Book Review: “Madame Presidentess” by Nicole Evelina

It’s election season 2016 and as we look to the possibility of electing a female president for the first time, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to read this book, “Madame Presidentess”, about the first woman to run for president in this country. That’s right! Hilary Clinton is not the first woman to RUN for president. That honor belongs to Victoria Woodhull who was a candidate for election in 1872 as an independent. Mrs. Woodhull, sometimes referred to as “Queen Victoria” turns out to be a fascinating character. She did not have an idyllic childhood and certainly did not come from money, but she was passionate about rights for women and never let anybody tell her she couldn’t do something because of her gender. Victoria was the daughter of a con-man who was mean and abusive to his children, but she was determined to have something better. On her way to becoming a presidential candidate she was also the first woman to own a Wall Street brokerage firm. Her naysayers along the way were vicious in their attacks and more than one friend turned against her but she never stopped believing in her cause.

If you’ve been following me for a while you know that I occasionally enjoy exploring the lesser known corners of history. This book is no exception. I found the life of Victoria Woodhull to be fascinating and the author has done an excellent job in telling it. I have to say that I’ve never really given too much thought to the feminist movement before the 20th century and this book really opened my eyes to the work that was being done by women starting in the 2nd century of this country. Victoria Woodhull and her fellow suffragists didn’t get to see all the fruits of their labor during their lifetimes but I suspect that they look down with pride at what has been accomplished with the groundwork they laid. While the reader may not agree with everything she espoused (do any of us ever agree 100% with another person’s views), she is nevertheless a hero of the women’s movement in the United States and should be remembered as such. I highly recommend this book.

Alinefromabook’s rating: TWO THUMBS-UP!!

Happy Reading!

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Book Review: “Constant Guests” by Patricia Nedelea

Isa has just found out that her parents are not really her parents. Her birth mother has been in a coma for 20 years and has woken up, only to die just as Isa sees her for the first time. Then Isa is attacked in the hospital bathroom by an unknown assailant. When she discovers a picture hidden in her mother’s watch she can no longer resist the urge to find out everything she can about this mysterious woman. Her quest will take her all over Europe, to big cities and small towns, and put her life in danger. Along the way she will uncover deeply guarded secrets and her strength will be tested again and again.

This is a fast-paced book with lots of twists and turns. Isa and Mark are well developed characters, but Isa is not the most likeable person. She’s brash and harsh and doesn’t trust easily but as her story unfolds her personality begins to make sense. Mark, on the other hand, is very likeable. He defends Isa from the first moment he sees her and before the journey is over will put his life on the line for her. I think this book will appeal to young adults but history lovers may also enjoy this book because of the historical context of the story.

Alinefromabook’s rating: THUMBS-UP!

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Available on Amazon

Book Review: “To Catch a Bad Guy” by Marie Astor

This is a fun little romance wrapped up in a securities fraud investigation. Janet Maples is a lawyer who has recently been downsized out of the District Attorney’s office. After a few months of unemployment, she accepts an offer to work with her childhood friend Lisa Foley in the legal department of Bostoff Securities. Lisa is more interested in marrying one of the Bostoff heirs than in doing any legal work, but Janet wants to actually be earning her paycheck. Janet thinks it pretty strange that Bostoff has a legal department but sends all the actual legal work out of house to Tom Wyman. When Janet receives notice of an upcoming audit she decides to review the client files to make sure all the paperwork is in order. Meanwhile, Dennis, the IT guy, is trying very hard to cozy up to Janet, but is he attracted to her or is there an ulterior motive. Janet’s loyalties and her heart will both be put to the test before this story is over.

I enjoyed this story, especially the interplay between the main characters. Janel and Lisa are such opposites and yet they have been best friends since childhood. Lisa is forever trying to match Janet up; Janet is forever trying to resist her efforts. I would classify this book as a legal romance with well-drawn characters and a relevant theme.

Alinefromabook’s rating: THUMBS-UP!

Happy Reading!

Available on Amazon

TBR Update

I have spent the last week totally overhauling my TBR. I decided to create a database of all my books to help me in tracking not only their whereabouts but also my reviews. This turned out to be easier than I expected when I discovered that Access comes with a library template. All I had to do was change a couple of column names and add a few fields. What will take me a while yet is inputting all the books into the database.

What I have ended up with is a total of 276 books in my library, digital and hardcopy, that I have not read, but I am only considering books to be on my TBR if I have actually starting reading them. That number is 5, which psychologically is much more manageable that 276. Hopefully in the next week I will be posting reviews of

“To Catch A Bad Guy” by Marie Astor

and “Constant Guests” by Patricia Nedelea

That’s a sneak peek at what’s coming in the next 7 days. After that it might get a little slower in here because I go back to work next week with the start of a new school year.

Happy Reading!

