Currently Reading:

The Big Lie: A Jack Swyteck Novel
by James Grippando
Harper
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

The country is reeling. For the sixth time in American history, the winner of the popular vote will not occupy the Oval Office. President Malcolm MacLeod, the Machiavellian incumbent, was spared from impeachment only because his political foes were certain they would oust him at the ballot box. Now, he appears to have secured a second term, thanks to a narrow victory in the Electoral College. 

His opponent, Florida Senator Evan Stahl, saw his campaign rocked by allegations of an extramarital affair—with another man. Despite the salacious headline-making scandal and the surrounding media frenzy, most Americans chose Stahl to lead the politically polarized nation. But Stahl is refusing to concede. Backed by millions of supporters, he looks to individual members of the Electoral College to cross party lines.

Gun lobbyist Charlotte Holmes is one of Floridas twenty-nine electors who is bound by law and by oath to cast her vote for MacLeod, who won Florida by the thinnest of margins. When Charlotte announces that she intends to vote her conscience and throw the Electoral College to Stahl, the president and his Florida machine haul her into court on felony charges—which, for some, isn’t nearly punishment enough.

Miami attorney Jack Swyteck is going to use every legal maneuver he can to keep his new client free—and alive. MacLeod’s hand-picked prosecutor is determined to prove Charlotte is unfit to cast a vote. Dredging through her past, he’s looking for skeletons to humiliate and discredit her, while others with far deadlier intentions have begun acting on their threats. 

As the pressure mounts, Charlotte and Jack must decide how far they’ll go to stand their ground in the stand-your-ground state.

In My TBR Stack:

Death is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life's End
by Christopher Kerr, MD, PhD
Avery Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

Christopher Kerr is a hospice doctor. All of his patients die. Yet he has cared for thousands of patients who, in the face of death, speak of love and grace. Beyond the physical realities of dying are unseen processes that are remarkably life-affirming. These include dreams that are unlike any regular dream. Described as “more real than real,” these end-of-life experiences resurrect past relationships, meaningful events and themes of love and forgiveness; they restore life’s meaning and mark the transition from distress to comfort and acceptance. 

Drawing on interviews with over 1,400 patients and more than a decade of quantified data, Dr. Kerr reveals that pre-death dreams and visions are extraordinary occurrences that humanize the dying process. He shares how his patients’ stories point to death as not solely about the end of life, but as the final chapter of humanity’s transcendence. Kerr’s book also illuminates the benefits of these phenomena for the bereaved, who find solace in seeing their loved ones pass with a sense of calm closure.

Beautifully written, with astonishing real-life characters and stories, this book is at its heart a celebration of our power to reclaim the dying process as a deeply meaningful one. Death Is But a Dream is an important contribution to our understanding of medicine’s and humanity’s greatest mystery.

On My Radar:

The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists
by Tracy Walder
St. Martin's Press
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

When Tracy Walder enrolled at the University of Southern California, she never thought that one day she would offer her pink beanbag chair in the Delta Gamma house to a CIA recruiter, or that she’d fly to the Middle East under an alias identity.

The Unexpected Spy is the riveting story of Walder's tenure in the CIA and, later, the FBI. In high-security, steel-walled rooms in Virginia, Walder watched al-Qaeda members with drones as President Bush looked over her shoulder and CIA Director George Tenet brought her donuts. She tracked chemical terrorists and searched the world for Weapons of Mass Destruction. She created a chemical terror chart that someone in the White House altered to convey information she did not have or believe, leading to the Iraq invasion. Driven to stop terrorism, Walder debriefed terrorists—men who swore they’d never speak to a woman—until they gave her leads. She followed trails through North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, shutting down multiple chemical attacks.

Then Walder moved to the FBI, where she worked in counterintelligence. In a single year, she helped take down one of the most notorious foreign spies ever caught on American soil. Catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. Walder left the FBI to teach young women, encouraging them to find a place in the FBI, CIA, State Department or the Senate—and thus change the world.

