Tucson Bookworms

We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver

This is an emotionally gripping story as told in a series of letters written by Kevin's mother to his father, her estranged husband after Kevin kills seven fellow students, teachers and a janitor in a mass schoolhouse murder.  It is a compelling work of fiction about a mother who didn't necessarily look forward to motherhood but did her best to be the mother little Kevin needed and of the father who explained away Kevin's strange behaviors beginning in infancy.  It is not an easy story to read but will stay with the reader for some time, particularly the surprise ending.  The movie has been released in some markets but apparently not yet in Tucson. 

Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

“In 1880 a truly remarkable man was elected president only to be shot by a madman. But that is where the drama began.”

The dirty politics at that time makes politics today seem polite by comparison. Key to the account is a man with a sense of divine mission. The treacherous vice president had his own mission: to emasculate the president politically. The man who shot the president admitted he shot the president, but denied that he killed him. And he was correct in a very real sense. I drew my own conclusion based on very important facts in "Destiny", but which are another part of our history and world history.

A big question at the time was whether the VP would initiate a corrupt presidency.

Millard has written a compelling narrative that brings this important, but relatively unknown episode, in American history to life.  Highly recommended for those who are interested in our history.

Millard has provided an excellent epilogue, 44 pages of notes documenting the facts, and a detailed bibliography at the end of the book. 

Cruel and Usual Punishment by Nonie Darwish

Those of you who actually read my stuff understand that I have a great concern about the spread of Islam to every corner of the world. While it may be true that the vast majority do not espouse violence against those of different faiths, it is also estimated that at least 15% can be considered devout enough to commit acts of violence including death to non-believers. !5% times 1.2 billion Muslims in the world today equals 150, 000,000. I would think that any caring, thinking person would consider that many radical Muslims to be sufficient to cause alarm. More...

Mortal Pursuit by Michael Prescott

Trisha, a rookie cop is having a really bad day. It started when her toilet overflowed and she was late for roll call. It only went downhill from there. Her partner and her walk into an ambush which leaves her alone, unarmed and the only one standing between a ruthless team of killers and a young girl and her family. 

This book was fast paced with a lot of action packed suspense.  

I am fast becoming a die hard Michael Prescott fan and Mortal Pursuit didn't let me down. This one had be hooked, I finished this book in two days.

Blind Pursuit by Michael Prescott

Blind Pursuit had me hooked from the beginning when Erin is attacked on her own doorstep. It a dark thriller full of scary moments as she is taken captive and held in a dusty basement. The psychological battle with her captor and also with her own thoughts of escape, and her predicament, begins.  The plot develops well as Erin discovers more about why she was chosen and her connection to her sister Annie. A suspenseful read that I would recommend. 

Riptide by Michael Prescott

A novel based on interesting material about London's infamous Jack the Ripper. The story toggles back and forth from the late 1800's to the present and does not disappoint.

While this book didn't initially hold my attention quite as well as did Michael's book, Blind Pursuit, this one was still a good read.

This is Herman Cain by Herman Cain

My journey to the White House By Herman Cain

I detest the fact that political campaigning has become a forever activity but I did happen to watch a little of the second Republican debate. There on the end of the line was a man who happened to have a black complexion who was a man I had never heard of before. He was obviously not a politician. His comments intrigued me. Soon thereafter I received an e-mail listing his many accomplishments in life. I didn’t believe it so I checked it out on the internet. It was true. Then a friend told me he had written a book so I checked Amazon and sure enough he had, not one book but many. Most dealt with his management philosophy. The one I purchased is the one I will be reviewing.

There are many things I like about this man. He rose out of humble beginnings in the South where blacks were discriminated against. He greatly admires his father who raised a family under these adverse conditions with dignity. The Civil Rights activity was in full swing when Herman was in High School. His father insisted he apply himself to his studies and not get involved. This he did. I heard a commentator on MSNBC deriding him for this. His father also told him to not play the victim card but do the best he could to achieve his goals. He has lived this advice. More...

