Task #2: A book of true crime

[Megan]

Done! I read Mindhunter for this task.

[Kelli Durkin]

I just realized The Blood Of Emmett Till would count for this, I already own it but haven't cracked it yet.

[Sterling]

Bonnie wrote: "One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway has been on my list for a while."

Thank you for the rec! I just put this one on my shelf for this task

[Marie]

Kayla wrote: "I am trying to use books I already own, that I haven't read yet, as much as possible. I've seen both of these on some true crime list but wasn't 100% sure if either would work for this topic. Opinions? "

You're lucky you have such variety at home - one of the reasons I started doing the Read Harder challenge was because I looked at my bookshelves and realized 80% of the authors were white men. Really opened my eyes.

Lucky and All the President's Men seem like good choices - they're both about real crimes. Lucky is more about the repercussions, but I don't see why "true crime" has to be only about the investigators and not about the victims. Their side of the story is just as important.

[Riah]

Is there anything more to a book being true crime than it being about crimes that really happened?

Inspired by Oprah mentioning Recy Taylor at the Golden Globes the other day, it occurred to me that At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance--A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power might count as true crime, since it's a history that centers around a number of rapes of black women, including Recy Taylor's.

If it does count, Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story and The Blood of Emmett Till are two other history books that also center around race-related true crimes.

What are people's thoughts on where the line between history and true crime is?

[Bonnie G.]

Riah wrote: "Is there anything more to a book being true crime than it being about crimes that really happened?

Inspired by Oprah mentioning Recy Taylor at the Golden Globes the other day, it occurred to me t..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_crime

[Elizabeth]

I read Dark Dreams: Sexual Violence, Homicide And The Criminal Mind for a category in the Read Harder challenge a few years ago (it was a recommended book). It was a good read, but aaaaalll the trigger warnings.

I am super torn on what to read for this category. There is so much true crime I have wanted to read and just haven't gotten to yet that it's overwhelming.

[Tania]

I chose 1924: The Year That Made Hitler by Peter Ross Range - it not only examines the crimes that got Hitler arrested as a younger man, but also delved into how his words and actions at that time foreshadowed the even more heinous crimes he would commit later in life.

[Wes]

Would The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson count for this?

[Riah]

WMCG wrote: "Would The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson count for this?"

I think it would. I'm planning on reading his Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story for this one as well.

[Kate]

I am 2/3 done with The Fact of a Body. It is utterly devastating, but so, so good.

Killers of the Flower Moon was one of the best books of 2017! I want to read so many of these.. That McNamara one looks fantastic as well.

[Kate]

Courtney wrote: "I'm thinking of reading Jane: A Murder by Maggie Nelson for this one, though I'm not sure it fits exactly."

I haven't read it, but I would count that! Besides, reading Maggie Nelson is an amazing experience.

[Mandie]

I've had Columbine in my TBR pile for years. This may be the year to finally read it.

[Anna]

Courtney wrote: "I'm thinking of reading Jane: A Murder by Maggie Nelson for this one, though I'm not sure it fits exactly."

It definitely fits. The Red Parts, which is a followup/companion is also great.

[Kayla]

Marie wrote: "Kayla wrote: "I am trying to use books I already own, that I haven't read yet, as much as possible. I've seen both of these on some true crime list but wasn't 100% sure if either would work for thi..."

Thanks. I go to goodwill and used book stores when they have sales and just grab things that look interesting. It's a good way to build variety for not a lot of cost. I use to only have scifi on my shelves.LOL I will be reading All the President's Men for this topic. Thanks for the feedback.

[Jennifer]

If anyone's looking for recommendations, "The Fact of A Body: A Murder and A Memoir" is a really great read. I read that last year and was intrigued. I usually read a few true crime here and there, but I haven't gotten around to Capote's "In Cold Blood" so I think that's what I'll read for this one.

