Recapping My January to Early February 2026 Reads

Back in January I laid out my 2026 Reading Challenge in a post. The Challenge was broken into two challenges. The first was to read 66 books. While the second categorized the proposed reads by both source and type of book.

Proposed February–March 2026 Reads

Here are my proposed February–March 2026 reads. Both the Reed Farrel Coleman and William Kent Kreuger books are carry-overs from last month. Mainly because I read Departure 37 and Nemesis instead. Both of those books had been sitting on my Library TBR shelf for a few months! The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer – Ragnar Jonasson has a;so been on my shelves for a while – it’s time to read it!

Here’s how these proposed reads break down by category:

From the Library Book Category

New Mystery Thriller Series – Library

Blind to Midnight (Nick Ryan #2)- Reed Farrel Coleman

While Reed Farrel Coleman is not a new author to me I read Redemption Street the second book in his Moe Prager series back in 2010. I haven’t read a Moe Prager since then, although I wish I had. Hopefully I won’t make the same mistake with this series!

Favorite Mystery Series – Library

Apostle’s Cove (Cork O’Connor #20)- William Kent Krueger

Since all of the Cork O’Connor books from William Kent Krueger are great. I’m sure this one will be great as well!

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer – Ragnar Jonasson

Ragnar Jonasson is one of my favorite author’s. The book is an Icelandic tribute to Agatha Christie

From the TBR Shelves Category

Favorite Mystery/ Thriller Series

Winter House – Carol O’Connell

Winter House marks a return to Carol O’Connell’s Mallory series. It’s one of only two books in the series I never got around to reading, so this feels less like a reread and more like filling in a long-standing gap.

E-Book

The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes – David Handler

I haven’t read David Handler since the 1990s, when I read one earlier book in the series (book two). With nearly a twenty-year gap between book eight and this one, it’s no wonder he slipped off my radar. This feels like a genuine rediscovery.

Wish Me Luck and Check Back to see How I’m Doing! You can Check My Overall Progress Here

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Table of Contents

A Random Album Pick – The Kingston Trio – Nick Bob John

This morning I randomly picked out an album from a crate of vinyl that was near me. The album was The Kingston Trio‘s album Nick-Bob- John. Released in 1964, the album was their first recording on the Decca label. The trio was extremely popular from 1958 through 1963 There first 5 albums peaked at No. 1 on the charts and were certifed Gold Records.. That explains why their albums are so numerous at Goodwills.

When I first realized that good albums could be found at Goodwills I started to search out folk music from the 1950s and 1960s. And The Kingston Trio albums were the easiest to find. I found this album interesting because by this time John Stewart had joined the trio.

The First Spin

I put the album on and started to do write a blog post. The first song was “Midnight Special” a song I have heard countless times over the years. My ears really perked up when I heard the third song “Someday Soon” an Ian Tyson song that has been covered by many of my favorite artists. My favorite cover though is by Judy Collins!

Down the Folk Music Rabbit Hole

Then came “Gotta Travel On” and this is when the ground started to split and a rabbit hole emerged! When I first went to Google to find out more about the song I saw a result that said Gotta Travel On words ad lyrics by Bob Dylan I thought that’s not right. When I looked back at the back of the album I saw that the songwriter was Paul Clayton.

Now that makes sense Clayton was very active in the early folk scene in Greenwich Village and I knew Dave Van Ronk had written about him in Van Ronk’s he Mayor of MacDougal Street

So I searched Google for info on the relationship between Van Ronk, Clayton and Dylan.. Here’s what i found out

Further Down the Folk Music Rabbit Hole…….

Next, I discovered that the song went back a long way and that while some say The Kingston Trio introduced the song. However, The Weavers had actually recorded it several years earlier. The sent me down the rabbit-hole to find my Weaver albums to see if I had one with “Gotta Travel On”. Bingo! And it’s even in the slightly referenced in the album title Travelin’ On with the Weavers. The song ends the album! Here’s What they wrote about the song.

Here again was the fragment of a song with an appealing rhythm we wanted to preserve. We wrote new lyrics to tell a lonesome tale: who has not felt.

What the Liner Notes Taught Me

Finally, when I pulled out the Weaver album I also pulled out The Weavers Greatest Hits. When I looked at the songs I recognized the majority of them including the likes of: “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine” “Wimoweh” and “Rock Island Line” Hey is that the Johnny Cash song? Yep.

Anyway I saw that many of these songs were written by Paul Campbell. and Kisses Sweeter than Wine and Rock Island Line were written by Paul Campbell and Joel Newman. Who were these songwriters??? Off again to Google, etc

Paul Campbell is a pseudonym used by The Weavers (Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, and Ronnie Gilbert) between 1948 and 1953 to copyright their arrangements of traditional folk songs. It allowed the group to claim songwriting credit for adapted material, such as “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine”

Now the question is who is Joel Newman? The answer Huddie Ledbetter aka Lead Belly.

Another of the things I learned from the liner notes on Travelin’ On with the Weavers involved “Kumbaya.” When they first encountered it, all they had was the word “Kumbaya,” brought back from Africa, and a rhythm that sounded like a lullaby. So they wrote it as a lullaby.

All of this from pulling one random album off a shelf.

A Folk Music Rabbit Hole Playlist

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What Is Religious Freedom Day?

From Wikipedia…

Religious Freedom Day commemorates the Virginia General Assembly’s adoption of Thomas Jefferson’s landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on January 16, 1786. The statute, written by Jefferson in 1777 and shepherded through the legislature by James Madison in 1786, became the basis for the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and led to freedom of religion for all Americans.

Religious Freedom Day is commemorated on January 16 via a proclamation by the President of the United States since 1993. Legislation has also been introduced in Minnesota to commemorate Religious Freedom Day at the state level. It is not a federal holiday. More at Wikipedia.

Background on the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was drafted in 1777 by Thomas Jefferson in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and introduced into the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond in 1779. On January 16, 1786, the Assembly enacted the statute into state law.

The statute disestablished the Church of England in Virginia and guaranteed freedom of religion to people of all religious faiths, including Christians of all denominations, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus. It was a notable precursor to both the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The Importance of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom to Jefferson

The Statute for Religious Freedom is one of only three accomplishments Jefferson instructed be included on his epitaph. More at Wikipedia.

“Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.”

My Thoughts

On this National Religious Freedom Day, I think it’s important to note that the statute we are honoring includes the disestablishment of the Church of England. At the time Jefferson wrote this statute, church and state were one, with the head of state serving as the church’s supreme governor.

By disestablishing the Church of England, Jefferson helped ensure freedom of religion for Christians of all denominations, as well as for Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and others.

With the belief that our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry…

National Religious Freedom Day is a reminder that the freedom to believe — or not — was deliberately written into the foundation of our country, not added as an afterthought. That is something worth remembering.

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So, while I read fewer books than usual in 2025, the ones I did read really delivered. This year’s reading recap leans heavily toward crime fiction and long-running series, with familiar authors, a few strong series starters, and one heavy nonfiction outlier. Less volume, same thrills.

2025 Reading Recap – Books Listed by Number and Date Read

First Read 2025	Last Read 2025

2025 Reading Recap – Leaves, Branches, Leaves Hierarchy

I tend to think of my reading life the same way I think about music — in terms of roots, branches, and leaves. Roots are the authors and series that shaped my reading early on and still draw me back. Branches are long-running favorites I’ve followed for years, evolving alongside my own tastes. Leaves are newer discoveries — recent voices, new series, or authors I’ve come to more recently. This recap follows that loose hierarchy rather than strict genre or publication date.

Reading Recap: Visiting Old Friends Via Roots Authors

Outwitting Trolls Brady Coyne #28) – William G. Tapply

A familiar, comforting return to Coyne’s thoughtful brand of justice, where New England atmosphere, quiet intelligence, and moral clarity matter more than pyrotechnics.

William G. Tapply’s Boston lawyer Brady Coyne is one of the reasons I read series books — great stories, and exactly the kind of lawyer you’d want on your side.

Savages (Nameless Detective # 31) – Bill Pronzini

Lean, sharp, and morally unsettling, Pronzini reminds us why the Nameless Detective endures — stripped-down prose, human darkness, and no easy answers.

