Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, & technology book reviews, plus social, political, & economic commentary
Becoming a “BCB listener” or “BCL” is one of the world’s easiest-to-begin hobbies. Just switch on your AM radio and start turning its dial. A broadcast-band (BCB) listener seldom leaves his or her AM radio locked onto one favorite, local radio station. Instead, the goal is to tune to other frequencies and hear “local” stations … Continue reading Yes, DO Touch That Dial!
Wrath of the Furies A Novel of the Ancient World Steven Saylor Minotaur Books – hardback, Kindle As a young student, I deliberately avoided the ancient world—all of those armless and headless statues, magnificent carved-stone structures collapsed into rubble, “wonders of the world,” and gods and goddesses who allegedly had both magical powers and … Continue reading WRATH OF THE FURIES: Roman detective Gordianus the Finder tries to go undercover amid angry Greeks bearing arms – #bookreview
Gun Street Girl A Detective Sean Duffy Novel Adrian McKinty Seventh Street Books – paperback, Kindle At first glance, “Gun Street Girl” seems like the title for a cheap, unpromising paperback potboiler. But the good news is, it’s actually Adrian McKinty’s latest Detective Sean Duffy mystery. Readers literally begged McKinty to keep Duffy alive after … Continue reading GUN STREET GIRL: Detective Sean Duffy is back in action, by popular demand! – #mystery #fiction #bookreview
Bleeding Kansas Dave Eisenstark (World Castle Publishing, LLC – paperback, Kindle) It is very tempting to say: “This book is a lot like Huckleberry Finn, but on land, with lots of horses and guns!” However, amid the humor, the horrors and the main character’s many dangerous, coming-of-age adventures, readers also get close, unnerving looks … Continue reading BLEEDING KANSAS: Coming-of-age adventure and danger on the American frontier just before the Civil War – #fiction #bookreview
River of Angels Alejandro Morales (Arte Público Press, paperback ) This third novel by Alejandro Morales is a compelling, evocative portrait of two very different families whose lives become intertwined through their children, in ways both loving and tragic. Set in the 19th and 20th centuries, River of Angels is also the story … Continue reading River of Angels – An excellent tale of two families and their divided city: Los Angeles – #fiction #bookreview
Cowboy Stuntman From Olympic Gold to the Silver Screen Dean Smith with Mike Cox (Texas Tech University Press – hardback, Kindle) Dean Smith won an Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter relays at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. Then the 20-year-old returned home to Northwest Texas, where he had been a rodeo cowboy. Later, … Continue reading BOOK BRIEFS: Movie Stunts, Famous Bandits and a World War I Regiment – #bookreview
The Ides of April A Flavia Albia Mystery Lindsey Davis (Minotaur Books, hardback, paperback, Kindle, Audio CD) Many fans of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries set in first-century Rome will delight in this new spin-off series by London author Lindsey Davis. Readers eagerly seeking another unusual detective to follow may relish this series debut, as … Continue reading The Ides of April – An entertaining new Lindsey Davis detective series debut – #mystery #bookreview
Here are three specialized books for serious readers of specialized topics. The first provides a “comprehensive yet concise overview” of Cormac McCarthy’s “legacy in American literature.” The second examines a 14th century civilization in Central Texas that “represents the last prehistoric peoples before the cultural upheaval introduced by European explorers.” And the third delves into … Continue reading Book Briefs: Cormac McCarthy, Prehistoric Central Texas, Rio Grande border – #bookreview
Sophie’s Diary: A Mathematical Novel Dora Musielak (Math Association of America, hardback) The Mathematical Association of America recently has published the second edition of this intriguing “mathematical novel.” Its story is built around a fictional diary and a real-life French mathematician, Marie-Sophie Germain. The well-written tale imagines Ms. Germain writing down her thoughts and experiences while … Continue reading Sophie’s Diary: A Mathematical Novel – Imagining French mathematician Sophie Germain as a young teen – #bookreview
The Last Camel Charge: The Untold Story of America’s Desert Military Experiment Forrest Bryant Johnson (Berkley Caliber, hardback – Kindle) The U.S. Army employed camels as transportation and pack animals in the American West during the mid-19th century and tried to create “a U.S. camel cavalry, a true camel corps,” the author of this fascinating … Continue reading The Last Camel Charge – An intriguing look at America’s pre-Civil War desert military experiment – #bookreview
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