Rick Mason-Writer

A Review of Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

I really, really wanted to love Choke by Chuck Palahniuk. Unfortunately, I ended up simply liking it. The novel is entertaining, and the characters are interesting enough to keep the story moving, but the story itself never quite became as powerful as I hoped it would be.
One of the lines that struck me most deeply comes from a scene in which Victor’s mother tells him, as a little boy, to draw a river on a map. She tells him it is “perfect” and asks him to write it in her diary, saying, “Get ready because there’s lots more stuff that needs a name coming up.” She continues, “Because the only frontier left is the world of intangibles, ideas, stories, music, and art,” and adds, “Because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it.”
Those lines struck a chord with me. I have imagined many things in my life, and most of them were not as great as I imagined they would be once I finally experienced them. There is often a difference between dreaming about something and living through it, and that feeling shaped the way I responded to this book.
Choke has memorable characters, sharp moments, and an entertaining premise. I do not regret reading it. Still, I went into it hoping for both great characters and a great story, and what I found was a good book rather than a great one. Maybe that disappointment fits the book’s own message: nothing is ever quite as perfect as we imagine it will be.

Three stars from me.

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Meet Rick Mason: Thriller & Mystery Author Learn about Rick Mason, U.S. Army veteran and thriller author of Humdinger. Discover his journey from military service to writing action-packed stories.

I am telling you, look out for the scammers...they are getting better at appearing to be legitimate...I received and email from a well-known publisher, while looking into the company, I came across their page regarding scams and phishing...I had my hopes up but they were dashed quickly when looking at the scams affecting their company.

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I just finished A Walk in the Park and I recommend it to any and all who are amazed by the sights in our National Parks.

A Review of A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko
To say that Kevin Fedarko’s A Walk in the Park moved me deeply would be an understatement. Many years ago, my wife and I visited the Grand Canyon, and we were amazed by what we saw. Yet reading this book gave me a powerful sense of how much we missed—how much lies beyond the overlooks, the trails, and the brief encounters most visitors have with this extraordinary place.
Fedarko’s account of what begins as a spectacular misadventure with his friend, photographer Pete McBride, becomes much more than a story about endurance. It is a journey into the heart of the Grand Canyon itself—its beauty, danger, mystery, history, and vulnerability. The book captures the canyon not simply as a scenic wonder, but as a living landscape that demands humility from anyone who enters it.
For anyone who has visited the Grand Canyon, or for anyone who longs to see it, A Walk in the Park is a must-read. Fedarko writes with honesty, humor, and reverence, showing that the canyon is far more than a destination. It is amazing. It is beautiful. It is mysterious. And, as the book makes clear, it is also in peril.
Anything that can be done to keep the Grand Canyon as natural and protected as possible should be done. It is an irreplaceable treasure that all people should have the chance to experience, but those who visit must do so with respect for the land, its fragile ecosystems, and the deep human history it holds.
The book also deepened my awareness of the Native peoples whose homelands include and surround the canyon, and of the terrible injustices they suffered as the park and surrounding lands were shaped by government decisions. To the Havasupai, Hualapai, Navajo, Hopi, Southern Paiute Bands, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Yavapai-Apache Nation: this was, and remains, land of profound meaning. You were treated unjustly, and for that I am sorry.
I am grateful for what I have witnessed of Native ceremonies at the canyon, and I believe all visitors would do well to learn from the respect, stewardship, and connection to a place that these communities have carried for generations. Fedarko’s book reminded me that the Grand Canyon is not only one of the most scenic places in the world; it is also sacred, vulnerable, and deserving of our deepest care.

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With Cecilia Blomdahl – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers 🎉

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