Lynn's List (October 27, 2017)

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

• Impeachment: A Citizen's Guide by Cass R. Sunstein
• Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson
• Finding My Virginity by Richard Branson
• The Summer of Your Life by Marcos David Castillo Ojeda
• The Substitute Teacher by Ghost86 and Annie J. Garza
• Stand Up to Stigma: How We Reject Fear and Shame by Pernessa C. Seele
• The Safe House: A Novel by Laura Marris and Christophe Boltanski
• Big Girls Don't Cry by Brenda Novak
• Beartown: A Novel by Fredrik Backman
• Manhattan Beach: A Novel by Jennifer Egan
• B.F.'s Daughter by John P. Marquand
• Unfinished Murder by James Neff
• The Wrong Man by James Neff
• Member of the Family: My Story of Charles Manson, Life Inside His Cult, and the Darkness That Ended the Sixties by Deborah Herman and Dianne Lake
• Calling My Name by Liara Tamani
• An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice by Khizr Khan
• Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life by Laura Bush, Barbara Pierce Bush, and Jenna Bush Hager
• Hank and Jim: The Fifty-Year Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart by Scott Eyman
• Three Strikes by Kate Kessler
• Home to Wickham Falls by Rochelle Alers
• Daughters of the Summer Storm by Frances Patton Statham

Review: Sister Sister by Sue Fortin

Title: Sister Sister
Author: Sue Fortin
Publisher: HarperImpulse
Publication Date: January 6, 2017
Edition: ebook (364 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Mystery
• Suspense
• Psychological Thriller
• Thriller

Sister Sister by Sue Fortin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Two sisters, Alice and Clare were separated when Alice was four-years-old and Clare was nine-years-old. Alice was taken to America by her father, and Clare remained in the UK with her mother. But Alice never came back. When , two decades later, the sisters were reunited, things began to spiral out of control. So many things didn't make sense to Clare, and as Clare begins to search for the truth, even she isn't sure what is real at times, and she begins to question her sanity.

I enjoyed this story so much. The plot held my interest and I had chills up and down my spine more than once. A great psychological thriller with so many twists, I found myself suspecting nearly every character of treachery at one point or another.

Review: Big Girls Don't Cry (Dundee, Idaho, #6) by Brenda Novak

Title: Big Girls Don't Cry (Dundee, Idaho, #6)
Author: Brenda Novak
Publisher: Mira Books
Publication Date: March 17, 2014 (first published September 1st 2005)
Edition: ebook (400 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Contemporary Romance

Series: Dundee, Idaho #6

Big Girls Don't Cry by Brenda Novak

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Reenie's marriage is over, thanks to the reckless actions of her husband. And Elizabeth's marriage is over, thanks to the reckless actions of the same man. Now, they have to begin to rebuild their lives, if for no other reason, for the sake of their children. But it isn't so easy, especially in a small town, where everyone knows everyone.

This is a great story. It has so many elements; drama; raw emotion; courage; betrayal; family bonds; and romance. I began the Series with this book, but plan to read the other books as well.

Review: Christy by Catherine Marshall

Title: Christy
Author: Catherine Marshall
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: April 1, 2001 (first published January 1st 1967)
Edition: Paperback (512 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• Romance

Christy by Catherine Marshall

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Christy Huddleson volunteers to teach at a mission school in Cutter Gap, Tennessee, in 1912. She finds herself a world away from her comfortable home and familiar customs, and wonders if she is completely out of her depth in this remote area. But, as she gets to know the people, she falls in love with them. This is the story of her first year of teaching. Catherine Marshall has based her story on many actual experiences of her mother, Christy.

This is a classic from my childhood. The writing is so rich with flavor you can almost smell the smoke from the people's cabins, and taste the food eaten. The writing is simply stated, and, yet, profound. The characters are people I will never forget. And there is so much revealed about God and life in this story. It simply reaches out and draws the reader in. I'm so glad I finally made time to reread this book, and I plan to revisit it again and again.

Almost Time For Another Readathon

It's almost time for a great twenty-four hours of reading with Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon.

The fun begins tomorrow morning at 7:00 A.M. CDT, and lasts for twenty-four hours. This is my fifth readathon, though I haven't signed up officially. Nevertheless, I still love the fun of reading at the same time as others all over the world.

This year, I've chosen to revisit a book from my childhood, Christy by Catherine Marshall. I was a young adult when I first read it, and I remember how much I enjoyed it then.

