I read this book twenty or so years ago, and I did not care for it at all. Upon this (re)reading, I can appreciate the writing, but remain underwhelmed. No book can be for everyone.
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
I finished this book a few weeks ago, and I'm still conflicted on how I feel about it. Vance is a compelling narrator for his life story, but is perhaps not the best messenger to contextualize the larger cultural experience. Or as Alec MacGillis notes in The Atlantic, "his passages of general social commentary could have benefited from longer gestation, and are strongest when grounded in his biography." If his book were simply memoir, I would have taken more away, but it tries to be more and read "like works in progress."
Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard
Millard's first book, River of Doubt, is much-beloved by my NY book club, and I was happy to come across her latest release. I will readily admit that the bulk of my exposure to Winston Churchill has been limited to his role in World War II and his characterization in The Crown. I knew nothing of his military or writing career. In Hero of the Empire, Millard writes an adventure story of Churchill's capture and escape during the Boer War.
I listened to the audio version, and was happy to hear the familiar voice of Simon Vance. Many will recognize him as the narrator of Steig Larsson's Millennium Series, and I spent the first few hours wondering when he was going to describe Winston Churchill procuring a coffee or sandwich.
The Plot of Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election by Malcolm Nance
This book has been sitting on my Kindle since its release date (10 October 2016), but I just recently compelled myself to read it. I will be digesting it for awhile. The background on why Russia chooses certain individuals as targets and how they are recruited (knowingly or not) is incredibly instructive in our current climate. And the seemingly prescient nature of Nance's larger message is ... terrifying.
