Random – Penn Jillette

A Vegas native hits a lucky roll of the dice and pays off his father’s gambling debts, saving his and his family’s lives.  Feeling that his life has changed, he decides to give up all planning and decision making, leaving his life’s choices up to the dice.  Will randomness keep him alive against the three things trying to kill him: the mobster who his dad owed money to, a thief who masterminded a casino heist, and the raging novel corona virus.

Magician Penn Jillette brings us Random, his second novel.  A long time Vegas resident, Jillette brings his knowledge of the town and its vibe to the book.  The plot, however, could have used a little more work.  It’s an intriguing idea, but the execution is a little lacking, with the dice rolling getting a little boring the more often it happened.

And there we have it, book #52!  For just the second time since I started this “52 books in 52 weeks” challenge back in 2010, I made it to the finish line, and with a couple of weeks to spare.  Now, I go after my personal record of 54 books, set all the way back in 2021.