Author: ekkarn

Update: With December Reads, I Tie 2015 Total!

  By

With Four Books Read in December I Tie My 2015 Total Books Read

 

So I haven’t posted anything for a week, but that doesn’t mean that things haven’t been happening. Hey, it’s Christmas time there’s always lots to do! Most of it has been things around the house, but there’s also work at Target and babysitting Zoe. Then again maybe it’s just that I have been lazy about writing! The one thing that I have done is reading.   These are the four books that I have finished so far this month

[powr-image-slider id=250c1c84_1482087867]

December Reads

 

Book 48 – Flip – Kevin Cook – I really enjoyed this book about one of the top black comedians of the 60s and 70s. The book opened my eyes to many aspects of Wilson’s life. The of the aspects of his life that I knew little about was his early life and his drug use before and during his famous TV show. The book did bring back a lot of memories and smiles though. It has been many years since I.thought about :”Chris gonna’ find Ray Charles! and The Devil Made Me Do it!

Book 49 – The Nordic Theory of Everything – Anu Partanen – Another enjoyable an informative book. I thought that this was an honest analysis of what the Finnish and Nordic political system does right and sometimes wrong. At a time when it looks like our government is hellbent on destroying our healthcare system and our safety nets, it was nice to dream about what it must be like to have health care you don’t have to worry about bankrupting you , free daycare and one of the top educational systems in the world.One of the most interesting things to me was that Nordics don’t mind paying taxes because they know what they are getting back for their money!!

Another thought is that we don’t need a bigger government but a smarter government!

Book 50 – The Revenge of Geography – Robert D, Kaplan –  I must confess that I read the majority of this book a while ago.The book does provide a good analysis of the impact of geography on the world’s geopolitics From Goodreads:

In The Revenge of Geography, Kaplan builds on the insights, discoveries, and theories of great geographers and geopolitical thinkers of the near and distant past to look back at critical pivots in history and then to look forward at the evolving global scene. Kaplan traces the history of the world’s hot spots by examining their climates, topographies, and proximities to other embattled lands. The Russian steppe’s pitiless climate and limited vegetation bred hard and cruel men bent on destruction, for example, while Nazi geopoliticians distorted geopolitics entirely, calculating that space on the globe used by the British Empire and the Soviet Union could be swallowed by a greater German homeland. Read More

Book 51 – Blind Sight – Carol O’Connell – This is book 12 in the Kathleen Mallory series from Carol O’Connell. Several years ago I
stopped this series after book 6  Crime School. for whatever reason I couldn’t get into Book 7 Dead Famous. After a few years I decided to jump back into the series at book number 10 – The Chalk Girl. Since then I have kept up with the series. I have read both  the following books It Happens in the Dark and the current release Blind Sight

My rather unrealistic goal was to read 60 books this year. Last year my goal was 50 books and  I surpassed that goal and read 51 books. So I have already matched total number of books I read last year with almost two weeks left in the year! I know I am not going to get to 60 books. But every book I do finish beats a pretty good 2015!!

Oh and I am still working on my Reading Challenges for next year, I will write about them soon!

Home – Harlan Coben – (Myron Bolitar # 11)

  By

Home is book 11 in the Myron Bolitar series from Harlan Coben. Once again Harlan both fictionally and writingwise brings it Home!

The Story

Home revolves around the ten year-old kidnapping of two boys Patrick and Rhys. The boys were captured, while they were playing at Patrick’s home. The kidnappers demanded ransom but nothing more was heard  about the boys.

Until Rhys’ mother Brooke receives an anonymous tip that Patrick was spotted in London. Quickly, she calls her brother Win Lockwood to check it out. Win tracks down Patrick in London. He kills three men hassling Patrick, but Patrick flees the site. So Win calls his best friend Myron Bolitar for help!! They find Patrick and bring him Home but questions remain unanswered….

