Raven Report for July 12

Members of the Nevermore Book Club are reading all sorts of books this summer!  First up was Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls, a fictionalized account of her grandmother's life.  If you want to understand the dysfunctional family from Walls' best-selling memoir The Glass Castle, by all means read Half Broke Horses.  Both books are unforgettable.

The Mullah's Storm  by Thomas W. Young is a thriller, set in Afghanistan. A plane transporting a radical mullah is forced down in the mountains during a winter storm.  Major Parson and Master Sergeant Gold must try to get their prison to a Special Unit team stationed nearby, but the Taliban are closing in.  Even though this is fiction, the details about the terrain and military operations ring true:  the author served in the Air National Guard in Afghanistan and has written several non-fiction books about the military.  This debut novel is getting rave reviews, including one from our book club reader!

Tom Clancy's Dead or Alive is a return to form for the best-selling author.  Fans will be glad to know that both Jack Ryan and his son, Jack Ryan, Jr. appear in this book, but you don't have to have read previous books to enjoy this one. Jack Jr. and his team are searching for the terrorist mastermind who has carried out successful attacks again the U.S. and its allies.  Clancy's co-author, Grant Blackwood,  has worked with another industry giant, Clive Cussler, and is a navy veteran to boot.  The expertise shows in this fast-paced thriller.

Hope Ladley travels from farm to farm, cooking for the men who come to help with the harvest in Forevermore by Cathy Marie Hake.  When Hope arrives at Jakob Staufer's farm, she finds a family in turmoil over the loss of Jakob's wife and their baby.  Jakob's remaining child, Emmy Lou, is suffering from night terrors after falling down a well and his sister in law is being abused by her husband.  Will Hope's sunny disposition and strong faith be enough to help this family heal?  This sweet and refreshing romance is just the thing for a summer afternoon!