Rosepoint Publishing

Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live by Susan Morrison #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Best Biographies and Memoirs

Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Readers’ Favorite History & Biography (2025)

Book Blurb:

Over the fifty years that Lorne Michaels has been at the helm of Saturday Night Live, he has become a revered and inimitable presence in the entertainment world. He’s a tastemaker, a mogul, a withholding father figure, a genius spotter of talent, a shrewd businessman, a name-dropper, a raconteur, the inspiration for Dr. Evil, the winner of more than a hundred Emmys—and, essentially, a mystery. Generations of writers and performers have spent their lives trying to figure him out, by turns demonizing and lionizing him. He’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi” (Tracy Morgan), the “great and powerful Oz” (Kate McKinnon), “some kind of very distant, strange comedy god” (Bob Odenkirk).

Lorne will introduce you to him, in full, for the first time. With unprecedented access to Michaels and the entire SNL apparatus, Susan Morrison takes readers behind the curtain for the lively, up-and-down, definitive story of how Michaels created and maintained the institution that changed comedy forever.

Drawn from hundreds of interviews—with Michaels, his friends, and SNL’s iconic stars and writers, from Will Ferrell to Tina Fey to John Mulaney to Chris Rock to Dan Aykroyd—Lorne is a deeply reported, wildly entertaining account of a man singularly obsessed with the show that would define his life and have a profound impact on American culture.

My Review:

Can I count you among those, including myself, who mourn the “old days” of Saturday Night Live when it was still topical, satirical, and politically incorrect? The edginess poked fun at just about anyone before it dissolved in crotch shots and fart jokes.

To say that it’s “the definitive biography of Lorne Michaels, the man behind America’s most beloved comedy show” (NYTimes) might be a misnomer in that it appears to me more like an intro to the man but a blow-by-blow of the “warts-and-all week in the life of SNL.” (Variety)

Whether Michaels actually “invented” SNL or that it more likely evolved cooperatively with his acquiescence might produce an argument. As I read it, it was more a collaboration and he took it from there. There was a hiatus from 1980 to 1985 (seasons 6 through 10) where Michaels was absent and looking for other opportunities. So to say he has helmed SNL for fifty years also might be a stretch to the truth since he started with the show in 1975 but found other sources of creativity for those five years.

And, for my money, the Not Ready for Prime Time Players were the best—my favorite being Gilda Radnor and Jane Curtin. Not that I haven’t greatly enjoyed a number of cast members since, including Eddy Murphy (“It’s Mista Landlord, children.”) and Tina Fey. Then you might argue Bill Murray, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, and Kenan Thompson, and I’d counter Adam Sandler, Dana Carvey, and Amy Poehler.

Go ahead, name your own favorites! There’s been a solidly rotating door since the early days and, I’m sorry to say, few that bring the magic or have the power to duplicate strong interest outside of SNL.

From Michaels at an early age to his first tentative step into show business, the author has done a fine job of research, coaxing out all the nuances that would become a Lorne hallmark. Whether his standard for comedic sketches has waned or not, one of the standard talents in Lorne is his considerable ability to see and acquire star talent.

Lorne is viewed later as a father figure to many of his cast members and shown often struggling with how much into their private lives he should have been projecting his wisdom. If you ever considered the culture, looking at many of the cast members that might have been living an over-the-top food, sex, and drugs existence, you’d be right. Witness those whose connection with the show has ended in their early deaths.

Does the quality of the show all come down to good actors interpreting lousy scripts? No. I don’t think so. If they are presenting these mind-numbing skits and Lorne thinks them funny and approves of them, then the buck stops on his desk. His demographic is young adults.

It’s just not the same, do you think? Not the same show. Not the level of writers. Not the level of the good-natured absurdity poking fun at topical events. I must admit that there are Saturday nights when we’ll hang on after news to watch the “cold open.” Unfortunately, that also tells us whether or not we’ll watch further or go to bed.

In a 655 page book and almost 23 hour audiobook, I think it could be said that the deep dissection of myriad weeks of SNL show structure from choice of guest stars to discussion of skits and the tediousness of timing could be cut from decades to samples of weeks that include some of the most notables mentioned.