Where has Patrick been for ten years? What does he remember about the day of the kidnapping? And most importantly, where is Rhys, Win’s Nephew?

Soon Win and Myron are on a quest to discover the answers to these questions. Along the way, Myron’s former partner Esperanza Spaulding and receptionist Bi Cyndi help Myron and Win discover the truth!

Thoughts about Home and the books of Harlan Coben

It’s been five years and five standalone thrillers between Myron Bolitar books and it;s great to have Myron and the gang back!

I love Harlan’s stand-alone books, but I always enjoy the Bolitar books a little more. I think it’s simply the character development over the course of a series. In a stand alone book, the reader just gets to know the characters and the book is over!

As is usually the case with Harlan Coben’s novels there is always a psychological message and in this book the message deals with friendship, family, and the meaning of home.

Here’s what some others have to say about Home

“Edgar-winner Coben’s action-packed 11th thriller featuring sports agent Myron Bolitar (after 2011’s Live Wire) blends family drama with a twisty plot… This page-turner is sure to please Coben’s many fans.” —Publishers Weekly on Home

“Series fans will be happy to see Myron, Win, Esperanza, and other recurring characters… given the size of Coben’s audience, this one is sure to be popular. With five years since the last Bolitar novel, expect holds.” —Booklist on Home

Bottom Line

Home is another winner from Harlan Coben. And I still love Myron as much as the standalones!

Rating:

thumbs-up-2-3
thumbs-up-2-3
thumbs-up-2-3
thumbs-up-2-3

 

Author’s Website
Wikipedia
Goodreads
Amazon

Harlan Coben

About Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben (born 1962) is a renowned #1 New York Times bestselling American author known for fast-paced thrillers and mysteries characterized by multiple twists, domestic secrets, and long-buried past events resurfacing

Peter May Returns to the Outer Hebrides in Coffin Road

  By

Yesterday I finished Home by Harlan Coben, the 47th book I have read in 2016. It is also the fifth book that I have finished in November. My goal for the year was to read 60 books. To meet that goal I needed to read five books per month.

Unfortunately there have been more than a few months where I came up short of that goal. So right now I would need to read 13 books over the next 4 plus weeks to get to 60! So

It looks like that I will not reach my goal of 60 books. However, I will surpass 50 books and if I read five more books I will beat last years total of 51 books. Wish me luck!

Now the last book I have written about was book 44   The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter. So here is book 45 Coffin Road by Peter May

Coffin Road – Peter May

Thanks to the talents of my favorite authors, I visit many places around the globe. I think that currently my favorite place to visit is the Isle of Harris in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. I first visited this rugged wind-swept Isle in May’s The Black House and returned via the other two books in his Lewis Trilogy The Lewis Man and The Chessmen. All three visits were terrific, so you should certainly make the trip! My most recent visit via May’s novel Coffin Road was just as wonderful.

I love reading the works of author’s who can create a sense of place in their work. So that after you read the book you feel like you have been to the locale. May certainly does that as well as any writer I know.

The Story

From the Book Jacket…

On the remote Isle of Harris in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, a man washes up on a deserted beach, hypothermic, and completely disoriented. He has no idea who he is or how he got there. The only clue to his condition is a map of the island showing a desolate  ancient path called the Coffin Road. With a sense of dread and no clear idea what lies at the other end, he knows he must follow the trail if he has any hopes of discovering his identity…..

The man soon discovers that his name is Neal Maclean and he has lived on the  Isle of Harris for eighteen months. He is there writing a book about the disappearance of the three keepers of the lighthouse on the island of Eilean Mor in the Flannan Isles.

The keepers disappeared during a storm in December of 1900. The man remembers nothing about writing the book, but does fear that he may have done something dreadful on the island, prior to his being washed into the sea.

Meanwhile, a teenage girl living in Edinburgh is desperate to discover the truth about her father’s death. Two year’s after his suicide she sets out to discover the truth. After she reads his suicide note, which her mother gives to her to shut her up. she believes he may not be dead! The more she digs the more she is convinced she is right!

