Play Book Tag discussion
November 2019: American History
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Announcing the Tag for November
I will probably read Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad. It's been on my bookshelf for a while, and it looks interesting.The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America and
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
are both excellent books.
Although I would have been all right with reading from any of our genre choices this month, I very pleased that American History won for the November tag.So many choices! Are we going to differentiate between American History and Historical Fiction? I can see where some historical fiction would seem to fit, but history is fact based not something based on imagination and fact combined. I'm sure there are plenty of members who see it otherwise, but I'm sticking with historical, fact based works.
I want to read Destiny of the Republic: A tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard. I'd also like to read Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and Birth of the FBI. I want to also read a book by David McCullough, possibly Mornings on Horseback.
I highly recommend the following history books:
The Greater Journey; John Adams; and 1776 all by David McCullough and
The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin.
Oof, this was the one tag I really didn't have anything for. I'm also doing the PopSugar challenge, so anything I read has to also fulfill a prompt there. I really don't have anything American History left on my list.I think I'm going to have to go historical fiction and go with All the King's Men.
Not sure here I thought I'd have nothing for this prompt but it turns out I have 4 of the books listed sitting on my shelf unread so I'll wait for the trim number and see how I feel re balance and go from there.
Shelly wrote: "I also recommend Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI ...."Great choice for top recommentation. That one read like a detective story. Another criminal themed history, Devil in White City that you favor is one I should target, since the author is so consistently brilliant.
Killer Angels I endorse as well. I mistakenly put Gods and Generals in my list, but the son, Jeff, in taking up his father Michael's Civil War reneactment style historical fiction never achieved the peak of his father, Michael. Such a great movie. As a Maine resident, the Jeff Daniels's role as Josh Chamberlain, the Bowdoin professor creating himself as gerneral of the Maine forces and a hero at Gettsyburg was especially moving for me.
Andersonville you list is a neglected classic for all time. Lonesome Dove I failed to add on my list, perhaps the top because its my favorite book of all. I recently reviewed the new Russell you include, Women of Copper Country. I put her "Doc", about Doc Holliday, as my choice for her best (really alll her work is 5 stars for me.
Nice to be in fandom with you for great writers with historical bent.
DianeMP wrote: "Although I would have been all right with reading from any of our genre choices this month, I very pleased that American History won for the November tag.So many choices! Are we going to differen..."
Diane, Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President will not disappoint-Promise!
"Another criminal themed history, Devil in White City that you favor is one I should target, since the author is so consistently brilliant."Michael, agree about Larson's books, which is why I am probably going to read Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania for American history.
DianeMP wrote: "Although I would have been all right with reading from any of our genre choices this month, I very pleased that American History won for the November tag.So many choices! Are we going to differen..."
If it's historical fiction about the States, I will count that as American History. If it's nonfiction for me it hast to be history that is either in the States or it involves Americans in a situation or in a large way, particularly if it affects the States. But if it's historical fiction about an American anywhere else, I won't count it.
My Little Free Library came up trumps for me again this morning with two very tag-appropriate picks - I just found Henry Louis Gates's middle-grade Reconstruction book Dark Sky Rising which I might try discussing with my 9-year-old daughter, & also Mitch Landrieu's account of the struggle to take down Confederate statues in New Orleans, In the Shadow of Statues, which I've been curious about for a while.
Must be Lucky Day at Little Free Libraries- I found The March, about Sherman's March to Atlanta-hope I can get to it this month!
Joanne wrote: "Must be Lucky Day at Little Free Libraries- I found The March, about Sherman's March to Atlanta-hope I can get to it this month!"Yay!!
Joanne, thanks for the heads up on the Destiny of the Republic. I'm really looking forward to reading it.
LibraryCin wrote: "I have lots of options for this! My trim fits:
- The Persian Pickle Club / Sandra Dallas
I have lots more that will fit, but another I've been wanting to read for a while:
- Mary / Janis Cooke ..."
Ooooh, I've been wanting to read The Persian Pickle Club, but by the title, I'm surprised it's American History. I love Dallas so I'm going to check that out.
Other than that I'm planning to delve into Jefferson with The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family (non-fiction) and America's First Daughter (fiction) in that order. Then if I have time I was thinking of The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women and The Aviator's Wife. Now The Persian Pickle Club is in the mix along with the Trim These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 (also American History) and Horizons with either Love Medicine or The Plague of Doves (also American History).
I think this list is beyond my ability to read in a month!
Cora wrote: "Here are some recommendations:Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West..."
I read that ages ago and absolutely loved it. Another book I read ages ago that would work for both Native Americans and American History that is quite old but loved is Sacajawea
I have any number of American History books on my TBR, so am happy to have a chance to finish some of them. I am thinking of going with John Adams and then Jefferson & Madison: The Great Collaboration.For suggestions from my recent readings there are The Women of the Copper Country, A Kind of Freedom, The Nickel Boys, The Tubman Command: A Novel, Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies, American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt.
