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What are you reading in 2020?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 11 2020 06:32 AM

I know this thread will likely lie fallow for most of the year, but what the heck? I'm reading this book about one of my favorite movies, High Noon. https://cdn.hpm.io/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/04154015/High-Noon-Book-Cover.png> I had the book lying on my table, with the spine aligned so the title was upside down, and it looked like the book was called NOON H91H. That would make a pretty good book (and movie) too, I think!

Johnny Lunchbucket Jan 11 2020 10:20 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I'm reading: https://d3525k1ryd2155.cloudfront.net/h/562/060/183060562.0.l.jpg>

Frayed Knot Jan 11 2020 02:11 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Ended last year/started this one with: [FIMG=190]https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9780593076835-us.jpg[/FIMG] A remarkably detailed account (especially given the secretive/paranoid nature of the host country) about how basically everything that could have gone wrong did going back even to the planning stages of the reactor -- and that's before the usual Russian overdoses of bureaucracy and vodka were added to the situation. The author makes the case that this, as much as any single other factor, hastened the end of the Soviet Union.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 11 2020 03:12 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Frayed Knot wrote: Ended last year/started this one with: [FIMG=190]https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9780593076835-us.jpg[/FIMG] A remarkably detailed account (especially given the secretive/paranoid nature of the host country) about how basically everything that could have gone wrong did going back even to the planning stages of the reactor -- and that's before the usual Russian overdoses of bureaucracy and vodka were added to the situation. The author makes the case that this, as much as any single other factor, hastened the end of the Soviet Union. I ordered this a.few days ago. I'll start it when it arrives. JINX. That's what Gorbachev said: that the Chernobyl nuclear disaster brought down the Soviet Union. I'm suddenly into this topic, having just binged the HBO Chernobyl miniseries.

Frayed Knot Jan 11 2020 03:51 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=29571 time=1578780753 user_id=68] I ordered this a.few days ago. I'll start it when it arrives.

To start prior to it arriving would be ... difficult.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 11 2020 04:12 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Frayed Knot wrote: I ordered this a.few days ago. I'll start it when it arrives. To start prior to it arriving would be ... difficult. Gotcha this time. I already started it even though it didn't arrive yet. Amazon.com reprinted chapter one - "The Soviet Prometheus", which I read.

41Forever Jan 11 2020 07:40 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I started the year with something very, very light. "Take it Off" chronicles Kiss' non-makeup era. An oral history, with interviews with producers and others in and around the band. It was an interesting period, with the band sometimes chasing trends rather than sticking to what it does best. Especially interesting was the "Carnival of Souls" section, looking at Kiss trying its hands at grunge. Probably my least favorite Kiss CD, though there are couple decent songs on there. It was pretty much cast aside when the reunion came about. https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/908a2b4a-be10-4ac3-bbf5-85ceb9690a8d_1.20afc9b14645680d29a6a9f56d6c6688.jpeg?odnWidth=450&odnHeight=450&odnBg=ffffff>

whippoorwill Jan 27 2020 06:50 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I'm reading David Copperfield

Frayed Knot Jun 07 2020 03:30 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

For those of you with a bent towards reading books on the R&R scene, this recently released one: COOL TOWN: How Athens, Georgia Launched Alternative Music and Changed American Culture by Grace Elizabeth Hale gets a good write-up in today's NYT

TransMonk Jun 08 2020 05:18 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I saw that, too. The Athens book is definitely in my queue.

Johnny Lunchbucket Jun 08 2020 06:24 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I think I mentioned I read a separate REM origin story called BEGIN THE BEGIN last year. Starts off great, some real reporting, slides off track at times in the second half.

batmagadanleadoff Jun 16 2020 08:05 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Frank Sinatra had a huge cock. And under pandemic lockdown stay-at-home conditions, I might be able to keep up with some of youse reading demons who read about a book a week. Here's my current read: [FIMG=666]https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/barnesy/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/AvaGardnerConversations.jpg[/FIMG]

TransMonk Jul 12 2020 02:26 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

[FIMG=200]https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1578835413l/52224632._SX318_SY475_.jpg[/FIMG] I finished PHARMA by Gerald Posner today. I had mentioned I was reading it in the RIP thread upon learning of the death of Jonathan Sackler last week. The book was long, but very good and detailed. It chronicles the history of the greed around the sale of medicine from the traveling oil-salesmen right through to the pain-killers, mood-enhancers and ED pills of today. As you could expect, much more effort goes into the selling and marketing of a drug than into helping the ailments of the sick and hurt. The hustle for copycat meds, new conditions that old drugs can be prescribed for and the labyrinth of doctors, insurance companies and pharmacies muddying the water on how the bucks are made can be dizzying. Much of the second half of the book is devoted to the Sackler family tree that contained many levels and branches of money-hungry swindlers. They skirted through every legal and regulatory loophole they could, all the while telling outright lies to the media and authorities while making billions of dollars (sound familiar)? Though the Sacklers certainly weren't the only company doing the legal limbo with drugs, they ended up destroying countless numbers of Americans' lives due to opiate addiction. They definitely belong in the asshole family hall of fame. I enjoyed Posner's writing. I applaud his use of footnotes to provide extra context without destroying the flow of the story. I had not heard of his book on Garrison which is now in my (ever lengthening) queue. On to COOL TOWN...

Frayed Knot Jul 12 2020 07:56 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

=TransMonk post_id=40318 time=1594585577 user_id=71]I had not heard of [Posner's] book on Garrison which is now in my (ever lengthening) queue.