Bottom Line……

Coffin Road is another amazing read from Peter May. Everything clicks for me in this book. May paints both the setting and the characters well. While the storyline twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing. What did happen on Eilean Mor?  And who is Neal Maclean?

I always like to read the quotes on the back of books and see which ones sum up how I feel about the book. Here are two quotes that fit the bill!

” An eminently satisfying , multilayered mystery populated with sharply drawn characters…The many threads of the story play out against a landscape that May, a native Scot, renders vividly. His images capture the capricious play of light and weather across the sea and the moors, matching the surprises in this tale” – Kirkus Reviews

“An extremely chilling tale. From a man with a memory loss, to a young girl dealing with the loss of her father, to a policeman unmasking the past, readers will have to pay close attention so they don’t lose track of the amazing web May has created” – Suspense Magazine

Rating – Four and a half Thumbs Up out of five!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Novels of Peter May

Author’s Website
Goodreads
Amazon

 

 

The Kept Woman Another Winner From Karin Slaughter

  By ,

So I have not been able to write anything much since November 8th. Election Day the day America, as I know it, may have died! Anyway even through I haven’t been writing, I have been reading. As such, I have finish four books this month. The first one was Redemption Road by John Hart. I wrote about Redemption Road earlier in the month. The second was the latest Will Trent novel from Karin Slaughter The Kept Woman.

The Kept Woman – Karin Slaughter (Will Trent #7 )

Karin Slaughter has been one of my favorite authors since I read KissCut the second book in her Grant County series. Since then I have read all of her books.

It took me a while before I read the first Will Trent book, but once I read the first book that series has been a favorite, too. For several years now Sara Linton a character from the Grant County series has been a central figure in the Will Trent series. Sara was a pediatrician and part-time medical examiner in the Grant County series..After leaving Grant County Sara became staff member at an Atlanta Hospital., In The Kept Woman, she has left the hospital and joined Will Trent and Faith Mitchell as a member of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI)

The Story

A grizzly murder,at an unfinished nightclub of a major basketball player kicks off the book.  The GBI is called to help with the investigation. At the crime scene, tons of blood covers the walls of the room. The only victim found  is a former dirty cop. He is found with a door knob in his neck. Only the stabbing did not kill him or was it the source of all the blood! Evidence suggested that a mortally wounded woman fled the scene. Angie Polaski, Will Trent’s estranged wife appears to be that woman!

The plot twist and turns revealing the true nature of the crime. The progressing investigation  reveals truths, that threaten to destroy Sara and Will’s relationship.  In addition, the reader learns more about Will and Angie’s convoluted relationship. A relationship, which started, when they were in an orphanage together.

Final Thoughts

Once again Slaughter has created a psychological thriller with characters that her readers have come to know and love. The Kept Woman delves deep into the  wounded psyches of Will, Sara and Angie. As such, they are always struggling to find happiness. Sara and Will had thought they had found it together, but now Angie threatens to tear their relationship apart.

The story, I believe can be enjoyed even if you have never read any of the previous book, However, to fully appreciate Slaughter’s work you should read the earlier books in both the Grant County books and the Will Trent books! That should keep you busy for a while!!

Redemption Road by John Hart Another Edgar Worthy Novel from Mr. Hart

  By ,
Redemption Road - John Hart

Redemption Road – John Hart 

There is a simple reason that John Hart is the only author to win back-to-back Edgars for best novel and I’ll let author David Baldacci tell you what it is…….

“People in publishing have always known that John Hart can flat-out write. His prose conjures comparisons with James Lee Burke in its sultry, melodious alchemy. With Redemption Road Hart has taken it to another level. THE PROLOGUE IS HEART-WRENCHING and the chapters thereafter pull you in like matter to a black hole. Read this novel. And then go back and read all of his others. He’s that good.” – David Baldacci

I’ve been waiting for five years for a new John Hart book and, well, Redemption Road, his latest, was worth the wait!! It may well win Hart his third Edgar for best novel. Again, I’ll let some of his fellow authors tell you about Redemption Road…..