On My Radar:

The Watergate Girl: My Fight for Truth and Justice Against a Criminal President
by Jill Wine-Banks
Henry Holt and Co.
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

It was a time, much like today, when Americans feared for the future of their democracy, and women stood up for equal treatment. At the crossroads of the Watergate scandal and the women’s movement was a young lawyer named Jill Wine Volner (as she was then known), barely thirty years old and the only woman on the team that prosecuted the highest-ranking White House officials. Called “the mini-skirted lawyer” by the press, she fought to receive the respect accorded her male counterparts—and prevailed.

In The Watergate Girl, Jill Wine-Banks opens a window on this troubled time in American history. It is impossible to read about the crimes of Richard Nixon and the people around him without drawing parallels to today’s headlines. The book is also the story of a young woman who sought to make her professional mark while trapped in a failing marriage, buffeted by sexist preconceptions, and harboring secrets of her own. Her house was burgled, her phones were tapped, and even her office garbage was rifled through.

At once a cautionary tale and an inspiration for those who believe in the power of justice and the rule of law, The Watergate Girl is a revelation about our country, our politics, and who we are as a society.

In My TBR Stack:

Building: Lessons Learned in Real Estate and Life
by Brian Watson
Northstar Commercial Partners
Trade Paperback

From the book publicity:

A BLUEPRINT FOR OPPORTUNITY Building a successful life is often like constructing a skyscraper. Both require a firm foundation to support the structure rising above it. Both benefit from using the best materials available. And both fulfill the builder s vision with a carefully drafted blueprint based on the collaborative wisdom of others. Brian Watson knows how this construction process works, for both life and business, and in Building: Lessons Learned in Real Estate and Life, he shares some of the design details you need to build your best life.

In My TBR Stack:

High Risk High Reward: The Journey of an "Underdog Entrepreneur" Who Took Chances, Overcame Obstacles, and Built a $50 Million Business
by Steve Scher
Acrobat Advisors
Trade Paperback

From the book publicity:

Entrepreneurship is about living the dream, right?
 
And we're told it takes hard work, focus and dedication - but those are only broad concepts - they don't tell you what the first steps should be when you wake up tomorrow.
 
That's why High Risk, High Reward was designed to give aspiring business owners an honest and real insider look at entrepreneurship and all the twists and turns that go along with it.
 
Spoiler alert? It all comes down to culture, taking chances, and reacting quickly to your business and market conditions. And I'll walk you through it all because I've been there, and despite the odds, I came out on top.
 
After sinking my life savings into an underperforming company, I found out I actually acquired two unreliable employees, a culture rife with sabotage, zero strategy for marketing and sales, and a shabby office located in one of San Francisco's roughest neighborhoods.
 
So I rebuilt my company from scratch. I overcame virtually every roadblock possible. And I grew the business into a $50 million company with 18 offices coast-to-coast managed and staffed by thousands of loyal employees. Then, after 14 years at the helm I sold the company for 8 figures.

Guaranteed packed with creative solutions, this guide includes:
 
·  The low risk, low reward /high risk, high reward formula to transform your business
·  Real-world tips to create a loyal employee culture
·  The pros and cons of growing organically vs. acquisitions
·  How to make technology work for you and your bottom line
·  Inspiration to fight for your business every day
·  Tips to build out your business and maximize value
·  How to implement socially responsible recruitment by hiring military vets, reformed offenders and people with disabilities
·  A checklist to prepare your exit strategy, so you can get the highest sale price possible and experience true financial freedom!
 
High Risk, High Reward is an inspirational story of grit and determination and your go-to reference guide for real-life business success. 

On My Radar:

Don't Let Me Down: A Memoir
by Erin Hosier
Atria Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

Erin Hosier’s coming-of-age was full of contradictions. Born into the turbulent 1970s, she was raised in rural Ohio by lapsed hippies who traded 1960s rock ‘n’ roll for 1950s-era Christian hymns. Her mother’s newfound faith was rooted in a desire to manage her husband’s mood swings, which could alternately fill the house with music or with violence.

With the Beatles providing the soundtrack, Erin grew up adoring her larger than life father, Jack. Together, they bonded over their iconic songs, even as they inspired Erin to question authority—both her father’s and others’.

