The Affair   Lee Child
Very entertaining latest installment of the Reacher novels. This one goes back to the events that led to Reacher being involuntarily separated from the Army. As usual, crisp, quick prose, involved fast-paced narrative, violence, intelligence, and even some sex this time. As I said, very entertaining.

Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism   Terryl L. Givens and Matthew J. Grow
Excellent, well-written biography/history of Parley that effectively makes the case for the claim in the title. Gave me a different, more realistic, and less flattering view of him. Amazing that he, and his brother Orson, could produce the works of theology they did with so little education. Most interesting point for me was that Joseph Smith actually used ideas that Parley originated. Also, seemed to me that Brigham wanted Parley out of his hair, so that’s why he was always on missions. Saddened by the resulting, constant poverty of his family and his lurid, tragic murder.

Reamde   Neal Stephenson
A 1000-page novel about terrorists, a virus infecting an MMORPG, and the many characters who get involved tracking both as they converge. Disappointingly slim characterizations, especially in a novel of this length, and far too much unimportant detail. But it reads well, and I was interested. Clumsy ending as if the editor finally said, “that’s enough, wrap it up.” Enjoyed it, but I wish it hadn’t cost $35.

The Kirtland Economy Revisited: A Market Critique of Sectarian Economics   Marvin S. Hill, C. Keith Rooker, and Larry T. Wimmer
An outstanding monograph covering the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-banking Company that caused so many problems in Mormon Kirtland and undermined Joseph Smith’s role as prophet. While it is extremely scholarly, well-reasoned, and very thorough, it is also a little too apologetic of Joseph, but extremely valuable historically nonetheless.

Read only 38 books in 2011, far less than my goal of 1 each week. Very disappointing even though, or maybe because, it reflects the disappointing year in general.

Sunset Park   Paul Auster
A beautifully written and deeply interesting novel about four people squatting in an abandoned house in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. Very interesting characters, but the narrative just ends as if artificially truncated for some reason. As a result, deeply unsatisfying. Wish I had a better sense of what happens to these people that I grew to care so much for.