My list of 10ish favorite books read in 2018 is here
I decided this year that instead of just asking other folks, especially other white people, to imagine life if they were another race it was time to put my money where my mouth is... where my book reading is... sorry, I'm losing the metaphor.
So I decided to try to reduce how many books I'm reading by white men from the usual 90 percent to at most 50 percent. There were some I had to read for book club discussions I lead, books I read with my charge, interviews I do, etc.
But this has led me to try female authors I wouldn't normally try, to go back to read authors of color I should have read long ago, etc.
So I'm going to collect her the list so far (and sometime soon I need to update my index of all my interviews of the last ten years) along with some comments about each one:
Book #1 - One of my goals for the year is to read more female writers and more writers of color. So I'll be trying out different female mystery writers and this book by Louise Penny (A Great Reckoning, part of her series about Armand Gamache) is one of those. I picked this particular book up
just because it was the one by her that had an audiobook. I quite liked the writing, the style, the plot twists. I will definitely be going back to read the series from the beginning.
8.5 out of 10
Book #2 - Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke.
There have been plenty of white male authors who have written about real or fictional white male Texas Rangers. But when I was looking for new authors and books to try, especially as I was deciding to try to read more female authors as well as more books of color, I learned about this book by an author i've seen praised.
With Bluebird, Bluebird, Locke, a female of color, writes about a black member of the Texas Rangers as he tries to solve a double murder of a white woman and black man in a town filled with Aryan Brotherhood members and local law enforcement who wants to ignore the racists and the drugs they deal.
With Ranger Darren Mathews, a native of east Texas, Locke has created a fascinating character who is torn between doing the right thing and doing what law enforcement, both local and the state, is telling him to do. All this in a backwater town that used to be a plantation.
I definitely felt like I was getting different perspectives by reading an author of color writing about a man of color especially as it develops that mixed race relationships play key to several plot points.
This is an excellent book, appropriately praised in reviews like this one in the Washington Post. Locke, a formerly writer and producer for Empire, wrote three prior novels “Black Water Rising,” “The Cutting Season” and “Pleasantville."
#3 - Robicheaux by James Lee Burke. I love his work and got to interview him for the book here:
I give it a 9 out of ten
#4 - House of Hades by Rick Riordan - My charge and I read this together and we continue making our way through Richard Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series. Good fun but had some slow spots
8 out of ten
#5 How To Steal A Dragon's Sword by Cressida Cowell. This is part of the series that began with book (and movie) How To Train Your Dragon. It's clever, funny, poignant. My charge
and I have been reading the series together. 8 out of ten
#6 - The Wanted by Robert Crais. Crais is one of my favorite mystery writers and i've been lucky enough to interview him about 3 times now. As with past books he has fully fleshed out characters and good plot twists. 9 out of ten. The interview is here
#7 - Let's Pretend This Never Happened - by Jenny Lawson. This is excellent. I'm going to go back and read her other books and i've started following her blog. I really like her voice. I give it a 9
#8 - Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America Ibram X. Kendi This is an amazing book that not just gives an excellent overview and history of the United States but looks in detail into how various intellectuals of the times looked at issues like whether blacks are inferior to whites (an alarming number of black leaders of their times bought into that, while others would fight for money to send black students to college after making racist jokes with whites, a classic issue of whether the ends justify the means.)
There are also many interesting ideas,. One that particularly struck me
was that gentrification, with whites moving to traditionally black
urban neighborhoods, is essentially the opposite of the redlining where
blacks were blocked from moving into traditionally white neighborhoods.
I give this book a 9.5 out of ten. Yes, it's that good. Warning: It is dense but it's excellent and thought-provoking. Heck, I read it partly for a book discussion. The book discussion has passed but i'm still reading a part i skipped over in an attempt to finish the book in time.
I give this book a 9.5 out of ten. Yes, it's that good. Warning: It is dense but it's excellent and thought-provoking. Heck, I read it partly for a book discussion. The book discussion has passed but i'm still reading a part i skipped over in an attempt to finish the book in time.
#9- Alex Berenson continues a good thriller series featuring John Wells. The latest torn from the headlines thriller is the deceivers. this one involving russians getting americans to engage in terrorism, is high on adrenaline. I give it an 8. My interview with the author is here.
#10 - My charge and I continue reading and loving the How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell. The one we just finished is How To Seize A Dragon's Jewel. With humor, great plot twists and just general cleverness it's a fun read. It also helps me use characters and situations to teach home school. I give it an 8.
#11 and 12 were the final two books in Cressida Cowell's excellent How To Train Your Dragon series. They are funny, clever and witty. And I really get into the characters which is fun and by the last book my charge was also acting, getting more into the cadence, flow, etc rather than reading in his usual monotone. The last two were How To Fight A Dragon's Fury and How To Betray A Dragon's Trust. I give both an 8.
Book
#13 We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi
Coates Awesome thought-provoking book.. I particularly liked his
thoughts on Obama (who Coates was too optimistic, be it about politics -
he didnt realize how much opposition he would encounter, including from
his own party - as well as about the state of race relations.)
Definitely worth reading. I give it a 9.
Definitely worth reading. I give it a 9.
#14 - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I read this book back when it came out and geeked out on all the 80s references which were perfect for me since that's when i grew up. I decided to listen to the audiobook (read by true geek/nerd hero Will Wheaton) to prepare for the upcoming release of the movie which will obviously have differences but I still have high hopes for. A 9.
Book #15 Locking Up Our Own looks back to see the positions of black media and black newspapers on the war on drugs (they were for it), mandatory minimums (also for it) and other issues
The most interesting section for me is about people of color getting jobs as cops. There had long been a belief in the black community, the author wrote, that when there were black cops things would improve between communities and individuals of color . Instead the opposite happened - the black police were often meaner and harsher to black individuals than whites.
A very thought -provoking piece 8 out of ten
Book #16- I recommend this Terminal List book by Jack Carr
My interview with this author begins this way: his debut novel, Jack Carr has written a thriller about what happens when disaster strikes while protagonist, James Reese, a United States Navy SEAL team commander, is on his final deployment. His entire team is wiped out in a well-planned and deadly ambush that seemed orchestrated.
