Muller is married to a mystery writer, Bill Pronzini, whose “Nameless Detective” series is pretty good. Together, they write historical mysteries, set in turn-of-the-century San Francisco, the Carpenter and Quincannon books - worth checking out.
I have seen their names together on their books, but haven’t read any yet. Thanks for the tip.
Just finished this book,
It was quite interesting take on group identity and politics. It is also interesting in the analysis of how fracturing tribalism based on political divides instead of ethnic or racial ones is harmful to the US. That the erosion of the National Identity that surpasses ethnic, religious, or political identity is harmful to the ongoing status of the US.
And since I arrived up to Maine for Thanksgiving yesterday and am in the area I think I will go and visit the gave of Jonathan Cilley, who is the only congressman killed in a duel by another member of congress. The short version of the story is that he called out what was “fake news” of the day and the newspaper editor, James Watson Webb enlisted Kentucky Congressman William Graves to deliver a letter demanding a retraction. Cilley refused and the whole thing devolved into a comedy of errors which led to Graves fatally shooting Cilley in a duel.
This is an incident that I learned about in the book about congressional violence in the early 1800’s. Pretty fascinating history book for those who find that sort of thing interesting.
About done with this book.
While I don’t agree with all of his theory, it is an interesting take on how there are competing realities in American Politcal culture.
Finished this book
It was entertaining. If you are a fan of Carlin, none of it comes as a surprise and it revisits themes that he has talked about on his podcast.
and just started Fiona Hill’s book on Putin
About a quarter of the way through it and it is excellent.
I’m reading this out of interest in Mexico in particular. So far I have to give it three out of five stars. It’s for those who want a superficial overview of Mexican history, politics, culture.
Some clarification would help for better understanding. For example, about the country in the late 1980s, “The administration further tightened the economic reform belt by dramatically curbing state expenditures on social welfare programs.”
How is social welfare program defined in Mexico? Is it for all Mexicans? Income maximum and temporary?
And “The average Mexican saw his standard of living decline during the de la Madrid administration,”
How? What was lost? Are we talking stagnant wages? Food and nutrition insufficiency? More information is needed to better understanding Mexican society.
When separating different political factions, what were some concessions both sides wanted? With the concept of land reform, for example, what was the goal?
Was it something like parts of Africa, where land is forced away from those who’ve owned it for generations, and given to others with no knowledge of how to care for it?
I think this author has feminist inclinations. In describing machismo accepting men courting more than one woman, he seems to lament that the same isn’t true for Mexican women.
No ■■■■ Sherlock, that’s basic anatomy and physiology. A man with many partners can have many children, but a woman with many can have one child with unknown or disputed paternity.
It’s average reading for those interested in a superficial view of this large nation with its different peoples and mixing of indigenous and European ways.
This one, however, I can recommend. Am thoroughly enjoying it, and it looks to be the start of a promising series by this author.
Combines an engaging investigation with life in a small Texas town, a little about the Rangers, and characters who are thoroughly enjoyable. Even when saying gosh that’s a dumb thing to do, I’m enjoying these family and friends of the protagonist, Ranger Rory Yates.
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A very good book about Mexico and Mexican culture was written in the early '90s by Patrick Oster. I think it was simply called “The Mexicans”. He described the culture through a variety of people, so one chapter was devoted to the servant class, one to the extremely rich, one to street performers, one to a doctor, one to an honest cop, one to gays, and so on. A very interesting read.
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Thank you. I’ll have to look for that on Amazon.
Divine Comedy by Dante.
“The Plot to Hack America” by Malcolm Nance.
Just finished the The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.
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Just finished our book club’s next pick. Now, I like my book club, because we have a sort of democratic method for picking books - instead of going to the ALA or NYT lists, we have a discussion period when we talk about books we’ve read or heard about, and we try to choose from a mix of fiction, non-fiction, classics, pot luck (one month it was anything set in NJ or by a NJ author, one month it was any 3 short stories)
So I like the book club, but this was the 3rd or 4th book that was about some young woman (or women) who has “issues” and somehow comes together with an older woman and then the older woman’s past alternates with the present day story. One of them was okay - the rest, including this one - were awful. Not just the plot construction, but the writing. A real page skipper.
I finished, “The Plot to Betray America.” Great insight as always.
Also, I just finished Rick Wilson’s book, “Running Against the Devil.” Another good book. Next month I’ll “read” A Very Stable Genius. Audible makes it easy.
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Reading a suspense novel by Ruth Ware. I think she’s gotten quite popular, as has the genre (female protagonist in jeopardy, often injecting unreliable narration).
Many years ago, I read “The Firm” (Grisham) I thought it was a very good, complex thriller, thought it would be difficult to adapt to film. (I was right.) Read The Pelican Brief, thought the same. Then I read “The Client” and said that it read like a treatment for a screenplay - more pared down, simplified plot, characters were slightly more exaggerated. It was a pretty decent film. Since then, and especially in the wake of films like “Gone Girl”, it seems that I’m reading a lot of commercial fiction that seems written to be very camera ready.
Reading Christopher Wiley’s book about building Cambridge Analytica. He is describing that they built a private signals intelligence organization to sell to the highest bidder.
Not the best thing for Democracy.
I can’t link to the title since it contains an offensive word.
It is quite good though.
I get my next Audible credit on Sunday and I’ll be “listening” to “A Very Stable Genius,” by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonning.
Right now, I’m reading “When Life Gives You Pears,” by Jeannie Gaffigan, the wife of comedian Jim Gaffigan. A few years ago, she was diagnosed with a very large brain tumor (Drs said it was the size and shape of a pear), and it’s an account of her diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Also reading “The Chill” by Ross Macdonald. I always get him confused with John D. MacDonald.
Sorry to hear that. I hope she’s doing well. Jim Gaffigan is a talented comedian.
Just finished “The Secrets She Keeps” by Michael Robotham. A new author to me, though he’s been writing for about 15 years. The two alternating narratives are two pregnant women, one an upscale mother and wife of a broadcast reporter, the other a single woman who works in a grocery store. In content, it would be rated R. Set in England.
To say more would be to give away spoilers, but I will say this was the most well-crafted suspenseful novel I’ve read in a long time. I would put him up there with Jane Harper, who also has the knack for understanding that there is a lot of architecture and acceleration that goes into suspense, it’s not just all about the intermittent shocks.
Just started this one.
So far so good.
