My review: Truman by David Mccullough

Title: Truman
Author: David Mccullough
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: June 14, 1993
Edition: paperback (1,120 pages)

Categories:

• Nonfiction
• American History
• Biography
• History
• Politics
• Presidents

Literary Awards:

• Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography (1993)
• Francis Parkman Prize (1993)
• Lionel Gelber Prize (1992)
• National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction (1992)

Truman by David McCullough

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Truman, by David Mccullough, is one of those books I expected to be well written and interesting because the author writes well, and our thirty-third President was an interesting person. But nothing prepared me for the absolute brilliants of this book. The detail and the author's ability to capture the personality of the man is what makes this biography superb. The detail of events and mood of the country leading up to and during President Truman's time in political office is so interwoven into this story that you don't even realize you're also getting an awesome history lesson as you read.

My parents were huge fans of President Truman, so I grew up hearing about him. After reading this biography, I better understand why they thought so highly of him as both a human being and a politician. If you want to learn and understand more about world leaders and their interactions during and after World War II, and the implications of the atomic bomb, this book will inform you. Five stars are just not enough when it comes to rating this book.

Lynn's List (February 24, 2017)

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

• Sarah's Child by Linda Howard
• Bending the Bars by April Brown
• Charlotte’s End by Veena Rao
• The Ones We Trust by Kimberly Belle
• The Last Breath by Kimberly Belle
• Green Lake by Anna Marie May
• Direct Action: Protest and the Reinvention of American Radicalism by L. A. Kauffman
• Shine Like the Dawn: A Novel by Carrie Turansky
• The Good at Heart: A Novel by Ursula Werner
• Obama: From Promise to Power by David Mendell
• Shining City: A Novel by Tom Rosenstiel
• I See You by Clare Mackintosh
• Reporting War: How Foreign Correspondents Risked Capture, Torture and Death to Cover World War II by Ray Moseley
• The Six Day War: The Breaking of the Middle East by Guy Laron
• A new beginning by Chris Axcan and Adriana Garcia
• Artscape by Frederick Ramsay
• Nine Below Zero by Kevin Canty
• Ordinary Jews: Choice and Survival during the Holocaust by Evgeny Finkel
• Secrets of Simplicity by Mary Carlomagno and Andrea Cobb
• Lilac Girls: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly
• The Source: A Novel by Steve Berry and James A. Michener
• Brazen Virtue by Nora Roberts
• The World Below by Sue Miller
• This Present Darkness: A Novel by Frank Peretti
• Piercing the Darkness: A Novel by Frank Peretti
• Deja Dead (Temperance Brennan #1) by Kathy Reichs
• A Good and Happy Child: A Novel by Justin Evans
• The Diamond Master by Jacques Futrelle
• Vincent Price by Victoria Price
• Eve's Daughters: The Forbidden Heroism of Women by Miriam F. Polster
• The Evening News by Arthur Hailey
• Strong Medicine by Arthur Hailey
• I Married a Best Seller by Sheila Hailey
• The President of Good & Evil by Peter Singer
• Pushing Time Away by Peter Singer
• I Am a Star: Child of the Holocaust by Inge Auerbacher
• The Road to Victory by David Colley

Review: Right Behind You (Quincy & Rainie #7) by Lisa Gardner

Title: Right Behind You (Quincy & Rainie #7)
Author: Lisa Gardner
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication Date: January 31, 2017
Edition: ebook (391 pages)
Categories:

• Fiction
• Mystery
• Suspense
• Thriller

Other Books in the Quincy & Rainie Series

• The Perfect Husband (Quincy & Rainie, #1)
• The Third Victim (Quincy & Rainie, #2)
• The Next Accident (Quincy & Rainie, #3)
• The Killing Hour (Quincy & Rainie, #4)
• Gone (Quincy & Rainie, #5)
• Say Goodbye (Quincy & Rainie, #6)

Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Quincy and Rainie are about to adopt thirteen-year-old Sharlah May Nash, who, eight years before was present at the murder of her abusive parents. She and her older brother, Telly, have had no contact since that night. However, as Quincy and Rainie are asked to help solve two murders and a local gas station/convenience store, it becomes clear that the person suspected of these murders, and others to follow, is Telly Nash. Sharlah is drawn into the situation, not knowing whether Telly is guilty and not quite certain of her limited memories of her brother. Is he the killer? Is he a hero?

