Lynn's List (May 27, 2016)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• Twelve Years a Slave by Dean King, Solomon Northup and Vera J. Williams
• The Fast Diet: The Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, Live Longer by Mimi Spencer and Michael Mosley
• The Ascendant by Drew Chapman
• Three Minutes to Midnight by A. J. Tata
• Starfish Moon by Donna Kauffman
• That Darkness by Lisa Black
• Return to Red River by Johnny D Boggs
• The Killer Next Door: A Novel by Alex Marwood
• Asking For It by Louise O'Neill
• Zero Day by David Baldacci
• If My Heart Could Talk: A Story of Family, Faith, and Miracles by Joel Osteen and Dodie Osteen
• Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort by Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons
• The Girl From Home: A Thriller by Adam Mitzner
• After the Rain: A Novel by Renee Carlino
• At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier
• Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
• The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer
• Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan
• A Lady of Good Family by Jeanne Mackin
• Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
• Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
• The Passenger by Lisa Lutz
• Pleasantville by Attica Locke
• The Rocks by Peter Nichols
• What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman
• A One Woman Man: A Novel by Travis Hunter
• Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman: Portrait of an American Hero by Kate Clifford Larson
• Blind by Rachel Dewoskin
• It Takes One by Kate Kessler
• Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb
• Medical Judgment by Richard L. Mabry
• Massacre at Sand Creek: How Methodists Were Involved in an American Tragedy by Gary L. Roberts
• Deadly Valentine by B. J. Daniels
• The Innocent by Amanda Stevens
• The Book of Memory: A Novel by Petina Gappah
• Hurt People by Cote Smith
• The Crooked House: A Novel by Christobel Kent
• All the Houses by Karen Olsson
• The Hurricane Sisters: A Novel by Dorothea Benton Frank
• Lazaretto: A Novel by Diane Mckinney-Whetstone
• BLIND SPOT by Stephanie Kane
• American Pharoah: The Untold Story of the Triple Crown Winner's Legendary Rise by Joe Drape
• The Devil That Never Dies: The Rise and Threat of Global Antisemitism by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen
• The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk
• Fever at Dawn by Péter Gárdos and Elizabeth Szász
• The Replacement Wife by Eileen Goudge
• Trail of Secrets by Eileen Goudge
• Such Devoted Sisters by Eileen Goudge
• The Second Silence by Eileen Goudge
• One Last Dance by Eileen Goudge
• Blessing in Disguise by Eileen Goudge
• Golden Lilies by Eileen Goudge , Zhang Qing and Kwei Li
• The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick Deboard
• Nice Girl by Rachael Jane Chin
• The Rule of Three by Eric Walters
• Never Let Go by Allison B. Hanson
• Toy Cemetery by William W. Johnstone
• Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb
• Once and For All: An American Valor Novel by Cheryl Etchison
  
• Act of Will by Barbara Taylor Bradford


• The 900 Days: The Siege Of Leningrad by Harrison Salisbury


• Midnight Escape by Linda Castillo


• Lost Among the Living by Simone St. James


• 1924 by Peter Ross Range


• Father's Day: A Novel by Simon Van Booy


• Someday, Somewhere by Mary K Mccomas


• This Heart of Mine by Brenda Novak


• The Color Purple Collection by Alice Walker


• God Speed the Night by Jerome Ross and Dorothy Salisbury Davis


• Suspicion of Guilt by Barbara Parker


• The War Bride by Pamela Hart


• Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child


• Dance of Death by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child


• The General's Daughter by Nelson Demille


• No Beast So Fierce by Edward Bunker


• Random Harvest by James Hilton


• The Other Side of Suffering by John Ramsey and Marie Chapian


• An Officer and Her Gentleman by Amy Woods


• Fighting Back the Right by David Niose


• Duplicity by Newt Gingrich and Pete Earley


• The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks


• The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks


• See Me by Nicholas Sparks


• The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks


• Dear John by Nicholas Sparks


• The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks


• Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks


• At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks


• The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks


• Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks


• The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks


• The Panther by Nelson Demille


• Child of the Jungle by Sabine Kuegler


• Ribbon in the Sky by Dorothy Garlock


• Conversations with the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer


• No Better Friend by Robert Weintraub


• The Fever by Megan Abbott


• Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes


• The Alienist by Caleb Carr


• Glass Ceilings: A True Heroes Novel by A. M. Madden


• The Harbor by Carla Neggers


• The Cabin by Carla Neggers


• The Widow by Carla Neggers


• Cold River by Carla Neggers


• Saint's Gate by Carla Neggers


• Stonebrook Cottage by Carla Neggers


• Cold Pursuit by Carla Neggers


• The Girl in the Woods by Gregg Olsen


• Darkness by Karen Robards


• Sitting Bull by Robert M. Utley

Review: The Obsession by Nora Roberts

Title: The Obsession
Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication Date: April 12, 2016
Edition: eBook

