If you've checked up on my reading list pages recently you've probably noted that they haven't changed in some time.
Yes, I have a fair amount of catching up to do. I now have both a backlog of books to read and a backlog of books to post to the lists as well. So, for my own amusement, I thought I'd mention two notable books here since they may not get a review in the recent reads list...
Americana by Hampton Sides: This book was tremendous! It's a collection of Sides' articles on travel throughout America and also by Americans to other countries. All are top notch, but two (one about the first American casualty in the Iraq war and another about various survivors of 9/11) are heart wrenching and brilliantly written. I would have to count this one as a 'must read.'
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer: I've been a fan of Krakauer's work since I read "Into Thin Air" over one breathless weekend. This book is about Mormon fundamentalism. It is not a pretty book and Mormon fundamentalism is not a pretty faith (in my own opinion it isn't a faith at all). The trade paperback edition includes Krakauer's response to an attack on his book by a prominent (non fundamentalist) Mormon theologian. Also a must read, but be warned, this one will make you mad.
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