This book in fast-paced. One minute, I was quite sure I knew who was guilty, but the next, I was not certain. And, the more the plot unfolded, the more interesting and complex things became.

I enjoyed the action, suspense and characters in this book. I must return and start reading from the beginning of the Series.

Review: Natchez Burning (Penn Cage #4) by Greg Iles

Title: Natchez Burning (Penn Cage #4)
Author: Greg Iles
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 2014
Edition: ebook (824 pages)
Categories:

• Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• Mystery
• Thriller
• Civil Rights
• Racism

Books in the Penn Cage Series

1. The Quiet Game
2. Turning Angel
3. The Devil's Punchbowl
4. Natchez Burning
5. The Bone Tree
6. Mississippi Blood (March 2017)

Natchez Burning by Greg Iles

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Natchez Burning is the fourth book in the Penn Cage Series, and the first book in the Natchez trilogy. Pen Cage, the Mayor of Natchez, Mississippi, receives a phone call from the Natchez District Attorney advising him that his father, Tom Cage, is about to be charged with a murder of his former nurse. Penn has to use every legal skill he learned as a prosecutor and every life skill he possesses to uncover the truth and save his father from prison. In so doing, he has to fight the KKK and members of an offshoot group, and, eventually, it becomes a fight to save his own life and the lives of his fiance and his family.

This is one of the most enthralling books I have ever read. The detail and historical perspective of life in the south during the civil rights years of integration and even present day is painted with a realism the reader can see and touch. The electrifying atmosphere transcends the years. The reader is there. I was fully engaged, and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The emotion of love and hate is revealed in such a way that I felt I was often inside the mind of the characters.

The sixth book in the Penn Cage Series, Mississippi Blood, will be published in March. I plan to go back and begin at the beginning of the Series with The Quiet Game. I am so glad I discovered Mr. Iles' books.

Lynn's List (February 17, 2017)

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

• The Quiet Game (Penn Cage #1) by Greg Iles
• Find Her by Lisa Gardner
• Blind Ambition by Ever Lee Hairston
• Arctic Bound by Tigris Eden
• Captured by Terri J. Haynes
• Final Approach by John J. Nance
• Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
• Dies the Fire: A Novel of the Change by S. M. Stirling
• We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
• We Are Okay by Nina Lacour
• The Lovings: An Intimate Portrait by Stephen Crowley , Grey Villet and Barbara Villet
• Calico Girl by Jerdine Nolen
• Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why by Laurence Gonzales
• Stolen: A Cassidy & Spenser Thriller by Carey Baldwin
• August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones
• When the Cheering Stopped: The Last Years of Woodrow Wilson by Gene Smith
• The Coal War by Upton Sinclair
• King Coal by Upton Sinclair
• The Profits of Religion by Upton Sinclair
• The Moneychangers by Upton Sinclair
• Room Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Wilde
• The Memory Keeper's Daughter: A Novel by Kim Edwards
• One Brief Shining Moment by William Manchester
• A Son's Vow by Shelley Shepard Gray
• The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America by Ethan Michaeli
• Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck by Adam Cohen
• The Assault on Reason: Our Information Ecosystem, from the Age of Print to the Age of Trump, 2017 Edition by Al Gore
• The Fall of the House of Zeus: The Rise and Ruin of America's Most Powerful Trial Lawyer by Curtis Wilkie
• Memory Man by David Baldacci
• The Last Mile by David Baldacci
• The Uninvited by William W. Johnstone
• The Long Journey Home: A Memoir by Margaret Robison
• Gifted: A Novel by Nikita Lalwani
• Armed and Dangerous: The Hunt for One of America's Most Wanted Criminals by William Queen and Douglas Century
• Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford
• Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Leovy
• Abide with Me by Sabin Willett
• The Deal by Sabin Willett
• The Betrayal: A Novel by Sabin Willett

