Task #2: A book of true crime

[Riah]

I read Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story, which is true crime, family memoir and American racial history all at once. I definitely recommend it.

[Emily]

I've started Mrs. Sherlock Holmes by Brad Ricca for this task, and so far I'm absolutely loving it.

[Doris]

I read The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation for this.

Robert Irwin, the 'mad sculptor' of the title, murdered the mother and sister of a woman with whom he was obsessed; he also murdered a boarder of the mother and sister.

Schechter does an excellent job of situating these murders in their time and place: the neighborhood had been earlier the site of two other notorious murders. He also does an excellent job of describing (though not accounting for) Irwin's progressing insanity. The book falls a little short at the end, although I suppose it's not fair to blame real life for failing in dramatic potential. Irwin pled guilty to second degree murder (rather than pleading not guilty by reason of insanity) and was sentenced, effectively, to life in prison. And then the story just drops off. I would have liked to know a little more about his life in prison (he lived about 40 years after sentencing). I'm also left wondering what became of Ethel (the woman with whom he had been obsessed) and her father, the surviving family members.

[Laura]

I don't usually read True Crime but I may read all 3 of these:
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, The Murder Room, I'll Be Gone in the Dark (also works for posthumous publication task)

[Pixelina]

I'm gonna read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil for this one.

[Sil]

This year, I’m trying to do the challenge by only reading books by authors who are women of color. True crime isn’t my usual genre, so I’m struggling! Anyone have recommendations?

[Mya]

Sil wrote: "This year, I’m trying to do the challenge by only reading books by authors who are women of color. True crime isn’t my usual genre, so I’m struggling! Anyone have recommendations?"

Possibly something by Jesmyn Ward? Her books aren't specifically true crime, but I think they could be considered to include it. Men We Reaped or Sing, Unburied, Sing seem most likely.

Ann Rule & Alice Sebold are white female authors who have written about true crime. Also Patricia Cornwell & Claudia Rowe. Having the luxury to spend time titillated by every detail of a real-life horror seems to be a white person thing. :/

[Bonnie G.]

Mya wrote: "Sil wrote: "This year, I’m trying to do the challenge by only reading books by authors wLong White Conho are women of color. True crime isn’t my usual genre, so I’m struggling! Anyone have recommendations?"

Pos..."

Sing Unburied Sing is really good, but its a novel, so not True Crime.

Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial would work, I think.

If you are willing to extend to men of color, you might enjoy Iceberg Slim. Pimp: The Story of My Life is VERY illuminating, and I have heard Long White Con is good too though I have not read that one. Also American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst.

If you are comfortable with a book by a white woman about a crime that says a lot about the Black experience in America I really recommend Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South

[Dawn Michelle]

Sil wrote: "This year, I’m trying to do the challenge by only reading books by authors who are women of color. True crime isn’t my usual genre, so I’m struggling! Anyone have recommendations?"

I found two for you [after almost an hour and a half of searching - which lead to me adding WAY to many books to my list. LOL]. I think both of these fit, even though the one is about a specific crime re: murder, stealing etc, but about the crime against POC specifically and it was written by a WOC.

1. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander

The second one is very intriguing and would be a very interesting read I believe

2. F: Hu Feng's Prison Years
by Mei Zhi, Gregor Benton (Translator)

I hope these help - there is very little "true crime" books out there by POC - that is heartbreaking to me.

[Julia]

True crime isn't usually what I read. I read I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara and really liked it and I recommend it.

[Sara]

I needed something safe and light for this task. I'm listening to Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake.
It's available for free on Audible channels if you have an Audible account.
It's fun and the narration feels right for it. I liked the movie a lot, but the book is ALWAYS better!

[Dawn Michelle]

I read The Devil in the White City: A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson and am also reading:
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester.

The first one was SO amazing; I highly recommend it. I learned so much about the Chicago's World's Fair and all it took to put it on, and then also to read that while all this was going on, a very prolific serial killer was wrecking havoc all over the city. The history along with the crime was so fascinating and it was cool to learn all that history that I did not know.

The same can be said for the second book, though I am only 100 pages in with that one. Who knew that murder and mayhem was a part of the making of the OED?!?

I love how much I can learn while reading a true crime book.

