Books of November 2025

• 11/6/2025 - Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam(Audible - Narrated by Arthur Morey: The author argues that American social capital has been declining for decades, as people participate less in civic groups, community organizations, and shared social activities. Putnam warns that this erosion of connectedness weakens democracy, community trust, and the overall health of society.
• 11/11/2025 - The Lottery or, The Adventures of James Harris by Shirley Jackson:  This is a collection of Shirley Jackson’s short stories that reveal the unsettling darkness beneath ordinary American life, often showing how fear, cruelty, and conformity emerge in everyday settings. Linking many of the stories is the mysterious figure James Harris, whose quiet presence highlights the fragile line between normalcy and horror.
• 11/14/2025 - Carrie by Stephen King(Audible - Narrated by Sissy Spacek & Margaret Atwood): Carrie tells the story of a shy, bullied teenage girl with telekinetic powers who, pushed to her breaking point by relentless cruelty at school and abuse at home, begins to lose control of her abilities. When a humiliating prank at prom triggers her rage, her powers unleash a catastrophic vengeance that transforms her small town forever.
• 11/29/2025 - The Stand by Stephen King: The book follows the aftermath of a devastating superflu that wipes out most of humanity, leaving the survivors to choose between rebuilding a society based on compassion or falling under the sway of a malevolent figure named Randall Flagg. As the forces of good and evil gather, the surviving heroes must confront Flagg in a final struggle that will determine the fate of the new world.

Bowling Alone was inspired after hearing it referenced in commentary about current politics and American society. I listened to it as an audiobook, which would be better as a physical book to really get in-depth. The narrator was fine, but I lost track of how many times I heard "as referenced in the PDF in a download," which I couldn't do while driving, where I listen to most of my audiobooks.

My first recollection of Shirley Jackson was by Stephen King, who mentions her as one of his influences as a writer and storyteller. It wasn't until Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House was adapted from Shirley's book of the same name. This inspired me to read the book, and I was blown away. I've heard the short story The Lottery mentioned a lot, so when I saw this book at my local library, I picked it up. I usually use library picks to check out books, and if they're interesting enough, I'll either read or pick one up. I read this one. 

Carrie was the first Stephen King book I read as a youth in the late 70s. I seem to recall that the hit movie starring Sissy Spacek (and John Travolta in a supporting role) most likely inspired me to read the book. Hitting puberty around the same time probably enhanced my interest in a high school-age girl getting bullied, and she wreaks havoc upon her classmate bullies after a prom prank with telekinetic powers. I would go on to be a fan of the book and Stephen King. I've read it a few times, but this time around, I listened to the audiobook version narrated by none other than Sissy Spacek (Carrie in the original film). Sissy Spacek also narrated the iconic book "To Kill a Mockingbird" and was amazing, so I knew it'd be great, and it was. I recommend it. 

The Stand is another Stephen King reread. A book so long that I was able to listen to Carrie on audiobook while reading The Stand(not at the same time, literally). The edition I read was the early 80s with a mere 817 pages. This was what I had read 40 years ago, before the "Complete and Uncut" edition was released, with approximately 1,400 pages. This has become the de facto edition these days, and the early edition is no longer published and is only available used. I found my paperback on eBay, and to the best of my memory, it is the edition I read decades ago. I have read both versions. I've seen debate about the two, and although many do love the uncut complete version, this is worth your time, too. The longer one presents more detail and depth to existing characters. It features minor characters that only make relatively short appearances. They are both the same story, though. This is a more concise version of the story without the extra 400 pages to plow through, which may be intimidating to some when they look at the brick the longer version looks like, which could deter some from diving into it.   If you love one, you'll love the other. I recommend reading both. 

Currently (re)Reading: Carrie by Stephen King

 Carrie was the first book I read by Stephen King. I can't pinpoint the exact age I was. It was some time after the movie came to theaters in 1976, starring Sissy Spacek as Carrie and a young John Travolta in a supporting role. I probably saw it when it came on TV, as I was only 10 at the time. Being a hit movie there was a lot of hype about this. It probably stirred my curiosity, and somehow I obtained a paperback and read it. 

Being 11 or 12, reading an "adult" novel was a big deal, at least it was for me. Now for clarification, I mean adult novel in a sense, as an 11-year-old, the most mature thing I probably read was Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (which I still love). I just mean something that's usually for adults or older kids and not something pornographic. 

For those unfamiliar with the book, it is about Carrie White, a 16-year-old girl who discovers she has telekinetic powers. She lives with her religiously fanatic mother in Chamberlain, Maine. She's an awkward, slightly overweight, and pimply teenager. She is the constant focus of bullying in school. 

The story begins with Carrie having her first period in the school shower after gym class. We find out that she has no idea what is happening to her when she starts bleeding because her repressive mother never told her about menstruation. So understandably, she freaked out. The other girls in the shower tormented her by taunting her and throwing tampons at her. The gym teacher eventually puts a stop to it. It is this event that seems to make Carrie aware she can control her telekinetic power, which up to this time had only occurred under extreme duress. The story goes from there. 

The mid-1970s were a big time for horror films like The Exorcist, The Omen, and the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show. The movie adaptation of Carrie, directed by the legendary Brian De Palma, fit the moment.

I'm rereading it on Audible this time. It is narrated by Sissy Spacek with an introduction by Margaret Atwood and a foreword by Stephen King. Sissy Spacek was Carrie White in the original hit film. I've also listened to her narrate To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and she was incredible, so I had extreme confidence she'd do a great job here. Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale, is fascinating to listen to. She has her own way with words and thoughts that I always find intriguing. Stephen King retells the story of the origin of the book, which his wife Tabitha retrieved from the trash, who urged him to continue. The rest is history, as the saying goes. 

 

The Stand Revisited (Part 1 of 2)

And they started to fly....

She had taken his hand...

Come on, Mary,

Don't fear the reaper...

-Blue Öyster Cult 

When I first read Stephen King's The Stand in the 80s, it was already a daunting 817-page colossus. This was the story as I, and all readers, knew it until 1990, when Stephen King released the 1441-page Complete and Uncut edition of The Stand. It was after that it became the de facto version of the story. At the time, fans of the book, like me, devoured this version. It went deeper and farther with characters. The base story and characters remain the same, but the narrative expands in certain areas. 

Why were 400 pages cut from the first anyway? As King explains, and I paraphrase, his publisher didn't think the market would bear a 1400-page dystopian novel. So they said, 'Do you want us to edit 400 pages or do you?'. Stephen opted for the latter.  

The Complete and Uncut version was amazing. King didn't change the characters, but he added to them.  Some additional characters with bit parts in the book were included. Included are people who were survivors of the initial wave of deaths from the superflu but died in other tragic ways, either by accident or on purpose. The most notable cut character is the colorful beer-swilling hot rodder called "The Kid" who has his moment in the latter half of the book. Other differences are only to do with the time setting and the corresponding cultural context. The first hardcover takes place in 1980, the paperback I'm reading now is set in 1985, and the Complete version is set in 1990. 

The complete version became the only version available. I did love the new version, but each time I read it, I felt a yearning of nostalgia for the early version. Much of it had to do with pop culture references, which King, being a music fan, often uses popular music. These were adjusted for each version. As many of us do as we get older, we gravitate to music we knew in our youth, so I missed that in the complete version. The trouble with this dilemma was that the original version was no longer available to buy new. It's much like Star Wars creator George Lucas updating the Star Wars movies (original trilogy) with CGI and stopping the sale of the original version. 

To go back to the book I originally read, I had to search through used book sources. I found the one I'm reading now on eBay for a reasonable price and in good condition. To the best of my recollection from 40 years ago, the version and cover I read in the 80s. My book looks its age, the edges a bit worn away, and it doesn't close all the way. The spine isn't cracked, as I know that's a thing for some I've seen from certain readers on social media; I don't get into that. It's not a pristine show book; it's been read and loved in its life, as it should be. 

I wrote this as I was just starting this book. I will do the other half when I've finished. 

To be continued....

Books of October 2025

 Books I finished in October 2025.

