The Book Club

Avid reader of "westerns". Especially historically accurate. I read at least one a month, sometimes more....I have many "favorites", way too many to list, but would recommend "The time it never rained" by Elmer Kelton. I'll spare even a synopsis, if you can't/don't figure it out....oh well.

I read "The Innocent Man" by John Grisham. This book is nonfiction and details the life of a man sentenced to die for a murder he did not commit. He was convicted with bad police work, junk science, perjured eyewitness testimony, a bad defense lawyer, and an arrogant prosecutor. He was saved by a new development, DNA science. Grisham states that this happens every month in this country.

I bought "Bushwhacked" by Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose in a flee market for $3. The book describes the destructive impact of George W. Bush's policies as governor and president. It goes beyond the too frequently soft media coverage of Bush to show just how damaging his policies have been to ordinary Americans, using examples of actual individuals. Ivins maintains her sense of humor.

Hi guys, I read the Zodiac, both soft cover and hard. If into murder/mystery and the type, it makes for good reading. The Zodiac talks about a Bay area California killer who taunted the police with clues, notes and such. Rumured to have killed more than 50 people and to date has not been caught.

Now that I am laid off made several trips to the library...Will keep ya posted...

I read "The Fallen Man" by Tony Hillerman. This murder mystery is set in the Four Corners area, and features Navajo policemen Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. This novel has less mysticism, but Navajo philosophy is apparent. I enjoy reading about the reservation areas, and the way native thought differs from my own inborn attitudes about justice and nature.

I read "The 6th Target" by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. In this novel, the detectives, newspaper reporter and assistant prosecutor are known as the women's murder club. The book is part of seven book series. It is a fast read, with very short chapters involving two separate crimes. However, I did not get emotionally involved with the characters as I sometimes do while reading a classic novel. I need to get back to the library instead of reading these current best sellers.

I read "The Man Who Would Not Die" by Stephen Olvey. This is the biography of "Lucky" Herschel McKee. He was a pilot in both world wars, a barnstormer, a motorcycle thrill show rider, a riding mechanic at Indy, a CIA operative, and a philanderer loved by the women in his life. He should have been killed in his many wrecks and during the wars, but he died in a nursing home at age 67.

My 96-year-old dad wanted some humor by Rev. Jacob Eppinga whose book is titled "It's All Grace". Amazon wants $94.62 for a used copy. I guess I will print a few of Rev. Eppinga's essays from the Internet.

I finished the book "Win It or Wear It" by Joyce Standridge. I was lucky to purchase the book from Amazon a couple of months ago, because now it is unavailable. This book is exceptional for the sprint car driver quotes that are mostly humorous, but also gives insight to the personalities who are so devoted to the thrills of racing. The author married into a racing family. She knows first hand the thrill of victory and the terror when a family member crashes badly. There is a chapter on retired sprint car drivers. These families sacrificed so much to follow the racing lifestyle. She writes, "But for all that we've had to give up, what no one can take away from any of us are the wonderful, wonderful memories we have. We are all convinced that we stayed close because the race track brought us together, and that thought is echoed by racing fans and families all across the country."

I read "Call of the Wild" by Jack London. I am not into dog stories, but this is my first time reading these classics.

I just finished "The Sea-Wolf" by Jack London. I love the names of sailing ship parts, and the orders given to sailors for operating the ship. I borrowed this book from the library on the day that my wife had her stroke. Wolf Larson, evil captain of the seal hunting ship, also died of a stroke.

I just finished reading "God Save the Sweet Potato Queens" by Jill Conner Browne. This book is hilarious! Perhaps, I should not be laughing so much, so soon after my wife's passing. I had to take a break from the grieving process. This book was just what the doctor ordered. As a bonus, in the last chapter titled "Matters of the Heart", the author gets serious about losing the love of her life. Her final lesson: "We've got to be good people, we've got to know and really show our love for good people--right now, while we can--and we've got to raise good people. So do your part."

I read "Encounters with the Archdruid" by John McPhee. This book involves the conversations between a militant conservationist and a different companion on each of three journeys. The men hold great differences of opinion, but maintain integrity and civility. He travels with a mineral engineer, a resort developer, and a dam builder. He journeys to three wildernesses: a Western mountain range, a coastal island, and the Grand Canyon. The book reads like a novel as it shows how each man's philosophy was formed during his younger days. Also, the description of the natural scenes is beautifully written.

I am reading "Savage Inequalities - Children in America's Schools" by Jonathan Kozol. This is an expose' of extremes of wealth and poverty in our school systems. Of course, each school system is affected by the problems of the city such as lead poisoning, sewage, air pollution, garbage, crime. The book begins in East St. Louis. I did not realize that a chemical company can surround its plant with a "fictitious" town such as Sauget, IL, avoiding taxes and environmental regulations passed by East St. Louis. Other cities discussed in the book are New York and San Antonio.

The book has the usual amount of facts and statistics. But, the author listened very carefully to children and, whenever possible, to let their voices and their judgments and their longings find a place within this book.

This book is especially meaningful for me because we visited my grandson's charter school in Atlanta, today.