I used to love to read. It was nothing for me to devour several books in a month or even a week. But then about 10 years ago I just stopped reading. I couldn’t understand why but I just couldn’t seem to focus. It turned out I needed some glasses. Ah, the joy of our bodies falling apart, am I right? Anyway, now I am back in the game, baby! I just finished “Chase Darkness With Me,” and I want to share my thoughts about this book as well as what I else am excited about in the book world on this What Are You Reading Wednesday.
What I Just Finished Reading: Chase Darkness With Me
I joined the Alcatraz East Crime Museum Book Club that started in February. The first selection, “Chase Darkness With Me,” by Billy Jenson was really good. Billy Jensen is a podcaster and author who uses social media to help solve cold cases. He came up with a way to use Facebook advertising and Twitter to search out people who could share important facts about cold cases. He even hunted down a fugitive in Mexico with this method. If you are interested in true crime as I am, I think you will enjoy this book.
What I Am Currently Reading: John Wayne Gacy: Defending A Monster
The Alcatraz East Crime Museum Book Club selection for March [which I am currently reading] is “John Wayne Gacy: Defending A Monster.” Admittedly, with everything going with Coronavirus, I am not very far into this book as I have been devoting most of my free time to watching the news. I am currently on page 63 and will not have it completed by the end of the month. However, what I have read so far is really good. The book is written by the man who defended him in court, who also knew him before he was arrested. The author, Judge Sam L Amiranthe, had no idea what a monster John Wayne Gacy actually was. So, I am looking forward to reading more about how he came to terms with the reality that one of his friends could end up being a serial killer.
I very much enjoy this book club but will probably drop out until all of this mess is over due to library closings, loss of employment [so I need to allocate my money elsewhere] etc. But it’s awesome and I will definitely be back when this blows over. Hope some of you join in, too.
What I Plan To Read Next: Luck Or Something Like It
Kenny Rogers passed away a few days ago. I love his music and I am fortunate enough to have gotten to meet him and see him in concert a few years ago. I have his autobiography, “Luck Or Something Like It” around here somewhere but I haven’t read it yet. It was always on my “get to it soon” list, but as soon as I find it, I intend to add it to the “get to it now” list.
Other Books To Add To Your List
“Satin Boots: Six Short Romances Of The Old West,” by Holly Bargo.
ANGELS HIGH: A woman who makes her living by winning at a man’s game learns to expect trouble, especially when the stakes are high. But when trouble finds her this time, Angelica Durant gets more than she bargained for.
…plus 5 more short story romances of the Old West.
“The EQ Intervention,” by Adam L Saenz, PhD
Better mental health on campus. Designed as a practical guide for educators and administrators, The EQ Intervention includes a research-backed tool called the Educator Assessment of Social and Emotional Learning (EASEL). Using this assessment, measure your own SEL skills or those of your faculty to identify where you can adjust conflict resolution practices in the classroom for a healthier, safer, more self-aware campus.
“No More Dodging Bullets,” by Amy Herrig
A harrowing legal battle and other life challenges are the basis for a story of perseverance, personal growth and beating the odds. After overcoming a heroin addiction in her teenage years and striving to move forward, Amy Herrig faced an entirely different addiction twenty years later: money. She and her father, Jerry Shults, were thriving as the owners of the Gas Pipe stores in Dallas, Texas, as well as other successful businesses, when a government lawsuit threatened to take everything–their businesses, their money, and their freedom. Accused of crimes she hadn’t committed, Amy spent the next four years fighting to stay out of prison, but that wasn’t all she had to fight along the way. When one life-altering change after another shook up Amy’s world, she gained a new perspective on herself and on what matters most in life.
“Yellow” by Jeanne Charters
The Eighties…that time of glittery greed, unbound sexuality and political degeneracy when all that stood between Americans and fake news was a free press…and one strong woman.
“A Brush With Death,” by Jody Summers
A medium who paints with human ashes unleashes a murderous spiritual force. New Orleans artist Kira McGovern paints tribute portraits of the dead by mixing their cremated ashes into her oil paints. This sends her into an altered state, reliving blissful moments of their lives. But a new commission jolts her into reliving grotesque, bloody murder scenes. Kira has a horrifying realization: She’s painting the portrait of a serial killer. And he isn’t quite dead. As the evil in her painting grows more malevolent, it isn’t satisfied to just flood Kira’s dreams with blood and murder. It wants to kill her or use her as a portal to kill again. Can she stop the awakened entity from possessing her?
“Dancing To The Darkest Light,” by Soheila Adelipour
Soheila’s peaceful life is shattered by the revolution and dangerous circumstances in 1978, while a student at Pahlavi University. The family is forced to flee the country and leave everything behind.
Soheila gets married, settles in New York. Raises four sons and manages her life and deals with the everyday ups and downs. Her three sisters also establish careers and families of their own, while the apple of the family’s eye, her brother, Fariborz, becomes a sought-after neurosurgeon. They are the absolute embodiment of the American dream, until tragedy strikes. Soheila is faced by the most heart-wrenching tragedy any parent can face. She thinks she has seen the worst until her brother and sister’s battles with life start. She vows to save her brother even if that means facing death herself. She agrees to do the impossible and the ‘hero’s journey’ starts.
Dancing To The Darkest Lightis a memoir of survival, how one sister, daughter and mother finds reason to go on after the most crushing loses imaginable and still sees beauty in life. It is a heartwarming family saga and an unforgettable account of faith and not just love, but unconditional love. This book is an inspiring, motivating, positive, wise and life-changing story.
“Puffins Encounter Fire & Ice,” by RA Anderson
Puffins Encounter Fire & Ice is the third installment in RA Anderson’s delightful Iceland: The Puffin Explorers Series, and this time around, Iceland’s natural wonders take center stage. Árni and Birta discover glaciers, volcanoes, natural energy, lava fields, waterfalls and some of the legendary folk of Iceland. But as nightfall draws closer, Árni’s parents must step up their frantic search for these two curious puffins to help guide them back to their burrows before dark. Will they succeed? Join the adventure to find out!
…plus, check out the other Puffins books!
Do you plan to read “Chase Darkness With Me,” or any of the other books that I recommended today? I would love to know what you are reading. Be sure to share in the comments below or on one of our social media channels.
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