The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey

Finally finished it. What an exciting book! Lots and lots of adventure and skullduggery that are a recipe for disaster. The four characters in this book are great fun and are intent on destroying everything that might conceivably have anything to do with Industry and destroying the purity of the great Southwest. They do a pretty good job of it, but miss their final goal. This book was the idea behind Earth First! It does give some pretty good details about how to make a bomb and what to do to disrupt further road-building and bridge-building, etc.  It's a bit of a rant against the federal government and its policies concerning the environment. Glad I read it and I recommend it to all.

Library A to Z #5

Just finished a short, but sweet, book, THE HOMECOMING PARTY by Carmine Abate, translated from the Italian by Antony Shugaar. It's the story of the conflict between father and son and the events that happen along the way to the final surprising climax. 

I'm reading another book by Edward Abbey. Apparently he has quite a following because of his point of view about government interference in life and nature. More later on this one.

Nos. 3 & 4 on the Library A to Z tour

Before I say anything about the two next books I have to finish with #2, GRACELAND by Chris Abani.

Finished it yesterday. I was seriously apprehensive about reading or finishing the book because I knew there were going to be some pretty traumatic and brutal moments. Got through them and the young man did, too. I was going to add some of the recipes that were in the book and some of the descriptions of herbs that are found in the area that the book is about, but I forgot. Took the book back to the library. If you can find the book anywhere please read it. It's worth the effort.

Book # 3 is FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN by Edward Abbey. Incredibly enjoyable book. Quick read. but Abbey has a great ability to describe the surroundings of his tale without getting too flowery. I could see and feel the New Mexican desert while reading. The story itself wasn't anything new or unforgettable. The characters were pretty much business as usual: the old codger refusing to leave his land that the gov't was trying to take away from him, thegrandson, the Mexican housekeeper, the military people, the marshal, etc. I don't care I enjoyed the book. It was a good getaway.

Book #4 is COLLISION by Jeff Abbott. This one was a non-stop, fast-moving, hold on to your seats thriller. Lots of violence and gunplay, no sex. 

I just realized that reading all the books in the library should have started when I was at least 10 years old. There are a lot of books to be read! DUH! What was I thinking? But it's been fun so far. 

Library A ato Z cont.

I'm coming to the end of the book GRACELAND by Chris Abani. I tend to read ahead in books to see what is coming especially if the book shows tendencies of being brutal. Well, the rest of this book I know is not going to be fun, but I want to see what happens to this young man. He has endured so much and he is going to endure even more. How can people be so inhuman? Or is inhumanity part of being human? It seems so from all of "human" history. When do people get tired of persecuting others? I don't suppose it  will ever happen because of all the new people being born everyday. There is always going to be someone of ill intent around whether he or she persecutes a lot of people or only one.

"A" book #2

I am right now in the middle of the second book in the "A"s called GRACELAND by Chris Abani. The book is about a young man who lives in Lagos(Nigeria.) It goes back and forth between his young boyhood and when he is trying to live independently against remarkable odds. It is written by a Nigerian who went into exile because of being persecuted for his writings. It's well-written and gives a view of life in Nigeria during the 70s and 80s.