Clock Dance

Purpose. Each of us needs to find purpose in life. In her novel titled, Clock Dance, Anne Tyler describes the ways in which Willa Drake finds purpose in life and comes to learn new things about herself and her capabilities. Fans of Tyler will find an engaging story, well-written dialogue, and insight into the lives of contemporary women in the United States. There’s a large cast of interesting and well-developed characters, including a husband who calls Willa, “little one.” Imagine how Tyler (and Wilma) deals with that and then read this novel to find out. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Clock Dance from amazon.com.

From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia

Stories. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and Stanford professor Michael McFaul has written an engaging book titled, From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia. McFaul tells stories in this book: his own and others. Instead of leaning on the academic side, McFaul makes readers feel like they are with him in various situations. McFaul places blame for the tension in the American-Russian relationship on Putin. Progress made under Medvedev was reversed when Putin decided to set a different course. It’s clear that McFaul sees many benefits in a good relationship between the United States and Russia and he hopes such a relationship can be achieved. Readers interested in public policy and international relations are those most likely to enjoy this well written book. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase From Cold War to Hot Peace from amazon.com.

Stay Hidden

Island. The ninth novel in the Mike Bowditch series by Paul Doiron is titled, Stay Hidden. This installment has the Maine game warden sent to an island on his first big detective case. Bad weather and luck cause him to do much of the work on his own. As expected, outsiders like Mike aren’t welcomed with open arms by the island residents. A cast of characters, new and reprised, are well-drawn and the plot moves briskly. Fans of crime fiction and this series are those readers most likely to enjoy reading this novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Stay Hidden from amazon.com.

We Begin Our Ascent

Loyalty. Any reader looking to read sports related fiction should consider Joe Mungo Reed’s debut novel titled, We Begin Our Ascent. Sol is a professional cyclist and his wife, Liz, works in a research lab. They are new parents and face an array of challenges as Sol rides in Le Tour de France and stumbles into doping. Reed explores a theme of loyalty, Sol to the team, and Liz and Sol to each other. Reed’s writing is top-notch, and you need not be a cycling fan to appreciate this novel. Anyone who has faced one’s own ambition and goals will appreciate the ways in which Reed explores competition and the consequences of a powerful desire to win. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase We Begin Our Ascent from amazon.com.

Political Risk: How Businesses and Organizations Can Anticipate Global Insecurity

Primer. Every business faces political risk, but not all have tried to manage this risk in an orderly manner. Former United States Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has written a book with Amy Zegart based on a course that they have taught together at Stanford. Titled, Political Risk: How Businesses and Organizations Can Anticipate Global Insecurity, this is a primer on the steps to follow when managing risk, especially political risk. What could have become a boring business book became enlivened through the stories of the successes and failures of companies described in this book. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Political Risk from amazon.com.

Fight No More

Home. There are times when I walk by houses, my mind wanders and I think about the individuals who live there and what those lives are like. In her short story collection titled, Fight No More, Lydia Millet uses a single protagonist, a real estate agent named Nina, to link the stories together. Through Nina’s eyes, readers learn about these individuals and Millet raises the tension as we learn what goes on behind closed doors. The writing is superb, and the stories are well-told. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Fight No More from amazon.com.

Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging

Identity. For those readers interested in genealogy and genetic testing, Alex Wagner describes in a book titled, Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging, her search for answers about who she is and where she belongs. Wagner tells readers about her family and her search in Burma and Luxembourg for paper evidence about her family. Those trips came across as more hapless than organized. She shares some results from DNA testing by multiple services with different results. By the end of the book, she reaches a conclusion that will seem obvious to most readers and at last brought her searching to an end. Rating: Three-star (It’s ok) Click here to purchase Futureface from amazon.com.