“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.”
― Diane Duane, So You Want to Be a Wizard

I am hiding.  Arthur is busily packing drawers, and I can't look at another box today.  We never know how much we own until we start to transport it.  I have to decide what to throw away, what to put in storage for a year and what to bring with to my sister's house.  Aghhhhh.

This leads me to say, once again, THANK GOODNESS that I live in the era of the ebook. I will bring no hard cover or paperback books to Allan and Judy's house.  There will be no actual paper magazines cluttering their lovely new home.  I will feel no guilt bringing my five magazine subscriptions (digital) and approximately 1000 book digital library.  I do understand the people who extol the feel of a book in their hands.  I understand those who need the smell of paper.  Really I do!  Tell me about all that again though, after you have tried to move.  I had a library in my former home, and it housed over 1600 books.  When we downsized to the house I currently live in, the library didn't make the cut.  I ended up donating 1200 books to hospices around town and then packed up my "favorite" 400 to stuff in various nooks and crannies in my new home.  This time it is different.  I put about 25 books in storage and Arthur and I will bring our Kindles and our IPads and read away our year.

Speaking of reading, I really enjoyed Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke.  I don't know why his books weren't generally the ones I reached for, but that is going to change.  I enjoyed the story and loved getting to know his characters.  I also enjoyed spending time with Kendra Michaels, the protagonist in Iris and Roy Johansen's latest novel, Sight Unseen.  This is the second in the series, and I can't wait to read the first.  Gotta love a good mother/son team.

Oh well, much as I would prefer spending time writing, my drawers are calling me.  Maybe I can sneak away a little later for a hot shower and time with the Keith Raffel advance copy, Temple Mount, that I am loving.

Happy Reading.

-Beverly

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Genre: Thriller

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I have always been fascinated with the the way the human body deals with the senses. When a person loses one sense, the others seem to be enhanced.  Each sense is vital, but as a reader, the sense of sight is priceless to me. Kendra Michaels is a music therapist who found success despite her blindness. Her powers of observation and deduction also make her quite valuable to those in law enforcement. While surgery helped with her vision, her extraordinary powers remain and still amaze people.  This book starts with an odd murder in the first chapter.  The second chapter finds Kendra on a blind date her mother arranged.  While getting to know each other over drinks, Kendra notices something strange on television...an accident that isn't really an accident.  Once at the scene itself, Kendra convinces the police that they are looking at the murder of four people.

One murder seems to follow another in this fast paced book, and Miss Michaels must deal with an apparent copycat serial killer.  The killer is attempting to entice her by replicating some of the murders which she helped solve earlier in her career. While she attempts to find the killer however, he is attempting to find her.

I found this book to be well written and hard to put down in some spots.  I am glad Ms. Johansen decided to start a new series (this is book 2) and introduce us to a memorable new character.  I do enjoy series but believe they need to reach an end point.

I love the fact that this book was written by a mother/son team.  Roy has had an interesting writing career of his own, writing screenplays,  collaborating with comic book legend Stan Lee in creating The Accuser superhero character, which appeared in a series of animated adventures, and writing several best selling mystery novels.  The mom in me just loves that these two successful writers can work around the parent/child relationship and produce a really good book.

- Bev


Publisher - St. Martin's Press
Date of Publication - July 15, 2014

Genre: Historical Fiction

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The use of descriptive language in Burke's latest book, Wayfaring Stranger, is what first drew me in.  I am not a fan of highly descriptive books, but his way with words enhanced every page of this historical novel.  Whether the main character is talking about his family- "in better times, our family would have been sitting together on the porch, in wicker chairs  or on the glider, with glasses of lemonade and bowls of peach ice cream" -  or letting us feel his mother's descent into madness- "she wore out the rug in her bedroom walking in circles, squeezing her nails into the heels of her hands, talking to herself, her eyes watery with levels of fear and confusion that nobody could dispel" - James Lee Burke's words always make the reader feel something. I wanted some peach ice cream and felt his mother's anxiety.  Those emotions convinced me to keep reading.

