Putin's Russia

Darryl Cunningham's latest graphic novel is Putin's Russia: The Rise of a Dictator. It was published on February 15, 2022 and is a biography of the Russian dictator. As publisher Drawn & Quarterly said recently, it is unfortunate that this comic arrived at this point in time. With Russian troops now in eastern Ukraine, it could not be more timely. News articles state that World War III is right around the corner. I do not understand why WWIII is a possibility but when you read about Putin's rise in Russia you see what he is capable of. 

In this biography of Vladimir Putin we see the development of a schoolyard bully in Soviet era Leningrad into a KGB officer, then on to a corrupt commodities trader and continuing on to being the president of Russia. The reader is shown the brutality that Putin has waged against his detractors as well as his lawless financial dealings. What I gleaned from the book is that everything Putin does politically enhances his personal finances. Taking that idea further, I imagine that Putin will make billions off of Ukraine. Money is the only thing he is interested in. Yes, there are advantages to Russia for invading Ukraine. It has oil and plentiful wheat fields that Russia could benefit from. However, when you see the totality of Putin's life you see that every political decision he makes only makes him richer. 

Putin was lucky is obtaining jobs that brought him more and more power. He was able to join the KGB in which membership is by invitation only. When returning from an assignment in East Germany he somehow found jobs that allowed him to take advantage of the post-Soviet chaos. By becoming affiliated with Boris Yeltsin, Putin was able to become president of Russia. Someone obviously helped him rise to power but the author does not tell us who that person is. Most likely no one knows this information other than Putin himself. Anyone with knowledge about Putin's past ends up dead and by controlling the media, he is able to create his own biography. 

This is an eye opening picture of the Russian dictator. Personally, I like to refer to him as Czar Putin. Highly recommended. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Widow Clicquot

The Widow Clicquot is a biography of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot. After the death of her husband she became driven to succeed as a champagne vintner and created the Veuve Clicquot brand. Veuve means widow in French. Nicole was called Veuve Clicquot by her contemporaries and that is how the brand got its name. I think it is the best champagne in the world.

The book begins in 1789 Reims with an eleven year old Nicole. When the French Revolution arrived in Reims, Nicole had to leave the royal school she attended and be disguised as a peasant in order to safely return to her home. Soon thereafter, her family was discussing possible matches for a marriage. Nicole was lucky to catch the dashing François Clicquot. François was from a wealthy textile family. He, however, preferred to dabble in the production of wine than working in the textile business. François died early in the marriage. A business competitor, Jean-Remy Moet, told everyone who would listen that François killed himself because his business was failing. However, Nicole vowed to make something from her husband's vines. Moet, though, continued to lie about Nicole to keep her business from growing. He wanted her out of business so that he could buy her land. 

During this era sparkling wine was rare. It was not yet called champagne. It was vin mousseux. I was surprised to read that there were several successful women in the wine business during the 18th century. I always thought Nicole was a trailblazing anomaly but she wasn't. These other women were not from the bourgeois class and had more freedom to become entrepreneurs than Nicole had.

Most of the book discusses the problems Nicole had in building her company. She had to deal with the internal politics of France as well as Russian politics. Russia was where she could sell alot of wine, if she could get her bottles over there. Moet again was a trouble maker. He frequently thwarted her plans to have her bottles put on ships that were headed towards her market in St. Petersburg. It kind of makes me want to ban Moet champagne in my household so I can be in solidarity with Nicole. She is definitely seen as a heroine in the book, almost like a character would be in a fiction book. 

The Widow Clicquot tells an inspirational story that anyone can prosper if they don't give up. It took Nicole a lifetime to reach her goal. I think today people would give up after a few years of poor sales but our heroine had a vision that she could not ignore.

4 out of 5 stars 

Stacking the Shelves #13

This weekend I want to showcase two Amish fiction novels that will be published on March 1, 2022. One of them is the conclusion to the Plain Patterns trilogy by Leslie Gould. The other book is the newest release by Wanda Brunstetter, The Sugarcreek Surprise. I love both of these authors and cannot wait to buy copies of them for my Kindle. 

