My review: Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman

Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Deborah Feldman grew up in the Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism. It was a very restrictive life in which her every action was strictly governed. My word for it is legalism, in the extreme. At seventeen, she was married by means of an arranged marriage. Though, as a child she inwardly rebelled against the restrictions imposed on her, she went along with the customs until she finally escaped.

This book was a sad commentary of what religion in the extreme can do to someone's soul and the trauma it can cause. Yet, this young woman's tenacious spirit finally allowed her to overcome and become the woman she was meant to be. I cried a lot reading this story, but it was one of triumph, and I'm very glad I read it.

My review: Barack and Joe: The Making of an Extraordinary Partnership by Steven Levingston

Barack and Joe: The Making of an Extraordinary Partnership by Steven Levingston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




Some books are just worth staying up all night to read. Barack and Joe: The Making of an Extraordinary Partnership by Steven Levingston is one of those. It is the story of two very different men from different backgrounds coming together as President and Vice President of the United States to serve as a team for eight years in office. Two men who, at first seemed to have little in common other than their membership in the United States Senate, but who became "brothers" in every way that matters. This book is not about the politics of that relationship, but how it came to be. Steven Levingston brings to life the character of these men. Who they are and what they believe. It's an excellent read, especially if you need a reminder of what character and public service are all about.

My review: Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom by Conrad Black

Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom by Conrad Black

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This biography of FDR is, by far, the most comprehensive I have read to date. At 1,280 pages, it is not a short read. However, the time it takes to read it is more than made up for by the depth of exploration of FDR the man. His character and personality shine through. This is not a glossy portrait with no flaws. I felt as though I saw more of a complete characterization of FDR, including his extraordinary achievements as well as his flaws. It was a great read.

Lynn's List (April 24, 2020)

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

• War Against the Mafia (The Executioner #1) by Don Pendleton
• The Ronald J. Glasser Collection: 365 Days; Another War, Another Peace; and Ward 402 by Ronald J. Glasser
• Sherman's March: The First Full-length Narrative Of General William T. Sherman's Devastating March Through Georgia And The Carolinas by Burke Davis
• Black Heroes of the American Revolution by Burke Davis
• Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman
• Genesis by Geoffrey Carr
• In the Heat of the Night: The Original Virgil Tibbs Novel by John Ball
• The Cool Cottontail by John Ball
• Johnny Get Your Gun by John Ball
• Life After Darkness: A Doctor’s Journey Through Severe Depression by Cathy Wield
• Girl in the Rearview Mirror: A Novel by Kelsey Rae Dimberg
• Stoicism (Ancient Philosophies #1) by John Sellars
• Bigger Than Bernie: How We Go from the Sanders Campaign to Democratic Socialism by Micah Uetricht and Meagan Day
• Armageddon: A Novel Of Berlin by Leon Uris
• I Escaped from Auschwitz: The Shocking True Story of the World War II Hero Who Escaped the Nazis and Helped Save Over 200,000 Jews by Rudolf Vrba
• The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II by Katherine Sharp Landdeck
• Girl Decoded: A Scientist's Quest to Reclaim Our Humanity by Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology by Carol Colman and Rana el Kaliouby
• The Englisch Daughter: A Novel by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall
• In Her Shadow: A Novel by Kristin Miller
• American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics and the Ongoing Fight for the Soul of the Country by Jack Jenkins
• Biography of Resistance: The Epic Battle Between People and Pathogens by Muhammad H. Zaman
• War for Eternity: Inside Bannon's Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers by Benjamin R Teitelbaum
• Pretty Things: A Novel by Janelle Brown
• If I Had Your Face: A Novel by Frances Cha
• Strange Situation: A Mother's Journey into the Science of Attachment by Bethany Saltman
• The Closer You Get by Mary Torjussen
• Beachside Beginnings by Sheila Roberts
• The Yellow Demon of Fever: Fighting Disease in the Nineteenth-Century Transatlantic Slave Trade by Manuel Barcia
• How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Survival Guide for Modern Life by Craig Hase and Devon Hase
• Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
• Lifting as We Climb: Black Women's Battle for the Ballot Box by Evette Dionne
• Days Without End: A Novel by Sebastian Barry
• A Thousand Moons: A Novel by Sebastian Barry
• 100 Favorite Bible Prayers (100 Favorite) by Thomas Nelson Gift Books
• Quaker Women: Personal Life, Memory and Radicalism in the Lives of Women Friends, 1780–1930 (Women's and Gender History) by Sandra Stanley Holton
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life by Jane Sherron de Hart
• The Innocent: A Suspense Thriller by Harlan Coben
• Paul Volcker: The Making of a Financial Legend by Joseph B. Treaster
• Organise Your Home: De-clutter, De-stress by MaryAnne Bennie

Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Conrad Black

I seldom post about books here until I review them, but I thought this worth mentioning. "Franklin Delano Roosevelt" by Conrad Black is one of the best biographies I've read. It's 1,280 pages, so it is taking time to read. As usual, I will be reviewing it down the road. But, if you're looking for a good biography, please do check it out.

Lynn's List (April 17, 2020)

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

• Hell and Other Destinations: A 21st-Century Memoir by Madeleine Albright
• The Devil's Song by Lauren Stahl
• Some Go Hungry by J. Patrick Redmond
• The Ragged Edge Of Night by Olivia Hawker
• Lies by T. M. Logan
• The Rabbit Girls by Anna Ellory
• The Kaleidoscope Sisters by Ronnie K. Stephens
• The Summer Country: A Novel by Lauren Willig
• Truths I Never Told You: A Novel by Kelly Rimmer
• Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr
• Daughter of the Saints: Growing Up In Polygamy by Dorothy Allred Solomon
• You Got This: Face Your Fear. Find Your Confidence. by Caroline Foran
• Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference by Timothy Keller and John Inazu
• Yogi: A Life Behind the Mask by Jon Pessah
• The Book of Koli (The Rampart Trilogy #1) by M. R. Carey
• Reds: McCarthyism in Twentieth-Century America by Ted Morgan
• Overkill: When Modern Medicine Goes Too Far by Paul A. Offit M.D.
• Insane Society: A Sociology of Mental Health by Peter Morrall
• Downfall: The Demise of a President and His Party by Andrew Hacker
• Presidential Leadership in Crisis: Defining Moments of the Modern Presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Donald Trump by Kenneth T. Walsh
• The Eternal Frontier: An Ecological History of North America and Its Peoples by Tim Flannery
• Hitler's Europe Ablaze: Occupation, Resistance, and Rebellion during World War II by Ben H. Shepherd and Philip Cooke
• Codebreakers' Victory: How the Allied Cryptographers Won World War II by Hervie Haufler
• Battles Of The Revolutionary War by W. J. Wood
• Lincoln Reconsidered by David Herbert Donald
• The Plots Against Hitler by Danny Orbach
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom by Conrad Black
• The Nazi's Wife: A Thriller by Peter Watson
• The Gideon Oliver Mysteries Volume One: Fellowship of Fear, The Dark Place, Murder in the Queen’s Armes, and Old Bones (The Gideon Oliver Mysteries) by Aaron Elkins
• The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America by James Wilson
• Mary: A Novel by Janis Cooke Newman
• Blood and Money: The Classic True Story of Murder, Passion, and Power by Thomas Thompson
• Kursk Down!: The Shocking True Story of the Sinking of a Russian Nuclear Submarine by Clyde Burleson
• On the Bottom: The Raising of the Submarine S-51 by Edward Ellsberg
• Imperfect Justice by Jeff Ashton
• The Heart Goes Last: A Novel by Margaret Atwood
• Gateway to the Moon: A Novel by Mary Morris
• The Dearly Beloved: A Novel by Cara Wall
• Where They Found Her: A Novel by Kimberly Mccreight
• The League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the U.S. Government to Bring Their Husbands Home by Heath Hardage Lee
• Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
• Mitch, Please!: How Mitch McConnell Sold Out Kentucky (and America, Too) by Matt Jones
• Front Row at the Trump Show by Jonathan Karl
• Hunted by James Patterson and Andrew Holmes
• Revenge by James Patterson and Andrew Holmes
• Redhead by the Side of the Road: A novel by Anne Tyler
• Valentine: A Novel by Elizabeth Wetmore