Carr knows what he’s talking about given his own long work with the military – serving as a Navy SEAL himself – and that experience shows. Carr is a pseudonym, which is explained in my interview with Carr below.
As Reece unravels the conspiracy that brought about the deaths of his teammates, he discovers that corrupt elements in the federal government, the financial sector, the pharmaceutical industry, as well as military leaders in his own chain of command are behind the attacks. Using tactics learned in his years in the military he goes on a mission of vengeance.
While a fictional story Carr draws from lessons and emotions, including frustration, he experienced during his 20 years as a Navy SEAL. Carr set out with this book to do what so many novels about the military don’t do, namely get all the information correct.
I give it a 9.
Book
#17 - Brad Meltzer has written another great thriller, this one called
The Escape Artist. It is about Nola Brown, an army sergeant, who is
presumed dead as the book begins in a strange airplane crash that begins
the book. But while the government has confirmed her death a mortician,
Zig, who knows Nola and feels an obligation to help her figures out
that she is alive and on the run,
Meltzer has a varied career, not just writing thrillers but also writing books about heroes (Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter, I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln) and writing comic books (including Justice League of America), for which he won the Eisner Award.
I give it an 8 My interview about the book
Meltzer has a varied career, not just writing thrillers but also writing books about heroes (Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter, I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln) and writing comic books (including Justice League of America), for which he won the Eisner Award.
I give it an 8 My interview about the book
Book #18 - Make Trouble By Cecile Richards. I give it a rare 9.
I was looking forward to reading Cecile Richards’ memoir, Make Trouble, even before I was given the generous offer to interview her about it. The book has something for everyone. Want to know what it’s like to be the daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards? Check. Want to know what it was like for Cecile to testify before a Congress panel over those bogus fetal tissue videos? Check. Want to know what Cecile is going to do next, now that she’s stepping down as leader of Planned Parenthood so that someone else can step into that role? Well, that’s one thing that’s not in the book, but it’s a question you can expect authors, including me, to interview her about. (See below, first question).
Near the book’s start, Cecile shares some great stories about her early experiences making trouble, such as when she shocked a teacher by refusing to say the Lord’s Prayer and announcing her family did not read the Bible in their home. “It was the first time I remember having to decide: Do I accept things the way they are, or question authority? I chose the latter, and from that point forward was branded a troublemaker,” she writes. “Once the initial shock wore, it became a badge of honor. I’ve been making trouble ever since – which, to me, means taking on the powers that be, being a thorn in someone’s side, standing up to injustice, or just plain raising hell.”
Some of my favorite parts from the first half of the book talk about Cecile’s early work organizing unions to help nursing home and garment workers in East Texas and working with other activists. She writes something I suspect all activists can relate to: “Fighting for what you believe in can be discouraging, defeating and sometimes downright depressing. But it can also be powerful, inspiring, fun, and funny – and it can introduce you to people who will change your life. That’s the message I want to spread far and wide. That’s why I wrote this book”
As someone long fascinated by Ann Richards, I especially enjoyed Cecile talking about what it is like having your mother run for and win state elections all the way up to the governor’s race. Cecile is frank about all the sexism Ann put up with everywhere while running — from other politicians, the media, etc. I love Ann’s approach and attitude. “My brother once asked how she managed to stay when dealing with Clayton Williams (who had joked about women and rape). ‘You know,’ she said, ‘my blood pressure drops. I go into cool mode. Here he is, another guy who lives a privileged life and doesn’t give a damn about women. Now I get to expose that to the world. He doesn’t get under my skin any more than the rest of the people I’ve dealt with all my life.” On that page, there’s a photo of Williams pointing his finger in Ann’s face with the caption: “Ann Richards versus Clayton Williams. He was a classic good old boy who wanted to put women in their place. It didn’t work.”
But while Ann is often mentioned, this is Cecile’s book and she’s obviously the focus. Some parts hit close to home for me, someone who is a Unitarian Universalist. “We weren’t a religious family, not in the traditional sense, but we did go to the Unitarian Church, which was sort of a home away from home for progressive families like ours in Dallas,” Cecile writes in one part. Later she writes, “As they had done in Dallas, my parents hung out at the Unitarian church, less for the religion than for finding a community of other liberals.”
Cecile describes in detail a story many in Texas know: Wendy Davis’ filibuster. She details her own experiences while in the rotunda of the capitol. Then she tosses off this gem: “At one point even Barack Obama tweeted to a cool 41 million followers, ‘Something special is happening in Austin tonight.’ Someone read the tweet out loud in the rotunda; it was a real morale boost, and possibly the one time in recorded history a president’s late-night tweet actually did some good.”
The news release for the book includes compliments from Hillary Clinton, Gloria Steinem, and Ann Pratchett, but my two favorite quotes were these. From Dr. Willie Parker: “Cecile Richards has always been willing to act up, if need be, to make a difference. Make Trouble is more than a memoir, it’s a how-to manual for affecting change.” And from Sheryl Sandberg: “Cecile Richards is my kind of troublemaker. When she sees equality and injustice anywhere, she does something about it – with wit, wisdom, and courage. Especially at this moment, there’s a lot we can learn from her career spent fighting for women’s rights. Make Trouble is exactly the book our country needs.”
My interview with her is here
I was looking forward to reading Cecile Richards’ memoir, Make Trouble, even before I was given the generous offer to interview her about it. The book has something for everyone. Want to know what it’s like to be the daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards? Check. Want to know what it was like for Cecile to testify before a Congress panel over those bogus fetal tissue videos? Check. Want to know what Cecile is going to do next, now that she’s stepping down as leader of Planned Parenthood so that someone else can step into that role? Well, that’s one thing that’s not in the book, but it’s a question you can expect authors, including me, to interview her about. (See below, first question).
