THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

I'm currently reading "And on that Bombshell - Inside the Madness & Genius of Top Gear." Years ago when I found Top Gear on BBC America it renewed the passion for cars I had years ago. Top Gear is the best car show ever. It's funny, informative, irreverant & zany. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the book that I bought thru a UK site (Book Depository) for a fraction of what it was listed for on Amazon.
J.M. Garlock
"The Centurion Chronicles"
"Death by Shark"

Dean wrote: "I am, on the best of days--which, so far, this is not--not exactly quick on the uptake about anything related to my bloody computer. I see the options but don't see how to actually make them happen..."

Okay. the first part of the symbol -before the dots - goes in front of the sentence or whatever you want to underline. The second part of the symbol - after the dots - goes at the end of whatever you want to underline. You delete the dots.

Hit reply to someone else's post and you'll see the italics symbols show up bracketing that person's comment. I can't physically show you because the symbols don't show up once the comment is posted.

Good luck.

J.M. wrote: "I'm currently reading "And on that Bombshell - Inside the Madness & Genius of Top Gear." Years ago when I found Top Gear on BBC America it renewed the passion for cars I had years ago. Top Gear is ..."

My son loves Top Gear. I've watched a few episodes and it is entertaining.

Barbara wrote: "Dean wrote: "I am, on the best of days--which, so far, this is not--not exactly quick on the uptake about anything related to my bloody computer. I see the options but don't see how to actually mak..."

ooh, there it is. I will say in my own defense, however, this was not readily apparent. Thanks, Barbara!!

I am practicing underlining the title Top Gear

Dean wrote: "I am practicing underlining the title Top Gear"

Excellent job Dean !!

And on those bombshells it's time to say goodnight.
J.M. Garlock

I finished Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin. In this first book in the series, we're introduced to DS John Rebus, a troubled cop drawn into the hunt for a serial killer who targets teen girls. The book has some flaws but it's an okay introduction to a very good series. 3 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Yesterday, I finished reading The Wings of the Morning by Patrick Garland.



This is a novel that for all its spirited and at times lively prose, ultimately falls short. My first criticism is the author went much too far in laying out for the reader the family history of one of the principal characters, Archibald ('Arch') Gendron, an Australian of Irish descent who followed his older brother to Britain during the early months of World War I to join the forces and fight for the mother country. Frankly, I wasn't too interested in knowing in any great detail about Arch's parents and some of their experiences during their early years in Australia (both were immigrants). I was more interested in knowing about Arch and the struggles he and his generation would have to face on the Western Front. I also appreciated the author sharing with the reader various aspects of Arch's personal life in Britain whenever he was able to visit there on leave. His relationship with an actress performing plays with a London-based troupe around the country as a way of boosting morale was interesting to read about.

Furthermore, what was appalling to me as someone who is fairly knowledgeable about First World War aircraft, was the author's general ignorance of the various aircraft types that Arch flew in combat, as well as the ones he fought against. In some instances, the author would have Arch flying a Bristol Brisfit 2-seat fighter/reconnaissance plane (nicknamed 'the Biff') in 1916. In fact, the Brisfit did not see action on the Western Front until the Spring of 1917! The author --- whose father had been a pilot with the Royal Flying Corps during the war (given that tidbit of information, one would think the author would've been more scrupulous in researching the aircraft of the period --- also featured the Sopwith Camel fighter in the WRONG year, 1916. (The Camel did not see action until the summer of 1917.) And as for the German fighters Arch faced in combat, the Fokker Triplane and the Fokker DVII, the author bunched them together, often confusing one with the other. The author also featured both planes as being at the Front in 1916, which did not happen. The Fokker Triplane - which Manfred von Richthofen ('the Red Baron') made famous - did not enter service until August 1917. And the Fokker DVII (a biplane!) did not see combat until the late spring and summer of 1918.

There is also a part of the story in which Arch and Bickerton, his observer, barely survive a fight with German fighters while on a reconnaissance mission and make a hasty landing in the Ardennes Forest near an obscure French village deep inside enemy lines. The author then went on at considerable length to describe Arch and Bickerton's subsequent experiences in this village (where they were sheltered by a family). By my count, he spent close to 100 pages, waxing rhapsodically about this village and how Arch and Bickerton became semi-assimulated there. He left me with the distinct impression that both men spent several weeks there before they managed to escape back to the Allied lines. (I won't detail the nature of the escape itself, except to say that it was unbelievable.) But once, Arch and Bickerton were back with the squadron, the author (Patrick Garland) clearly indicates to the reader that both men had been missing in action for 10 days!

