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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
Ronrose has commented on (39) products
News of the World
by
Paulette Jiles
Ronrose
, January 06, 2016
Ex-Army Captain J. K. Kidd spends his retirement traveling the dusty roads of post Civil War Texas carrying the news to small settlements scattered throughout the state. He charges a dime a head admission as he reads the news from papers he has gathered from larger towns he has passed through. Most townsfolk welcome him, providing, for a small fee, the use of a church, a warehouse, a barn, or a barroom for his news starved audience to gather. It’s a lonely life, but this is about to change when he learns of a ten year old girl rescued from the Kiowa Indians after four years of captivity. The blonde haired girl apparently speaks no english and has no memory of being anything but Kiowa. Kidd reluctantly agrees to accept a fee to transport the girl south to San Antonio, where he once had his home and a family. The trail is long, hard, and full of dangers, alternating between raging rivers, dry dusty prairies, Indians, thieves, and other badmen wanting the girl for their own purposes. Add to this the girl’s rebelliousness and inclination to run off back to her Kiowa people soon lead Kidd to think he may have bitten off more than he can chew. An entertaining read based in part on true characters of the old West. Book provided for review by LibraryThing.
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Witch of Lime Street Seance Seduction & Houdini in the Spirit World
by
David Jaher
Ronrose
, July 19, 2015
This is a very detailed recounting of this nation’s and in fact most of Europe’s quest for proof of an afterlife following World War I. The death tolls of the war and the Spanish Influenza outbreak soon after, were staggering. Tens of millions died as a result. The grieving masses became obsessed with finding an answer to what, if anything, happened after death. Was death the final act or was there more, perhaps another world or dimension beyond death, where those millions who lost their lives lived on in a spiritual life. Mediums and spiritualists popped up around the world claiming to be able to contact the dead; for a price of course. Famous leaders as well as ordinary men on the street were caught up in the need to connect with the beyond. Such personages as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, believed unabashedly in the ability to contact the dead. His wife in fact practiced a form of communication called spirit writing, were she would write down messages transmitted from beyond the grave. On the other side of the question were the skeptics, most notably, Harry Houdini, the great magician and escape artist, who publicly called all such spiritualists frauds and fakers. He openly challenged any spiritualist or medium to show him a connection to or communication with the dead that he couldn’t prove was faked. Into the middle of this turmoil stepped a beautiful, young, seductive woman who was conducting seances in her high class Boston home. Mina Stinson Crandon, known simply as Margery, soon captured the focus of the nation, both believers and skeptics. This would culminate in a showdown of wills as well as skills between the Great Houdini and the Witch of Lime Street. As in any very detailed book, the story can sometimes become bogged down in a plethora of information. Book provided for review by Crown Publishing and Library Thing.
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Book Scavenger 01
by
Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Ronrose
, May 14, 2015
What’s a girl to do? Emily doesn’t have much she can call her own. Her Mom & Dad have free lance jobs that allow them to work from any location they choose. They have taken this freedom to heart. They are determined to have lived in each of the fifty states. They move Emily and her older brother, Matthew, wherever it pleases them to go. Emily knows her Dad’s favorite author is Jack Kerouac, who wrote, On The Road, back in the day. She believes he gets his inspiration for travel and freedom from this writer of the beat generation. Emily doesn’t seem to make friends at school easily. Perhaps she doesn’t want to make friends, knowing she may have to pack up and leave in the middle of a school year. Her one passion in life is the internet game, Book Scavenger. It appeared on the web about five years ago and Emily has been addicted to it ever since. Book lovers of all ages can play the game. Books are hidden all over the country by the web masters and the players. Players can gain cred & prizes by solving puzzles and finding hidden books or having their books found. This game is perfect for Emily, as books have always been her solace, substituting for her lack of friends as she moves from one location to another with her family. As her Mom and Dad set their sights on San Francisco as their next temporary home, Emily is thrilled. This is where Garrison Griswold, the creator of Book Scavenger has his headquarters. Emily has read that the next big puzzle challenge is about to begin. This may be Emily’s only chance to meet her hero, Mr. Griswold. Maybe that boy next door to her new home might even be interested in helping her. She would love to be the one to solve the next puzzle and claim the top prize. Challenges and prizes await those who dare. Great fun, lots of puzzles and action. Book provided for review by Henry Holt & Company.
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Valley
by
John Renehan
Ronrose
, January 16, 2015
An enigmatic mystery wrapped in a war story. The author masterfully conveys what it is like to be in the Army in a modern war. From the artificial normalcy of a secure base camp, to the baffling insanity in the middle of a hot war zone, the descriptions are spot on. The images of men under fire in combat, are powerful enough to take your breath away. It all starts as another annoying assignment for First Lieutenant Black, who is stuck in an office in secure base Omaha. But it turns out this assignment will take him into the field for a couple of days. He has to track down the facts surrounding a minor incident involving a run in between an Army patrol and some civilians. Warning shots were fired and a goat was killed. A goat. Surely this wouldn’t take long to investigate, but it did happen in the Valley. Not just any valley, but the Valley. The location is the farthest outpost of our troops, smack on the border of the country. Ops people consider it the Wild West. A lonely outpost in hostile territory, far from help. What could possibly go wrong? Everything! This book provided for review by the well read folks at Dutton Books.
