What I’ve Been Reading

Taking an idea from my buddy Matt Davis’ blog, I’ll use this space to keep those who might be interested up to date with what I’ve been reading. (I recently added links to each book title for those of you interested in purchasing the book.)

A Long Way Down – by Nick Hornby
Hornby also wrote About A Boy and High Fidelity. This was a birthday gift from Chesta. A good little story about four strangers who meet on New Year’s Eve when each of their desires to commit suicide result in their coming together as a group. It’s an interesting character study. Worth reading.

1776 – by David McCullough
This was a good book to read as a person who really didn’t know much more than the basic details of the Revolutionary War. McCullough does a good job of weaving a tale, as this is a well told story. It focuses on a few key battles that helped the revolting Americans gain a leg up on the English. What was more interesting to me though were the accounts of the American defeats. It’s almost amazing we’re not still under British rule based on how outnumbered, out supplied, and out trained the American army was. This book also gives some great insight into the person that George Washington was. It discusses his flaws and his strengths. The only problem with the book might be that it does only really focus on 1776. Which is fine, given its title, but it also causes the story to wrap up a little quickly at the end. But I guess there are all kinds of books about that period of time, so if I wanted I could easily find something that picks up where it left off.

A Salty Piece of Land – by Jimmy Buffett
Most people don’t give Jimmy Buffett the credit he deserves as a song writer and performer, let alone as a novelist. Having read his first noved, Where Is Joe Merchant? I was expecting a solid piece of work. Though this book isn’t quite as good as his first, it’s still an outstanding story that makes the reader wish they could set sail for the Caribbean. The storytelling is just a bit on the rambling side as it tends to wander a bit, but once you get the hang of the story telling techniques employed here, it reads quite quickly. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

This page needs to be seriously updated! Here’s a few of the books I’ve gotten through since I’ve last updated, in no particular order.

The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin – by Gordon S. Wood
Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs – by Chuck Klosterman
Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story – by Chuck Klosterman
The Beatles: A Biography – by Bob Spitz
The Haunting of Hill House – by Shirley Jackson
Into the Blue – by Robert Goddard

Lennon Remembers – by Jann S. Wenner

Forever – by Pete Hamill
I’m not sure how to describe this book. It’s the story of a man who will live forever as long as he never leaves the island of Manhattan. The book is the story of his journey to this point, and through it. It’s really, really great. It falls just short of amazing, but it’s a magnificent read. And if you live in New York City or have spent any time there at all, this is certainly a must-read. I haven’t been to NYC since I was about 10 years old, so I don’t fall into that category. So imagine how much more signifcant this book will be for those of you who live there.

Let It Blurt – by Jim DeRogatis
This is a wonderful biography about the late, great rock critic, lyricist, and general pop-culture icon, Lester Bangs. If you have any interest in music whatsoever, you should read this book.