Guide for Hire by Gladys and Ed Fortner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For a book from 50 odd years ago, this one sure does cover it’s intended territory as a guidebook of a portion of interior Florida in a rather complete and creative way. Graphically it reflects it’s time period, but in ways that would be over done in today’s digital onslaught. A ton of information is scattered in nooks and crannys of the graphics, thus providing more than the narrative provides. It’s a terrific piece for it’s time, but also an example to take note of in today’s guidebook design.

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Thalberg by Roland Flamini

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Just a tremendous biography of a creative genius who knew his time was short and decided not to sit around and mope about it, but went out and lived life to it’s very fullest, thereby changing an industry. I really like the author’s focus on Thalberg’s greatest achievement, his work in film. There would seem to be nothing else to focus on, but the writer really delves deep into the inner workings of Thalberg’s work. A reader can telly get the feeling of someone, like Thalberg,that runs hard with a weak constitution.

I comboed this with reading ‘The Last Tycoon’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald based his main character Monroe Stahr on Thalberg and Fitzgerald’s dealing with him and the Mayer studio system. The two authors either were both accurate in their portrayals or both way off. Reading both at the same time really fleshed out the biography further. Though I recommend e Flamini’s book over Fitzgeralds.

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The Last Tycoon (An Unfinished Novel) together with The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fitzgerald’s fictitious tale pulled from the life of Irving Thalberg sure does flesh out Thalberg’s manner and ways around a studio. I read this at the same time reading Roland Flamini’s ‘Thalberg’ about Irving’s life. Reading Fitzgerald was like reading Flamini as both illustrated the legendary producer’s life. Fitzgerald follows Thalberg closest with the studio scenes in the book. Otherwise Thalberg’s manner is well drawn out, though the personal circumstances noted in ‘The Last Tycoon’ are purely fictional to Thalberg’s life.

I’m not nutty about the writing. There are certainly good lines and passages, but as a whole it is clearly in the development stage.

Well worth reading if you are a Thalberg fan.

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Here’s Swampy, Rob and Marcia Gaedcke, President of the Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce with a page of art for the upcoming ‘Swampy’s Florida: Titusville’.

Been penciling and inking and penciling and inking and… I guess ya get the idea…

Got lots done on the upcoming ‘Swampy’s Florida: Titusville’. Lots more to do. And that’s besides this Swampy book!

American Assassin by Vince Flynn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not my favorite of the series. This is a better written book. It’s also overwritten, much like most contemporary novels of today. I believe, after reading the other ten books, this is my first complaint of Flynn doing this. This would have been so much better as three separate books with fewer flashbacks.

With so much stuffed in 500 pages, no one will leave this book not knowing who the central characters are. Flynn has a lot of room to flesh out the start of the clandestine activities of his hero Mich Rapp. He does that and more by connecting all the other characters that appear in the series.

The story, as usual, could very possibly be happening today, but this is set in the past. I wonder if other readers notice the absence of cell phones and iPads? This is what Flynn did best in this book: Set a story in the past and have it seem as if it could be happening today.

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Here’s a piece of artwork I’m drawing of the upcoming ‘Swampy’s Florida: Lake Wales’.

Charlie by Ben Hecht

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is outstanding in so many ways it’s hard to know where to start. I want to be sure to point out something that might be missed and that is that author Hecht has this biography of his pal Charlie MacArthur with excellent quotes. Much to be quoted is just descriptions made by Hecht. I have my volume full of sticky notes where I found wonderful quotes.

Hecht’s writing is typical Hecht and his love of his friend shines through often in the text. I’m glad he wrote many of the chapters more as if approaching a column than a linear biography. It gives the opportunity to read a part and walk away and savor the writing abilities of Hecht.

Certainly the biggest drawback to the book is that there’s a good deal not told about MacArthur. Especially missing is information in his youngest years. However, the entire book is a joy to read and I highly recommend it.

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Shall We Tell the President? by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pretty standard thriller. Where the book is going at the beginning is the funnest part of the book. As it goes from there it takes a track revealing most of the bad guys and a few other character interactions. After that, it was clear to me how the book was going to end and, unfortunately, it did end that way. I was hoping for more from my first reading of a book by such a long time author as Archer. More tight writing and more of a chess game for a plot. I do like how the ending includes a mistake of missing a clue.

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The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

‘The Faithful Spy’ is a fantastic thriller of terrorism in the U.S. The various sides are well covered with the viewpoints of each well laid out. Author Berenson has so well laid out the Muslim view that I could see people who are not Muslim take the religion in consideration. The view of being a radical Muslim can have a reading start to sympathize with the terrorists drive.

Same true for the efforts of the C.I.A. as various characters navigate through the bureaucratic maze to get a job done. The hero is very well illustrated as one straddling two worlds at times not knowing for sure which one he’s firmly in.

I really like the location descriptions. Whether US or Middle East, the author gives a great feeling of place.

At nearly 500 pages you’d think this is one I would point to as needing editing. Not in this case. There is some extraneous stuff here and there, but this still adds up to a mean and lean thriller that will have any reader much more aware of the world around themselves after reading.

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Acres and Pains by S.J. Perelman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

S.J. Perelman is my favorite humorist. I love the way he plays with words and sets a scene with eh cleverest turn. This short set is of his families move to the farm life of western Pennsylvania. Though short, it is best to savor each entry and take in the word fun and hilarious situations. Included is his infamous column involving Chicken Inspector No. 23. If you haven’t read Perelman before this might be the best to get started as it is the shortest of the collections and a great taste of one of America’s best humorists and writers.

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