Reading Pile

So I finished reading Chuck Dugan is AWOL, by Eric Chase Anderson. It's a novel with maps. The maps are nice looking. I scanned some in below. The story seemed pretty thin initially, a feeling which I think was enhanced by the typeface. Once I got going with the book though, the story was pretty good train and bus reading. I don't know that this would be very interesting without the maps, but I will claim enjoyment with this book.

Here is one of many location maps:


Here is a map of the protagonist. In the story there are some neat things like disguises and butlers.


There are also some contraptions and spy kits and things. Here is one contraption:


There is even visual interest for catalogers:


Here is a brief interview with Eric Chase Anderson.

I also finished Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko. I enjoyed this kid book. The narrator, Moose, is a 12 year old boy who deals with moving to Alcatraz where his father is a prison guard, along with his autistic sister. This is historical fiction with a good post-script discussion of accuracy by the author. This story didn't have maps. If it did, that would have put it over the top.

I also finished reading Richard Condon's novel the Manchurian Candidate. I enjoyed the two movie versions (I think the 2nd is vastly more interesting for the fact that it can be compared to the first version, as opposed to if it existed on its own). I think the old movie is pretty classic. The novel has more characters and some more events than the movies. There is also some more subtext going on, although to call it subtext is perhaps wrong because a lot of Condon's writing is pretty awful. Still, this was a really quick read that added to my appreciation of the films.