The Books of 2020

Earlier in the week  I finished reading a mystery/thriller "The Forgers" by Brandon Morrow.  It was neither mysterious nor thrilling, but it was the 52nd book that I had read in 2020, so I figure that now that I know that I will average at least one book a week this year, it's time to recap and make some recommendations.  The fact that "The Forgers" was a dud underscores the fact that many of the books that I read, particularly fiction, fall into the category of "mental junk food", and while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, I mean what's wrong with some mindless entertainment, it does mean that many of the books I read drop from my memory shortly after I read the last page.  Still, there were enough books that have stayed with me that I can draw up a pretty good list for the past year.  There are twelve books here, and I would recommend any one of them to you for your reading enlightenment and pleasure.  This is not a TOP TWELVE list, so I will present them to you alphabetically by author.

NON-FICTION

ALL THIS MARVELOUS POTENTIAL - Matthew Algeo

The story of a tour that Senator Robert Kennedy made to coal producing counties of Eastern Kentucky.  Ostensibly, the trip was to examine the issue of poverty in America, but it would also serve as an exploration of Kennedy's plan to run for President later that year.  The author retraces that tour, interviews some of the people who witnessed it and were a part of it, and looks to see what, if anything, has changed since 1968.  Fifty-two years after his death, I learned from this book that I can still be inspired by Bobby Kennedy.

THE WAX PACK - Brad Balukjian

The author opens up a 28 year old pack of baseball cards, and then sets out to meet the players whose cards were int he pack.   The author's own self-absorption brings this very good premise down a peg or two, but if you followed baseball in the 1980's, you will enjoy it when he does stick with the players, and not his own issues.

I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES - Charles Brandt

Also titled "The Irishman", it is the story of mobster/teamster Frank Sheerin, the man who killed Jimmy Hoffa (or so he says) and upon whom the movie "The Irishman" was based.  If you like reading Mob stories, this is as good as any.

THE DEVIL'S MERCEDES - Robert Klara

Whatever became of the specially built Mercedes limousines that were built for the highest echelon Nazi officers, including Adolf Hitler himself?  This terrifically researched history of two such cars tells a really fascinating story.

THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE - Erik Larson

The history of the first twelve months of the Prime Ministership of Winston Churchill from May 1940 - May 1941.  Europe was falling to the Nazis, and Great Britain was being bombed by the Luftwaffe on a nightly basis.  Great Britain and it's people, and, by  extension, the world survived through the extraordinary leadership of one man, Winston Churchill.  In a year when "leadership" was in short supply in America, this book was an inspirational look at what true leadership really means.  If you forced me to choose, I would tell you that this was the best book that I read in 2020.

A GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY - David Maraniss

A tale of how McCarthyism infected America in the 1950's, and of how the "naming of names" affected ordinary Americans, good American families, including the author's, who was a pre-teen boy at the time.  Sadly, parallels to McCarthyism continue to hold sway in America today.  It may not be called "McCarthyism" in 2020, but it's still out there and being perpetuated by, well, I won't name names here, but I'm pretty sure you know of whom I speak.

FICTION 

DO NO HARM - Max Allen Collins

The latest installment in Collins "Nate Heller" series of private  eye novels. This time, Heller gets involved in the murder of Marilyn Sheppard, whose husband, Dr. Sam Sheppard was convicted of the crime.  Among the real life people that Heller encounters, in addition to Sheppard, various Cleveland cops, prosecutors, and newspaper people, is celebrity attorney F. Lee Bailey.

SQUEEZE ME - Carl Hiaasen

Yet another kooky crime novel involving the weird, strange, yet oddly endearing criminal classes of Florida.  This one takes place in the swanky confines of West Palm Beach, and that city's two most famous residents, the President and First Lady, are featured characters in the story.  They are never mentioned by name, only by their Secret Service code names, Mastadon and Mockingbird, and it is a devastating and hysterical satirical swipe at Number Forty-five.  Thirty, forty, and fifty years from now when heavyweight historical tomes are still being churned out about the Trump Presidency, "Squeeze Me" will still probably be among the best works to describe the lunacy that this era has entailed.  Obviously, if you wear a MAGA hat, this book won't be for you.

THE ROYAL GOVERNESS - Wendy Holden

A lengthy, probably a little too lengthy, novelized account of Marion Crawford, a Scottish school teacher who from 1932 to 1947 served as the governess to the Royal Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.  Yes, it's a soap opera of a book and overwrought at times, but what the hell, it was fun to read.

MASKED PREY - John Sandford

The newest Lucas Davenport thriller.  Lucas takes a turn in the end of this one that sort of disappointed me, but Sanford still turns out a good yarn about characters that readers have come to know and care about.  

SAINT X - Alexis Schaitkin

The attractive college age daughter of a wealthy American family disappears on the last day of the family vacation in the fictional Caribbean island of St. X.  A few days later, her dead body is discovered.  Two young natives are arrested, but soon released for lack of evidence, and no-one is ever brought to justice for the crime.  Fifteen years later, the victim's younger sister, now in her twenties and living in New York City, encounters one of those young men, who is now driving a cab in New York.  A terrific story about the far reaching consequences an act of violence can have on so many people, including those who may only have been peripherally involved.

THE MARTIN BECK MYSTERIES - Maj Sjowell and Per Wahloo

From 1965 to 1975, the husband and wife author team of Sjowell and Wahloo wrote a series of ten police procedural novels set in Sweden and featuring homicide detective Martin Beck and a regular cast of characters. The authors used American Ed McBain's "87th Precinct" series as their inspiration, and that is a good thing.  I have read the first six of these novels in order, so a goal for early 2021 is to read the last four of them as well.  If you can see your way through some of the tongue twisting Swedish names for persons, places, and things, you will  become quickly immersed in the stores that are being told.

Again, if you forced me to pick the best of the novels that I read, I would go with "Squeeze Me" and St. X."

So there you are.  One dozen books for your reading pleasure (seventeen of you consider that there are six in the Martin Beck series).  If you want to know more about them, you can type the titles in the search box to see what I had to say about them at the time that I fIrst read them.