Finding Me - Book Review

Book: Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings

Author: Michelle Knight, Michelle Burford

Genre: Memoir 

Publisher/Publish Date: Weinstein Books / May 6, 2014

Source: Public Library

Pages: 252

Rating: 3/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

Wow, this is a hard book to read.

Michelle Knight was one of the three woman who were kidnapped by Ariel Castro in Cleveland, and escaped in May, 2013. Their story made headlines, and though we were all fascinated by it, I'm sure it was shocking for them to escape and then be center of national news.

She bravely retells her horrific story of daily abuse, imprisonment.  Kidnapped in 2002, at the age of 21, she was the first of the three to be abducted and imprisoned. Coming from a tough childhood, she had her first child in high school, who was later put in to foster care. As she was walking miles to downtown Cleveland for a custody hearing, she stopped to ask for directions and was offered a ride by Castro. He tricked her into coming into his house, where he then chained her in the basement.

She shares what happened to her during the early years, including infrequent showers, filthy conditions, starvation, beatings, and multiple forced miscarriages. He went on to kidnap and imprison two more girls, Amanda Berry at age 16, and Gina DeJesus at age 14. Amanda was blond and Castro's preferred girl, and he treated her better and eventually had a daughter with her. Michelle and Gina were chained together, forced to stay together on the same filthy mattress, but found strength in each other to make it through this awful ordeal.

Shockingly he had people over to his house, even introduced people to his and Amanda's daughter, and though his other children found his secrecy and locks on the doors strange, no one ever was concerned enough to contact police. This man was insane, and luckily eventually convicted and imprisoned. One day Amanda's daughter went downstairs, as she often did since she was free to move around the house, and found that Castro hadn't locked the inner front door as he normally did. Along with her mom Amanda, they were able to call for help through a slit in the door and were rescued by neighbors. The house where this all took place was demolished in August 2013.

A challenging and sad book to read, especially knowing that there are more people that are out there in situations like this that we don't know about. Hopefully by sharing her story, Michelle can help bring awareness to the situation, and we can all do a better job of looking out for our neighbors and those less fortunate. 

Helter Skelter - Book Review

Book: Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

Author: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry

Genre: True Crime 

Publisher/Publish Date: W. W. Norton & Company / 1974

Source: Public Library

Pages: 689

Rating: 4/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

This might possibly be some of the craziest 689 pages I've ever read. The story of the Manson Family and the Tate-Labianca murders is so twisted and outlandish that at times it's hard to believe the people who were part of The Family went along with all of Manson's requests.

I decided to pick this book up since while I had a rough idea of who Charles Manson was, I wasn't really sure what really happened, and what lead to his noteriety. Here's a little background care of Wikipedia...

"Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal and musician who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the murders of seven people, actress Sharon Tate and four other people at Tate's home, and the next day, a married couple, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, all carried out by members of the group at his instruction."

The story though goes beyond that, with multiple other murders linked to The Family, and details the culture and life that Manson created in the desert. Written by the prosecutor, Vincent Bugliosi, he's able to give us in in-depth view of the whole story, starting with Manson's early childhood, and how his years in the correctional system lead to him not being able to function properly in society. Though the discovery of the Tate murders and how to police were lead to question and finally arrest Manson and others from his Family.

While the Wikipedia article gives a good overview of what happened, this book is a great look at the smaller details of the case and the life of Charles Manson.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn - Book Review

Book: Sharp Objects

Author: Gillian Flynn

Genre: Fiction 

Publisher/Publish Date: Shaye Areheart Books / September, 2006

Source: Public Library

Pages: 272

Rating: 3.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

An earlier novel by the author of Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects follows a Chicago reporter as she heads back to her home town to report on the murders of two young girls. She returns to her childhood home, staying with a mom that never knew how to be a good mom, and a much younger half-sister she barely knows and doesn't recognize at first. This novel is full of deep, interesting characters, who we discover as we move closer to learning who is behind the murders.

I loved Gone Girl, and was exciting to read more by Gillian Flynn. I was taking a little off guard with this book, but may have understood it better if I head read the synopsis before hand and had known what I was getting into. While I really liked the book, it takes a little while before you have all the clues to really understand the main character and her relationship with her family, which is at the core of the novel. This was the perfect book for a vacation, and helped me get through a few plane rides without getting too bored. The book moves fast and was riveting till the end.