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Fifty Year Silence Love War & A Ruined House in France
by
Miranda Richmond Mouillot
Ronrose
, October 22, 2014
A good book, stunning in it’s revelation of the human tragedy. Miranda Richmond Mouillot’s maternal grandparents haven’t spoken to each other for fifty years. The lure of this enigma draws the author inexorably into the search for answers. At some point surely, they must have loved one another. Why else marry and eventually give birth to Miranda’s mother, Angele. Both grandparents, Anna and Armand, found themselves Jewish refugees in Nazi occupied France during World war II. After evading capture and deportation to a concentration camp, the couple sought sanctuary in neutral Switzerland. Their marriage in 1944, did not work for very long. After the war, Anna would pursue her medical studies and practice apart from Armand. He found work as an interpreter at the Nuremberg Trials in Germany where many of the leading Nazis were brought to justice. Miranda is mesmerized by the fact that her grandfather, after enduring so much together with her grandmother during the war, cannot even hear Anna’s name without flying into a rage. Traveling to France, Miranda settles into an old medieval stone house that her grandmother, Anna, bought after leaving her husband. The ramshackle house reflects the current state of the relationship between Anna and Armand. Miranda resolves to rescue not only the house, but perhaps the relationship as well. If nothing else, she determines to solve the riddle of her grandparents breakup. Much heart warming emotion and love are evident in this book. It is well worth reading. This book provided for review by Crown Publishers.
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Painted Horses
by
Brooks, Malcolm
Ronrose
, July 31, 2014
This is a fantastic first novel. It’s a bit of the classic western, with lots of wild horses and open spaces. Yet it takes us down new trails that lead to unexpected, but exciting places. A young woman archeologist, Catherine LeMay, fresh from university and an opportune find in the war torn rubble that still defines parts of London 10 years after the end of World War ll. Catherine is now headed to the American West. The Smithsonian and a Montana power and light company are sponsoring her to search a remote canyon for archeological finds prior to a major dam construction project. Has she really been chosen for her scientific credits or has she been chosen because she is a young woman in a male dominated profession? A young woman who might be overwhelmed by the immensity of the job and easily manipulated to give the expected report? Catherine will prove as tough in her own way as the weathered cowboy she meets on her first day in Montana. John H. is as wild and weathered as the mustang he rides. He has another side, however, which Catherine discovers. He has turned a life long talent for painting into an homage for the horses he once caught and sold. John H. has a checkered past, but his love of the West and it’s wild horses is as true as his attraction to Catherine. Each will help the other to seek their goals, but there is much to overcome in a world now run by money and power. Book provided for review by Grove Press.
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From Radio to the Big Screen Hollywood Films Featuring Broadcast Personalities & Programs
by
Hal Erickson
Ronrose
, July 25, 2014
Mr Erickson gives us details of early radio shows that transitioned to the big screen. He takes one show at a time and gives a detailed picture of how the radio show came about as well as what lead to it's appearance on film. For the most part he does this without getting bogged down in the depths of gratuitous details. The stories he relates are informative and entertaining highlights not only of the stars, but also the creative people behind the scenes. Mr Erickson lets us know the factors that lead to the success or failure of these transitions. Many of the shows and stars highlighted are still well remembered, such as comedians Jack Benny and Bob Hope and shows such as Amos 'n Andy, The Life of Riley, The Shadow, and Ozzie and Harriet. Many other shows have faded from our memories like; Baron Munchausen, Myrt and Marge, Kay Kyser, and Scattergood Baines. The book is nicely illustrated with vintage photographs and posters. I have to admit to skipping around some of the more obscure subjects as they had no appeal to me, but the stories and nostalgia of many others made reading this a pleasant journey down memory lane. Book provided for review by McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers and LibraryThing.
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Enduring Courage Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker & the Dawn of the Age of Speed
by
John F Ross
Ronrose
, April 08, 2014
Perhaps you’ve read the glowing stories of Eddie Rickenbacker’s high flying adventures in World War I or his early career in the fledgling sport of auto racing on the dirt tracks of the mid-west. This biography takes in all of that, with the thrills, danger, and exciting details that it deserves. The book also goes beyond the glitter and the glory to the solid facts that shaped a boy into a man and a man into a legend. When Eddie was about fourteen yeas old, his father was shot and killed, in no small part because of the man’s volatile temper which manifested itself both outside and inside the home. Eddie seldom talked about this, preferring to gloss over this aspect of his life, when he quit school and assumed the role of the man of the family. His pluck, determination, and ability to adjust to traumatic situations would serve him well throughout his life, from the brickyard of Indianapolis, to the skies over France and the vast emptiness of the Pacific Ocean. Not many of us would have survived through half of the events in Eddie’s life. He lost many friends while driving the race car circuit. Accidents were routine in every race and often proved fatal to drivers and fans alike. Eddie had learned to hide his emotions at an early age and although the loss of his friends deeply disturbed him, he seldom showed any outward signs preferring instead to work harder to improve the safety of his machines and himself as a driver. This attitude would serve him well throughout his life. As the losses of pilots in WWI escalated at a horrific pace, Eddie worked harder to improve the planes and the fighting and piloting ability of his men. When Eddie proved to be the U. S.’s Ace of Aces, it wasn’t about the glory for Eddie, but about doing the best at what he did. This book provided for review by St. Martin’s Press and Shelf Awareness.
