On a crime reading kick… Last read & current read

Our annual viewing of the Brutalist Easter Bunny in Jyväskylä, Finland. www3.jkl.fi/taidemuseo/v...

Excitement & adventure & intrigue combine in this story of survival & family & determination. Inspired by a real-life Mafia event. #BatchelderHonorBook 📚👍

Next up for #WoltjerFamilyBookClub. This amazing book was gifted to me by @qsprite.bsky.social. I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to introduce it to my children. That time has arrived. #yalit #italianlit

Set aside dollar value, 1988 Score is an elite set. Great photography, clean design, extremely informative backsides. I learned so much about the players as a 12 year old reading the backs of these cards.

Excellent crime story. Now I need to watch the movie.

@sulli864.bsky.social of you haven’t given this one a try, do so.

Enjoying the end of a productive day.

Close enough

Some trail therapy today.

Go home, weather. You’re drunk.

Woke up to a winter wonderland

Good morning, folks. Take care of each other today. & share a book or two with someone.

There's also this paragraph by Jack Kerouac in Vanity of Duluoz. bookaroundthecorner.com/2025/03/20/l...

These asshole twerps with no brains or education from DOGE really did use ChatGPT to find NEH grants to terminate ILLEGALLY - ruining hundreds lives and destroying hundreds of the greatest humanities projects and partnerships of our time. I’m overwhelmed with rage and anger all over again.

This acknowledgment paragraph is one of the easiest ways I can explain the importance, purpose, and value of libraries.

It's a delight to come across a university bookstore like the University of Central Oklahoma's that still sells *actual* books. Even better when they showcase books written by their faculty!

It's been a blast showing off books in the @oupress.bsky.social "Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Ed" series at the Transformative Learning Conference at UCO today. Many thanks to @thetattooedprof.bsky.social for modeling with a complete set of books in the series so far!

Currently reading 👇

Spending time with this offering from @ksupress.bsky.social. #truecrime

This memoir hits hard. So many aspects of it are relatable. Congratulations to @univnebpress.bsky.social & Tim Hillegonds for creating a beautiful book. After reading this book, I have a new courage to do something that I’ve avoided for years.

75 pages read. I was correct in thinking I’d enjoy this memoir, but I was woefully wrong regarding how affected I’d be from the narrative. Addiction is not a demon I suffer from. But I finally have a better understanding of how evil this demon is. Pub’d by @univnebpress.bsky.social.

Excited to start this #memoir from Timothy J. Hillegonds today. From what I’ve read, I think I’m really going to enjoy it. Published by @univnebpress.bsky.social.

On this day in 2024, I received my author copies from the University of New Mexico Press of my new biography about journalist Malcolm W. Browne, published by the University of New Mexico Press.

“I am basically a serious person. I don’t like to do frivolous stories.” John Bartlow Martin rayboomhower.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-...

Excited to share the cover for my new book, a bio of acclaimed journalist Wallace Terry. The book will be available from the @unmpress.bsky.social on October 6. It will be the third book I've done with the Press. Another excellent job by the Press's design staff. www.unmpress.com/978082637015...

Currently reading 👇

Two biographies I’ve recently enjoyed. Take a bow, @marycronkfarrell.bsky.social & @rboomhower.bsky.social!

The length Catherine Leroy went to tell the stories of the Vietnam War are difficult to fully comprehend. She gave voice to so many who lacked the ability/opportunity to speak for themselves. She truly was a fierce storyteller, and @marycronkfarrell.bsky.social has honored her in this #biography.

This one by @marycronkfarrell.bsky.social might be of interest to you, @rboomhower.bsky.social.

Catherine Leroy is an incredible person. I’m only 50 pages in and already know that she lived a life many of us could not. Excellent choice of subject, @marycronkfarrell.bsky.social!

Currently reading 👇

Last four reads

Finished both of these today.

Finished. Politician. Librarian. Amateur Ethnologist. Historian. Public intellectual. Jacob Piatt Dunn, Jr. was a remarkable man. @rboomhower.bsky.social does an incredible job of balancing the many achievements of Dunn with his failures & shortcomings. A complex individual who lived a grand life.

For #PresidentsDay: Did you know that Benjamin Harrison is the only president to have a fellow Civil War general (Lew Wallace), a Jesuit priest (Harry J. Sievers), a professor (Charles W. Calhoun), and a Mishawaka High School graduate (yours truly) serve as his biographers? You could look it up.

Finished. Excellent compilation of 11 essays examining different HOFers. Superb notes & further reading sections for each subject. Great job, @baseballhall.org!

This is a remarkably designed book. The heft of it combined with the thick texture of the pages makes for a truly beautiful historical artifact. Tip of my cap to the Indiana Historical Society & @rboomhower.bsky.social.

Currently reading 👇

My baby is out in the world! 🧡🧡

Happy Saturday, y’all. We can all only wish to be as cool as the Cobra.

Did they arrive, @rboomhower.bsky.social?

This paragraph, man. Yikes. History truly repeats itself.

I’m doing a bit of work this morning. Not all is lost because between tasks I’m treating myself to this excellent #biography about Jacob Piatt Dunn, Jr. by @rboomhower.bsky.social.

Probably a niche read, but I’m thoroughly enjoying this offering from @baseballandlaw.bsky.social. Unfortunately, most of these HOFers are seldom discussed today. So far, my favorite essay has been about James Henry “Jim” O’Rourke (1850-1919). I think he and I would have gotten along just fine.

Today in the ARB: Stephen Mercado reviews “Tojo: The Rise and Fall of Japan’s Most Controversial World War II General” by Peter Mauch @harvardpress.bsky.social asianreviewofbooks.com/tojo-the-ris...

Current poetry read. It’s heavy. But oh so fabulous.

@rboomhower.bsky.social these are coming your way. Mailing them tomorrow.

This has just been bumped up toward the top of my “to buy” list. It sounds absolutely fascinating.

New bookshop alert! The Book Shop of Needham (MA) is having its grand opening today! And it’s packed with readers despite the “storm”. #indiebookshop #books #booksky #reading