The Good Neighbor by AJ Banner – 2 Stars
A woman wakes in the middle of the night to her neighbor’s house on fire. She heroically saves their little girl but her own home catches on fire. Strange events continue to happen and she wonders if her husband is having an affair. But is he cheating on her?
The plot of this book is superb. The execution? Not so much. AJ Banner has potential. I would try another book by her. The issue was, they could have improved some writing. There is a lot of repeating of phrases (wrapped his arms around her) and just oddly written sentences like this; “Halfway through the meal, the doorbell rang, a melodic ding-dong reverberating through the house.” I feel most people know what a doorbell sounds like and we don’t need the second half of the sentence.
The Good Neighbor has potential. The storyline is decent, but the writing brings the rating down. I finished it in two days, but I can’t say I recommend picking it up.
The Print by Ansel Adams – 5 Stars
The Print is the last book in the series that includes The Camera and The Negative. Ansel Adams continues explaining and showing his process for creating amazing photos, this being the last step.
I loved being transported back to the darkroom. It’s been several years (about 18) since I’ve been in one. I still remember watching my image come to life through each step of the process. And although I don’t plan to set up my own darkroom it was nice to read through a master’s process. After all, there is no point in photography if we don’t print our art.
If you are into film photography or even learning from a master, this is definitely a book for you. I think some if the ideas and concepts can still apply to digital photography. There is info in there about mounting, framing, and displaying that is applicable no matter how you get a print.
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
Flawed Oslo detective Harry Hole is back in the third book of the series. This time he is going up against Neo-Nazis.
The Redbreast is a little different from the first two books in that Nesbo flashes between current time (1999) and the past (1944). The flashbacks are meant to keep you on your toes, as they jump in and out of the present time and have different points of view. There are several characters from the past that seem to be in the present, but we don’t know which young (1944) man matches to the old (1999) men.
I am trying very hard to finish this before October starts. I am about 70% done and trying to read as much as I can. The story really picks up around 50-60% in and you see how everything is connected. Your mind starts trying to work out who is who and who the bad guys are.
Atomic Habit by James Clear
I haven’t finished this one yet. It’s our current pick for book club. We read a section every two weeks so it will be awhile before I’m done. I’ve only read section one (chapters 1-3) but so far it’s been excellent and really making me think. I hope the book will help me stick with my habits. I usually do really well for a few weeks or months and then fall off the wagon.