Tag: books

Book review: ‘No Place to Pray’ by James Carpenter

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‘No Place to Pray’ is the new novel by James Carpenter. Photo: amazon.com

James Carpenter began his career teaching middle and high school English. After fourteen years teaching computer programming, system design and entrepreneurship at The Wharton School he retired to write fiction. His writing has appeared in publications such as “The Chicago Tribune,” “Fiction International,” “Fifth Wednesday Journal,” “North Dakota Quarterly” and “Ambit.” Three of his stories were nominated for the Pushcart Prize and he is a recipient of Descant’s Frank O’Connor Prize. His new novel ‘No Place to Pray’ tells the story of two young men who meet when they spend a night in the same jail cell.

This is a Southern gothic tale about two young men, LeRoy who is bi-racial and Harmon who is white. LeRoy comes from a poor background and never knew his father because his mother was a prostitute. When they both end up in jail overnight they end up becoming the best of friends. They share a lifetime of experiences that includes working together and drinking together. Towards the end of Harmon’s life they both become involved with Edna, a wealthy widow who takes them into her vacation home by the river. Their stories are similar in the sense that they both have a hard life and struggle to survive and rely on alcohol to help them cope which only makes life more difficult for them. The people and experiences that make up their lives are intertwined with race, class and religion.

‘No Place to Pray’ by James Carpenter is a gritty and dark tale of American life peppered with issues dealing with class, race, alcoholism and friendships that endure the test of time. It contains adult language and situations that may not be appropriate for all readers. The story is told through a series of flashbacks and has shifting points of view mixed in with LeRoy’s fantasy and adventure stories. At times this makes it hard to follow the story but it does not take away from the richness and impact of the overall tale. The characters are relatable and well developed and the prose is rich with imagery. It is recommended for fans of Southern gothic stories that deal with deep friendships, survival, as well as race and class struggles.

*A copy of this book was given for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s.

Book review: ‘The Other Einstein’ by Marie Benedict

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‘The Other Einstein’ is Marie Benedict’s historical fiction novel about Albert Einstein’s first wife. Photo: amazon.com

Marie Benedict is a lawyer and, with the pen name Heather Terrell, author of historical novels such as ‘The Chrysalis,’ ‘The Map Thief,’ and ‘Brigid of Kildare.’ Her most recent novel ‘The Other Einstein’ was released in October. It is a historical novel about Mileva “Mitza” Marić, Albert Einstein’s first wife and whose contributions to the special theory of relativity have been the subject of much debate for more than a century.

‘The Other Einstein’ tells the story of a brilliant young woman whose story was lost in Einstein’s shadow. At the age of twenty she is the only woman studying physics at an elite school in Zürich while other women her age are already married with children. She is determined to master physics and mathematics and has put marriage and friendships on the backburner to achieve her dreams. Her parents, particularly her father, have always encouraged her pursuit of a higher education. This was partly because she has a limp due to a bad hip so they feared she would never have suitors and would have to rely on herself. Everything is going well until she catches the eye of a fellow student. His name is Albert Einstein and he promises to treat her as an equal in both love and science. He keeps his promise at first but due to difficult circumstances they eventually grow apart and go their separate ways.

Very little is known about Mileva “Mitza” Marić so it is worth noting that ‘The Other Einstein’ is a fictional account of her early life. It is told from her point of view and gives readers an insight into what it must have been like to be a woman trying to have it all in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The story flows effortlessly and the characters are well developed and relatable. At the end there is a Q and A section with the author that is worth reading to get background information about her research and views on the book’s subjects. This would make an interesting choice for a book club and the reading group guide’s questions are sure to get the conversation going. It is recommended for fans of historical fiction centered on intellectual female characters.

*A copy of this book was given for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s.

Book review: ‘Bedlam’s Door’ by Mark Rubinstein, MD

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‘Bedlam’s Door’ by Mark Rubinstein, MD is a collection of true stories.

It is interesting when authors take the experiences in their professional lives and use them to guide their writing. Whether they are medical doctors, lawyers or psychiatrists, these experience give their writing credibility and depth. One such author is Mark Rubinstein. He is a physician, psychiatrist and assistant professor of psychiatry who writes mysteries and thrillers about people driven by forces they cannot control. Some of these include “Mad Dog House,” “The Lovers’ Tango” and “Mad Dog Justice” which was a finalist for the ForeWord Book of the Year Award. He has also written five nonfiction medical advice books. His latest book is “Bedlam’s Door: True Tales of Madness and Hope.” It is a collection of true stories of patients that the author and his colleagues saw in psychiatric consultation or for treatment.

In the preface to “Bedlam’s Door” Mr Rubinstein states that as is often the case where true cases are presented and to protect those involved, the patients and facilities are composites of real patients and locations. That does not make the stories any less poignant or shocking as they take the reader deep into the world of mental illness. Each of the fourteen cases is presented separately and most come with an afterword that gives additional information such as treatment or analysis of the patient’s condition and what happened to the patient in the long run. Some of the ones that stand out include “A Man of Means” because no one ever found out what was wrong with this patient and “When a Patient Knows More Than the Doctor” because the patient came in asking for help because she feared she might harm herself but was sent away with no treatment and ended up killing herself. The patient in “Off the Wall” comes in suicidal and even though he is put in a straitjacket and every precaution is taken to prevent him from killing himself he rams himself again a wall and dies of a head trauma.

