Thrills & Hearts: Must-Read Books: Two Thrillers and One Romance

In the mood for an intense read? 

You could get engrossed in a heady romance novel or bury your face in two compelling mystery thrillers with just the right amount of suspense to make your heart race and keep you on the edge of your seat. 

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A strong-minded intelligent beauty and a new king. Tell me you don’t want to know what’s gonna happen!!

• Novel by award-winning author Selena Montgomery.

Power Of Persuasion (Arabesque)

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5 STARS! Author Mary Leo has constructed a unique example of a one-of-its-kind historical fiction based on actual horrendous murders that occurred in Chicago.

Trusting Evil

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Texas Deputy Sheriff Jim Doe is on the hunt for a sociopath who has been abducting Indian children in the heartland. The suspect is an American Indian. Doe, a descendant of the Blackfeet Nation himself, keeps getting mistaken for the killer that he’s chasing.
[ Sounds like fun, huh?! :) ]

• Author Stephen Graham Jones, born and raised in Texas; American Indian, Blackfeet Nation. This is his second novel.

All the Beautiful Sinners

glitter-graphics.com

NOTE: Content previously published elsewhere on the web, however, the site shut down. 
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5 Books to Add to Your Reading List

Watched a short video showing that former POTUS Barack Obama (44th president, served 2 terms, inaugurated January 20, 2009, and served through January 20, 2017, is continuing his tradition of sharing his favorite music, movies, and books for the year. He published his list somewhere online.

In case you’re interested. Obama’s lists for 2016, 2017, and 2018.

That got me thinking. Movies and music you usually get around to watching or listening to. Whereas sometimes with books, unless they are audiobooks, you don’t find the time or make the time to read them. What was on your reading list for one year might end up being on the reading list for the next year and the next and the next.

Do you have any books that were on your reading list last year that are still on your reading list this year?

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Here are 5 leftover books to read from my list:

(1)  Hoff, Benjamin. TheTao of Pooh. E. P. Dutton, Inc., 1982. “For Han Hsiang-tse.”

(2)  Foner, Eric. A Short History of Reconstruction, 1863–1877. Harper Perrenial Modern Classics, 2015

(3)  Lewis, James R., and Evelyn Dorothy. Oliver. Angels A to Z. Visible Ink Press, 2008.

(4)  Cunliffe, Barry W. Rome and Her Empire. Edited by David Baker, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978.

(5)  Swindoll, Charles R. Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives. Thomas Nelson Inc, 2005.

#ReadTheWorld with FREE Kindle books in translation for #WorldBookDay https://t.co/hQkqreH4L1 via @AmazonPub #quarantine #reading #quarantinereading #readinglist #books #booklovers

— My Fox Nooze (aka Joie de Vivre Magazine) (@FoxMarks_ATX) April 18, 2020

Vintage Books for Your Personal Library or Book Collections

No matter what anybody says I say that libraries will never go out of style.  Yes, there is and always will be digitized literature.  But nothing will ever replace resting comfortably in your bed or on your sofa and curling with a good book!  NOT a tablet!

That being said, I have always loved most things vintage. Have to define “vintage” in case you happen to be about the age of one of my kids. Vintage for them might be circa 1980 or 1990, and they may think vintage for me would be circa 1880 or 1890. Not so.

Vintage, by my definition, is back in my day, the 1950s and 60s, or anything before that but still in the 1900s.

Are we clear? Good!

One of my favorite things is “library trash”. Books that some public libraries toss like trash because they do not have enough room on their shelves and have to make space for the “new”.

In my dictionary: old books = vintage books; and they are still worth reading!

Of course, if it is left up to chance and you are searching for a specific book, the odds are not in your favor and you may be waiting a while – wishing and hoping for that particular reading material to end up on the pile. Not all awesome vintage books are tossed by the head librarian.

Fortunately, there is a bookstore called Vintage Books, that has been around since 1954. It is physically located in New York, New York, but thanks to the wonders of information technology, you can peruse their bookshelf online. There are books listed by the usual genres from Art to History to Mystery to Travel. But you might find the selected works categorized in the Vintage Series worth examining. There are 5 different series: Civil War; Classics; Contemporaries, Departures; and International.

Vintage books are priceless additions to your own personal library and are great gift ideas. What is also great is that these published works are not very expensive, come in paperback or hardcover, as well as audio-book format or in the Kindle edition.

