#greatreads – Page 6 – Rosepoint Publishing

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

in Arctic & Antarctica History

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Experience “one of the best adventure books ever written” (Wall Street Journal) in this New York Times bestseller: the harrowing tale of British explorer Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 attempt to reach the South Pole.

This is a new reading of the thrilling account of one of the most astonishing feats of exploration and human courage ever recorded.

In August of 1914, the British ship Endurance set sail for the South Atlantic. In October 1915, still half a continent away from its intended base, the ship was trapped, then crushed in the ice. For five months, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men, drifting on ice packs, were castaways in one of the most savage regions of the world.

Lansing describes how the men survived a 1,000-mile voyage in an open boat across the stormiest ocean on the globe and an overland trek through forbidding glaciers and mountains. The book recounts a harrowing adventure, but ultimately it is the nobility of these men and their indefatigable will that shines through.

My Review:

I always seem to be attracted to the old sailing ships and their stories, probably because of my grandfather’s stories, paintings, and poems. So of course I jumped on this as soon as I saw it. It didn’t disappoint.

There were a number of occasions on which I experienced deja vu. Well, not of mine, but that of another sailing story read and loved, The Wager by Davis Grann. Hard put to say which I loved the most—loved The Wager. And while there were striking similarities, each were very different stories, each told with heart-thumping descriptions landing you right in the middle of the men struggling to survive.

The story of the men of the British ship Endurance follows the historical chronicle of her as she set sail in August of 1914, more than one-and-a-half centuries after the story of The Wager, also a British vessel that left England in 1740.

The Endurance had a whole nother mission—that of an early attempt to cross the South Pole. But timing is everything and it definitely went wrong when the ship was trapped in ice, then crushed. How do men live on ice flows, much less survive a voyage of 1,000 miles in an open boat to habitation?

I would wager physically impossible, if not psychologically, except for one minor detail. The Captain. Ernest Shackleton.

Some credit must go to his men—there were no mutinies.

And no deaths. They all survived? Under those conditions for over a year? Yes.

The man was more than an optimist. He was a brilliant strategist and sailor, and he had good, smart men (27 of them) under his command. But no matter the worsening conditions, no matter the horrible mind-numbing weather enough to drive men mad, he continued with unflailing confidence. And his navigator—unbelievably guiding them to civilization with almost pin-point accuracy. Back then–

First to lose the ship, then to be divided into separate ice flows, through starvation, illnesses, blinding psychotic provoking weather patterns, sleep deprivation, and predators. Good grief, to survive one of these would be hero-inducing visions of invincibility. They fought it all together and won.

This tale of the odyssey was kept in journals by a number of the men and researched meticulously, bringing the story together. A Morgan Stanley video was released seven years ago on PBS called Dare to Survive: Shackleton’s Voyage of Endurance 2002. You might wish to watch.

There are a number of cringe-worthy chapters certainly more monumental than the chapter that describes their tearful decision to kill and eat their dogs, after them having been more than working companions. Yes, I know, I know.

They were starving.

Still, amazingly creative (aside from the dogs) in discovering ways and means for their survival and one you shouldn’t miss. I particularly recommend the audiobook beautifully performed by the narrator. Another instance of what the human body is capable of enduring.

Book Details:

Genre: Arctic & Antarctica History, Expeditions & Discoveries World History
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
ISBN-13: ‎978-065-58792
ASIN: B0018DNFY6
Listening Length: 10 hrs 21 mins
Narrator: Simon Prebble
Publication Date: April 08, 2008
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK

The Author: Alfred Lansing (July 21, 1921 – 1975) was an American journalist and writer, best known for his book Endurance (1959), an account of Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic explorations. Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [Amazon\

Born in Chicago in Chicago, IL, in July, 1921, Lansing was an American journalist who wrote for Collier’s, among other magazines and was later an editor for Time, Inc. Books.

Alfred Lansing served in the US Navy from 1940-46. He received the Purple Heart for his wartime service.

Later he attended North Park College, 1946-48, Northwestern University, 1948-50.