If you enjoy an occasional, very long, biographical account of an American TV institution and its producer, you may find this of interest, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Television Comedy, Comedian Biographies & Memoirs, Celebrity & Popular Culture Humor
Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrators: Kristen DiMercurio, Susan Morrison
Release Date: February 18, 2025

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Susan Morrison is the Articles Editor of “The New Yorker.” She is the former editor-in-chief of the “New York Observer,” an original editor of “SPY” magazine, and the one-time features director of “Vogue.” She lives in New York City.

#ThrowbackThursday

Seven Audiobooks – Stories to Hear Anywhere – #BookHaul – #TuesdayBookBlog

Impossible to Pause

Catching recommendations from Goodreads and good buddies, thought it might be time to share some of the wealth. Do you like historical fiction, literary fiction, police procedurals, or perhaps a memoir? Here are audiobooks in the queue from my library with an eye of what might look good to you also. (Book links are to Amazon-US.)

On My Audiobook Shelf

Just Finished:

Lorne by Susan Morrison (scheduled for my review on June 18 – Editors’ pick Best Biographies and Memoirs)

Currently listening to:

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan (I also listed this in February then ran out of time. Editors’ pick Best Books of 2025)

Up Next:

The Keeper by Tana French (Editors’ pick Best Books of the Year So Far 2026)

Currently on library hold:

Wait time on these holds is anywhere from 2 weeks to 16 weeks and they represent a few different genres, including two of my favorites, historical and crime fiction.

Four audiobooks

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (Editors’ pick Best Books of the Year 2025 and a Reese’s Book Club pick.) 1^st in line
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke – 4 weeks (second try on this one, too)
Whistler by Ann Patchett – 6 weeks
The Final Target by Nora Roberts – 8 weeks

I’d be willing to bet you’ve read at least one of these! I can’t vouch for those on my hold list, but a wait of two months is down from four and I can’t wait to get into them. Which one have you already read or listened to? Did one of these catch your attention? So what did you think?

Grab those earbuds! — Graphic from Bitmoji

Still Alice by Lisa Genova #AudiobookReview #bookclub #TBT

Definitely a tough read for most, I think, especially difficult for anyone with either themselves or a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Written long enough ago that there have hopefully been gains in understanding and treating this patient, the book looks at the disease through the eyes of the victim.

My Thoughts

Alice Howland, a 50-year-old woman with a Ph. D in neuroscience from Harvard University, is not exactly your average MC. Happily married to an equally brilliant, independent, and well-educated husband, they have three grown children when she begins to notice a change in her memory.

Following additional alarming shorts in her memory and a confusion not previously encountered, Alice sought help with what she could explain away as a possible menopausal effect. Perhaps hormone replacement therapy would help? But no, after all tests were in, the definitive diagnosis was early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

According to AI, dementia is an “umbrella term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life, while Alzheimer’s is a specific disease.” And Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disease leading to severe cognitive decline whereas dementia exhibits varied symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, and impaired reasoning.

“Attention, rehearsal, elaboration, or emotional significance was needed if perceived information was to be pushed beyond the recent memory space into longer-term storage, else it would be quickly and naturally discarded with the passage of time.”

“As her ability to track what was said in complex conversations with many participants declined, Alice’s sensitivity to what wasn’t said, to body language and unspoken feelings, had heightened.”

Of course, the book and explanations led to my own research into the specific gene associated with early onset Alzheimers, PS-1, whereas PS-2 can occur anywhere from 40-88 years of age.

And that’s probably what disturbed me most about the book. From the time Alice acknowledges she might be having a problem, the account launches into short bursts of months noted from September 2003 to the summer of 2005. Yeah, whoa, that’s fast! I couldn’t wrap my mind around that time frame.

Alice had to have hints of something major going on prior to her sudden loss of direction around Harvard University.

