The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum

Completely forgetting why my friend thought of this book during a conversation, and then remembering we talked about it because we were talking about distilling alcohol and how you can't drink the first or last bits because methanol and then no breathing

.
Aaaaaand we're talking about the Spanish flu and wearing masks...Whelp it has been 100 years.

336 Pages

Jazz by Gary Giddins and Scott DeVeaux

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Traces and talks about the evolution of jazz. Parishes of New Orleans sparked the fermenting of jazz, later Chicago became a magnet when southerners moved north. Kansas City was hot in the 30’s and LA was in the 50’s, but New York became the focus where jazz matured.

Audio:  29 hrs. 45 min.

Print:  619 pages

"Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa" by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

What a cool and beautiful book!  Ella's story is told by Scat Cat Monroe in rhymes and rhythms, from her childhood dream of being a dancer to her work with Dizzy Gillespie at Carnegie Hall in 1947.  The illustrations are flowing and colorful, with Ella and her various collaborators and bands flying high and dancing with energy.  Scat Cat is in almost every scene, explaining the magic of the music and Ella's contribution to jazz.  Highly recommended.  32 pages.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jay Gatsby was a mysterious man who built an ostentatious mansion on West Egg, Long Island in the 1920’s. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story, rented a small, modest house next door when he moved east to work on Wall Street. Gatsby’s place was seemingly the place to be in the speakeasy era.  He threw extravagant parties where everyone who was anyone showed up sooner or later. There was much speculation about who he was, where he came from, and where/how he got his money.

Carraway was invited to one of the parties, where he met Gatsby, who asked him to arrange a meeting with Daisy Buchanan, Carraway’s cousin. Daisy lived across the sound in East Egg, where old money mansions were in abundance.  As it turns out, Gatsby and Daisy had fallen in love when Gatsby was and army officer. He was sent overseas to fight in World War I, and after the war a mix-up delayed his return to the states. Daisy got tired of waiting, and married Tom Buchanan. Gatsby had held onto the dream of someday finding her again. His fortune had been built with her in mind.

As the summer progresses, the relationship is renewed, but slowly builds up to a tragedy.

I wanted to re- read this book, because the movie was coming out, and I wanted to see it. I didn’t remember much about it from my high school days, so wanted to refresh my memory. I liked it better this time around, although I don’t believe I am ever going to be a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald. His writing is much too sloppy for me. But I do like the story.

192 pages