Tim Zajic: Books

Cook Books

Self Help Books

Books from 2024

The King and Queen of Malibu: The True Story of the Battle for Paradise - David K. Randall, Norton, 2016. So glad I found this book and decided to buy it at Malibu Village Books. Great story about a family you've likely not heard of as, though they were very wealthy, kept their name out of the public eye. The character of Malibu today is largely influenced by this family. Great read by Mr. Randall!
A Traveller's History of New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands, 2nd Edition - John H. Chambers, Interlink Books, 2007. I've read some nice travel books about New Zealand. This one delves into much more detail regarding the history of New Zealand and is written by an expert. The material on the South Pacific Islands was more fascinating to me. The peoples and their history was largely unknown to me, and I did not know so much was known about them. I did pause my reading at page 170 and plan to get back to it when priorities allow.
History of the Discovery and Conquest of Costa Rica - Ricardo Fernandez Guardia, Legare Street Press, translated by Harry Weston Van Dyke. Written in 1913. Googled 'history of costa rica' and came across this wonderful book. Not many others out there I saw as this one is fairly definitive. Gives background on the native inhabitants of Costa Rica, moves on to the 'discovery' by Christopher Columbus, and takes us up to the first part of the 19th century. Appearances by a host of well known and not so well known conquistadores. Includes a good deal of history of neighboring countries. Wonderfully informative and surprisingly entertaining. The photos and maps are icing on the cake. The author has done Costa Rica a great service.
A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks - David Gibbins, St. Martins Press, 2024. Great read. Saw it in the new book section at the library and didn't expect much. Gibbins is a scholar and a maritime archaeologist. He covers twelve shipwrecks, from 2nd millennium BC to World War II. For each he covers the ship, the diving, what the ship was up to at the time of the wreck and before, the nature of the civilizations at both ends of the ships route and other facets. As I said, was a great read, learned a lot and put into context some of what I already knew. One gripe: the history basically takes place geographically from Great Britain to China, with more coverage on the western portion. While I'm a greater fan of history in the Americas, always great to expand.
Teresa of Avila: The Book of My Life - translated by Mirabai Starr, New Seeds, 2007. Quite the read for me. Written for the inquisitors during the Inquisition, Teresa tells of her life and conversion and gives guidance on some of the principles of living as a Christian, particularly prayer. I had come across a prayer of Teresa which I was taken by and took note that she had written her autobiography. I had never read the autobiography of a saint before and found it most interesting. From my local library.
Conquering the Pacific: An Unknown Mariner and the Final Great Voyage of the Age of Discovery - A. Resendez; Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, 2021. Kudos to Resendez. A great story, excellent book and about time a light is shone on it. The tale of the first 'vuelta': when the Spanish sailed from Mexico to the Philippines and managed to sail back to Mexico, with historic repercussions.
The Making of Donald Trump - David Johnston. Audio book of 5 CDs. Eye-opening account of Donald Trump. Glad I am not related to or a 'friend' of Donald. Whether or not he is a 'good' president is another matter.
Cabrillo - H. Kelsey, Huntington Library, 1986. After reading Kelsey's Drake, it's clear the author is interested in getting to the bottom of things and presenting the findings in a well written manner. So it was natural for me to pick up Cabrillo at the library, and find it was in the same league as Drake, the difference being that there is a lot more historical material to draw on when researching Drake than Cabrillo, and hence a slimmer book. Fascinating read about this man. His wanderings in the west indies, accompanying of Cortez to conquer Montezuma, his travels through what is now Oaxaca, his settling in Guatemala, his ship building enterprises (with some of the ships built in Guatemala by Alvarado purchased by Pizzaro who was busy in Peru), and finally his journey up the California coast and death on Catalina Island.
Lost Witness - Rebecca Forster, 2019. Given to me by a friend. A mystery, I read it because it is set in San Pedro, CA. Was entertaining and provided a little insight into harbor operations.
A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln and the 1846 Invasion of Mexico - Amy Greenberg. Audio book of 11 CDs. Great to listen and learn on my commute to work. Chock full of history and some most interesting characters. Happy our library carries it and I came across it.
Sir Francis Drake: The Queen's Pirate - H. Kelsey, Yale University Press, 1998. Got this book from the library. Excellent work by H. Kelsey. Significant research effort put into this most informative book. Nice and useful illustrations. Significant contribution to our understanding of Drake as a person and what he did.
A Pirate of Exquisite Mind: Explorer, Naturalist and Buccaneer: The Life of William Damphier - Preston, Diana and Michael, Walker Publishing, 2004. Had never heard of this amazing individual. Extensive traveler, cataloger of new discoveries and findings. Others, including Darwin and Cook used his books and other information many years later. Damphier was meticulous in investigating and recording shores, tides and weather, often providing accurate descriptions as to the underlying phenomena. Great read!
Bill O'Reilly's Legends & Lies: The Civil War - David Fisher, read by Robert Petkoff, 2017. Got this book on 9 CDs from the library. Very informative. So many amazing characters and incredible achievements as the North and South clashed.
Land of Sunshine: An Environmental History of Metropolitan Los Angeles - W. Deverell, G. Hise, Eds., Univ of Pittsburgh Press, 2005. Found this while doing a search on the library web site. Delightful find as I've not seen a collection quite like this before. The introduction is quite academic and was happy to get beyond it. Did not read all the entries, but did read: Folio One: Southern California, 1900 (W. McClung), Political Ecology of Prehistoric Los Angeles (L. Raab), The Los Angeles Prairie (P. Schiffman), Ranchos and the Politics of Land Claims (K. Clay and W. Troesken), Folio Two: Lost Landscapes/Past Lives (T. Harkness), Beach versus Oil in Greater Los Angeles (P. Sabin), Who Killed the Los Angeles River? (B. Gumprecht), Flood Control Engineering in the Urban Ecosystem (J. Orsi), Folio Three: Transitions in Southern California Landscape Photography 1900-1940 (M. Dawson), Thirteen Ways of Seeing Nature in LA (J. Price). May check this out again to read the ones I chose to skip this time around.
Mayflower - Nathaniel Philbrick, read by George Guidall, 2006, Penguin. Audio book of 11 CDs. Great. Lived in MA for 17 years and moved back to CA in 2021. So, in addition to the incredibly detailed history captured by Philbrick, it was a delight to hear of the places back in MA that I had some familiarity with.
Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook - Martin Dugard, Washington Square Press, 2001. Great read about an amazing man. Real page turner for me. Loads of history, discovery, exciting encounters. Happy to have bought this work of Dugard. Cooks first big trip was aboard the Endeavor and he travelled West around the globe, spending a lot of time in the Pacific. His second trip, aboard the Resolution was East around the globe. Again he spent much time in the Pacific but was tasked with finding Antarctic land. His third trip was to search, again aboard the Resolution, for a Northwest passage. His time aboard these ships was from 1768 to 1780.
Reading the Glass: A Captain's View of Weather, Water, and Life on Ships - Elliot Rappaport, Dutton, 2023. Was returning some books to the library and didn't see any books in a particular section I had hoped to find something in. Took a look at the new books on the way out and grabbed this one. Almost stopped reading it but kept on and it grew on me and I'm quite happy I read it through. The author either grows in his writing skills and/or got some help as the pages go on. Got a real feel for how the seas and the skies contribute to creating weather, who a number of the key individuals in gaining this understanding were, enjoyed reading about the author's comings and goings to sites across the globe with his sail boat, and appreciated the recounting of the experiences of other mariners both famous and not. Lots of good references for further reading at the end of the book.
Bill O'Reilly's Legends & Lies: The Patriots - David Fisher, read by Holter Graham, 2016. Got this book on 8 CDs from the library. Very informative. So many amazing characters and incredible achievements as the US was coming into being. Glad I grabbed this off the shelf to listen too during my commute to and from work.
Rancho Palos Verdes - G. Clark, part of the 'Images of America' series, 2009. Got this after moving to RPV. Nice read that I can return to later as I get more acclimated to the 'neighborhood'.