Alice had devised a simple test for herself when it could be determined she’d reach a line over which she did not wish to cross with the disease. Throughout the book, she administered the test to herself, gradually coming to the realization she could not answer even one of her five questions. Worse, consideration was not given to the actual act she was considering in that if she had reached her “butterfly” moment, could she still understand the instructions well enough to execute them?

If the book is not sufficient to answer your questions about the disease, it certainly does raise a number of them, which, in your own experience you’ll either research further or simply digest a new perspective.

I was able to secure both the ebook and the audiobook for this title at my local library and will mention that it’s possible the author should have found a professional narrator for her audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own as well as my interpretation of the consensus of the book club participants.

Book Club Thoughts

The publisher provides pointed questions for discussion at the book club, ably kept on topic by the facilitator.

A few of the items specifically examined were:

►What was the husband’s reaction to his wife’s diagnosis?

►What was the significance of her mother’s butterfly necklace?

►Is preserving the legacy of the person more important than the way she left it?

►What was the reaction of her husband to the failure of the trial med?

As always, a very lively discussion with all questions and many personally shared experiences of their own with loved ones. Certainly an extended dialogue on the experience of the inheritable gene. There was a wide range of reaction to the book, with a number disliking it as many as liking and, I believe, only two five-star votes.

Book Details:

Publisher: Pocket Books
Audiobook Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Narrator: Lisa Genova
Publication Date: January 21, 2009

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Lisa Genova graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University.

Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, Lisa has captured a special place in contemporary fiction, writing stories that are equally inspired by neurological conditions and our shared human condition. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels STILL ALICE, LEFT NEGLECTED, LOVE ANTHONY, INSIDE THE O’BRIENS, and EVERY NOTE PLAYED.

Her first work of nonfiction, REMEMBER: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, published March 2021, became an instant New York Times bestseller.

STILL ALICE was adapted into a film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth and Hunter Parrish. Julianne Moore won the 2015 Best Actress Oscar for her role as Alice Howland. Film adaptations for INSIDE THE O’BRIENS, EVERY NOTE PLAYED, and LEFT NEGLECTED are in development.

STILL ALICE was adapted for the stage by Christine Mary Dunford and premiered at the Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago in April 2013. It has since toured worldwide.

In 2015, Lisa was named one of the U.S. Top 50 Influencers in Aging by Next Avenue. She has appeared on Live with Kelly &Ryan, the TODAY show, CNN, PBS Newshour, Dr. Oz, and NPR and has been featured in the PBS specials Build a Better Memory Through Science and Supercharge Your Brain, as well as the documentary films To Not Fade Away and Have You Heard About Greg.

Her first TED talk, “What You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer’s” has been viewed over eight million times. Her most recent TED talk, “How Memory Works–and Why Forgetting is Totally OK” was the sixth most watched TED talk of 2021. A sought-after speaker/edutainer, she has headlined in speaker series alongside Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Gloria Steinem, Jay Leno, Malala Yousafzai, and Goldie Hawn.

She received The Pell Center Prize for Story in the Public Square, for “distinguished storytelling that has enriched the public dialogue,” The Sargent and Eunice Shriver Profiles in Dignity Award, The Global Genes RARE Champions of Hope Award, and The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Media Award for “informing the public about treatment and ongoing research in medical illness.”

She has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Bates College, The Alzheimer’s Association’s Rita Hayworth Award, The Huntington’s Disease Society of America Community Awareness Award, and the Grubby Award for literary excellence.

She serves on the Advisory Boards for The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, HFC (Hilarity for Charity), and Compassionate Care ALS.

The YMCA Bookclub

Mayhem in the Mountains by Jane Loeb Rubin #BookReview #historicalfiction

A Gilded City Series Book 4

Book Blurb:

1924 in the Catskills sizzled with chaos. The region’s turbulent history during that era could easily have erased any trace of the Borscht Belt’s grand hotels. Prohibition fueled bootleggers and whiskey stills—Dutch Schultz ran an underground distillery in nearby Ulster County. Meanwhile, the Ku Klux Klan stormed north after WWI, targeting new immigrants they viewed as threats to the American way of life. Amid the turmoil, the Isaacson family stood their ground, fiercely defending their land, livelihoods, and each other.