Review: The 100 Thing Challenge: How I Got Rid of Almost Everything, Remade My Life, and Regained My Soul by Dave Bruno

Title: The 100 Thing Challenge: How I Got Rid of Almost Everything, Remade My Life, and Regained My Soul
Author: Dave Bruno
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: December 15, 2010
Edition: Kindle (227 pages)
Categories:

• Nonfiction
• Autobiography
• Memoir
• Self Help

The 100 Thing Challenge: How I Got Rid of Almost Everything, Remade My Life, and Regained My Soul by Dave Bruno

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In November, 2008, the author, Dave Bruno began a year of living with 100 or less personal items. He details his experience in this book. He also provides practical advice to those who may wish to do the same.

I found this book interesting for sever reasons. I've always been highly organized, so one would think I have no clutter. Wrong. I have it all right. It's just hidden behind my closet doors and dresser drawers. I am decluttering--sometimes quickly, and sometimes more slowly. As part of this process, I've been reading books on the subject, and am finding that I can and want to live with less. This book helped me to see that the 100 Thing Challenge wouldn't be a perfect fit for me--but I don't need a magic number. The whole idea is to take what works for you and discard what doesn't. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. The third reason I found this book appealing is that it illustrates the consumerism promoted by advertisers--the idea that if we have more or buy more, we'll be happier. This book made me see how gradually this creeps into the mind set.

I have always felt pressured by stuff and things--mostly because I have things of value that my mom treasured. These are things I do not use--but they have esthetic appeal. Yet, they're work to maintain, and as I get older, I do not want to spend my time doing this. As I declutter my life, I am finding peace and contentment in less. I believe this will only increase as my journey continues. I find each book of this type to be helpful in a different way.

Lynn's List (February 10, 2017)

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

• Seasons of Her Life by Fern Michaels
• Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson
• United States of Jihad: Who Are America's Homegrown Terrorists, and How Do We Stop Them? by Peter Bergen
• Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
• The Summit by Kat Martin
• Crush by Nicole Bailey Williams
• Broken Star and Unbreakable Box Set by Joann Lee
• The Amish Blacksmith (Men of Lancaster County #2) by Susan Meissner and Mindy Starns Clark
• Terrible Virtue: A Novel by Ellen Feldman
• Islam & Muslims: A Guide to Diverse Experience in a Modern World by Mark Sedgwick
• Bitter Brew:The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America's Kings of Beer by William Knoedelseder
• One More Day by Kelly Simmons
• All the Winters After by Seré Halverson
• Hanging Mary by Susan Higginbotham
• The Baker's Daughter by D. E. Stevenson
• I Am a Feminist: Quotes That Empower by Media Adams
• 2084: The End of the World by Sansal Boualem
• Truman by David Mccullough
• Healing Spiritual Wounds: Reconnecting with a Loving God After Experiencing a Hurtful Church by Carol Howard Merritt
• The Ostrich Paradox: Why We Underprepare for Disasters by Robert Meyer and Howard Kunreuther
• The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story (Movie Tie-in) (Movie Tie-in Editions) by Diane Ackerman
• Desperation Road by Michael Farris Smith
• The Small Rain: A Novel by Madeleine L'Engle
• Always: A Novel by Sarah Jio
• Stolen Beauty: A Novel by Laurie Lico Albanese
• Blue on Blue: An Insider's Story of Good Cops Catching Bad Cops by Gordon Dillow and Charles Campisi
• Black Edge: Inside Information, Dirty Money, and the Quest to Bring Down the Most Wanted Man on Wall Street by Sheelah Kolhatkar
• The 100 Thing Challenge: How I Got Rid of Almost Everything, Remade My Life, and Regained My Soul by Dave Bruno
• The Year of the Runaways: A novel by Sunjeev Sahota
• June: A Novel by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
• The Greatest Words Ever Spoken: Everything Jesus Said About You, Your Life, and Everything Else by Steven K. Scott
• The Anatomy of Deception by Lawrence Goldstone
• American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant by Ronald C. White
• Maggie: A Girl of the Street by Stephen Crane