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Mission to Paris A Novel
by
Alan Furst
Ronrose
, February 13, 2014
Why, in late 1938, when tens of thousands of people are fleeing from Europe, is Frederic Stahl headed to Paris? For a film star like Stahl, working for Warner Brothers Studios, all it that matters is that Jack Warner wants him in France for a movie. What Jack Warner wants, Jack Warner gets. In the face of threats and bullying from Germany's Hitler, France and all of Europe is in turmoil. Many Parisians think it would be better to just give in and unify under Germany rather than fight another devastating war. Others would rather fight to the death than submit to the atrocities they already see spreading under Hitler's regime. Corruption and outside influence are quickly dividing an already shaky French government. Stahl, born in Austria and educated in Europe before finding his new name in American films, has always had a love for Paris. He looks forward to returning, but while the streets and sites are the same, the people and the political atmosphere have changed. Stahl is quickly swooped up by the provocateurs infesting Paris. He is pressured by German aristocrats and diplomats living in Paris, who see him as a possible sympathizer or perhaps a pawn to be used in this most dangerous game. The French also put pressure on him to join on one side or the other of the chasm dividing Paris. Stahl has to do his best to complete his movie while trying to decide whether to stay neutral like his new homeland America, or take sides, as his once beloved Paris changes around him. This flows like a well made early 1940's espionage film. You can just see picture it on a screen in black and white with a cast of international stars from one of the major film studio's list of contract players. It would be great to film it as an homage to the magnificent movies Hollywood used to make. Book provided for review by Random House Publishing.
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What the Tweet!? Write Funny One-Liners, Paraprosdokians, Quotations and Aphorisms for Twitter
by
Bill Liao and Deirdre Nuttall
Ronrose
, January 23, 2014
This is a fun filled, entertaining book that attempts to tell us how to communicate most effectively on Twitter. The key it seems is to use humor and most especially paraprosdokians. Try looking that one up in your dictionary. Better to use examples, which is what the book does. How about, "A fool and his money are soon elected" or "Never leave until tomorrow what you can easily forget right now". Paraprosdokians take common place sayings or beliefs and twist them to make us laugh or think. The book gives a great selection of these from many famous writers and personalities. After the authors immerse us in these, they give a very quick lesson on creating your own sayings to use to grab attention on social fronts such as Twitter. The authors state that with a little work anyone can accomplish this, but as Winston Churchill said, "If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong". There was a time when I felt I could reach out and touch the stars, now I'm lucky if I can touch my toes. Book provided for review by the authors.
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How the Light Gets in: Chief Inspector Gamache 9
by
Louise Penny
Ronrose
, January 05, 2014
Louise Penny continues to amaze. Starting with Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Mysteries, No. 1), through her latest, How the Light Gets In: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, Penny has proven to be a master at instilling emotions in her characters. From Chief Inspector Gamache & his nemesis Chief Superintendent Francoeur to the inhabitants of Three Pines, the characters come alive in this story of betrayal, hate, loyalty, and love. Armand investigates a murder of a very unique woman, while his superiors in the Surete du Quebec plot to end his career and possibly his life. If you haven't read any of Penny's books start now. If you are a fan, you've probably already ordered this one. Either way you won't be disappointed.
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Summer Morning Summer Night
by
Ray Bradbury
Ronrose
, January 05, 2014
A mix of twenty seven episodes from Bradbury's Green Town, Illinois. Some new, some published before, this collection brings to life the imagined home where Ray's magic blossoms. The stories taken as a whole are like the first glass of lemonade in summer, the first leaf that turned red in the fall floating silently to earth, the first snowflake in winter alighting on your tongue, or your first kiss in Spring. They are tales to capture in your imagination and savor again and again. Bradbury was a writer who lived and wrote in the land of what if, why not, and I can make it so.
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Kill List
by
Frederick Forsyth
Ronrose
, August 03, 2013
This reads like a training guide on hunting down terrorists. It is a very detailed story of the hunt for the Preacher, a terrorist who broadcasts over the internet to recruit new followers. He instructs them on how to target people in the U.S. and Britain. These new converts are ideally people already in country, who can be convinced to attack their targets from within. One man, Col. "Kit" Carson is leading the fight against the Preacher, not only because he is the head of an anti-terrorist task force, but also because his own father has been a target of an attack. A good read, but sometimes the technical aspect over powers the human story. Book provided for review by Putnam.
