Books

I added Tangled Up In Blue: Policing the American City to the side panel. It was a quick read, largely narrative of a law professor/public servant (such as in foreign policy roles) Rosa Brooks (whose mom is an old time lefty) becoming a reserve police officer in D.C. I like the idea of getting a more diverse group to be member of the modern day "militia," and even better if more members of the community served that role. The book is also referenced here. Compare another liberal blog with ten part series about there not being any good cops.

The book is divided between a section on the author thinking about it, training and then about half talking about her time as a new recruit. She ends with a more academic flourish, discussing her academic contribution involving giving the police a way to examine their role and other issues. The book provides some commentary on policing but is largely a narrative of her personal experience. The police comes off as mostly benign (if not always the system) with some questionable actors. You won't find any blatant abuse, except during training.

Meanwhile, had various false starts. A Kiss For Midwinter was something of a mix -- I skimmed the novella and it had some interest. The particular interest was to give the heroine (based on Lydia from Pride and Prejudice, at least her experience as a teen; Lydia in the book seems more flightly and the parents are different here) sexual agency. I was intrigued after reading this article by the author while she was a law student.