Book Review: Blood & Ink

 

Blood & Ink

The Scandalous Jazz Age Double Murder That Hooked America on True Crime

by Joe Pompeo

Pub Date 13 Sep 2022 | Archive Date 08 Nov 2022

 William Morrow 

 History  |  Nonfiction (Adult)  |  True Crime 

I am reviewing copy of Blood & Ink through William Morrow and Netgalley:

On a warm but partly cloudy mid morning day on September.16.1922, Pearl Bahmer and Ray Scneider found the bodies of Reverend Edward Hall and Eleanor Mills beneath a crabapple tree on an abandoned farm outside of New Brunswick, New Jersey. The killer had arranged the bodies in a pose conveying intimacy.

The murder of the Reverend Edward Hall who was a prominent clergyman whose wife Frances Hall, was a proud heiress with illustrious ancestors and ties to the Johnson & Johnson dynasty, would have made headlines on its own. But when authorities identified Eleanor Mills as a choir singer from his church married to the church sexton, the story shocked locals and sent the scandal ricocheting around the country, fueling the nascent tabloid industry. This provincial double murder on a lonely lover’s lane would soon become one of the most famous killings in American history—a veritable crime of the century.

The local authorities failed to secure any indictments, it took a crusade by the editor of a circulation-hungry Hearst tabloid to revive the case and bring it to trial at last.

Blood & Ink freshly chronicles what remains one of the most electrifying but forgotten murder mysteries in U.S. history. It also traces the birth of American tabloid journalism, pandering to the masses with sordid tales of love, sex, money, and murder. 

I give Blood and Ink five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Real Enid Blyton

 

The Real Enid Blyton

by Nadia Cohen

Pub Date 30 Oct 2022

 Pen & Sword,  Pen & Sword History

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  History  |  Nonfiction (Adult) 

I am reviewing a copy of The Real Enid Blyton through Pen & Sword and Netgalley:

Enid Blyton was the most profiling Children’s author in history.  She was a remarkable woman who wrote hundreds of books in a career spanning forty years, even her razor sharp mind could never have predicted her enormous global audience. Now, fifty years after her death, Enid remains a phenomenon, with sales outstripping every rival.

Both parents and teachers lobbied against Enid’s books, complaining they were simplistic, repetitive and littered with sexist and snobbish undertones. Blatant racist slurs were particularly shockingly; foreign and working class characters were treated with a distain that horrifies modern readers. But regardless of the criticism, Enid worked until she could not physically write another word, famously producing thousands of words a day hunched over her manual typewriter.

Enid imagined a more remarkable innocent world, where children roamed unsupervised, and problems were solved with midnight feasts or glorious picnics with lashings of ginger beer.   Smugglers, thieves, spies and kidnappers were thwarted by fearless gangs who easily outwitted the police, while popular schoolgirls scored winning goals in nail-biting lacrosse matches.

Enid made sure her image was crafted so that her fans only knew of this sunny persona, but behind the scenes, she weaved elaborate stories to conceal infidelities, betrayals and unconventional friendships, lied about her childhood and never fully recovered from her parent’s marriage collapsing.  She grew up convinced that her beloved father abandoned her for someone he loved more, and few could ever measure up to her impossible standards.

Enid was a complex and immature woman who was plagued by insecurities and haunted by a dark past. She was prone to bursts of furious temper, yet was a shrewd businesswoman years ahead of her time. She may not have been particularly likeable, and her stories infuriatingly unimaginative, but she left a vast literary legacy to generations of children.

I give the Real Enid Blyton five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Little Donkey

 

The Little Donkey

by Gerda Marie Scheidl

Date 18 Oct 2022 

 NorthSouth Books Inc.,  NorthSouth Books

 Children's Fiction  |  Christian 

I am reviewing a copy of The Little Donkey through Northsouth Books and Netgalley:

In this gentle and sweet retelling of the Christmas story, a little donkey sets out on a long journey to Bethlehem.

Along the way he is teased by a Camel and laughed out by other animals.  As he begins to stumble and feel worthless, he begins to stumble and loose heart until a great light guides him to his destination. There he is rewarded for his courage and faith, and learns that the new king loves all creatures.

Reading this sweet little book to the Child or Children in your life would make a great addition to your Christmas Tradition.

I give The Little Donkey five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

BookReview: Jane Austen:A Literary Celebrity

 

Jane Austen

A Literary Celebrity

by Peter J. Leithart

Pub Date 30 Aug 2022 | Archive Date 31 Jan 2023

 Nelson Books,  Thomas Nelson

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  Nonfiction 

I am reviewing a copy of Jane Austen: A  Literary Celebrity through Nelson Books, Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:

Jane Austen is now what she never was in life, and would have been horrified to become a literary celebrity. “Janeia” is the author’s term for the mania for all things Austen. Dive into Jane Austen: A Literary Celebrity and discover:

how it all began and Austen’s love of poetry,her early masterpieces and the inspiration behind the stories,her road to getting published and the health decline that led to her death.