• 10/3//2025 - The Elements of Style (4th Edition) by William Strunk, E.B. White (Audible, Narrated by Frank McCourt): This is a concise guide to clear, effective writing that emphasizes simplicity, precision, and proper grammar. It offers practical rules of usage and composition, encouraging writers to express themselves with clarity and style.
• 10/11/2025 - The Devil and the White City by Erik Larson: This story intertwines the true stories of architect Daniel Burnham, who masterminded the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and serial killer H. H. Holmes, who used the fair’s allure to lure his victims. The book contrasts the grandeur of human innovation and ambition with the darkness of deceit and murder lurking beneath it.
• 10/18/2025 - The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson(Audible, Narrated by Will Patton) : This story chronicles the tense months between Abraham Lincoln’s election and the outbreak of the Civil War, revealing how fear, pride, and miscommunication pushed America to the brink of conflict. Through vivid portraits of figures such as Major Robert Anderson and secessionist Edmund Ruffin, Larson illustrates how personal ambition and national division sparked the first shots fired at Fort Sumter.
• 10/29/2025 - The Outermost House by Henry Beston: The Outermost House by Henry Beston is a poetic reflection on the author’s year living alone on Cape Cod’s outer beach, where he observes the rhythms of the sea, the seasons, and the wildlife around him. Through his solitude, Beston discovers a deeper connection to nature and argues for a more spiritual, respectful relationship between humanity and the natural world.

Currently Reading: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

  

 

The Lottery, or the Adventures of Jamie Harris by Shirley Jackson

Each Halloween season some authors always come up each year around this time like Mary Shelley, Stephen King, Bram Stoker and the author of one of my current books I'm reading, Shirley Jackson. She is most well known for her classic book The Haunting of Hill House. I read this a few years back and it blew me away. It's amazing and I can't recommend it enough. 

The Lottery is Shirley Jackson's first compilation of short stories first published. The book title, The Lottery, is a short story at the end. It was first published in New Yorker magazine and the response was enormous. It is the last story and I'm only about a third of the way through so I haven't read it yet. It is her most well known short story. Jamie Harris is a a returning character in some of the stories who is also described as "Daemon Lover". In later editions of the book Jamie Harris " is replaced with Daemon Lover" in the book title.  

To Be Read #10: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

 Earlier this year, I became aware of this book after reading David Grann's book The Wager about a a group of shipwrecked survivors, and it was an amazing story. I also had seen clips on social media of the Leonardo DiCaprio movie based on the book going around, which fueled my interest. 

After oil was discovered in the Osage Nation in Oklahoma in the early 1900s, members of the Osage Nation became among the richest people in the country per capita at the time. Then, in the 1920s, many of them started to die off from suspicious circumstances. Even some who investigate it are murdered. It is then that the newly formed FBI, headed by a young J. Edgar Hoover, investigates. 

David Grann is an amazing storyteller, so I look forward to getting into this one. 

To Be Read #9 : John & Paul - A Love Story in Songs by Ian Leslie

 I'd argue that John Lennon and Paul McCartney are the most successful songwriters ever. Part of what made them special was that they grew up together and had a special bond. Paul McCartney describes it as love during his live shows before playing Here Today (one of the songs featured in the book). This book describes their relationship through the songs they created through the years up until John's tragic death. 

In John & Paul - A Love Story in Songs, Ian Leslie explores their relationship in their years together. It is an exploration of their friendship and love in the songs they played and wrote. I'm looking forward to reading this. 

Books of September 2025

 Books I finished in September 2025.

