SoMinn THE BOOKWORM SEZ

from SCENE AUGUST 2022

by Kate Noet

From the MUSIC SIDE

True Crime, Rock & Roll, Last Resort and Equal Partners

The True Crime File

compiled by Kim Daly

c.2022, Workman $15.95 400 pages

Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases

by Paul Holes and Robin Gaby Fisher

c.2022, Celadon Books $28.99 288 pages So far this summer, you’ve read at least a dozen murder mysteries. You love a good whodunit more than anything, and that’s great: summertime is when you’ll nd tons of detective novels and thriller-mysteries for your vacationing pleasure. But aren’t you ready for something different? Check out these great real-life true-crime books, full of actual crimes and criminals... For something light and lively and perfect for airport or car-ride, “The True Crime File,” compiled by Kim Daly (Workman, $15.95) absolutely ts. Let’s say you’ll be waiting for the kids to nish their ball game at the park. Excellent: the entries inside this book are of various lengths and they’re made to dive in and step out. Even better, you can easily nish one or two chapters if you want, or go on a longer journey with a killer beside you. Learn how America searches for its missing kids and how Amber Alerts came to your phone and television. See how much you know about real crime around the country by taking a quiz. Read about cold cases, hot arson, dead bodies, and Mr. Rogers’ car, which was stolen by a couple of fans, obviously. Then read about survivors of crime, up-to-date-as-possible statistics, and get a few good recommendations for your next great read. This book is small enough to tuck into a pocket or backpack – and hang onto that thought. Get “The True Crime File” for yourself, and then remember it for stocking-stuffer time. When you read mysteries, you automatically become a crime-solver, don’t you? Because that’s something you love, you need to read “Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases” by Paul Holes with Robin Gaby Fisher (Celadon Books, $28.99). It’s by a guy who’s a reallife detective. But it didn’t come quickly for Holes. In 1994, Holes was a cold-case investigator and he promised himself that he’d nd the Golden State Killer, who murdered at least 13 people. It took twenty-four years, but Holes did it, ultimately having a hand in capturing the until-then-elusive man who murdered. It wasn’t the beginning of Holes’ career but the solving happened at just the right time: he became a wanted man in a good way, appearing on TV and in interviews. This is Holes’ story, from his early life to his amazing career solving the iciest of cold cases. Along the way, readers will learn about some of the crimes he’s solved (including the Jaycee Dugard case), how he does what he does, what a real-life detective has to know, and how he ensures that the awful things he sees don’t follow him home and keep him up at night. This is a mystery lover’s treat, catnip to a true crime reader, and fascinating for anyone who wants a thrilling memoir from a real-life crimesolver. If these true crime books don’t strike your fancy, be sure to ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for help nding more, or nding some good mystery novels to ll your time. They’ll know exactly what you need, books by the dozens.

The Last Resort:

Chronicle of Paradise, Pro t, and Peril at the Beach

by Sarah Stodola

c.2022, Ecco $27.99 352 pages Your bags are packed. Yep, you’re headed for ve days of sun, sea, and sand. Early-morning dips in the ocean, ip- ops, and little grains of beach in the sheets every night. But you won’t care, you’ll be on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N. Might want to check rst, though: read “The Last Resort” by Sarah Stodola to be sure your venue’s going to be there. Some thirteen years ago, nursing the wounds from an abrupt break-up, Sarah Stodola headed for what turned out to be the balm her soul needed: a semi-secluded beach on a peninsula in Thailand. She swam in warm waters near white sand that was often nearly empty. She drank island beers with new friends. She came home, refreshed, and looking with a new eye at why we love to go on vacation at the beach. It wasn’t always like that. A few hundred years ago – the Greeks and Romans notwithstanding – most Europeans feared the ocean, perhaps understanding it as a mighty force rather than a relaxing froth. Seafaring explorers changed that and by the latter half of the 1500s, wealthy Europeans ocked to “spa towns” as a retreat. Eighteenth-century doctors recommended that their patients bathe in the sea, and cabanas and resorts on an ocean beach became the place to be. It still is, says Stodola. You can be pampered and primped on any of the beaches on which to play: Monte Carlo, a getaway that started because of a broke prince’s shrewd wife; Hawaii, the shores of which require constant work; Fiji, which exists, in part, thanks to a former U.S. Air Force base; Nicaragua, which struggles to attract visitors; Tulum, in which the resorts are not hooked up to the power grid nor the sewer systems. These places promise guests the sun, fun, and sand they want, but they also have one other thing in common: like so many other resorts around the world, says Stodola, they could “be gone in a few decades.” So you’re thinkin’ of sinkin’ a chunk of money into resorts, now that travel is possible again? You might want to read “The Last Resort” rst, and think on that idea. It’s a fact that author Sarah Stodola’s descriptions of the many beaches she visited as research for this book makes you want to drop whatever you’re doing and head to the airport... but pay close attention to what else she says about the sand and sun. Stodola takes readers past the palm trees and marble oors, onto a back veranda to look at what’s gone wrong with the environment around the beach resorts we love to visit, why near-constant maintenance is required today, and why things aren’t getting any better. It’s like bending down to sniff a lush island ower, only to nd that it’s arti cial. With an appeal to globetrotters, armchair travelers, and environmentalists, “The Last Resort” is also full of warnings for businesspeople ush with available cash. If you need to know more about your next investment or getaway hotspot, this book’s got it in the bag.

