Check out these books to celebrate the U.S. Air Force's 65th birthday

Today, Sept. 18, is the United State’s Air Force’s 65th birthday.

Originally part of the U.S. Army, the Air Force was formed as a separate branch of the U.S. military on Sept. 18,1947. Today, it remains the world’s most technologically sophisticated air force.

To salute my friends and family who are (or have been) a part of the Air Force, I present to you today the 2012 USAF Chief of Staff Air Force Reading List.

The list was compiled to “inform, analyze, inspire and educate,” according to the U.S. Air Force web site. Titles were selected “to inform readers about the history of the Air Force, analyze on-going conflicts and their relevancy to the future, inspire readers with success stories and provide lessons learned from conflicts.”

Without further ado, here’s this year’s list:

"Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure" by Tim Harford

"Airpower for Strategic Effect" by Colin Gray

"Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

"A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent" by Robert Merry

"The Forever War" by Dexter Filkins

"Freedom Flyers: The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II" by J. Todd Moye

"The Hunters" by James Salter

"Paradise Beneath Her Feet" by Isobel Coleman

"The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers" by Richard McGregor

"Physics of the Future" by Michio Kaku

"Start with Why" by Simon Sinek

"Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption" by Laura Hillenbrand

"The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution" by Linda Monk

The Air Force Professional Reading Program was created a number of years ago “to develop a common frame of reference among Air Force members – officers, enlisted and civilians – to help each of us become better, more effective advocates of air and space power.”

In addition to the books mentioned above, a number of other titles have been recommended over the years including the following books:

- 10 Propositions Regarding Air Power by Phillip S. Meilinger

- 1776 by David McCullough

- The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One by David Kilcullen

- Afghanistan: A Short History of its People and Politics by Martin Ewans

- Air Force Roles and Missions: a History by Warren A. Trest

- Airpower Against Terror: America's Conduct of Operation Enduring Freedom by Benjamin Lambeth

- Air Power: The Men, Machines, and Ideas that Revolutionized War, From Kitty Hawk to Gulf War II by Stephen Budiansky

- The Air War: 1939-1945 by Richard J. Overy

- The All Americans by Lars Anderson (2005)

- American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day by Robert Coram

- America: The Last Best Hope Vol I, From an Age of Discovery to a World at War by William J. Bennett

- America: The Last Best Hope Vol II, From a World at War to the Triumph of Freedom by William J. Bennett

- At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor by Gordon Prange

- Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson

- Beating Goliath: Why Insurgencies Win by Jeffrey Record

- Beyond Horizons: A Half Century of Air Force Space Leadership by David N. Spires

- Billy Mitchell: Crusader for Air Power by Alfred F. Hurley

- Bury Us Upside Down by Rich Newman and Don Shepperd

- Cataclysm: General Hap Arnold and the Defeat of Japan by Herman S Wolk (2010)

- Chennault: Giving Wings to the Tiger by Martha Byrd

- Contemporary Nuclear Debates: Missile Defense, Arms Control, and Arms Races in the Twenty-First Century by Alexander Lennon

- Could Never Be So Lucky Again: An Autobiography of General James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle Gen. Doolittle with Carrol V. Glines

- Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice by David Galula

- Courage and Air Warfare: The Allied Aircrew Experience in the Second World War by Mark K. Wells

- The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror by Bernard Lewis

- Cyberdeterrence and Cyberwar by Martin C. Libicki

- Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It by Richard Clarke and Robert Knake (2010)

- Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of The Berlin Airlift June 1948 - May 1949 by Richard Reeves

- Descent Into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid (2008)

- The Dream Palace of the Arabs by Fouad Ajami

- Eddie Rickenbacker: An American Hero in the Twentieth Century by W. David Lewis

- Empire by Default: The Spanish-American War and the Dawn of the American Century by Ivan Musicant

- Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917-1945 by David E. Johnson

- Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds by Robin Olds, Christina Olds and Ed Rasimus (2010)

- A Fiery Peace in a Cold War: Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon by Neil Sheehan

- The First Heroes: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid, America's First World War II Victory by Craig Nelson