“Big, bold, impossible to put down, Redemption Road had me from page one. John Hart is a master storyteller” – Harlan Coben

Every new John Hart is a credit to the written word. Over the course of five books, he has raised the bar for commercial fiction, deftly blending  the tension, pace and suspense of the classic thriller with characters so richly drawn characters so richly drawn and prose so elegant that his stories are worthy of being called literature…..” – Corban Addison – Author of A Walk Across the Sun

It usually takes me about a week or so to read  a typical novel. I read Redemption Road in two days and I literally could not put the book down on the second day!

The Story

Redemption Road has two main twisting turning story lines The first one opens the book when 13 year-old Gideon Strange leaves his home and drunken father in the middle of the night, He intends to kill the man who murdered his mother  – Adrian Wall. Adrian is an ex-policeman who is scheduled to be released from prison the following morning.

At the same time, Elizabeth Black is recovering from her daringly rescue of eighteen year-old Channing  Shore.  Channing was found by Elizabeth in the basement of a house.chained to a mattress, She  had been brutally raped by two brothers for two days.. After the rescue, Channing’s two unarmed attackers lay dead, both shot eighteen times! Elizabeth was soon after, the focus of a police investigation to determine whether or not she should be prosecuted for murder!

The two stories intersect because Elizabeth has a connection to the Julia Strange murder. She believes that Adrian  was  not the killer. And as one of the few woman involved in the murder investigation she ended up caring for baby Gideon. She has continued to be a surrogate mother to Gideon for the last thirteen years.

Then a day after Adrian’s release from prison, a strangled woman’s body is found draped over the alter of an abandoned church. Everything about her murder matches the murder of Julia Strange. Questions arise! Did Adrian kill again? Did he kill the first time?

Other questions abound! What about Liz? Can she avoid prosecution? What really happened in that basement? Why did she snap and murder those men?

As the story develops so do the characters as the reader learns more about; Adrian’s life both in and out of prison, as well as,  the demons that haunt Liz’s past and leave her hating her father – the Reverend Black. The supporting characters in Redemption Road are as equally well-drawn by Mr.Hart. They include:Liz’s partner on the police force Charlie Beckett, Adrian’s lawyer Crybaby Jones and the  Warden of the prison where Adrian served his time.

/While reading Redemption Road  I would often pause and think that I really should stop  reading and do something else. I would set the book down, think about it, say “Nah”, pick the book up and continue reading.

Bottom Line

Redemption Road is a flat-out five thumbs up book for me! It’s one of those books that works on so many levels. First there’s just the plain fascinating story and then the psychological relationships between  just about everyone. Liz and Adrian, Liz and her father, Adrian and the Warden, Liz and Channing amd Gideon. I could go on and on, so just go read this amazing book! and then all of Hart’s other books! Yeah,they’re that good!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Books of John Hart

Author’s Website:
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads: John Hart
Goodreads: Redemption Road
Amazon

 

October Reads and Reading Challenges Update!

  By
Where DID October Go!

Ok I give up where did October go? Seems like the NFL season just began and now we’re at Week 8. The World Series is at Game 5 and both the NBA and NHL have begun their seasons. And yesterday the two colleges that I attended. As the Universities of Florida and Georgia renewed their heated rivalry.  I really don’t care which team wins most of the time. But it’s always nice when the team that needs it more gets the victory. Since the Gators stayed atop the SEC East with the victory, I was glad they won.

October Reads….

Now back to my October reads and particularly the places that I visited this month thanks to the work of some great authors. Here are the five books that I read this month.

[huge_it_slider id=”3″]

 

 

Where My Fiction Reads Took Me In October!

