Sinkable

Sinkable: Obsession, the Deep Sea, and the Shipwreck of the Titanic by Daniel Stone

The story of the Titanic, but not really the last voyage and who survived and who did not. But the story of the Titanic became the legend, metaphore and symbal it later became. The autor points out that there have been thousands of ship wrecks over the centuries, but Titanic's story continues to evolve and remain relevant.

Ends of the Earth

Ends of the Earth: Journeys to the Polar Regions in Search of Life, the Cosmos, and Our Future by Neil Shubin

This is a memoir and history, the author is a arctic and antarctic researcher, lots of history and science and speculation about the future of the poles and the planet.

All the Beauty in the World

All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley

Interesting ture story of Patrick, he was working at the New Yorker when his brother passed away after a prolonged illness. Wanting a job that was completely different from his previous experience, he took a job working as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He stayed at this job for ten years, and this is the story of what that experience was like to go to work everyday and to be surrounded with the best art and artifacts in the world. During the ten years his life went through many changes, and there are many stories of his fellow employees and the museum patrons. Original to say the least.

Be Ready When the Luck Happens

Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten

This memoir by Ina is more interesting than I had expected. The titles reflects her life in food perfectly. She never went to cooking school or worked as a commvercial chef. She followed her instincts and went from specialty food shop owner to caterer to cook book writer to television chef.

Paris Undercover

Paris Undercover: A Wartime Story of Courage, Friendship, and Betrayal by Matthew Goodman

The story of two women, an American and a Parisian, who were living in Paris when WW2 broke out and of course the Nazis occupied the city. The got involved in helping Allied troops trapped in France try to escape, and this went very wrong at one point. A unique true story of the war, which has so many stories that tend to be the same rote tales.

The Plot: A Novel and The Sequel

The Plot: A Novel and The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz

These two novels are a real departure from what I usually read. The are classified as thrillers, so not really mysteries, though there are murders involved. I found them very engaging and enjoyable and they really held my attention. The Sequel is the second part of the novel The Plot. The characters are developed nicely and a big part of both of these is looking at authors and the publishing industry, so a bit of an insider vibe to these, but accessible to anyone who is an avid reader.

American Oasis

American Oasis: Finding the Future in the Cities of the Southwest by Kyle Paoletta

This is an extensive history of the populating of the SW US. Going back to Coronodo and Spain and Mexico trying to administer the region, up through the US taking over the region and the founding the major cities; Albaquerque, Tucson, Las Vegas and so on. A great description of the creation of the Colorado Compact that divided up the Colorado river among the states. Many of the things we live with today and their origins.