2003 -2004
 Goodbye Gutenberg:
How a Bronx Teacher Defied 500 Years of Tradition and Launched an
Astonishing Renaissance by Valerie Kirschenbaum.  PLUS TEN MORE STARS **********
FIFTEEN IN ALL , November 29, 2004
What a beautiful book. What an astounding presentation. An exceptional
Christmas present for a teacher, a writer, or a graphics illustrator,
a present they will long remember and forever thank you for. Will we
watch black and white TV if we have color? So asks Valerie
Kirschenbaum, why should a novel or any other book, for that matter be
just verbal and not visual? Why cannot a book be beautiful as well as
verbally exciting? She goes back to the gorgeous, illustrated books
created before Gutenberg took over printing and wonders why we cannot
return to that glorious time, when digital printing now makes graphics
and various font styles bring alive the pages of our stories. She
points out that we read not only to stimulate our imaginations, but
our basic emotions: fear, loathing, love, awe, etc. How can we
proclaim a revolution in the study of the mind while simultaneously
insisting that the findings of those studies must be presented in the
same old black and white way? From teaching in the Bronx, her
laboratory for what excites lethargic inner city students to wake up
and read, she makes us see that there is hope not only for reading,
but for teaching, with this new renaissance in publishing. Truly, she
has written and designed a masterpiece, for every page is a joy to
behold. A watershed book.
 Year
Of The Tiger by S Owen Smith:  Timely, a powerful story and an
excellent read, October 31, 2004. Seldom does a military thriller
come into purview at a more propitious time, when world events are
moving rapidly toward the establishment of China as a modern day super
power. If you love to learn all about the wide range of high-tech
military assets that America owns, this author fills the bill, as well
as giving you the exciting story of an up to date woman pilot out to
prove her mettle. The author brings together the distinct possibility
of war between China and the U.S. with all its frightening
consequences. You will be thrown into the grips of such a horrific
event. If you love Clancey, you will love this book. There are a lot
of actresses in Hollywood who are going to be fighting over the role
of Kelly Owen, modern day Warrior Woman.
 The
Family : The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty by Kitty Kelley: Fun Read , September 24,
2004. This book is a fun read and has a lot of good history in it.
Those who are denigrating it as propaganda of the liberal left have
not read it. Most of the charges against the Bushes in this book are
common knowledge. We have just never seen them all bundled up like
Kitty Kelley has done it. The Bushes are a scary family and they have
been feeding at the government trough for nearly 100 years while
claiming they are against government welfare. What a bunch of phonies.
But Kelley is not nearly as mean to them as she could have been.
 Pick
Your Poison (Yellow Rose Mystery Series) by Leann Sweeney: Great introduction to a terrific
new Texas series, August 6, 2004. Add Abby Rose to your list of
favorite female detectives. She knocks the sox off those early
entries, Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher. I started out to read a few
pages and first thing I knew, I had read 100. Terrific fresh voice
from this author and a lot of fun to read.
Dissensions
by George Klein: Strange goings on in
Academia-land, August 1, 2004. The Univeristy of Illouria hired
Rob Venestra for his geological expertise to develop a new program.
Several professors then try to oust his department head. Rob and
others support the head with whom Rob has developed great rapport.
Then the head professor turns on Rob and asks him to leave. Rob
refuses. This is an interesting viewpoint about the politics and
diversity of university life, probably indicative of colleges and
universities across the land. George Klein is a geological consultant
who lives in Houston. George's first novel is based on a ringside seat
at many intra-departmental fights among university professors
scrambling to keep their research and teaching programs going with
limited resources.
 The
Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason:  A real yawner, June 11, 2004.
The writing is smooth. The narrative is even. But's there's no story
there, as Gertrude would have said. I got to page 135 and could not
care any longer. These guys should go back to Novel Writing 101. They
must be laughing all the way to bank, however, having masterminded
this [is not the way to be] brilliant bestseller.
