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2020 What are you reading and/or reviewing?
Finished Sean Blaise's THE TAHITIAN PEARL (The Tahitian Pearl). John Otter is the number 2 man on a luxury yacht. When the owner, Alexi Popovich decides to set sail from the Middle East to Tahiti, bad things start to happen. A pirate attack off the coast of Somalia, an attack on crew members in Mumbai, and finally an assault by North Korean military off the Tahiti coast. Is there really a half billion dollar treasure on the Tahitian Pearl, or is there something else resting on the Pacific Ocean floor, 15,000 feet down. There is a lot of action, some maybe a bit mind--boggling, and some interesting relationships between some of the people involved. Three stars for this one. THE ATLANTIS STONE (The Atlantis Stone) by Nick Thacker is next.
Hope everyone has a Happy New Year. 2021 has to be better than 2020!
John
After a couple of monthsof reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy I sadly finished. What an enlightening book! I knew very little about Dietrich Bonhoeffer before I started this book but now feel sad that his life was was taken at such a young age. What a legacy! 5 stars.
Finished David Baldacci's DAYLIGHT (Daylight), a dtb from my local library. Atlee Pine is still trying to find her twin sister who was kidnapped when they were six years old. In the process, she becomes involved in the investigation of a drug/blackmail ring involving a lot of high ranking military and civilian people. The story, in true Baldacci fashion, has a lot of twists and turns, and very few people are who they appear to be. Four stars for this one.THE ATLANTIS STONE (The Atlantis Stone) by Nick Thacker is next.
John
I just finished my first two books of 2021. I rated both 5 stars..84, Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff is a classic based on correspondence between the author and a bookstore in London. A bond is formed between her and the bookstore employees..
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is the story of a young girl who sells her soul to the devil and wanders for 300+ years. I loved the beautiful writing as well as the thought provoking storyline.
finished my 4th book of the year: Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton. From the blurb for the book:"In the year 2143, a man is murdered, and Sidney Hurst, the detective assigned to the case, must wade through the evidence to find the culprit. Well, wade isn’t exactly the word, because the evidence is pretty sparse. Physical traces of the murderer are virtually nonexistent, the scene of the crime is unknown (the body was dumped), and even the victim’s identity is a mystery. Hurst knows the dead man is a North, a member of an extended family of clones, but nobody seems to be able to figure out which of the many hundreds of Norths he might be. Oh, and there’s also the tantalizing possibility that the unknown killer might be the same creature that slaughtered another North and 13 other people two decades ago. And that’s just the setup of this epic-size SF mystery (which morphs, the deeper you go into the story, into something else entirely). "
it's very much a police procedural as well as a SciFi book. I really enjoyed it
Well, I goofed this one up. I did finish THE ATLANTIS STONE (The Atlantis Stone), but the novel by Nick Hawkes, not Nick Thacker (I had read Thacker's book some time back). This story has multiple plots: An Australian Aborigine's heritage, a dying archaeologist's quest to find the baby her fiancée died to save, and a megalomaniac's attempt to find a long lost treaty that would nearly double the profits from his gold mining enterprises. All of these things become entangled in Benjamin's wood working shop after he rescues Felicity when she gets into trouble scuba diving. The story is slow to unfold, but when it does, there are some unexpected twists and turns. Three stars for this one. John
I finished a Pulitzer Prize winning history book, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed. It tells the story of an enslaved family owned by Thomas Jefferson. The youngest daughter, Sally, became his longtime mistress. It’s a fascinating book. I’d heard of Sally Hemings, but I didn’t realize she was 3/4 white and the half sister of his late wife. They had the same father. Her mother was owned by her father. 5/5 stars
I just finished The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Dora Russell. This was a historical fiction based on the Michigan mining strike of 1913 in which Annie Clements, known as big Annie, was instrumental in leading the miner's auxillary. Very interesting. 4.5 stars
Finished THE MONGOL'S COFFIN (Bone Guard One: The Mongol's Coffin) by E. Chris Ambrose. Genghis Khan's tomb has never been found. Can Liz Kirshner translate some obscure musical information into a map to its location? Can Grant Casey and his "Bone Guard" team protect her from treasure hunters who will stop at nothing to steal her findings? What is the involvement of the Chinese government? There are a lot of questions to be answered as this story progresses from the academic halls of Cambridge, MA to the steppes of Mongolia. Add to this the fact that not everyone is who he/she appears to be, and maybe finding Khan's tomb is not the ultimate goal. Three stars for this one.Clive Cussler's WRATH OF POSEIDON (Wrath of Poseidon), a dtb from my local library is next in line.