Reading Recap: Branches Authors Whose Series Keep Rolling Along

The Black Loch Lewis Trilogy (#4) – Peter May

A dark, atmospheric return to the Hebrides, blending past crimes with present consequences. May continues to use place as character, with cold landscapes mirroring moral ambiguity.

When I read The Black House, the first book in the Lewis Trilogy, I was blown away. May’s sense of place was so strong I felt like I was in the Outer Hebrides. I’ve since read the entire trilogy and most, if not all, of his standalones. One of my favorites was Coffin Road – Check it out Here

This is Why We Lied (Will Trent #12) Karin Slaughter

A locked-room style mystery layered with long-running character arcs. Brutal, emotional, and deeply tied to the series’ history — not a starting point, but very rewarding for longtime readers.

This was the first of two Karin Slaughter books I read in 2025. For much of the book I wasn’t sure it worked for me — then came the ending, and once again I was amazed by her talent.

Angel of Vengeance (Pendergast #22) – Preston & Child

Big, bold, and unapologetically pulpy. The Pendergast universe keeps expanding, with gothic excess and high-stakes drama fully intact.

Grave Danger (Jack Swyteck #19) – James Grippando

Legal thriller meets personal jeopardy. Grippando keeps the series fresh by raising the emotional cost, not just the body count.

Battle Mountain( Joe Pickett #25) – C. J Box

Still going strong. Box continues to blend Western landscapes with modern crime, keeping Pickett relevant and grounded.

I once read that Lawrence Block described two kinds of series characters: those who never age, and those who age along with the books. Joe Pickett is very much the latter — and I’m glad he is. Watching him change over time is part of what keeps the series honest and grounded.

The same is true for Brady Coyne and Nameless Detective — both characters age along with their series, carrying the weight of experience, losses, and hard-earned perspective. That sense of time passing is a big part of why they still feel real to me.

Reading Recap: Series Books From Leaves Authors

Chain Reaction (Dez Limerick # 3) – James Byrne

Lean, fast, and brutal in all the right ways. Byrne’s series continues to impress with action that never sacrifices character.

Dez Limerick is my new favorite character — I can’t wait for the next adventure.

The Vanishing Kind (Alex Carter # 4) – Alice Henderson

Nature, survival, and danger intersect in Henderson’s strongest installment yet. The wilderness setting once again proves essential, not decorative.

Like Dez Limerick, Alex Carter has become a character I’ll follow anywhere — and the wilderness settings are a big part of why.

The Black Highway (Laughton Rees #4) – Simon Toyne

The Thames as a dark artery running through history and crime. Toyne leans into mood and menace, with forensic detail used effectively.

Series Starters Reads – from Authors Old and New

The Spy Coast (The Martini Club #1) – Tess Gerritsen

Retired spies, coastal Maine, and secrets that refuse to stay buried. A fun, smart series opener that balances humor with genuine suspense.

The Collaborators (The Comorant #1) – Michael Idove

A modern espionage debut that feels timely and sharp. Global intrigue, fractured loyalties, and a strong sense of unease set the tone for what promises to be a smart series.

The Loose End (Teigen Craft # 1) – A. J. Cross

A strong procedural opener with psychological depth. Well-drawn characters and a solid mystery make this a promising start.

We Are All Guilty Here (North Falls #1) – Karin Slaughter

A brutal, emotionally charged series opener. New setting, new cast, same fearless intensity — Slaughter resets the board effectively.

This is the second Karin Slaughter book I read in 2025. Like Peter May I’ve read most of Slaughter’s series books and the standalones. This a dark book and it’s impact extends far beyond the crimes in the book to touch deeply on a personal level! Easily one of the top three books I read this year and I look forward to more in future books in the series!

The Shattering Peace – John Scalzi

Part of John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War universe, returning to its familiar mix of military SF, politics, and sharp dialogue.

First Books in a Series new to Me (Not Book No 1)

The Nightmare (Joona Linna #2) m- Lars Kepler

Relentless pacing and disturbing psychological tension. Even jumping in at #2, the series hooks quickly with its procedural intensity and chilling antagonist.

Standalone Books From Branches and Leaves Authors

Guess Again – Charlie Donlea

A twist-heavy standalone that plays with memory, misdirection, and obsession, delivering Donlea’s trademark pace without leaning on a series framework.

