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Late Summer Reads Recapping My August Reading Challenge Books

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proposed LAte Summer Reads

At the started of August I created the following table. It is the list of my proposed late summer reads. As you can see, I have finished reading three of the proposed book. I addition, I started the other two books on the list and I’m more than half way through both of those. Yeah Me!

Proposed Late Summer Reads


Status		TitleAuthorChallengeCategory% Read
FinishedGoing Rogue -Rise and Shine Twenty-NineJanet EvanovichTBR ChallengeFavorite Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		100%
FinishedThe Fourth Deadly SinLawrence SandersTBR ChallengeMystery Series/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		100%
Finished Winter HouseCarol O’ConnellTBR ChallengeMystery Series/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		100%
SartedThe Power of BeliefsShawn AchorLibrary ChallengeNon-Fiction65%
StartedThe Summer of 1876Chris WimmerLibrary Cha;engeNon-Fiction69%

However the best part is I have also read two other books. The first was an E-Book from Mary Stone Killer Smile and the second was the fourth book was Storm Warning by James Byrne. It’s the fourth book in the Dez Limerick series from Byrne.

Now, before I get too carried away congratulating myself for reading five books in August, I should probably confess that I didn’t actually start all five of them in August. Far from it!

It took me an impressive 262 days to finish Going Rogue, and Winter House had also been hanging around for quite a while. So maybe August wasn’t simply a great reading month. Maybe it was the month when I finally finished some of the books I’d been dragging along with me!

Whatever the explanation, I’ll take five finished books—and twelve for the year!

Now the question is how would I rank the books

Late Summer Reads

RankTitleAuthorRead/Books in Series
1Storm Warning
Dez limerick #4		James Byrne4 of 4
2The Fourth Deadly Sin
Deadly Sins #5 		Lawrence Sanders1 of 5
3Winter House
Kathleen Mallory #		Carol O’Connell10 of 11
4 Going Rogue
Stephanie Plum # 29		Janet Evanovich15-32
5Killer Smile
Stella Knox #1		Mary Stone1 of –

Thoughts About My Late Summer Reads

5. Killer Smile

This was my first adventure with Stella Knox. This is Stella’s first murder investigation as an FBI special agent. The team is tracking a serial killer or killers who are res[onsible for the grizzly murders of young men in the quiet town of Cherry Farms.

What makes the investigation even more difficult is that there are no fingerprints or DNA evidence to link the murders. In fact the murder weapons are different for each murder, too.

The book was a quick easy read. I liked the lead charachter Stella and rhe minor characters too. I thought the pscychological ending of the book was very strong and actually makes me want to red book 2 in the series.

Read More Killer Smile on Goodreads

4. Going Rogue – Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine

I read my first Stephanie Plum novel in 1999 and I followed the adventures of Stephanie, Lula, Ranger, Joe Morelli and Grnadma Mazur through most of the first sixteen books in this series.

Living just south of Trenton the setting of this series was always special to me. I’ve even driven over many 0f the same roads as Stephanie when i worked for K&E and at times making delveries throughout the city.

After those first 16 books I drifted away from the series However, I have collected many of the books that I haven’t read. Going Rogue was one of those books, I never thought that the Stephanie Plum novels were great literature. They are meant to be fun and at times suspenseful. Going Rogue certainly fits the bill.

Read More: Going Rogue on Goodreads

The storyline was pretty simple. The Plum agencies secretary Connie is kidnapped. The ransom demand is a rare coin.

. And the whole crew Lula, Ranger, Morelli and Grandma Mazur provide assistance and the laughs along the way. While I may never read all od the Stephanie Plum novels I have on my shelves I know I’ll read more of the Plum Agencies adventures!

3. Winter House

On December 30th of 2004 i read Judas Child by Carol O’Connell. I loved the book and quickly soight out her other books. By the end of January of 2005 I had read ny first novel featuring Kathleen Mallory Mallorey’s Oracle. Aftr=er finishing Winter House I have read all but two of the 13 Mallory novels.Of the remaining two books Shell Game and Find Me, the later is on my TBR shelves. This may be the year I finish reading this series. (Damn I wish she hadn;t stopped)

Kathleen Mallory just may be my favorite female detective! Mallory grew up on the streets of New York City, adopted by a police inspector and became a sargeant in the Special Crimes Section. And she’s never become totally civilized, leaving many a crimina and co-worker scared of her!

In Winter House Mallory her partner Charles Butler along her police associates are investigating a killing in the Winter House. The Winter House was the site of a masacre of many members of the Winter family dead. It was a great story anchored by a teriific female protagonist.

Read More : Winter House on Goodreads

2. The Fourth Deadly Sin

My records show that I only read The First Deadly Sin (The Deadly Sins #2). I thought I read the first two books however lookking at the publishing dates The First Deadly Sin was published in 1973 (I was still in college. While the 2nd was published in 1977 (newly married – at school at UGA and the Third in 1981(a two year old and one on the way) So no – I only read The First Deadly Sin!

