Isaac's Storm - Erik Larson

Isaac's Storm is the story of the 1900 Galveston hurricane and the early days of hurricane prediction. Like the other works by Erik Larson, Isaac's Storm is the non-fiction that reads like a good mystery. Larson seamlessly weaves the facts and figures of the events into a narrative that keeps the reader engaged. Each of the books that I've read by this guy have been peppered with historical surprises, and this one is no exception. Fascinating tidbits about technologies, companies, and individuals that we think we know are revealed in the context of their time.

This isn't my favorite Larson book, but it's still worth your time. Very informative and entertaining.

• Laurell K. Hamilton's Danse Macabre
  
• Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five
• Up in Honey's Room - Elmore Leonard

The Foreign Correspondent - Alan Furst

Alan Furst writes historical spy novels, usually set in Europe between 1930 and 1950. He writes from unique perspectives. His protagonists are Polish, Bulgarian, Italian, French, English. He shines a light on aspects of the World War II era that few Americans ever think about.

The Foreign Correspondent is the story of an Italian dissident ex-pat journalist, living in Paris in the months leading up to the start of World War II in Europe. Our hero is an ordinary person, living in extraordinary times. His work for the Reuters News agency takes him from the front lines of Spain's civil war, to Poland during the Blitzkrieg, to Nazi Berlin.

The Foreign Correspondent doesn't have the same amount of action as some of Furst's other novels, but it is no less satisfying.

Next up:

• Laurell K. Hamilton's Danse Macabre
  
• Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five
• Up in Honey's Room - Elmore Leonard

Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer

Yes, I liked Into the Wild enough to plow right into the rest of Krakauer's repertoire. Into Thin Air was written earlier than the Into the Wild. While both works are post mortem examinations of adventures gone wrong, this one hits much closer to home for the author. Krakauer was a participant on an ill fated 1996 expedition to summit Mt. Everest which lost 8 people to the mountain.

Krakauer describes the events in detailed, gripping prose. I did not want to put this book down.

On the bedside table:

• Alan Furst's The Foreign Correspondant
• Laurell K. Hamilton's Danse Macabre
  
• Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five
• Up in Honey's Room - Elmore Leonard

Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer

Yeah, it's been forever. I know. I've been too busy reading to write!

After graduating from Emory University in Atlanta in 1992, Christopher McCandless abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked across the US, finally arriving in Alaska, where he went to live in the wilderness. He was later found dead in the wilderness. Into the Wild is the story of McCandless' journey. It examines the possible reasons for McCandless' behavior. As someone who has a bad case of wanderlust, I identified with McCandless. I have read, and admired, some of the same works that influenced this kid.

Into the Wild is a well written account. It will grab your attention, and not let go until the bitter end.

Next up:

• Alan Furst's The Foreign Correspondant
• Laurell K. Hamilton's Danse Macabre
  
• Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five
• Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
• Up in Honey's Room - Elmore Leonard