The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Discussion Questions

I am so proud to announce this first in a series of Discussion Questions about books (and movies inspired by books!) by veteran teacher Carolyn Wilhelm who offers other aids for teachers, parents, and anyone who fosters literacy--many of them absolutely free. Find them on Pinterest and follow her @wiseowlfactory on Twitter.  Book club groups and library events directors will find her Discussion Guide Series useful, too!  And what about teachers who must prepare quizzes for reading assignments! Watch for new ones on the 5th of every month, right here on #TheNewBookReview!

Questions About THE HOBBIT:

An Unexpected Journey

Discussion Questions

Movie on DVD

Paperback

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the 1st third of the Hobbit book.  It's the prequel to Lord of the Rings.

Before vacation, sometimes teachers have been known to show a movie, and some classes might watch The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey (movie). Movies work with comprehension questions as test preparation practice. The PDF could be used as a discussion guide for the teacher or students might work in small groups to see if they can remember what they saw. Answers are provided in the PDF at the next link. 

Unexpected Journey comprehension questions free instant download by clicking on this link

    1. Who was telling (writing) the story in the movie? 

2. What happened to ruin the peaceful, prosperous Lonely Mountain and the Mines of Moria? 

3. Why do the Dwarves want their ancestral home back? 

4. Why does Thorin especially want to fight the pale Orc? 

5. How does Bilbo Baggins become involved in the quest to enter Lonely Mountain?

6. Why does the company need Bilbo’s help? 

7. Which groups in the story especially love food? 

8. Do the Dwarves have good table manners?  Explain.

9.  Did you notice the map in the beginning of the story?  Is it important later? Why?

10. How does the company escape the three trolls? 

11. What swords does the company take from the trolls after they turn to stone? 

12. Who is in the Lonely Mountain and has control of the gold? Explain.

13. What does the wizard Radagast tell the company?

14. Does Radagast’s hedgehog live? Do all the animals live?

15. Who chases the company after they see Radagast? 

16. Why do the Orcs on Wargs leave?

17. What are Orcs?  What are Wargs?   

18. What does Gandalf tell the Elves of Rivendell?

19. What happens after they leave Rivendell?

20. How do things go when the company is taken by the Great Goblin?

22.  Where is Bilbo when the company is fighting the Goblins?

22. What happens that causes the company to climb trees?

23. Why do some believe Smaug is dead?  Is he really dead?  Explain.

24. Name a character in the movie not in this part of the book. 

25.  If you have also read the book, tell which you like more, the movie part 1 or the book (so far)?  Why?

Students might also discuss how the book and movie are the same and different. Some students will have only read the books or only have seen the movie and can explain the missing information to each other. Really, it is "test prep" in that it is comprehension and so it if fits a class, then it would be nice to have on hand.

Note: The first movie, An Unexpected Journey, covers chapters 1 to 6, a total of just over 81 pages which comprise:

• The Unexpected Party and formation of the company.
• The Trolls.
• Rivendell.
• Crossing the Misty Mountains and the Goblins.
• Gollum.
• The Eagles.

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm, Wise Owl Factory

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG, ABOUT GETTING REVIEWS,
AND ANOTHER FREEBIE

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too! 

Writer Kristin Johnson Gives Thorough Take on Dr. Bob Rich's Newest Book

From Depression to Contentment: A self-therapy guide

Bob Rich, Ph.D.

Loving Healing Press

ISBN-13: 978-1-61599-435-9 paperback 

ISBN-13: 978-1-61599-436-6 hardcover

ISBN-13: 978-1-61599-437-3 eBook

http://bobswriting.com/psych/depression.html

Reviewed by Kristin Johnson

I've read many selfhelp books, and author Dr. Bob Rich's book, while treading some familiar ground or flying familiar skies (sensible recommendations on meditation, diet, social connections, exercise, creativity, not getting caught up in owning "stuff"), does offer the unique observation that "You need to be crazy to stay sane in a crazy world," and also focuses on treating the whole person (including the effects on the family), not the depression as a disease or dis-ease.

