Below are my most recent book reviews. Books are now identified by type (fiction, non-fiction, etc) and are rated based on the following scale:
**** A terrific book which I greatly enjoyed and recommend
*** A good book of high value which I recommend
** A good book that I found interesting and would recommend if you are interested in the topic or subject. Note that most fiction will receive this rating unless it is exceptional or awful
* A book which I did not enjoy
See drop-down menu under books for previously reviewed books.
| New Books reviewed since last update | |||||
| Title | Author | Type | Rating | Description | Date Reviewed |
| The Airmen and the Headhunters | Judith Heimann | Non-Fiction | **** | Well researched and well told story of two WWII bomber crews shot down in Borneo, which was occupied by the Japanese. The men are taken in by the local tribesman, whose culture involved headhunting. A really incredible story, with far more to it than I expected! | 2012-05 |
| The Good Women of China | Xiran | Non-Fiction | **** | (By Bradley) Eye Opening, depressing, shattering! – The Good Women is a series of true stories of women’s lives in China since the “revolution. They are told by Xiran who became a well-respected women journalist in China before moving to Britain in 1997. This should be required reading for all American diplomats, working in China as it provides a great insight into society. No wonder the current government is so afraid of an awakening by the people. The abuse of power the past and existing leadership has exercised in the name of the “revolution” is as great an insult to humanity and human rights as anything in history. Let’s hope the Chinese people wake up soon, for their and the world’s sake | 2012-05 |
| Steven Jobs | Walter Isaacson | Biography | **** | (By Bradley) First let me admit I have always been a fan of Mr. Jobs. I was lucky enough to have an Apple 11 on my desk early in my career and had often wished the business world had gone with Apple. For those interested in the evolution of computing, technology, Steve Jobs, and his leadership style this is an excellent read. Walter does an excellent job of presenting Steve as both brilliant and flawed. He also does a great job of putting Apple and Job’s successes and failures in perspective both at the personal and corporate level. If more US companies produced products of the quality and simplicity of Apple & Pixar the US would again be a booming economy. A worthy read for any aspiring leaders. | 2012-05 |
| The Wave | Susan Casey | Non-Fiction | *** | People who live on boats typically try to avoid big waves. This book is about people who seek them out. The author follows some of the most extreme surfers in the world who engage in a practice called tow-surfing – riding waves so big the only way to catch them is to be towed to them via jet-ski and launched at 40mph. The author also provides some scientific insight into waves and weaves in other stories about shipwrecks, tsunamis, and other results of large waves. A book I couldn’t put down! | 2012-05 |
| On, Off | Colleen McCullough | Fiction | *** | I love Colleen McCullough and was looking for a change from the murder mystery genre which I’ve read far too many of. Looking forward to a typical Colleen McCullough historical fiction novel, I soon learned it was – A Murder Mystery!! But still enjoyable and well written. Enjoyable but a real departure from what I expected! | 2012-05 |
| Golden Fox | Wilbur Smith | Historical Fiction | ** | I have never read Wilbur Smith before, but there are a dozen of his books that came with this boat so I finally tackled one. It is historical fiction and though I am not sold on the story line or the charaters, the background events – turmoil in Africa during the 60′s and 70′s – is fascinating. | 2012-05 |
| Devil’s Claw | J.A. Jance | Fiction | ** | Another in the Sheriff Joanna Brady series. Good story, doesn’t require too much concentration. A good diversion and entertaining. | 2012-05 |
| Books reviewed in January 2012 | |||||
| Title | Author | Type | Rating | Description | Date Reviewed |
| Overboard | Michael Togias | Non-Fiction | **** | Well told story of a disaster at sea which occurs when a sailboat with a crew of five sets sail from NY to Bermuda and encounters a terrific storm, leaving some crew onboard a damaged vessel and others in the water. The ensuing struggle for survival and search and rescue operation is enthralling. A must read for anyone contemplating offshore sailing. | 2012-01 |
| In the Garden of Beasts | Erik Larson | Non-Fiction | *** | In 1933, nobody wanted the job of ambassador to Germany so Roosevelt tapped William Dodd, a professor from Chicago. Dodd and his family, including his young adult daughter, moved to Germany where they experienced first-hand the rise of Hitler and the troubling changes taking place. Dodd’s daughter had an active social life, placing her at the center of many interesting situations. Dodd was concerned about things happening in Germany but lacked credibility with his superiors and those in Washington. A well-written and intriguing book by the author of Devil in the White City and Thunderstruck. Well worth a read! | 2012-02 |
| One Thousand White Women | Jim Fergus | Historical Fiction | *** | In 1875, a Cheyenne Chief asked President Grant for 1000 white women to marry their warriors. In their culture, tribal associations are passed through the women, so this would result in a generation of children who would pave the way for assimilation into the white man’s culture. Though that request was never actually granted, this book presumes that it did and is the fictional account of one of the brides, May Dodd, who is released from an insane asylum for her promise to marry and bear a child. Very well written, the book provides an excellent sense of the difference between the cultures and life in the wild west. Parts of it are a bit of a stretch, but it is engaging and gripping throughout. | 2012-01 |
| The 19th Wife | David Ebershoff | Historical Fiction | *** | This book inter-weaves a fictional story of a murder in a polygamyst cult with the story of Ann Eliza Young, Brigham Young’s 19th wife who divorced the prophet and became an outspoken opponent of polygamy. There certainly is real history of the Mormon church, including the advent and later abolishment of polygamy. What I liked about this book is that it compelled me to do additional research on my own – the book is a work of fiction but has a lot of real history and it was intriguing to try to separate which was which. | 2012-01 |
| The Poet | Michael Connelley | Fiction | *** | I have enjoyed Connelley’s Harry Bosch and Lincoln Laywer series. This is a series featuring a crime reporter, Jack McEvoy, who looks into his cop brother’s suicide, only to discover a pattern of cop suicides that leads to an intriguing discovery. As in other series, a good plot with great characters. I’ll read more of this series. | 2012-02 |
| Divine Justice | David Baldacci | Fiction | ** | The fifth of the Camel Club series. Not bad, but this series seems to be losing steam. The plot centers around Camel Club leader Oliver Stone going back to work for the US Government in the wake of a bomb explosion in Lafayette Park. The government naturally is full of horrible people who conspire at every turn, only to be outwitted by Stone. Some high points – Baldacci’s characters are always interesting and the plot involved enough to keep you guessing – but if there is a sixth in this series I’ll probably skip it. | 2012-02 |
| The Alibi | Sandra Brown | Fiction | ** | Interesting story that keeps your interest and keeps you guessing. An enjoyable read, though now that I’ve read several books by this author, her characters all seem to suffer from Love at First Sight and confusing lust for love. Not entirely believable, but a goot entertaining yarn. | 2012-02 |
| The Deadhouse | Linda Fairstein | Fiction | ** | Murder mystery involving a college faculty and excavation of a former insane asylum. Written by a real-life district attorney, it’s good enough to finish and OK for this genre. | 2012-01 |
| Deliver Us From Evil | David Baldacci | Fiction | * | A vigilante group who tracks down former Nazi’s and other mass killers/torturers, runs into a US government team who is tracking the same person. Not one of Baldacci’s best. | 2012-01 |
| Ricochet | Sandra Brown | Fiction | ** | A judge’s trophy wife shoots a home intruder – was it self defense or something else? A plot that has you guessing throughout, this is an entertaining read. The lust/love scenario between the detective and the main suspect is a bit overdone and not too believable, but still a good escape for a few hours. | 2011-11 |
