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American dreams
You may derive some odd comfort from a reminder that as crazy as our times seem, they fit right in with the story of American history. Steve Wishnevsky reviews a book that looks at a past America on the brink of a great war. By Stephen Wishnevsky TWILIGHT AT THE WORLD OF TOMORROW: GENIUS, MADNESS,…
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Of crime and the river
Whenever a new Anne Perry Victorian novel arrives, I know I am about to be immersed in another place and time, a place that is sometimes heartbreaking and grim, but always fascinating. Perry out-Dickens Dickens in exposing the social ills and inequities of the Victorian age in England. And she makes you eager to read,…
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When reality isn’t real – or is it?
Steve Wishnevsky of Winston-Salem has seen the future in a fascinating new book. Read his review and see how brave you feel about the new world that awaits us. By Stephen Wishnevsky INFINITE REALITY: AVATARS, ETERNAL LIFE, NEW WORLDS, AND THE DAWN OF THE VIRTUAL REVOLUTION. By Jim Blascovitch and Jeremy Bailenson. HarperCollins. 304 pages.…
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9/11, Ten years later
As the United States approaches the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks that shocked our nation and sent us to war, Paul O’Connor reviews a new book that tells the “full story.” By Paul T. O’Connor THE ELEVENTH DAY: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden, by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan.…
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Life, love and danger in old Puerto Rico
Warning: Here’s another audio book that might make you waste precious gasoline if you listen, as I do, while you are driving. There are many passages in this book where I was unwilling to stop listening, even if I was about to reach my destination. By Linda Brinson CONQUISTADORA. By Esmeralda Santiago. Random House Audio.…
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Finding what is in poems
Welcome to a new yet familiar reviewer, Kathryn Milam. Years ago, when I edited the book-review page for the Winston-Salem Journal, I was always pleased when Kathryn contributed a review. A writer herself, she’s an insightful reader. Then she moved away, and, later, the Journal discontinued its locally written/edited adult book-review page. Now Kathryn’s back,…
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Still time for a summer read
I’ll admit it. In a way, I’m late in reviewing this book. It would make a good beach read, and here we are at the end of July. I don’t mean that “beach read” description as an insult. While Summer in the South is an entertaining, reasonably quick read, it has more substance than many…
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Art, in the eye of one who knows
Steve Wishnevsky of Winston-Salem is a man of many talents. Besides being a prolific writer, astute reviewer and sage observer of the political scene, he also is a gifted luthier. He crafts beautiful instruments of wood. So when Steve is swept off his feet by a book, we need to pay attention. By Stephen Wishnevsky…