This updated edition of Jane Austen: A Literary Celebrity, offers discussion questions that work well with book clubs and ELA lesson plans. This biography is perfect for: Jane Austen fans and collectors men and women who have enjoyed Austen-inspired films and TV series adaptations

anyone interested in learning about the varied sides of Austen’s character and the characters she created.

If you are looking for a deep delve into Jane’s Austen’s life this is not that, but it showcases how her legend has grown larger than life in the centuries following her death.

I give Jane Austen: A Literary Celebrity five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: A Psalm for Every Season

 

A Psalm for Every Season

30 Devotions to Discover Encouragement, Hope and Beauty

by Arnold R. Fleagle

Pub Date 04 Oct 2022 

 Chosen,  Chosen Books

 Christian  |  Nonfiction (Adult)  |  Religion & Spirituality

I am reviewing a copy of A Psalm For Every Season through Chosen and Netgalley:

Both the men and women of the Bible turned to the Psalms for inspiration through the greatest tragedies in their lives as well as through the greatest triumphs.

Millenniums later we still turn to the same Psalms when we seek comfort and wisdom.

Dr. Arnold Fleagle explores 30 poignant passages in the Psalms, with depth and insight.  In A Psalm for every season s 30 poignant passages in the Psalms, showing how their unchanging truths address virtually every facet of the human experience. Complete with a takeaway thought and prayer, each entry in this beautiful devotional comes to life through captivating artwork from renowned calligrapher Timothy Botts.

Whether or not you are on the mountaintop of praise and celebration or walking through the dark valley of grief and desperation, this journey through the Psalms offers encouragement and hope for every season of your life.

I give A Psalm for Every Season five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Breaking Open

 

Breaking Open

How Your Pain Becomes the Path to Living Again

by Jacob Armstrong

Pub Date 19 Jul 2022 

 Thomas Nelson--W Publishing,  Thomas Nelson

 Christian 

I am reviewing a copy of Breaking Open through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:

We live in a broken world and as such we ache to go through life without giving up or in.  Jesus offers us another option, instead of breaking down we can break open.

We ache to be whole, we ache to be healed, we ache to be restored.  But most of the time we are unable to put it into words.  We are broken because we have a child whose fell into addiction We ache because the depression of our youth is now the depression of our golden years. We are stretched to the point of breaking because our career ambitions position us to commit to a pace we can’t sustain. Miscarriage, divorce, loneliness. In all of it, we ache.

In Breaking Open Pastor Jacob Armstrong exposes the seven dangerous ways that we commonly seek to avoid a breakdown, showing how these seven ways are stealing life from us, and then walks us through a progression of seven Jesus-ways that move us from merely breaking to breaking open. 

 It is these Jesus-ways tha get us to the good stuff: a life filled with hope and opportunity.

Jesus never meant for us to break and stay shattered, instead he wants us to fall and rise differently.  We are meant to rise up with hope, with purpose with power.  We will rise changed and find a new way of living.

I give Breaking Open five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review:When Faith Meets Therapy

 

When Faith Meets Therapy

Find Hope and a Practical Path to Emotional, Spiritual, and Relational Healing

by Anthony Evans; Stacy Kaiser

Pub Date 16 Aug 2022 | Archive Date 01 Nov 2022

 Thomas Nelson--W Publishing,  Thomas Nelson

 Christian  |  Health, Mind & Body

I am reviewing a copy of When Faith Meets Therapy through Thomas-Nelson and Netgalley:

Believers are not immune to life’s difficulties, nor are we immune to mental health challenges, yet often we resist talking to a Mental Health professional when we most need them.  People of faith who are battling issues such as anxiety, depression, life changes, stress, or relationship problems may suffer in silence, believing things will get better if only their faith was stronger, they prayed more, or they had more self-discipline. The stigma about needing to seek help is all too real.

When Faith Meets Therapy reminds the reader that seeking help for your mental health care does not make you weak, nor does it make someone less faithful, we all need help from time to time, the good Lord understands that. Seeking help is in fact a sign that  professional help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign that someone is serious about moving forward emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Written by producer, artist, and author Anthony Evans, along with licensed psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser, When Faith Meets Therapy dispels the cultural myths and stigmas that surround professional therapy; shares stories from the authors’ personal experiences and from others who are facing life’s challenges; and provides practical steps that readers can take in the pursuit of emotional, relational, and spiritual progress.

I give When Faith Meets Therapy Five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!