“Off the Stacks” is a weekly-ish feature where I highlight a nonfiction book I’m curious about but will probably run out of hours in the day to actually read. I’m hoping that by highlighting titles this way, I can encourage other people to give the book a try, and, if it’s great, consider nominating it later this year for the Indie Lit Awards. Consider these books stamped with the “Sophisticated Dorkiness Seal of Curious Approval.”

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit

Full Title: The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Impostor
Author: Mark Seal
Publisher: Viking Adult
Nonfiction Type: Biography
Topics Covered: True crime, espionage, counterfeiting, the Rockefellers

What It’s About: In a “stranger-than-fiction twist on the classic American success story” journalist Mark Seal profiles Christian Gerhartsreiter, a German immigrant who came to the United States and passed himself off as a member of the Rockefeller family for more than 30 years.

As he took on a series of fictional identities, “Clark Rockefeller” moved through social spheres across the country, eventually marrying a businesswoman with a Harvard MBA. Rockefeller received his comeuppance, however, after his divorce, when a kidnapping charge exposed his ludicrous past and connection to a disappearance in California in the 1980s.

Why I Want to Read It: The author, Mark Seal, is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, a magazine that doesn’t get recognized enough for publishing some fabulous narrative nonfiction pieces. He was also a 2010 National Magazine Award finalist for his profile of Clark Rockefeller, which I assume was the starting point for this book.

Who Else Might Like It: History buffs, fans of The Talented Mr. Ripley or Catch Me If You Can, those curious about lifestyles of the rich and famous

Reviews: Los Angeles Times |

This week is Audiobook Week, hosted by Jen (Devourer of Books). Today’s discussion topic is “Audiobooks for the Uninitiated” — “Whether you just started listening or have a long history with audiobooks, you probably have some suggestions for those new to audio whether for narrators, titles, or ways to experience the medium. Write a post, make a list, get creative.”

It was a dark and stormy night. The wind was howling and the sky was dark, even though the June day had started out lovely. I was alone in my car on one of those stretches of freeway that seems to go on forever. Just me, the road, and a mountaineering adventure story so intense I found myself yelling at my Camry’s speakers like a crazy person. Thank goodness it was too dark for anyone else to see.

This is how I listen to audio books. Alone, making the long car drive between Madison and the Twin Cities. It’s about a 4.5 hour drive, give or take, which means I can finish about 9 hours of an audiobook over the course of a trip. I’ve tried listening to audiobooks at home while doing chores or even while commuting to and from work, but I’ve found that audiobooks work best for me when I can absorb them in long, uninterrupted pieces.

I’ve learned that there are three main qualities that make an audi book work for me during these long road trips:

1. They must be well-narrated. Almost five hours listening to someone annoying will just not do.
2. They must have forward momentum. I’m driving and I’m bored; I need a book with some “umph” to keep me going.
3. They must not be too think-y. I like to take notes and argue with my nonfiction, which is hard to do in a car. I need the book to be more narrative than explanative.

[continue reading…]

Title: Unfinished Business: One Man’s Extraordinary Year of Trying to Do the Right Things
Author: Lee Kravitz
Genre: Memoir
Year: 2011
Acquired: From the publisher for review as part of a TLC Book Tour
Rating:

One Sentence Summary: After getting laid off from his job, workaholic journalist Lee Kravtiz decides to spend a year reconnecting with his past and the people he wronged along the way.

One Sentence Review: A year of dealing with unfinished business should have conflict, yet this memoir felt a little too rosy to me.

Why I Read It: I’m curious about memoirs where people make a conscious decision to change their life, so this seemed like it could be up my alley.

[continue reading…]

Title: The Broom of the System
Author: David Foster Wallace
Genre: Fiction
Year: 1987/2010
Acquired: Won in a giveaway, I think.
Rating:

One Sentence Summary: “The book centers on the emotionally challenged Lenore Stonecipher Beadsman, a 24-year-old telephone switchboard operator who has issues about whether or not she’s real.” — Wikipedia.

One Sentence Review: In what I believe is probably typical DFW style, The Broom of the System is laugh-out-loud funny, exasperating, confusing, and thought provoking all at the same time.

Why I Read It: I won the audiobook in a giveaway a long time ago and needed something to listen to on a series of drives to and from Minnesota last month. I was too busy to go to the library, so The Broom of the System made the cut.

[continue reading…]