Brendan Shea
Protagonist Joshua Bigg is outstanding. Humor is great. As I recall from almost 40 years ago, content pretty rough sexually. Not sure I can recommend that part. The mystery was very good in my youthful eyes. I particularly enjoyed the ending with the protagonist and his friend.
This book was a joy to read. A lot of fun. Having moved many times in my life, while not understanding what it meant to be Jewish, I identified with Artie's character, and read the book at a time when I was going through some of the same things Artie went through. From moving to a new place, trying to make new friends, meeting girls, and just learning to understand and cope with life. I don't recall too much about Irving And Me, but enough to remember I loved it over 40 years later. THAT'S a good book.
Antonio's Journey is a short novel in the historical-fiction genre. An entertaining and well-drawn account of a 19th century man's journey from his father's vineyard in Italy, to the USA, where he treks cross country in search of his dream: A life of his own. A very enjoyable story. Many thanks to Mr. Ledesma for writing this book.
A wonderful children's tale of how Max, Lisel, and Mr. Trog join forces to stop the evil plotting of Baron Murtigrad. Out of print so very pricey, but if you can find a reasonable used version, well worth the read.
The original and classic Dick Van Dyke movie was awesome, and some elements were maybe scary for young people, but overall I loved it growing up.
The book is entirely different from the film, and I happened on a hard cover edition in decent shape with all of the original illustrations, and an inscription dated from a woman to her son or other young male relative.
I recommend this story as it is a seminal work, an original narrative, as it reveals more about the author, and because the story is pleasant.
I don't recall this book too much; I know Mamet is extremely talented if often dark. I read this in my youth in New York. It was probably fascinating to me then. I'd be interested to see a synopsis or more today.
Fundamentals for Men is a great, concise read on how to operate as a Christian. The video series that accompanies it is also available on RightNow Media, where I am fortunate to have a membership. The videos follow the text of the book so closely, and are so well written, that it is easy to follow with the handbook, and learn more about basic Christianity. I am a longtime Christ follower, but the book was super helpful to me. As with any good Bible-based teaching, there is always more to plunge into and learn. Highest recommend and life changing.
Randy Singer cultivates his book, The Judge Who Stole Christmas, with a fine tooth comb. We read of a battle for relgious freedoms, expecting a victory or a failure, but Mr. Singer manages to turn our expectations upside down and inside out, as he confounds predictable plot strains with wonderfully original outcomes. I loved his Oliver Finney story, now titled The Judge, and Self-Incrimination is a good read, but The Judge Who Stole Christmas, holds its own, with a warm holiday tale of love and basketball.
I really enjoyed The Love Police, by Scott Talbot Evans. It is an extraordinary tale of a group of unconventional law enforcement officers who help criminals and others, genuinely and holistically reform their behavior. When the main protagonist discovers an anomaly in the causation for crimes, she drives herself to pursue a resolution, despite great adversity. The Love Police has ingenuity, humor, struggles, and tells of one woman's quest to reform the justice system. Kudos to Evans, he's hit the mark!
Black Diamond is a great book. I've had this volume for many years, but never gotten to it. Sports and baseball aren't my hot buttons. I do love basketball, but baseball is a sport I love to view in person, as it really is America's greatest pastime. There's nothing quite like traveling to a ballpark on a nice day, walking into the ballpark, selecting a nice lunch and going to sit in an admittedly cramped seat amongst friends to watch a bunch of guys through, hit and catch balls all day long. It's relaxing, it's all american, it's pleasant, it's family-friendly, sometimes it's a little raucous, but classic, fun entertainment.
Black diamond reveals what it was like for African Americans under segregation, Jim Crow, and other terrible racist practices. It follows these men and a few women, as they navigate the difficult landscape, where a lot of amazing players had to put up with terrible conditions, difficult travel, cruelty, poverty, and other adverse circumstances.
This book is interesting, tragic, uplifting, funny, and I loved every minute of reading it, but it could have had more depth, and told more about the personal stories of these players, not withstanding I don't know that a lot of data is around because these guys want chronicled maybe as much as white players and teams unfortunately.
As such, I have decided to write historical fiction on this subject, and if anyone would like to help contribute to the book, I am a caucasian, so I could use some help in writing faithfully about an experience that I'm not as informed about as I could be.
So in 1984 before my 17th birthday, I first read this book, Reflex, by Dick Francis. It was amazing. It was my first mystery, and since then I have read all 40 or 50 by Frances and some of his son Felix Francis books many times over. Not all of them, but most of them I've read multiple times. The Felix Francis books I've only read a few of. Dick Francis is an amazing writer, and Reflex is one of his very best. Philip Nore is basically orphaned. His mother was a drug addict who left him with various people to take care of him when she was on a bender, and his grandmother simply hates him for a reason we learn later in the story. She is dying, and she implores him to find her missing granddaughter, his sister he didn't know he had. He is a jockey, and prefers to stay in his own private world, but over time he agrees to help his grandmother. One of the people who raised him taught him photography, and so in his spare time he moonlights at taking pictures, but doesn't realize how very talented he is. Over the course of the story, he meets certain people and reunites with others, comes to realize he has a new future with more companions and a different career. This review was not intended to be eloquent, just explanatory. If you like Dick Francis, if you like protagonists who are typically capable loners who don't fuss much, if you like mystery, and if you like well written books, I highly recommend Reflex as one of the best Dick Francis books ever written.