In Threads of Hope Tally Smucker enjoys her quiet life of reading and quilting. However, she has to deal with her sorrow over her mother's illness. When a former Plain friend, Danielle, exhibits the symptoms of PTSD from her service in the army, Tally invites her to join a group of quilters at a fabric shop called Plain Patterns. Here they both learn about the plight of a WWI soldier and the girl he left behind. The story resonates with both of them but for different reasons.

The Brunstetter book is the second book in her Creektown Discoveries trilogy. In this story we meet Lisa Miller, an Amish schoolteacher in Sugarcreek, Ohio. Lisa has a determined admirer in Paul Herchberger. Lisa is just as determined to avoid Paul's advances. After losing both of her parents as a child, Lisa fears loving others because loving turns into loss. I can guess how this will turn out. After all, this is Amish fiction. I will enjoy the read anyway.

What books are you stacking your shelves with?

Night of the Ghoul

The Night of the Ghoul is a new Scott Snyder comic that Comixology is currently publishing. It is a 6 release story and the 5th installment will be published next week. Here are my thoughts after reading 1 - 4 of the series.

The comic opens with Forest Inman, a horror film lover, stumbling across a forgotten canister of footage of the Night of the Ghoul. Director T. F. Merritt's film never made it to the silver screen though. A mysterious studio fire destroyed the footage and killed the cast and crew. No footage had ever been recovered until Inman discovered it. However, the ending of the movie was not among the recovered film. Desiring to know how the movie ended, Inman finds director Merritt in a hospice under the name of Mr. Patrick. An alternating plot concerns the U. S. Army serving in Italy during WWI. Needing to advance to the village of Culla where German soldiers have bunkered down, soldier Kurt Powell and three of his buddies volunteer to do some reconnaissance. However, instead of finding Germans they find a pile of dead bodies.

I was impressed that issues 2, 3 and 4 did not waste paper by merely setting up new characters. All of the characters in this story are introduced in the first issue. The writing style followed the mystery novel format and each issue continued the storyline with increasing suspense. It was a gripping read and I highly recommend it.

Trashed

Trashed was published in 2012. It is a funny graphic memoir of Derf Backderf's time working as a garbage man. Backderf shows us the culture of working with trash in a comedic way. He tells us how he felt coming into contact with wet garbage bags that leaked onto his clothes and shoes. This was usually something with maggots or human waste. Yuck! Sometimes it was a dead body and no, the bodies were not reported to the police. It only took Backderf a week to become blase about these working conditions. He also wrote about having nicknames for customers who had unique garbage. They were cutting remarks and I know I will make sure my garbage is tightly contained in bags and not too heavy for the garbage men to lift. I don't want to be called any names.

The novel was more than entertainment. We learn the parts of the garbage truck as well as some facts about recycling and landfills. The garbage collectors are, in general, pro-environment. It was interesting that the design of the garbage truck has not changed in a hundred years. You would think that modern science could improve the design. 

Trashed was an enjoyable read with plenty of laughs. Check it out.

Stacking the Shelves #12

I just picked up Fiona Davis's latest novel The Magnolia Palace. It was published last month and I am eager to start reading. The themes of the novel are secrets and betrayal. The story concerns a murder that occurred within one of New York City's Gilded Age mansions. The publisher's summary says it all:

Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, twenty-one-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge. But with her mother gone, a grieving Lillian is rudderless and desperate—the work has dried up and a looming scandal has left her entirely without a safe haven. So when she stumbles upon an employment opportunity at the Frick mansion—a building that, ironically, bears her own visage—Lillian jumps at the chance. But the longer she works as a private secretary to the imperious and demanding Helen Frick, the daughter and heiress of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, the more deeply her life gets intertwined with that of the family—pulling her into a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama that runs so deep, the stakes just may be life or death.

Nearly fifty years later, mod English model Veronica Weber has her own chance to make her career - and with it, earn the money she needs to support her family back home - within the walls of the former Frick residence, now converted into one of New York City's most impressive museums. But when she - along with a charming intern/budding art curator named Joshua - is dismissed form the Vogue shoot taking place at the Frick Collection, she chances upon a series of hidden messages in the museum:  messages that will lead her and Joshua on a hunt that could not only solve Veronica's financial woes, but could finally reveal the truth behind a decades old murder in the infamous Frick family.