Review: Glory in Death (In Death #2) by J. D. Robb

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Glory in Death (In Death, #2) has Lieutenant Eve Dallas investigating the death of successful women. No simple straight forward case here. Lots of twists and turns. Really like the tenacity of this woman--and her heart. She has such a good heart. And her lover, Roarke? He's coming along. The tech in 2058 is very interesting too. Could use some of that now!

My review: Naked in Death (In Death #1) by J. D. Robb

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've been intending to begin reading J. D. Robb's In Death series for a long time and decided 2020 was the year to do so. So glad I did. NAKED IN DEATH was a great read. I like NYC police Lieutenant Eve Dallas so much. She's a strong and intelligent woman with a strong work ethic. Yet, she's human and not without personal demons. It's going to be fun to see how she evolves, as a character, and how her romance with Roarke progresses. I'm hooked.

Lynn's List (April 10, 2020)

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

• And Yet They Persisted: How American Women Won the Right to Vote by Johanna Neuman
• Slave Revolts in Antiquity by Theresa Urbainczyk
• To a Distant Day: The Rocket Pioneers (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight) by Chris Gainor
• Proof of Guilt: Barbara Graham and the Politics of Executing Women in America by Kathleen A. Cairns
• A Silent Death: The brand-new thriller from Number 1 bestseller Peter May by Peter May
• I'll Keep You Safe by Peter May
• The Firemaker (The\china Thrillers Ser. #1) by Peter May
• Aurora Dawn by Herman Wouk
• Believe and Rejoice: Joy is the Serious Business of Heaven. -C.S. Lewis by Dr. James P. Gills
• The New Bible Cure for High Blood Pressure: Ancient Truths, Natural Remedies, and the Latest Findings for Your Health Today by Don Colbert, MD
• Fasting for Life: Medical Proof Fasting Reduces Risk of Heart Disease, Cancer, and Diabetes by Francis E. Umesiri
• Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition by Buddy Levy
• Missing, Presumed: A Novel (Manon Bradshaw #1) by Susie Steiner
• Persons Unknown: A Novel (Manon Bradshaw #2) by Susie Steiner
• The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank by Willy Lindwer
• The Roanoke Girls: A Novel by Amy Engel
• The Family Orchard: A Novel (Vintage International) by Nomi Eve
• The Power of Humility: Living like Jesus by R. T. Kendall
• Freefall: A Novel by Jessica Barry
• Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington by Ted Widmer
• Eden by Tim Lebbon
• A Mother's Lie by Sarah Zettel
• What Really Happened: The Lincoln Assassination by Robert J. Hutchinson
• The Book of Lost Friends: A Novel by Lisa Wingate
• Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust: My Friendship with Patsy Cline by Loretta Lynn and Patsy Lynn Russell
• A Tender Thing by Emily Neuberger
• Strike Me Down: A Novel by Mindy Mejia
• Life in the Fasting Lane: How to Make Intermittent Fasting a Lifestyle—and Reap the Benefits of Weight Loss and Better Health by Jason Fung M.D., Eve Mayerand Megan Ramos
• The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson
• The Beauty of Your Face: A Novel by Sahar Mustafah
• Under Pressure: Living Life and Avoiding Death on a Nuclear Submarine by Richard Humphreys
• One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak
• Stop Checking Your Likes: Shake Off the Need for Approval and Live an Incredible Life by Susie Moore
• They Knew They Were Pilgrims: Plymouth Colony and the Contest for American Liberty by John G. Turner
• The Truth about Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown
• The Engineer's Wife: A Novel by Tracey Enerson Wood
• Fritz Bauer: The Jewish Prosecutor Who Brought Eichmann and Auschwitz to Trial (German Jewish Cultures) by Ronen Steinke
• The Ancestor: A Novel by Danielle Trussoni
• A Climate Policy Revolution: What the Science of Complexity Reveals about Saving Our Planet by Roland Kupers
• The Toddler in Chief: What Donald Trump Teaches Us about the Modern Presidency by Daniel W. Drezner
• The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus by Richard Preston
• Always and Forever: A Novel by Cynthia Freeman
• Harvest Home: A Novel by Thomas Tryon
• The System by Robert Reich
• A Thousand Sleepless Nights by Michael King
• The Anniversary Waltz: A novel by Darrel Nelson
• Fearless: A Novel by Mike Dellosso