Posner's (1993) CASE CLOSED book isn't specifically on Garrison (although he's obviously part of it) but on the JFK assassination in general. It actually focuses mostly

on Oswald, something which sets it apart from most JFK assassination books in that others tend to concern themselves with just about everyone But Oswald.

Frayed Knot Jul 12 2020 08:05 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: I think I mentioned I read a separate REM origin story called BEGIN THE BEGIN last year. Starts off great, some real reporting, slides off track at times in the second half. The author of COOL TOWN, Elizabeth Grace Hale, is a history professor (currently at UVA Charlottesville) who has previously written on cultural issues in the south (and lived for a time in Athens) so this at least sounds like a book that has a handle on the cultural impact of the Athens music scene and not just a fan-boy look at REM itself.

TransMonk Jul 15 2020 05:06 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I got through COOL TOWN pretty quickly and it was a good read. FK hits it on the head in the previous post. The book gives the history of REM and the B52s their due, but it is a much broader picture of the bohemian scene that the art school at UGA had in the 80s. In addition to the bands that got college radio airplay, Hale references several Athens bands that I'd never heard of (and I like to think I know these things) and their place within the scene along side the bands that were known outside of town. Hale also educated me about the lyrics for The Replacements' "Left Of The Dial". Apparently, Paul Westerberg wrote the song after becoming a pen pal with the singer from an Athens touring band I've never heard. Westerberg and this girl shared the cover of a local Athens music magazine and had played a couple of shows together. They then kept in contact sharing stories from the road.

Frayed Knot Jul 15 2020 06:33 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

It was a particularly jarring transformation as the rock music coming into the '80s from that part of the country was almost exclusively variations of the long-hair, bluesy/country R&R that was following in the wake of the Allman Bros -- C. Daniels (NC); M. Tucker (SC); Outlaws (Tampa); Molly Hatchet, 38 Special, L. Skynard (all Jacksonville); Winter brothers (east Texas) -- so the sudden jump from one to the other seemed to defy logic. Wait, the B-52's are from where?!? Most folks at the time would have gone through 35 or 40 guesses before hitting upon Georgia? I remember we had a whole thread on southern rock here one time.

TransMonk Jul 16 2020 07:59 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Frayed Knot wrote: Wait, the B-52's are from where?!? Most folks at the time would have gone through 35 or 40 guesses before hitting upon Georgia? Yup. The book detailed how the early traveling bands from Athens were always trying to overcome the stereotype of the long-haired, confederate-flag-waving, southern rockers. They wanted to show that Southerners could make arty and hip music. Obviously, by the mid-80s, other Southern alt-bands were looking to hitch on to the "Athens" scene to book gigs around the US.

TransMonk Jul 27 2020 05:51 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I started ALL I EVER WANTED by The Go-Go's bassist Kathy Valentine over the weekend. [fimg=200]https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579998156l/49950142.jpg[/fimg]

TransMonk Jul 30 2020 08:25 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I finished the Kathy Valentine book. She tells the tale of the Go-Go's as well as her career before and after. No direct ties to my recent Athens music read, COOL TOWN, but the Go-Go's did share a record label with early REM: I.R.S. records - run by Stewart Copeland's brother. Fun fact: the gear used by Nick Lowe's band in the "Cruel To Be Kind" video was loaned to them by Valentine's pre-Go-Go's band, The Textones. Kathy wrote the genesis of "Vacation" and played it with The Textones before The Go-Go's made it a hit years later. [fimg=400]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/TybUU42-w8fUgG0Zhmnj_wEkOjvgFO2-NVpRVegyblfNAPjGcpZ9Iq9fbUUmq7VEOzhNqA0Y9bQT7v_dNEddxPzbfy6NrQVuX9jggdzcHJ2Te4tIV3pG54R7I3lW6jOnwsHJrovOHg-Rr2-rCarJhngVTSpXwpEXGJ0vKtTDB9bB[/fimg]

Frayed Knot Aug 02 2020 07:35 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I finished the Kathy Valentine book. She tells the tale of the Go-Go's as well as her career before and after. No direct ties to my recent Athens music read, COOL TOWN, but the Go-Go's did share a record label with early REM: I.R.S. records - run by Stewart Copeland's brother. Fun fact: the gear used by Nick Lowe's band in the "Cruel To Be Kind" video was loaned to them by Valentine's pre-Go-Go's band, The Textones. Kathy wrote the genesis of "Vacation" and played it with The Textones before The Go-Go's made it a hit years later. btw, there's a special, apparently just released, on the Go-Gos currently running on ShowTime. I just stumbled across it tonight so I hit 'Record' but haven't watched it yet. The fact that it's new may mean that the Valentine book may be part of their source material.

Fman99 Aug 02 2020 08:35 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I'm reading David Copperfield My late dad's favorite book. I read it once in high school and vowed to never read it again. And I love me some classics. I'm 90% of the way through "The Caine Mutiny," which I've never read. It's a good yarn.

