Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump - and Democrats from Themselves

by Rick Wilson

Hennepin County Library hardcover 308 pages plus notes and index

Published: 2020

Genre: Non-fiction, politics

I'm not typically a "quitter" when it comes to books, but after being on the waiting list for many months and finally getting this book, I'm returning it to the library while I'm only on page 96. I've already had it renewed at least once by the library and there are a lot of other people waiting for it. I was curious to read what a "Republican strategist" had to say about Trump, but I'm not curious enough to make finishing this a priority.

Wilson is crude and informal in this book. In addition to lots of swearing, he writes in a conversational tone (something I typically enjoy). 

Mumbling through teleprompter speeches one moment and veering off the next moment into wild ad-libs of stream-of-consciousness blurting, Trump is a shadow of even his 2016 self. We all know that cognitive decline is, tragically, a one-way street. 

Don't forget, kids: The crazy racist uncle act isn't an act . . . and he still controls America's nuclear arsenal.

Sleep tight!

If this were an Al Franken-type comedic take on the presidency, it would be different. I expected something a bit more intellectual and less edgy.

Another thing that bothered me were the theoretical tweets between chapters. Some were titled as "Tweets from Donald Trump's Second Term" and were basically fear-mongering (as far as I can tell. Or comedy? Again, the tone of this book was too crude for me.)

To be clear - I strongly disliked President Trump and I am incredibly glad he did not win reelection! I just didn't expect Wilson's book to be so extremely ugly. 

 

I have to admit, though, that there were times I completely agreed with both what and how Wilson expressed his displeasure with Trump. On page 14, I tagged this:

Donald Trump is a terrible, horrible, no-good president. He'll go down in history with asterisks next to his name for endemic corruption, outrageous stupidity, egregious cruelty, and inhumanity, for diminishing the presidency and the nation, and for being a lout with a terrible wig. But he's trapped, desperate, and will do anything - and I mean anything - to win.

 

This book was written well before the election, and certainly before the Jan. 6, 2021 certification (with it's stunning insurrection at the Capitol) and it is eerie and disconcerting to read that last sentence now.

Wilson makes it clear that his dislike for Trump is greater than his identity as a Republican on page 16.

I'm going to tell you these things not merely because I loathe the damage Trump is doing to our nation, or because I think your policies are good for America. If Democrats win, I'm going to hate it rather a lot. 

But there's more at stake than political and ideological preference now. 

I'm doing this because the party I worked for, fought for, and sweated over for thirty years didn't just abandon people like me who couldn't stand Trump; they're putting the entire American experiment at risk. I'm telling you this because Trump and his enablers shredded every ideological predicate that drew me to conservatism and the Republican Party - the old-fashioned stuff like following the Constitution and the rule of law, limits on state power, tradition, honesty, decency, and sanity.

 

 

Throughout the part of the book I read, he addresses Democrats directly. I don't identify with party affiliation. But he also brags about all the dirty tactics he used to defeat Democrats and get Republicans elected. I dislike politics. I dislike the uglier aspects of human nature. I have lots of other books to read.

A Man of His Own

by Susan Wilson
Scott County Library hardcover 356 pages
genre: historical fiction, awesome dog story

I saw someone reading this and snapped a picture of the cover. Here's the blurb off Amazon (and the cover for the paperback is a German Shepherd pup sitting below a man's legs):

Rick Stanton was a promising professional baseball player with dreams of playing in the major leagues and starting a family with his young wife, Francesca, when World War II changed everything. Rick returns from the war with his body broken and his dreams shattered. But it was not just body and spirit he sacrificed for the war. He and Francesca volunteered their beloved dog, Pax, for the Army's K-9 Corp, not knowing if they'd ever see him again.

