My submission for Chris's crowdsourced nonfiction history reading list, part 2. These are the more recent history (back half of 20^th century) and one general world history book.

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders (Vietnam Era)

The original account of Charles Manson and the Manson Family, written by the attorney who prosecuted the cases. I’m uncertain if this should be considered “true crime” rather than “historical crime”, as this book was written only a few years after the trials, rather than from a historian’s perspective.

Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson (Vietnam Era)

A more historical account of Manson and Family, very detailed and graphic, with some perspective on the sociopolitical climate of the time. The audio format works well here.

The Man With The Candy: The Story of The Houston Mass Murders (Vietnam Era)

It’s pretty amazing that 28 teenagers could disappear within a few square miles with zero interest from local law enforcement, or even the general public. Similar to Helter Skelter, this was written very shortly after the actual events, so it may be a better fit under “true crime” than “historical crime”. I’d like to read a well-researched account from a more historical perspective.

The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple (Vietnam Era)

A thorough examination of the evolution of The Peoples Temple from its socialist ideals and Christian roots to a cult willing and able to commit the 1978 atrocity of mass suicide and murder of over 900 men, women, and children. My review here.

Harry Potter: A History of Magic (General World History)

This is the companion book to the British Library exhibition of the same name, examining historical artefacts with a connection to magic, using the Potter books for context. Truly a lot of fun.

Date Published: April 11, 2017

Format: Audiobook

Source: RB Digital (Library e-subscription service)

Date Read: March 6-10, 2019

Review:

I have started a habit of listening to audiobooks while doing chores or playing my video games to relieve myself of the guilt of doing those things rather than reading. So far, so good in my choices, and this audiobook (narrated by George Newbern, who should have gotten all the audiobook awards).

I knew of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple from various documentaries, but due to time length, those documentaries often started the story in California and ended in Guyana. This book goes back much further, to Jones' family before he came into this world. This provides so much context for what follows and you can see from the get-go that Jones was going to be trouble. By the end of the book, the author goes into some "what if" tangents, but those are rooted in the knowledge found in the book (so no conspiracy theories). This is for fans of religious cults and charismatic charlatans getting their butts kicked by karma.

I though Newbern did an outstanding job of narrating this book and would recommend this particular audiobook over others.

Got through all but one of my library borrows. Also got through another too busy month. Really hoping April is more relaxed schedule wise. A big thank you to OB and MR for Snakes and Ladders, which has motivated me to read (or listen to an audiobook) so I can move up the board.

Read:

1. How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana and Abigail Pesta  5 stars

2. Hunger Makes Me a  Modern Girl: A Memoir by Carrie Brownstein 4 stars

3. Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture edited by Roxane Gay 3.5 stars

4. The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn/narrated by George Newbern 5 stars

5. Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts 4 stars

6. Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir by Padma Lakshmi 4 stars

7. Playing With Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics by Lawrence O'Donnell 5 stars

8. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay 2.5 stars

DNF:

1. Connections in Death (In Death #48) by JD Robb

1st Quarter Stats (Jan-Mar):

Total Books Read: 30 (12 fiction, 18 non-fiction)

Total Books DNF: 5 (not included in the percentages below)

Total Pages Read: 6,353

Avg Monthly Pages Read: 2,118

Diverse Authors: 8 Authors of Color (26.67%), 3 LGBT+ (10%)

Female Authors: 22 (73%)

Male Authors: 8 (27%)

Volunteered 10 hours in January, 8.25 hours in February, and 13.5 hours in March in my base's library

BL/GR Reading Goal: 31/75 (40% completed)

2018 was a wild decade, am I right?....oh wait, it was only a year. Damn. I feel like I aged 20 years. 

Anyway, here's my list of top reads in 2018. 

Rabid

Children of Blood and Bone

The Book of Essie

The Astonishing Color of After 

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock

Meg

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

The Road to Jonestown

Power of the Dark Crystal v3

I didn't read as much as I would have liked this past year because of being so sick, but I am hoping to do better this go around. I have lots of ideas for monthly themes and I got the popsugar challenge.

Possible themes:

Star Trek September 

Ebook Beginning (to start off the year)

Memoirs May

Dinosaur December

I have so many books I can't even decide where to start. I will knock out my Dark Crystal book and then read Circe since it was voted the Book of the Year. Then who knows. It's all wide open.

Happy New Year from chubbygirl and co.

This was a well researched, well written book that really had me from page one. It was packed with details I didn't know already.

The story of the Peoples Temple is one of utter tragedy because I honestly believe most of those people really did just want a better world. But I will never truly know how to feel about Jones. Was he always evil? Or did he just turn into a wicked man through corruption? None of us will ever know because he was a man of contradictions. In the end, he was a murderer and that is what we all remember him for.