I am a reader and writer, not a mental health professional, so I approach it from a reader's perspective.

Professionals and patients might debate the fact that chemical imbalances and genetics don't play a role in depression the way Dr. Rich asserts, and that society is responsible for depression. There is room to have a reasoned debate about that--not a polarized, angry one on social media, which does negatively impact people.

However, Dr. Rich's entire goal is to let people know they don't have to feel doomed to be depressed forever because of genetics or a chemical imbalance. He wants to give the reader the tools to change their lives. He says, "More than ever, we need to look at alternatives to drugs that will equip us to deal effectively with the triggers that allow depression to take hold again and again. This is where drug treatments fail." He also states that "the causation of any psychological reaction is always complex."

He comes across as sincere, and he knows depression because he overcame it and he has been a practicing psychotherapist. Upfront he provides sensible advice for people who are in a crisis. He says, "Something works for everyone, but nothing works for everyone. If you find that the program in this book doesn’t work for you, the best investment you can make is 8 to 20 sessions of therapy with a good psychologist."

Also, he provides exercises for people to do--homework. You might think that would be counterintuitive for people who struggle with depression, but as Dr. Rich writes, "Whatever your depression tells you, do the opposite." So for example, if your depression tells you to oversleep or live as an insomniac, just get regular sleep. This is a generalization because he does advocate having regular fun, creating meaning, eating sensibly, and so on. He says these solutions are mostly free, and the ones that cost money (like eating healthy food) have other benefits. Meditation is also free (he does an entire chapter on meditation and likes the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, as well as Viktor Frankl.)

He also says that the label or diagnosis of depression is not an explanation. He describes it as "putting suffering in boxes" and as a useful tool for pharmaceutical companies. He adds, "That’s not to say that antidepressants don’t work. They do have a role to play, but at best, they ease the symptoms while you take the drug, so you can work on your problems." And he may be on to something that just because depression runs in families, that's not evidence for the heredity-only explanation. As he says, depression is complex.

One of his biggest points is emphasizing compassion and connectedness, and says that "deliberately making the choice of treating all other humans as our brothers and sisters is one of the major defenses against depression." (Not always possible when people wrong us, but a goal to aspire to.) He also points out that romantic love has a flaw because it insists on someone making you happy and loving you, rather than seeking someone to love. "Love that lasts a long time, and is likely to make you feel contented, is different. In contrast to such taking love, it is giving love: 'I want someone to love.' If two people have this attitude to each other, and both are in the relationship in order to make the other happy, then you have something wonderful."

There's so much in this book that you'll want to slow down and digest it piece by piece--and do the homework.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Kristin Johnson is a prize-winning/prize finalist writer, blogger, ghostwriting/creative writing consultant, screenwriter, and editor. A graduate of the former Master of Professional Writing Program from the University of Southern California, she has published/collaborated on seven books. Her current book AIN'T "U" GOT NO MANNERS has been called "the Bible for social media." She is a member of the Desert Screenwriters Guild, Society of Children’s Books and Illustrators, and Palm Springs Women in Film and Television.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Bob Rich is actually a 12 year old girl called Geraldine, with magical powers. Using her computer, she has materialized an Australian storyteller, psychotherapist, builder, nurse, editor, and most important, Professional Grandfather. Given her life experience after all of 12 years, she has got her creation to write 18 published books, four of which are paychological self-help. You can admire her creativity at Bobbing Around, https://bobrich18.wordpress.com which can be informative, inspiring, helpful, annoying — but never boring. Learn more at http://bobswriting.com and Twitter at

Bobbing Around https://bobrich18.wordpress.com

@bobswriting.  His motto: Commit random acts of kindness. Live simply so you may simply live.

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG, ABOUT GETTING REVIEWS, AND ANOTHER FREEBIE

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too! 

