A Blog on Books

Reading The Cancelling of the American Mind was an experience that genuinely challenged me and deepened my understanding of today’s cultural climate. The book explores cancel culture and how it’s transformed public discourse, especially in education, science, and media. What makes it powerful is that it’s co-written by two authors from different sides of the political spectrum. That balance is crucial—it’s not a one-sided political rant but a thoughtful, well-researched look at how ideological conformity harms our ability to talk, learn, and even disagree. One section that stood out the most for me was the chapter on science and medicine. These fields should be grounded in objectivity, data, and care, but the book shows how they’ve been increasingly shaped by fear and ideological pressure. The JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) incident was shocking: the editor-in-chief resigned not for something he said, but because of a podcast someone else hosted, where the mere su...

Book Thoughts: The Crook Factory by Dan Simmons What could have been a typical thriller about espionage in WWII turns into something far more literary, and surprisingly intimate. Introduction: Who is Dan Simmons? Dan Simmons is one of those rare authors who defies categorization—A literary chameleon. He’s written everything from genre-defining science fiction in the Hyperion Cantos , to classical reimagining in Ilium , to gothic horror in Drood , and nostalgic coming-of-age chills in Summer of Night . Each book feels like it was written by a completely different person—but in the best possible way. The Crook Factory , a work of historical fiction centered around Ernest Hemingway’s real-life counterespionage activities in WWII Cuba, only reinforces Simmons’ status as one of the most versatile authors I’ve ever read. Espionage, Literature, and a Strange Partnership The Crook Factory documents the short-lived but real intelligence network created by Hemingway in 1942–1943, where the f...

Child of God is horrific. It’s fantastic. And it’s one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. People love to talk about Blood Meridian as Cormac McCarthy ’s darkest and most disturbing work, and while it certainly is, Child of God affected me far more. I think part of that is because Blood Meridian is an epic—its violence feels distant, almost mythological. As readers, we’re pulled back, observing Glanton’s gang from afar. Even the protagonist, "the kid," remains nameless; his identity doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. This narrative distance makes the horror feel abstract, part of something larger. But Child of God is different. It’s intensely personal. We are trapped with Lester Ballard, forced to witness his descent in an uncomfortably intimate way. This difference isn’t a flaw in Blood Meridian —it’s by design. But for me, it made Child of God feel so much more brutal, for lack of a better word. As much as this book disturbed me, I also loved it. N...

I’ve got to be honest — Pandora’s Star was a slog. This book was far too long, with way too many subplots that felt unnecessary and half-baked. It honestly felt like Peter F. Hamilton had one big idea for a first contact story, but wanted to write a sprawling space opera, so he padded it with filler just to make it feel “epic,” rather than actually delivering something focused or compelling. I picked this book up on a whim. I saw it at the bookstore, recognized the title, and thought, why not? I was in the mood for a fun sci-fi read. Unfortunately, this didn’t deliver. Yes, some moments were genuinely well done — but they were few and far between. In some ways, I almost wish there hadn’t been any good parts, because then I could’ve put it down guilt-free. Instead, I kept convincing myself it might get better... and kept pushing on, long after I should’ve stopped. By the time I realized it wasn’t going to get better, I was too far in to quit. But I’ve learned my lesson — I need to ge...

South of the Border, West of the Sun. What a beautiful novel — and what a beautiful title. This is the second book I’ve read by Haruki Murakami, the first being Norwegian Wood . I can’t lie, I’m not sure which one I prefer. When I read Norwegian Wood in January, I knew it was something special. I didn’t think anything would come close to topping it. And yet, South of the Border, West of the Sun is right there with it. It’s incredible. From what I’ve seen on Goodreads, this book is a lot more divisive. Some people hate it. I am here to tell you they are flat-out wrong! The one complaint that people have is that the main character, Hajime, is not a great person. Am I missing something here? Since when did the characters in stories have to be good people? That is the entire point of this novel. To me, it's like watching the movie There Will Be Blood , and thinking it is horrible because Daniel Plainview is a bad person!? Or finishing Goodfellas and thinking to yourself, hmmmm, I...

Revenge of the Tipping Point , the latest book by Malcolm Gladwell, caught my attention during a recent trip to the bookstore. I first discovered Gladwell’s writing when I picked up The Bomber Mafia at Costco—mainly because the cover looked cool. At the time, I was just getting back into reading, so that was the main attractor, but that book turned out to be an incredibly informative and easy read. It helped reignite my love for reading, and I’ve been an avid reader ever since. I’m happy to say that Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering delivers a similar experience. I stumbled upon it on a front-table display and it immediately sparked my memory of The Bomber Mafia . This book was fascinating. Before picking it up, I didn’t even realize it was a follow-up to The Tipping Point , which I haven’t read, so I can’t speak to how they compare or how his ideas have evolved. But what I can say is that Gladwell remains a master at breaki...