Lansing became a member of the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, England in 1957. [Goodreads]

#ThrowbackThursday

Her Cold Justice by Robert Dugoni #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Keera Duggan Book 3

Book Blurb:

To save a client accused of murder, defense attorney Keera Duggan must fight a complex web of corruption in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

In a quiet South Seattle neighborhood, a suspected drug smuggler and his girlfriend are murdered in their home. When a young man named Michael Westbrook is accused of the brutal double homicide, his uncle JP Harrison turns to Keera Duggan to defend him. JP is Keera’s trusted investigator, and he desperately needs Keera to save his nephew against escalating odds.

The evidence is circumstantial—Michael worked with one of the victims, drugs were found in his possession, and he bolted from authorities. Ruthless star prosecutor Anh Tran has gotten convictions on much less. With the testimony of two prison informants, the case looks grave. But Keera never concedes defeat. To free her client, she must dig deep before Tran crushes both of them.

As the investigation gets more twisted with each new find, Keera is swept up in a mystery with far-reaching consequences. This case isn’t just murder. It’s looking like a conspiracy. And getting justice for Michael could be the most dangerous promise Keera has ever made.

My Review:

The CE doesn’t get to have all the fun! I got Book 3 of the Keera Duggan series, Her Cold Justice and Book 2, Beyond Reasonable Doubt. Between the two of us, however, we’ve read a number of Dugoni’s books, particularly Tracy Crosswhite, his last, A Dead Draw, early this year.

Keera was a chess champ as a girl, often played with her dad, who taught her the strategies of the board that could parallel her work as an attorney, facing off in high-stakes cases with equals in court room drama. She followed in her father’s legal footsteps, now often recognized as the daughter of the “Irish Brawler,” known for his unexpected and swift courtroom gotchas.

No question Michael Westbrook has all the circumstantial evidence stacked against him, made more credible by a few small omissions he failed to divulge until the twists caught up with him. Still, it appeared he was an innocent pawn in a game of power, broken justice, and weak kings.

You might guess that the plot gets complex, sussing out conspiracy, secrets, and an end game you might not have imagined. The plot is well paced.

No question I’m a fan of the author and feel all his books are great, with varying degrees of great, of course. I’ve come to love the Keera Duggan series, the characters relatable with complicated personal lives. This series hints at the possibility of a blooming relationship between Keera and Rossi, a good thing.

If this were read as a standalone, I’d wish for more character development of Keera, whereas we got a clear and definitive picture of Kim Tran, described beautifully down to the cold, impervious stare. There may have been a deeper dive into Keera and family in Book 1, but the CE caught that one, and I came into the series with Book 2.

As the book weaves its way through the twists and revelations, the storyline moves smoothly into the conclusion with, at this point, some predictability. Any reader who enjoys legal thrillers, though, will certainly appreciate the Dugoni writing style. It’s intelligently written, gripping, and entertaining.

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 point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Murder Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: 978-1662524646
ASIN: B0DFZ47Z2B
Print Length: 380 pages
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 10 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, the Keera Duggan legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including the literary novel, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – One of Newsweek Magazines Best Books of All Time and Suspense Magazine’s Book of the Year. Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also written critically acclaimed historical novels based on true events: The World Played Chess a coming of age story and the Vietnam War; Hold Strong an untold story of WWII; and A Killing on the Hill, about a 1933 killing and trial in Seattle. HIs nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. His novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and multiple awards for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than forty countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Visit his website and follow him on Amazon, Goodreads, twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok and other social media sites.

#TuesdayBookBlog

The Other Side of Now: A Novel by Paige Harbison #AudiobookReview #FriendshipFiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Read by the author, this hilarious and heartfelt audiobook about how loves and lives are never truly lost, is perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle and Taylor Jenkins Reid.

With a leading role on a hit TV show and a relationship with Hollywood’s latest heartthrob, Meg Bryan appears to have everything she ever wanted. But underneath, her happiness is as fake as her stage name, Lana Lord. Following a tiny nervous breakdown at her thirtieth birthday party, she books an impromptu trip to Ireland. Specifically, to the village where she and her best friend Aimee always dreamt of moving.