- First Light by Geoffrey Wellum

- The Foreigner's Gift by Fouad Ajami

- Forgotten Continent: The Battle for Latin America's Soul by Michael Reid

- From Babel to Dragomans: Interpreting the Middle East by Bernard Lewis

- General George Washington: A Military Life by Edward G. Lengel

- Gods of Tin by James Salter

- Guardians of the Revolution: Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs by Ray Takeyh

- A History of Air Warfare by John A. Olsen

- A History of the American People by Paul Johnson

- A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani

- The Influence of Air Power upon History by Walter J. Boyne

- In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan by Seth Jones

- Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot by Starr Smith

- John Warden and the Renaissance of American Air Power by John A. Olsen

- Last Chance for Victory: Robert E. Lee and the Gettysburg Campaign by Scott Bowden and Bill Ward

- The Last Days of Innocence: America At War 1917-1918 by Meirion and Susie Harries

- Leading Change by John P. Kotter

- Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation by James P. Womack and David T. Jones

- Learning Large Lessons: The Evolving Roles of Ground Power and Air Power in the Post-Cold War Era by David E. Johnson

- Lemay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis Lemay by Warren Kozak

- Locating Air Force Base Sites: History's Legacy, edited by Frederick J. Shaw

- The Lost Peace: Leadership in a Time of Horror and Hope, 1945-1953 by Robert Dallek (2010)

- Louis Johnson and the Arming of America: The Roosevelt and Truman Years by Keith D. McFarland and David L. Roll

- MacArthurs's Airman: General George C. Kenney and the War in the Southwest Pacific by Thomas E. Griffith

- Making Twenty-First-Century Strategy: An Introduction to the Modern National Security Processes and Problems by Dennis M. Drew and Donald M. Snow

- Master of Airpower: General Carl A. Spaatz by David R. Mets

- Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller

- Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2000 Years by Bernard Lewis

- Modern Strategy by Colin S. Gray

- Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power by Robert Kaplan (2010)

- Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda by Sean Naylor

- One Day Too Long: Top Secret Site 85 and the Bombing of North Vietnam by Timothy Castle

- On Nuclear Terrorism by Michael Levi

- On the Edge of Earth: The Future of American Space Power by Steven Lambakis

- Partners in Command: George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower in War and Peace by Mark Perry (2007)

- The Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America by Ken Pollack

- The Philippine War, 1899-1902 by Brian McAllister Linn

- A Question of Loyalty: Gen. Billy Mitchell and the Court-Martial that Gripped the Nation by Douglas Waller

- Red Eagles: America’s Secret MIGs by Steve Davies (2008)

- The Return of History and the End of Dreams by Robert Kagan (2008)

- Rivals: How the Power Struggle between China, India and Japan will Shape our Next Decade by by Bill Emmott

- The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power by Max Boot

- Secrets of Special Ops Leadership: Dare the Impossible; Achieve the Extraordinary by William Allen Cohen (2008)

- Seven Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the 21st Century by Andrew Krepinevich

- Sir John Fisher's Naval Revolution by Nicholas A. Lambert

- Technology Horizons: A Vision for the Air Force Science and Technology by Dr. Werner Dahm (2006)

- Thinking about America's Defense: An Analytical Memoir by Glenn A. Kent

- Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (2007)

- Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign that Won the Revolution by Richard M. Ketchum

- Victory on the Potomac: The Goldwater-Nichols Act Unifies the Pentagon by James R. Locher III

- Why Air Forces Fail: The Anatomy of Defeat by Robin Higham and Stephen J. Harris

- Winged Defense: The Development and Possibilities of Modern Air Power Economic and Military by William Mitchell

- Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century by P.W. Singer

In the end, how many of these books have you read? What did you think about them? Which did you like or dislike? Which would you recommend and why? Let us know in the comments section below.

Daily Weather Observations for Tues., Sept. 18, 2012

Temp: 71.1 degrees F (21.7 degrees C)

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.9 inches

Humidity: 85 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Mostly cloudy and very dark; birds audible and visible; cows audible; dew on the ground; security lights still on; standing water in the yard from yesterday's rains.

Winds: 5.3 mph hour out of the West-Southwest.

Barometric Pressure: 29.29 inHg.