My Review:

As if WWI wasn’t hard enough, the 20s and 30s were fraught with poor laws, the American way of life was changing radically, prohibition fueled mobsters and bootleggers, and the return of soldiers were looking for a gentle return to society amid flooded employment.

Deep in the heart of the Catskill Mountains of New York, chaos reigned supreme and gave rise to the influx of the Ku Klux Klan looking to target the mass of immigrants fleeing massive destruction of Europe.

It was the Isaacson family who put down roots, determined to make a go of their little farm, defend the land, and watch each other’s backs. The Jews moved their chickens out of Harlem, but Papa managed to supplement their meager income with his side hussle—the best whiskey east of the Mississippi.

But, it would appear, he’s not the only one vying for that distinction. Still, when Dutch Schultz needs a way to hide and move his inventory, he’s discovered the perfect way to do so.

The Isaacson family has stayed tight and careful and it’s discovered that it’s the youngest, a girl, not the sons, who show the greatest propensity for carrying on the fine family recipe. She’s even discovered how to make it her own and has become quite popular among the population. Still, as careful as they are, the revenuers find their hidey-hole and a shoot out does not go well for Papa.

I loved the relationship between Ella and her Papa; there is genuine affection. The other children all have their separate interests, but it’s Ella who is the obvious heir apparent. Smart, brazen, she can work out transport details and negotiate well with Dutch. Each of the main characters gets their own chapters, so they are well developed and easy to engage.

There were several passages, however, that lagged the dynamic storytelling and slowed the tension building a bit. I suspected a fox in the hen house from the beginning, however, and the twist following a strong climax was not wholly unsuspected.

Yes, there is the romance circling the main plot, but then that is no mystery. The narrative turns atmospheric, highlights medical practices back then, and manages a strong and satisfying finish. If you enjoy historical fiction, or learning about the distillation of spirits, and the migration of the KKK north, this will be of interest.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Jewish Literature, Jewish Literature & Fiction, Women’s Crime Fiction
Publisher: Level Best Books – Historia
Publication Date: June 9, 2026 – Happy Release Day!

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: A cancer diagnosis unveiling a genetic defect, together with a lifelong fascination with the history of medicine, propelled Jane Loeb Rubin to put pen to paper. In 2009, Jane, then a healthcare executive, first poured her energy into raising research dollars for ovarian cancer while learning more about her familial roots. Her research led her to Mathilda (Tillie), her great-grandmother, who arrived in New York City in 1866 at sixteen, married a man twelve years her senior, and later died of ‘a woman’s disease.’ Then, the trail ran cold. With limited facts, she was determined to give Tillie an exciting fictional life of her own. Jane was left imagining Tillie’s life, her fight with terminal disease, and the circumstances surrounding her death.

Her research of the history of New York City, its ultra-conservative reproductive laws, and the state of medicine during that era has culminated in a suspenseful, fast-paced, award-winning three-book historical series. Her engaging characters are confronted with the shifting role of midwives, the dangers of pregnancy, the infamous Blackwell’s Workhouse, and the perilous road to financial success. In the Hands of Women, 5/23 (Level Best Books) and its prequel, Threadbare, 5/24 (Level Best Books), have been enjoyed by fans of historical fiction. Over There, the third in the trilogy (6/25 Level Best Books), will transport members of the Isaacson family into the hospitals of France in World War 1, challenging the family values they dearly cherish.

Jane’s other publications include an essay memoir, Almost a Princess, My Life as a Two-Time Cancer Survivor (2009 Next Generation – Finalist), and multiple magazine articles. She writes a monthly blog, Musings, reflecting on her post-healthcare career experiences and writing journey.

Jane lives with her husband, David, an attorney, in Northern New Jersey. Between them, they have five adult children and seven grandchildren.

#TuesdayBookBlog

The Divorce by Freida McFadden #AudiobookReview #DomesticThriller

Amazon Charts #4 this week

Book Blurb:

What is a happily ever after really worth?

