The New Book Review

Saturday, January 27, 2018

New Book by Patty Duke and Stars of Her Time

IN THE PRESENCE OF GREATNESS: MY SIXTY-YEAR JOURNEY AS AN ACTRESS

By Patty Duke and William J. Jankowski

Publisher: BearManor Media (February 14, 2018)

ISBN-10: 1629332364

ISBN-13: 978-1629332369

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1629332364

Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton Originally for Book Pleasures.com

On September 13, 2011, I had the pleasure of conducting an extensive interview with actress Patty Duke on “Dave White Presents, “an online radio show I co-hosted at the time. As I always did considerable homework for these conversations, I had read her 1987 memoir, Call Me Anna, where I learned Patty far preferred using her birth name, Anna. I was also aware of her second best-selling memoir, Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic Depressive Illness (1992). So I was intrigued to see Anna had a third posthumous memoir coming out via BearManor Media in 2018. What could she say about her life she hadn’t already told us?

The answer is simple: this time around, the spotlight isn’t on Anna Duke Pierce (her last married name). Rather, it’s a treasure trove of character sketches, impressions of, and anecdotes about, many actors Anna knew over the decades. Some colleagues Anna knew well, others she encountered in passing. Most chapter titles are the names of the personalities Anna describes including Richard Burton, Laurence Olivier, Helen Hayes, Anne Bancroft, Judy Garland, President John F. Kennedy, Helen Keller, Gloria Vanderbilt, Lucille Ball and her son, Desi Arnez Jr., Frank Sinatra senior and Frank Sinatra Jr., Betty White, Patricia Neal, Liza Minnelli, and Helen Hunt. Some stories are extremely poignant including Anna’s memories of her friendship with the doomed beauty, Sharon Tate. Anna also expresses her longtime fondness for her Patty Duke Show co-stars including William Schallert, Jean Byron, Paul O'Keefe, and Eddie Applegate. Sadly, O’Keefe is now the only surviving cast member of the show.

It’s also sad to note, even after all these years, Anna’s unscrupulous and manipulative talent managers, John and Ethel Ross, still cast a pall over so many passages covering Anna’s early years in show business. On the other hand, as Anna told her co-writer, it has been 30 years since she published Call Me Anna which meant her new memoir gave her many opportunities to express how her mind had changed regarding a number of folks. In addition, Anna takes ownership of many errors in her life while acknowledging many of them came from her once undiagnosed bipolar disorder. For me, the saddest sentences in the book were when she mentioned the sorts of roles she hoped for when she reached her 70s. When Anna Pierce died in 2016, she had a pretty deep bucket list.

So this is a book for anyone interested in Hollywood history of the past 60 years whether or not you’re a fan of Patty Duke. You’ll get nuggets and insights into many of your favorite stars from an insider’s very human perspective. It’s a book that positively glows with positive energy, as in Anna’s praise for so many colleagues like her favorite leading man, Richard Crenna. You’ll also likely learn about many of Anna’s other roles beyond The Miracle Worker, The Patty Duke Show, and The Valley of the Dolls, especially her many TV movies. You can also trace her career with the 70 plus photos from Anna’s personal collection.

In short, In the Presence of Greatness is a nice final contribution to the Patty Duke legacy. I’m glad I spent the hours reading these warm, intimate, and very personable memories. And I’d like to thank William J. Jankowski for instigating this project after hearing Anna telling him some of these tales. And he should be thanked for completing this book after Anna’s passing in march of 2016.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Goodreads and Tweeting Lover of Books Reviews Contemporary Fiction

Title: Salvation

Series: Heal Me Series Book 1

Author: Stephanie John

Website: http://www.authorstephaniejohn.com/

Genre: Literature; Fiction, Erotica, Romance Erotica, Literary Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Fiction

ASIN #: B00U8389E8

Reviewer's Rating: 4 star

Where people can purchase the book: https://www.amazon.com/Salvation-Heal-Me-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00U8389E8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1514570161&sr=1-1&keywords=stephanie+john

Reviewed by Tracey Quintin originally for Goodreads

Rating: Four Stars

This debut novel is a great, sweet, hot read! There weren't any moments that I expected to happen.