Books from 2023

Bandido: The Life and Times of Tiburcio Vasquez - John Boessenecker; University of Oklahoma Press, 2010. As a youngster growing up in southern California I would pass Vasquez Rocks from time to time and learned it was named after a criminal from the past. After reading Black Bart from John Boessenecker and seeing this book listed in Boessenecker's list of publications, I checked it out. Excellent read. Lots of true life action and adventure.
Palos Verdes: The Great Peninsula - Erik Jay; PV Publications, 2021. Beautiful picture book.
Peninsula Past: The Complicated Birth of Paradise - B Lukas and M Blinn; Atlantic West Publishers, 2011. Recounts the early days of the development of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Gentleman Bandit: The True Story of Black Bart - John Boessenecker; Hanover Square Press, 2023. Walking into the library and glancing at the new non-fiction shelves I spied this book and decided to give it a read. Very enjoyable. I believe I'd heard the name Black Bart before, but not sure. Loads of details regarding the life of this mysterious individual, who committed the most stage coach robberies. I'd say most of the action takes place from the 1860s to the 1880s. Was pleased to learn a good deal about the Civil War, which Black Bart was a soldier in. Fascinating guy. As to what the mystery is, you'll have to read the book. Found the writing of Boessenecker so entertaining I put another of his books on hold at the library.
The Flowers of Buffoonery - Osamu Dazai; New Directions Books, 2023, Translation by Sam Bett. This is the first time this book is published in English according to the book cover. I had read The Setting Sun and No Longer Human by Dazai around 1990-1993 and thought they were wonderful. This short book did not hit me the same way. I read it only because I had liked these earlier works and it was on the display shelf in the front of the library. It is entertaining but did not have the impact factor these other works did.
Can't Hurt Me - Master your Mind and Defy the Odds - David Goggins; Lioncrest Publishing, 2018. I read this book because my daughter had it lying around. I intended to read it as the life of the author seemed interesting from the cover, not as a self help book. Turned out to be an excellent read. A New York Times Bestseller, starts off with Goggins rough childhood, moves on to his military endeavors and then his athletic achievements. Lots of good advice from personal experience is dolled out by Goggins. Glad I read it! As with many people who have made significant achievements, I wonder what would have transpired had David been coddled as a youngster?
Slouching Towards Bethlehem - Joan Didion; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, paperback edition 2008. I view Didion as an observer and commentator and enjoy reading her writings. I first became aware of her when I saw one of her pieces in Writing Los Angeles. Same publisher as that of Annals of the Former World, whose author I also first became aware of when I read Writing Los Angeles. Joan was writing about the 60s and 70s and as mentioned I really enjoy her commentary on the goings on at that time. She must have been a neat person, but, like myself at times, seems to enjoy ripping on things to some extent.
The Sack of Panama - Peter Earle; Jill, Norman and Hobhouse, 1981. Whilst visiting San Louis Obispo with my daughters we popped into a used book store. Saw this book and thought I would give it a shot; glad I did. Very entertaining and informative read by Earle. Starts in 1666 and covers five years, including the actual sack of Panama by Henry Morgan in 1671. Was enjoyable to read of the dynamics of Spain and England in dealing with their Central American and Caribbean territories. Fascinating characters also.
Annals of the Former World - John McPhee; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1998. First read from John McPhee in 'Writing Los Angeles' and glad I took a look at this tome of his. Actually five books in one. I read Book 1: Basin and Range and Book 4: Assembling California. McPhee takes a geological look at a large part of the Unites States. His writing is free flowing and at times can be a challenge to follow, dropping geological terms here and there, at times with no definition. Also, as reviews have pointed out, more maps and figures would benefit the work. This book really piqued my interest in things geological.
A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca - Andres Resendez, Basic Books, 2007. Wanted to get familiar with Cabeza de Vaca's story. Loved this recounting. Resendez covers a lot of ground while keeping it fairly light and entertaining; good deal of details appear in the 'notes' section in the back. Some side characters are nicely covered also. Reading it right after Undaunted Courage (UC) and Gathering the Desert (GD) was also a treat. UC contains a good deal of information regarding the Native Americans from Missouri to Oregon in the early 1800s, while A Land So Strange contains a good deal of information regarding the Native Americans of the Southwest in the first half of the 1500s. GD nicely complements A Land So Strange with its coverage of a number of the plants the Native Americans use in their daily lives. Borrowed from library.
Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West - Stephen E. Ambrose, Simon and Schuster, 1996. Great book, wonderfully covering the expedition of Lewis and Clark. My mother gave me the book around 2000, while I was living in Minnesota, and I had read a couple hundred pages. Went back and read the whole thing this time. The Lewis and Clark expedition is recounted in considerable detail, the thousands of miles covered and the interactions with various tribes of Native Americans. The manner in which Lewis died was quite a surprise to me.
Gathering the Desert - Gary Paul Nabhan, The University of Arizona Press, 1985. Having spent some time in the Mojave Desert and wanting to learn a little more about a few of the plants I regularly saw, I got a copy of this book, a winner of the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing. I did indeed learn more about the few plants I was interested in, and much more. Great book. Gary covers a dozen plants of the Sonoran Desert. The writing is not limited to the plant itself, but the history of the plant, the usages of the plant, the peoples who have used the plant, the status of the plant, where the plant occurs, and more.

Books from 2022

The Dreamt Land, Chasing Water and Dust across California - Mark Arax, Knopf, 2019. Glad I stumbled across this book. Arax has roots in the Central Valley of CA and loads this book with interesting and entertaining information. You'll read of the relationship between people and water from the distant past to the present. The phenomenal water movement projects carried out in CA over the years, at times involving illegal maneuvers. But it's the impact of farming upon the land and the farmers themselves that were most revealing to me. Billionaire farmers with private airstrips and homes in the poshest neighborhoods of LA. Water intensive farming financed by east coast hedge funds and insurance companies wreaking havoc on the environment, with a good deal of the output shipped overseas.
Alta California - Nick Neely, Counterpoint, 2019. Loved this book. The author walks the route of the Spanish explorer Portola, from San Diego to Palo Alto. The reader learns what it was like for the Spanish, what Nick experiences and a good load of history. Real neat.
Lust for Life - Irving Stone, Plume, originally published 1934. The classic biographical novel of Vincent Van Goth. I bought and read this book due to the author being Irving Stone. Had read his book about Michelangelo, which was wonderfully written. While some new facts may have been unearthed since this book was authored, the writing is exceptional. The author even spoke with some who were very close to Vincent. Would be hard pressed to imagine a better way to get some sort of feeling for what it was like to be Vincent Van Gogh.
Freewaytopia: How Freeways Shaped Los Angeles - P. Haddad, Santa Monica Press, 2021. Entertaining read about 12 major freeways in Los Angeles County. Filled with facts and written by someone who's had a passion for freeways for ages.
Surf, Sand, and Stone: How Waved, Earthquakes, and Other Forces Shape the Southern California Coast - K. Meldahl, University of California Press, 2015. Title says it all. Nice book. In the back he lists places one can go to see examples of some of the things he writes about.
The Age of Gold - H. W. Brands, Anchor Books, 2003. Fantastic read. Picked this book up at the gift shop at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park after walking amongst the redwoods. Brands starts from the beginning with Sutter but tells much more about the search for gold. He picks a number of true characters and follows their lives. Some travelled around Cape Horn, others across the Isthmus of Panama and several took the grueling trip over land. Some from Asia, some from Europe and some from the Americas. Characters from the most well known to the humblest are considered. Miller covers the various methods that evolved over the years for extracting gold. He recounts the evolution of transportation across the US, culminating with the finishing of the transcontinental railroad. Further, he considers politics and warfare in recounting the pertinent events of the civil war. Really enjoyed this book.
The House of Getty - Russell Miller, Henry Holt and Company, 1985. Have had this book for years and may have read the beginning. Moving back California inspired me to read it again. Miller's book is a great read. Getty himself is a fascinating character. Miller goes beyond Getty and tells the store of the 'discovery' of oil and the growth of the industry, weaving a number of characters of the time to make this much more than the story of Getty.

