WRBA Review: August
My Favorite Book from August
How many books have you read in the past month?
I read seven. My favorite was Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. I’ve always known Bradbury for Fahrenheit 451, and that’s a fine book, but Dandelion Wine is so beautiful and full of love that I hope everyone has a chance to read it.
The story centers on a boy who has just realized that he will one day die, and this awareness of mortality permeates every page, turning the story back and forth, like a falling leaf, between life and death. Bradbury is at his best throughout, performing genre-defying stunts, from a killer on the loose (with a pulse-pounding chase sequence) to a “time machine” that is absolutely real.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who feels sad that summertime is fading, or who wants to feel connected with family and friends, maybe in a way that is only possible for a child who has just learned that it all must end.
Now then, onto the recommendations from strangers. Our first one is technically a repeat from months ago, but her standalone interview went viral last week with 2.2 million views and counting, so it’s only fair to shine the spotlight on the reigning champion of the show.
Books Recommended on WRBA
THE LYMOND CHRONICLES by Dorothy Dunnett
Recommended by: An 80-year-old widow who teaches yoga and reads 30 books a month (yes, a book a day).
Dorothy Dunnett, a Scottish writer, wrote this entire historical series, The Lymond Chronicles, from the end of Henry VIII through Elizabeth’s ascension. Such depth and description. I’ve read that entire series thirteen times, because it is so full of detail and so well done. I just loved the whole series.
THE LONG SHIPS by Frans G. Bengtsson
Recommended by: A shopper at a rare book fair who read 12 books last month.
It’s nothing I’d necessarily recommend to the masses, but it brought me a lot of joy. I just finished Lonesome Dove, and this reminded me of Lonesome Dove with Vikings. Historical fiction, but with a lot of humor and adventure, and incredibly well-written. It’s dense, it’s a commitment, but it’s worth the time.
ONCE AN EAGLE by Anton Myrer
Recommended by: A man who spent thirty years in the Army, from grunt to officer.
It’s probably one of the greatest books ever written. It’s a good leadership book, showing a good and bad example of a leader whose paths intercross throughout a long military career. It’s very long, over a thousand pages, but it’s easy to read.
THE GROUND BENEATH HER FEET by Salman Rushdie
Recommended by: The general manager of The Hermitage Bookshop, Denver's oldest independent book store.
It’s a modern Hollywood rock-and-roll retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. And it’s just so, so, so good.
LES MISÉRABLES by Victor Hugo
Recommended by: A rare book dealer at the Rocky Mountain Book & Paper Fair.
It’s now at the top of my list of favorite books. The storytelling is insane. It takes you down so many different rabbit holes of detail, and then everything gets tied up together at the end, and you keep discovering more things as you go. It was amazing.
THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU by H.G. Wells
Recommended by: A Whole Foods shopper with a strong sense of humor.
It was awesome. It was freaky. It’s about these mutated animals. It definitely gave me some weird dreams, but it was good.
A few more standout recommendations from strangers over the past month:
- The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
- Homer’s Daughter by Robert Graves
- Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
- Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
- The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
- Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
Support the Show
One last thing.
My second novel, The Whirlpool of Lebanon, came out September 15. Set in Lebanon, Kansas, the tiny town at the dead center of the United States, it’s a dark comedy about an eccentric rancher with a sick wife who discovers a fountain of youth in his pasture.
Foreword Reviews called it an “enjoyable, weird, funny, and often suspenseful novel about aging and redemption.”
If this show has ever introduced you to a book you ended up loving, or just entertained you for a little while, I hope you’ll take a chance on my book. All proceeds go toward keeping me alive.
Order The Whirlpool of Lebanon
Thank you for reading (anything),
Will Pass