Perhaps 2019's "Catch 22?" Review of Thomas Allbaugh's Satirical Romp

Title: Apocalypse TV

Author: Thomas Allbaugh

Publisher: eLectio Publishing (Sept. 12, 2017)

Purchase on Amazon

Publisher's website: www.electiopublishing.com

ISBN 978-1632134288  

Paperback, $17.99

Reviewed by Marlan Warren Originally for Midwest Review

“His whole life has been a sham because he can’t accept responsibility for his failure to live by his own convictions.”—APOCALYPSE TV

What do reality TV game show contestants, religious fanatics, true believers, atheists, zombies, quarreling siblings, an FBI agent, Elvis impersonator, and an almost-fired English professor at a Christian college have in common? They all come together to interlock as essential players in Thomas Allbaugh’s tightly wound, often hilarious, debut novel, APOCALYPSE TV.

Shakespeare today might muse that “All the world’s a reality TV game show, and all the men and women merely players in their quest for prizes amid layers of illusions and media hype.” It is upon this slippery platform that Allbaugh has built a metaphor for our contentious world as viewed through the lenses of good vs. evil, secular religion vs. spirituality, and love vs. indifference.

The story kicks off when Christian intellectual, Walter Terry, takes a leave of absence from his conservative college in California to visit his dying father in Michigan. Walter has just been put on notice for allowing students to express non-conservative viewpoints, and fears his job is on thin ice.

Walter and his sister are approached in a Midwestern diner by a talent scout for a new reality TV show that claims to be “an investigation into American religious ideas.” He describes himself to the pretty interviewer as an “outsider in terms of religion,” but sees her write down “soft and vulnerable.” This pigeon-holing is exactly what makes these shows maddening, but also makes them fun for the fans.

Seduced by the promise of money and his own rationalization that perhaps a show like this could use an educated analytical thinker, Walter embarks on what will turn out to be a character-building odyssey. After he is entrenched in “Race for the Apocalypse,” Walter hears the producer refer to him as the show’s “sacrificial lamb.” And after that…all bets are off.

APOCALYPSE TV gradually amps up its madness, expanding reality until it pops with an outrageousness that is not quite Marx Brothers, but a fun romp nonetheless.

Allbaugh treads a fine line between crafting a thoughtful, moving plot with three-dimensional characters and satire. He keeps the humor subtle and deadpan, in the vein of Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22,” while never straying far from the book’s serious themes which examine secular religion vs. spirituality, truth vs. fiction, loyalty vs. betrayal.

Nothing turns out to be what it seems, the innocent must suffer, guilty baggage must be unloaded, and once a gun is introduced, it must eventually be used in the finale (with a nod to Chekhov). It is Allbaugh’s incredible juggling act that keeps the comedy, drama, and religious debates lightly airborne until they come back down to Earth, not with a bang or a whimper, but with the hard truths of Life and what it means to slog willingly through it.

APOCALYPSE TV will appeal to open-minded faith-based readers, as well as those who have no affiliation with a religion or belief. It argues against the extreme notion that only members of a certain faith are favored by God, while making a case for spiritual salvation through love, faith, hope, service…and the willingness to persevere.

Even when the chips are down.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Marlan Warren is a Los Angeles based blogger, playwright, and editor.  She is a frequent panelist for Greater Los Angeles Writers Society writers' conferences.  

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS AND ANOTHER FREEBIE

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too! 

Orphan Train Girl by Christina Baker Kline Book Review

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Orphan Train Girl by Christina Baker Kline Book Review

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 7
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Young Readers' ed. edition (May 1, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062445952
• ISBN-13: 978-0062445957
• Review posted on Amazon
• 
  

This story really captured my heart and is still tugging at it! We adopted a daughter from Korea as an infant and so the topic of adoption is one familiar to me. I had no idea there were 250,000 American orphans on trains between 1854 and 1929. Most were new immigrants to this country. The author has met eleven of them. She has completed extensive research on the topic including travel to Ireland. This is such a powerful story told about an "older" girl of nine. Babies and older boys were adopted first, and many of the older children had to do extensive work (sometimes not being allowed to attend school). 

