Pandemic Reading

I can't believe that it's been almost a year since the pandemic seriously kicked in.  In many ways it doesn't seem that long but I think it's just because most people have settled into a life that is more mundane than they are used to.  Most of us, especially at my age, have been careful in who they associate with, where they go for groceries and daily human tasks, and have restricted most travel that isn't absolutely essential.  We've actually been a bit more liberal than many of our our friends in our movements in the community, but have still felt the oppression of "hunkering down".  Of course, in our case it really isn't that bad and we have much to be thankful for.  As retirees we've got plenty of resources, a comfortable home, and friends and loved ones nearby.  But still...

One of the fallouts of the pandemic has been my reading has increased rather dramatically.  I've always been a reader and my normal custom has always been to have a book that I'm reading with one in the wings.  But now it seems normal to have one that I'm reading with about 10 in the wings.  Once I start looking I wind up finding a lot of books that interest me.  I'm not a reader that likes to stick to one distinct type of book or one genre.  Fiction or non-fiction, traditional or contemporary it doesn't really matter.  About the only thing that I don't really like very much is science fiction.  

So since I've read what seems like a ton of books, most of which I really liked in different ways, I thought I'd provide a listing in case any of you out there might be interested.  I'll also provide a short (very short in most cases because I don't want to give anything away) description or critique.  I hope that if you're a reader you'll find something that you might like.  Because for goodness sakes we have plenty of time to read!

