Some recent reads, 26 June to 9 July

 American Pastoral, by Philip Roth. "Read" this on Audible. It was okay. 3.5 stars if I were still doing stars. The best part of the Audible was it was read by actor Ron Silver (RIP, good sir). He was great. The one thing I like about this book is the American Jewish culture. Let me explain. 

When I was living in Moscow, my wife and I were friends with an Israeli embassy couple. The wife and I would talk periodically about our growing up. At one point I told Yael: Italian grandparents and Jewish grandparents, same same. And we'd laugh about it. Because it was true. My grandma not talking one morning because she'd overheard my grandfather complaining about how much she talks. Yael had the same stories.

This was that book. And the majorly best part. The story, the family, not that good. I'm sure that's what Roth was aiming for, but doesn't mean I have to like it. 

The Comfort Crisis, by Michael Easter. Preaching to choir, of course, but still a great read. (My wife has argued for decades, seriously, that we're all getting too comfortable. This book could have been written by her back in 1996.) Yes, Audible again. A book about what Denis Leary complained about years ago when he mocked people spending time on step machines (link to YT video). 

What's next? Leary asked. A chairmaster? I sit down, I get up, I sit down, I get up.

Or, the better comparison: the movie Wall-E was very prophetic:

I did learn about misogi in this book. I guess I do one of these serious challenges every year with my long swims, although they don't meet the requirement of a 50% chance of failure (granted, out of the 11 marathon swims I've attempted, I've DNF'd 4 of them). But since reading this book all I've thought about were crazy challenges that I'd like to do here in my local area. And in the spirit of misogi, I won't tell you about it. 

La horo 25, de Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu. Bonega libro, denove, pri mia plej ŝatata temo. En ĉi tiu libro, la primara karaktero estas rumana, kiu estis ĵetita en malliberejon komence de la dua mondmilito. Unue, en koncentrejo por judoj, sed finfine li estis en pli ol 20 koncentrejoj dum 13 jaroj. Amikoj mortis. Familianoj mortis, divorcis. Infanoj naskiĝis, mortis, brulis. Teruraj tempoj! Rumana klasikaĵo.