There are spoilers in the reviews of the last two books, marked by SPOILER.
[40] Ferry Pilot: Nine Lives Over the North Atlantic by Kerry McCauley
Non Fiction / Aviation, heard about it another aviation book, Kindle
Synopsis: Ferry Pilot follows Kerry McCauley’s crazy adventures as an international ferry pilot to Europe and Africa. Kerry’s daring (aka irresponsible and idiotic) missions repeatedly tease fate and test the limits of skill and luck.
Review: Just, wow. My dude, wtf. This is the diary of a reckless, egotistical pilot with a death wish. Steven and I are (aviation) rule followers to a T so this was a bit shocking to read. After I shared the first story in the book with Steven, he said “maybe you shouldn’t read that — it sounds like a bad influence.” And I was like, “Oh don’t worry, I would never imagine doing most of these things.” NEVER. I honestly can’t believe McCauley put these stories in a book, knowing the FAA could read it (he still flies now). He’s a great storyteller, and I was extremely engaged and interested, and will remember a lot of these stories for the rest of my life… as reminders of what to NEVER do.
Fun Fact: This guy flies out of Minnesota and did his training at the airport we flew to in Minneapolis in April! Of course he had a story about almost crashing his plane on a solo flight out of there, leaving the airport when he wasn’t approved to, and doing maneuvers he shouldn’t.
Recommend? Yeah, it’s wildly entertaining
[41] Eruption by James Patterson, Michael Crichton
Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, Audio
Synopsis: A massive volcanic eruption threatens to wipe out Hawaii’s Big Island. But as chaos unfolds, a long-buried military secret emerges— one even more dangerous than the natural disaster itself.
Review: My goodness, why is this so bad?! I know Patterson finished Crichton’s draft many years after he passed but I am not familiar with either author so I couldn’t tell what was by whom. It doesn’t matter. This felt so scattered and all over the place. It would dip in and out of stories, making me think something was crucial to the story only for it to never be mentioned with as much importance again (like, SPOILER, the military secret/risk turns out all good in the end even though none of their original plans for it worked, huh?). None of the characters were particularly developed. They seemed like exaggerated caricatures with the most ridiculous dialogue. And the pissing contest amongst the male characters? No thanks. The best part of the book was when the volcano started killing off these horrible characters. And when it was over of course.
Recommend? Nope
[42] The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
Fiction / Asian American & Pacific Islander, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, Audio
Synopsis: When Margot Lee discovers her mother Mina has died under what she thinks are suspicious circumstances, she’s launched into a journey of uncovering long-buried secrets. As she investigates, Margot unravels her mother’s hidden past as a Korean War orphan and undocumented immigrant. Mina’s own story of love, struggle, and sacrifice in 1980s Los Angeles is interwoven with Margot’s story.
Review: This book is depressing slog. I mean, it’s a great commentary on the complexities of identity, family, and how much we truly know those we love. I’ll be thinking about that part of this book for quite some time. But yeah… just super depressing how little Margot knows about her mom’s life, and how lonely they both are. I did really like this quote from the end of the book (SPOILER AHEAD):
Choosing if and when and how to share the truth might be the deepest, most painful necessity of growing out into the world and into yourself. Sometimes we wrongly guessed how much others could bear. It was in the curve of a question mark — should I or shouldn’t I? — in which we all lived. In the end, her mother had decided to keep Margot and her father a secret from themselves to protect them both. Margot would need to forgive all of them, so that she could one day begin to forgive herself.
I also liked this conclusion Margot comes to at the end, when she (SPOILER!) chooses to break the secretive cycle “How do we decide to live without breaking each other?”
But although it made me think, I can’t recommend it. It’s too slow and the mystery part of it and the way the characters behaved all seemed odd and unrealistic to me. For all the time we spent with nothing happening the characters were underdeveloped and stereotypical. Meh.
Recommend? Nah
