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Thru My Looking Glass

5/29/2015

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." – Emilie Buchwald

As a mother, teacher and avid reader I can tell you with great assurance that Emilie Buchwald's quote is true. We started reading to Mike and Beth in utero, because I wanted them to have the same love of, and security from, reading that has guided me through my life. Interestingly enough, not only are both of my children avid readers, but they are both in the middle of writing several books. Like their mother, the problem is in the finishing of these books, but someday I know that we all will.

One of the books that all three of us enjoyed, Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, plays a pivotal role in Paris Ransom by Charles Rosenberg. This was a book that made me smile as I read and reviewed it. Not that there wasn't the requisite bad guys in this mystery, but I enjoyed Paris as the setting. In fact, tomorrow morning's breakfast will most definitely include a croissant. I have no allusions that it will not come near the taste of the ones I feasted on in Paul's Patisserie on a little side street in Paris most mornings of our vacation, but it will at least help stoke the memories. The story itself moved quickly from character to character with a missing signed first edition, a kidnapping, a bit of romance and some surprises.

There are plenty of surprises in Steve Eggleston's novel, Conflicted: A Trip Splatter Novel also. It begins with a woman who is actually a Chinese-American male lawyer playing a trick on his partner. Of course we soon are presented with the dead body mystery and some history about San Francisco's Chinatown. I was in the mood for two "Who Done It" books this week and I'm glad that this one gave me a few laughs along the way.

I am actually reading a third book this week but won't review it until next week. It is definitely character driven, and the author helps the reader feel every emotion in every character in this broken family. I won't say anymore until next week, but I am really enjoying it so far.

Hope everyone had fun this past holiday weekend. We enjoyed a relaxing walk through Butterfly World on Monday. What a neat place...watching thousands of butterflies flutter and occasionally land on someone's arm. I love that we get a yearly pass and go there often. The classical music piped through the gardens is definitely an extra bonus for those of us that use the experience to de-stress. We followed that with homemade pizza in front of the T.V. and then reading in bed. Perfect day!

Well, I am now off to help daughter Beth grade papers. I actually miss grading...kind of cathartic for me, and poor Beth is end-of-year swamped. Hope all of you teachers out there have a helper in your midst.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Paris Ransom by Charles Rosenberg

5/29/2015

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Genre: Mystery

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This book is simply fun. I am not sure if it is because I recently returned from Paris (my first time there) and enjoyed the croissants and language as much as Rosenberg's characters seemed to, or if the style of writing just lends itself to that description. I love that his protagonist, Robert, is in his sixties, a bit more seasoned than your typical hero. His lady love, Tess, is much younger and quite a bit richer than he is, and is seemingly more ready to "seal the deal."

While pondering his fate in the lobby of Tess' Paris apartment building, Robert hears a cry for help. He opens a door to find his friend Oscar Quesana being attacked for a package he is grasping. Robert grabs the package, the thief runs off and Oscar explains his situation. The package contains a rare first edition of the English translation of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. It is signed by Hugo to Charles Dickens and worth a fortune.

The plot takes off from there with lots of intrigue, a kidnapping and some surprises. I loved that it was told from three viewpoints. While that got a bit confusing at times, it is always fun to read things from different perspectives. Some of the characters seemed a bit more clearly defined than others, but there was someone for everyone to relate to in this latest offering from author Rosenberg.

- Beverly

Publisher - Thomas & Mercer
Date of Publication - May 19, 2015

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Conflicted: A Trip Splatter Novel by Steve Eggleston

5/29/2015

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Genre: Legal Thriller

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Any book that opens with a cross dressing lawyer sporting a lovely wig is bound to catch my attention. Protagonist Trip Splatter keeps us laughing through this dark mystery. He is a Chinese-American character and as the story unfolds the reader gets some interesting history about the gangs in San Francisco's Chinatown. Trip gets word from an informant that prominent attorney Tim Tremble, attorney to the Chinese Mafia is allegedly involved with money laundering. Then, in the midst of a bloody gang war, Tim Tremble is killed in his mansion. Tremble's daughter's boyfriend is a likely suspect. After the young man's arrest, Splatter and his boyhood friend, Jack Marsten, find themselves defending the boy who is quite possibly innocent.

