What are you reading

[Hyena]

Dan Davies: In plain sight - the life and lies of Jimmy Savile. I heard the Last Podcast guys used it and it was just a little over five quid for the phone on Amazon, which is nothing for recently published true crime books.

At almost 600 pages, it's very comprehensive but also an easy read. It's crazy how he managed to get away with it all his life, and how he worked the entire establishment from papers to royalty in order to cover up his offending. Goes into detail on a lot of things the press and Netflix didn't. The sheer size of the case is staggering, as you probably already know.

Will pick that up.

Recently read the sensationalist Shaun Atwood book on Savile, was quite good for a laugh.

I met Savile once. Got a photo with him

Read that one too. It was... different to the Davies book, let's say.

[Cantleman]

Will move it up the tbr pile in that case so I compare them better....

[Kayandah]

Murderland
A book that supposedly links serial killers with lead poisoning but for most of the book this amounts to little more than rick/gary/ted grew up near a smokestack. Its only in the last chapter the author explores the clinical evidence to support this whereas I would have preferred a more thorough analysis.

I also read In Plain Sight based on the recommendations in this thread, that was probably the be all and end all of Savile books.

[Dingdop]

Omoo - Herman Melville

On chapter 35? Roughly halfway through, I really want to DNF it, but ever since reading Moby Dick, I have felt the need to read everything he did. Not as good as Typee yet, which was entertaining and at times deep and radical for its time, but he has landed himself in a prison among the local tribe of the island he is on, so it may yet get good. It just feels like a drag so far, besides the chapters about Rope-Yarn and Dr. Long Ghost, of course. Once I finish his works, I am going to read "Herman Melville - A Biography" 1 & 2, by Hershel Parker (RIP).

Mostly posting to rant about his new biography series by John Byrant, "Herman Melville: A Half-Known Life," not about the content, but about the price. A review said it is obvious they are print-on-demand volumes, and they are charging nearly $400 retail for volumes 1 & 2 of a planned trilogy. Any ideas or insights into the business or academia about why that would be a good idea?

P.S, today is Melville's birthday; everybody say happy birthday!

[Vrenndel]

Finished reading Fever House by Keith Rosson. Dark, brutal, feverish indeed, without any filters or compromises. Really enjoyed this one. Fans of the Bourbon Kid books, step forward: this one's for you.