The Cuckoo's Calling by J.K. Rowling - Book Review

Book: The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike #1)

Author:  Robert Galbraith (Pseudonym), J.K. Rowling

Genre: Mystery

Publisher/Publish Date: Mulholland Books / April 30, 2013

Source: Local Library

Pages: 455

Rating: 4.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

I requested this book from the library as soon as it was revealed that J.K. Rowling was the offer. It was a good thing I was so fast, a week later there were 600+ holds on the book.

While I don't read too many crime novels, I do enjoy crime shows, and found this book hard to put down. Rowling did a great job of creating a complex mystery and I didn't even have a clue who was guilty until it was revealed.

The main character, Detective Cormoran Strike, hires a temp assistant, Robin, who I am assuming will be a character throughout the series (more books are planned). But I felt she lacked any development, there were just hints at her life outside the office, so I am looking forward to her being a large part of the story in subsequent novels.

Overall the novel is fairly light though touches on deeper issues, and I'm really looking forward to reading more about Strikes detective agency and seeing what other mysteries he solve.

A Dangerous Fiction by Barbara Rogan - Book Review

Book: A Dangerous Fiction: A Mystery

Author: Barbara Rogan

Genre: Mystery 

Publisher/Publish Date: Viking Adult / July 25, 2013

Source: ARC courtesy of publisher

Pages: 336

Rating: 4.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, but it in no way effects my review of the book.

So good! But an understated good, if that makes sense. I read quite a few ARC's, so it's always great when I get to read one I enjoy so much. And this one was published in July, so if you like a good mystery novel, go buy this or get it from your library.

The tone of the novel harkens back to classic crime novels, i.e.: "It was a dark and storm night," from Paul Clifford. Literary Agent Jo Donovan has lead a tough life, but she's a fighter and has come out on top. She runs on of the best literary agencies, although widowed, had a wonderful relationship with a renowned author, and has some great close friends.

But an ambitious writer threatens to ruin it all, when he starts stalking her and attacking those around her. At the same time, and ambitious author working on a biography of her late husband, starts digging around, causing Jo to question if her memory is as accurate as she thinks.

And of course there needs to be a little romance, as an old fame who is now a NYPD detective takes her case, and tries to help her track down who her stalker is.

As I said above, I really enjoyed it and it was hard to put down (which is my favorite type of book). The plot is neat, and ties up loose ends, which I appreciate. And the characters are complex and true to life.

The author's page on GoodReads mentions this is the "first in a new mystery series set in the high-stakes world of big publishing," so I'm excited to hear there may be more. I could see this becoming a really great movie. A triller with heart.

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If you have reviewed this book, please leave a link to the review in the comments and I will add your review to the main post. All I ask is for you to do the same to mine — thanks! 

The Short, Strange Life of Herschel Grynszpan by Jonathan Kirsch - Book Review

Book: The Short, Strange Life of Herschel Grynszpan: A Boy Avenger, a Nazi Diplomat, and a Murder in Paris

Author: Jonathan Kirsch

Genre: History

Publisher/Publish Date: Liveright / May 6, 2013

Source: ARC courtesy of publisher

Pages: 352

Rating: 3.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

A fascinating story of a 17 year old Jewish avenger and the Nazi regime that lead him to murder. This is a longer than normal review, and mostly an overview of the story the book is about.

Herschel Grynszpan grew up a Jew in Nazi Germany, but escaped to France in 1936 to live with hi aunt and uncle. A series of events leads to him to the German Embassy, where he shot and killed an Embassy official, Ernst vom Rath, to avenge the atrocities done to the Jews.

The news of the murder spread quickly with lots of people finding his story engaging. American radio broadcaster and journalist Dorothy Thompson, the second most influential woman in America in 1939, was sympathetic to Herschel. Her radio program about him lead to over $40,000 in donations, enabling the hiring of top quality lawyers for his case. British composer Michael Tippett composed an oratorio in Herschel's honor, titled A Child of Our Time.

Herschel sat in prison waiting as the trial was delayed over and over again. In September 1939, after France declared a state of war with Germany, the trial was put on the back burner, as his lawyers and the trial's judge were call upon to serve in the army. Herschel urged the new judge to move ahead with trial, as he had been in prison for two years, and he was afraid if the war was over quickly, people would care less about the trial and he's be more likely to be found guilty.

As Germany took control of Paris, the prison guards transferred the prisoners, including Herschel to prisons in southern France. But since no one really wanted the responsibility of housing him in their prison, they kept sending him off to the next prison south of them, usually forcing him to walk from town to town. He would show up at the next prison, begging to be let in and fed.

