Be More Bookish 2016: April 2016

Bryson, Bill. At Home: A Short History of Private Life. New York: Doubleday, 2010.

In this non-fiction book by Bill Bryson, author of A Walk in the Woods, the author uses his own home - a refurbished manor house in a rural English village - as a backdrop to explore, expand, and expound on the many aspects of human society in terms of history, anthropology, architecture, and more. Every aspect of the physical structure of the house, from the location of the kitchen to the placement of the toilets, is the sum of a vast story of how and why humans came to gather into communities and then into a solitary residence.

With a light and meandering tone that never spins too far out into minutiae, Bryson touches on all manner of historical facts and origins with a deft, light stroke. Every room gets it's own chapter, and just as in an actual house, the reader will soon begin to see how one room leads to another other. And, just when you think you'll lose yourself in the scope of so many facts, Bryson cleverly manages to bring it all back and anchor it in something solidly comical or comically grotesque - either way, you'll laugh! For Anglophiles or historians or just those who want to know why the color green is green, At Home is a must-read.

Salvatore, R. A. The Halfling's Gem. New York: Wizards of the Coast, 1990.

R.A. Salvatore, master of dungeon crawling high fantasy popularized by the world of role playing, begins a trilogy that exemplifies the genre while staking out it's own unique storytelling boundaries. With a cast of characters as fantastical as they are relatable, the author mines new territory by bending standard, clichéd personas and forging them into new and unexpected forms.

As an author, Salvatore has a whole mythical world from which to draw, which he does while never allowing the story to suffer or become stale. With a keen sense of self-awareness, his characters exhibit a vastly modern sense of doubt and emotion than one usually does not find in fantasy, yet he never allows it to overtake the fiction. He keeps the pace of his book light and fast, and never allows the reader a moment to grow bored. With a story that focuses on a young and bright Halfling saddled with a highly-sought after enchanted gem, Salvatore uses his story of adventure to further introduce the character of Drizz't Do'Urden, who will eventually become his most lasting and famous character to date.It is also with great skill that Salvatore describes and writes about the art and craft of magic itself without falling into the endless metaphysical mumbo-jumbo one finds so often in modern fantasy. Much like the enchanted rapier of one of his characters, Salvatore's words cut through the standard writing to keep the story sharp and on point.

Blum, Deborah. The Poisoner's Handbook: murder and the birth of forensic medicine in Jazz Age New York. New York: Penguin press, 2010.

With a clear eye and a stronger stomach, author Deborah Blum brings the reader into the murky world of prohibition-era New York City, a time when crime was rampant and science was still suspect. Through keen research and a sharp eye, she focuses on two figures in the city's police force and their efforts to solve those crimes so sensationalized in the media. Through the team's efforts fighting crime and the city's bureaucracy, they help to birth the fields of forensic pathology, forever changing the world of criminal investigation.

Blum, who spent years researching the history of forensics in the US, manages to keep the gore and jargon at a minimum without ever pandering to the audience. She ratchets up the excitement with lurid tales of murder and the speakeasy as the central figures fight to catch criminals and help those who are subjected to a brave new world of chemical "miracles." Each chapter of Blum's book is dedicated to a specific poison, such as cyanide or arsenic, and the efforts to reveal the harmful effects of so many substances that were previously considered by the world to be "beneficial." From cases of marital discord "solved" by using poison to the tale of the Radium-girls of a New Jersey watch factory, Blum pings and bounces from chemical to compound, all against the backdrop of the Jazz-age New York. With each chapter containing a self-contained story unto itself, the author allows the reader to come to the book time and again without losing the central story, which makes for a more satisfying experience and a better understanding of forensics and it's development. A must-read for those with an eye for science and stomach for the grotesque.