She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement

Process. Investigative journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey describe in their book titled, She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement, the process they followed in revealing sexual harassment by Harvey Weinstein. Most of us are aware of the outline of their story, and this book shows how the story was built one interview at a time, and one research investigation at a time. Whether you think you know a lot or a little about the job of a journalist, this book shows what the work entails, and uses a prominent story as a way to reveal the hard work and diligence it takes to run down a story, as well as the resources required and the willingness to follow the story wherever it goes. In the case of the authors, they had the full support of The New York Times as they carried out their work. I was amazed at the efforts Weinstein took to kill their story. I strongly recommend reading this finely written book and then subscribing to quality periodicals that generate the resources to pursue stories effectively. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase She Said from amazon.com.

Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves

Observations. Primatologist Frans de Wall shares insights drawn from decades of observations of animal behavior for his book titled, Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves. He has specialized in comparing human and primate behavior, and the abundant similarities he describes have significant implications. It may be humbling for some readers to accept the evidence that we humans are not as special as we think we are. There’s a heartwarming story at the core of the book, and most readers will finish this book with a greater appreciation of other animals. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Mama’s Last Hug from amazon.com.

The Guardians

Innocence. Most readers know that John Grisham can tell one hell of a story that will engage a reader from the beginning to the end of a book. In his legal thrilled titled, The Guardians, the focus is on what it takes to release the innocent from prison. Protagonist Cullen Post is a lawyer working for a group called Guardian Ministries that operates on a shoestring. He’s also an Episcopal priest and uses the dog collar judiciously in his prison work. Guardian accepts just a few cases at a time, and Grisham pulls readers into how Post and the group get prisoners released. As expected with Grisham, there’s tension, action and great satisfaction in the story being told. After you finish reading this novel, consider making a contribution to one of the groups that does this work pro bono. They need help and there are plenty more true stories like the ones made up in this book. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Guardians from amazon.com.

Red at the Bone

Immersive. The novel by Jacqueline Woodson titled, Red at the Bone, packs a wallop inside a compact two hundred pages. Woodson plants us into an extended family and uses their voices and the atmosphere of their lives to explore race, teenage pregnancy, and finding our place in the world. The multiple voices in the novel scramble us in time and focus us on what’s important. Woodson explores love and loss with great insight. The humanity of the characters in the novel will remain with most readers long after the last page is turned. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Red at the Bone from amazon.com.

The Need

Bizarre. Things are not as they appear for both the characters in and readers of Helen Phillips novel titled, The Need. Protagonist Molly is not the only parent who, while at home with young children, hears footsteps in the house. Is she just sleep deprived or is there something more sinister at play? A long day with children can be bizarre for any number of reasons, but Phillips pulls readers into her speculative and thrilling story and demands that we follow her images and story wherever it leads. Patient readers are rewarded with a bizarre and entertaining story. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Need from amazon.com.

Mrs. Everything

Choices. The place of women in society from the middle of the twentieth century until now is the subject of Jennifer Weiner’s novel titled, Mrs. Everything. Sisters Jo and Bethie Kaufman grew up in Detroit and Weiner describes key episodes in their lives and the choices they made with intention or out of necessity. Constrained and defined by others, both women survived what life threw at them. Along the way, readers are pulled into people, places and situations that may cause discomfort, but reflect aspects of the times described. The life we imagine for ourselves is often different when reality sets in and choices are made. Weiner’s prose and insight into human nature lead readers toward introspection. Contemporaries of the main characters will want to tell their own stories of this era after reading the book, so for the right book club, this novel will generate robust conversation. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Mrs Everything from amazon.com.

Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark

Audience. As I kept reading Cecelia Watson’s book titled, Semicolon: The Past, Present and Future of a Misunderstood Mark, I found myself wondering about her intended audience. After fifty pages or so, I concluded that I wasn’t the target reader, but I slogged through to the end. Are there really enough readers who truly care about punctuation? I expected something a bit jauntier than what’s on offer in this book. I truly didn’t know that the semicolon is controversial. I didn’t know that there have been periods of popularity followed by periods of aversion whether following or violating contemporary rules of grammar. I know some editors who would appreciate this book, but they may be too busy to take the time to read it. Sample a few pages to see if you might be the targeted reader for this book. Rating: Three-star (It’s ok) Click here to purchase Semicolon from amazon.com.