Book Review #35: "I Am No One"

Hey Everyone,

     I am going to review the book "I Am No One," by Patrick Flanery. This book is hot of the press being released today July 5, 2016 by Crown Publishing Tim Duggan Books. For those of you whom are interested in purchasing a copy of this book CLICK HERE. This book is about a professor, Jeremy O'Keefe, who leads two different lives in the UK and the USA He moves back to the USA to rekindle his role as a father. He learns that his life and his activities are not as private as he might have thought. Most of this story takes place after the events of September 11 where our feelings of security and safety were threatened and later questioned. When Jeremy moves back to the United States he has some strange things happen to him, such as he keeps bumping into this one stranger, and strange boxes keep arriving at his doorstep. 

     Overall I rated this book three and a half stars out of five. It was a very interesting and intriguing book. This book is about so much more than what is written on the cover. It brought forward some interesting concepts and questions of the recent world we have been living in. Such as where is the boundary line between your right to privacy and the public's right to information? Imagine receiving a file on everything you have done in your life, private and public. A little creepy huh? But after September 11, this is the type of world we live in. Do we sacrifice privacy for safety? Although I understand that the author was trying to form Jeremy Okeefe's character as normal and insignificant as possible. In doing this, it made Jeremy's character seem dull and annoying at times throughout the book. I think if the characters were written to be more likable this would have made this book better. However, it is still a good book, intriguing and worth the read. 

     I would like to thank Netgalley, Patrick Flanery, and Crown Publishing Group Tim Duggan Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Until the next page,

Jill

Book Review #34: "We Are Not Such Things"

Hey Everyone,

     I am going to review the book "We Are Not Such Things: The Murder of a Young American, A South African Township, and the Search for Truth and Reconciliation," by Justine Van Der Leun.  This book was just published June 28, 2016 by Random House Publishing Group: Spiegel & Grau.  For those of you who are interested in purchasing a copy of this book CLICK HERE. This book is about the murder of a young American woman, Amy Biehl. Amy Biehl was brutally murdered by a mob of young African men during the final days of apartheid in South Africa. The media told the story of how this murder represented the political turmoil of that time. A story of how the parents of Amy sought forgiveness of Amy's killers and helped grant them amnesty. But was this story as clear cut as it was presented to be? Was Amy's murder politically motivated or was she killed by common criminals? What is the truth? 

     Overall I rated this book four stars out of five. This was a very well detailed and investigated account of the story behind Amy Biehl's murder. It is quite telling how dedicated and committed the author was in uncovering the truth behind the story.  This book captured my attention from beginning to end with all the twists and turns this story took. This book will show you how things aren't always what they appear to be. 

     I would like to thank Netgalley, Justine Van Der Leun, and Random House Publishing Group: Spiegel & Grau for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Until the next page,

Jill

Book Review #33: "The Girls"

Hey Everyone,

     I am going to review the book "The Girls," by Emma Cline. This is Emma Cline's debut novel and it is hot off the press, just published today June 14, 2016 by Random House Publishing Group. For those of you who are interested in purchasing a copy of this book CLICK HERE. This book is about Evie, a teenager, who is coming of age in the 1960's. It is about her friendship and relationships with a group of radical hippies, Suzanne and Russell. Evie's friendship comes to a tipping point as her life almost gets torn apart by violence. It asks the questions of what if? What would I have done?

     Overall I rated this book four stars out of five. This was an amazing debut novel. It captured the times of the late 1960's with so much precision I thought I had taken a time machine back there. But most importantly it captured the coming of age of a female teenager Evie so accurately that I thought I was inside Evie's body. Emma Cline certainly brought this book to life. And I am looking forward to reading more by Emma Cline. 

     I would like to thank Netgalley, Emma Cline, and Random House Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Until the next page,

Jill

Book Review #32: "Morgue"

Hey Everyone,

     I am going to review the book "Morgue: A Life in Death," by Dr. Vincent Di Maio and Ron Franscell. This book is hot off the press, as it is available today May 17, 2016. For those of you who would like to purchase a copy of this book CLICK HERE. This book is well researched and well written, as it is written by two extremely experienced people. Dr. Vincent Di Maio is a nationally renowned forensic pathologist whose specialty is on gunshot wounds. Ron Franscell is a best-selling author and well known journalist. So you pair these two together and what do you get? An amazing and unforgettable book. This book is a memoir on the life and experiences of Dr. Vincent Di Maio. It discusses his experiences, knowledge and participation in many well-known investigations, from the deaths of Vincent Van Gogh to Trayvon Martin. 

     As you can see I am highly recommending this book as I rated it four and a half stars out of five and is on my "favorites list" on Goodreads. This book is broken down into discussing the many different cases and investigations that Dr. Vincent Di Maio took part in. Because of this, you could say it is similar to a short-story book format. However, because the authors wrote it in such a personal way, injecting the book with Dr. Di Maio's personal life, his background and his very own opinions and feelings it made this book flow and mesh together extremely well. This was an intriguing book, I did not want it to end. I wanted to hear more and I felt disappointed when I finished this book. Disappointed because this book was that good. You must read this book for yourself to find out how good it is. This book will not disappoint you. 

