A bookish February update
Back in a groove, and the TBR list grows some more
I figured it has been awhile since my last post, so I should talk book stuff this month. I’ve fallen back into a reading groove, missing only a handful of days in 2023, so my New Year’s resolution to read a bit more has stuck. I’m currently reading “Desert Notebooks: A Road Map for the End of Time,” by Ben Ehrenreich. I picked this one up on my birthday last year because, frankly, I just like the desert. I’ve always been taken by the vastness and harshness and general beauty of the desert landscape. This book reads like a memoir meets travelogue meets call to action. I’m about halfway through, and it’s been enjoyable. Ehrenreich puts you wherever he is, that’s for sure. Very good writing.
This year I have completed two books: “F5: The Devastating Tornado Outbreak of 1974,” by Mark Levine and “Air Apparent: How Meteorologists Learned to Map, Predict, and Dramatize Weather,” by Mark Monmonier. I won’t get too into the details of these two books, as I will likely be posting that at Space City Weather next week. But I will tell you that “F5” was phenomenal. “Air Apparent” was interesting but perhaps fell a bit short of expectations.
The next book in line for me will be “Holding Back the River,” by Tyler J. Kelley.
I’m often asked about recommendations. To be honest, I don’t read quickly enough to recommend more than what I already share as I consume books. But I do keep track of new or recent releases, and I add older books I have missed to a very lengthy book list I keep. My future TBR list, as it were: Books that aren’t yet on my nightstand but will be one day. Here are some that have caught my eye recently.
“Running Out: In Search of Water on the High Plains,” by Lucas Bessire
I am a sucker for a good water book. I’ve read books about the Colorado River, the Great Lakes, and the excellent Great Plains book “Ogallala Blue,” among others. Bessire’s book came out in 2021 but was released in paperback back in October. This looks to be part memoir, part history, part reality in terms of how the Ogallala got here and a look at its future.
The only book I have read that focuses on Lincoln’s life is “Team of Rivals,” which is a classic for obvious reasons. Zuckert’s book focuses on Lincoln’s speeches and promises to delve more into his political philosophy. From what I’ve read tangentially about Lincoln, I interpret him as being more adept at politics than most people give him credit for. He wasn’t just a good president; he was a skilled one. Anyway, I’ll probably pair this book with a more formal Lincoln biography at some point.
“Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America,” by Leila Philip
“Koala: A Natural History And An Uncertain Future,” by Danielle Clode
“The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls,” by Miriam Darlington
All three of these books sound fascinating. “Beaverland” has received a lot of praise and talks about how beavers shaped America and thankfully vice versa, bringing them back from the bring of extinction. Danielle Clode is an Australian biologist and her book will go into the history of koalas, their psychology, and their relationship to us. Owls are a theme in “Desert Notebooks,” so Darlington’s book caught my eye. Her’s appears to be a bit more narrative based, with her research on owls coinciding with her son contracting a mysterious illness. Those always make for fascinating, rewarding reads.
“Northeaster: A Story of Courage and Survival in the Blizzard of 1952,” by Cathie Pelletier
Last, a book that both looked good to me and has been recommended to me by more than one person recently. Pelletier’s book focuses on a snowstorm in 1952 that clobbered Maine and ended up killing nearly 50 people.
There are few things quite as powerful as an old fashioned Downeast snowstorm, but Pelletier’s book will likely be the definitive story of experiencing the worst one.
That’s all for now. In all seriousness, please comment if you like posts like this or want to see more. I am always adding to my TBR list, and I’m happy to share some thoughts on current reading too!
I sent your column and your recommend for Pelletier's book to a friend who lives in Maine. She said she's read others of Pelletier's works, and now has this one on her to-be-read list. Thanks!
I can't remember if I've asked you, but: have you read John McPhee's <i>The Control of Nature</i>? His essay on the Atchafalaya and Mississippi, and the various attempts to contain and control them, was fascinating. I'm fascinated by the Atchafalaya myself, and have spent some time there -- although my gr-gr-grandfather got there first. His regiment, the 34th Iowa, was given the task of marching Confederate prisoners through there during the Civil War. That's when they lost most of their men: from disease, rather than from military combat.