What do you think? Does this sound like a fabulous plot line? I will let you know when I write a review of the book. There is one character name that caught my attention. Lillian Carter. I may be dating myself when I say that this is the name of President Carter's mother. I remember seeing her in newspapers and magazines during the 1970s. Her image will most likely be in my mind as I read the book but note that, unfortunately, it is not a pretty picture.

London

Edward Rutherford writes historical fiction novels about big cities that span 1000 years. Each book is over 1000 pages and follows several families throughout the centuries. London, however, spans a period of 2000 years and tells the stories of six families. I previously read Rutherford's China and loved it.  In my mind, Rutherford is the James Michener of the 21st century.

London begins with the birth of the Thames River and quickly moves to 54 BCE, capturing the life of Segovax, a man with slightly webbed hands and a flash of white hair on the front of his head. This description of him will be carried forward by his descendants. Segovax is the ancestor of the Ducket and Dogget families, who are fictional families in the novel. There are several historical figures who also appear in the story such as Julius Caesar, Geoffrey Chaucer, Henry VIII and William Shakespeare. We also see the rise of chivalry and the Crusades. In addition, we read about the Norman Conquest of England and the Great Fire of London as well as the Blitz during WWII. 

London is much more than a history book. The reader is given a slice of what life was like for London's residents from its beginnings to the current time period. Not knowing anything about the city during times before Christ, I learned how people dealt with marital and sexual matters, trade and also the type of clothing that they wore. We get all of this information for each time period. In addition, we read what life was like when the Romans, Celts, Saxons, Danes and Normans arrived. It seems to me that people just wanted to go about their lives as best they could when invaders came to their shores. No one really cared who was in power. People just wanted jobs and to be able to feed their families. It was interesting, too, to read about why and how the Tower of London was constructed. The building of St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey is also covered but there was a greater emphasis on the Tower.

I would have to say that the Middle Ages was covered in more detail than other eras. However, the Middle Ages covers 800 years of history. I was surprised that more contemporary eras such as the Victorian Era was not written about in great detail. As far as characters go, I loved reading about Chaucer's life in particular. He is introduced as a friend of one of the main families.  He becomes a godfather to one of the kids before he became famous for his writing. 

There is so much more to say about this book. I absolutely LOVED it and can't wait to read Rutherford's novel on Paris next. I am happily rating this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #8

This week's Can't Wait Wednesday is about Ruth Heald's newest novel The New Girl. It was published last month on January 20, 2022 and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of it. Heald is one of my newest favorite authors. I read The Wedding and I Know Your Secret and both were fantastic. She writes psychological thrillers that end with a bang.

In The New Girl Sophia moves to a new city in order to escape her past. She brings with her only a small bag of possessions. Soon after arriving she lands her dream job, a beautiful home and a fantastic boyfriend. Sophia begins to think that she can finally trust people again and feels safe for the first time in a long while. However, she starts hearing odd noises during the night and has a nagging feeling that someone is near her door. Sophia then finds a dress hidden behind her wardrobe. After she wears it to work the atmosphere around her chills instantly.

You can feel the tension in the story just from the publisher's summary. I already feel a little scared and plan on reading this one during daylight. 

Never

Ken Follett is well known for his historical fiction tomes but in this new novel he has given us a political thriller that takes place in Chad, Beijing, Pyongyang, Soeul, North Africa, the Middle East and Washington DC.  It is about the beginning of WWIII and is narrated by several characters: Paulette Green is the U. S. President, Chang Kai is a Chinese spy for Homeland Security, Tamara Levit works for the CIA at the American Embassy in N'Djamena, Chad, Kiah is a Chad citizen, and Abdul also works for the CIA as he travels throughout the Middle East. Within the book's 804 pages the author aims to show us how WWIII can start without any one nation actually escalating any of its military activities.

