Day 2,261, Quasi-Quarantine: Reaches And Questionable Positional Value Slow Some Momentum On Day Two Of Dolphins Draft

After landing a pair of promising first-rounders on the first day of the draft, the 'Fins came into day two of the NFL Draft with four picks -- one in the second round and three in the third round. With their initial pick, Miami landed Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (6-1, 231 pounds) at No. 43, then they followed up with Rodriguez's teammate, receiver Caleb Douglas (6-3, 206, No. 75); Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek (6-5, 261, No. 87); and Louisville wideout Chris Bell (6-1, 222, No. 94). 

The pluses: Rodriguez was analyst Dane Brugler's No. 40 overall player and second-ranked linebacker in the draft, so the Dolphins got strong value with the selection. Miami was desperate for receivers after losing Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in the offseason, so bringing in young talent with size and speed was crucial. Kacmarek is seen as a road-grader of a blocker on the edges, a core need in getting tailback De'Von Achane out in space.

Rodriguez won the Chuck Bednarik, Lombardi, and Butkus awards, added the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for good measure, and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy race. He's a turnover machine (19 career forced turnovers) with tremendous instincts who should be an immediate starter in coach Jeff Hafley's new defense.

Douglas measures 6-3, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds, and led the Red Raiders in receiving yards (846) and touchdowns (seven) as a senior. He's credited with a large catch radius, smooth transitions, sharp cuts, and solid special-teams coverage ability. 

Kacmarek was Brugler's No. 7 overall tight end and he's accustomed to playing both inline and in multiple-tight end sets -- the direction the NFL is going. He demonstrates a lot of physicality in the run game and has produced when called upon in the passing game, catching 23 of 27 targets without a drop. Kacmarek is seen as a leader with impeccable technique, strong hands, and impressive agility for his size.

Using one of the picks acquired in the Waddle trade to Denver, Bell was perhaps the team's best value pick despite the injury, an ACL tear suffered in November of his senior year. As a three-year starter with eye-catching strength and explosion, he was considered the No. 47 overall player and No. 8 wide receiver by Brugler. Analysts like Bell's body control, acceleration, ability to run after the catch, willingness to go over the middle, steady improvement, and competitive fire.

The minuses: With the No. 11 pick of the second round, another off-ball linebacker felt like a bit of a luxury at this stage of the rebuild. Rodriguez will also be 24 when the season starts, is somewhat undersized, and has marginal special teams experience.

Simply put, Douglas represented terrible value where he was chosen. Considered the No. 241 overall player and the No. 31 wideout in the draft by Brugler, he went at a prime spot at No. 75. Douglas dropped 10 passes in his last two years, possesses average play strength, and struggles with focus, contested catches, and disguising routes -- a combination that led to him being ranked so low by so many analysts.

Similar to Rodriguez, Kacmarek represented questionable positional value, with a blocking tight end feeling pretty rich for the No. 87 overall selection (acquired from the Eagles for edge Jaelen Phillips). In addition, he was tabbed as the No. 111 overall player by Brugler, primarily due to his unrefined receiving (just two touchdowns in two seasons for the Buckeyes), route-running, and separation skills.

In addition to needing to get healthy, Bell must develop his route tree, curb his pushing-off habits, and manage his emotions. He was whistled for 16 penalties in three seasons, including six flags in 11 games as a senior. He's an unpolished, straight-line athlete with marginal lateral agility and questionable availability for training camp.

The best-case scenario: Using his impressive instincts, Rodriguez pairs nicely with Jordyn Brooks from the jump, bringing much-needed play-making ability to the front seven. Douglas adapts to the pro game much more quickly than anticipated, giving quarterback Malik Willis a desperately needed, sizeable threat in the passing game. Kacmarek unlocks Miami's physical and perimeter running games while surprising as an auxiliary target through the air, while Bell's rehab goes without a hitch and he establishes himself as a size/speed handful relatively early in the campaign.

The worst-case scenario: Due to struggles in navigating traffic and getting off blocks, Rodriguez ends up being a sub-package 'backer with little experience to fall back on in impacting the third phase. Douglas is overwhelmed by learning a new playbook while correcting all the holes in his game; Kacmarek's one-dimensionality limits his play packages; and Bell is slow to return to full health, essentially taking a redshirt year.

The bottom line: It's hard to escape the feeling that the 'Fins did a little with a lot on the second day of the draft. The cynical view is that Miami came out of the second day of the draft without a contributor who will play the majority of the snaps on either side of the ball, an almost-unforgiveable mismanagement of draft resources. 

The Dolphins took two receivers who feel like long shots to impact the team in the first half of the season, a pure blocking tight end, and a player who plays the same position as the squad's lone first-team All-Pro (Brooks).