[Nima]

Does anyone know if The Brothers Karamazov can be considered a "true crime" novel if the author examines the philosophical aspects of a crime and its legal ramifications?

[Bonnie G.]

Tanima wrote: "Does anyone know if The Brothers Karamazov can be considered a "true crime" novel if the author examines the philosophical aspects of a crime and its legal ramifications?"

Sorry, true crime is nonfiction. Here is a definition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_crime

[Nima]

Bonnie wrote: "Tanima wrote: "Does anyone know if The Brothers Karamazov can be considered a "true crime" novel if the author examines the philosophical aspects of a crime and its legal ramifications?..."

Oh, gotcha! Thank you, Bonnie!!

[Bonnie G.]

Tanima wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Tanima wrote: "Does anyone know if The Brothers Karamazov can be considered a "true crime" novel if the author examines the philosophical aspects of a crime and its legal..."

You could use it for your BRICS book!

[Barbara]

I read American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land for this task, since I already owned it, and it let me double dip with the Reading Women true crime task. I can't really say I recommend it, though. I found it poorly organized, and not super interesting. At least it's pretty short (250pp).

[beentsy]

I'm hoping that Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets will count. It's been on my shelf for at least 5 years and deserves to be read.

[Derick]

Is anyone reading The Executioner’s Song for this one? Even though it won the Pulitzer for fiction, it’s considered a “non-fiction novel” and is about a true crime. It’s been on my TBR pile for a long time.

[[deleted user]]

So many great suggestions! I'm reading Devil in the White City for this challenge.

For those that haven't read Killers on the Flower Moon or The Man Who Loved books too much, those are great reads. I read them both. For me, Killers on the Flower Moon really struck me, because I know the area of Oklahoma that these murders took place. I have friends who's family is history is entwined with these real-life tragedies.
I add a few books from all your recommendations to my TBR list.

[Bonnie G.]

Derick wrote: "Is anyone reading The Executioner’s Song for this one? Even though it won the Pulitzer for fiction, it’s considered a “non-fiction novel” and is about a true crime. It’s been on my TBR pile for a l..."

It is a great book, and I would count it (it is largely factual) but it is one of those books that doesn't perfectly fit any prompt.

[Amanda]

This was the first book I could check off without double-checking! For mine, I read Are You There Alone?: The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates

Since I love true crime - here are some other suggestions for really good true crime books if anyone is interested:

Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three
People Who Eat Darkness: The Fate of Lucie Blackman
Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony
Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir
Conviction: The Untold Story of Putting Jodi Arias Behind Bars

[Emily]

True crime is kind of my jam, so this was a hard choice. I think I'm going to go with The Fact of a Body.

[Teresa]

I'm thinking Victorian Underworld or The Art of Making Money: The Story of a Master Counterfeiter.

[Ella]

I had a whole list of TBRs that fit into this category, but I've heard such rave reviews about The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas and really enjoyed hearing him on a podcast last year. Also, I've had the book for a while. I should read it.

For those who liked The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession, another interesting and similarly-structured book is The Map Thief -- the one by Michael Blanding.

[Amanda]

Don't forget the classic: In Cold Blood, which I probably would have read if I hadn't already read a true crime book before I went looking for a 2018 reading challenge to do.

[Jenni]

I'm going to use Black Dahlia for this one. It would also work for some of the graphic novel challenges if you wanted to double-up.

[Inez]

I'm going to wait and read The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken

[Ella]

Amanda wrote: "Don't forget the classic: In Cold Blood, which I probably would have read if I hadn't already read a true crime book before I went looking for a 2018 reading challenge to do." Ananda, if you read it in 2018, it still counts. In Cold Blood was my first pick, but I couldn't find my copy. If I come across it before I start the other, I may go back, or even read both!

[Rachel]

Jordan wrote: "Okay, so, does anyone have any suggestions for something lighter for this one? Like maybe a crazy caper kind of true crime?"

The Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein might fit with what you're looking for, it's a story about a crazy caper, but not necessarily "light" as it deals with ethnic & racial issues.

[Teresa]

I read The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Impostor. The number of people he conned is outrageous.

[Rachelfm]

I read American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land last year and would consider it a worthy (and not violent and gory) option for this prompt. The county where this takes place is elevated to almost another character in the story; there's compelling local history along with the page-turning reportage. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in reading something with a strong sense of place and wanting the tension, the why, and the whodunit without the blood and guts.

[Erin]

I have a Jack the Ripper book (lots of original source materials), but I think I'm going with The True Crime Files of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

[Laura]

For this task I read The Gardener Heist by Ultich Boser (last name might be misspelled), about trying to solve the theft from the Isabella Stewart Gardener museum. Good if you prefer your true crime without gore (though there are murders).

[Octavia]

Finished! I went for In Cold Blood because true crime isn't a genre I read a lot of and this is one of the classics, apparently. It was really very interesting, but so sad. Just seems like such a waste of life all round...

[Tania]

Bryan wrote: "Another Jon Krakauer suggestion for this task is Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town...."

I am reading Missoula now and recommend it as well.

[Tammy]

I'm passing on a recommendation from a friend: "Last year I enjoyed reading the book Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo. It's about selling fake paintings by faking their provenance. If you're looking for a true crime book that isn't about a serial killer, this is a good one."

The two I am considering the most are Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI and We Are Not Such Things: The Murder of a Young American, a South African Township, and the Search for Truth and Reconciliation. The woman who was murdered is from New Mexico, where I live, and there are at least two schools named after her.

[Christa]

This to task is a tough one for me as I am not at all interested in books about murder, rape, the mob or generally people being horrible. HELP! Any suggestions for great jewel heists or art thefts, need a true crime that is not blood and gore. Thanks.

[Joy]

I was dreading this task as soon as I saw it and was having a very difficult time choosing a book for it. All of that was resolved for me when Crimson Stain was selected as the February read for my local book club here in western Pennsylvania. I ended up fascinated by the series of events that took place around and sometimes in a town I had lived in as a teenager. Still, I’m very glad to have this task finished. Not my genre at all.

[Dee]

This one was difficult for me as I'n not into homicides and gruesome things either. I'm planning to read Molly's Game by Molly Bloom. It's a true story about a 26 yr old who becomes involved in high stakes gambling.

Christa wrote: "This to task is a tough one for me as I am not at all interested in books about murder, rape, the mob or generally people being horrible. HELP! Any suggestions for great jewel heists or art thefts,..."

[Sabine]

I read Sophie Hayes - Trafficked. A story of a British girl caught in sexual trafficking. Worthwhile read, and a true story.

[Nikki]

Christa wrote: "This to task is a tough one for me as I am not at all interested in books about murder, rape, the mob or generally people being horrible. HELP! Any suggestions for great jewel heists or art thefts,..."

A theft of a different sort. The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover's Secret FBI. It's a bit of a slog, but Bill Davidon (the ringleader of the FBI break-in) was my calc professor. Who knew?!

[Ann]

I just finished Ann Rule's The I-5 Killer for this task. This is the 2nd book of hers I've read, and I've enjoyed them both. They're not the kind of books I can read one right after another, but I will pick up another again some day.

[Jeannine]

For non-violent reads there are a number of books about the Isabella Steward Gardner Heist. There is a novel about art forgery in relation to that crime called The Art Forger, B.A. Shapiro

[Krista]

Rainey wrote: "Jordan wrote: "Okay, so, does anyone have any suggestions for something lighter for this one? Like maybe a crazy caper kind of true crime?"

Heist: The Oddball Crew Behind the $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft"

I'm finishing up this book right now and it's unbelievable. I think it definitely fits your "crazy caper" kind of crime.

Head-shakingly stupid group of people . . .

[Andrea]

I read The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi.