"Book Blogs"-- October 2017

A disparate group of books fills the first quarter of "Book Blogs." Each provides a brief synopsis along with comments about the origin or the author or the setting.

Four of the books are novels: Adam Bede, Allan Quartermain, Beau Geste and Crime and Punishment. The novels were written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries . While reading these novels allowance must be made for the devices and style of the time in which they were written.

Contrasting with the novels the non-fiction books that make up the balance of the selections in the first quarter are written in a more contemporary style even though describing historical events. The books range from autobiographical (Big Russ and Me) to a duobiographical (Desert Queen) and include adventure, crime and music.

These blog pieces were fun to write after reading the books that were the subject of the subsequent blogs. So it's on to the second quarter of "Book Blogs."

A disparate group of books fills the first quarter of "Book Blogs." Each provides a brief synopsis along with comments about the origin or the author or the setting.

Four of the books are novels: Adam Bede, Allan Quartermain, Beau Geste and Crime and Punishment. The novels were written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries . While reading these novels allowance must be made for the devices and style of the time in which they were written.

Contrasting with the novels the non-fiction books that make up the balance of the selections in the first quarter are written in a more contemporary style even though describing historical events. The books range from autobiographical (Big Russ and Me) to a duobiographical (Desert Queen) and include adventure, crime and music.

These blog pieces were fun to write after reading the books that were the subject of the subsequent blogs. So it's on to the second quarter of "Book Blogs."

Dracula, Drood, Faceless Killers, Firewall, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fordlandia, Freakonomics, Goodie's Ghost, Hitch 22, a memoir, H.M.S. Ulysses, If Chins Could Kill, In the Garden of Beasts, Jurassic Park, King Solomon's Mines, Known and Unknown, LA Confidential (The Novel), and Last Train to Paradise.

In the second quarter we looked at the seventeen books listed above, ranging from the horror classic Dracula to the historical account of railroad building and hurricane destruction in Last Train to Paradise.

Each book, novel, autobiography or history provides insight into the topics explored and ultimately into how we look at the world.

If you choose to read any of these books you will find the time spent to be productive, probably in many different ways.

Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills, Intellectual Morons: How Ideology makes smart people fall for stupid ideas, Nana, Nicholas Nickleby, Public Enemies, River of Doubt, Scorpion Down, She, Sherman: A Soldier's Life, Shiloh: a Field Guide, Taj Mahal, Tallgrass, The Big Short, The Brain, The Chili Queen and The Dogs of Riga.'

The above listed reviews of fiction and non-fiction provide both entertainment and enlightenment. From common criminals to an ex-US president, they all seek adventure and risk death to do so. We, however, are safe in our vicarious look into their lives.

These and other reviews in the last quarter of "Book Blogs" provide tidbits of information and could be analogous to book jacket flaps with the exception that they are not flagrant attempts to sell you a book and are all written by one writer.

Much like a compendium listing movie reviews this book can provide you with options in both fiction and non-fiction.

And now it's onto the final reviews in the last quarter of "Book Blogs."

The Fatal Shore, The Girl who kicked the Hornet's Nest, The Girl who played with Fire, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The God Delusion, The Irregulars, The man who loved China, The Moonstone, The Name of the Rose, The Persian Pickle Club, The Pillars of the Earth, The Soul of Battle, The White Lioness, The Yellow lighted Bookshop, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, Through the Looking Glass, Thrown Them All Out, Treasure of Khan, Two Years Before the Mast, Wild Blue, and Wings Like Eagles.

Twenty-one books, ranging from History to intricately plotted novels. Some readers will gravitate to foreign authors like Stieg Larsson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy) or Henning Mankell (Wallender series) or Umberto Eco (The Name of the Rose). Others will prefer home grown writers (Sandra Dallas or Clive Cussler). All will be rewarded with enjoyment or possibly enlightenment (The God Delusion, The Yellow Lighted Bookshop and Throw Them All Out).

As bibliophiles our journey through these reviews has shown us that the printed word is not only relevant to our lives but can enhance the quality and enjoyment of life's passage.