Very short reviews of books

A roundup of very short reviews of books I read in March. The Sun Does Shine is one of the books you must read this year. Everything else I read in March was also solid and worth your attention.

The Sun Does Shine: The are usually two or three books each year that I would recommend as must reads. This is first I’ve come across in 2018. In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton is sent to Alabama’s death row for two murders he didn’t commit. This is his story. But it’s not a blow-by-blow account of the injustices done to him, it’s an extraordinary story of rising above hate and stoically serving as a source of light to those around him on death row. (5/5 stars.) Read my full review.

Feast Days: This eloquent novel by Ian MacKenzie offers a look at the social layers of Brazil and expatriate life. It’s a subtle examination of what constitutes a crisis versus what is simply the normal state of affairs. (5/5 stars.) Read my full review.

The Future of Humanity: Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond: Physicist and futurist Michio Kaku explores the possible paths forward for humanity. Kaku explains the nearterm options for traveling to Mars and exploring our own solar system to what might be possible thousands of years from now when our ancestors may be masters of the universe. Especially interesting is the discussion of other intelligent beings in our solar system. (4/5 stars.)

Munich: A conspiracy to kill Adolf Hitler unfolds as the leaders of Britain and Germany descent on Munich in 1938 to sign an agreement over Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland. Robert Harris’ extensively researched historical-thriller follows two ancillary figures drawn into the dramatic events. (4/5 stars.)

The Nightingale: There seems to be an endless stream of WWII fiction. This sweeping novel is the story of two sisters trying to survive, and win their own personal wars, in occupied France. (4/5 stars.)

Sometimes I Lie: In Alice Feeney’s debut thriller, Amber Reynolds lies unresponsive in a hospital bed, seemingly in a coma. But Amber can hear everything around her as she tries to remember the circumstances that put her in the hospital. As the story unfolds the reliability of those around her, and of Amber’s own narrative, come into question. (4/5 stars.) Read my full review.