WALKER: 2015 Book Report
Part 4 of my book, "Life on the Gnat Line," which was published in 2010, was on books and is titled "Books." The introduction reads in part: "Mama says the first word I ever uttered was "read." I love to read, and I love books. And, I've found out something: There are lots of other folks who like books and reading . . . Every time I write a column recommending a book or list some of my favorite books, I get lots of responses. It tickles me."
Unlike in the past, this year I'm not going to rank the 10 I pick out of the 33 read. I'm just going to tell you that all 10 were excellent, and I commend all 10 to you. I give them to you in order read.
1. "Hank Hung the Moon and Warmed Our Cold, Cold Hearts" by Rheta Grimsley Johnson. I bought this book at Square Books, Oxford, Mississippi, on Jan. 30 and finished it in Perry on Feb. 8. I gave it 9.5 on a 10 scale. Rick Bragg says this on the cover of the book: "Rheta Grimsley Johnson writes with nothing short of beauty about childhood, lost loves, sad dogs, and everything else worth knowing about."
2. "The Last of the Southern Girls" by Willie Morris. This book, published in 1973, is about a Southern woman, politics in Washington, D.C., and how things worked on Capitol Hill. Carol Hollywell is described by Morris this way: ". . . being a southern girl, Carol was American to the blood, and hence both an irredeemable romantic and a fitful pragmatist."
3. "Scoop, the Evolution of a Southern Reporter." This is what I wrote on the front of the book when I finished it. "This is a very good book if investigative reporting (and especially when the subjects are government failures, public official corruption, prostitution and the civil rights struggles) interests you.
4. "Consequential Damages" by Joseph Hayes. Bruce Goddard, an outstanding author and excellent after-dinner speaker, gave me this book. Hayes is a very good writer who knows much about the law, court trials and how to tell a good story in an interesting way. Read this. You'll be glad you did.
5. "The Wright Brothers" by David McCullough. You think you know the story? Well, you probably don't unless you've read McCullough's book. It's very inspirational, and you learn about two outstanding men of great intelligence and integrity from a fine family.
6. "James Madison" by Lynne Cheney. Who wants to read a book about a mediocre president written by a politician's wife? I waited eight or nine months after I got the book before I started it and then could hardly put it down. It's excellent-- all 465 pages of it. Part of the last sentence in the book: ". . . what a master of the political arts James Madison was."
7. "The Three Governors Controversy" by Charles G. Bullock III, Scott E. Buchanan and Ronald Keith Gaddie. This is a very good read if you are interested in the history of Georgia politics. A 9 on my 10 scale.
8. "Dead Wake, the Last Crossing of the Lusitania" by Erik Larson. Christopher Blake, president of Middle Georgia State University, loaned me this book, and I had to have one of my own. I wrote this in the front of my book: "It is excellent -- I read it (353 pages) in just a few days. I learned much more about WWI than I had ever known before."
9. "The Speechwriter" by Barton Swain. This is a wild-card, but I gave it a 9.5 and wrote this in the front cover: "I thought it particularly interesting what Swain had to say about politicians and their craving attention and approval -- if you like politics, read this one."
10. "Rogue Lawyer" by John Grisham. I read three No. 1 best-sellers in 2015, but this is the only one that made my top 10 list. I got this book as a Christmas present from Janice on Dec. 23 and finished it four days later. I've read over 25 of Grisham's books, and this one has more of an edge than any of the others. Why Grisham feels he has to do this, I can't imagine. Still, it's good. A 9.5.
Email Perry attorney Larry Walker at lwalker@whgmlaw.com
This story was originally published January 2, 2016 at 7:39 PM with the headline "WALKER: 2015 Book Report ."