April Books

Full 2014 list is here

A nervous splendour

by Frederick Morton

4.0 of 5 star

Book didn't work for me despite being about a really interesting period and revolving around a fabulous story. Dashing, reform-mided prince in fin-de-siecle Vienna is stymied by an autocratic father, kills himself and his 17 year old lover in a murder suicide pact that the palace tries to hide from the public. Dull writing and a disjointed attempt to interweave the lives of other prominent Viennese (Freud, Mahler, Brahms, Klimt) into parallel storyline keep me from recommending the book, but do do look into the life and times of Prince Rudolf. 

Fire in the Hole 

by Elmore Leonard

Got this to read the story that inspired Justified, a show I'd been mildly enjoying until Netflix discovered I'm in Serbia. Pilot was surprisingly faithful to the story, and the others are just as cracking. Leonard made writing and storytelling look incredibly easy, both of which are deceptively difficult.

Energy Myths and Realities: Bringing Science to the Energy Policy Debate

by Vaclav Smil

Clear, if somewhat dull look at energy alternatives and the prospect for transition from coal and oil. Apparently the replacement of oil with switchgrass is going to take longer and do less than its champions would have you believe.

Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes

by Jim Holt

Short, very readable book. Didn't say much, but historical examination of humor was fun.

Deep Sea and Foreign Going: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Brings You 90% of Everything

by Rose George 

Not as interesting as I had hoped, but enjoyable nonetheless. The number of people and ships lost at sea each year is far higher than one might guess, and the registration of ships with dodgy countries is appalling.

Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her

by Melanie Rehak 

Might have worked better as an essay, as a lot of internecine quarreling was a little tedious. The influence of the suffrage movement on the development of the teen sleuth's character, and of one man on the committee of writers who created the books (as well as the Hardy Boys, Bobsey Twins and others I'd never heard of)was especially interesting.