-
A jerk, but a fascinating one
I’m pretty sure Paul O’Connor listened to this audio book about Steve Jobs on his iPhone. I edited this review on my Macbook. It’s interesting to learn more about a man who had such a major impact on our lives. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor BECOMING STEVE JOBS: THE EVOLUTION OF A RECKLESS UPSTART INTO…
-
Frankly, my dear
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson A TOUCH OF STARDUST. By Kate Alcott. Random House Audio. Read by Cassandra Campbell. 11 hours; 9 CDs. $40. Also available in hardback from Doubleday. Kate Alcott has done it again. She’s written another historical novel that’s a romance – the adventures and travails of one fictional young woman –…
-
Saving “runners”
Here’s an intriguing review by Bob Moyer. The book is the latest in an interesting-sounding mystery series that I have somehow missed. What a treat to discover not just a new book that sounds good, but a whole series. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer A STRING OF BEADS. By Thomas Perry. Mysterious Press. 388 pages.…
-
100 years later, Lusitania’s story is still gripping
I was already riveted by the early chapters of Dead Wake when Paul O’Connor emailed to tell me he was listening to the book, and it was terrific. I deferred to Paul for the writing of the review because he reads more historical nonfiction than I do – and because he finished first. I say…
-
Sunshine and shadows
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson Memory is such a complicated thing. It’s always fascinating to compare memories with a sibling or other person with whom you shared a long-ago experience. Sometimes details will be radically different; sometimes one person may have no recollection at all of something that made a vivid, lasting impression on another.…
-
Generals and their battles
When Paul O’Connor went traveling during his recent break from professorial duties in Chapel Hill, he took some serious reading matter along for company. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor WASHINGTON’S REVOLUTION. By Robert Middlekauff. Knopf Doubleday. 384 pages, hardcover. $30. THE LAST BATTLE. By Cornelius Ryan. Simon & Schuster. 576 pages. $18.99, paperback. Available also…
-
The persecuted saving the persecuted
Readers of his review over the years know that Bob Moyer loves detective stories, mysteries and thrillers with fictional crimes perpetrated by fictional bad guys and gals. He’s also, however, intrigued by very real human stories of good versus evil, particularly those that took place during the Holocaust. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer VILLAGE OF…
-
Danger is in the eye of the beholder
Paula Hawkins’ debut thriller is getting a lot of attention, and for good reason. Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. By Paula Hawkins. Read by Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey and India Fisher. Penguin Audio. 9 CDs. $40. Also available in hardcover from Riverhead Books. When the blurb on the box calls…
-
Plenty of reasons to read
One danger in a long-running detective series is that the stories might get stale. Bob Moyer finds that the Alex Delaware series may be predictable in some ways, but it’s still worth reading. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer MOTIVE. By Jonathan Kellerman. Ballantine Books. 336 pages. $28. Motive, indeed. After following the adventures of this…
-
Appearances and disappearances
Take an ambitious, needy girl, throw in a few naive young men, add a plot for an improbable heist plus adventures on two continents, and you’ve got an impressive first novel. Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson UNBECOMING. By Rebecca Scherm. Read by Catherine Taber. Penguin Audio. 13 ½ hours; 11 CDs. $45. Also available in…