BOOKS THREAD

On this part now. The Bobby Baker Escapades had just opened and Johnson -- fearing his endless conga line of influence peddling was going to finish off what was left of his currently moribund political career -- was at his wits end.

 

The satires you guys do here are way better than the books.

 

I think Atkins has the gig permanently, from what I read.

I hope he's been able to maintain the odd, homoerotic vibe between Spenser and Hawk.

 

My mom got me some Michael Connelly books for Christmas, since then I have read four or five of them. His writing is something else.

 

On the Caro book, I can't help but draw comparisons to how similar the gridlock in congress was under Kennedy to how it is under Obama today. Johnson was able to break that gridlock using a combination of his political skill, take-no-prisoners apporoach to getting things done, and public sympathy after Kennedy's death. Makes you wonder if Biden, who like LBJ, is a veep with a lot of political experience but is sort of viewed as a clown now, might have similar success if he had to take over for Obama today.

And how about Byrd's battle to keep the budget under $100 billion? The old racist bastard would go completely apeshit today!

 

I've been listening to Josh Hamilton's autobiography on audiobook. Usually I'm not much for self-serving athlete bios, but this is one certainly worth reading. My main concern is that it was going to be a seven-hour commercial for Christianity, but it hasn't been that way at all. His faith has come up, but only sporadically so far, and I'm about halfway through. It's pretty damned unflinching.

 

What I felt most strongly after reading Caro's "Means of Ascent" is that Lady Bird should've hit a sleeping LBJ over the head with a cast iron skillet.

 

Re-reading "To Kill a Mockingbird"--read it for the first time about 45 years ago. (Yeah, I'm that old)

It's better than I ever imagined

 

I think much of the wisdom the book imparts still really holds up.

 

For Moddy and any other crime/mystery novel fans...

One of the best things I've read in the last couple of years is "The Lock Artist" by Steve Hamilton. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2011. And I don't know why, but right now it's just $2.99 on the Kindle. (Thank you, Justice Department!) Highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Lock-Artist-Novel-ebook/dp/B002ZW7EBE

 

Thanks, PC. Been looking at that book, but hadn't pulled the trigger.

I just finished a really suspenseful book and a very fun read: "Before I Go to Sleep" by S.J. Watson.

http://www.amazon.com/Before-Go-Sleep-S-Watson/dp/0062060554

I simply could not put this book down.