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Rock & Roll books

by various authors

c.2022, St. Martin’s Press / Hachette $17.99 - $29.99 various page counts Turn it up. The problem with listening to tunes in your back yard is that you can’t hear music on the patio when you’re out by the trees. You can’t hear back-porch beats when you’re in the front yard, so you gotta turn it up. The good news, though, as you’ll see in these two great volumes, is that you never have to worry about the volume of a book. What might it be like to be the founder of a world-famous band, one that creates hit after hit? What would it be like to ght to keep that momentum? In “Long Train Runnin’: Our Story of The Doobie Brothers” by Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons with Chris Epting (St. Martin’s Press, $29.99), you’ll get a glimpse. Back in the late 1960s in Northern California, when you mentioned the Grateful Dead or BTO or T. Rex, chances are that the next band on your lips was The Doobie Brothers. Here, founding members Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston tell the story of the beginnings of the band, and what it was like to be a budding musician at a time when rock & roll was moving past the teeny-bopper stuff. Fame was not instantaneous, though, and there was a lot to learn about trend-setting for a signature look and stage show; watching your song climb the charts to Number One was a trip, too. But then Johnston got sick, and the band almost broke up. This is also the story of Simmons’ efforts to keep things together, of a new back-up singer breathing new life into a favorite band. If you love to “Listen to the Music,” you shouldn’t miss this book. So, then, answer quick: what do KISS, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and Starz have in common? Find out in “They Just Seem a Little Weird” by Doug Brod (Hachette, $17.99). Entanglement. That’s probably the best word to describe the stories that Brod, an entertainment journalist, shares in this wild book – entanglement and a bit of surprise. Who knew that so-called 1970s “hair bands” and that same decade’s grunge bands have several amazing, hidden connections? You will, when you read this interview-rich book that feels like a musical Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game you can play with your LP or CD collection. Here, fans will learn about many surprising beginnings and endings in a growing then-new genre of music. Between those opening and closing acts, there was quite the sharing of resources and fan-bases, all which kept Cheap Trick, Kiss, and Aerosmith working and making music. You’ll also learn how one band went on to what is near-obscurity today. If you’re a fan of 70s music, then “Surrender” and read this book. And if these two reads don’t t your requirements, well, don’t despair. There are lots of other books about rock & roll, guitarists, bands from any decade, and singers and songwriters that you can read. All you have to do is ask your favorite booksellers or librarians for help and see what they turn up.

Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home

by Kate Mangino

c.2022, St. Martin’s Press $29.99 344 pages Plates on one end, bowls on the other, glasses on top. It’s your turn to load the dishwasher tonight, but if you plead ignorance on how it’s done properly, maybe you could worm your way out of it. Somebody else’ll do it, so go sit down. Take a rest and read “Equal Partners” by Kate Mangino, then ask yourself if you could’ve assumed another chore tonight. Several years ago, researchers nally acknowledged what generations of women already knew: that many working women were responsible for a “second shift” after 5 p.m. The rst shift was the job for which they received a paycheck; second shift included making meals, straightening up, schoolwork help, and all the other things that needed doing at home. Researchers also noted that the “second shift” is detrimental to men and boys; Mangino says that such gender inequality happens around the world, restricting everyone, perpetuated by “all genders.” Most often, she says, even when we try our hardest to maintain equality in the home, women generally take responsibility for “routine tasks” and men take “intermittent tasks.” It’s easy to slip into those roles; in fact, avoiding them takes real effort – although, interestingly enough, most same-sex couples do pretty well in “ fty- fty equality.” Still, no matter what your domestic situation, there are always improvements to sieze that can make your household a more equitable one. First, know that things won’t x themselves. Do a “gender check-up” to determine where you stand in your household and on the equal-housework spectrum. Before launching into a life-altering event such as marriage, having a baby, or starting a business, know what questions to discuss with your partner so you’re closest to an agreement. Remember that “women perpetuate sexism, too” and that men generally have “Four motivational themes” for their actions. Pick some role models, and be one, too. And nally, watch your words. They might need to be “tweaked” to re ect more mindfulness. Flip through “Equal Partners” and if you’re a man, you may feel a little on the defensive. Author Kate Mangino seems to side with women on issues of home work, but she vows that she’s not showing bias, that statistics con rm her points. Still, some readers may have a lot to overcome before reading this book about overcoming inequality at home. Fortunately, Mangino shows why this is absolutely worth doing. Through pages and pages of stories – some that may have you thinking Mangino was peeking in your kitchen window – she systematically lays out how things get to be how they are and what actions couples can take. There are quizzes to tackle and places for notes (a reason to buy this book outright) and if you’re still not quite convinced, there are happy interviews with dozens of people for whom satisfaction lies in change. Though it’s not without a little abrasiveness, “Equal Partners” is a good conversation starter for xing the status quo in your relationship status, regardless of what it is. Find this book, and add another thing to your plate.