The Obsession by Nora Roberts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I can't say that I ever just read a Nora Roberts book. It is more like I experience it--the description, the characters and their personalities, the storyline, everything about the book is like unwrapping a new and exciting package that keeps me wondering what the content will be this time. 'The Obsession' is another of those gloriously wrapped packages as only Nora Roberts can deliver.

As a young girl, Naomi Bowes experienced a trauma no one should have to live through or live with. She is trying to make a life for herself in a small community and plant roots there. She's changed her name so no one will know about her childhood--and then one woman is found, dead--and then another woman, also. Is it coincidence or not? Does it have anything to do with her, her past?

I didn't know if another Nora Roberts book could come close to 'Angels Fall' in my favorites category, but 'The Obsession' is another masterpiece on that same plain. She has a talent for writing a story that I can't wait to finish, yet I want to prolong staying with the characters and being a part of their lives for as long as possible.

Lynn's List (May 20, 2016)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• Brotherhood of Corruption: A Cop Breaks the Silence on Police Abuse, Brutality, and Racial Profiling by Juan Antonio Juarez
• Deadly Valentines: The Story of Capone's Henchman "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn and Louise Rolfe, His Blonde Alibi by Jeffrey Gusfield
• The War on Civil Liberties: How Bush and Ashcroft Have Dismantled the Bill of Rights by Elaine Cassel
• The Iron Gates of Santo Tomas: A Firsthand Account of an American Couple Interned by the Japanese in Manila, 1942-1945 by Emily Van Sickle
• The First King of Hollywood: The Life of Douglas Fairbanks by Tracey Goessel
• Lost in the Fog: Memoir of a Bastard: A Belgian Recalls the War, the Nazis, Her Fractured Life by Daniel Chase and Rachel Van Meers
• Smoking Cigarettes, Eating Glass: A Psychologist's Memoir by Annita Sawyer
• Earthrise: My Adventures as an Apollo 14 Astronaut by Ellen Mahoney , Dr Brian Cox and Edgar Mitchell
• Blasphemy: A Memoir: Sentenced to Death Over a Cup of Water by Asia Bibi and Anne-Isabelle Tollet
• Last Chance for Justice: How Relentless Investigators Uncovered New Evidence Convicting the Birmingham Church Bombers by T. K. Thorne
• Lifting My Voice: A Memoir by Kofi Annan and Barbara Hendricks
• Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford by Clint Hill and Lisa Mccubbin
• What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan
• Raif Badawi, The Voice of Freedom: My Husband, Our Story by Ensaf Haidar and Andrea Claudia Hoffmann
• With Malice by Dale K. Myers
• The Eagle Has Landed (Liam Devlin #1) by Jack Higgins
• Desert Heat (Joanna Brady, #1) by J. A. Jance
• Tombstone Courage (Joanna Brady, #2) by J. A. Jance
• Shoot Don't Shoot (Joanna Brady, #3) by J. A. Jance
• Dead to Rights (Joanna Brady, #4)by J. A. Jance
• Skeleton Canyon (Joanna Brady, #5) by J. A. Jance
• Rattlesnake Crossing (Joanna Brady, #6) by J. A. Jance
• Outlaw Mountain (Joanna Brady, #7) by J. A. Jance
• Devil's Claw (Joanna Brady, #8) by J. A. Jance
• Paradise Lost (Joanna Brady, #9) by J. A. Jance
• Partner in Crime (J.P. Beaumont, #16 / Joanna Brady, #10) by J. A. Jance
• Exit Wounds (Joanna Brady, #11) by J. A. Jance
• To Catch a Wife by Lee Mckenzie
• Warrior: A Memoir by Alan Eisenstock and Theresa Larson
• The Covered Bridge by Karen Harper
• The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers by Harry Bernstein
• The Surgeon (Rizzoli and Isles #1) by Tess Gerritsen
• An Honorable Man: A Novel by Paul Vidich
• The Letter Writer: A novel by Dan Fesperman
• Oscar Wilde by Richard Ellmann
• Room for Hope by Kim Vogel Sawyer
• Jerusalem by Karen Armstrong
• Executing the Rosenbergs:... by Lori Clune
• The Obsession by Nora Roberts