Now back to The Fourth Deadly Sin in this novel Delaney is retired but is asked to help invetigate the murder of a high profile Psychiatrischst Simon Ellerbe. The book is an outstanidng police procedural with good suspects and detectives but the star is Delaney. At times the book seemed too detailed but the conclusion was worth the wait and going bck and visitng a 45 year-old book is worth it!

Now it think I need to go back and read The Second Deadly Sin and Third Deadly Sins and maybe even The Anderson Tapes!

Read More : The Fourth Deadly Sin on Goodreads

1 Storm Warning – James Byrne

It took me a couple of years to find the Dez Limerick books by Jaes Byrne. The debut book The Gatekeeper was released in 2022. I read it in January of 2024 and loved it . I didn’t have to wait long to read book #2 Deadlock and subsequently books three and four Chain Recaction and Storm Warning. And I can’t wait for book #5!

The first two books were set on the West Coast. Chain Reaction’ Book #3’s setting is near the Newark International Airport which is just a two hour trip up the NJ Turnpike from me!

Storm Warning Book 4 is also set on the east coast but further north on Canada’s east coast in Newfoundland. In Storm Warning Dez Limerick is contacted by the US government to help investigate what’s going on at an underground scientific and mining facility .The grovernment has lost contact with. Dez’s skill as a “Gatekeeper” are needed. By the time the story ends Dez needs to use all his skills and the skills of another person – an assassin!

This seeies has quickly become a favorite of mine and Dez may just be my favorite action hero. Here’s what Newlson DeMille says about Dez.

“One of the most interesting, enigmatic,and coolest heroes to come across the written page”

I totaly agree check him out!

Read More:Storm Warning on Goodreads

Ok – so now it’s back to finishing those last two nofiction books!!

Reading Challenge 2026 Update and Late Summer Reading Plans

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Late Summer Reading Challengr Reads

Back in January I mapped out an ambitious reading plan for 2026. My goal was to read 66 books—36 library books and 30 from my own shelves. It looked like a great plan on paper.

Then life happened. Between launching this website, updating hundreds of older posts, family time, and everything else, my reading slowed down considerably. That’s okay. Reading has always been about enjoyment, not racing to hit a number. Now that the site is finally live, it’s time to get back to the books.

The website launch consumed far more of my free time than I expected, but it was worth it. Now I’m looking forward to balancing writing about books with actually reading them.

The 2026 Reading Challenge – Libary and TBR Shelves

As previously mentioned the 2026 Reading Challenge is divided into two ctwo challenges : The Libary Book Reading Challenge. and the TBRSheves Challenge. Here’s the Challenge Categories by type and genre. along with my progress.

2026 Library Book Reading Challenge: CategoriesProposed ReadsStatus
No. to ReadNo. Read
Favorite Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		245
New Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		61
Non-Fiction6
Total366
2026 TBR ShelvesReading Challenge: CategoriesProposed Reads
No. to ReadNo. Read
Sci Fi6
E-Books121
Non-Fiction6
Mystery Series/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		6
Total30
Target Goal667

Books Read Thru July 2026

TitleAuthorReading Challenge Catagory
Little Black DressLoren D EstlemanFavorite Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones
The White CrowMichael RobothamFavorite Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones
Departure 37Scott CarsonFavorite Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones
NenesisGregg HurwitzFavorite Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones
Inside Man John McMahonE-Book
Clsosing TimeMichael LedwidgeFavorite Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones
The Crossroads C. J. BoxFavorite Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones

With the website launch taking up much of my reading time this summer, I’m carrying a few books over into August. That’s fine—reading isn’t a race. These are the five books I hope to spend time with over the next few weeks.

Late Summer Reading Plans

StatusTitleAuthorChallengeCategory% Read
FinishedGoing Rogue -Rise and Shine Twentu-NineJanet EvanovichTBR ChallengeFavorite Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		100%
FinishedThe Fourth Deadly SinLawrence SandersTBR ChallengeMystery Series/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		100%
Finished Winter HouseCarol O’ConnellTBR ChallengeMystery Series/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		100%
SartedThe Power of BeliefsShawn AchorLibrary ChallengeNon-Fiction17\%
StartedThe Summer of 1876Chris WimmerLibrary Cha;engeNon-Fiction15%

Why These Five?

These aren’t just the next five books I happened to pull off the shelf. Each one has a reason for being here.

