Lol, my "non-fiction true crime list of books I want to read" just went through the roof. These sound all amazing.

I haven´t read any of these books, but again: I want to read them all. And I definitely have to shoehorn another non-fiction book or two into my bingo reading. 

Gary Krist examines Progressive era (1890-1930) New Orleans through the eyes of the underworld in this extensively researched book (more than 30 pages of bibliography and footnotes).

Krist looks at politics, the Mafia, prostitution, and even the rise of jazz music through the particulars of two crimes (a kidnapping and a series of murders) that take place around so-called Storyville, the officially sanctioned red light district just outside the French Quarter.

In the text, we learn about some pretty colorful folks, like Tom Anderson (a state senator who had his finger in a great many shady businesses as well as some legitimate ones), Josie Arlington (a rather famous madam), and others.

The challenge with this text is that it can sometimes be a bit of a slog to get through. I could only read a few pages at a go, regardless of how colorful the real-life characters were. Krist is a little dry in his presentation ... not quite pedantic, but approaching it.

The history is interesting, and the book is worth reading if you're interested in this period in general and New Orleans history in particular. It's just not a page-turner.

So this is what good non-fiction should be. A gripping story told with vim and vigor. Krist keeps the editorializing til the end and simply presents the story of two trains caught in a snow storm in the Cascade mountains. Really good book about a forgotten event

1) City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

2) Mythology by Edith Hamilton

3) Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

4) Whistle Stop by Philip White

5) Harry Potter and the Prison of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (re-read)

6) William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher

7) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 

8) Eric by Terry Pratchett

9) The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (re-read)

10) William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back by Ian Doescher

11) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

12) Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett

13) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (re-read) 

14) William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return by Ian Doescher

15) The Outstretched Shadow by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory

16) Imager by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

17) The Once and Future King by T.H. White

18) Outlaws of the Atlantic by Marcus Rediker

19) Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett

20) Witches Aboard by Terry Pratchett

21) A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (re-read) 

22) Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

23) We Don't Need Roads by Caseen Gaines

24) Empire of Sin by Gary Krist

25) Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

26) Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

27) Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett *started*

28) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (re-read)

29) Facing Justice by Diane & David Munson

30) The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

31) Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett

32) Legends edited by Robert Silverberg (includes re-read of The Hedge Knight by George R.R. Martin

33) Confirming Justice by Diane & David Munson

34) The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

35) Soul Music by Terry Pratchett

36) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (re-read)

37) The Rise of the Great Powers, 1648-1815 by Derek McKay

38) The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

39) Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett

40) A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (re-read)

41) The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume One by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

42) The Art of War/The Prince/Instructions to His Generals by Sun Tzu/Niccolò Machiavelli/Frederick the Great (three-in-one book)

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43) Maskerade by Terry Pratchett

44) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (re-read)

45) The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume Two by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

46) A Short History of Byzantium by John Julius Norwich

47) Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett

48) A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (re-read)

Bonus- The Poetry of Robert Frost (reading a few pages every few weeks)

H.L. Mencken once said, "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."  However, I think Mr. Krist took that a bit too much as gospel, because throughout the book, he added editorial interjections to quotes that were perfectly understandable in their contemporary language.  Give your reader a bit of credit, Mr. Krist, please.  

In addition, the words "Sicilian" and "Italian" are not interchangeable.  All Sicilians are Italian, but not all Italians are Sicilian.

I also wish the back cover copy didn't refer to "dissolute jazzmen" because one of the points of the content was that the jazzmen were not particulary dissolute.

Stylistic quibbles aside, the book does a good job of introducing a large group of memorable characters and telling a great story about Storyville.  I learned a number of things I didn't know, including the fact that the reinvention of New Orleans' 'lurid past' as a tourist draw started in the 1920s.

Overall, a thorough and engaging look at a subject almost entirely new to me.

Disclaimer: free copy provided for review