• 9/2/2025 - The Abyss: Nuclear Crisis Cuba 1962 by Max Hastings -  This book examines the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. This book shows how close the world came to nuclear war through a mix of miscalculations, miscommunications, and brinkmanship between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. It draws on archives and firsthand accounts, Hastings portrays both leaders’ restraint and the sheer luck that prevented global catastrophe. (Audible, Narrated by Max Hastings and John Hopkins)
• 9/6/2025 - The McCartney Legacy: Volume 2 / 1974-1980 by Allan Kozinn & Adrian Sinclair - This follows Paul McCartney and his time with Wings from 1974 to 1980. In 1974, he finally found the success and critical acclaim he craved with the Band on the Run album. Then came the world tours, more albums, and changing Wings lineups. The book ends in early 1980, when Wings is touring for their latest( and last) album, Back to the Egg. Paul is busted in Japan for bringing in Marijuana and lands in jail. With this, the tour and band are finished. 
• 9/11/2025 - Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo - For many years, many were said to be able to smell molasses in Boston on hot days. This book tells the story of how that came to be. Leading up to World War I, molasses was distilled into industrial alcohol to make wartime ammunition. To capitalize on the growing need for this, a hastily built storage tank was built in the north end of Boston. The tank leaked from the start, and the only thing the company did was paint it brown to mask this issue. Just after the war, the tank was filled to capacity on a bitterly cold January day to make a batch of liquor before Prohibition started. Then the weather warmed up, causing the tank to burst in the crowded neighborhood, killing 21 people, injuring at least 150 causing major damage to the area. (Audible, Narrated by Grover Gardner)
• 9/16/2025 - The Plot Against America by Philip Roth - A fictional alternative history where famous American flyer Charles Lindbergh wins the Presidency in 1940 instead of Franklin Roosevelt. The story is told through the eyes of a young boy, Philip Roth(fictional), whose Jewish family lives in New Jersey and has to navigate a world and society that changes as the friend of Hitler and America First advocate, President Lindbergh, leads America down a dark road. This book has amazing relevance to current events. 
• 9/26/2025 - Theft by Finding: Diaries by David Sedaris - In the social media book world, I came across the term "comfort book(s)". David Sedaris fits into that category. He has a warm, self-deprecating style of humor. His humor doesn't slap you in the face, Three Stooges style, but more like a nudge and a wink after saying something witty. The book is David's diary from 1977 to 2002. It's interesting that as time goes by, we can not only see his life and career develop, but we also follow David as his writing style evolves. His entries at first seem like short social media posts about odd jobs, smoking weed, and starving cause of poverty. By 2002, his entries are longer, more personal, and his humor develops. In short, we've seen him grow and mature as a writer. (Audible, Narrated by David Sedaris)
• 9/29/2025 - Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude by Dan Ackroyd - Dan Ackroyd tells the story of the origins of how he and the late John Belushi formed the Blues Brothers musical group. The story recounts how Dan and John form the group and embark on their tour. They were most well-known for appearances on the Saturday Night Live TV program and a hit movie.(Audible, Narrated by Dan Ackroyd) 

To Be Read #8: Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude (An Audible Original) by Dan Ackroyd

The Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude by Dan Ackroyd

I first saw the Blues Brothers movies I was blown away. As a teen it was the first R rated movie I saw at the movie theater. It was seemed part musical and part slapstick/dry humor. It also had over the top characters and car chases. It seemed to be the era of car chases with Smokey and the Bandit, Dukes of Hazzard and many more. The music was fresh though. It had musical artists doing cameos that I was only vaguely knew and others who completely didn't know.

 It was certainly be an interesting journey to find out the story behind the Blues Brothers narrated by Dan Ackroyd (Elwood Blues). It is sad the Jim Belushi( Jake Blues) left us in the early 80's. Who knows what would have happened if he had stayed with us. I look forward to listening to this. 

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 

Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood (1966) is a pioneering work of literary nonfiction that reconstructs the brutal 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, and the subsequent investigation, capture, trial, and execution of the killers. Blending journalistic detail and narrative with novel style, Capote examines not only the crime itself but also the broader social, psychological, and moral implications surrounding it.

The book opens with a calm description of Holcomb, a small farming town on the Kansas plains, emphasizing its quiet, orderly atmosphere. Herbert Clutter, a prosperous and respected farmer, lives with his wife Bonnie and their teenage children, Nancy and Kenyon. On the night of November 15, 1959, two ex-convicts—Perry Smith and Richard “Dick” Hickock—break into the Clutter home, intending to rob the family based on a tip that Clutter kept large sums of cash. The information proves false, and in frustration, the men bind, gag, and execute all four family members with chilling precision. The crime devastates the community, shattering its sense of safety.

Capote then shifts to the killers’ perspectives, recounting their backgrounds and inner lives. Perry is portrayed as sensitive, artistic, and deeply damaged by an abusive childhood and years of institutional mistreatment. Dick, in contrast, is manipulative, amoral, and driven by greed and lust, yet less introspective than Perry. Their uneasy partnership, marked by a blend of dependence and mistrust, becomes a central thread of the narrative. Capote does not excuse their actions but humanizes them, complicating the reader’s understanding of crime and punishment.

The investigation is led by Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent Alvin Dewey, who faces immense pressure to solve the case. With few clues and no apparent motive, the murders initially seem unsolvable. Capote carefully details the painstaking police work, the anxieties of the townspeople, and the long pursuit that finally narrows in on the killers after a fellow inmate informs authorities of Dick and Perry’s plan. In Las Vegas, they are arrested, and under interrogation, Perry ultimately confesses in harrowing detail, admitting to the actual killings while Dick acknowledges his role in planning and enabling them.