My interest in this topic began with a story a writing group member wrote about not knowing her heritage. She had her DNA tested as her mother was an orphan from one of these trains. At the age of two, her mother was sent from New York to Minnesota. Record keeping was not well done at the time and so little was known about what country her mother was from. Of course, Ancestry DNA testing is fairly vague. Only DNA testing from a doctor's office provides much information. Yet, the writer said she learned a few things and would have still tried the test had she realized it would not provide detailed information. 

In the book Orphan Train Girl, they are able to find photos and even news articles to help them figure out a few things. A young orphan is helping an older person who was one of these orphans as a community service project. The reason for the service project is not only based on good intentions, but the two characters become friends. The younger one knows how to research on Google to help create a somewhat dramatic ending. I'm not sure how often people could actually find very much information on this topic, though. 

My next read is the first version of the book. I had no idea I was reading an adaptation of the story for middle school students and that there was a different version which had been a best-seller when I started reading. My interest is piqued!

Christina Baker Kline is the author of a New York Times bestseller A Piece of the World (2017), Christina’s World. Kline has written six other novels: Orphan Train, Orphan Train Girl, The Way Life Should Be, Sweet Water, Bird in Hand, and Desire Lines.. Her 2013 novel Orphan Train spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list. Her adaptation of Orphan Train for young readers is Orphan Train Girl. 

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm, Wise Owl Factory

The Girl with Seven Names Discussion Questions

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Discussion Questions for

The Girl with Seven Names

by Hyeonseo Lee and David John

Free instant download of the questions

I was very taken with this book and read it twice in just a few days. I have been curious about North Korea and bought this and another book very recently. I also know someone who escaped from a different country with a much shorter story, so I found it intriguing. I can't image what so many immigrants went through to get to other countries. 

Here are my discussion questions:

Why do you think Hyeonseo Lee says leaving North Korea is not like leaving any other country on earth?

What does Hyeonseo Lee mean by saying a single Korea does not exist?

How did she feel when she found out North Korea is a byword for evil?

When there was a fire, why did her father rescue the portraits? Who were the people on the portraits?

How and where did her parents meet and how long was it between their first and second meetings? Why was there another wedding with her mother first?

How does Hyeonseo Lee describe the caste system that operates in North Korea?
Why is it impossible to rise within the system?

How did her grandmother’s safekeeping of the cards ensure the family’s high Songbun?

How did the grandmother prevent the marriage for some time, and almost have the baby adopted?

How does bribery work in North Korea? Was Hyeonseo Lee’s family involved?

When did the system with bribery begin?

What were some of her seven names and when did she acquire each?
Her birth name was Kim Ji-hae.
The second name was Park Min-young. Why? When did she get this name?
Who gave her the third name? Chae Mi-ran.
Then she was to be a Korean-Chinese called Jang Soon-hyang. Why?
What were her other names? Why did she assume them?

She lived in several places in North Korea with her family.
What was Hyesan like?
What was it like in Anju?
Then they relocated–to North Korea’s second-largest city, Hamhung. What was good about living in Hambung?

It was at school in Hamhung that she received her initiation into “life purification time,” or self-criticism sessions, a basic feature of life in North Korea since introduced by Kim Jong-il in 1974. How did she and her friends deal with these sessions?

Then the family moved back to Hyesan. Kindness toward strangers is rare in North Korea. There is a risk in helping others. What unusual episode happened when they were going to take the train back?

In Hyesan, the second house they lived in seemed to be cursed. What happened?

Mothers superstitions drove her to fortune tellers. What story from a fortune teller became a kind of deliverance myth, that Hyeonseo Lee would remember in moments of danger?

When and why was winter the time for school vacation?

Aunt Pretty had an appendectomy. Discuss what happened.

The care of portraits was very important. Hyeonseo Lee states:
“About once a month, officials wearing white gloves entered every house in the block to inspect the portraits. If they reported a household for failing to clean them–we once saw them shine a flashlight at an angle to see if they could discern a single mote of dust on the glass–the family would be punished.” How did these inspections control the population?

What is another example of capitalistic thinking in North Korea that could be punished, such as putting clothes on dogs, a well-known example of capitalist degeneracy?