Near the book’s start, Cecile shares some great stories about her early experiences making trouble, such as when she shocked a teacher by refusing to say the Lord’s Prayer and announcing her family did not read the Bible in their home. “It was the first time I remember having to decide: Do I accept things the way they are, or question authority? I chose the latter, and from that point forward was branded a troublemaker,” she writes. “Once the initial shock wore, it became a badge of honor. I’ve been making trouble ever since – which, to me, means taking on the powers that be, being a thorn in someone’s side, standing up to injustice, or just plain raising hell.”
Some of my favorite parts from the first half of the book talk about Cecile’s early work organizing unions to help nursing home and garment workers in East Texas and working with other activists. She writes something I suspect all activists can relate to: “Fighting for what you believe in can be discouraging, defeating and sometimes downright depressing. But it can also be powerful, inspiring, fun, and funny – and it can introduce you to people who will change your life. That’s the message I want to spread far and wide. That’s why I wrote this book”
As someone long fascinated by Ann Richards, I especially enjoyed Cecile talking about what it is like having your mother run for and win state elections all the way up to the governor’s race. Cecile is frank about all the sexism Ann put up with everywhere while running — from other politicians, the media, etc. I love Ann’s approach and attitude. “My brother once asked how she managed to stay when dealing with Clayton Williams (who had joked about women and rape). ‘You know,’ she said, ‘my blood pressure drops. I go into cool mode. Here he is, another guy who lives a privileged life and doesn’t give a damn about women. Now I get to expose that to the world. He doesn’t get under my skin any more than the rest of the people I’ve dealt with all my life.” On that page, there’s a photo of Williams pointing his finger in Ann’s face with the caption: “Ann Richards versus Clayton Williams. He was a classic good old boy who wanted to put women in their place. It didn’t work.”
But while Ann is often mentioned, this is Cecile’s book and she’s obviously the focus. Some parts hit close to home for me, someone who is a Unitarian Universalist. “We weren’t a religious family, not in the traditional sense, but we did go to the Unitarian Church, which was sort of a home away from home for progressive families like ours in Dallas,” Cecile writes in one part. Later she writes, “As they had done in Dallas, my parents hung out at the Unitarian church, less for the religion than for finding a community of other liberals.”
Cecile describes in detail a story many in Texas know: Wendy Davis’ filibuster. She details her own experiences while in the rotunda of the capitol. Then she tosses off this gem: “At one point even Barack Obama tweeted to a cool 41 million followers, ‘Something special is happening in Austin tonight.’ Someone read the tweet out loud in the rotunda; it was a real morale boost, and possibly the one time in recorded history a president’s late-night tweet actually did some good.”
The news release for the book includes compliments from Hillary Clinton, Gloria Steinem, and Ann Pratchett, but my two favorite quotes were these. From Dr. Willie Parker: “Cecile Richards has always been willing to act up, if need be, to make a difference. Make Trouble is more than a memoir, it’s a how-to manual for affecting change.” And from Sheryl Sandberg: “Cecile Richards is my kind of troublemaker. When she sees equality and injustice anywhere, she does something about it – with wit, wisdom, and courage. Especially at this moment, there’s a lot we can learn from her career spent fighting for women’s rights. Make Trouble is exactly the book our country needs.”
My interview with her is here
Book #19 - Walter Mosley - Down the River Unto The Sea -
This is Walter Mosley's latest. I wanted to check out this one because it's the start of a new series. It's quote good and has reminded me I need to go back to read more of his books. I give his new one a 9 out of ten.
--------------------------------------------
Book
#20 - Murder in the Manuscript Room by Con Lehane A good solid read.
And I needed something fun that was just for pleasure, not for book
clubs or interviews.
This book series manages to combine two of my favorite things: mysteries and libraries. I really enjoyed the first of this series and have now enjoyed the second.
I give it an 8.
This book series manages to combine two of my favorite things: mysteries and libraries. I really enjoyed the first of this series and have now enjoyed the second.
I give it an 8.
Book #21 - Black Like Me - An old book from around 1959. We read this for a book discussion i lead at poc-led Austin Justice Coalition and we had issues with it. Not the actual experiment itself - it was brave of the author to change his pigmentation so he can pass as black and write about that - but that he extrapolated from thoes experiences "that i know what it's like to be black." Obviously the black members of our group found that to be b.s.
i give it a 6
Books #21 and 22 - The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #1) and book #2 The Magician by Michael Scott. My 16-year-old charge and I have been enjoying this series. It's inventive, funny and clever while including actual historical facts. I give both 8's
Book #23 The Woman in The Window by AJ Finn
I listened to this on audio over the past few weeks and it's a pretty good psychological thriller about a woman who is agorophobic and sees a murder and so there's not only similarities to hitchcock stories like Rear Window but a lot of references to old classics.
This movie has some awesome twists where just when you think you've figured out what's really going on the author plays some more twists on you.
The book itself made big news because it was sold without the authors name being known and debuted at #1. The author, it turns out, is an editor in the publishing world who works with mystery authors, who grew up reading Patricia Highsmith and watching Hitchcock and it shows... in good ways.
I like and respect that the author, though writing under a psuedonym, has been open about how he's struggled with depression his whole adult life which helps him better understand the character he built as the protagonist.
And I see, as I type this, a movie adaption is in the works with Amy Adams playing the main character.
Book
#24 - Ruth Ware - The woman in cabin 10 - Excellent story. Lots of
great twists many of which I didn't see coming. I can see why she's
getting a reputation as an excellent crime writer, known for twists.
I read this book partly as preparation for an interview in the works with her about her newest novel.
8 out of ten
I read this book partly as preparation for an interview in the works with her about her newest novel.
8 out of ten
Book #25 - The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. The last novel of the Olympus series. Both my charge and I have been enjoying this series a great deal and ive been able to use it to teach a lot of new vocabulary words 7 out of ten
Book #26 - Cory Doctorow - Walkaway
Excellent science fiction, easily relateable to some of what I've seen in my work with social justice groups. I read this both because I like Cory Doctorow's books and interviews and
for this book discussion which has been interesting. You can find there some comments I made about the book I give it a 9 out of ten
Book #27 - Dry by Jane Harper - I read this on the recommendation of a friend and quite liked it. Good story, interesting characters and some good twists. 8 out of ten
Book #28 - Still Life by Louise Penny. Last year I read one of Penny's more recent books in her series and several folks made the logical suggestion I switch to reading the series from the start. So this is the first in the series, and it was fun to see where some of the characters were at at that earlier point. I enjoyed the writing style and the twists. 8 out of 10.
