BOOK REVIEW SECTION

BOOK REVIEW SECTION

FICTION:

The Collector by Nora Roberts: Summary ▼

From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a novel of a woman who needs nothing, a man who sees everything, and the web of deceit, greed, and danger that brings them together—and could tear them apart . . .

When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one. . . .

Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother isn’t capable of violence—against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Ash longs to paint her as intensely as he hungers to touch her. But their investigation draws them into a rarified circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away, and stolen, where what you possess is who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession. . . .

ISBN-13: 978-0399164453

Amazon.com: $16.43

Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Todd Michael Lewis: Summary ▼

Four years after his #1 bestseller The Big Short, Michael Lewis returns to Wall Street to report on a high-tech predator stalking the equity markets.Flash Boys is about a small group of Wall Street guys who figure out that the U.S. stock market has been rigged for the benefit of insiders and that, postfinancial crisis, the markets have become not more free but less, and more controlled by the big Wall Street banks. Working at different firms, they come to this realization separately; but after they discover one another, the flash boys band together and set out to reform the financial markets. This they do by creating an exchange in which high-frequency tradingsource of the most intractable problemswill have no advantage whatsoever.The characters in Flash Boys are fabulous, each completely different from what you think of when you think Wall Street guy. Several have walked away from jobs in the financial sector that paid them millions of dollars a year. From their new vantage point they investigate the big banks, the worlds stock exchanges, and high-frequency trading firms as they have never been investigated, and expose the many strange new ways that Wall Street generates profits.The light that Lewis shines into the darkest corners of the financial world may not be good for your blood pressure, because if you have any contact with the market, even a retirement account, this story is happening to you. But in the end, Flash Boys is an uplifting read. Here are people who have somehow preserved a moral sense in an environment where you dont get paid for that; they have perceived an institutionalized injustice and are willing to go to war to fix it.

ISBN-13: 9780393244663

Amazon.com: $16.77

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt: Summary ▼

The Goldfinch is a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that connects with the heart as well as the mind....Donna Tartt has delivered an extraordinary work of fiction."--Stephen King, The New York Times Book Review

Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art.

As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love--and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

The Goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate

ISBN-13: 978-0316055437

Amazon.com: $16.20

NYPD Red 2 by James Patterson and Marshall Karp: {dropnote:"Summary"}
When NYPD Red arrives at a crime scene, everyone takes notice. Known as the protectors of the rich, famous, and connected, NYPD Red is the elite task force called in only for New York City's most high-profile crimes. And Detective Zach Jordan is the best of the best, a brilliant and relentless pursuer of justice. He puts professionalism above all, ignoring his feelings for his partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, the woman who broke his heart when they first met in the academy.

But even with their top-notch training, Zach and Kylie aren't prepared for what they see when they're called to a crime scene in the heart of Central Park. They arrive to find a carousel spinning round and round, its painted horses grinning eerily in the early morning dark. There is only one rider: a brutally slaughtered woman, her body tied up and dressed in a Hazmat suit, on display for the world to see.

The victim, a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections, is the fourth in a string of shocking murders that have hit the city. As the public pressure mounts, and political and personal secrets of the highest order hang in the balance, Zach and Kylie must find out what's really behind the murderer's rampage. But Kylie has been acting strange recently--and Zach knows whatever she's hiding could threaten the biggest case of their careers.

NYPD Red 2 is the next outstanding novel in James Patterson's newest series, a thriller that careens through New York City and deep into the psyche of a depraved killer you've never seen before.

ISBN-13: 978-0316211239

Amazon.com: $16.11

The Space Between by Diana Gabaldon: Summary ▼

Joan MacKimmie is on her way to Paris to take up her vocation as a nun. Yet her decision is less a matter of faith than fear, for Joan is plagued by mysterious voices that speak of the future, and by visions that mark those about to die. The sanctuary of the nunnery promises respite from these unwanted visitations . . . or so she prays. Her chaperone is Michael Murray, a young widower who, though he still mourns the death of his wife, finds himself powerfully drawn to his charge. But when the time-traveling Comte St. Germain learns of Joan’s presence in Paris, and of her link to Claire Fraser—La Dame Blanche—Murray is drawn into a battle whose stakes are not merely the life but the very soul of the Scotswoman who, without even trying, has won his heart.

