Louis Armstrong is an iconic figure in American popular culture and in jazz.
Two newly –wed Americans in their late 20s, Margaret and Patrick, find themselves in Africa in the late 70s, where Patrick, a medical doctor, is working a year in Kenya as part of his fellowship in equatorial medicine. An adventure, climbing Mount Kenya with two other couples, takes a deadly turn, and deeply affects the relationship between Margaret and Patrick. Anita Shreve fashions
Blue Heaven is what the locals call a rural area in Idaho where retired LAPD Blue Officers move when they retire. This gives residents a feeling of security and welcome income. But some of the former policemen are not are as noble and upright as they would have the local authorities believe.
I didn't check out this story collection until after Christmas but reading it out of season did not lessen my enjoyment. Great writers from Charles Dickens to Richard Ford are represented in this collection.
Generation Dead by Daniel Waters is another take on teen vampires. In this vampire tale, teens, and only some teens, who die are coming back as the living dead.
This book, Tana French's debut novel, is a mystery set in a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Most of the story takes place in the present, but there are important references to an event that happened in August 1984.
Superfreakonomics is the follow-up to Freakonomics by the same authors. I found this a lot of fun to read, because they present lots of quirky subjects. The authors present these things as facts, but how can you really be sure?
This is a long fiction - 566 pages - which I don't usually do, but decided to take it on vacation. It was an Oprah selection and the bookjacket blurbs caught my interest. A dog story - the protagonist, Edgar, grows up on a dog breeding and training farm, so lots of info about that. Edgar also is born unable to speak, however, he can hear.
I gave this book 5 stars on my Goodreads account. Pete Dexter is a very funny writer. The opening scene of a botched burial at sea sets the stage. Even more wonderful is the character, Calmer who becomes Spooner's step-dad while Spooner is still a young boy.
While searching for books about Kansas or by Kansas authors I stumbled upon The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas: Stories. It happens to come from the same brain that is behind Found, the website, magazine and book which are dedicated to discarded notes, letters, flyers, photos, lists, and drawings found and sent in by readers.