John
I finished The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan. It’s a historical romance set in England, with a half Chinese, half English Duke as the hero and a Chinese woman who was raised in England as the heroine. It was an enjoyable romance by an author well known for pushing for more diversity in the romance genre. It made the New York Times list of notable books for 2020. 4/5 stars
I finished Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston. In 1927 the author traveled to Alabama to interview Cudjo Lewis, the last surviving former slave who had been aboard the last ship to bring a cargo of Africans to the US in 1860. Cudjo Lewis was 19 when he and others from his African town were taken prisoner by a rival tribe, brought to the coast, and sold to a ship captain who brought them to Alabama as slaves It’s an interesting but very sad story. 5/5 stars
Finished WRATH OF POSEIDON (Wrath of Poseidon), by Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell. This could probably be retitled "How Sam Fargo and Remi Longstreet became Sam and Remi Fargo". From a casual meeting on a beach in California to a life and death struggle off the coast of Greece, this is how they overcame all kinds of obstacles, and a Greek drug smuggling ring, to become the two intrepid adventurers we have come to expect. There is a lot of action, some close calls, a lot of help from their future "chief of staff" Selma, and, in keeping with Clive Cussler's standards, absolutely NO vulgar or profane language. Three stars for this one.Next in line is S. H. Jucha's Q GATES (Q-Gates), the latest in his Alex Racine/Renee deGuirnon saga.
John
Finished Q-GATES (Q-Gates) by S. H. Jucha. Alex Racine and Renee deGuirnon continue their quest to bring peace and understanding to the far flung reaches of outer space. As the series goes on (this is #19), they are assuming more of an advisory role, letting new "biologicals" and SADES take on more of the day-to-day decision making roles. This has been a great series beginning with the SILVER SHIPS, and Q-GATES doesn't disappoint. Four stars for this one. THE GAUGUIN CONNECTION (The Gauguin Connection) by Estelle Ryan is next.
John
Kristin Lavransdatter is an epic family saga set in the 1400s in Norway that has been on my TBR list for some time. The author wrote it in the 1920s in three volumes but translated it is one volume of over 1100 pages of historical history. She also won the Nobel Peace Prize after writing it. Aside from all of keeping track of all of the Norwegian names, I enjoyed it! 5 stars
I’m trying to read books from my enormous TBR collection instead of being tempted by the shiny new objects out there. In that spirit I read The Overstory by Richard Powers, the Pulitzer Prize winner from 2019. Wow! It’s quite a ride! It’s the kind of novel that’s an immersive experience. It’s thick and dense and powerful and thought-provoking. It starts out as a collection of short stories, seemingly unconnected except for the fact that trees figure prominently in all of them. But the characters eventually connect and the novel becomes a searing indictment of mankind’s destruction of forests - and the planet. There’s a bit of AI thrown in for good measure. This novel can turn anyone into a tree hugging, environmentalist. 5/5 stars
Finished THE GAUGUIN CONNECTION (The Gauguin Connection) by Estelle Ryan. Genevieve Lenard is autistic. She is very, very good at discerning patterns that lead to the discovery of fraudulent activities in the art world. She is also uncomfortable being around and dealing with other people. When her boss gets her involved in the investigation of a murdered artist, the trail leads to a massive weapons theft from a European security agency, and more dead artists. Her talents are stretched to the limit as are the defense mechanisms that she has developed to deal with her autism. Three stars for this one.Next in line is Andy McDermott's OPERATIVE 66 (Operative 66: the explosive new thriller from the international bestseller).
John
Finished OPERATIVE 66 (Operative 66: the explosive new thriller from the international bestseller) by Andy McDermott. Alex Reeve is a new member of a British "Black Ops" group, SC9. Suddenly, he is designated as a traitor, and a kill-on-sight order is issued. Trying to clear his name, he also becomes involved with the Lebanese Mafia in London. The body count is astronomical in England and France as Alex pursues redemption. Typical of Andy McDermott novels, there is a car chase, aka a demolition derby, although this one is at the beginning of the story, and not at the end. Three stars for this one.John
I finished To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. It’s a mix of sci-fi time travel, mystery, romance, and humor. I picked it up because I loved Willis’ book of Christmas-themed short stories. Alas, I did not feel the same way about this novel. It wasn’t terrible. Just kind of bland to me. 3 out of 5 stars
Suze73 wrote: "I finished To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. It’s a mix of sci-fi time travel, mystery, romance, and humor. I picked it up because I loved Willis’ book of Christmas-themed sh..."Doomsday Book is much better in my opinion
Finished A CODE FOR TOMORROW (A Code for Tomorrow) by John J. Gobbell. Todd Ingram, fresh off of his escape from Corregidor, continues his U. S. Navy service in the South Pacific theatre. Old friends and new enemies come into play as Todd becomes involved in another rescue mission, this time on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Lots of action, both on land and at sea in this one. Three stars.Next in line is DFV ETHEREAL (DFV Ethereal), a continuation of THE TERRAN FLEET COMMAND SAGA by Tori Harris.