As I have during other readathons, I will update my reading progress and the happenings of the twenty-four hours on Twitter, @everydayreader1.

There's still time to join in, and no pressure to read the entire time. It's just for fun. And now for the second most important part, I have to get those snacks planned out and ready. So, happy reading, everyone!

Review: The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Concise History (Second Edition) by Don Munton and David A. Welch

Title: The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Concise History (Second Edition)
Author: Don Munton and David A. Welch
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (first published July 13th 2006)
Publication Date: March 1st 2011
Edition: Paperback (123 pages)
Genres:

• Nonfiction
• Government
• History

The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Concise History by Don Munton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The authors, using information from sources not available at the first writing, tell the story of the Cuban Missile Crisis from beginning to end. The elements of this crisis are dramatic and the authors take care to let events speak for themselves without enhancement. The Cuban, Soviet, and US perspectives are well represented, and provide a comprehensive and readable narrative.

I was five-years-old in October, 1962. I remember watching President Kennedy's speech to the country. I remember his serious tone of voice. But what I remember most is the concern I felt coming from my parents and the civil defense drills our community had in the following weeks. Those were seriously scary times because of the possible outbreak of nuclear war. In some ways, reminiscent of today's uncertainties. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about the Cuban missile crisis. It is written in a concise and very readable format.

Lynn's List (October 20, 2017)

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

• Try to Remember by Carla Cassidy
• Arthur Vandenberg: The Man in the Middle of the American Century by Hendrik Meijer
• A Secret Sisterhood: The Literary Friendships of Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot, and Virginia Woolf by Margaret Atwood, Emma Claire Sweeney, and Emily Midorikawa
• Narrative of Sojourner Truth by Sojourner Truth
• Trump is F*cking Crazy: (This is Not a Joke) by Keith Olbermann
• Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump by David Neiwert
• Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly
• Fire on the Track: Betty Robinson and the Triumph of the Early Olympic Women by Roseanne Montillo
• Go Back to Where You Came From: The Backlash Against Immigration and the Fate of Western Democracy by Sasha Polakow-Suransky
• Most of All You: A Love Story by Mia Sheridan
• Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back by Gretchen Carlson
• A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo
• The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won by Victor Davis Hanson
• Softer Than Springtime by Frances West
• One Day Closer: A Mother's Quest to Bring Her Kidnapped Daughter Home by Lorinda Stewart
• Suzanne's Children: A Daring Rescue in Nazi Paris by Anne Nelson
• Like Water by Rebecca Podos
• Killing Season: A Thriller by Faye Kellerman
• Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics by Joe Biden

Review: The Lies We Believe: A Suspense Novel by T.K. Chapin

Title: The Lies We Believe: A Suspense Novel
Author: T.K. Chapin
Publisher: Branch Publishing
Publication Date: June 12, 2017
Edition: Kindle (315 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Cults
• Suspense
• Religion and Spirituality

The Lies We Believe: A Suspense Novel by T.K. Chapin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Emily Fields was a beautiful and bright twenty-two-year-old young woman. Just out of college, she was out on her own and employed at a large law firm as a receptionist. She joins a new age group called Lighthouse, much to her father's disapproval. Ron Fields was beside himself when Emily announced she was joining Lighthouse. He didn't want to lose the relationship with her, so he didn't outwardly react strongly. His life changed for ever as he learned more about LightHouse and its real agenda. And he learned about people, lies, and that people are not always what they seem.

As I read this story, I never knew what would happen next. That is, after all, supposed to be a hallmark of a good story. I found myself wondering if Ron Fields really knew his own mind though. He seemed to vacillate between trusting people and not trusting them. And I sometimes found his actions almost as unsettling as those of the people at Lighthouse. Over all, I enjoyed the story, however.

Review: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

Title: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett
Author: Chelsea Sedoti
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: January 3, 2017
Edition: Kindle (400 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Contemporary
• Mystery
• Teen Fiction

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


High school is not a part of life Hawthorn particularly enjoys. She's conflicted between being herself and yet yearns to understand and possibly experience popularity. When Lizzie Lovett, a young girl older than Hawthorn, goes missing, Hawthorn becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Lizzie. She gets a job at the diner where Lizzie worked, and begins to hang out with Lizzie's boyfriend. She has theories about Lizzie, what happened to her, and where she is now.