(NOTE: Vintage Books is part of the Random House/Knopf Doubleday network of bookselling sites.  Below are book Selections From the Vintage Series


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The Civil War Dictionary by Mark Boatner
(Vintage Civil War Library)

For almost thirty years The Civil War Dictionary has been the most complete, authoritative, and handy reference book on what has been called the Second American Revolution, 1861-1865.

Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster
(Vintage Classics)

A young English widow takes off on the grand tour and along the way marries a penniless Italian. Her in-laws are not amused.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez
(Vintage Contemporaries)

A love story is woven into a novel about hopes and dreams, and redefinition of what it means to be American.

Cuba in Mind: An Anthology
(Vintage Departures)

Explorer Christopher Columbus described Cuba as “the most beautiful country that human eyes have ever seen”. 31 writers – poetry, fiction, and nonfiction – agree.

Bombay Stories
(Vintage International)

1930s Bombay provided the author with the inspiration for this collection of short stories.

If you’re gifting vintage books might as well throw in some vintage bookends and a desk! :)

Decorative Heavy Duty Bookends – Metal Large Book Ends – Vintage Tall Books Stand

Sauder Graham Hill Desk, Autumn Maple Finish

Source:  Webnuggetz.com

Recommended Reading: "The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill

There is no need to elaborate on this recommendation with a lengthy blog post. The title of the book says it all.

"The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill

This book is a work of fiction that reads like real life.

Enough said.

Psychology : Is My Favorite Fictional Character a Part of My Psyche?

"Psychologists say that people subconsciously become their favorite fictional characters when reading a book. Research indicates that you might identify with the character so much that you begin to change your behavior. ..."

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Why is Reading to Children is Important?

Reading to children yields numerous health and social benefits.

Click here.

Reading List: “Stumbling Giant: The Threats to China's Future” by Timothy Beardson

“Many argue that China will soon overtake the United States and become the next superpower. Timothy Beardson, author of Stumbling Giant: The Threats to China’s Future, disagrees ...” (Source: Yalepress)

My Opinion:

China? The next superpower? I don't know how many "Many" is - but I do know that I'm not in that number. Whatever the count. And just exactly what is a "superpower" and how many are there already? Because ONE is too many! How I see it, it was knuckleheads with a "superpower mentality" who caused TWO WORLD WARS!!!

Beardson's book was published 2013 and a lot has happened since then.  For one thing, China decided to amend its Constitution and make their current president, president for life!  For another thing, Donald Trump got elected US president and has engaged China in a trade war.

Still!  Beardson' book is good to add your reading list for historical perspectives and China's position on the world stage and its relationship to the United States.
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“Stumbling Giant: The Threats to China's Future” by Timothy Beardson

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Society and Culture: "The Rise of Asia: A New Phenomenon?"

Intro: "Many believe that the rising prominence of Asia, and particularly China, in world affairs is an unexpected and new phenomenon but history shows us that Asian superiority in terms of the progress and cultural output of their societies has occurred in the past."


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Leadership By Virtue: The Economy and a 'cultural noise in the background ... (Reblog)

Jaro Berce's blog, Leadership By Virtue, is a blog about his book by that name. Just recently started following it and picked up on this because it was listed as one of the "Popular Posts".

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.... It is also risking #China's ability to navigate the inherently-tricky middle-income transition phase of its (so far impressive) economic development process. Here's why:https://t.co/t6D0SW8uBL#economy #markets @bopinion @business #trade #ChinaUS #ChinaTariffs #chinatrade https://t.co/6mKsZwNsHw

— Mohamed A. El-Erian (@elerianm) May 17, 2019

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BBC News - China's Xi allowed to remain 'president for life' as term limits removed https://t.co/W4Y6OV86gJ

— BlackeyedSusan28 (@chesscat48) May 13, 2019

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MY Closing Thoughts:

Top 10 Most Powerful Countries in the World 2019 ~ https://t.co/Oil4tQdVp9 ~ Are #powerful, #influential, and #superpower the same thing? #IMHO. No country is a superpower or powerful. But if a country can persuade others to strive for #worldpeace that makes them influential. pic.twitter.com/2sdfdZQRMa

— Treathyl Fox (@cmoneyspinner) May 17, 2019