Books from 2021

Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology - edited by David L. Ulin, The Library of America, 2002. Jared Farmer mentions an interesting sounding author and I found this author appears in this anthology. Great anthology with writings of obscure and famous authors, most of whom I would not have read otherwise. Didn't finish the book, but did read a lot of great stories, skipping all the poems: Mary Austin, Aldous Huxley, Upton Sinclair, William Faulkner, John Fante (the author Farmer mentions), Nathanael West, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Budd Schulberg, Truman Capote, Evelyn Waugh, Ray Bradbury, Tennessee Williams, Ross Macdonald, Jack Kerouac, Lawrence Lipton, Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, Joan Didion, Charles Bukowski, Salka Viertel, Reyner Banham, Charles Mingus, Marc Norman, Cees Nooteboom, Umberto Eco, John Gregory Dunne, Robert Towne, Carolyn See, Charles Willeford, Ruben Martinez, John McPhee (my favorite), Mike Davis, Lynell George, Walter Mosley, Mary Helen Ponce, Sandra Tsing Loh, James Ellroy, Garrett Hongo, Pico Iyer, Bernard Cooper, William Vollman, D. J. Waldie, David Thomson.
Trees in Paradise - Jared Farmer, Herydey, 2017. Having moved back to California, I was looking up some information on the internet about palm trees and saw this book mentioned. Farmer focuses on Sequoias, Eucalyptus, Citrus and Palm. Well researched, well written and entertaining. Very happy I got this book. Farmer discusses each category of tree in general, it's history with respect to California and the US in general. Chock full of interesting material.
Running Blind - Lee Child, Jove, 2009. Interesting mystery book that my sister leant me, part of the Jack Reacher series. Was a bit disappointed when learned of how the crimes are being committed, but entertaining nevertheless.
Despondency: The Spiritual Teachings of Evagrius Ponticus on Acedia - Gabriel Bunge, St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2011. Some time back I had wondered where the seven deadly sins came from. Found out there were originally eight and they were put down by Evagrius a Desert Father. Fr Bunge writes of despondency and shares the wisdom of Evagrius regarding this topic. Read is made a little tougher as it is a translation.
Cross Country - James Patterson, Vision, 2008. Picked this up at one of those 'micro' libraries, basically a little enclosed shelf on a post, near a neighbors house. Great read. Takes place in D.C. and in Africa. Some commentary on the brutal goings on in a few regions there.
Profiles in Corruption - Peter Schweizer, Harper Collins, 2020. Another book by Schweizer exposing what can only be called massive corruption. Though easy to read, very unpleasant to read what some high profile politicians do while in elected office.
The Crucible - Arthur Miller, Penguin Plays, 1976. Thought I'd read this classic play; very enjoyable. Though a small number of facts are altered by Miller, the play captures the terrible goings-on during the Salem Witch Trials.
A Delusion of Satan - Frances Hill, Da Capo Press, 1995. During the midst of the Corona Virus Pandemic, in January 2021, went to the Salem Witch Museum in nearby Salem, MA. Picked up this book written by an author in the UK. This was also near the time when the Mayor of Salem lambasted President Trump for his comparing his treatment to a witch hunt. Found the book utterly fascinating. Went out and 'visited' sight mentioned in the book, although they were closed to entry due to the pandemic. While hanging someone for being a witch is terrible, the story behind the hangings is horrible.
The Labyrinth Of The World And The Paradise Of The Heart - John Comenius. Translated by Howard Louthan and Andrea Sterk, The Classics of Western Spirituality series, 1998. Read back in 2009 and felt the urge to read again. A fabulous book by John Comenius (1592-1670). The first half examines the humanity in the world and the second espouses Christianity as a solution to the problems.

Books from 2020

Andean Tragedy: Fighting the War of the Pacific, 1879-1884 - W. Sater, University of Nebraska Press 2007. Saw this book and thought it would be interesting. It is a true military history book, with detailed descriptions of the military forces involved, the technology and the players. Well researched and very detailed. Actually a significant war that is all too often overlooked.
Cochrane the Dauntless: The Life and Adventures of Thomas Cochrane, 1775-1860 - D. Cordingly, Bloomsbury, 2007. This real person inspired a number of fictional characters, including the Horatio Hornblower tales my mother had me read. I encountered a few words about Cochrane while reading 'The Creature in the Map' and became curious. Cochrane was an extremely bold English naval officer. His adventures in Europe are tremendous in and of themselves. What intrigued me most is what he did when he became involved in a scandal and fell out of favor for a little while. He ventured to Chile and helped kick the Spanish out of Chile and Peru by taking on their navy. He then headed over to Brazil and helped them kick out the Portuguese by taking on their navy. He also entered into politics and was interested in technology, perhaps foremost the development of steam engines. He also made great use of 'fireboats', attempted to gain advantage with 'rockets' and even put forth using 'gas'. During this period of time the Napoleonic Wars were going on and the author includes significant events of these in the book. Mention of the doings of some other historically significant figures alive during this period are also a welcome addition.
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon - D. Grann, Vintage Books, 2005. Tells the story of Percy Fawcett, mainly taking place before and after WWI. Fawcett was looking for what he called the City of Z. Others followed him, either looking for him after he, and a couple others, disappeared, or looking for Z. The author also does some traveling around the area that Fawcett was last seen. Wonderful read. The discussion of some of the native peoples is particularly interesting. I had seen this book before in the library and finally checked it out; glad I did. Some neat writing about the Amazon itself. Its vastness: from the length of the river to the volume of water. And sadly, the amount of deforestation: In Brazil during a five month period in 2007 an area larger than the state of Delaware was deforested.
The Creature in the Map: A Journey to El Dorado - C. Nicholl, William Morrow and Company, 1995. Very nice. The story of Sir Walter Raleigh and his obsession with El Dorado. Focuses primarily on the region of the Orinoco River. Pleasantly, mentions some of the characters, or relatives, of individuals in 'Invading Colombia' which I read shortly before. The author travels to the Orinoco and also gives some interesting and fun accounts of more recent characters and events in the area.
The Scientist and the Spy: A True Story of China, the FBI, and Industrial Espionage - M. Hvistendahl, Riverhead Books, 2020. Great read. The Chinese government funds the largest espionage program ever known to mankind. The US is their primary target and they operate in numerous sectors. This book focuses upon a particular effort the Chinese had undertaken recently in the Agriculture Sector. Kudos to the author. At this stage of time, it is generally accepted that writing anything critical of the Chinese Communists is a risk.
Invading Colombia - J. Michael Francis, Penn State Press, 2007. Enjoy this account of the Conquest of Colombia very much. The only English accounting of this historic event.
Mozart - Marcia Davenport, Dorset Press 1987, copyright 1932. Wonderful writing concerning the life of a truly incredible person. Very sad ending.
Bolivar: American Liberator - Marie Arana, Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 2013. Bolivar was amazing! I rank him up there with having accomplished some of the greatest and most significant achievements with regards to military actions and especially to expelling colonizers. Superb book about an amazing person. Shortly after finishing the book, in the winter-spring of 2020 watched a 60 episode dramatization about Bolivar's life made by Netflix, which was quite well done. But it is no replacement for the book.
Mexico: from the Olmecs to the Aztecs - Michael Coe, Javier Urcid, Rex Koontz, Thames and Hudson, 8th edition, 2019. Have read a number of M. Coe's books, including the 4th edition of this work which he authored by himself. The updates to that edition include some added content regarding recent knowledge and insights by researchers, many more color pictures and a 'better' layout. A great book to get started into understanding the older civilizations of Mexico. For the Mayans Coe has another book.
The Green House - Mario Vargas Llosa, Harper Perennial, 2008. Tremendously enjoyed this work from the Peruvian born Nobel Prize winning author. Had tried to read the book before. But, given that I often am reading one or more books at a time or may put a book down for a while, I could not follow the stories. This time it was the only book I was reading and I spent more time reading in order to get through it in a reasonable time. The book is one of the toughest I've read, due to the narrative style. There are various groups of characters, some of whom interact at various points in time. The author is telling the story of these persons and does not do so chronologically; he jumps around in time. Also, a character may be referred to in more than one way, and you may not be aware you are reading about the same character for some time.

