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Reading Post #22
Jun. 19th, 2006 04:59 pmThis one is a little longer than usual because of the car trip.
Gideon's Trumpet by Anthony Lewis, is a book about Clarence Earl Gideon, the Florida convict who wrote the Supreme Court to appeal the fact that he had no lawyer when he was convicted and sent to prison. It covers the legal aspects leading up to the deicison, as well as a little of what happened to Gideon afterwards. I had seen the movie in high school, and was interested enough when I found it in a UBS.
War Law by Michael Byers is a book for laypersons about the Geneva Convention and other aspects of laws of warfare. There are some interesting examples presented. Overall, if you're interested in the subject it's a good book. However, if you don't like reading stuff with a slight anti-US under Bush bent, you may want to skip.
Easy Labor by Cammann and Alexander, is a book about options for pain control in labor. It's pretty good, and up-to-date, although my favorite chapter is the one where the childbirth pros talk about what pain relief THEY had.
I also got through the last 2 of the 7 Caroline books in the Little House series. Overall, they're good and readable, but they just seemed a little off (according to notes in the front, based on letters between Laura and one of her aunts). Maybe because my image of Caroline Quiner Ingalls is so ingrained as "Ma". They're a solid addition to my Little House shelf.
Murder in Little Italy by Victoria Thompson is a book I was really looking forward to, but I was a little disappointed by it. One, the murderer and the motive were blindingly obvious. Two, no real advancement of the subplots involved in the story. So, if you've been reading the series but you're not dying to read it, you may want to wait for PB.
I read Seven Dials, which is the next to last of the Anne Perry books in the series I read until a HC in Spring 2007. It was solid, and the end was riveting.
Viscount Vagabond/The Devil's Delilah by Loretta Chase was one of the doubles I picked up in a UBS. Both of them were pretty good in the "gritty" end of Regencies - although I think the second one was a touch better.
FUBAR: America's Right Wing Nightmare by Sam Seder and Stephen Sherill of Air America was pretty entertaining. It is a SATIRE, not a factual political book. It's one of those where if you share the POV/political lean, you'll be entertained - if not, you won't.
4th of July by James Patterson was finally out in PB (does anyone else dislike the slightly taller than normal paperbacks? or is it just me?) It was a decent mystery, although I would like to point out that 2-3 pages is NOT a chapter, thanks much. Now to wait for the next one to hit PB.
The Motherhood Manifesto by Joan Blades and Kirsten Rowe-Finkbeiner was better than the book it was being advertised with. This one felt like it was aimed more at mothers in all sorts of jobs, not just office ones with lots of flexibility. The goals (especially the affordable daycare for all) were definitely worthwhile ones, but I'm not holding my breath. My only bitch is that if I have to read more about how great the military child care system is, I will scream. It's great IF you can get a spot, and IF you don't mind getting charged high rates if you're both in. For the younger folks, it's a good deal, but for us, not so much.
There were a few others, but those are the big ones.
DV
Gideon's Trumpet by Anthony Lewis, is a book about Clarence Earl Gideon, the Florida convict who wrote the Supreme Court to appeal the fact that he had no lawyer when he was convicted and sent to prison. It covers the legal aspects leading up to the deicison, as well as a little of what happened to Gideon afterwards. I had seen the movie in high school, and was interested enough when I found it in a UBS.
War Law by Michael Byers is a book for laypersons about the Geneva Convention and other aspects of laws of warfare. There are some interesting examples presented. Overall, if you're interested in the subject it's a good book. However, if you don't like reading stuff with a slight anti-US under Bush bent, you may want to skip.
Easy Labor by Cammann and Alexander, is a book about options for pain control in labor. It's pretty good, and up-to-date, although my favorite chapter is the one where the childbirth pros talk about what pain relief THEY had.
I also got through the last 2 of the 7 Caroline books in the Little House series. Overall, they're good and readable, but they just seemed a little off (according to notes in the front, based on letters between Laura and one of her aunts). Maybe because my image of Caroline Quiner Ingalls is so ingrained as "Ma". They're a solid addition to my Little House shelf.
Murder in Little Italy by Victoria Thompson is a book I was really looking forward to, but I was a little disappointed by it. One, the murderer and the motive were blindingly obvious. Two, no real advancement of the subplots involved in the story. So, if you've been reading the series but you're not dying to read it, you may want to wait for PB.
I read Seven Dials, which is the next to last of the Anne Perry books in the series I read until a HC in Spring 2007. It was solid, and the end was riveting.
Viscount Vagabond/The Devil's Delilah by Loretta Chase was one of the doubles I picked up in a UBS. Both of them were pretty good in the "gritty" end of Regencies - although I think the second one was a touch better.
FUBAR: America's Right Wing Nightmare by Sam Seder and Stephen Sherill of Air America was pretty entertaining. It is a SATIRE, not a factual political book. It's one of those where if you share the POV/political lean, you'll be entertained - if not, you won't.
4th of July by James Patterson was finally out in PB (does anyone else dislike the slightly taller than normal paperbacks? or is it just me?) It was a decent mystery, although I would like to point out that 2-3 pages is NOT a chapter, thanks much. Now to wait for the next one to hit PB.
The Motherhood Manifesto by Joan Blades and Kirsten Rowe-Finkbeiner was better than the book it was being advertised with. This one felt like it was aimed more at mothers in all sorts of jobs, not just office ones with lots of flexibility. The goals (especially the affordable daycare for all) were definitely worthwhile ones, but I'm not holding my breath. My only bitch is that if I have to read more about how great the military child care system is, I will scream. It's great IF you can get a spot, and IF you don't mind getting charged high rates if you're both in. For the younger folks, it's a good deal, but for us, not so much.
There were a few others, but those are the big ones.
DV
