BOOKS THREAD

So Jeff Guinn, author of the aforementioned Waco, spoke at the local library today. One of his sources - an expert in another religious leader named Koresh, this one from the late 1800s in Florida - flew in to take part in his talk. And he also had two other sources, an agent from the FBI and an agent from the ATF, with him. I've heard a lot of authors talk about their books, and this was the most prepared presentation I've ever seen. He did a great job.

 

Cimino, by Charles Elton. Really good look at the famed director and sort of reevaulates the whole Heaven's Gate debacle and myths (the movie didn't in fact bankrupt United Artists). Some amazing anecdotes, like Gene Shalit on national TV lecturing him on how he could have fed 100 American families for 14 years with the money used on the movie. Uh, okay, Gene.

And just started The Last Days of Roger Federer: And Other Endings, by Geoff Dyer. I've read one of Dyer's books before and loved it and enjoying this one so far, about, obviously, how things end for great writers, musicians, artists, athletes and normal folks.

 

Just finished "The Boys," an oral history by Ron and Clint Howard, dealing mostly with their career as child actors. It's a great read if you're of my era, lots of familiar names, TV shows and movies.

 

"Blue" by Joe Domanick. Published in 2015, it is a fascinating look at the LAPD starting just before the Rodney King riots into the 20o0s. Most interesting to me were the sections dealing with the various mayors (Bradley, Riordan, Hahn) and their interactions with the department. I have always been fascinated by urban politics and thought the first section (set in 1992) was easily the strongest part of the book.

 

Agreed that it was a fun read. Even the last line of the acknowledgments is hilarious.

 

Anyone familiar with the Stranger Things books? There is one on Robin, one for Dustin and one for Max. My daughter (10) is obsessed with ST and wants the Robin book, but it’s in the YA section, appropriate for 9th grade.

I’m good with the scary/gore stuff, but I’m more concerned with the relationship, bf/gf, party things that maybe mentioned. Any advice welcomed.
TIA.

 

"Burning Down the House" by Julian Zelizer about Newt Gingrich's war against Speaker Jim Wright. Solid, lightning-paced work. Several steps below his Great Society book ("The Fierce Urgency of Now"), however.

 

Just finished the book. Really well written and obviously well researched. However, Bo was just a boring topic — a ridiculous athlete but one who wasn’t committed to either sport and a prickly personality. There just wasn’t much there there.

 

So worth it?

 

On balance, worth it.

 

"Author In Chief" by Craig Fehrman. Fun, slight read on presidents and the books they published. Also contains some cool info on the history of book publishing and bookselling.

From February 2020.