I'm pleased to report, but not at all surprised, several of the Road Scholar folks from the group here in Utah are avid readers. And, conversations with these bookworms since Monday have persuaded me the timing is good to publish this second installment of my limited run Book Backlog series. I'm so grateful my wife and I began travelling with Road Scholar in 2015. OK, ready for the field goal at halftime?
1.) A Pale View of Hills (1982) - Kazuo Ishiguro: A quiet, understated, and devastating novella by one of our modern-day masters. If any reader of my blog finishes it, I must have a conversation - online or off - with you, please. In my experience, books about memory and remorse rarely approach the majesty of this one.
2.) How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'N' Roll (2009) - Elijah Wald: Provocative title, wouldn't you say? But Wald's subtitle - An Alternative History of Popular Music in the 20th Century - reveals a great deal more about what this talented author is up to in his well-researched, smartly written, and persuasive book. Although books like this are catnip to a musician like me, Wald's approach will engage any reader willing to keep an open mind.
3.) The Lincoln Highway (2021) - Amor Towles: An old-fashioned novel, in the best possible ways. Compelling and largely straightforward narrative line, rich characters, satisfying moral symmetry. The quest at the core of this roomy book and the relationship between the two brothers is guaranteed to satisfy most readers. A page-turner, again, in all the best ways.
I'm now 50% done with my book backlog. Thanks to the readers who commented on my opening triple on March 29. Please let me know if you finish - or have already read - any of the six books featured so far in this series.
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