Jonathan Rauch, in his February 24 article in The Atlantic, hit the nail on the head when he described Donald Trump with the word patrimonialism. I was unfamiliar with the term; but, after explaining its meaning and implications, Rauch opened a new window for me on...
Book Reviews
For What It’s Worth
FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH I WON'T REMAIN NEUTRAL I’ve never shied away from freely sharing my political convictions, as those who know me will attest. But whenever I’ve promoted my brand as an author through the platform of my website, blog, and newsletter, I’ve purposely...
Historical Novel Celebrates Women’s History Month
Honoring Women Through the Lens of Historical Fiction Women's History Month serves as a powerful reminder of the remarkable contributions women have made throughout history, and what better way to honor this legacy than through the lens of historical fiction? The...
Women and world War II: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
https://amzn.to/2u61yOL World War II Fiction with Heroic Female Characters Readers who like historical novels with heroic female characters will want to read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Set in World War II France, the story does not unfold on a battlefield with...
Book Review of The Water Dancer by Ta-nihisi Coates
The Story Ta-nihisi Coates's debut novel, The Water Dancer, resonated with me on so many levels. There is the story itself--an intriguing tale about Hiram Walker, whose mother is born into bondage and sold away when he is a small child, by the master of Lockless...
Book Review of Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin
What Makes a Good Leader? When I researched the national political climate for my first novel, Hattie's Place (1906-1909), I found a great resource in Doris Kearns Goodwin's book The Bully Pulpit:Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of...
Book Review of Fear by Bob Woodward
Bias and Unidentified Sources I've previously posted book reviews of two best sellers relating to the Trump presidency-- Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff and A Higher Loyalty by James Comey. Both contain revealing inside views of the Trump White House, their facts...
Book Review of The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
https://amzn.to/2LTII8p The Plot When Daniel Sempere turns ten, his father, a bookstore owner, takes him to a secret place. It's called "The Cemetery of Forgotten Books," an immense labyrinthine library preserving thousands of old forgotten titles. According to...
Book Review of A Gentleman in Moscow
Engaging Character-driven Novel I've finally written this historical fiction book review on A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I listened to all four hundred sixty-eight pages of it on Audible Audeo, and with the limited amount of driving time I put in these days,...
Non-fiction Book Review of A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership by James Comey
https://amzn.to/2HIyipD Partly Confessional and Partly Exposé James Comey's best-selling memoir, A Higher Loyalty, is partly confessional and partly an exposé of President Donald Trump's ethics and leadership. His assertion that "Trump is ego driven and...
Jane Friedman’s New Book is About the Business of Writing
https://amzn.to/2pCdIwy The Business of Writing I've been reading Jane Friedman's blogs and following her on social media since I began looking for ways to market my first novel, Hattie's Place. I've always valued the advice she gives. It's based on her extensive...
Historical Novel: Last Laugh by Beth Tally
http://amzn.to/2sdqt4G Historical Novel with a Clever Plot Leaves us Wanting More When remembering the Viet Nam era, anybody of college age in the sixties, would have a personal story to tell about the dreaded military draft. In Last Laugh, Beth...
Book Review of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House
A Fly-on-the-Wall View In Fire and Fury, Michael Wolff weaves a compelling story. It's about the inner workings of the Trump White House in the first days and months. Wolff, a longtime New York journalist and columnist, based his tell-all book on over two...
Beach Reading: Mistress Suffragette
https://amzn.to/2NdKqOb Two Novels About the Suffrage Movement Having recently published a novel about the suffrage movement of 1913-1919, Diana Forbes' debut novel Mistress Suffragette piqued my interest. I purchased a copy on Kindle and began reading,...
Beach Reading: The Sunshine Sisters
The Sunshine Sisters Last week, I attended a book talk by best selling author Jane Green, held at the Forsyth County Library. Bookmarks, a literary arts organization that fosters a love of reading and writing in the community, sponsored the event. I've mentioned the...
Nonfiction Books Worth Reading: Introduction to the Bible
https://amzn.to/2zHpQUI Free Online Courses from Yale Divinity School In 2013, shortly after I had retired and decided to pursue a second career in writing, I was searching the web for courses to help me in honing my writing skills. I came across a catalog of free...
Nonfiction Books Worth Reading
Books that address emotional and spiritual wellness and growth always interest me. When I found and read the two listed below, I decided to include them in my non-fiction book reviews. Hopefully, my readers will benefit from them as much as I did. Living the Golden...
Nonfiction Book Review: On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
https://amzn.to/2zAzYym If the main pillar of the system is living a lie, then it is not surprising that the fundamental threat to it is living the truth. Vaclav Havel We Have the Advantage of Learning from Their Experiences This is a powerful book which is hardly...
Book Review of London for Immigrant Suckers: So Long Yugoslavia by Kolya S.
London for Immigrant Suckers was recommended to me by http://www.TheFussyLibrarian.com, a website that pairs readers with their favorite genres, and promotes e-books of authors with at least 10 reviews. https://amzn.to/2L027o4 A Unique Inside-the-Head...
Book Review: Autumn by Ali Smith
https://amzn.to/2NG7tCr A Literary Novel About the fragility of mortal lives I just finished reading Autumn by the Scottish author Ali Smith. It's her first literary novel in a series on time and how we experience it. Struggling for the precise words to describe the...
Literary Historical Fiction: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Original, Unique, Poetic, Ambitious in Purpose...Sometimes Over My Head I purchased the Kindle version of Lincoln in the Bardo. It was immediately after watching Stephen Colbert interview the author one night last week on the Late Show. When Colbert introduced...
Recommended Reading: News of the World by Paulette Jiles
. https://amzn.to/2zmO3zx Both Inspiring and Intimidating As an author attempting to grow as a writer, reading News of the World by Paulette Jiles is both inspiring and intimidating. This beautifully written work of literary fiction combines the elements of...
Non-Fiction Book Review of Amazing Place by Marianne Gingher
http://bit.ly/2JoKlVI One of my Christmas gifts from my Durham-soon-to-be-moving-to-Charlotte children, was a book entitled Amazing Place. I've just finished it, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about writing as a craft. Two Favorite Subjects:...
Go Set A Watchman Doesn’t Spoil To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird, which came out in 1960, remains among the top picks for all time great Southern Fiction. Not so its prequel, Go Set A Watchman. In fact, since it's publication in 2015, critics have debated whether it should have even been released. Partly out...
Beach Reading
Anyone who says they only have one life to live must not know how to read a book. Author unknown As I await the publication of my novel Hattie's Place, I am eagerly anticipating our family's annual vacation on June 13. I'm also compiling my reading list for our week...