Nate drips of sex appeal, gorgeous hot bodiness, sweetness, compassion, and charm. He most definitely is not your typical cliche millionaire!

Kara (yes, I can hear him saying her name in a raspy voice) is lacking in strength, determination, self-confidence and self-esteem. I picture her as a caterpillar waiting to blossom into the stunning butterfly she doesn't realize she is.

Nate+Kara=ignition ignited! Butterfly blossomed.

They bring out the best in each other and make each other a more confident, assured, and capable of loving and being loved person. They complete each other. But, will their love endure? THAT we'll need to wait to find out!

Love some of the other characters in this story too.

I really enjoyed this story and definitely recommend.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephanie John connections:

Website: http://www.authorstephaniejohn.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephJohnWriter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephjohnwrites

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6294518.Stephanie_John

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-John/e/B00UBC6HAO/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Tracey Quintin connections:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LOVEBOOKSWITHROMANCE/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReadingIsOurPas

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/19886187-tracey-quintin

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Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Women's Fiction Set in Middle East Reviewed

The Confusion of Languages

By Siobhan Fallon

Women's Fiction

ISBN-10: 0399158928

ISBN-13: 978-0399158926

Reviewed by Idelle Kursman Originally for Luck Can Change

This past weekend I read a book I couldn't put down: The Confusion of Languages by Siobhan Fallon. It intrigued me because it takes place in the Middle Eastern country of Jordan during the Arab Spring and the characters are Americans connected with the US embassy. How often do readers get the opportunity to read a story in this setting?

However, politics was not the main subject. Rather, it was about two wives of US soldiers and their intricate relationship involving loyalty, jealousy, and dependence. Cassie Hugo and Margaret Brickshaw strike a friendship but tension lies below the surface: Margaret has a baby while Cassie is infertile, Cassie is vigilant about security while Margaret laughs off her concerns, and Cassie is organized while Margaret is careless. Then one day Margaret asks Cassie to babysit her son while she is supposed to go on a quick errand but ends up disappearing. Cassie then discovers her friend’s inner turmoil and realizes what she has observed on the surface is far more complicated. Adding to the friction are the misunderstandings in behavioral protocol between the sexes on Margaret's part, which results in tragic consequences.

The relationship between the women weaves a tale not to be easily forgotten. Despite the tensions and resentments, there is love, loyalty, and forgiveness. The writing is exquisite and the reader can feel empathy for both Cassie and Margaret. The male characters, however, are vague, their actions and motivations at times unclear. But this story is a page-turner that will leave the reader reflecting about the trials of the characters long after finishing the book.

Reading about everyday life in Jordan is a rare opportunity. Author Fallon explains the mores and values of this Islamic country and gives one a glimpse of Middle Eastern culture. Since Fallon has lived in Jordan, this glimpse feels authentic. The reader sees the good as well as the challenges. For instance, Arabs demonstrate great hospitality to strangers; yet when a conflict arises, they will defend their own over what is right.

While I don't want to give away the ending, I'll say luck does not change for the characters—they don't experience the redemption they crave. However, one couple learns to appreciate what they have even if their lives are less than perfect.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Idelle Kursman is the author of True Mercy.

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Saturday, January 13, 2018

Mad Librarian Gets Five Stars From Red-Headed Book Lover

MAD Librarian

Author: Michael Guillebeau

Genre: Women’s Crime Humor

ISBN: 978-0-9972-0552-7

Purchase: www.amazon.com/MAD-Librarian-Michael-Guillebeau-ebook/dp/B075LQD1LB/

Published by Madison Press

Available from Barnes & Noble and Amazon here

Reviewed by Aimee Ann Originally for Red Headed Book Lover Reviews

MAD Librarian follows the incredible Serenity Hammer. Serenity is a librarian, but she is so

much morethan this as she is a librarian with a cause, in other words, she is on a mission,

and nothing will get in her way! She lived in a quaint town in Maddington, it is her home,

and she adores it, especially her precious library! However, her library is under threat

thanks to the politicians who want to close it down for good. This is a sad truth which

is happening in the world today, but I will discuss this more later! Serenity, however,

is strong and powerful, just as powerful as the pushy politicians she has to deal with

and so, she conjures up a plan and decides to fight back,

and this is the premise of this intriguing, humorous novel.

