Recently, when I was wondering aloud what to read, as I so frequently do, my good friend suggested that I might enjoy a book called The Leftovers by an author I’d never heard of named Tom Perrotta. The book is set in modern-day America, and unfolds around the experiences of several characters whose previously unremarkable lives have been irretrievably changed by a surprising event. The basic premise of the book is that, quite suddenly, on an otherwise quite ordinary day, a significant portion of the world’s population is, quite inexplicably, removed from the surface of th
A Book Review - Ghosts in the Fog: the Untold Story of Alaska’s WWII Invasion
Seventy years ago, on June 7, 1942, the Japanese army invaded the Aleutian Islands. Three days later, the U.S. government denied that it ever happened. In fact, the battle lasted until August 1943. During that time, the Aleuts (the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska) were evacuated from their home islands and placed in "ghost towns," usually former mining camps near the Alaskan mainland. Other Aleuts, Americans, and soldiers were captured by the Japanese and sent to prisoner of war camps in Japan. Of the U.S. fighting forces, many died in combat.
Come Join Us for the Colbern Road Evening Book Club
This month, the Colbern Road Evening Book Club is discussing Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. Join us on Wednesday, July 25th at 7:00 p.m. to talk about this debut novel.
If you are looking for a terrific summer read that is full of action, comedy, and mystery, Belly Up is the perfect book. The author, Stuart Gibbs, offers a fun read that will keep you laughing and guessing at the same time.
Backlist Book of the Month - Tony Hillerman's Skinwalkers
I envy you if you’ve never read a Tony Hillerman novel. You can still look forward to the thrill of discovering his stories for the very first time. I was living in Rome when I read my first one. Starved for the English language, I found a small library of left-behind paperbacks, which included several books in Hillerman’s Navajo Tribal Police series. I picked up Skinwalkers. I was hooked!
Book Review: Manias, Panics and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises by Charles Kindleberger
Manias, Panics and Crashes by Charles Kindleberger is hands down the best financial crises book published. Ever! Be warned though, it’s pretty geeky. The amount of data is impressive and overwhelming. Professor Kindleberger covers centuries of financial crises and explains in detail each instance. I read this book in late 2007, and it helped me to prepare myself for the 2008 financial meltdown. What impressed me most is that the events seemed to be repeating even though we lost Professor Kindleberger in 2003.
Next Friday, August 3rd, Book Club will be talking murder, mayhem, and happy marriage. I fell in love with Jan Burke about a decade ago when I read Bones, the novel that won her the Edgar Award. What I enjoyed about that story, besides the edge-of-my-seat suspense; a diabolical serial killer and the smart, complicated plot, was the main character, Irene Kelly.
I really enjoyed reading this book aloud to my daughter. I really loved the word play in this book, and I laughed rather loudly at a number of parts in this book. Steve Martin and Roz Chast were syntax geniuses with their examples of alliteration such as the H’s: "Henrietta the hare wore a habit in heaven" and "Her hairdo hid hunchbacks: one hundred and seven." This is a must read for you kids!
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks was the first book about mermaid/men that I’ve read, and I truly enjoyed it. Sweet and innocent Emma has no idea what's going on or why Galen has such an effect on her. The wit and humor in this book is well placed and will keep you turning the pages.
Galen's character is delightful and charming. He's uncomfortable in his human form, but really tries to understand and relate to Emma's struggles.
Many of you know the popular author, Karen Kingsbury. She writes life-changing Christian adult fiction books that are constantly being swiped off our shelves to be devoured by many women! Because of the popularity of Kingsbury’s books, I decided to try to read one about a year ago. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it, and I wrote her writing off in my own mind as slow action, sad, and depressing. Maybe it was just the one I picked up, or maybe I should have kept going and finished it, but I just couldn’t get into it.
I envy you if you’ve never read a Tony Hillerman novel. You can still look forward to the thrill of discovering his stories for the very first time. I was living in Rome when I read my first one. Starved for the English language, I found a small library of left-behind paperbacks, which included several books in Hillerman’s Navajo Tribal Police series. I picked up Skinwalkers. I was hooked!
