Book 30: The Broker, by John Grisham

Finished September 4, 2022

This thriller from the master storyteller, John Grisham, did not disappoint. Set in lovely Italian towns and cities -- as well as Washington DC -- it tells the story of a lobbyist known as The Broker who gets a little greedy and ends up running for his life.

After six years in a Federal penitentiary, Joel Backman is suddenly pardoned by a lame-duck president. The CIA relocates him to Bologna, Italy, gives him an apartment (bugged, of course), a wardrobe, a little money, and an Italian tutor, then sits back to see who will kill him. Candidates include the Israelis, the Chinese, the Russians, and the Iranians. This will tell the CIA which of them bought a very sophisticated surveillance program that uses existing satellites in a new way, the brainchild of three Pakistanis who are all now dead.

But Joel isn't stupid, and despite the fact that he's not a trained spy, he not only eludes them all, but escapes back to the U.S. to turn over the software to a former U.S. Senator with connections that will keep the software in American hands, buying his own freedom (of sorts) and eluding even the CIA.

In the vein of The Firm, this book presents an impossible situation to a smart, resourceful main character, who refuses to play the deadly part assigned to him, but thinks his way out from under all the parties involved. It's a marvelous good time, with realistic characters that make mistakes, have loyalties and biases, and get lucky from time to time.

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Book 40: A Higher Call, by Adam Makos

Finished October 29, 2022 The subtitle of this book is, "The Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II" and the book does not disappoint. Painstakingly recreated by author Adam Makos, this story is lovingly told, introducing new generations to the miraculous story of an American pilot and his German savior. A Higher Call tells the story about Franz Stigler , a German fighter ace of the Luftwaffe who flew a Messerschmitt Bf 109 , and Charlie Brown , a 21-year-old American pilot of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress named 'Ye Old Pub'. Five days before Christmas in 1943, the Ye Old Pub was involve in a bombing mission over Germany. It was a mission that experienced severe casualties, and the Ye Old Pub took on extensive damage. One engine was out. The tail was missing parts which made navigation very difficult. The nose cone was obliterated, which brought the frigid win...

Book 12: Brian's Return, by Gary Paulson

Finished April 16, 2002 I love that feeling of complete integration when I'm listening to a podcast or audiobook and I get so fascinated that I have to pull over and park, and listen with all my being. It's like a feeling of falling in, but pleasantly so. That happened today with a sequel to a book in which it had happened before. The first book, Hatchet , concerned a 13-year-old boy named Brian who must survive in the Canadian Rockies when his small plane crash lands. Hatchet contained several scenes in which I "fell in." The sequel (one of several sequels), Brian's Return , contained a poignant scene in which Brian has an experience reading Shakespeare that changes his life. In the story, Brian's friend had recommended that he take a few -- just a few -- books with him when he went back to his beloved forest. He recommended Shakespeare and told Brian to read slowly and out loud. Feeling a little silly, Brian does one day, as he waits for his clothes to dry...

Book 27: The Great Train Robbery, by Michael Crichton

Finished July 28, 2022 This is a tight, fast-paced book that combines historical narrative and supreme story telling. Somehow, Crichton manages to weave an accurate mystery from a story to which every reader knows the ending. Nevertheless, it's an edge-of-your seat telling of this robbery of gold from a train in 19th Century London. Crichton also paints a vivid picture of life in Victorian England at various socio-economic levels. This is an intriguing, tragic, lively story, told at a pace and in a depth of scene-setting that shows a level of skill few writers achieve.

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