Today's Blogging For Book review is for The First Family Detail by Ronald Kessler.
The First Family Detail is loaded from cover to cover with insider's stories of the first families along with details on how the secret service operates. There's a gossipy flavor to it, yet at the same time I couldn't stop turning the pages.
A few chapters in I got the feeling of a right-wing slant to the story telling as most of the Republican first families are depicted as kindhearted angels and the Democrats all seem to be aloof staffer's nightmares. I don't entirely believe this. Stories such as Joe Biden's wanting minimal security when he returns to Delaware is written to seem like he doesn't care about the safety of his office, while it could also be told to mean he is a man who wants to be as normal as possible when he leaves the White House behind.
The only thing I would change in the book is the chronological order of the chapters. I would've started with the earliest president's stories and ended with the Obama White House. But, beyond that little correction, the book is a juicy weekend read. History buff or not, you can't put it down.
Friday, August 14, 2015
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Second Street Station by Laurence H. Levy
I eagerly looked forward to diving into my latest BloggingForBooks offering called Second Street Station : A Mary Handley Mystery. Old fashioned words like "Delightful!" and "Marvelous!" come to mind when I started writing up this review.
The book takes place in the late 1880's when the central character - Mary Handley - is fired from her hat factory sweatshop and hired by the New York police department to help solve a murder.. Mary's a brash and sassy character who doesn't take the guff from the other guys on the force and sets out to prove herself as a detective like a 19th century Nancy Drew.
It's a real treat each time she encounters a famous person from the era like Edison, Tesla, J.P. Morgan, and the Pembertons from Coca Cola fame. It's a breath of fresh air from the past with an entertaining whodunit, fun characters, and an era perfect for escapism.
The last chapter gives a teaser for the next Mary Handley mystery which appears to take Mary to Chicago for a while although the title is Brooklyn Burning. It won't be released until spring of 2016, but it already has a spot on my To-Read list.
If you enjoyed this book, I think you would also enjoy a book called The Interpretation of Murder; which involves the historical characters of Dr.Freud and Carl Yung setting out to solve a murder in New York City.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Freedom's Child by Jax Miller
My latest review for BloggingForBooks is the novel Freedom's Child by Jax Miller and here we go...
The first few chapters of Freedom's Child set up the characters in the story: Rough-around-the-edges "Freedom" who is currently in witness protection for her association in her husband Mark's murder. Her bent-on-revenge brother-in-law who was just released from prison after eighteen years in being wrongly accused of his brother Mark's murder. Mark and Matthew's ne'er -do- well family who are also seeking revenge for Mark. And Mason and Rebekah, Freedom's birth children who were adopted by religious fanatics. Mason escapes the Third Day Adventists sect, but Rebekah stays with the family and has now gone missing.
These sets of characters come together in Goshen, Kentucky for a perfect storm. Mason is looking for his sister, Freedom is looking for her daughter (they both realize Rebekah has gone missing after her absence from Facebook) and Matthew and his family who are looking for Freedom.
I loved the drama of this novel. The back and forth between each of the characters storylines, the real twist in Mark's murder, and the fire and brimstone ending to the Third Day Adventists cult. No chapter in this book disappoints.
The first few chapters of Freedom's Child set up the characters in the story: Rough-around-the-edges "Freedom" who is currently in witness protection for her association in her husband Mark's murder. Her bent-on-revenge brother-in-law who was just released from prison after eighteen years in being wrongly accused of his brother Mark's murder. Mark and Matthew's ne'er -do- well family who are also seeking revenge for Mark. And Mason and Rebekah, Freedom's birth children who were adopted by religious fanatics. Mason escapes the Third Day Adventists sect, but Rebekah stays with the family and has now gone missing.
These sets of characters come together in Goshen, Kentucky for a perfect storm. Mason is looking for his sister, Freedom is looking for her daughter (they both realize Rebekah has gone missing after her absence from Facebook) and Matthew and his family who are looking for Freedom.
I loved the drama of this novel. The back and forth between each of the characters storylines, the real twist in Mark's murder, and the fire and brimstone ending to the Third Day Adventists cult. No chapter in this book disappoints.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Sayonara by James Michener
I'm actually reading this story out of an old 1950's Reader's Digest condensed. At first, I read the description and thought it might not be for me, then I shrugged that thought off quickly after the first chapter.
It's the story of a Korean war air force man, Ace Gruver, who asks to be sent to Japan where he plans to marry the American colonel's daughter. Before he does, he helps his friend to marry a Japanese woman, wondering to himself 'what could've gotten into the chap that would make him want to do such a thing,' only to find himself falling in love with the beautiful theater actress Hana-Ogi.
As of this moment, I'm not officially finished done with the story. I'm up to....The Tragic Part .I've just enjoyed the book so much I couldn't wait to recommend it.
This book was written back in 1953. Dig into the used book store or check Amazon. It's well worth it.
It's the story of a Korean war air force man, Ace Gruver, who asks to be sent to Japan where he plans to marry the American colonel's daughter. Before he does, he helps his friend to marry a Japanese woman, wondering to himself 'what could've gotten into the chap that would make him want to do such a thing,' only to find himself falling in love with the beautiful theater actress Hana-Ogi.