What were the holidays and how were they celebrated?
February 16 Day of the Bright Star
April 15 Day of the Sun
What were the mass games for Liberation Day on 15 August? Why were they the most sacred dates in the calendar?

How did they celebrate the Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War (the Korean War) on July 27^th?

Party Foundation Day, on 10 October.

What kind of information was taught in school regarding history?

When was the famine?

Why was there a campaign in 1992 called “Let us eat two meals a day.”

What was the real cause of the famine? Did the North Koreans know the real reason?

How does the North Korean system continue to this day, and how does the organized system of surveillance on every family contribute? Does Hyeonseo Lee think North Korea will change anytime soon?

What did people do on the weekends?

Is schooling in North Korea really free?

What happens if someone in North Korea is caught with a Bible?

Hyeonseo Lee found out her father was not her biological father. How did she react?

What were the classes at school, and what topic was the most important?

What was the math problem example shared in the book?

Are North Koreans able to travel to other countries?

Can they watch foreign television?

Who arrested Hyeonseo Lee’s father?

What are the two kinds of prisons in North Korea?

What was the reason Hyeonseo Lee gave for terrible drunken fights breaking out among men in Hyesan during the public holidays?

What did the mother do when the death certificate of the father said suicide?

Why did school close on the 8^th of July, 1994? What happened over the next days? How did Hyeonseo Lee deal emotionally with these events?

What did the students know about sex? Menstruation?

What besides food was in short supply during the famine? What did school children have to bring to school in order to help?

Did all the provinces experience the famine in the same way at first? How did Hyeonseo Lee know?

How many students in Hyeonseo Lee’s class were in the songbun ‘hostile’ category? What did this mean for their futures?

When did Hyeonseo Lee see Changba? How did she feel looking back at Hyesan?

Why do you suppose there were none of the heavy green military trucks, the most common vehicles around Hyesan in Chanagba?

Her uncle and aunt made her feel instantly welcome. What did Uncle Jung-gil and Aunt Sang-hee do for a living?

She became almost engaged. When did she run away?

Why did Hyeonseo Lee move to Xita, Koreatown? 

What did she learn about South Korea and North Koreans who succeeded in reaching Seoul?

What happened to her at the Police ‘Xita Road Station?

Hyeonseo Lee was attacked with a full beer bottle. What happened and why? Who did she think did that to her?

Four years of frugal living meant that she had saved enough to pay a broker to find her family in Hyesan. It was many years later when she saw them again. Explain the travel and situations that happened, and how it appeared to be impossible several times.

Who were some of the people, bribed and not bribed, who helped her along the way back to Seoul with her mother and brother?

Why couldn’t she tell she was related to her mother or brother on the trip to Seoul?

What is Hanawon? Where is it? What is the curriculum? Who attends?

How long did it take for the mother and son to reach Seoul after Hyeonseo returned again?

Why did Hyeonseo Lee and her then-boyfriend break up when her mother and brother arrived?

What work did the mother do in Seoul? Was she used to such work?

Why did both the mother and the son want to return to North Korea? Did they go back?

What are the two kinds of people who leave North Korea and how do they adjust to living in Seoul? Why?

The book does not have a happily ever after ending. What are the problems people who leave North Korea face for the rest of their lives?

Why was Hyeonseo Lee flown to California? To Australia?

Where did she get married?

How has this book affected you?

Carolyn Wilhelm
Wise Owl Factory

Death by Wall Street Audible and Paperback Comparison Review

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

• Death By Wall Street: Rampage Of The Bulls (Detective Louis Martelli, NYPD, Mystery/Thriller Series) 

  Series: Detective Louis Martelli, NYPD, Mystery/Thriller Series (Book 1)
• Paperback: 240 pages
• ISBN-10: 1452079455
• ISBN-13: 978-1452079455
• 
  

Gary and Carolyn Wilhelm read the paperback and listened to book on Audible, and here is what they thought.