  • Going Rogue (Stephanie Plum #29) – I’ve enjoyed Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series for years. After taking a break from the series, it’s time to catch up with Lula, Ranger, Morelli, and one of Stephanie’s latest adventures
  • Winter House – Carol O’Connell is one of my favorite mystery writers, and somehow this novel slipped through the cracks,
  • even though it’s been on my TBR shelves for a long time. Now is the time!
  • The Fourth Deadly Sin – I read one of the novels from Lawrence Sanders’ McNally series last year. When I found this copy at Goodwill, it seemed like the roght time to revisit the streets of NYC with Edward X Delaney. Since the ;ast visit pf sometime in the 70s. When I read The Second Deadly Sin
  • The Summer of 1876 – I’ve always enjoyed books about the American West and western history. As soon as I saw this one at the library, I knew it was coming home with me.
  • The Power of Beliefs – This selection came from conversations with my son-in-law. We often end up talking about motivation, learning, and personal growth, and those discussions convinced me this was a book worth reading.

Book Dragon vs. Bookworm – The Battle Within

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Book Dragon Vs the Bookworm

After more than 50 years of marriage, my wife still doesn’t understand one thing about me—my books. She regularly suggests I get rid of some of them, especially since I rarely reread a novel once I’ve finished it. My answer is always the same: “But what if I want to?” The truth is, my favorite book is usually the one I’m reading right now. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to part with the hundreds of books waiting patiently for their turn.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I discovered there were actually names for the two sides of my reading personality. Social media is full of discussions about Bookworms and Book Dragons, and I realized I’m a little of both.

The Bookworm

  • The Reader: A traditional term for someone who reads all the time.
  • The Habit: They “devour” pages, focus on the story inside, and finish books quickly.
  • The Aftermath: They often lend, donate, or sell books when they are done to get new ones. [1, 2, 3]

The Book Dragon

  • The Collector: A newer, popular online term for a fierce lover of physical books.
  • The Habit: They hoard books like a dragon hoards gold treasure, often buying special editions or beautiful covers.
  • The Aftermath: They keep their stash safe in a home library, even if they have a big “to-be-read” pile of books they haven’t opened yet.

From 1987 through 2025 I read 1,434 books—an average of almost 38 books a year. That’s enough to earn my Bookworm credentials.

On the other hand, if you walk into my basement, you’ll discover boxes filled with books I’ve never read. Upstairs, the bookshelves in my living room are overflowing as well. Thanks to years of Goodwill trips, library sales, and used bookstores, I’ve accumulated enough unread books to keep me busy for years. That’s the Book Dragon in me.

In fact, thanks to our almost-weekly Goodwill trips, the Book Dragon has been winning more battles than the Bookworm lately!

Moreover, this isn’t random hoarding.Most of the books I’ve collected are by authors I already love or series I’ve always wanted to read. James Lee Burke, C. J. Box, Robert B. Parker, Lee Child, Sue Grafton, Lawrence Block—they’re all waiting patiently for their turn. I’ll save the stories behind those collections for future posts.

So here’s how the two personalities fit into my websites. On A Sixties–Seventies Man you’ll probably meet the Book Dragon most often—the collector who enjoys hunting for forgotten treasures and building a library one Goodwill trip at a time. Over on Roots, Branches & Leaves, you’ll find the Bookworm, writing about the books I’ve actually read, reviewing them, and sharing the reading journey along the way.

An Amazing Accidental Throwback Thursday Pandora Playlist…..

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A Throwback Thursday Pandora Playlist

Sunday Street - Dave Van Ronk part of the Pandora Playlist

Ok this is the way things go on this site, Something happens – like this morning when I was leaving for my Target work shift, I put my phone in my pocket something hit my phone and Pandora starting playing. The station it was playing was my Dave Van Ronk station. and since I liked the song I let it keep playing. And before I knew it, it was creatingng a playlist of memories. I contitued listening on the way home. Overall ,a 30 minute enjoyable playlist was created . See how easy thar was! This post covers the ride to Target and the next post will be the ride home and beyond!

A Throwback Thursday Morning Drive to Target Pardora Playlist

“Sunday Street” – Dave Van Ronk” – Sunday Street (1976) – Now there are times I really don’t like Van Ronk’s vocals. But I can listen to the man play guitar all day, Overall I do like this song.

“Since I Laid My Burden Down” – Mississppi John Hurt”- Rediscovered (1998) – I knew of John Hurt well before I heard Tom Paxton’s song “Did you hear John Hurt? on his album New Songs from the Briarpatch released in 1977. But it took two albums for me to become a fan. One was the Mississippi John Hurt album Live released in 2004. The second was Bill Morrissey’s album The Songs of Mississippi John Hurt. “Since I laid My Burden Down” is classic John Hurt and it’s great!

“Ontario Blues” – Elizabeth Cotten – Shake Sugaree (2004) – If you’ve never heard Libby Cotten play guitar, shame on you! What a wonderful guitarist.

“Nine Hundred Miles” – Barbara Dane” – Anthology of American Folk Songs (1967) – I don’t think I’ve ever heard Barbara Dane. The name songs familar and the song was good!

Hang Me, Oh, Hang Me” – Dave Van Ronk – Folksinger (1962) – Now I do know ths song from Dave Van Ronk! A good morning pick me up , eh? Anyway this is a really old folk song and Dave’s version was a 60s staple.