Book #29 - Jack Rabbit Smile By Joe Lansdale. This is the latest in his Hap and Leonard series which are dark and have humor and are good quick reads but are probably not for everyone. I give it an 8.
Book #30 - Heart of Darkness by joseph conrad. I read this for the first time. Still processing it.
This is a good example of why i'm in so many book clubs, because when one of them picks a book
I've long meant to read it gives me the extra push needed to do so.
I've long meant to read it gives me the extra push needed to do so.
Book #31 - The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware.
When I was offered this interview with Ruth Ware I had no idea who she was. My sister, Ellen. and another friend helped me pick another of her books to read first (the cabin 10 one) and Ellen even helped me form questions for this interview.
I like both books I've now read by Ruth Ware, this one and the cabin one, and enjoyed doing this interview with her.
#32 - The Girl Who Takes An Eye For An Eye by David Lagercranz. This is the author continuing Stieg Larsson's series about the notorious Lisbeth Salander and probably the last book I'll read of the series.
#41 spider woman's daughter by Anne hillerman. This is Anne's
first book continuing the excellent series of her late father. The touch
of a female writer seem clear with female characters, in my opinion,
more fleshed out and focused on than the male characters previously
fleshed out in tonys books. As the book begins the great retired
lieutenant Joe leaphorn has been shot right in front of Navajo nation
police officer Bernadette manuelito, and while told to go on leave she
still works on parts of the case along with her husband, Sgt Jim chee.
It's a good story with an interesting plot. I give it 4 of 5When I was offered this interview with Ruth Ware I had no idea who she was. My sister, Ellen. and another friend helped me pick another of her books to read first (the cabin 10 one) and Ellen even helped me form questions for this interview.
I like both books I've now read by Ruth Ware, this one and the cabin one, and enjoyed doing this interview with her.
#32 - The Girl Who Takes An Eye For An Eye by David Lagercranz. This is the author continuing Stieg Larsson's series about the notorious Lisbeth Salander and probably the last book I'll read of the series.
For a book/series with such a fascinating character it's weird and annoying that the author seems to spend maybe 10-15 percent of the book directly on Salander, instead focusing on other characters who are less fascinating and interesting.
The last 20 percent of the book almost makes up that - with lots of plot twists and interesting resolutions - but not quite. I give it a 6 out of 10.
#33 - The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny. Another good intriguing mystery from Louise Penny's series. This one was a departure from the other two I read (Still Life and A Great Reckoning ) and I liked some parts more, some parts less than those two. I give it an 8.
#34 - Waking Up White by Deborah Irving - A woman chronicles her realizations of the ways she's benefitted as being white, the priviliges she's had, the bias she has had and it's a great mix of memoir with a ha moments with questions at the end of each chapter that helps the reader learn from her experiences.
#35 - So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. I have read a lot of books about race and racism while doing antiracism work and this is the best one i've come across yet. It's by a woman of color who addresses all the questions we have, from "how do i know when an issue is about race (answer: if a person of color says it's about race then it's about race), how do you address those who try to switch debates of racism into debates of classism (point out that the tools we need to destroy classism are not the same as those needed to stop racism not to mention the reasons a white person might be working class might be different than those of a person of color), what if you mess up when talking about race (you will, don't sweat it,) etc.
Book #36 the unquiet dead, a debut novel by ausma khan. A good, powerful educational mystery with deep characters and complex subjects that doesn't provide simple solutions. In definitely going to check out the authors other books. 9 out of 10.
#33 - The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny. Another good intriguing mystery from Louise Penny's series. This one was a departure from the other two I read (Still Life and A Great Reckoning ) and I liked some parts more, some parts less than those two. I give it an 8.
#34 - Waking Up White by Deborah Irving - A woman chronicles her realizations of the ways she's benefitted as being white, the priviliges she's had, the bias she has had and it's a great mix of memoir with a ha moments with questions at the end of each chapter that helps the reader learn from her experiences.
#35 - So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. I have read a lot of books about race and racism while doing antiracism work and this is the best one i've come across yet. It's by a woman of color who addresses all the questions we have, from "how do i know when an issue is about race (answer: if a person of color says it's about race then it's about race), how do you address those who try to switch debates of racism into debates of classism (point out that the tools we need to destroy classism are not the same as those needed to stop racism not to mention the reasons a white person might be working class might be different than those of a person of color), what if you mess up when talking about race (you will, don't sweat it,) etc.
I think i've recommended this book to 40 to 50 people in person in recent weeks and i'm leading a discussion of it this sunday.
i give this a rare (for me) 9 out of 10
i give this a rare (for me) 9 out of 10
Book #36 the unquiet dead, a debut novel by ausma khan. A good, powerful educational mystery with deep characters and complex subjects that doesn't provide simple solutions. In definitely going to check out the authors other books. 9 out of 10.
#37 - Wake Me When It's Over by Cheryl Head.Cheryl Head is a fresh voice whose mysteries include references to diversity and tolerance, in addition to humor and good plot twists. This is all on display in her new book, Wake Me When It’s Over, the second in her Charlie Mack Motown Mystery series.
The new book is set in Detroit as Charlie Mack’s team of investigators is hired to try to head off any attempts at terrorism during the annual Detroit Auto Show. The book is full of rich characters, a good plot and surprises.
I interviewed Cheryl and said more about her here: https://mysterypeople.wordpress.com/2018/06/27/scott-butkis-inteview-with-cheryl-a-head/
#38 - Sorceress by Michael Scott - the latest in an excellent series that I've been reading with my charge. Some of the characters, including Billy the Kid, Machiavelli and Shakespeare, are immortal. So it's given me a chance to do some edutainment.