batmagadanleadoff Aug 09 2020 06:03 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Not what I'm reading right now, but what The New Yorker recommends youse baseball fans should be reading right now, with links to the articles. One of the small mercies of our pandemic year has been the resumption of baseball: crowdless, silent, but baseball all the same. This week, perhaps to make up for being kept away from the stadium, we're bringing you a selection of some great baseball pieces from our archive. On September 28, 1960, the last day of his career, Ted Williams stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. He descended into the dugout and never returned to the field, not even to tip his cap. John Updike was sitting in the stands that day at Fenway Park and soon wrote “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu,” his valedictory to the great Red Sox hitter and outfielder. In “Distance,” Roger Angell, the greatest of all baseball writers and an honoree of the Hall of Fame, profiles Bob Gibson, the pitching master of the St. Louis Cardinals. In “Baseball's Bumpy Return and the Gap Between Hope and Hubris,” Louisa Thomas describes the difficulties inherent in commencing a new baseball season during an epidemic. In “The Big Heinie,” Louis Menand examines how Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig helped to reinvent our notion of star athletes. Finally, in “The Professor of Baseball,” Ben McGrath reports on the statistician Bill James, the brains behind the “moneyball” approach to the game. Here's to seeing you at the ballpark sometime soon. —David Remnick https://www.newyorker.com/books/double-take/sunday-reading-baseball

Fman99 Oct 13 2020 12:13 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

At some point in the last several years I downloaded a batch of all of the recent Pulitzer prize winning works of fiction of the last 75 years. Don't ask how, let's just say, these fell off the back of a digital truck of some kind. Anyhoo, I will on and off again work my way through these books, or at least try to. Some of them are too arcane, or the prose too dated, or they're just too slow to ramp up. Some others, however, get me hooked right out of the gate and I rush through them headlong. I just finished "A Thousand Acres," by Jane Smiley. This falls into the latter category.

RealityChuck Oct 13 2020 07:06 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I'm reading Cugel's Saga by Jack Vance https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Cugel%27s_Saga_%28Jack_Vance_novel_-_cover_art%29.jpg> I discovered Vance far too late. I only read one of his books during his lifetime.* He is a master at creating vivid societies and outre characters. His weaknesses -- his plotting is often very crude -- are more than overshadowed by the fascinating worlds and people. I was reluctant to start this. It's part of his Dying Earth series and Cugel showed up and was a complete asshole; I wasn't sure I wanted to spend another book with him. He's still an asshole, but it's in reaction to other people being even bigger ones. Since it's a picaresque (a series of small adventures), his weaknesses in plotting are not important. *I happened to read his Emphyrio just before taking the English regents in serialized form. I wrote about it in the Regents, knowing that the teacher had probably never heard of it, but I could produce it if questioned.

batmagadanleadoff Oct 28 2020 06:41 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Not what I'm reading now, but for some of us here who love to read rock -n- roll biographies. And Rolling Stone Magazine's got their list of "The 50 Greatest Rock Memoirs of All Time" --- from#50 -- Steven Tyler: 'Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?' (2011) all the way to their #1 read -- Bob Dylan: 'Chronicles, Volume One' (2004). With stops in-between like #16: Rod Stewart: 'Rod' (2012): Excerpt: A typical scene from this flawless masterpiece: Rod, Elton, and Freddie Mercury spend a drug-crazed evening in Bel Air plotting to form a supergroup. “The name we had in mind was Nose, Teeth, & Hair, a tribute to each of our most-remarked-upon physical attributes.” Rod reports, “Somehow this project never came to anything, which is contemporary music's deep and abiding loss.” It's funnier than anything in the Freddie or Elton biopics — films where Rod isn't even mentioned. Nobody's turned this book into a movie, but maybe that's because Rod has no use for crash-flop-comeback arcs. He's just spent 50 years being Rod Stewart, and nobody's ever loved anything as much as he loves being Rod Stewart. The best line comes when he's accused of ass-wiggling in the “Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?” era: “We're talking about a difference in fashion here, and the cut of the clothes, rather than a wholesale change in my approach to buttock work.” or #12 -- Paul McCartney: 'Many Years From Now' (1997) Officially this is an “authorized biography,” by longtime Macca friend Barry Miles. But that's just a front, because the book really exists as a vehicle for Paul to tell his story in his own words. Every page has killer lines, like when he reveals “Can't Buy Me Love” was recorded after a nine-day orgy with Miami Beach's finest hookers: “It should been ‘Can Buy Me Love,' actually.” Some fans were put off by the way he squabbles over credits, even breaking down songwriting by percentages. (To pick one controversial example, he calculates that “Norwegian Wood” as 40 percent his and 60 percent John's.) But on the page, as well as in song, his voice overflows with wit and affection. And he did less to fuck up his good luck than any rock star who has ever existed, which might be why his memories make such marvelous company. or #23 -- Tommy James: 'Me, the Mob and the Music' (2010) The Goodfellas of rock & roll literature. Everybody knows the Tommy James oldies — “Mony Mony,” “Hanky Panky,” “Crimson and Clover,” etc. But according to Tommy, these songs got on the radio because he had some influential mobbed-up friends pulling the strings. (And, of course, pocketing the loot.) The whole topic of criminal connections in the music business is still taboo — see Fredric Dannen's 1990 classic Hit Men for the full picture. But Tommy James is the first star to tell the story from the inside: How the Mafia gave the world “I Think We're Alone Now.” https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/books-greatest-rock-memoirs-of-all-time-161198/nikki-sixx-the-heroin-diaries-2007-228907/

Frayed Knot Oct 28 2020 07:00 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

In a store earlier today I passed by a board game with the Rolling Stone logo on it. Didn't take a good look at it but at quick glance it appeared to be one of those where answering R&R trivia questions moved you around the board or some such deal. No idea whether this is new or old, I'm guessing new or at least new-ish as RS is likely trying to stamp/sell their name to a lot of things these days seeing as how no one actually buys magazines anymore.

TransMonk Oct 28 2020 07:02 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I just finished up How To Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy. https://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/9780593183526_p0_v2_s550x406.jpg> It was a decent collection of some of his songwriting processes and tips. Some seem helpful. Some only seem helpful if you happen to have the resources and talent of Jeff Tweedy. Still, I appreciate any advice he's willing to give.

Edgy MD Oct 28 2020 07:46 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Let us know what song you get out of it.

batmagadanleadoff Oct 29 2020 01:50 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Biden's killing it according to the fivethirtyeight snake: [FIMG=666]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50542570813_1598a9f32b_o.png[/FIMG]

whippoorwill Oct 29 2020 06:11 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I've been reading the Odessy (sp?) a chapter a night I'm pleasantly surprised at its readability. I thought it'd be weird like Shakespeare

Benjamin Grimm Oct 29 2020 07:00 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I have one chapter remaining in this book: https://images2.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9780143128991> The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss It's about the efforts to secure ratification of the 19th Amendment in Tennessee, the final state needed to make it official. I couldn't help but think about how much worse off we'd be with our elected officials if the vote was restricted to men. In fact, I think we'd benefit from an amendment that says that only women can vote.

TransMonk Oct 29 2020 07:23 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Edgy MD wrote: Let us know what song you get out of it. I'm going on full quarantine lockdown after working the polls on Tuesday and I plan on messing around with some of his strategies. If anything comes of it, I'll share.

Edgy MD Oct 29 2020 07:25 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

We should do a virtual song circle.

whippoorwill Oct 29 2020 11:07 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Edgy MD wrote: Let us know what song you get out of it. I'm going on full quarantine lockdown after working the polls on Tuesday and I plan on messing around with some of his strategies. If anything comes of it, I'll share. Yes do! And are you worried about catching it a Tuesday? I'll be working my precinct too

TransMonk Oct 29 2020 11:31 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I'm more worried about spreading it than catching it. I fear less for myself than my parents and other vulnerable people that I come into contact with frequently. I'm hunkering down until I get through the incubation period, can get tested and make sure I am symptom free.

whippoorwill Oct 29 2020 01:00 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Good idea. I'm my 90 year old moms wheels.

TransMonk Dec 29 2020 09:59 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

The pandemic left me time to read 80+ books this year...many of them good. Here are my faves from 2020: A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live by Nicholas A. Christakis Behavioral Economics When Psychology and Economics Collide by Scott A. Huettel Culture Warlords: My Journey Into the Dark Web of White Supremacy by Talia Lavin Donald Trump v. The United States: Inside the Struggle to Stop a President by Michael S. Schmidt Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America by Kurt Andersen Eyes to the Wind: A Memoir of Love and Death, Hope and Resistance by Ady Barkin Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin In Defense of Elitism: Why I'm Better Than You and You are Better Than Someone Who Didn't Buy This Book by Joel Stein Mythos by Stephen Fry Pelosi by Molly Ball Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real Change by Eitan D. Hersh Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win by Maria Konnikova Unmaking the Presidency: Donald Trump's War on the World's Most Powerful Office by Susan Hennessey What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era by Carlos Lozada Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein

whippoorwill Dec 29 2020 11:07 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Just finished Oddessy and Dorian Gray. Working on some MR James