Naomi was living the quintessential love story. Boy meets girl. They fall in love, get married, buy a dream house, start a family . . . Then—he kicks her out, hires the city’s best divorce lawyers, drains their accounts, and takes up with a 20-something. It’s a brutal end to the story. Naomi should accept defeat: move into a dingy apartment, get back into the workforce, and piece together the shattered remains of her life. Except, why should she?

Instead, Naomi fixates on her husband’s new girlfriend. What begins as cynical curiosity soon twists into obsession—and then into something far darker. As Naomi uncovers secrets she never imagined, she realizes her own life may be in danger.

But if it keeps her perfect family intact, isn’t it worth it?

My Review:

Okay, pop quiz! Where have I read this plot before?

Pretty much everywhere, and, I think, including another McFadden book, change the names and dates.

And, indeed, this one starts out as the very familiar MC being locked out of her own house. Only this one actually buys a really stupid plan by her husband to get her out of the house and into a nasty NY rat-infested tenement. You’d feel sorry for her if she just weren’t so dumb.

When she finally figures out that she has been truly locked out—from her gorgeous mansion, from her bank account or credit cards, she begins to plot revenge.

Nice she could stumble onto the sweet young thing that caught his attention. Not so nice that she found a truly caring and sympathetic attorney to handle her side. The little boy? Her son? EEK! Maybe that’s where the thriller part comes in, but no, she wouldn’t hurt him.

Would she?

Sometimes the outrageous twists can add up to fun, but when they snowball over each other becoming more preposterous, can you still continue?

The swing from sympathy for Naomi wanes pretty quickly when we get deeper into the support characters. The problem here is that none of the characters elicit a lot of engagement. No one seems to make a sound decision and it all leads to explosive repercussions.

The plot goes from disbelief to insanity. It appears she has hit the final straw when she can justify violent actions and loses that final thread of reality.

So, is it entertaining or fast-paced? As soon as you think you’ve solved one mystery, there’s another signature McFadden zinger…may not make sense…but definitely heads everything in another direction. Throw in some of that barbed, snarky dialogue, short chapters that keep you starting another, the slow descent to madness, and it’s a quick distraction from the heavy stuff.

The epilogue? No. Again, just no.

Is there a genre called psychotic?

Okay, I must admit to having enjoyed Dear Debbie, my last McFadden book, but as I mentioned then, her books are hit or miss for me. Guess which one this was.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Narrator: January LaVoy, Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland
Release Date: May 26, 2026

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: #1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a physician who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida is the winner of the International Thriller Writer Award for Best Paperback Original, the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Thriller, and was honored as one of TIME 100’s most influential people in the world for 2026. Her novels have been translated into more than 45 languages.

Freida lives with her family and cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

To hear Freida talk about herself more in the third person, check out her website freidamcfadden dot com.

Impossible to Pause

Ironwood by Michael Connelly #AudiobookReview #crimethrillers

Amazon Charts #11 this week

Book 2 of 2: Catalina

Book Blurb:

Sworn to protect a scenic island meant to be far from the evils of the mainland, Detective Sergeant Stilwell can feel danger closing in.

Detective Sergeant Stilwell knows that his posting on Catalina Island is no paradise, but to most residents, it seems blissfully separated—by twenty-two miles of ocean—from the troubles of Los Angeles County. But now a threat is coming to his safe haven.

Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, Stilwell and his deputies watch a plane land in the middle of the night at the Airport in the Sky, a remote airstrip in the mountains. A duffel bag of drugs is dropped and the deputies move in, but things quickly go sideways. While Stilwell chases the fleeing pickup man into the mountainside brush, shots are fired on the runway and the plane flies off.

An internal inquiry follows, putting Stilwell on the bench until he is cleared of responsibility for the disastrous operation. But he is determined to find out who brought deadly violence to his island, and begins his own secret investigation into the drug deal gone wrong.

While under orders to remain in the sheriff’s substation, he finds in the lost and found a valuable backpack that was never claimed. He traces it to a woman who disappeared while hiking on the island four years ago. But then why was the pack only turned in two months back? Now thoroughly intrigued, he follows the mystery all the way to the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit and Detective Renée Ballard.

