Books I Loved
It’s been a busy book review month with lots of recent and new releases. They were all great but my five star favorites were THE BANKER’S WIFE by Cristina Alger, which was a fast-paced investigative thriller complete with three strong and smart women characters, and I’VE BEEN THINKING by Maria Shriver, a beautiful and inspiring book to help ignite reflection and clarity for a meaningful life.
My four star favorites were numerous. THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING by Bill Clinton and James Patterson has been at the top of the NYT bestseller list since it came out three weeks ago. And it’s still there. THE MIDNIGHT LINE by Lee Child was an immensely satisfying journey with America’s giant hero, Jack Reacher. I loved Dean Koontz’s THE CROOKED STAIRCASE, particularly the unrelenting tension and the unyielding female protagonist Jane Hawkes.
There were three older books I read this month that delighted me by how good they were, each receiving four stars. TEN WOMEN by Chilean Author Marcela Serrano; The graphic memoir PERSEPOLIS, by Iranian author Marjane Satrapi and QUIET: THE POWER OF INTROVERTS IN A WORLD THAT CANT STOP TALKING by Susan Cain which was my book club’s selection for June. Several of us introverts are still talking about it today!
New Releases in July
Two books I have either reviewed or am in the process of reviewing will be published in July. Keep an eye out for these two fabulous books in bookstores soon.
The Subway Girls
Authors of Note
I have been so impressed by two women writers this month. The first is Susan Cain Author of Quiet. Susan Cain Went to Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She is an introvert who practiced law for seven years before becoming a writer. she is cofounder of Quiet Revolution and has also written Quiet Power; The Secret Strength of Introverts. QUIET has been awarded the Guardian First Book Award for Long List (2012), Andrew Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction (Shortlist) (2015), Goodreads Choice Award for Best Nonfiction (2012). Check out her TED talk: The Power of Introverts.
I also was impressed by the author of Persepolis. Marjane Satrapi was born in 1969 and grew up in Tehran, where she studied at the Lycée Français before leaving for Vienna and then going to Strasburg to study illustration. She has written several children’s books, and her illustrations appear in newspapers and magazines throughout the world, including The New Yorker and the New York Times. She currently lives in Paris. In 2005, she published Persepolis 2, a continuation of her memoir covering the story of her life in Vienna and her eventual return to Iran.
Books to Film
Showtime cable network has acquired the dramatic rights for The President is Missing. It’s expected to be a TV series sometime next year. No surprises there!
Audible Listens
Four of the books I read this month were books from Audible. Overall each of these books received 4 stars. The Crooked Staircase was narrated by Elizabeth Rodgers and Ten Women was narrated by Marisol Ramirez and both narrations were wonderful.
The Midnight Line was narrated by Dick Hill, and while the performance was fine, I simply don’t like his voice for Jack Reacher. It sort of like the Tom Cruise thing. That’s just not how I hear Jack Reacher. The President is Missing’s overall audio performance was good, but a few of the minor female voices were extremely irritating. Narrators were Dennis Quaid and Bill Clinton.
What's on my Nightstand?
Title Author Publicatio
The Women in the Window A. J. Finn Jan. 18, 2018
The Subway Girls Susie Orman Small July 10, 2018
What the Eyes Don’t See Mona Hanna Attisha June 19, 2018
Rust and Stardust T. Greenwood Aug. 7, 2018
FINDING GREAT READS