The three novels that I read took me to some familiar places with some old friends and to a new spot in Sweden with a new fried. First up was a visit with Cork O’Connor and his family in Aurora, Minnesota. As usual the visit was exciting.  First in Manitou Canyon by William Kent Krueger, I visited the North Boundary Waters of Minnesota and eventually Manitou Canyon in Canada.

In Borkmann’s Point by Hakan Nesser an author that is new to me I visited the coastal town of Kaalbringen,, Sweden.  I met Chief Inspector Van Veeteren in Kallbringen, where Veeteren was sent to help solve the brutal murders of  several seemingly unrelated victims. It was a great read and I will write more about the book soon.

The last novel that I read took me to The Body Farm in Knoxville, Tennessee. In Without Mercy by Jefferson Bass, forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton  is called to help solve the tortuous murder of a young man chained to a tree. In the book Brockton also faces a sadistic killer from his past. I will write more about the book soon.

Non-Fiction Reads….

In October, I also read two non-fiction books.Connectography – Mapping the Future of  Global Civilization by Parag Khanna. was the first book. In the book Khanna opened my eyes and mind to the new Connectivity found around the world. Ad how as Americans we are falling behind the world , rather than leading! The other non-fiction book I read was Saving Capitalism by Robert Reich. In Saving Democracy Reich explains the problems we are facing as a result of the rigging of the system by the wealthy against the common man. Reich also provides several methods that may right our Capitalistic ship!

Reading Challenges Update…..

Where do I stand on my various Reading Challenges after reading five books in October. The following table shows the results.

Ed K’s 2016 Reading Challenges TBR Library Total Goal % of Goal
         
2016 Literature Reading Challenge
General Fiction 1 3 3 6 50.00%
Classics 0 0 0 6 0.00%
NY Times Bestseller List 0 0 0 6 0.00%
Award-Winners 1 1 3 6 50.00%
2015 Mystery/Thriller Reading Challenge
Rgrandad’s Mysteries 4 20 24 10 240.00%
Women Mystery Book Authors 1 0 2 10 20.00%
2016 Science Fiction /Fantasy Challenge 0 0 1 6 16.67%
2016 Nonfiction Reading Challenge 3 6 9 10 90.00%
 
Totals 0 0 0
42 60 70.00%
2016 TBR Pile Challenge 10 25 40.00%

 

As you can see, I suck on most of my challenges! I am only doing well on two challenges. The first on is my  Rgrandad Mysteries challenge, where I have read fourteen books more that my challenge total. The other one is my 2016 Nonfiction Reading Challenge. In that challenge I have read 9 out of 10 books.

Bottom Line:

t I will most likely not make my overall goal of 60 books for the year. However I only need to read ten books to read more books than I did in 2015 (51). Hmm, looks like I need to read three more general fiction books, I will meet that challenge. Then if I read three award-winning books I meet that challenge and one more non-fiction to achieve that challenge. By reading those books I will have met four out of eight of my challenges and have read 49 books. That means I only would need to read three more books to beat last years total! I’ll be back later to make a list of proposed reads for November!!

October 27 – Happy World Day for Audiovisual Heritage!

  By
October 27, 2016  – UNESCO’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.
Theme: “It’s Your Story – Don’t Lose It”

I learn new things in a variety of ways.  For example, I discovered at Wikipedia this morning, that today is World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. Because I didn’t know anything about the day, I went to go to its page on Wikipedia. There I discovered that…..

The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage takes place every 27 October. This commemorative day was chosen by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2005 to raise of awareness of the significance of and preservation risks recorded sound and audiovisual documents (films, sound and video recordings, radio and television programmes)

The main objectives of designating the date of 27 October were listed by UNESCO:

  • raising public awareness of the need for preservation;
  • providing opportunities to celebrate specific local, national or international aspects of the heritage;
  • highlighting the accessibility of archives;
  • attracting media attention to heritage issues;
  • raising the cultural status of audiovisual heritage;
  • highlighting audiovisual heritage in danger, especially in developing countries.