Eventually France handed him over to Germany, and while they were wanting to hold a show trial, the date kept on being put off due to the war. What exactly came of Herschel as the war went on may never be known. His last known communications with his parents was in 1940, and German documents lead researchers to believe he was alive until at least 1942. Many rumors surround his death, with no clear story of how he died.

His short life was full of twists, scandal, mystery, and provided the Nazi regime with pretax for the escalation in the persecution of the Jews.

I've read a lot of books about the Holocaust, but from this book I learned more about the time in Nazi Germany before the concentration camps as well as Germany's political relations with other European countries, specifically France. The book is heavy on history with a little juicy inside information here and there. I think anyone who enjoys reading about history would find this book gripping.

*Please note that we receive affiliate income from any books purchased at Amazon.

If you have reviewed this book, please leave a link to the review in the comments and I will add your review to the main post. All I ask is for you to do the same to mine — thanks! 

Kneading to Die by Liz Mugavero - Book Review

Book: Kneading to Die (Pawsitively Organic Mysteries)

Author: Liz Mugavero

Genre: Mystery 

Publisher/Publish Date: Kensington / May 7, 2013

Source: ARC courtesy of publisher 

Pages: 343

Rating: 3.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

Please forgive the slightly cheesy title of the book:) I requested this book planning to pass it on to a friend who I thought might enjoy it, decided to read it before I passed it on, and was pleasantly surprised. Be warned there may be some spoilers in the review.

The first in a series, Kneading to Die introduces us to the protagonist, Stan, who is new in the small town of Frog Ledge. After losing her highly paid PR job, she decides to have a fresh start in what she believes to be a quite town. Within a few days she's meet some new people, made some homemade doggie treats to share with their dogs, and she's coerced into an appointment for her cat with the local vet. Surprisingly things don't go as planned, and when she arrives at the clinic, she finds the vet murdered.

Stan is not one to sit still, especially with the small town sherif marking her as the main suspect, so she starts asking questions and poking her nose in where it doesn't belong. At this point the story gets a little silly, but it never takes it self too seriously, and it's a breeze to read.

Stan has a boyfriend, who still lives in her old city, maybe a 40-60 minutes drive. From the get go the seem like an odd paring, so while it may add some romantic drama to the book, it feels a little forced at times. Many of the town's characters are friendly, and realistic, though a few seem over the top. It makes the book a bit less "real world" believable, but not really in a negative way.

This is the perfect book for vacation or the beach. For me this book came at a great time, between some more serious, historical books, it was a nice, lighthearted, break and only took me 2 days to read. Not sure if I will read the next book in the series, but it wouldn't be the most surprising thing.

*Please note that we receive affiliate income from any books purchased at Amazon.

If you have reviewed this book, please leave a link to the review in the comments and I will add your review to the main post. All I ask is for you to do the same to mine — thanks! 


PS: My new digs in Portland has a beautiful backyard, which is a lovely place for blog writing:)

The Last Summer of the Camperdown - Book Review

Book: The Last Summer of the Camperdowns: A Novel

Author: Elizabeth Kelly

Genre: Drama

Publisher/Publish Date: Liveright / June 3, 2013

Source: ARC courtesy and GoodReads First Reads 

Pages: 400

Rating: 4.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

Such a great book! Set in the summer of 1972, 12 year old Riddle Camperdown (named after Jimmy Hoffa) is daughter of a retired actress, Greer and an up and coming politician, Camp.

In a small, picturesque town on Cape Cod, the Camperdown's live across the road from Gin, the local gossip hound, horse breeder, and his mysterious stable manager Gula.

The long gone "international playboy and renowned horseman" Michael Devlin and his sons return to Cape Cod, bringing with them secrets and tragedy.

Riddle spends her summer riding horses, reading alone in her room, making friends with the dashing Devlin boy, and debating the price of truth. Living as the only child of two strong-willed, eclectic parents is a daily challenge, but when she witnesses a crime, her life starts into a spiral she struggles to escape from. 

I don't want to give away anymore, but if you like mysteries, and books set it the idealistic 70's, run out and get this. The characters are engaging, with witty, smart conversation. This is a book I'd enjoy seeing as a play or movie.

A beautifully written and gripping story. I was hooked from the first chapter.
(And I love the cover design.)

Book Review: Disco Bloodbath (aka: Party Monster)

**spoilers ahead**

A few months ago a rabbit hole of internet searching lead me to look into the movie Party Monster, which lead me to this book, that the movie was based on. Not sure exactly what I was getting myself into, but I enjoy true crime stories so I thought I'd give it a try.

