The Stranger Beside Me

 

Chilling and thoroughly researched story about one of the most notorious serial killers in history!

~ Highly recommended especially as Halloween is upcoming!!

 

 

About The Author:

Ann Rae Rule (née Stackhouse; October 22, 1931 – July 26, 2015) was an American true crime author of The Stranger Beside Me, about serial killer, and Rule’s co-worker, Ted Bundy. Rule was also known for her book Small Sacrifices, about Oregon child murderer Diane Downs. Many of Rule’s books center on murder cases that occurred in the Pacific Northwest and her adopted home state of Washington. Read more ~ Wikipedia

 

Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor’s Reflections on Race and Medicine

 

Black Man in a White Coat is a very honest and eye opening account of  Tweedy’s personal experiences as a black man working as a medical doctor.  He includes various accounts based on his own personal experiences as a patient and those of his patients as well.  These stories are insightful, well rounded and are adequately used to buttress his points.

This is not a book about race but about various factors that cause inequality and disparities in healthcare treatment of black people.  The author does not blame anyone entity but distributes blame equally both to poverty, the individuals’ poor choices and institutional prejudice and discrimination which has so pervaded our  society. It helps that the author offers suggestions that might start discussions on ways the society could possibly work towards healing.

This book will appeal to anyone looking for unbiased documentaries on racial issues and poverty in our society.

About The Author:

Damon Tweedy, MD

DAMON TWEEDY is a graduate of Duke Medical School and Yale Law School. He is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center and staff physician at the Durham VA Medical Center. He has published articles about race and medicine in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the Annals of Internal Medicine. His columns and op-eds have appeared in the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Raleigh News & Observer, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He lives outside Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, with his family. Read more

Monologue: What Makes America Laugh Before Bed

This was a very funny and interesting read!!

 

 

About The Author:

Talk Like Ted by Carmine Gallo

Talk Like Ted by Carmine Gallo

Do you want to improve your presentation skills and ability to talk in the public? Then you have to read this book. 

Have you heard about those Ted talk presentations on Youtube with millions of views? This book is an in-depth analysis of some of the most compelling and captivating topics given on Tedx.   The author closely examines each of these highly viewed presentations to find out what strategies the presenters incorporated.   

 I enjoyed the discussions about some of the riveting  presentations on Tedx.  One of the things that struck me is the account on how one could fit a whole grand idea into 18 minutes which is what the presenters on Ted.com are limited to.  Who doesn’t want to learn from the best? By analyzing some of these great speeches, the author presents practical guidelines on which you can draw inspirations on how to give your next spell binding  argument such as – building connections with the audience, story telling, using analogies, and how to generally remove boring elements from your speech.  In addition, the book lays strong emphasis on practice, practice practice – no more rambling and going off topics!

I found the topics in this book very useful and very educational especially the part about neurology, how our  brain functions and its relationship to our communication.  She further goes on to break down  the science behind creating and giving an effective presentation, which I found very eye-opening!  Talk Like Ted shares very detailed and very useful ideas and strategies on creating a concise speech, that would draw in your audience right from the start.  Another take away from this book is that the author listed a couple great speeches that has gained millions of views so far. This would allow anyone to go on Youtube and actually watch these presenters that he has analyzed!

If you want to be a great communicator and presenter,  then you have to read this book!!

About The Author:

Carmine Gallo

Carmine Gallo is the author of 7 business books including the international bestseller The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, the award-winning The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs and The Apple Experience, the first book to look behind the scenes at the world’s most successful retail store. His books have been translated in over a dozen languages.

The Cairo Affair by Olen Steinhauer

This a fast-moving thriller with an intricate plot about espionage, the FBI and political games as played out in the 90’s among foreign diplomats for the governments of Libya, Egypt, and the USA. The story is centered around Sophia Kohl the wife of Emmett Kohl, a mid-level diplomat at the American embassy in Hungary. Her husband is shot dead by an unknown gunman right after she confesses to him about having an affair. The story then follows as Sophia goes awol with a determination to find out who killed her husband and why. Her unauthorized and secretive quest set in motion an inquisition that threatens to expose years of deceit, lies, murders and cover ups.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cairo Affair. This book starts off at a breakneck speed, and builds up intensity as the story progresses. It is a complicated and layered plot which makes it even more exciting!

