As I mentioned to you last month, I am cutting back on my reviews, but will continue each month to give thumbnail blurbs and recommendations for recently read books. I will divide this into books read and books that may be of interest.
This month’s reading:
A CRACK IN THE WALL by Claudia Pineiro (fiction)
Pineiro is a well known Argentinian writer. Architect Pablo Simo is trapped in a lackluster job, his home life is a mess. Much of his day is spent daydreaming about the sexy office secretary. He is drawn into a heinous crime and cover up that leads to a very interesting ending.
Highly recommend as a different type of mystery with a highly imaginative plot.
THE WANDERERS by Tim Pears (fiction)
This is the second book in Pears’s trilogy of life in rural England leading up to World War I. The first book, “The Horseman," was reviewed here previously. It continues the story of Leo Sercombe, a Devon farm boy who has a reverent and mystical relationship to horses. I didn’t enjoy this second volume as much as I did the first, but I still recommend reading it if you have read and enjoyed the first book. I am looking forward to the third volume.
Recommended.
A HIGHER LOYALTY by James Comey (non-fiction)
James Comey, the former head of the FBI, has written a timely account of his interaction and subsequent firing by Donald Trump. He begins the book with an account of his years serving the federal government under George Bush and through the Obama years. Interestingly it brings back the often tense moments and mistakes of the Bush administration that many of us have forgotten, as well as the constant drama of the present administration. Comey makes an effort to be bipartisan and goes to great length to expose his own shortcomings.
Recommended.
ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL by Sarah Vaughan (fiction)
This novel is a page turner. It weaves the past and present of the couple at the center of the story. He is a well-known and respected parliamentary minister who is charged with rape. His loyal wife grapples with the attendant publicity and her inner battle to remain supportive. At the same time, the backgrounds of the barrister prosecuting the case as well as that of the victim add to the suspense. The book is well-written and the characters are interesting and fully drawn.
Highly recommended.
BOOKS OF INTEREST:
CALL ME ZEBRA by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi (F)
SONG OF A CAPTIVE BIRD by Jasmin Darznik (F)
TWO SISTERS by Asne Seierstad (NF)
ALTERNATE SIDES by Anna Quindlen (F)
THE PUNISHMENT SHE DESERVES by Elizabeth George
THE OVERSTORY by Richard Powers
