Posted on

Michael’s Top Books Read in 2019, #’s 5 & 6

To round out the bottom half of my Top 10, we have a novel by a best-selling author, and a rare non-fiction appearance that fed my obsession with octopus.

The Dutch House#6 – The Dutch House by Ann Patchett – Ann Patchett can write a compelling novel on just about any topic. In The Dutch House, she focuses on a family who becomes wealthy, and spends part of their life in a beautiful mansion in Pennsylvania. But things don’t last forever in this world, and the two adult children, Maeve and Danny find themselves unceremoniously banished from their childhood home to make their own way in the world. Danny narrates this tale, but Maeve is the powerful presence, beloved guardian, fierce force of nature. The hold the house has over this family is a strong one, even as past secrets emerge, and future lives are built.

There aren’t a whole lot of novels that focus on the relationship between a brother and a sister, and Patchett really does a great job capturing this one. I enjoyed watching Maeve and Danny grow up and deal with past regrets, new loves, the rise, fall and rise again of fortunes, and well… life. And in Ann Patchett’s hands, it also makes for one top notch novel.

The Soul of an Octopus#5 – The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery – I have become obsessed with the octopus. I had already decided that I just couldn’t eat them anymore because they’re so smart, someone suggested I read The Soul of an Octopus, by Sy Montgomery. I’m not a big non-fiction reader, but Montgomery’s book and the octopus itself, is so fascinating, so compelling, that I just devoured this.

As a naturalist, and author of twenty books about the animal world, when a growing interest about this mysterious cephalopod emerged, Montgomery was able to dive full-force into an investigation that yielded results she couldn’t have imagined. Commuting from her cabin in the New Hampshire woods, Montgomery became a fixture at the New England Aquarium, studying and yes, befriending a series of octopus who taught here that there are still so many things that man just doesn’t understand, not the least of which is that intelligence and consciousness housed in a creature so alien to us that they’re nearly impossible to fathom. Whether she was communing with the giant Pacific Octopus on exhibit at the aquarium, or cavorting with wild octopus in the Caribbean after learning how to scuba dive, Montgomery’s experiences changed her life.

The cast of characters, both cephalopod and human, in The Soul of an Octopus are brought so thoroughly to life by Montgomery’s writing, that I truly feel as though I know them. Never has anything made me want to explore the undersea world so much, something that is inherently terrifying for me. I don’t think I’m going to learn to scuba dive anytime soon, but you can bet I’ll be visiting the Aquarium in the near future.

Posted on

Michael’s Top Books Read in 2019, #’s 8 & 7

When I was in my teens and twenties, I read almost exclusively science fiction and fantasy. I made a conscious effort to broaden my reading tastes, and started reading more literary fiction and less genre, but even then I found my favorite books tended to have some magical realism or speculative angle to them. This year I decided I was going to embrace my favorite genres again, and with recommendations from my sci fic loving friends, dive back into science fiction

Consider Phlebas#8 – Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks – Consider Phlebas, written in 1987, was the start of Iain M. Banks Culture series, about a society of humanoids and artificial intelligences who practice an intergalactic socialism that is fairy utopian to those who are a part of it. Interestingly enough, those who are familiar with Star Trek’s prime directive, to not interfere with alien cultures that they encounter might be appalled with The Cultures behavior of actively adjusting cultures to improve their evolutionary progress. This first novel in the series takes place about 9,000 years after the formation of the Culture, towards the end of a decades long war with the powerful, faith-driven Idirans. Add a mysterious race of beings known as Changers, and you can see Banks’ strength lies in his world-building, and there are some pretty impressive ideas being tossed around in this novel.

Strangely enough, while I found the book compelling, and the world-building fascinating and top-notch, I was a little less interested in the actual protagonists of the story; particularly, our main character, the Changer knowns as Horza. Not actually an anti-hero, he wasn’t particularly likable, which made him an interesting choice to be the focus of the story. I was also less than impressed by Banks’ handling of the female characters; although there were some interesting observations. There are also some extended sequences that go on for chapters, that probably take up about 5 – 10 minutes of real time. Again, compelling to read, but curious as to the level of detail that would come in at times, while other areas, like characterization, often suffered. It might be interesting to read some other books from The Culture series.