Barbara wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "I have lots of options for this! My trim fits:
- The Persian Pickle Club / Sandra Dallas
I have lots more that will fit, but another I've been wanting to read for a while:
- ..."
LOL - It's been a few years since I read this, but I remember that it is definitely American historical fiction. If I remember correctly, the title of the book refers to the paisley pattern in fabric or design, which the members of a club in the book call a "Persian Pickle".
Michael wrote: "I want to read Ellis' His Excellency: George Washington..."
When the Emperor Was Divine was wonderful!
Nicole R wrote: "At lunch today, a coworker recommended The Last Days of Night! Her rave review had me instantly putting it on.."Great book ... and I think you'll particularly enjoy the legal fight(s) in it. I gave it 4 stars.
I could have sworn that I posted something yesterday, but now I don't see it...Nonfiction recommendations:
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard
The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum
Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning
Flags of Our Fathers by James D. Bradley
Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
As for historical fiction that includes much American history:
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
Doc by Mary Doria Russell (though her new one about the miners in upper Michigan is possibly a better fit .. I haven't read it yet)
The Hamilton Affair by Elizabeth Cobbs
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry
Song Yet Sung by James McBride
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg
Sandra Dallas has a number of good ones. My favorite is: The Diary of Mattie Spenser
Well I'm going mystery/fiction personally but watching all you non-fiction planners reminded me that you should include Hidden Figures - space race, women, black history/civil rights - it's all there.
Book Concierge wrote: "I could have sworn that I posted something yesterday, but now I don't see it..."Way to go Tessa! I second many you mention and get inspiratiin from those I haven't. You touch on slavery as a topic with Song Yet Sung, which has a lot of lit one could tap into, from Gone with the Wind on down.
Joanne wrote: "DianeMP wrote: "Although I would have been all right with reading from any of our genre choices this month, I very pleased that American History won for the November tag.So many choices! Are we g..."
Wow, this sounds fascinating, and I don't recall ever hearing any of it.
ARG I really need to focus on other things, and I was planning on a light reading month. But what can I do? With the combo of the tag, Horizons, and flurries (Vets and thanksgiving), there are probably 100+ books that I would be very happy to read.
Theresa wrote: "Well I'm going mystery/fiction personally but watching all you non-fiction planners reminded me that you should include Hidden Figures - space race, women, black history/civil right..."I agree! I really liked Hidden Figures. Some of the women in my book club thought there was too much detail, and one recommended the YA version of the book.
I am going to give this book a try: 'Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II' It is in the fashion of Hidden Figures I understand and I thoroughly enjoyed that.
NancyJ wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Well I'm going mystery/fiction personally but watching all you non-fiction planners reminded me that you should include Hidden Figures - space race, women, black his..."I read an interview with the author and she talked about how little time she had to research and write the book so it did not get edited as it needed. The movie was optioned from her proposal, before research done let alone writing, and she was under tremendous pressure to fast track it. It was considered a particularly timely movie subject.
I have wondered about the YA version, whiich I thought a great idea.
Theresa wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Well I'm going mystery/fiction personally but watching all you non-fiction planners reminded me that you should include Hidden Figures - space race, w..."That really makes sense; it could have used more editing. I thought the movie was good, but the book is even more inspiring. I appreciated the extra information about their school experiences, and what they did later on. Some of the most interesting info (to me) was in the appendix.
I think at least one of the women went to Howard University, which I read about in another book last month. That seems to be the fabulous school, where black kids can really excel.
MargieD2017 wrote: "I am going to give this book a try: 'Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II' It is in the fashion of Hidden Figures I understand and I thorough..."That sounds good. I would have loved that job. I always liked codes, math, and logic puzzles.
NancyJ wrote: "Theresa wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Well I'm going mystery/fiction personally but watching all you non-fiction planners reminded me that you should include Hidden Figures..."Re: Howard University - Ta-Nehisi Coates talks about his experiences there in Between the World and Me and how exceptional it is.
I particularly loved the sections on their community and family lives, so important a part of these stories.
I seem to remember that the author researched and wrote Hidden Figures in some ridiculously short period of time...11 months? I will see if I can find the article.
I'm thinking of reading Just Kids by Patti Smith.Saw it today at a book shop and remembered I've been meaning to read it for a while. It's an era in American history so would work well
and I have a recommendation - if you want to read a comics - there's a wonderful one about Andy Warhol. It's a huge tome, but so good - it's broken to decades and each decade is drawn in the style that is right for it - taking from music, art, magazines, history in general.