I enjoyed Eggleston's character development throughout the book. Trip has several facets to his personality and the author helps us appreciate his trials and tribulations as the story progresses. We see him try to solve past and present cases with the help of those around him. This book is classified as a thriller and seems to fill that bill. I relish books that keep me guessing, and this one did. There was almost too much confusion as I tried to figure out what happened in the past, but the author does a good job of laying it all out for the reader in the final chapter and epilogue.

Although I have not become as attached to Trip Splatter as I have to Myron Bolitar, Andy Carpenter, or Dismas Hardy, I will be looking for the next in this series. This author definitely has the potential to have a very successful series with an oddly likable protagonist.

- Beverly

Publisher - 21st Century Lion Books
Date of Publication - October 9, 2014

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Thru My Looking Glass

5/22/2015

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“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

May is a special month that brings beautiful flowers and an end to snowy weather. It is May that gives us the time to celebrate mothers, those that fought and died for our country and hundreds of thousands of graduates throughout the country. This blog is written with those young graduates in mind today, so I feel Emerson's quote is the perfect way to start.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple was asked to speak to George Washington University's graduating class. His speech made me smile, because it seemed to go so perfectly with my blog last week. He was addressing the future of these students and their search for jobs. I remember giving my children a similar message.

"Graduates, your values matter. They are your North Star. Otherwise it’s just a job -- and life is too short for that. You don’t have to choose between doing good and doing well. It’s a false choice, today more than ever. Your challenge is to find work that pays the rent, puts food on the table, and lets you do what is right and good and just."---Tim Cook

When I decided to be a teacher I knew that I would never make a great deal of money. I did as much as I could to advance myself in my profession, but my reward was never monetary. I never regretted that for a minute. Corny as it might sound, my reward was in watching the students "get it" when I taught a lesson. My reward was in watching students understand the morality in the lessons I taught. My reward was in watching them become teachers, social workers, and people who serve their communities and do what is right and good and just.

The book The Last Minute by Jeff Abbott shows us that a man's morality is often tested in his lifetime. When Sam Capra is given the task of killing an innocent man in order to save his newborn son, the morality he spent a lifetime believing in is put aside. His search for his son and his search for his victim make for an exciting and entertaining thriller.

Of course it is difficult to mention the word morality in the same paragraph as the book The Fourth Reich by Helen Goltz. She tells the story of Benjamin Hoefer who has written the story of his father Eli, who survived the death camps of Nazi Germany...or so Ben believes. While on a book tour strange things begin happening to him, and when Ben sees the words "Nazi, Jew Hater and Fake" scratched across the last frame of a film he is showing that depicts Eli's last days in captivity, he knows he needs help. While this is definitely an upsetting premise, Goltz tells a good story filled with strong characters.

Well, Mother's Day has passed and Memorial Day is soon upon us. Enjoy the rest of this month with your mothers, war heroes and graduates, and remember that a good book is one of the best gifts you can give someone.

Happy reading

- Beverly

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The Fourth Reich (Mitchell Parker Crime Thriller Series Book 3) by Helen Goltz

5/22/2015

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Genre: Thriller

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There have been so many "Fourth Reich" themed books written that it takes a great deal to grab (and keep) my attention. Since there seemed to be a little twist with this one I decided to give it a try, and I am glad that I did. Benjamin Hoefer has written a biography about his father, Eli Hoefer, and is on tour launching the book. During his presentation he shows a brief film showing his father marching through the gates at Auschwitz. He is shocked to find the words "Nazi, Jew hater, and fake" scratched across the last frame.

The reader is quickly introduced to FBI agent Mitchell Parker and his team and is as surprised as they are to find this seemingly simple police matter turned over to the FBI.

The book is the third in the Mitchell Parker series, and I found it difficult keeping the characters straight at the beginning. It is tricky reintroducing characters in each book in a series, as the writer must make certain he/she rebuilds each character for the new readers without boring readers who have met these characters in a past book. I think Goltz got a bit bogged down in this but not enough to turn me away.

The reader is introduced to the stereo-typical neo-Nazi characters and realize that there is a bigger mystery for the FBI to solve than just some vandalism and bigotry. Who exactly was Eli Hoefer, and why has he garnered so much attention. As we follow the team, little bits of information are revealed which make us question the history of this man.

Goltz does a good job with the dynamics of the team. They have obviously worked together before and enjoy a relationship that allows them to succeed in their various missions. She refers back to other characters and events that obviously occurred in previous books in the series, but instead of confusing me she made me want to read those books as well. The dialog moves along, and at times I found the descriptions a bit tedious, but on the whole the exciting passages made this a book that I am happy to recommend.

