October Reading
68. This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War
by Drew Gilpin Faust
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 271
69. The Story of a Million Years
by David Huddle
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 190
70. She’s Gone Country
by Kyle Spencer
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 286
71. A Night to Remember
by Walter Lord
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 209
72. A Touch of Dead--Sookie Stackhouse: The Complete Stories
by Charlaine Harris
Genre: Stories
Pages: 192
73. The Known World
by Edward P. Jones
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 388
74. Girls
by Frederick Busch
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 279
75. Some Day You’ll Thank Me for This: The Official Southern Ladies’ Guide to Being a “Perfect Mother
by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 232
76. Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies’ Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral
by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 236
77. Columbine
by Dave Cullen
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 360
I don’t know why I am absolutely terrible about doing this on time.
This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust was a well-researched and interesting take on the Civil War shaped American attitudes about death, but it was a chore to get through. I think it’s been too long since I have had to read textbooks.
I read The Story of a Million Years by David Huddle a few years ago and I could remember the plot but I could never remember the title. I vaguely recalled that I got the book from the library and that the author’s name started with “H”. I was so pleased with myself when I found by searching through all the “H”s. The book is a series of related stories from characters whose lives intertwine. My favorite is the first story about a teenaged girl having a love affair with an older man.
I thought that She’s Gone Country by Kyle Spencer was going to be a fish out of water story about a Yankee experiencing Southern culture. Instead it was about a thirty -year-old woman whining about her (very mildly) dysfunctional family and her love life. Spencer is like an un-charming, unfunny Bridget Jones. I think that dysfunctional family memoir has been done to death. Unless you’re parents whipped you with barbed wire, you don’t get to write a book about it anymore.
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord is about the sinking of the Titanic. I enjoyed the book, but it would have been a better experience if I hadn’t seen Titanic the movie because I felt like I have already seen this story brought to life. And I kind of half expected Jack and Rose to show up. I was annoyed that the book is so old that the author refers to women as Mrs. John Doe instead of using their own names, because it made it really hard to keep track of who was a dude and who wasn’t.
I’m very charmed by the Sookie Stackhouse series, and A Touch of Dead was no exception. “Dracula Night” was my personal favorite, but I can always use more Eric in my life. “One Word Answer” was enjoyable, but I am still irritated because it’s not a separate short story, it is a major plot point of Definitely Dead that you will never get unless you read one of the other books containing the story. I was surprised by “Gift Wrap” because Sookie’s behavior is a little out of character and kind of slutty, although there is an explanation.
The Known World by Edward P. Jones is about a black slave owner named Henry Townsend who was himself a former slave. The novel does break some new ground on the subject of slavery and I was moved by Henry’s parents’ reaction to his buying slaves. It’s well-written and tragic, but I thought that the novel was a little too epic in its scope and tending to go off on tangents. I was also baffled by how the white people in the book treat Townsend as an equal, which doesn’t fit my perception of the era. I do think that some of the novel’s praise is due to the shock value of being about a black slave owner.
Girls by Frederick Busch is about a Vietnam vet and current college security guard named Jack who becomes obsessed by a missing girl after experiencing a terrible loss in his own life. It is a very good book, but it is relentlessly grim, almost to the extent of being unreadable. I also wanted more gruesomeness, because as horrifying as the subject matter and the tone are, the book avoids the gritty details.
Some Day You’ll Thank Me for This: The Official Southern Ladies’ Guide to Being a “Perfect Mother and Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies’ Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral are moderately amusing books about Southern culture with recipes.
I looked forward to reading Columbine by Dave Cullen because I have vivid memories of the Columbine shootings, which happened during my senior year of high school. It is a book worth reading, but I had a lot of disappointments. Cullen does a good job in telling us about the lives of the killers, who were not the bullied loners portrayed in the media and trying to explain why they did it, but ultimately, their actions are inherently inexplicable. He also dispels the myth that Cassie Bernall was martyred from being a Christian. Eyewitness accounts and 911 tapes proved that it was one of the survivors who was asked by one of the killers if she believed in God. I wanted to read about the victims, but the only victim whose story is told in any detail is Dave Saunders, the teacher who died. I was interested in his story, but I always thought of Columbine as a tragedy of teenagers. Some of the victims are barely even mentioned in the book. I was also frustrated that this very detailed account does not cover what happened in the school library, where most of the victims died. The story goes right up to the library and stops, and Cullen does not explain why. Considering that Cullen had ten years to write this book, it’s not nearly as thorough as it should be.