Stilwell and Ballard work the case from both sides of the channel, and soon realize they are on the trail of a criminal who revels in taunting the authorities. Meanwhile, frustrated at being shut out of an investigation on his own island, Stilwell risks his already shaky standing in the department to pursue a case whose reach is wider than he ever imagined.

My Review:

Love this new extended enforcement family Connelly is creating with this new series! Starting with a strong and authentic protagonist, Detective Sergeant Stilwell, is hiding in plain sight on Catalina Island where he’s been sent by a disgruntled Captain. Would not have been his requested location, but he appears to be making the most of it quickly.

Stilwell has been exiled to the Avalon Lost and Found and finds treasure. That officer’s instinct kicks in when he discovers an item that can be traced to a missing person’s case. Oh, he loves the search and bites with the fury of a pit bull.

Connelly’s storylines, however, ramp into complexity when he finds other investigative possibilities.

Ironwood - UK cover — Ironwood – UK cover

His investigation leads him to a cooperative partnership with Detective Renee Ballard back in LAPD’s cold case unit. I love the character of Renee Ballard and applaud the collaboration that manages in a minor manner to include retired detective Harry Bosch. YES! We also love the Bosch series (also successful transition to TV). It’s like old home week and ties that community in a pleasing small world category of best practices of law enforcement—the trading of information for the collective success.

Love the pacing, no chance for middle downtime sag, the intelligence collective matches up clues, often citing and avoiding procedural constraints, necessary run-arounds.

The characters are real, Stilwell exudes dedication to his craft as do the others; their mutual goal always at the forefront, determined and gritty.

“From your gut to God’s ear.”

It’s smart, engaging crime fiction at its Connelly best. Catalina Island continues to lay that unique location solidly in the mind’s eye allowing that all the beauty might very well hide a darker, more sinister layer.

We greatly enjoyed Book 1, Nightshade, and this doesn’t disappoint—allowing my objection to the abrupt cliff-hanger. While Ironwood could be read as a standalone, you might wish to set your foundation for the series and then follow the progression of the character development. Either way, you’re in for a treat.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Thrillers, Police Procedural Mysteries
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Narrator: Will Damron
Release Date: May 19, 2026

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty-nine million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Waiting (2024), Resurrection Walk (2023), Desert Star (2022), The Dark Hours (2021), The Law Of Innocence (2020), Fair Warning (2020), and The Night Fire (2019). Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee. He is the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.

One you don't want to miss!

Rosepoint Reviews – May Recap – It’s June – Let the Celebrations Begin!

Rosepoint Reviews-May Recap

May proved to be very busy and confirmed that once again, I’ve overwhelmed my schedule. June will be busy with both the CE’s and our son’s birthdays celebrations near the end of the month. We’ve tossed some ideas around and, like everyone, antsy to hit the road. This year with the country celebrating 250 years, there are a lot of stories about historic sights within the state. Do you do Airbnb?

The water garden in a 26" bowl.

My little water garden still looks anemic, waiting for the plants to fill in. Decided in order to kill any population of mosquito larvae, I needed mosquito fish and a couple snails, so that’s been added along with a solar fountain, and discovered something called Rosy Red Minnows (they aren’t goldfish). They are handling the less-than-desirable container conditions as well as temperature fluctuations.

It’s taken us awhile to get the front and back yards cleaned up—still burning twigs and small branches yesterday (low wind)—trying to keep up with the grass growing inches within a week. The critters discovered the seedlings and started trying to get to them. Lots of bunnies this time of year and they are all hungry. The construction in the neighborhood behind us has pushed the deer looking for greener pastures and better hiding places.

The CE and I read or listened to a total of twelve books in May. Our major source of books is the library (audiobooks and ebooks), although we obtain ARCs from NetGalley and author and publisher requests.) The links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase information.