Books from 2019

Life and Death in the Andes - Kim MacQuarrie, Simon and Schuster, 2015. Having spent time in Ecuador and Peru, traversing the Andes back and forth twice, I was drawn to the stories the author has penned in this work. Not only is the content of what he has written of interest, but his style only adds to the pleasure of the read. The fastest I have read a book in a long time. Here are the chapter titles: 1) The Hunt for Pablo Escobar and the Search for El Dorado, 2) Evolution and Denial in the Galapagos, 3) Death in the Andes: The Capture of Shining Path Leader Abimael Guzman, 4) The Rise and Fall of Hiram Bingham, 5) Ice Maidens, Volanoes, and Incas, 6) The Kon-Tiki Voyage, White Gods, and the Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca, 7) The End of Che Guevara, 8) The Final Days of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 9) Darwin, the Last Yamana, and the Uttermost Part of the Earth.
The Late George Apley - J. Marquand, 1936. Back Bay Books, 2004. Pulitzer Prize winning book, which I believe I first heard about from a Boston/Mass. tourist book. Great read about a wealthy family living in Boston. The storytelling is done largely through the presentation of letters from various family members, though primarily George. I thought it may be awkward and perhaps not enjoyable, but in fact I enjoyed it very much. A lot of the towns mentioned are familiar to me, which I appreciated.
The Master and Margarita - M. Bulgakov, 1940. Penguin Classics edition, 1997, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. During my college days, especially undergraduate, I developed a strong taste for the writings of Russian authors. I don't believe I had read any writings of Bulgakov and am glad I did not, for this book was a real treat. A wild story and richly entertaining.
A Farewell to Arms - E. Hemingway, 1929. I had 'The Hemingway Library Edition' which has some introductory material from other Hemingways, and also photos of the original manuscript and also alternative endings that Hemingway penned. I am sure I read this book before and had a deja vu feeling most of the time reading it. For me it was an excellent tale.
The Moores are Missing - J. Patterson, 2017. A paperback with two other stories: The Housewife, Absolute Zero. Each has a different co-author. I thought I had read Patterson before but apparently did not. All very entertaining and page turners: each chapter is about four pages.
The Catcher In The Rye - J.D. Salinger, 1945 (I read 1991 edition). Wonderful story about a young man having a tough go at life. At times quite amusing, but overall very touching and sad.
Come on Shore and we will Kill and Eat You all - Christina Thompson, Bloomsbury, 2008. Great read about things New Zealand. The author, as a young woman, spent some time in New Zealand and married a Maori. She recounts her own story as well as a good chunk of very interesting cultural and historical background material. Having lived in Minneapolis I enjoyed a little sidebar story about some of her relatives who lived in St. Paul, and also about some of her relatives who were associated with the founding of the city of Rowley, MA. The author is from and lives in Boston.
A Corpse in the Koryo - James Church, Thomas Dunne Books, 2006. Church is the pseudonym of a former Western intelligence officer with decades of experience in Asia. Was an entertaining read. Particularly enjoyed the characters and the little trips the characters take to different parts of North Korea. However, I did not enjoy the plot as much as I usually do in a mystery book.
The Screwtape Letters - C. S. Lewis, 2001 edition. Wonderful read. Lewis is deep and witty. Saw this book recommended by a football coach and took a look into it. Screwtape is the uncle of Wormwood. Wormwood has been sent from hell to mislead a particular person and Screwtape is writing him letters of advice. Timeless wisdom here.

Books from 2018

The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag - Kang Chol-Hwan and Pierre Rigoulot, 2001. Superb read. The author lived through a brutal existence in the North Korean Gulag for no real crime. Unlike some recent books which supposedly stretch the truth some, this one is claimed to be genuine. I share the author's lament that the existence of such systems is taken so lightly by more 'enlightened' nations. In referring to his need to have a positive outlook during his ordeal he writes that 'There is nothing like thought to deepen one's gloom'.
The Bone People - Keri Hulme, 1984. This book was recommended in a travel guide to New Zealand. Winner of a Pegasus Prize, and deservedly so. Wonderful read. Lots of words, so it took me a while to get through it. Honestly, one of the best books I've read in quite some time.
The Crooked Staircase - Dean Koontz, 2018. The first 'Jane Hawk' book I read. Another great gripping thriller from Koontz, and, as usual, on the dark side. A couple of my favorite snippets: "It was her conviction, not superstition, that this civilization was built on love - on the love of people for one another and on the love that surpasseth all understanding. In this age of cynicism and snark, genuine emotion was mocked, love derided as sentimentalism. In this world of rapid change, there were few things to which you could hold fast. Wisdom acquired through centuries of experience, traditions, and beloved neighborhoods eroded and washed away, and with them went the people who found solace and meaning in those things, who once would have been part of your life for most of your life. Now a rootless population, believing in nothing but the style and fashion of the moment, produced a culture of surface conformity under which the reality was a loveless realm in which soon everyone would live as a stranger in a strange land." "... the human monster knew beauty and rejected it, knew truth and disdained it, knew peace and did not prefer it ...."
On the Trail of the Feathered Serpent - Gene Savoy, 1974, Bobbs-Merrill. The author, who has extensively explored the Andes, speculates that an individual in the myths of various Mesoamerican peoples was an actual person from the Chachapoya people of Peru who sailed up the coast years ago. Savoy sets out to recreate the trip and documents it in this book. Probably my second read. Must have bought it around 1998-2004 as a card in the book is from Harold's Book Shop in St. Paul, MN. I read this after we got back from our North Peru trip this year so it was quite relevant.
Art of the Andes, from Chavin to Inca - third edition, Rebecca Stone, Thames and Hudson, 2016. Glad I found this book online. Great to have so much information in one reasonably sized book. Wonderful photos also.
Die Again - Tess Gerritsen. Center Point Publishing, 2015. Second read from this author. Entertaining mystery, with some set in Africa, but the rest in the Boston area.
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad, Bantam Books, 1981. Likely read years ago and read again. A dark themed tale, interesting but, in my opinion, a little disappointing. Conrad's native language is not English but he did master it to a great deal and seems to always want to let the reader know so.
Sayonara - James Michener, Bantam Books, 1954. First reach Michener years ago and always love his writing. This book portrays the gamut, from tender to ugly, with the theme around the relationships that American soldiers during the Korean war formed with Japanese women while stationed in Japan. Sure I read this years ago, but it was a breath of fresh air reading it again.
Ponds of Boxford - Boxford Lakes, Ponds & Streams Committee, 2016. Nice description of most of the ponds in our town of Boxford. Doesn't list Cole Pond which is near our home and can be seen listed as such on Google Earth.
The Setting Sun - Osamu Dazai. New Direction Paperback, 13th printing, original printing 1956. Originally read back in the late 80s, early 90s, after I bought the book at Kinokuniya book store in Japan town in San Francisco. Osamu Dazai is one of Japan's leading 20th century authors. Like one author who greatly influenced Osamu, Osamu took his own life, as does a character in this book. The justification one character gives for drinking and using drugs and the suicide letter at the end are gripping. Don't read if you're in a sad mood.
The Silent Girl - Tess Gerritsen. Center Point Publishing, 2011. First time I read this author enjoyed it. Centers around some incidents which take place in Chinatown in Boston, MA. Just as I was finishing it up, took a trip to Chinatown for the first time.
Creating Iridium - Durrell Hillis, 2016 Vesuvius. The Iridium system was truly revolutionary and Hillis played a, or the, key role in it becoming a reality. Great read, which I noticed in the new book section at my workplace library. I especially enjoyed the tales of the dealings with the Russians and the Chinese.
The Tony Conigliaro Story - Bruce Fitzpatrick, 2012. Recently had the pleasure of meeting the author an got a copy from him. Very nice read and a great story.
The Boss of Hampton Beach - Jed Power, 2012. Got gas at a nice gas station in Hampton Beach, NH, and they had some works from Jed there. Wasn't aware of him, but he's a local to the area and I found it an entertaining read with events taking place in the Hampton Beach area.. Plan to get another of his works soon.
Pass It On: The Story of Bill Wilson and how the AA message reached the world - Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, 32nd printing 2016. Had read the story of Dr. Bob, the cofounder of AA, and found this story the better of the two. Great read about an exceptional person.