Claremont#7 – Claremont by Wiebke von Carolsfeld – Claremont is a tough book, and it’s a tough book for me to review because I know Wiebke very well, and admire her for her many talents. And while there was a whole lot I really found compelling and powerful in this novel, I found it a bumpy ride that left me pondering certain decisions at times.

Wiebke explores some important themes in her debut novel, through the lens of a harrowing, almost incomprehensible act of violence that sends the lives of an entire family spinning out of control. Control being an operative word, especially for Tom, the nine-year-old boy whose mother is murdered by his father in an act of rage, and whose father then kills himself. All while Tom is in the next room. Tom’s mother, Mona, leaves behind Tom, as well as two sisters and a brother, all of whom feel complicit in this violent ending through their lack of action, or their introduction of the destructive Russell into the family.

Sonya, the oldest sister, is responsible, thoughtful, judgmental, and would give anything to be a mother. Rose, on the other hand, is a bit of a wild-girl-grown-up, a single mom with a teenaged son, and a habit of making poor decisions. Of course, where poor decisions are concerned, younger brother Will is an irresponsible drifter who at 30ish just doesn’t want to grow up. None of them seems particularly suited to take care of Tom when he finds himself orphaned, and all of them are reeling at the death of their sister as well. How this family manages to get through this harrowing period makes propels Claremont along.

And like I said, there’s a lot to like about Claremont. Wiebke is a skilled writer, moving the plot forward briskly with unsentimental, yet non-judgmental prose. She doesn’t pull any punches, and exposes these characters in all their anguish and flawed misery, making poor decision after poor decision. In fact, that’s what made some of Claremont so difficult. It was so damned hard to like any of the characters. We could sympathize, for sure, but I really just wanted someone to make a good decision and stick with it.

At times the narrative seemed to veer away from the core story to focus on other characters that didn’t seem as important, but as the book moved forward, everyone came together again and proved the need for their presence throughout. With distance, I find the book rising in my estimation, as some of my minor quibbles fall away, and overall arch and meaning of the book becomes so much more powerful. Ultimately, despite a few bumps, I really enjoyed Claremont , and if your up for a pretty tough family drama, I urge you to give it a try.

Posted on

Michael’s Top Books Read in 2019

I had such high hopes for 2019… to really get back to reading. Well, I did read more books in 2019 than I did in 2018, but it’s still a pathetically low number compared to my past reading habits, with just over 20 books read in 2019. I plan to at least double that in 2020. Still, I have enough for a Top 10 books read in 2019 list, and that last starts here with my #’s 10 and 9!

Leading Men10. Leading Men by Christopher Castellani – How I wanted to love this book the way I love Mr. Castellani. Critics and casual readers alike fell all over themselves praising this novel that looked back at the life of Tennessee Williams, and particularly, his on again off again lover Frank Merlo. Let me preface all of this by saying I’m not a fan of historical fiction at all, nor am I exceptionally interested in Tennessee Williams. I should also point out that I started reading this book on October 8, 2018, and didn’t finish it until February 24, 2019, which should tell you something. I just couldn’t get into it.

All that said, I do love Castellani’s writing. It’s beautiful and lush, and I can admire the way constructs his prose so beautifully. It’s just in this case, there was too little to interest me in the subject matter. It seemed so familiar, like plots had seen or read in movies and books already.

The Ethical Slut9. The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships and Other Freedoms in Sex and Love by Dossie Easton and Janet W. Hardy – Easton and Hardy’s book, originally written in 1997 and revised most recently in 2017 is been widely accepted as the bible on polyamory and open relationships. It is an easy-to-read, sex-positive book that posits lots of alternatives to the societal norm of monogamy. It addresses sexual relations for all types or relationships, both gay and straight. Polyamory is much more accepted in today’s culture, especially with millennials, and it makes a lot of sense. But it’s hard.

What I took away most from this book is how honesty and constant communication are the bedrocks of any relationship, and keeping those in the forefront at all times will make for success. It’s hard work, and Easton and Hardy acknowledge that. The book also gave me some good intellectual tools about dealing with jealousy, and with the importance of looking inward rather than to others when it comes to how you handle relationships. It’s a thought-provoking and important work for anyone seeking an alternative to a traditional relationship.

