Miracle on the 17th Green: A Novel about Life, Love, Family, Miracles ... and Golf by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge
Type: Fiction, Sports
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I feel like I've been in a reading slump for the past 5 weeks so I was looking for a light, quick read to jump start my reading engine.
What I liked about it: This is a makes-you-feel-good type of book. The story is about a down-and-out guy in a dead-end job with a failing marriage that discovers that he is playing the best golf of his life and tries to qualify for the PGA Senior Tour. The book left a little smile on my face when I finished.
Book 33
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Type: Fiction
My rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is the fourth and final book in the Twilight series.
What I liked about it: I liked very little about this book. I read the first book in the series, Twilight, in very early 2008 and thought it was a very good 4-star read. I didn't care for the second book (3-star) or third book (surprising, I rated it 4-star) very much and, therefore, I held out reading this last chapter of the saga. When asked why I had not yet read the final book, my response had been that "I wasn't sure I wanted to know how it all ended" but I knew the more appropriate answer was "I didn't want to be disappointed yet again and further forget that the original Twilight story was actually very good." The story line was very thin, the book dragged on and on, and the ending was predictable. I almost gave up on the book completely a few times but stuck it out and finished it. Good riddance. I am very happy that this series struck a chord with so many young readers as I am always thrilled to see kids and adults who are excited about reading. I would definitely encourage anyone to read the first book in the series. (It was my first vampire novel ever.) After that I leave it up to the reader to decide to continue on, or move on.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This is the fourth and final book in the Twilight series.
What I liked about it: I liked very little about this book. I read the first book in the series, Twilight, in very early 2008 and thought it was a very good 4-star read. I didn't care for the second book (3-star) or third book (surprising, I rated it 4-star) very much and, therefore, I held out reading this last chapter of the saga. When asked why I had not yet read the final book, my response had been that "I wasn't sure I wanted to know how it all ended" but I knew the more appropriate answer was "I didn't want to be disappointed yet again and further forget that the original Twilight story was actually very good." The story line was very thin, the book dragged on and on, and the ending was predictable. I almost gave up on the book completely a few times but stuck it out and finished it. Good riddance. I am very happy that this series struck a chord with so many young readers as I am always thrilled to see kids and adults who are excited about reading. I would definitely encourage anyone to read the first book in the series. (It was my first vampire novel ever.) After that I leave it up to the reader to decide to continue on, or move on.
Love Story Trilogy
I was reminded the other day of probably the best three books I have ever read in a row. I think of them as the "Love Story Trilogy" although they have nothing to do with each other except for the common theme. In my opinion these are each 5-star books but when combined and read back-to-back-to-back it was truly an amazing experience. The books are, in the order that I read them, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson and The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller. All of these books have been made into movies. Even if you have seen the movies (I have seen them all) or have previously read any of the books, I would highly suggest taking the time (they are all fairly quick reads) to read these books in this order. They each explore in a different way the many profound and deep forms that love takes including mental, physical, emotional, intellectual and everlasting. I hesitate to share any more details for fear of giving away the stories. There is no doubt that I will re-read these books again soon.
Book 32
See Jane Run by Joy Fielding
Type: Fiction, Mystery
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was recommended to me by a very special friend.
What I liked about it: See the posting for Book 31 related to the date June 22. To my surprise in chapter 27 along comes the following sentence, "Hadn't the school calendar listed Friday, June 22 as parent interview day?" Weird. This was the first time I have read Joy Fielding, a Canadian author who published her first book almost 30 years ago. I liked, but didn't love, the book. However, on Amazon over 75% of the approximate 50 reviews rated the book a 5-star. I liked the premise of the story and there were a couple of interesting twists but the middle third of the book dragged a bit for me. I do anticipate giving this author another read.
Type: Fiction, Mystery
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was recommended to me by a very special friend.
What I liked about it: See the posting for Book 31 related to the date June 22. To my surprise in chapter 27 along comes the following sentence, "Hadn't the school calendar listed Friday, June 22 as parent interview day?" Weird. This was the first time I have read Joy Fielding, a Canadian author who published her first book almost 30 years ago. I liked, but didn't love, the book. However, on Amazon over 75% of the approximate 50 reviews rated the book a 5-star. I liked the premise of the story and there were a couple of interesting twists but the middle third of the book dragged a bit for me. I do anticipate giving this author another read.
Book 31
The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: There was a blurb on the cover of this book that caught my attention. It read: Highly recommended for fans of authors like Jodi Picoult and Jacquelyn Mitchard.
