Joseph J. Ellis’ Founding Brothers

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis | LibraryThing

Ellis, J. J., & Runger, N. (2001). Founding brothers: The revolutionary generation. Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books. 9781402505393

Reasons for Reading:  I found the book on the shelf at the HCPL branch where I work. Partially inspired by my girlhood crush on Thomas Jefferson (or was it Ken Howard playing Jefferson in 1776?), I checked out this audiobook. The first copy I borrowed had a scratch so I had to request another copy. The bottom line, though, I eventually got to read this book!

Summary: In shades of Paul Harvey ”The Rest of the Story,” Ellis tells of the relationships between those the United States often refers to as the Founding Fathers – John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. Ellis pinpoints six different moments which exhibit these relationships in their truest form. These include:

Burr and Hamilton’s deadly duel, and what may have really happened; Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison’s secret dinner, during which the seat of the permanent capital was determined in exchange for passage of Hamilton’s financial plan; Franklin’s petition to end the “peculiar institution” of slavery–his last public act–and Madison’s efforts to quash it; Washington’s precedent-setting Farewell Address, announcing his retirement from public office and offering his country some final advice; Adams’s difficult term as Washington’s successor and his alleged scheme to pass the presidency on to his son; and finally, Adams and Jefferson’s renewed correspondence at the end of their lives, in which they compared their different views of the Revolution and its legacy.   

- Joseph J. Ellis

Using these events, Ellis supports his claim that these men squabbled as though they were siblings.

What I Liked : Ellis excelled at filling in the blanks as he could. He rendered great portraits of these greats. I knew very little about Aaron Burr other than the “Got Milk?” commercial.

What I Disliked : I wasn’t crazy about the hopping around with the book. I wished Ellis had stayed closer to the original sequence of events.

Three Out of Five Pearls

Song: ‪But Mr. Adams – 1776 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – YouTube

Setting: Thirteen Colonies, The USA

You might also like:

• Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
• Don’t Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned by Kenneth C. Davis
• Wolf By the Ears by Ann Rinaldi

For more on Joseph J. Ellis’ Founding brothers…, please check out the following links:

 

• Book review: Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation | Dark side of the moon
• Masonic Renaissance: Book Review: Founding Brothers
• Book review—The Founding Brothers | James Russell Ament

 

Julie Powell’s Julie and Julia

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell | LibraryThing

Powell, J. (2005). Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen. New York: Little, Brown and Co. 9780316109697

Reasons for Reading:  I’m no gourmet but I enjoyed watching cooking shows on PBS ever since I can remember. One of those heroic translators of French cuisine was the unforgettable Julia Child. She empowered people nationwide to  Since this book was about the experiences of a blogger working her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I decided I wanted to read Julie and Julia someday. A couple of years ago, I heard Julie Powell speak at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference. I found the book on the shelf at the HCPL where I work.

Summary: As secretarial government drone Julie Powell eyes her approaching thirtieth birthday, she yearns for something to do. While visiting her family in Austin, Texas, Julie eyes her mom’s copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This sighting inspires Julie to work her way through 524 recipes in a year and blog about her experiences. 

What I Liked : I enjoyed the mention of Samuel Pepys and the segments from Julia and Paul Child. I also liked reading about Austin, Texas, the capital of my home state. The following Julie’s blog built amazed me. It’s impressive how these kind souls even sent her foodstuffs when she remarked on wanting something.

What I Disliked : I didn’t care much for Julie. This fact alone really colored my opinion of the book. I wanted to know more the actual blogging and how it became so lucrative for her. I didn’t find much of that here. Unfortunately I saw the movie before I read the book and that disappointed me as well. Maybe my expectations are too high. 

Two Out of Five Pearls

Song: ‪The French Chef Theme Song

Setting: New York City, Austin Texas, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Paris, Boston

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• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
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For more on Julie Powell’s Julie and Julia…, please check out the following links:

• What Could Happen?
• Jules’ Book Reviews: Book Review: Julie & Julia
• In The Next Room: Book Review: Julie & Julia by Julie Powell
• - simmer down! {a food lover’s blog}

 

John Grisham’s The Firm

The Firm | WorldCat Detailed Record

Grisham, J., & Brick, S. (2002). The Firm. Santa Ana, CA: Books on Tape. 9780736688604

Reasons for Reading:  I saw blurbs an upcoming TV show based on John Grisham’s The Firm . It featured Josh Lucas as the main character. Yet, I hesitated to watch the show because I wanted to read the book first. (I’d seen the movie back around the time it came out on video.) Thus, I requested the audiobook via HCPL.

