Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth Bailey

     The parables interpreted with deeper cultural understanding. Some of the chapters are extremely good. He most often makes a very plausible case. He is careful and methodical. He makes, I think, very valuable contributions to our understanding.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

     An annotated version and very lucid translation. Supposedly a very stoicism-oriented book, a kind of diary, evidently not intended for 'publication.' He was anti-Christian but I see many themes compatible. Naively, perhaps, I see his invocation of deities as metaphorical and his reference to God almost monotheistic. An underlying theme of humility and a quest for virtue.

The French Revolution by Hilaire Belloc

     Curiously written with an unusual, antiquated style and historically opinionated. Belloc seems interesting.

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

    A wonderful trip with captivating characters. Traveling twists and turns with injustice and settling of accounts and detours. Classical references abound. The ending wasn't as good as the rest of the book, but only the very end, and many might disagree. Overall only slightly less wonderful than A Gentleman in Moscow.

Gray Mountain by John Grisham

 (read aloud)

    Not very good. Characters not too likeable, plot with too many threads, and none resolved.    

The Death Ship by B. Traven

     Public domain, idiosyncratic book about early ocean steamships and sailors without a country, passports, or papers, doomed from ship to ship risking life and limb. Bits of philosophy honed by suffering.

Everywhere an Oink Oink by David Mamet

     A lot of bad language, but also interesting comments on writing and film making. Some gossip. Bitter, dyspeptic, as book jacket says.