The latter portion of the book covers their trial, appeals, and eventual execution by hanging in 1965. Capote portrays the judicial process as both inevitable and morally fraught. The defense lawyers raise questions of insanity and diminished responsibility, but the jury finds both men guilty and sentences them to death. During their years on death row, Capote records their thoughts, fears, and final moments, culminating in a stark account of their executions.

Beyond recounting the crime, Capote explores broader themes: the fragility of human life, the randomness of violence, the psychological scars of poverty and neglect, and the uneasy coexistence of justice and vengeance in American society. His narrative style—richly descriptive, meticulously researched, and emotionally charged—was groundbreaking, creating what he called the “nonfiction novel.” By juxtaposing the idyllic innocence.

(Done with the aid of ChatGTP)

Personal Note: My first exposure to this story was in middle school, in the late 1970s, when we watched the black-and-white film adaptation. The late Robert Blake played one of the murderers, Perry Smith, and at the time, he was a TV star playing a cop ironically. I read the book around the time, too. It started a life long interest in the true-crime book genre. 

It was this story that gave me a lifelong interest in true crime books. I'd other similar books like The Onion Field by Joseph Wambaugh. Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi and Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule. Ann Rule would go on to be a consistent favorite. In my reading I tend to favor non-fiction like true crime. While there are many fictional crime drama, for me I find plenty of drama in true crime stories. 

There are many elements to a true crime story that I find interesting. You have the victims. criminal/attacker, and authorities. The victims include the initial victim. They include friends, family and the community. In Truman Capote's book, In Cold Blood the first Victims are the four members of the Clutter Family of Holcomb, Kansas. The Clutters are a successful farming family that includes two teenage children. They do have adult children but they don't live at home. Which brings us to extended victims who are the adult children, friends and community. These include the two older Clutter daughters who were married and had moved away. Close neighbors and friends who become fearful not knowing who or where the attackers could be. 

We then go to who will find who's responsible. Local at own authorities are immediately overwhelmed by the horrific crime and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation soon take the lead. 

Next are the the murderers, Richard Hickok and Perry Smith. Two small time crooks who first meet in jail and then hook up afterward to rob the Clutter home. Hickok had received erroneous information about a wall safe while in jail. 

After realizing they found little more than $40 and some miscellaneous items they murdered the parents and the two teenage children. They then go on a crimes spree in the southwest into Mexico, Florida and then back to the Kansas area. They are eventually caught and executed.  

It would go to be made it a critically acclaimed film. It was filmed in black & white that gave it a crime documentary noir feel to it. Filmed on location of the murdered and other events. 

The book would spur on other true crime books of similar narrative style. Books like Helter Skelter, Executioners Song, and The Onion Field would carry on the genre. Even today I'm currently reading The Devil in The White City by Erik Larson which is about serial killer in Chicago around the time of the worlds fair in 1890 which carries on the genre. 

To Be Read #7: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

I'm puzzled why I haven't read this classic before. A Book-Toker, @rubyhartbooks, said this was one of her favorites, which inspired me to add this to my to-be-read stack. I even found that I had two copies, which shamed me even more for not having read this yet. 

First published in 1928, it was written by Erich Maria Remarque, who was a German veteran of World War 1. It was enormously successful from the start. It, along with the sequel The Road Back, was banned and burned by NAZI's in the 1930s. It's been made into films on three different occasions, and all have been award-winning quality. The latest one is currently on Netflix, which I plan to watch at some point. 

The story follows 4 German schoolboys who, in 1914, are inspired by their schoolmaster to join the army. They join with youthful patriotism and enthusiasm. Then they are faced with the grim realities of deadly trench warfare, which is full of tedium and terror. 

 

To Be Read #6: Theft by Finding by David Sedaris

 

There are times after reading a book that is heavy, intense, or heartbreaking. I need something light, humorous, and heartwarming to break the seriousness. David Sedaris fills that role for me in my reading repertoire. 

I'm listening to the audiobook version of this, narrated by the author David Sedaris. I've read his physical books, which are wonderful and enjoyable; there is something added to his personal narration of his book. He has a warm, self-depreciating style of humor. His wit can be biting in one moment, and then make you cry with his sadness that comes through in his very personal moments. 