“Sittin’ on Top of the World” – Doc Watson – Doc Watson (1964) – So I probably didn’t know this song from Doc at the time of it’s release in 1964. So the first version of the song I encountered was from Cream on their Wheels of Fire album lol! But it’s been recorded by just about evertybody!

“Walk on Boy” – Doc & Richard Watson – Third Generation Blues (1999) so we go from Doc in 1964 to Doc and Richard in 1999! Now I love the Doc Watson and his son Merle’s guitar albums. And Richard and Doc carry that guitar interaction into the third generation of Watson’s, This is a good song from a fine album.

That's All Right - Snooks Eaglin - part of the Pandora Playlist

That’s All Right” – Blind Snooks Eaglin –New Orleans Street Singer (2015) – Along with Barabara Dane, Snooks Eaglin was an artist I had to look up.

Now, while Blind Snooks Eaglin was a new name to me, the song certainly wasn’t. “That’s All Right” has been recorded by a long list of artists over the years, so I knew the tune long before I knew who Snooks Eaglin was. That’s one of the fun things about following these musical trails—you discover that an old familiar song can lead you to a remarkable artist you’ve somehow overlooked.

Dsicovering Blind Snooks Eaglin

Snbooks Eaglin was blind soul blues singer from New Orleans, He was a gifted guitarist and because knowledge of vast selection of songs he was called “the Human Jukebox.”

From AllMusic

When they referred to consistently amazing guitarist Snooks Eaglin as a human jukebox in his New Orleans hometown, they weren’t dissing him in the slightest. The blind Eaglin was a beloved figure in the Crescent City, not only for his gritty, Ray Charles-inspired vocal delivery and wholly imaginative approach to the guitar, but for the seemingly infinite storehouse of oldies that he was liable to pull out on-stage at any second — often confounding his bemused band in the process! Find More at Allmusic

Final Thoughts

And that’s how this morning’s soundtrack unfolded. I started the drive with one of the giants of the folk revival, Dave Van Ronk, and somewhere along the way Pandora introduced me to someone I’d somehow missed all these years—Blind Snooks Eaglin, the legendary New Orleans guitarist known as “The Human Jukebox.” That’s one of the things I love about these musical rabbit trails. Even after decades of listening, there’s always another artist waiting to be discovered.

That wrapped up the morning commute, but the music didn’t stop there. Five and a half hours later, I climbed back into the car for the ride home, and Pandora kept the journey going with another playlist filled with old friends and a few more surprises. Join me tomorrow as we take that homeward ride together.

P.S. As I was finishing this post, it finally hit me where I first came to know That’s All Right. It wasn’t Elvis Presley, and it wasn’t Rod Stewart. It was Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper’s The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper! Funny how the brain works. Sometimes writing these posts helps me rediscover not only the artists, but also my own musical memories.

The Playlist

Reading Challenge 2026 to 66 and Beyond!

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Over the last few years I stopped quantifying my yearly reading challenges, focusing more on enjoyment than numbers. For 2026, I’m bringing structure back—not to race through books, but to balance library reads, long-neglected TBR shelves, and a few intentional discoveries along the way.

Reading Challenge Book Categories From My Local Library

My 2026 Reading Challenge will be divided into two main groups. First will be books from my local library. I propose to read two books per month from the library from my favorite Mystery/Thriller series. Additionally, I would like to discover new series throughout the year. Maybe one every other month so I added 6 books to that category.

Finally, I would like to keep up with the world around me so I propose to read new non-fiction. Again at the rate of one every other month or 6 non-fiction books. That’s a total of 36 books from the library.

A TBR shelf for 2026r TBR reading challengechallenge

Reading Challenge Categories from My TBR Shelves

Now I really do need to start reading books from my To Be Read (TBR) shelves. I’ve set my target a 30 books from theses shelves, The books include: 6 Sci-Fi books, at least one e-book a month or 12 e-books, and again more non-fiction every other month or 6 books. I have a variety of history and self-improvement books on my shelves that need to be read.

2026 Reading Challenge: Library book Categories
No. to ReadNo. Read
Favorite Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		242
New Mystery/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		61
Non-Fiction6
Total363
2026 Reading Challenge:
TBR Shelves Category
Sci Fi6
E-Books121
Non-Fiction6
Mystery Series/Thrillers
Series and Standalones		6
Total30
Target Goal661

January to Early February 2026 Reads – A Great Start to My Reading Year

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Recapping My January to Early February 2026 Reads

Back in January I laid out my 2026 Reading Challenge in a post. The Challenge was broken into two challenges. The first was to read 66 books. While the second categorized the proposed reads by both source and type of book.

