I just finished Andrew Napolitano's "Lies the Government Told You," which was certainly one of the more provocative books I've read lately. I don't agree with every point Napolitano makes, but he certainly challenged my thinking on certain issues.

Now I'm halfway through Patti Smith's memoir "Just Kids," about her life with Robert Mapplethorpe. It's well-written but not quite what I expected.

Earlier this month, I binged on Louise Penny's Canadian mysteries starring Inspector Armand Gamache. They're incredibly well written, and the characters -- especially the supporting ones — practically walk off the page, they're so full of life.

I forgot to mention in the above quote of myself that I was also intending to read Douglass's second rewriting of his autobiography "Life and Times of Frederick Douglass" as well as a book called "Young Frederick Douglass: The Maryland Years" about his Eastern Shore origins.

I am currently on that third autobiographical work now - maintaining a pace that is rather torrid for me, in reading something that doesn't have to do with science.

There are two characteristics of Douglass about which I was little aware before starting these books: he was probably more aware of scientific facts than most USA citizens of any color during his time and he had a wry sense of humor about even the most serious of subjects. The latter was much on display in a quote from an exchange he relates that he had with Abraham Lincoln, in which he evaluated one of the presidents most recognized speeches: “I replied, Mr. Lincoln, it was a sacred effort”. Douglass, who in his humility about his own rhetorical skills always greatly underesimated himself by any listener's estimation during his lifetime, was as always diplomatic but ruthlessly honest, even to the president of the United States. Famously cool to religiosity, Lincoln probably got his friends sly humor.

Continuing my streak of conservative books:

I just finished Mark Levin's "Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America." Again, I didn't agree with every point Levin makes, but it certainly provided food for thought.

A recent release seems to depict Ghandi as gay, racist and perhaps pedophilic. What more is there to say?

Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks. I love his books and the way he writes.

I just finished re-reading "Game Change," an account of the 2008 presidential primaries. It's a fascinating book, full of juicy -- and frequently hilarious -- information about a truly dramatic presidential race. Required reading for political junkies on both sides of the aisle.

Half of a Yellow Sun is the best book of fiction I have ever read - or half-read since I have not yet finished it. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie writes with the skill and empathy of the greatest writers in the English language.

It is a work of fiction so you may or may not want to spoil it by reading the Wikipedia Entry, but I don't think it will matter if you enjoy good stories. The description cannot possibly have the effect of actually reading the book.

This woman could become a Nobel Prize winner one day, the book is that powerful. For me she exceded her countryman Wole Soyinka or fellow African writers like Chinua Achebe because - and I fear this is too often only a feminine characteristic - she creates characters from the inside out rather than approaching from the outside.

For me only books about the Holocaust approach its power and impact yet, so far, it makes me hopeful. Something I never get from books about other such tragedies. And this war is a non pareil depiction of man's inhumanity toward man.

The way that these personal stories are placed into this realistic historical context is what makes it so painful.

I'm halfway through "Schulz and Peanuts," a biography of Charles M. Schulz. The material is interesting, but the author's prose style and obsession with minutia are making me crazy. This is turning out to be one of those books I'm glad I read once but won't pick up again.

In fairness, the second half of the book is much more interesting than the first.

I read this and liked it very much.

Me too!

I have to admit that I liked the second half of the book much better than the first.

Did anyone receive any interesting books for Christmas? I'm always looking for new reading material -- especially gay fiction or nonfiction. If you have any year's-end recommendations or top 5 book lists, please share.

Have a happy New Year, everybody!

I just finished reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I thought it was quite nice, but I actually preferred the movie version, which I thought was very good and very underrated.

OUT magazine features novelists Edmund White and John Irving, long time friends, in discussion. I didn't know that Irving (one of my favorite novelists; particularly The Hotel New Hampshire, A Son of the Circus, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The World According to Garp) had a gay son.

John Irving's book has gotten some strong reviews and garnered an intriguing profile in Time Magazine, so it's next on my list. Right now, I'm finishing a memoir called "Tiger, Tiger" and getting ready to start toni Morrison's newest novel. "Home."