August Tub o' Books

Bought

Nothing. This may be a record. 

Borrowed.

The Drifter, Nicholas Petrie

The Crime of Julian Wells, Thomas H. Cook

Paris by the Book, Liam Callahan

Into the Raging Sea, Rachel Slade

In Montmartre, Sue Roe

Read.

A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles. It took me a half-inch in to like it, but it was a Book Club read, I'm glad I stuck with it, and I was enjoying the writing regardless. An interesting story - really a collection of several stories - told over many years with just the right wisdom and humor for me and a character study of a most interesting gentleman. One of my favorite passages:

"For his part, the Count had opted for the life of the purposefully unrushed. Not only was he disinclined to race toward some appointed hour - disdaining even to wear a watch - he took the greatest satisfaction when assuring a friend that a worldly matter could wait in favor of a leisurely lunch or stroll along the embankment. After all, did not wine improve with age? Was it not the passage of years that gave a piece of furniture its delightful patina? What all was said and done, the endeavors that most modern men saw as urgent (such as appointments with bankers and the catching of trains), probably could have waited, while those they deemed frivolous (such as cups of tea and friendly chats) had deserved their immediate attention." 

The View from Flyover Country, Sarah Kendzior and

Janesville, An American Story, Amy Goldstein. The city, and its middle and working classes, as they were affected by the closing of Anchor-Hocking Glass. It is in a storytelling format and easy to digest, but well researched and fact-based.

Both of these books are about the decline of the working class. Flyover is a collection of essays by the author and concentrates on St. Louis.

"St. Louis is one of those cities that does not make it into the international news unless something awful happens, like it did last week in Cleveland, another American heartland city with a bad reputation and too many black people to meet the media comfort zone."

You May Also Like, Tom Vanderbilt. The author asks, "Why do we like the things we like?""What shapes our tastes?"  A nonfiction book about our tastes and how we are shaped and even defined by forces of social consensus, the media, social and otherwise, the environment, and way too many choices. It was easy and enjoyable to read and I found myself marking so many places that I will probably buy the book to share interesting parts with friends. 

"Nothing is more predictive of a person than his music preference."

Charlatons (Audiobook) Robin Cook. It was a fun listen and kept me intrigued all the way to the final chapter, wondering what the catch was. 

ABANDONED:

Crazy Rich Asians. I wanted to read this before I saw the movie. I tried it but just couldn't get excited about it with so many other good books beckoning me. It seemed - I don't know...vacuous?...and I wasn't into the story of these rich people. Maybe another time. 

STILL WORKING ON:

Mrs. Fletcher, Tom Perrotta. I'm enjoying it so far.

Paris by the Book, Liam Callanan. I'm loving it. 

The Outsider, Stephen King. Jury's out yet but I am a King fan usually. 

Flaneuse: Women Walk the City, Lauren Elkin.  I am LOVING this book so far about women walking solo around a city to get to know it intimately. Walking Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and London. 

Into the Raging Sea, Rachel Slade.About the disastrous sinking of the El Faro in a storm - 33 lives lost - and how it should have been avoided.

I would love to hear any thoughts on any of these books or recommendations of your own! 

Also a reminder that the header picture is from my collection of prints and cards on a book theme. This piece by Deborah DeWit Marchant is titled, "Corner of Thoughts in the Light of Day."