Of course, as the best-case scenario demonstrates, there is upside here, and a lot of it. In the long term, the Bell selection could end up being a coup for the 'Fins, but past draft disasters -- albeit under a different regime -- have put an early, pessimistic tint on the second-day efforts.

Day 2,260, Quasi-Quarantine: "Journey Without Maps" Documents A Harrowing Venture Through Africa's Interior

“Later I got used to not caring a damn, just to walking and staying put when I had walked far enough, at some village of which I didn’t know the name, to letting myself drift with Africa.”

Graham Greene's account of a four-week, head-long scamper through the interior of Liberia stands as a strong commentary on the impacts of colonialism in early-20th-century Africa. He and his retinue -- including his companion, a cousin he barely mentions -- covered some 350 miles on foot, braving a number of physical and cultural dangers.

“ … The peculiarly Protestant characteristic of combining martyrdom with absurdity.”

The author continuously put his health and safety at risk in "Journey Without Maps," but the intent of his trek was often missing. He seemed bent on rushing as fast as possible through the experience much of the time, causing a reader to wonder what he had hoped to achieve.

“I felt crazy to be here in the middle of Liberia when everything I knew intimately was European. It was like a bad dream. I couldn’t remember why I had come.”

I was a big fan of Greene's work in "The Quiet American," and this certainly represents a massive departure from that style. Perhaps an element of this tale that could have benefited from more exploration was the impact of the journey on his mental state.

“Today our world seems peculiarly susceptible to brutality. There is a touch of nostalgia in the pleasure we take in gangster novels, in characters who have so agreeably simplified their emotions that they have begun living again at a level below the cerebral.”

Greene credits the ordeal for rekindling his love of life, despite latter-life admissions that it was a reckless endeavor. His interactions with villagers are perhaps the best part of the book -- especially when they serve to highlight the ways in which the natives are being taken advantage of by his countrymen and other Europeans.

“A child was crying in a tenement not far from the Lord Warden, the wail of a child too young to speak, too young to have learnt what the dark may conceal in the way of lust and murder, crying for no intelligible reason but because it still possessed the ancestral fear, the devil was dancing in its sleep.”

Day 2,254, Quasi-Quarantine: Miami Looks For Foundational Pieces On Either Side Of The Ball on Active Day One Of Draft

In what must have been something of a surprise to new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and his crew, when the clock started at pick No. 11, the Dolphins had their choice of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Miami edge Rueben Bain. 

Instead of taking one of those standout defenders, however, Sullivan moved down one spot (acquiring two more fifth-rounders in return) and selected Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor. Then, later in the round, they moved from No. 30 to No. 27 (at the cost of moving from No. 90 to No. 138 later in the draft) to pick San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.

The pluses: Proctor is young (won't turn 21 until close to the season) and massive (6-6, 352 pounds), with demonstrations of dominance as an All-America last season for the Tide. Scouts consider him to have rare explosiveness, good lateral agility for his size, a nasty streak, and uncommon athleticism -- he even ran the ball five times for 'Bama, including an 11-yarder. He's also durable and sound, playing 40 games at left tackle over three seasons and going 18 straight starts without a holding penalty.

Johnson is instinctive, collecting 13 pass breakups and four interceptions (including two pick-sixes) while allowing zero touchdowns and just a 41.9-percent completion rate when he was targeted. Scouts give him high marks in mechanics, awareness, fluidity, transitions, anticipation, feel, closing burst, and recovery speed. He's considered a high-character teammate, sticking with San Diego State despite many opportunities to transfer to a bigger program and earning All-America and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors.

In addition, Johnson is versatile enough to play both man and zone, is an eager run defender, and possesses good special teams experience, even blocking a punt along the way.

The minuses: Analysts have documented Proctor's struggles to play in space and understand leverage, with poor fundamentals, discipline, and technique at times. His timing has been questioned, he's shown late recognition on pass-rushing moves, he needs work on combo blocks, and he has no experience at guard -- where the 'Fins intend to play him initially. Perhaps most troublingly, he had significant weight issues early in his career, leading Bitch Saban to bash him unnecessarily during the draft process.

For Johnson, his thin frame (6-0, 193 pounds) and average long speed have caused him to be out-physicaled on 50-50 balls on occasion. Scouts question his tackling form, level of competition, and lack of experience in the slot. He did miss one game due to injury as a senior and skipped his team's bowl game, though he did play in and show out for the Senior Bowl.

The best-case scenario: Proctor lines up next to Patrick Paul on the left side of Miami's offensive line, creating a behemoth wall for new quarterback Malik Willis and opening sizeable holes for tailback De'Von Achane. Later in the season, Proctor transitions to right tackle, giving the 'Fins promising bookend tackles for the next decade-plus.