I think any writer of historical fiction undercuts him/herself when it becomes clear to the discerning reader that a lot of historical detail is erroneous. "THE WINGS OF THE MORNING" is riddled like a colander with errors (some of which I identified above). For that reason, this isn't a novel that I would recommend to anyone to read.

I finished A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul by Shamini Flint. After a terrorist bombing in Bali, Inspector Singh is sent from Singapore to help investigate. Singh knows nothing about terrorists but soon finds a homicide to solve - with the help of an Australian policewoman. Good mystery in an exotic setting. 3.5 stars

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

KOMET wrote: "Yesterday, I finished reading The Wings of the Morning by Patrick Garland.



This is a novel that for all its spirited ...

I think any writer of historical fiction undercuts him/herself when it becomes clear to the discerning reader that a lot of historical detail is erroneous. "THE WINGS OF THE MORNING" is riddled like a colander with errors (some of which I identified above). For that reason, this isn't a novel that I would recommend to anyone to read.
"

I agree Komet, that writers of historical fiction should make every effort to be accurate. As well as being entertaining, these books should be informative.

I finished A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson. The story revolves around Teddy Todd, a British youth who grows up to become a WWII bomber pilot. After the war Teddy lives a long life filled with ups and downs. Good book, but not as great as I expected.
3.5 stars

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished my re-reading of Annie Dillard's For the Time Being, still think it's a masterpiece, and it evokes radically different responses from people. Those to whom I've recommended it have said, either, "This is possibly the most important book I've ever read," or, after reading a chapter, "I can't read this!!" It's a book of verbal "slides," with very little authorial comment or interpretation. They are powerful clips of life, one after another, coming fast, possibly seeming scattershot until you recognize the meticulous and absolutely consistent structure of the whole thing. Anchoring the book throughout are portraits of Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and of the great Jewish mystics-Isaac Luria and the Baal Shem Tov, who founded modern Hasidism.

I am not doing this book justice. All I can say is 'Give it a try.' I have had it by my side for decades, and hardly a week goes by that I don't just open it at random and read or go searching for a particular passage.

I finished The Last Dark Place by Stuart M. Kaminsky. Chicago detectives Abe Lieberman and Bill Hanrahan deal with a dead hitman, rival gangs, young hooligans, and a local nutcase. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. A literary novel about a marriage with a LOT of secrets. Starts slow but picks up in the second half. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Barbara wrote: "I finished A God in Ruins. The story revolves around Teddy Todd, a British youth who grows up to become a WWII bomber..."

Hi Barbara, sorry to see you were disappointed, perhaps you'll give My NAZI NEMESIS a try. It alternates between WWII and the 1950s & 60s about a father and daughter seeking revenge on a Nazi SS officer with a good deal of suspense and unexpected twists.
It's free on Kindle Unlimited or only $2.99.

Let's see, recently finished Carol Berg's Ash and Silver and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Haunting Investigation for review.

Right now, reading Brad Taylor's The Forgotten Soldier, Katie Reus' A Covert Affair, and The Eye and the Arm for review.

Also, got a few books with gift certificate that I'm going through - Chicago Manual of Style, Stephen King's On Writing, and a few books for research.

Rich wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I finished A God in Ruins. The story revolves around Teddy Todd, a British youth who grows up to become a WWII bomber..."

Hi Barbara, sorry to see you were disappointed, perhaps yo..."

Thanks for the suggestion Rich.

I'm reading Anita Shreve's 'The Pilot's Wife' - because my sister recommended it! I enjoy relationship stories and whilst I think I can predict some of what will happen, that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. It's very well written - I started it yesterday, and I'll probably finish it by the end of tomorrow... but that's me, I tend to devour books, lol.

I finished The Patriarch by Martin Walker.

In this 8th book in the series Police Chief Bruno Corrèges of St. Denis, France investigates a suspicious death, deals with an obsessive environmentalist, prepares gourmet meals, and more. Enjoyable mystery in a beautiful setting.
3.5 stars

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It took a while, but I finally finished The Witches: Salem, 1692
by Stacy Schiff.

