Review: The Spirit of '76: From Politics to Technology, the Year America Went Rock & Roll

The Spirit of '76: From Politics to Technology, the Year America Went Rock & Roll by David Browne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very short look at the year 1976. It was the year of Rocky Balboa, the election of Jimmy Carter, the beginning of Apple Computer, and the year that Saturday Night Live went from a late-night lampoon show to an award-winning icon of late-night television. The author finely weaves all of these iconic moments in history into a nice overview of the mid-70s.

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Review: Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920s

Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920s by Daphne Duval Harrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Black Pearls cover the blues scene of the 1920s and specifically follows the careers of notables Sippie Wallace, Victoria Spivey, Edith Wilson, and Alberta Hunter. Each woman had her own style from the strong seductive voice of Sippie Wallace who was known as the "Texas Nightingale" to the high pitched moans and groans of Victoria "Vickie" Spivey. The author does a fine job of analyzing these careers and each woman's specific songs and style. An interesting read for the music lover of blues.

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Review: The Pirate

The Pirate by Harold Schechter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a short story about the true-crime of Albert Hicks, a man who boarded a sloop in 1860 off the coast of New York and killed the captain and two mates before robbing them and sneaking via a lifeboat in the early morning. The story follows the gruesome discovery of the ship, the capturing and trial of Hicks and the outcome of his sentencing. Schechter is well known for his true crime stories.

This is a quick read and is great to read as a "Kindle in Motion" that should be read via the Kindle app on an iPad or Kindle Fire to check out the fun moving graphics.

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