The author also introduces good vs evil in very interesting ways, and in this book inherent evil seems to be part of us all, even when our intentions seem good. The story begins with a young Weldon Holland encountering the infamous Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow on his grandfather's land, and shows how important chance meetings can be and the lasting impressions they can make.  The book shows a maturing Weldon as he survives WWII and rescues the beautiful Rosita, who becomes his wife.

Weldon eventually gets involved in the oil business and experiences bigotry, anti-semitism, anti-communism and violence that was so evident in those post war days.  Burke shows us that good is continuing the fight to win over evil, and he humanizes the battle quite well.
I have not read many of Burke's books, and I don't pick up historical novels too often, but something about this book kept me turning the pages.  Through good and bad I liked Weldon, and the supporting characters were strong and interesting.  Even if Historical novels are not your typical genre, I recommend that you give this one a try.

- Bev


Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Date of Publication - July 15, 2014

“Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.”
― John Locke

I am definitely having a difficult time getting my mind working this week. It has been a crazy few weeks with promises of crazier to follow.  We decided to take the leap and move after a wonderful 18 years in our beautiful home in Boca Raton. We put our house up for sale two weeks ago, and have had over twenty five showings of it. Our amazing realtors (the Hayat Team) just kept at it...we got four offers and are waiting for the right one to gel. Then, if all goes well we are out of here in a month or two. Yikes!  Then we spend a year living with my sister and brother-in-law while waiting for our house to be built. We lived with them once before, and they lived with us twice before...a rite of passage when either couple moves. All that being said, Madderlyreview followers, I beg your patience. I will try to keep up with my reading and reviewing, but I could really use some help.  Those of you who have been sending in reviews, thanks and please keep it up. Those who have been intimidated to do so, please give it a try.  It is really fun once you start, and readers love to see other readers' opinions.

The next book I read will be a re-read.  In 1973, Joseph DiMona wrote a book called Last Man in Arlington.  I remember loving the book when I found it, and it has recently been republished in kindle form.  I just downloaded it and am wondering if it will still be a favorite. I will let you know. I am determined to read and review as many oldies as new books.  Good writing lasts forever (the English Teacher in me knows that) and a good book doesn't have a shelf life.

Speaking of shelves, I took a good book off of mine this week.  The Case Against William by Mark Gimenez is a legal thriller about a father defending his son.  As a mom, I believe I will go to any lengths to stand by and protect my two children.  Frank is definitely put to the test when William is accused of rape and murder.  I found his actions and reactions interesting and do believe that Gimenez once again proved himself an under-rated author.

Well, off to more packing for me.  How do we collect so much "stuff" in our day to day lives? Why is it so difficult for me to get rid of Mike's first little blue blazer or Beth's little baby blanket? Why did Arthur look at me like I was nuts when I wanted to dispose of my "teacher of the year" plaque? Between the two of us, nothing will ever be gone from our lives. Maybe that is for the best. We can keep reliving the memories, and Mike and Beth can throw them away one day.

Enjoy your memories, make new ones and keep on reading.

- Beverly

Click on the book cover to order the title mentioned in today's blog:

Genre: Legal Thriller

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There has never been a doubt that high school sports are a vital part of the lives of most Texans. They love their games and they love their athletes.  Gimenez has obviously had some of that Texas experience and does a great job inviting the reader into this world.

In The Case Against William, a football superstar (William) is being accused of murder. He is an amazing talent with a super sized ego, and being accused of rape and murder just doesn't fit into his game plan.

Enter William's father, Frank.  I am actually getting a little tired of lawyers who get lost in alcohol and/or depression, but a dad trying to reclaim his career by defending his son is a slightly different twist. Frank's downfall came when he handled a case similar to his son's, so he has many reasons to get his act together and win this case.  He is a likable character, and his friends add a bit of spice to the story.
 
Mark Gimenez always writes books that keep us wondering.  While a few points in this book seemed easier to figure out than usual, on the whole this book was still quite exciting with a typically great ending.  For legal thriller fans, this is a definite win.

