BOOKS THREAD

Finished
"Almost Interesting" David Spade bio ... it was almost interesting.
Russo's "Everybody's Fool" ... really enjoyed that.
Finishing "The Great A&P and the struggle for Small Business in America," by Marc Levinson.... fascinating stuff about the growth and development of food, food stores, chains and government intervention. Marc Levinson did a lot of work on this ... He also paints the Hartford brothers in a very favorable light. Makes me wonder how true it is.
I plan to read his "The Box: How Shipping Containers Made the World."
"The Snowman" by Joe Nesbo was enjoyable. Don't know if I want to do any more Harry Hole stories.
"The Poet" by Connelly was good. Did not see that coming.
"Hillbilly Elegy" by J.D. Vance ... it was sadly, good and on the mark with regards to Appalachia.
"River of Doubt" GREAT story about Roosevelt's post-presidency exploration of the uncharted tributary of the Amazon River. Unbelievable story! Fucking TR was amazing!

Picked up Palahnuik's short story book "Make Something Up: Stories You Can't Unread." I really liked "Choke," I but didn't see much else of his stuff that appealed to me. Found this at a bookstore yesterday for $8 and impulse bought it.

 

Synopsis?

 

If ya get the chance, read Gore Vidal's essay about TR, "An American Sissy." A nice counterweight to the typical hagiography. And I loved the Morris trilogy.

Finally reading "Portrait of a Lady" by Henry James. Guy can turn a sentence, no doubt, though it'd be nice if he could bypass a few qualifying clauses. Proving more enjoyable than "The Golden Bowl," which I found boring and abandoned.
Also re-reading "Blood Meridian" and "Moby Dick," because they might be the best American letters has to offer IMHO.

Gonna pick up "The Poet." Heard good things.

 

Finished "End of Watch" by King; picked up on a trip recently. Not bad but not as thrilling as I thought would be (I had not finished a King since The Stand and was thinking of starting; I'm getting IT next).

Read "The Dry"; an excellent read. Who dun it set in Australia.

 

The online library had this available so I checked it out. Quick read... Jesus... she's fucking crazy. Not a terrible read, but not great either.
I don't who's nuttier, her or the husband. She's a whore and he went along with it.

 

I've decided to finally dig into Shelby Foote's Civil War narrative this summer. This is going to take awhile.

 

Just finished "A Fine Mess: A Global Quest for a Simpler, Fairer and More Efficient Tax System" by T.R. Reid (which I took out of the library).
A great book giving factual insight into the failings of our tax system, how ours compares to others in the world, how other countries have had success and failure with their tax systems, and more.
The figures the facts and figures he provides have changed my views on taxes in many ways.

 

I thought "End of Watch" was good, but the weakest of the books in the Bill Hodges trilogy.

 

You'll see his photo in Merriam-Webster under "whipped."

 

Guinn once again does an excellent job of writing about something that's been written about thousands of times prior, just like he did with his books on Charles Manson and Bonnie & Clyde. Stellar, in-depth reporting and excellent writing. Yes, we all know how this story ends, but how it gets to that point is fascinating.

Joe Bob says check it out.

 

Now I'm reading "American War: A Novel" by Omar El Akkad.
I'm only a few chapters in, but so far this is a great read.

 

Am currently reading "Trouble Boys" (Replacements biography). Great, great book. Incredible how dysfunctional one of the greatest songwriters of the late 20th century and his cohorts were, and it went beyond the prodigious boozing and drugging (lord, that Stinson family...). Has there ever been a smart guy with more fear of success than Westerberg?