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Vacation Reading

Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBT Rights Uprising that Changed America by Martin Doberman

The Pursuit of Pearls by Clara Vine

Lust, Caution by Eileen Chang

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams

The Rocksburg Railroad Murders by K.C. Constantine

March Violets by Philip Kerr

Can't Knock the Hustle: Inside Brooklyn's Season of Hope: How Basketball Helped Us Survive Power, Politics, and a Global Pandemic by Matt Sullivan

The Lime Pit by Jonathan Valin

July 6, 2021 by Jake Leave a Comment

I was on vacation last week and, as you can tell from the stack in the header, I read a LOT… Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBT Rights Uprising that Changed America **** I wish this had focused more on the Uprising itself, as opposed to being a semi auto-biography on those who were involved in it. But it’s still a fascinating story at the nascent days of the LGBTQIA+ Movement, the challenges and complexities, and what emerged from it. A good gateway into learning […]

Conspiracy of Fools

Wedding Station by David Downing

June 7, 2021 by Jake Leave a Comment

I don’t know what to make of David Downing’s Station series. On the one hand, I frequently read historical fiction that explores the pitfalls of life in Nazi Germany. Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series is the best example but there are others in the popular “Nazi Noir” subgenere and Downing’s series is one of them. Downing gets the atmosphere of prewar Berlin down in an effective, readable way. I visited Berlin before and while it’s far removed from its Nazi past, the environment of low […]

Lyrical, Soulful, Compelling

Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugan

September 1, 2020 by Wanderlustful Leave a Comment

I’ve been wanting to read Half Blood Blues, Esi Edugan’s Giller prize-winning, Booker prize-shortlisted novel, ever since it came out in 2011- its only taken a “Music” bingo square to finally get me there. Half-Blood Blues is a beautifully written, deeply layered, and historically fascinating novel about a group of mixed-race jazz musicians in Paris and Berlin during the wild interwar years. The novel opens in Paris in 1941, when one of the band members gets ‘pinched’ by the occupying Nazis. From this navel, the […]

Auf Wiedersehen, Old Friend

Metropolis by Philip Kerr

April 15, 2019 by Jake Leave a Comment

The last week or so, I’ve written in different outlets about the impact Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series has had on my reading journey and personal life. While acknowledging the many faults of these books, I love them in a special way. I think Kerr is great at capturing atmosphere and cynicism to produce some truly great crime reading. “Nazi Noir” is a burgeoning genre now but Kerr’s Gunther works were really the trendsetter. Knowing this would be the last one following Kerr’s untimely death, […]

eeeugh. gross in so many ways.

The Innocent by Ian McEwan

February 10, 2019 by andtheIToldYouSos 9 Comments

TRIGGER WARNING: sexual violence- and other terrible things What started out as a fairly mild story of a man who is a:not good at his job and b: not a terribly interesting person lurched suddenly downhill into a dirge of rape fantasy, sexual violence, murder, and dismemberment. “Eeeugh” was putting it lightly. I’m not one to tell you, dear reader, what to do- but I strongly suggest avoiding this garbage fire. I am normally drawn to post-war drama- especially involving espionage and intrigue- but I […]

Please don’t make me defend a Nazi sympathizer

Dietrich & Riefenstahl: Hollywood, Berlin, and a Century in Two Lives by Karin Wieland

March 17, 2016 by expandingbookshelf 3 Comments

In Dietrich & Riefenstahl, Karin Wieland compares the lives of two famous German movie personalities. On the surface, Marlin Dietrich and Leni Riefenstahl seem very similar. Born a year apart, both harbored big dreams. Both defied their parents, studied dance and worked as actors. Both took lovers and refused to live their lives the way others demanded. But when Hitler ascended to power, the two women reacted very differently. Dietrich became an American citizen and entertained Allied troops during the war, and Riefenstahl supported Hitler, […]

postcardsandbooks on So excited for Book 3!I did see that :) I'm getting them with my new audible credits when they come in!
narfna on Baby’s first tie-in Star Trek novel.I probably would have loved this if I'd read it when I was younger, like I did with all the original Star Wars EU books....
narfna on “Is your brother really such a surly bastard, they ask. Of course not; inside, he’s a teddy bear, say I . . . and then he opens his mouth.”I already love Matthias and we only spent like two pages with him.
llamareadsbooks on “Is your brother really such a surly bastard, they ask. Of course not; inside, he’s a teddy bear, say I . . . and then he opens his mouth.”Lucy Parker's books *are* such warm hugs, aren't they? I also can't wait for Pet's book!
llamareadsbooks on Baby’s first tie-in Star Trek novel.I read this when it came out, so I was quite the wee baby, and I remember loving the crap out of everything Peter David...

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