The Defector by Mark Chisnell

Games, drugs, risks, and lots of illegal money....that is what Janac was made of, and what he underhandedly pulled Martin into whether Martin wanted in or not.

Martin had flown to Thailand because of his guilt from a traffic accident, a girl, and the loss of his lucrative job.  Martin had been a successful financial banker until an accident that ruined his life.  He wasn't in this accident, but he had been the cause of it and the cause of the deaths of eighteen people.  You will like Martin and feel his agony and concerns about what he unintentionally got himself into with Janac and how he realizes there is no way out.

Janac is someone you at first think is going to be a good friend since he saved Martin from some thugs.  It turned into exactly the opposite...Janac was evil and someone to be feared and someone who made it lethal and fatal if you didn't comply with his requests. You will hate Janac as quickly as you were thankful for his appearing on the scene to rescue Martin.

Janac is a player of dangerous mind games.  The "games" Janac plans for Martin and others get more dangerous each time, and Martin can't escape Janac's grip and power.  Much to Martin's disgust, the games continue with nothing he can to do but comply.

The first and recurring game Martin's fate was hinging on was a game called:  The Prisoner's Dilemma.   This game involved decisions of choosing to care only for oneself or caring for others with major consequences for either choice.  Janac's games were a means of control that gave him the power he wanted and gave his "victims" no choice but to play along.

Martin described the evilness of Janac like this:  "I can't convey the nature of that voice.  It was beyond bad, beyond threatening, beyond evil.". Page 57

THE DEFECTOR is an outstanding thriller right until the last page...you never know when Janac or any of his counterparts may appear or who really is working with him.  It is all about control, cruelty, and payback in the name of money and drugs.  You will follow Martin through all of the terror and hope he makes the correct decision in Janac's games.   

This book has a decision after decision plot.....decisions that yield only an outcome of life or death.....nothing in between.

So, dear reader, you have no choice but to read this book….make that very smart decision.  You won’t regret it….gripping, intense, intriguing. 5/5

Wallflower by Holly-Jane Rablens

Molly Lenzfeld always considered herself a wallflower.  She said no one ever asked her to dance or paid attention to her since she was so tall.  Coming from New York City and being in Berlin while her father was working as a theoretical chemist was an adventure for her in more than one way.

On Thanksgiving Day, she was on her way to see where her mother had lived as a child.  She was not to be gone the entire day, but as she rode the subway system, a handsome young man caught her fancy and she caught his.

The book tells of their day and how Molly turned a trip to visit the town where her mother lived into a love story.

The book is a quick, sweet read.  You get to experience the emotions Molly experiences as she is with this stranger whom she feels is her real first love. 

The author did a great job with conversation which made up the most of the book.   I really enjoyed the chapter titles....they were clever and stretched your imagination concerning what was going to happen in the next few pages.

You will love Molly...a sweet, innocent character who wears her emotions on her sleeve.  Mike her friend from the subway is an interesting character as well.  He is unique in his dress, his humor, and his manner.  

I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in love...and that would probably be just about all of us.  

Excellent book...well written and interesting content.  It is a true love story with added suspense and hope.  5/5

Chasing the Red Car by Ellen Ruderman

 

A book about politics, a young girl's life, her liberal attitude, and US history during the McCarthy Era. 

Kim's liberal attitude started at home.  She called her parents by their first names without any objection from them, but even though Kim was free to call her parents by their first names, she had to walk on egg shells because of her mother.  She never knew what would set her off.  Her parents' constant fighting was very unsettling for Kim and her younger sister.  The summer before Kim was to enter high school, her father had a job change, and a move was necessary.

Their move from New York to California was quite traumatic for Kim, but her mother was excited.  The move/drive to California actually was a humorous part of the book. 

When they did arrive at their new home, not much had changed with her parents, and the teenage concern about school and finding friends was utmost in Kim's mind.  She did find a good friend with whom she shared adventures….they remained friends into adulthood.  Kim commented:  "No matter how bad things get at home, when I'm on this trolley and were going someplace, life is good."  Page 55. 

School also became a haven for her writing and for her political views that were published in a school newspaper.  Her haven became as chaotic as her home life after tragedy struck her favorite teacher, Mr. Samuels. 

High school ended, and Kim enrolled in UCLA.  The troubles at home continued, but she met a man who helped her through them and through school.  He made her forget what was going on at home and what had made her the way she has been her entire life.  Lucien made her realize she had to live her life and complete whatever she needed to do for herself.  He was the love of her life and she of his….so they thought.

The book moves through Kim's life at the university and then jumps forward to her adult life.  She had a great deal of heartache in her life because of family problems...tissues needed at times.

The story of Kim Lebow kept my interest for the most part, but since I am not political or liberal, portions of the book were not to my liking.   The storyline veered away from liberalism as it moved into Kim's adulthood and was on a more personal level, but then her life and the story came full circle and many answers were revealed to her.  The book was very well written and brought attention to social as well as mental issues which can ruin lives.