Death by Wall Street: Rampage of the Bulls by Theodore Jerome Cohen
Our rating: 5 of 5 stars

Carolyn's Thoughts -- Originally posted on Amazon
I have listened to the Audible version and also read the book. Both experiences were quite different to me. The audible version was an intense experience as the oral reader had the perfect voice which matched the genre, mystery suspense thriller -- which kept me on the edge of my seat although I had read the book. It would be good to listen when you have some time or want to exercise as it is not relaxing to hear about the stock market and healthcare "cure" corruption. It is fiction based on real events and it seemed more like I was an insider to the plot when listening to the spoken word. I felt more "in" the story through the listening experience.

The book is good when you want to read quietly. I thought this book was going to be a story about financial information of stock market manipulations by big companies, but it also delved into the healthcare industry. If you have ever lost a loved one to cancer or knew someone who needed a promising drug, this is a must-read. Nonfiction events are woven into a narrative to enlighten the reader about how big pharmacy works while newer drugs with proven track records are defeated. Ill people need help and this book is discouraging about Wall Street, Washington DC, and big pharma. A sad story that teaches the information voters should make informed decisions -- if only the "little people" had more power. The author worked to make this information entertaining and exciting while revealing disturbing information and truths. Great read! The author worked to make this information entertaining and exciting while revealing disturbing information and truths.

Gary's Thoughts, 5 Stars
Originally Posted on Amazon Audible
"Important Information for Voters of Our Time"

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I just finished listening to this great Audible version of the book. Listening is a more engaging experience than simply reading quietly. The story information, while entertaining, is also based on nonfiction events surrounding especially the 2008 financial disaster and supposed cancer "cures" being widely promoted. The greedy truth behind this story is alarming. So much corruption went on and goes on.I hope this book helps others prevent or be taken advantage of by money schemes and schemers. Thanks for this truth!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Louis Martelli is a detective with a leg disability and yet is so clever and cunning as to be able to expose the criminals. He out-thinks everyone else and solves cases with finesse. Criminals walk right into the traps he sets.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The way the surveillance camera was placed was hysterical. The fact cancer drugs are more about greed than healing could make anyone cry.

Any additional comments?

A must read!

Carolyn Wilhelm, Wise Owl Factory 
Gary Wilhelm, The Frugal Engineer

Judith Briles Adds to Her Series of How-Tos for Writers

TITLE: How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech

AUTHORS: Dr. Judith Briles

PUBLISHER: Mile High Press, LTD.

ISBN:  978-1885331-67-0

293 pages, $25.00

PRINT LINK: https://amzn.to/2DuaXp7

GENRE: Nonfiction

CATEGORY: Speaking/Careers

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, 

author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers

My first serious introduction to self-publishing was at a SPAN conference in Atlanta (Small Publishers of North America); it was there I was introduced to a very fat volume on self-publishing by Marilyn Ross that included the idea that real publishing includes marketing. She also applauded speaking as the best way to market a book—read that as the most assured path to success.

Since then, I have recommended a couple of super speakers’ books to my clients and in the appendixes of my #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers and I’ve pointed to the writing (and speaking) career of the late Dan Poynter as an example of how well speaking benefits a writing career—and vice versa. 

Now, years later, Dr. Judith Briles, adds her How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech to the battery of my choices for “Best Books on Speaking.” And trust me, it is not a battery, but a very short list! 

Though this book's title may seem as if it is promising more than speaking can deliver, it is not. I have seen speaking make many authors a ton of money over the years and build writing careers as it does so. One side benefit that always appealed to me: Travel.

Have I convinced you of the possibilities? Then the next step is to study up. May I suggest you start with Briles’ book? For the fun of it. For the enthusiasm and inspiration between those royal purple covers. And for the all-in-one-place advice you’ll get on the process of speaking as a marketing technique. 

Patricia Tripp, CSP and Past President of the National Speakers Association, said it perfectly and I can’t beat that: “Learning from Judith Briles could well be your best purchase of the year.” 

It boils down to experience. And, of course, Judith’s near-unique ability to tap that experience and organize it into a book you won’t want to put down or relegate to a bookshelf. Not when you can keep it near your computer to nudge you toward your speaking goal a little each day.

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