Johnson seizes a starting job from jumpstreet, giving the secondary a desperately needed playmaker and giving coach Jeff Hafley the confidence to create some exotic packages. The rookie emerges as one of the defensive cornerstones Miami needs to start to make some noise in the AFC East.

The worst-case scenario: Proctor struggles to adjust to the guard position -- mirroring the experience of highly touted 2025 rookie Jonah Savaiinaea -- and his weight becomes in issue in second-level and reach blocks. He earns a replacement-level (or worse) grade at a lower-impact position while Downs and Bain take the league by storm.

Johnson is targeted early and often by opposing signal-callers, and he loses more than he wins against a more physical and accomplished caliber of competition. He struggles in run support and his overall impact is diminished by the level of play that surrounds him in a secondary that lacks talent and experience.

The bottom line: Proctor was rated the No. 19 overall prospect in the draft by analyst Dane Brugler, so taking him as high as Miami did was a bit of a reach. He was also rated the fourth-best offensive tackle by Brugler, and since the Dolphins plan to play him at guard, one wonders whether the team could have prioritized more pressing needs at higher-impact positions.

Johnson was rated No. 24 overall and the third-best cornerback in the draft by Brugler, and his selection goes at least some of the way toward filling a massive void in the roster. No issues whatsoever with this selection.

You could make a compelling case for drafting either player, and I'd feel better about Proctor if he eventually takes over as the starting right tackle. Being a Dolphins fan, I fear that bypassing Downs (especially) and Bain will come back to haunt the franchise, but Miami needs players -- and a lot of them. While this braintrust has yet to earn the trust of the fanbase, you have to hope they had a conviction on both of these players that will pay off in the long run.

Editor's note: See how the Dolphins followed up on Day 2 of the draft.

Day 2,248, Quasi-Quarantine: Pacing, Humor Propel "Lost Lambs" To Must-Read Status

“She did not subscribe to the notion that some things were the way they were, always had been, always would be. That the sun set early in the winter, limiting playtime. That, once out, toothpaste could not be put back in the tube. Things only were the way they were because she had not yet been around to fix them.”

Mix bizarre family dynamics and teen angst, stir vigorously, insert dark themes, and somehow produce freshly baked hilarity? Somehow that's what Madeline Cash has achieved with her debut novel, "Lost Lambs."

“Louise was in a prison of her own mundanity. She’d taken to intentionally throwing out the metal forks with the food scraps when she scraped her dinner plate, just so that she might feel a momentary rush.”

Three teenage girls face adolescent challenges interlaced with global scandals while their parents experiment with an open, confusing marriage. The result is a series of subplots that ends up overlapping in delightful ways at the end.

“It was the best part of a new relationship, when you could fill a library with what you didn’t know about another person. Pure potential.”

The slight quibbles are that Cash employs an intentional stylistic device that doesn't quite work and ends up being an unnecessary distraction. Also, the pivotal scene in the mansion resolves without a real explanation of what happens.

Beyond that, "Lost Lambs" is an escapist's delight, capturing the weighty, existential issues of our time without ever forgetting to laugh.

“Control what people do and you’re a king. Control how people think and you’re a god.”

Day 2,246, Quasi-Quarantine: The Sharing Spirit Was Missing With This Noel Puzzle

 

'Twas the season for puzzling, and this one was a good follow-up to another Yule puzzle we'd wrapped up a bit earlier. It was a fun one, but unfortunately my partner worked on it quite a bit behind my back and ruined part of the experience.

7.1, would cobble together again with a better teammate

Day 2,245, Quasi-Quarantine: Fever-Dream Writing Of "Brawler" Undermined By Cardboard Characters

“I look around and can see it in so many other women, passed down from a time beyond history, this wind that is dark and ceaseless and raging within.”

~“Wind”

This gut-wrenching collection features short stories that include large twists and real emotion. Groff examines gender dynamics, relationships between guardians and children, and the lasting effects of trauma.

Some of the standouts include "Wind," "What's the Time, Mr. Wolf?", and "Under the Wave." In addition, "Between the Shadow and the Soul" was complex, "Such Small Hands" was nuanced, "Annunciation" had a compelling ending, and "Sunland" was straight-up gutting.

“Oh, but she hadn’t wanted to leave him, not really, had she. She had just wanted to know what it was like to brush up against the dazzling future again. She felt the part of her that the lush spring had stirred to life go dormant, deep in her, once more. She knew that it would not awaken again in her lifetime.”

