Chasing the White Dog, by Max Whatman

I noticed this book when I was looking for something else, that bit of serendipity that used to occur when browsing the shelves of a good old-fashioned library like the one in Schenectady, New York, where I went as a young teenage reader.

New York Times Review

I found myself getting a little tired of the repeated descriptions of whiskey tastings, and the tiresomely colorful characters of microdistillery businessmen in Colorado and other places.

The first half or more of the book is actually about traditional moonshiners and the law-enforcement people who pursue them. This part was pretty interesting.

There's an obligatory section on NASCAR, and even a cameo appearance by Junior Johnson. At one point, Johnson takes the author to a remote location and shows him what we are to believe is an illegal still, but in light of Johnson's "Midnight Moon" product, which I think is quite on the up-and-up, and probably a source of revenue to the Feds, as well as whatever state in which it's sold, I am skeptical.

Near the end of the book is the description of the trial of Jody "Duck" and Margaret Smith, for moonshining, and for conspiracy. This is somewhat interesting, as trials provide their own drama.

Watman ends his book with what is, to me, a sensible plea to legalize home distilling of a limited amount.

Girl on a Train, by Paula Hawkins

This book contains pure evil. It's a very effective thriller, captivating, written in an innovative style that suits the subject matter very well.

Rachel is the girl on the train, a young woman who rides to London, passing the same houses every day. On the terrace of one of them, she frequently observes a young couple whose life seems idyllic. That changes.

Furthermore, we learn much more about Rachel, as well as the other principle characters in this book, and we are led expertly down the path of mystery and suspense to its amazing conclusion.

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint, by Barry Udall

Edgar Mint is a young boy living on an Indian reservation in Arizona. At the beginning of this book, his head is run over by the tire of a Postal Service Jeep. As a result, he spends quite a long time in a hospital, recovering (miraculously, it would seem) from his injuries. In the hospital, he meets some people who figure prominently in his life for many years.

This story is oddly captivating. I found the book one of those that I wished would go on when it was over. Edgar's naive view of the world, the lot of his fellow Native Americans, his disabilities, the Western characters who are both cruel and kind to him in this story, are all beautifully drawn. I cared about Edgar to the last period on the last page.

The Choirboys, by Joseph Wambaugh

This book is sort of a sick farce. It has made me laugh aloud, and I will read the whole thing (I'm not quite done as I write this), but "redeeming social value?" No. I suppose there are some cops who fit Wambaugh's description, but I doubt that there are many, and I doubt that there are any who quite fill these caricaturizations.

Of course, the book is dated. Its copyright is 1975. Sexism, racism, and homophobia (especially the first and third) were not quite as objectionable then as now (and really, racism was--if not worse or more common--somehow different back then, perhaps more in the open? One could write a book on that subject, and I'm certainly not qualified.), and what was considered to be illegal and/or antisocial was actually a little bit different.

So, having not completed the book, I'll reserve some--not much--judgement for now.

The "Choirboys" are a group of LA cops who meet after work in MacArthur Park for drinking and debauchery. This is known as "choir practice." The book is made up of stories of their various adventures on and off duty.