Not sure what to rate it....I liked the personal level, but truly didn't like the political and liberal aspect.

Moonlight on Linoleum by Terry Helwig

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Welcome to the 50's.....Grandma and Grandpa taking care of children, Mom gone, only Dad.  Doesn't sound like the 50's to me....sounds more like the way families are today.

Moonlight on Linoleum is a nostalgic trip back to a life that should have been filled with stable families, but it had two sweet girls who were left with their father and grandparents in Iowa while Mama fulfilled dreams of her own.

And…..Mama wasn't done fulfilling her dreams...more sisters arrived and more new schools. Mama liked to go out and leave Terry in charge.  One year the girls were in their third school, but at least with this move they had a house to live in instead of a cramped apartment.  That didn't last too long, though.  They moved again, and Mama kept on with her antics and with Terry in charge of the girls.

Wow...what an outstanding memoir.  This memoir definitely held my interest and made me feel for the children and how they had to endure their childhood as always the new kid at school and not really a kid at home since they always had to do chores that were an adult's.  It is hard to believe how resilient we are as children.

This sentence stuck with me: "How was it possible that moonlight on linoleum, washed with my tears, could be so achingly beautiful?"  Page 218  I shed and shared Terry’s tears as I read this incredible book.

I have to call you marvelous, Terry.  Being able to live like you did as a child and to turn out like you did is truly amazing.  You are such a goodhearted person and such a good daughter and above all a WONDERFUL, loving sister.

An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff

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Maurice had never met anyone like Laura and Laura had never met anyone like Maurice.  They were from two different worlds.  Laura doesn't know why she stopped and turned back after Maurice asked her for some money, but she is glad she did.  

Through Maurice, Laura learned about the life he and thousands of others were living on a daily basis....not a pleasant life at all.  Laura was helping Maurice to live a better life at least one day a week, and it seemed to be paying off since she could see a change in him even though he had to go back to his horrible living conditions after he left her.

As well as learning about the living conditions of others, the author also gave the reader a chance to find out that her childhood/family life was not very easy.....her father was an abusive alcoholic, and her mother sat by not being able to defend herself or her children.  Obviously the author's childhood and the childhood of her brothers and sisters had an impact on their entire life and on her decision to turn back and fulfill Maurice’s plea for help.  

The descriptions in the book are very detailed and heartbreaking but also heartwarming.  You will become a part of the lives of every character and you will feel their pain and happiness.

An Invisible Thread is the perfect title for this book.  The book brought to the surface that we all have a connection to other human beings even though that connection may not be outwardly visible. 

I truly enjoyed the book because of the honesty of feelings and of human kindness and human connection.  This is a must read.   Laura Schroff is a brave woman to reveal all this about her life, but it definitely will make you realize that no matter how small the gesture may be, we can make a difference for someone else.  5/5

While I Was Learning to Become God by Roxana Jones

A beautifully written and detailed book.  A story that will make you feel as though you are actually living that specific moment with Sybil. 

You will find out about Sybil's unhappy, overly protected childhood and how she dealt with it all and how it affected her entire life.  You will find out about the angel Sybil listened to and the angel she doubted as she got older.  Her strong-willed mother, loveless childhood, and times of poverty definitely affected her life decisions.

Despite any setbacks in her life, though, she managed to find her inner peace.

This quote early in the book sums up the emotional state of the book.  It is an enjoyable read as well as a heart wrenching and soul searching book.

Page 16 - "It was the beginning of her emotional relationship with people other than the family she'd been born into.  Aura was the first person who hurt her.  From her, she would learn about bitterness and frustration, about the failure of some human beings to see that hate is only an inch from love, and that we have in us the power to join them or keep them apart."

If you want a book that will make you think and listen to your inner yourself, you will want to read Sybil's story.

Eleanor Roosevelt's Life of Soul Searching and Self Discovery by Ann Atkins

 

Just in time for Eleanor’s birthday on October 11.  :)

A childhood of neglect and a feeling of inadequacy is how Eleanor Roosevelt grew up. 

Her marriage to her fifth cousin was no better for her self-esteem....Franklin Delanor Roosevelt was a womanizer with a mother who had control over him and also Eleanor.  Eleanor was a woman of the era in which she lived, and she live it well and the way a woman was expected to live even at her expense.  She was a powerful woman despite the way she had to live, and then she realized she could make a difference and came out of her shell to do remarkable things in history.  She thankfully is our history. 

The book was very well researched....I learned many facts I was not aware of.   It was a splendid re-living of history for me.  I didn't know Eleanor was at the heart of the New Deal and many other programs....I must not have been paying attention in history class.  The beautiful photos also enhanced the story. 

The author, Ann Atkins, asked if you want to order a book it is best to do it from her web site - better price, free shipping and some of the proceeds go to charity. 

Ann Atkins

www.annatkins.com