 

2016 Theme – “It’s Your Story – Don’t Lose It”

Then at the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations‘s (CCAAA) website. I discovered more about the day and the 2016 theme….

The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage has become a key initiative for both UNESCO and the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA) to honour audiovisual preservation professionals and institutions that help to safeguard this heritage for future generations despite the many technical, political, social, financial, and other factors that threaten its survival. Audiovisual archives around the world join together annually on 27 October to celebrate their work with activities and events that not only highlight the vulnerability of this heritage, but also celebrate the often unheralded work of the heritage institutions that protect it.

The theme of the World Day this year is “It’s Your Story – Don’t Lose It”. Every culture, every country has its own story to tell. These stories remind us of our shared humanity and build connections between people. Every story we keep in our archives means that we keep memories alive. Stories should be kept safe, stories create an invaluable archive for future generations – it’s your (and their!) story – don’t lose it!

Finally at the  Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations’s (CCAAA) website.I found a list of many programs that will be presented worldwide.

Chicago’s Program – Studs Terkel Radio Archive – American Voices……

Well down the list of programs was  a program from Chicago, Illinois titled Studs Terkel Radio Archive – American Voices……

Studs Terkel broadcast a daily interview show out of Chicago for nearly fifty years.  He was fascinated by human stories and spent his career collecting and sharing them.  We’ve put together the American Voices collection to showcase triumphs and challenges of Americans during the second half of the twentieth century.

Programs:

  • Bob Dylan, 1963
  • Montgomery, Alabama citizens speak about Dr. King’s march, 1965
  • Participants at the Chicago “Be-In”, 1967
  • Chicago high school students, 1970
  • Elsa Knight Thompson, 1970
  • Hunter S. Thompson (featuring a clip of Ron Kovic), 1973
  • Ed and Marlene Sadlowski, labor leaders, 1974
  • Gloria Steinem, 1982
  • Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, 1992
  • Roger Ebert, 1996

 

You can listen to the various interviews here

The Bob Dylan, Carl Sagan interviews along with the Montgomery, Alabama citizens speaking about Dr King all seem interesting! What do you think! Anyway, I hope you had a Happy World Day for Audiovisual Heritage!

Links for the Further Exploration of World Day for Audiovisual Heritage

Unesco:World Day For Audiovisual Heritage 
CCAAA: World Day for Audiovisaul Heritage
Studs Terkel Radio Archive Blog
Digital Meets Heritage:World Day for Audiovisual Heritage: let’s celebrate!

Parag Khanna’s Connectography – Explains Connectivity!

  By

Connectography:Mapping the Future of Global Civilization – Parag Khanna

I have always had an interest in geography. So when I first saw Connectography:Mapping the Future of Global Civilization by Parag Kahana, I knew it was a book for me! It was amazing the way Khanna took geography to a whole new level in Connectography. The Washington Post agrees and says this about Connectography….

“Incredible . . . We don’t often question the typical world map that hangs on the walls of classrooms—a patchwork of yellow, pink and green that separates the world into more than two hundred nations. But Parag Khanna, a global strategist, says that this map is, essentially, obsolete. . . . With the world rapidly changing and urbanizing, [Khanna’s] proposals might be the best way to confront a radically different future.”

….Foreign Affairs writes….

“Bold . . . With an eye for vivid details, Khanna has nevertheless produced an engaging geopolitical travelogue, unearthing the Internet cables, energy pipelines, and electrical grids that link regions together more closely than ever before and allow people to lead increasingly connected lives. In his view, connectivity is transforming conflict between states into competition for access to the world’s infrastructure of networks and markets.”

In Connectography Parag Khanna analyzes the evolving connectivity of the world. The supply chain is the driving forcing behind this connectivity. The supply chain requires the movement of goods and supplies, from raw materials to finished product, then to shipment to world-wide markets.Neil Brenner, director, Urban Theory Lab, Harvard University Graduate School of Design says this…..