Review: Executing the Rosenbergs: Death and Diplomacy in a Cold War World by Lori Clune

Title: Executing the Rosenbergs: Death and Diplomacy in a Cold War World
Author: Lori Clune
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication Date: June 1, 2016
Edition: Hardcover (288 pages)

Executing the Rosenbergs: Death and Diplomacy in a Cold War World by Lori Clune

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were arrested for conspiracy to commit espionage. They were found guilty and were both executed on June 19, 1953, the only American civilians ever put to death for this crime. They left behind two young sons. The case, and their execution, ignited world-wide protest, and the controversy still exists today as to whether they both deserved to die, whether they received a fair and impartial trial, along with a host of other questions that remain.

Lori Clune explores the case from its origins and beyond the execution of the Rosenbergs, from the protests that occurred around the world, and the position taken by the United States government during and after the disposition of the case.

I found this book to be a most interesting and informative read, and it has prompted me to want to explore the topic more in the future. I received and Advance Readers Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Into the Wilderness (Wilderness, Book 1) by Sara Donati

Title:Into the Wilderness (Wilderness, Book 1)
Author: Sara Donati
Publisher: Bantam Books
Publication Date: August 3, 1999
Edition: Paperback (876 pages)

Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Elizabeth Middleton arrives in the newly independent United States of America in 1792. Her ambition is to start a school for the children in the small New York village where her father and brother live. She is smart and has her own ideas which do not always gain her favor with her family and the people of the village. Almost immediately, she meets Nathaniel Bonner who lives in both the world of the white man and the Native American. There is an instant attraction for both of them. Elizabeth and Nathaniel have to decide whether they are going to defy custom and cultural norms of the time and build a life together.

Into the Wilderness (Wilderness, Book 1) is Elizabeth and Nathaniel's story, as well as a historical novel of the period. The author paints a vivid picture of the hardships endured by the early European settlers and the spoken and unspoken prejudices they held against the Native People of the land. The reader is transported back to that time and enmeshed in the complexities of life and death. The love between Elizabeth and Nathaniel is tested, tried and molded as they themselves are molded by life and circumstance.

This book is a moving mural for the reader with history, contrasts of character, color and scenery. I am looking forward to continuing on with the next book in this Series.

Review: Angels Fall by Nora Roberts

Title: Angels Fall
Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Putnam
Publication Date: July 11, 2006
Edition: Hardcover (391 pages)

Angels Fall by Nora Roberts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Reece Gilmore is a woman familiar with loss and tragedy which she has spent the better part of two years trying to recover from. When her car has mechanical problems, she pulls off the road at Angel's Fist, Wyoming, and decides to stay a while. While hiking a mountain trail, she witnesses a murder, but getting people to believe her story is almost impossible. And then, strange things begin to happen. Things are moved around in her apartment, little things at first, followed by more and more bizarre incidents.

This is a reread for me. I love this book. It has everything I enjoy, romantic interests, mystery, suspense, complex relationships and characters, and wonderful scenic description. I will be revisiting Angels Falls from time-to-time when I need an emotional recharge.