“Bedlam’s Door” by Mark Rubinstein MD reads like a collection of short stories but these are true stories of patients who required mental help. They are each interesting on their own but as a whole it is an impressive look at mental illness. Hopefully this will lessen the stigma attributed to mental illness in modern society. It is recommended for readers who appreciate an in-depth look into a psychiatrist’s point of view as well as the treatments given. For those wishing to learn more about psychiatry, psychology and mental illness there is a section of suggested readings at the end as well as a glossary of terms used.

*A copy of this book was given for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s.

Book review: ‘Infamy’ by Robert K Tanenbaum

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‘Infamy’ by Robert K Tanenbaum is the latest book in the Butch Karp-Marlene Ciampi series. Photo: amazon

 

Robert K Tanenbaum is a trial attorney and The New York Times bestselling author of thirty one books which include twenty-eight novels and three nonfiction books. He is best known for the popular Butch Karp-Marlene Ciampi series. The series begins with “No Lesser Plea” and his most current novel “Infamy” marks the twenty-eight and features prosecutors Butch Karp and his wife Marlene Ciampi. This time they team up to solve the murder of a US Army coronel while facing corruption at the highest levels of the United States government.

“Infamy” begins with the Prologue that has the jury about to deliver a verdict in a New York courtroom. From there it goes back eleven months to the Middle East where several people are killed in what becomes the beginning of a political cover up. Back in the states a former Army veteran suddenly murders three people in Central Park before giving himself up. After fleeing the scene he ends up at the Central Park Zoo where he takes hostages and claims he shot those people because he was being used in mind control experiments and was set up. He asks for immunity and in return he offers to name names and gives the operation code name ‘mirage.’ As Karp gets involved he finds that the corruption surrounding the case puts him, his friends and even his family in danger but he is determined to find those responsible.

Even though this is the latest in a long line of Butch Karp-Marlene Ciampi novels it is not necessary to be familiar with the characters or their backstory to enjoy or understand the story. It is a fast paced political thriller that combines courtroom drama with politics and is hard to put down. The action flows from chapter to chapter and is easy to follow. Mr Tanenbaum makes good use of dialogue to move the story along and the language is easy to understand without being too simplistic. “Infamy” by Robert K Tanenbaum is recommended for fans of legal and political thrillers similar to John Grisham.

*A copy of this book was given for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s.

Movie adaptation: ‘Hidden Figures’ by Margot Lee Shetterly

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The movie adaptation of Margot Lee Shetterly’s ‘Hidden Figures’ is now in theaters. Photo: google.com

Margot Lee Shetterly is an American nonfiction writer best known for her debut novel “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.” It chronicles the true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped give rise to America’s greatest achievements in space. The movie adaptation is now in theaters and it stars Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst and Kevin Costner.

According to Amazon, “Hidden Figures” is the story of female mathematicians known was “human computers” who used pencils, slide rulers and adding machines to calculate the numbers necessary to launch rockets and astronauts into space. Among these were a group of exceptionally talented African American women who originally taught math in the South’s segregated public schools. That was before they were called into service to work in America’s aeronautics industry during the labor shortages of World War II. They moved to Hampton, Virginia during the Jim Crow law years when the law required them to be segregated from their white counterparts. They became known as the women of Langley’s all black ‘West Computing” group and helped America defeat the Soviet Union in the space race. Specifically it follows the lives of Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden starting from World War II, through the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement and shows how their superior intellect changed their personal lives and their country’s future.

Television adaptation: Letty Dobesh Chronicles by Blake Crouch

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‘Good Behavior’ is the television adaptation of the Letty Dobesh Chronicles on TNT by Blake Crouch. Photo: amazon.com

Blake Crouch is the best-selling author of suspense novels most notably the international bestselling series Wayward Pines. It was adapted into a television series for FOX with M. Night Shyamalan as executive producer. He has also written several novellas including the Letty Dobesh ones which include ‘The Pain of Others,’ ‘Sunset Key’ and ‘Grab.’  These have now been developed for TNT for the series ‘Good Behavior’ starring Michelle Dockery and it premiered earlier this month.

According to Amazon, Letty Dobesh is a thief who has just been released from jail early for good behavior but she is back to her old tricks again.  While burglarizing a luxury suite she overhears a man hiring a hit man to kill his wife. She may not be perfect but she still wants to do the right thing.  Since she cannot go to the police she tries to derail the hit herself but instead ends up putting herself in danger.  The first episode sets up the series by having Letty spend the night with Javier the hit man so she can get more information about the victim.  She wakes up the next morning and hurriedly tries to beat him to the victim’s house and successfully convinces her that she is in danger.  Unfortunately things do not work out as well as Letty expected and she ends up back in her room where she gets high.  Javier storms in and demands answers and ends up blackmailing her into working for him.  Hopefully the rest of the season is just as suspenseful and the characters continue to grow.