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Category: Books

  • Killers of the Flower Moon: An Epic Telling of a Sinister Conspiracy

    The Flower Moon. The full moon in May as the flowers bloom and announce the arrival of spring. Everything about Killers of the Flower Moon screams epic from the 3½ hour running time, to the triumvirate of Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert De Niro, and its relatively unknown story about the murder of Native…

  • Like a Rolling Stone: Jann Wenner’s Duly Titled Autobiography

    It’s almost cheesy, but he had to do it. It’s the only possible title for the autobiography of Jann Wenner; founder of Rolling Stone magazine. The man who voiced a generation and stole his magazine’s name from Dylan and Jagger. Like A Rolling Stone is a personal history of the magazine and his life. The…

  • Five Came Back: A Book & Netflix Series on the Untold Story of Hollywood and WWII

    Five Came Back (A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War) by Mark Harris is a remarkable book about Hollywood’s role in WWII and the five legendary directors who chose to go, and come back: John Ford (Stagecoach, The Grapes of Wrath, The Searchers), George Stevens (A Place in the Sun, Giant, Shane), John…

  • My Cross to Bear Book Review: Gregg Allman’s Candid Autobiography

    “Me and my brother, Duane…””Boy, I’m tellin’ ‘ya, it was us against the world, man.” “We didn’t have none of that crap.” “Sex was the finest thing I’d had since black-eyed peas.” If you’re looking for well-written literature, you won’t find it here. My Cross to Bear is a sit-down with Gregg Allman; simple, conversational,…

  • Jennifer Egan: Dark, Funny Satirical Takes on Social Media, Rock N’ Roll, and Life

    In Jennifer Egan’s world, time is not experienced in a linear fashion. “I experience it in layers that seem to coexist.” This manifestation of life is clearly reflected in her 2001 Pulitzer Prize winning novel A Visit from the Goon Squad and its 2022 companion The Candy House. They are novels or collections of short…

  • Book Reviews: Amor Towles – The Lincoln Highway & A Gentleman in Moscow

    I just read The Lincoln Highway, the third novel by American writer, Amor Towles. I’ve also read his second book, A Gentleman in Moscow. So, I think it’s time for another book review, particularly a novel, since my last few have been rock ‘n roll, travel or history books (see other book reviews here: Books).…

  • The Seine: The River That Made Paris and Other Must-Read Travelogues

    I love books like this. They take us far away and explore a place through its beauty, history, geography, and people. Often, these literary journeys follow in the footsteps of earlier explorers really bringing the past to life through the eyes of current travelers. In The Seine: The River That Made Paris, Elaine Sciolino traces…

  • Post-Olympics Letdown? Try Rowing and Climbing

    This happens every time. A bittersweet feeling. The Olympics are over. Sixteen days of inspiring, heartwarming, and heartbreaking moments. Once again, no matter the obstacles, the human drama of athletic competition transcended everything else. So, now what? How to keep the inspiration flowing? I have just the thing: rowing and climbing. What, doesn’t sound so…

  • U.S. History as Popular Culture?

    As a history major and lifelong reader of U.S. history, the Founding Fathers, Civil War, and U.S. Presidents have always been a major interest of mine. But I didn’t think U.S. history would be a topic for my website. Is Thomas Jefferson pop culture? Hmm, maybe so when you think about it. First, I know…

  • Remain in Love by Chris Franz: A Story of Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, and Love

    I love rock bios. I’ll have to admit that the extreme decadence of constant sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll makes for a wild read. The antics and stamina of Led Zeppelin, the Stones, Van Halen, Aerosmith, and many more are hard to believe. Remain in Love is not that book. First and foremost, it’s…

  • The Library Book: The Title Says it All

    Do you have fond memories of going to the local library? Are you a proud library card-carrying member? Do you love books, not just for the reading experience, but for the books themselves? If so, this book is for you. Susan Orlean (Orchid Thief) shares her love of books and libraries and wraps it around…

  • Firefly Lane – Netflix Adapts the Kristin Hannah Book…or Does it?

    I was going to wait on this until season 2 of Firefly Lane airs, but that’s going to be some time (and Netflix has not officially renewed it yet, so who knows). Since this review focuses on the Netflix series and the differences between it and the book it is based on by Kristin Hannah,…