Books from 2017

The Journal of John Winthrop, 1630-1649 - Dunn and Yeandle, Harvard, 1996. Very interesting book but also very dry. Got to page 60 before library asked for it back; plan to get it again.
Borderlines - Archer Mayor, 1990. This book was mentioned in the book 'Off the beaten path Vermont'. The author of that book mentions an actual 'cult' in the Island Pond area of Vermont which figures into this mystery by Mayor. I must admit, I really enjoyed this book. Of course, I've gotten to know New England, including Vermont, since I last read Mayor and maybe my recollection of Mayor's other books I've read is a bit harsh.
Death and a Penguin - A. Kurkov, 2001. Nice black-comedy a friend loaned to me.
Robert B. Parker's Wonderland - A. Atkins, 2013. Robert Parker passed away in 2010 and A. Atkins is keeping the flame alive. Wonderland was a dog track north of Boston and I'm familiar with the area. Atkins does an excellent job of carrying the torch. Great read.
Now & Then - R. Parker, 2007. A mystery featuring Spenser, taking place in and around Boston. Good read.
Night and Day - R. Parker, 2009. A mystery featuring Police Chief Jess Stone. Takes place north of Boston. Good read.
Kennedy Babylon - H. Carr, 2017. Stopped by a local Market Basket, met the author and got a signed copy. Knew beforehand that the Kennedy family had been involved in a lot of scandals, but this book was eye-opening nevertheless and, at times, depressing. Passed it off to my sister.
Into the Wilderness Dream: Exploration Narratives of the American West, 1500-1805 - Ed. D. Barclay, et al., 1994. Great read. Over 30 accounts of exploration across the western United States.
Ancient Peoples of the American Southwest - S. Plog, second edition, 2008, reprinted 2014. Very nice book. Starts off about 9500 BC and looks at the people who have lived in the Southwest. Lots of photos and drawings. Not an easy place to live in and this book gives a sense of how it was done and who was doing it.
Einstein and the Quantum - A. Douglas Stone, Princeton University Press, 2013. Superb book by a distinguished physicist, providing an entertaining look at how much Einstein contributed to the quantum.
I am Brian Wilson, a memoir with Ben Greenman - Center Point Large Print, Maine, 2016. An intimate look into Brian Wilson's life. The famous Beach Boys member let's it all hang out. Lots of details and a great read. One gets the feel that writing this book was another step in helping the author deal with the many issues he has had in his life.
Dr. Thorwald, Kinderarzt, Ein heller Stern scheint nur fur dich - Bastei Verlag, probably before 2007. First 'full book' I read in German. A 65 page 'novel'. Short enough to make it through and maintain an overall sense of the story.
The Infant of Prague - B. Granger, Warner, 1987. Mystery book that my family had laying around for some time. Was fine, not as good as I hoped. Would look into other of his books if I had the time.
Zorba the Greek - N. Kazantzakis, Scribner 1996; seems original is from 1952. This book had been recommended to me and it was apparent it was a wonderful book. But I grew a bit tired of it after the midway point. I am glad I stuck it out for the ending was very powerful. It is a book which makes the reader ask themselves questions about life, in addition to being an entertaining story. There was a card in the book the last reader had left as a bookmark, to the Perivoli restaurant near Platanos Square in Greece. Perhaps one day I'll follow in the readers steps and visit this intriguing country.
Breakfast of Champions - K. Vonnegut, 1973, Delacorte Press. This book was recommended and while waiting for it to arrive to the library I first read the collection of short stories While Mortals Slept. While I enjoyed the short stories, I really enjoyed this book. Really a different kind of read than I am used to; a very realistic yet not so realistic portrayal of some individuals going through tough times.
While Mortals Sleep - K. Vonnegut, 2011, Delacorte Press. Collection of 'unpublished' short stories. First time I read Vonnegut and it was great. All the stories were a treat to read and some were real gems.

Books from 2016

A Song of Shadows - J. Connolly, 2015, Atria Books. I came across Connolly when I confused his name with Connelly. Another great thriller, set in Maine and involving some ex-Nazis.
The Wolf in Winter - J. Connolly, 2014, Atria Books. Another engrossing thriller. Takes place primarily in Maine.
A Time of Torment - J. Connolly, 2016, Atria Books. Another page turner by Connolly. Takes place in Maine and West Virginia.
The Great Penguin Rescue - D. DeNapoli, 2011, Free Press; winner of Nautilus Book Award. Went to a talk given by the author and picked up the book there. Surpassing my expectations, it was a great read. All about a devastating oil spill and the largest penguin rescue ever conducted. I would have never imagined the effort, ingenuity and hope that went into this rescue.
The Quiet Earth - J. H. Mitchell, 2015, Mass Audubon. A wonderful collection of essays on nature and humanity, put together by Mass Audubon.
Stray Leaves - J. H. Mitchell, 2015, Mass Audubon. Mass Audubon published Sanctuary Magazine for years and recently stopped. This book is a collection of nature writings drawn from that magazine and written by John Hanson Mitchell. Mitchell has a real knack for writing wonderful short and poignant nature writings.
Hearts of Sand - J. Haddam, Minotaur Books, 2013. A mystery featuring the character Gregor Demarkian and set largely in Connecticut. Was alright, but not as intriguing as most mysteries I have read lately.
How Children Succeed - P. Tough, Tantor Media, 2012. An audio book. Enjoyed hearing many ideas and theories regarding children and learning and was lead to a couple references I will read latter. Towards the end adopts some extreme ideas regarding how society/government should go about implementing the ideas.
Nantucket Sawbuck - S. Axelrod, Poisoned Pen Press, 2014. First book I read from Axelrod, who lives on Nantucket. Nice mystery.
The Burning Room - M. Connelly, Little, Brown and Company, 2014. Another enjoyable read, taking place in the Los Angeles area and San Diego.
The Black Box - M. Connelly, Little, Brown and Company, 2012. Enjoyable read, taking place in the Los Angeles area and the Central Valley.
Clinton Cash - P. Schweizer, Harper, 2015. Mind blowing. One friend of mine found the material so depressing he had to put it down. Every wonder why Bill Clinton is paid 10,000 dollars a minute in his speeches? Who is paying him and what are they getting in return? This books tells you this and other facts that will ensure you never look at the Clintons the same way again.
Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command - S. Naylor, St. Martin's Press, 2015. Interesting and detailed read, but so detailed that it was quite dry. I stopped at page 184 and may get back to it.

Books from 2015

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - book two of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, 1950. Recommended by my daughter, a wonderful read. Years ago read Lewis's That Hideous Strength which was fantastic.
Legend - Marie Lu, speak, 2011. Recommended by my daughter, a good read.
Covert Radar and Signals Interception: The Secret Career of Eric Ackermann - Jackson and Haysom, Pen and Sword Aviation, 2014. Read only up to page 84 before the library recalled for another patron. Fascinating individual who did a lot of significant things militarily.
The Agony and the Ecstasy - Irving Stone, Signet, originally 1961. The life of Michelangelo; a wonderful read. My favorite book for 2015. Visited northern Italy this year and saw this book in more than a few places. Picked it up when I got back home and was very happy I did so. Filled with history and an in depth look at a genius of art.
Adios America - Ann Coulter, Regnery, 2015. I thought Ann was one of those talking heads who just spewed out what the major news outlets wanted the public to hear and believe. Absolutely the contrary, she's a dedicated researcher who speaks her own mind. I also thought, growing up in southern California and living two years in Mexico, that I knew something about illegal aliens. Again, very wrong. This was an eye opening book filled with facts and written in an almost light hearted manner, though some of the material is gut wrenching to say the least.
The Second Machine Age - Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee, Brilliance Audio. An audio book, 2013. Gives a nice recounting of the evolution of recent technological advances and speculates where things may go. Also delves into societal issues, including education, work and life in general. Doesn't hesitate to attribute some woes to technological in addition to all the wonders. In discussing issues related with society puts forth a number of socialist ideas as solutions; not too surprising given the authors reside in Cambridge, MA, referred to as the People's Republic of Cambridge.
Leadership - Rudolph Giuliani, Hyperion Audio Books. My first Audio Book which I saw at the library and thought I'd give it a try. Rudy has been through a lot and has some experience-based and natural instinct-based insights on leadership which were nice to hear.
Sphere - Michael Crichton, Ballantine Books, 1988. Had seen movie quite a while back and found it not to be very good. A friend reassured me the book is much better and I do agree. First Crichton book I've read and I'll likely read another.
Hoot - Carl Hiaasen, 2002. Had heard some good things about this author. Picked this book as my first read since it was at the local library. Written for youths, it was a fun read about some kids out to do good for some owls.
Moonraker - Ian Fleming, Pan Books, 1964. Really neat read. Having seen a number of Bond movies I was very surprised at how different the tone of the book is compared to the movies.
The Life of Ian Fleming: creator of James Bond - John Pearson, 1989. Bought this book for 1 pound in London on my first trip ever to the UK. Fantastic read. A little spooky as I felt as though I knew more about Ian Fleming than most other people I know by the time I finished the book. Kudos to Pearson for an excellent read.
Life Expectancy - D. Koontz, 2004. Another enjoyable read from Koontz.