The non-fiction tome is a thorough exposition of what happened during the Salem witch frenzy of 1692. The book is overly dense and too long, but the author's prodigious research and the interesting story rate 4 stars from me.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I am reading 'Among Others' by Jo Walton. It is brilliant - the central character, Mori, reminds me of myself when I was her age, because I always had my nose in a book, and devoured everything SF our local library had to offer! I'll talk some more about it once I've finished, but I have to say I don't want to finish it, because it is so enjoyable. Especially like the way Mori talks about books that I've also read - makes me want to go back and re-read them! Oddly I have never joined a local book club, 'Among Others' makes me realise that I have missed out.

I will definitely be looking out for more books by Jo Walton.

I finished Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein. In this memoir Carrie Brownstein (who stars in the series 'Portlandia') talks about her punk rock all-girl-band 'Sleater-Kinney'. Good memoir. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm now reading "Somewhere in France" by Jennifer Robson, which is the first novel in a trilogy set between the First World War and the 1920s. (I'm so enjoying the experience.)

I finished Trust No One by Paul Cleave,
Mystery writer Jerry Grey has early-onset Alzheimer's Disease and confuses his real life with the murders in his books. Good psychological thriller. 3.5 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Blame: Sometimes, everybody is wrong. by Cam Carson
Two women on a beach volleyball team in Miami seek happiness and fulfillment in this erotic romance.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Alien Land by Willard Savoy

The title refers to living as an African American in the United States in the Jim Crow South during the thirties and forties when segregation and other hostilities were forced upon them. The story written in vivid prose takes place in different periods and different locations and goes back and forth to show the life of Kern Roberts, its principal character. He is a light-skinned black man who can pass for white.

The first chapter heading reads, New York, October, 1940. Kern is ashamed of his race and of himself. We learn that he grew up in Washington and leaves for Vermont after his mother is attacked and dies. He leaves a life of fear and anger and hate, as the only feelings he knows. In this process, as he grows older, he changes his name. Living as a white man, he is careful not to do anything that would arouse suspicion. He goes to Harlem to be around other blacks. He feels what they are feeling – to be despised for no reason.

An example of Mr. Savoy’s elegant gritty prose is in the chapter entitled, Washington, 1927. “Dorcas Kuykendahl sat on the terrace halfway down the slope and watched them go and the length of the evening shadows sharpened the somberness of thought that was in her eyes. Beyond the clearing and the wide stairs below her, at the edge of a thin file of trees that bordered the footpath that ran between the bridle run and the creek, they turned and waved to her. Then they disappeared from sight and the sound of their voices was lost in the silence.”

His father, Charles, is black. His mother, Laura, is white. At the age of 7, Kern is exposed to street fights between blacks and whites.

Of particular note is an example of emotional distress in the same chapter mentioned above. “Dorcas’ eyes were troubled as she came back to the present and searched for Kern and Laura along the line of trees. She could not find them. The pulse in her temples became heavier and she bent her head backwards to ease the throbbing. She should, she chided to herself, be home. She thought, “In a moment,” and rose from the terrace. “I’ll walk along the creek a ways.”

The work also graphic when it needs to be, as in the scene when Laura is attacked. It is disturbing and powerful. Kern feels anger in Washington, where he lives. In the habit of looking over his shoulder afraid to see someone coming after him.

Actions are given order and purpose and thrown in for power. Locations are vividly described and a pleasure to read.

In Washington, the trial of Jeff Mason, the man accused, reads every bit as interesting and inviting as the other chapters. Kern is on the witness stand serving to give testimony to his mother’s attack. Mr. Savoy’s research in the court’s proceedings and the media’s coverage is very thorough and dramatic. The emotions range from the judge to the defense attorney to the accused and the influence of public opinion in trying a case without prejudice.

In the course of the story while the feeling between blacks and whites surges dangerously, three things happen that are important. Kern begins public school. Both he and his father are subpoenaed to appear in the case of The Unites States vs. Jeff Mason. And the Freedom League takes up Mason’s defense.

Other characters include Rollie – a classmate who helps Kern out during a fight. Kern does not get the support from Charles, his father, who is a member of the “Freedom league.” Kern’s attention in school is poor. We learn that Nettie the housekeeper never cared much for Laura and as a result, she doesn’t care for Kern, who thinks her dislike is because he is too light and passes for white. Aunt Paula advises Charles that Kern is a dreamer who wants to write. Charles is an ogre who is unable to see the error of denying his son the opportunity to go to a prestigious university.