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.9 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 5.5 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 58.75 inches

Local Weather Alerts: Local pollen alert in effect.

Alabama River Stage at Claiborne Lock and Dam (gage height in feet):
Today: 7.36 feet
Yesterday: 6.08 feet
Change: +1.28 feet
Flood Stage: 42.0 feet

NOTES: Today is the 261st day of 2012 and the 91st day of Summer. There are 104 days left in the year. Today is World Water Monitoring Day.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.

BUCKET LIST UPDATE – No. 498: Watch every episode of 'Twin Peaks'

I scratched another item off my bucket list on Sunday when I finally finished watching every episode of “Twin Peaks,” in order from start to finish.

This hit TV series ran for two seasons on ABC, airing between April 8, 1990 and June 10, 1991. I was in junior high school back then and didn’t watch the show at the time. Over the years, because of all that I’d heard and read about the show, the urge to watch the entire series became overpowering. Thanks to NetFlix, I recently watched the entire series from start to finish in the comfort of my living room.

The entire series included 30 episodes and followed the investigation into the murder of Laura Palmer. Palmer was the homecoming queen in the small town of Twin Peaks, Washington. The show’s main character is FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, who was played by Kyle MacLachlan. The events in the show are set in the year 1989 and each individual episode typically represents one day in the chronology of events. The show was part mystery, part crime drama and included elements of the supernatural, horror and science fiction.

In addition to MacLachlan, the show’s cast included a number of names that should sound familiar. The cast included Lara Flynn Boyle, Piper Laurie, Heather Graham, Sheryl Lee, Peggy Lipton, Chris Isaak, Kiefer Sutherland, David Bowie, David Duchovny, Billy Zane, Molly Shannon and Frank Silva. The show was created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. Lynch, who also played FBI Regional Bureau Chief Gordon Cole on the show, directed most of the series, but not every episode. Other directors included Diane Keaton, James Foley, Jonathan Sanger, Tim Hunter and Uli Edel.

To say that the show was successful would be an understatement. It won top honors for Best TV Series (Drama) at the 48th Golden Globe Awards. The show was nominated for 14 awards during the 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards and four awards the following year. In 2002, TV Guide ranked “Twin Peaks” at No. 45 on its list of “Top 50 Television Programs of All Time,” and in 2007 TIME magazine ranked “Twin Peaks” No. 9 on its list of “100 Best TV Shows of All Time.”

I really enjoyed watching the entire series from start to finish. I was somewhat familiar with the show, but each episode was basically new material for me. Thanks to the show's nostalgic elements, it felt like a trip down memory lane. It’s obvious to me that the show had a huge impact on shows like “The X-Files," which I'm also a huge fan of.

In the end, I enjoyed scratching another item off my bucket list. How many of you are fans of “Twin Peaks”? How many of you watched the series when it originally aired on television? How many of you can say that you've seen every episode? Who was your favorite character? What did you think about the way the series ended? Let us know in the comments section below.

Yesterday's News from The Evergreen Courant for Sept. 17, 2012

ONE YEAR AGO
SEPT. 15, 2011

“Jeff Daniels of Evergreen became to first Conecuh County resident to ever ‘thru-hike’ the world famous Appalachian Trail when he completed the 2,181-mile trek on Monday.
“Daniels, 53, reached the peak of 5,268-foot-tall Mount Katahdin in Maine on Monday at around 9:45 a.m., officially setting foot on the terminus of the trail, which begins over 2,000 miles away in Springer Mountain, Ga.
“Daniels began his trip on March 13 and said he was pleased to finish on Sept. 12, which means he’ll always be able to say that he finished the trip in less than six months.
“The trail, commonly referred to as the ‘AT,’ is arguably the most famous hiking trail in the world. The trail passes through 14 states, including Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.”

“Evergreen Discount Pharmacy held their grand opening and ribbon cutting this past Friday and a large crowd was on hand for the event. The new pharmacy is located on West Front Street in the old Movie Gallery location.”

“Nine motorists were injured in nine automobile accidents during the past week on Conecuh County roadways, including four people who were hurt Monday afternoon in a crash on Interstate 65.”

