Martha's Winter 2011-2012 Picks

Top Secret Stuff to Read.....

An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base. Annie Jacobsen. Non-Fiction.
All the CIA, FBI and Air Force info you might not really want to know! Area 51, being the famous site where the Roswell aliens are now supposedly stashed, is discussed in detail due to recent declassification of certain former top secret materials relating to the government site. Based on interviews and research of the the newly available materials, you will learn about the development of nuclear bombs and their testing as well as our own incredibly expensive spy planes (total titanium), leading up to today's drones which currently cruise the altitudes above various countries. Alas, the 60 million or so pages relating to the Roswell aliens remain classified. You will have to read to the end of the book to discover the author's theory about the actual identity of the aliens...achieved through personal interviews of a former employee. The Russians might be involved...A detailed and good read, if you really want to know the truth about certain governmental activities.
Want to read actual declassified top secret documents? You can go to http://www.foia.cia.gov/ and have a blast!

Film of related interest: "Fair Game". Inner workings of the CIA, as an agent has her cover blown and her husband tries to fight the government for her support....


Top Secret New England Stuff to Read...


Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, The Ivy League and Hidden Paths of Power. Alexandra Robbins. Non-Fiction.
"The Tomb" here is referring to the meeting place of the elusive Yale University club, the Skull and Bones. The "hidden paths of power" would refer to the high coincidence of Yale graduates who were, oddly, also members of this exclusive club, and, who, oddly, also became United States Presidents or who otherwise, oddly, have found rather high positions of authority in the political stratosphere of America. This book takes you through the developmental history of Yale University, from the initial conception of the college. Somewhat scary is the fact that Skull and Bones was there at the beginning and still continues to function. What you may not know is that several competitive secret societies exist on the campus, which have also produced a fair number of high-ranking officials. Women have rather recently been accepted into Skull and Bones.The author claims to have been a member of one of the "other clubs" and to "know people". Fascinating info about a very closed society, undoubtedly with many secrets, some of which you probably will not find in the book....


For the Francophiles...


Aristide Ravel Mysteries. Susanne Alleyn. Mysteries.

Easy-going mysteries set in pre-revolutionary France, with awesome Parisian historical detail. The books feature the character Aristide Ravel, writer turned semi-professional cop. Read about turn of the 18th century Free Masons, the monarchy, the Church, romance and more. "The Cavalier of the Apocalypse" (nothing at all apocalyptic about it), "Game of Patience" and "A Treasury of Regrets".




Madame Tussaud. Michelle Moran. Fiction.

Very well written fictionalized account of the famous Madame Tussaud wax museum and its "participation" in the French Revolution, 1789, Paris. The wax museum acted as a "three dimensional newspaper:", depicting current events and people in waxen form. A very gripping account of the King and Queen, Marie Antoinette and Louis the 16th. life at Versailles and "the Terror", as known by Parisian citizens at the time of their overthrow. Also, colorful portraits of the political characters involved in history at the time, many of whom "visited" the Tussaud's salons. The guillotine is alive and well in this book and gives one pause to think about the path to freedom and democracy, as the French did model their government on aspects of America's preliminary government.


Vampires Strike Again...


The Night Eternal. Guillermo Del Torro/Chuck Hogan. Fiction.

At last the third and final installment to the Vampire series!
Global apocalypse and takeover by the Vampires...David vs. Goliath....suspense, drama, a race to the end....and then Resolution! A must read if you have started the Strain Trilogy! (The Strain, The Fall)
See Del Torro films...always creative, touching and unusual. My favs: "Pan's Labyrinth", "El Espinazo del Diablo" (The Devil's Backbone" - do not be dissuaded by the cover picture of a gross ghost...it is a ghost story, but is quite wonderful), Hellboy I and II!


Comedic Relief...


How to be a Wild, Wise, Witty Woman. Loretta LaRoche. Humor.
Way to brighten a dreary day! Listen to her in the car for hysterical, practical advice, full of optimism. Aimed towards women, but men will also get a chuckle from some excerpts!









Fashion Suicides:The highs and lows of the Fashion Industry....


Savage Beauty. Andrew Bolton. Exhibition catalog.

Upon the death of fashion designer, Alexander McQueen (suicide) last year, there was a retrospective show of his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City called "Savage Beauty. You can get the catalog book of the museum pieces, also called "Savage Beauty", see the fantastic range of his work and get a glimpse into his personal and professional life. The book also has a very cool cover - changing from skull to portrait of the artist. You can also go to Youtube and see live footage of his fashion shows...those shoes...yikes!
A friend of McQueen's and yet another fashion suicide...


Blow by Blow: The Story of Isabella Blow. Detmar Blow (husband). Biography.

Short, sad and very readable. Isabella Blow was involved in the initial success of Alexander McQueen, a proponent/advocate of the newest fashion talents... only to be used and forgotten in the end....involves the fashion business and aspects of the titled English aristocracy.




L'Amour Fou. Directed by Pierre Thoretton. Documentary.

The life of designer Yves St. Laurent, as told by his partner Pierre Thoretton.
Tragic and dramatic, just like his fashion collections. Very tastefully done documentary outlining Yves St. Laurent's fashion career, his descent into addiction and oddity, and his over-the top, unbelievable collection of art, recently auctioned off for zillions of dollars. True fashion trauma at its best, so engaging and so "triste" (sad), as one would say in French. Film in French with English subtitles.
P.S. Yves St. Laurent was not a suicide, he died of brain cancer.


Swedish Horror...


Let the Right One In. John Ajvide Lindqvist. Fiction.

Wow, Swedish creep at its' best! Author John Ajvide Lindqvist has successfully combined the elements of human depravity with a vampire twist in "Let the Right One In". An international best-seller, I can understand why. Eerie, believable, but unbelievable, read it if you enjoy horror once in a while (and don't turn off the lights!). Also see the movie (after the book) "Let Me In"...interesting visual interpretation of the text. Lindqvist has also written other books, among which I tried "Handling the Undead"- more mundane horror, but entertaining.


CSI (Crime Scene Investigation)...


The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science. Douglas Star. Non-fiction.

This was a truly fascinating book detailing the activities of the original crime scene investigators, in France, who diligently worked to create the profiling and testing that we now see weekly on crime investigation programs such as CSI and Criminal Minds on television. Though the title is a bit disturbing, essentially it refers to the tracking of a serial killer in the 1800's, upon whom much testing was later done to establish the parameters of "what makes a criminal a criminal". Everything from physical diagnostics to mental and social issues are graphically brought to light - questions of what does or does not constitute criminal insanity are discussed...forget the title, read the book!


On the lighter side...


Cat Mysteries Series. Lilian Jackson Braun. Fiction.

My father and I both picked up a Lilian Braun cat mystery at the same time, unknowingly - we both enjoyed the light, easy read. I started with "The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern" and my Dad with "The Cat Who Said Cheese".



I was curious about the author, as she has so many books on the library shelf, and I do like cats. My Dad has since gone to complete the reading of 26-27 of the books ! According to my Dad, the "cats helped solve a murder mystery by their actions and reactions, as if they knew more than the people". I, too, found this charming and intriguing. "Each chapter covers small town activity and a piece of the mystery...", says Dad, which, I would say, makes for a very pleasant afternoon read...though I might never catch up to Dad's 27 books!