This is one of those books you can’t put down because of the eye-opening discoveries that you make as you get deeper into the story. There are themes of evil schemes, betrayals, rivalries, backstabbing and deceptions all interwoven in this intricate plot.

Set in North Africa, from Hungary to Libya, Yugoslavia to Egypt, this story offers great insights into new places, people and cultures. I especially love stories that take you through foreign lands where you can learn a thing or two – this book does just that.
Pick up this book – It’s well worth your time!
Similar books – The Hidden Man by Charles Cumming, A Cold War by Amelia Levene, and The English Girl by Daniel Silva –

About The Author

Olen Steinhauer grew up in Virginia, and has since lived in Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, Massachusetts, and New York. Outside the US, he’s lived in Croatia (when it was called Yugoslavia), the Czech Republic and Italy…Read more from Amazon

Drunk Mom by Jowita Bydlowska

“Three years after giving up drinking, Jowita Bydlowska found herself throwing back a glass of champagne like it was ginger ale. It was a special occasion: a party celebrating the birth of her first child. It also marked Bydlowska’s immediate, full-blown return to crippling alcoholism.” ~Book blurb.

I picked up this book from my library based on its popularity, and great reviews.

This story covers a brief period in Jowita Bylowska’s life as she struggles with her addictions. I applaud Ms Bylowska for the courage to write such raw and open exposé’ about this dark period of her life. We follow as she tries to fend off her demons and at same time fight to be a relevant mother to her son. Despite the gloomy and dire nature of theme, the writer is able to convey the story in a funny, witty and upbeat style. To most people, this is an eye-opening, educational and informative story about dealing with addiction.

On the flip side, in as much as it is hard to include everything in a story, the account of some events seems rushed, possibly causing for there to be holes in the story line as to when and how certain events really occurred. Otherwise, Drunk Mom is a compelling story of redemption and a strong testimony of the resilience of the human spirit.
This an inspiring memoir that would appeal to everyone especially anyone struggling with addiction.

Author – Jowita Bydlowska
Publication Date – May 27, 2014
Pages – 320

About The Author:

“I was born in Warsaw, Poland. I moved to Canada as a teenager. I live in Toronto with my little family in a little house. I write, write, write (compulsively, happily, unhappily, obsessively). I wrote a book about drinking, published by Doubleday Canada and HarperCollins Australia…” Read more from author’s website

The Innocent Man by John Grisham

John Grisham writes his first nonfiction novel. This is one of the best nonfiction stories I have read. This novel is also a legal thriller just like most of his books. I couldn’t wait for the story to unravel – I was completely blown away!

This story follows Ron Williamson, an upcoming and ambitious baseball player widely expected to make the big leagues. Ron’s hopes into the big leagues crashes upon sustaining an arm injury. Consequently, he is dropped by his team – the Yankees. Roy returns home to small town Ada, and while not having anything to occupy him he starts to live the wild life – chasing women, booze and staying out late. Slowly Roy starts exhibiting some form of mental instability and soon, he is diagnosed with some form of mental illness.

Fast forward – Roy Williamson turns into a local bum and when an eighteen year old girl is found murdered, Roy and his friend Fritz are questioned, and with no physical evidence linking them to the murder are charged and found guilty for the crime. Both men are sent to death row where they serve 11 years but later exonerated by DNA evidence and thereupon released.

Grisham writes in compelling detail about the entire legal process. He delves into the intricacies of our legal system in a very engaging style that fans of legal thrillers would find it hard to put the book down. This enthralling true story explores wrongful convictions, criminal injustice, and police incompetence as show cased in the Roy Williamson tragic story.

The Innocent Man is a deeply researched and well written book. This book is a scary reality of how easily and how frequently – in our society innocent people are convicted for crimes they did not commit.