When Meg arrives, the people in town don’t just recognize her, they seem to know her. She quickly—reluctantly—realizes she has somehow slipped into an alternate reality. One where she did move to Ireland as a teenager, one where she never got famous, and—most shocking of all—one where Aimee is alive and well.

She just wants nothing to do with Meg.

Despite her bewilderment, Meg is clear-eyed about one thing: this is a once-in-two-lifetimes chance to reconnect with her friend and repair what she broke . . . or else risk losing Aimee all over again.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

My Review:

Oh good grief! Is this a YA? And a fantasy? And I read it? And loved it?!

It is and I did!

Meg and Aimee are high school besties, who, out for a fun night, decide to see a fortune teller. But while Meg has a dual life line, Aimee’s reading is curt, cut short, and reveals nothing. Kind of a downer ending a thirtieth birthday party, but then she is already feeling a bit let down.

Meg has found success as Lana Lord, a hit TV show. Aimee was killed in a traffic accident not long after the birthday party. Meg shuts down. She is beyond consolable and on impulse books a trip to Ireland where she and Aimee had dreamed of going to college.

With the way our family moved throughout my school years, I never had a chance to experience a “bestie.” So, no, I couldn’t identify with how closely connected Meg was to Aimee, but it wasn’t too difficult to understand how she could find herself at a traumatic crossroads in her life at age thirty.

The experience in Ireland, however, is not at all what she expected but it’s obvious something major is going on when everyone appears to know her.

POV switches back and forth from Ireland to her life in Hollywood. The hot bartender in Ireland may be an “ex” for one thing, the boyfriend at home may have been cheating on her. But is it really possible Aimee is living in Ireland—with her family? Why is she mad at her?

I loved the characters; the prose the author delivers is lovingly and emotionally delivered, believable. The atmosphere of Ireland fleshes out the scenes and leaves you yearning for her decision to stay. Must she return?

The author, once again, has a couple twists in store for the reader. Oh, the delicious fun!

How do you pull a satisfying conclusion to this conundrum?

Stay.

Go.

Stay.

Go.

Themes of friendship, family, loss and grief, dogs (yes, dogs!), happiness. Wait, did Meg remember that fateful night differently than Aimee?

My heart fell at one point. Not the ending I was hoping for. Then—NOT the ending—and my goodness, that writer can pull another one out of the hat. Amazing. So satisfying.

If you missed this one, I’d recommend you check it out. Have I ever steered you wrong?

This audiobook is narrated by the author and she certainly does a credible job. Thank you to my local library for the borrowed copy.

Book Details:

Genre: Friendship Fiction
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B0DK7NHJ93
Listening Length: 10 hrs 22 mins
Narrator: Paige Harbison
Publication Date: June 3, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Paige Harbison - author — Paige Harbison – author

A little bit about me…

I grew up in the Washington D.C. area, raised by a musician and a writer. I graduated high school early, and went to college in St. Augustine, FL. Then, between Freshman and Sophomore year, I wrote my first novel. Everything in my life changed when, the following semester, I signed my first contract at age nineteen.

I transferred schools three times for fun, and changed my major from Theatre to Painting in order to accommodate my new career. I graduated early from Towson University and continued to work on my first three published novels, all YA: Here Lies Bridget, New Girl, and Anything to Have You.

Throughout the next decade I worked as a bartender and ghostwriter, traveling as much as I could, living it up in the name of book inspo.

At the start of the pandemic, I moved with my family to Palm Springs, CA and finally slowed down enough to start thinking about my own next chapter, which led me to leave the service industry, take some opportunities in film and TV, and start work on my next book.

I am now based in Los Angeles, California, where I live with my dog, Tarot, my partner, Richie, and the 12-9000 uninvited spiders that live in and around our home.

find me on instagram and TikTok, where I do comedy videos! @pharbeaux

Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me by Whoopi Goldberg #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Award nominee

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

From multi-award winner Whoopi Goldberg comes a new and unique memoir of her family and their influence on her early life.

If it weren’t for Emma Johnson, Caryn Johnson would have never become Whoopi Goldberg. Emma gave her children the loving care and wisdom they needed to succeed in life, always encouraging them to be true to themselves. When Whoopi lost her mother in 2010—and then her older brother, Clyde, five years later—she felt deeply alone; the only people who truly knew her were gone.