[Mya]

Dawn Michelle wrote: "Sil wrote: "This year, I’m trying to do the challenge by only reading books by authors who are women of color. True crime isn’t my usual genre, so I’m struggling! Anyone have recommendations?...""

Dawn Michelle - nice thought to include The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. That's been on my reading list for several months. (I pushed the envelope toward fiction based around crime, written by someone who has experienced it, but didn't think of pushing it toward social science.

Thank you for the other titles as well. I have my own personal challenge, slightly different from Sil's. When choosing between titles to read I try to focus on books by POC, queer folk (especially queer folx of color), & white women. It's useful to know what options are out there.

[Dawn Michelle]

Mya wrote: "Dawn Michelle wrote: "Sil wrote: "This year, I’m trying to do the challenge by only reading books by authors who are women of color. True crime isn’t my usual genre, so I’m struggling! Anyone have ..."

You are welcome Mya; glad I could help. I will admit that this one was tough and I was determined to come up with something that fit. I have been trying to stretch myself and read both books around the world AND books that I wouldn't normally read or that might initially make me uncomfortable [in an effort to get a handle on my "white privilege"] - learning about new things and history that isn't taught in school has become highly important to me and I have also been adding books by queer folk and more from POC. I read Janet Mock's book this year and she is amazing. That was very eye opening and illuminating for me. I admire her so much. While I am trying to read only books that have been languishing on my shelves for years, I am really going to try and read The New Jim Crow this year. After reading "When They Call You A Terrorist", I think its important to learn even more.

[Deb]

Last year I read The Yoga Store Murder: The Shocking True Account of the Lululemon Athletica Killing for a book set within 500 miles of where you lived. It would fit this category nicely and while it is about murder and some of the pictures in it are graphic it is more about how the murder was solved and you don't have to look at the pictures. I have also seen many mentions of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil which I have read a couple of times and would recommend. I want to read Who Killed These Girls?: The Twenty-Five-Year History of Austin's Yogurt Shop Murders if I can find a copy at the library.

[Maryam]

I've started I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer . It is very interesting.

[Karen]

I choose one from the list Book Roit had on their webpage.

Adnan's Story: The Truth by Rabia Chaudry

This has left me wanting more information so I have download the podcast

[Sheenah]

I've already read The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story and Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery this year, which just happened to work with this. Both were good, but Lost Girls is unsolved so it doesn't have a satisfying ending.

[Heather]

American Fire by Monica Hesse

[Amber]

Barbara wrote: "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 rea..."

I'm also reading American Fire for this category. Had it sitting on my shelf for months and needed some motivation!

[Erin]

I’m going with Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace. Based on actual newspaper articles, letters, and doctor notes of the trial of Grace Marks in Canada. Certainly also a work of historical fiction - told from first person narrative. Open to challenges of this book NOT satisfying #2 and why. Thanks!

[Megan]

I just finished American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land by Monica Hesse, which I'm using for this prompt.

[Barbara]

I read Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann for this challenge.

[Kerri]

Barbara wrote: "I read Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Gra..."

I read that one, too! It was fascinating.

[Christy]

Because of how my library holds came in, I ended up reading two true crime books in a row this month--Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI and The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story. They're both really good, but wow should I NEVER read two true crime books in a row. I'm super, super sad about racism, misogyny and violence right now, my people. The Devil's Highway: A True Story just came in for me, but I think I'm going to send it back. This might not be the right page for it, but does this happen to anyone else? Any recommendations for warm and fuzzy or Empowered Lady Person books?

[Mya]

Christy wrote: "Because of how my library holds came in, I ended up reading two true crime books in a row this month...This might not be the right page for it, but does this happen to anyone else? ..."

Christy - Very much so! It's not always the right time for a particular book, or genre, for me. I sometimes have to remind myself that any given book sill likely still be there next month or next year, or whenever I have the resilience for it, but if books are food for the mind, then I'm just tending to a diet that works best for me.

[Julia]

Warm and fuzzy that I have read recently:

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman.

For empowered lady & gentle persons:

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson.

[Allie]

Julia wrote: "Warm and fuzzy that I have read recently:

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman.

For empowered lady & gentle persons:

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal b..."