Johnny Lunchbucket Dec 30 2020 08:46 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Weird book year. read a couple of really long books, a few too many shitty ones, plus a bunch of old books I found unpacking in the new place. Kindle gives me awful recommendations. Not listed are several I started and didn't finish. The winners are the Elvis books and the Mob tome, neither are new LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS: The Rise of Elvis Presley, Peter Guralnick --I loved this book so much I immediately went and bought: CARELESS LOVE: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley --It's hard to imagine other Elvis book-writers will ever get as detailed as these two, which damn near tell a day-by-day story of Elvis HEAVEN AND HELL: My Life in the Eagles, Don Felder --Semi-interesting story from a not-very-interesting guy. Do you hear he wrote 'Hotel California'?? Geez THE WAX PACK: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball's Afterlife --I can't get over a great topic this was for a book: Rip open a pack of old (1986?) baseball cards then go find the ballplayers pictured. I found his ruminations on girls and his dad less interesting than he did--but it was cool to "meet" these old guys, or not meet them, and he boldly went after it. Fun. SOME FANTASTIC PLACE: My Life In and Out of Squeeze, Chris Difford --Made me listen to a lot of Squeeze and appreciate their stuff again but a slog to read. More deets https://desertislandmixtape.blogspot.com/2020/04/tifford-dillbrook.html THE SPEED OF SOUND: Breaking the Barriers Between Music and Technology: A Memoir, Thomas Dolby --Pretty good, not great. Dolby's a smart guy, yaknow STEALING HOME: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between, Eric Nusbaum --Felt like a really long read. There wasn't any baseball in it. That said, good account of the city planners, crusaders and some of the victims of the Dodger Stadium build. Critics liked this more than me. THE BIG FELLA: Babe Ruth and the World He Created, Jane Leavy --This was the first Ruth bio I ever read, and being that there's several others, this one definitely tries to be different in approach. Learned a lot about how the press worked back then. Really as much about Christy Walsh as it is about the Babe, but not bad. Interesting A FALSE SPRING, Pat Jordan --Finally read this one that everyone raves about. THE ACID KING, Jesse Pollack --A look back at the 1984 Ricky Kasso "Hail Satin" murder, which took place in near where I lived, among teens my age, who hung out at the same skating rink. This is part of a "true crime" series of books meant to titillate, but it actually played down the insane coverage at the time and untangled a story that at the time was never really told right. THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD: The True Story of Andre the Giant, Bertran Hebert --You know I thought a bio of this guy would be interesting but it was written for wresting fans so more than half it (and it's pretty lengthy) describes whether he won or lost the matches as though that mattered at all. It was also way too reverent to his standing in wrestling. That said I learned a little bit about how and why he is, and about his personality (a bit of a dick, enormous appetite for food and liquor, a physical wreck, kind of sad) FIVE FAMILIES: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires, Sewyn Raab --NYTimes crime writer writes the definitive mob history, and traces the prosecutors that tried (and for a long time, didn't try) to stop them. Really interesting, really long, kind of dry, hard to keep up with all the Vincents and Tonys but fascinating stories and characters. There's never really been a movie or series that actually tells the whole story like this book does. I don't think anyway. ANXIOUS PEOPLE, Frederik Backman --Crime/hostage caper, touching and stylistically pleasant to read, good but not nearly as good (IMO) as his other books. THE CAPTAIN: A Memoir, David Wright with Anthony DiComo --As mentioned in the thread, not really good. In the end comes off sad. Was mad at DiComo for doing this but turns out he helped Wright to "remember" the stuff he writes about by getting him in touch with his past behind the scenes. Still, the stuff in there just isn't interesting. David Wright isn't really interesting. Nice guy, good ballplayer, boring. DO YOU FEEL LIKE I DO: A Memoir, Peter Frampton and Alan Light --Another memoir about a solid performer and nice guy beset by a health affliction who it turns out isn't all that interesting either. MIDNIGHT IN CHERNOBYL, Ian Higganbotham --I picked this up from some of you guys who reveiwed this in last year's wrapup. What a clusterfuck Russia is THE COLD VANISH: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands, Jon Billman --Interesting topic on people who go missing in the wild. Book is a little jumbled, lots of little stories, and lots of associated bullshit (psychics, sasquatch) jammed into a bigger one where the author accompanies the father of an outdoorsy kid who goes missing in Oregon. In the end an okay book. THEY JUST SEEM A LITTLE WEIRD: How KISS, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and Starz Remade Rock and Roll, Doug Brod --Just published, just finished. Not sure I completely buy the conceit even after reading it. The stuff about Starz (a bubblegum metal band launched by KISS's handlers who (I did not know this) emerged from the ashes of Looking Glass ("Brandy") was most interesting in illustrating the fine line between success and failure, and art vs. product. You also realize that some guys are built to handle success and others aren't but don't to this day realize it. Mentions all the managers, producers, stagehands, girlfriends, concerts, legal disputes these 4 bands shared, elicits testimony from hair metal and grunge successors influenced by their heyday, does a brief look into Circus/Creem that promoted them, follows up on the bizarre undertakings of KISS/Starz' choreographer Sean Delaney and his gay metal band, etc. Steven Tyler is a dick, Gene Simmons is a dick, Bun E Carlos does most of the talking for Cheap Trick but we never really find out why he's not there anymore. Unwieldy. Good title THE WOST TEAM MONEY COULD BUY: The Collapse of the New York Mets, Bob Klapisch and John Harper --Reread and ruminated on the death of clubhouse access and daily papers. The authors make themselves the heroes of their own story here, but its a book we might never get the likes of again. A DREAM SEASON, Gary Carter and John Hough Jr. --Reread. This book is better than I thought it was. The co-author writes very competently and handles Carter right. The format works. Contest to the Wright debacle IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF BASEBALL? The Revolutionary Reign of Bud Selig, Andrew Zimbalist --Written in the middle of the Selig era (since revised with a new subtitle). Gives a good history of the commissionership VAN HALEN RISING: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal --reread just before Eddie's death. Really good book ONCE UPON A TEAM: The Epic Rise and Historic Fall of Baseball's Wilmington Quicksteps, Jon Springer --Not as awful as I remember but coulda been better! THE NUMBERS GAME: Baseball's Lifelong Fascination with Statistics, Alan Schwarz --Reread. Good stuff on the mom's basement pioneers of stats and could use an update

Frayed Knot Dec 30 2020 07:13 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