“From Lagos, Mumbai, Dubai, and Singapore to the Amazon, the Himalayas, th\e Arctic, and the Gobi desert steppe, Parag Khanna’s latest book provides an invaluable guide to the volatile, confusing worlds of early twenty-first-century geopolitics. A provocative remapping of contemporary capitalism based on planetary mega-infrastructures, intercontinental corridors of connectivity, and transnational supply chains rather than traditional political borders.”

China rather than the U.S. has supplied support and money for a majority of world-wide infrastructure development. As a result, China is now the largest trading partner with more than 124 nations around the globe, This compares to 56 for the U.S.. To me this does not bode well for the future of our country. The Economist sees it sees it that way, too….

“For those who fear that the world is becoming too inward-looking, Connectography is a refreshing, optimistic vision. . . . The most convincing point in the book concerns policy prescriptions. To become part of global supply chains, Mr. Khanna argues, it is essential to invest in infrastructure. China, in particular, has built a sprawling network of ports, canals and the like across the world to acquire and transport natural resources. By contrast, rich countries, especially America, now underfund capital goods, in an attempt to reduce public spending. This short-term skimping bodes ill for future growth.”

Connectography and the United States

The following map is from Connectography.  The map illustrates how our U.S.’s lower 48 states could be realigned into seven mega-regions,

Connectivity and the United States

You can read an Op-Ed in the New York Times called Rethinking the Map to get a full explanation of the map and Khanna’s ideas.I don’t ever believe that the U.S. will ever abandon the 50 states But I do believe that we may be able to develop interstate agreements that could unite the states as shown,

One of the things that I think the U.S needs to do is to develop a high speed rail system similar to the one shown above.  The U.S. interstate highway system was built under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, during the Eisenhower Administration  Maybe these high-speed rail lines could be built under the Federal Aid High-Speed Rail Act of 2017 during the Clinton Administration!  In addition to the construction of these rail lines, the U.S. has to lot more infrastructure to repair and/or replace.

The Bottom Line:

Connectography is a thought-provoking and enlightening book in my opinion. Khanna made me realize how far behind China the U.S. may be falling as a global super-powered. I agree whole-heartedly with the quote from Former U.S, secretary of defense Chuck Hagel…..

Connectogrpahy is ahead of the curve in seeing the battlefield of the future and the new tu-of-war being waged on it. Khanna’s scholarship and foresight are world-class… A must read for the next president.”

I hope Hillary has read it! As for me,  I just requested Khanna’s How to Run the World from my library!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Writings of Parag Khanna

Author’s Website
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube: Ted Talk: Mapping the Future of Countries
Amazon

Book No. 39 of 2016.

Manitou Canyon – William Kent Krueger as Good as Ever!

  By ,

Manitou Canyon – William Kent Krueger (Cork O’Connor series #15)

Manitou Canyon is the fifteenth book in the Cork O’Connor series from William Kent Krueger. And I for one don’t think the series is slowing down at all! I have read all of the books in this series and this one holds its own with any of them.While the Cork O’Connor books are firmly planted in the  mystery.thriller genre they are also more than just mysteries. They are also books about family and cultural identity.

Lee Child says this about the work of William Kent Krueger….

“One of today’s automatic buy-today-read-tonight series…thoughtful but suspenseful, fast but lasting, contemporary but strangely timeless.” (Lee Child)

The Story Begins

When Manitou Canyon  opens it is November and the O’Connor’s are preparing for oldest daughter Jenny;s wedding. Everyone is excited except Cork. For Cork November is a painful month. In Novembers past Cork saw the violent deaths of his wife, father, and best friend. So when the grandchildren of a childhood friend John Harris’ showed up asking Cork to resume the search that had ended two days prior. Cork jumped at the chance to help. John Harris had disappeared in October while on a fishing trip with his grandchildren into the Boundary Waters. The search had turned up nothing, but Cork felt he had missed something so he wanted do whatever he could to find John.

