So, What Are You Reading?

The Poisoner's Handbook (2010) by Deborah Blum. A look at the work of Charles Norris and Alexander Gettler, two pioneers in the field of forensic toxicology in the US in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York.

Also the first book I've read with the Libby app from my local librPretty neat. neat.

 

Reread "Maus", Art Spiegelman's graphic...well, no, it certainly isn't a novel. Not sure what to call it, maybe a biography of his father?

 

Just finished Mussolini (1981) by Denis Mack Smith. A very detailed, and well-researched biography of Benito Mussolini, starting from birth and continuing until death. While not specifically a book about fascism there is enough on the internal inconsistency of the ideology to give one a good understanding of it and the violence it caused.

 

"Desert Wife", a fascinating and occasionally shocking account by Hilda Faunce, the wife of a Navaho trader during WWI.

 

Chosen Soldier: The Making of A Special Forces Warrior (2007) by Dick Couch

An interesting if ten-thousand foot view of the SOF pipeline. No coverage of the Intelligence Officer (18F) position, or DLI.

One of the most detailed parts is a review of the Robin Sage exercise and its fictional country of Pineland. Not bad.

 

Just finished My Effin Life by Geddy Lee ( of the band Rush, for those who do not know). Will start Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America, 1858-1919 by Douglas Brinkley

 

Rawhide Down
The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan by Del Quentin Wilber (2011) is a comprehensive look at John Hinckley's 1981 shooting of Ronald Reagan and several others.

The movie Killing Reagan is a faithful recreation of the events. The book and the movie line up very closely. The President's wit and perserverence really comes through, and the author even briefly mentions the contradictions of his administration when discussing his legacy.

An enjoyable read.

 

A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L Peck (2009). A man dies and goes to Hell where he finds out he is in an enormous library and the only way to leave is to find the book that contains his life story.

 

Finished The Vegetarian (2007) by Han Kang tonight. Bought it because she won the Nobel and was curious about her work, but didn't much enjoy it.

 

While I reading Wilderness Warrior, I am also reading The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders who threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It by Corey Brettschnider. Very interesting so far.

 

I read 19 books in 2023. Interestingly, took me until the middle of the year to pick up reading again and I'm at 10 so far in 2024. Might knock another couple books out before the end of the year (I tend to have 3+ on the go and then finish them all around the same time.) I dutifully add to my library even when I don't have the energy to read though. Thriftbooks and Abebooks are a lifesaver for inexpensive books, especially when picking up new languages.