MIDNIGHT IN CHERNOBYL: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster — Adam Higginbotham (2019) ***-1/2 Remarkably detailed account of the event and the aftermath including the thesis that it, as much as anything, was the beginning of the end for the Soviet Union FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME: The Inside Story of the Surprising and Dramatic Transformation of Major League Baseball — Bud Selig (2019) ** A short and shallow version of Bud's time as owner & commissioner, disappointingly scarce on behind the scenes details beyond what you probably already know. HELLRAISERS: The Life and Inebriated Times of Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Peter O'Toole, and Oliver Reed — Robert Sellers (2008) ** Some decent stories of how four raw talents drank and fought and fucked their way into and out of trouble and, in some cases, into early graves. After a while though the whole — and then [insert name] punched/fucked a cop/starlet and wound up in jail/with a goat — stories start to get redundant after a while. DREAMS OF EL DORADO: A History of the American West — H. W. Brands (2019) *** A guided tour of how the American west came to be, from the Louisiana Purchase through the presidency of Teddy Roosevelt. SHADOWLANDS: Fear and Freedom at the Oregon Standoff — Anthony McCann (2019) ** Not quite sure how to describe this one; certainly not as a complete coverage of the standoff itself, more like using that topic as a launching for a think piece about what the incident says about our country in general as things headed into the 2016 elections. Some decent stuff in there although it took FOREVER to slog through it. GRANT — Ron Chernow (2017) **** A massive but well written tome about a man who was much more interesting, diverse, and consequential than I imagined going in. THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness — Sy Montgomery (2015) **-1/2 Interesting creatures those octopuses … the book, a little less so. Tell me more about octopuses and less about you and your friends please. BELLEVUE: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital — David Oshinsky (2016) ***-1/2 A mini-history both of NYC and of the advances in medicine as seen through the lens of NYC's most famous and infamous public hospital ERUPTION: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens — Steve Olson (2016) ***-1/2 Well done timeline and backstory involving all the factors [gov't, business, recreational, environmental] connected to a mountain blowing its top back in May 1980 THE GREAT SOCIETY: A New History — Amity Shlaes (2020) *** Focusing on how those promoting the poverty/housing programs of LBJ (and continued by Nixon) saw “success” more in the fact that the programs were passed and funded than they did in whether or not they actually accomplished what they set out to do. THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz — Eric Larson (2020) ***-1/2 Starting from when his ascension to Prime Minister coincided with Hitler's attack on western Europe, a look at Winston Churchill's first year as PM as well as some of his inner circle. PHARMA: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America — Gerald Posner (2020) **** A VERY thorough history of the selling, and the attempted regulation of, medicines in this country. It's not a pretty story. COUNTDOWN 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days that Changed the World — Chris Wallace, Mitch Weiss (2020) *** A bit of a quickie look at the scientists, the military men, and the politicians behind the bomb. The 116 days refers to the time between the death of FDR and the bombing of Hiroshima. WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE GOT HERE: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past — David Reich (2019) **-1/2 The tracing of the history of mankind via modern DNA analysis, but one that's more technical and detailed than most readers likely need to know. AGENT SONYA: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy — Ben MacIntyre (2020) *** From an author who specializes in true-life, cold-war spy tales (this is the 3rd one of his I've read) this one involves an anti-Fascist German Jew who went on to spy for the Soviet Union from the '30 through the ‘70s. FRONT ROW AT THE TRUMP SHOW — Jonathan Karl (2020) *** White House journalist examines all the ways the Trump presidency differed from all others. INTANGIBLES: Unlocking the Science and Soul of Team Chemistry — Joan Ryan (2020) SF-area sports writer tackles the question of whether ‘chemistry' exists in sports and how to find/measure it. THE YEAR 1000: When Explorers Connected the World and Globalization Began — Valerie Hansen (2020) **-1/2 Some interesting stuff on how connected the world was already becoming a full millennium ago (the east more so than the west) although the writing was a bit dry and repetitive after a while. GRANT, PHARMA, and SHADOWLANDS each took about a month of my time. The first two because they were long, the third because it was so ponderous. A couple of good ones this year, not sure there were any I'd call great.

Fman99 Dec 30 2020 07:24 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I read so many damn books this year. I still haven't figured out a good way to keep track of them all.

Frayed Knot Dec 30 2020 07:33 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

=Fman99 post_id=53034 time=1609381471 user_id=86]I still haven't figured out a good way to keep track of them all.

I just keep a running list/word doc and add to it with a short description and basic rating for each as I go along.

The above list is the result of that.



It ain't pretty, but it works.

Fman99 Dec 30 2020 07:36 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Frayed Knot wrote: =Fman99 post_id=53034 time=1609381471 user_id=86]I still haven't figured out a good way to keep track of them all. I just keep a running list/word doc and add to it with a short description and basic rating for each as I go along. The above list is the result of that. It ain't pretty, but it works.

I tried that and it worked for me once or twice. The problem is that I do 2/3 of my reading in bed, on my Nook, and it doesn't offer me an easy way to notate which books I read when. Also there are quite a few on there that I got a part of the way in and gave up on, so there's that too.

Frayed Knot Dec 30 2020 07:56 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020? Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jan 09 2021 06:26 PM

I don't notate while I'm reading either. After I finish a book I just note the title, author, pub year, then add a basic rating along with a one or two sentence synopsis. And if I bail on a book partway through it simply doesn't get added to the pile. I never tracked books or even knew anyone who did until some here noted that they had been doing so for years and I realized I was getting suggestions from their lists and figured I'd return the favor. I've now got a list going back to 2013