Emma raised her children not just to survive, but to thrive. In this intimate and heartfelt memoir, Whoopi shares many of the deeply personal stories of their lives together for the first time. Growing up in the projects in New York City, there were trips to Coney Island, the Ice Capades, and museums, and every Christmas was a magical experience. To this day, she doesn’t know how her mother was able to give them such an enriching childhood, despite the struggles they faced—and it wasn’t until she was well into adulthood that Whoopi learned just how traumatic some of those struggles were.

Fans of personal memoirs such as Finding Me by Viola Davis and In Pieces by Sally Field will be touched by Bits and Pieces: a moving tribute from a daughter to her mother, and a beautiful portrait of three people who loved each other deeply. Whoopi writes, “Not everybody gets to walk this earth with folks who let you be exactly who you are and who give you the confidence to become exactly who you want to be. So, I thought I’d share mine with you.”

My Review:

Above anything else, this might be a slightly long eulogy and love letter to her mother first and then her brother, Clyde. (I had to chuckle though, as that is the CE’s first name as well.)

But it’s no wonder she fills the book with praise, remembering so many stories in which her mother shines brilliantly with wisdom in raising, teaching, nurturing, and yes, strict discipline, her two children under the worst of circumstances.

Time and again, I marveled at how, when push comes to shove, her mother, Emma, manages to mold her daughter and son into strong, independent thinking, kind, and thoughtful people. Who taught her those qualities? She bestowed everything she had at grievous cost to herself, a great philosophical education that might have made Gandhi blush.

“You’ve got two choices. You can waste a lot of time complaining, or you can get up and figure out how to fix it.”

Besides the stories of her childhood and the beginning of her amazing career, she lays bare the loves she’s shared, including the birth of her daughter (her only child), the foray into drugs, and attempted reconciliation with her father. So many anecdotes regarding her experiences.

Whether or not you’ve been a fan of Whoopi (nee Caryn Johnson), reading this book may enhance your respect or create a new fan.

This audiobook is narrated by herself, complete with that distinctive voice, sense of humor, emotion. It’s a celebration of life.

Book Details:

Genre: Grief & Loss, Black & African American Biographies, Grief & Bereavement
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
ASIN: B0CMFC8M37
Listening Length: 6 hrs 43 mins
Narrator: Whoopi Goldberg
Publication Date: May 7, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Whoopi Goldberg is the the author of the Sugar Plum Ballerinas books, as well as Whoopi’s Big Book of Manners, illustrated by Olo. She has won a Tony, an Emmy, an Oscar, and a Grammy, as well as two Golden Globes. In 2001, she was awarded the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Whoopi Goldberg has appeared in scores of films and is a host of ABC’s The View. She lives in New York and Vermont.

#ThrowbackThursday

Banner picture credits:
Oda May Brown- Ghost – Images Press, Getty Images
The Color Purple – Bruce Gilkas, Film Magic Celie Harris
Wikipedia

The River’s Daughter by Bridget Crocker #AudiobookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Best Biographies and Memoirs

Book Blurb:

A vivid and propulsive memoir about finding courage and meaning in a life outdoors, by a world-class whitewater rafting guide.

After Bridget Crocker’s parents’ volatile divorce, she moved with her mother from Southern California to Wyoming. Her life was idyllic, growing up in a trailer park on the banks of the Snake River with a stepfather she loved, a new baby brother, and the river as her companion—until her mother suddenly took up a radical new lifestyle, becoming someone Bridget barely recognized. The one constant in her life—the place Bridget felt whole and fully herself—was the river. When she discovered the world of whitewater rafting, she knew she’d found her calling.

On the river, Bridget learned to read the natural world around her and came to know the language of rivers. One of the few female guides on the Snake River, she then traveled to the Zambezi River in Africa, some of the most dangerous whitewater in the world, where she faced death and learned to conquer her fears—both on the water and off. The river taught her how to overcome years of betrayals and abuse, to trust herself, and, finally, how to help heal her family from generational cycles of trauma and poverty.