I decided to read this book because it is the Big Library Read for October 2017. It is well written with complex characters. Maybe I'm getting too old to understand the world of teens today, but I found it very strange, down right weird, at times, and because of that, I gave it the rating I did. On the other hand, perhaps, that assessment comes out of my own teen experiences and not today's reality, so you will have to judge for yourself. One aspect of the book I found to be very educational, however, is the author's treatment of bullying which Hawthorn experienced as well as feelings teens and young adults must confront today.

Lynn's List (October 13, 2017)

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

• Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
• The Jersey Brothers: A Missing Naval Officer in the Pacific and His Family's Quest to Bring Him Home by Sally Mott Freeman
• When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• 100 Ways to Understand your Cat by Roger Tabor
• The Right Time: A Novel by Danielle Steel
• The Family Lawyer by James Patterson
• Before We Were Yours: A Novel by Lisa Wingate
• Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
• The Great Chicago Fire by David Lowe
• Susan Wiggs Great Chicago Fire Trilogy Complete Collection by Susan Wiggs
• Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
• The Simplicity of Cider: A Novel by Amy E. Reichert
• Love Story: A Novel by Karen Kingsbury
• Positivity: Groundbreaking Research to Release Your Inner Optimist and Thrive by Barbara Fredrickson
• The Dry: A Novel by Jane Harper
• Stripped Bare: A Novel by Shannon Baker
• An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back by Elisabeth Rosenthal
• The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
• The Tunnels: Escapes Under the Berlin Wall and the Historic Films the JFK White House Tried to Kill by Greg Mitchell
• My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel by Ari Shavit
• The Apache Wars by Paul Andrew Hutton
• Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific by Robert Leckie
• The Emancipator's Wife by Barbara Hambly
• Closing Time: The True Story of the "Goodbar" Murder by Lacey Fosburgh
• Fifty Years in Chains by Charles Ball
• The Suspicion Series Volume One: Suspicion of Innocence, Suspicion of Guilt, and Suspicion of Deceit by Barbara Parker
• Criminal Justice by Barbara Parker
• Blood Relations by Barbara Parker
• Manhattan Beach: A Novel by Jennifer Egan
• Lincoln by David Herbert Donald
• Other Women by Lisa Alther
• Original Sins by Lisa Alther
• The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy
• The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

Review: The Bay at Midnight by Diane Chamberlain

Title: The Bay at Midnight
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Publisher: Mira
Publication Date: September 1, 2006
Edition: ebook
Genres:

• Fiction
• Mystery
• Romance
  

The Bay at Midnight by Diane Chamberlain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Julie Bauer loved spending summers at the seashore in New Jersey until her seventeen-year-old sister, Isabel, was murdered, on an August night. The family sold their cottage and did not return. Decades later, Julie is visited by the daughter of her former neighbor who brings her news that will reopen the murder investigation and cause Julie, her sister and mother to relive those events. Each has secrets they would rather stay hidden. Each feels complicit in Isabel's murder.

The storylines of Diane Chamberlain's books draw me in, from the first. The emotions experienced by the characters are so genuine, I forget I'm reading a fictional story. And there is never a moment where my attention wanders. I particularly enjoyed revisiting the setting of the girls' childhood, the 1950s-1960s. A great read!

Review: Fade to Black by Amanda Stevens

Title: Fade to Black
Author: Amanda Stevens
Publisher: Silhouette
Publication Date: August 1, 1994
Edition: Paperback (192 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Romance
• Mystery

Fade To Black by Amanda Stevens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jessica Kincaid has rebuilt her life after her husband's sudden and inexplicable disappearance. She has raised her five-year-old son, Max, as a single parent. Life isn't bad. She's coping and her antique business is doing well. Then, one day, her supposedly dead husband, Pierce, shows up in her kitchen. He thinks he has just returned from the grocery store. He remembers nothing of what happened to him in the five years since he went missing. And then there's the complication of who Pierce really is and the possible danger his past poses to Jessica and Max.

I enjoyed this story. It was filled with emotion and interesting characters.

Review: The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash

Title: The Last Ballad
Author: Wiley Cash
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
Edition: ebook (384 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Historical Fiction

The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


North Carolina, in 1929, is the setting for this book. Ella May Wiggins is a textile mill worker at an integrated mill. She is poor, hard working, and the mother of four young children. She joins the union and becomes a strike leader when mill employees strike for higher wages and better working conditions.