#39- Splinter In the Wood - If you like mysteries with lots of twists you need to read Splinter In The Blood, the debut novel by Ashley Dyer.
The story starts out with a bang, literally, with a scene in which Detective Chief Greg Carver, the lead investigator of a serial killer named the Thorn Killer has been shot. He is sprawled on his seat in his own home. OK, maybe there are other mysteries that have started this way.
But I’m not done setting the stage because Carver remembers the shooter standing in front of him. Soon, by the end of the next chapter, he has remembered who shot him: His partner, Sgt. Ruth Lake, who after shooting him takes away his files, compromising the crime scene.
#38 - Sorceress by Michael Scott - the latest in an excellent series that I've been reading with my charge. Some of the characters, including Billy the Kid, Machiavelli and Shakespeare, are immortal. So it's given me a chance to do some edutainment.
#39- Splinter In the Wood - If you like mysteries with lots of twists you need to read Splinter In The Blood, the debut novel by Ashley Dyer.
The story starts out with a bang, literally, with a scene in which Detective Chief Greg Carver, the lead investigator of a serial killer named the Thorn Killer has been shot. He is sprawled on his seat in his own home. OK, maybe there are other mysteries that have started this way.
But I’m not done setting the stage because Carver remembers the shooter standing in front of him. Soon, by the end of the next chapter, he has remembered who shot him: His partner, Sgt. Ruth Lake, who after shooting him takes away his files, compromising the crime scene.
As the book proceeds
there become two investigations: Who shot Carver and who is the Thorn
Killer? Lake, of course, doesn’t tell anyone what she did, and is not
supposed to be working on the former investigation but can’t stay away.
Gradually, we began to understand her motives, her disdain for Carver as a person and as an investigator. And Lake and the Thorn Killer are both fascinating characters...
I give it 4.5 out of 5
author interview here: https://mysterypeople.wordpress.com/2018/07/11/a-conversation-with-ashley-dyer
#40 - Warlock by Michael Scott - the next to last book in a series that has real places (alcatraz, s.f.) and real people (Shakespear, Billy the Kid Michaevilli) except the latter are immortal. Great series for teens, and my charge is loving these books, because the premise is that a pair of teen twins can save or destroy the world. So the ultimate example of peer pressure:)
Gradually, we began to understand her motives, her disdain for Carver as a person and as an investigator. And Lake and the Thorn Killer are both fascinating characters...
I give it 4.5 out of 5
author interview here: https://mysterypeople.wordpress.com/2018/07/11/a-conversation-with-ashley-dyer
#40 - Warlock by Michael Scott - the next to last book in a series that has real places (alcatraz, s.f.) and real people (Shakespear, Billy the Kid Michaevilli) except the latter are immortal. Great series for teens, and my charge is loving these books, because the premise is that a pair of teen twins can save or destroy the world. So the ultimate example of peer pressure:)
Book #41 spider woman's daughter by Anne hillerman. This is Anne's first book continuing the excellent series of her late father. The touch of a female writer seem clear with female characters, in my opinion, more fleshed out and focused on than the male characters previously fleshed out in tonys books. As the book begins the great retired lieutenant Joe leaphorn has been shot right in front of Navajo nation police officer Bernadette manuelito, and while told to go on leave she still works on parts of the case along with her husband, Sgt Jim chee. It's a good story with an interesting plot. I give it 4 of 5
Book #42 to kill a mockingbird by harper lee. I remember loving this book, and learning so much from it, when I read it as a teenager. This week I read it with my charge. He struggled with the dialect and symbolism but was polite as I explained what was going in the story and the sad fact that while it's fiction an all white jury convicting innocent black men is something that happens all too often then and now. In fact that's a major part of another book I am ready, just mercy, by Bryan Stevenson. I give it a 9 out of 10
Book #43 The Language of Secrets by Ausma Khan. As with her debut novel, The Unquiet Dead, this book is fascinating, with deep characters and an intriguing plot. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Book #44 - The Enchantress by Michael Scott. The last in a series of stories ive been reading with my charge that played with the idea that ancient gods were alive along with some famous folks (machiavelli, billy the kid, shakespeare, nicholas flamel) were alive and immortal. Good stuff but geared toward young adults 4 of 5
In recent weeks he's checked out of the library four different book series, announcing he wants to read those on his own. which im taking as another positive step toward independence
An excellent, engaging, sobering, horrifying book about the work the author, with his colleagues, have done to help and shed light on terribly unjust actions from children given life sentences for non-violent crimes, often with lawyers later disabarred, to folks on death row innocent of their crimes.
Stevenson does something interesting here, blending what could have been just legal stories but with deeper personal stories with sections that read more like a memoir.
It's a moving story you'll be thinking about it for some time
ill be helping lead a book discussion of it this sunday in Austin as part of the Austin Justice Coalition's book club.
#46 - New york 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson. A fascinating science fiction novel told from the perspective of a diverse cast of characters. An engaging look at some possible futures. While interesting it's length of more than 600 page was a challenge, leaving me definitely preferring some characters over others. I read it to participate in an online discussion led by Bryan Alexander here: https://bryanalexander.org/tag/newyork2140/
4 out of 5
#47 - Robin DiAngelo has written a great new book, White Fragility, a term she coined years ago. In it she not only explains in depth what the term means and how to address people when they are experiencing it but she covers many other issues about racism, specifically regarding white people working on their own racism-related issues.
I confess to having a few "a ha! she said it too!" moments when she said things which I've been saying in anti-racism work I do at my church in book discussions about books about race such as this.
Specifically, she notes something about progressives which I also find myself pointing out about to many of the church and social justice related groups I work with, namely that the folks people of color, and anti-racism educators like her, find the most frustrating are fellow progressives. The problem is the logic becomes "I'm progressive and care about social justice therefore I know everything I need to know about this topic." Or in
case of my church, "I attend a church focused on social justice therefore I know what I need to say and do on race-related issues." The
reality is those are often the people who need the most work, need the
most help. These are the folks making microaggressions, not realizing
how their works and actions can be hurtful, people who can and do learn a
lot when they accept they can be educated in this area.
