THURSDAY, SEPT. 11 — We spent yesterday on the storm watch again. If you were in a situation to stay inside, listen to the rain and read a great book, things pretty much fell perfectly into place for you. Here's what we're reading:
LIAR TEMPTRESS SOLDIER SPY
Karen Abbott
A remarkable and unique look at the Civil War, this book struck me as two stories in one. One one hand, it's the story of four amazing women: Belle Boyd, a brash and vocal spy for the Confederate Army; Emma Edmonds, who cut off her hair and fought in the Union Army for years disguised as a man; politically connected socialite Rose O'Neale who obtained and routed information from her Union contacts; and Elizabeth Van Lew, who hid behind her wealth and status in Richmond to help the Abolitionist cause. All four of these stories are utterly compelling in their own right.
In addition, there's a fascinating history of the development and use of spying and intelligence gathering on both sides. For a number of reasons, the South, and especially southern women, were first into the game, leading to several of the surprising early Confederate victories. The Union, when it finally got up to speed, had far more money and manpower to devote to the espionage game, and it seems fair to say that their advances turned the tide of the war as certainly as any other military factor. kobo eBook
ACCEPTANCE
Jeff Vandermeer
The final book in this consistently unsettling trilogy takes us back to Area X, the segment of the US coastline that's been barricaded and disturbingly changed by an unknown power or entity. After the previous book kept us on the periphery of Area X (until it came to us) the third dives right back in and the eerie and skin-crawling sensation of the first book is back in full force. Without giving away too many spoilers to those of you who are anxiously waiting for the conclusion, I can tell you that yes, some of the questions that have been nagging since volume one are answered, and no, the answers aren't anything like I would have guessed. If you're like me, I expect you'll also come away with the feeling that not all of the questions you've been turning around in your mind were answered, which isn't a criticism. The feeling of mystery and creepiness that started from the first page of the first book continues even after the last page of the last one. kobo eBook
THE HISTORY OF ROCK 'N' ROLL IN TEN SONGS
Greil Marcus
As somebody who has read at least something from nearly every significant popular music writer since the 1950s, I have a particular admiration for Mr. Marcus. Mystery Train, Lipstick Traces, Invisible Republic and The Old, Weird America are classics of the genre, and all succeed brilliantly at giving the music equal emotional and intellectual consideration and analysis.
The top-ten list the author presents in his new book isn't anything like what the pop music devotee would expect. It bears little relation to the "canon" of what's usually considered ground-breaking music. That's the beauty of this book. Mr. Marcus starts with a surprising and fresh choice (even including an artist's video installation), and leads the reader down a longer and ever-widening path to place his particular selection in a broader cultural context. You may not agree with the starting points, but it'll be hard to argue with his destinations. Once again, he delivers music criticism that satisfies both the heart and the head.
This week's question is for those of you as obsessed with the literature of popular music as I. Very simply, what's the best book you've read on that particular subject?
Until next week,
Neil
NeilNeil Rajala is Currently Director of Community & Business Services for Schuler Books, Neil's decade with the company has included the wearing of many different hats - and lots and lots of reading.
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