Both of these are fiction, not true crime.

[Julia]

That's completely true, Allie. I realized I should have said so as soon as I posted it. Is there warm and fuzzy true crime? Besides, Christy told us she just read two of that type of book.

[Sherri]

I am reading Witches:Salem 1692 by Stacy Schiff.

[Allie]

Julia wrote: "That's completely true, Allie. I realized I should have said so as soon as I posted it. Is there warm and fuzzy true crime? Besides, Christy told us she just read two of that type of book."

Oh, sorry I didn't realize your comment was in response to Christy's! Carry on with warm and fuzzies. :)

[Kerri]

Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions is true crime and more warm and fuzzy than most. It has been a while since I read it, but I remember thoroughly enjoying it at the time. Another one is Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History. I haven't read it, but it's in my TBR pile.

[Caitlin]

I think I'm going to be reading Thunderstruck for this category... anybody else read this one?

[Jenn]

I've been seeing pretty good reviews of The Feather Thief and it seems like it might be perfect for those who are looking for a less murder-y option.

I've been a little underwhelmed by a few books I started for this task, so hopeful about this one.

[Brittany]

I just finished reading The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder for this prompt. It was a very interesting read, especially since I am a nurse. I didn't realize that this guy was the reason some laws and practices are in effect.

[Caleb]

For this challenge, I read Black Dahlia, Red Rose: The Crime, Corruption, and Cover-Up of America's Greatest Unsolved Murder which was most interesting for the portion about Aggie Underwood, one of the journalists who covered the story. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agness_...)

[Rochelle]

I was going to do Truman Capote's In Cold Blood since its been on my tbr list- but to be honest I struggled with it. Perhaps I'll go back and continue with it

[Jolynne]

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer Too bad the author died before they caught this creep.

[Yvonne]

Been reading about Adnan's story the young man the Serial podcast was about gives more insight on the story from the prospect of a close family friend. Of course this looks at the crime as he is innocent but still opens the mind to new questions

[Dani]

Would anyone consider Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace true crime? I know it is written as historical fiction but it is based on a real murder case and she did quite a lot of research to write it. I'm fine with not using it for the challenge, but it would be handy if I could!

[Patty]

It is your challenge. Do what works for you.

[Dani]

Patty wrote: "It is your challenge. Do what works for you."

But external validation is the only reason I read! :P

[Julia]

Jolynne wrote: Too bad the author died before they caught this creep.


I believe that part of the reason they caught the creep is because of Michelle McNamara's book and her research and her husband's interviews on the subject. In many of those interviews, was it even in the prologue?, Patton Oswalt said she didn't care as much as who got the credit for catching him, she wanted him caught.

[Erica]

Julia wrote: "Jolynne wrote: Too bad the author died before they caught this creep.


I believe that part of the reason they caught the creep is because of Michelle McNamara's book and her res..."

There are a couple of episodes of the podcast My Favorite Murder where they discuss I'll be Gone in the Dark and the Golden State Killer, they're worth the listen if you want to hear from one of the writers that helped finish the book (Billy Jenson), and Paul Holes who helped catch him. There's also an episode that's a discussion of the book.

[Yrinsyde]

I recently finished reading Black Widow - about Louisa Collins, Australia's first serial killer. Very well researched and not gruesome at all, apart from the effects of arsenic poisoning (which I find fascinating anyway). She endured 2 inquests and 4 trials - three hung juries. Fascinating case.

[Martha]

I'm reading What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City for this prompt.

[Darlene]

I read Invisible Darkness: The Horrifying Case of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. Very dark and disturbing, and I was scared to pick it up at 650 pages (which is why it has sat on my dusty bookshelf for 21 years), but it was unputdownable. Shocking and graphic. Not for the queasy.

[Diane]

I'm also reading What the Eyes Don't See. Very compelling. I did not think of it as True Crime, but it certainly documents a horrible crime on an entire city.

[Mandie]

I'm trying to fit in a few graphic novels into my Read Harder, as I did with last year's challenge, so I've decided to go with Green River Killer: A True Detective Story.

[Tammy]

Martha wrote: "I'm reading What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City for this prompt."

Thanks for this! I didn't know there was a book about the Flint water crisis.