My first encounter with Charlie Donlea was his debut novel Summit Lake in 2016, and I haven’t missed a book since. Before Christmas, my wife asked me to look over our son Andrew’s book list. The first title was Guess Again — I told her not to go any further and just buy that one.ok Christmas list. The first book was Guess Again. I said i’m not looking further get this one!

Death at the Sanatorium – Ragnar Jonasson

Claustrophobic and icy in tone, Jónasson uses isolation and buried secrets to build dread slowly and effectively.

Don’t Turn Around – Harry Dolan

A sharp, compact crime novel built on moral ambiguity and tight plotting, proving Dolan doesn’t need excess to unsettle.

Where They Last Saw Her Marcie R Rendon

Quietly powerful and socially grounded, Rendon blends mystery with lived experience, letting character and place carry the weight.

I came to Marcie R. Rendon through her Cash Blackbear series, having read books two and three, with the first waiting on my Nook. This standalone opened my eyes to the crisis of missing Indigenous women — and reminded me I somehow missed Broken Fields, released in March 2025. Onward to the library.

Non- Fiction – History/Politics

Rebellion: How Anti-Liberalism Is Tearing the Country Apart Again! — Robert Kagan

A sharp, unsettling look at how democratic norms erode from within. Kagan connects current political fractures to historical patterns, making this feel less like theory and more like warning. The lone nonfiction read this year — and a heavy one,

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As I work my way through updating posts this page is designed to give you a place to see the most recent udates…….

Delete Musicmove ro Music ekkarnnet

Nick Moss Band – The High Cost of Low Living

About Nick and DennisAbout The High Cost of Low LivingMore about the Teaneck New Jersey native Dennis Gruenling "Go Jersey!"The ...

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Delete Musicmove ro Music ekkarnnet

Molasses Creek Music from “An Island Out of Time”

Originally Posted July 2012 Reposted and Updated Nov 2025 About Molasses CreekWhat others say about the band:My ThoughtsPost UpdateAn Island ...

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Branches Books

Alex Kava – Hidden Creed – Ryder Creed #6

Hidden Creed – Ryder Creed #6 – Alex KavaMy History with Alex KavaWhy the Ryder Creed Series Stands OutThe StoryThe ...

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UPDATE:December has come and gone and I read only two and a half books of the ones pictured above. The two I finished were Tides of Fire by James Rollins and Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane. The half was Starter Villain by John Scalzi!

So yesterday I wrote that I would like to read four to five more books before the end of 2023. The above picture shows the five books I currently have check out of the library. These are my proposed reads for December. The order in which I am going to read them is bottom to top. I have read books written by all of the authors. So let’s take and look at the books and authors for these Dcember Reads!

Tides of Fire – James Rollins

Tides of Fire is the 17th book in the Sigma Force series from James Rollins. In total I have read 21 books by Rollins and I am ashamed to say the only Sigma Force book from Rollins I haven’t read is the first book in the series Sandstorm. Oh, and I haven’t read the two short stories he’s written.

If you like action adventure novels with science truth blended with science fiction from Rollins you’ll love his books!

From Goodreads about Tides of Fire

In the latest riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author, an international research station in the Coral Sea comes under siege during a geological disaster that triggers massive quakes, deadly tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. To stop the world from burning, it’s up to Sigma Force to uncover a secret buried at the heart of our planet. et. More at Goodreads

Small Mercies – Dennis Lehane

I have only read eight books from Lehane. Six of them are from his Kenzie & Gennaro series which is one of my favorite series. I’ve also read Shutter Island and Mystic River

If Small Mercies is as good as Mystic River it will become a favorite of mine!

From Goodreads…..

The acclaimed New York Times bestselling writer returns with a masterpiece to rival Mystic River —an all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate, and insidious power, set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston’s history.  More at Goodreads

Distant Sons – Tim Johnston

I’ve only read one book from Tim Johnston Descent  and it was great, so I’m looking forward to this one!

From Goodreads…..