No.Books ReadAuthorTypeSourceNotes
1The White CrowMichael RobothamNew Mystery/Thriller SeriesLibraryMy Thoughts
2NemesisGregg HurwitzFavorite SeriesLibrary
3Departure 37Scott CarsonFavorite Thriller StandaloneLibrary
4Head CasesJohn McMahonNew Mystery/ Thriller SeriesE-Book

Proposed February–March 2026 Reads

Proposed reads Jan-Feb 2026

Here are my proposed February–March 2026 reads. Both the Reed Farrel Coleman and William Kent Kreuger books are carry-overs from last month. Mainly because I read Departure 37 and Nemesis instead. Both of those books had been sitting on my Library TBR shelf for a few months! The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer – Ragnar Jonasson has a;so been on my shelves for a while – it’s time to read it!

Here’s how these proposed reads break down by category:

From the Library Book Category

New Mystery Thriller Series – Library

Blind to Midnight (Nick Ryan #2)- Reed Farrel Coleman

While Reed Farrel Coleman is not a new author to me I read Redemption Street the second book in his Moe Prager series back in 2010. I haven’t read a Moe Prager since then, although I wish I had. Hopefully I won’t make the same mistake with this series!

Favorite Mystery Series – Library

Apostle’s Cove (Cork O’Connor #20)- William Kent Krueger

Since all of the Cork O’Connor books from William Kent Krueger are great. I’m sure this one will be great as well!

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer – Ragnar Jonasson

Ragnar Jonasson is one of my favorite author’s. The book is an Icelandic tribute to Agatha Christie

From the TBR Shelves Category

Favorite Mystery/ Thriller Series

Winter House – Carol O’Connell

Winter House marks a return to Carol O’Connell’s Mallory series. It’s one of only two books in the series I never got around to reading, so this feels less like a reread and more like filling in a long-standing gap.

E-Book

The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes – David Handler

I haven’t read David Handler since the 1990s, when I read one earlier book in the series (book two). With nearly a twenty-year gap between book eight and this one, it’s no wonder he slipped off my radar. This feels like a genuine rediscovery.

Wish Me Luck and Check Back to see How I’m Doing! You can Check My Overall Progress Here

The White Crow – (Philomena McCarthy #2) – Michael Robothom

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the White Crow Michael Robotham

The White Crow (Philomena McCarthy #2) – Michael Robotham

I have been a big fan of the books of Michael Robotham since I read my first Joe O’Loughlin novel Suspect way back in 2008. There are 9 books in that series and I’ve read all but one, The Wreckage . While the book is considered book #5 in the series the main protagonist in the book is Vincent Ruiz an ex-cop who Joe interacts with on several levels. I liked the character of Vincent Ruiz so I really should read the book!

However, let’s get back to The White Crow. The White Crow is the second book to feature PC Philomena McCarthy. The first book was When You Are Mine released back in 2022 and it was terrific.

The Story

Philomena McCarthy is London police officer. She is also the daughter of Edward McCarthy and a niece to Edward McCarthy and his brothers. The problem? Edward and his brothers are known London criminals. And while Edward has never been convicted of any crimes, his brothers have and spent time in prison.

In this book, while Philomena is responding to a home invasion, she spots a five year old little girl in the rain wearing bloody pajamas. The little girl turns out to be the daughter of the woman who was murdered in the home invasion.

Meanwhile, nearby a top of the line jewelry store is being robbed, and the owner is strapped to a chair holding a bomb that’s ready to go off!

Soon Edward McCarthy and his brother are considered to be a prime suspects in the jewelry store robbery even though he is now a developer and not a crime boss. And Philomena is also placed under suspicion. Did she help her father? Soon the suspended Philomena is struggling between two worlds and who does she believe the police or her father and his brothers??

What Michael Robotham Says About The White Crow

In the acknowledgements of the book Michael Robotham writes the following…..

When I created the character of Philomena McCarthy in When You Were Mine, I thought I was writing a standalone., but I fell in love with Phil, and in particular with her father and uncles. who were old-school East End Gangsters. Geezers if you will, who made me laugh.

Some novels come more easily than others and this was a joy to write because I love these characters and how they react with a world that is changing so quickly.

My Thoughts

Last year when I started to redesign and update this site I discovered that When You Are Mine was not a standalone novel. That Michael had written The White Crow, which is the second book in the Philomena McCarthy series. I must confess I didn’t remember much about When You Are Mine but when I started The White Crow the memories of Edward McCarthy and his brothers started flowing back and good memories they were! Kind of makes me want to go back and read When You Are Mine again!

The White Crow is a well written books with a great twisty storyline and a powerful ending! The characters are what’s special. I don’t think there’s a weak character in the book. And while Edward and his brothers are terrific characters and their nemesis may be even better!

My final thought is it may be best to read When You Are Mine first to get a proper introduction to the McCarthy clan. As for me I’m eagerly awaiting book #3 in this series and a book 5 in the Cyrus Haven Series. I’m also hoping to find When You Are Mine at a Goodwill!

Near the end of the book, Edward McCarthy’s nemesis explains what a white crow is — and it fits Phil perfectly.
Do you know?
Well… go find out.

