Two Additions to My 2016 Summer Reading Guide: Grunt and Before the Fall

I published my 2016 Summer Reading Guide at the end of May and will be adding more books to it throughout the summer. Here are two of my latest, though very different, additions…

Grunt, Mary RoachGrunt by Mary Roach
Nonfiction (Released June 7, 2016)
288 Pages
Bottom Line: Read it.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Publisher (W.W. Norton) via NetGalley

Plot Summary: Grunt tackles the science behind some of a soldier’s most challenging adversaries—panic, exhaustion, heat, noise—and introduces us to the scientists who seek to conquer them.” (Goodreads)

My Thoughts: Mary Roach is known for delving deep into an odd topic (like what happens to cadavers in Stiff) and using her dry (and frequently morbid) humor to share her findings in a relatable way. In Grunt, she focuses on seemingly minor issues (many of which civilians encounter in their daily lives) that wreck havoc with the military and military issues that don’t get a lot of media attention, including bird strikes, hearing loss, diarrhea prevention, flies and sleep. Though she doesn’t shy away from topics that civilians (hopefully) won’t need to concern themselves with: submarine escape, bomb safety for the undercarriages of vehicles, and flame resistant clothing.

With one chapter focusing on each topic, Grunt reads like a short story collection. And as with most short story collections, I had my winners and losers. A chapter on war-related genital injuries and reconstructive surgery was thankfully free of the heavy military and scientific jargon that caused me to glaze over in some of the other chapters…and was predictably fodder for some funny anecdotes. And, a chapter on sleep was relatable and applicable to anyone. I was less enamored with chapters on flies and odors because of the previously mentioned science and military jargon overload. Though Grunt had some hiccups, I would recommend it to people interested in the military or with an appreciation for quirky knowledge and a flair for the ridiculous (which Roach helpfully points out to the reader at every opportunity). 

Before the Fall, Noah HawleyBefore the Fall by Noah Hawley
Fiction – Mystery/Thriller (Released May 31, 2016)
400 Pages
Bottom Line: Read it.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Purchased (Publisher: Grand Central Publishing)

Plot Summary: A private plane carrying two important businessmen (one of whom is the Rupert Murdoch-like head of a 24 hour news network), their families, and a down-on-his-luck painter crashes off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, leaving two survivors.

My Thoughts: Before the Fall, written by the creator of the TV show Fargo, has been hyped as “the thriller of the year” by many and has appeared on a number of the traditional media’s Summer Reading Guides. While I don’t feel quite as strongly about it, it is one of only two thrillers I’ve enjoyed all year.

Opening with the plane crash, the book works backwards and forwards to tell the stories of each passenger and those close to the crash’s aftermath. As with some other books that worked for me lately (The Expatriates, Only Love Can Break Your Heart), the mystery (i.e. why the plane crashed) serves as a catalyst to explore human emotions and behavior. The crux of this story is more about the people on the plane and what today’s media can do to a tragic story than the crash itself.

Unfortunately, the ending fizzled a bit for me. In the moment, I wanted it to be more and bigger than it was. But after reflecting, the lack of razzle-dazzle fits well with the book’s overarching point about how the 24 hour news cycle pumps up stories, squeezing every last ounce of possible ratings value from them, the truth be damned. Despite the ending, Before the Fall is a good choice for anyone who likes their thrillers to go beyond standard plot twists.

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19 Comments

  1. I’ve heard a ton about Before the Fall, so it’s interesting to see that you didn’t love the end. I’m not sure I’ll get to it this year, but hopefully.

    Posted 6.23.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I just kind of wanted something more. But, I really enjoyed the rest of the book!

      Posted 6.23.16 Reply
  2. Carmen wrote:

    I’ve read great things about Before the Fall, your review included. 🙂

    Posted 6.23.16 Reply
  3. I’m not sure I want to read Grunt but I’m excited about Before the Fall.

    Posted 6.23.16 Reply
  4. I have Before the Fall and was so excited when I received my copy, but I’ve had to push it down on my list. I’m still unsure that I would enjoy Grunt, but I WILL get to Before the Fall sometime this year.

    Posted 6.24.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I hope so, but I know how it is! So many books so little time!

      Posted 7.4.16 Reply
  5. Heather wrote:

    I really enjoyed Before the Fall – completely agree with you about the ending. It kind of just…happened, but it felt right in the context of the novel. I thought it started to drag a bit towards the end, but the need to know why/how the plane crashed helped me push on.
    Grunt sounds really interesting – maybe not so much for the military stuff, but the quirky things like you said. ‘Stiff’ though … now that has definitely captured my attention! I’m assuming you’ve read it – would you recommend it?

    Posted 6.27.16 Reply
  6. diane wrote:

    I definitely want to read Before the Fall and I do like Mary Roach as well/

    Posted 6.28.16 Reply
  7. Sarah wrote:

    I just finished Before the Fall and also felt the way you did about the ending. It was kind of a let-down. I hadn’t thought about your point of it being a larger commentary on the way the media sensationalizes tragedies. This would be a good book club pick!

    Posted 6.28.16 Reply
  8. Lauren wrote:

    You’re certainly not alone re your feelings about the end. I think we felt similarly, though I felt that way right when I finished. I think I admired the lack of a “big” twist or moment because of the tone of the rest of the book. Not all stories can pull that off, but it worked for me here.

    Posted 6.28.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I agree…after my initial letdown! Did you see Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness’ post about the ending? She had an interesting take on it that hit a little bit on some of my issues with it, but I was having trouble pinpointing them until I read her post.

      Posted 7.4.16 Reply
      • Lauren wrote:

        I have not! I’ll head over there right now and see if I can find it. Thanks!

        Posted 7.5.16 Reply
      • Lauren wrote:

        Interesting. I totally get her points and position. Her rationale is the reason many of my friends didn’t like the ending, either. But I think I saw it as somewhat fitting with the theme of the book, which is the bullshit we all have to live with in the real world, and setting it out there (sometimes in an over-the-top way) for all to see. So instead of seeing it as “Bah, we deal with this all the time,” I thought, “Good. We have to deal with this all the time, let’s get it out there along with the issues of privacy and the media, etc…” Were there more “exciting” ways to end it? Sure, but this has also happened in real life. I’m not putting this well, but I ended up feeling that the ending fit with the theme of the book.

        Posted 7.5.16 Reply
  9. Athira wrote:

    Mary Roach is on my list of authors I need to read already. She has some awesome titles out. I love how she writes about topics nobody really wants to read about but can’t not read either.

    Posted 7.2.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      This is such a perfect description of Roach: “topics nobody really wants to read about but can’t not read either.”!

      Posted 7.4.16 Reply
  10. I’m glad you enjoyed Grunt too! I agree that it read like a collection of essays, more so than some of her previous books. I actually had the opposite reaction to the sections on genital reconstruction though. I found it one of the more disturbing sections and so didn’t enjoy it as much the rest.

    Posted 7.3.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Ha – not sure what that says about me!! I’d like to read some of her earlier books.

      Posted 7.4.16 Reply
  11. Bianca S wrote:

    I have heard so many great things about “Before the Fall” and I do enjoy a book that has plot twists and turns that I genuinely wasn’t expecting so I will check it out. I recently finished a book called “Not Black and White” by author G.A. Beller. I am not really into politics but I could not put this book down. The author brings the world of corrupt politics to life through great characterization and a very believable story-line. I actually didn’t even know it was entirely fictional until I did some digging after I finished it! The book is full of scandal and intrigue and is the perfect page turner for a lazy summer day. Check it out here http://www.gabeller.com – Would love to hear what you think!

    Posted 7.18.16 Reply

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