     I want to thank Netgalley, Dr. Vincent Di Maio, Ron Franscell, and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Until the next page,

Jill

Book Review #31: "438 Days"

Hey Everyone,

     I am going to review the book "438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea," by Jonathan Franklin. This book was recently published on November 17, 2015 by Simon and Schuster. Jonathan Franklin is an investigative journalist and TV commentator on Latin American politics and news. He is also the author of "33 Men: Inside the Miraculous Survival and Dramatic Rescue of the Chilean Miners." This is the story of Salvadore Alvarenga who survived 438 days at sea, in which he drifted 6,000 miles over the Pacific Ocean. 

     Overall I rated this book four and a half stars out of five. This was a truly amazing story, it is a one of a kind story. The kind you will only hear once in your lifetime. It is one of those stories that you have trouble believing that it's true. I really liked how this book included relevant information/facts and opinions coming from specialists, in that they backed up as well as enriched Salvadore Alvarenga's remarkable survival at sea. I am in awe of Salvadore, in his humility and his optimism, in how he never gave up. Just close your eyes for a moment, and imagine that you are stranded at sea. What would you do? How would you survive? To find out how Salvadore Alvarenga survived you must read this book for yourself. For those of you who would like to purchase a copy of this book CLICK HERE. 

Until the next page,

Jill 

Book Review #30: "Evicted"

Hey Everyone,

     I am going to review the book "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City," by Matthew Desmond.  Matthew Desmond is an associate professor at Harvard University, a co-director of the Justice and Poverty Project, and also the author of a book "On the Fireline." This book is a first hand account of Matthew Desmond's observations, his experiences, among eight families in Milwaukee, Wisconsin who are struggling with poverty and eviction. It is also about the landlords who profit off of them, and the flawed system America has with keeping the poor, poor. Overall I rated this book five stars out of five. This book is a must read, we need to bring this book into America's classrooms. There is so much information on this book all over. To find more information on this book and on how you can help CLICK HERE. Below is a video book trailer.

This book was just released on March 1, 2016, and it was published by The Crown Publishing Group.  I am definitely regretting that I did not read this earlier. And for those of you who are interested to purchase a copy of this book CLICK HERE. 

     This book was difficult to read, it actually made my stomach sick because of how the poor are thrown out of their houses, all in a scheme to make profit for the landlords etc.. It was sickening in reading about the deplorable conditions that these families lived in. As difficult this book was to read it is one that must be read. It is one that will unveil the ignorance and blindness that some wear. This is a subject that everyone needs to read about and expose ourselves to. No one will truly understand unless one has lived in this type of situation. And there is no one better to write this book than Matthew Desmond the author, who himself grew up in a family who was financially struggling. 

     I would like to thank The Reading Room, Matthew Desmond, and The Crown Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Until the next page,

Jill

Book Review #29: "He Wanted the Moon"

Hey Everyone,

     I am going to review the book "He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and his Daughter's Quest to Know Him," by Mimi Baird with Eve Claxton. This book was published on February 17, 2015. A heads up: Now is a great time to read this book as Brad Pitt is optioned this book for the big screen coming soon. To read more about it CLICK HERE. So I am hoping that this upcoming movie will be as good as the book is, and I have high hopes since the one and only Brad Pitt will be producing it. To get a head start to read this book, you can purchase this book by CLICKING HERE. This book is the true story of Dr. Perry Baird. It is about his daughter trying to know her father through his manuscripts, letters, and his medical records. Her father was one of the most successful doctors of his time. He was a brilliant man, an outstanding member of his community. He was able to succeed for most of the time despite fighting a mental illness of Manic Depression. Little did anyone know that he himself attempted to research and find a cure to his own illness, but sadly the depth of his illness stopped him. It is about Dr. Perry Baird's barbaric experience in numerous institutions for the insane. He suffered during a point in history of where no one knew what to do or how to handle people with mental disorders. It was a time of where all this was swept under the rug, and is why one day in Mimi Baird's life her father seemed to disappear for no known reason. It is about her search to know the father she never got to know. 

     Overall I rated this book four stars out of five. This was a well told, heartbreaking but inspiring story to read. I was amazed at Dr. Baird's own insight he had throughout his life. Especially the insight he had on his own illness that many others in Dr. Baird's life failed to have. It was as if Mimi Baird allowed the reader to view her father's life through a telescope. This story was raw, transparent, real, and genuine. It brought all the hidden stuff we have swept under the rug, it brought it all to life.

This book was a very intimate glimpse into the life of a man battling his inner demons that have haunted him his entire life. This book is one for all to read, and we all need to take the chance and grab it now before the movie comes out.

     I would like to thank Blogging For Books, Mimi Baird, and Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Until the next page,

Jill