Read Any Good Books Lately?

[wondersofwine]

Just learned from a friend that Liza Ward wrote a novel based on the Charles Starkweather serial murders in Lincoln, NE in the 50's. Liza's paternal grandparents were two of the murder victims. I have mixed feelings on this. I knew Liza's father (one year ahead of me in school) and if he hadn't been attending prep school in the East at the time, he probably would have been attending my junior high school and would have been murdered too. I don't like authors to capitalize on murder cases and to glamorize the perpetrator (i.e., Truman Capote and "In Cold Blood.") I never read "In Cold Blood" and haven't seen the movie. (I have to admit to reading some later books about murder cases--at least a couple of them). I do think Liza Ward has more right to write about the Starkweather murders than Truman Capote did to write about the farm family murdered in Kansas. After all, her family members were killed, and the tragedy affected her father and her life. She approaches the murders from the viewpoint of three different people--fourteen-year old Caril Ann Fugate, the girlfriend of Charles Starkweather, a teen-age girl obsessed about the murders and collecting clippings, and a man whose parents were murdered--loosely based on her father. The narrative shifts among the three and different decades. I may read it someday but I'm in no hurry to do so and will probably find the process painful. Charles Starkweather is the main reason I used to favor the death penalty. In recent years I have come to oppose it for moral/religious reasons although there are still those reprehensible crimes that make me reconsider.

[wondersofwine]

In reflection, besides knowing the son of two murder victims, I have also known personally two women who were murdered, one in Germany, and one in Fayetteville. Hope that last one is the end of the string.

[hotwine]

Recent reads: "Winning the Future" by Newt Gingrich; "Right Turns" by Michael Medved; "How to Talk to a Liberal (if you must)" by Ann Coulter; "American Soldier" by Gen. Tommy Franks (autographed); and "A Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren (3d reading). All good stuff. No wine books among 'em, though.

[Innkeeper]

And I thought I was conservative!

[hotwine]

Whoops - overlooked a couple right under my nose: "Fort Concho" by James T. Matthews (my nephew, an historian) and "Under the Texan Sun" by Rhonda Cloos - a nice little read on the Texas wine industry. So I lied, one is indeed about wine.

[robr]

So Hotwine, which country are you planning to move to when Ms. Clinton becomes our next prez?

[Kcwhippet]

It's only a short hop to Costa Rica from Helotes.

[newtoowine]

James Patterson, and John Sandford never dissapoint if your a murder mystery type. James Patterson also wrote a book a while back called the virgin. It had a religous overtone but the plot was very interesting and the first and only time I have ever seen this type of twist on religion. It's worth the read

[winoweenie]

If the Iron Maiden takes over the helm Hotsie and I will find a cave somewhere in them Taxas hills that stays at 55 12 mos a year and set up our very own princeipality. WW [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]

[Innkeeper]

“Wine Report 2006”, Stevenson; “2006 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone”, Immer-Robinson; “Four Witnesses”, Bennett; “Let the Fire Fall”, Scanlan; “Stumbling Blocks or Stepping Stones”, Groeschel.