John
CBRetriever wrote: "Suze73 wrote: "I finished To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. It’s a mix of sci-fi time travel, mystery, romance, and humor. I picked it up because I loved Willis’ book of Chri..."Thanks, CBRetriever. I’ll give Doomsday Book a try sometime.
I finished The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott. It’s a novel based on the true story of how the CIA got copies of the book Dr. Zhivago into Russia despite the Russian government’s attempt to stop publication of it. Unfortunately, the spycraft aspect of the book was fairly boring. The novel concentrated more on the lives of the characters, but only in a superficial way. It was a quick and easy read. 3 out of 5 stars
Finished a couple of books recently. First, DFV ETHEREAL (DFV Ethereal) by Tori Harris. This is the next chapter in the Terran Fleet Command series. DFV Ethereal chronicles the attempt by the Pelorans to recover from a stunning defeat. Dryden Beck is from the planet Didaria, a developing world. Unknown to Dryden, he has been "augmented" by the Peloran AI and sent to subjugate the Didarian population. When he realizes his predicament, he loses most of his powers, and is captured by a Didarian patrol. How he deals with his situation, and tries to overcome the Peloran AI makes for an interesting read. Three stars for this one. Going from a ground battle in the future to a naval battle in WWII, I finished WHEN DUTY WHISPERS LOW (When Duty Whispers Low) by John J. Gobbell. Todd Ingram is at it again. He's been to prospective CO school, and received orders to pick up his new command, the destroyer Pence at Tulagi. However, the Pence is sunk before he can formally take command, so he is again pressed into service on a couple of search and rescue missions. There is a lot of action, some "internal" problems, and also some Navy bureaucracy to deal with. Four stars for this one.
John
I finished The River of Consciousness, a collection of essays by Oliver Sacks. As always, Dr. Sacks’ writing is fascinating. Dr. Sacks is a neurologist best known for his popular books detailing neurological case studies, always related with incredible empathy for the patient. 5/5 stars
I recently finished West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. A historical fiction based on a true story set in 1938. Two giraffes are transported from the East Coast to the San Diego Zoo by a young boy and older man and the problems they encounter. 5 stars.
I finished The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson. It was a fascinating mix of political history, military history, and personal details, centered around Winston Churchill and his family and aides during the Blitz. 5/5 stars. 
Finished KOBANI (KOBANI: This is the Future of War) by F. X. Holden. High tech war suddenly rages in the mid-East when Syria attempts to overrun the NATO base at Incirlick, Turkey. There are several sub-plots involving Australian and Russian fighter pilots, U. S. Marines, and a couple of world class snipers. U. S. and Israeli intelligence agents also get involved in trying to determine what is behind the Syrian push into Turkey.Three stars for this one.
Next in line is FIRE AND BLOOD (Fire & Blood), George R. R. Martin's prequel to GAME OF THRONES (A Game of Thrones).
John
What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A time travel that I enjoyed. This Kindle Unlimited selection allowed me to listen to the audio version of the book.
I was disappointed in The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott. It was confusing as to which character was talking. If you want to read about Boris Pasternak's "Lara" from Dr. Zhivago a much better read is Lara: The Untold Love Story and the Inspiration for Doctor Zhivago by Anna Pasternack.
Moloka'i by Alan Brennet is a historical fiction book about the leprosy colony in Hawaii. It follows Rachel's life as she is sent far from home and family when it is discovered she has leprosy--later renamed as Hansen's disease. I really enjoyed this one. 5 stars
I finished The Palace Tiger by British author Barbara Cleverly. It’s a mystery set in 1920’s colonial India featuring Scotland Yard detective Joe Sandilands. This is the second book I’ve read in the series. I enjoyed both of them. Good writing, interesting setting, intriguing characters and plot, and no graphic violence made this a winner for me. 5/5 stars. 