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The Tenth Witness
by
Leonard Rosen
Ronrose
, August 01, 2013
Combine searching for sunken treasure, globe trotting, murder, chasing ex-Nazi's through the shadows, Interpol, a love story, and you've got a book that can't miss being a winner. Add excellent writing and a tale that questions some of our deepest feelings and it's impossible to put down. Henri Poincare is a French engineer who, with his partner Alec, designs & builds a revolutionary platform to use in the search for sunken treasure off the coast of Europe. Henri falls for the beautiful sister, Liesel Kraus, of the owner of the German company that provided the steel for his platform. As in all relationships there is family baggage attached. The steel company's owners have roots in Germany's Nazi past. Although Liesel insists her father did his best to resist Nazi influence, history shows the company flourished under the evil regime. This is a conundrum that Henri cannot resist trying to unravel. The book is most effective when it asks us to question our own actions and beliefs as to what is right. Do most of us pay only lip service to what we known is right, while doing just the opposite? Book provided for review by Goodreads.
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Songs of Willow Frost
by
Jamie Ford
Ronrose
, July 10, 2013
Songs of Willow Frost will play on your heart strings. At times heavy and melancholy, at times light and uplifting, it will surely bring a tear to your eye and a smile to your lips. There are two tales here, intricately entwined. The first is the story of an American born Chinese boy, William Eng, just twelve years old. He has spent the last five years in an orphanage in Seattle. His single hope is that his mother will return and take him home. While on a rare outing to the local motion picture theater with the other orphans, William sees a woman on the silver screen who he is convinced is his mother. Her name is Willow Frost. He becomes obsessed with the idea of leaving the orphanage and finding her. The story of Willow Frost is a complicated one. Could this woman who has become a seemingly glamorous motion picture star have been the same young unwed mother who struggled for years against all odds in the close knit Chinese community of Seattle to raise her young son? This highly entertaining book was provided for review by the well read folks at Ballantine Books.
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Thief
by
Fuminori Nakamura
Ronrose
, June 18, 2013
Interesting subject matter. A young pickpocket in Japan, crosses paths with some heavy weight gangsters. Can he make the score and still escape without being caught up in their web? The writing was a bit spare. Hard to tell whether it was intentional or not. I would like to see the characters fleshed out a bit more. I feel the author has some good ideas and a lot of potential. The book was provided for review by the well read folks at Soho Press.
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Dead Lions
by
Mick Herron
Ronrose
, June 12, 2013
This is a very entertaining suspense story. Set in London, the action centers around a branch office of MI5, British Intelligence. On this branch, most of the leaves are withering or malformed. This is where MI5 sends it's castoffs and screwups hoping they will quit the service or slowly rot away. The small department is full of quirky characters. Chief among them is Jackson Lamb, perhaps the quirkiest of the sorry lot. Lamb, however, does remember the old days of the Cold War when real spies faced off against each other. When a former low level British spy turns up dead on a bus, Lamb refuses to believe it is due to natural causes. Is he just trying to shake off the dust of years of inactivity or is there perhaps some justification for his belief that the Russians are up to no good? The story is full of red herrings along with a great cast of characters who are more or less interested in chasing them down. A follow up book certainly would be on my reading list. Book provided for review by the well read folks at Soho Press.
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Bookmans Tale
by
Charlie Lovett
Ronrose
, May 22, 2013
There is plenty of intrigue, mystery, and a touch of adventure here. Make no mistake this is a love story. More precisely this is a love story bound in the pages of a mystery book. A young college student, Peter Byerly, discovers his life's work in collecting, restoring, and selling old books. Peter finds his true passion, his raison d'etre, seated among the books in the college library where he works. Amanda is the girl who completes his soul. The stories of Peter's love for Amanda and his love of books are intertwined around a search for any bibliophile's Holy Grail, a concrete connection between Shakespeare the man and Shakespeare's printed words. This is a novel any book lover can identify with and totally immerse themselves in. Book provided for review by the well read folks at Viking.
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Country of Ash: A Jewish Doctor in Poland, 1939a-1945
by
Edward Reicher
Ronrose
, May 15, 2013
This is an astonishing book. This highly recommended book is the memoir of a Jewish doctor in Poland during World War II from 1939-1945. It is hard to believe that Dr. Edward Reicher lived to tell his story, considering that millions of Jewish people were slaughtered in Poland during the Nazi occupation. Even more astounding, Reicher managed to save his wife and baby daughter from the SS and countless Polish informers, who made a living off of other peoples misery. Dr. Reicher was not a military man. He did not carry a gun. Yet, in his own way he resisted evil and prejudice every day to insure the survival of his family. He gives a first hand account of the ill-fated Jewish uprising in the Warsaw ghetto. There are many lessons to be learned here from Dr. Reicher. The most important is never to give up in the fight against evil until we once again return to dust.