~“Between the Shadow and the Soul”

I had some experience with Groff's work, but the short-story form feels like a better fit for her than the novel. Despite it coming highly recommended, "Fates & Furies" was a bit overwrought for me. 

While the bulk of these tales highlight one-dimensional male characters -- with a lack of nuance hurting some of the plots -- "Brawler" as a whole is well worth the time for those readers ready to experience a full range of feelings.

“But that was the moment when she knew he would lie to her, and everything her spun away from him, and he was the one she hated as she walked out the door.”

~“Brawler”

Day 2,235, Quasi-Quarantine: "The Director" Captures The Whirlwind Experience Of A Captive Director During World War II

“ … There was one thing experience had taught her: directors didn’t accept a gentle no, for the simple reason that people who accepted a gentle no never could have become directors.”

Daniel Kehlmann's sprawling tale follows the exploits of famed director G.W. Pabst, who eventually finds himself captive and coerced into creating movies for the appeasement of his Nazi overlords. 

“It was one of those moments when everything seems to have been said, when it suddenly feels like the present has been used and nothing is left but a threatening future.”

Kehlmann's strongest accomplishment is allowing the narrative to veer into farce and satire without ever giving short shrift to the mild terror directly underneath. His story -- translated by Ross Benjamin -- allows for exploration of questions about the relationship between dictatorship and identity, the role of artistic license, and the value of autonomy.

“Suddenly there was silence. All conversation had stopped. The director stood in front of him, her mouth half open, looking at him. I was wrong, he thought. You actually can recognize the truly evil people at a single glance.”

"The Director" bounces around from Austria to Los Angeles to Czechoslovakia to France to Nazi Germany, lending a manic pace to elements of the narrative. The tale serves as a worthy exploration of the true meaning and merit of talent -- what is it worth and what is it worth sacrificing for?

“This was exactly what it had to be about–that music only seemed to speak of beauty, but in reality it spoke of how nothing was ever enough, how everything always fell short. How so much would never be ours.”

The appearance of famous people and stars from history lends weight to the novel. Kehlmann does a stellar job of capturing the fragile state of culture against the backdrop of horror, making "The Director" a memorable -- and vital -- read.

“‘Times are always strange. Art is always out of place. Always unnecessary when it’s made. And later, when you look back, it’s the only thing that mattered.’”

Limerick Friday #650: The Mets Keep Digging For Rock Bottom -- Day 2,221

Lost twelve in a row

It's a long road to hoe

Now wins back to back

It's not too late to sack

Mendy now, don't you know

So Will Wade is a bitch

Steered the Pack into a ditch

Now Gainey's here

And hope is near

Through this transfer portal sitch

Another draft day for the 'Fins

After another season for the bins

Draft picks galore

But forgive me if I snore

Wake me up when we have some wins

All these ticking clocks

For entitled families of jocks

Paul McNeill is disrespecting State

Refusing to decide his fate

Time to tell him to kick rocks

Ass-kissing simps

And visibility pimps

Sell your creative soul

To that AI slop hole

Find some self respect, ya gimps

Last time ...

Day 2,220, Quasi-Quarantine: "Football" Serves As Thoughtful Love Letter To The Sport

“Football imitates American society by generating a sensation of chaotic freedom within an environment of near-total control.”

Chuck Klosterman’s meandering missive on America's actual national pasttime can feel a bit dense and esoteric -- while somehow managing to be hilarious and absorbing. "Football" is an eclectic mix that works, with the author dropping surprise bits of wisdom into discussion of the vagaries of six-man football.

Along the way, the author also manages to almost perfectly capture my feelings toward the Miami Dolphins.

“ … I sometimes fear I’m experiencing the most bottomless version of fandom, where I love a team I don’t even like, emotionally betrothed against my will.”

Klosterman peppers the prose with fortune cookie-ish sayings, giving the work heft interspersed with nostalgia, concern, and doubt.

“Pervasive institutional control, so entrenched that it’s become unremarkable, is both the facilitator for society’s overall enhancement and the reason so many individuals within that society feel alienated by the very things making their life easier. Everything was upgraded and nothing got better.”

Klosterman closes with an entirely plausible scenario that predicts the eventual disappearance of the game, serving as a fitting ending to a fascinating read.

“If football did not already exist and was being invented today, there’s no way this amount of idle loitering would be included. The elevator pitch would seem like a joke: ‘Let’s create a complicated, violent game where nothing happens during 94 percent of the telecast, shown from a camera perspective that limits the viewer’s ability to see what’s happening.’”

Day 2,214, Quasi-Quarantine: "Vigil" Offers Combustible Thematic Mix Of Atonement, Accountability, And Grief

“Who else could you have been but exactly who you are? I said. Did you, in the womb, construct yourself? All your life you believe yourself to be making choices, but what looked like choices were so severely diminished in advance by the mind, body, and disposition thrust upon you that the whole game amounted to a sort of lavish jailing.”