Links

Author’s Website
Facebook
Instagram
Goodreads
Amazon

michael robotham

About Michael Robotham

Michael Robotham is an Australian crime fiction writer who has twice won the CWA Gold Dagger award for best novel and twice been shortlisted for the Edgar Award for best novel. His eldest child is Alexandra Hope Robotham, professionally known as Alex Hope, an Australian producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Wikipedia

Born: 1960 (age 65 years), Casino, Australia

Children: Alex Hope

Nationality: Australian

Notable awards: The CWA Gold Dagger, 2015, 2020

Notable works: Life or Death

 

A Sixties-Seventies Man Continues His Life Safari!

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Welcome to A Sixties–Seventies Man

First, let me explain the title.

The Siixties-Seventies Man - Edward Karn

This Sixties-Seventies Man was born on October 1, 1951, so technically I grew up in both the 1950s and the 1960s. But let’s face it—the 1960s tend to get most of the attention. They were years of enormous change in music, culture, politics, and technology, and they left a lasting impression on me.

It’s been a long and sometimes crazy journey from those days to today. A lot has changed, both in my own life and in the world around me.

The people around me have changed too. Parents, teachers, and neighborhood friends gave way to coworkers, a wife, children, grandchildren, and now a lifetime of memories spanning more than seven decades. Through all those changes, two things have remained constant: books and music.

I’ve gone from reading the World Book Encyclopedia to reading on a Kindle Fire. I’ve gone from spinning Pat Boone 45s on a record player to having millions of songs available instantly through Spotify. Yet I still love physical books, and I still enjoy hunting for vinyl records at record stores, thrift shops, and yard sales.

So here I sit—a child of the 1960s who is now in his seventies, still curious about the world around him. I still enjoy discovering new authors and musicians. I still enjoy rediscovering old favorites. I still find myself wandering down unexpected rabbit holes, whether they involve history, genealogy, music, books, running, or simply trying to understand the world a little better.

Over the past few years, I’ve come to think of life as a safari. A safari isn’t simply a trip from one place to another. It’s a journey of discovery where the unexpected often becomes the most memorable part of the adventure. Every book, every album, every family story, every morning run, and every forgotten piece of history can lead somewhere new.

That’s what this site is about.

It’s about looking back without living in the past. It’s about continuing to learn, explore, and grow. And if along the way I can help someone discover a great book, a wonderful album, an interesting piece of history, or simply inspire them to stay curious, then this old Sixties man will consider that a success.

⸻

When I first started blogging in 2010, I was fifty-nine years old, and my world was changing in ways I never expected.

My youngest child, Elizabeth, was leaving for college, and my wife and I were beginning the transition to becoming empty nesters. At the same time, the engineering company where I had worked for more than thirty years was sold. The new ownership was very different from the old, and for the next several years I went to work with a pit in my stomach, wondering if that would be the day I was laid off.

Gradually, there was less and less work for me to do.

Then one day it was over.

There was no retirement party. No thank-you. Just, “We don’t have any work for you.”

Looking back, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

During that period of uncertainty, I started a blog called Me, Myself, Music & Mysteries. It gave me a place to write about the books I was reading, the music I was listening to, and the things I was discovering along the way. What began as a way to cope with uncertainty soon became something much more—a way to preserve memories, share discoveries, and continue learning.

At the time, most of the music I listened to fell under the broad umbrella of Americana. Folk, blues, and bluegrass were the soundtrack of my listening life, while mysteries and thrillers dominated my reading. Naturally, those became the primary subjects of my writing.

The posts you’ll find here are those early explorations from 2010 through 2013—a snapshot of a Sixties man approaching retirement and trying to make sense of a changing life through books, music, and writing.

Beginning around 2014, my musical horizons expanded. I dove deeper into jazz, progressive rock, New Age music, and other genres while continuing my lifelong love of folk, blues, and bluegrass. Those later musical adventures eventually found a home at FreeWheelin’ Music Safari, where the journey continues today.

In many ways, this site is where that journey truly began.

But it isn’t just about where I’ve been.

It’s about where I’m still going.

I’m still discovering new musicians. Still finding authors I’ve never read before. Still uncovering family stories hidden in old records. Still exploring history, running new roads, browsing used bookstores, digging through crates of old records, and learning something new almost every day.

The safari isn’t over.

In many ways, it’s just entering a new chapter.

I’m glad you stopped by, and I hope you’ll come along for the journey.

Songs That Helped Shape My American Experience

  By
We Shall Overcome Pete Seeger - one of the nine Songs that shaped my American Experience

Yesterday an article appeared in my news feed from American /songwriter magazine 5 Folk Songs That Defined the American Experience.

The folk genre has always been a huge part of political music and patriotic songs alike. These five particular folk songs are beautifully intertwined with the American experience, and they are still so relevant decades after they were first released. Let’s take a look, shall we?….