By the New York Times bestselling author of Descent and The Current, an absorbing new work of literary suspense about two young working men who forge a friendship despite secrets in their past, and whose actions ignite the passions and violence of a small Wisconsin town still haunted by the unsolved disappearance of three boys in the 1970s. For readers of Peter Heller, Liz Moore, and Cormac McCarthy. (More at Goodreads

The Only One Left – Riley Sager.

I discovered Riley Sager’s books a few years ago. So far I have read four of the seven books he’s  written. I’ve missed a couple of the more recent books. Can you say too many books, too little time! Anyway this one sounds really good!

From Goodreads….

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred…. More at Goodreads

Starter Villain – John Scalzi

I have read eight books by John Scalzi and four of  them are from his Old Man’s War series! hmm? Anyway he is one of my favorite Sci-Fi writers and this one sounds very interesting.  I’m sure that Scalzi’s wicked sense of humor is omnipresent in this one!

From Goodreads….

Inheriting your uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who’s running the place.

Charlie’s life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.

Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. More at Goodreads

There is my December Reads challenge…..Anyone read any of these??

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Noir and Girl,Forgotten are the 43rd and 44th books I have read in 2022. Both were written by authors who are among my favorites. Cristopher Moore wrote Noir and Karin -Slaughrer penned Girl, Forgotten. Since Noir is book 43 I’ll write about it in Part 1…..

Noir

Through the years  I have read and enjoyed many of Christopher  Moore’s books.Typically, I find them extremely funny and Noir is just that…. From Moore’s website…

The absurdly outrageous, sarcastically satiric, and always entertaining New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore returns in finest madcap form with this zany noir set on the mean streets of post-World War II San Francisco, and featuring a diverse cast of characters, including a hapless bartender; his Chinese sidekick; a doll with sharp angles and dangerous curves; a tight-lipped Air Force general; a wisecracking waif; Petey, a black mamba; and many more. Read More

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line is Noir deserves between around 4.5 thumbs ups. What the plot lacks, the setting and characters and Moore’s quick wit more than make up for, leaving me laughing and happy! But don’t just take my word for it here’s what some others say about Noir….

Moore is a master of metaphor and a sultan of simile. . . .It takes an author of remarkable talents to keep a profitably urinating snake, a dame named for a dairy product, and a slimy extraterrestrial all running through a narrative.”
– Washington Independent Review of Books

Raymond Chandler meets the SyFy Channel… Fans of noir film and fiction will find a lot to enjoy in this loving genre tribute, and those already familiar with Moore’s books will simply be in love.”
– Library Journal (starred review)

So Check it Out! As for me I will be checking out Moore’s latest book Razzmatazz soon!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Books of Christopher Moore

Author’s Webpage
Chris’s Blog
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook
Amazon

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Thoughts of The November Man and Three Missed Series 

So the other day while I was straightening up, I came across one of my old book journals. The journal covers the years from 1992 to 2000 (roughly my 40s).

Anyway, when I was looking at the journal, I also for some reason checked my Goodreads’ bookshelves. I discovered  none of the books from 1993 were listed. So I  started out to shelve the books.

Book No. 8 for the year was Burning the Apostle  by Bill Granger. It is the 13th and final book in Granger’s November Man series. The first November Man book I read was The Infant of  Prague, which I read in 1988. Between 1988 and 1993 I read the last five books in the series, as well as, the second book in the series Schism.

In the late 1990s Granger had a series of strokes. Finally, in 2000 he had a major stroke which ended his writing career. He passed away in 2012. In 2014 the November Man came to the big screen with Pierce Brosnan playing Devereaux.

Thinking about The November Man started me thinking about other series that I used to read. I thought of three more series. The authors of the following series have all passed away but their books should live on!

Brady Coyne – William G Tapply

William G Tapply’s first Brady Coyne novel Death at Charity’s Point was published in 1985. The 28th and final Brady Coyne novel Outwitting Trolls was published in 2010.

Brady is a Boston lawyer with a small but very rich clientele, that somehow always found a way to get in trouble. Most of the action on the books takes place outside of the court room.

Anyway,  Brady’s character is great and so are the supporting characters. So check out a Brady Coyne book.

There are 28 books in the Brady Coyne series. I have read 18 of them. Hmm, even though William G Tapply has passed, I still have 10 Brady Coune books to enjoy. So I should read at least one soon!