cal sharpie Dec 30 2020 10:51 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I've been tracking books since 1985. Only keeping title, author and date I finished. I kind of hate writing book reports. Here's this year's list (57 in all). Over the next few days I might add commentary: NOVELS, TALES, JOURNEYS – Alexander Pushkin THE FOOD EXPLORER – Daniel Stone THE PIER FALLS – Mark Haddon THE OLD DRIFT – Namwali Serpell THE FRIEND – Sigrid Nunez TRANSFORMER – Victor Bockris CHERRY – Nico Walker THE TOPEKA SCHOOL – Ben Lerner FLORIDA – Lauren Groff A MANUAL FOR CLEANING WOMEN – Lucia Berlin A FISH CAUGHT IN TIME – Samantha Weinberg WEATHER – Jenny Offill NATIVE SON – Richard Wright LaROSE – Louise Erdrich BECAUSE INTERNET – Gretchen McCulloch COMMONWEALTH – Ann Patchett DREYER'S ENGLISH – Benjamin Dreyer THE NICKEL BOYS – Colson Whitehead THE CONFIDENTIAL AGENT – Graham Greene WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD IS TRUE – Carolyn Forche THE LIKENESS – Tana French FLIGHTS – Olga Tokarzcuk THE SHAPE OF THE RUINS – Juan Gabriel Vasquez SUN AFTER DARK – Pico Iyer WEST WITH THE NIGHT – Beryl Markham MOUTHFUL OF BIRDS – Samanta Schweblin THE BRIDGE ON THE DRINA – Ivo Andric LORD OF MISRULE – Jaimy Gordon HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST – Ibram X. Kendi FROM THE CORNER OF THE OVAL – Beck Dorey-Stein DISSOLUTION – C.J. Sansom THE DUTCH HOUSE – Ann Patchett KUDOS – Rachel Cusk GHOSTWRITTEN – David Mitchell THE END OF OCTOBER – Lawrence Wright ATOMIC SPY – Nancy Thorndike Greenspan THE WORST HARD TIME – Timothy Egan THE EDITOR – Steven Rowley ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS – Ocean Vuong THE IDIOT – Elif Batuman THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD – Zora Neale Hurston CHANGING MY MIND – Zadie Smith DECAMERON – Giovanni Boccaccio A SHORT HISTORY OF DRUNKENNESS – Mark Forsyth THE BADASS LIBRARIANS OF TIMBUKTU – Joshua Hammer PNIN – Vladimir Nabokov THE KING IS DEAD – Jim Lewis THE RESERVE – Russell Banks BRAZZAVILLE BEACH – William Boyd LET'S GO (SO WE CAN GET BACK) – Jeff Tweedy THE ENSEMBLE – Aja Gabel THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE – Erik Larson HILLBILLY ELEGY – J.D. Vance THE WAY OF ALL FLESH – Samuel Butler KINGS OF QUEENS – Erik Sherman ANTKIND – Charlie Kaufman LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND – Rumaan Alam

Johnny Lunchbucket Dec 31 2020 06:12 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

At least tell us which are most worthy!

TransMonk Dec 31 2020 06:37 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

=Fman99 post_id=53034 time=1609381471 user_id=86] I read so many damn books this year. I still haven't figured out a good way to keep track of them all.

I use a Goodreads account. As long as you keep up with logging when you start and finish books, they will create the list for you.

cal sharpie Dec 31 2020 09:24 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Notable books from my list. Fiction: THE TOPEKA SCHOOL — makes high school debating exciting WEATHER — quirky,elliptical THE NICKEL BOYS — he deservedly won his second Pulitzer for this THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD - a 20th century classic DECAMERON — a 16th century classic PNIN — another 20th century clasdic Non-fiction: A FISH CAUGHT IN TIME — fascinating account of the discovery of a fish thought extinct DREYER'S ENGLISH — Strunk & White but fun THE BADASS LIBRARIANS OF TIMBUKTU — amazing story involving history and Mideast politics THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE — a bit overpraised but worthwhile Of the two rock books I choose the Jeff Tweedy memoir over the Lou Reed bio (TRANSFORMER).

whippoorwill Dec 31 2020 09:32 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Cal, what was the fish? I ask because in high school my husband did a report on the __ Coelacanth_ (have to go check spelling) and his bonehead teacher said there was no such thing

Benjamin Grimm Dec 31 2020 09:56 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Yes, that's the fish. I read that same book several years ago.

Benjamin Grimm Dec 31 2020 10:15 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Only fifteen books this year. My reading has really slacked off in the last couple of years. My life has gone through a significant change, but I can't really put my finger on why that's reduced the number of books that I read, but the timing of the reduction is indisputable. Monkey Business revealed a few things that I didn't already know about the Marx Brothers, and that's a rare thing for me at this point. The Great Influenza was a particularly timely read, for obvious reasons. King of the World was interesting; I thought it was going to be a biography of Muhammed Ali, and although the focus was on Ali (and his transformation from being Cassius Clay) it also focused on Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston. The Woman's Hour was also interesting. I haven't read as much as I'd like about the women's suffrage movement. I got bogged down in the Frida book (too many pages spent reprinting letters she sent and received in their entirety) and the Garbo book (she had a long life but only a small fraction of it was notable). Next of Kin was thought-provoking. It's about the evolution of language, the evolution of apes and humans, and about animal rights. 1 High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic Glenn Frankel 2 Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The John Boyne 3 Square Meal, A: A Culinary History of the Great Depression Jane Ziegelman, Andrew Coe 4 Let it Burn Michael Boyette, Randi Boyette 5 Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero Larry Tye 6 Garbo Barry Paris 7 Psychopath Test, The: A Journey Through the Madness Industry Jon Ronson 8 Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa Jason K. Stearns 9 King of the World David Remnick 10 Great Influenza, The: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History John M. Barry 11 Monkey Business: The Lives and Legends of The Marx Brothers Simon Louvish 12 Other Wes More, The: One Name, Two Fates Wes Moore 13 Woman's Hour, The: The Great Fight to Win the Vote Elaine F. Weiss 14 Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees Roger Fouts 15 Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo Hayden Herrera

A Boy Named Seo Dec 31 2020 11:20 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

I just finished up How To Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy. https://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/9780593183526_p0_v2_s550x406.jpg> It was a decent collection of some of his songwriting processes and tips. Some seem helpful. Some only seem helpful if you happen to have the resources and talent of Jeff Tweedy. Still, I appreciate any advice he's willing to give. I 100% agree with this review. His writing exercises seemed really cool to me and I've *meant* to try some of those and create some new lyrics that regular me wouldn't write.

A Boy Named Seo Dec 31 2020 11:21 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

My reading was woeful this year, but I devoured this awesome book. Highly (pun intended) recommend! https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595210644l/50997608.jpg>

Fman99 Dec 31 2020 08:14 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

=TransMonk post_id=53053 time=1609421871 user_id=71] =Fman99 post_id=53034 time=1609381471 user_id=86] I read so many damn books this year. I still haven't figured out a good way to keep track of them all.