Lynn's List (May 13, 2016)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia by Jean Sasson
• Princess Sultana's Daughters by Jean Sasson
• Princess Sultana's Circle by Jean Sasson
• In Their Footsteps by Tess Gerritsen
• A Cup of Honey: The Story of a Young Holocaust Survivor, Eliezer Ayalon by Neile Sue Friedman
• Stony Kill: A Novel by Marie White Small
• The Washington Lawyer: A Political Thriller by Allan Topol
• Sunday's on the Phone to Monday: A Novel by Christine Reilly
• The Blue Edge of Midnight by Jonathon King
• Jordan's Return by Samantha Chase
• Pieces of My Mother by Melissa Cistaro
• Under a Dark Summer Sky by Vanessa Lafaye
• Before I Wake by C. L. Taylor
• Unveiling: A Novel by Suzanne M. Wolfe
• 12, 20 & 5 by John A. Parrish
• More Than Allies by Sandra Scofield
• Nutcracker by Shana Alexander
• Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
• A Cat Named Darwin by William Jordan
• The Kennedy Connection by R. G. Belsky
• The Race for Paris by Meg Waite Clayton
• The Hours Count: A Novel by Jillian Cantor
• North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and Brenna Chase
• A Killing In The Hills (A Bell Elkins Mystery, #1) by Julia Keller
• Hiwassee: A Novel of the Civil War by Charles F. Price
• Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. Mcpherson
• Journey to Chernobyl: Encounters in a Radioactive Zone by Glenn Cheney
• Hiding in Plain Sight: Eluding the Nazis in Occupied France by Joyce B. Lazarus and Sarah Lew Miller
• Titanic: A Survivor's Story & the Sinking of the S.S. Titanic by John B. Thayer and Colonel Archibald Gracie
• Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis
• White Oleander by Janet Fitch
• Five Chimneys: A Woman Survivor's True Story of Auschwitz by Olga Lengyel
• Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow

Lynn's List (May 6, 2016)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• Boat of Stone by Maureen Earl
• Escape from Sobibor by Richard Rashke
• The Brontës by Juliet Barker
• Accused by Mark Dagostino and Tonya Craft
• The Outlander Series 7-Book Bundle by Diana Gabaldon
• Hiding in Plain Sight by Eric Stover, Victor Peskin and Alexa Koenig
• Noble Chase: A Novel by Michael Rudolph
• Plain Protector by Alison Stone
• Emergency Response by Susan Sleeman
• Truth and Consequences by Lenora Worth
• His Prairie Sweetheart by Erica Vetsch
• Back of Beyond by C. J. Box
• Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own by Kate Bolick
• Make Me Forget by Beth Kery
• City of Secrets: A Novel by Stewart O'Nan
• Nora Roberts Key Trilogy by Nora Roberts
• Victims of Yalta by Nikolai Tolstoy
• The Scarlet Thread by Evelyn Anthony
• Gentleman's Agreement byLaura Z. Hobson
• The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own by Joshua Becker
• A Walk in the Sun by Michelle Zink
• The Secrets of Flight: A Novel by Maggie Leffler
• The Apartment: A Novel by Danielle Steel
• Southern Lights by Danielle Steel
• So Close to Home: A True Story of an American Family's Fight for Survival During World War II by Michael J. Tougias and Alison O'Leary
• The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude
• The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler's Atomic Bomb by Neal Bascomb
• Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline
• The Power of the Other: The startling effect other people have on you, from the boardroom to the bedroom and beyond-and what to do about it by Henry Cloud
• Return To Taylor's Crossing by Janie Watts
• Born Survivors by Wendy Holden
• The 100 Kilo Case: The True Story of an Irish Ex-NYPD Detective Protected by the Mafia, and one of the Most Infamous Drug Busts in New York City by James Durney
• The Ghosts of K2: The Race for the Summit of the World's Most Deadly Mountain by Mick Conefrey
• Last Night at Chateau Marmont: A Novel by Lauren Weisberger
• Louisa May Alcott: Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott and Elaine Showalter
• Consequence by Eric Fair
• The Guest Cottage by Nancy Thayer

Review: Oklahoma City (Enhanced Edition): What the Investigation Missed--And Why It Still Matters by Andrew Gumbel and Roger G. Charles

Title: Oklahoma City (Enhanced Edition): What the Investigation Missed--And Why It Still Matters
Authors: Andrew Gumbel and Roger G. Charles
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Publication Date: April 24, 2012
Edition: eBook (448 pages)

Oklahoma City (Enhanced Edition): What the Investigation Missed--And Why It Still Matters by Andrew Gumbel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The title of this work speaks eloquently as to what this book is about. The authors take the reader through a chronology of the events that lead up to the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on Wednesday morning, April 19, 1995, as well as the subsequent investigation and trials of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. The authors also detail events that took place between the conclusion of both trials, and the revelations later put forth by Terry Nichols.

I wanted to read this book because I have always wondered how two people with limited experience with explosives could bring this about. I have wondered if there were not more individuals involved in the planning and execution of this bombing? The authors, as journalists, investigated the various conspiracy theories, the rather disjointed Federal investigation of this horrific tragedy, the ignores and often disregarded witness statements, and the positions and strategies put into play by the government, prosecution and defense attorneys, as well as the shortcomings and failures of the investigative process, itself.