Some serious readers don't consider audiobooks as real reading. I've been a fan of audiobooks for over a dozen years now. I listen to them on my long work commutes, which helps alleviate the boredom and tediousness of a long drive every day. Critiques of whether listening to audiobooks is considered reading a book are a form of gatekeeping. It is also intellectually snobbish. It's taking in the same information and text. It's also beneficial in learning the pronunciation of words that you're not familiar with.  

He also has a follow-up book called Carnival of Snackery that his diary continues from 2003-2021. I look forward to reading that too. 

Flags of our Fathers

September 11 has been a solemn day since 2001. It was my father's birthday since 1944, long before terrorists hijacked planes and killed thousands. He passed away in 2012 from cancer. My parents divorced when I was a kid. He eventually moved away, and I only saw him occasionally. He moved back into the area, and we'd connect every so often. We had similar personalities, and we both enjoyed reading. 

One book we shared was Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley. The book tells the story of Bradley's father, who turns out to be one of the famous flag raisers on Iwo Jima during World War 2. Looking back now, it seems fitting that we were sharing a book about another father and son. I still have the very same book, and it has a special meaning for me, and I'll always keep it. 

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My Dad in 2002, holding my oldest son Joshua. 

To Be Read #5: Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo

 This is a story that my Dad told me about when I was a kid. Growing up in Massachusetts, I'm sure many youngsters were told by their elders of the flood of molasses in Boston. I'm sure they were told, as I was, that on hot days, you can smell molasses where it happened. It almost seems unreal, as your first reaction may be "You can't be serious?". Yes, it was serious. Deadly serious, unfortunately.

 

By BPL - https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/4901555337/ Panorama of the Molasses Disaster site, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=236987

 

On January 15, 1919, just a few months after World War 1 ended, a large storage tank holding over 2.3 million gallons of molasses in Boston's North End exploded, killing 21 people and injuring 150 more.

  

By not specified - Boston Post, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13435914

I do have a physical book, but I'll be listening to the Audible version because it features Grover Gardner as the narrator, and he's one of my favorite narrators. I will be following along in the book, as it includes photos and maps. 

Inside one of the country's oldest bookshops

Books of August 2025

 Books of August 2025

• 8/6/2025 - The Path to Power by Robert Caro,  (Audible, Narrated by Grover Gardner): This is the first volume in his biography of Lyndon B. Johnson, tracing Johnson’s rise from a poor Texas Hill Country childhood to his early political career and first run for the U.S. Senate. Caro portrays Johnson as both a master of political ambition and a man whose relentless drive often overshadowed ethical considerations.

• 8/9/2025 - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote: This recounts the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in rural Kansas and the subsequent investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, Perry Smith and Richard “Dick” Hickock. Blending journalism and novelistic detail, Capote explores the crime’s impact on the community while probing the complex psychology of the murderers and the moral weight of justice.

• 8/14/2025 - Burn Book by Kara Swisher: (Audible, Narrated by Kara Swisher) Kara Swisher’s memoir chronicles her three-decade journey through Silicon Valley as an incisive and unapologetic tech journalist—from wide-eyed fascination to fierce disillusionment with the industry's billionaire power brokers. It blends sharply personal anecdotes and scathing character portraits of figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk with a plea for accountability and thoughtful innovation amid the looming perils of unchecked tech growth. 

• 8/14/2025 - The Art of War by Sun Tzu:(Audible, Narrated by Aidan Gillen)  This ancient Chinese military treatise teaches strategy, deception, and adaptability as keys to victory in both war and life. Emphasizing knowledge of oneself and the enemy, it advocates careful planning, efficient use of resources, and the pursuit of triumph with minimal conflict.

To Be Read #4: The Lyrics by Paul McCartney

 

Paul McCartney has always been there. I was born in the mid-1960s, so I missed his initial rise to stardom as part of The Beatles. Even though The Beatles broke up, being a toddler at the time, I had no clue; they were still talked about, but they were momentarily fading from view. The first recollection Paul McCartney was hearing "Live and Let Die," which came to find out was part of a James Bond movie(another childhood discovery) of the same name. What was this group "Wings"? I'm sure I had heard other songs by him on the radio, but this was the first song I latched onto. I still have my 45 single. I even remember a TV special show, Paul and Wings singing it complete with an exploding piano. I was hooked. When I finally got to see him play this song at Fenway Park in Boston in 2022, I felt like I had completed a journey. 

