A Book a Week

 Finished 11/29/22

 Date finished 11/22/22 The events of this novel take place in the near future, when the socialist Left takes control of the American Southwest, using race politics to implement the "Reconquista."

 Finished October 29, 2022 The subtitle of this book is, "The Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II" and the book does not disappoint.  Painstakingly recreated by author Adam Makos, this story is lovingly told, introducing new generations to the miraculous story of an American pilot and his German savior.  A Higher Call   tells the story about  Franz Stigler , a German  fighter ace  of the  Luftwaffe  who flew a  Messerschmitt Bf 109 , and  Charlie Brown , a 21-year-old American pilot of a  Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress  named 'Ye Old Pub'.  Five days before Christmas in 1943, the Ye Old Pub was involve in a bombing mission over Germany. It was a mission that experienced severe casualties, and the Ye Old Pub took on extensive damage. One engine was out. The tail was missing parts which made navigation very difficult. The nose cone was obliterated, which brought the frigid win...

 Finished November 22, 2022 The subtitle of this book is, "Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World" and it's a great idea for a book. It's basically a pub-crawl through socialist countries and their capitalist counterparts, showing the difference between free-market economies and planned economies.  This is the missing part of the whole discussion of socialism by people who live comfortably in a capitalist culture. What does life look like once the government makes all the decisions about the economy? The answer? Miserable. The day-to-day living in a socialist country gets mighty impoverished mighty fast.  Yet there's an interesting trend that emerges, as well, and that is that capitalism cannot ever be completely eradicated. There's always a black market. When hyperinflation takes away the value of money, people begin to trade again. People find ways to sneak across borders, re-sell goods they get as a result of being part of the privileged ru...

Finished November 19, 2022 This classic tale is often used to point out how hypocritical society is, and how societal standards for conduct and acceptance are outdated. I found it to be so much more. I loved the heroine's stubborn dignity amid a humiliating situation. She submitted to the law of the town, but she wan't broken. She had to stitch a letter "A" to wear every day, so she stitched a magnificent piece of embroidery. She raised her daughter, who at times was portrayed as willful at best, spoiled at worst. She found a way to coexist with the townspeople all those years, rather than leave the town. The preacher, Dimmsdale, was a tortured soul precisely because he was genuine and authentic. He believed what he preached, which is why he was so wracked with guilt that he flogged himself and eventually wasted away and died,  I loved the twist thrown in the Hester's husband from Europe, presumed to be dead, reappeared and figured out who the father of Hester...