ASIN: B00IWSZMNC

Available on Kindle for $1.99 Amazon

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory: Summary ▼

The inspiration for the critically acclaimed Starz miniseries The White Queen, #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings to life the extraordinary story of Elizabeth Woodville, a woman who rises from obscurity to become Queen of England, and changes the course of history forever.

Elizabeth Woodville is a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition. Her mother is Jacquetta, also known as the mystical lady of the rivers, and she is even more determined to bring power and wealth to the family line. While riding in the woods one day, Elizabeth captures the attentions of the newly crowned King Edward IV and, despite her common upbringing, marries him in secret.

When she is raised up to be his queen, the English court is outraged, but Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for her family’s dominance. Yet despite her best efforts, and even with the help of her mother’s powers, her two sons become pawns in a famous unsolved mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the lost princes in the Tower of London.

In this dazzling account of the deadly Wars of the Roses, brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize: the throne of England.

ISBN-13: 978-1476735481

Amazon.com: $12.21

NONFICTION:

10% Happier by Dan Harris: Summary ▼

Nightline anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of spirituality and self-help, and discovers a way to get happier that is truly achievable.

After having a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure, involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists. Eventually, Harris realized that the source of his problems was the very thing he always thought was his greatest asset: the incessant, insatiable voice in his head, which had both propelled him through the ranks of a hyper-competitive business and also led him to make the profoundly stupid decisions that provoked his on-air freak-out.

We all have a voice in our head. It’s what has us losing our temper unnecessarily, checking our email compulsively, eating when we’re not hungry, and fixating on the past and the future at the expense of the present. Most of us would assume we’re stuck with this voice – that there’s nothing we can do to rein it in – but Harris stumbled upon an effective way to do just that. It’s a far cry from the miracle cures peddled by the self-help swamis he met; instead, it’s something he always assumed to be either impossible or useless: meditation. After learning about research that suggests meditation can do everything from lower your blood pressure to essentially rewire your brain, Harris took a deep dive into the under-reported world of CEOs, scientists, and even marines who are now using it for increased calm, focus, and happiness.

10% Happier takes readers on a ride from the outer reaches of neuroscience to the inner sanctum of network news to the bizarre fringes of America’s spiritual scene, and leaves them with a takeaway that could actually change their lives.

ISBN-13: 978-0062265425

Amazon.com: $16.16

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo: Summary ▼

When Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they werent expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the months that followeda story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boys trip to heaven and back.

Colton, not yet four years old, told his parents he left his body during the surgeryand authenticated that claim by describing exactly what his parents were doing in another part of the hospital while he was being operated on. He talked of visiting heaven and relayed stories told to him by people he met there whom he had never met in life, sharing events that happened even before he was born. He also astonished his parents with descriptions and obscure details about heaven that matched the Bible exactly, though he had not yet learned to read.

With disarming innocence and the plainspoken boldness of a child, Colton tells of meeting long-departed family members. He describes Jesus, the angels, how really, really big God is, and how much God loves us. Retold by his father, but using Coltons uniquely simple words, Heaven Is for Real offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us, where as Colton says, Nobody is old and nobody wears glasses.

Heaven Is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe, like a child.

ISBN-13: 9781497443129

Amazon.com: $9.60

Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard: Summary ▼

Millions of readers have thrilled by bestselling authors Bill O’Reilly and historian Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln, page-turning works of nonfiction that have changed the way we read history.

Now the anchor of The O’Reilly Factor details the events leading up to the murder of the most influential man in history: Jesus of Nazareth. Nearly two thousand years after this beloved and controversial young revolutionary was brutally killed by Roman soldiers, more than 2.2 billion human beings attempt to follow his teachings and believe he is God. Killing Jesus will take readers inside Jesus’s life, recounting the seismic political and historical events that made his death inevitable – and changed the world forever.

ISBN-13: 978-0805098549

Amazon.com: $12.91

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup: {dropnote:"Summary"}
Slavery has existed in one form or another throughout recorded history. And while many races and nationalities have been victims of this abhorrent practice around the world, this "peculiar institution," as it was called in the United States, is particularly tragic inasmuch as our country was founded on the principle of equality for all. Since the Reconstruction, we've struggled with the embarrassing legacy of our forefathers. But as our lands fill with immigrants and generations far separated from the era who bear no responsibility for the crimes of the past century it's important to face the inhuman slave experience which, because it makes some uncomfortable, has sadly been bowdlerized.