- Beverly

Publisher - Atlas Productions
Date of Publication - December 24, 2014

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The Last Minute (Sam Capra Book 2) by Jeff Abbott

5/22/2015

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Genre: Thriller

Once again the theme of what one will do to protect or save his/her child is introduced in this exciting thriller by Jeff Abbott. When we meet Sam Capra, his life is a mess. His ex-wife is in a coma after committing treason against the United States. His former employers are after him for crimes they believe he committed. Undoubtedly number one on his list of horrors though, is the kidnapping of his newborn son. Daniel has been taken by a criminal group known as The Nine Suns, and the only way Sam can be reunited with him is by murdering the man who is trying to expose this group.

Sam works in cahoots with Leonie, a hacker whose young daughter has also been kidnapped. The question that haunts them is simple...can I kill an innocent man to save my child? Abbott handles this well and gives us a glimpse into the minds of people faced with impossible choices. He also introduces supporting characters who are fascinating and add conflict to an already complicated plot.

I enjoyed seeing the development of Sam and Leonie as the novel progressed. Even though it took me a few chapters to feel truly comfortable with the story line, once I got involved I didn't want to put the book down. I felt for both of these people who as parents didn't know if they would ever see their children again. I also felt for them as moral human beings who were directed to leave all morality behind in order to save their loved ones.
This is a well written story that makes me want to find the next book in this series.

- Beverly

Publisher - Grand Central Publishing
Date of Publication - July 3, 2012

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Thru My Looking Glass

5/15/2015

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“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

It makes me sad to see our sports heroes fall into a sort of oblivion because their morality levels are being adjusted to fit the situation at hand. I have always believed that Mike Schmidt of Philadelphia Phillies fame and Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino helped form my son into the wonderful man he is today. Both of these men seemed to play their respective games fairly and honestly. Kids may have watched him kick and yell and sulk a lot, but Dan Marino never knowingly passed a ball that was under-inflated. He may have ended his career without a Super Bowl ring, but he also ended it without anyone doubting his integrity.

Mike Schmidt was well aware of his own talent and popularity, but he was equally aware of the importance of being a role model. When the newspaper wrote the headline for a Mike Schmidt article, it did not include domestic violence, rape or murder. These are examples of the men that we, as parents, could rely on to show our children that the moral man/woman is the one who comes out the winner.

When is it okay to adjust our morals to meet a situation? In Joseph Finder's new book, The Fixer, both the protagonist and his father are faced with this question. Three decades ago, Rick Hoffman's father realized that as much as he loved using his law degree to fight for the underdog and right the world's wrongs, he wasn't able to make the money needed to take care of his family in the way he saw fit. He changed directions, helped launder money, became wealthy and suffered a stroke that left him unable to communicate or care for himself. Twenty years later Rick finds over three million dollars hidden in the walls of his father's house. He makes the decision to hide the money...a decision that puts him in danger and tests his own morality. Definitely a book that I couldn't put down.

Amy Poehler's book, Yes Please, was also a page turner for me, in a very different way. I found it interesting, thought provoking and honestly written. Although many of her choices were not ones that I would have made, she was very up front about what she did through the years. I wish that the story of her life did not include drug use, but she did speak candidly about those times too.

Both of these books were good choices for me this week, and I hope that you find them as interesting as I did.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Yes Please by Amy Poehler

5/15/2015

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Genre: Memoir/Humor

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I really enjoyed this book, and it made me like Amy Poehler more than I did before I read it. Her television series, Parks and Recreation, is a "grown-up comedy" that uses words rather than sight gags to make us laugh. Don't get me wrong, there are some very funny physically driven scenes in the show, but those with an appreciation for sarcasm and irony get the most out of this weekly sit-com. Yes Please is written with a tongue-in-cheek maturity that keeps the reader's attention without talking down to him/her.

Ms. Poehler got my attention when she chose a quote from Wordsworth while trying to set the book's tone - "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity." She amends it slightly by saying that the book is a spontaneous overflow in the middle of chaos, not tranquility. I realized at this point in the book that she was not just writing a typical performer's memoir. She wanted to dig deep and write more than a fluff piece.