Frenetic, creative and unique, yet evocative of Dr. Who, Philip K. Dick, Douglas Adams and Buckaroo Banzai, this tale of preventative justice is farcical, timely and interesting.
In my humble opinion, News Desk is a reasonably well written and entertaining romantic romp. Nothing r-rated, just a bunch of couples hooking up and some intrigue and fun along the way. What do you think?
Well hey, this is my own book, but can I be objective here? I think the pacing could slow down a touch so that it is not a “Reader's Digest” jaunt, but that aside, I believe I've written a pretty good story. One reader said it was difficult to follow, but I'm not sure they read the whole story! I then asked a friend to read it and tell me straight up if he could follow the plot, and he remarked that it moved a little fast as well, but said it was definitely easy to track with the storyline and that it all made sense. I'm holding a giveaway for this book from this Saturday 6/27/20-Wednesday 7/1/20. Please feel free to download the free eBook, but if you do, please submit a rating or review, here or on Amazon. Many thanks, Brendan Shea, FitzGerald Press.
There really is no poorly written Dick Francis book, but Enquiry is among the best of the best.
Jockey Kelly Hughes is accused of throwing a race, and is warned-off, but doesn't take it lying down. Instead, he turns over every stubborn rock until he nearly falls off the edge of a vehicular cliff, when he probes too closely.
Snobbish Trainer Dexter Cranfield practically falls apart, as he is also warned off, but Kelly is resourceful, and pushes him to stay the course.
Cranfield's beautiful if stuck up daughter, Roberta, starts to pal around with plebeian Hughes, and things might never be the same.
The person who framed the two men is on the loose, and no one is safe until the mystery is solved. It might sound cheesy, but Francis keeps you glued to the page, relentlessly.
Hats' off to the late great Dick Francis; another of his entries, Enquiry, wins.
In my 9th year of working in the solar industry, my writing and solar knowledge had coalesced to the point where I was ready to write a basic how-to on residential solar installation to help homeowners needing some rudimentary information to prevent their being taken advantage of and for ease of understanding. If you enjoy the book and if it is helpful to you, please rate or review.
Leslie Leyland Fields hits the mark with her book, Nearing a Far God: Praying the Psalms with Our Whole Selves. By encouraging the reader to actively interact with and personalize the scriptures without altering them or compromising them, one is able to become more entrenched in their relevance and meaning. I also know that much Christian nonfiction can be very dry, but this book is super readable and very enjoyable. It helps you feel closer to God, similar to the scriptures. Not to blaspheme, but the Spirit does a great job of working through her text. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking a closer walk with God.
This new booklet helps solar, battery and roofing customers understand how to correctly assemble bids for their home and energy needs. It is brief, to the point, and illustrates how customers can still benefit from solar, despite the changes in PG&E's net energy metering structure.
Decoding The Profit Jeremiah is a very important book. It is also very helpful. It clarifies sequentially the events surrounding Jeremiah's life and prophecies, as well as those kings he was involved with preaching to. I have not actually finished the book, but I'm on page 30. I gave it a five-star rating because I think it is important, I think it is well written, and I think it is revelatory and adds Clarity to the bible. I am in no way saying the Bible is fallible, but rather saying that it is a very good guide to take you through that part of the Bible because the Bible is a very complex document and it is good to have a guide to lead you. Even the eunuch told the angel ministering to him that he could not believe unless someone would teach him. I am very glad for the teaching of Mark Biltz concerning the Prophet Jeremiah.
(I wasn't trying to give props for my own book so much as to let readers know that I think this is one of my better outings as a writer, relatively speaking)
So, I LOVE the films made based on Philip K. Dick novels, from the minor ones to the blockbusters, but (mild spoiler alert), this book, while very well written, is full of neuroses and negativity. There is a scene of triumph that makes the long slog seem worthwhile, but then the story reverses tone and direction, and then ends on an awkward note. Dick lived in Berkeley, where I grew up, and was a literary genius, but it was disappointing personally, to find the story so bleak. Just my .02. Very well written, unique, and neat to read a book set in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I've lived a major portion of my life.
So, after reading this page turner, I'm feeling compelled to reduce a lot of my 5 Star reviews to 4 or 4.5 Stars. Connelly has outdone even himself. This is my first Mickey Haller novel, though I've seen plenty of him in the Bosch Universe. Normally when a book shuttles between protagonists and is told in segments, I fail to get absorbed, but in this day and age, I read episodically, both due to other commitments, as well as that stories don't rope me in as much anymore... for the most part. Once this book got its head of steam, I was hooked, and after I got off work today, I sat down and read about the last 100 pages or so til the finish. Highest rating for story, narrative and keeping me tightly buckled and plastered in. Thanks also to the writer for his acknowledgements section.
This is a good Dick Francis entry. They are all good, but some are amazing. I'd place this somewhere in the middle. The story took a while to ramp up, or maybe it was me being bored and restless, but once it got up to speed, it really took off. The relationships between the protagonists were what made it work well for me. Highly recommended.