Category: Paper Chase

Posted in Paper Chase

Q4 2023 Read It (Better Late Than Never)

Posted on by Michael

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann was a huge sensation in the publishing world when it came out in 2017.  The popular nonfiction book was later made into a movie by Martin Scorsese starring Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio.  The book tells the tragic tale of the Osage Nation who discovered oil on their area of land in Oklahoma and became the richest people in the world during the 1920s. A heinous plot by William Hale saw the murders of the tribe in order for others to gain the head rights to the oil.  It’s a sad yet page turning book on surely one of the most shocking atrocities of the 20th century.

8.5/10

Through the work of Ryan Holiday, and Instagram friendly quotes, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius has seen a resurgence in popularity among mainstream crowds. The book is a journal of Aurelius’ thoughts during his time as Emperor of Rome. Popular quotes include “You have power over your mind – not outside events”, “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts”, and “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way”. While not always the easiest read, it is fascinating to look into the mind of this legendary figure.

10/10

Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein:  The 1818 Text is noted as being the first ever sci-fi novel. The gothic overtones make the overall feel one of darkness and gloom.  Dr. Frankenstein creates new life in his Swiss laboratory before the creature escapes.  The new being learns to speak and read while trying to find companionship as he lives a solitary life.  His rejection by society, and especially his creator, is what ultimately turns him into a monster.  A tragic tale that is a fascinating read especially around Halloween.

10/10

Prairie Fire – volume 43, No. 1 (Spring 2022)

Prairie Fire – volume 44, No. 3 (Fall 2023)

Posted in Paper Chase

Q3 2023 Read It

Posted on by Michael

Delia Owens’ first novel, Where the Crawdads Sing turned into a sensation when published in 2018. The story follows Kya who is abandoned by everyone in her family as a child and lives alone in the North Carolina marsh. She survives through ingenuity and kindness of others including Jumpin’ who runs the boat shack and looks out for her. A second narrative follows the possible murder of local celebrity Chase Andrews when he is found dead from a mysterious fall. The straightforward story is quite the page turner and has the reader rooting for Kya throughout.

7.5/10

Jane Austen’s fourth novel Emma was first published in 1815 and follows that young lady through her genteel life while trying to play matchmaker for her friend Harriet. The lives of Emma’s friends and family are explored, mostly through the lends of who’s marrying who. Her devotion to her father and lack of romantic interest in others suddenly catches up to her as her feelings start to change. The callsi novel is a delightful read with many funny moments and clever writing.

9/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Q2 2023 Read It

Posted on by Michael

George R.R. Martin’s fourth book in the Songs of Ice and Fire series, A Feast For Crows, comes in at a mere 976 pages.  Martin wrote a lot more for the novel but instead split up the plotlines and moved them to the next book. This means the reader gets very little Jon Snow or Dany Targaryen.  Some of the storylines are not as interesting as others.  The scenes taking place in Dorne and the Iron Islands are not nearly as interesting as Cersei’s scheming, Jaime and Brienne’s relationship, or Arya becoming no one.  Not as intense as the first three books but still entertaining, especially as it ends with Cersei in much trouble and begging for her brother’s help.

8/10

There have been several great books written about the astonishing career The Smiths over the years. This list includes Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance by Johnny Rogan, Songs that Saved Your Life by Simon Goddard, and A Light That Never Goes Out by Tony Fletcher.  Perhaps it rubbed Morrissey the wrong way watching others write about both his life and his band without him having a say in the matter so 10 years ago he published his own autobiography that includes his life after The Smiths.  The book starts out on a high note as Steven Patrick Morrissey writes about growing up in Irish Manchester in the 60s and 70s.  Across 100 pages, it brings to life the areas and homes that he lived in as a boy then teenager. 

For readers expecting an equal amount of love put into writing about his music, they will be sorely disappointed.  Instead, Morrissey writes extensively about his court proceedings with former Smiths drummer Mike Joyce.  Then takes endless swipes at managers, record labels, ex-bandmates, etc.  It turns into a slog of reading about perceived slights and encounters with other singers.  The book then finishes as a sort of tour diary where he writes about concerts, towns and theatres.  It’s a tiresome read that is sadly light on the music he’s created over the years.