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December's Thorn
by
Phillip DePoy
Ronrose
, February 27, 2013
What would you do if a strange but rather winsome woman came to your door in the middle of the night and said she was your wife. Would you let her in or slam the door? Well, Fever Devilin, an ex-professor and folklorist, lets her into his home in the Appalachian backwoods of Georgia. Fever is recovering from recently being in a coma which may have robbed him of some of his memories. Coupled with that is the fact that he has always experienced things that others could not see. Now he has a borderline crazy woman in his house. It seems he is just asking for trouble. He will turn for help to his friends. Thinking he is still not well, they will in turn enlist the aid of a beautiful psychiatrist to help. She will create even more questions for Devilin than he can answer. This is a fast paced mystery with many interesting twists. The setting in the Appalachians helps create a scenic yet sometimes eerie atmosphere that helps develop the story.
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The Beautiful Mystery: Chief Inspector Gamache 8
by
Louise Penny
Ronrose
, January 01, 2013
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache must unmask secrets he has bottled up inside for years as well as the secrets of a murderer in a remote monastery. The plain chants of the monastery will indeed reveal The Beautiful Mystery. Louise Penny never fails to amaze us with the depth of her understanding of the human condition and her ability to convey these feelings to the reader. This book is like a good song that brings beautiful images to your mind and peace to your soul.
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Entertainer Movies Magic & My Fathers Twentieth Century
by
Margaret Talbot
Ronrose
, November 07, 2012
Margaret Talbot writes a fine tribute to her father, Lyle Talbot and Hollywood as seen through his eyes. Lyle never attained star status, but he was a very competent actor who enthusiastically took every acting job he was offered and played it with skill and professionalism. He had cut his teeth during the 1920's traveling in small theater shows that crisscrossed the Midwest. In the 1930's Lyle was an experienced stage actor, but a novice in the films being made in Hollywood. His stage credits came in handy, however, as the films were just beginning to talk. Lyle and Hollywood grew together. He got progressively better roles and a contract with Warner Brothers. He became close friends and drinking buddies with many of the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. The book also recounts Lyle's fight to win more rights and benefits for actors as he helps establish the Screen Actor's Guild. He also battled with alcohol, finally winning with the help of his fourth wife, Margaret Epple. They would be married for over forty years and be blessed with four children, before death separated them. Margaret Talbot writes a loving memoir, at times very warm and intimate, while at other times very scholarly. Highly recommended for any devotee of the silver screen and its mystique.
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Talking to the Dead
by
Harry Bingham
Ronrose
, October 08, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this story of first year Detective Constable Fiona Griffith of the South Wales Police Force. At barely over five feet tall she is not an imposing figure, but more than makes up for it in determination. She is not one to take readily to orders and often thinks outside the box. She does however want to keep her newly won position, so she is burying her head in financial figures trying to uncover the embezzlement trail of an ex-police officer. She finds some relief from this drudgery, when a double homicide is called in to the office. A prostitute and her young daughter have been brutally murdered. Fiona is assigned only a small part of the investigation. She finds herself drawn to the young girl whose skull has been crushed in and the mystery surrounding her death. Fiona is hiding her own mysteries. As a teenager she had a complete breakdown. For a long period of time she felt that she was dead. She was out of touch with reality and spent a lot of time under psychiatric care. Even now she has times when she is more comfortable around the dead than the living. Fiona must face her past as well as the dangerous threats of the present if she is going to find the murderer. This book provided for review by Delacorte Press.
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1221
by
Dustin Thomason
Ronrose
, August 05, 2012
From the disease ravaged streets of a quarantined Los Angeles, to the sweltering heat and nearly impenetrable jungles of Guatemala, this book is full of nonstop suspense and action. It is a real page turner. The threat of a civilization ending disease is coupled with the ancient Mayan doomsday calender ticking down to 12/21/12. Many believe it is a date upon which the world as we know it will cease to exist. Dr. Gabriel Stanton and his staff try to find a cure for a mysterious brain disease that is rapidly spreading throughout Los Angeles. Dr Chel Manu, an expert on Mayan language and customs, risks her career by receiving and attempting to translate a rare Mayan codex smuggled into the U. S., which incidentally, might reveal clues for a cure for the deadly disease. As the source of both the disease and the codex converge in Guatemala, Stanton and Manu must decide together if there is any chance of finding a cure in the remote Mayan jungle.