Books from 2014

Breaking the Maya Code - Revised - Michael Coe, 1999. Coe is an expert on the Maya and has put out a great book. This is my second time through. He explains not only the rudiments of the Maya written language but why it took so long to begin cracking it. A lot of colorful real-life characters add interest to the story.
The Decameron - Giovanni Boccaccio, Penguin Classics, 1995. Boccaccio's classic written during the time of the Black Death and one of the few works depicting life at that time. The book consists of one hundred short stories, 10 a day for 10 days. I read the first part of the translator's introduction regarding Boccaccio and the first four days of stories. It's a lengthy book and I may get back to it as it's a wonderful read, but thought I'd put it down for a while.
Odd Apocalypse - D. Koontz, 2012. Enjoyed this mystery, thriller with a sci-fi undercurrent. First of the Odd series I've read. Strange happenings at the estate of a billionaire, with some guest appearances of some famous persons from history.
The Land of Stories - The Enchantress Returns - Chris Colfer, 2013. Second in the series, another good read.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - S. Cain, 2012, CenterPoint Large Print. Excellent read, with a large number of resonance with feelings and experiences I've had. Well worth the read and glad my Dr. recommended it. (pp. 214, 218, 235, 237, 242, 244, 357, 391, 400)
Innocence - D. Koontz, 2013. Mystery, thriller with a sci-fi undercurrent. Enjoyable read. Certain individuals are born free of original sin. While this makes them hated by most, it provides them with immunity to a plague that wipes out the rest of humanity.
California - Tamra B. Orr, 2008. A children's book, part of the America The Beautiful series. Lot's of facts with some great photos, along with some suggested itineraries. Regarding the historical contents, the author naturally presents only a subset of what Kevin Starr presents in his California, A History. However, there seems to be a bias towards presenting more of the negative historical facts while leaving out positive ones.
Cannery Row - John Steinbeck. A good read about a number of characters living in the Monterey, CA, area. Not of the same format as the Grapes of Wrath, which I prefer.
The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck, 2002 Steinbeck Centennial Edition. I remember reading the Pearl as a youngster and had not read any other works by Steinbeck. This was a wonderful surprise from this Nobel laureate. Gripping story with a deep depiction of the characters. At one point I had to pause and realize the Joad family never actually existed. Aside from the entertainment value, the depiction of the historical event about which the book is centered is wonderfully done.
The Land of Stories - Chris Colfer, 2012. My daughter got me to read this one. Extremely entertaining read!
Guilt - Jonathan Kellerman, 2013. Nice read. Takes place in LA County. The primary case involves a pair of famous celebrities.

Books from 2013

California, A History - Kevin Starr, 2005. Superb.
Red Herring - Archer Mayor, 2010. Mystery. Good read, set in Vermont.
Tag Man - Archer Mayor, 2011. Mystery. Much better read than his only other book I've read, Paradise City. While he does slip into Massachusetts a bit, most of the story takes place in Vermont. A fun and exciting read.
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowlings, fiction, 1997. Read this book after my daughter did. Very entertaining story. Had seen the movie and in my opinion the book is better, as is often the case.
Hitman: The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano - Howie Carr, nonfiction, 2011. Mind opening account of the major mob figures in the greater Boston area, or even New England, written by a long time Herald contributor and well known radio host Howie Carr. In this book you become familiar with a number of hideous men. While the focus is on Johnny Martorano, a pig who murdered innocent people as readily as he did his mob competitors, to Whitey Bulger who started as a homosexual prostitute and moved on to killing men and women who he viewed as possible threats to himself. The major killers amongst these persons murdered over 20 persons. Nearly all of the major players were rats: telling law officials about one another, with no loyalty to anyone but themselves. As I write this, they are exhuming the body of the purported Boston Strangler to consider new evidence: he killed 13 persons for comparison. Also as I write this, Whitey Bulger is on trial. You'll see how local law officials, state officials and even the FBI helped these thugs. An obvious example of the lingering effects of these individuals is the MBTA. This bloated bureaucracy runs a very inefficient transportation system. No surprise as many of the ways in which the MBTA functions, including whopping pensions for its employees, were put in place when the agency was riddled with thugs and run by Whitey Bulger's brother (Mr. Bulger's Transportation Agency is what it was often called). This book strikes 'home' as it describes these criminals having dumped bodies in neighboring towns and in my own town, including one which is still to be found (pgs. 211, 258, 274). I moved to the greater Boston area with my family in 2004 and continue to be amazed by what I see. State Police sleeping in their cars, seven municipal policeman watching a road crew dig holes, the governors unwillingness to disclose the exorbitant pensions of MBTA and other government agencies. Corruption from the smallest city officials to the very top of the government. The influence of these persons and their families for so many decades is readily felt after spending any length of time in Boston.
Paradise City - Archer Mayor, 2012. Mystery. My wife saw Archer Mayor when he came to town to speak and I thought I would give him a shot. His mysteries are centered in Vermont. This particular story also goes into Massachusetts. I noted a couple of reviews complaining about the complexity of the story. I believe if you are familiar with the areas covered you can keep things in line but if you are not at all familiar with New England it could be a little confusing without consulting a map. All in all, a good entertaining read and look forward to checking some of his other books.
The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico - Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Conquistador, translated by A. P. Maudslay, Da Capo Press, 1996. Phew!!! First read this book in 1997. After going to Mexico a number of times since then I decided to read it again. Real mind blower. Castillo was a conquistador with Cortez. He interacted directly with Cortez, Moctezuma and other incredible figures from the conquest. The story is simply fascinating!
The Magician's Elephant - K. DiCamillo, 2009. Youth. My daughter recommended this book, by the author of The Tale of Despereaux. Very entertaining story and, yes, it involves a magician and an elephant.
Gone Baby Gone - D. Lehane, 1998. Mystery. Great read but near the end it kids a little overly complicated. About kidnapping. Was made into a terrible movie with poor acting and various changes from the story, including locations of major events

Books from 2012

First Stop In The New World: Mexico City, The Capital Of The 21st Century - D. Lida, 2009. A look at Mexico City, now and the future, by a journalist who's spent 20 years living there. Excellent read. I've spent a couple years living in Mexico and visit regularly, including Mexico City, and this book not only brought me back to things I'm familiar with but revealed many things I was ignorant of.
Last Night At The Lobster - S. O'Nan, 2007. It's the last night of operations for a Red Lobster restaurant in Maine and the reader spends the day with the manager. Very entertaining. Learned of it by it being mentioned in Moonlight Mile.
Moonlight Mile - D. Lehane, 2010. Mystery. Russian mob and babies figure into this entertaining yarn. Rough characters reflective of your typical bay stater.
Brazilian Style - A. Limnander, 2011. NonFiction. Beautiful picture book of Brazil. Wonderful photos and captains full of interesting information regarding this country.
Prayers For Rain - D. Lehane, 1999. Mystery. Lehane comes from south of Boston and his mysteries often take place around the Boston and New England area. This was the first such book I've read, a fiction book from a Massachusetts writer about contemporary events taking place in Massachusetts. True to form, the characters are rough and bullyish, much as I've found Bay Staters. It was a good read, about a wealthy family with some severely screwed up members.
The Drop - M. Connelly, 2011. Mystery. Great read about two fictional cases: One involves the son of an LA politician who takes a fall from a hotel balcony to his death. The other is about a sadistic killer who focuses on kids and is caught in Los Alamitos.
Tiger Trap - David Wise, 2011. NonFiction. Mind expanding account of Chinese espionage in the United States. From theft of nuclear weapon and space shuttle technology to cyberspying. Wise is an expert writer regarding espionage and really provided an eye opener in this book.
California Girl - T. Jefferson Parker, 2004. Mystery. Focuses on an abused girl who is murdered and three brothers: a policeman seeking out her killer, a reporter who is helping in the hunt, and a preacher who had spent time with the girl before her murder. Takes place in Tustin and Laguna Beach, CA.
Emotional Intelligence - Why it can matter more than IQ - Daniel Goleman, 1995. Real eye opener. First book about emotions I had read and was looking forward to it as I had read some articles regarding emotions. Sometimes a bit academic, but chock full of information. (pp. 27, 35, 36, 102, 117, 119, 120, 192, 201, 216, 233, 240, 250, 254, 256, 259, 267, 268, 275, 283)
True Detectives - Jonathan Kellerman, 2009. Enjoyed it. Wealthy persons, drugs, murder of women, LA County. Typical story material, but Kellerman has a skill for writing in an engaging way.
Orange Sunshine: The Brotherhood of Eternal Love and its Quest to Spread Peace, Love, and Acid to the World - Nicholas Shou, 2010. Phew! Mind opening story about a major international drug-smuggling operation centered around Laguna Beach. Loved the parts about traveling to Afghanistan to get huge quantities of hash. Also, the tales of corrupt Mexican police tied into drug smuggling, way back in the 70s! Mentions various celebreties who came into contact with these folks.
Spray Paint The Walls - The Story Of Black Flag - Stevie Chick, 2011 Edition. Wow! Stevie did a great job writing about the group and the events surrounding it, from before the formation to after the end. I was a teenager when Black Flag were peaking and, though I didn't delve too deeply into the punk world, I did listen to their music and attend some of their events. Great read.