The master of satire is back with "Vigil," which attempts to balance hilarity and accountability to mixed results. George Saunders offers up shades of "Lincoln in the Bardo," peopling his afterlife with an eclectic cast of characters charged with consoling and eliciting atonement from the dying.

K.J. Boone is the latter, an oil magnate who led the effort to cover up the environmental destruction wrought by his industry. His liaison to the afterlife, Jill, grows frustrated in her efforts to elicit any measure of apology or recognition of his sins from Boone.

“ … only the two original Mels remained, wincing somewhat at the discomfort associated with the ongoing, continual rear reentry of their miniature selves.”

I'm an avid reader of Saunders's -- see "A Swim in the Pond in the Rain," "Fox 8," "Liberation Day," and "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline," in addition to "Lincoln in the Bardo" -- and appreciated this one, but would not count it among my favorites of the author's. 

“Grandma Gust, we’d called her. Because of her late-life farting. She’d been the first to call herself that. After ripping one at dinner. And then we all picked up on it.”

"Vigil" is at is best when the focus is on Jill, who must reckon with her own mysteries in the wake of her sudden death. Saunders packs a lot into a fast-paced, short novel, leading a reader to wonder whether it would have benefited from more or less space to roam.

“What keeps you here, I said.

“She leaned forward to answer, as if about to tell me some long-kept secret.

“Then did a little fart, like in the old days, so we might part on good terms.

“And off she went.”

Day 2,210, Quasi-Qauarantine: Moving "To Free The Captives" Explores Black Experience

“The conundrum of history is that we think it is behind us. But if it came first, doesn’t that mean it should be up ahead, turning back now and again to see if we are keeping up?”

Beautiful writing and constructions mark Tracy K. Smith's "To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul." A poet by trade -- she was the United States Poet Laureate from 2017-19 -- this work serves as a memoir and commentary on the national role of race.

“For my parents and their kin, born into a nation intent upon their diminishment and inured to their dying, the soul started out from unblinking eyes with the assurance of continuance. I matter, it said. Never mind what you attempt, I will last.”

The book is at its best when the author is not the central character and instead focuses on her family and the search for more information about their experiences and challenges. However, some complaints feel iffy or forced, which may undermine the power of some of the author's arguments for some readers.

Although relatively short, the book is both powerful and thought-provoking. To be sure, "To Free the Captives" brings an emotional punch that resonates long after the reading is done.

“But freedom isn’t a thing to be held or hoarded; its purpose is to be passed forward, given away. Freedom is an impossibility in places where the most one is encouraged to seek and guard jealously is power, permission, authority. Freedom is held captive in places like these.”

Day 2,205, Quasi-Quarantine: Retaining That Cali State Of Mind

 We experienced snow, wind, rain, sun, and even an earthquake. Sign us up for the full California experience, please.

The first part of spring break was spent in almost-impossibly beautiful Yosemite Park, where we explored Bridalveil Fall, Happy isles, Lower Yosemite Fall, Mirror Lake, and a number of other areas.

To paraphrase Kramer, up here, I'm still there.

Day 2,198, Quasi-Quarantine: "Beyond The Sea" Takes Deserved Place Among The Finest Survival Tales

“The thought that presses from the darkest place.

“What it says.

“To stare directly at it. What it might mean.

“You are alone.”

A harrowing fever dream of being lost to an unforgiving ocean, "Beyond the Sea" is a triumph of a survivor tale. Paul Lynch's exploration of the evolving relationship between veteran fisherman Bolivar and disinterested youth Hector within the prison of a boat is grim and existential.

Based on the true story of Salvadoran fisherman Jose Salvador Alvarenga, the novel uses sparse punctuation and short sentences to contrast the vastness of the sea. Hector examines an unlived life, while Boliver struggles with a dark, illicit past full of mistakes and bad decisions.

“Hector’s sorrowful, weighted eyes are the yes of a man watching his own life from some remote place without capacity to shout warning.”

Lynch has quickly emerged as one of my favorite writers, having secured the top spot in the 2024 Scooties with his incredible work "Prophet Song." His bleak, gutting stories incorporate contemporary issues -- the environment, geopolitics, degradation -- and challenge every emotional chord, leaving you feeling, well, like you've just survived a ship wreck.

“The countenance of a child growing before him as he crawls along the beach, his cry broken, he has not the breath to speak, to put into words, he wants to say it over and over again, home, I can go home now, but the words will not come. He falls before the child, it is a little girl, and he lifts his head and thinks, you believed. A feeling now of the world he once knew. And it is then he finds the breath to speak, and he seeks not to frighten her, speaks in his own tongue.