Don’t Let Me Down is about a brave girl trying to navigate family secrets and tragedies and escape from small-town small-mindedness. With her lyrical and tender writing, Erin “doesn’t shy away from the complications and contradictions of love, sharing both the best and the worst of her volatile, vibrant father and detailing—in her singular and often hilarious voice, the difficulty of leaving childhood, home, and the people who loved you first” (Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, New York Timesbestselling author of The Nest).

On My Radar:

In the Land of Men: A Memoir
by Adrienne Miller
Ecco Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

A naive and idealistic twenty-two-year-old from the Midwest, Adrienne Miller got her lucky break when she was hired as an editorial assistant at GQ magazine in the mid-nineties. Even if its sensibilities were manifestly mid-century—the martinis, powerful male egos, and unquestioned authority of kings—GQ still seemed the red-hot center of the literary world. It was there that Miller began learning how to survive in a man’s world. Three years later, she forged her own path, becoming the first woman to take on the role of literary editor of Esquire, home to the male writers who had defined manhood itself— Hemingway, Mailer, and Carver. Up against this old world, she would soon discover that it wanted nothing to do with a “mere girl.” 

But this was also a unique moment in history that saw the rise of a new literary movement, as exemplified by McSweeney’s and the work of David Foster Wallace. A decade older than Miller, the mercurial Wallace would become the defining voice of a generation and the fiction writer she would work with most. He was her closest friend, confidant—and antagonist. Their intellectual and artistic exchange grew into a highly charged professional and personal relationship between the most prominent male writer of the era and a young woman still finding her voice. 

This memoir—a rich, dazzling story of power, ambition, and identity—ultimately asks the question “How does a young woman fit into this male culture and at what cost?” With great wit and deep intelligence, Miller presents an inspiring and moving portrayal of a young woman’s education in a land of men.

On My Radar:

The Literature Book
From DK Books
Trade Paperback

From the publisher's website:

A global look at the greatest works of Eastern and Western literature and the themes that unite them, for students and lovers of literature and reading.

The Literature Book is a fascinating journey through the greatest works of world literature, from the Iliad to Don Quixote to The Great Gatsby. Around 100 crystal-clear articles explore landmark novels, short stories, plays, and poetry that reinvented the art of writing in their time, whether Ancient Greece, post-classical Europe, or modern-day Korea.

As part of DK's award-winning Big Ideas Simply Explained series, The Literature Book uses infographics and images to explain key ideas and themes. Biographies of important authors offer insight into their lives and other writings, and a section on Further Reading details more than 150 additional works to explore.

Discover masterpieces from the world's greatest authors, and explore the context, creative history, and literary traditions that influenced each major work of fiction with The Literature Book.

Series Overview: Big Ideas Simply Explained series uses creative design and innovative graphics, along with straightforward and engaging writing, to make complex subjects easier to understand. These award-winning books provide just the information needed for students, families, or anyone interested in concise, thought-provoking refreshers on a single subject.

On My Radar:

Dave Brubeck: A Life in Time
by Philip Clark
DaCapo Press
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

In 2003, music journalist Philip Clark was granted unparalleled access to jazz legend Dave Brubeck. Over the course of ten days, he shadowed the Dave Brubeck Quartet during their extended British tour, recording an epic interview with the bandleader. Brubeck opened up as never before, disclosing his unique approach to jazz; the heady days of his “classic” quartet in the 1950s-60s; hanging out with Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, and Miles Davis; and the many controversies that had dogged his 66-year-long career.

Alongside beloved figures like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, Brubeck’s music has achieved name recognition beyond jazz. But finding a convincing fit for Brubeck’s legacy, one that reconciles his mass popularity with his advanced musical technique, has proved largely elusive. In Dave Brubeck: A Life in Time, Clark provides us with a thoughtful, thorough, and long-overdue biography of an extraordinary man whose influence continues to inform and inspire musicians today.

