Overall, I think 2012 has been a good year for me. As it comes to an
end, it has been interesting to think about the things that have happened, the
experiences that I’ve had, the people I have met and my personal
accomplishments. I thought it might be interesting to take an inventory of the
books that I consumed in 2012 for pleasure. I have this self-image that I don’t
read enough, but upon reflection I was surprised by my accomplishment
As busy as I am, I do not have a lot of time to sit and
read. I do, however, spend a considerable amount of time in my Toyota Sienna
and I like to listen to audio books. I estimate that about 60% of my book
consumption was listening. Since I love to listen to a good story, it is a very
relaxing and enjoyable pastime.
The Inner Circle by Brandon Meltzer was the second
book I have read by this author. (The 1t was The Book of Fate) It is an interesting story that centers around
a book stored for decades underneath a chair in a particular room of the National
Archives in Washington DC that is visited from time to time by sitting US Presidents.
I have been to many of the places talked about in the book and have a good
picture in my mind’s eye as the story unfolds.
Unbroken by Laura Hildebrandt is an epic story of the
greatest generation and one family’s World War II Odyssey.
Alex Cross’ Trial by James Patterson told the story
of the racial strife in the deep South in the middle of the last century and
provides an interesting view of how far we have come and how far we have yet to
go.
I read two books from one of my favorite authors, David
Baldacci, a fellow Virginia alum. Hells Corner speaks of a particular
area in a park across the street from the White House where a former CIA agent,
John Carr, now calling himself Oliver Stone hangs out. There is an apparent
attempted assassination of the British Prime Minister and Stone enlists assistance
of his Camel Club Associates to figure things out. This was at least a third of
his Camel Club series of books that I have read and I enjoy them all. Zero Day
is a story involving John Puller, a
decorated combat veteran and military investigator called into rural West
Virginia to examine what appears to be a simple murder of a member of the
military and his family but explodes into a serious conspiracy.
Retired Justice Donald Wintersheimer of the Kentucky Supreme
Court authored his professional memoirs of his time on the court called Secrets
of the Supreme Court of Kentucky. The Justice, a longtime friend, discusses
many of the cases decided during his tenure on the court and how the court
worked at that time.
Continuing with the legal theme, I read Stan Billingsley’s Alice
v Wonderland, a satire of Kentucky’s system of imposing discipline on KY
attorneys, a subject with which I am intimately familiar. It may have been in
2011.
The Litigators was a John Grisham story involving
small firm urban attorneys. In the characteristic Grisham fashion, the story
has several characters, and a main character who winds up slaying dragons. I
usually enjoy Grisham books and I enjoyed this one because he speaks a lot
about what I do and the people I work with in stereotype.
Killing Lincoln, by Bill O’Reilly, is a work of
historical fiction that deals with John Wilkes Booth and others involved in the
conspiracy to assassinate the great president. Again, most of the scenes of the
book were areas of the country where I have spent a great deal of time and it
was fun being able to put the scenes in context.
1776 is a book by David McCullough that deals with
that fateful year of American history. It focuses mostly on the military
campaigns of George Washington and British General George Howe, the reactions
to the American rebellion by King George III and Parliament, and the support of
the American troops, or lack thereof, by the colonial Congress.
Fall of Giants by Ken Follet was another epic story
chronicling the lives of American, British, German and Russian families leading
up to and through World War I and the Russian Revolution. Not knowing as much
about that era as I should, I found this to be a great read and thoroughly
enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the sequel.
Manifest Destiny was written by my good friend Rick
Robinson and tells the tale of a KY Congressman involved in international
politics and intrigue. Attaboy, Rick! You write good stuff!
Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun was a gift from
Hillary that I am nearly finished with. I love the descriptions of Tuscany, the
people and the food of that Italian region.
Finally,The Frontiersman by Alan Eckert is a book
that I have had on my shelf for decades. This is the second time that I
consumed this book, but this time I listened to it and I’m glad that I did. The
book is basically the life and times of Simon Kenton and talks a lot about
Northern Kentucky, the settlement of the Ohio River basin from Pittsburgh to
Louisville and the Indian tribes and personalities here at this time, including
Tecumseh. I’m glad I listened because the Indian words were pronounced so well
by the reader and I remember having a hard time with these words when I read
the book first time. I believe that everybody who lives in this area and has
any curiosity about how this area came to be what it is should study this book.
It is detailed, exquisitely documented, and meticulous but still tells great
stories.
Something tells me that perhaps I read or listened to a few
more books this year but I cannot remember for sure. For instance, I have a
memory of Dan Brown’s Lost Symbol. I do not know if I read it this year,
if I started it, if I completed it or if it was a couple of those. I will have
to look at it again. Sometimes I’ll start a book and get several chapters into
it before realizing that I already read it.
I regularly consult and refer to my volumes of Prof. Dumas
Malone’s series on Thomas Jefferson. I guess I have been through each of those
6 volumes 3 or 4 times.
Like many people, I think, I have started not but completed
several books and intended on completing my read in the next few months. My
friend Don McNay sent me a copy of his book Wealth without Wall Street.
Another friend, Kevin Murphy, wrote a book about his experiences with cancer in
his family titled Surviving Cancer after surviving cancer.
Finally, my monthly and bi-monthly reading includes the ABA Journal, Trial published by the American Association for Justice, the Advocate published by the Kentucky
Justice Association, Lex Loci
published by the Northern Kentucky Bar Association, the Bench and Bar published by the Kentucky Bar Association and the CBA News published by the Cincinnati Bar
Association.
2013 goals include completing the books already started, Benjamin
Franklin by Walter Isaacson, the Racketeer by Grisham, Ken Follet’s sequel
titled Winter of the World and whatever Baldacci, Meltzer and Patterson
books strike my fancy. I guess I like to read!
How about you? I have a lot of books, tapes and CD’s you can
borrow. The great escape – reading!
