"The Butlerian Jihad" by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

Contuning in my Dune deep dive, I have begun reading the works finished after Frank Herbert's death. I can handle tons of character establishment and build up of circumstance but I have difficulty with cheesy dialogue. Based on Frank Herbert's notes of this immense universe he created, this first prequel is interested and mixes in tons of characters referenced thousands of years later in the original 6 Dune novels. I was surprised to see how difficult it must be to immitate Frank Herbert's voice but, the dialogue really didn't measure up. The reader is given far too much information plainly laid out as opposed to thinly intimated. That was the biggest dissappoinment. That said, this world has me captive and I'll continue down this road as far as I am able. I'm thankful to see that most of the central characters from this installment continue in the next and I'm hopeful that all the heavy character and circumstanial establishment will pay dividends in the upcoming novels.

"Before We Were Strangers" by Renee Carlino

This book found me at an awkward moment, in place away from home with nothing to read. It is not my normal literature. It is young adult romance with tinges of eroticism. It was fine. Nothing was particularily well written or ingeniously engineered. It breaks no ground but it gave me something to read and is set in NYC which added a degree of pleasure for me. I'm not seeking out further works by this author but I was happy to delve into such a different style of book.

"Sandworm" by Andy Greenberg

I had no idea what state sponsored hackers were capable of and actively pursuing. This book reads as a journalistic narrative, giving backstory and details as it breaks down some of the most serious cyber "crimes" undertaken in the past 20 years. It reads well and makes the meal palatable for a tech moron. This is not my normal content but it was recommended to me and I am happy to have read it. It makes me genuinely afraid for the interconnected nature of our daily lives in 2026. There is so much more danger involved than most people realize.

"3 Nights in August" by Buzz Bissinger

What a treat! As a lifelong baseball fan, I was blown away by the depth and breadth of baseball, which I had never fully considered. Bissinger follows Tony LaRussa over the course of a three game series in the midst of a division race. The seamless transition from moments of a game into season or career long conversations, is impressive and, so incredibly fascinating. I will recommend this book to every baseball fan I know. I view the game differently now because of this impact full piece.

"Vanishing New York" by Jeremiah Moss

This book gave a detailed look into the ever changing NYC landscape. With in depth, though pointed research, Moss describes the "gentrification" process which, as the author would label it: as an intentional, wealthy land grab, far from the organic rise and fall of neighborhoods. I'm inclined to agree. The argument is well stated, blueprint detailing and historically accurate. That said, sometimes people just want to make money. The apparent marriage between government and development groups is disheartening but the optimist in my believes the city will find it's feet in New places and the gentrified areas will lose their luster sooner, rather than later, and the process will begin anew. I believe people will tire of living in places without year round residents and the property values will eventually diminish. Moss has, I'm sure, heard the label "old man yelling at the clouds" and this feels appropriate. The rich tapestry that is being lost is unfortunate but we may discover a new, rich tapestry will evolve over the coming decades.

"Redemption" by Leon Uris

"Redemption" is a story by Leon Uris of Irish rebellion around the turn of the 20th century. I had previously read some of his works surrounding the founding of the Israeli state and remembered enjoying his style of historical fiction. I was holding my breath for nearly 900 pages expecting the other Israeli shoe to drop and bring this story full circle into the content for which I'm remembering him. It never really came, other than a very brief reference to the first Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. This novel follows two generations of the Larkin family of Balleytogue while connecting a deeper familial through line. The first protagonist we meet is Conner Larkin. He is a fine example of an Irish man of good blood but relatively new breeding. The second or third generation of his family to be land-owning gives him opportunity with cause. He sees the never-ending problems of religion and English rule in Ireland and has the ability to do something about it. I really enjoyed this character. He is a talented, artistic ironsmith, a world class athlete and a born leader of men. Not to mention, a real ladies man. We are introduced to his brother Liam, who moved to New Zealand to build his own opportunities as he was not in line to recieve land in Ireland. In time, he has a son, Rory. He is a voracious learner and is reading at a young age. This headstrong child is very taken when he gets to meet and spend some time with his uncle Conner. He latches on completely to the Irish Catholic struggle and as his life takes him in many directions, through love, war and parental displeasure he continues down the path that Conner forged. This book introduced me to the battle of Gallipoli in world war one. It gave me backstory and insight into the Irish struggle and entertained the whole way. It tied in characters from different beliefs and backgrounds in a deeply enjoyable way. Also, it's always enjoyable, for me, to see historical characters, like Winston Churchill, act in their own times. I'll continue to seek out works by Leon Uris.

"Prairie Fires" by Caroline Fraser

This is a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane as well as a analysis of the claims that Rose was, in fact, the primary author of the "Little House on the prairie" series. Having read many of the stories as a child, I was vaguely familiar with much of the biographical information regarding Laura Ingalls Wilder but much of this deep analysis, which went mostly chronologically, was new to me. I had no idea of whom Rose was, other than the purported real author of the beloved books. So much of the intrigue in this read comes from the taught relationship of mother and daughter. Rose was a real firecracker and was far ahead of her time. I imagine her as a hippy with high ambition and crippling depression. From, taking lovers, bringing in orphans, spending money as quickly as it is made and, even building homes abroad in Albania that she would never set eyes upon, she really lived a dramatic life. Not just the drama of manic depression. The final message seems to be that, though she prodded and assisted her mother, the LHOTP books are entirely Wilder's creations. The exhausting use of references is evidence that this was no 'My opinion is that..' but, rather, a definitive answer to the question that somehow permeates all of American academia and buddies the, what should be crystal clear waters, of Laura Ingalls Wilder's legacy. She was a normal woman who lived through exceptional times and proved to be incredibly capable and talented in her later years. A great recommendation for any LHOTP enthusiasts. A mildly curious researcher can just take my word for it. Laura wrote the books.