What I liked about it: There are no coincidences. I chose this book to take with me on vacation. Before leaving for vacation I bought a new pair of Oakley sunglasses. The glasses I chose were from the Stephen Murray "Stay Strong" collection. Stephen Murray was a BMX rider who crashed on June 22, 2007 while attempting a double back flip. He crushed and shattered vertebrae and is paralyzed from the shoulders down. Before leaving for vacation I realized that the flight was going to be on June 22, 2009, exactly two years after Stephen crashed. So that was weird. However, near the end of this book the main character is getting ready to return home after a very exhausting trip and says, "Tomorrow is the twenty-second of June. Tomorrow I'm go home." Hmmm. Very strange. I believe everything happens for a reason. All our life experiences, no matter how small or inconsequential they might seem, are clues to the bigger puzzle.
The book was really good. The story is about a 6-year old girl that goes missing while walking along a beach one day with an adult friend. The friend engages in a crusade to find out what happened to her. The book was very well written and, while I have yet to read Jacquelyn Mitchard, the story telling and tough subject matter is very similar to Jodi Picoult's style of writing.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: There was a blurb on the cover of this book that caught my attention. It read: Highly recommended for fans of authors like Jodi Picoult and Jacquelyn Mitchard.
What I liked about it: There are no coincidences. I chose this book to take with me on vacation. Before leaving for vacation I bought a new pair of Oakley sunglasses. The glasses I chose were from the Stephen Murray "Stay Strong" collection. Stephen Murray was a BMX rider who crashed on June 22, 2007 while attempting a double back flip. He crushed and shattered vertebrae and is paralyzed from the shoulders down. Before leaving for vacation I realized that the flight was going to be on June 22, 2009, exactly two years after Stephen crashed. So that was weird. However, near the end of this book the main character is getting ready to return home after a very exhausting trip and says, "Tomorrow is the twenty-second of June. Tomorrow I'm go home." Hmmm. Very strange. I believe everything happens for a reason. All our life experiences, no matter how small or inconsequential they might seem, are clues to the bigger puzzle.
The book was really good. The story is about a 6-year old girl that goes missing while walking along a beach one day with an adult friend. The friend engages in a crusade to find out what happened to her. The book was very well written and, while I have yet to read Jacquelyn Mitchard, the story telling and tough subject matter is very similar to Jodi Picoult's style of writing.
Book 30
Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Lisa Scottoline (pronounced Scot-oh-lee-nee) is a local Philadelphia author and I saw her speak and met her briefly while she was signing books at a Michael Smerconish Book Club event a few years ago. At the time, Lisa had just written Dirty Blonde, which has a portion of the story set in Centralia, PA. Lisa is sometimes referred to as the female John Grisham. She was previously a litigator at a Philadelphia law firm.
What I liked about it: This book felt to me like a James Patterson novel and had lots of little chapters (more than 90) which seems to be typical in a Patterson novel. There is even a blurb on the cover of the book from Patterson. It also felt more like a chic-lit novel than a legal thriller. The story seemed rushed and the ending predictable. But all-in-all it would make for some light summer reading.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: Lisa Scottoline (pronounced Scot-oh-lee-nee) is a local Philadelphia author and I saw her speak and met her briefly while she was signing books at a Michael Smerconish Book Club event a few years ago. At the time, Lisa had just written Dirty Blonde, which has a portion of the story set in Centralia, PA. Lisa is sometimes referred to as the female John Grisham. She was previously a litigator at a Philadelphia law firm.
What I liked about it: This book felt to me like a James Patterson novel and had lots of little chapters (more than 90) which seems to be typical in a Patterson novel. There is even a blurb on the cover of the book from Patterson. It also felt more like a chic-lit novel than a legal thriller. The story seemed rushed and the ending predictable. But all-in-all it would make for some light summer reading.
Book 29
Boggs: A Comedy of Values by Lawrence Weschler
Type: Non-fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I found this book mentioned either in a blog or an article in reference to money and what makes up money and how anyone attributes value to money. This is the story of an artist who draws pictures of money and, as part of his "art," attempts to exchange his money at face value for goods and/or services.
What I liked about it: There were several good comparisons between money and art throughout the book. Art is similar to money in that it has nothing backing it. It is merely the perception that money and art have value.
Although this book was written in 1999 there was a discussion that is very relevant today. On page 92, it is written "Experts calculated that almost half a trillion dollars in value had disappeared from the American economy overnight (sound familiar?) - but what had happened to it, one wondered. Where had it gone? One answer was that it hadn't gone anywhere; it wasn't now in some new place, where we would eventually be able to locate it if we just set our minds to it. Rather, it had in a sense never existed in the first place. There is always something dreamy about great speculative frenzies, and, inevitably, at some point the dreamers awake. It was simply, as many commentators now took to noting, morning again in America."
