WALKER: Books read 2015 - setting the stage

This is not my 2015 Books Report. That will probably come the first Sunday in 2016. This is my attempt to sorta set the stage for that report.

So far in 2015, I have read 32 books — every word of every one of these 32. Yes, I have started others, and for lack of interest, I did not finish them. (I think all readers do this). Of course, I don't count any I didn't complete.

I give every book read a grade, with 10 being the highest. No book got a 10 although the average was 8.97, and the highest rated books were 9.75s. There were three books that I rated 9.75, and two that didn't make 8 — a 7.0 and a 7.5.

Some may say that I rate my books too highly. It's probably true, because if I don't like a book, I seldom take the time to finish it. There are two exceptions here because I got into these two and wanted to see how they would end. I'll just say "for academic reasons." Let me elaborate.

I finished "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins on March 2, 2015. This was actually Janice's book, which she did not read. But she let me read it. Frankly, I thought it was somewhat interesting, rather clever, but "trashy." I don't believe this book will be long remembered.

The rating of this next book, the one I rated the lowest, will be controversial with some of the readers of this column and some of the readers of the book. It was "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee. First, it's hard for me to believe Harper Lee wrote this book, and if she did, it's harder for me to believe that she knowingly allowed it to be published and released. I think this book did considerable damage to Atticus Finch and Scout. I gave it a 7.0. That was barely a C when I was in school.

Let me shift gears. It's the summer of 1963. June and Bobby Jones, Jerry Wilson, Jerry ("Do-Tricks") Horton and I, on the 11th, are on our way to Fort Worth, Texas, to work at the Texas Steel Co. We eat lunch at a drug store in Selma, Alabama. That day, Gov. George Wallace "stands in the school house door" in Tuscaloosa, and that night, while we stay in Meridian, Mississippi, Medgar Evers is killed in Jackson. You say, "what does that have to do with this article about books?" Let me tell you. There are three books that I have recently read that I call "my surprise books of 2015." All three are excellent. They all have to do with the same periods of time and conditions as they were when we worked in Texas. I want to briefly tell you about them today.

First, there's "The Class of '65" by Jim Auchmutey which was rated 9.25 and finished Aug. 23. This is an amazing and well-written account of the integration of Americus High School, Koinonia Christian family commune in Sumter County and redemption over long decades.

Next, "A Boy from Georgia" by my friend, now deceased, Hamilton Jordan. I finished Hamilton's book, given to me by my friend, Dink NeSmith, on Nov. 2. I gave it a 9.25. This is what Dink wrote in the front of my book: "Larry, we lived through these times, too. Hamilton's reflections helped me to review my own take on these times."

Lastly, and perhaps the biggest book surprise of this year was "The Malibu's — The Story of a Teenage Garage Band 1964-1968" by David M. Luckie. Wes Wheeler gave me this book when Wes, Duke Lane Jr. and I had lunch at Houston Lake Country Club on Dec. 1. This is part of what I wrote in the front of the book: "... I started reading this book on Dec. 3 and finished it on Dec. 5. This is indicative of how much I enjoyed it. The Malibu's are having a reunion at the AgCenter in Perry on Feb. 27, 2016, and if all goes well, Janice and I will be there."

Well, this is my preliminary books report. As a result of it, I have tentatively adopted a new column schedule: Dec. 27 — "Remembering the summer of '63" (something I wrote on Sept. 18, 2006); Jan. 3 — "2015 Books Report"; and Jan. 10 "Looking for Atticus Finch" (something I wrote on Feb. 7, 2003).

I don't promise to keep the above schedule. But I do promise to get my Malibu's reunion tickets early, because if I don't, I won't be able to enjoy the fun Feb. 27.

Larry Walker is a practicing attorney in Perry. He served 32 years in the Georgia General Assembly and presently serves on the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. Email: lwalker@whgmlaw.com.

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 8:16 PM with the headline "WALKER: Books read 2015 - setting the stage ."