Though this book is historical fiction, it is based on the life of Ella May Wiggins, a real woman who gave her life for the union cause when she was murdered in 1929. The characters reached out from the pages and became real to me. The bleakness of life, the discrimination and the abject poverty they endured makes me realize how blessed I am to come after them. They paved the way for where I am today--a person with a disability who had educational and employment opportunities that so many did not, then, and still do not have now. This book pays tribute to labor leaders and civil rights leaders who sacrificed so much, even their lives, for positive change. Wiley Cash has beautifully written and preserved one of these stories. Let us never forget. And let us never go backward, only forward.

Lynn's List (October 6, 2017)

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

• The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore
• Song of the Sound by Jeff Gulvin
• Cry of the Panther by Jeff Gulvin
• Small Wars, Faraway Places by Michael Burleigh
• New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd
• The Fierce Urgency of Now by Julian E. Zelizer
• An Amish Christmas by Cynthia Keller
• 1968: The Year That Rocked the World by Mark Kurlansky
• Comes the Blind Fury by John Saul
• The Things We Do for Love by Kristin Hannah
• Refuge: A Novel by Dina Nayeri
• The Color Purple Collection by Alice Walker
• Nothing To Lose: A Grey Justice Novel (Volume #1) by Christy Reece
• The Man from Stone Creek: An 1900s Western Romance by Linda Lael Miller
• Dissent by Ralph Young
• A Long Way from Home: Growing Up in the American Heartland by Tom Brokaw
• The Cartel by Don Winslow
• Yours in Truth: A Personal Portrait of Ben Bradlee by Jeff Himmelman
• Disclosure by Michael Crichton
• The Barefoot Bride (Mail Order Bride Series #1) by Joan Johnston
• Everything We Left Behind: A Novel by Kerry Lonsdale
• Follow You Home by Mark Edwards
• Broken Heartland by J M Hayes
• First Ladies by Susan Swain and C-Span
• First Women by Kate Andersen Brower
• Battling the Oceans in a Rowboat: Crossing the Atlantic and North Pacific on Oars and Grit by Mick Dawson
• Testimony by Scott Turow
• Identical by Scott Turow
• The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer and Dave Eggers
• Tumbleweeds: A Novel by Leila Meacham
• The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness by Unger and Harlow Giles
• Hour Game (Sean King and Michelle Maxwell #2) by David Baldacci
• Simple Genius (Sean King and Michelle Maxwell #3) by David Baldacci
• Zero Day (John Puller #1) by David Baldacci
• The Trainable Cat: A Practical Guide to Making Life Happier for You and Your Cat by Sarah Ellis and John Bradshaw
• Augustine: Conversions To Confessions by Robin Lane Fox
• Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South by Beth Macy
• Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James
• Christy by Catherine Marshall
• A Room of My Own byAnn Tatlock
• Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
• Missing Mother-To-Be: An Intense Abduction Romantic Suspense by Elle Kennedy
• Some Kind of Wonderful by Sarah Morgan
• Classified K-9 Unit Series Books 1-3 by Valerie Hansen, Laura Scott, and Terri Reed
• Cut and Run: A Thrilling Romantic Suspense by Carla Neggers
• The Lightkeeper: A 19th Century Historical Romance by Susan Wiggs
• Perfectly Undone: A Novel by Jamie Raintree
• Best Day Ever: A Psychological Thriller by Kaira Rouda
• The Blind: A Chilling Psychological Suspense by A. F. Brady
• Undercover Amish by Debby Giusti
• Gone in the Night by Anna J. Stewart
• Miles Lord: The Maverick Judge Who Brought Corporate America to Justice by Roberta Walburn
• Broken Slate: A Sean Coleman Thriller by John A. Daly
• Seeking the Shore by Donna Gentry Morton
• If the Creek Don't Rise: A Novel by Leah Weiss
• The Visitors by Kathryn Byrnes
• The Divergent Library by Veronica Roth
• The Deep Dark Descending by Allen Eskens
• The Devils You Know by M. C. Atwood
• 31 Proverbs to Light Your Path by Liz Curtis Higgs
• The Flight 981 Disaster: Tragedy, Treachery, and the Pursuit of Truth by Samme Chittum
• Cast Iron by Peter May
• Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times by Nancy Koehn
• Dear World: A Syrian Girl's Story of War and Plea for Peace by Bana Alabed
• Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World by Eric Metaxas
• The Making of Martin Luther by Richard Rex
• Jesus Always: 365 Devotions for Kids by Sarah Young
• Protected by Claire Zorn
• Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate by Monica Lewinksy, Melissa Schorr, and Sue Scheff
• Voices of Freedom: Four Classic Slave Narratives by Sojourner Truth, Harriet Jacobs, Frederick Douglass, and Solomon Northup
• American Justice: A True Crime Collection by James Neff
• Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eig
• The Last Day of Emily Lindsey by Nic Joseph
• Bible Nation: The United States of Hobby Lobby by Joel S. Baden and Candida R. Moss
• Manhattan Beach: A Novel by Jennifer Egan
• The Indigo Girl: A Novel by Saskia Maarleveld
• The Last Ballad: A Novel by Wiley Cash
• The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain
• My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
• The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News--and Divided a Country by Gabriel Sherman
• After This by Alice Mcdermott
• John Quincy Adams by Paul C. Nagel
• The Simplicity of Cider: A Novel by Amy E. Reichert
• Relentless by Winter Austin
• Universal Health Care: What the United States Can Learn from the Canadian Experience by Claudia Fegan, Hugh Armstrong, and Pat Armstrong
• Take Control of iOS 11 by Josh Centers
• Little Boy Found: They thought the nightmare was over...it was only the beginning by Lk Fox
• PEOPLE True Crime Stories: 35 Real Cases That Inspired the Show Law & Order by The Editors of PEOPLE
• PEOPLE Glen Campbell: A Life In Song, 1936-2017 by The Editors of PEOPLE
• I See You by Clare Mackintosh
• Lincoln's Boys by Joshua Zeitz
• Sheba by Jack Higgins
• Ice: A Novel by Linda Howard
• A Golfer's Life by Arnold Palmer