The five songs were……l

  1. “Blowin’ in the Wind “  – Bob Dylan
  2. “This Land is Your Land”- Woody Guthrie
  3. “Early Morning Rain” – Gordon Lightfoot
  4. “The Circle Game” – Joni Mitchell
  5. “Diamonds and Rust” – Joan Baez

I love each of those songs and agree that they do speak to the American experience.. Additionally they are still relevant.

Nine Songs That Shaped My American Experience

However, I started thinking about some of the songs that were important in shaping my world view and came up with the following playlist.

1. “Where Have All The Floers Gone”

The first so that popped into my head was “where Have All the Flowers Gone”. The song was written by Pete Seeger. Although, the  version I associate most with the song came from Peter,Paul and Mary.. The song express the  loss  so many felt during the Vietnam War.  And I am sure so many felt in Iraq and Afghanistan. And still feel in Ukraine today.

2. “Universal Soldier” – Buffy Saint Marie 

Buffy Saint Marie’s Universal soldier was another major anti-war song. My favorite cover of this song came from Donovan. The universality of war is addressed in the opening stanza….

He’s five foot-two and he’s six feet-fourHe fights with missiles and with spearsHe’s all of thirty-one and he’s only seventeenHe’s been a soldier for a thousand years
He’s a Catholic, a Hindu, an Atheist, a JaneA Buddhist and a Baptist and a JewAnd he knows he shouldn’t killAnd he knows he always willKill you for me my friend and me for you

 

3. “Turn, Turn, Turn” – Pete Seeger

Another Pete Seeger song that’s been recorded by many. Most notably the Byrds. It addresses the circle of life. It speaks strong of the hope for peace. A hope we have all wished for….

A time to gain, a time to loseA time to rain, a time of sowA time for love, a time for hateA time for peace, I swear it’s not too late

4. “There But for Fortune” – Phil Ochs

While Phil Ochs wrote “There But for Fortune” it is probably best known for Joan Baez’s cover off the song. AS we go through life when we look at folks who are prisoners or homeless we must all remember the there “but for good fortune” go you or go I….
Even as a country we must remember how fortune we are that no bombs have fallen on our country!

Show me the prison, show me the jail 
Show me the prisoner whose life has gone stale
And I’ll show you a young man with so many reasons why
But there but for fortune go you or I, hmm-mmm…

…….

Show me the country where the bombs had to fall
Show me the ruins of the buildings once so tall
And I’ll show you a young land with so many reasons why
And there but for fortune may go you or I, or I

 

5, “Plane Wreck at Los Gatos (Deportees)” – Woody Guthrie

Talk about a song that sill resonates today!

 

The crops are all in and the peaches are rotting,
The oranges piled in their creosote dumps;
They’re flying ’em back to the Mexican border
To pay all their money to wade back again

Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye, Rosalita,
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria;
You won’t have your names when you ride the big airplane,
All they will call you will be “deportees”

6. “My Rainbow Race – Pete Seeger”

Sometimes American folk songs can cross the ocean! “My Rainbow Race”  The paragraph below sounds like today’s Republican party!

The song was performed by Nilsen and a crowd of more than 40,000 people in Youngstorget in Oslo and at squares across the country on April 26, 2012, as a protest against statements given in court by Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator of the July 22 attacks in 2011. The performance was inspired by Facebook reactions after Breivik claimed in his trial testimony that the song was an example of Marxist propaganda and that it was being used to “brainwash” Norwegian children.[

Organization was made at the level of Norwegian Minister of Culture, and other Ministers of Culture from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands were also present.[2] The song was thus performed a few days later, in the midst of the ongoing trial. In Oslo the sing-along was followed by a march up to the site of the trial, where the crowd laid down flowers.[3] The song was performed both in Norwegian and English, and Nilsen had personally contacted Seeger, who responded with the words: “Oh me, oh my. I wish you luck  Read More

One blue sky above One blue sky above us
One ocean lapping all our shores
One earth so green and brown
Who could ask for more

And because I love you
I’ll give it one more try
To show my rainbow race
It’s too soon, too soon to die
It’s too soon to die…

7. “Power and Glory” – Phil Ochs

From Wikipedia…..

The song has been described as an “anthem … with lyrics that might have been written by the great Woody Guthrie“. Said to be the American patriotic hymn best at combining the American dream with selfless Christian idea 

“Power and the Glory” consists of three verses, each followed by a chorus.[ The first verse invites the listener to walk with the singer, and it describes some of the natural wonders of the United States.[

The second verse names some of the states through which the listener and the singer would travel. 

The third verse notes that the United States is “only as rich as the poorest of the poor” but also as “strong as our love for this land”.]

The chorus of “Power and the Glory” describes the United States as “a land full of power and glory”: Read More

Yet our land is still troubled by men who have to hate
They twist away our freedom and they twist away our fate
Fear is their weapon and treason is their cry.
We can stop them if we try.

Let’s Hope!