Review: Lockdown by Peter May

Lockdown by Peter May

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Lockdown, though first written and rejected for publication because of a plot that seemed too far fetched, is now a most timely read. London is on lockdown because of a raging pandemic that keeps killing and killing--eerily similar to the Covid-19 pandemic now raging around the world. Combine that with a mystery of a little girl's murder, and you have a great thriller. This is the first book I've read by Peter May--and not to be the last. His writing style and description drew me into the story from the first. The emotion and the reaction of mankind on the edge. I felt it with every word. I great read.

Lynn's List (April 3, 2020)

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

• Gravity by Leanne Lieberman
• Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs by Mark Olshaker
• The Night Watchman: A Novelby Louise Erdrich
• Corporate Conspiracies: How Wall Street Took Over Washington by Richard Belzer and David Wayne
• The Great Silence: Britain from the Shadow of the First World War to the Dawn of the Jazz Age by Juliet Nicolson
• Naming Names by Victor S. Navasky
• The Abuse of Minors in the Catholic Church: Dismantling the Culture of Cover Ups (Routledge Studies in Religion) by Lluis Oviedo and Anthony J. Blasi
• Days of the Fall: A Reporter’s Journey in the Syria and Iraq Wars by Jonathan Spyer
• The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy by Michael Lewis
• Winter at the Door: A Novel (Lizzie Snow #1) by Sarah Graves
Behold the Dreamers: A Novel by Imbolo Mbue
• Confessions of an Innocent Man: A Novel by David R. Dow
• Voices of Our Republic: Exploring the Constitution with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Alan Dershowitz, Sandra Day O'Connor, Ron Chernow, and Many More by Douglas Ginsburg
• TrafficKing: The Jeffrey Epstein Case by Conchita Sarnoff
• Alexander Hamilton: The Making Of America by Teri Kanefield
• The Slopes Of War by Norah Perez
• The Last Sister (Columbia River #1) by Kendra Elliot
• The Dressmaker's Gift by Fiona Valpy
• The Magnolia Sisters (The Magnolia Sisters #1) by Michelle Major
• Death in Mud Lick: A Coal Country Fight against the Drug Companies That Delivered the Opioid Epidemic by Eric Eyre
• After Sundown: A Novel by Linda Howard and Linda Jones
• Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, C. Christopher Smith and John Pattison
• The Crash of Flight 3804: A Lost Spy, a Daughter’s Quest, and the Deadly Politics of the Great Game for Oil by Charlotte Dennett
• The Last Days of the Rainbelt by David J. Wishart
• 8 Ways to Avoid Probate by Mary Randolph
• Plan Your Estate by Denis Clifford
• The Garden of Lost Memories: A heartbreaking page turner about learning to love and remembering to live by Ruby Hummingbird
• Prohibition’s Greatest Myths: The Distilled Truth about America’s Anti-Alcohol Crusade by Garrett Peck and others
• Abundant Simplicity: Discovering the Unhurried Rhythms of Grace by Jan Johnson
• Code Name: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy by Larry Loftis
• Unsettling Spirit: A Journey into Decolonization by Denise M. Nadeau
• Untamed by Glennon Doyle