A Faithful Gathering by Leslie Gould; 2018, $15.99, 340 pages; Bethany House Publishers, Bloomington, MN; 9878-0-7642-1971-9; gift from the publisher in exchange for a review; 3/8/19-3/13/19
The Bachmann sisters, Marie, Jessica and Leisel have grown up together on a farm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We have heard the stories of Jessica and Marie in previous volumes. In the previous volumes Aenti Suz has told stories of the Bachmann ancestors in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War and in this volume Suz tells the story of Leisel's Grandpa Joe in World War II. Leisel is working through her decision to leave home and enter into nursing. Some of Leisel's decisions mirror those of her Grandfather. It is an interesting story of decision large and small and how they affect us and our families and those around us now and forever. It is an story of relationships physical and spiritual.
9/10
Dangerous Minds, A Knight and Moon Novel by Janet Evanovich; 2017, $28.00, 317 pages; Bantam Books, New York, NY; 978-0-553-39274-6; checked out from Multnomah County Library, Fairview; 3/8/19-3/8/19
Emerson Knight and Riley Moon are working together to straighten out the Knight family finances when an island disappears near American Samoa. As they begin to investigate the disappearance of the island they come into conflict with a secret group of National Park Service employees. We all find out about the different types of volcanic calderas and the specific construction of them. There are several parks in the United States which contain a special kind of energy. The bad guys are planning on using the energy to start over. Emerson Knight, Riley Moon and their supporting cast are a special kind of crazy, which is very entertaining. I think Janet Evanovich should drop the Stephanie Plum novels and write more Knight and Moon novels.
10/10
Forever Words, The Unknown Poems by Johnny Cash, edited and introduced by Paul Muldoon, foreword by John Carter Cash; 2016, $25.00, 132 pages; Blue Rider Press, New York, NY; 978-0-399-57313-6; purchased at the Cloud & Leaf Bookstore, Manzanita, OR; 3/5/19-3/8/19
While we were on vacation I stopped in at the Cloud & Leaf Bookstore so I could take pictures of books that I might want to read. While I was there I found this and decided to purchase it. When we got back to the cottage I found that there is an album that goes with it. While I read this I also listened to the album. It features Brad Paisley, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Carlene Carter and Roseann Carter Cash, Kacey Musgrove and many more. It was cool to read the book because I could hear Johnny Cash's voice as I read them. These are poems and lyrics that were discovered when John Carter Cash was going through his parents stuff. There are some real gems here.
10/10
The Color of Compromise, The Truth About The American Church's Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby; 2019, $21.99, 253 pages, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI; 978-0-310-59726-1; checked out from Multnomah County Library, Gresham; 3/4/19-3/7/19
Even before the founding of the United States the Christian church was finding rationalizations from the Bible for allowing slavery. Throughout the history of the United States the church has been complicit in systemic racism, either actively supporting or quietly ignoring it. Jemar Tisby takes a flyover look at the history of the American Church's complicity in racism. He looks at incidents and people throughout the history of the United States from Cotton Mather to Donald Trump.
10/10
The Killer Collective by Berry Eisler; 2019; $24.95; 401 pages; 978-150-3094262; Thomas & Mercer, New York, NY; checked out from Multnomah County Library, Gresham; 2/28/19-3/4/19
Barry Eisler brings together characters from several books of his to combat a child pornography rings that reaches into the hallowed halls of the U.S. Capitol. A Seattle policewoman is working with a FBI computer specialist who identifies some code in the secret world that he wrote to be used only by a government agency. It is being used to protect the identity of several high ranking government officials and when someone realizes that their secret might be revealed they shut down the operation, kill the consultant, an FBI agent and attempt to kill the Seattle policewoman. When that happens it pulls many mercenaries out of the woodwork to help her. I would like to read some more of Eisler's work, I read one of his books back in 2011. I will be trying to catch up, I particularly like the character of Dox.
10/10
The First Conspiracy, The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch; 2018, $24.99, 432 pages; Flatiron Books, New York, NY; 978-1250130334; checked out from Multnomah County Library, 2/19/19-2/27/19
As the United States was beginning George Washington surrounded himself with an early version of the Secret Service, called the Life Guard. Members of this unit as well as many others however were not completely loyal to General Washington and the cause of the United States. As long as the British would pay them and promise them land, they were willing to deliver General Washington into the hands of the loyalist. The plot was uncovered and those who were plotting where either killed or imprisoned. Meltzer and Mensch play this non fiction story like a finely tuned violin. It is a narrative non fiction that keeps the reader engaged.