For those who like this series or want to start it, the Kopp Sister's novels are all based on real American history. The latest one out is Kopp Sisters on the March.The first one is not the best one but if you want to know about one of the US's first female constable--one who carried a gun and apprehended criminals--it's better to start at the very beginning with Girl Waits with Gun
MargieD2017 wrote: "I am going to give this book a try: 'Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II' It is in the fashion of Hidden Figures I understand and I thorough..."Me, too, but I hope it's written better than Hidden Figures--I gave the latter book up and waited to watch the movie which, for me, was far better than the book :).
This was highly recommended to me as a highly readable and uplifting book about a native american tribe.The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer
Book Concierge wrote: "I could have sworn that I posted something yesterday, but now I don't see it...I loved Prayers for Sale by Dallas! It was my first so that might be a deciding factor. It got me hooked on her books
Downloaded Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI and Alex and Eliza! Fingers crossed I can make it to at least one of these this month.
Michael wrote: "I want to read Ellis' His Excellency: George Washington.A great list to choose from, which I have, thank you!
I am going to try to read Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War. I recommend any of the following:
The Wright Brothers
The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War
Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam: The Battle that Changed the Course of the Civil War
What It Takes: The Way to the White House
More ideas - The Crucible - the play about the Salem witch trials.
I just read if for the October Flurries. Yikes.
Robert Evans' death reminded me of The Kid Stays in the Picture - few decades of Hollywood. A constant TBR member on my dusty shelves.
I was the least enthused about this tag, but I am delighted to discover that one of the upcoming reads my book club has recently chosen is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks so I'll be reading that for the tag. It looks like an amazing story.Recommendations:
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
My Ántonia
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Detroit: An American Autopsy
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse: The Story of Leonard Peltier and the FBI's War on the American Indian Movement (which would also fit for November PBT Horizons Challenge)
Thanks, Anita, for telling us about The Only Plane in the Sky! I'm super excited to read it too. I've even already tagged it as "want to own", because I know I'll want a copy to keep in my permanent home library. That's something I rarely do anymore, as I ran out of space for all my books long ago!
And for those who liked The Only Plane in the Sky or are interested in reading it, I recommend Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11. With the caveat that some of the stories are extremely difficult to read, one from an EMS triage worker in particular. And you will never be able to unread it.
Ghost of a Rose wrote: "And for those who liked The Only Plane in the Sky or are interested in reading it, I recommend Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11. With the caveat that some of the stories are ex..."Ghost of a Rose-I can recommend to you and anyone else Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11 -it was the best book I have read on the subject-I need a break from it (the subject), as September was a heavy month for me on it-but I do plan to read the 2 you and Anita mention.
Ghost of a Rose wrote: "And for those who liked The Only Plane in the Sky or are interested in reading it, I recommend Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11. With the caveat that some of the stories are ex..."Thank you for the heads up. I'm going to try The Only Plane in the Sky, but will make a note of this one as well as Joanne's recommendation.
Amy ... these are for YOUBoth by Karen Hesse
Witness - 1924 Vermont - Ku Klux Klan tries to establish in town.
My Review HERE
Out of the Dust - Dust Bowl / Depression
My review HERE
Both of these are novels told in verse. You can read them in a couple of hours ... MAX.
BC - Are you teasing me? You know I can’t stand verse! What I wanna know with all of these books suggestions running around, how come absolutely no one is reading the American princess with me? I would’ve thought as a new title that one would have grabbed some company as a shared read...
Book Concierge wrote: "Amy ... these are for YOUBoth by Karen Hesse
Witness - 1924 Vermont - Ku Klux Klan tries to establish in town.
My Review HERE
Out of the Dust - Dust Bowl / Depression..."
I just put a hold on The Witness. I remember reading Out of the Dust years ago and enjoying it.
Amy wrote: "BC - Are you teasing me? You know I can’t stand verse! What I wanna know with all of these books suggestions running around, how come absolutely no one is reading the American princess with me? I w..."There are so many to consider!
Amy wrote: "BC - Are you teasing me? You know I can’t stand verse! What I wanna know with all of these books suggestions running around, how come absolutely no one is reading the American princess with me? I w..."I am determined to get you to try at least ONE book written in verse that you will like. I am seriously giving you recommendations that I think will move you, inspire you, inform you and that you will enjoy!
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
First Founding Father: Richard Henry Lee and the Call to Independence (other topics)First Founding Father: Richard Henry Lee and the Call to Independence (other topics)
First Founding Father: Richard Henry Lee and the Call to Independence (other topics)
First Founding Father: Richard Henry Lee and the Call to Independence (other topics)
The Chili Queen (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Sandra Dallas (other topics)Melanie Benjamin (other topics)
Ernest Hemingway (other topics)
Ta-Nehisi Coates (other topics)
David Grann (other topics)
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And others that were 4 or 5 stars for me:
Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier
The Killer Angels
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
and for fiction:
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Women of the Copper Country
The Last Days of Night
Lonesome Dove
Andersonville
Cold Mountain