after Alice fell I just started this book I'm still reading it so far it's captivating
I finished Eleanor: A Life by David Michaelis, a new biography of Eleanor Roosevelt. It left me feeling a bit sad. She was quite an amazing lady, but didn’t lead the happiest of lives and so much of what she believed in and fought for sometimes feels just as far away today as it was in her day. This book is a nuanced portrait of a complicated woman who fought the good fight up to her dying days. 4/5 stars
I finished Love Your Life by British author Sophie Kinsella. It’s a lighthearted contemporary romance. There were a few bits that had me laughing out loud, but overall the book was just so-so. Throughout most of the book I wasn’t rooting for the romantic leads to get together and work things out. They seemed totally incompatible and kind of annoying. Not a good thing in a romance novel! 3/5 stars
Finished, finally, G. R. R. Martin's FIRE & BLOOD ( Fire & Blood), the prequel to GAME OF THRONES (A Game of Thrones). This was a DTB from my local library. It is a very long, very heavy (5 #) book, and difficult to read in bed at night. This is the history of the Targaryen dragon riders 300 years before the "Game of Thrones". There is a lot feuding, fussing, and fighting, both within the Targaryen family and with the surrounding families. Lots of action, out-of-sight body count, and plenty of political double dealing. With all of the inbreeding that was done, it is surprising any of the families survived to the time of G-O-T. 3 stars for this one.Next in line is CONCLAVE (Conclave), S. H. Jucha's latest installment of the SILVER SHIPS.
John
I finished The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt. Interesting account of the discovery of a copy an ancient Roman manuscript in the 1400s. The manuscript, On the Nature of Things by Lucretius, contained many ideas we consider modern today such as atomic theory, evolution, and the notion that gods are not controlling every detail of our lives. The book won a Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction. 5/5 stars
I also finished Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Not sure how to classify this novel. Dystopian, maybe? It’s about children who have been cloned to create spare parts for others. Well-written and thought-provoking. 5/5 stars
Finished BERING STRAIT (Bering Strait) by F. X. Holden. Drone specialist Bunny O'Hare and Alicia Rodriguiz are stationed in a secret facility buried under Little Diomede Island. When Russia, using a manufactured crisis, attacks Alaska, Bunny and Alicia are tasked with using the high-tech drones to harass and slow down the Russian advance. In Moscow, CIA analyst Carl Smith and his artificial intelligence, HOLMES, keep the U. S. Ambassador, Devlin McCarthy, up to date on communications between all the parties involved. There are a lot of twists and turns, personal involvements, and political double dealing as the possibility of WWIII looms on the horizon. Three stars for this one. Next in line is a dtb from my local library, FAST ICE (Fast Ice), the latest in Clive Cussler's NUMA series.
John
I finished The Searcher by Tana French. First book I’ve read by this author. Wow! I see why she’s so popular. It was excellent. It’s about a newly retired Chicago PD officer who moves to a small, rural Irish village to live a peaceful, simple life. But a young teen recruits him to find a missing older brother. The writing is excellent. It’s a bit of a slow burn as the story unfolds. I highly recommend it. 5/5 stars
Finished FAST ICE (Fast Ice), the latest in Clive Cussler's NUMA series. Kurt Austin and his NUMA team are once again challenged to save the world. This time, the problem is that someone wants to create a new ice age. A chance discovery on the Antarctic continent draws a lot of attention, both good and bad. Add in a hurricane in Antarctica, and you have all the ingredients for a wild ride, in the true Clive Cussler fashion.Now, it is back to CONCLAVE (Conclave), the latest in S. H. Jucha's SILVER SHIPS series.
John
I finished an interesting novel with a non-traditional structure, Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu. It’s written in part as short, imaginary scenes in a police procedural TV show, featuring a black male police officer and a white female officer, and various Chinese minor characters, taking place in a Chinese restaurant above a SRO hotel in Chinatown. The book centers around what it means to live as a Chinese-American and the stereotypes used to define them. I’ve seen this book described as funny or satirical. It’s not ha-ha laugh out loud humor. It was a thought-provoking book for me. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in better understanding the immigrant or minority experience. 5/5 stars. 