A beautifully rendered memoir of a woman coming into her own, The River’s Daughter opens us to the possibilities of transformation through nature.

My Review:

The Snake River. The CE knows it well, having grown up in Twin Falls, ID. When our kids were late teens, our daughter’s then-boyfriend persuaded us into taking a rafting trip on the American River (California). While I know our little ride (see photo) didn’t compare with what is described in this book, I only know I wasn’t into looking for greater class rapids than these, one of which almost pitched me out of the raft.

But it was fun and I’ll never forget it.

So there were several things that caught my attention about this book. And it didn’t disappoint.

The author describes her early life with first, an abusive father, then a mother tuning in, turning on, and then checking out. Too bad, as she had learned to love the step-father. It was a chance to ride some rapids that gave her a calling. She loved the river. It spoke and sang to her. It didn’t take long before she doubled down to learn how to guide, rather than just ride.

The revelation of her childhood is prefaced with trigger warnings of abuse and sexual assault. Parents who were themselves abused who knew no other way to parent. Bridget watches the metamorphosis of her mother into a flower child she didn’t know, couldn’t understand, and really didn’t want the responsibility of her daughter anymore.

Bridget’s choice of male companions reflects what might have become a generational cycle trying to repeat itself and usually ends in abandonment and the realization that what she had was not the love she’d hoped.

Still, that might also have been instrumental in her continued striving to become an independent world-class white water guide, and she conquers that goal when she finally writes of the rapids of Zambia’s Zambezi River. The writer waxed poetically, often confirming her love of the wild, with prose that delighted the mind’s eye, lent perfumed mist to the air, and authentic African sights and sounds.

Descriptions of treacherous waters, boulders and spray, and the peculiarities of eddies and precipitous drops were detailed with emotional clarity. OOH!! I loved those descriptions and the descriptions of her various guides on world-class rafting rivers.

Sorry, but I loved those sections. Not so much her attempts at reconciliation with both mother and father. Why? She has fully transformed herself. Won her struggle with the trauma…healed. She is awesome.

Ever thought you’d like to try out some white water? You might wish to check out this book first. I recommend it. And rafting? I figure you have to experience it at least once.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: North America Travel & Tourism, Adventure Travel
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks
ASIN: B0DJHDN97L
Listening Length: 9 hrs 11 mins
Narrator: Bridget Crocker
Publication Date: June 3, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Bridget Crocker - author — Photo and bio courtesy Goodreads author profile.

The Author: Explorer. Storyteller. Guide.
A leading whitewater explorer and river guide, Bridget Crocker writes adventure memoir for life travelers forging new directions in their relationships and lives. Crocker’s writing transports readers to far-flung locations filled with flawed characters overcoming incredible adversity. A trauma survivor, Crocker explores themes of recovery and overcoming multi-generational cycles as well as sexism and racism in the outdoor industry. In her work as an author, speaker and leader of women’s empowerment river workshops, Crocker helps others strengthen their connection with the natural world and find the courage to navigate harrowing obstacles both on and off the river.

#Audiobooks

Good Days Bad Days: A Novel by Emily Bleeker #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

A daughter reconnects with her estranged parents before it’s too late in an emotional novel about memories, secrets, and finding home by the bestselling author of When We Chased the Light.

Charlie McFadden was fifteen years old when CPS removed her from her hoarded home. Her mother, Betty, chose her worthless collectibles. Her father chose Betty. Neither chose Charlie.

Thirty-one years later, a mother herself and cohost of a popular reality show with her husband, Charlie is proud of what she accomplished without her parents—relative strangers she never saw again. Until the day Charlie’s father pleads with her to come home and to say goodbye to her mother, now confined to a memory care center. Betty has her good days, recognizing her daughter with familiar resentment. And her bad ones, lost in the past as a blissful young mother with a cherished newborn. Those days make Charlie feel loved.

For Charlie, each memory is a journey and a revelation. She sees a mother she never knew—bright and beautiful with so much promise. But hidden away is also a fiercely guarded secret. Shared, it could finally bring hope and healing to a broken family. If Betty can bear to remember it.