Summary:  Harvard Law student, Mitchell Y. McDeere, works hard. He and his college sweetheart wife, Abby, have next to nothing. McDeere’s brother, Ray, is imprisoned. As Mitch graduates third in his class, a small Memphis tax firm called Bendini, Lambert and Locke comes knocking. The firm offers him and Abby a life of luxury – a large salary, a low-rate mortgage on a house, a BMW, and vacations at company owned places in Colorado and the Cayman Islands. The McDeeres leap at this chance with little consideration for any possible catches. Soon, though, Mitch discovers things aren’t as wonderful as they first appeared.

What I Liked : This story about an attorney seems authentic and I think that’s due to Grisham writing what he knew. Not only did I appreciate this, I also liked that he broke things down in layman’s terms. While I’m not a law professional, I could easily follow the action. In my mind’s eye, I could see these characters and events.

What I Disliked: I only have one tiny complaint; I wished there had been dates offered for the action. Mitch’s brother Rusty died fighting in Vietnam. International flights were simple, pre-9/11. Very little takes place using cell phones or the Internet, too. Some time stamps would’ve been awesome.

Three Out of Five Pearls

Song: ‪Charlie Rich • No Headstone on My Grave – YouTube

Setting : Memphis, Boston, Washington D.C, The Cayman Islands

You might also like:

• The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa
• The Mickey Haller Series by Michael Connelly
• Rising Sun by Michael Crichton
• The Rainmaker by John Grisham
• The Godfather by Mario Puzo

For more on John Grisham’s The Firm, please check out the following links:

• Book review: <i>The Firm</i> by John Grisham | Illiterarty.com
• Book Review: John Grisham’s “The Firm”
• Book Review : The Firm by John Grisham | All That Can Be

 

Coming Soon…

2012 Book Reviews!

 

Jennifer Close’s Girls in White Dresses

Close, J., & Card, E. J. (2011). Girls in white dresses. New York, NY: Books on Tape/Random House Audio. 9780307939340

Girls In White Dresses by Jennifer Close | LibraryThing

Reasons for Reading : I desperately sought out another audiobook for my work commute. I spot this on one of the shelving carts.

Summary: Broken into short story-like chapters, author Jennifer Close relays various vignettes about twenty-something single women. The main characters – Isabella, Mary, and Lauren – have much experience as bridesmaids. Throughout Girls in White Dresses, these three and others have the chance to share snippets of their lives.

What I Liked : These stories were pretty humorous. The chapter entitled “Hope” had me laughing my head off when I wasn’t nodding in agreement.

I felt I knew these characters pretty well before the end of the first chapter. I don’t completely identify with these women but I’ve met people similar to these characters.

What I Disliked : This pertains only to the audiobook version – the sole narrator did something weird with her voice when she read Lauren’s parts.

Additionally, it wasn’t always simple to keep track of the who was who in each chapter. Maybe that’s why the narrator gave Lauren an odd voice.

Three Out of Five Pearls

Song: Glee – My Favorite Things (Official Video) – YouTube

Setting : New York City, Chicago, Boston

You might also like:

• Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
• Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
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For more on Jennifer Close’s Girls in White Dresses, check out the following sites:

 

• S. Krishna’s Books: Book Review: Girls in White Dresses – Jennifer Close
• Book Review: Girls In White Dresses by Jennifer Close | Jessica Lawlor
• Feeding My Book Addiction: Review: Girls in White Dresses

 

Kathryn Stockett’s The Help

The Help by Kathryn Stockett | LibraryThing

Stockett, K., Lamia, J., Turpin, B., Spencer, O., & Campbell, C. (2009). The help. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Audio. 9780143144182

Reasons for Reading : First, numerous people requested The Help. Second, the several hundred people on the waiting list gave witness to the buzz. Lastly, the movie hit theaters. I definitely wanted to read the book before I saw the film. Per advice, I requested the audiobook version from HCPL.