Bob Lutz Car Guys vs bean counters by Bob Lutz

The battle for the soul of American Business

Bob Lutz is a man in high regard. He was the President of Ford Europe in 1979, was CEO of Exide Technologies, the world’s largest producer of lead-acid batteries in 2001. At that time he was asked by the President and CEO of General Motors to join with the company as Vice Chairman of  Production. He was 70 at the time. He agreed and stayed for 9 years. His charge was to make great cars again. In this he was successful. More...

Honor Lost by Norma Khouri

Love and Death in Modern-Day Jordan

This is a tragic true story written by a young woman who escaped from Jordan. Her life long girl friend had been murdered by her father when he discovered she had been meeting with a man that she had come to love. They had never engaged in sexual activity but just having contact with a man was sufficient to kill her by stabbing her 12 times in the chest and waiting until she was dead before calling an ambulance. As is required by law he turned himself in, was sentenced to three months in jail, was bailed out and at the end of the sentence was released for time served even though he had never spent a day in prison. More...

Patton by Ladislas Farago

Ordeal and Triumph

 832 pages of the life of this man who became the best General officer the US Army ever had. I followed his career as a young boy but of course never had the opportunity to understand his history before the war. This book was used as the foundation for the movie PATTON starring George C. Scott. I would be ashamed to tell you how many times I have watched it. Scott did an outstanding job of re-creating this complex man. If you have seen the movie then much of this book will remind you of it. Many of the famous statements Patton made in real life were in this book and also in the movie.

Because of his impetuous nature he put himself in difficulty many times. We must credit General Marshall and General Eisenhower for recognizing how important Patton was for the war effort that they overcame the criticism and gave him command of the Third Army shortly after the Normandy landings. He was able to imbue his officers and men with his aggressive nature and went on the attack. The book mentions the numerous times when he was deliberately deprived of fuel and ammunition in favor of the British General Montgomery. The writer is convinced as am I that had he been supported fully the war could have ended in 1944. I am sure there are other books that would disagree. You can look for them. For me I am satisfied with my own point of view.

If you are a history buff as I am and in particular the Second World War then you will enjoy reading this biography.

Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris

There have been many books written about the life of this remarkable man and his achievements. Not all sing his praise. I have found that most of our greatest leaders have those who find fault with them for one reason or another. It is always annoying to me. No matter what great accomplishments they did, someone always feels the need to bring them down a peg. This book was not like that. It was unique in that it concentrated on a finite period of his life from 1910 until his death in 1919 at the age of 61. More...

Incognito : the secret lives of brains by David M. Eagleman

Are some of your “choices” dictated by a part of your brain that you don't have direct access to? Do you really have free will. If you get mad at yourself, who is angry at whom?   What is chick sexing?

The title of the first chapter is an extremely apt quote: “There's Someone In My Head, but It's Not Me.” Who's in charge? Your tiny conscious  mind, or the gigantic “Someone”?

Incognito is a science book written by Eagleman, a noted neuroscientist. He  wrote it in a conversational style that turns hard science into readable prose. He also uses vivid illustrations to make difficult concepts easily understood. It's a compelling read with wonderful insights that will give you a lot of food for thought. His opinions about the future are something else.

Wrecker by Summer Wood

A boy named Wrecker is born, three years later his Mother lands in prison and he is taken by the state. He is scared and angry when he arrives at a place called Bow Farm in the  truck of an uncle he's never met before and his actions match his name.  Bow Farm is a mix of eccentric characters, not a family but a community and they are about to go on a new journey with this boy called Wrecker.  It is a tribute to an unconventional family and the most genuine form of love.

This is a heartwarming read, I recommend it to my fellow readers.

They're Watching by Greg Hurwitz

This was really a page-turner!   A gripping, suspenseful story with many twists and turns and I didn't see any of them coming! 

On the verge of a big break, screenwriter Patrick Davis gets fired after allegedly punching the film's star. Now teaching film classes at the local college thinking things can't get worse, he learns that someone has invaded his home and has been secretly videotaping him and his wife. To get them to stop, Patrick must follow their instructions without question, even when it means breaking the law. 

If you enjoy suspense stories, this is a well-crafted one with an interesting twist.

Stealing Faces by Michael Prescott