Thorndike Press, 1992 ISBN 0786223278 (ISBN13: 9780786223275) ***1/2 Part of the Mysteries from Every State Reading Challenge Bootlegger’s Daughter was exactly what I expected it to be and perfect for this challenge. Maron’s fictional Colleton County is what the author believes small-town North Carolina to be, and with it, she paints a picture of the state, […]
March
18
Pig Pickin’ and Square Dancing in North Carolina: Bootlegger’s Daughter, Margaret Maron
posted by lasesana
March
14
Best of Arbiter News
posted by lasesana
Here are some of our best stories: Marine Debris: What Trash Does to Our Oceans. WASHINGTON, March 11, 2014—A significant amount of the world’s waste ends up in our oceans. Each year, Americans alone produce 200 million tons of garbage, enough to fill a football stadium from top to bottom twice a day. Much of it ends up in […]
March
09
Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See, Juliann Garey
posted by lasesana
***** Soho Press, 2012 ISBN 161695129X (ISBN13: 9781616951290) WASHINGTON, March 9, 2014—I usually do not read books about mental illness, but this was on sale on Kindle one day, and, given the glowing reviews, I thought I’d see what all the hype was about. I absolutely LOVED this book. It was heartfelt, beautifully written, witty, […]
February
22
Venezuela in Crisis: a Brief Summary of WHO, WHAT and WHY
posted by lasesana
The clashes between the Venezuelan authorities, government supporters and protesters are getting more violent. Eight people are confirmed dead, many more are injured, the government has imposed a media blackout and neither side appears to be backing down. Read a brief summary of what is going on and why: http://bit.ly/1h7haE2
February
22
Snowy, Remote Minnesota: The Vanishing, Wendy Webb
posted by lasesana
Hyperion, 2014 ISBN 1401341942 (ISBN13: 9781401341947) ***1/4 Part of the Mysteries from Every State Reading Challenge Julia Bishop has recently lost her husband, her friends, and her entire life. The “Bernie Madoff of the Midwest,” her husband had swindled hundreds out of their life savings before killing himself once his scheme was discovered. Hounded by […]
February
21
Launch of Arbiter News, Best of the Week, Call for Contributors
posted by lasesana
I am delighted to announce the launch of Arbiter News! We believe there should be a place on the internet where thinkers can articulate their findings on a subject, present both sides, and have meaningful dialogue with others without the polarizing rhetoric that dominates the media today. The change starts with the philosophy of the organization. It’s time […]
February
21
That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, Anne Sebba
posted by lasesana
George Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 2011 ISBN 0297858963 (ISBN13: 9780297858966) 0 stars (if I could give negative stars, I would) I can’t remember when a book made me angrier than this one. Compared to this poor excuse for a biography, even the horrid editing in Before and After seems worthy of the Pulitzer. I read this […]
February
06
A good editor is hard to find in New Hampshire: Before and After, Rosellen Brown
posted by lasesana
* Picador, 1992 ISBN 0312424418 (ISBN13: 9780312424411) Part of the Mysteries from Every State Reading Challenge This is another review I was writing in my head since the 10th page. I read it on Kindle and I can honestly say that I have never read such a poorly, carelessly edited book in my entire […]
January
24
A snapshot of 1980s south Florida: LaBrava, Elmore Leonard
posted by lasesana
Harper Torch, 1983 ISBN 0060512237 (ISBN13: 9780060512231) Part of the Mysterious USA Reading Challenge Having spent a little of my childhood in early 1980s Miami—I am Colombian, after all—this novel brought back a lot of memories and highlighted how much Miami has changed since then. Elmore Leonard’s LaBrava perfectly captures a time and a place, […]
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