The Lyrics by Paul McCartney takes a personal, in-depth look at over 160 songs written by with the help of Paul Muldoon as editor, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Poet. The songs are from 1956 to the current day and cover his career from The Beatles, Wings, and his solo work. I've also heard the 83-year-old Paul McCartney may be coming out with a new album; who knows, maybe this book will need another update. 

To Be Read #3: The Stand by Stephen King

 When I first read The Stand by Stephen King as a teen around 1980, it was already a hefty book at just over 800 pages long. At the time, it was easily the longest book I had read. What surpassed it? The uncut and revised version was published about 10 years later, which added 400+ pages. I, of course, ate that one up too. I would also devour the 47+ hour audiobook(Audible) version. 

Strange as it may seem, I felt something was missing from the later versions despite their added length. What changed in later versions was that King updated the story's setting timeline. The first hardcover version of the story's setting was 1980. In 1980, the first paperback issue was set in 1985. Then the uncut version was later updated to 1990. This is fine, but because I read the first one, I always felt I was missing or looking for connections to my first read. I honestly hadn't looked into the timeline differences between different editions. As I was writing this I just learned the settings changed between the original hardcover, set in 1980, and this 1st edition paperback was 1985. So now the hardcover is on my wishlist. 

This is like George Lucas revising and updating the later versions of the Star Wars trilogy and then hiding away or burying the earlier versions. The early version of The Stand, I believe, can only be found second-hand online or in a used bookstore 

I recently watched the newer mini-series of The Stand that was pretty interesting, and I thought it was well done. So this added to my desire to revisit my original book, which I found on Ebay. 

On the Shelf To Be Read #2: The Outermost House by Henry Beston

 

A recent video about the book The Outermost House by Henry Beston has inspired me to take the book off my shelf and put it on my TBR short list. It also shortly after my wife and I took a road trip on Cape Cod  to Provincetown(the very tip of Cape Cod) to visit a friend. 

The Outermost House by Henry Beston was first published in 1928. Even though it refers to a "year on the Great Beach of Cape Cod" the book is based on Henry's visits there over the course of two years. When Henry proposed to Elizabeth Coatsworth knew of his notes and no book manuscript she quipped, "No book, no married.". That apparently was enough to get him going. He finished the book and they were married. They did honeymoon there but rarely visited afterward. 

The Outermost House was located about 2 miles south of Nauset Coast Guard in Eastham, Massachusetts on the outer arm of Cape Cod facing the North Atlantic. It was a two room cottage designed by Beston and built by a carpenter named Harvey Moore (and crew). It was named "The Fo'Castle" for the four large windows faced the ocean. Because of storms and eroding dunes the cottage was moved in 1933 and 1944. The North Atlantic finally claimed it in February 1978 during the fierce Blizzard of 78. I lived on the south shore of Massachusetts on the inner side of Cape Cod Bay and remember the storm quite well. 

On the Shelf To Be Read #1: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Any book on my bookshelves that I haven't read should be part of my TBR (To-Be-Read) pile. I marvel at readers on social media showing off a pile of books they plan on reading this weekend, week, month, or year. I often don't pick the next one until I'm close to finishing a current one. I sometimes have an inclination for one or two. I'll browse them a bit to see if it sparks an interest to go further. I'm not committed, though.

I'm currently rereading the iconic In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. It's said to spark the modern-day true-crime genre. It's the story of the murder of a family of four in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959  by two small-time criminals. The crime was a botched burglary inspired by misinformation about an alleged wall safe. What did the murderers walk away with? Less than $50 and small miscellaneous items. I can't remember when I first read this story. It was inspired, though, by a film I saw in school on a TV wheeled out on a cart with a suitcase-sized VCR (high-tech at the time) underneath, and we watched the film adaptation of In Cold Blood shot in black and white. It starred the late Robert Blake as one of the killers, who at the time starred on his own TV series(as a cop ironically) called Baretta. 

I must really want to read this since I bought 2. 