The publisher's summary:

A shrinking oasis in the Sahara Desert; a stolen US Army drone; an uninhabited Japanese island; and one country's secret stash of deadly chemical poisons: all these play roles in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Struggling to prevent the outbreak of world warfare a young woman intelligence officer; a spy working undercover with jihadists; a brilliant Chinese spymaster; and Pauline herself, beleaguered by a populist rival for the next presidential election.  Never . . . is full of heroines and villains, false prophets and elite warriors, jaded politicians and opportunistic revolutionaries. It brims with cautionary wisdom for our times, and delivers a visceral, heartpounding read that transports readers to the brink of the unimaginable. 

I expected alot from this novel given the author's reputation. However, I found that parts of the book were a little dull. It started out well and ended with a bang but the middle was excruciatingly slow. I think if Follett cut the page count by one third this would have been a fantastic read. The parts that I feel are dull have scenes that show the foreign policy of several nations in action. It reflects on their ability to act diplomatically in a crisis which is important for Follett to show whether war is escalating. However, it was boring. Certainly these subplots could have been written more skillfully.

The Chad setting was deftly handled. I could feel the effects of the high temperature even though I am currently freezing in my hometown. The poverty and starvation of the people was portrayed adroitly. Their sense of grief was captured perfectly and I felt so bad about their predicament. The choices they had for survival were dim.

The politics of the U.S. and China were displayed well. Here the reader learns what goes on behind the scenes when nations are determining what course of action to take in a given moment of time. Faulty ideas, and some correct ones too, regarding why world leaders will react in a particular way is dramatized toward the end of the story and gives the novel it's suspenseful ending. 

Follett achieved his goal of showing how war can be escalated by countries without officially escalating their military activities. That was magnificent and gives pause to readers. The boring bits were unfortunate. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Realist

Israeli cartoonish Asaf Hanuka wrote the weekly Realist comic in 2010. It is a collection of autobiographical comic strips that were originally published in the Israeli newspaper Calcalist.  These single page comic strips explore Hanuka's home life, art job as well as his medical and financial issues. The pressure of life in a country with alot of civil unrest is also shown. The comic strips were finally put together in this 192 page book in 2015 and was translated into English.

Hanuka writes about problems that many of us have gone through: having to move ASAP because of the sale of his home, not connecting with his son, avoiding family by always being on the phone, having a distant marriage, dealing with technology advances and his personal feelings of insecurity. I found it difficult at times to read. It took awhile to figure out that these were separate comic strips that were put together in a book. There is no notice given to the reader defining that book as such. However, the illustrations were gorgeous. 

It does pose a question:  is the glass half full or half empty.  I have mixed feelings about the book but perhaps my problem with it is that it is a collection of single page comic strips. That is nothing to fault Hanuka over. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Orange Lilies

The Orange Lilies is the 4th Morton Farrier, Forensic Genealogist story. In this installment of the series Morton's own family history comes alive when he visits his Aunt Margaret. Before the death of Morton's father earlier in the year, Morton was told that he was adopted and that his birth mother was actually Aunt Margaret. Morton brings girlfriend Juliette along for the visit. Being afraid to ask Margaret the important questions, he is glad when Margaret opens up to him freely. She explains that she was raped when she was sixteen-years-old and sent to visit her grandmother in another part of England until she gave birth. The Farrier family insisted that she let her older brother and his wife adopt the baby. They were married, owned a home and had a good income. Margaret does as she is told and returns to her home after she recovers from the birth. However, before she leaves, her grandmother tells Margaret about her own grandparents. This information is also discussed between Margaret and Morton during his visit with her.  The family history is that Morton's great-grandfather, Charles Ernest Farrier, died in a trench in WWI. Morton finds, though, that there is something off about the story of Morton's conception as well as his great-grandparents' lives.

The Orange Lilies is a fascinating story with many twists. As Morton researches his family, he takes the reader through his online research. Morton shares the genealogy clues (the twists)  with his aunt as together they look at old family photos and documents. Morton also talks every day with her about how his digital research is progressing. As Aunt Margaret learns the ins and outs of genealogy research, the reader likewise learns how to conduct research. There are also several surprises along the way that keep the reader wanting to read.

