Tag: books
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Book review: How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims
How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success by Julie Lythcott-Haims My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is a wake-up call for all parents who are prone to worry, stress, and over-protect their children, which is to say, the majority of us. The author…
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Book review: Fire in the Blood by W.R. Gingell
Fire in the Blood by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is the second of a trilogy (the first book being “Twelve Days a Faery.” Both books are standalone in the sense of despite the fact that there is an overarching narrative arc for the trilogy, the stories stand on their…
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Book review: Call Sign Chaos by Jim Mattis and Bing West
Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead by Jim Mattis My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’m not typically a fan of military books on leadership as I often find that the traits that make for strong and capable leaders in the military don’t always translate to the private sector. This book is an exception to…
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Book review: Twelve Days of Faery by W.R. Gingell
Twelve Days of Faery by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is an original take on a traditional fairy tale plot where unfortunate accidents happen to a prince’s girlfriends/fiancees, and the king has offered a reward to whomever breaks the curse. I enjoyed the first person narrative of the king, who is…
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Book review: The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner
The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is the first in a historical mystery series. The protagonist is a veteran of the Napoleonic wars and has returned to England with no money, no prospects, and PTSD. This is no light-hearted and frothy mystery but, rather, a gritty…
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Book review: Blackfoot by W.R. Gingell
Blackfoot by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the second book of the Two Monarchies Sequence. (“Masque,” which I reviewed earlier, was the first book written but is the last book in the series.) “Blackfoot” starts essentially right where “Spindle” left off, although the actual story starts several years later. The…
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Book review: Spindle by W.R. Gingell
Spindle by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is a re-telling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale but to say that is like saying that Shake Shack is just another burger joint. This re-telling of Sleeping Beauty is original, intricate and complex. The magic (or, more accurately, the magics) are complicated…
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Book review: Masque by W.R. Gingell
Masque by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars To say that this book is the retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale does the author an injustice. So, yes, “Masque” is a retelling of the traditional fairy tale, but it is one of the most fun and original retellings I’ve ever…
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Book review: Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne
Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne My rating: 3 of 5 stars Historical mysteries are a tricky balancing act. On one hand, the author should paint a realistic portrait of the period and needs to include the necessary details to describe the setting in which the mystery takes place. On the other hand, the author…
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Book review: A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell My rating: 4 of 5 stars “A Woman of No Importance” is about the life of Virginia Hall, who despite being a woman, an American, and disabled (a prosthetic leg), managed to outwit and…