Janna Wong Healy

An Excellent Story by an Excellent Storyteller

Revisado: 10-13-24

I did not want this book to end. Yes, it was that good.

I never read Brooklyn, Colm Toibin's first novel in this short 2-book series, but the movie was so beautifully realized, directed, and acted, that when I heard a sequel to Eilis Lacey's life -- 20 years later -- was published, I couldn't wait to read it. I was not disappointed.

Right from the start, her marriage with husband Tony is in jeopardy and Eilis is strong in her opinion about how to handle it. When she finds resistance from Tony and his family -- all of whom live in the same cul-de-sac -- she decides to fly home to Ireland, ostensibly to help her mother celebrate her upcoming 80th birthday but mostly to get a break from Tony and his family, who have ideas of their own about how to handle the dramatic moment that has surrounded Eilis, her husband, and their two children.

The author treats this trauma with care and sensitivity, never presenting a right or wrong but leaving that up to the reader.

A real treat for me was listening to the Audible version. The narrator, Jessie Buckley, is superb, rendering both Irish and New York accents with perfection.

I loved this book and will read/listen to it again.

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Another Enjoyable Sherlock Holmes Mystery

Revisado: 10-13-24

If you love mysteries, you'll love this one; if you love Sherlock Holmes mysteries, you'll love it even more! In this latest Holmes adventure created by Nicholas Meyer, the author cleverly brings the British detective and his loyal friend and confidante Watson, across the Atlantic to work on a case in America.

It's smack in the middle of WWI when the British Secret Service suspects Germany has a secret plan to win the war. It's now up to Holmes and Watson to find and decipher the coded telegram that will help the British set a plan in motion to thwart Germany's evil plans. Their efforts almost get both of them killed at different times; place them on a train to Mexico where they have no knowledge of the country or the language; encounter an unknown federal agent named J. Edgar Hoover; and find themselves in the company of a beautiful but mysterious woman.

Narrator David Robb is excellent! His accents are flawless and his diction is perfect.

It's an exciting adventure with an historically serious theme about international intrigue and the horrors of war...everything deftly managed by the excellence and wit of author Nicholas Meyer.

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My Least Favorite McTiernan mystery

Revisado: 10-13-24

I've read several of Dervla McTiernan's mysteries; I particularly enjoy the Cormac Reilly Series. This novel, though, is my least favorite. She spends time introducing two different plot lines and only puts the main characters together in the last third of the book and, at that point, the plot feels rushed, predictable, and unbelievable.

The actions don't move smoothly into each other and the denouement is disappointing.

The narrations are solid and understandable and they do the best they can with subpar material.

I'll take a break from her work for a little while.

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One of my Favorite Biographies!

Revisado: 09-04-24

I don't read biographies often; for some reason, they don't always engage me. But, this one -- Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harris -- is phenomenal! If you are interested in the entertainment industry, it's a biography you must read. Well-written and well-researched about a creative, soulful, funny-as-hell man, author Mark Harris covers Nichols' life from the early days of his childhood when he emigrates from Germany at the age of seven and lands in New York. We learn of his somewhat sad youth, without a mother who was left behind in Germany but eventually joins the family. However, by that time, his parents no longer fit well together.

Nichols' young adult life is filled with matinees at the NY movie theaters, dead-end jobs, a move to Chicago, and...finally...a possible career as an actor. Then he meets Elaine May and their comic routines become extraordinarily popular and Nichols never looks back.

He becomes a master at directing plays of any genre, winning 8 Tony Awards. And then he tries his hand at filmmaking, winning a Best Director Oscar for The Graduate, the second movie in his pantheon. It seems that almost everything he touches turns to gold and it's tremendous fun to read about both the successes and failures (not many) of his career.

The narrator, George Newbern, does a nice job but he tends to become quiet near the end of some sentences. As someone who listens in the car, this is difficult! Otherwise, his work is fine.

This is an arresting, engaging, and completely entertaining biography of a true master. I loved the experience of learning about this brilliant man's life.

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Long But Worth The Listen

Revisado: 07-12-24

The author does a deep dive into the Civil War, beginning with the tensions that spurred the war and moving beyond the last man killed. When the reader moves through the book, we know we are in the hands of a master. He offers every detail available and all without any bias.

If you are interested in learning more about the Civil War, you can hardly do better than this well-researched, well-written book.