5/10

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari is one of those books that appears everywhere since it was published in 2016.  It appears on bestseller lists, critics lists, front and centre in bookstores, and on Instagram pages – all for good reason.  Harari writes about 70,000 years of evolution, development, and accomplishments of Homo Sapiens.  This includes subjects such as empires, agriculture, science, culture, religion, etc.  The writing style is easy to follow and includes little asides and humour throughout. It’s one of those books that grabs readers immediately and makes them want to explore further into the history of Sapiens.

9/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Q4 2022 + Q1 2023 Read It

Posted on by Michael

Discipline is Destiny is Ryan Holiday’s second in a planned four part series following the four stoic virtues of Courage/Temperance/Justice/Wisdom.  It follows his familiar style of a general theme broken up into short chapters about historical figures.  The themes include The Body, The Temperament, and The Soul.  Some of those figures here include Marcus Aurelius, Queen Elizabeth, Lou Gehrig, and Angela Merkel. It’s another inspiring achievement for the author who has dedicated his life to the stoic one. 9/10

A classic re-read of an all-time favourite, A Catcher in the Rye.  J.D. Salinger’s novel from 1951 follows protagonist Holden Caulfield around New York City after he gets kicked out of yet another boarding school.  Meeting up with former school mates, girls he’s dated, a few scoundrels and best of all, his sister Phoebe.  Young Phoebe is the voice of reason in Holden’s troubled life and one of the most endearing relationships in popular reading.  She’s not enough to save him from himself as he makes mistake after mistake. One of the best novels of all time, Catcher in the Rye remains a must read. 10/10

Steven Pressfield’s latest book, Put Your Ass [Where Your Heart Wants To Be] has a straightforward concept – if you want to get stronger, go to the gym.  If you want to write, get up early and write.  If you want to be in the movies, move to Hollywood. It is a swift kick for a lot of us that put things off and never seem to get to them, for one reason or another.  The chapters are short, often less than a page long so easy to fly through the book. My favourite part was the story about James Patterson who would go into work two hours early to his advertising job and work on his books/writing.  If you focus, and put the time in, it’s amazing what can be accomplished in just a few months or a year. 8/10

Psychology of Money is one of those books that frequently appears on Instagram pages as a must read business book.  Written by former Wall Street Journal columnist, Morgan Housel, his first book covers a lot of topics and uses stories throughout to help make his point.  He talks about various financial crises, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and Amazon.  Housel writes that we all bring different ideas to money depending on who we are, our beliefs, life experiences and the era we grew up in.  The basic tenants of the book are to invest early, invest often, don’t be distracted by outside noise, and stay the course.  It is boring advice but Housel shows that slow and steady more often that not wins the race. 10/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Q3 Read It 2022

Posted on by Michael

The third book in the A Song of Fire and Ice series, A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin won several awards after being published in 2000.  This section of the story contains several weddings including Joffrey’s, Tyrion’s, and the dreaded red wedding. The latter is no less shocking having seen it on TV and now reading about it.  In other chapters, the Night’s Watch are on the move back to the wall, Khaleesi marches onwards, and Arya travels with the Hound in one of the novel’s best plotlines.  This epic book rivals the first for its staggering achievement and thrilling action.

10/10

Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning is one of the most popular books that gets recommended as a must read.  It has sold over 20 million copies and translated into 24 different languages.  The powerful first half of the book describing day to day life in a German concentration camp is a must read to discover the power of human resilience in devastating circumstances. The second half describes Frankl’s logotherapy philosophy.  Frankl’s main message here is that people must find something to live for and that will help them survive anything, even the horrors of a concentration camp.

8/10

Steven Hyden’s book This Isn’t Happening goes into great detail on the band Radiohead surrounding the recording and release of their seminal Kid A album in 2000.  Recognized as one of the top albums of the aughts, Kid A is a recording that was initially panned by critics and many fans alike.  The book also takes in the history of the band leading up to Kid A as well as the aftermath of their recordings and career.  Hyden is a knowledgeable music writer and here he has created a fascinating look at a polarizing album.

9/10

Prairiefire Magazine – Winter 2021-22, Volume 42 No. 4