“I am only a fisherman.”

"Beyond the Sea" is a worthy entry into the company enjoyed by Hemingway, Melville, and Golding, and its ending is cleverly open to broad interpretation. The book will leave you exhausted and emotionally shaken -- but a thankful witness to deepest elements of man's soul.

“He thinks, what is life but waiting.

“He closes his eyes and listens.

“Always waiting upon the awaited thing. But what if you hold what is given?”

Day 2,193, Quasi-Quarantine: "Towards The End Of The Morning" Offers A Hysterical Parody Of Journalism In 1960s London

 

“He liked life to be predictable and orderly. He liked to have time to think what he was going to feel about something before it happened.”

Michael Frayn's hilarious depiction of 1960s Fleet Street captures all the stereotypes and realities of journalism. "Towards the End of Morning" is hysterical, peopled with angsty editors (Dyson), driftless writers (Bob), immovable lifers (Eddy Moulton), and vague social climbers (Erskine Morris).

“He had spent his youth as one might spend an inheritance, and he had no idea what he had bought with it.”

Anyone who has spent any time on a newspaper, magazine, or publication of any kind will recognize the characters and ethos of a newsroom and its environs. Frayn has nailed the vibe beautifully, making for an irresistible encapsulation of an entire trade.

“He settled back in his armchair with his beer, full of mutton and beans and well-being. He felt as though there were a space for him in the universe, and he exactly filled it.”

Day 2,182, Quasi-Quarantine: "Tom's Crossing" Traverses Genres Like Terrain In Sprawling Western

“For everyone there is reserved a great journey.

That include the dead? Kalen asked his friend.

Especially the dead.

I’ll remember that.

The journey don’t count unless you finish it.

We’ll finish it.

I’ll remember that, Tom said.”

Mark Z. Danielewski's sprawling epic is like nothing you'll ever read -- part Western, part romance, part horror, part procedural, part ghost story. "Tom's Crossing" evokes the best of Cormac McCarthy with an added supernatural spice.

“Kalin March was a dead-end kid who kept ridin into dead ends that couldn’t put an end to him.”

“That was Tom, one moment a river, the next, a cat, why not a goat. Whether feathered, scaled, clawed, or a current on earth or above it, he was allways wild beyond us. Wild inhabited him, and endless laughter was the result, because he was forever. For a moment at least.”

The author certainly makes you work for it: dense descriptions, archaic words, meandering soliloquies, and a lengthy roster of characters. The coincidences and eccentricities add up in the story, as an unlikely number of Orvop natives ended up living in foreign lands and dying in really strange ways, and Old Porch is let off the hook despite overwhelming evidence.

“But Kalin refused to let go of Tom, maybe not seein that it weren’t a dyin boy’s hand no more that he grasped but a rope of the severest kind and he was already hung up on the darkest beast of all.”

Based on Mount Timpanagos in Utah (a place that I've actually been), the book offers some interesting observations about the Mormon faith that hit close to home. A suspension of disbelief is required as well, on more than a few occasions.

However, the author renders the developing rapport between Kalin and Landry with the care it deserves. The tale celebrates their connection, but acknowledges that both lost something fundamental about themselves somewhere along the way.

“Because the price we pay for experience, the price that alters us permanent, can be paid only if we go beyond the limits of who we thought we were. Only then can we realize how we were all along someone else.”

Danielewski makes bold narratives choices, and the decision to switch to first person near the end was jarringly effective. His ability to blend the beautiful and melancholy with uncommon skill has resulted in an instant classic that is sure to be studied and appreciated for years.

“I’m still scared, Kalin.”

“Good. And now that you’ve said it, be done with it.”

“Landry kept chewin on the inside of a cheek. She liked the words even if they didn’t help.

“For these horses, right? she asked.

“Kalin looked at her real steady, and longer than he’d ever looked at her before, maybe longer than anyone had looked at her. Especially like that. 

“It ain’t good enuf to wanna be free, Kalin told her then, but in that way like all the embers he guarded deep in his heart to keep his life warm he was now givin over to her. Every dang livin thing wants to be free. It’s elemental I reckon. But like my momma taught me, and it’s how I see things too: to matter you gotta set free someone that ain’t you. That’s all that matters.

“And that applies to horses?

“World won’t matter for spit if there ain’t no horses.”

Scooter & Hum's Top Five Books Of The Year 2025

Needing the gift of escapism even more than ever, I set a goal of 37 books in 2025, with the idea being to focus on longer, deeper books. However, I ended up reading 41 in all, to the tune of 15,937 pages (more than 1,200 pages more than the previous year), with the shortest book checking in at 128 pages and the longest at 1,318. 

