When the Thrill is Gone

Walter Mosley writes vivid mysteries and crime stories, usually set in LA, but sometimes elsewhere, as this one, which is set in New York City. Many of the stories have a noir feel and all feature very sharp urban dialog that's a pleasure to read. The subtext of all the stories is race relations, embodied in the action, rather than described. This one, in the Leonard McGill series, was not my favorite (I have most enjoyed the books featuring Easy Rawlins or Fearless Jones) but still had wonderful moments of human interaction. Any Mosley is a pleasure!

Working backwards (II)

More mini-reviews, of books I read March - July 2008:

Middlesex - A rare homerun from the college book club. The immigrant experience of the American century. I prefer Philip Roth - perhaps because this is Greek instead of Jewish - but I'm splitting hairs. Read it.

A Black Englishman - More typical of the college book club: mediocre. The scent and feel of India lingers appealingly, though.

Day of Battle - Volume 2 of a as-yet-unfinished 3-volume history of America's involvement in WWII in Europe. This covers the invasion of Sicily and Italy, an intriguing contrast. Sicily is Patton, Monty, and a rip-roaring success. Italy, rarely the focus of pop historys of WWII, is a winter slog.

Winter's Tale - Grand and grandiose. A time-leaping paean to NYC.

Expectant Father - A useful alternative perspective, though less needed than its author thinks.

The Nine - A pop biography of the justices of the US Supreme Court. A very fast, fun, insightful read. But, damn, it makes you realize that the Conservatives have already won this battle.

Razor's Edge - The college book club goes for a classic, but still I'm not won over. First half of the book feels like Fitzgerald (yay!) but the second half feels like a very tentative inquiry into bohemianism (boo!).

Baby Whisperer - Another perspective on raising babies. Seems good - the compromise position between kids-first and Ferber - but the compromise is ambiguous and hard to execute on. Not recommended.