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Review of The President's Daughter

by Robert McCool

What do you get when you mix an Ex-President and the Grand Master of Pop fiction?

You get a pretty good read.

Regardless of what you think of Bill Clinton as a President, and even though as a man he was a womanizing scoundrel, he knows the inner workings of Washington, DC.

Regardless of what you think of James Patterson as an author who doesn't write many of his books, he knows how to write well when he chooses to do so.

Put them together and you get one heck of a political thriller, packed with non-stop action from the very start to the very end.

Icon book review: Anxious People

This novel is about relationships. And idiots.

By Robert McCool

Really, Fredrik Backman's 2019 novel, Anxious People (Thorndike Press, ISBN-13: 978-1-4328-7971-6), translated from the Swedish by Neil Smith, is about the ridiculousness in all of our lives. It's about how humor is the only safe guide to a pathway clear of the clay-more mines that lie in wait for those who love somebody, someone who has emotions too, emotions sometimes so like our own it's hard to differentiate between the two. Especially so on New Years eve.

Icon book review: Fire Keeper's Daughter

A Reese's Book Club Young Adult Selection

Review by Robert McCool

Although this book, “Fire Keeper's Daughter” (Henry Holt and Co. ISBN: 978-1-250-76656-4) is presented as a Young Adult book written by Angeline Boulley, it has many lessons to teach us, in a head-first, nose-dive into the Ojibwa Native Culture. Written very much like Tony's, and then Ann Hillerman's Navajo series of books, it gives us insight into a complex culture older than ours but set in contemporary times.

Icon author review: Chris Bohjalian

Review by Robert McCool

I recently discovered an author with a huge body of work, and a style that satisfies the soul which is searching for something, somehow, more than plain pop fiction. Chris Bohjalian has written twenty-two books, all based upon specific issues that are relatable to present times and circumstances. I read the first three that came to me through the library lending service.

My favorite things to do in Ada, Ohio

By Amelia Alexander

When I was younger, I struggled with living in a town the size of Ada. I wanted more opportunities. I wanted more things to do. Recently, I’ve taken appreciation of Ada. I like our community. I like that when I’m walking my dog and there are so many people to greet. I like that I can walk or ride my bike everywhere. I like that I have a personal relationship with all of my teachers and I know all of my classmates. I understand that Ada is small and sometimes it feels like there isn’t much going on, so I wanted to inspire people to enjoy some of my favorite things to do in Ada.

Icon book review: The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill

Review by Robert McCool

Enjoy a breezy read with Abbi Waxman's new novel- The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill(ISBN 9780451491879)

Nina Hill lives her life on a strict schedule, allowing no deviations to alter her alone-time. And her greatest joy is working in a bookstore, where she is surrounded by trivia and literature, history and security. Her very most favorite occupation is reading, and playing with her team in a Trivia league. Speculating about men doesn't even come in as a distant thought. In fact, her cat comes in before considering men in her life.

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