Porfiry Rostnikov – Stuart Kaminsky

Porfiry Rostnikow is an inspector with the Moscow police department. He is a….

…. A bruising bear of a man, whose love of weightlifting and American pizza has left him as squat and powerful as a . 38 bullet, Rostnikov may be the toughest cop in Moscow.

The first Rostnikov book I read was A Cold Red Sunrise the fifth book in the series. I read it because I saw it had won the Edgar award as best mystery novel. It wasn’t long after that I went back and read the earlier books in the series.

This series is one of my all time favorites I love Porfiry and his family along with all of his fellow officers. One of my favorite characters in the series is Emil Karpo who is referred to as the “Tartar” or most often as the “Vampire” based on his appearance.  Emil is a true believer in the Communist system and Will support it to the very end.

The stories are always well-written , fast-moving and interesting. So check it out!

There are 16 books in the series. I have read 13 of them. It seems I missed three books (9-11) published in the mid-90s. Note to self finish the series!!

Stuart M. Kaminsky was a profiling writer. In addition to the Porfiry Rostnikov series Kaminsky wrote series featuring Toby Peters, a private detective in 1940s Hollywood (1977-2004), veteran Chicago police officer Abe Lieberman (1990-2007) and finally a  Sarasota, Florida, process server named Lew Fonesca (1999-2009).

Kaminsky passed away in  October of 2009.

Robert (Mongo the Magnificent) Fredrickson – George C. Chesbro

Another series that I miss features a different kind of Private Eye Dr. Robert “Mongo” Fredrickson, a.k.a. Mongo the Magnificent. Mongo is …..

…..a fictional private eye and criminologist who has dwarfism……his rather unusual nickname is actually his stage name, from his days as an acrobat in a circus (a career that is over by the time the book series begins).

Mongo and his brother Garth always seemed to get involved in some kind of case with some strangeness in it.

 ….Playboy magazine as “Raymond Chandler meets Stephen King by way of Alice’s looking glass.”

Mr. Chesbro’s best-known character “is definitely an acquired taste that requires certain suspensions of perception and expectation,” wrote Dick Adler in a 1993 Chicago Tribune review.

“Imagine a dwarf who honed his physical skills as a circus acrobat called Mongo the Magnificent and then, using his real name, Dr. Robert Frederickson, became a world-famous criminologist,” Adler wrote. “Add to that the fact that Mongo’s world is filled with good and bad witches, satanists, warlocks and magicians of every shade as well as the normal run of murderers, swindlers and thieves.”

The writing, nonstop and violent, can also be very funny. Mongo played on a local  softball team in his spare time and noted that he led the league in walks.  Complete obituary

There are 14 books in the Mongo series. I have read all of them except Dream of the Falling Eagle the final book in the series.

So thinking about these four series has stirred up a lot of memories. I think I should create a mini-reading challenge”. I’ll challenge myself to read at least one book by each of these authors over the next four months! Anyone want to join me!!

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I mentioned yesterday I have finished three books so far in 2021. The latest being The Boy from the Woods. Books 1 and 2 were Where the Forest Meets the Stars and The Wives respectively.

Typically, I don’t usually read books like either Where the Forest Meets the Stars or The Wives. However, last year I did read several books that were not crime based mysteries or thrillers and enjoyed all of them!

 In the next few days I’ll post a list of the books I read in 2020 and also try to write about the two books that started 2021.

The picture at the top of this post are my proposed reads for the next four weeks. Two of the books are from authors who are among my favorites, James Grippando and Ragnar Jonasson. While one is from an author I read in the later part of 2020 John McMahon. The final book was written by an author who is new to me, Alice Henderson.

Hmm, I often like to think of the books I read in relationship to their setting. So let’s see where I’ll be traveling to via my proposed reads…

The Evil Men Do – John McMahon – Mason Falls, Georgia

My first proposed read will take me to Mason Falls, Georgia. The hometown of fictional detective P.T. Marsh. I met P.T. In the book The Good Detective. It was the first book to chronicle a case he and his partner Remy worked. From Goodreads…

The author of The Good Detective delivers a gripping and atmospheric new novel in which a cop takes on a harrowing new case and confronts old personal demons. What if the one good thing you did in your life doomed you to die?