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Fearless The Undaunted Courage & Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team Six Operator Adam Brown
by
Eric Blehm
Ronrose
, May 20, 2012
Love, strength, caring, fearlessness, faith, dedication, selflessness, these are all qualities that Adam Brown possessed. As a Navy Seal he epitomized the American warrior. Of the many stories that could be told of the Seals, his comrades invariably pointed to his story as the one they would like told. He was no saint. He would would be the first to admit he had his faults and his demons. Shortly out of high school, he became hooked on drugs, after he failed to find a direction for his life. He fell to the depths of lying to and stealing from his own family to support his habit. The turning point came when his parents realizing they could not help him, turned him in to the police. His mother was overcome as she and her husband watched him being handcuffed and taken to jail. Adam was crushed, but found remorse and the Lord while in jail. He resolved to beat the drugs and to once again become the type of person of whom his parents would be proud. It wasn't an easy road. He was helped by his new girl friend and future wife, Kelley. He determined to enlist in the Navy and become a Seal, the best the Navy had to offer. How could a man who admitted he was addicted to drugs turn his life around and become a Navy Seal? This book is the story of a man's struggle to overcome all odds. He started by devoting his life to faith in God, by not taking no for an answer, by not allowing others to tell him he could not get where he wanted to go. Adam Brown overcame obstacles that would stop most men dead in their tracks. At one point in training he lost the sight of his right eye in a training accident. Instead of giving up he trained himself to use the other eye to aim with, maintaining his marksmanship qualification. Later on a mission, the fingers of his right hand were crushed and nearly severed. He endured the pain of having his fingers reattached and when he found they would not work efficiently, he trained himself to shoot accurately with his left hand. He accomplished all of this with the support of his family, his teammates, and his faith in God. He seemed to be able to overcome any odds, until that night raid in Afghanistan on March 17, 2010. This is a very good book which recounts the life of a man who stood for all the best this country has to offer. He was selfless and brave. A man of faith and family. He was a man to look up to. His story, one that in these times truly needed to be told. The way he led his life was inspirational. A man any of us would be proud to know. This book was provided by the publishers for review.
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The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
by
Charles Duhigg
Ronrose
, March 28, 2012
My usual habit is to pick up a mystery novel and engross myself in the imagined problems of nonfiction characters. I decided to change this habit and try this nonfiction book with the rather intriguing title that professed to help identify our habits and show us how to change them. Habits are those things we initially choose to do, which have evolved, through repeated use into things we do without thinking. Written in language even I can understand, the book breaks down the pattern of habits into three parts that we can recognize and change. The author illustrates that by first identifying components of a habit, we can then work to change them. This is a self help book that may actually be of some help, if we want to change. This book was provided for review by Random House. Now, where did I put that mystery novel?
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Power of Habit Why We Do What We Do In Life & In Business
by
Charles Duhigg
Ronrose
, March 20, 2012
My usual habit is to pick up a mystery novel and engross myself in the imagined problems of nonfiction characters. I decided to change this habit and try this nonfiction book with the rather intriguing title that professed to help identify our habits and show us how to change them. Habits are those things we initially choose to do, which have evolved, through repeated use into things we do without thinking. Written in language even I can understand, the book breaks down the pattern of habits into three parts that we can recognize and change. The author illustrates that by first identifying components of a habit, we can then work to change them. This is a self help book that may actually be of some help, if we want to change. This book was provided for review by Random House. Now, where did I put that mystery novel?
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All I Did Was Shoot My Man Leonid McGill 04
by
Walter Mosley
Ronrose
, January 13, 2012
Walter Mosley continues his winning ways with this fast paced, hard hitting, twisted web of a mystery. If you haven't started reading Mosley, you are truly missing out on some very literate and well plotted mysteries. Leonid McGill has a problem, well, one of many. Years ago at a mobster's request, he planted evidence against a woman, Zella Grisham, that implicated her as an accomplice in a multimillion dollar robbery. She was already on the fast track to prison, having shot and wounded her husband three times after finding him in bed with another woman. Over the years, McGill has been changing his ways, regretting many of the things he had done in his dark past. After seven years in prison, Zella is released after McGill founds a way to have the robbery evidence discredited without implicating himself. McGill tries furtively to further pay his debt to Zella by finding out who really stole the corporate millions. Bodies soon start to pile up around him as someone is covering their trail. When his family is threatened McGill turns up the heat. Provided for review by the well read folks at Library Thing and Riverhead Books.
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Trick of the Light
by
Louise Penny
Ronrose
, January 01, 2012
Once again Louise Penny crafts a superb mystery set in the small village of Three Pines somewhere in the province of Quebec. Three Pines cannot be found on any map. As one of the characters says you have to be lost to find it. The two major businesses in town seem to be creating a sense of well being and murder. A bit incongruous you might say and you would be right. On the surface, we see a village full of peace and tranquility peopled by characters such as Clara & Peter. These married artists are trying to achieve their dreams of recognition and acceptance in the art world. A couple who share art, but not the art of sharing. Ruth, the prize winning poet, whose beautiful poetry is only eclipsed by her excessive drinking and foul mouthed rudeness. Gabri and Olivier the gay couple who own the B&B and the bistro. One opens his heart and hearth to all, the other has secretly taken advantage of others for monetary gain. The paradoxes that abound in Three Pines seem to feed a hunger for murder. As Clara is finally being recognized for her art with a celebration party in her home, an uninvited guest turns up murdered in her garden. It turns out to be an art critic who Clara hasn't seen since Clara received a scathing review from her years ago. Once again Chief Inspector Gamache has to deduce who among those visiting or living in this deceptively quiet village is a cold blooded killer. As in all Ms. Perry's books we enjoy meeting the characters, feeling and sharing their emotions, their doubts, hopes, and fears. The joy and learning are in the journey not just in reaching the destination. The book stands alone very well, but your enjoyment will be further enhanced by reading the previous book in this series, Bury Your Dead: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel This book provided for review by the well read folks at Amazon Vine.
