Reported by Kristin
Nevermore traveled back to the Golden Age of film with We’ll
Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most
Beloved Movie by Noah Isenberg.
Published 75 years after the 1942 release of the movie, this volume
tells the background of the making of the movie. An exhaustive researcher, Isenberg goes back
to Murray Bennett, the New York City high school teacher who originally
conceived the play “Rick’s Bar Casablanca” on which the 1942 film was based. Our reader proclaimed that the movie was
quite delightful and that if you liked the movie you would surely enjoy the
book.
Next up was The Tristan Betrayal by Robert Ludlum, a
thriller with Stephen Metcalfe, American ambassador, in Russia in 1991. Stephen has a long history in international
affairs, most notably as an intrepid spy who infiltrated the Nazi party during
World War II. In a whirlwind adventure
though Paris, Berlin, and Moscow, Stephen must find an old lover to assist in
his quest to maintain the balance of power in the Russian government. Notably, this novel was published three years
after Ludlum’s death in 2001, and may or may not have been entirely written by
him. Our reader said that this was a fun
read, but by the time it was over she was exhausted by all the adventures.
Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by
former President Jimmy Carter was published a decade ago, but still interested
our next reader. Carter brings an
expansive understanding of the balance of power in the Middle East, and hopes
to promote knowledge that brings peace and understanding to that part of the
world. Our reader said that she was
particularly impressed by the maps provided.
Returning stateside, another reader enjoyed Where Lady
Slippers Grow by Bev Freeman.
Madison McKenzie’s story began in Silence of the Bones, and continued in
this, the second volume of a planned trilogy.
A young woman in East Tennessee, Madison has taken a break from college
and is trying to figure out her direction in life. Back home in small town Cold Creek, she is
pulled into an unexpected role—filling in for the sheriff until an
election. Amidst hikers, murder, and
mayhem, Madison continues her saga. Our
reader enjoyed the book.
Another reader enjoyed My Planet: Finding Humor in the
Oddest Places by Mary Roach. Each
essay in this collection was originally published in Reader’s Digest. Roach, a New York Times best-selling author,
always seems to find the humor in every situation she encounters, and has a
knack for making even difficult topics seem light and humorous. Her husband Ed is the subject of many of
Roach’s musings, from their adventures in programming the television remote to
arranging furniture.
Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the
Arctic by Jennifer Niven is set in 1921, as a young Inuit woman chose
to travel to remote Wrangel Island, far to the northwest of Alaska. Based on previously unpublished journals and
documents, this story is an incredible tale of survival and inner
strength. The sea journey included a cat
(always a draw for some,) considered good luck on the ship. This book comes highly recommended.
Lastly, another reader was intrigued by A Higher Loyalty:
Truth, Lies, and Leadership by James Comey.
This recent memoir by the former FBI director explains many things about
the inner workings of the United States government, including how the FBI is
organized and the scope of investigations that they undertake. Our reader found it really interesting and no
matter how controversial, thinks that Comey is a very honorable man.
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