BOOKS THREAD

I just enjoyed the heck out of this book. It's not a songwriting manual, but it's Mary Gauthier's approach to songwriting and how some of her songs came to be. She talks about a couple of her songs and how she wrote them while teaching a writers' workshop to veterans, and those were just great stories. And she's pretty open about her addictions and recovery, which also play roles in her music.

Each chapter opens with the words to the song she's about to talk about, so I often went down rabbit holes listening to that song and then another one, so it took me longer to read this than it should have, but it was time well spent. And...my copy of the book is signed by the author, so I got that going for me, which is nice.

Joe Bob says definitely check it out.

 

Mark Bowden's work is no stranger to this joint but I just finished his book about the battle of Hue in 1968, just outstanding stuff, highly recommended for those with an interest in military history, especially Vietnam.

 

+1 to the Hue recommendation

 

Dry as hell, but it attempts to explain the world in a way I’d never considered. Not to say I’d never considered status, just that I kinda thought I was…above?…seeking it. After reading Marx (heehee) on the subject, it’s pretty clear I’m not. And you aren’t, either. It’s just a matter of understanding how to live with this basic human craving and limit its worst tendencies.

 

@Flip Wilson

I’d just like to express appreciation for your reviews. I’ve read at least 10 books you’ve recommended over the years.

 

That's very kind of you to say. I've found some good stuff on here as well.

Thank you.

 

Agreed on all fronts.

 

In this, the author talks to and spends a lot of time with a few guys who are passionate wrestling fans, and some guys who are trying to break into hardcore wrestling. You can tell by the arc of some of the stories that he spent years working on this, and it's well-written, but the dude is just so condescending toward wrestling fans. In several instances, he refers to them as unattractive, unintelligent and unhygienic. He talked to the legendary Stu Hart late in Hart's life, and called his once stout frame a "wasted mass of muscle." He was just unnecessarily mean.

There are better books about the business. Joe Bob says don't check it out.

 

Former professional violinist Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch tries to bring humor to classical music in Declassified, a sort of autobiography. I was raised with a fair amount of classical music, and played piano and violin growing up (and hated both). But I don't think any background is really necessary... and that's the point of the book.

 

Saw for the second time an excellent 2019 documentary called "The Booksellers," which focuses on antiquarian booksellers and why they commit their lives to an addictive, largely unremunerative trade. If you're into the history of rare books, both ancient and contemporary, you'll dig it.

On a side note, I visited The Morgan Library in New York City on Saturday, home of a first folio of Shakespeare and three (!) Gutenberg bibles. The library itself was overwhelmingly beautiful.

 

Thanks for the documentary recommendation. It's on Amazon, so I'll be watching it soon.

The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas in Austin also has a Gutenberg Bible and the world's first photograph, along with a bunch of memorabilia dealing with the circus and magicians and a bunch of other cool stuff. I love the place.

 

A lovely book about the American author and his family and their adventures in Hay, a small Welsh town with a population of about 2,500 and dozens of bookstores. Do they become permanent citizens, or do they return to the U.S.? The town is filled with a bunch of interesting characters, and the author makes all kinds of literary references - but in a good way - that sent me down rabbit holes to find other stuff to read.

Joe Bob says check it out.