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People are always asking me what I’m reading. My usual reply is research books, or nothing. I’m too busy writing my own novels to read anyone else’s, and admittedly most of what is on my to-be-read stack is nonfiction, but I am determined to read some of them this year. Here’s what I’ve managed to read so far:

Steve and Me by Terri Irwin. It is an autobiography/biography of both her life, Steve’s life, their romance, their marriage, and their life together. This book came out after Steve Irwin had his untimely, and all too early death in that freak accident. With all the dangerous things he’d done I don’t think any of us thought a sting ray would be what took him away from his family, as well as his fans, and his work. I know why I put off reading this one. Though I never met Steve Irwin, I like many around the world felt connected to him. We saw him every week on his show “The Crocodile Hunter,” and he part of our family time together. His sudden death made this book hard. I do believe as Terri writes that they were soul mates and destined to be together. The fact that their time was cut short was just so . . . sad. But then I started thinking about it. They were together longer than my husband, Jon, and I have been so far. They have two wonderful children, and Terri is working hard that Steve’s legacy of saving and educating about wildlife lives on. The book was poignant, surprising, funny, honest, and a little bitter sweet, admittedly. I came away happy I’d read it, and smiling, although there were some tears on the way.

Black Coffee by Agatha Christie. It’s a new Poirot book based on a play that Christie actually wrote. I’d forgotten how much I don’t like Poirot as a character. I’m more a Miss Marple fan. I will also speak heresy for mystery fans, I love Christie’s plotting, but don’t care for her characterization. No one beats her at the puzzle of the mystery itself, but her characters are often two dimensional and uninteresting to me. I will admit to not finishing this book, I just wasn’t having enough fun, and I want to either learn something or be entertained at the end of a book. Agatha Christie hated Poirot and hated writing him. I can only agree with her assessment. Though she made me feel sorry for him in Curtain, the book published after her death where she seemed to show just how much she hated him. I could never have done that to one of my own literary creations. It just seemed spiteful for a character that had made her so much money and so much fame. Especially when her imaginary character couldn’t fight back. It seemed vindictive, and that’s just not my gig.

Stalked by a Mountain Lion by Jo Deurbrouck. Nonfiction about the mountain lion’s fight for survival in the United States, and trying to puzzle out why they attack people. They don’t attack us often. Driving home from work is more dangerous, by far, than walking in mountain lion country, but there’s just something about being eaten alive that chills the blood more than a car crash. Dead is dead, but method of getting there does count. Warning there are some very graphic descriptions of attacks on real people by cougars. Some of the people survive, some do not, and some are children. The one that actually made me cry the most was an adult female victim fighting to save her kids. Some of the stories are just heartbreaking, so be warned. There was also a lot about how the cougars are not doing so well as we build into their wilderness and make them cross roads to reach the next forest. A lot of them die slow deaths after being hit by cars, but no longer able to hunt. It was sad all the way around for the people who come up against cougars in a bad way, and for the cougars themselves just trying to figure out how to live in this new modern world. I learned new things about cougars in an interesting and entertaining manner, which I like in my nonfiction. I’ll hard scrabble if I really want to know something, but I prefer the writing to help me, not hinder me in learning. As a writer, myself, I can get pretty picky about other people’s writing styles. I enjoyed this book, and I’ve already purchased some of the books listed to learn more about mountain lions and their biology. Yes, this does probably mean down the road there will be a werecougar in one of my books, but then again, maybe I’ll just learn lots about cougars and it won’t go into a book. I’m still not sure, no character has come to mind, but I’m learning lots. One thing I didn’t know is that there have been some recent reports of cougars in my own home state of Missouri. Now that would be something to see in my own yard. I’d be both thrilled, and absolutely not turn my back on it, or God forbid run. The chase reflex is very strong in cougars, apparently, and I’m not going to out run it. Stand up tall, project that you are big and dangerous and move carefully for the house, use your cell phone to call for help from the house. We’ve got guns. We’ve got rifles. I would hesitate to shoot something so beautiful, but if it was a choice between me and it, I know what gets my vote. If that’s nonpolitc so be it, but this book left me with a very healthy respect for what these magnificent animals can do. I really enjoyed this book, but be warned, if you are weak of stomach, or tender of heart, steel yourself, or you may not be able to get through some of the chapters about real life attacks.

Opening Up by Tristan Taormino. Nonfiction about polyamorous relationships of all flavors. It’s a very even-handed book and explores not just the life style the author prefers but many alternatives some of which were new to me. I’ve been researching this for awhile because of the Anita and Merry books, so new to me was nice to know. The chapter on Jealousy in this book is well worth reading for anyone in a relationship even if they have no interest outside monogamy. I found that chapter alone to be one of the best breakdowns of what makes us jealous and the issues behind it that I’ve ever read. Very useful. I also find Opening Up to be better written, and more evenhanded about different types of polyamory than the book that most people will recommend to a newbie about it, which is, The Ethical Slut by Dossie Easton and Catherine A Liszt. I found that book to be interesting, but they seemed anti-male, and at least one of their “positive” stories about a woman’s first experience at a party smacked of coercion. She’d said, no, once, and they, other women pressured her. Just because she turned out to enjoy the lifestyle doesn’t mean that it was all that ethical, but that’s my opinion. The idea that woman can’t be aggressive or predatory, but men are, seems to be an undercurrent throughout the book, and I found that disturbing. Trust me women can be just as big a bastard as any man. Opening Up seems to be giving everybody, regardless of gender, a more equal share of both good and bad, and is covering a much wider range of what it might mean to someone to be nonmonogamous. It is the book I’m currently reading, actually. If by the end the writer does something I found not good I’ll blog it and let you know, but so far I’m very happy with it. I’m making notes as I read, and there’s nothing better for me than a reference book that makes me write notes along the way. That tells me I’m learning something, and getting new ideas, and learning more about myself. I think all books, fiction and nonfiction, should be about self discovery and not just cold facts, but again, that’s just how I look at books. Your mileage may vary.