The story has three alternating plots: 1914, 1974 and 2014.  The 1914 plot concerns Charles Ernest Farrier, the 1974 plot concerns Margaret and her grandmother during Margaret's pregnancy and the 2014 plot is about Margaret and Morton. All three plots are fully developed and fascinating in their own right. I would not be able to pick a favorite one. They were all entertaining. I love this series. I am an amateur genealogist and enjoy reading about Morton going to this office and that office in order to find information. We see the tedium that genealogy research can be but also the excitement when a fact or person is found.

If there are any mystery fans out there who have not yet read this series, I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Saga #55

Saga is back! After reading the newest Saga release, number 55, I had to go back to an old edition in order to remember where the story left off 3 years ago. I didn't recognize any of the characters. This was an easy adjustment though and then I re-read #55. There is no recap of the story at all here. It just starts off running in a new direction. I must say that I did not remember a ton of foul language or explicit sexual drawings in earlier editions of this comic. Note, though, that the pages of release 55 are filled with graphic sexual illustrations. 

The story itself was interesting. Marko and Alana's daughter Hazel is now the main character. After stealing a record, Hazel is chased through the streets of a new planet with her sidekick Bombazine. Together they plan on selling a nutritious baby formula in order to support themselves. Of course, they are plagued by cops, terrorists and pirates.

As you may have already heard, Marko was killed off at the conclusion of #54. We did not know whether he would survive an attack against him or not until now. He was a great character and I will miss him. Alana survived the attack, however.  The next release in this comic will be on February 23, 2022. I think we all are looking forward to it.

19 Yellow Moon Road

It's been quite a few years since I read a Fern Michaels book. I selected her 2021 novel 19 Yellow Moon Road for the What's in a Name Challenge and was pleasantly surprised to find that this a a well plotted mystery novel with a fast pace. I am going to give her books another chance because Yellow Moon was a fantastic read.

The publisher's summary:

Maggie Spritzer's nose for a story doesn't just make her a top-notch newspaper editor, it also tells her when to go the extra mile for a friend. When she gets a strange message from her journalism pal, Gabby Richardson, Maggie knows her services are needed. Gabby has become involved with The Haven, a commune that promises to guide its members toward a more spiritually fulfilling life. But Gabby's enthusiasm has turned to distrust ever since she was refused permission to leave the compound to visit her sick mother.  

Maggie wants to learn more about The Haven, and the Sisterhood is eager to help. It turns out The Haven's founders are the sons of a disgraced Chicago busnessman in prison for running a Ponzi scheme. They also have connections to a Miami billionaire with dubious sidelines. Soon, the Sisterhood gang embark on a search - and uncover a web of crime that runs deeper and higher than they ever imagines.  And they'll need all their special skills to bring it down.

As I mentioned above, I was surprised to be reading a suspense thriller. For some reason I thought that Fern Michaels wrote romance novels. Yellow Moon captivated me from the first chapter and I could not put it down. After finishing the book I took a look at the author's website and discovered that the Sisterhood is a series and this one is number 33.  The women in the Sisterhood all have employment backgrounds that complement each other's investigatory skills. Myra used to be married to a MI6 agent and operates a candy company. Annie owns the Washington DC newspaper where Maggie works. Lizzie is a lawyer, as is her daughter Nikki. Kathryn is an MIT graduate with a degree in nuclear engineering. Alexis is also an attorney and Yoko runs a plant nursery business.  

The plot twists were amazing. SPOILER ALERT!! The storyline concerns a cult that provides women to a wealthy man who uses them as sexual entertainment for the rich and powerful. Leaders of nations and U. S. Senators are part of this group. I found this to be topical given the information the public has read recently about conspiracy theories and human trafficking in the U. S.  Twin brothers Liam and Noah Westlake are operating a spiritual retreat. Liam handles the programming and Noah handles the business side of the company. Liam has no idea what Noah has been doing until Noah gets arrested. I enjoyed reading about the twins' family background and though they have vastly different personalities, I can see how they would end up in business together. They have that twin bond. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.