The Search Begins

So Cork went off into the Northwoods of Minnesota to search for John. Lindsay Harris, John’s granddaughter volunteered to go with Cork, while grandson Trevor stayed behind.  Soon, Cork and Lindsay vanish just like John. The disappearance baffles the O’Connor family and the Tamarack County Police.

Throughout Cork’s life his Objibwe heritage has always been important. His spiritual guide the Mide Henry Meloux has helped Cork overcome life’s obstacles. Cork has always viewed himself as an Ogichidaa.. An Ogichidaa is one who stands evil and his people.

In this adventure Cork is pitted against men who view themselves as Ogichidaa and the losers in their battle with evil may be hundreds of citizens of a small town! If Cork and his family can’t figure out what’s going on!!

My Thoughts

Manitou Canyon was a four plus thumbs up book for me. Once again this visit to Aurora and the Boundary Waters was very, very enjoyable. You would think that in the 15th edition in a series the reader would be saying, same old same old, but that is not the case with Manitou Canyon.

William Kent  Krueger is a master storyteller and the plot of this Manitou Canyon twists and turns enough to keep you guessing about what is really happening. But also excels at creating a sense of place in his stories and he certainly makes me feel like I have visited the Minnesota’ Boundary Waters and other locations many times over the years!

He also excels at character creation and the characters he has created in Cork O’Connor and his family are a large part of the appeal of the series. Readers have watched all of Cork’s children grow into strong young adults. Jenny who became a mother to Waaboo a couple of books ago, is starting a new chapter in her life, with her marriage to Daniel English

But the minor characters are just as important. Let’s see there’s Rose Thorne, Cork’s sister-in-law who helped the family survive the loss of their mother. Then there’s Rainy, the woman who brought love back to Cork’s life and niece of my favorite character Henry Meloux. At the end of Manitou Canyon new chapters are opening in their lives too.

In Manitou Canyon Krueger has also added a new character to the family. Daniel’s great-aunt  Aunt Leah Duhling, who once thought she would marry Henry, has returned to Aurora. And it appears that Leah and Henry are about to enter a new chapter in their lives, too

With all of these new chapters opening in the lives of the O’Connor extended family I can’t wait for the 16th book in this series!! You can probably pick this book up and read and enjoy it. That is the result of Krueger’s abilities as a storyteller. But if you want to enjoy the characters created go back and find Iron Lake the first book in the series and start at the beginning!!

 

September 2016 – A Review of the Six Books I Read!

  By 
[smoothslider id='4']
September 2016 – Six Books Read in a Busy Month! Yeah Me!

I had a great reading month in September of 2016. I finished the five books on the above slider and they all were really good. The books I read came from a variety of genres. There was; a mystery from one of my favorite authors The Second Life of Nick Mason, a non-fiction book history book The Winter Fortress by Neal Bascom, an award-winning general fiction – Life of Pi from Yann Martell, a science fiction space opera Dark Run by Mike Brooks, and a political thriller Red Cell from Mark Henshaw. I think that a pretty good mix of genres!

I also finished a sixth book The One Plan:A Week-by-Week Guide to Restoring Your Natural Health and Happiness by Yogi Cameron Alborzian, but I haven’t written anything about it yet. The One Plan had a lot of good ideas that I plan to implement. I don’t think I’m ready to commit to many of the aspects of the plan though, The Path is a little too intense for me!

Finishing the six books brought the total number of books I have read this year to 37. In order to be on pace to read my projected total of 60 books in 2016, I would have to have read 45 books by the end of September, so I am eight books off of the pace or on pace to read 52 books which would be 1 more than 2015. I would be very happy if I reach that total, but I will still try to pick up the pace and shoot for the goal of 60 books!