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Dead Mans Grip
by
Peter James
Ronrose
, December 19, 2011
Detective Superintendent Roy Grace has his hands full with a new baby due and a major investigation underway. This fast paced British police procedural starts with a random traffic accident resulting in the death of a young American man who was struck while riding a bicycle. Three motor vehicles were involved. A car driven by a woman who crashes her car when narrowly avoiding the bicycle. A white van that hits the young man, then speeds away. Lastly a tractor trailer that can't stop before the bicyclist is thrown under it's wheels resulting in the youth's death. A tragic accident, yet it is about to be complicated by the revelation that the youth's family is connected with the mob. The wrath of God would have to take second place to the terrible vengeance that will befall the people involved in this accident. This very good suspense story is told from the viewpoints of all the major participants. I found it very detailed and quite imaginative. The character types, while familiar, are very well handled with some very interesting twists. This book is a follow up to Dead Like You in the Detective Roy Grace series. Book provided by the well read folks at Minotaur Books.
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Girl Who Became a Beatle
by
Greg Taylor
Ronrose
, January 26, 2011
Who hasn't dreamt of being a Beatle (or some other rocker)? What if you were a star like John, Paul, George, or Ringo. Ringo? Really? Well okay, any rock star. Think its all fame and glory, adulation and lots of money? Do you suppose that all your quirks and foibles don't follow you to that land of Oz? Well Regina Bloomsbury gets the chance to find out. She is transformed overnight into a performer as famous as her idols, the Beatles. Her fairy godmother (really?) gives her a chance to see what her life would be like if she and her high school garage band replaced the Beatles. It doesn't take long before the glitter starts to tarnish and her life turns into a Hard Days Night. Leading Regina to dream of Yesterday, when all her troubles seemed so far away. Provided for review by those well read folks at Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan Publishing.
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Moonlight Mile
by
Dennis Lehane
Ronrose
, September 27, 2010
This book hits you like an elbow to the nose. You'll remember the shock and power of it for days to come. If you like a fast paced, hard hitting action story, with a definite touch of reality and soft touch of humanity, then you will really enjoy this latest suspense story by Dennis Lehane. This is a follow up to Lehane's, "Gone, Baby, Gone", a story of the kidnapping and recovery of a four year old girl. The story left off with the question of whether it was better to leave the child with the kindhearted kidnappers or return her to a dysfunctional mother. Twelve years later, the girl is missing again and P.I.'s Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro who found her before, are asked to find her again. The now married investigators are torn over the question of whether they did the right thing the fist time and whether they will be able to tell what is right this time.
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Think of a Number
by
John Verdon
Ronrose
, August 03, 2010
I found this to be one of the most satisfying thriller/mystery books I have read in a while. If you like puzzles, you will love this book. It details a murder in upstate New York and subsequent murders that are wrapped in an enigma. Dave Gurney, a celebrated but retired NYPD homicide detective, is contacted by Mark Mellery, an old college acquaintance, to help unwrap the mystery of some letters he has received. What would you do if you received a letter that asked you to think of a number and correctly predicts the number you chose? Then you receive more letters and phone calls that purport to reveal the less savory aspects of your private life. Mark asks Dave to put his investigative skills to work to thwart the letter ploy, but Mark suddenly shows up brutally murdered. Dave is swept up in the official investigation, lending his expertise to try and solve the mysterious and incongruous clues purposefully left by the killer. The book is well thought out. The mystery is intriguing. The clues are like breadcrumbs dropped skillfully by the killer to lead Dave, the police, and the reader to a bloody denouement.
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The Devil's Star: Harry Hole 5
by
Jo Nesbo
Ronrose
, June 22, 2010
This is a very good crime novel set in Norway, the authors home country. The characters and the plot are well thought out. I was surprised by a number of turns that the plot took. The main character, police detective, Harry Hole is on his last legs with the police department, his girlfriend, and humanity in general. He has been haunted since his childhood by his quilt of losing his younger sister in a bizarre elevator accident, which he was powerless to stop. Now the young female detective he had been working with on a police corruption case, has been murdered and he feels it is his fault. He tries drowning his guilt with liquor and pushing away all his acquaintances, including his girlfriend. An opportunity to redeem himself and to avenge the killing of his partner arises when he is forced to work a case with detective Waaler, whom Harry suspects of murdering his partner. The case starts when a girl is found naked, murdered in her apartment with one finger cut off. Under one eyelid a red star shaped diamond is found. This and two similar murders set in motion the twisting plot that brings the murder and Harry's problems to a denouement.