Review: The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson

Title: The Blood of Emmett Till
Author: Timothy B. Tyson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: January 31, 2017
Edition: Kindle (304 pages)
Categories:

• Nonfiction
• African American
• Biography
• Civil Rights
• crime
• Cultural
• History
• Social Justice
• Social Movements
• True Crime

The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Those of you who frequent my book reviews no that I have a passion for civil rights and social justice. This is reflected in my political views as well as in the books I choose to read. The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson is no exception. When I first read about the publication of this work, I counted down the days until it was available. I don't recall when I first learned about the murder of Emmett Till, but I've known of him since junior high school, if not before. I have always thought that the truth would one day come to light, and I am pleased that Timothy B. Tyson has written this work, not only to commemorate this young man and the events, the struggles and the miles and miles we still have to go in stamping out racism and racial inequality in America, but to show the ugliness of it, and to show it is still with us-- its poison still raging through our society, clothed in either nice sounding words with ugly and hateful undertones, or blatant and murderous actions.

Not only does this book document the events concerning the murder of a fourteen-year-old boy, it also documents much of the cultural beliefs and actions that made us and still make us a divided nation. I am definitely not a historian or even a consummate student of history, though, if I were to choose a career in hind sight, I expect it may have been more to my liking than the one I ultimately chose. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history, the civil rights movement, the politics of change, and/or anyone who wants to become better informed. The issues present on that August day in 1955 are still with us. And they are still just as sad, disturbing, complex and savage as they were then.

Review: The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own by Joshua Becker

Title: The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own
Author: Joshua Becker
Publisher: WaterBrook
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Edition: Hardcover (240 pages)
Categories:

• Nonfiction
• Self Help

The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own by Joshua Becker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own has something to offer everyone, in my opinion. Whether you're looking for a better understanding of the minimalist movement, thoughts about why you want to collect more stuff, why we're a consumption oriented people--what ever you're looking for in this regard, this book likely has something to offer you.

I have been interested in the minimalist movement for some years, but have not actively become a part of it. I have read a few books about decluttering. A few years ago, I made a conscious decision to down size my living space. That necessitated getting rid of items of furniture and choosing smaller pieces. I'm very glad to have done this. Even so, I still feel the stress of having more stuff than I need, and it is conpounded by the fact that the items that stress me out are things that my mom owned and passed on to me--most of which have some monetary value. I'm very glad to have read this book. It has prompted me to sort through my closets and my bedroom dresser and chest of drawers. I'm amazed at the number of items I've already donated. Joshua Becker is correct that there is freedom in simplicity. I plan to continue this journey, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who is on the same path or who is simply interested in learning more.

Lynn's List (February 3, 2017)

