Book Review: The Glassblower

The Glassblower, by Petra Durst-Benning, is a little slow to get into, but the story of the Steinmann sisters and their struggles in glassblowing soon drew me in. With the death of their father, Johanna, Ruth, and Marie have lost their last parent and their income. Life becomes frighteningly uncertain, and the young women face

The Bishop’s Wife —– A Book Review

_____Ever wondered what a Mormon’s “special underwear” actually looks like? Aw c’mon, I bet you have. The Bishop’s Wife, a new mystery by Mette Ivie Harrison, not only snoops into Mormon bureau drawers, it opens up

Book Look – Sail Away on My Silver Dream

All of us have crosses to bear, those life challenges that seem so unfair, but others have had them too. This important gem of a book is a wonderful roadmap for those with challenges to share with their children. Sail away with David and Sharon as they seek adventure and

One Plus One = Ten

One Plus One = Ten! Some books, you just gotta love….especially if you’re drawn to quirky characters, and mismatched people thrown together in hopeless situations. Jo Jo Moyes’ latest bestseller, One Plus One has the characters, the weird coincidences and lots of twists and turns that make it an irresistible page turner. You’ll meet Ed

World War II Redux

In what turned out to be a perfect trifecta, a friend recommended the novel, All the Light We Cannot See, at the same time I was reading a non-fiction book, The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel. I’d been inspired to read that 426 page tome after seeing the movie. Q. How are these three works

Book Review: Jack of Spies

Jack of Spies (from Soho Crime) is the first book in a new David Downing spy series. It follows Jack McColl, a luxury car representative and part-time spy, around the world in 1913, as he gathers useful military information for England…and sells an occasional vehicle. War with Germany is on the horizon, accompanied by often

Faith Fox —- A book review

In the novel Faith Fox, Jane Gardam, a well regarded British writer, demonstrates a thorough understanding of the many strands that make up today’s Britain. There are ragged remnants of the upper classes and people of middle age who consider themselves middle class, most of them eccentric and all quite different one from another. There

Wonder — A Book Review

It’s not surprising (not to me, at least) that young people are still reading books like Judy Blume’s Fudge series, A Wrinkle in Time, and The Jungle Book. But in this fast moving age, what’s the secret that sent a Middle Grades novel by an unknown author climbing onto the New York Times bestseller list

Book Review: Empire Rising

I just finish reading Empire Rising, ‘09 by Sam Barone; the Eskkar Saga. Other books in the series are: Dawn of Empire, Quest for Honor, Eskkar and Trella, and Battle for Empire. The Publisher is Eskkar Enterprises.

Book Review: In The Garden of the Beasts

Erik Larson’s book is the true story of William E. Dodd and family. Dodd, a historian, wanted a new job involving little work and much spare time–a sinecure–to complete his six-volume history of the “Old South.” He put out the word in Democrat circles that he would consider a job as US minister to a