 

 

Book Review: “Social Engineer” by Ian Sutherland

How safe is your intellectual property? Maybe not as a safe as it should be. Brody Taylor is a hacker and social engineer, and he’s the go-to guy if your security needs to be tested. Brody is currently investigating at a pharma company that is on the verge of a breakthrough in Alzheimer’s treatment. He also recently met Melanie, an animal rights activist. Will his investigation interfere with his relationship? Can a man who makes a living telling lies even have a relationship?

This is the first story in the Brody Taylor series which draws the reader into the world of cyber-security. This is a short story, at about 60 pages, so there is not a lot of character development but what I saw of Brody made him a very likeable character. I think there is a lot to be explored in this genre and I look forward to reading more in this series. I think readers who enjoy cyber stories and those who enjoy mysteries can all find something to like in this series. The internet is here to stay and what better way to enjoy it than in the pages of a good book.

Alinefromabook’s rating: THUMBS-UP!

Happy Reading!

Available on Amazon

Book Review: “All These Perfect Strangers” by Aoife Clifford

A powerful debut from a bright new voice in fiction! Penelope Sheppard leaves her small hometown in Australia to attend University. She sees this as an opportunity to escape her past and start a new life. Six months later three of her new friends are dead and her past is coming back to haunt her. Forced to return home, she must now recount her story to a therapist and the police. Will Pen be able to move forward with a new life or will the series of tragic life events continue?

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book. A little dark at times, but compelling nonetheless. In Pen, the author has created a character that is engaging and likeable. There were moments when I felt sorry for her and all the tragedy she had experienced, and there were times when I just wanted to shake some sense into her. It was this love/hate that kept me involved in the story. The narrative moves back and forth between what is happening at college and what happened while she was in high school so you have to get to the end to know the whole story. I think this book will be especially appealing to young adults but if you like psychological stories you will also find this book enjoyable. The only thing I didn’t like about this book is that it ended. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Alinefromabook’s rating: THUMBS-UP!

Happy Reading!

Available on Amazon

Thank you to NetGalley and Alibi for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: “The Hotel Westend” by Ashley Lynch-Harris

A great new entry in the cozy mystery genre! Elsie and Frances Maitland are sisters who love to solve puzzles. Frances is the adventurous one who likes to take chances, while Elsie is usually reserved and lets her sister take the lead. Prior to the start of the story, Frances is in a jet-ski accident which leaves her disabled. She also makes her living writing mystery stories. As the story opens, Elsie has decided to go rock-climbing in her sister’s place, but when she takes a wrong turn she ends up at the Hotel Westend. Several other guests are arriving on the same day, all of whom were staying there 20 years ago when a murder was committed. In the middle of the night, all the guests are awakened by the sound of a crying baby. When the dust settles, two people are dead and everyone is a suspect.

I loved the tone of this mystery which is reminiscent of Agatha Christie. The author has assembled and engaging cast of characters, from the elderly priest to the town gossip, and everything in between. Elsie is adorable as the reluctant yet persistent investigator. There are hints of more great things to come from the Maitland sisters and I look forward to seeing more from this author. This is a great book for lovers of cozy, Christie-style mysteries.

Alinefromabook’s rating: THUMBS-UP!

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Available on Amazon

Book Review: “A Charleston Yankee” by Michael Mercurio

Goodreads blurb:
Amid the turbulent 1960s arises an intriguing tale of love, betrayal, and death in the ever-historic Charleston, South Carolina. As marine maverick Mike Romano steps off the naval base, he has no inkling of what civilian life has in store for him. After retrieving his wife from his hometown of New York City, he launches a new career as an insurance salesman, with a fire for putting the past behind him and achieving great success.

But Mike quickly finds himself hawking burial insurance and collecting weekly premiums in a predominately black ghetto. This isn’t what he had envisioned, but the exposure ignites a different kind of internal flame—one that is quiet but strong. It gets him involved in a political group intent on positive social change, which introduces him to a fascinating, wealthy, older woman with high political ambitions who sets her sights on him. As his involvement in the civil rights movement intensifies, so does the groundswell against the Vietnam War. Tensions rise along with racial hostility, murders, bombings, and burnings, and Mike soon realizes that America is no longer the country he once swore to defend.

Experience these historical and iconic events, through the life of one passionate man in search of personal fulfillment and public justice.

My thoughts:
I found this story to be a fascinating look at a critical time in our nation’s history. Not having grown up in the south, I have to say I was rather blissfully unaware of the issues of racism and prejudice in our country until as an adult I went to school in Tennessee. I found Mike to be very effective at delineating the issues when he and his wife faced them. Since he was from New York, and in the beginning of the story, new to Charleston, I think he was able to see the broader picture and how the mindset of segregation in the South was holding back the forward movement of the country. I also think that given what our country is going through now, it is nice to be reminded of the progress that we have made and the struggle we went through to get this far. The author did a great job not only with presenting the themes of the story, but also of describing Charleston as it was at the time, from the sweeping mansions to the tenements, the reader gets a view of the whole of the city. I would recommend this book to any reader of fiction and lovers of a good story.

Alinefromabook’s rating: THUMBS-UP!

Happy Reading!

Available on Amazon