Book Talk: Demille and DeMille, ‘The Tin Men’
Nelson DeMille is on my list of “Favorite All-Time Authors.” The first of his twenty-four novels that I read was “The Gold Coast,” a mystery thriller that also illustrates quite clearly the difference between the “old money” upper-upper class and the “newly wealthy” lower-upper class. He followed that with best-seller after best-seller, including “The General’s […]
Opinion: California’s New Laws
The State of California probably has more laws than any other state. I don’t know that for a fact, but it stands to reason because, although we don’t have more legislators than any other state, our elected officials at the state level keep their jobs by having their names attached to a senate or assembly […]
Book Talk: Lockhart, ‘We Fell Apart’
E. Lockhart’s “We Fell Apart” (2025, 305 pages in hardback format) is promoted as a YA (Young Adult) novel, but it’s really appropriate for any age, even younger teens as it is devoid of “adult” language and sex. Like the other YA books that I’ve reviewed over the years, it’s just a good story, well […]
Opinion: Venezuela
The Republic of Venezuela is a petroleum-rich country on the northeast coast of South America. In addition to its continental landmass, it has many islands and islets. In 1498, Columbus sailed into the Gulf of Paria and marveled at the immensity of the Orinoco River and its clear water. Spain began colonizing the territory in […]
Book Talk: Baldacci, ‘Strangers in Time’
As years come and go, there are fewer of us who remember World War II. In the United States, especially on the east coast, we suffered rationing and had to be sure that no light emanated from our homes after dark because of the fear that enemy planes might be passing overhead. But no bombs […]
Opinion: AI scam — nearly undetectable
If it is not a crime, it should be. It is not only deceptive, it is dangerous to millions of people, and it is quite believable. I found this scam on one of the news services that I receive every morning. It was mixed in with items that were probably “real” news: New information about […]
Lisa Scottoline, ‘Come Home’
Lisa Scottoline’s books almost always make the top tier of my favorite books. But I suppose that there’s an exception to everything. “Come Home” (2012, 368 pages in soft cover) simply isn’t up to the vaulted Scottoline standard. The theme that runs through the novel is that a stepmother is always a mother, just as […]
Opinion: Revealed! The 2025 WOTY
When I was a junior in high school, my English teacher, Mrs. Donaldson, told my class that she’d been browsing in a book store and found a book that perfectly described the typical American teenager. Of course, she was not talking about us, as we were all superior human beings. The title of the book […]
Book Talk: Thomas Perry, ‘A Small Town’
Imagine living in a small, quiet community that is just a few miles from a minimum-security prison. Well actually it used to be minimum security, but an escalating crime rate, overly-full prisons for serious offenders, and some administrative slight of hand has changed the prison population considerably. The facility now houses some of the most […]
Opinion: The time of our lives
“Buona sera. This is Il Ristorante L’Anima d’Italia. How may I help you?” “Hello. I’d like to make a reservation for two at seven toes and half a pinkie. And we’d like a booth.” Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But wait. Consider that we’ve been brainwashed for centuries into believing that a day is divided into […]