The Last of the President's Men

More. Just when I assumed there was nothing new to learn about Richard Nixon or Watergate, who comes back with more information? Bob Woodward, of course, in a book about Alexander Butterfield titled, The Last of the President’s Men. Those of us who watched the Watergate hearings recall noticing Butterfield for the first time on the witness stand when he disclosed the presence of listening devices in the White House and tape recordings of conversations. Thanks to files kept by Butterfield and Woodward’s fine research and writing, readers interested in this aspect of history have new information to consider about the Nixon presidency. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Last of the President’s Men from amazon.com.

The Theft of Memory: Losing My Father, One Day at a Time

Grief. I was familiar with Jonathan Kozol from reading his books about poor children and education many years ago. From the title of his new book, The Theft of Memory, I expected a personal story about dementia and its toll on patients and caregivers. Instead, I found a finely written tribute by a loving son to his father, marked by feelings of loss and grief. Dr. Harry Kozol had a long career as a renowned neuropsychiatrist. Thanks to the fine writing of his son, Jonathan, readers can learn about his life and death. It no spoiler to say that Harry’s life from ages 88 to 102 involved decline. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Theft of Memory from amazon.com.

Primates of Park Avenue: A Memoir

Mothers. A memoir presents readers with some particular challenges. Is the writer an individual whose reflections about life are likely to interest me? Is the writing of such good quality that I will be delighted? Is this a life so similar to or so different from mine that I will be intrigued? Before a reader selects Wednesday Martin’s book titled, Primates of Park Avenue: A Memoir, consider those questions. Martin writes about her experience as an outsider trying to belong to an insular community on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. She uses her background in anthropology to present the memoir as if she were reporting on her fieldwork as a participant-observer in a different culture. At times her writing is funny and at other times it can become a bit tedious. Readers who have read anthropological field reports will fjnd special delight in those inclusions in this book. For me, the memoir turned my heart toward Martin when she presented a personal tragic story and how that brought out the best in the members of the community. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Primates of Park Avenue from amazon.com.

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

Variety. When fans of Stephen King don’t have an unread big novel to read, there’s always a collection of his stories to savor. I enjoyed almost every story in his collection titled, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. One I had read before, Drunken Fireworks, was even more enjoyable the second time around. The sheer variety of the stories in this collection will delight King fans. Through new stories or old, this author knows how to entertain readers, and there are hours of entertainment waiting for readers in this collection. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Bazaar of Bad Dreams from amazon.com.

One Man's Flag

Rising. David Downing reprises characters Jack McColl and Caitlin Hanley from Jack of Spies for another spy novel set in the early twentieth century and titled, One Man’s Flag. Jack goes from India and its troubles to Ireland and its troubles, close to the time of the Easter Rising. Fans of spy fiction and historical fiction are those readers most likely to enjoy this novel and this series. Love and betrayal take many forms, as does loyalty. Downing explores those themes and others with great skill while providing readers with an entertaining plot. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase One Man’s Flag from amazon.com.

The President's Shadow

Secrets. Readers who are pre-disposed to the idea that the Presidency and Washington D.C. are overflowing with secrets and conspiracies are those most likely to enjoy reading the third installment in The Culper Ring series by Brad Meltzer titled, The President’s Shadow. Over the course of four hundred pages, Meltzer blends some facts with fiction to create an impression that no one is ever to be trusted. Having read the earlier novels, I enjoyed the reprisal of characters, and I was inclined to surrender myself to Meltzer’s plot. I was entertained enough, thanks to letting myself yield to where Meltzer took me, no matter how implausible it seemed. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The President’s Shadow from amazon.com.

The Harder They Come

Violence. Some of us read novels to travel from our world to some other place. Others read novels for insight into human nature. Still others read novels because some writers find a way to capture some aspect of contemporary life and draw insight for us to consider. T.C. Boyle may please all those different readers in his novel titled, The Harder They Come. Boyle explores violence and alienation in this novel. A marine and Vietnam veteran kills a would-be thief while on vacation in Central America and is considered a hero for his actions. Upon his return home to Northern California, he finds that his son, Adam, has become delusional, and is in a relationship with an anarchist fifteen years his senior. What Boyle does so well in this novel is tap into the threads of anger, paranoia and violence in American society. Boyle’s skill at description and his fine prose will bring pleasure to many readers. His poking at self-reliance, gun violence, and anti-government paranoia will cause distress to some readers. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Harder They Come from amazon.com.