Structured around Clark’s extended interview and intensive new research, this book tells one of the last untold stories of jazz, unearthing the secret history of “Take Five” and many hitherto unknown aspects of Brubeck’s early career – and about his creative relationship with his star saxophonist Paul Desmond. Woven throughout are cameo appearances from a host of unlikely figures from Sting, Ray Manzarek of The Doors, and Keith Emerson, to John Cage, Leonard Bernstein, Harry Partch, and Edgard Varèse. Each chapter explores a different theme or aspect of Brubeck’s life and music, illuminating the core of his artistry and genius. To quote President Obama, as he awarded the musician with a Kennedy Center Honor: “You can’t understand America without understanding jazz, and you can’t understand jazz without understanding Dave Brubeck.”

On My Radar:

Un-Trumping America: A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again
by Dan Pfeiffer
Grand Central Publishing
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

There is nothing more important than beating Donald Trump in 2020, but defeating Trump is just the start of this timely book. Un-Trumping America offers readers three critical insights: first, Trump is not an aberration, but rather the logical extension of the modern Republican Party; second, how Democrats can defeat Trump in 2020; and third, preventing the likes of Trump from ever happening again with a plan to fix democracy.

While the catalog of the president’s crimes is long and growing, undoing Trumpism — the political platform of racism, authoritarianism, and plutocracy that gave rise to Trump and defines the Republican Party — is a long and continuing fight. Through a craven, cynical strategy engineered by Mitch McConnell, funded by the Kochs, and fueled by Fox News propaganda, Republicans have rigged American politics to drown out the voices of the people in favor of the powerful. Without an aggressive response that recognizes who the Republicans are and what they have done, American democracy as we know it won’t survive this moment and a conservative, shrinking, mostly white minority will govern the country for decades.

Un-Trumping America dismantles toxic Trumpism and offers a way forward. Dan Pfeiffer worked for nearly twenty years at the center of Democratic politics, from the campaign trail to Capitol Hill to Barack Obama’s White House. But it was Trump’s victory and Republicans’ incessant aiding and abetting of Trumpism that has radicalized his thinking. Here, Pfeiffer urges Democrats to embrace bold solutions — from fixing the courts to abolishing the electoral college to eliminating the filibuster — in order to make America more democratic (and Democratic).

Un-Trumping America is a powerful call for Democrats and progressives to get smarter, tougher, and more aggressive without becoming a paler shade of orange.

In My TBR Stack:

Planet Earth Trumped: A True Fable
by Barry A. Dennis
Trade paperback

From the book publicity:

Marcus' life is upended on election night, 2016. Through the counsel of the "Orange-tent-guy," a homeless man, he slowly finds peace even as his life unravels in a world predicated by lies.

Marcus, like many in today’s political climate, is battling group think, confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance. The more time he spends with the Orange-tent-guy, the more he questions reality. Who is his wife, really? Is she connected to the Russian governement? Can his Hispanic friend, Jesus, mulitply the sandwiches for the homeless? And what about Michelle, formerly known as Michael? Is she/he a closet conservative and if so will "they" be excommunicated from the LGBTTQQIAAP community? And then there's Luke. Can he and his Antifa comrades save the world from fascism? And what about Adara, thier Muslim friend? Can she survive with "Twitler" as president?

To complicate matters, Marcus must save the world from runaway climate change both in our time and in the future - where Al Gore has left secret clues to saving the planet, a twist that leaves the reader astonished. And, in the future, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become president and is running for her second term against Candace Owens who, if she wins, will be the first black, female president.

Planet Earth Trumped is historical fiction. All of the dialogue is based on actual recent events that many will find hard to believe. But, if there's ever a doubt, links to each actual event are included so the reader can see for themselves. Truth is stranger than fiction in these rapidly changing times. Is "Orange Man Bad?" Maybe. Maybe not.

Now in Paperback:

Parkland: Birth of a Movement
by Dave Cullen
Harper
Trade Paperback

From the publisher's website:

Nineteen years ago, Dave Cullen was among the first to arrive at Columbine High, even before most of the SWAT teams went in. While writing his acclaimed account of the tragedy, he suffered two bouts of secondary PTSD. He covered all the later tragedies from a distance, working with a cadre of experts cultivated from academia and the FBI, but swore he would never return to the scene of a ghastly crime.