Type: Non-fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I found this book mentioned either in a blog or an article in reference to money and what makes up money and how anyone attributes value to money. This is the story of an artist who draws pictures of money and, as part of his "art," attempts to exchange his money at face value for goods and/or services.
What I liked about it: There were several good comparisons between money and art throughout the book. Art is similar to money in that it has nothing backing it. It is merely the perception that money and art have value.
Although this book was written in 1999 there was a discussion that is very relevant today. On page 92, it is written "Experts calculated that almost half a trillion dollars in value had disappeared from the American economy overnight (sound familiar?) - but what had happened to it, one wondered. Where had it gone? One answer was that it hadn't gone anywhere; it wasn't now in some new place, where we would eventually be able to locate it if we just set our minds to it. Rather, it had in a sense never existed in the first place. There is always something dreamy about great speculative frenzies, and, inevitably, at some point the dreamers awake. It was simply, as many commentators now took to noting, morning again in America."
Book 28
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was sitting in my library for about 6 months. I think it must have been on a top selling list at one time and caught my eye.
What I liked about it: I wish I would have picked this up and read it sooner. This is a book for book lovers about book lovers. One of the main characters is a world famous writer of books. Another works in a used book store and is an avid reader. This book is a classic example of great story telling. You can almost imagine sitting around a cozy fire and having this story told to you by someone. I found myself carrying this book around so that any free time I had I could crack it open and read a bit. This one kept me up past my usual bedtime each night, which is my internal gauge as to when a book becomes a 5-star pick for me.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was sitting in my library for about 6 months. I think it must have been on a top selling list at one time and caught my eye.
What I liked about it: I wish I would have picked this up and read it sooner. This is a book for book lovers about book lovers. One of the main characters is a world famous writer of books. Another works in a used book store and is an avid reader. This book is a classic example of great story telling. You can almost imagine sitting around a cozy fire and having this story told to you by someone. I found myself carrying this book around so that any free time I had I could crack it open and read a bit. This one kept me up past my usual bedtime each night, which is my internal gauge as to when a book becomes a 5-star pick for me.
Statistics Through May 29
Total Pages Read to Date = 8,489
Total Books Read to Date = 27
Average # of Pages Per Book = 314
Average # of Pages Read Per Day = 57
Total Books Read to Date = 27
Average # of Pages Per Book = 314
Average # of Pages Read Per Day = 57
Book 27
The Shack by William P. Young
Type: Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: When I was in the 6th grade at a Catholic grade school my teacher (a Sister/Nun) was telling the class that if you weren't Catholic and you didn't go to church on Sunday you would go to hell. Being so young and curious and naive, I guess, I asked the very smart Sister what if we (Catholics) were wrong about our God and our beliefs and the Buddhists or Hindus were right, would we then go to hell? I was told by the now really angry Sister that I was possessed by the Devil and was thrown out of the classroom. And so my intellectual curiosity was sparked and thus began my life's journey to understand who God is and what role religion plays in our lives. Since this book has over 1 million copies in print I was curious as to why others found this book interesting.
What I liked about it: At the end of chapter 12, Mack (the main character) asks Jesus, "Is that what it means to be Christian?" Jesus replies to Mack, "Who said anything about being a Christian? I'm not a Christian." He continues, "Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved."
Another very thought-provoking exchange occurs earlier in Chapter 12 when Mack and Jesus discuss religion and institutions. Mack asks, "What about the institution of marriage?" Jesus responds, "Marriage is not an institution. It's a relationship. Like I said I don't create institutions; that's an occupation for those who want to play God. So no, I'm not too big on religion and not fond of politics or economics either. And why should I be? They are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages the earth and deceives those I care about. What mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three?"
There was something about the marketing of the book that turned me off a bit. The little checklist in the back on how to help them sell more books was a bit cheesy. A good book should be able to stand on its own and not have to be backed by a marketing machine to sell a lot of copies. I do think this is a pretty good book overall.
Type: Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
My rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: When I was in the 6th grade at a Catholic grade school my teacher (a Sister/Nun) was telling the class that if you weren't Catholic and you didn't go to church on Sunday you would go to hell. Being so young and curious and naive, I guess, I asked the very smart Sister what if we (Catholics) were wrong about our God and our beliefs and the Buddhists or Hindus were right, would we then go to hell? I was told by the now really angry Sister that I was possessed by the Devil and was thrown out of the classroom. And so my intellectual curiosity was sparked and thus began my life's journey to understand who God is and what role religion plays in our lives. Since this book has over 1 million copies in print I was curious as to why others found this book interesting.
