Tag: What I'm Reading

Getting into the swing of things

The OT Savant

It’s taken a couple weeks, but I finally feel like I’m getting into the swing of this blogging thing, and gosh darn it if I don’t really enjoy it.

My 2025 started off a little slow on the reading and writing front, due partially to my work schedule picking up. As a Network Engineer specializing in Operations Technology (OT) and working at an electrical utility, the new year traditionally means new budgets, new projects, and dreaded ‘kick-off’ meetings. With three weeks of that now behind me, I was finally able to give some attention to the blogs last week. I’m glad I did.

In my short time here on WordPress I’ve been introduced to many friendly and talented writers whore are walking this writing path before or beside me. WordPress has really opened up a new world to me, and that world seems to be filled with stories and people who I admire and hope to connect with as I grow.

Firstly, a big thank you to anyone who is reading this or has read any of my posts. I’ve spent most of writing time on my Caregiving and Awareness blog New Lung Plz!. If you’ve never heard of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension or if you’d like to learn more about rare disease caregiving, I urge you to take a look.

The rest of my writing time has been spent over at my fictional short story blog, Heeled. It’s the first real story or set of stories that I’ve had the courage to share with anyone, even my wife and kids. My excitement continues to outweigh my anxiety and self-doubt, despite learning daily of mistakes I’m making. But I will continue to write even if its the worst piece of shit ever written, which it very well could be. I spent several weeks in December knocking out most of the short story content and I’ve been spending a little time each week editing chapters and uploading them. If you’re interested in prohibition-era crime fiction, I’d be honored to have you take a look.

Finally, I’ve also started reading from my list. I chose The Enfield Gang Massacre by Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips as my first book/graphic novel of 2025. I aim to finish reading this weekend and post a review early next week, so if you have any interest in that, stay tuned. I’ve always held a special place in my heart for Westerns and I owe that to my Father, who would have been 100 years old next month. When I visit my Mother each week, I dust off their collection of John Wayne collectible plates and we watch old reruns of Wagon Train. And when I lay my head down each night, it’s usually to the scratchy sounds of an old Gunsmoke! episode. So there it is, I love Westerns and I REALLY like what I’ve read so far in The Enfield Gang Massacre.

I know it’s just a wee little post, but it’s something! If you’ve taken the time to read it, thank you! I am hoping each of us has a productive and fulfilling week of reading, writing and learning.

Cheers,

Terry / PHind A Cure


Time to read

The OT Savant

Just like the post says, I’ve assembled a lineup of books to read in 2025, and I intend to get started today. The theme should be apparent, Organized Crime with an emphasis on the prohibition-era time period in America. My fascination with these subjects didn’t arrive by chance, they were cultivated.

My Father was born in 1925. He lived through the great depression, quit school in the seventh grade to get a job, and eventually served in World War 2 and Korea. After the war, he spent his years growing a family of seven and supporting it as a Teamster hauling freight up and down the West Coast. He was a simple man with simple hobbies. He liked Westerns and collected stamps, enjoyed working with wood and his bare hands and he preferred listening to baseball and football games over an AM radio crackling with static, rather than watching it on a nice big television. He would have been 100 years old this year. If he was still around, I think he’d enjoy the content I now love to consume.

So without further ado, I present to you my reading list for 2025 (so far). I’ve included fiction novels from the master himself, Max Allan Collins, along with engrossing and meticulously researched non-fiction by Collins, A. Brad Schwartz, and John J. Binder. There’s a healthy dose of graphic novels penned and illustrated by my favorite duo, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. And in honor of the old man, there’s even a Western thrown in. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I present to you my 2025 reading haul:

Lets go left to right and take it from the top, shall we?

The list will likely grow over the year, and it represents only what I intend to put my grubby little fingers on. I’m also an avid audiobook and podcast enjoyer, so I’ll be posting similar lists for those mediums as well, stay tuned for those if you’re interested. In the meantime, check out the list and let me know what you think!

Terry / PHind A Cure