Tag: Ken Bruen

The Book Shelf: Part 2

The second part of this year’s Book Shelf includes a baseball book that should be on every fan’s to-be-read list. Tyler Kepner’s The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series is truly a diamond gem.

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The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed — Published in May 2005, this is author John Vaillant’s best-selling story of a special tree and how it met its bitter end. But, like Vaillant’s Fire Weather, it’s more like three or four books in one, because it’s about the Haida Gwaii’s fight to avoid extinction in the Pacific Northwest and the quandary in which the logging industry finds itself as it destroys the very thing that keeps it alive. This was Vaillant’s first book.

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The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series — This one, published in 2022, should be on the book shelf or in the ereader of any sporting fan. Author Tyler Kepner was The News York Times’ national baseball writer when he wrote this one and it’s a diamond gem. There are all kinds of interesting anecdotes about some of the best- and least-known incidents in World Series history.

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Hawaii — Magnificent. Author James Michener’s historical look at Hawaii comes in at more than 1,000 pages. And it’s a wonderful 1,000 pages. He apparently took four years to research the subject, then three years to write the book. It took me a month to read it because I was wanting to savour it; like a lovely pinot noir, I refused to rush through it.

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The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet — What is climate change-induced heat doing to our planet, and what does the future hold? Author Jeff Goodell, an environmental journalist, has the answers in this book that was published in 2023, meaning it’s quite up to date. Here’s what Jennifer Szalai wrote in a New York Times review: “As this terrifying book makes exceptionally clear, thinking we can just crank up the A.C. is a dangerous way to live.” . . . If you’re one of those climate-change deniers, you don’t want to read this one because it’s got all of the evidence.

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Heaven and Hell in the NHL: Punch Imlach’s Own Story — Published in 1982, this is Punch Imlach’s story in his own words, as told to writer Scott Young. Imlach focuses mostly on his time with the Buffalo Sabres and his second-go round with the Toronto Maple Leafs. And, no, he doesn’t pull any punches. This was another book I rediscovered; I only wish I knew what kind of impact it had in 1982 because he certainly names a lot of names, including Darryl Sittler, if you know what I mean.

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Hotel — In researching this 1965 novel, author Arthur Hailey actually lived in the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans for two months. The research paid off because this book about the St. Gregory Hotel and its staff over a five-day period is absorbing with a whole lot of angles. It later became a movie and then a TV series that ran for five years.

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The Housekeepers — Author Alex Hay’s first novel involves a heist set in 1905 London. It’s not your average heist, either. A group of women, led by a fired housekeeper, decide to rob a mansion during a gala affair that is being held right there. They not only want to rob the joint; they want to clean it right out. Some good fun here.

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Inside The Empire: The True Power Behind the New York Yankees — With the 2024 Yankees in the MLB playoffs in October, I dug into Inside the Empire. It’s a look at all aspects of the Yankees’ organization, with authors Bob Klapisch and Paul Solotaroff wrapping it all around the 2018 season. This is a riveting look at what many baseball fans refer to as the Evil Empire.

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In the Galway Silence — Ken Bruen’s writing style takes a few pages to get used to, but Irish PI Jack Taylor, who put the rude in crude, makes it all worthwhile. Taylor has a whole lot of skeletons in his closet and if you can be addicted to something he likely is. But Bruen’s Taylor-centred books are worth reading just for Taylor’s repartee.

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Let Me Finish — Roger Angell, who died on May 20, 2022, at the age of 101, was a wonderful baseball essayist. However, there is little about baseball in this work, which was published in 2006. Instead, he writes about his life, family and a whole lot more, and it is emotional and wonderful. If you enjoy great writing and a lot of nostalgia, this one’s for you.

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Lightfoot — Published in 2017, author Nicholas Jennings’ book on Gordon Lightfoot is an intriguing and honest chronicle of the life and loves of a man who struggled with many demons. Lightfoot, who died on May 1, 2023, was one of the greatest singer/songwriters we have known. But he struggled with booze and family life, and after reading this you are free to wonder if he was ever really happy before the last few years of his life — yes, after he had stopped drinking. You also will find yourself wondering just how much of a role the booze played in the writing of all those marvellous songs.

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The Longmire Defense — In years past, I frequently watched episodes of Longmire, the TV show based on author Craig Johnson’s novels. However, I hadn’t read any of the books. Until this one, that is. Walt Longmire is the sheriff of Wyoming’s Absaroka County, and is working a cold case with all signs pointing towards the involvement of his grandfather. Published in 2023, this is the 19th of Johnson’s books in the Longmire series. I enjoyed it enough that there will be more of these books in my future. . . . During 2024, I also read The Highwayman and The Dark Horse, both books in the Longmire series. Quite enjoyed both of them.

Part 2 of 3

The Book Shelf: Part 2

The second part of this year’s Book Shelf is headed up by the best book I read in 2023. It is everything a thriller should be, except that it isn’t fiction.

Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast — This is at the top of the list of best books I read in 2023; it easily was the most-terrifying. Author John Vaillant takes an in-depth look at the fire that took out most of Fort McMurray, Alta., in May 2016. Reading about what the citizens of Fort McMurray went through was eye-opening; reading about what the first-responders dealt with was beyond that. But Vaillant also writes about the past and the future, about the warnings from the scientific community regarding CO2 emissions that began so long ago and how Big Oil’s choosing to ignore it all has helped lead us to where we are today with climate change. As I started this book, we were cloaked in smoke; as I finished it, fires had Hawaii by the throat. Knowing what I had just read, I wasn’t surprised. (Note that you also are able to find this book under the title Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World.)

The Fixer — Rick Hoffman, who once was an investigative reporter, is about to restore the aging home in which he grew up when he discovers a huge pile of cash hidden away. His lawyer father is unable to communicate, a stroke having robbed him of much of his quality of life a few years ago. So what’s with all the money? How did it get there? Author Joseph Finder provides a fast-paced thriller that is perfect for spending a cold winter weekend with while under a warm blanket.

Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin’s Wrath — Bill Browder first chronicled his issues with Vladimir Putin’s Russia in Red Notice, and now he’s back with Freezing Order, which is even more explosive. Browder, a hedge fund CEO, was a big investor in Russia, but not these days. His lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, uncovered money laundering and a whole lot more, something that Browder writes resulted in his murder in prison. Browder details all of that and a whole lot more in Freezing Order.

The Guards — This is the first of the books on which the TV series Jack Taylor is based. If you have seen any of the TV shows, you know how Taylor oozes grit. This book is no different as author Ken Bruen introduces us to Taylor, a man with a drinking problem and a few other issues. There were 16 books in the series through 2020, with one more scheduled to be published in 2024.

Hometown Heroes: On the Road with Canada’s National Hockey Team — As Team Canada prepared for the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, which were to be held in Calgary, author Paul Quarrington went along for the ride. He provides a true outsider’s look at the ins and outs of a team that surprised the hockey world by winning the 1987 Izvestia Cup in Moscow and proving that a team of non-NHLers could compete at that level. An entertaining and lively read.

The Jack Widow Boxset — Gone Forever, Winter Territory and A Reason to Kill are the first three books in Scott Blade’s series about Jack Widow. He goes by Widow and he breaks a lot of noses, mostly with headbutts, as he makes his way here and there. These are quick reads, perfect for the cottage and three rainy afternoons.

Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, and Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley — After watching the movie Elvis, I went back and re-read both of these books, by Peter Guralnick. Oh my, does he ever pull back the curtains and let in the light on the life led by Elvis Presley. It’s all here, the ups and downs, the raging and the temper tantrums, the girls and women, and Col. Tom Parker . . . all of it. Superbly researched and reported in painstaking detail. Well done! 

Lucky Man: A Memoir — Author Michael J. Fox — yes, that Michael J. Fox, the pride of Burnaby, B.C. — writes mostly about the relationship he and Parkinson’s disease have with each other. It’s amazing to read about how he continued to work in movies and TV while hiding the symptoms of P.D., as he calls it. Amazingly, he lived that way for about seven years before making the decision to let the world in on his secret. It all started with a trembling left little finger and it led to this fascinating and emotional book.

Moscow Rules — In this book, author Daniel Silva’s eighth in what now is a 23-book series, Gabriel Allon, the Israeli government’s spymaster assassin, is working to bring down Ivan Kharkov, a Russian oligarch and arms dealer. If you are a fan, this one won’t disappoint. If you’re looking for a character on which to get hooked, you can’t go wrong with Allon.

Next in Line — This is No. 5 in author Jeffrey Archer’s series of books chronicling the career of William Warwick, now a Detective Chief Inspector with Scotland Yard. This one, which takes place in 1988, deals with the Royalty Protection Command and features Princess Di. And, yes, career criminal Miles Faulkner is front and centre, as is his ex-wife. If you like Archer’s stuff, this is good escapism.

No Plan B — This is the latest in the Jack Reacher books, and it’s good Reacher. Written by Lee Child and his brother, Andrew, there is an intriguing plot and Reacher beats the crap out of a whole lot of bad guys. What more could you ask for if you’re looking to escape reality for a few hours?

A Passing Game: A History of the CFL — In a book published in 1995, former CFL quarterback Frank Cosentino examines the league and all of its happenings from 1969 to 1995. Cosentino had access to all kinds of official league papers, from minutes of meetings to a whole lot of finance-related numbers. And when you are done reading, you will wonder how the CFL has been able to survive. Sometimes it’s fantastic foibles; other times it’s Keystone Kops. And it always is amazing. Be aware, though, that this book is a dry read, drier than July in Kamloops, and a lot of writing rules regarding punctuation are nowhere to be found. And you would think that a book about the CFL would include the correct spelling of the surname of one of its greatest kickers — it’s Ridgway, not Ridgeway.

October 1964 — The 1964 MLB season was memorable for a couple of reasons. For starters, the Philadelphia Phillies of manager Gene Mauch blew a 6-1/2-game lead atop the National League in late September and finished second behind the St. Louis Cardinals, who went on to play the New York Yankees in the World Series. The prolific David Halberstam tells the story of that season, culminating with the World Series. Also notable? This signalled the end of the Yankees’ dynasty. You are able to read all about it in this book that was published in 1995.

(SECOND OF THREE PARTS)

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