Rosepoint Publishing - May Recap

eBooks

The Colonel’s Revenge by Jeffrey K Schmoll (CE review-5 stars)
If Walls Could Talk by Jean Grainger
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer (CE review)
Christophber Hawkins and His Daring Escapes by Jeanne Brownlee Becijos (CE review -5 stars)

Audiobooks

Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum
Trust No One by James Rollins
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (book club book)
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden
The Moonshine Women by Michelle Collins
Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci

Favorite Book of the Month

The CE is always generous with his stars and I had one five-star read in May. It was unique and fun. The favorite book for May:

Favorite for May – Mad Mable

My Reading Challenges page…I’ve not caught up. My Goodreads count will never be right now. The landing page shows 67 of a challenge of 175 with three books owing a review from May and five books behind schedule. Oops. Obviously, someone is having too much fun.

To all my dear readers and fellow bloggers, thank you so much for taking the time to check out my posts and leave your comments. Blog hopping is on my priority list.

Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Atlee Pine Book 1

Book Blurb:

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Catch a tiger by its toe.

It’s seared into Atlee Pine’s memory: the kidnapper’s chilling rhyme as he chose between six-year-old Atlee and her twin sister, Mercy. Mercy was taken. Atlee was spared.

She never saw Mercy again.

Three decades after that terrifying night, Atlee Pine works for the FBI. She’s the lone agent assigned to the Shattered Rock, Arizona resident agency, which is responsible for protecting the Grand Canyon.

So when one of the Grand Canyon’s mules is found stabbed to death at the bottom of the canyon-and its rider missing-Pine is called in to investigate. It soon seems clear the lost tourist had something more clandestine than sightseeing in mind. But just as Pine begins to put together clues pointing to a terrifying plot, she’s abruptly called off the case.

If she disobeys direct orders by continuing to search for the missing man, it will mean the end of her career. But unless Pine keeps working the case and discovers the truth, it could spell the very end of democracy in America as we know it…

My Review:

One thing you must say about a Baldacci book. They are uniquely his style. This one is the first in a new series. As eager as I was to start a new Baldacci series, I struggle to write the review now, and as a book released back in 2018, not sure it matters.

Whether or not this one introduced a new trope or not, I’m becoming weary of the seriously damaged protagonist, particularly a female protagonist. Must they all have suffered some horrible childhood trauma? Are all female detectives or FBI agents carrying scars for which there is no recovery?

Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci — Long Road to Mercy – UK cover

The description of the Grand Canyon and surrounds is fun, and as we’ve had the privilege of seeing that Wonder of the World, interesting and engaging. The storyline started out strong and held interest until it severely veered off the rails and went looking for action that didn’t compute, pushing disbelief. Then it catapulted into implausibility and no longer rang close to reality, although given that politics and leaders are appearing to go for broke, perhaps it could be remotely conceivable.

On which level then would that be? Those nations work together? Russians, Chinese, Koreans? Mercenaries? That a possible Olympic weight-lifter, FBI experienced, could pull along a female associate for help after being called off looking into the matter by her superiors. (Aren’t they always?) That a missing person, after hiding out for days (weeks?), with a sophisticated bomb can now help her climb out of the Grand Canyon with it? Really? What was he going to do if she hadn’t found him?

Atlee Pine is smart, macho, and a bit over the top with all that brooding over her twin sister, Mercy, which is apparently going to be the thread that weaves into Book 2.

I’ve read a number of Baldacci books. Another author hit or miss for me. I really enjoyed my last, A Calamity of Souls, picked a Best Book of the Year 2024, but this one missed the mark for me. Too much reaching here and it just didn’t work for me. Maybe it would for you.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: International Mystery & Crime, Action Thriller & Suspense Fiction, Small Town & Rural Fiction
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Narrators: Brittany Pressley, Kyf Brewer
Release Date: November 13, 2018

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: David Baldacci has been writing since childhood, when his mother gave him a lined notebook in which to write down his stories. (Much later, when David thanked her for being the spark that ignited his writing career, she revealed that she’d given him the notebook to keep him quiet, “because every mom needs a break now and then.”)

David published his first novel, ABSOLUTE POWER, in 1996. The feature film adaptation followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 50 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers and several have been adapted for film and television. His novels have been translated into over 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers.

David is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy programs across the United States.