When Kern is living as a white man, he listens to jokes and disparaging remarks about blacks. He is unable to withdraw from these things. A job as a salesman ends as quickly as it began once the boss discovers Kern is black. There are missed opportunities and rejection everywhere.
Alien Land
Passing for white, Kern shakes the hand of a professional football player, who is black. Kern both hates and admires him for being able to live freely without the problems he has to deal with as an outsider. Taking the Pledge of Allegiance makes Kern wonder if there is truly “liberty and justice for all.”

In the brief biography that exists for Mr. Savoy, it states WILLARD SAVOY, a native of Washington, D.C., was born in 1916 and died there in 1976. In life as in his writing, he was a passionate and active advocate of civil rights. He served in the Air Force during World War II and later while working on Alien Land, as the service was undergoing desegregation. The unfinished novel that was to follow Alien Land was deemed too inflammatory for publication in the 1950s.

As of this writing there is nothing to indicate another novel will ever be published. If such a manuscript exists. One thing is certain, the story is exciting and informative with interesting characters. Perhaps this was the single book Mr. Savoy was meant to write and that is all. I recommend, Alien Land very highly.

The Fire Inside by Michelle Bellon

Powerful and Illuminating…
Aiden, a doting husband and father, had the perfect life - a job he loved, a beautiful son, and a loving wife. In an instant, everything is taken from him and Aiden believes his life is over. Falling into a deep depression Aiden all but gives up on his job, his friends and himself. But when a mysterious force grants him the power to heal those around him, Aiden is forced to pull himself out of his misery in favor of the greater good. When he meets Ryan, a hardened, pessimistic teenager living on the streets, and Norma, a woman whose marriage is crumbling around her, Aiden acknowledges that maybe life still has a purpose and this ability to heal may be more powerful than he ever imagined.
The Fire Inside was a Finalist in the USA Book Awards for New Age Fiction.

About the author:
Michelle Bellon lives in the Pacific Northwest with her four children and fiancé, Seth. She loves coffee and has an addiction to chapstick. She works at a surgery center as a registered nurse and in her spare time writes novels. She writes in the genres of romance suspense, young adult, women’s fiction, and literary fiction. She has won three literary awards.

http://goo.gl/EdBjjl The Fire Inside (Kindle ed.)
http://goo.gl/ARqfyh The Fire Inside (Book ed.)
https://goo.gl/S8dRO5 Michelle Bellon's Facebook Page
https://goo.gl/GgznIM Michelle Bellon's Facebook Author Page
http://goo.gl/Hur94K Michelle Bellon's Website

Here's why I'm reading It was the March Freebie for Amazon Prime members. About half of the books I've chosen were good, the rest so-so.

This is a good one. Genre is police procedural but there's more than a dash of office politics in it. I'm not through with it yet but your should pick it up, especially when its free this month.

I finished Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson. Christine Lucas has amnesia; she's lost her long-term memories and loses her short-term memories every night. Who can she trust? This 'thriller' has an interesting premise but is a bit too slow for me.
3 stars.

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith. In this charming cozy mystery set in Gabarone, Botswana, Mma Ramotswe (as always) tries to help people solve their problems. 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George.

Scotland Yard DS Barbara Havers - in trouble for not following rules - tries to redeem herself by solving unusual crimes centered around a troubled family. An okay addition to the series. 3.5 stars

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Plague Land: A Novel by S.D. Sykes. After the plague kills his father and brothers young Oswald de Lacy must return from the monastery to become Lord of the Manor. Pretty soon he's called on to solve the murder of a young girl. Works better as a historical novel than a mystery, but it's an okay book. 3 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Morning Star by Pierce Brown. This is the last book in a very popular sci-fi trilogy about a young man trying to overthrow autocratic rulers so all people have a chance for freedom and happiness. Good trilogy. I gave this book 4 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Earlier this morning, I finished reading what has shaped up to be one of the BEST novels I've read so far this year: The Envoy by Edward Wilson.



It's a novel that takes the reader from Nice, France in May 1948 to Great Britain in the mid-1950s during the Cold War.

