In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

A psychological thriller, a novel based on the facts concerning the murder of the Clutter family in a small town in west Kansas. Includes in depth descriptions and character studies of the victims and of the criminals, as well as of the friends and family members of both, and of the detectives.
I was afraid to read this, afraid it would be too disturbing for me, but now that I have read it, I am glad I did. Mr. Capote was an excellent writer. From the beginning I was deeply involved in the lives of the family and of the perpetrators. However, there is some controversy; family members and others who knew Mr. and Mrs. Clutter and their children are very unhappy with Capote's portrayal of them. And, there are some discrepancies with the facts of the case, as recorded in court records. I guess we can chalk that up to "poetic license," but I do think that Mr. Capote should have made that clear in his Acknowledgments section.

Hannah's List, by Debbie Macomber

A sweet romance based on an unusual premise. A young woman dying of cancer leaves a note for Michael, her grieving husband, to be read after her death. In it, she urges him to marry again, and even gives him a list of possible wives: her cousin, her oncology nurse, and a flighty, unpredictable model she met in her work as a buyer. Guess who Michael falls for? It's pretty obvious, even from the book's cover picture. However, as Shakespeare observed, "the course of true love never did run smooth" . The twists, turns, obstacles, and rocks in their path make for an interesting read.

Run, by Ann Patchett (audiobook)

This book was given to me by a Bookcrossing friend, a surprise gift sent in the mail! (Thanks again, Captivated Reader!) It is an audiobook. I am not in the habit of listening to books; I usually prefer to hold and read them, but as it happened, husband and I made several long auto trips in the last month, and we both enjoyed listening to the book in the car.
We got caught up in the story: a retired mayor of Boston, Mass. has taken his two adult adopted sons to a lecture by Jesse Jackson. As they were leaving, his older son stepped off the curb into the path of a SUV. A stranger pushed him out of the way, and was herself seriously injured. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, leaving her 11 year old daughter alone on the street. The mayor and his sons persuade her come to their house. As it happens, the mayor's adopted sons are African-American, and so are the mother and daughter. As the story develops, long-hidden family secrets are slowly revealed and mysteries appear.
I never did quite understand older, natural born brother Sullivan's hidden past. Perhaps my thoughts wandered a little while that bit was explained, but I didn't want to listen to it all over again, just to find it. Otherwise, the story was quite enjoyable, but tied up a little too neatly and quickly at the end. Also, the bit about Tennessee's deceased friend mysteriously appearing in her hospital room seemed very strange, even surreal.
I did think that Peter Francis James did an excellent job narrating the story. His range of voices was spot on, from Boston Irish Catholic accents to Jamaican, Asian Indian, and perfect renditions of Jesse Jackson and of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (as heard on a radio in the story). Every one was distinct and well done, even the young girl, without resorting to the use of falsetto.

In a slump

I'm between books, sort of. I started In Cold Blood by Truman Capote several days ago, but haven't opened it since. I'm afraid it will be too gory for me, too explicitly grisly. I know it's hard to believe that a person of my age hasn't read it yet, and doesn't even know much about it, but that's the case for me. I do know that it is based on an actual event, the brutal murder of a family in rural Kansas.

I've been spending way too much time lately on my phone, on Facebook and playing Solitaire.

ETA: As you can tell from my entry of November 20 (today's date), I picked a lighter romance. Now I think I'm ready to tackle In Cold Blood.

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"What makes a book live? A book lives through the passionate recommendation of one reader to another. Nothing can throttle this basic impulse in the human being. Despite the views of cynics and misanthropes, it is my belief that men will always strive to share their deepest experiences."
Henry Miller

It is my hope that the books I enjoy will keep living, and that my reviews here and elsewhere are helpful to others.

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland, by Jim DeFede

I had seen an article on Facebook about the events in Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11/2001, and this book was mentioned in the article. I posted about it on a Bookcrossing forum, and said that I would like to read the book. A fellow Bookcrosser generously offered to send me her copy!

A wonderful book, a true account of the events in Gander, Newfoundland and surrounding areas following the attacks of September 11, 2001. All airspace in the USA and even North America was closed, and all flights in progress had to land ASAP at the nearest airport that could accommodate them. Gander had been the site of a huge military airbase during World War II, as a fueling station en route to Europe, so it was easily able to accommodate many airplanes. There were passengers from all over the world, with many cultural differences. The good citizens of Gander (and surrounding areas) very graciously provided food, medicine, shelter, bedding, even clothing, transportation to stores, etc, and did not forget the pets still on board the planes. The dietary needs of three Orthodox Jewish passengers were provided. Friendships were formed. It is a very heart-warming and inspirational book. I enjoyed it thoroughly and would highly recommend it!

I no longer have this book; I donated it to my church's semi annual yard sale to fund missions.