As always, I went back and forth a bit on my top five, and as a general note, I was fortunate enough to find a number of tremendous non-fiction books this year.

Without further ado ...

1. "The End of the Myth," by Greg Grandin

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now: 

Grandin does meticulous research in outlining the chronology of the nation's founding. By documenting our country's long reliance on myths and brutality, the author unequivocally decimates the entire concept of American exceptionalism.

Passages to Remember: 

“It’s America’s new myth, a monument to the final closing of the frontier. It is a symbol of a nation that used to believe that it had escaped history, or at least strode atop history, but now finds itself trapped by history, and of a people who used to think they were captains of the future, but now are prisoners of the past.”

“There’s nothing united about these States anymore, except Standard Oil and discontent. We’re no longer a small people living and dying for a great idea; we’re a big people living and dying for money.”

~Owen Wister

“Increasingly politicized elites began to invest vast sums in any intellectual, lawyer, economist, or philosopher willing to tell them they were the new pioneers, that the individual was the sole source of virtue, the only creator of value, that the world was divided between makers and takers, that market solutions were the only effective solutions, and that new economic frontiers were always open to conquest.”

2. "The Largesse of the Sea Maiden," by Denis Johnson

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now: 

One of my favorite authors, Johnson created this profound, absorbing short-story collection for a posthumous publication. The work captures a true American treasure’s brilliance just after his death.

Passages to Remember: 

“Before long, we wandered into a discussion of the difference between repentance and regret. You repent the things you’ve done, and regret the chances you let get away.”

~“The Largesse of the Sea Maiden”

“That’s what we gotta do is get down to just one story, the true person we are, and live it all the way out.” 

~“The Starlight of Idaho”

“Have I loved my wife? We’ve gotten along. We’ve never felt like congratulating ourselves.”

~“The Largesse of the Sea Maiden”

3. "A Day in the Life of Abed Salama," by Nathan Thrall

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now: 

Thrall has built a devastating tale of what's required to eke out a life amidst fraught Palestinian-Jewish interactions. Out of respect for the subject matter, his prose is straightforward and succinct, but his work should be required reading within the current geopolitical climate.

Passages to Remember: 

“We do not see our hand in what happens, so we call certain events melancholy accidents when they are the inevitabilities of our projects, and we call other events necessities merely because we will not change our minds.”

~Stanley Cavell

“‘You’ve turned our autonomy into a prison for us,’ the lead Palestinian negotiator, Abu Ala, said.”

4. "Looking for Alaska," by John Green

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now: 

Green evokes an absorbing sentimentality through is depiction of an Alabama boarding school that serves as the setting for coming-of-age misfits dealing with grief and love. Yes, this is technically a YA book, but I make absolutely zero apologies for ranking it here.

Passages to Remember: 

“She didn’t leave me enough to discover her, but she left me enough to rediscover the Great Perhaps.”

“‘Oh, they suck,’ replied the Colonel. ‘But we always beat the shit out of the deaf-and-blind school.’”

“She taught me everything I knew about crawfish and kissing and pink wine and poetry. She made me different.”

“So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.”

“He was gone, and I did not have time to tell him what I had just now realized: that I forgave him, and that she forgave us, and that we had to forgive to survive in the labyrinth. There were so many of us who would have to live with things done and things left undone that day. Things that did not go right, things that seemed okay at the time because we could not see the future. If only we could see the endless string of consequences that result from our smallest actions. But we can’t know better until knowing better is useless.”

5. "The Place of Tides," by James Rebanks

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now: 

Stunning Norway is the setting for Rebanks's non-fiction depiction of a dying tradition being upheld by a force of nature. The author weaves his personal challenges into the experience, making for a rich and emotional read.

Passages to Remember: 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about the old woman on the rocks … It was like someone had shown me a few lines of a truly great book and then closed the covers tight shut.”

“She had built herself out of the old stories, as had each generation before her, and now those who told them were dying out. Sometimes, in the days that followed, if Anna told me a story and I didn’t scribble it down she would look at me like maybe I hadn’t understood its importance, and would glance at the paper as if I ought to record it.”

“Our lives are a series of choices – about what we do, and don’t do. Over time we decide what to let go of, what must die, and what we will fight to keep alive. Sometimes these are big, deliberate decisions, other times change happens in a thousand thoughtless little moments.”

“Anna reminded me that the first rule of living is to live. To see, hear, smell, touch, and taste the world. The more I tuned in, the closer Anna and I were growing as friends. I was beginning a journey back to the person I had once been – and needed to be again.”

