnes. It was a beautiful example of a youthful, immature choice of a companion, and yet staying true to her. I found that so admirable and also so heart breaking, especially for Dora, who clearly understood she had married someone who would have welcomed more intellectual stimulation. So sad, and yet so sweet that they made it work for as long as she lived. Very instructive!

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

 This sounded cute and witty in the reviews and in the first few pages. I was sold when several different book reviewers online recommended it. Well, it's inane. Really frustrating. But there was enough humor to keep me going after I got into it, and the plot was a little intriguing, so I enjoyed it until the end. Still, I often thought, why am I wasting my time? Because I wanted to see how the various plot lines would come together. 

The main character owns a practically deserted teashop in SanFerancisco, and one of the more interesting parts of the story were the various teas she brewed for various purposes. Later she prepares Chinese feasts, and these dishes are described in an interesting way. The characters and plot were nothing special but the tea and food were fascinating! This is NOT a keeper. 

However, it has motivated me to move on to some classics instead of trying to find something valuable from today's authors! Next up: David Copperfield!

This is Happiness by Niall Williams

 I heard about this author on an Instagram post about someone's favorite authors. I read reviews and decided it was worth a try. I'm so glad I did! It's set in Ireland and is told from the point of view of an old man looking back on his youth. He philosophizes almost endlessley, but it's all interesting and poetic and full of love and grace for those hardy people in his grandparents' village of Faha. 

This young man stays with his grandparents during the time the vi8llage is getting electricity for the first time. The people are reluctant to trust the whole endeavor, and it's interesting to read about why. Noel's grandparents are great characters who live a hard life, and they have the lone telephone in the village. When they take in a boarder, this man exerts a great influence on Noel.

As their relationship develops, it's lovely to watch the resraint with which each treats the other. Also the restraint between Noel and his grandparents, who want Noel to return to church. I couldn't tell if Noel ended up being a believer or not; his objections and observations about the local parish and its leaders are both ironic and admiring. I loved the descriptions of the people and their feelings. 

However, the story unfolded very slowly and sometimes I wished the author would just get on with the plot and not share quite so many observations...But maybe that's my impatience? Some of the parts I underlined are just fantastic. For example, when speaking about a girl he admired, he wrote:

"As will be clear, I was an amateur in this, and to me fell the amateur's lot making every available mistake. I suppose I knew that the word most associated wtih romantics is hopeless, and that the end for the ardent is disillusion, but what I was feeling I couldn't deny or banish. I said her name, and, like the first man to eat the egg of a bird, felt a little ascension, and like him wouldn't have been surprised to find feathers at my back."

Isn't that amazing prose? He describes those gushing powerful first love feelings so eloquently and powerfully that sometimes I was left breathless. The other thing that is wonderful about this story is the way the older Noel describes and inhabits the younger one with so much love and compassion. And a little wry humor. It's very sweet.

There is also a strong theme about the onslaught of technology and all of it's inherent changes both good and bad. It's fascinating to read this, know what happens when electricty comes, and now know that a similar revolution is happening as we live in the internet world. Many similar challenges.

This was a wonderful book. Sometimes a bit ponderous, but overall wonderful. There were parts where it just took my breath away. I think I'll keep this one to try again in a few months. 

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

 This book was recommended to me by both Teal and Montana's mom when I was with them in November at the Orchard. Montana's mom was a school librarian, I believe, so I was interested in her book recommendations. And I knew Teal was into fantasy, but I kind of hoped this wasn't quite so fantasy-like. I was wrong. It was very true to the genre and why I find it so tough to get into it. Ann loves it too; and I keep thinking I may like it if I keep trying?

This one was so dark and cold that I almost quit reading it several times. I found it tough to keep the different characters straight. The imagined world with its weird inhabitants were mysterious and I couldn't unravel their purpose or their challenges easily. They were only gradually revealed.

However, about half-way through the book, I began to wonder how it would all turn out. Teal being Teal, I assumed the female characters would save the day...and I began to wonder how that would happen. And they did, and how they did it was interesting. Lots of magical powers and weirdness, but also a lot of clever world-building and fantastic environment building. Stoic characters and monsters inside of bodies...lots of unusual things. Not my favorite, but I did soldier on to the end. No, I will not take this author on again. But now I will have something to talk to Teal about in Mexico in April. What is it about this make-believe world that she finds compelling?