8. Thirsty Boots – Eric Andersen

“Thirsty Boots” has been a favorite song of mine since I first heard it many,many years ago!

From Wikipedia …

“Thirsty Boots” is a civil-rights-era folksong by American singer-songwriter Eric Andersen that first appeared on his 1966 album ‘Bout Changes ‘n’ Things. According to the album’s liner notes, the song “was written to a civil rights worker-friend. Having never gone down to Mississippi myself, I wrote the song about coming back.” Read More

You’ve long been on the open road
You been sleepin’ in the rain
From dirty words and muddy cells
Your clothes are soiled and stained
But the dirty words and the muddy cells
Will soon be hid in shame
So only stop to rest yourself and you’ll go off again

 

9. “We Shall Overcome” – Pete Seeger

I don’t know that there is a song that moves me more than “We Shall Over Come”. When I think of the words of the song and the struggles that have been overcome and still need to be overcome, I am moved to tears. Then I think, hey the words apply to everyone we all need to overcome some day!

We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day

[Refrain]
Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day

[Verse 2]
We’ll walk hand in hand
We’ll walk hand in hand
We’ll walk hand in hand some day

The Video – Nine Songs That Helped Shape My American Exeprience

Each of the above nine songs shaped my American Experience. They all had a hand in shaping my beliefs  about war, the environment, and civil rights . And yes  I am a strong liberal Democrat and. Proud of it! Any of you have your American Experience Shaped by these songs?

 

A Sunday Night’s Music Listening Trail! A Beautiful Trail!

  By
Manassas Album Cover part of the music listening trail

This post was originally published in September of 2010 – Updated January 2016

A Rediscovered Listening Trail

It all started because I was search for some bluegrass from the 1970s and I went searching for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. What I found was one of those nights where one song leads to another, and suddenly the room fills with half a century of folk, bluegrass, and Americana, including a song from The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Here is my listening trail on the Sunday Night! Like an evening with Gene Shay!

A Sunday Night Listening Trail

Ok so I like it when Disc Jockeys put together songs with some kind of theme or just some thought anyway. That’s what I did tonight and listened to some good songs!

Starting Point: Manassas and Laurel Canyon

This afternoon I listened to Sides 2 and 4 of Manassas, the band that features Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman and all those other guys Dallas Taylor, Paul Harris, Al Perkins, Fuzzy Samuels and Joe Lala.

Anyway, tonight I started with some tracks from an album that Chris Hillman did with Tony and Larry Rice and Herb Pedersen  Out of the Woodwork. It’s a good bluegrass album and I listened to the first two tracks “Hard Times” and “Lord Won’t You Help Me”.

That led me to another band that Herb Pedersen played in The Laurel Canyon Ramblers and I listened to “Back on the Street Again”.

Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, and Folk Memory

Then when I think of Herb’s I of course thought of  Herb Bushler (didn’t you) who played bass for Tom Paxton on several albums.I listened to two tracks from the album Heroes. The first one was floating around in my head this morning “Hand Me Down My Jogging Shoes”  and second track was “Phil” written after and about Phil Ochs’ suicide. Here’s Tom doing “Phil”

Then I listened to Phil’s great song about Woody Guthrie “Bound for Glory” which led me to a bluegrass version of “Pastures of Plenty” by a group called Breakaway.

Woody, Sonny, Brownie — Following the Listening Trail

After that I listened to a more traditional version sung by Frank Hamilton, who sang and played with Woody. I also listened to Frank doing a version of “Do Re Mi”. In the intro to the song Frank talks about going to see Woody so that Woody could teach him to play harmonica like Sonny Terry.

That led me to Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and I listened to “Down By The Riverside” and the lyrics “ain’t gonna study war no more… rang out, so I went back to Phil Ochs and listened to “I Ain’t a Marching Anymore”.

Here’s Pete, Sonny and Brownie with “Down by the Riverside”

Well you know that the lyric in that song mentions the Battle of New Orleans so I went to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s album Stars and Stripes to hear that song!

And what would a trip to New Orleans be without a trip to the “House of the Rising Sun”  Doc and Richard Watson provided that song from Third Generation Blues .

The Listening Trail Leads to Louisiana, Cowboys, and the End of the Listening Trail….

Staying in Louisiana I headed north and “Callin’ Baton Rouge” from New Grass Revival.

Then I listened to another track from Doc and Richard “Columbus Stockade Blues” (kinda fits at least it’s another town)

. When I saw that track I also saw that Leon Russell also did a version of it on his album Hank Wilson Vol 4 – Rhythm and Bluegrass so I put that on and gave his version a listen! I also listened to his cover of Willie and Waylon’s “Mommas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys” (not bad) and then “Cowboy’s Prayer” from Brian Burns and ended the night with Max Stalling’s “Scars and Souvenirs”. I wanted to get back to Chris Hillman but couldn’t get there! But it was a good night of music!

Daily Roots – Sunday Night : A Rediscovered Listening Trail

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