So what are you reading lately?
Anyone that knows me well enough knows that they can choose from a whole lot of mystery authors out there and get me their latest and I will probably be happy at Christmas.
For the last year or so, though, I have been reading more non-fiction and have really enjoyed it.
It started with a borrowed book by David Sedaris who writes life stories and some fiction essays.
I like him. Apparently, he's popular on NPR with the 12 other people who actually listen to NPR besides my parents. Better than Prarie Home Companion, I'm sure..
In the last year, I have read Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. EXCELLENT read about the history of the LDS church and some sects that have come out of it. Was prompted by a murder case involving a couple fringe crazies.
Another one that I liked was A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. This was the story of a middle aged writer (Bill) who decides he wants to walk the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. I never really have read too much in the past about the Trail, so it prompted me to research it a bit.
I'm glad I did!
I'm just starting a new crime fiction/mystery novel now by Michael Connelly called the Lincoln Lawyer, then I will start another non-fiction book called An Unreasonable Woman by Diane Wilson about a Gulf Coast shrimper fighting pollution and locals that don't like her politics.
Looking forward to that one.
5 comments:
oooh! I've been meaning to Under the banner of Heaven - it's supposed to be awesome!
We read "A Walk in the Woods" for my bookclub; I did not attend in protest that it was a non-fiction book in a fiction-only (at least in my eyes) bookclub. I regret it. I heard it was a great book (although it sounds dull at first).
Under the Banner is a thick read, but it is very good.
I was drawn in from the get go and facinated by the research he did into the past of the LDS church.
Also, the latest version has an afterward where he answers critics from the church about his book.
No, he's not a member of the church, he is more of a journalist that was writing about it.
The murder case was a brother that said he received a revelation to kill his other brother's wife. And then did so.
He did a lot of research including everything from newspapers, to LDS documents to crime reports.
The back of the book contains a pretty long list of references.
As for the revelation that the guy in that particular case received, he beleived that he had a direct pipe to God and that God told him to kill his brother's wife and baby.
I am loathe to admit it, but I spent some time within the Mormon church as a child when an evil stepfather had us converted. I still have family caught up in it's insidious grasp. Call me predjudiced, but I have a lot of contempt for the Mormon church. They harrassed me for years. I hate 'em. Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em.
Oh, and my wife read Under the Banner of Heaven, she said it is great 8^)
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