My Review:

Extreme cases of hoarding. Good grief. Something I’d never read about before nor took terribly seriously. It’s as insidious as alcoholism, slowly taking over the person and then that person’s close members to the point of their very class of living.

My mother lived through the depression. When I tried to help my sister with the storage shed behind their mobile home, I was confronted with a quarter of the shed stacked with toilet paper. Funny then, years later when Covid hit that mother was gone too late to see her stash come in handy. But she was not a hoarder. Not in this definition.

Charlie (Charlotte, Lottie) McFadden is a TV host ah la Joanna Gaines who, at a crisis in her own home, is called by her father that he needed help with their home. Her mother, Betty, is in memory care, had been a hoarder to the point that Charlie was removed from the home at age 15 to foster care. She never went back and estranged all this time, reluctant to go back now except for the predicament with her marriage. He will lose the home if it is not cleared and cleaned up.

The time line as remembered through her dad then switches back and forth between the present day and Betty’s history is becoming exposed with the extensive cleaning. Her dad has always supported Betty to the exclusion of Charlie, something she grew very bitter about.

And the “good” days? That’s according to the nurse handling Betty that day who sees the real Betty—the one who is angry, disagreeable, and recognizes Charlie with vehemence. Not at all the loving mother of “Laura,” who on “bad” days doesn’t recognize Charlie as Charlie but a soft spoken, kindly, and loving mother. It’s the disease, the dementia.

As Charlie hammers away at Betty on bad days, trying to get to the truth of her history, there are hints of a twist. Who is…was…Laura? What’s with her father? Why won’t he talk to Charlie, fill in all the blanks?

A powerful story that examines, dissects, and disseminates dementia, painting the character scary and beautiful at the same time; sympathetic, clueless, difficult. That the house and hoarding was chosen over Charlie, their daughter, is a mantra throughout the book. Themes of a fractured, enabled marriage, damaged family dynamics, secrets, and emotional dimensions.

The setting of Lake Geneva is lovely, bringing to mind our one trip there to explore and taste the food, drink in the scenery. A tourist destination.

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 point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Marriage & Divorce Fiction, 20^th Century Historical Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
ISBN: 978-1662531255
ASIN: B0DXG9J6ZT
Print Length: 379 pages
Publication Date: October 7, 2025
Source: Publisher and Netgalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Emily Bleeker is a former educator who discovered her passion for writing after introducing a writer’s workshop to her students. She soon found a whole world of characters and stories living inside of her mind. It took a battle with a rare form of cancer to give her the courage to share that amazing world with others. Emily lives in suburban Chicago with her family. Between writing and being a mom, she attempts to learn guitar, performs with the house team of a local improv troupe, dabbles in karaoke, and embraces her newfound addiction to running. Connect with her or request a Zoom visit with your book club at emilybleeker.com.

#TuesdayBookBlog

The Promise of Unbroken Straw by Ken Steele #BookReview #HistoricalWWIIFiction

Book Blurb:

1944, Oklahoma. With their family farm on the brink of ruin, Paul’s life takes an unexpected turn—but newfound fortune comes at an unimaginable cost.

In rural Oklahoma, 13-year-old Paul wrestles with more than the typical burdens of adolescence. With a struggling farm, Allied boots marching through Europe, and whispers surrounding his mother’s death, life feels anything but simple. But when an unexpected windfall saves them from poverty, Paul discovers that wealth brings complications he never imagined.

Paul’s rags-to-riches move to Tulsa thrusts him into a world of private schools and sprawling mansions, where he and his brother face bullies, a distant father’s impossible expectations, and the weight of devastating loss. Haunted by guilt and buried secrets, Paul’s journey spans decades as he searches for forgiveness and a way to bridge the chasm between himself and the father he never truly knew.
Award-winning and praised for its unforgettable characters, The Promise of Unbroken Straw is a journey of heartbreak, secrets, and redemption.

His Review:

The promise of free land sent many homesteaders to Oklahoma’s panhandle. Life there is very difficult but love and a strong will holds the families together. Tending animals, weeding, caring for the soil, and resting at night is their only reward for this lifestyle.