Author – John Grisham
Genre – Nonfiction
Publication Date – 2012
Pages – 448

About The Author:

“Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi, law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel…” ~ More

“The Blackhouse” by Peter May

I found this review highly interesting, sounds like a great read – enjoy!

Fictionophile

They say that reading is the cheapest form of travel.  In this case it was a wonderful trip.   “The Blackhouse” by Peter May is the first in a trilogy of novels set on the Hebridean Isle of Lewis. The setting was a major factor in the story and the author’s skillful writing transports the reader to Lewis with it’s rich culture and long history.

However, let us not forget that this is a murder mystery. The protagonist, Fin Macleod was born and brought up on Lewis. He is now a policeman working out of Edinburgh. Fin is very vulnerable as he is in mourning for his broken marriage and for his young son who perished in a hit-and-run.  When a murder occurs on Lewis that resembles one that he is working on – his superiors send him to Lewis to aid in the investigation.  Fin has not…

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He’s Come Undone by Theresa Weir

Set on a a college campus in Minneapolis, three female college students decide to take out revenge on a guy who had broken their hearts at various points. Eileen is chosen as the tool for this revenge but the plan might not necessarily play out as planned. When things start to get out of hand, Eileen is no longer convinced she wants to continue with the arrangement but she had signed a contract with the girls or – is she still able to get out of it?
He’s Come Undone is a sweet romance with a modern twist. A very short light-hearted plot about ‘boy meets girl’, but in this case the reader already knows it is a set up mixed with deceit and vengeance. The story is written from the perspectives of the three main characters Eileen, Julian and Valerie. Each chapter is dedicated to a character as they tell their side of story. As the story unfolds, bold and unexpected events develop adding interest to the plot.

I find the premise of the story very interesting and something to look forward to. It is warm and fuzzy for a good romance novel. But this book could be richer and mind-blowing with some more detail and a deeper exploration of the characters. Eileen started out as a sympathetic character but I couldn’t fully appreciate her for lack of enough information on her. I also didn’t find a solid conflict and enough suspense in the plot to intrigue me.

However, this is a quick and easy read for a nice day (215 pages). I liked it but didn’t particularly fall in love with the story. I’ll describe it as heartfelt, romantic and cozy. I will definitely suggest this title to readers who enjoy sweet romance – and this one is really short too!

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Author – Theresa Weir
Publication Date – February 25, 2014
Pages – 215
Setting – Minneapolis

About The Author:

Theresa Weir (a.k.a. Anne Frasier) is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-six books and numerous short stories that have spanned the genres of suspense, mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, paranormal, fantasy, and memoir.
Read more ~Blurb and img from Amazon

Fox Hunt by S. M. Stelmack

Brian Chanse a high adrenaline stunt guy picks up a hitchhiker on the highway who looks almost dead. Out of compassion, he revives her and is curious about her story. Delta (alias Fox) is running for her life from underground gangsters. Not having any cash on her, she’s hitchhiking her way back to L.A. to investigate who wants her dead. Meanwhile, Brian is much fascinated by the girl and offers to help her which she refuses. Much later in the story, their paths cross again, with a hired assassin on their trail…

Fox Hunt is a fine blend of romance, mystery and suspense. The beginning chapters are gripping and fast paced urging the reader to look for more. A well thought out plot and heavily developed characters. However, on getting to about 3/4 of the pages, I found the story losing some steam and a couple irrelevant details added towards the end. The fireworks between Brian and Delta got unnecessarily long. I found the car chase a little muddled and the art of weaving in flashbacks became somewhat clumsy. At a point, it started to seem as though the author was looking for ways to stretch out the story as much as possible. I am not one to give up on a story, so I prodded on to the end.

This book has a fascinating story line but would do better with more compelling elements throughout the book to sustain readers’ interest.
I give it 3 Stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Author – S. M. Stelmack
Publisher – S. M. Stelmack; Second edition (November 13, 2013)
Pages – 306 pages
Location – L.A.

