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Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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I finished Happy Family by Tracy Barone. I thought that it started out stronger than it ended. I liked it very much but I felt that it dragged a bit in the middle, that the almost-end was a little dry and textbookish (new word!), and that the very end was a wee bit sappy (although surprising). All in all, it was worth the time and I liked it.
A fascinating tale of how several Latino street gangs in 1990's Chicago attempted to unite under a Spanish Mafia organization, modeled after the notorious Chicago Outfit, that would control violence, influence politicians/cops, and increase profits.
One of these gangs is called the C-Notes. The C-Notes formed around the 1950's and was originally a white/Italian gang, considered a minor league team of the Italian American Outfit. To ward off extinction, the C-Notes eventually allowed non whites including Latino's to join their gang, and later on joined the Folks alliance in prison (this street gang is still active today).
An older Outfit member used some of the C-Notes members to try and influence/mentor the development of the Spanish Mafia (Spanish Growth and Development, or SGD).
Even in the 90's, the Chicago Outfit still had some weight and power on the streets.
The concept, the attempt to unify the gangs, and the ultimate failure makes for interesting reading.
I am reading Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish by John Hargrove, Howard Chua-Eoan. John Hargrove wanted to be a SeaWorld Trainer from his first visit when he was a young child. It tells how he made his dream come true. He tells of his start at SeaWorld and his love for the whales. It is a slow build up of the wrongs that are done to these amazing creatures(orcas). I am finding it very interesting although also quite sad.
I've been reading English Passengers for a while now, albeit very slowly, and it's good. It's hard to say exactly what it's about at this point. It's set in the 19th century and deals with issues of colonization and evangelism. The story is told from multiple points of view and one think I like about it is that the narrators have very distinct voices. Some are sly and don't say more than they do say--think Mark Twain--while others are more innocent and straight-forward. Some parts are very funny and some are grim.
Anyway, if you like historical fiction and are up for an adventure, give it a look.
Underground Airlines- A book about modern day America (so Mcdonalds, NFL, Social Media, Apple, google, ect) except the civil war never happened. Slavery is illegal in most states aside from 5. The story follows a freed black man who works as a hitman for the government and tracks down runaway slaves throughout the country. In the end he apparently has a huge awakening and comes to terms with his awful past as a hitman, though I have not gotten to that part yet. So far I'm loving the book, and it is full of suspense!
Finished Parrot Blues, Judith Van Gieson - featuring Neil Hamel, her lawyer/sleuth. Set in Albuquerque, in the Southwest, nice local color, culture. She's a good read. HarperCollins, c1995, 241pp.
I just finished Ain't No Rag: Freedom, Family, and the Flag. The book is a collection of musician Charlie Daniels' thoughts, posts and letters to the editor over the years.
Overall excellent book with pragmatic comments on a wide array of topics. I gave it three stars for reasons I'll outline at the end, but first the good part. Mr. Daniels' love of country, community and church comes through strong and with passion and eloquence. He does not mince words. This leads me to believe he actually wrote most of it, and this is not the ghost-written pablum of many books. He richly mixes in both hometown and on the road experiences. I wish his views were more widely accepted. We'd be a better country if people practiced the kind of civility he advocates.
I gave it three stars because the book seems overly tilted towards Christians. I am Jewish, but otherwise share most of the writer's world view on patriotism and values. I almost felt as if pragmatic and sensible values and approaches were coextensive with being Christian. I wish I felt that his agreement and approval of me would be as strong as my overall approval of him.
Just threw Bitter Harvest by Ann Rule across the room and chalked it up as finished with one star on Goodreads. They need a category for Did Not Finish. Started Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood and am finding it entertaining and taking me into its realm.
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One tough cookie
