Kate’s 2¢: ”The Eighth Sister” by Robert Dugoni

”The Eighth Sister” by Robert Dugoni

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

The first two-thirds of the story is action packed, fast moving, and a classic spy thriller. The last third is a trial and, knowing Dugoni used to practice law, it is understandable. It is difficult to re-hash events over and over, however, it is interesting to hear the different spins on “the facts” and how they get interpreted. The secondary ending, after the trial, was a great comeuppance.

Doug Tisdale Jr. did a great job of reading the story. I’ve been a long-time fan of Tisdale’s voice(s).

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (This article has multiple issues. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. February 2017)

Growing up the middle child in a family of ten siblings, Dugoni jokes that he did not get much of a chance to talk, so he wrote. By the seventh grade he knew he wanted to be a writer.

Dugoni wrote his way to Stanford University, receiving writing awards along the way, and majored in communications/journalism and creative writing while working as a reporter for the Stanford Daily. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and worked briefly as a reporter in the Metro Office and the San Gabriel Valley Office of the Los Angeles Times.

Dugoni attended the UCLA School of Law and practiced as a trial attorney in San Francisco for 13 years at Gordon & Rees. His longing to return to writing never wavered, however, and in 1998 he awoke one morning and made the decision to write novels. On his 4th wedding anniversary, he drove a U-Haul trailer across the Oregon-Washington border and settled in Seattle to pursue his dreams.

For the next three years, Dugoni worked in an 8 foot by 8 foot windowless office in Pioneer Square to complete his first novels.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The eighth sister: Charles Jenkins, book 1 DB95075

Dugoni, Robert. Reading time: 11 hours, 45 minutes.

Read by Doug Tisdale Jr.. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Suspense Fiction

Spy Stories

Former CIA case officer Charles Jenkins must locate a Russian agent believed to be killing a group of US spies known as the seven sisters. When he finds the orchestrator of the assassinations, she is not who or what he expected. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. 2019.

Download The eighth sister: Charles Jenkins, book 1

Kate’s 2¢: “Lessons From Lucy” by Dave Barry

“Lessons From Lucy” by Dave Barry

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

I found “Lessons From Lucy” to be less Lucy’s lessons of greet everyone as a long lost friend, sleep often, play often, and live in the moment, to be more of a semi-auto-biography written and read by Dave Barry.

His usual droll, ironic humor comes through in the first part, but he gets choked up when he read about his daughter Sophie’s paralysis and the fear he experiences as a parent.

I enjoyed this relatively short book.

“Live right and find happiness (although beer is much faster): life lessons and other ravings from Dave Barry” is, for me, classic Dave Barry. I moaned and groaned with some of the things he said/wrote, but my smile muscles got a great work out.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Lessons from Lucy: the simple joys of an old, happy dog DB95148

Barry, Dave. Reading time: 4 hours, 3 minutes.

Read by Dave Barry.

Animals and Wildlife

Humorist and author of books including Best. State. Ever (DB 87795) shares lessons on growing old gracefully, some of which he learned from his beloved dog Lucy. Lucy has taught him how to live his best life, let go of daily grievances, and be in the moment. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Live right and find happiness (although beer is much faster): life lessons and other ravings from Dave Barry DB82269

Barry, Dave. Reading time: 4 hours, 12 minutes.

Read by Michael Kramer.

Humor

Collection of eight humorous essays exploring the theme of happiness by the author of You Can Date Boys When You’re Forty (DB 78486). Comedian Barry reflects on meeting soccer star David Beckham with his fourteen-year-old daughter Sophie and testing out Google Glass, and writes to his grandson about refrigerating condiments. 2015

Kate’s 2¢: “A Minute To Midnight” by David Baldacci

“A Minute To Midnight” by David Baldacci

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

There are some gruesome scenes in the story, but, what good murder mystery doesn’t?

This story kept my attention and I wasn’t able to identify the bad perp until the author let me.

From https://www.davidbaldacci.com

David Baldacci is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 130 million worldwide sales. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

A minute to midnight DB97355

Baldacci, David. Reading time: 12 hours, 13 minutes.

Read by Kyf Brewer.

Suspense Fiction; Mystery and Detective Stories

FBI Agent Atlee Pine and her assistant Carol Blum return to Atlee’s Georgia hometown to reopen the long-cold investigation of her twin sister’s abduction and probable murder. To complicate things, they arrive as a serial killer begins a reign of terror. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Kate’s 2¢: “Haben the deafblind woman who conquered Harvard Law” by Haben Girma

“Haben the deafblind woman who conquered Harvard Law” by Haben Girma

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Well, once you get used to Girma’s gravelly, high pitch voice, cadence, and tonal qualities, her determination, vivid descriptions, and sense of humor comes through loud and clear.

I have experienced many of the same situations, frustrations, humiliations, and anger Girma describes. I feel very thankful that I became blind as an adult and avoided the numerous school situations she endured as she grew up.  As I begin a slow decrease in my hearing, I suspect I’ll experience even more of her predicaments, so, I appreciate the experiential based wisdom and philosophy she shares with us in her book.  I have already research the keyboard-to-braille devises for communicating.

It would be nice to think everyone, whether or not they know a blind or deaf or deaf/blind person, would read this book to heighten their awareness of how their actions might be perceived by a person with a handicapping condition. It ought to be required reading for all students and workers providing services for people with a disability.

From her Web Site:

The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma advocates for equal opportunities for people with disabilities. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. She received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, and a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Chancellor Angela Merkel have all honored Haben…

Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation. She travels the world teaching the benefits of choosing inclusion…Haben offers accessibility and diversity training, consulting, and professional speaking services. Haben combines her knowledge of law, sociology, and technology to teach clients the benefits of fully accessible products and services. Her insights help to expand our thinking, creating lasting, positive change among people and communities

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Haben: the deafblind woman who conquered Harvard Law DB96188

Girma, Haben. Reading time: 7 hours, 32 minutes.

Read by Haben Girma.

Biography

Disability

Legal Issues

The autobiography of the first deaf-blind graduate of Harvard Law School. Girma describes her childhood, world travels, development of a text-to-braille communication system, and time at Harvard Law, as well as the ways she uses her talents to advocate for those with disabilities. Commercial audiobook. 2019.