But in March 2018, Cullen went to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School because something radically different was happening. In nearly twenty years witnessing the mass shootings epidemic escalate, he was stunned and awed by the courage, anger, and conviction of the high school’s students. Refusing to allow adults and the media to shape their story, these remarkable adolescents took control, using their grief as a catalyst for change, transforming tragedy into a movement of astonishing hope that has galvanized a nation.

Cullen unfolds the story of Parkland through the voices of key participants whose diverse personalities and outlooks comprise every facet of the movement. Instead of taking us into the minds of the killer, he takes us into the hearts of the Douglas students as they cope with the common concerns of high school students everywhere—awaiting college acceptance letters, studying for mid-term exams, competing against their athletic rivals, putting together the yearbook, staging the musical Spring Awakening, enjoying prom and graduation—while moving forward from a horrific event that has altered them forever.

Deeply researched and beautifully told, Parkland is an in-depth examination of this pivotal moment in American culture—and an up-close portrait that reveals what these extraordinary young people are like as kids. As it celebrates the passion of these astonishing students who are making history, this spellbinding book is an inspiring call to action for lasting change.

In My TBR Stack:

The Hidden History of the War on Voting: Who Stole Your Vote and How to Get It Back
by Thom Hartmann
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Trade Paperback

From the publisher's website:

America’s #1 progressive radio host looks at how elites have long tried to disenfranchise citizens–particularly people of color, women, and the poor–and shows what we can do to ensure everyone has a voice in this democracy.

In today’s America, only a slim majority of people register to vote, and a large percentage of registered voters don’t bother to show up: Donald Trump was elected by only 26 percent of eligible voters. Unfortunately, this is not a bug in our system, it’s a feature. Thom Hartmann unveils the strategies and tactics that conservative elites in this country have used, from the foundation of the Electoral College to the latest voter ID laws, to protect their interests by preventing “the wrong people”–such as the poor, women, and people of color–from voting while making it more convenient for the wealthy and white. But he also lays out a wide variety of simple, commonsense ways that we the people can fight back and reclaim our right to rule through the ballot box.

On My Radar:

Conversations with Tom Petty
by Paul Zollo
Omnibus Press
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

Tom Petty was one of the greatest songwriters in rock n roll history, as well as a standard bearer for integrity in the music business. This expanded edition of the first authorized book on Tom Petty, and the only one in his own words, includes additional interviews, articles and reviews.

Trusted to conduct a series of in-depth interviews with a special focus on songwriting, Paul Zollo met with Tom for more than a year of Saturdays to compile this rich collection of conversations. Featuring a foreword and photo captions written by Tom himself, Conversations With Tom Petty is a must-read for all who admire the man behind some of the most memorable rock anthems of a generation.

On My Radar:

Nobody Does It Better: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of James Bond
by Mark A. Altman & Edward Gross
Forge Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

For over five decades, the cinematic adventures of James Bond have thrilled moviegoers. Now, bestselling authors Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross take you behind-the-scenes of the most famous and beloved movie franchise of all-time filled with reflections from over 150 cast, crew, critics and filmmakers who reflect on the impact of this legendary movie franchise as well as share their thoughts about their favorite (and least) favorite 007 adventures and spy mania which gripped fans the world over in the wake of the success of the James Bond films.

From Russia--with love, course--to Vegas, from below the bright blue waters of the Bahamas in search of a missing nuclear weapon to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, from below the seas in Stromberg’s new Noah's Ark of Atlantis into orbit with Hugo Drax, Nobody Does It Better: The Complete Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of James Bond tells the amazing, true story of the birth of James Bond through the latest remarkable James Bond adventures as well as the Spy mania classics that enthralled the world. 

It’s Bond and Beyond from the critically acclaimed authors of the bestselling The Fifty-Year Mission and So Say We All.

