May Wrap Up Part 1

Remember how I said I probably wouldn't get as much read in May as I did in April? Well, it's May 10 and I've finished 4 books. I figure I should get these handled now to avoid an avalanche at the end of the month.

Gunfight at Ingalls: Death of an Outlaw Town by Glen Shirley - I have had an interest in Oklahoma ghost towns since high school. My parents had a copy of this book. I do not have that copy. I grabbed a copy that the library was withdrawing several years ago. I finally read it. It is a history of the town of Ingalls. It started out in Indian territory and eventually became incorporated in Payne county. Ingalls was the product of a few business owners who laid out the town and eventually enticed other people to start businesses there. Eventually, the hotel became a frequent place of rest for the Dalton gang and the bar was a favorite gambling and drinking spot. The gang behaved themselves while they were in town and the townspeople appreciated their business. When the gang would be involved in some train robbery or other, the sheriff would come to Ingalls to ask questions, but no one ever knew anything. Eventually, the posse got wind that the crew was in town and they surrounded the town and there was a big shootout. Several people on both sides (and a couple of townspeople) were killed. This isn't what killed the town, though. What really killed the town is the fact that the railroad that went from Guthrie to Bristow (which, if it took the shortest route, would have gone through Ingalls) was routed through Stillwater. The book was really interesting and pained a fascinating picture of the area at the time of the land run.

Lumberjanes: Somewhere That's Green by Seanan McGuire - I read all the regular Lumberjanes volumes. This is the first in a series of single issue comics about the girls from the original series, but by a different author. It kept the same theme of campers finding bizarre paranormal or science-fictiony things in the woods where they camp. It's a lot of fun.

A Cat Was Involved by Spencer Quinn - This was so great. It is basically an origin story about how Chet and Bernie got together. Chet was one trial away from being a police dog, but at the last minute he was distracted by a cat. The police passed him off on a private investigator (Bernie) who realized Chet actually solved a car theft for them. And that is how the pair got started solving mysteries together. Chet sounds just like you'd think a dog would sound. He doesn't realize he's the one barking and that his tail gives him away when he's happy. This is a short story that is only available on ebook. I read it in an hour.

Mere Mortals by Erin Jade Lang - I read this because it's on the Sequoyah list for this year. It's cute. I had fun. It was predictable, though. It was pretty clear how it was going to end. I guess the character arc of the main character is good, but I'm not really sure how it ended up on the Sequoyah list. Charlie and Reg (Charlotte and Reginald) have been punished by the council of elders (vampires) for almost killing a kid they were feeding on. They get made mortal as punishment and are sent to a tiny town in Iowa where they have to live with an old man and go to high school and try to figure out how to be human. They are desperate to be made vampires again and they go to great lengths to convince the council to let them back. It was cute, but I don't think it's award-worthy.

And those are the four books I've read so far this month. I'll keep you posted on what I get up to next.