“Playing to the Edge” is a memoir of General Mike Hayden’s stint as Director of the NSA and then CIA from 1999 until 2009. These were challenging times for intelligence agencies as they fought elusive terrorists in a post-9/11 world and sailed the uncharted waters of new and rapidly growing technologies and all the legal and moral issues associated with accessing and using it in an effort to protect our nation. Continue reading
“The Da Vinci Code”, by Dan Brown
Here’s another blast from the past that I’m just now reading, but I thought it was worth talking about in case you’re like me and missed it the first time around. And thanks to my good friend, Kristin, for the recommendation. Continue reading
“The Templar Legacy”, by Steve Berry
I really like it when I “discover” an established series because that means I can add several more books to my reading list. I was recently trolling a best seller list for reading ideas and “The 14th Colony” by Steve Berry caught my eye. It’s the eleventh book in the Cotton Malone series. I don’t like to jump into the middle of a series, so I decided to check out the first book, “The Templar Legacy”. Continue reading
Book Review: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
The Boys in the Boat is the amazing, true story of the team that won the gold medal in eight man crew at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It’s an inspirational story about hard work, resilience and perseverance set in the middle of the Great Depression and on the cusp of World War II.
“Girl With a Pearl Earring”, by Tracy Chevalier
I just finished reading “Girl With a Pearl Earring “. I know I’m late to this particular party (the book was published in 2000), but it came out as I was entering my very long reading drought, so I hadn’t Continue reading
Book Review: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is a sweet, funny story about one man’s redemption through books and unexpected relationships.
Book Review: Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
In Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, author Erik Larson chronicles in great detail the sinking of the Lusitania by a German submarine during World War I. Lovers of history should really enjoy this Dead Wake. It is loaded with facts about events leading up to the tragedy, the details of the sinking and some of its aftermath. Continue reading
Book Review: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
All the Light We Cannot See is a beautifully written, poignant story set in Europe during World War II. It tells the story of how a blind, French girl and an orphaned German boy experience the war. Continue reading
“The Bone Labyrinth” by James Rollins
I checked out “The Bone Labyrinth” from the library a couple of times before I finally read it. I would see it on my virtual bookshelf, think about it, and decide “nope, not ready for it yet,” and eventually it would expire, so then I would check it out again. Continue reading
“Friction”, by Sandra Brown
Whenever I’m in the mood for a good suspense novel with a gritty romance element, I turn to Sandra Brown. She can usually be counted on to deliver a page turning plot that often keeps you Continue reading
Book Thoughts from Bed 