This is a book review that could be a column. Like many people my age, the blur of decades past and the acceleration of each passing year breeds a sense of urgency, if not panic. Jack Nicholson in "About Schmidt" looks up one day in astonishment, asking "what the hell happened." We're not paying attention. That's what happens. Then suddenly we realize the cliff is getting closer and we're like the Road Runner trying to flip on the brakes and backpedal those last few yard

A series binge. I'd exhausted all the Reacher books and discovered this author. The first book has been turned into a Netflix movie. The movie had mediocre reviews, but the book(s) have been wildly popular. Mark Greaney is a riveting master of the spy thriller and the Gray Man is a distinctive character - though not quite as compelling as Reacher. Greaney is also known for authoring the Tom Clancy novels and he's obviously been a good choice to carry on that legacy. I'

Guilty pleasures, just pure action/adventure. I get my books on Libby, the online library service and often there's a lull between...

This was widely acclaimed, won numerous prizes, made NYT lists and has rave reviews. The premise intrigued me. It follows a young woman...

Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook A New York Times bestseller, and with good reason....

A best seller and widely acclaimed. A retelling of the Mark Twain story of Huckleberry Finn....but through the eyes of his slave...

I've been a devotee of these Reacher books for quite a few years. It's my pulp indulgence. Several books ago Lee Child, who had started...

The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen. I can't recommend this enough. Brooks is easy to read and offers insights on a...

Grisham revisits Camino Island and his cabal of writers on the beach. This is his third in the series. The plot centers on the story...

A surprise discovery; she's a talented writer with a gift for descriptive phrasing that transports the reader to another world. In this...

The story of the months after Lincoln's election up to the Confederate assault on Fort Sumter that ignited the Civil War. Larson always...

David Foster Wallace; called the writer and voice of his (my) generation. Venerated as an exceptional talent, he was also from Illinois...

Reading this new series by Baldacci I couldn't help but hear his publisher - or him telling them - 'we need to come up with a Jack...

We all have secrets. Some would rock our world if they were exposed. Imagine a stranger coming up to you and telling you all about your...

For a serious, non-fiction book, this was engaging and eye-opening. A broad sweep of human history that puts us and our civilization...

Remember 'The Firm?' Grisham's first novel that launched his career (although I think he had a previous attempt that was overlooked). ...

The best work of historical fiction. A Pulitzer Prize winner. I read this years ago and my memory of it was so enjoyable, I had to...

A refreshing, new look at Lincoln that focuses more on others' experiences with him, what he said, impressions he made. Meacham is an...

Recommended by my wife, Martha (she's selective in suggesting a title), I now highly recommend. Brooks is a vivid writer who...

Occasionally, I'll pick up a book by an unfamiliar author for the sake of variety. I'd seen her books in the 'thriller' section and...