One of my mantras in this work is that the focus should be on the impact, not the intent, a topic she also touches on. It'x easy when someone white says or does something racist to retreat to the position of "but that was not my intention." That good intention does not change the impact on the person harmed. Think before you speak and act about whether your well intended actions may be perceived or taken in other ways.
This is why she and I and others talk about this work being uncomfortable and difficult for it's in those places where the real work is done. The work done in polite conversations is
often of less depth and doesn't usually go far enough.
I encourage you to read this book, join discussions and conversations about this and other books about race and open yourself up doing work that may be uncomfortable but can potentially be life changing.
9 out of ten.
#48 - Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood. This is the first of the popular Phryne Fisher seriess. Phryne is a kick-ass strong woman which is especialy fun to see considering she's living in the 1920s in Australia. I enjoyed it. I've heard the tv version is better so i'll be trying that next.
#49 - Reading A Man Called Ove by frederik backman was wild. I couldnt get into the story or character but persevered since i was reading it for a book club. Then the last 30 pages had me crying and emotional as i realized the book had affected and tickled me more than i realized. 4 out of 5
One of my mantras in this work is that the focus should be on the impact, not the intent, a topic she also touches on. It'x easy when someone white says or does something racist to retreat to the position of "but that was not my intention." That good intention does not change the impact on the person harmed. Think before you speak and act about whether your well intended actions may be perceived or taken in other ways.
This is why she and I and others talk about this work being uncomfortable and difficult for it's in those places where the real work is done. The work done in polite conversations is
often of less depth and doesn't usually go far enough.
I encourage you to read this book, join discussions and conversations about this and other books about race and open yourself up doing work that may be uncomfortable but can potentially be life changing.
9 out of ten.
#48 - Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood. This is the first of the popular Phryne Fisher seriess. Phryne is a kick-ass strong woman which is especialy fun to see considering she's living in the 1920s in Australia. I enjoyed it. I've heard the tv version is better so i'll be trying that next.
#49 - Reading A Man Called Ove by frederik backman was wild. I couldnt get into the story or character but persevered since i was reading it for a book club. Then the last 30 pages had me crying and emotional as i realized the book had affected and tickled me more than i realized. 4 out of 5
#50 and 51 are by author ace atkins: the sinners, the latest of his excellent quinn colson series, and old black magic, the latest of the spenser series, which the robert parker estate asked him to continue. The spenser series has improved under atkins and is as fun as ever while becoming less predictable.
Parker told me in an interview once, when i asked how he managed to write at least 3 separate series, that he didnt reread his work before he sent it off to publication and i love the guy but it showed. With his own series atkins is able to address deeper topics and wilder characters. 9 out of 10 for the sinners, 8 for the parker book.
#52 - A Borrowing of Bones by Paula Munier. A good book esp. if you like dogs. I interviewed the author here: https://mysterypeople.wordpress.com/2018/09/12/a-borrowing-of-bones-interview-iwth-paula-munier/
#53 - The Astronauts Son by Tom Seigel. An intriguing debut novel in which the protagonist is about to be on the first trip to the moon in 30 years but is distracted by allegtions that his dad - who was slated to go into space decades earlier but died of heart problems - may have been killed because he was Jewish and some NASA workers were formerly Nazis. 4 out of 5
My interview with the author is here: https://mysterypeople.wordpress.com/2018/09/19/scott-butkis-interview-with-tom-siegel/
#54 -Among the Ruins by Ausma Zehanat Khan is the third in her engrossing series about Esa Khattek.and Rachel Getty. In this new book Esa is on leave, traveling in Iran when the Canadian government asks him to the investigate the death of a renowned Canadian-Iranian filmmaker. This gives the author an opening to talk about Iranian culture. Parts of the book are based on real life events, particularly the disputed 2009 Iranian presidential election. I give it 4 out of 5.
Book #55: the midnight assassin; panic, scandal and the hunt for americas first serial killer by skip hollandsworth. This is an excellent, true account of a weird infamous part of Austin's history, that there was a serial killer in the late 1800s back before serial killers, finger print analysis, etc was a known thing. The killer was never caught but the killings stopped. Some think it may have been jack the ripper. I read the book, which i recommend, as the topic came up in a history of austin class i have been teaching at u. Of texas for adults with IDD.
My favorite part, which i read to the class thursday, came from a
speaker making predictions at the cornerstone ceremony of the driskill
hotel of life on July 4, 2000.
He "announced that 75,000 people would be living in austin, that 60,000 copies of the daily statesmen would be delivered each day through pneumatic tubes and that the u.s. mail would be transported in 'electrical airships' and dropped directly onto people's yards... most exciting, he concluded, was that electricity would be used to send shock waves through people, causing them to live longer and end all diseases" and that if any nation attacked america it would be "instantaneously destroyed with one electrical bolt."
I give the book a 8.5
He "announced that 75,000 people would be living in austin, that 60,000 copies of the daily statesmen would be delivered each day through pneumatic tubes and that the u.s. mail would be transported in 'electrical airships' and dropped directly onto people's yards... most exciting, he concluded, was that electricity would be used to send shock waves through people, causing them to live longer and end all diseases" and that if any nation attacked america it would be "instantaneously destroyed with one electrical bolt."
I give the book a 8.5
Book #56 "chasing hillary; ten years, two Presidential campaigns, and one intact glass ceiling " by amy chozick. The author covered hillarys campaigns first for the wall street journal and later for the new york times. She does an amazing job explaining what it is like to essentially put your personal life on hold while you, yes, chase hillary, along with lots of other reporters, from event, struggling to find new ways to report news that varies even when the speeches don't change.
To me, who got into journalism in college thinking one day id be covering presidential campaigns, the most interesting parts involved having to deal with a campaign trying to manipulate her and editors not always on the same page as amy. And what it was like when the campaign realized their polling involving trump was so off.