The author, James St. James, a NYC celebutante in the mid 80's, was a cofounder of the Club Kids, a group of young clubgoers, with his friend Michael Alig, and is still in the news sometimes and was on a few seasons of America's Next Top Model. Though I gave a spoiler alert, the main plot point is spilled in the first few pages of the book. One day, Michael tells James that, under the influence of drugs, he, along with his friend, Freeze, murdered Angel Melendez. It supposedly happened during an arguments over a long-standing drug debt.

The story, told often in stream of consciousness, then goes back in time to tell of the arrival of Michael to the NYC party scene. James gives us a window into the inner workings of the club scene, how to get yourself known, and how to best work room. He introduces us to the who's who of NYC in the late 80's to mid 90's and presents the key players of the crime that unfolds.

What's really fascinating is what happens between the time of the murder and when Michael and Freeze actually get arrested. Slowly gossip columns and news articles start leaking the story of a missing drug dealer and hinting at who may be involved. Angel's brother comes to town looking for him, and eventually, eight months later, the body is found. The police, who have been accused of not caring about the death of a drug dealer, eventually arrest Michael Alig and Freeze, leading to their convictions.

One great thing about true stories is that you can actually watch the shows they reference in the book, so if you are interested in learning more, you can watch the Club Kids on the Donahue Show. Also, there is a Documentary, Party Monster: The Shockumentary, and the feature film Party Monster, based on this book.

While not a deep novel, it was facinating, and easy to read.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Review: 3 out of 5

Book Review: The Devil's Highway

There are many sides to the immigration/border policy debate, and Urrea of presenting them all equally. The book, Luis Alberto Urrea centers around a specific group of walkers, dubbed the Wellton 26, who crossed the border, into the Sonoran desert, Arizona, with a coyote they hired to lead them to safety and a new life in the US. To avoid the Border Patrol, the coyote that was leading, took them on a new route, one which he wasn’t very familiar with. This lead to a 6 day hike, covering 40+ miles, in 90-100 degree weather, resulting in 14 deaths.

Urrea uses this one situation, which as picked up by the media, and sensationalized, as a representation of a larger story. In this same year, a total of 417 died attempting unauthorized border crossings, and those are only the ones who were found. The walkers from Mexico are in a desperate search for a better life for them and their families, while the border patrol is trying to fulfill the law, attempting the capture the illegals as they enter the country, though also concerned for their safety.

The issue of immigration enforcement, and border policy is very complicated. Reading this gave me a great picture of what is going on there, and how many sides to the story there are. There are many positive changes taking place, but the US has a long way to go to find the best solution. I’d recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about border policy and the stories behind the walkers attempting to cross to a better life.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Book Review: The Monster of Florence

A gripping true life story of the unsolved serial murders that took place in Florence, Italy, from 1968-1985. The author, Douglas Preston, moved to Italy, and while working on a new mystery novel meets a fellow journalist, Mario Spezi, who had written about and followed the story of these brutal murders from the beginning. The novel recounts the original events, as well as the effect the original reporting had on Spezi and in a weird twist of fate, the authors themselves become the focus of a police investigation.

They do a good job of presenting the facts of the case in an interesting way, as well as explaining what they think the prosectors are getting wrong. It's a fascinating look at the workings of the Italian judicial system, and the underlying corruption that has lead to these murders not being solved. While the identity of the murderer may never be known, this book had enough to keep me engaged, and had a satisfying ending.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Book Review: Devil's Knot

A gripping true life story of the West Memphis Three, Mara Leveritt wrote a honest and revealing look the murder, investigation, trial and appeals. A horrific story the starts with the brutal murder of 3 young boys, and leads to the arrest and conviction of 3 innocent teenagers as the detectives fumble the investigation, and have to create a scenario in which to frame someone for the murder.

Since it was never proven in court that the 3 accused were innocent, the last statement is my belief, not proven in court. But reading the book, it is shocking how little evidence they had in the murder trial, and how much the judge allowed the prosecutor to get away with. I would guess, given any other judge, prosecutors and detectives, these men would never have been convicted and sent to jail. It's sad that while 3 innocent men spent 18 years behind bars, the original murders are still unsolved.

Good if you like true life mysteries, and luckily this one has a good ending (via NYtimes). (note: this book was published in 2002, so if you read it, be sure to read the current news stories to learn about recent events.)