Posted on

My Emm Gryner Top 40! #’s 1 – 5

Emm Gryner

Wow. Who knew, when I decided to put together my Top 40 Emm Gryner songs, (ONE YEAR AGO TODAY!!) that it would have taken me this long, and that my life would have changed to radically? And Emm’s songs have been with me this whole time, but as it stands lots has happened in the past several months which is way it’s been five months since I posted #’s 6 – 10.

In fact, in that time, I also spilled coffee on my laptop and lost my list, so I had to recreate my top 5! Turns out it wasn’t that difficult since… well, they’re my favorites. And in the battle between the perfect, heart-wrenching ballad, and the perfect, soul-stirring pop song, both of which Emm is a master, the pop songs win out, dominating the Top 5 (although one final ballad sneaks in at #5. It shows how two early Emm Gryner albums, Science Fair and AsianBlue clearly made me a huge fan decades ago, but her most recent makes a showing as well.

And now, without further ado, here are my top five favorite Emm Gryner songs! (At least for the past year…)

#5 – Stardeep (Science Fair)

The final ballad on a list with a lot of great ones. Emm sure knows how to write a heart-breaking ballad, this one driven by the assured strumming of an acoustic guitar that could come straight out of country song, until some piano power chords join in, and Enm’s fragile  vocals emerge to tell the tale of a lonely young woman in love with someone from afar, or perhaps unrequited. I love the pick up form the verses to the chorus too… And how about this gorgeous, heart-breaking lyric? “You used to be just a phase, now the sound waves rush to surround you.” Haven’t we all been there?

Funny story… the first time I saw Emm perform live, long before I ever met her, in a tiny student union room with an upright piano and a few couches at U Mass Amherst, she performed a few songs, then asked if anyone had any requests. I asked for Stardeep… she started, stopped, started again, then asked me how it started! Well, sadly, I froze, I couldn’t sing the first line for her… so I didn’t get to hear her perform it, and I still haven’t. Maybe one day!

#4 – Imagination (Only of Earth: Days of Games)

Taken from her most recent album, part one of a proposed concept trilogy, you can really hear the maturity in Emm’s song writing and artistry with this homage to 70’s prog-pop music. This one retains the incredible pop hooks and turns of melody of which Emm is a master, but she pushes her vocals to new heights as she layers bass, keys, guitars and drums beautifully into a lush throwback that is at the same time beautifully modern. You can hear the Bowie and Gowan influences here, two of Emm’s past collaborators, and check out this fantastic video! Really Emm, what a progression you’ve made as an artist. It’s exciting and amazing.

#3 – Beautiful Things (AsianBlue)

This one and the following #2 song are spiritual twins, both from AsianBlue, both confident, hook-laden pop songs. Beautiful Things starts with an a capella phrase, then the repeating, back and forth keyboard/guitar part drives us to a soaring chorus, .with a fabulous underscored acoustic guitar part. The contrast between the verses and the chorus is startling and heart-stopping. I love the sudden break in the third verse where the rhythm section drops away and Emm sings with the back and forth driving guitar/keys line.

I get the sense that it’s about two people reconnecting from years ago having drifted apart for various reasons, but finding that there is still something drawing them together. It’s pop perfection, something that Emm has in spades.  And check out bad-ass, rocker-chick Emm in this fantastic video!

#2 – Free (AsianBlue)

  1. Shimmery synths, a hip-hoppy backbeat, then a twisty, weaving bass line kick this glorious anthem off. Then a choppy, distorted guitar rips its way into the sing-songy melody (one of my favorite Gryner-tropes) before a soaring vocal swoops in, intercutting with the sing-song, and liberating the singer from a bad relationship. The sing-song part is the kiss-off to the ex, while the soaring melody is Emm’s declaration of freedom. Layered harmonies and electronic strings  build the song with a thrilling crescendo before an abrupt conclusion. I love how it’s clear the ex has got a hold on her, but she’s had enough and she just wants to be free. Truly one of the most empowering and joyous break up songs ever written. Take that Alanis Morrissette.

#1 – Disco Lights (Science Fair)

Disco Lights has the distinction of containing not just one, but two of my favorite lyrics of all-time: “You’re forgettable like 1993,” and “My psychic says I have until December and then it’s love, love, love.” From the moment I first heard this song, with this insanely catchy ascending chord progression in the verses and the insanely clever lyrics, I just choke up from the pop perfection of this song every time I hear it.