I give it a 9 out of ten
Book #57 - Let the People in: The Life And Times of Ann Richard by Jan Reid. This was an excellent read. I have been meaning to read this for several years but I decided I had to read it now for the history of Austin class I've been teaching at U.T. for adults with IDD. The book is entertaining, exhaustive and engaging,
I was particularly taken by events described in the book hat remind me of current affairs. For example, many of the meetings Ann Richards had with columnist (and idol of mine) Molly Ivins and lots of other colorful figures happened at Scholz Garten, which is where I meet with the policy team of Austin Justice Coalition regularly.
Richards' 1990 governor's race against republican Clayton Williams
reminded me of Hillary Clinton's race against Donald Trump. Tell me if
this sounds familiar, Williams was pressed a lot by the news media to
release his tax returns? Then the differences happen: Williams said
essentially you would need a semi to pick up all of his tax returns. And
so the Richard's campaign showed up at his home the next day with said
semi.
And days before the election, when asked about his returns, Williams perhaps sealed his fate by saying, “I’ll tell you when I didn’t pay any income tax, was 1986.” He explained that was a tough year for his industry but all voters needed to hear was that he skipped a year.
Williams was infamous for his comments about women, some of which rival Trump's, mostly famously William's remark likening bad weather to rape, saying, " "If it's inevitable, just relax and enjoy it"
It didn't help that Williams also famously refused to shake Richard's hands and was shown in an ad talking about how wonderful the power of eminent domain is, sounding just like a certain not-self-made millionaire we have in office.
Also, remember some people getting mad at Willie Nelson for doing a concert to help Beto O'Rourke? Willie did a concert for Ann Richards.
Overall, its a great book as is the book by her daughter, Cecile, which talks not only about her life but her mom's.
Next up in my reading is a book about Texas by Lawrence Wright called God Save Texas
And days before the election, when asked about his returns, Williams perhaps sealed his fate by saying, “I’ll tell you when I didn’t pay any income tax, was 1986.” He explained that was a tough year for his industry but all voters needed to hear was that he skipped a year.
Williams was infamous for his comments about women, some of which rival Trump's, mostly famously William's remark likening bad weather to rape, saying, " "If it's inevitable, just relax and enjoy it"
It didn't help that Williams also famously refused to shake Richard's hands and was shown in an ad talking about how wonderful the power of eminent domain is, sounding just like a certain not-self-made millionaire we have in office.
Also, remember some people getting mad at Willie Nelson for doing a concert to help Beto O'Rourke? Willie did a concert for Ann Richards.
Overall, its a great book as is the book by her daughter, Cecile, which talks not only about her life but her mom's.
Next up in my reading is a book about Texas by Lawrence Wright called God Save Texas
Books #58 - When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
Patrise, one of the cofounders of Black Lives Matter, tells us in this memoir her story and it's one that's fascinating and engaging yet at parts horrifying and challenging. She tells us about the black community in southern california where she grew up was destroyed by the war on drugs, overzealous law enforcement and related problems. While these are all issues covered well in other books this all hits home more because she describes how her brother and father are
directly hurt by this as well as how it affects those around her as well as herself. Same with her describing her brother's mental illness and how law enforcement and the prison system not only didn't deal with these issues but rather did things that made it worse like putting him in solitary confinement.
The readers gradually realizes that reading this memoir is important not just so we can learn from her descriptions of her life story but so that we can
understand that because she is part of so many marginalized communities, not just because of her race and gender but also being bisexual, she is the perfect person to help start BLM because of her identifications and lessons from these different communities.
I highly recommend this book. 4 out of 5
Book
#59 God Save Texas by Lawrence Wright. This was the last of several
books about Texas that i read for material and knowledge for the
history of Austin class i taught
Ive read and enjoyed several of Wright's books esp. Going Clear. He is a consistently interesting author and that remains the case with this book as he talks about texas figures ranging from sam houston to lbj to presidents bush, often sharing interesting and funny stories about those and other figures.
4 out of 5
Book #60 of 2018
Author Laura Lippman can do no wrong in my book and this novel is definitely one of my favorites.
I have read all of Lippman's novels (about 25 of them) and even got to interview her for some of her earlier ones, back when she was writing her Tess Monaghan series.
Since Lippman, a former newspaper reporter for the Baltimore Sun, switched to stand-alones her books have garnered her, deservedly, more praise and acclaim as well as getting some of her books on the New York Times bestselling lists.
I'd encourage you to check out any of her books as they have fully developed characters, great plots, good twists, and excellent dialogue.
For her latest book, Sunburn, she crafts another great story,, set up in a way so you, the reader, have no idea where things are going to go.
As the book starts a guy named Adam is meeting a woman named Polly in a small bar in a dive town, Belleville, Deleware. He's interested in her from the start and while we think it's just romantic we gradually realize he's also investigating her.
Polly has an even more complicated story. She has, we learn, just walked away from her husband and daughter and it was while leaving them that she stopped in this city. We gradually learn more about why she left, why Adam is investigating her and why a third and fourth person are also paying attention to Polly's actions.
It's a great page-turner, one of those which is hard to put down.
I give it a 4.5 out of 5.
Book #61, Scorched by Mari Mancusi, the first in a series of books by this austin author in which one future world is destroyed by dragons. People travel back to the past to help one girl try to create a new, better future in which there is relative piece. I read this one with my charge
Book #62 - You Don't Own Me by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke - These authors have joined forces again for a new book in their Under Suspicion series, You Don’t Own Me.
Longtime mystery writer Clark has joined with younger writer Burke in this series about television producer Laurie Moron who has a television show to solve murders.
With this latest book, Laurie Moran is trying to solve a celebrity doctor’s murder while a mysterious person stalks her. The doctor’s wife, Kendra, is the one under suspicion and acting strangely. The show is her chance to explain herself… and hopefully find the real killer, if it’s not her.