There are affluent families in Tulsa but the homestead is three plus hours away from the city. Then, the discovery of oil on their property alters the fortunes of the family. Moving into a fine house in the city changes the entire family’s future.

Rich youth take advantage of the situation, and the two sons are harassed and bullied at school. There is no respite from the bullies who push around the boys who have been taught not to respond. This story is tension-filled and very poignant and reminds me of my youth long ago. Read and enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical World War II & Holocaust Fiction, Historical World War II Fiction, World War II Historical Fiction
Publisher: Yorkshire Publishing
ASIN: B0D3QR6M1Q
Print Length: 374 pages
Publication Date: May 8, 2024
Source: Author and publisher

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ken Steele holds degrees in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University and MIT. The Promise of Unbroken Straw is Ken’s debut novel, a work of historical fiction. He resides in Colorado with his wife of 41 years where his days are filled with skiing, pickleball, golf, hiking, and all that the mountains can offer.

AI generated graphic courtesy Gemini Flash 2.5

Red Shadows at Saugatuck by Randy Overbeck #BookReview #ParanormalFantasy

The Haunted Shores Mysteries Series Book 4

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Darrell Henshaw hoped he was past it all. After all, no ghosts had visited him for years. Instead, he learns his five-year-old-son, Leo, has inherited his “gift.”
Now, they both can see ghosts.
Upon his parents’ insistence, Darrell drives his young family 800 miles to celebrate his aunt Gertrude’s 80th birthday. But, once they arrive in the resort town of Saugatuck, Michigan, their participation gets derailed by the spirit of a Native teen who went missing weeks earlier. When he and Leo inquire about the girl, the locals dismiss their concerns—”Those girls run away all the time.” Still, as questions pile up and threats grow, Darrell senses they may have stumbled onto something far worse and even more evil than one missing teen.
Can Darrell continue to pursue justice for the girl if it places his wife and son in danger?

His Review:

The main characters include a father who has just discovered on a trip to Michigan with his family that his five-year-old son apparently has the same “gift” he has with seeing ghosts. They are being summoned by the ghost of a Native teen but realizing that trying to help her plight may gravely endanger his own family. The writing is gripping, emotional, sensitive, and pocked with twists that’ll keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

Many young Native American women go missing each year. Many of the young women leave to gain a better quality of life. The belief is that they run away from home in their early teens and are never heard from again. The actual reason is much more sinister. The plight of Native Americans is the breaking of treaties by the government and displacement of the tribes into some of the poorest areas and non-arable soils in our country.

Randy Overbeck has written a very fine exposé on the actual reason that they seem to be missing. The resulting crimes are neither investigated nor prosecuted! C E Williams This story made me angry because of the lack of attention to this matter by any governmental group. Shame on our country for not protecting these people and prosecuting the criminals. Read the story and see if you don’t agree. 5 stars – CE Williams

[Note: We’ve both been given the opportunity to read installments in the Haunted Shores Mysteries series, including Blood on the Chesapeake and Crimson at Cape May. Read one and you’re hooked. This can be read as a standalone, but each is a treat and we can heartily recommend. V Williams]

Many thanks to the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
ASIN: B0F89DGNMF
Print Length: 361 pages
Publication Date: July 23, 2025
Source: Author

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author, speaker and podcaster. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades and has mined that experience to create captivating fiction, authoring two series, the bestselling series, “The Haunted Shores Mysteries,” and the award-winning series, “Lessons in Peril.” His novels have won critical acclaim and garnered national awards including Mystery of the Year (ReaderViews) Best Book Award (Chanticleer Books and Reviews) and the Gold Award (Literary Titan) and amassed hundreds of 5-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Dr. Overbeck also hosts the popular podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets and can be heard wherever listeners get their podcasts. He is a speaker in considerable demand, sharing his popular presentations about ghosts and the world of book publishing with hundreds of audiences all over the U.S.

As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop.

When he’s not researching, writing, speaking or podcasting, Randy enjoys traveling with his wife Cathy and visiting both his far-flung family and the scenic locations around this country, often in search of inspiration for his next great story.

Have a good week!