Author Archives: mmelland

Book Review: The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

Posted in Fiction, Historical Fiction by

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The Last Days of Night is a novel based on the battle between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to establish some of the standards for the emerging electricity infrastructure during the late 1880’s. Based on that description, you might be thinking *yawn*, but stay with me! Continue reading →

“Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines and Habits of Billionaires, Icons and World-Class Performers”, by Tim Ferriss

Posted in Nonfiction by

Tim Ferriss has a highly successful podcast in which he interviews people who are tops at what they do and tries to uncover some of the secrets of their success. He’s good at this because he seems to be genuinely curious about his guests and he likes to apply some of their methods to his own life in an ongoing effort to improve himself. Continue reading →

Valentine’s Brain Candy or How to Avoid the Facebook Pigeons

Posted in Fiction, Romance by

Since it’s Valentine’s Day, it seemed appropriate to read and review a romance. I like a good romance, and, no, it’s not because there’s something lacking in my life. I have my prince, thank you very much. I just like the idea of everyone finding a soulmate who will always be there for them, respect and love them and make them laugh. Which also means I like romances with a “happily ever after”, or HEA, as they say in the trade. No tragic, star-crossed lovers for me. Continue reading →

Book Review The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

Posted in Fiction, suspense by

In The Life We Bury, college student Joe Talbert is given an English assignment to write someone’s biography. Not having anyone in his own life that would be a good subject, he goes to a nearby nursing home, where he meets convicted rapist and murderer, Carl Iverson, who has recently been paroled because he is dying. As he learns more about Carl’s life, including the details of his murder conviction, Joe becomes convinced that there’s more to Carl than meets the eye. Continue reading →

5 Ways to Encourage Reading in the Kansas City Area

Posted in Opinion by

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It’s not breaking news that not enough Americans read books. According to commonly cited statistics, 33% of US high school graduates will never read a book after graduation. Even if everyone was inclined to read, only 50% of US adults can do so at or above an 8th grade level. And 60% of inmates can’t read at all, so read between the lines about the effects of being illiterate. Continue reading →