I adored everything about this wacky novel, it may be a humorous book, but it is so much more

than this as it is full of twists and turns galore that will keep you entertained from beginning

to end. It is funny and incredibly enjoyable, but it also has some serious moments

for those readers who like a novel with some depth. I adored the underlining

theme of this story which was, the fact that libraries

are being closed all over. It is a sad reality, and I hate it so much, the ones that are

still open are being updated to suit the technological age, and that is so sad to me as

am a huge traditionalist.

My point is, I adored how the author of this wonderful novel explored this theme and

based a whole story around it so well done Michael Guillebeau!

MAD Librarian has a host of eccentric, unique characters, they were certainly ‘out there’

but they were brilliant, and they propelled the story of the book along perfectly. I particularly

loved Serenity; I thought she was a brilliant protagonist and unique. Now that I think about it

I can’t think of another protagonist to compare her too, so that shows how unique and special

she is!

As well as the characters being superb, so is the incredible dialogues. The long sentences were

wonderful and made me engrossed in the novel. It was like the author’s words were spiked with

adrenaline because I found that when I started reading, I could not stop! He is a wonderful,

talented author and so I would implore all of you lovely readers to read this book!

To conclude my thoughts on Mad Librarian, I would say if you are looking for a unique,

fun, entertaining novel that will keep you hooked from beginning to end then this excellent

book is for you! This incredible read gets Five Stars from me!

Breaking Bad for Librarians. Cayocosta72 Reviews said, “This book is truly every librarian’s dream come true." Half of all income goes to the Awesome Foundation for Innovation in Libraries. Available at https://www.amazon.com/MAD-Librarian-Michael-Guillebeau-ebook/dp/B075LQD1LB/

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Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Science Fiction Novel Featuring NASA Reviewed

Book Title: Beyond The Milky Way

Author: Aithal

Website: https://www.thegalaxyseries.com/

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Season Ball

ISBN: 978-1522858515

Purchase link: myBook.to/BTMW

Earth is dying; leeched of its natural resources and overwhelmed by pollution, it is becoming uninhabitable to human life at an alarming rate. With Congress planning to cut NASA's budget, NASA makes one last effort to demonstrate that space exploration is necessary to the survival of the human race by sending a shuttle to explore a planet that appears to be habitable.

Reviewed by Charity Rowell Originally for Kindle Book Review

When the shuttle encounters an anomaly in space, the crew finds itself on a different planet that is foreign, yet eerily familiar.

When I was contacted by the author to review Beyond The Milky Way, I was excited because I enjoyed his previous novel, India Was One, and I was curious to see how the author's flair for imagery and philosophy would work in a science fiction novel. I was not disappointed. The author's writing was thoughtful, well-written, and insightful; the imagery and details were exquisite. I was immediately drawn into the story, and had trouble putting the book down. I was also pleased to see that the author included artwork at the beginning of each chapter; the illustrations give readers a hint of what each chapter holds.

The end of Beyond The Milky Way is impressive. While not everything is resolved, the ending does not seem abrupt; it seems like a natural pause during which readers can ponder and absorb everything that they read.

Beyond The Milky Way is a unique and imaginative science fiction novel that explores human nature and makes readers ask, "What if?" I am really looking forward to reading the second book in this series.

DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review also appeared on Goodreads.

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

Pages

Saturday, January 27, 2018

New Book by Patty Duke and Stars of Her Time

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Goodreads and Tweeting Lover of Books Reviews Contemporary Fiction

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Women's Fiction Set in Middle East Reviewed

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Mad Librarian Gets Five Stars From Red-Headed Book Lover

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Science Fiction Novel Featuring NASA Reviewed

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