Books from 2011

Velocity - D. Koontz, 2005. Set in Napa Valley, CA., a bar keep starts getting messages asking him to decide whom a psychopath will kill next. Fast-paced, as usual.
The Horizon Book of Great Historic Places of Europe - 1974. Nice black and white picture book. Shows great places and has some history, but is not a guide book. Looked at Austria and Germany part.
Relentless - D. Koontz, 2009. Mystery, thriller with a sci-fi undercurrent. The main character is an author who begins to be hunted by a book critic who reviewed his book. Very entertaining. Takes place in coastal Orange County and northern California.
Black Water - T. Jefferson Parker, 2003. Mystery. Enjoyable tale of a frameup of a policeman in coastal Orange County.
L.A. Outlaws - T. Jefferson Parker, 2008. Mystery. Nice story about a lightweight criminal who gets tangled up with some heavyweight criminals while having a relationship with a police officer. Visits many places in the L.A. area I'm familiar with, making all the more entertaining to me. Boxford Library.
Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - V. W. Von Hagen, 1949. Wonderful read that I got from the Boxford Library in anticipation of our trip to Ecuador this summer. Written in 1949 and you'll probably never see another like this these days. The author has first hand experience with Ecuador before this period and it has changed considerably since then, not to mention the political correctness that makes it's way into books nowadays, resulting in a watering down of the truth. Read Chapters 1-5, 7-10 and 11; the ones most relevant to where we are going.
Here's the Church, here's the Steeple - Tempa Pagel, 2006. The author's first book, a mystery revolving around a present day person who becomes interested in a mystery centered around the Great Fire of 1811 in Newburyport, MA. Interesting book, especially in light of the fact that I currently live a few miles from Newburyport. Boxford Library.
Francis Bacon, The Temper of a Man - Catherine Drinker Bowen, 1963. History. Looks fascinating. I stopped at page 16 as I got sidetracked. Boxford Library.
Laguna Heat - T. Jefferson Parker, 1985. Mystery. Liked it very much. Takes place in Orange County, CA. Includes Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, etc. Boxford Library.
Silent Joe - T. Jefferson Parker, 2001. Mystery. Liked it very much. Takes place in Orange County, CA. Includes Newport Beach, etc. Boxford Library.
Lightning - D. Koontz, 1988. Mystery, thriller with a sci-fi undercurrent. Like it considerably, in part as it's set in Southern California, an area I'm familiar with. There is a time machine involved here and even Hitler and Churchill make appearances. Boxford Library.
The story of New England - Monroe Stearns, 1967. Library card has signatures from back in 1967. Great book. Politically incorrect by today's standards, and necessarily so in order to be faithful to the truth. Boxford Library.
Tick Tock - D. Koontz, 1997. Mystery, thriller with a sci-fi undercurrent. Like it considerably, in part as it's set in Southern California, an area I'm familiar with. A young Vietnamese man has to contend with a 'monster' that his mother's friend created to punish him because he doesn't care enough for tradition. Boxford Library.
Orange County - G. Arellano, 2008. Gustavo informs about many aspects of Orange County, Ca., while mixing in (every other chapter) tales of his family. I liked it. Boxford Library.
A Darkness More Than Night - M. Connelly, Mystery-Thriller. Liked it a lot, in part because it covers areas near where I grew up: Hollywood & Catalina. Came upon this book at a B&B in York, UK. A wealthy Hollywood-type is being investigated for murder and an investigator, H. Bosch, also appears to be in trouble. Boxford Library.
American Assassin - V. Flynn, Borrowed from a friend. Good read. Thriller.

Books from 2010

The Green House - Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Prize Laureate. Interesting story but complex presentation.
Pedro Paramo - Juan Rulfo. Read in Spanish. A bit of a complex read, but interesting
The Rebellion of the Hanged; General from the Jungle - B. Traven, Wonderful last two books of the six book series about the cruel life many lead in southern Mexico during the Porfirio Diaz period, written in the 1930s.
More Mortgage Meltdown - Heard good reviews about this book and got a copy. The beginning has a lot of interesting information regarding the mortgage meltdown. However, later chapters cover how to invest in the aftermath. I stopped after finishing Chapter 8, leaving Chapters 9 through 13 unread. I don't like to not finish a book, but their case studies were not keeping my attention.

Books from 2009

Beethoven as I Knew Him - Anton Felix Schindler, translated by Constance Jolly, the University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill; this is the third edition (1860). Fantastic account of Beethoven, filled with details of the genius, his times and his contemporaries.
Gandhi - Amy Pastan, DK Biography, 2006. Nice bio, wonderful human being. This particular series of biographies is filled with pictures.
Disturbing the Peace - Vaclav Havel - This is a detailed interview with Havel and is quite interesting in many aspects. It takes place before he is the leader of Czechoslovakia. He writes of many details of his life. Alfred A. Knopf publishing, 1990.
The Labyrinth Of The World And The Paradise Of The Heart - John Comenius. Translated by Howard Louthan and Andrea Sterk, The Classics of Western Spirituality series, 1998. A fabulous book by John Comenius (1592-1670). The first half examines the humanity in the world and the second espouses Christianity as a solution to the problems.
Money - Martin Amis. Purported big author in the UK now. Got up to pg 130 and don't think I'll bother to return to it. Story about a guy, a genuine pig, who is travelling back and forth between London and New York trying to make a movie. If it wasn't for the wit of the author, I don't know what would be worthy of it.
Glue - Irvine Welsh. Purported big author in the UK. About childhood friends in Edinburgh as/when they grown up. Got to pg 25. May return to it, but wasn't into it at the time.

Books from 2008

Fooled by Randomness - The hidden roles of chance in life and in the markets - Nassim Taleb, interesting read. While Taleb makes much mention of the virtues of not overdoing it in using and making schedules, it's not clear that he appreciates that the successes he has had were made possible in a society which would never have come to the level it has had not the use of schedules been heavily emphasized. First came across Taleb reading some great criticisms he had written of modern mathematical finance.
Off the Map - Tales of Endurance and Exploration - Fergus Fleming, great book if you like reading of explorers. Dozens of explorers tales told, including the hisorical context.
Insisting on the Impossible - the life of Edwin Land - good book but at page 64 felt a bit overwhelmed by the details and stopped.
Faust - Goethe, with illustrations by Delacroix, Alice Raphael translation, copyrighted 1930. Fantastic story.
Anne of Green Gables, Three Volumes in One - Lucy Maud Montgomery, left off on page 84. Great book but not finding time to read it.

Books I read around 2007 and before

Trozas - B. Traven, Great read, one of the six book series about life in southern Mexico during the P. Diaz period. Got it in Dec. 2006
Twisted - Jonathan Kellerman, Got this book from my sister and enjoyed it. Some years later started checking out Kellerman books from the library but did not recall that I had read this book of his previously.
Failed States - Noam Chomsky, Got this book after moving to Massachusetts, probably around 2005. Tried to read it but couldn't get far. Noam sits in his office at MIT ranting and raving about the problems with the world and the US in particular and does nothing about it except that. He's become my poster child for an ineffectual intellectual.
Sailing Alone around the World - Joshua Slocum, leaving Boston in 1895, Slocum sailed alone 46,000 miles in three years. Great story by the man himself; the part regarding going around the tip of South America is superb by itself. And he didn't know how to swim!
El Rey de los Pleitos - John Grisham, read some years ago, in Spanish.
Oaxaca Journal - Oliver Sacks, fascinating account of a fern collecting trip to the Mexico state of Oaxaca.
Giantkillers: The Team and the Law That Help Whistle-blowers Recover America's Stolen Billions - Henry Scammell, very intersting read about how the defense, finance and medical indsutries have stolen billions of dollars from the U.S. government and the brave individuals who fought against it.
The Search for the Pink-Headed Duck: A Journey into the Himalayas and Down the Brahmaputra - Rory Nugent, neat tale of the authors travels around north-east India and above. With details you probably won't find in travel guides.
A Neotropical Companion - John Kricher, 2nd Edition, great intro to neotropics with some fascinating details.
Cross Creek - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, great read of Marjories years in Cross Creek, Florida before WWII.
Government; The Carreta; March to the Monteria, Trozas - B. Traven, Fabulous four books of the six book series about the cruel life many lead in southern Mexico during the Porfirio Diaz period, written in the 1930s.
The Angel of Darkness - C. Carr, Entertaining, probably read in mid 1990s, when I lived on Long Island, New York. The story takes places in New York City
The Education of a Speculator - by Victor Niederhoffer, 1997. Victor is an eccentric who has gotten quite wealthy via the financial market. He writes of his youth, tells many anecdotes, draws many connections, such as music and finance, and generally shares a lot of information. Good read.
Soros on Soros: Staying Ahead of the Curve - by George Soros, 1995. Touches on many topics, reasonable read.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe and Everything, a trilogy by Douglas Adams that I read in 1995. This is a wonderful sci-fi/comedy read. Lot's of great humor and an exciting sci-fi story line.

