The Martian by Andy Weir

An astronaut on a Mars landing is abandoned when the mission is aborted and he is thought to be dead. The result is a hi-tech Robinson Crusoe in a vacuum.

The story is full of twists and turns and is very exciting and actually plausible. A fun read.

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

(read aloud)

A widower bookstore owner, buried in grief and self-absorbed, has a sort of rebirth when a baby is left at his store. This is a story full of warmth and redemption and surprise. It is beautiful and full of unexpected love and expected friendships. Very much worth reading.

American Chestnut by Susan Freinkel

The subtitle gives a good summary: "The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree." This is an interesting if unfinished story. Since the tree is not extinct there is hope. It was revealing that in our current state of science we are so much at the mercy of plant pathogens. I had to remind myself that such is certainly also true of human pathogens!

The book is slightly aimless and somewhat repetitious. There are only so many ways to say that a tree is wonderful and its loss is regrettable.

Still, the book is hopeful without denying the difficulty of the task, to restore a tree that once spread throughout the eastern forests of the United States.

Undiluted Hocus-Pocus by Martin Gardner

How a magician becomes a world-class mathematician despite having no math degrees. Writes dozens of books and hundreds of articles and has a world-wide following.

This autobiography is truly remarkable for its honesty and disarming transparency. It is almost childlike in its candor. A man of many friends and many famous acquaintances.

A couple chapters deal with his belief in God. These passages are delightful for their lack of artifice, their grace and simplicity. He is strongly influenced by G. K. Chesterton though stops quite a bit short of his orthodoxy.

Sycamore Row by John Grisham

(read aloud)

Very good book, nice plot and interesting characters. Leaves one thinking about race and how far we have come and how far we have to go.

Evil and nobility live side by side in a quiet small southern town.

Haiti - After the Earthquake by Paul Farmer

This book by Paul Farmer with an assemblage of epilogues by co-workers and associates encapsulates the experiences of thousands who tried to respond to this great disaster. It is a story of bravery and zeal and of success and dismal failure. President Clinton's appeal to "build back better" is a serious theme.

Also underlying the whole story is Farmer's longstanding appeal to involve the Haitian government rather than bypass it. This is more than a theoretical matter. Money given to the government often disappears. However, aid agencies come and go almost at a whim. The government is there at all times responsible for everyone. It is a false economy to avoid helping the health department and others responsible even if they might be immediately less effective. 

Also there are many unintended consequences to aid efforts. For example, all the aid agencies provided medical care for free, instantly severing the income of all indigenous Haitian doctors.

Though controversial, Farmer is without doubt an amazingly gifted and dedicated humanitarian.

War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk

Engaging story of war and man's inhumanity. Shows the treatment of the Jews under Hitler. An effective anti-war book. Love and life, death and destruction, heroism and fear in the same places and people.