The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney - three siblings' reliance on a sizable inheritance ("the nest") shapes their decisions and relationships. This gets good reviews but I'm giving it a B- for being too predictable and long.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (non-fiction) - I read this for a book club and found it better than expected. Unfortunately slavery isn't the only example of mass greed, envy and wrath in American history. This is investigative journalism at its best and provides history of the Osage Indians, West South Central America in the early 20th century and how J. Edgar Hoover used discrimination against native Americans to bolster the need for a national police force. I really liked two of the three narrator; I recognized Will Patton's voice right away and his performance is outstanding. Random - this story is set in Pawhuska, OK, home to The Pioneer Woman.
Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari (non-fiction) - I cut this short because I found myself feeling defensive as I progressed. I got through chapter 10 of 20, a little over 6 hours of 14 total. This book is long on details and, unlike Killers of the Flower Moon, goes over the top to dramatize the victimization of drug users and chronicle dealers’ backgrounds. I really question how much of this is fact vs. positioning to advance the author's cause. It feels really biased. I agree with the author's assertion that compassion and support are more helpful to a drug addict than shame, victimization and imprisonment. I start feeling squeamish however when the author purports that decriminalization of drugs would go a long way to fix the problem, akin to the repeal of prohibition. The author provides dramatic tales of addicts (Billie Holiday is the first) as well as those who find purpose and create meaningful social bonds when drugs are legalized. Thwarting drug cartels and a broken criminal justice system sound really good. But that's only one part of the solution and likely the easiest. The hard part is improving environmental conditions/social circumstances, especially the mental health system. A superior understanding of and resources to treat the deep psychological pain that I believe is the root cause of the majority of all addiction (food, alcohol, drugs) is absolutely essential. Here's where I am biased - I have witnessed firsthand how a person's addiction to marijuana distorts reality and destroys relationships. It only numbs the real pain, it’s still there and the addict shares it with everyone in their path. What responsibility does the addict have in seeking help, addressing the root cause and maintaining healthy relationships? What about recidivism (relapse)? We have reliable tests and policies for when someone is too drunk to drive or act appropriately in public. Do we have reliable tests to know when someone is too high? How much marijuana is too much? Okay, I'm off my soapbox.
In my queue:
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo IshiguroSmall Great Things by Jodi Picoult
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Broken Angels by Gemma Liviero
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
The Map of Heaven by Eben Alexander
All Clear by Connie Willis
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