My summer reading list

Summer is just about here, and one of my favorite things about my favorite season is how it puts me in the mood to read, even more than normal. I have quite an ambitious reading list of books to get through this summer. I've only read 3 books so far this year, so I'm way behind my normal quota of at least hitting double digits per year, at bare minimum.

Right now, I'm about 2/3 done with Richard Reeves' book on Ronald Reagan, President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination. I will discuss the book more on here when I'm finished, but I'll say now I'm enjoying immensely and would already unequivocally recommend it. He's no apologist for Reagan, that's for sure. If you are a close-minded Reagan boot licker in the vein of Peggy Noonan, you may want to move on and not get/read this book.

Other books I plan to get to this summer (or at least hope to!)...

Among the Dead Cities, by A.C. Grayling. I came across this tome about the morality of the allied terror bombing of Germany and Japan during World War II. It should be an illuminating, horrifying and eye-opening read.

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, by James D. Hornfischer. This is about one of the most celebrated naval battles in U.S. history. Written in a Flags of our Fathers sort of vein, it should be a very good read. Almost all of my reading on World War II has concentrated on the European Theater, but I'm missing out on a lot by not reading books like these. I would also like to get to Ghost Soldiers this summer, if I can.

A G-Man's Life, by Mark Felt. Before I begin reading, I'm wondering how good and credible this book will be. I saw Felt on Larry King about three weeks ago, and this guy has clearly lost many of his marbles. I'm not making fun of him - it's sad to see anyone go through senility and old age. He's 91-years old, and his memory is clearly going, and he had difficulty putting together coherent sentences during the King interview. I hope his book is much better. I'm anticipating that it will be - I'm sure, before I even crack open the book, that this tome is based on many of Felt's former correspondence, letters and files. Let's hope so.

Lapdogs, by Eric Boehlert. This should be a good political screed on how the press has basically rolled over for Bush since September 11, at least up until recently. Lapdogs takes a look at what the press has failed to question and adequately report on, and a big part of it deals with the Valerie Plame story and how many major news outlets failed to explore it, even though many leaders in these news organizations knew or strongly suspected the truth. Some of these news orgs. include the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time, etc. Yea, that liberal press.

31 Days, by Barry Werth. I cannot wait to read this one. In fact, it's up next as soon as I'm done with Reeves' book on Reagan. The subtitle reads, "The crisis that gave us the government we have today." Werth explores the immediate aftermath of President Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974 and the 31 days following Ford's ascension to the presidency. I can never get enough of the biggest American political scandal of the 20th century, so I can't wait to get started.

The Long Emergency, by James Howard Kunstler. This book explores the end of oil (yes people, it is coming), as well as global warming and other coming catastrophes of the 21st century. Any reader of this blog knows that I firmly believe that global warming is the biggest threat to humankind, so this should be a galvanizing read.

The Truth (with jokes), by Al Franken. I can never get enough of Al. Many on the right (most, actually) love to skewer him, but the fact is that his books are well researched and usually pretty embarrassing and devastating to the people in his crosshairs. Just ask Bill O'Lielly, Ann Coulter or Rush Limbaugh. The only thing I dislike about Franken's lie exposing is that we don't get enough of it. I wish this guy put out a book ever 6 months instead of every 2 years. I can't wait to devour his book on the long flight to my wedding in Cabo San Lucas. I'll start it on the flight and finish it on the beach.

New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer, by Bill Mahr. If I love this book half as much as I love his show, this will be the book of the summer.

Sweet Jesus I Hate Bill O'Reilly, by Joseph Minton Amann. A little bit too strong of a title, but not too far off about my emotions about a truly detestable man. I've read some of the reviews about this book, and conservatives rightly point out that using "hate" in a book title is probably a little amateurish. But, is that any more offensive than right wingers churing out book after book about how liberals are destroying America? Call it a draw.

The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deepthroat, by Bob Woodward. I'm anticipating this book probably more than Felt's book, because of Felt's condition these past few years. Woodward, along with Bernstein, are probably my two favorite reporters ever, and how long have we been waiting to read this book? I wonder if Woodward had this book written years ago, having it at the ready for the minute that Deepthroat was revealed. One could argue that Woodward is a smart businessman, as well.

The Politics of Truth: A Diplomat's Memoir: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity, by Joseph C. Wilson IV. One side of the inside story about the whole Valerie Plame affair. I certainly look forward to reading Wilson, and by extension, Plame's perspective. This should be riveting.

It's a long and ambitious reading list, and I'm not even taking into consideration the many magazines that arrive in the mail every month. But lots of reading helps shape and mold my many opinions on world events, and even helps them evolve. There's nothing like a good book or magazine while sitting out in the warm air and sunshine of summer.