What I liked about it: At the end of chapter 12, Mack (the main character) asks Jesus, "Is that what it means to be Christian?" Jesus replies to Mack, "Who said anything about being a Christian? I'm not a Christian." He continues, "Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved."
Another very thought-provoking exchange occurs earlier in Chapter 12 when Mack and Jesus discuss religion and institutions. Mack asks, "What about the institution of marriage?" Jesus responds, "Marriage is not an institution. It's a relationship. Like I said I don't create institutions; that's an occupation for those who want to play God. So no, I'm not too big on religion and not fond of politics or economics either. And why should I be? They are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages the earth and deceives those I care about. What mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three?"
There was something about the marketing of the book that turned me off a bit. The little checklist in the back on how to help them sell more books was a bit cheesy. A good book should be able to stand on its own and not have to be backed by a marketing machine to sell a lot of copies. I do think this is a pretty good book overall.
Book 26
A Gift to My Children: A Father's Lessons for Life and Investing by Jim Rogers
Type: Non-fiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I think Jim Rogers is one of the "smart" guys in this economic downturn and I enjoy listening and reading anything he has to say. Jim made enough money to retire by age 38 and then went on two multi-year trips around the world, one of them on a motorcycle. He did this in order to gain a real micro (not macro) perspective on the world.
What I liked about it: This book might be more interesting to someone who is new to Jim Rogers but, for me, it was a rehash of his philosophy on investing and on living. It is a short book, just 85 pages, and can be read in one sitting.
Type: Non-fiction, Business & Investing
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I think Jim Rogers is one of the "smart" guys in this economic downturn and I enjoy listening and reading anything he has to say. Jim made enough money to retire by age 38 and then went on two multi-year trips around the world, one of them on a motorcycle. He did this in order to gain a real micro (not macro) perspective on the world.
What I liked about it: This book might be more interesting to someone who is new to Jim Rogers but, for me, it was a rehash of his philosophy on investing and on living. It is a short book, just 85 pages, and can be read in one sitting.
Book 25
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was mentioned as a "favorite" by more than one person to me recently. It is ranked second in the Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century. It's set in the roaring 20s as American society enjoyed unprecedented levels of prosperity as the economy soared just prior to the start of the Great Depression.
What I liked about it: I found it interesting that this book did not get much acclaim when it was published in 1925. In fact, it wasn't until the 1960s, after Fitzgerald's death, that it gained its popularity. I'm in the camp with the reviewers from the first 20+ years. I think I was better off having read it but I didn't find anything terribly fascinating about it. I didn't particularly like the overly descriptive sentences that use lots of extra words to describe something that could be expressed in much simpler terms.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: This book was mentioned as a "favorite" by more than one person to me recently. It is ranked second in the Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century. It's set in the roaring 20s as American society enjoyed unprecedented levels of prosperity as the economy soared just prior to the start of the Great Depression.
What I liked about it: I found it interesting that this book did not get much acclaim when it was published in 1925. In fact, it wasn't until the 1960s, after Fitzgerald's death, that it gained its popularity. I'm in the camp with the reviewers from the first 20+ years. I think I was better off having read it but I didn't find anything terribly fascinating about it. I didn't particularly like the overly descriptive sentences that use lots of extra words to describe something that could be expressed in much simpler terms.
Book 24
Testimony by Anita Shreve
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: The only other book by this author that I have read was The Pilot's Wife, which I thought was just OK but good enough that I vowed to read something else by her. This is her latest novel and I thought it sounded pretty interesting -- a sex scandal at a private school in Vermont.
What I liked about it: I thought I would like the storytelling from the perspectives of multiple characters but the use of this technique in this book made the characters hard to follow. At the very end, I unsuccessfully tried to flip back through the book to even determine the significance of one of the characters. The novel is also told from multiple narratives - in the first, second and third person - which also made it a bit choppy for me. The story was fairly well told and seeing the tragic events transpire from multiple points of view (just too many points of view) was interesting. The novel explored the characters dealing with the consequences of their actions and forced them to examine the "what ifs" as in "what if" he didn't do this or "what if" she didn't do that. In the end, for me I really want to like this book but, like The Pilot's Wife, I thought it was just OK.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: The only other book by this author that I have read was The Pilot's Wife, which I thought was just OK but good enough that I vowed to read something else by her. This is her latest novel and I thought it sounded pretty interesting -- a sex scandal at a private school in Vermont.