What’s it all about? It seems to be a nostalgia piece, thinking about how a young life unfolds, missed chances, and how a dance floor can transform the mundane into the marvelous. I can picture a young Emm spinning around under a huge disco ball so clearly. It’s joyous, it’s melancholy, it’s filled with longing, it’s filled with regret. It’s everything.

Posted on

My Emm Gryner Top 40! #’s 11 – 15

Sorry, it’s been a while, but I’m finally getting back to my Emm Gryner Top 40! What brought me back to it actually was the sudden burst of my #2 song into my brain tonight while watching “Wanderlust” on Netflix. And what song was that? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see, because I’m only hitting #’s 15 – 11 this time out. And it’s a great mix of enchanting pop duets, and gorgeous heart-rending ballads. And an Emm classic thrown in. Check ’em out!

#15 – Symphonic (AsianBlue)

Symphonic is a classic Emm Gryner pop song… great lyrics about person who Emm calls symphonic and compares to the light of the moon, or all the lights on New Year’s Eve, a fantastic opening piano hook, and a soaring chorus. It kicks off Emm’s outstanding album, AsianBlue and sticks in your head for days. Pop gems? Or emotional ballads? Emm shines with both.

#14 – Sunrise Sometime (Gem and I)

Couldn’t find a video for the studio version featuring Sass Jordan, but enjoy this gorgeous live version featuring Stephanie Martin singing with Emm.

Gem and I, Emm’s 12th studio album is a collection of duets and it makes a strong return in the Top 15 with two numbers in this batch. And Sunrise Sometime features the bluesy rock & roll vocal talents of Sass Jordan as a delightful counterpoint to Emm’s clear, pop belt. It’s a perfect blend for the lyrics too, that talk about doing through hard times, but knowing that there’s a sunrise on the horizon sometime. There’s a melancholy lilt underlying a great pop song, with beautifully arranged strings powering the chorus. Sass Jordan is a Canadian artist who never really found a lot of cross-over success in the U.S. but found international notice with her 1992 album, Racine.

#13 – Underlake (21st Century Ballads)

It’s always a struggle for me to decide if Emm is the master of the pop hook, or a craftsperson extraordinaire of the piano ballad. Clearly, she is both. The slowly-paced yet deliberate piano chord progression that opens the gorgeous Underlake, leads to a gentle explanation in verse that lays out the situation before sweeping into gorgeous musical and lyrical poetry. There is love in Underlake, but it doesn’t come easy, and the tempestuous couple is struggling to make it work. “Every day, in the ocean of your gaze, I try to get brighter, remember love. Every day, like a shipwreck under lake, I want you to raise me.” It’s heartbreaking in its beauty.

#12 – Gold Soul of Rock ‘N Roll (Gem and I)

Emm reached new heights of pop perfection on Gem and I, her album of duets, as this rollicking, mid-tempo, piano-driven number clearly attests. Pairing up with Nova Scotia artist Joel Paskett, whose clear tenor matches Emm’s beautifully, allows this great song to just lift you up. The verses channel Elton John at his best, then leaps to great heights at the top of the chorus with some soaring harmonies, before gently settling you back down to the ground again. It’s one of those great songs that just plants a smile on your face. It’s the third of four cuts from Gem and I to make the Top 40.

#11 – Visiting Hours (21st Century Ballads)

21st Century Ballads offers a lot of beautiful songs, but Visiting Hours, the closing track, leaped out at me early and has stuck with me for the long haul. The intro boasts a gorgeous, descending piano lick before Emm’s hushed, husky vocals sing to a loved one who is dying. She’s there for them, “I’m not leaving you, I’ve frozen this moment.” The chorus lifts the melody into her upper register briefly before settling back into a peaceful and loving resignation. And the gorgeous reverb on the repeating piano lick as the song fades is both heartbreaking and beautiful. When my mother was in her last weeks, I would play this song and allow it to wash over me, comforting me in its beautiful and simple message. Just listening to it now while I wrote this synopsis filled me with emotion. It’s the final track form 21st Century Ballads on this list, and it wraps up the Top 20, just missing the final 10.