Recently, while scanning my own shelves, I discovered I had two copies of The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. This is the true-crime story set in the 1890s in Chicago that centers around the time of the World's Fair in 1893. It tells the story through the creator of the World's Fair, Daniel Burnham, and serial killer, H. H. Holmes. I guess this was a hint that I should read this one next. I'll probably donate one to my local "Friends of" library group. 

Not only are both books true crime, but I also discovered that they have been described as non-fiction novels, either novel-style, such as "In Cold Blood", or "novelistic" with "The Devil in the White City". I'll see how Larson compares to the standard Capote set. 

Books of July 2025

Books I've completed in July 2025.

• 7/4/2025 - The Declaration of Independence:  A small, thin, and handsomely hard-covered book containing the Declaration of Independence and short biographies of the signers of the document. 
• 7/6/2025 - Stoner by John Williams: Is about William Stoner, who is born to a farming family at the beginning of the 20th century. He attends college and discovers his love of literature, eventually becoming a teacher/professor at the same institution. The story explores how he lives life's tribulations with stoicism and resilience. At the end of his life, he finds solace in his love of books. 
• 7/28/2025 - The City and The Pillar  by Gore Vidal: The story follows a young athlete, Jim, who has a close sexual encounter with his friend Bob. They part ways as Bob graduates and moves on. Jim follows suit a year later. He is following Bob but is also exploring his own sexual identity and how he fits into the society of wartime (WW2) America. They do eventually meet up again, and Bob is married. The ending isn't the neat wrap-up you might expect. 

Reading summary July 2025

In honor of my country's birth this month, I took out my thin hardcover copy of the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July and read it. I've often gone years, even decades, without giving this document much thought. In the current political climate, depending on one's political leaning, one may find little to celebrate or take pride in. Although I am also appalled at those leading our country at this time, I still think it is every American's right to celebrate. The government does not exclusively belong to one political party or another. It belongs to every American. As a former President once said, " There is not a liberal America and a conservative America - there is the United States of America." Celebrate it always. 

Stoner by John Williams was I've seen recommended by many reading/book enthusiasts on social media. Part of it was the cover by the New York Book Review(NYBR) of the stoic middle-aged man staring at the ground, looking deep in thought. We follow the life of William Stoner, who was born about 1890-1, but the book essentially starts as he enters college, intending to learn more about farming to help, and I assume to take over the family farm he grew up on. One day he discovers his life's love of English literature and books. His life is forever changed as then stays at the college to teach and live his life there. He marries and then has a daughter. Has professional squabbles within his profession. Has an affair with a coworker. He does find satisfaction in his work, and he still loves his literature. He then passes away from cancer on the verge of retiring, clutching his book in solace. It is not a book of high drama or action, but this book kept me interested throughout. I'm writing more about this in a later post.

I find Gore Vidal an interesting writer and person. The City and the Pillar was one of his earliest novels, published in 1948. For some reason, I thought it was his first, but it was actually his third book. The book is notable as it looks at male homosexuality as it was during World War 2. The main protagonist is Jim who is a high school athlete and is close to his friend Bob. In a moment of passion, they have a sexual encounter in an emotional moment as they will soon be parting ways. Bob is graduating and moving away and, eventually join the Merchant Marines. Jim stays to finish school and then graduates, and moves out on his own. Joins the service(there is a war on), but he stays stateside. Meanwhile, he is coming to terms with his own sexuality. Bob is never far from his mind. After having a relationship with a movie star and writer he ends up back home. Coincidentally, Bob is also returning and has been successful in his career and is married. The book ends on an unfortunate note, and it doesn't end neatly. 

David McCullough on his first book: "The Johnstown Flood"

What a relevant book in light of recent tragic floods in Texas and New Mexico. I'll have to pull this one off my shelf and finally read it. The late David McCullough was a national treasure and a beautiful writer. 

David McCullough Reflects on a Life of Writing and Learning

Wise words of wisdom from the late iconic writer David McCullough. 

Happy 4th of July!

 

The Declaration of Independence with Short Biographies of the Signers by Benson John Lossing
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a nice pocket sized hardcover copy of the the Declaration of Independence. It also includes short paragraph length biography's of the signers in the back. Although pocket sized I'd say it's suitable for a handy bookshelf reference as the cover is handsome and presentable and would get wrecked it someones pocket. Besides it'd feel as if you had a piece of thin plywood in your pocket, not very comfortable. Enjoy.

View all my reviews