The heart of the novel is centered on the espionage work in Britain of Kitson ("Kit") Fournier - a top CIA agent and polygot working under diplomatic cover at the U.S. embassy in London - which involved blackmail, coercion, "dirty tricks", and furthering U.S. interests as outlined by the CIA chief Allen Dulles, who was single-minded in his promotion of those interests, even at the expense of a friendly ally (i.e. Britain). Indeed, Kit had learned that "[t]he making of foreign policy ... is not a pretty business. It's a selfish, amoral trade. As an envoy, the interests of your closest ally don't mean a thing; your only job is to further your own country's national interest. You don't just f--k your enemies; you f--k your friends too." To this end, Kit is tasked with preventing a British détente with the Soviet Union (as occasioned by the visit of Khrushchev and Bulganin during April 1956 in a new state-of-the-art warship whose secrets both Britain and America were eager to uncover and exploit) and denying Britain its own hydrogen bomb. The action is riveting, always intense --- especially on the psychological level -- and will have the reader guessing as to what is to come next. And there is also love unexpected, and passion followed by heartbreak, that adds its own bewildering effects to the novel.

I finished Ed King by David Guterson. This story is a modern take on the 'Oedipus' tale. The book is plodding and the characters aren't likable - but the premise is interesting. 3 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard. FYI: When it was first published this book was an Oprah's book club pick....which is not necessarily an endorsement It's also a movie.

The plot: Ben Cappadora, three-year-old son of Beth and Pat, vanishes from a hotel lobby. The Cappadoras (who have two other children) can hardly cope and the entire family suffers greatly. For me the book is too long and melodramatic. 3 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My reading is across the spectrum right now! I read sweet and light alongside heavy and somber.

There's one I've had since 1996 The Journal of Callie Wade about a young pioneer girl in a wagon train to the West.

And Into the Wild about a young man who wanders around as a leather tramp and calls himself Super Tramp, but tragically is found dead in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness.

I finished Death of the Black-Haired Girl by Robert Stone. This is more literary novel than mystery. It's about Maud Stack, a college co-ed involved with a married professor. Maud writes a pro-choice article for the college newspaper......and all this has serious consequences. 2 stars for me.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks. In this book, neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks tells stories about people who lose the ability to read, recognize objects, see things in 3 dimensions, etc. - because of brain/eye damage. He also relates his own vision problems caused by an eye tumor. Interesting book. 3 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Because I'm a British Top Gear junkie I'm reading "Ambitious But Rubbish-The secrets behind Top Gear's craziest creations." It's a collection of tidbits, light reading obviously but interesting stuff.
J.M. Garlock
"The Centurion Chronicles"
"Death by Shark"

I finished Splinter the Silence by Val McDermid.

In this 9th book in the series DCI Carol Jordan is reunited with her best detectives to form a new Major Investigations Team. The MIT looks into the 'suicides' of several women who were mercilessly bullied online. Good book. 3.5 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Day Four by Sarah Lotz. In this horror-thriller a 'luxury' cruise starts to go badly wrong on day four when electricity is lost, communication with the outside world breaks down, and ghosts turn up. Not too deep, but an entertaining read. 3.5 stars

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

been layup with a bum back and shoulder so i been doing alot of reading here is what i read in the last few weeks

The Stand by Stephen King
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
I re read this last month dont know if i post about it. To me its probley one of this SK finest book ever writen still this and IT is my all time fav from him

Zoo by James Patterson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Another JP finest book. I didnt think i would like it as much as
I did but i was wrong.

Vanish in Plain Sight by Marta Perry
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
I really liked it But IMO Murder in Plain sight was better

Inherit the Dead by Jonathan Santlofer & Alot of other
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
I really didnt care for this one even though some of my fav writer wrote some of this book to me it was a slow read and boring

Legal Tender by Lisa Scottoline
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
I really loved this one I though i read every book in her series but I didnt read this one and I am glad I did I really loved it

Black Friday by James Patterson
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Another Great Older JP Book I was into it to the end

Where Secrets Sleep by Marta Perry
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
It was okay not her best IMO

Shannon wrote: "been layup with a bum back and shoulder so i been doing alot of reading here is what i read in the last few weeks

The Stand by Stephen King
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
I r..."

I agree Shannon, The Stand is one of King's best books.

I finished A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold. Sue Klebold, the mother of a 'Columbine shooter' was devastated to learn of the massacre. Since then she's tried to edcuate herself and examine Dylan's life in detail - to try to make sense of his actions. A good book, worth reading.
3.5 stars.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A Tale of Two Cities. It took 100 pages to really get into it. Slow moving and verbose

A Tale of Two Cities. It took 100 pages to really get into it. Slow moving and verbose

A Tale of Two Cities. It took 100 pages to really get into it. Slow moving and verbose

Finished Razor Sharp - J.A. Schneider. Now I am going to read NYPD Red 4 - James Patterson.