16 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 19, 1996

“The Conecuh County Heritage Day Committee is busy making plans for the 16th Annual Conecuh Heritage Day to be held Sat., Oct. 19, in downtown Evergreen. Members of the committee are Sherry Morgan, Pam Brock, Debbie Matthews, Lisa Jones, Veronica Lambert (chairperson), Amy Brown and Cheryl Johnston. Heritage Day is an annual event sponsored by the Evergreen-Conecuh County Chamber of Commerce. The Heritage Day Committee works on plans for Heritage Day all year long and they have been meeting regularly since early March to make sure this year’s Heritage Day is once again a huge success.”

“A crowd of over 150 came by for the ribbon cutting and open house at the new Jolando’s Styles by Ken Tuesday afternoon. Ken Fussell is shown cutting the ribbon for the store located on Highway 31 South next to Baggett’s Furniture.”

“A press conference held last Thursday morning at 9 a.m. at Evergreen City Hall announced a $1 million sewer expansion to be started in the coming weeks.
“The areas affected by the project will include: Highway 83 past the Evergreen Inn to the city limits; Wild Avenue; Old Greenville Road to the city limits; Highway 84/31 to the city limits; and the replacement of the system on the Brooklyn Road that has caused problems in recent years because of its age.
“The project will serve 94 homes and approximately 252 citizens.”

31 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 17, 1981

“Weatherman Earl Windham reports only a trace (.02 of an inch) of rain on Sept. 7, but he did let folks enjoy some nice cool nights.”

“Members of the Conecuh County Rescue Squad exhibited the newly-acquired ‘Jaws of Life’ at the big Labor Day Celebration held Sat., Sept. 5, at the new Evergreen Municipal Park.”

“Johnny Hagood Fussell, respected and popular young local businessman, died early Saturday morning of an apparent heart seizure at his home, 106 Hilltop Drive. He was 47. He was owner-operator of Fussell’s Texaco Service and a member of a well known and respected local family.”

“Evergreen Chief of Police Ed Bundy’s office reports that during the period from Sept. 1 through Sept. 14 that officers answered 45 complaints, made 31 arrests, worked seven accidents and three fires, rendered 57 assists and four eight business doors open.”

“The big Labor Day Celebration held at Evergreen’s new Municipal Park on Sat., Sept. 5, was a huge success with an estimated 2,500 people attending during the day.
“Those attending enjoyed the display of pheasants and pigeons by Walter Overby, special breeds of chickens by Minnie Lee Brooks and a grey fox by Tommy Hall. The girls scouts displayed and sold arts and crafts which they had made.
“Participants in the amateur talent contest were Donnie Harden Jr., Mitch Crutchfield, Johnetta Johnson and Robin McComb.”

46 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 15, 1966

“You could feel the heat all the way across on West Front Street from this fire which destroyed the old building of Knud Nielsen Co. on Cemetery Avenue last Thursday afternoon. The fire started in a machine used to paint pine cones, exploding and spread rapidly. Firemen, with the aid of a timely rain, were able to keep the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. Knud Nielsen Jr., president of Knud Nielsen Co., estimated the loss at $60,000 to $75,000.”

“This iguana was a long way from home and caused some consternation when discovered in a local residence on Magnolia Avenue Sunday afternoon. The big lizard measured 29 inches from nose to tip of tail, according to Leon Adams, who killed it with a baseball bat. The mystery of just how this creature, which usually inhabits the western desert areas, came to be in Evergreen was cleared up when two local youths said they brought it back from a trip out West as a pet, and it later got away.”

“Marine Officer Candidate Charles M. Croft, son of Mrs. Helen H. Croft of 914 N. Main St., Evergreen, a student at Huntingdon College at Montgomery, has been graduated from the junior class of the Quantico Marine Corps School’s summer Platoon Leaders Class.
“The program, which leads to a commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve upon completion of two six-week summer training periods and graduation from college, is designed to provide the Marine Corps with an orderly influx of trained young officers.”

61 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 20, 1951

“Wilbert F. Brooks, age 63, prominent citizen of near Owassa was struck and instantly killed by Train Number One at Owassa Friday, Sept. 14. It is believed that he either fell or was stricken ill while crossing the track, though the exact facts are not known.
“Mr. Brooks was a valued employee of the L&N Railroad Co. and had been for many years. He was a telegraher.”

