Even though Arizona has a different kind of autumn than I’m used to (and prefer) – no gray days or chilly, rainy nights to curl up with a Johnny Walker Red (1 ice cube, please) and a good book or video – the days are still getting shorter, and the lack of sun turns this man’s thoughts to everything Amazon – Amazon.com, that is.

(BTW, just thinking – is there any other retail industry besides music retail that’s been more transformed by the Internet than booksellers? I mean, I can’t even remember the last time I was in a bonafide bookstore, or a reason why I’d drive to a Borders or a Barnes & Noble to buy a book.)

Anyway, here’s what’s on my reading table and video agenda for the next few weeks:

* The Brothers Bulger, by Howie Carr. I’m currently working my way through this fast-paced and engaging history of politics, murder, mayhem, and corruption, Boston-style, by Boston’s popular conservative talk-host. This history of Billy Bulger (career politician) and his brother Whitey (a killer on the FBI’s most-wanted list) reads like an A&E City Confidential episode. All I can say is, after reading this book, I’ll never think of the FBI the same way ever again.

* America Alone, by Mark Steyn. I love Mark Steyn. Not only is he one of the most widely-read political commentators on the scene, but he’s not afraid to call things as he sees them. Here, he takes on the subject of anti-Americanism and the rapid Islamification of Old Europe, and its ultimate impact on America. Oughta be a good one.

* The Last Honest Place in America: Paradise and Perdition in the New Las Vegas, by Marc Cooper. The veteran journalist seeks to find out what makes “Sin City” thrive and tick the way it does through years of never-ending change. Just a little casual reading to whet the appetite for the Goodboys’ annual winter getaway weekend this coming February.

* Backstairs At The White House (DVD) – I’m really looking forward to seeing again via DVD this delightful mini-series from the late ’70s, which tells the story of eight successive Presidential administrations (Taft through Eisenhower) as seen through the eyes of the White House domestic staff. Based on the non-fiction book by Lillian Rogers Parks, I remember the characters as larger than life, and a joy to watch.

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One final thing – may I just say how much I enjoyed South Sea Tales by Jack London? It was simply one of the most enjoyable and enchanting collection of stories I have ever read. Even though the Hawai’i and the people and places he writes about are long since gone (they date from the early 20th century), the characters are unforgettable, and his prose as breezy as a tropical isle. If you’ve got your own trip to a paradise planned in the near future, or if you’re just looking for some escapist fare to pass the time on a chilly autumn day, I can’t recommend this book enough.