Wilco: Learning How To Die

I picked up Wilco: Learning How To Do by Greg Kot sometime over the past year. My guess would be that it was probably around June or July, either in preparation for or response to seeing Wilco in Charlottesville, VA. I pretty into them, picking up live concert DVDs, their documentary and this book. I picked it up a couple of days ago and read it pretty quickly.

The book reads like a fan's platonic love letter to singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy, following his musical start in Belleville, IL with the Primitives. The Primitives morphed into fan favorite Uncle Tupelo, who are credited with the start of the alt-country movement. It then follows the disbanding of the group and  the Tweedy's new group, Wilco (the subject of the book). It also focuses on Tweedy's involvement with Golden Smog and Loose Fur. Kot chronicles the hiring and firing of various band members. He also devotes a good amount of time to detailing the various Wilco recorded up until A Ghost Is Born (the album most recently released at the time of the book's publication). It is clear that Kot admires Tweedy; throughout the book, he is written in a mostly positive, or at least sympathetic, light. Even during passive-aggressive firings of band member, during which you know Tweedy's performance was less than admirable, the singer-songwriter comes out in a positive light.

While the book is described as the story of Wilco, it is really the story of Jeff Tweedy, focusing mostly on the front man. However, to be fair, maybe Tweedy is Wilco and the stories are one in the same. Either way, it was an interesting and mostly enjoyable read.

Wilco: Learning How to Die

Echo Burning

Echo Burning is the fifth of the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. This book finds Reacher back on the road, hitchhiking down in Texas. He is picked up along the road by the alluring and somewhat mysterious Carmen Greer, a mother who tells Reacher a tale of domestic abuse. Along the way, Reacher encounters her abusive husband and his relatives, a small town filled with secrets and scandals, and a plan larger than anyone can imagine.

This book, like others in the series, tells several different stories that eventually weave together into an intriguing plot. Some Reacher novels rely on his investigative skills, while some rely on his brute strength and iron will. This novel uses both for the resolution.

Overall, it was an intriguing tale and an enjoyable read.

Echo Burning

Running Blind

Running Blind is the fourth book in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. The series continues to be enjoyable and provides compelling action-based mysteries. In this novel, Reacher digs himself a whole in which his only option to get out is to assist the FBI as they investigate a series of murders in which the murderer exhibits a strange MO. The FBI is baffled and the agents believe there is involvement with the Army, so Reacher's experience and skills prove helpful in the investigation.

I have found this to be one of the more enjoyable novels in the series. The story is interesting with quite a few twists. Additionally, the novel explores Reacher's relative unease at being tied to one specific geographic location. He continues to be an intriguing character, a man of absolutes who does not quite fit into regular society.

Running Blind

Crazy Heart

I saw the film adaptation of Crazy Heart a couple of years ago, long before I read the book. I think I watched it with my folks the weekend I graduated from my master's program at UGA. I remember liking the film, starring Jeff Bridges and being a fan of the soundtrack. It was a good story and I liked its focus on country music. The soundtrack popped up on my iTunes a couple of weeks ago and I decided I wanted to read the book.

 Crazy Heart by Thomas Cobb is the story of aging country music star Bad Blake. Bad is the epitome of a has-been. He tours the American Southwest in his van, playing gigs in bars and bowling alleys, eating road food and living in cheap motels. He's a hard-drinking, hard-living working musician in his late fifties. The novel centers around Bad as he deal with his mortality, contemplates his career, and tries to build and save several relationships. In some ways, the novel provide more insight into Bad's character than does the movie, and yet the novel also misses some of the charm the film provided through its music. In the end, Bad is a lovable loser who just can't seem to tame his crazy heart.

Crazy Heart

Tripwire

Tripwire is the third book in Lee Child's Jack Reacher novel. I have been reading the series at the suggestion of my friend and colleague, Tricia. The beginning of this book finds Reacher digging pools in Key West. This is disrupted when a private investigator, and later two hired thugs come looking for him. These disruptions force Reacher to return to the mainland. The following adventure is one that becomes incredibly personal and has many twists along the way.

While this novel was good, it is not my favorite from the series. The writing style seemed a bit different from the preceding books and the resolution seemed to happen far to quickly. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read. Reacher continues to be an interesting and complex character, who grows incredibly more deep with each novel.

Tripwire

Die Trying

Die Trying is the second Jack Reacher novel written by author Lee Child. I was introduced to this series by my friend Tricia, who has become rather obsessed with the novels. This was another fast-paced, action adventure novel starring an intriguing lead character.

The novel starts with Reacher getting kidnapped along with injured FBI agent Holly Johnson. What follows is an interesting story dealing with kidnappers, militia separatists, and would-be terrorists. As in other novels, Reacher must use his background as a military investigator to save Holly and himself, while simultaneously attempting to thwart the schemes of the villains.

Child has created an interesting character in Jack Reacher. He is a man of absolutes, laden with personal rule and plenty of mystery. This series has provided inspiration for the new Tom Cruise movie, Jack Reacher.

I would definitely suggest this story to anyone who enjoys action, adventure, and/or suspense novels.

Die Trying

 

Blues from the Delta

I bought Blues from the Delta by William Ferris after purchasing another book by him. Dr. Stephens sent me a picture of a book he saw in a bookstore because he thought it may interest me. That book was Give My Poor Heart Ease: Voices of the Mississippi Blues, also by William Ferris. After scanning that book briefly and looking at some footage from the accompanying DVD, I decided to order  Blues from the Delta.

Blues from the Delta is the book that came out of William Ferris' dissertation, and at times, really reads as such. However, it has a lot of great insight into the blues from musicians who are living and playing in the Mississippi delta. It is evident that Ferris truly cares about this style of music and the people associated with it. He takes an ethnographic approach to his study, spending time with the musicians, getting to know them and talking about their life as it relates to the blues. As such, Ferris is able to provide some great insight into the lyrics, lifestyle, musicianship, and racial tension associated with the blues.

While not a book I will use as one of the textbooks for my course, it certainly has a lot of information that I will likely use as supplementary material.

Blues from the Delta