Keller Nicholson is the soldier who fought the war with Pax by his side, and the two have the kind of profound bond that can only be forged in war. Pax is the closest Keller has to a sense of family, and he can't bear the thought of returning him to the Stantons. But Rick and Francesca refuse to give him up. Instead, an arrangement is made: Keller will work as Rick's live-in aide. And thus an unlikely family is formed, with steadfast Pax at the center. As they try to build a new life out of the ashes, Keller and Francesca struggle to ignore their growing attraction to each other, and Rick, believing that he can no longer give Francesca what she needs and wants, quietly plans a way out.

All three of them need healing. All three of them are lost. And in Susan Wilson's A Man of His Own, Pax, with his unconditional love and unwavering loyalty, may be the only one who can guide them home.

What I loved:

• Pax, of course! Dogs are awesome and I'm quite partial to GSDs . . . my favorite breed.
• Not being sure where the story was going. I don't want to put any spoilers here, so I'll just say that I wasn't sure of how it would end. That said, I'm not at all shocked at the ending. You'll just have to read it yourself! 

What I didn't love:

• The author skips over so much of the characters' storylines. It was a bit disconcerting to go from the flirting of Rick and Francesca to him shipping out for war. There were many places where a storyline of several months or years were compressed into a few sentences . . . 
• The way Rick treated Francesca after his war injury. I'm a bit surprised she put up with it, but then I'm not that sweet and patient. 

Apparently, this author has written a lot of dog stories. Not sure if I'll track down more of them or not. I have a lot of books to read right now!

The Illustrated Mum

by Jacqueline Wilson
PRMS hardcover 282 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

This book is in great shape, but I don't think it's ever been checked out of my collection. Pretty sure I'll weed it. Besides the British slang / terms, it's a really sad story about two girls - Star and Dolphin - being "raised" by a mom who is mentally ill. Marigold has manic states, bouts with alcohol, goes off with strange men for days at a time, doesn't provide for her children.

Dolphin is younger and befriends Oliver at school. She can be fierce, but is actually a very scared little girl. Star has taken care of her for most of her life, but now that Star's dad is back in the picture, Dolphin is left with Marigold. Who goes off the deep end.

Such a sad book! And even more sad - there are kids who live this kind of life. With a copyright date of 1999 and few (if any) checkouts, this one goes.

"Illustrated" mum is in reference to all of Marigold's tattoos, which she gets whenever inspiration strikes her, even if she can't be bothered to buy food for her children.

Ms. Marvel

story by Willow Wilson
art by Adrian Alphona and Jacob Wyatt
Hennepin County Library hardcover unpaged
genre: YA superhero graphic novel

At first, I didn't care for this book. But it quickly became a story I couldn't put down and decided I *must* buy for my school. Sixteen-year-old Kamala Khan sees herself as a Jersey City girl, not a Pakistani who does what her parents want. She loves superheros, gaming, and being independent. When she becomes Ms. Marvel and tries to do the right thing, she has some classic coming-of-age moments in the midst of the action adventure against "The Inventor" (aka Birdman). Great story!

Leepike Ridge

by N.D. Wilson
PRMS paperback 224 pages

Tom doesn't like his mom's boyfriend. When he rides a large styrofoam "raft" on the river, he actually falls asleep and ends up sucked under a ridge into the mountain. Missing and presumed dead, Tom just wants to survive. First he lands on a beach-type area with a dead body. After locating the dead man's helmet, he begins to explore.

Filled with adventure, danger, and a little bit of mystery, this book kept me wanting to find out what happened.

Some of the passages were odd . . . like the author's opening on "onces."

100 Cupboards

by N.D. Wilson
Read by Russell Horton
Scott County Library, audiobook on CDs (6 hrs, 23 min.)

Interesting story. This is one I think I would've enjoyed more reading the text instead of listening, though Horton has a wonderful voice. The girl characters drove me batty! They were such brats. I just wanted Henry to knock his cousins down. The tone of the story was a little dark - kind of like Coraline in its creepiness, especially with the cupboard that led to Endor. Richard was a delightful character and Zeke provided a nice surprise at the end. I don't think I'll bother with the sequel, though. And I'm not sure about buying this title for school. Not sure if it would appeal to a very wide range of readers.