Finished EYE OF THE NEEDLE

I've heard reviews that say this is the best of Follett's spy novels.  I have actually loved all of them that I have read.  This one was intense.  From about the first chapter, I had trouble putting it down.  And from the beginning of the last 100 pages, I couldn't do anything until I had finished it.

I am now about to start Blood Canticle by Anne Rice.  This is another book in the Vampire Chronicles.  I have read most of the books Anne Rice has published in her own name and have loved all that I have read.  This has promised to be about Lestat again who I dearly love.  Of course, if I needed a break after the intensity of Eye of the Needle, this will likely not give it.

Finished HEART OF VALOR

This is a YA novel and the second part of the Wildworld story (of which there are only two).  It was fun and certainly held my interest.  There was also a wonderful re-working of the Arthurian Legend, which I always enjoy.  The ending was completely satisfactory.  However, there is still an untrustworthy person at large and Alys and Janie both have missions at the end of the book, so there is certainly room for a third section of the story.

I have now gone back to my epics pile to get Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett.  He is in the epics pile because the first book I read by him were Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, and the Century trilogy.  This is a spy novel set in Britain toward the beginning of their part of WWII.  The first chapter follows a German spy as he gets caught by his landlord sending a tranmission by wireless, and immediately kills her....and the roller coaster that is Ken Follett is off.

Finished HIDDEN FIGURES

Although it lost me at times when it was altogether too technical for my background, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting each person and seeing how NASA grew during those critical years.  The first time I heard about these brilliant black women was when this movie was nominated.  I had to read it.

I have now started Heart of Valor, the second and last book in the Wildwood series by L. J. Smith.  Baby sister Claudia has been told by the birds that an earthquake is coming and sends a note to her sister Janie who she hopes can keep the cans the kids have been collecting for their food drive from falling on her friend who is sitting next to them in their classroom.

Finished MINDBEND

Whew!  That was intense!  In Robin's defence, it is so old, I know he never intended people to read it during the Trump administration.  There is just so much exploitation of people for money that I can take.  The book certainly kept me on the edge of my seat, mainly because I'm not sure it couldn't happen, especially in today's world.

I am now reading Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly.  The Author's note and Prologue at the beginning of the book should definitely not be skipped.  The author shares how black female scientists and mathematicians were an everyday part of her world growing up, to the point that she didn't know whites or males to do that kind of thing.  I love it.

Completed another 100 pages of ROUGHING IT.

In this section, Twain is in Virginia, Nevada, working at a newspaper in a silver mining boom town.  Then he goes to San Francisco just to see the sights, and, through an unfortunate happenstance, winds up staying.  As you can see, the book I am reading is a beautifully illustrated hardback.  But that is also why I am only reading 100 pages at a time--it is heavy to lug around!

Now I am reading Mindbend by Robin Cook.  Already a doctor has killed his wife and himself and a med student is becoming violent, both against their normal nature.  There is an overtone of using aborted fetuses for some unknown purpose.  I have no idea how I have missed this book in my reading, but I have...until now.

Finished CONCUSSION

A non-fiction book that I just could not put down.  Who would have guessed?  Excellent book from beginning to end.

Now back to Roughing It by Mark Twain.

Finished EXTREME MAKEOVER

This is the fourth of Henry Melton's books I have read and this one may be even more enchanting that the others.  I could not put it down.  It is another one of those books that I'm sorry to have finished.  Excellent inventive story.

I am now reading Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas.  This true story, made into a movie, is about the doctor who discovered the horrendous damage done to football players by concussions.  It starts with Dr. Belton Omalu serving as witness in an unrelated trial, a trial he does not want to be at. Using this context, we are given a synopsis of his very interesting early life.  Much more readable than I had expected.