Since being released late last year, Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas has made quite a splash. In addition to the book, it has become an award-winning movie - one that I saw not long ago. Having seen the movie, I thought I knew what I was getting into when I finally decided to pick up the book but I soon learned that the movie did not do justice to it (as is usually … [Read more...]
True Crime: A Killer in the Family
Potential spoiler alert: This Kindle Single is based on a highly publicized true story and the facts are discussed within. Afoot and lighthearted, I take to the open road.....No husband, no wife, no friend, trusted to hear the confession, - Song of the Open Road by Walt WhitmanOn March 1, 1976, William Bradford Bishop Jr., a family man with common … [Read more...]
Angel Killer: Cannibalism, Crime Fighting, and Insanity (Review)
The debate about insanity in criminal defenses has been raging for years, but did you know that it was raging almost 100 years ago? I didn't - I thought that this type of defense was a relatively newer concept and was surprised to learn that I was wrong. Angel Killer: A True Story of Cannibalism, Crime Fighting, and Insanity in New York City by Deborah Blum (a Kindle … [Read more...]
Starvation Heights is Sensational
"Overeating is the vice of the whole human race." - Dr. Linda B. HazzardWow. Just wow. I honestly tried to think of a better word to describe this book, but 'wow' is still the one that comes to mind. You just can't make this stuff up. Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest by Gregg Olsen is a book that will keep you … [Read more...]
The Reality of ‘When Science Goes Wrong’
When I first picked up this book I immediately went to Goodreads to see what other people thought. One of the biggest complaints is that it was too "sciency" or technical, which baffled me because it's about science going wrong. That's right - science. Of course it is going to have some scientific jargon! A chapter about hurricanes would be incomplete without a mention of the … [Read more...]
Kudos for Killing Kennedy
While making the trip from North Carolina to Colorado, I listened to a few audiobooks. One of them was Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard, who also wrote Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever (see my short review here). I started it in Asheville, NC and listened straight through Tennessee, Kentucky … [Read more...]
“The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America” by Erik Larson
When I had about 100 pages left in this book (which is about the Chicago World’s Fair and a notorious serial killer), I had a conversation with a friend of mine and told her that I was having a really difficult time getting through it. I told her I just wanted to finish it and that I wanted the book to be over. She was horrified. She started telling me all of the things that … [Read more...]
“Killing Lincoln: Mini Review
What a great read! Before I read this, I did some researching about it and went into it knowing about the factual errors. Aside from those (and some glaringly obvious grammatical errors that the editing team missed), it was definitely worth my time. I really enjoyed how the book was set up and flowed so easily. While I knew the general story about Lincoln's assassination, I … [Read more...]