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Youll Be Sor Ree A Guadalcanal Marine Remembers the Pacific War
by
Sid Phillips
Ronrose
, June 22, 2010
If you saw Ken Burn's documentary, The War or the HBO miniseries, The Pacific, then you already know about Sid Phillips. He played a major role in both by recounting his experiences as a private in a mortar platoon in the South Pacific during World War II. In this book Sid tells in detail his life in the Marine Corps. The day after Pearl Harbor was attacked, seventeen year old Sid and his friend, went down to enlist in the military. There was no waiting in line at the Marine recruiter's office so he signed up. This may have been the only time in his Marine career that he didn't have to hurry up and then wait in line. The boy who entered training at Parris Island would come home a man after enduring the hell of Guadalcanal. It is a tribute to Sid's character, that his memoir dwells not on the tragedy and grief that surrounded this life, but on the rich relationships he formed. Their humor, both light and dark, helped the young Marines endure seemingly endless heat, exhaustion, deprivation, and pain in a campaign that in those early days of the war, left them feeling alone and forgotten.
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River In The Sky
by
Elizabeth Peters
Ronrose
, April 21, 2010
This is the nineteenth book in the Amelia Peabody series. Mrs. Peabody and her husband Emerson are very British archeologists who specialize in Egyptology in the early 1900's. This book, unlike the others, takes our adventurers to Palestine, otherwise known as the Holy Land, on a mission for the Crown. Even in these strange lands, loyal readers will find many of the familiar characters they have come to expect. Ramses, their son, has preceded them to a dig near Jerusalem, with a promise to stay out of trouble. Well, we know how that is going to turn out! The book is a light read, filled with very British, turn of the century attitudes. The author has created a world full of richness and detail. This is the first book of the series that I have read. I did not immediately take to the characters. The author seemed to be relying on instructing the reader as to whom the characters were and how they should be interpreted, rather than allowing the reader to gain knowledge and insight into the characters through the action and flow of the storyline. As in any series, it would probably be best to start at the beginning and get to know the characters as they develop.
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31 Bond Street
by
Ellen Horan
Ronrose
, March 29, 2010
I know you've heard it before, but this is a real page turner. It is a fictionalized account of a truly brutal murder that made headlines for more than three months in New York during 1857. In this pre-Civil War era, there was already plenty of intrigue concerning the gross treatment of women, the working class, and free blacks and runaway slaves. All of which made up a substantial part of the population of New York. To say that corruption in the local government was running rampant would be an understatement. Drop into this simmering pot a savage murder of a seemingly respectable dentist in his locked house; swindled business partners; alienated relatives; a sexy widow, who was his housekeeper and possible lover; politicians with their own agendas; a missing black man who was the victim's coachman, and you have a great story. The author skillfully leads the reader through a did she or didn't she kill her lover scenario. The preparations for the trial of the mistress and its subsequent revelations are counter played against glimpses of the events that lead up to the murder which took place at 31 Bond Street. Although Mrs Cunningham is the prosecution's focus for the crime, there is certainly no lack of alternate suspects. A very skillfully executed historical murder mystery.
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Heresy
by
S J Parris
Ronrose
, March 17, 2010
Heresy is an historical novel telling the tale of Giordano Bruno's visitation to Oxford during the reign of Elizabeth I of England. The book smoothly blends facts and fiction to give us a very engaging tale of a mystery surrounding this man of many dimensions. As a young man, he was trained as a Catholic monk in Italy until his unorthodox views of the universe and Christian religion necessitated his timely departure, one step ahead of the Inquisition. He eventually gravitated to England hoping its non-Catholic religion would prove a safe haven while he wrote and continued to study and develop his theories. He finds himself in Oxford on the trail of a book banned through out Europe. He stumbles into a nest of intrigue and murder, surrounding an enclave of Catholic believers in the Protestant country. Bruno quickly finds that his Italian nationality and previous association with the Roman Church sometimes works for him and sometimes against. The book quickly draws us deeply into the factions working at cross purposes at this time in Elizabethan England. The writing flows smoothly, blending facts and fiction into a tight mystery. The characters almost beg to given another adventure as they come to life in the story.
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The Brutal Telling
by
Louise Penny
Ronrose
, January 01, 2010
Bon Dieu! How is it that I have not found this author before? "The Brutal Telling", by Louise Penny, is more than just a detective story. It is a literary novel. This work blends the lives of the characters and the reader by speaking to the souls of both. As in all great literature, the characters come to life through the words of the author, quickly becoming more than just the written word. The characters, such as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, are completely developed people, full of life. Each acting and reacting to the other characters in the novel. Have no doubt, this mystery novel leads us through a perplexing mystery surrounding the violent death of stranger in the small Canadian town of Three Pines. This is not the first time the Inspector and his team of Seretes investigators have been called to this out of the way place. Emotions run high as both long time friends and newcomers are brought under suspicion. If the earlier novels of this series are anything like this, I'll be hot on their trail.
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