Summary : It’s 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi and Mrs. Elizabeth Leefolt’s maid, Aibileen readies the house for the white ladies’ bridge club. Aibileen and her best friend Minny are African American maids working for the society ladies. Mrs. Leefolt leacer her chubby toddler daughter, Mae Mobley, for Aibileen to raise while keeping up appearances for her best friend, the villainous Hilly Holbrook. Mrs. Leefolt’s other best friend, writer Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, just graduated from Ole Miss and joins them for bridge.

As Hilly pushes Elizabeth to get her maid her own “bathroom” (more like an outhouse), Skeeter quietly asks where her beloved family maid, Constantine, has gone. Minny, the best cook in Jackson, works for Hilly’s senile mother until Minny’s mouth gets the best of her.

Seeing the injustice around them, Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter conjure up a book – the true telling of what it’s like for an African American maid in The South.

What I Liked : I loved hearing the various voices reading the different parts of the story. Minny’s part was read by Octavia Spencer, who played the maid in movie.

Several of the events in the book amused me greatly but I won’t spoil those.

What I Disliked : While I wanted to know what different characters thought, I felt the only authentic voice was that of Skeeter. I think the sections by Aibileen and Minny were well-written but I wondered how much Stockett could know about these women.

Four Out of Five Pearls

Song: Bob Dylan – Times They are a-Changin – YouTube

Setting : Jackson, Mississippi

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• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
• My Mother, the Cheerleader by Robert Sharenow
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For more on Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, check out the following sites:

• Confessions of a Book Addict: Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett | The Book Lady’s Blog
• Becky’s Book Reviews: The Help

 

Sandra Brown’s Lethal

Lethal by Sandra Brown | LibraryThing

Brown, S., Slezak, V., & Hachette Audio (Firm). (2011). Lethal. New York: Hachette Audio. 9781609419172

Reasons for Reading : Since I’ve gotten back into the habit of reading Sandra Brown books, I requested her latest through HCPL. I read both the hardcover and audiobook version of Lethal.

Summary : Widow Honor Gillette lives with her four year old daughter, Emily, on a remote property outside a small Louisiana town. When Emily tells Honor there’s a sick man in their yard, Honor goes out to offer aid to the ill man, she discovers Lee Coburn. Coburn is on the run under the suspicion of killing seven people the previous night. He swears to Honor that she and Emily will not be hurt provided that Honor does as Coburn tells her. Beyond this point, Honor questions the trustworthiness of all in her life.

Review : Before I delve into the negatives, let me mention a few things I truly appreciated in this book. 1) Brown notes at the end of the novel that much of the action involved cell phones. I enjoyed what she expressed about this and since it’s post-novel, I’m not saying anymore. 2) Not always, but often, Brown spoke of her characters “cursing profusely” (Brown, 2011) rather than reveal what choice words characters employed. 3) Brown shines when it comes to dialogue. I believe she has an ear for it.

However, this wasn’t my favorite Sandra Brown book. She had some really nasty characters in Lethal. Also, I found some of the answers to the mysteries with rather unlikely. Lastly, the following comment isn’t about Brown but rather about the narrator. This guy didn’t read the female dialogue in falsetto but I dreaded each time little Emily spoke. He shouldn’t ever do child voices.  

Three Out of Five Pearls

Song : Creedence Clearwater Revival – Born On The Bayou – YouTube

Setting  : Louisiana

You might also like:

• Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown
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For more on Sandra Brown’s Lethal, please click on the following links

 

• “Lethal” by Sandra Brown: A Review – YouTube
• Bea’s Book Nook: Review of “Lethal” by Sandra Brown
• Review of “Lethal” by Sandra Brown « Rhapsody in Books Weblog

 

Michael Connelly’s Mickey Haller Series

The Lincoln Lawyer | Front Row Reviews

Connelly, M., & Grupper, A. (2005). The Lincoln lawyer. New York: Time Warner AudioBooks. 9781594830884

Connelly, M., & Giles, P. (2008). The brass verdict. New York: Hachette Audio. 9781600244018

Connelly, M., Giles, P., & Connelly, M. (2010). The reversal. New York: Hachette Audio. 9781600247255

Connelly, M., & Giles, P. (2011). The fifth witness. New York: Hachette Audio. 9781600247224

Reasons for Reading On my way home from England, I saw bits and pieces of Brad Furman’s The Lincoln Lawyer starring Matthew McConaughey. I enjoyed what I saw enough to request the audiobook via HCPL, I have since read all of the Mickey Haller series – thus far.

