Weekend Bookshelf: First Day of Autumn 2018

     “That old September feeling, left over from school days, of summer passing, vacation nearly done, obligations gathering, books and football in the air … Another fall, another turned page: there was something of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning, as if last year’s mistakes had been wiped clean by summer.”

                                                                                                            Wallace Stegner

Autumn To-Read list & progress on my reading plan

     Ah, sweet Autumn has arrived at last.  The season of pleasant weather, mellow beers, bonfires in the fire-pit and nature’s grand finale is finally here.  Because of the shorter days and cooler nights, my time spent in the garden will begin to wind down until the growing season finally comes to an end.  Being a fair-weather bicyclist, my time spent on the saddle will soon begin to wind down as well.

     We are compensated for the less time we have to spend on outdoor activities by the time we now gain to spend reading!  I have set aside several books that I intend to read during the chilly nights ahead.  Normally I’m not one to schedule what books I read, but since I’ve started my plan to reprogram my brain’s reading habits I thought setting goals will help me along.

     Oh, as to my 25 page a day reading habit:  I am doing fairly well.  I’ve had some setbacks and I’ve backslid a couple of times, but for the most part I have met my goal.  I’ve completed three books since I started this plan.  One thing I have found that helps me is to focus on one book at a time.  I tend to read several books at the same time, which can be distracting and sets me back.

    Below is a list of books that I have set aside to read this Fall.  This list may seem daunting at first, but I have calculated that there are 89 days in autumn this year.  Multiply 89 x 25 (pages a day) and I should be able to read 2,225 pages by the time the winter solstice arrives.  Easy-peasy, right?

“Blood and Thunder” by Hampton Sides.  The life and times of Kit Carson.

“It’s Not About the Tapas” by Polly Evans.  Ms. Evans has written several travel books, but this was her first.  Tapas is her account of her bicycle journey through Spain.  I’ve had this book awhile, but have been put off by some of the poor reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.  I’ve decided to find out for myself if the book is good or not.

“Depth of Winter: Longmire Mystery #14” by Craig Johnson.  “Western Star: Longmire Mystery #13”, ended in a cliffhanger.  Anxious to see if ol’ Walt Longmire is able to deal some overdue justice on a longtime nemesis.

“Down the Great Unknown” by Edward Dolnick.  John Wesley Powell is one of those individuals who if he were a character in a fiction book would be considered “unrealistic”.  A Civil War veteran, who lost his arm in the war, travels down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in wooden boats and lives to tell the tale.  He and his crew weren’t shooting the Colorado’s rapids for thrills, but for scientific inquiry.  “Down the Great Unknown” is their story.

     There ya go, the books I intend to read this autumn.  How about you?  What books are you looking forward to reading during these crisp autumn evenings?

Book Review: “An Empire on the Edge: How Britain Came to Fight America” by Nick Bunker.

“Empire” is an engrossing look at the mistakes made by Lord North and the rest of the British government that helped lead to the American Revolution.  The book starts off fairly slow, as the author delves into a recession that started in the early 1770’s.  A recession that wasn’t helped by the possibly catastrophic failure of the East India Company.

     But this part of the book is important, because it lays the groundwork for why the British government allowed events in the colonies to spiral out of their control.  In school we were taught that the British levied taxes on the colonies to make them help pay for the French and Indian War.  While this is true insofar as it goes, the British government had far larger concerns.  Due to speculation on tea by the East India Company, the British had more tea than what they knew what to do with. A failure of the East India Company could have led to the collapse of Lord North’s government well before the Revolution ever occurred.  So the British government came upon the brilliant plan to send the tea to the colonies thus forcing them to pay the tax that would pay for the bailout of the East India Company.

     Once this groundwork is laid, the book becomes a fascinating account of missteps taken by the British government and its gross misunderstanding the colonies.  Right up until the end, King George III and Lord North believed that the troubles in New England were caused by a few selfish hotheads, and were genuinely shocked when all the colonies rebelled against them.

     Excellent read for American Revolution junkies and for general history buffs.

     4 out of 4 thumbs up:

What I’m reading now: “Heft on Wheels” by Mike Magnuson.

I picked this book up at a local Barnes & Noble on a whim, because I like bicycling and I am trying to lose weight.  “Heft on Wheels” details how Mr. Magnuson was able to lose 75 pounds, quit drinking (apparently, he was a borderline alcoholic) and quit smoking simply by taking up bicycling.  So far it has been a quick and breezy read; but it’s not quite the inspirational tome I was hoping for.  Mr. Magnuson, put simply, has an addictive personality.  He traded three unhealthy addictions for one theoretically healthier one.

     I say theoretically, because for one thing his new addiction nearly leads to him getting run over and killed by a truck. Whether by cancer from smoking or getting smacked by 2-ton vehicles, dead is dead.  For another, his addictive personality leads him to extremes.  He admits to riding up to 250 miles a week!  That is mileage a professional bicycle racer puts in, not something you usually see in a university professor with a wife and children.  Such a hardcore exercise regimen can lead to chronic injury, illnesses or divorce.

     Still, it is humorous and mildly inspirational, even if I have no intention of following in his footsteps.

Epilogue:

     So that’s it for this week.  Comments, suggestions, tips and recommendations are always welcome.  If you don’t wish to post comments on this site, feel free to email me at:  Mrvintageman2@gmail.com.

     Enjoy this fine autumn season and have a great week!