Read Everything!!

 News: Looking for something great to read over the Christmas break? Have a look at these suggestions from  Haley Pham... and have a very happy holiday!! Mr. Wedel

  Book Review:  Hannah Doe and Hannah Dory. They are one and the same person but living in different times and places. It’s 1397 and Hannah Dory is in a life and death struggle against starvation. Stealing to keep her family alive seems her only option. If she is caught, will the local baron make her pay with her life? On January 17/23, Hannah Doe is admitted to the Belman Memorial Psychiatric Hospital. She is allegedly experiencing auditory and visual hallucinations. Is she crazy, or does she actually exist in two different times and places at once. “The Girl in the Castle” by James Patterson and Emily Raymond takes this intriguing story setup and runs fast and hard with it. It’s an adrenaline laced, heart breaking ride – and weirdly believable. Natasha Preston (The Cellar) calls it “a brilliant and mysterious novel with a gripping plot”, and Kerri Maniscalco (Kingdom of the Wicked) says “fast-paced and unputdownable… will keep readers turning pages well into the ni...

  Book Review:  “Drawing from intensive on-the-ground reporting in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon, Murry presents a compelling case that places the latest violence in   its proper historical context. He takes readers on a harrowing journey through the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, piecing together the   exclusive accounts from victims, survivors, and even the terrorists responsible for the atrocities.”   (On Democracies and Death Cults) I picked up Douglas Murray’s “On Democracies and Death Cults” on the 2 nd anniversary (Oct. 7, 2025) of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Two years gone by since the horrific news and the ensuing images and stories dropped. Two years of seemingly senseless demonstrations across the western world in support of the perpetrators of the horrendous atrocities. Two years of confused messaging from our governments, and a rise in antisemitism worldwide not seen since the Nazi era. With the Oct. 10 th Israel/Hamas peac...

  Book Review: “Only in silence the word, Only in dark the light Only in dying life: Bright the hawk’s flight On the empty sky.”   So begins Ursula Le Guin’s fantasy classic, “A Wizard of Earthsea”. The novel has garnered multiple awards since its release in 1968 and is widely recognized as one of the most influential works in the genre (Stephen Kings calls Le Guin a literary icon ). Now it is available in a sumptuous graphic novel by Fred Fordham (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, and A Brave New World graphic adaptations). Personally, I was excited to purchase this book. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle (A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu, Tales from Earthsea, and The Other Wind) occupied a very special place in my teenage reader’s heart. With great anticipation I slid the volume from its packaging and opened the pages. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had already blocked out the visuals in my imagination years ago. Now, ho...

 Book Review:   “If you want to make the world better, this is the book to read.”        ( Bibek Debroy, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India)                 Want to do some good, make a difference, save the world? If yes, then Bjorn Lomborg (president of the Copenhagen Consensus think tank and one of the world’s 100 most influential people according to Time Magazine) has some essential thoughts to share with you in his 2023 book “Best Things First” . Many of us with good hearts and the best of intentions spend our time, energy, and resources with frustratingly little result. Why? I’m convinced it is because we need more than good hearts – we need informed clear heads. “Best Things First” brings just such insight and clarity. “We’ve promised everything to everyone, but we’re failing. Based on peer-reviewed research, here are 12 most efficient solutions for the poorer half of the...

 Book Review: “The Silver Blonde” by Elizabeth Ross is a straight ahead who-dun-it set in post WWII Hollywood. The baffling murder of a beautiful stand-in actress on the grounds of a major motion picture company becomes a young German immigrant’s obsession. Eighteen-year-old Clara who works aa a “vault girl” at the studio is the one who finds the silver blonde’s remains, the one who knows the police are on the wrong track, and the one who hunts down the real murderer. Being an enthusiast of silver screen era films, this book had an immediate appeal for me. In my mind I pictured the story in glorious black and white, complete with the glamourous gowns, smart suits, and moody sets making the very most of film noirish light and shadow. References to many well-loved films from the time established a sense of context and pleasurable familiarity. The more I read, the more immersive the experience became. Character’s voices took on the timbre and attitude of film icons from the 40’s, s...