About The Author:
S. M. Stelmack is our pen name, short for Serge & Moira Stelmack. We aim to give what we like in a story— gutsy men and women, high stakes and LOL lines. Serge is the storymaster who blasts out the beginning, middle and end. Moira comes behind, clucking and hemming, as the story undergoes countless rewrites till it meets our vision…More @ smstelmackauthor.com

Jenny: Virtuous No More by Nora Blackstock

“Jenny was a good, devoted wife. When her marriage to husband Mark grew distant, she took matters into her own hands to find out if he still loved her. He did, but his confession, and the things he wanted her to do, were shocking. To save her marriage, Jenny embarked on a sexual journey from which there was no turning back. She would no longer be the “good girl” that everyone knew and loved…” ~ Blurb from Amazon

My Take:
This publication previously came out in five parts. I’m glad that I received the complete set of the e-book and read the entire 171 pages in just a couple of hours. And – here’s what I think…

After seven years of marriage with both Mark and Jenny working full-time, pressures of work start to put stress on their seven-year marriage. As Jenny and Mark would begin to worry that the intimacy between them is shriveling down to almost nothing, they individually started to nurse the fear about how this might further affect their marriage. Until one day to her utmost surprise, Jenny  discovers a secret on Mark’s computer, and confronts him.  This causes Mark to make a shocking proposal to his wife. Jenny his conservative suburban wife – not so much into much experimentation now has a dilemma. However, she is determined to work on her marriage – but at what cost? This incident – is to set in motion a series of events that would deeply affect their marriage.  
 
Jenny: Virtuous No More is a compelling story which draws the reader in quickly right from the first page! This is no ordinary romance but a fast paced racy adventure with a surprise twist. Done in simple and straight forward tone, this engaging narrative will keep the reader wanting for more…  The author did a beautiful job in character development as it relates to Mark and Jenny. Incorporating occasional flash backs is skillfully used to round their characters and keep up the pace.   I thought it was smart of Ms. Blackstock to weave in the final plot thread – which added an interesting dimension to the plot.

This is a beautifully written work, with explicit detailed intimate scenes that leap right off the pages.  A well constructed emotional and passionate book which I believe erotic romance readers would eat up! This book would also be a good introduction to those wanting to explore this genre.

I received an electronic copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

61 HOURS -Jack Reacher by Lee, Child

Given how much I love mystery thrillers I can’t believe I never read any Lee Child’s books especially his popular Jack Reacher series. I have to tell you, all the accolades given to these series are well deserved. I borrowed an ebook copy from my local library which I read over the weekend.

Already, there are a lot of reviews about this book so I will go ahead and list some important take aways – From the title – 61 Hours you can already tell this is a count down to a major event. Jack Reacher the protagonist, an ex military man turned private investigator is a drifter. This time he hitches a ride and finds himself in a rural small town that has very limited police capabilities. As things begin to happen, a sense of an impending doom is imminent. The count down is already on which keeps you at the edge of the seat.

The author writes in simple and straight forward language – only facts that are relevant to the story – no fluff, all read meat. The book starts at a break neck speed and continues that way. The writing is third person POV, so the reader sees every angle which increases suspense.

The plot is complex where you peel away the narrative like an onion. The author creates various plot threads with each chapter ending in a cliff hanger. I love that the author takes time to build relatable characters. The reader gets to know the characters well enough where you establish some connection. As a result, I really found it hard letting some of the characters go at the end of the book.

This is a book to read when you have enough time to devote to it because you can’t put it down. Your heart’s racing and you feel you’re on roller coaster ride!

I’m not usually a huge fan of series, but I like that Jack Reacher series do not have to be read in order. Even though this is #14 in the Jack Reacher series, you can start from any book without feeling as though you’re missing anything.

If you’re a mystery thriller fan and haven’t read this book, please do yourself a great favor by grabbing one!

I really would like to read a similar book from a new author, please feel free to suggest anyone, I would really appreciate it!!

