Since I have started this site, I have asked family and friends to take a look and let me know their thoughts.  My sister, as usual, cut right to the chase when she looked at the site.  "I wanted to know what your thoughts on the books were, but it was just a list."  was what I heard.

So, being the good brother that I am, decided to take her advice and start writing some thoughts about the books I listed as favorites.  I would like to note that I originally was going to review new books I read, but this works too.

New Book

True Blue by David Baldacci

This book is the latest thriller by David Baldacci, whose first book Absolute Power was made into a Clint Eastwood movie (which did not resemble the book).  It is a story about a cop wrongfully convicted of a crime she did not commit and sent to jail.  Her sister is the police chief and of course believes her little sister is innocent.  Throw in the obligatory bad relationship with Mom, and a former jock turned lawyer whose sport is the one the ex-cop played in high school and jail, and you have the formula to the plot.

The interesting thing though is that this story is anything but formula.  Sure there are times when reading it that you feel you can predicte the next scene.  But that is where Baldacci shines.  He mixes it up enough to keep you interested.  When the heroine meets the lawyer, the reader just knows that they will end up together.  Then Baldacci puts the lawyer in a place to get the character eliminated.  It is the up and down of the story telling that makes you want to keep reading.

I was amazed at the depth of some of the characters.  Sure some are the cliched villian/hero types, but some are grey and some are the opposite of what you would expect.  The good guys make you want to root for them one chapter and make you think that it would be ok for them to be killed off.  I like this kind of story because it is interesting and more to life.

So, until I think of something else to add to this entry, I am going to recommend this book to anyone who wants to listen to me.  I read it very quickly (a good sign), and enjoyed it very much.

Lincoln and  Chief Justice Taney: Slavery, Secession, and the President's War Powers by James F. Simon

Just finished this book, and I have to say it was informative, but not that great a book,  I guess it all depends upon what you are looking for when you read; interest holding, or text book.  I usually try to get both from a non-fiction (i.e. A Civil Action), but this one was high on text book, low on enjoyment.

However, kudos to Mr Simon for taking this project on.  Many people would not and more people seemingly don't care.  But this is a very important subject in our history.  This was a time, still early in our country's history, where the United States could have splintered and been destroyed, all over something that never should have happened..slavery.  All the leaders at the time and some historians today say it was about state's rights, and the Constitution, but it was not. 

Anyway, Simon does his best to dance through this topic, and for the most part he does.  But he tries to tell a story about two men who played major parts in the drama of the day: Abraham Lincoln and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Roger B. Taney.  Now I have to admit, until I read this book, I never heard, or don't remember hearing, of Taney.  However, I have learned about him after reading the book. 

But the problem I have with the book is not that I learned something, it is the writing style.  I found it jumpy.  By that I mean Simon wrote mainly about two men, but he did not really intertwine the two until almost the end.  In fact, if felt like he told one story, then the other, and then thought to mix the two.  It was very confusing at times to see the connection (as suggested by the title) between two important figures in American history.

That being said, I would recommend the book to someone who is very interested in the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln and/or Roger B. Taney.  This book offers some insight into all three of these subjects, just not a lot.  If you are looking for a "beach book" or some liesure time reading, then this is not the book for you.

NOT A PENNY MORE, NOT A PENNY LESS

My favorite book of all time is Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffrey Archer.  I like this book so much, I once gave it to a woman on our first date..who needs flowers.

This is a story about a man who gets conned and looses his money.  But instead of crying, he finds other victims and plots his own con against the conman.  But his only restriction is that they take only what was taken from them, plus expenses.  It is an intreging plot that Archer weaves and draws the reader into.  As I was reading the book, I wanted the criminal to loose everything, to be crushed. He was rotten, and if they could not put him in jail, then he should be broke.

But that is where the book twists. Archer manages to show how these people who have lost everything, fight back and take control. They face the tempation to destroy this con artist, but eventually resist.  How the lead character changes with and for his group is amazing.

The best part of this book though, is the way it reads.  When I read it, a long time ago, I was done in about a day.  The dialouge and pace of the story was amazing to see.  I would sit on the bus to work and read, then be upset because I had to go to work.  Work interrupted my reading, always the sign of a good book.