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

• North And South: The Wild And Wanton Edition Volume 1 by Brenna Chase
• Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer
• The Bourne Identity: Jason Bourne Book #1 by Robert Ludlum
• The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
• The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy
• Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story by Timothy B. Tyson
• Radio Free Dixie by Timothy B. Tyson
• Democracy Betrayed by Timothy B. Tyson and David S. Cecelski
• The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson
• My Sergei: A Love Story by E. M. Swift and Ekaterina Gordeeva
• Nothing to Tell: Extraordinary Stories of Montana Ranch Women by Donna Gray
• Indiscretions by Donna Hill
• Struck by the Sea by Caroline Schena and Daniele Galasso
• The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living by Joseph M. Marshall
• The You I Never Knew by Susan Wiggs
• Ring in a Teacup by Betty Neels
• Beautiful Child by Torey Hayden
• Stop Me by Brenda Novak
• Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of the Sixties by Mike Marqusee
• As Time Goes By by Mary Higgins Clark
• The Melody Lingers On by Mary Higgins Clark
• Daddy's Gone A Hunting by Mary Higgins Clark
• The Great Pierpont Morgan: A Biography by Frederick Lewis Allen
• Only Yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen
• Since Yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen
• True Evil: A Novel by Greg Iles
• A Kingsbury Collection: Three Novels in One: Where Yesterday Lives, When Joy Came to Stay, On Every Side by Karen Kingsbury
• Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965 by Julian Bond and Juan Williams
• The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today by Thomas E. Ricks
• Between Friends by Sandra Kitt
• Unpunished by Lisa Black
• Home Sweet Home: A novel by April Smith
• Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin by Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton
• Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner
• The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach by Pam Jenoff
• The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff
• The Diplomat's Wife by Pam Jenoff
• An Ordinary Girl by Betty Neels
• Bill Clinton: The American Presidents Series: The 42nd President, 1993-2001 by Sean Wilentz , Michael Tomasky and Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
• Lotus: A Novel by Lijia Zhang
• Race In America by Mustafa Emirbayer and Matthew Desmond
• A Consequential President: The Legacy of Barack Obama by Michael D'Antonio
• Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America by Michael Eric Dyson
• Raw Deal by Cherrie Lynn
• L'art de la Simplicité: How to Live More with Less by Louise Lalaurie and Dominique Loreau
• Letters to a Young Muslim by Omar Saif Ghobash
• This Is How It Always Is: A Novel by Laurie Frankel
• Three Years with the Rat: A Novel by Jay Hosking
• The Meaning of Michelle: 16 Writers on the Iconic First Lady and How Her Journey Inspires Our Own by Veronica Chambers
• At the End of the World: A True Story of Murder in the Arctic by Lawrence Millman
• Behind Her Eyes: A suspenseful psychological thriller by Sarah Pinborough
• A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival by Melissa Fleming
• The Radius of Us: A Novel by Marie Marquardt
• Snowblind: A Thriller by Ragnar Jonasson
• Shoes for Anthony: A Novel by Emma Kennedy
• The Big Break: The Greatest American WWII POW Escape Story Never Told by Stephen Dando-Collins
• I Liked My Life: A Novel by Abby Fabiaschi
• You Don't Know My Name by Kristen Orlando
• No Wall Too High: One Man's Daring Escape from Mao's Darkest Prison by Xu Hongci and Erling Hoh
• Rise: How a House Built a Family by Cara Brookins
• Desert Secrets by Lisa Harris
• Forever and Five Days: The Chilling True Story of Love, Betrayal, and Serial Murder in Grand Rapids, Michigan by Lowell Cauffiel
• Dark Rage: A Novel of Electrifying Suspense by Lowell Cauffiel
• Masquerade: A True Story of Seduction, Compulsion, and Murder by Lowell Cauffiel
• Two Sides of the Moon: Our Story of the Cold War Space Race by David Scott, Alexei Leonov, Tom Hanks, Neil Armstrong and Christine Toomey
• Answered Prayers by Danielle Steel
• Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy: The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein by Tim Malloy, James Patterson and John Connolly
• The River at Night by Erica Ferencik
• Seven Shots: An NYPD Raid On A Terrorist Cell And Its Aftermath by Jennifer C. Hunt
• The Lost and the Found by Cat Clarke
• Missing, Presumed: A Novel by Susie Steiner
• Where the River Ends by Charles Martin
• The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own by Joshua Becker

Review: Every Dead Thing (Charlie Parker #1) by John Connolly

Title: Every Dead Thing (Charlie Parker #1)
Author: John Connolly
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 16, 2015
Edition: Paperback (512 pages)
Categories:

• Crime
• Detective
• Fiction
• Horror
• Mystery
• Mystery Thriller
• Suspense
• Thriller

Every Dead Thing by John Connolly

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Charlie Parker, a former police detective, is haunted by the unsolved murder of his wife and daughter. He leaves the NYPD, and is asked to investigate the disappearance of a young woman. In so doing, he confronts a serial killer known as the Traveling Man.

The plot is complex. The characters are well developed, and the range of emotion the reader experiences is as staggering as that in real life.

This is definitely not a "he said, she said" read. The grief, loss, and human drama comes to life and leaps out at the reader. It drew me in from the very start, and though some events are a bit graphic in their description, that too adds to the ambiance of the book. I will return to read more of the Charlie Parker books.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.