- Beverly


Publisher - Navarchus Press
Date of Publication - March 2, 2014

"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through
but rather how many can get through to you."
                                          Mortimer J. Adler

Here I sit, 2:30 A.M., feeling like my night's sleep (all broken two hours of it) is done.  Why is it that every problem you have (or think that you have  is magnified between midnight and dawn.  Even though I know, in the sane part of my mind, that most of my night time unsolvable problems will be easily solved with the new day, I can't seem to make that night time mind believe it.

Of course this is where books come in.  When my world becomes too difficult to deal with, I can slip into another world altogether.  A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. Your mind is so busy concentrating on what is going on in your literary world, the stressors in your real world seem to fade away.  I often wonder how the President or other world leaders sleep at night.  I remember loving the fact that Bill Clinton was an avid reader all through his two terms in office.  In fact, he seemed to favor all of the authors that I loved to read.

Speaking of the Clintons, I hope Hillary is a big reader, because I foresee a stressful few years ahead for her.  I enjoyed reading and reviewing (this week) her book, Hard Choices.  She talks about her involvement in many of the stories we read about, and even though I understand they are reported through her eyes, I wanted to believe what she had to say. I find politics upsetting.  Once someone declares (or even insinuates) that he/she is running for office, all dirty laundry is fair game.  We all have a past, and most of it has nothing to do with how we will perform a future job.  Unfortunately, the water gets so muddied that we can't really make an informed decision when it comes time to vote.
 
Once again I vote to read.  I figure if I read enough books from both sides of the political fence, somehow a truth will show itself.  Am I being too optimistic? Probably, but look at all of the entertainment I will have along the way.
 
Enjoy this month's reading everyone. Summer is a great time to explore new authors.  Let me know if there are any lesser known authors who are "must reads" for you.

Click on the book cover to order the title mentioned in today's blog:

Genre:  Mystery

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Karin Slaughter is one of those authors who have a fan base to envy.  Her style is easy to get involved in with enough mystery to keep the reader turning pages.  Cop Town is set in Atlanta in the mid 1970's.  Her main characters are cops, and she doesn't shy away from showing the reader the racism and misogyny of the southern cop in the 70s.


The two protagonists, Kate Murphy and Maggie Lawson, are two rookie cops totally unprepared for the hostile treatment that they get from their fellow officers.
 
When an officer is murdered on their first day as partners, theses two women have their work cut out for them. Following impossible leads, facing harassment from those who should have their backs and dealing with hunting a cop killer combine to make our heroines start to doubt everything, including themselves.
 
The author has a great way of describing places, people and events without using twenty pages to make her point.  In other words, she doesn't explain how to build a clock when all we need is the time.  It is so difficult to believe the way bigotry was so openly displayed in the 1970s south, but I have had conversations with people who lived in southern towns in that era, and I think this book gives a pretty fair representation.

I also like the way the events are seen through Kate's, Maggie's and the killer's eyes.  I find, it makes the story a little more interesting. All in all, I believe Cop Town should be on your summer reading list.
 
Happy Reading.

- Beverly


Publisher - Delacorte Press
Date of Publication - June 24, 2014

Genre: Non-Fiction/Autobiography

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I objectively admire Hillary Clinton.  Stepping away from her politics for a moment I like her obvious belief that she was put on earth to better our country and the world in general.  I like that after a brutal defeat, she was able to meet with Obama and support him for the good of the country.  I accept that she believes that her life is better with her husband, and she made the choice to stick by him.  We all make hard choices, but most of us don't change the world with ours.
 
Autobiographies/biographies are difficult to write. The reader wants the truth, and sometimes the simple truth can be boring.  I believe this book was a bit self serving, but if a writer doesn't blow her own horn, who will.  I enjoyed her descriptions of various conversations she had with many world leaders.  I liked having small glimpses into the 112 countries she travelled, and was interested in her attempts to balance a bit of family life within her heavy working schedule.
 
I am a strong believer in human rights for all, so I naturally liked her working towards that aspect of politics.  Her participation through her years as a First Lady and Secretary of State gave her the opportunity to try to further many causes that she believes in and share a great deal of information in this book.
 