I got to interview Burke here about the book here: https://mysterypeople.wordpress.com/2018/11/19/scott-butkis-interview-with-alafair-burke/?fbclid=IwAR3p3tPPEopggFh-CXfcgrle5NlybCoTBnivJQfrRwUbrn8rxQuVFr5qb-4
Ive read and enjoyed several of Wright's books esp. Going Clear. He is a consistently interesting author and that remains the case with this book as he talks about texas figures ranging from sam houston to lbj to presidents bush, often sharing interesting and funny stories about those and other figures.
4 out of 5
Book #60 of 2018
Author Laura Lippman can do no wrong in my book and this novel is definitely one of my favorites.
I have read all of Lippman's novels (about 25 of them) and even got to interview her for some of her earlier ones, back when she was writing her Tess Monaghan series.
Since Lippman, a former newspaper reporter for the Baltimore Sun, switched to stand-alones her books have garnered her, deservedly, more praise and acclaim as well as getting some of her books on the New York Times bestselling lists.
I'd encourage you to check out any of her books as they have fully developed characters, great plots, good twists, and excellent dialogue.
For her latest book, Sunburn, she crafts another great story,, set up in a way so you, the reader, have no idea where things are going to go.
As the book starts a guy named Adam is meeting a woman named Polly in a small bar in a dive town, Belleville, Deleware. He's interested in her from the start and while we think it's just romantic we gradually realize he's also investigating her.
Polly has an even more complicated story. She has, we learn, just walked away from her husband and daughter and it was while leaving them that she stopped in this city. We gradually learn more about why she left, why Adam is investigating her and why a third and fourth person are also paying attention to Polly's actions.
It's a great page-turner, one of those which is hard to put down.
I give it a 4.5 out of 5.
Book #61, Scorched by Mari Mancusi, the first in a series of books by this austin author in which one future world is destroyed by dragons. People travel back to the past to help one girl try to create a new, better future in which there is relative piece. I read this one with my charge
Book #62 - You Don't Own Me by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke - These authors have joined forces again for a new book in their Under Suspicion series, You Don’t Own Me.
Longtime mystery writer Clark has joined with younger writer Burke in this series about television producer Laurie Moron who has a television show to solve murders.
With this latest book, Laurie Moran is trying to solve a celebrity doctor’s murder while a mysterious person stalks her. The doctor’s wife, Kendra, is the one under suspicion and acting strangely. The show is her chance to explain herself… and hopefully find the real killer, if it’s not her.
I got to interview Burke here about the book here: https://mysterypeople.wordpress.com/2018/11/19/scott-butkis-interview-with-alafair-burke/?fbclid=IwAR3p3tPPEopggFh-CXfcgrle5NlybCoTBnivJQfrRwUbrn8rxQuVFr5qb-4
#63, 64 - My latest author interview is up. It's with A.J. Jacobs one of my favorite non-fiction writers, who is now being referred to as an experimental journalist because he goes all in like when he followed every literal rule of the bible for a year then wrote bout it.
https://blogcritics.org/interview-a-j-jacobs-author-of-than…
Book #65 - Liar, Liar by Nancy Boyarsky. For her third mystery novel featuring protagonist Nicole Graves, the author has written an intriguing thriller that turns what could have been a predictable #metoo movement novel on its head.
In Liar Liar, Nicole is tasked with babysitting a witness who has accused a university’s star quarterback of rape. While the witness, Mary Ellen Barnes, has come off as squeaky clean in public, Graves quickly sees that things are not as they seem.
Soon Mary Ellen goes missing and Nicole, over the objections of her fiancé, gets increasingly in the middle of the case. And then a key figure in the story dies. What follows are twists and more twists.
I interviewed the author here:https://mysterypeople.wordpress.com/2018/11/27/interview-with-nancy-boyarsky-on-writing-in-the-metoo-era-more/
#66 - On The Other Side of Freedom by Deray McKesson - You may not know this guy by name but you have probably seen on television - he's been on Colbert, The Daily Show - as an activist who did great work in Ferguson, who started an organization called Campaign Zero which looks at police departments and how accountable and transparent they are (he helped us locally with the Austin Police Contract)... and he's always wearing a blue vest. In this book he explains what he learned in Ferguson and in other social justice events, why he always wears that vest, and details what it was like growing up a gay black man suffering trauma from sexual abuse as a young man. It's a moving powerful read.
#67
- Depth of winter by craig johnson. This book, the latest in Johnson's
series featuring Walt Longmire, is a bit different than most in the
series.
Its different in that walt isnt in his normal jurisdiction but instead ventures into Mexico alone, trying to rescue his daughter, who has been kidnapped by a violent leader of a drug dealing group.
Its a good read, though a bit darker than usual. I give it a 9 out of 10.
#68 - the red pyramid by rick Riordan, the first book in the kane chronicles. Rick Riordan is an excellent, imaginative storyteller and as with the percy jackson series, my charge and i loved this book and are hooked on this new (to us) series. 9 out of 10.
Its different in that walt isnt in his normal jurisdiction but instead ventures into Mexico alone, trying to rescue his daughter, who has been kidnapped by a violent leader of a drug dealing group.
Its a good read, though a bit darker than usual. I give it a 9 out of 10.
#68 - the red pyramid by rick Riordan, the first book in the kane chronicles. Rick Riordan is an excellent, imaginative storyteller and as with the percy jackson series, my charge and i loved this book and are hooked on this new (to us) series. 9 out of 10.
#69 -
This will probably be my last book read in 2018. My full list of 2018 reads is below. In 2019 I will continue to strive to read more books by women and/or people of color and less white men.
A list of my ten favorite books read in 2018 should be published by MysteryPeople in the next few days.
Book # 69 - Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs by Pete Souza.
I confess that I bought this book for mom with the ulterior motive of reading next time I was in the same house as the book.
I knew this would be an awesome and amazing collection of photos of Obama's administration - and it is definitely that - but the writing by Souza and some amazing captions makes it ever more special.
It serves as an excellent reminder of how awesome Obama was as president, how weak Trump is in comparison and how much great photographs tell a story. I particularly like all the photos of Obama with his kids.
9 out of 10.
white man - 25
white women - 26
authors of color -13