I use a Goodreads account. As long as you keep up with logging when you start and finish books, they will create the list for you.


Thanks TM I'll give that a go for 2021.

Willets Point Jan 05 2021 04:44 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

January [list] [*]Cartoon County by Cullen Murphy - **** [*]The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher (A) - *** [*]Return of the Living Dad by Kate Orman - ***1/2 [*]Star Wars Vol. 11: The Scourging of Shu-Torun [*]Star Wars Vol. 12:  Rebels and Rogues  [*]the relationship by Ashley D. Stevens - *** [*]Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (A) - **** [*]The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King (A) - **** [*]Lonely Planet: Yellowstone and Grand Tetons - *** [*]Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein - ****1/2 [*]The Shining by Stephen King (A) - *** [/list] February [list] [*]When the Irish Invaded Canada by Christopher Klein - **** [*]The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (A) - **** [*]The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben - ***1/2 [*]11/22/63 by Stephen King (A) - ***1/2 [*]Shearwater: A Mermaid Romance by D.S. Murphy - **1/2 [*]Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt (A) - **** [/list] March [list] [*]Empire of Shadows: The Epic Story of Yellowstone by George Black (A) - *** [/list] April [list] [*]The Walt Disney World That Never Was by Christopher E. Smith - *** [*]Sula by Toni Morrison (A) - **** [*]The Fiery Trial by Eric Foner (A) - ***1/2 [*]The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer - **** [*]Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones (A) - **** [*]Terry Jones' Medieval Lives by Terry Jones and Alan Ereira - **** [*]All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai (A) - **** [/list] May [list] [*]The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (A) - *** [*]Damaged Goods by Russell T. Davies - ***1/2 [*]Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (A) - ***** [*]Bonk by Mary Roach - *** [*]The Hunger by Alma Katsu (A) - ** [*]K : A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches by Tyler Kepner - ***1/2 [/list] June [list] [*]All the Bad Apples by Moïra Fowley-Doyle (A) - **1/2 [*]The Monied Metropolis by Sven Beckert - *** [*]Highfire by Eoin Colfer - **1/2 [*]Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis - ***1/2 [*]Letters to The Hall of Presidents by Guy Hutchinson - 1/2* [*]Tar Baby by Toni Morrison (A) - **** [*]Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (A) - ***** [/list] July [list] [*]Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe (A) - **** [*]Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore (A) - ***1/2 [*]This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (A) - ** [*]Maeve in America by Maeve Higgins (A) - ***1/2 [*]Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks - *** [*]The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow (A) - *** [/list] August [list] [*]Voyage of Mercy by Stephen Puleo (A) - ***1/2 [*]Star Wars: Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray - ***1/2 [*]The Tree by Colin Tudge - *** [*]Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown - ***1/2 [*]Watching Yellowstone & Grand Teton Wildlife by Todd Wilkinson - *** [*]A Ranger's Guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes by Roger Anderson and Carol Shively Anderson - ***1/2 [*]The Farcountry Field Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks by Kurt F. Johnson - **** [*]Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (A) - ****1/2 [*]Attack of the Clones by R.A. Salvatore - *** [/list] September [list] [*]The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer (A) - ***1/2 [*]Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover - **** [*]Beloved by Toni Morrison (A) - ****1/2 [*]The Assassination of Fred Hampton by Jeffrey Haas - **** [*]Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin  (translator Megan McDowell) (A) - **1/2 [*]Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker by George Lucas (ghost written by Alan Dean Foster) - *** [/list] October [list] [*]The Great Halifax Explosion by John U. Bacon (A) - ***1/2 [*]The Empire Strikes Back by Donald F. Glut - *** [*]Franklin Park by Julie Arrison - *** [*]The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar (A) - ***1/2 [*]The Library Book by Susan Orlean (A) - ***1/2 [*]Return of the Jedi by James Kahn - *** [/list] November [list] [*]The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jeoff (A) - *** [*]Gateway to Freedom by Eric Foner (A) - ***1/2 [*]The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde - ***1/2 [/list] December [list] [*]Gulp by Mary Roach (A) - ***1/2 [*]A Clearing in the Distance by Witold Rybcynski - ***** [*]The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt - ***** [*]Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (A) - *** [*]Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn - *** [*]The Queens of Animation by Nathalia Holt (A) - ***1/2 [*]George Lucas by Brian Jay Jones (A) - *** [/list]

Fman99 Jan 05 2021 06:05 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

Damn, points to WP for the list. How do you get anything else done in your life?

whippoorwill Jan 07 2021 11:41 AM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

WP that is very impressive and I like your book review links

batmagadanleadoff Jan 07 2021 12:13 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

=whippoorwill post_id=53467 time=1610044892 user_id=79] and I like your book review links

Thanks. Didn't catch that.



I look forward to these year-end lists, especially the ones from our forum members who consistently average about two or three books a month (at least). I usually pick off a book or two from these year-enders to read, myself.



I might go for that Marx Bros. book on Grimm's list. I've read many Marx Bros. books already.

metsmarathon Jan 07 2021 01:04 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

i still haven't finished the damned Grant book that i started back in '19...

Willets Point Jan 07 2021 06:00 PM Re: What are you reading in 2020?

=Fman99 post_id=53270 time=1609895155 user_id=86] Damn, points to WP for the list. How do you get anything else done in your life?

1. I listen to a lot of audiobooks while I work. They're marked with (A).

2. Believe it or not, I used to read a TON more books before I had kids.