So far, I have read two books off the list: Last of the President's Men by Bob Woodward and Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics by Lawrence O'Donnell. I got lucky and found in really good condition a copy of All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward in the free book swap area of my library. 

Next up is getting to 1968 by Mark Kurlansky and The Making of a President 1972 by Theodore White. This will set me up to reading about Watergate during the summer and giving me time to tackle Shadow from September to December.

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Inspired by the podcasts Slow Burn (season one) from Slate and Bagman by Rachel Maddow, I decided to do a deep dive into the Nixon administration, specifically Watergate.  I already read the Nixon/Ford section of Clint Hill's Five Presidents just to get my feet wet. I may not get to all of these, but I hope to read enough to have a good grasp on what happened.

My Nixon Reading List:

1. 1968: The Year that Rocked the World by Mark Kurlansky

2. Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics by Lawrence O'Donnell (Read March 2019)

3. The Making of a President 1972 by Theodore White

4. Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America by Rick Perlstein

5. All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward

6. Last of the President's Men by Bob Woodward (Read January 2019)

7. The Nixon Defense: What He Knew and When He Knew It by John Dean

8. Breach of Faith: The Fall of Nixon by Theodore White

9. Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate  by Bob Woodward

10. The Nixon Tapes 1971-1972 by Douglas Brinkley and Luke Nichter 

This is the second book in this series that I began while doing Project Frankenstein. One of the quibbles that I complained about while I read the first one remains an issue in this one: Victor is everything bad. He was pals with Hitler and Stalin and such. But what exactly made him this way? It is hinted that when his first creation killed Victor’s wife, things started snowballing. But this deeply rooted hate of all things human couldn’t have sprung from that source. So far, the reason for Victor’s evil nature remains a mystery to me.

Maddison and Conor the two cops that we met in this last book are back in this one. They are funny and are slowly being fleshed out, so they look more human. 

Some quotes that I marked while reading:
Like all utopians, he (Victor Frankenstein) preferred obedience to independent thought.
I mean wow, sum up all the dystopian novels in one sentence, why don’t ya!

And I learned a few new words:

A very enjoyable murder mystery, a police procedural with a credible no-nonsense detective. If you enjoy whodunnits, you'll love trying to work out the perpetrator in this latest book by John Dean.

Despite touching on quite a grim topic, this is a well-paced and enjoyable read. Blizzard is the kind of detective I like: he has a heart but keeps it close to his chest (ahem). He sees an opportunity to solve a crime that has troubled him for years, but that takes him into dangerous waters. The victims are mostly dead and buried, but the perpetrators are going to feel the long arm of the law.

A captivating murder mystery by novelist, John Dean

A number of bodies are dug out of an unmarked WWII grave. It should be an open and shut case until forensics reveal that one of the bodies suffered a far more recent death.

DCI John Blizzard investigates and begins to uncover a crime that goes back generations and a desire for revenge that has not waned with time.

Thrilling and evocative, this book melds past and present in a tale of deceit that cuts into the heart of the criminal underworld.