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All aboard for Whistle Stop!
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson THE WONDER BOY OF WHISTLE STOP. By Fannie Flagg. Random House Audio. Read by the author. 8 hours; 7 compact discs. $40. Also available in hardback from Random House. You are in for a treat. Need an antidote to COVID, the election and all the other things 2020 has thrown…
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Hang on for the ride of your life
Looking for quality, entertaining escape reading? Bob Moyer has a new novel for you. Be prepared to hold on! Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer BLACKTOP WASTELAND. By S. A. Cosby. Flatiron. 304 pages. $26.99 There’s nary a ping or misfire as this high-octane heist novel roars through the BLACKTOP WASTELAND of rural eastern Virginia. Every…
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Who we are, who we become
Bob Moyer is right on with his review of this well-written novel. Coincidentally (sorry, Bob, I couldn’t resist), I read it recently for the book club I participate in here in Currituck, North Carolina. The Vanishing Half inspired some lively discussions. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer THE VANISHING HALF. By Brit Bennett. Riverhead Books. 352…
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A different perspective
Paul O’Connor, a veteran journalist, offers a review of a book that he says isn’t easy to read – but worth the effort. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor CASTE: THE ORIGIN OF OUR DISCONTENTS. By Isabel Wilkerson. Random House. 388 pages. $32, hardcover. Many weekday mornings, a friend calls to discuss the news and express…
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How could he?
Bob Moyer reviews a book that’s both mystery and thriller, as are many of the ones he reads, but this is a nonfiction book of history. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer MENGELE: Unmasking the Angel of Death. By David G. Marwell. Norton. 432 pages. $30. He stood on the ramp, as scores of Jews flooded…
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A story for our times
I’ve enjoyed many of Chris Bohjalian’s books, some more than others. This one sounds especially — even oddly — timely, and pretty scary. I’m not sure I want to read it, but I’ll pay attention to what Bob Moyer has to say. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer RED LOTUS. By Chris Bohjalian. Doubleday. 367 pages.…
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Unraveling the girl she was
Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer A GIRL’S STORY. By Annie Ernaux. Seven Stories Press. 160 pages. $18.95 Shame and humiliation. She spent two nights with a man, then fixated on him, in 1958, earning the name “whore around the edges” from her colleagues. She carried that shame with her for 58 years, until she decided to…
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Has crime fighting ever been so enchanting?
What could be better than to be transported to the Perigord in France at a time not so long ago when no one had heard of COVID-19 and spend a little time with Bruno, chief of police and chef extraordinaire as he solves crimes, prepares delicacies and lives the good life? Bob Moyer suggests that…
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Not Bosch, but a determined reporter
If you need a good detective story to read, Bob Moyer can help you out. Here he takes a look at the latest from Michael Connelly. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer FAIR WARNING. By Michael Connelly. Little, Brown and Company. 417 pages. $29. He’s not Harry Bosch. Poor Jack McEvoy. He has appeared in only three Michael…