Reading

I usually read two books at a time - one fiction and one non-fiction.  And also usually, I finish both at about the same time.  So it was yesterday, when I finished "Agent Sonya" (non-fiction) by Ben Macintyre and "Deacon King Kong" (fiction) by James McBride.

I liked both of them.  "Agent Sonya" was the sixth Ben Macintyre book I've read, so obviously I like the way he writes and am drawn to his subject matter - spy stories.  Sonya (not her real name) was a German woman, a dedicated Communist, who ran spy rings for the Russians in China, Manchuria, Poland, Switzerland and England before, during and after World War II.  An incredible woman and a compelling story.

"Deacon King Kong" was my first James McBride book.  It won't be my last.  It's a shoot-em-up gangster tale set in the Brooklyn housing projects.  It is brutal, funny, and insightful about the neighborhoods in which the story is set and the characters who are featured.  I will long remember Sportcoat, Sausage, Elefante, Potts, Sister G, and their friends and enemies.

I've started on my next two books: "The End of the Golden Gate" (stories about San Francisco) and "At Night All Blood is Black" by David Diop.