1. I Love Capitalism by Ken Langone.  A rags to riches story by the founder of Home Depot. This is a book optimism, rags to riches and a celebration of capitalism.
2. The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam.  A no holds barred story of the Korean War.  Intense, gruesome, maddening and heartbreaking.
3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.  The story of a teenage girl and her family torn between a life in the 'Hood' and an upper class neighborhood.  A raw story of race in America.
4. Educated by Tara Westover.  A memoir of a young girl's struggle for education.
5. Call Sign Chaos by Jim Mattis.  Some great stories and vignettes on leadership.
6. The Sword and the Scimitar by Raymond Ibrahim.  Fourteen centuries of war between Islam and the West.
7. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.  A semi-autobiography of a man who escapes from Australian prison and flees to India where he lives his life.  This book is a fascinating look at life in Bombay.
8. Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers by Brian Kilmeade.  The story of the early days of the Texas and the defense of the Alamo.
9. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.  An epic historical novel about a Korean family that eventually emigrates to Japan.
10. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson.  A saga of Churchill, his family, and defiance during the Blitz.
11. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult.  The story of an African American labor and delivery nurse and the racism surrounding her care of a white supremacist couple's newborn son.  This was a very powerful, eye-opening novel and highly recommended.
12. Fortitude by Congressman Dan Crenshaw.  American resilience in the era of outrage.
13. Invisible Prey by John Sandford.  One of the "prey" books.  Sandford is a prolific mystery writer and one of my favorites.  He spins an intricate and exciting story.  I've read most of his books.
14. Aria's Travelling Book Shop by Rebecca Raisen.  The story of a young woman and her mobile bookstore traveling in Europe.  A great romantic comedy.
15. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.  Black twin sisters from the South run away at 16.  One winds up back in the same small town and one moves to California and passes for white.  A fascinating contrast.
16. Weenie Kleegan  and The Mayor of Olangopo by Hamlin Tallent.  Both of these books tell a good yarn about Naval Aviators on deployment.  I liked them because I knew Ham back in the day and could relate to the stories.
17. Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon.  My favorite of all that I've read.  The story of a wagon train heading west from St Louis.  Spellbinding.
18. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi.  A portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern.  A fascinating read.
19. 28 Summers by Elie Hilderbrand.  I will confess to reading several (maybe 10) Hilderbrand novels.  They are short, fun, emotional and a usually a great read.  She has a trilogy set on St. John Island in the Caribbean that is great.  This book turns out to be very poignant.  
20. The Last Mile by David Baldacci.  I've read most of Baldacci's books and they are all good.  He is a great mystery writer.
21. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory.  This is a definite "chick book" but it is a fun read that provides definite escapism.  I liked it so much that I found her other 4 novels and read them all.  She is a really good story teller.  And not to ruin anything, but there are a lot of twists and turns but it all is alright in the end.
22. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger.  This book has won all kinds of awards and it was good.  I wasn't as enthralled by it as I thought I would be.  It's about a kid in the '60s who faced tragedy as told by himself 40 years later.
23. The Last Mile by Brad Thor.  Thor tells a great spy story.  I've read all his books.  Suspenseful, lots of twists, good guys win and bad guys lose.  What could be better?
24. Raven One by Kevin Miller.  The first of three novels about Naval Aviation combat.  I read all three.  For a guy who's been there some of it is pretty far fetched but it is great escapism.  Miller keeps the characters together through three novels and it's easy to identify with them.  
25. The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett.  This is the prequel to The Pillars of the Earth, one of the best books I've read.  It takes place around 400bc in England.  Follett is a great storyteller and this book makes you want more.
26. The Kill Chain by Christian Rose.  The subtitle of this book is "Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare".  It's all about China and it's scary.  I know enough about the subject that I paid close attention.  
27. Killing Floor by Lee Child.  This is a Jack Reacher novel.  What can I say?  I've read all the Reacher novels.  They are ridiculous but compelling.  At some point it becomes sort of fun to speculate what crazy fix he is going to find himself in only to escape.  It's sort of an American James Bond in blue jeans.  
28. Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave.  If I say much I'll give it away but suffice to say this is a wonderful story that is poignant, compelling, maddening, fun and contains a lot of unexpected turns.  I didn't think I would like it but I couldn't put it down.  One of my favorites.  I just bought another book by Laura, "Hellos Sunshine" and it was terrific.  Not as good as Eight Hundred Grapes, but good.
29. True Colors by Kristin Hannah.  This is the story of three sisters whose once-solid world is broken apart by jealousy, betrayal, and the kind of passion that rarely comes along.  Kristin Hannah is one of favorite authors and I've read most of her stuff.  She has a new novel coming this year that I'm looking forward to reading.
30. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins.  This book grabs you from the first page.  I couldn't put it down.  One of my favorites.  This novel tells the story of a woman and her child escaping murderous violence (literally) in Acapulco and ultimately winds up taking a migrant train North and then going with a Coyote across the border.  It is a heartbreaking story and caused me to rethink some of my thinking about immigration.  It was really good.
31. Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen.  I've read a lot of this humorists books and they are all funny and a bit ridiculous.  They offer a unique portrait of life in Florida.  A funny, brainless read.
32. A Time for Mercy by John Grisham.  A typical page turner by Grisham.  I've read most of his books.  He writes legal thrillers and they are all good.  They are full of twists and turns and the good guys usually win.  This is the continuation of a small town lawyer in Mississippi.
33. The Princes of Ireland and The Rebels of Ireland by Edward Rutherford.  A friend recommended these books and I'm glad he did.  But man, it was a long trek through pre-Christian Ireland to today.  Rutherford tells an epic tale of several families over hundreds of years and it is a magnificent story.  I really never understood the oppression of the Catholics in Ireland until I read these books.  Rutherford brings the country alive and some parts are page turners and some are arcane country and church history.  I really liked the books, but if you decide to read them, set aside some significant time.
34. Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn.  This is a Mitch Rap spy novel.  I think I've read all of them and this one was as good as the rest.  They are a bit far fetched but the story is very intricate and keeps you turning pages.  Not for the feint of heart though.  Mitch is a CIA assassin who doesn't hesitate to do what needs to be done in defense of the country. 
35. A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett.  I've told you previously what a good storyteller Follett is and he doesn't disappoint.  This is the story of a young Scottish immigrant escaping the coal mines of Scotland and making his way to America in the 1760's.  It's a gripping, inspiring tale.
36. Waking up White by Debby Irving.  This book is easily the worst book I've ever read.  Easily.  It  is infuriating.  I know that it's very popular and oh so woke to take on the mantle of white guilt and by saying it's terrible some would brand me as a certain type...namely that of a racist.  But this book is so insulting, so full of stereotypes, so sophomoric in its examples and comparisons that if it wasn't so damaging to our culture, it'd be laughable.  I only see this book as Ms Irving seeing a crisis, banging out an infantile and simplistic explanation according to her elite musings and seeking to make a buck off the crises that we see in our culture over race.  It's shameful.  Don't waste your time or at least don't buy it...borrow it.  
37. Robert E Lee and Me by Col. Ty Sidule.  I'm only about 1/4 of the way through this but so far it's really good.  Since I'm a bit of a Civil War geek I think it's especially good.  It's the story of a retired Army Colonel and West Point Historian who grew up in Virginia who has realized that his entire upbringing was based on a lie.  That lie was the great myth of the Lost Cause.  I'll not say more but if you are interested in unvarnished truth about slavery and the nature of the Confederacy, check out this book.  And better yet, read this instead of the book immediately above.  

Here are the books I have in my iPad and are ready to read.  

1. Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman
2. Sailing True North by Admiral James Stavridus
3. Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier.
4. The Seekers by John Jakes
5. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
6. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
7. Caste, The Origins of our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson
8. Big White Ghetto by Kevin Williamson
9. Sophomores by Sean Desmond
10. London is the Best American City by Laura Dave
11. The Road by Colmac McCarthy

Everyone is different and likes different things.  Some don't like reading at all and would rather be out doing something in the real world.  And I can relate to that.  Some only like non-fiction because for whatever reason they don't see value in the stories that novels tell.  And I can't relate to that.  Because for me I can sometimes lose myself in a book and when I read a story that I become so immersed in that I don't want it to end, well that is sublime.  So if you see something that looks interesting, give it a try.  You most likely won't be disappointed.