What I liked about it: I thought I would like the storytelling from the perspectives of multiple characters but the use of this technique in this book made the characters hard to follow. At the very end, I unsuccessfully tried to flip back through the book to even determine the significance of one of the characters. The novel is also told from multiple narratives - in the first, second and third person - which also made it a bit choppy for me. The story was fairly well told and seeing the tragic events transpire from multiple points of view (just too many points of view) was interesting. The novel explored the characters dealing with the consequences of their actions and forced them to examine the "what ifs" as in "what if" he didn't do this or "what if" she didn't do that. In the end, for me I really want to like this book but, like The Pilot's Wife, I thought it was just OK.
Book 23
Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I discovered Jodi Picoult just over a year ago while lying poolside vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. While pondering which refreshing drink to order next, I heard sniffling next to me and turned to find my ravishing wife crying while reading My Sister's Keeper. I asked her what the book was about and knew immediately that I had to give this author a try. That was an incredible 5-star book. My next Picoult novel was Nineteen Minutes, which became my then favorite until I read The Pact, which then moved to the top spot. When I began reading Change of Heart, I told myself that this wouldn't be my new best Picoult novel since it didn't make sense that each one I read became my new favorite.
What I liked about it: This may very well be my new favorite! Jodi Picoult has an unbelievable ability and gift to tell a thought-provoking story that stays with you, not only during the time you spend reading it, but well afterward as well. This novel explores the death penalty and the Gnostic Gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas. It was quite interesting to learn that the inclusion of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Christian bible were an editorial decision made over 2000 years ago while the other known gospels at the time were declared heresy. It is believed that, had this decision to standardize the Christian faith not been made, Christianity could have died out from all the infighting. One of my favorite passages from the book was "Sometimes we see what we want to, instead of what's in front of us. And sometimes, we don't see clearly at all." Regardless of which Jodi Picoult novel is currently my favorite, I am hereby crowning Ms. Picoult as my favorite author!
Type: Fiction
My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I discovered Jodi Picoult just over a year ago while lying poolside vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. While pondering which refreshing drink to order next, I heard sniffling next to me and turned to find my ravishing wife crying while reading My Sister's Keeper. I asked her what the book was about and knew immediately that I had to give this author a try. That was an incredible 5-star book. My next Picoult novel was Nineteen Minutes, which became my then favorite until I read The Pact, which then moved to the top spot. When I began reading Change of Heart, I told myself that this wouldn't be my new best Picoult novel since it didn't make sense that each one I read became my new favorite.
What I liked about it: This may very well be my new favorite! Jodi Picoult has an unbelievable ability and gift to tell a thought-provoking story that stays with you, not only during the time you spend reading it, but well afterward as well. This novel explores the death penalty and the Gnostic Gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas. It was quite interesting to learn that the inclusion of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Christian bible were an editorial decision made over 2000 years ago while the other known gospels at the time were declared heresy. It is believed that, had this decision to standardize the Christian faith not been made, Christianity could have died out from all the infighting. One of my favorite passages from the book was "Sometimes we see what we want to, instead of what's in front of us. And sometimes, we don't see clearly at all." Regardless of which Jodi Picoult novel is currently my favorite, I am hereby crowning Ms. Picoult as my favorite author!
Book 22
The Desert Has No King by Frederiko Aguilar
Type: Fiction
My rating: 1 star (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I thought this was going to be a really good book about a kid who grew up gambling, became a bookie, got involved with (on the wrong side of) the Mafia and then escaped to Las Vegas to start a new life.
What I liked about it: Nothing. The spelling and punctuation throughout the book was horrendous. The dialogue between characters was awful. This author is no John O'Hara. There was absolutely no plot worth mentioning. Just when I thought the book might redeem itself at the end and pull some minor story lines together, the author just stopped the story and mentioned a sequel. What a piece of garbage. I cannot believe this author is trying to sell this book for $17. Thankfully I picked my copy up as a free e-book for the Kindle. I guess you get what you pay for. In my case, it was a total waste of time. The author should pay me.
Type: Fiction
My rating: 1 star (out of 5)
Why I chose it: I thought this was going to be a really good book about a kid who grew up gambling, became a bookie, got involved with (on the wrong side of) the Mafia and then escaped to Las Vegas to start a new life.
What I liked about it: Nothing. The spelling and punctuation throughout the book was horrendous. The dialogue between characters was awful. This author is no John O'Hara. There was absolutely no plot worth mentioning. Just when I thought the book might redeem itself at the end and pull some minor story lines together, the author just stopped the story and mentioned a sequel. What a piece of garbage. I cannot believe this author is trying to sell this book for $17. Thankfully I picked my copy up as a free e-book for the Kindle. I guess you get what you pay for. In my case, it was a total waste of time. The author should pay me.
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