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Excellent Depiction of Hard Work Dedication

Revisado: 07-12-24

With author J.D. Vance possibly entering our psyche on a national level, I thought I would check out his autobiography. I am nonplussed that he has created such a successful life considering his start in life. His parents are not nourishing people -- one is an alcoholic, the other a drug abuser -- and he openly admits that from Kindergarten to grade 7, he lived in a different place every year, whether it's with a new husband for his mother, or with a father who gave him up for adoption, or with an aunt or beloved grandmother.

In fact, his grandmother rescues him for this disastrous life and finally gives him some stability, allowing him to study and improve his sense of security. After a stint in the Marines, he enrolls in Ohio State and does so well, he gets himself accepted into Yale Law School, the door to achievement and sanity that he had been lacking for most of his childhood years.

His story is honest and forthright and is one worth reading. More than anything, it's proof that you CAN succeed, even if circumstances indicate that you won't.

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Important Read...

Revisado: 06-01-24

I've read many of Erik Larson's books and I will say that he is an acquired taste. There's no doubt that he is a wonderful researcher (or, has a great research team) and that his writing style makes it feel like you're reading a novel rather than a dry history book. At the same time, he often gets buried in minutiae, offering every, single detail of what he is studying, and that is what happens with this nearly 600-page book.

The subject he studies in The Demon of Unrest concerns the months leading up to the start of the Civil War. He offers details by poring through written documents, including diary entries, letters, newspaper articles, speeches, etc., until the reader is under a giant heap of memories. There's no question about the veracity of his research but there are also moments when he offers details that are not entirely cogent to the story, i.e., what someone likes to wear, how many balls the Southerners attend, etc.

The narration by Will Patton is strong and understandable. He does a great job with such a lengthy book.

Reading for the crux of the story can be a little tiring. But, the story is, of course, important, so it's worth the annoyance about the minutiae to learn more about how the Civil War began.

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For Hollywood gossip lovers!

Revisado: 06-01-24

This biography of a former marine-turned LAPD cop-turned private detective and "Fixer" of thorny problems is at times compelling and at other times in need of more substance.

The author meets Fred Otash, the subject of the biography, after he retires. The two become friends and after Fred's death, the author is told by Otash's surviving daughter that he should be the one to tell her father's story.

In the book, we learn about Fred's work in the LAPD, particularly his clashes with the department's chief, which cause him to quit the force and work independently, becoming a master at setting up surveillance recordings for those in need. Throughout his life, he becomes embroiled in any number of complex situations, the most famous of which involves Marilyn Monroe and her affairs with both JFK and RFK.

The narration is fine -- clear and understandable.

The book is gossipy and entertaining but there are some situations that lack interest or emotion.

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Great & Entertaining Stories

Revisado: 05-07-24

Amor Towles is an author whose writing I will always read because I love the literacy of his work. Table for Two is no exception. I began reading it the day it was released and I wasn't disappointed.

This pastiche is short stories is in two unrelated parts: the first bank of short stories take place in Russia (first) and then New York; the second bank of stories take place in Old Hollywood and feature characters Hollywood aficionados might recognize. One of the Hollywood characters began her adventure in Towles' first novel, Rules of Civility.

The narration is excellent -- a perfect voice to read Mr. Towles' words.

I was engaged and entertained by all of the stories in this collection. But, since I read Rules of Civility so long ago, I didn't remember all of the details re: Eve, the main character in these Hollywood stories.

It ultimately didn't matter. I was pulled into each story and enjoyed them all.

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Horowitz's Mysteries Never Fail to Entertain!

Revisado: 05-07-24

I am an avowed Anthony Horowitz fan; I have read all of his adult-centered books and my favorites among them are the Hawthorne-Horowitz mysteries. These are extremely entertaining detective mysteries and they are particularly witty since the real Anthony Horowitz puts himself into the books as detective Hawthorne's sidekick -- Mr. Watson to Hawthorne's Holmes.

I always love going along for the ride as the mysteries are tricky and unpredictable, yet told with wit and fun.

Close to Death is no different. It's got the typical batch of characters you find in a murder mystery, but with Horowitz's deft touch, they are not at all typical. You think you know where the plot is going and who did it...but you'd be wrong every time.

The narration by Rory Kinnear and Mr. Horowitz himself is superb.

Gads, I wait with baited breath every time I know another one of his mysteries is being published. I read it immediately, and then I'm left bereft that I have to wait years for the next one! Sigh.

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