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