After finishing How to be Champion on August 19, once again, I borrowed another book from my parents. This time, Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman. I started this on August 20 and finished it 9 days later on August 29th. Quick read!
Anne Hillerman is the daughter of author Tony Hillerman, and apparently picked up her series where her father's left off carrying on with two of his characters, Leaphorn and Chee.
This is another cop series - this time with Navajo Nation police along with the FBI. This is the first in the series, and I'll definitely read more.
This book is centered around Bernadette Manuelito, a police officer with the Navajo Nation police, and she is an eye witness to a shooting of a fellow officer. The book follows Bernadette and her police officer husband investigate the case of their fellow officer's shooting. This book is infused with traditional policework and investigation, but also with cultural sites and rituals belonging to the Navajo Nation.
One of the places mentioned throughout the book is a town called Shiprock. As a kid, one summer we camped throughout the Southwest - into Monument Valley, the 4 Corners, Durango, Farmington, Mesa Verde, and even passed through Shiprock, New Mexico. I always like it when I have a real-life reference to places mentioned in books - it enables me to really see and feel the book.
This was an entertaining, suspenseful, good read. If you like serial books with strong characters, and cops, give this a read.
After finishing The Crossing by Michael Connelly, I started How to be Champion by Sarah Millican. I started this on July 7 and finished it on August 19. This little comedic gem is courtesy of the finished book pile at my parents' house. There are all kinds of super random books in the perma-pile at their house.
My step-mother, Sally, mentioned that this was pretty funny, and seeing how I had just finished my other book, and was book-less on this trip, I decided that this looked like the most interesting book in the pile at that time, so gave it a go. I hadn't heard of her prior to picking up this book.
This book took a little longer to read than I thought it would, but it was really funny. Sarah Millican is a comedian. She's really funny. She cusses a lot in her book, and doesn't shy away from talking about gross things (poop, periods). At times, I found myself laughing out loud from what she wrote - it was usually about pooping / farting. This is more than just a comedy book - it's kind of an autobiography and a self-help book all in one. With each chapter, Milican gives us tips on how to be "Champion". What, exactly, is Champion - you'll have to read the book, but you can also watch this little snippet.
If you can make sense of British vocabulary, like to laugh, are ok with raunchy humor, aren't afraid of empowered women, and could use a little self-help, you'll probably like this book.
After finishing Enemy of the State by Kyle Mills on June 3, I picked up The Crossing by Michael Connelly. I started this gem on June 24th and finished it on July 4. This is another of Connelly's Harry Bosch novels, and one of just a few that include Micky Haller (aka The Lincoln Lawyer).
As with spy novels, I love Connelly's Bosch series of books. Bosh isn't a spy, he's a detective with the LAPD. So, I guess I love cop novels too. They are well-written, have a foundation in reality (Connelly uses real places in Southern California), are extremely entertaining, and they are easy to read. Like with the Mitch Rapp books, these books, especially near their end, do the exact opposite of what I use nighttime reading for - these rile me up and make me stay up way past when I should in order to finish them and see what happens.
This book has Harry, now retired from the LAPD, bamboozled into helping his half brother, Micky Haller, with a case he's working on. Generally Harry does not work with defense attorneys on cases, but somehow Micky entices Harry to want to learn more about the case. And, as all of the previous Harry Bosch novels show us, when Harry's interest is piqued, he's in. That's precisely what happens here and how he ends up working with a defense attorney. Of course Harry relies on some help inside the LAPD for his investigation into the murder of a woman allegedly by Haller's client.
I'm from Southern California so it is easy for me to imagine the sights and sounds as Connelly writes them. This helps make the book more vivid and real in my imagination. Connelly's books are always entertaining, interesting, and thrilling to read. I've never been disappointed, and keep coming back for more.
After finishing The Last Unicorn on May 15, I started Enemy of the State by Kyle Mills on May 24 and finished it on June 3. This is the 3rd book by Kyle Mills in the Mitch Rapp series, originally written by Vince Flynn. The series is now written by Kyle Mills since Flynn's passing. I've read the other 2 books by Mills and have enjoyed them both: The Survivor, and Order to Kill.
I love a good spy novel, and I have loved every Mitch Rapp novel so far. Enemy of the State did not disappoint. This book finds Mitch going rogue and operating outside the CIA to find and destroy an enemy of the state (hence the title). Mills brings in some characters, both friend and foe, Rapp works with on this rogue operation.
While outlandish, the escapades and capers that unfold in this novel really do have a foundation in reality. I love the action and the drama that unfold in this book. I find myself really able to visualize the details as Mills (and Flynn before him) paint elaborate and vivid pictures with their words. I usually read before bed to clear my mind and wind down. But Mitch Rapp books sort of do the opposite - I get riled up and anxious to see what happens next.
If you like spy thrillers, you'll like this book. I'd recommend reading the books either in publication order or chronological order - either will work. It is definitely best to read the books in either of those two orders as there is so much character development and relevant information in previous books that you may be lost a little if you read them out of order. Two thumbs up for me!
The Husband was VERY excited for this book for me... He read an article about it and requested it from the library for me as a surprise. It took a few weeks to arrive - there was only 1 copy at our public library - but when he presented it to me, he had the biggest smile on his face. I cracked this open on May 10th and finished it on the 15th.
For me, this wasn't like the typical books that I read - this was a graphic novel. Apparently this was a normal book and a movie back in the 1980s, but I wasn't familiar with it. Then it was made into a graphic novel - published in 2011.
This is the story of a beautiful unicorn who is the last unicorn (hence the title). This unicorn leaves her unicorn forest in search of the other unicorns.