On My Radar:

As Needed For Pain: A Memoir of Addiction
by Dan Peres
Harper
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

Dan Peres wasn’t born to be a media insider. As an awkward, magic-obsessed adolescent, nothing was further from his reality than the catwalks of Paris or the hallways of glossy magazine publishers. A gifted writer and shrewd cultural observer, Peres eventually took the leap—even when it meant he had to fake a sense of belonging in a new world of famed fashion designers, celebrities, and some of media’s biggest names. But he had a secret: opiates.

Peres’s career as an editor at W magazine and Details is well known, but little is known about his private life as a high-functioning drug addict. In As Needed for Pain, Peres lays bare for the first time the extent of his drug use—at one point a 60-pill-a-day habit.

By turns humorous and gripping, Peres’s story is a cautionary coming-of-age tale filled with unforgettable characters and breathtaking brushes with disaster. But the heart of the book is his journey from outsider to insecure insider, what it took to get him there, and how he found his way back from a killing addiction. 

As Needed for Pain offers a rare glimpse into New York media’s past—a time when print magazines mattered—and a rarefied world of wealth, power, and influence. It is also a brilliant, shocking dissection of a life teetering on the edge of destruction, and what it took to pull back from the brink.

On My Radar:

The Caravan Chronicles: 4 Friends, 38 States, 2 Weeks
by Matthew Klem
Magestick Publishing
Trade Paperback

From the author's website:

Ever wanted to take a cross-country road trip? Wondered what you might see or what you’d experience? Thought about taking your friends with you but didn’t know if they’d drive you crazy that whole time? 

The Caravan Chronicles tells the story of how four friends hopped in a van and visited all 48 US states, including Washington D.C., over a two week period. From New England to San Francisco and back, these four adventurers saw more of the United States in two weeks than many see in a lifetime. Whether it was hiking through train tunnels, standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, or taking selfies in Times Square, they covered 10,000+ miles and walked away with the greatest road trip story ever.

This book walks you through the origins of the trip, the meticulous planning, and how the high tech hobby of geocaching played a huge part in setting this trek in motion.

On My Radar:

Last Train to Texas: My Railroad Odyssey
by Fred W. Frailey
Indiana University Press
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:


Midnight train rides, head-on freight collisions — there is never a dull moment when it comes to trains. Take a look at America's biggest railroads and meet the thunderous personalities who operate them.

In Last Train to Texas, author Fred W. Frailey examines the workings behind the railroad industry and captures incredible true stories along the way. Discover how men like William "Pisser Bill" F. Thompson swerve from financial ruin, bad merger deals, and cutthroat competition, all while racking up enough notoriety to inspire a poem titled "Ode to a Jerk."  Bold, savvy, and ready for a friendly brawl, the only thing louder and more thrilling than these men are the trains they handle. Come along with Frailey as he travels the world, one railroad at a time. Whether it's riding the Canadian Pacific Railway through a blizzard, witnessing a container train burglary in the Abo Canyon, or commemorating a poem to Limerick Junction in Dublin, Ireland, Frailey's journeys are rife with excitement and the occasional mishap.

Filled with humorous and thoughtful insights into the railroading industry, Last Train to Texas is an adventure in every sense of the word.

On My Radar:

You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington
by Alexis Coe
Viking Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

Young George Washington was raised by a struggling single mother, demanded military promotions, caused an international incident, and never backed down–even when his dysentery got so bad he had to ride with a cushion on his saddle. But after he married Martha, everything changed. Washington became the kind of man who named his dog Sweetlips and hated to leave home. He took up arms against the British only when there was no other way, though he lost more battles than he won. 

After an unlikely victory in the Revolutionary War cast him as the nation’s hero, he was desperate to retire, but the founders pressured him into the presidency–twice. When he retired years later, no one talked him out of it. He left the highest office heartbroken over the partisan nightmare his backstabbing cabinet had created. 

Back on his plantation, the man who fought for liberty must confront his greatest hypocrisy–what to do with the men, women, and children he owns–before he succumbs to death.  

With irresistible style and warm humor, You Never Forget Your First combines rigorous research and lively storytelling that will have readers – including those who thought presidential biographies were just for dads - inhaling every page.