“Anna’s example was simple: if we are to save the world, we have to start somewhere. We just have to do one damn thing after another. Hers was a small kind of heroism, but it was the most powerful kind. The kind that saves us. We all have to go to work in our own communities, in our own landscapes. We have to show up day in, day out, for years and years, doing the work. There will be no brass band, no parade. And we have to accept and keep the faith in each other, and somehow work together. It is the only way we can make our own tiny deeds add up to become the change we all need.”

Narrow Misses (in 15 words or less):

"Vera, or Faith," by Gary Shteyngart: Hysterical, gut-wrenching look at contemporary politics and how technology compromises what passes for culture.

"Barbarian Days," by William Finnegan: Melodic, mystic autobiography details the author’s quixotic search for the perfect, unexplored wave–and peace.

"Montpelier Parade," by Karl Geary: Stark, oppressive look at two sides of same Dublin, through the eyes of futureless Sonny.

"Foster," by Claire Keegan: Tale of the bond between neglected niece and caregivers in rural Ireland is devastatingly emotional.

"The Intuitionist," by Colson Whitehead: Memorable debut of generation-defining novelist is a many-genred racial allegory with compelling characters.

"Down and Out in Paris and London," by George Orwell: Seedy underbelly of two of world's most renowned cities revealed in tragic, stark, hysterical memoir.

"Master and Margarita," by Andrei Bulgakov: Subversive, posthumous work uses a satanic presence to offer satirical takedown of Moscow, Russian society.

"Isola," by Allegra Goodman: Privileged orphan suffers abuse, imprisonment, and abandonment, finding her spiritual center in a harsh environment.

"An Oral History of Atlantis," by Ed Park: Short-story collection feels like fever dream shot through with social commentary, ennui, and hilarity.

"Stranger in a Strange Land," by Robert A. Heinlein: Dense, intriguing sci-fi adventure loses steam as it devolves into commentary on religion, sexuality.

Honorable Mention (in 10 words or less):

"A Really Strange and Wonderful Time," by Tom Maxwell: Triangle takes center stage in meticulously researched indie-music memoir.

"Tentacle," by Rita Indiana: Queer politics, other social issues clash in short, challenging book.

"Rogues," by Patrick Radden Keefe: Meticulous researcher displays investigative gifts in collection of finest work.

"The Freaks Came Out to Write," by Tricia Romano: Dizzying number of interviews document definitive counterculture institution Village Voice.

"The Hum," by Helen Phillips: Poignant tale of budding AI terror diminished by slow pacing.

"The Boys of Riverside," by Thomas Fuller: Dedicated group of deaf boys embrace challenges, win state title.

"1Q84," by Haruki Murakami: Sprawling tale crosses worlds, but undercut by repetition, distracting fetishizing.

"The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024," edited by S.A. Cosby: Memorable collection of short stories boasts unique formats, styles, themes.

"Rebel Hearts: Journey Within the IRA's Soul," by Kevin Toolis: Painstaking research into history of the Troubles, impact of violence.

"The End of the World As We Know it: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand," edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene: Ambitious tales set in Stephen King's world. to varying effectiveness.

"Lazarus Man," by Richard Price: NYC takes the fore in tale of atonement, hope, community.

Notable (in 7 words or less):

"On Air," by Steve Oney: NPR's origin story is dense and invaluable.

"Everybody Knows," by Jordan Harper: Hollywood noir showcases underdogs toppling fixed game.

"On the Hippie Trail," by Rick Steves: Global trek as coming-of-age story.

"Brothers," by Alex Van Halen: Emotional tale of brotherhood overcomes sudden ending.

"Where the Line Bleeds," by Jesmyn Ward: Barren Gulf Coast features twins finding identity.

"CivilWarLand in Bad Decline," by George Saunders: Depressing, confusing short stories reveal future satirist.

"Never Flinch," by Stephen King: Holly Gibney, killer, stalker converge in Ohio.

"The Geek Way," by Andrew McAfee: Can speed, science, openness foster change, culture?

"The Emergency," by George Packer: Satirical parable worthy read for current moment.

"King of Ashes," by S.A. Cosby: Formulaic Southern noir gives what it promises.

"Black Woods Blue Sky," by Eowyn Ivey: Girl's connection to a mysterious Alaskan creature.

The Rest (in 5 words or less):

"Creation Lake," by Rachel Kushner: Weak protagonist sinks promising premise.

"Talent," by Tyler Cowen and Daniel Gross: Iffy role models undercut theme. 

"Kill Joy," by Holly Jackson: Fun prequel set in Scotland.

"The Reappearance of Rachel Price," by Holly Jackson: Coincidence, formula deter YA tale.