Amy Poehler is as complicated as her humor, and this book gives us insight into her childhood (near perfect student, young performer), life (marriage to Will Arnett and two much loved children) and her career. She explains it all with honesty, telling the reader about her experiences with drugs and the withering of her marriage. She doesn't try to cover things up or make excuses. She is what she is...a very funny, very talented lady. I enjoyed the snippets from Parks and Rec, and I enjoyed seeing her succeed as a woman in a " room filled with men."

The book does have its slow parts, but on the whole it was fast and enjoyable reading. I really enjoyed reading it and learning more about Amy and recommend it to you.

- Beverly

Publisher - Dey Street Books
Date of Publication - October 28, 2014

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The Fixer by Joseph Finder

5/15/2015

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Genre: Thriller

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I don't usually review a book before its publication date, but I enjoyed this one so much I decided not to wait. Most authors of thrillers write a book or two and become comfortable with one group of characters. It works beautifully, because most readers love revisiting their favorite characters book after book. Although Finder does have a protagonist that he revisits, Nick Heller, most of his books are stand-alones. The mark of a truly gifted author is the ability to introduce new characters in each book and make the reader get involved every time.

Rick Hoffman is the protagonist in The Fixer, and I loved him, flaws and all. We meet him right after he loses his job, his home and his fiancé. He returns to his father's home that has fallen into disrepair. His dad, a well known lawyer, has been in a nursing facility for the last twenty years, following a stroke that left him unable to communicate. When an old friend offers to work with his construction crew to fix up the house at a reasonable price, Rick, who is hard up for cash, hesitates. While in the house the two men break down a wall to track down a noise, and Rick stumbles on boxes filled with over three million dollars in cash.

Not sure who it belongs to, Rick hides the money and attempts to track down it's roots. Author Finder has an amazing talent with plot lines like this. As convoluted as they get, the reader never feels confused. His characters are strong and interesting and the story never dull. There is always a small amount of romance, and this story doesn't disappoint in that area either. With a bit of politics, some really nasty villains and a story that doesn't quit, Joseph Finder takes us on a ride that we won't soon forget.

This is definitely a book to pre-order and begin reading the day it comes out.

- Beverly

Publisher - Dutton
Date of Publication - June 9, 2015

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Thru My Looking Glass

5/8/2015

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"I’ve never known any trouble that an hour’s reading didn’t assuage." – Charles de Secondat

Reading the newspaper is getting more difficult every day. The political and racial tension seems to be bringing the sixties back to our front doors. There is no doubt that too many young black men are being killed by policeman who are too quick on the draw. Too many parents are burying too many children, and too many young people are more afraid of the police then they are of the criminals. On the other hand, too many police officers are being painted with the same brush of bigotry. The vast majority of these men/women in blue are out there trying to protect and defend people of all races, and battling a bigotry that ends in injuries and sometimes death. Last week a New York policeman was executed while sitting in his car. A similar thing happened earlier this year. Somehow, someway we need to stop looking at each other as enemies and start seeing each other as friends.

John Lescroart gives us his slant on some of this bigotry in his newest book, The Fall. Greg Treadway, a young, white middle school teacher devotes much of his time to mentoring young people in trouble. Anlya Grace Paulson is the sister of one of the young men that Greg mentors, and even though he doesn't mentor her, he serves as her sounding board when she needs an ear. Her death stirs up emotions in a town where no one seems to face punishment when a black person is murdered, and suddenly Greg becomes a suspect. Lescroart does a good job showing both sides of a situation that has became way too familiar in our current society.

With all of the serious issues we face, a little humor can go a long way towards keeping us sane. There are quite a few male comedians who have risen to stardom through the years, but it has only been in recent years that women are rivaling the men. Years ago, women had a difficult if not impossible time getting top billing as the comedian in any show. Joan Rivers broke quite a few barriers and proved she could stand up there with the best of them. Her humor was often biting, sometimes crude and always funny. This funny lady built a career for herself and never looked back. One of the things she prized the most, was her relationship with daughter Melissa, and the tragedy of her untimely death hurt Melissa immeasurably. Melissa decided to share some of her memories with Joan's fans and wrote a funny tribute to her mother. The Book of Joan: Tales of Mirth, Mischief, and Manipulation gives us a peek into the life of this very funny lady.

Well, May is here and summer is right around the corner. This is a perfect time to make a list of great books to read while sitting on your patio, the beach or a nearby park. I will do my part by giving you ideas throughout the next month, and we can all spend the summer traveling to as many places as our books can take us.

Happy reading,

Beverly

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