Winter Reading 2020
With seven months between the regular trout season I catch up on reading. Here are a few recommendations.
Anatomy of a Murder – Robert Traver. I found a first edition, first printing of this at an estate sale. If you are a trout fisherman you may have read the book Trout Madness, a collection of funny stories about fly fishing in the U.P. by Traver. This novel tells the story of a man accused of murder and his plea of temporary insanity, based on an actual case in the U.P. After reading the book look up the movie starring Jimmy Stewart. Both excellent, but read the book first!
Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens. I kept hoping to find this book on the New Books shelf at the Kentwood Library and after months of waiting placed a hold on it. I was number thirty on waiting list so it took another 2 months. Worth the wait. I can’t remember ever being so invested in the well being and safety of a character, in this case, a little girl left to fend for herself in a swamp. She thrives in her closed world. The suspense builds like a time bomb when she’s accused of murder by the white folks that shunned her and never lifted a finger to help.
The Chess Machine – Robert Löhr. The Mechanical Turk, a chess playing automaton built by Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen in the 1770’s defeats all opponents while touring Europe’s royal courts. Except the automaton is not quite what it seems. Historical fiction based on a true story. Fascinating read for engineers, inventors, or anyone dying for a strange story.
A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles. I mentioned a short passage of this book in an earlier post. A wealthy gentleman is placed under house arrest in a Moscow hotel for having expressed opinions, in his youth, that don’t align with the current state politics. Being a true gentleman keeps him engaged as a human being when his life is taken away. A book that makes you proud to be human.
Fichigan 