Finished CONCLAVE (Conclave), the final book in S. H. Jucha's SILVER SHIPS series. The SILVER SHIPS have achieved their final orbit around Omnia. Alex Racine and Renee deGuirnon, are now in their late 170's. Since rescuing the Reveur and saving the Meridien colonists, Alex and Renee, and their shipmates, have faced innumerable challenges, and dealt with a wide variety of sentient beings, both biological and digital. Steven Jucha has done an wonderful job of chronicling their adventures, but as the saying goes "All good things must come to an end", and now is the time for Alex, Renee, and their compatriots to sit back and enjoy their accomplishments. Five stars for this one.John
I finished Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar. It’s fiction, but written in the first person as a series of autobiographical essays, parts of which closely mirror the author’s own life. The main character is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, the son of Pakistani immigrants - both trained as doctors - who settled in Wisconsin. This book covers a lot of territory: the immigrant experience, what it means to be a Muslim in America, family relationships, 9/11, the American Dream, the economic decay of America, the corporatization of medical practice... Definitely a book of big ideas and big words. Glad I read it on my kindle so I could look up the words I didn’t know. The writing is wonderful. Definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year. 5/5 stars
Finished THE SABOTEURS ( The Saboteurs ) by Clive Cussler and Jack DuBrul. The Panama Canal ranks as one of the monumental engineering and construction feats of all time. Isaac Bell is in Panama to provide security for a visit by Theodore Roosevelt. Coincidentally, outside interests try to delay or halt the construction effort. Roosevelt is determined to visit the project, despite an earlier attempt on his life. Are the two related, and what is the ultimate reason for the death and destruction being wrought? The Cussler crew again weaves an intriguing tale, and Isaac Bell lives up to his "bigger than life" reputation. This one gets four stars. John
I finished Excellent Women by British author Barbara Pym, who is sometimes referred to as a modern day Jane Austen. First published in the early 1950’s, it’s a gentle novel filled with astute observations about British society. It’s centered around the life of a 30ish single woman of the type referred to as an excellent woman - the type of rather dowdy woman that can be counted on to volunteer at the church jumble sale, help a neighbor in need, and keep a tidy home. She’s the type that every man says will make someone an excellent wife one day, but that few ask out on a date. 4/5 stars
I also finished Endpapers: A Family Story of Books, War, Escape, and Home by Alexander Wolff. The author, after a career as a writer for Sports Illustrated, spent time in Germany researching his family’s history during the WW2 era. His grandfather was a half Jewish book publisher who fled Germany with his second wife as the Nazis gained power. He eventually landed in the US where he started the Pantheon publishing house. When he fled Germany, he left his two children behind with his ex-wife, a Christian and member of the Merck pharmaceutical family. His son eventually fought with the German army during the war, but emigrated to the US after the war, where he married an American and raised a family, including the author of this book. It’s an interesting book and raises questions about what our moral obligations are as citizens when we see our political leaders doing wrong. 5/5 stars
Finished ANGEL SEVEN (Angel Seven) by Mike Lunnon-Wood. Interesting story, if you can let your imagination run wild. Build, and test, a hypersonic jet that no one knows about. Develop, and test, an X-ray laser that no one knows about. What will the Oslo Group do with these devices? How do a couple of "lost" Russian nuclear warheads figure into the situation? This is sort of a "what if" type of story, with a lot of action and international intrigue. There are some loose ends at the end, but maybe your imagination can fill in the blanks. Three stars for this one. Now it is off to deep space with Joshua Dalzelle's NO QUARTER (No Quarter).
John
Finished NO QUARTER (No Quarter) by Joshua Dalzelle, the second book in his Unification Wars trilogy. Jackson Wolfe is again pressed into action to defend the Federation from an Alliance group who wants to subjugate all of humanity. His old nemesis, Vadim Kohl, is being used by this group as a "front man". Using clandestinely developed anti-matter devices, Kohl destroys several civilizations in a mad rampage across space. Jackson Wolfe needs all of his knowledge, contacts, and cunning to track Kohl and the members of his cabal in order to save humanity. Three stars for this one. Next in line is James Rollins SUBTERRANEAN (Subterranean), a journey deep under the Antarctic continental shelf.
John
I finished the last two full-length novels in Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey series, Dark Road to Darjeeling and The Dark Enquiry. The series is a fun mix of mystery and romance. Both books were 4/5 stars for me. 
Finished SUBTERRANEAN (Subterranean) by James Rollins. What lies under Mt. Erebus in Antarctica? There is probably untold wealth in minerals, oil, and, especially, the rare earth elements so necessary in today's technology. When Ashley Carter is asked to lead a team to explore a vast underground cavern, she has no idea what she is in for. In typical James Rollins fashion, there are living nightmares, two miles below the surface. How do she and her team cope with their unexpected encounters? How many of the original team will survive and return to the surface of Antarctica? Lots of questions, and some surprising answers. Three stars for this one.Next in line is a DTB from my local library, TARGET ACQUIRED (Tom Clancy Target Acquired), the latest book in Tom Clancy's "Jack Ryan, Jr." series, this one written by Don Bentley.
John
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Finished BISHOP'S LAW ( Bishop's Law), by Raphael Amadeus Hines, a KOLL selection. The continuing story of John Bishop and a select team of "trouble shooters" who are working to prevent an ISIS attack on New York. There is a lot of intrigue, bodies everywhere, and even some governmental double dealing as the team tries to track down the terrorists. Three stars for this one.
THE TAHITIAN PEARL (The Tahitian Pearl) by Sean Blaise is next in line.
John