As of this moment, I'm not officially finished done with the story. I'm up to....The Tragic Part .I've just enjoyed the book so much I couldn't wait to recommend it.
This book was written back in 1953. Dig into the used book store or check Amazon. It's well worth it.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
The Shore by Sara Taylor
My latest Blogging For Books review is for The Shore by Sara Taylor.
The cover of this novel looks promising and the dust jacket description sounds interesting, but the book itself was a letdown.While the chapters are well written, each one feels like an individual story. As soon as I feel invested in the story, the next chapter switches to an entirely different one and it doesn't feel cohesive. For instance, chapter one is all about a little girl on the Chesapeake Bay coast overhearing about a man's recent murder. The end of the short story reveals the twist but it doesn't carry it on to the next chapter, it switches to a different girl's story about harnessing the wind with her hands and I'm still wondering about the history behind the murdered man in the swamp. It disconnects too quickly.
Overall, not my style of story telling. The back of the book likens this novel to David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which I was not a fan of either, if you've read Cloud Atlas you might enjoy this book more than I did. I was hoping for a more traditional murder mystery novel.
2 stars.
The cover of this novel looks promising and the dust jacket description sounds interesting, but the book itself was a letdown.While the chapters are well written, each one feels like an individual story. As soon as I feel invested in the story, the next chapter switches to an entirely different one and it doesn't feel cohesive. For instance, chapter one is all about a little girl on the Chesapeake Bay coast overhearing about a man's recent murder. The end of the short story reveals the twist but it doesn't carry it on to the next chapter, it switches to a different girl's story about harnessing the wind with her hands and I'm still wondering about the history behind the murdered man in the swamp. It disconnects too quickly.
Overall, not my style of story telling. The back of the book likens this novel to David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which I was not a fan of either, if you've read Cloud Atlas you might enjoy this book more than I did. I was hoping for a more traditional murder mystery novel.
2 stars.
Monday, May 4, 2015
What You Left Behind by Samantha Hayes
My latest Blogging For Books Review
What You Left Behind grabbed me from the first few pages. I was drawn into the plot and the characters so much so that every time I walked forby the book I wanted to stop and spend the rest of the afternoon with it.
This book features a mix of adult plots and YA plots, with off-duty detective Lorraine on a visit to her sister Jo's house. Jo's son is acting despondent and distracted and they wonder if it's tied to the recent suicides of local teens in their town. You soon find out these suicides are more than what's on the surface. Family relative Gil who 'sees everything' is a key player in the story. When no one else believes his artistic drawings of one of the accidents, Lorraine takes it seriously and the plot unravels from there.
I loved the subtle build up to the end, and the unique characters like Gil and Frank. The suspense was played out evenly through the novel so that each chapter left you wanting to know more.
What You Left Behind grabbed me from the first few pages. I was drawn into the plot and the characters so much so that every time I walked forby the book I wanted to stop and spend the rest of the afternoon with it.
This book features a mix of adult plots and YA plots, with off-duty detective Lorraine on a visit to her sister Jo's house. Jo's son is acting despondent and distracted and they wonder if it's tied to the recent suicides of local teens in their town. You soon find out these suicides are more than what's on the surface. Family relative Gil who 'sees everything' is a key player in the story. When no one else believes his artistic drawings of one of the accidents, Lorraine takes it seriously and the plot unravels from there.
I loved the subtle build up to the end, and the unique characters like Gil and Frank. The suspense was played out evenly through the novel so that each chapter left you wanting to know more.
Friday, April 10, 2015
John Shaw's Guide To Digital Nature Photography
My latest #BloggingForBooks selection is John Shaw's Guide To Digital Nature Photography. A complete guide for the photographer seeking technical advice to take the highest quality photographs.
At first glance, beginners will find all the information a bit overwhelming, but don't let it intimidate you. Take the chapters one at a time as you decide on what equipment to purchase. The book is not meant to be read from beginning to end like a novel.
The beautiful color photographs on the book's front cover are only the tip of the iceberg of the author's work. The book features an amazing collection of photographs with one to almost every page. They are an inspiration to take your photography hobby to the next level. And often they are examples of the type of techniques being described in their featured chapter.
Topics covered in this book are things such as composition or close-ups. Those topics are useful for any level of photographer, although they do get a bit too technical at times. The casual point-and-shoot photographer won't have a use for topics like wide angle zooms and horizontal angles. I would recommend this book mostly to those with a serious interest in photography or those who are looking to develop a serious interest.
At first glance, beginners will find all the information a bit overwhelming, but don't let it intimidate you. Take the chapters one at a time as you decide on what equipment to purchase. The book is not meant to be read from beginning to end like a novel.
The beautiful color photographs on the book's front cover are only the tip of the iceberg of the author's work. The book features an amazing collection of photographs with one to almost every page. They are an inspiration to take your photography hobby to the next level. And often they are examples of the type of techniques being described in their featured chapter.
Topics covered in this book are things such as composition or close-ups. Those topics are useful for any level of photographer, although they do get a bit too technical at times. The casual point-and-shoot photographer won't have a use for topics like wide angle zooms and horizontal angles. I would recommend this book mostly to those with a serious interest in photography or those who are looking to develop a serious interest.
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