Slave narratives were popular in the 19th century precisely to share these deplorable stories and preserve them for all time. There was, for example, Austin Steward's "22 Years a Slave," Louis Hughes' "30 Years a Slave," H.C. Bruce's "29 Years a Slave," and, of course, Solomon Northup's "12 Years a Slave" in which the author, a free man, recounts his kidnapping, sale, and the subsequent enslavement he endured for twelve years before returning.

ISBN-13: 9781497443129

Amazon.com: $7.99

Upstairs at the White House by J. B. West with Mary Lynn Kotz: Summary ▼

J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—and coordinated its daily life—at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings and funerals, gardens and playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home. For twenty-eight years, first as assistant to the chief usher, then as chief usher, he witnessed national crises and triumphs, and interacted daily with six consecutive presidents and first ladies, their parents, children and grandchildren, and houseguests—including friends, relatives, and heads of state.

In Upstairs at the White House, West offers an absorbing and novel glimpse at America’s first families, from the Roosevelts to the Kennedys and the Nixons. Alive with anecdotes ranging from the quotidian (Lyndon B. Johnson’s shower heads) to the tragic (the aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination), West’s book is an enlightening and rich account of the American history that took place just behind the Palladian doors of the North Portico.

ASIN: B00F3QYL06

Available on Kindle for $1.99 Amazon

WRITING RESOURCES:

Blogging to the Third Power by Nicholas Cardot: Summary ▼

What is it that separates the millions of mediocre bloggers from the ones who build traffic and achieve amazing results? What is it that propels some onward and upward into fame and fortune while others find themselves struggling just to get a small handful of readers?

If you're like most bloggers, then you've probably been kicking yourself trying to figure out the answer to these questions trying to find the key that unlocks the large steel doors that are holding you back from the success you've been looking for.

I'm very excited because I've discovered the essential elements necessary to connect with people on a large scale and I'm sharing everything you need to know in this book,

ASIN: B00JNVE7OC

Available on Kindle for $3.95 Amazon

Free Tools for Writers, Bloggers and Solopreneurs by Karen Barnes: Summary ▼

Are you running a freelance writing business, blog, website or other online business on a shoestring budget?

This short, high-value ebook will point you in the direction of free apps, software and online tools to help with productivity, organization, social media management, content creation, and much more.

By the time you finish this book you'll be able to do everything from checking your grammar, to creating an info-graphic, to driving free traffic to your blog or website, all using free tools, sites and downloads.

ASIN: B00IOW2QI0

Available on Kindle for $0.99 Amazon

The Poet's Companion by Kim Addonizio and Dorriane Laux: Summary ▼

From the nuts and bolts of craft to the sources of inspiration, this book is for anyone who wants to write poetry-and do it well.'The Poet's Companion' presents brief essays on the elements of poetry, technique, and suggested subjects for writing, each followed by distinctive writing exercises. The ups and downs of writing life including self-doubt and writer's block are here, along with tips about getting published and writing in the electronic age. On your own, this book can be your "teacher," while groups, in or out of the classroom, can profit from sharing weekly assignments.

ISBN-13: 978-0393316544

Amazon.com: $14.20

The Writer's Idea Book by Jack Heffron: Summary ▼

Where do you get your ideas?

It's a question and a quandary that bedevils every writer. And once you've got an idea, what then? Ideas without a plan, without a purpose, are no more than pleasant thoughts. In The Writer's Idea Book, Jack Heffron, former senior editor at Writer's Digest Books and Story Press, will help you find the answer. Utilizing over 400 prompts and exercises, you'll generate intriguing ideas and plumb their possibilities to turn them into something amazing.The Writer's Idea Book will give you the insight and the self-awareness to create and refine ideas that demand to be transformed into greater works, the kind of compelling, absorbing writing that will have other writers asking "where do you get those ideas?"

ISBN-13: 9781582971797

Amazon.com: $13.40

Writing for the Web by Crawford Killian: Summary ▼

Hundreds of books have appeared on how to design new web pages and jazz up existing websites with graphics, animation, and sounds. But creating an effective website has much more to do with engaging text that people will want to read. This is what draws people to websites and ultimately keeps them coming back. This fourth edition of Writing for the Web includes chapters on blogs and other personal sites, portfolio sites, and corporate webwriting.

ISBN-13: 9781551808314

Amazon.com: $13.86

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