Author – Child, Lee
Publication – 2010
Pages – 528
Location – South Dakota

About the Author:

“Lee Child is the #1 internationally bestselling author of the Jack Reacher thrillers. His debut, Killing Floor, won both the Anthony and the Barry awards for Best First Mystery, and The Enemy won both the Barry and the Nero awards for Best Novel. “Jack Reacher”, the film based on the 9th novel, One Shot, stars Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Rosamund Pike, Jai Courtney, and David Oyelowo and debuted in December 2012. Child, a native of England and a former television director, lives in New York City and the south of France with his wife and daughter”~ Amazon

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

As soon as the news of President Mandela’s death broke last December, I was compelled to read this book to get a better understanding of this great man not just as president, but as an ordinary human being – a son, a father, a husband and a political activist.

This is Mandela’s compelling autobiography starting from his early days in his rural home town in South Africa through his incarceration for 27 years and eventual release in 1990. This book not only gives detailed account of the events of apartheid in South Africa, but it also takes a comprehensive look into the history of South Africa, Mandela’s lineage, the various tribal groups as well as the culture of the people of South Africa.

Mandela in Long Walk to Freedom goes on to recount the enactment of apartheid laws, institutionalization of racial discrimination and subsequent formation of the various political parties. This book is very informative with lots of shocking facts and horrendous revelations of oppressions suffered by blacks under the colonial regime. The fact that the story is from Mandela’s perspective make this book the more heart-wrenching. You will find a lot of important detail not generally known out there that occurred during this time in history. I find this a well written book which totally immerses the reader into the in humanities suffered by the black the people in South Africa and the resilience of the human spirit. I also love that Mandela bares his mind as he discusses his strengths while at the same time, talks about his weaknesses, his regrets and failures – all without any reservations.

This story is done in clear, frank and convincing tone. The conversational style employed by Mandela make Long Walk to Freedom a quick and easy read.

Highly recommended for anyone still curious about apartheid in South Africa. Engrossing, introspective, and thought-provoking!

Author – Nelson Mandela
Pages – 565
Published – 1995
South Africa

Book review: THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green

Besides wanting to share with everyone, I’m reblogging this as a reminder to myself to read this book later – Enjoy!

Watch This Space

It’s time. Time for me to finally review one of the biggest books to come into the young adult genre in recent memory. There’s already a movie coming out and, let’s be honest, everyone and their mother has read this book by now. But that’s not going to stop me from getting in my two cents! Not even the fact that TFIOS (as it is so lovingly acronymed) has already been reviewed on my blog by Samantha can stop me. So, here goes.

A review of

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green

Published by Dutton Books, 2012.

Rating: 8/10

What’s it about?

Teenager Hazel Grace is dying, maybe not right away, but she knows that eventually her crap lungs are going to betray her. She spends all of her time trying to minimize the amount of hurt she inflicts upon the world, but one day, at Cancer Kid…

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The Last Olympian

This is a guest post written by a young adult reader who I would simply call Mr. R. – Thanks for writing!

“All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds are against them. Kronos is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, his power only grows.
In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.” ~ Blurb from Amazon

Review:
I read the book The Last Olympian which is a fiction Greek mythology book by Rick Riordan. The Last Olympian was very good; it combines Greek mythology with modern day troubles. The book is the last in the series about a group of half-god half-humans trying to save the world from a Titan trying to rebirth. Percy Jackson; the books protagonist is a very likable hero, he is very powerful because he is the son of Poseidon but he is very modest and helpful, which makes him a nearly impossible to hate.

Rick Riordan writes this book in way young adults and adults can understand, he has tons of battle scenes but incorporates humor into the entire book to keep things light-hearted. He doesn’t make any character “invincible” and writes the characters to be like real high-school teenagers going through and awkward stage in life while finding out they are sons and daughters of Greek Gods. All in all this was a great book and one I would suggest to anyone that loves fantasy!

Author – Rick Riordan
Publication Date – 2009
Number of Pages – 432
Genre – Fantasy/Adventure
Setting – New York City
Time Period – 21st Century

About The Author:

Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Kane Chronicles, and the Heroes of Olympus. He is also the author of the multi-award-winning Tres Navarre mystery series for adults. For fifteen years, Rick taught English and history at public and private middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Texas. In 2002, Saint Mary’s Hall honored him with the school’s first Master Teacher Award…Read More at ~ Amazon.com