I know that many people will avoid this book for political reasons, but while it is certainly not a book that I "couldn't put down," I recommend it as an interesting read that can be picked up every few days for a look into the life of a very interesting woman.

- Beverly


Publisher - Simon & Schuster; First Edition
Date of Publication - June 10, 2014

"I cannot teach anybody anything.
         I can only make them think."
                                     -Socrates


I am sitting in my living room, book in hand, looking out at the rain raising my lake and am ready for October.  The summer in South Florida is the rainy season, and I am not a fan. The air is still and heavy, and outside always feels wet.  There are more summer storms than there used to be, and the everyday showers last for hours rather than the short spurts we used to have.  Just when I think that I have had it with Florida's weather though, I remember October through April. There is nowhere in our country that can compete with Florida during Autumn, Winter and Spring.  The grass is always green, the produce is always freshly picked, and we never have to shovel snow!  I think I will read my book and ignore the rain, because when all is said and done, I am going nowhere.

Speaking of going somewhere, I just ordered a book that looks interesting. 100 Places in the U. S. Every Woman Should Go, by Sophia Dembling. I started looking through it, and although I am not sure what makes Disney, Graceland and the Spam Museum female oriented, this book does give me ideas for upcoming journeys.  For example, who knew that the world's longest yard sale (Michigan to Alabama) spans 675 miles through five states. Every year in August (the first Thursday through Sunday ) people along route 127 bring out their wares and the selling begins.  Now I am not typically a yard sale person, but that has to be quite some journey filled with lots of interesting people to meet.  Just imagine the used books you could find in five states of people's give-aways.

Ah, books!  For many years I planned trips with local bookstores in mind.  Guidebooks usually list interesting bookstores (at least they did when there were interesting bookstores...and paper guidebooks) and exploring those stores kept us busy for hours.  How sad that technology has made those places somewhat obsolete.  I blame myself as much as anyone. When I mention "sitting with a book" these days, I actually mean sitting with my Kindle or IPad mini.  Trips to bookstores find me using my iPhone to snap pictures of book covers that look interesting, so I can order them for my device later in the day.  I have always believed in technology and change, but sometimes I worry that we are losing too much in our rush to the next frontier.

Now the 4th of July is the perfect time not to rush to any "frontier" except our back yard.  Barbecued burgers, chicken, fish or veggies sound great, accompanied by corn on the cob, my mom's recipe for potato salad and some cold watermelon.  Hmmm...if I invite my daughter, granddaughters and sister, I bet we can all sneak away for an hour of reading at the pool.  Have a great holiday everyone!

Click on the book cover to order the title mentioned in today's blog:

Genre: Political Thriller

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The political climate in our country today is more frightening than any fiction I have read. Every day I become more disgusted with both political parties and a Congress that does nothing but obstruct.  I am not alone.  People on both sides are ready to do anything to get our country back on track.  Anything!

Max Allan Collins' newest book grabs our attention right away. Collins' Supreme Court is conservative heavy (strengthening the Patriot Act and reversing Roe vs Wade) and many people are unhappy about it.  So unhappy, in fact, that several conservative Supreme Court justices have been killed. With a liberal president in office, is someone trying to stack the deck?

Meet the books protagonist--- Secret Service agent Joseph Reeder, who took a bullet while guarding a president that he disliked.   Although he was a hero, he also was too obvious about his dislike of the strong conservative president he protected, and he became an outcast.  His knowledge and skill make him invaluable to one of his few remaining federal-cop friends, FBI Agent Gabe Sloan. Sloan, soon adds Reeder as a consultant to the multiagency task investigating the murder of the first murdered judge.  Things heat up and we are introduced to FBI agent Patti Rodgers when she begins working with Reeder.
The timing for the publication of this book could not have been better. It came out less then a week after our Supreme Court made two very conservative and very controversial decisions.  I found myself looking for (and maybe finding) similarities in Collins' court and our court.  Scary!

I am not sure that this book will give you that escape from reality that most fiction affords, but I guarantee that it will get you thinking well into the night.

- Beverly


Publisher - Thomas & Mercer
Date of Publication - July 1, 2014