false 8 247 214 true 5627071 read 2 true 1476505 currently-reading 31 true 1476504 to-read 23 false 3012651 my-favorites 1 false 5514610 listening-to http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79474325 The Greatest Generation (Paperback) by Tom Brokaw
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78933947 Hour Game (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell, #2) by David Baldacci
bookshelves: currently-reading, listening-to
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78094549 to: The Titian Committee (Jonathan Argyll, #2) by Iain Pears
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76286807 An Instance of the Fingerpost: A Novel (Paperback) by Iain Pears
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72700692 to: Stone's Fall: A Novel (Hardcover) by Iain Pears
There is a genre of fiction, represented by authors such as Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy, that involve intricately woven plots leading to thrilling, unforeseen conclusions. I always enjoy and admire the plot twists of these books, but get somewhat turned off by their superhero machoism. Stone's Fall shares the intricacy of plot twists but lacks the feel of being a republican 12 year old's day dream.

Stone's fall begins in 1953 Paris with an elderly and well respected reporter, Matthew Braddock, going to a former acquaintance's funeral somewhat by accident. The funeral is for Lady Elizabeth Ravenscliff, an elderly widow who has used up most of her substantial fortune on good deeds. At the funeral he runs into a lawyer who has a substantial package for Braddock that had been left with the lawyer's firm with instructions that it was to go to Braddock after Lady Ravenscliff's death. The package contains the memoirs of Henry Cort and John Stone, characters Braddock ran into much earlier in his life.

After this the book is divided into three parts. The first part involves Braddock's reminiscences of 1909 London as a young and not terribly motivated Braddock is hired by the then middle aged Elizabeth (Lady Ravenscliff) to investigate some unusual stipulations in the will of her recently deceased husband John Stone. A series of events then occurs which leaves Braddock slightly broken and in love with Elizabeth. These events also lead to Braddock finding himself and eventually becoming a well known journalist.

Part two of the book takes place in 1890 Paris and is made up of the memoirs of Henry Cort, a shadowy figure Braddock met in part one. Cort is the person who left the the package to Braddock. Part two is told from Cort's perspective and sheds light not only on Cort, but also on Elizabeth's past and motivations.

Cort had originally been given Stone's memoirs when Stone died, and part three involves Stone's memoirs of Venice in 1863. Part three eventually ties together the many disparate characters and events from throughout the three parts. It explains how Stone's fortune began as well as shedding light on almost everything that has occurred so far in the book. Not surprisingly, this all comes together in a fairly shocking conclusion.

I really enjoyed Stone's Fall. As mentioned above the plot is deliciously intricate and surprising. However, the characters are also well written, complex, and believable. I have two young children, and so an 800 page book takes me a while to read. Because of this I lost track of some of the details from the beginning of the book that were supposed to matter in the end. Nevertheless, it was always an entertaining book to pick up and read, regardless of how tired I was.

]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66928909 to: Playing America's Game: Baseball, Latinos, and the Color Line (American Crossroads) by Adrian Burgos Jr.
First a disclaimer. I played college baseball (Div. 3 former woman's school college baseball) with the author of this book. He's a great guy who loves baseball and his heritage. Adrian is a college professor and "Playing America's Game," reads like it. It's a serious piece of academic research as opposed to a book that is supposed to be a page turner. It is full of interesting ideas and is the in depth research into Latinos in baseball. However, being less of a scholar and I dare say less intelligent than Adrian I can't say it that it was gripping for me. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68600277 to: The Rhinemann Exchange (Paperback) by Robert Ludlum
The Rhineman Exchange is typical Robert Ludlum, and that is not a bad thing. As is true with almost all Ludlum books, there is a deliciously convoluted plot that as a reader you have no chance to fully untangle until Ludlum does it for you in the rush of the last few chapters. The Rhineman exchange is extremely fun reading. The characters are all likable, but somewhat superhuman in their perfection. The truth is the book probably deserves another star, but there is an element about Ludlum's books of If you've read one you've read them all. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69981381 You Can't Drink All Day If You Don't Start in the Morning (Hardcover) by Celia Rivenbark
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69981273 Taking on the Trust: How Ida Tarbell Brought Down John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil (Paperback) by Steve Weinberg
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68218833 to: Wuthering Heights (Paperback) by Emily Brontë
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