A brief summary of what I’m currently reading or have recently finished, why I read it, and whether I’d recommend it. Although really, it’d have to be truly terrible for me to bother writing about a book I wouldn’t recommend……
The Shipwreck Hunter (David L. Mearns) – If you’ve read prior editions of “Recent Reads”, particularly Volume XXI, then you may recall the book to which I trace my love for non-fiction, Shadow Divers. The Shipwreck Hunter is in a similar vein, but instead of focusing on a single wreck, traces the path of one man’s search for a number of shipwrecks throughout his professional life. Two bonuses and a spoiler: the language is much cleaner than in Shadow Divers; many of the searches are detailed in greater length elsewhere if any of them particularly pique your interest; and most of the incidents related here end in success.
Girl Sleuth (Melanie Rehak) – As for countless others who came before me (and after me), Nancy Drew featured prominently in the much-loved books of my youth. Girl Sleuth tells the story of the creator and authors, and the relationship they had with both Nancy Drew herself and also with each other. I found it a fascinating look “behind the scenes”; it also cleared up the question of why there are differences in the reprinted books and when those variances were introduced. If the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, the Bobbsey Twins, or even the Happy Hollisters were part of your repertoire, you might find this interesting as well.
Grace & Steel (J. Randy Taraborrelli) – I’m not sure where exactly the defining line is in terms of themes when it comes to reading, but I do think intentions play a big part. I haven’t necessarily read a lot of them yet – this was the 5th since 2017 – but I am deliberately seeking out books on the First Ladies, and that might be enough to qualify as a theme in my reading. The Bush ladies – Barbara and Laura, but also George H. W. Bush’s mother Dorothy – feature in this particular one. The comparisons and contrasts were quite intriguing, and the relationships between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, however filtered and sanitized the presentation may have been, were fascinating as well.
Come, Tell Me How You Live (Agatha Christie) – Just the name itself – Agatha Christie – conjures up images of little old ladies, English lords, dapper European gentlemen, and complicated situations that are never quite what they seem. Set all that aside though; regardless of the F MYS tag the library insists on slapping on the spine, this one is decidedly different. No murders, no thefts, and the only mystery is which mound in the Syrian/Turkish desert will reveal artifacts older than the Romans. Christie’s second husband, Max Mallowan, was a renowned British archaeologist, and she accompanied him on several digs in the Middle East. I’d call this one a comedic memoir; it’s quite different from Christie’s usual fare, but worth the time to get a lay person’s view of the archeological season and scene.
So there you have it: 4 books I’m reading right now or have recently finished. If you’ve read any of these (or decide to after reading this post), drop me a note and let me know what you thought of them! And let me know what you’re reading right now too.