“Cemetery Avenue has been opened through to Main Street it is announced by the city. The avenue was formerly a dead end street. The street runs out of East Front Street and comes out in front of the high school. Its opening should help relieve congestion after football games.”

“Twenty-five Conecuh County soldiers who went on active Army duty in January when Battery ‘C,’ 117th Field Artillery Battalion, county National Guard outfit, was called into regular service have been transferred to the Far East Command.
“Some of the soldiers have already gone overseas, most of them reporting to Japan, while others are now at Ft. Lawton in Seattle, Wash., awaiting shipment or are home on leave. The group includes 20 enlisted men and five officers.”
The enlisted men were Dempsy Coburn, David E. Salter, Clarence E. Gladwell, William C. Clark, Erbie S. Johnson, Robert L. Carter, Robert B. Johnston Jr., Alton E. Cook, Johnny R. Stowers, Harold E. Robison, Levon Raines, Melvin W. Traweek, Bonnie R. Brantley, Harold J. Crawford, Austin R. Alexander, Horace A. Sullivan, James W. Hawsey, John H. Johnson, John L. Shoemaker and John L. Watts.
The officers were Leon A. Salter, Robert E. Knight, James R. Moorer Jr., Robert W. Bartlett and Leslie Hall.

Daily Weather Observations for Mon., Sept. 17, 2012

Temp: 70.3 degrees F (21.3 degrees C)

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.0 inches

Humidity: 83 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Mostly cloudy; birds and bees audible; dew on the ground; some security lights still on in the distance.

Winds: 0.0 mph (No wind)

Barometric Pressure: 29.45 inHg.

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.0 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 4.6 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 57.85 inches

Local Weather Alerts: Local pollen alert in effect.

Alabama River Stage at Claiborne Lock and Dam (gage height in feet):
Today: 6.08 feet
Yesterday: 7.48 feet
Change: -1.40 feet
Flood Stage: 42.0 feet

NOTES: Today is the 260th day of 2012 and the 90th day of Summer. There are 105 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.

Clive Cussler's new book 'The Tombs' debuts on fiction best-sellers list

It’s Sunday, so that means that it’s time for my weekly breakdown of this week’s Publishers Weekly Best-Seller List. According to the list, there are three new books at the top of the four major best-sellers lists this week.

"Zoo" by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge replaced "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn as the No. 1 book on the hardcover fiction best-sellers list.

"No Easy Day" by Mark Owen replaced "Obama's America: Unmaking the American Dream" by Dinesh D'Souza as the top book on the hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list.

"Red Mist" by Patricia Cornwell replaced "Zero Day" by David Baldacci as the top book on the mass market paperback best-sellers list.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” by E.L. James retained its place atop the trade paperbacks best-sellers list for the 23rd week in a row.

There are six books on this week’s hardcover fiction best-sellers list that weren’t on that list last week. They (along with their place on the list) include "Zoo" by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge (1), "The Time Keeper" by Mitch Albom (2), "The Tombs" by Clive Cussler (4), "Garment of Shadows" by Laurie R. King (7), "NW" by Zadie Smith (8) and "Clockwork Angels: The Novel" by Kevin J. Anderson (14).

There are seven books on this week’s hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They include "No Easy Day" by Mark Owen (1), "Happier at Home" by Gretchen Rubin (4), "Eat More of What You Love" by Marlene Koch (9), "Fresh Air" by Chris Hodges (10), "The Secret Race" by Tyler Hamilton (11), "Greate" by Steven Furtick (12) and "How Children Succeed" by Paul Tough (13).

There are four books on this week’s mass market paperbacks best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They include "Red Mist" by Patricia Cornwell (1), "The Race" by Clive Cussler (6), "The Lost Night" by Jayne Castle (8) and "Fall of Giants" by Ken Follett (12).

There was only one new book on this week’s trade paperbacks best-sellers list that wasn’t on the list last week - "The Marriage Plot” by Jeffrey Eugenides, which appeared in the No. 11 spot on that list.

