March books - a summary

The Lost Battles by Jonathon Jones was my last book of the month and the most difficult.  It was a tough read that demanded my attention beyond my person art and Italian history interest.  Written by an art historian this is an greatly researched look at the rivalry of DaVinci and Michaelangelo - the superstars of this art and historic era and the story of Florence.

Fascinating in a way is that the art project that is the central theme of the book is gone.  We cannot see it.   We can get splashes of it from other artists like the sample that accompanies this review, but we cannot see it.

So we find our way through various historical alleys with other artwork, other artists and the story of Florence as we try to piece together this great confrontation, but I found myself seeking web sources to show me what we were talking about.  To that end the book succeeded in sending me seeking, but on the other end, I found myself wading through knowledge that is valuable but beyond my care.

If you have the right interests the book should be great, if you have curiosity like I do, it is a good struggle.  To the general reader I do not recommend it.

My favorite books of the month were my last two postings - The Stages by Thom Satterlee and  Badluck Way by Bryce Andrew.

Bossypants by Tina Fey had times of laughter and some poignant humor, but if you are not a television person - my weakness in this - a lot of the book did not have much value.  However, before I just pan it, I have to say there are some excellent passages that have great humor and justify wading through the materials that lack enlightenment or inspiration to a reader like me.

Chester Alan Arthur by Zachery Karabell that confirms the unscientific conclusion that Arthur is not a president worth remembering.  Still, he was a president, so we should know something.

Waldenwest by August Derleth was in another review - a 1961 classic of Wisconsin writing that had an excellent start but suffers from a half century of time.  It is fun to see some of the people and the philisophical parts are excellent, but once again the end did not come soon enough.

The Red Man's Bones by Benita Eisler is the perfect companion to the new biography of Curtis.  The combination of Curtis and Catlin are responsible for the images and knowledge we possess of the American Indian.  It would be my third favorite book of the month of variety.

The Hammer, a Sports Illustrated collection is truly a collection of the Sports Illustrated stories that span Hank Aaron's career as my favorite baseball player.  It not only is a reminder of the man and the complicated path he took from Negro Leagues to Icon, but also of the horrible racial undertones of our nation.  The stories are excellent and the book was a pleasure to read.

The Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson is a continuation of the excellent Longmire mystery series set in the Bighorns and the Crow reservation and this book did not disappoint a fan. I enjoy the personalities and I know the setting.  It is a good modern western and the series continues to keep me going at the same time that I am losing interest in other on going series like Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone where the character seems to be the reason the mystery was written.

Sherlock Holmes in America by Lellenberg, Greenberg, Stashower. deals with another of my old favorites - one who never seems to disappear from history or literature.  I am putting Doyle next to Shakespeare for the creation of a literature that goes beyond time and location to be a reference to all others that dabble in the same form of writing.  Why this has three editors is beyond me.  It is uneven, and often disappointing, but there are always those gems that make you glad that you took the time to read.