Books I read probably around 2005

The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger, 1999.

Books I read probably around 1995-2004

Godel, Escher, Bach: an eternal golden braid - Douglas Hofstadter, Vintage Books, 1989. A Pullitzer Price winner. I bought it June 6, 1994 at the UCLA Students' Store. Read up to page 506, out of 742 pages before stopping. While interesting, the impression that the author was trying to show how much he knows outweighed the tedium of reading this work.
Liquid Land: A journey throughout the Florida Everglades - Ted Levin, University of Georgia Press, 2003. Great read.
The Civilization of the Renaissance - Jacob Burckhardt, 1960. Apparently a classic and filled with information. I read part of it. It's one of those books that references so many things that, if you knew what you needed to know about those things in order to understand the book, then you wouldn't need to read the book.
Dude, Where's My Country - Michael Moore, 2003.
Stupid White Men - Michael Moore, 2001.
Facility Layout and Location, an analytical approach - Francis, R., White, J., 1974. Professor Klein gave this to me while I was at Columbia University. Did not read it, but glanced at it
Yesterday in White Plains: a picture history of a vanished era - Renoda Hoffman, 2nd edition, 1984. Lots of information about White Plains.
Suffolk County, Long Island, in early photographs: 1867-1951 - Lightfoot, Martin, Weidman, 1984, Dover. Lots of information about Suffolk County.

Books I read probably around 1994-1995

Element 79 - F. Hoyle, science fiction.
Needle in a Haystack - R. Silverberg, science fiction.
Triax - R. Silverberg, science fiction.
Enquiry - D. Francis, mystery. D. Francis is an ex horse racer from the UK and his background figures into his entertaining reads.
The Merman's Children - P. Anderson, science fiction.
Search The Sky - F. Pohl and C. Kornbluth, science fiction.
Mission to the Stars - A.E. von Vogt, science fiction.
The Universe Maker - A.E. von Vogt, science fiction.
The Players of Null-A - A.E. von Vogt, science fiction.
The Dirty Duck - M. Grimes, mystery.
Help the Poor Struggler - M. Grimes, mystery.
Rogue in Space - F. Brown, science fiction.
The Earth Tripper - L. Kelley, science fiction.
Farmer in the Sky - R. Heinlein, science fiction.
Beyond the Horizon - R. Heinlein, science fiction.
The Number of the Beast - R. Heinlein, science fiction.
Bedlam Planet - J. Brunner, science fiction.

Books I read probably around 1990s

Descartes' error: emotion, reason, and the human brain - A. Damasio. Contends that thinking and reasoning do benefit from emotions.
All the little live things - W. Stegner. Penguin, 1991. Enjoyable read. Believe it takes place in the hills above Palo Alto.
Order out of chaos - I. Prigogine, I. Stengers. Bantam, 1988. First author is a nobel laurete. Contention is that things are not nice and orderly as, for example, Newton, would contend, but rather there is a lot of disorder taking place also. Not clear I finished this book as it gets quite dry.
Quantum philosophy - R. Omnes, 1999. Very dry presentation. Believe I did not actually complete the entire book.
The man who knew infinity: A life of the genius Ramanujan - 1991. Bought in 1992. Great read of a fascinating person.
My Childhood - Maxim Gorky, bought this in 1991, gripping true story.

Books I read probably around 1980s

The Pentagon Papers - Sheehan, Smith, Kenworthy, Butterfield. Very complete depiction of 'the secret history of the Vietnam War'. I did not complete this book and believe I read only a little as it is very heavy on the details.
Out on a Limb - Shirley MacLaine, 21st printing 1986. Nice read.
Don't Fall Off The Mountain - Shirley MacLaine, 22nd printing 1986. Nice read.
The Mathematical Experience - P. Davis, R. Hersh; winner 1983 American Book Award. Good read by some very good authors.
Linear Algebra: An Introductory Approach - C. Curtis, 1984. Likely used this in a course at the University of Utah.
Algebra - T. Hungerford, 1987. The book I used in my abstract algebra course at Texas A&M. Was touted as 'the' book to get for abstract algebra. While I am not familiar with many others, I do recall it was written very well.
Rings, Fields and Groups: An Introduction to Abstract Algebra - RBJT Allenby, 1983. Believe this book was also used in the course where the Hungerford book was used.
Chaos: Making a New Science - J. Gleick, 1987. Enjoyable read.
Who got Einstein's office - E. Regis. Addison Wesley, 1988. Filled with a lot of interesting tales.
Engines of creation: The coming era of nanotechnology - Eric Drexler, 1986. Neat read.
From Today Onward 11 - 1989. Consists of some of the Collected Guidance of SGI President Daisaku Ikeda. SGI was, and maybe still is, an international Buddhist organization which produced some very nice writings.
The Forgotten War: America in Korea - Clay Blair, 1987. Quite the book, at over 1000 pages. Got it when was a member of the military book club. Not sure if I even started the book.
Lines and Shadows - Joseph Wambaugh. Always find his books entertaining. JW is an ex police officer and it shows in his writing.
Fundamentals of Classical Thermodynamics - SI Version 2e, revised printing, 2nd edition, John Wiley 1978. G. Van Wylen, R. Sonntag. Used for course while at University of Utah. Believe was a very good text.
Introduction to Fluid Mechanics - 2nd edition. R. Fox and A. McDonald, Wiley, 1978. Excellent book from what I recall. I believe this is the text book I used.
Engineering fluid mechanics - 2nd edition. J. Roberson, C. Crowe. Houghton Mifflin, 1980. Not the book I used for my course, but seems a good one.
God's Word, Final, Infallible and Forever - Floyd McElveen, 1980. Actually three books. The one on the title, and then The Mormon Illusion and From Mormon Illusion to God's Love. Not sure I read it all.
The Great Fear in Latin America - John Gerassi, bought used and actually never really read.
Disturbing the Universe - Freeman Dyson, 1979. While Dyson's name is not at the top of the list of 20th century physicists, he was involved with a number of the greatest and a number of very significant physics programs/projects. In this book he reflects on his experiences and the future. Enjoyed it quite a bit.
Free To Choose - Milton and Rose Freeman, 1979. Believe this was a good read. They basically advocate no government involvement in the economy, while I would ask for some.
LISP - P. Winston, B. Horn. Probably a great book, but I never really got into the LISP language so did not use much. Seems I got in October of 1989.

Travel Books

National Geographic Traveler, Great Britian - 2nd edition. Good and I should see again for the hotels in Scotland.
Britain from the Air - great pictures from the air.
Back Roads Great Britian - DK Eyewitness Travel, 2010. Got as a gift in 2010. Neat itineraries, but we found that Great Britian has so much to offer on the main track, that to take these trips off the beaten path would have required staying well beyond our available time.
Costa Rica - DK Eyewitness Travel Guides 2005, definitely useful.
Costa Rica, Traveler's Companion - Third edition, Maribeth Mellin, revised and updated by Christopher Baker. Not meant to be your standard travel guide, which attempts to focus lighly on every place. Found it to be useful, but would get a typical guide also.
Oaxaca - Moon Handbooks - Bruce Whipperman. This is the 2nd Edition which I found to be very informative and useful. I've heard that more recent editions have outdated information regarding services such as lodging, eating, etc.
Off The Beaten Path Vermont - 9th Edition, 2014. Full of information on out of the way places. Used it for a nice trip in 2017 and jotted down some information regarding the Northeast Kingdom that was in the book and new to me.

Books I would like to get

Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide, by Nolo
California Crack Up
Make: Electronics
Bernstein, Quantum Proviles
Cook: The Extraordinary Voyages of Captain James Cook
How I Became a Quant: Insights from 25 of Wall Street's Elite
Disasters Evermore? Our Vulnerability to Natural, Industrial and Terrorist Disasters
The Ghosts of Evolution
Rare and Elusive Birds