As a reminder, I’m posting these lists each Sunday because they, as a whole, represent a great, contemporary recommended reading list. These lists are initially released each week on Thursday, and if you’re interested in reading them then, visit Publishers Weekly’s Web site at www.publishersweekly.com. Below you’ll find all four of this week’s best-seller lists.

HARDCOVER FICTION
1. "Zoo" by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
2. "The Time Keeper" by Mitch Albom
3. "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
4. "The Tombs" by Clive Cussler
5. "The Inn at Rose Harbor: A Novel" by Debbie Macomber
6. "Last to Die" by Tess Gerritsen
7. "Garment of Shadows" by Laurie R. King
8. "NW" by Zadie Smith
9. "Bone Are Forever" by Kathy Reichs
10. "Friends Forever" by Danielle Steel
11. "Where We Belong" by Emily Giffin
12. "Odd Apocalypse" by Dean R. Koontz
13. "The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman
14. "Clockwork Angels: The Novel" by Kevin J. Anderson
15. "The Beautiful Mystery" by Loise Penny

HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. "No Easy Day" by Mark Owen
2. "Obama's America: Unmaking the American Dream" by Dinesh D'Souza
3. "The Amateur" by Edward Klein
4. "Happier at Home" by Gretchen Rubin
5. "Killing Lincoln" by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
6. "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed
7. "The Power of the Prophetic Blessing" by John Hagee
8. "Mortality" by Christopher Hitchens
9. "Eat More of What You Love" by Marlene Koch
10. "Fresh Air" by Chris Hodges
11. "The Secret Race" by Tyler Hamilton
12. "Greate" by Steven Furtick
13. "How Children Succeed" by Paul Tough
14. "Paterno" by Joe Posnanski
15. "American Sniper" by Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice

MASS MARKET PAPERBACKS
1. "Red Mist" by Patricia Cornwell
2. "Zero Day" by David Baldacci
3. "Kill Shot" by Vince Flynn
4. "I Left My Heart" by Debbie Macomber
5. "77 Shadow Street" by Dean R. Koontz
6. "The Race" by Clive Cussler
7. "Where Azaleas Bloom" by Sherryl Woods
8. "The Lost Night" by Jayne Castle
9. "Blue Skies" by Robyn Carr
10. "Stranger in the Moonlight" by Jude Deveraux
11. "Mysterious" by Nora Roberts
12. "Fall of Giants" by Ken Follett
13. "Don't Blink" by James Patterson
14. "Alex Cross" by James Patterson
15. "The Ugly Duchess" by Eloisa James

TRADE PAPERBACKS
1. "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E.L. James
2. "Fifty Shades Darker" by E.L. James
3. "Fifty Shades Freed" by E.L. James
4. "Bared to You" by Sylvia Day
5. "The Best of Me" by Nicholas Sparks
6. "Beautiful Disaster: A Novel" by Jamie McGuire
7. "The Shoemaker's Wife" by Adriana Trigiani
8. "To Heaven And Back" by Mary C. Neal
9. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
10. "11/22/63" by Stephen King
11. "The Marriage Plot" by Jeffrey Eugenides
12. "Seven Years to Sin" by Sylvia Day
13. "Farenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
14. "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
15. "In the Garden of Beasts" by Erik Lawson

In the end, let me know if you’ve had a chance to read any of these books. What did you think about them? Which would you recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.

Daily Weather Observations for Sun., Sept. 16, 2012

Temp: 70.7 degrees F (21.5 degrees C)

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.0 inches

Humidity: 82 percent (Humid)

Conditions: Partly cloudy; birds and bees audible and visible; cows audible; dew on the ground; some security lights still on in the distance; jet contrails visible; mushrooms visible in the grass.

Winds: 0.0 mph (No wind)

Barometric Pressure: 29.58 inHg.

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.0 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 4.6 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 57.85 inches

Local Weather Alerts: Local pollen alert in effect.

Alabama River Stage at Claiborne Lock and Dam (gage height in feet):
Today: 7.48 feet
Yesterday: 8.25 feet
Change: -0.77 feet
Flood Stage: 42.0 feet

NOTES: Today is the 259th day of 2012 and the 89th day of Summer. There are 106 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.