On Tyranny
On Tyranny uses examples from European history to show how democracies have fallen in the past. It includes twenty rules to follow here in the US to avoid the same fate. The text is from a book published in 2017. The illustrations are new. Though this book is labeled TheContinue Reading
Babylon Twins
The science fiction book, Babylon Twins, is a strange little tale of human survival amidst a machine-created apocalypse. El and Clo are twin girls. They and their younger brother, Dyre, avoid the machine takeover when their mom escapes with them into the forest. Ten years later, the children are grown.Continue Reading
Grist
I’m sure I wasn’t the only person who early in the pandemic bought more dried beans, lentils and peas than they would eat in a year. I wanted to read Grist because of two sentences in the introduction: “Prep the ingredient instead of the finished dish so that ingredient canContinue Reading
Moriarty the Patriot Vol 5
There are two mysteries presented in Moriarty the Patriot Vol 5. First, there is the conclusion of a locked room mystery set on a train. There is also a complete three-part mystery where the queen asks Sherlock to search for a damaging document. If it is released to the public,Continue Reading
A Sensory History of Ancient Warfare
You’ve read the histories (or watched the BBC shows) about ancient battles. But how did the people on the ground feel? Were they jostling shoulder-to-shoulder in a phalanx? What were the smells, sounds, and sights during the throes of battle? A Sensory History of Ancient Warfare answers those questions. ThoughContinue Reading
Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off Guest Post
Author Guest Post A Short History of Christmas Cookies I never gave much thought to Christmas cookies until I had the privilege of being asked to write a Christmas cozy mystery as an installment of my Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series. Of course, I love Christmas cookies. I love making themContinue Reading
The Shortest History of China
China has definitely been frequently in the news lately. If you are curious about the world’s longest written history, you could spend an eternity reading books about the various dynasties. Or you can read The Shortest History of China in an afternoon and understand our number one trade partner’s historyContinue Reading
The Santa Suit
If you are in the mood for a sweetly romantic Christmas story but Lifetime hasn’t started their holiday movie month yet, pick up The Santa Suit. You won’t be sorry. Ivy has just gone through a painful divorce. Her answer is to buy an old farmhouse in rural North CarolinaContinue Reading
Last House on Needless Street
I audibly gasped at the first plot twist in the Last House on Needless Street. Then, there were a series of other hard turns of plot. All were completely unforeseen—at least by me. The book is definitely the work of a master craftsperson. The plot is so great, I can’tContinue Reading
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
While Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is being marketing to African-American children, everyone will benefit from reading these inspiring stories. Every vocation and sport is included here. There are LGBTQ+, bi-racial women, and various nations represented as well as the Muslim faith. Each of the 100 biographies is aContinue Reading
The Stowaway
A woman is convinced that a serial killer is stalking the halls of a cruise ship in the exhilarating new thriller, The Stowaway. Two years ago, Wyatt Butler, an accused child serial killer, was set free when a jury couldn’t come to a unanimous decision. One jury member prevented hisContinue Reading
Robert’s Rules of Writing
Robert’s Rules of Writing is a mixed jumble of advice about plot, character, motivation, and setting. The last two are referring to the writer—not their characters. To illustrate this point, four of the rules are Skip the Starbucks, Burn Your Journal, and instead Take a Walk Around the Block (andContinue Reading
True Raiders
True Raiders is an account of treasure hunters in the early years of the 20th century looking in Jerusalem for the Ark of the Covenant. Though it sounds like a real Raiders of the Lost Ark, it reads more like The DaVinci Code. There are ciphers, secrets, spies, and evenContinue Reading
The Burning
The Burning is the fourth thriller in the Clay Edison series. And it’s my least favorite so far, unfortunately. Clay is a Deputy Coroner who investigates suspicious deaths. At one murder scene, he finds his brother’s classic car in the victim’s garage. His brother, Luke, had a rough start inContinue Reading
Sell Different!
If you’re a totally newbie salesperson or business owner, Sell Different! might offer valuable insight. Unfortunately, for everyone else, you have heard all of these “revelations” before. Finding a way to differentiate your business from your competitors is a great idea but nothing new. The book suggests using three businessContinue Reading
New Startup Mindset
The New Startup Mindset will motivate you to begin that business you have been dreaming about! The author’s story of seeing a need and fulfilling it by opening her own business is so inspiring! Yet, I question that some of her instructions will work for everyone. “Don’t delay. Don’t waitContinue Reading