Read More

A Solitude of Wolverines – Alice Henderson – Northwestern Montana

The action in this thriller will take me to northwestern Montana. This one of my proposed reads is the first in a series featuring Alex Carter….from Goodreads

“Both a mystery and a survival story, here is a novel written with a naturalist’s eye for detail and an unrelenting pace. It reminded me of the best of Nevada Barr.” —James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Odyssey  

The first book in a thrilling series featuring an intrepid wildlife biologist who’s dedicated to saving endangered species…and relies on her superior survival skills to thwart those who aim to stop her. Read More

The Mist – Ragnar Jonasson – Iceland

In The Mist I will be transported to Iceland. I don’t think I would like living in Iceland but I do like visiting.

The Mist is actually Book 3 in Jonasson’s Hidden Iceland series. So I have decided to try and read Books 1 and 2 in the series before tackling The Mist. As such, I have started book 1 in the series The Darkness and have checked out The Island book 2 in the series.

Twenty – James Grippando – Florida

Finally, Florida is the home of lawyer Jack Swyteck in the proposed read Twenty. It’s book   17 in Grippando’s Swyteck series. From Goodreads….

Jack Swyteck and his family are caught in the crossfire after a deadly school shooting claims twenty casualties—Florida’s fifth mass shooting in as many years—in this provocative and timely thriller from Harper Lee Prize–winner James Grippando that touches on some of the most contentious issues roiling America today. Read More

So now I’m off to Iceland to see what’s happening  in the world of Hulda Hermannsdóttir in The Darkness .Wish me luck!

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 R.I.P. – Dick Gregory (October 12, 1932 – August 19, 2017) 

Today we are celebrating the birthdays of Ginger Baker and Robert Plant. But  we are also mourning the loss of comedian and Civil Rights Activist Dick Gregory.

from the Associated Press – COMEDIAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST DICK GREGORY DIES AT 84 – DAISY NGUYEN

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dick Gregory, the comedian and activist and who broke racial barriers in the 1960s and used his humor to spread messages of social justice and nutritional health, has died. He was 84.

Gregory died late Saturday in Washington, D.C. after being hospitalized for about a week, his son Christian Gregory told The Associated Press. He had suffered a severe bacterial infection.

As one of the first black standup comedians to find success with white audiences, in the early 1960s, Gregory rose from an impoverished childhood in St. Louis to win a college track scholarship and become a celebrated satirist who deftly commented upon racial divisions at the dawn of the civil rights movement.

“Where else in the world but America,” he joked, “could I have lived in the worst neighborhoods, attended the worst schools, rode in the back of the bus, and get paid $5,000 a week just for talking about it?” Read More

Dick Gregory’s Humor

Like many I loved Dick Gregory’s humor. But I respected him more for his work as an advocate for Civil  Rights and Justice. I read his autobiography Nigger when I was in college and it certainly had an impact on the development of my political philosophy The one story that I love and remember from Nigger is the following…

Last time I was down South, I walked into this restaurant, and this white waitress came up to me and said, ‘We don’t serve colored people here.’
“I said, ‘That’s all right, I don’t eat colored people. Bring me a whole fried chicken.’

“About then these three cousins come in, you know the ones I mean, Klu, Klucks, and Klan, and they say ‘Boy, we’re giving you fair warning. Anything you do to that chicken, we’re going to do to you.’

So I put down my knife and fork, and I picked up that chicken and I kissed it.

Here a two more classic examples  of his humor….

Sometime early in the first Playboy show a heckler in the back yelled, “Nigger!” Greg said, “Say that again, please. My contract calls for fifty dollars every time that word is used.”

Once we decided on the title, Nigger, he held his ground against the publishing house. I loved his dedication: “Dear Momma — Wherever you are, if you ever hear the word ‘nigger’ again, remember they are advertising my book.”

The world will miss his wit and his compassion. Certainly, he should be remembered in these troubling times! So if you are not familiar with Dick Gregory take some time today to explore the life and work of this amazing humanitarian!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Life and Times of Dick Gregory

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