A big thanks to the people who contributed to this booklist to the “Massey Book Club.” I feel like I am the member of the book club who hasn’t read any of the books but you keep me in the club because I supply the wine!!
Mark Massey, Retired Social Studies Teacher, Clinton Iowa
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
I liked Radium Girls because I could relate to a story in a small town not far away - Ottawa, IL. For decades young women in factories were exposed to the dangers of working with radium. This continued even after those dangers were realized. A sad but informative story.
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Beartown is a tremendous book, I think very relevant to coaching and teaching. It deals with the importance of junior hockey in a small town. It gets into what is important, the decisions people make and the ramifications. Tremendous book.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Lessons in Chemistry: deals with a woman scientist in the workplace in mid century USA. It illustrates the challenges she faces & her ability to meet them with humor & resolve. A great reminder that society has built in barriers for many.
Damon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Demon Copperhead: a Pulitzer Prize winner so that speaks to the quality. An emotional ride through the main character’s life. Deals with issues of poverty, shattered families, substance abuse, in Appalachia. A great read.
11/23/63 By Stephen King
11/23/63: if you’ve never read Stephen King, this would be a good one to try. Through the use of time travel (king makes it very believable) the reader is transported to the 50’s & 60’s to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. Fascinating story and reading and Stephen King almost showing off with the way he can craft and tell a story.
Book I Want To Read
All The Colors of The Dark by Chris Whitaker
I want to read All The Colors of The Dark. Again, It’s a very highly awarded book. It’s a crime mystery, but also a coming-of-age story.
Kathy Callison, Retired Librarian from GHS, Staying One Step in Front of the Law in Arizona and Colorado
The Oligarch’s Daughter by Joseph Finder
David Baldacci - Strangers In Time (stand alone book)
The person who recommended it said think Oliver Twist in World of War II.
Great story about unusual friendships..
Fredrik Backman - My Friends
Story of friendships and a painting-
Hazelbourne ladies motorcycle and flying club by Helen Simonson.
Women - World War II - England
Clare Leslie Hall - Broken Country - love, loss and choices made
Pat Conroy's My Losing Season.
The story of Pat's senior year as point guard and captain of the Citadel Bulldogs.
Letters of Note is an interesting collection of correspondence compiled by Shaun Usher.
W.E.B Du Bois: The Fight for Equality and the American Century 1919-63. Written by Pulitzer Prize biographer David Levering Lewis.
The Right Words at the Right Time by Marlo Thomas and Friends. Inspiration and wisdom shared for all.
The Winning Ticket: Uncovering America's Biggest Lottery Scam. Written by Rob Sand and Reid Forgrave.
For those who live in the great state of Iowa, vote for Rob Sand, running for Iowa governor.
My summer reading includes James Thurber's 92 Stories and You Send Me: The Life and Times of Sam Cooke by Daniel Wolff
The Teammates by David Halberstam
Book #1 Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci. Set in 1968 a racially involved murder case has a white lawyer against an unfair system. Good suspense.
Book#2 The Sorrow Hand by Dwight Holing is Nick Drake book #1. It introduces the reader to the wild life ranger Nick Drake trying to catch Serial Killer in the desert of Oregon in 1968. Drake also deals with his past in Vietnam.
Book #3 is Nick Drake’s #2 book by Dwight Holing. The Vietnam War Continues. Drake deals with his military past as a fighter pilot mysteriously falls into land in the Oregon desert. He also must deal with a mysterious poacher. Great to follow Nick Drake as he works to solve his mysteries.
Book#4 is A Hard Ticket Home by David Housewright which is Rushmore McKenzie book #1. He is an Ex-St. Paul cop who finds himself involved in finding a young woman named Jamie the long missing daughter of his friends. This is a fast moving mystery.
Book #5 Telling Lies by L.A. Dobbs is Sam Mason book #1. Sam is police chief of a small community in New Hampshire who is called in to investigate a drowning that eventually turns into a murder investigation. There is a surprising ending and suspects telling lies.
The book I want to read this summer is The Women by Kristin Hannah. Recommended by Libby and Joyce. It is a novel about military nurses in the Vietnam War.
Jay Barshinger, Retired P.E. Teacher/Coach at GHS (He hasn’t been able to read much lately because he is too busy celebrating Pete Rose’s suspension being over.)
James by Percival Everett
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Huck’s friend Jim, who is an escaped slave.
Truman by David McCullough
Biogrophy of Harry Truman
The Woods by Harlan Coben
A young girl disappeared in the woods and many years later her brother finds information that is linked to her case.
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
The movies are great; the book is better.
Why the Best are the Best by Kevan Eastman
Positive habits and strategies that have been compiled from several championship coaches. Great life lessons, not just for athletics.
My next read:
Open Fire by Chrissy Curry
Written by a Galesburg native
Don’t tell him but I bought him- Sherm Lollar: Greatest Catcher in MLB History.
Jay Hatch, Social Studies Teacher/ Coach at Riverdale
1. Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins
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