The unicorn runs into some trouble along the way, meets a young magician, comes into the company of a young girl, and begins a quest to find the giant red bull in a faraway castle.
So - I've never really been interested in graphic novels or comic books, or other literature in this genre. I find them difficult to read - I don't know which bubble to read first and in what order. I find the illustrations to be beautiful but also distracting. I never really know where to look. Do you read the bubbles first or look at the illustrations? How can you take a whole book and condense it down into a graphic novel with maybe 1/4 of the words? How much is lost in translation?
I found this book difficult to follow and difficult to get invested in. Generally when I start a book I feel the need to finish it. There are maybe only 3-5 books that I started and didn't finish. Because The Husband was so excited about this one, I felt I needed to finish it and I also wanted to see if I would like it. It was interesting and the illustrations were beautiful, but I don't think I'll be venturing back into the graphic genre again anytime soon.
Still suffering from reading irregularity. The Husband told me about this book and it sounded so funny and absurd that we had to get it (translation, he ordered it from Amazon). I started reading this on April 22 and finished it on April 28. This book is HILARIOUS. If you love animals (I do), and/or love or hate farts, this is the next read for you!
Now - Does it Fart? may seem to some like a novelty book that you find at Urban Outfitters or Paper Source - something kitschy and fun to have around, but lo and behold - there is real science and substance in this book! It is kitschy and fun to have around, but you might learn something too! It's that useless knowledge about hind gut fermentation and animal flatulence that might help you win when you find yourself face to face with Ken Jennings on Jeopardy! or playing a heated and competitive game of Trivial Pursuit.
I was surprised about some of the animals that don't fart: parrots, sea anemone, goldfish. I was also surprised by some animals that do fart that I didn't think would: boa constrictors, American cockroaches, beaded lacewing (yes, this is a thing). I was even more surprised by what some animals do with their farts: one species of lacewings fart on prey - their farts are so potent to termites that they are stunned, paralyzed, and then they die. African Wild dogs apparently get so excited after hunting and returning to the pack that they spontaneously poop and fart everywhere (and subsequently are very stinky). Poor sea cucumbers are non-farters and have a species of pearlfish that live inside their bums - they are safe from predators in there. While there, the pearlfish eat the gonads of the sea cucumber, which isn't as devastating as it may seem - their gonads regenerate.
So - science! learning! farts! animals! This book has it all.
I loved it. The illustrations are hilarious - just check this one out:
If you like learning, animals, and think farts are funny - you'll like this book! It doesn't stink.
My reading has been a little sporadic lately. I'll pick up a book and read it, then not read for a while. Then pick back up Hamilton (by Ron Chernow) and try to get through more of it. These last several months have been a little irregular. My Grandfather, Bruce Monkman, died in December. He was 96 years old. He lived a long and adventurous life. He also wrote this book about his experiences during WWII.
He joined the Army (after the Navy failing to take him) when he was quite young and went to war. He spent several years in Europe not on the war's front but in supplying the troops with things they needed. He wasn't so far removed from the front that he was immune to shelling and danger either. Reading his book brings a little of him back to me.
Bruce was a fantastic man - full of spirit and life and life experience. He was a quiet man, but boy did he have stories. About everything and nothing. It didn't matter. When you got him talking, his charisma oozed out of him - it was infectious. And that comes through in this book.
It isn't a book full of blood and gore. Sure, there are mention of those things, but more than a traditional "war story", Bruce wrote about the adventure of being in several foreign countries and about his observations and experiences in those places. The war was a backdrop, not the main character.
There are countless stories of him being drunk and "high" (I don't think on drugs), about people he encountered in the different places his regiment stopped (Northern Africa, Italy, Germany, France), funny things that happened, hookers, townspeople, landscapes, close calls, Nazis, General Patton, President Roosevelt, girls, men, and everything in between.
My favorite story is when he describes his intake into the Army. Bruce had to:
"...sit in a chair, bare bottom and all, with the doctor at my side about three feet from me, who whispered quite loudly, "Can you hear me?" Naturally I could hear him; it was just below normal talk. I passed my hearing test with flying colors. I'm in the Army now."
Another funny story is about a U.S. Army run house of prostitution:
"...(a whore house). Naturally we headed for it. We were all young, hormones were working and this was what young studs did. Right? The place was originally run and owned by a local citizen with local girls to entertain. It was now controlled by the Army medics; they inspected the girls for any problem and let the madam continue to run the operation. The Army felt that it was safer for an operation like this than have the soldiers cruise the streets and pick up who knows what. Anyway, this was my chance to see what life was all about as I was still a virgin. In my simple mind doing this could enhance my idea of romance. What a learning time... While sitting there...awaiting my turn, a door upstairs...flew open, a nude girl came rushing out screaming, in a French accent, "too beeg, too beeg." The soldier came out, also naked, and his private was "too beeg", but demanding to be serviced...I thought, this is not for me, can't do it, I'm not ready for such a thing. I got up and headed for the door..."
It's not every day you get to seemingly hear your grandfather talk about whores and losing his virginity in a whorehouse in northern Africa.
This book is a great read and it also special because I know/knew the person who had these experiences. To see and hear Bruce talking about his wartime adventures was a treat. He would have such a smile and grin on his face. I can't help but see that in my head when I read or look at this book.
An enthusiastic two thumbs up from me - not just because I know Bruce, but because this is an interesting first-hand account of his experience in the war. Sadly, I don't know where you can purchase this book - it isn't on Amazon, as Bruce self-published it.