 Big
Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth
by Joe Conason: Names names, tells facts,
June 6, 2004. There is nothing wishy-washy about this book. It names
names and tells facts, and you know they are true or the author would
be in the midst of the biggest libel suit ever instituted. Besides,
you read most of it in the newspaper; it was just never brought
together in one catalog as it is in this book. It's a shame more of
these neo-cons are not in jail. The only thing standing between them
and bars is their good friend the attorney general. Read this book!
2003
 Afraid
of the Dark by Michelle Devlin: Touching story based on real life, November
25, 2003. This touching novel is based on real life experiences and
continualy amazes the reader with its insight and self discovery.
Afraid of the dark for most of her 29 years, Ali Connery faces and
deals with her fears and nightmares through the insistence of her
patient, ever-loving husband. Through a whirlwind ride of discouraging
memories and drug and alcohol abuse, she labors to discover the sweet,
lovable person buried inside the trashheap of her mind. The writing is
clear, unburdened with sentimentality, and easy to read.
 Fallen
Angels and the Origins of Evil: Why Church Fathers Suppressed the Book
of Enoch and Its Startling Revelations by Elizabeth Clare Prophet.
False Science, August 1,
2003. This book is masquerading under false pretenses. How can you use
one MYTH to verify another MYTH? This book assumes that what the Bible
says about Angels is not true. Well, of course, it is not ture. There
are no angels. Then it procedes to try to tell us that the reason
Biblical angels may not be not true is that the suppressed Book of
Enoch gives startling revelations about angels that are true. Give me
a break! Give me several breaks! What phony science.
 The
Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Oasis in a desert of books,
July 29, 2003. Haven't read a thriller since Kolympsky Heights or
Fourth Protocol that is good as this one. It turned me on to Brown's
previous books. Angels & Demons is even better than this one, but
with the same Robert Langdon in charge. At any rate, get both of them,
read A&D first, in possible. You won't be able to put either one
down. I read straight through them in a couple of days and am now on
Brown's earlier work, Deception Point. (Roger's Note: I liked it so
much, I read it and reviewed it twice!) Delivers, July 20, 2003. This story
delivers the promise of excitement from the first page. It's a can't
put it downer in more ways than one. If you enjoy intellectual
puzzles, you'll find this book right down your Rubic's cube. Few
writers could write this book; it required a brilliant mind. Reading
it, though, is easy. If it upsets the Christian mythologists, so be
it. It's about time their brains got a jolt. However, in the final
analysis, it's doubtful if they have been done any harm, despite all
their screaming in the previous reviews. This is a fast paced story
and you won't be able to quit reading once you start.
 Deception
Point by Dan Brown. Spectacular! Brilliant! A Real
Page Turner, July 31, 2003. Unbelievably good. Out-Crichtons
Michael. Out-Clanceys Tom. What a brilllant mind. First Dan Brown
builds a fantastic hypothesis and then slowly undoes it. This man
should work for the CIA, he is such a brain! This is a terrific story
about how NASA falls on its own sword. The characters are well drawn,
the women especially. The inside workings of politics is a fun story.
How can one writer know so much? One of the best thrillers I have read
in several years. Every chapter is a cliff-hanger. When a NASA
satellite in the Arctic discovers a meteorite buried deep in a
glacier, the foundering Agency grabs the publicity to save it from
being voted out of existence by dollar-hungry senators and
representatives. The president is also in need of a something to boost
his sagging polls. This looks like the life-saver, until it begins to
look like a gigantic hoax. And on top of that, someone is willing to
kill, and does murder several scientists, in order to prevent
exposure. You won't be able to put this down, once you start it. A
high-concept novel, yet thoroughly believable.
2001 Reviews
2002
Reviews |
Note
to Readers: I generally review the books
that leave a lasting impression on me, either because they
exceeded my expectation or left me feeling I didn't get my money's
worth. Many of my book opinions are posted on Amazon, and they're
just that -- my opinions. As you read my reviews, look for the
"Note from Roger." There are books powerful enough I
find myself reading them twice, and certain passages more than
that, when trying to figure out how the author managed to
accomplish such an engrossing read. Consider the "Note from
Roger" my second impression and a few additional stars
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that says "Was this review helpful?" I hope you'll enjoy
the books I ranked 5-Stars as much as I did.