by Drew Gilpin Faust
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 271
69. The Story of a Million Years
by David Huddle
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 190
70. She’s Gone Country
by Kyle Spencer
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 286
71. A Night to Remember
by Walter Lord
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 209
72. A Touch of Dead--Sookie Stackhouse: The Complete Stories
by Charlaine Harris
Genre: Stories
Pages: 192
73. The Known World
by Edward P. Jones
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 388
74. Girls
by Frederick Busch
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 279
75. Some Day You’ll Thank Me for This: The Official Southern Ladies’ Guide to Being a “Perfect Mother
by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 232
76. Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies’ Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral
by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 236
77. Columbine
by Dave Cullen
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 360
I don’t know why I am absolutely terrible about doing this on time.
This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust was a well-researched and interesting take on the Civil War shaped American attitudes about death, but it was a chore to get through. I think it’s been too long since I have had to read textbooks.
I read The Story of a Million Years by David Huddle a few years ago and I could remember the plot but I could never remember the title. I vaguely recalled that I got the book from the library and that the author’s name started with “H”. I was so pleased with myself when I found by searching through all the “H”s. The book is a series of related stories from characters whose lives intertwine. My favorite is the first story about a teenaged girl having a love affair with an older man.
I thought that She’s Gone Country by Kyle Spencer was going to be a fish out of water story about a Yankee experiencing Southern culture. Instead it was about a thirty -year-old woman whining about her (very mildly) dysfunctional family and her love life. Spencer is like an un-charming, unfunny Bridget Jones. I think that dysfunctional family memoir has been done to death. Unless you’re parents whipped you with barbed wire, you don’t get to write a book about it anymore.
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord is about the sinking of the Titanic. I enjoyed the book, but it would have been a better experience if I hadn’t seen Titanic the movie because I felt like I have already seen this story brought to life. And I kind of half expected Jack and Rose to show up. I was annoyed that the book is so old that the author refers to women as Mrs. John Doe instead of using their own names, because it made it really hard to keep track of who was a dude and who wasn’t.
I’m very charmed by the Sookie Stackhouse series, and A Touch of Dead was no exception. “Dracula Night” was my personal favorite, but I can always use more Eric in my life. “One Word Answer” was enjoyable, but I am still irritated because it’s not a separate short story, it is a major plot point of Definitely Dead that you will never get unless you read one of the other books containing the story. I was surprised by “Gift Wrap” because Sookie’s behavior is a little out of character and kind of slutty, although there is an explanation.
The Known World by Edward P. Jones is about a black slave owner named Henry Townsend who was himself a former slave. The novel does break some new ground on the subject of slavery and I was moved by Henry’s parents’ reaction to his buying slaves. It’s well-written and tragic, but I thought that the novel was a little too epic in its scope and tending to go off on tangents. I was also baffled by how the white people in the book treat Townsend as an equal, which doesn’t fit my perception of the era. I do think that some of the novel’s praise is due to the shock value of being about a black slave owner.
Girls by Frederick Busch is about a Vietnam vet and current college security guard named Jack who becomes obsessed by a missing girl after experiencing a terrible loss in his own life. It is a very good book, but it is relentlessly grim, almost to the extent of being unreadable. I also wanted more gruesomeness, because as horrifying as the subject matter and the tone are, the book avoids the gritty details.
Some Day You’ll Thank Me for This: The Official Southern Ladies’ Guide to Being a “Perfect Mother and Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies’ Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral are moderately amusing books about Southern culture with recipes.
I looked forward to reading Columbine by Dave Cullen because I have vivid memories of the Columbine shootings, which happened during my senior year of high school. It is a book worth reading, but I had a lot of disappointments. Cullen does a good job in telling us about the lives of the killers, who were not the bullied loners portrayed in the media and trying to explain why they did it, but ultimately, their actions are inherently inexplicable. He also dispels the myth that Cassie Bernall was martyred from being a Christian. Eyewitness accounts and 911 tapes proved that it was one of the survivors who was asked by one of the killers if she believed in God. I wanted to read about the victims, but the only victim whose story is told in any detail is Dave Saunders, the teacher who died. I was interested in his story, but I always thought of Columbine as a tragedy of teenagers. Some of the victims are barely even mentioned in the book. I was also frustrated that this very detailed account does not cover what happened in the school library, where most of the victims died. The story goes right up to the library and stops, and Cullen does not explain why. Considering that Cullen had ten years to write this book, it’s not nearly as thorough as it should be.