A Timely Read: Review of “The Redbreast” by Jo Nesbo

This story couldn’t be more timely, given the tragic events in Norway on July 22nd of this year. Although I have become a huge fan of Jo Nesbo, I had never read The Redbreast, which is the first of the Inspector Harry Hole novels to be translated. I was so surprised (given last week’s horrible [...]

Review of “Iron House” by John Hart

John Hart is a terrific writer. And what can be more satisfying than a thriller that does not read like an airplane book? Iron House is one of the most violent books I’ve read, but also one of the most incredibly touching. There were scenes so monstrous that at times I had to splay my [...]

Review of “American Tempest” by Harlow Giles Unger

This is the real (as opposed to commonly taught) story of the Boston Tea Party and the network of greed, smuggling, bribery, and personal vendettas that provided the impetus to the American Revolution. Truly, if you want to believe in the sanctity of the pursuit of liberty and freedom from tyranny that allegedly motivated the [...]

Review of “Original Sin” by Beth McMullen

This diverting book, written as Book One of the Sally Sin series, is reminiscent of the Nadia Stafford series by Kelley Armstrong. Both involve “hit women” (although Sally is associated with a government organization rather than an illegal network of killers for hire) and both women are trying to live normal lives when not engaged [...]

Review of “World Without Fish” by Mark Kurlansky

This book is intended for ages 9 and above, but I really found it quite good for my age as well, which is a bit more than 9. Kurlansky’s purpose is to educate readers on what is happening with the world’s fish, its oceans, and the environment in general. Aided by the appealing illustrations of [...]

Review of “State of Wonder” by Ann Patchett

One might say, badly mangling Leo Tolstoy, that all jungle stories are alike, even as every one is different in its own way. Thus Ann Pachett, changing the genders around, gives us somewhat of an update on Conrad’s Heart of Darkness with Charles Marlow Marina Singh descending into the hellish Brazilian jungle near Manaus to [...]

Review of “The Cold War: A New History” by John Lewis Gaddis

Note 1: This book, published by Penguin Press in 2005, was the recent selection of our book club for discussion. Since it was my husband Jim’s selection, we were in charge of food, and in spite of the fact that I didn’t much like the book, at least I had lots of fun planning “cold [...]

Review of “A Monster Calls” by Patrick Ness

This is a small book with a big impact. In some ways, you might call it the dark and more grown-up version of Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. In Sendak’s book, Max is a very little boy who goes on a wild rampage, and his mother sends him to bed without supper. [...]

Review of “Case Histories” by Kate Atkinson

I love Atkinson’s writing. She’s funny and sarcastic and snarky and can deliver devastingly apt observations about relationships. Therefore, in spite of the fact that I had already read this book several years ago, and have a TBR pile that is taking over my house, after reading When Will There Be Good News (see my [...]

Jo Nesbo’s Detective, Harry Hole

Just how does one pronounce that name, anyway? Find out in this video!