Summary These books are told by attorney Michael “Mickey” Haller, a street-wise defense attorney who practices law from the backseat of a Lincoln Town Car. Haller offers his services to the greater Los Angeles area, meeting clients wherever they may be. He’s on speaking terms with both of his ex-wives and aims to be a better father to his daughter Hayley. The series highlights Haller’s more unusual and that is true in the first book – The Lincoln Lawyer. Throughout the series, Haller faces his growing discomfort with representing the truly guilty.  

Review I really like the Mickey Haller/Lincoln Lawyer Mysteries by Michael Connelly.  While I may not always care for Haller, he seems realistic and he describes much of what goes on in trials in layman’s terms.I haven’t read of the Harry Bosch books that Connelly writes but I’m currently reading Nine Dragons where Haller makes a small appearance. So far, I liked The Reversal the best as there isn’t just one reversal at play in this book.

Four Out of Five Pearls

Song: ‪2Pac – California Love [HD] – YouTube

Setting :  Los Angeles, mostly

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• The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

For more on Michael Connelly’s Mickey Haller Series, please check out the following links:

 

• The Brazen Bookworm: Audiobook Review: The Lincoln Lawyer series by Michael Connelly
• Mickey Haller
• MichaelConnelly.com | Multimedia

 

The Help arrived!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett | LibraryThing

My audiobook copy of Kathryn Stockett’s The Help arrived! Woot, woot!

 

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy

Millennium Trilogy Bundle (3 volumes) by Stieg Larsson | LibraryThing

Larsson, S., Vance, S., & Random House Audio Publishing. (2008). The girl with the dragon tattoo. New York: Random House Audio. 9780307577580

Larsson, S., Keeland, R., & Vance, S. (2009). The girl who played with fire. New York: Random House. 9780739384176

Larsson, S., & Keeland, R. (2010). The girl who kicked the hornet’s nest. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 9780307269997

Things reached such a point that I felt I was the only one who hadn’t read the Millennium Trilogy. Spotting The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on the audiobook shelf at one HCPL, I decided to give the late Stieg Larsson a chance.

Mikhail Blomkvist, an iconoclastic publisher of Millennium, loses a libel suit in 2002 to billionaire Hans-Erik Wennerström and is sentenced to three months in prison. A little time passes when Blomkvist receives an invitation from Henrik Vanger, the retired CEO of the Vanger Corporation. Blomkvist doesn’t realize that Vanger commissioned an investigation into Blomkvist’s personal and professional history. This was carried out by Lisbeth Salander, a surveillance agent with Milton Security. Vanger requests an investigation into the 1966 disappearance of his grand-niece, Harriet. Salander is an eccentric genius with relatively few scruples. When Blomkvist and Salander collaborate, the bad guys better bar the door.

That’s how all the fun starts. I won’t spoil the latter two novels but I will say The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo lays the groundwork for the others. These must be read in order. Larsson developed compelling characters and situations which forced me to rubberneck. Normally, I prefer cozier mysteries but I had to see the story lines to their ends. Blomkvist came across as a James Bond type (Daniel Craig plays both 007 and Blomkvist, is this a coincidence?) while Salander isn’t terribly likeable. Still and all, I cared about these two. Blomkvist’s attorney sister, Annika Gianinni, was perhaps my favorite character; she truly shines in the third book. While much violence takes place within the Millennium Trilogy, Larsson did not support it. In fact, I’d say he was rather anti-violence. Another difference with this trilogy is that I liked the final installment, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, best.

A couple of personal preferences I’m compelled to mention: 1) Larsson wove much intertextuality into the series. I believe if I’d read these books prior to this series, I’d have a deeper appreciation. 2) I wish I had a better idea of Swedish geography. These places were lost on me. 3) Okay, I was overwhelmed by all of the Swedish names, especially since I listened to the first two books. 4) I thought it was cool when I read about Ikea and Securitas. 5) Yes, I want to see the movie!

Four Out of Five Pearls

Song: ‪How Soon is Now? – The Smiths – YouTube

Setting :  Sweden – mostly

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• In Death Series by J.D. Robb
• The Mickey Haller Series by Michael Connelly
• The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

For more on Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy, please check out the following links:

• Review: The Millennium Trilogy « bookwanderer
• Book Reviews: The Millennium Trilogy » JasonJackson.com
• Book Review: Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy « Anne Caroline Drake