A note for Bookshare users:

Several titles, by Phyllis A. Whitney, have recently been added to Bookshare to compliment those already there.

• Silversword
• Emerald
• Woman Without a Past
• Listen for the Whisperer
• Seven Tears for Apollo
• Flaming Tree
• Dream of Orchids
• Rainsong
• Blue Fire
• Black Amber
• Vermilion
• Poinciana
• The Moonflower
• The Glass Flame
• Domino
• Columbella
• The Turquoise Mask
• Hunter's Green

Review: The Godfather by Mario Puzo

Title: The Godfather
Author: Mario Puzo
Publisher: New American Library
Publication Date: October 4, 2005
Edition: Kindle Edition, New American Library Essential Editions (456 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Classics
• Crime Fiction

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


My first exposure to The Godfather by Mario Puzo was as a teenager when my mom stayed up all night to read it. She read it from cover-to-cover in less than twenty-four hours. When I read it, as an adult, I was reminded of this, and was tempted to do the same.

Now, I find it difficult to separate the characters in the book from how they are portrayed in the movie, which I also love. Filled with family, the mafia and the heartbreak of life, in spite of money, power and position, it is a captivating read.

I have reread The Godfather several times over the years. Partly because it is such a great read, and partly because it was one of my mom's favorites. It helps keep her memory richly alive for me. Each time I reread a book she loved, I am once again thankful she passed on her love of reading to me, and for the many hours we spent reading books together, over the years.

My Reads (September, 2017)

At the beginning of each month, I publish a list of books I have read the previous month. By clicking on the links in the list, you will be taken to my review of that title. Happy reading!

• Stormchasers: The Hurricane Hunters and Their Fateful Flight into Hurricane Janet by David Toomey
• Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica
• Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
• The Hidden Target (Robert Renwick #2) by Helen Macinnes (reread)
• What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton
• A Darker Place by Laurie R. King

Review: A Darker Place by Laurie R. King

Title: A Darker Place
Author: Laurie R. King
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: October 14, 2009
Edition: ebook (512 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Mystery
• Suspense
• Thriller

A Darker Place by Laurie R. King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Anne Waverly suffered greatly after the deaths of her husband and young daughter. Involved in a religious cult, her husband and daughter were part of a group suicide while she was away. Now she is a sometimes undercover agent for the FBI, going into religious groups where cult activity is suspected. She thought she was finished with this work, and had settled down to her teaching as a University professor of religious studies. But, the FBI had one more assignment for her. And this one might just cost Anne her life.

This story kept my interest throughout. I have been drawn to cult perspectives for a long time--actually any belief system that is away from the center. This book captured my attention because of the nature of how people are indoctrinated into certain belief systems that, at first, seem innocuous. I also liked Anne, her FBI contact, and the two children, prominent in the story.