Red Mutiny - Neal Bascomb

A great non-fiction book that reads at the pace of a thriller.  Recounting the eleven days of the 1905 mutiny aboard the Battleship Potemkin.  The author did extensive research to take the reader back aboard the ship, from the unrest brewing among the crew to the maggot-filled meat that was the breaking point, to the desperate attempt to survive once it became clear the rest of the fleet would not follow suit.  Not only are the scenes on deck engaging, but the historical context fleshes out the drama of the action. 

This book really made me aware of how many people were eager for revolution but had the foresight to see that the hard-line Bolsheviks were not necessarily the ideal option.  So many times it seems like history is made without a thought to long-term consequences, and it is good to know that the views and thoughts of those who were not swept up in the winning team survive.  It's especially refreshing on the days when it feels like only hard-core right and left wingers make the news or have any impact- it's good to remember that the voices of moderation and reason endure.  They may not sway the masses or hold power, but they are heard and remembered.

So Cold the River - Koryta

First off let me say this book did not need to be 500 pages long. I really enjoyed the first book I read by this author, Envy the Night. It was similar to other stories set in the north woods type of places, this time in Wisconsin. But So Cold the River took a really long time getting somewhere in Indiana. The setting was excellent, especially knowing that the towns of French Lick and West Baden do house some amazing hotels. However, I still think this story looked way better in the author's head than it does on paper.

Quick summary: failed filmmaker with psychic undertones takes on a job for a rich Chicago lady to do a film on the town her father-in-law hailed from. The town is also the site of a mineral springs. Only trouble is, once the filmmaker takes a swig of the decades-old spring water he starts seeing the past and interacting with it in an increasingly unnerving way.

The parts of this book that were enjoyable were most definitely the "flashback" scenes. I kept reading through much of the rest of the book hoping to get to another glimpse of the past. The twist wasn't necessarily hard to see coming, but it was enjoyable and lightly thrilling. Many of the characters come halfway off the page development-wise. I felt like I almost cared...but not quite. The main character is not particularly likeable but overall this was a diverting summer read. More than anything it serves as a travel brochure for the area in Indiana where it is set. At the end of the story I did not have chills anywhere but I did have the urge to google the old hotels.