October 2007 Book Reviews

1. Better, Atul Gawande, Rating: 4.3
Like Gawande's previous book Complications, Better is a thoughtful, entertaining, and informative work. Without being pedantic or overly technical, he touches on major issues influencing modern modern medicine and the world at large. I like his mix of personal anecdotes and actual research. This is definitely a book that is worth reading, whether or not you're in medicine.
2. English Creek, Ivan Doig, Rating: 3.7
3. Dancing at the Rascal Fair, Ivan Doig, Rating: 4.2
English Creek is quite good - good enough that I went right out and got the second book in the trilogy. The action in Dancing actually takes place before that of its predecessor, and I enjoyed it much more. It was oddly satisfying to read about people when you already know much of their outcome. The second book also explains the history and populating of the "two medicine country", which adds a lot of depth to the series (in many ways, the land is the subject of the book, more so than the people). I just picked up the third book - full report to come on that next month.
4. Son of a Witch, Gregory Maguire, Rating: 2.2
The long-awaited sequel to Wicked is, like the rest of Maguire's books, a major disappointment. Wicked was clever and mischievous and very funny; this book is scattered, random, and hard to follow. It's also oddly homo-erotic in ways that are just plain odd.
5. The Empanada Brotherhood, John Nichols, Rating: 3.9
While I wasn't carried away by this book, I admire the craft of it. It feels very much like a Hemingway novel, with similar stripped-down language and dialogue-heavy chapters. The Kirkus review states, "The human energy swirling around the empanada stand is full of sound and fury but signifies very little." I think that might actually be the point.
6. The Gravedigger's Daughter, Joyce Carol Oates, Rating: 4.2
I've always considered Oates an "Oprah" writer, melodramatic and girly, slightly lowbrow, without ever reading any of her works. I totally take it back - The Gravedigger's Daughter is strange, dense, filled with fascinating characters, and beautifully written. Considering how prolific she is (a book a year on average), I have nothing but awe for the talent of this writer. I'll definitely read more of her books.