For the past week I've been on the couch up in my office trying to keep contagion from the rest of the house. I had a sneaky recurring sinus infection that finally made a nice home for this heavyweight flu that's going around. While fading in and out of consciousness, I read the book so many friends have recommended-- Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold.
Carter has a lot of the kind of research I like and makes fun connections between events of the early 20th century. It felt very similar to Michael Chabon's Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, which came out at the same time, if I recall. It makes sense that the authors are pals, Gold had a short story in the McSweeney's Thrilling Tales anthology that Chabon edited.
I just changed some content here, because I realized I was spoiling plot! Sorry.

Yesterday as I finished the book, I finally went to the doctor and got antibiotics to take out the infection, and with that gone, I should be able to use my rope-a-dope tactics on the flu. It speaks well of Carter that I made it all the way through.