House of Secrets

The House of Secrets
by Brad Meltzer and Tod Goldberg

I am a fan of Brad Meltzer. It is NOT a secret in my house. I love not only his adult books, but also his children's books. If you don't know the children's series, Ordinary People Change the World, you MUST get them. I follow Brad on Facebook, Twitter, and we have actually corresponded with him via email. I am NOT a stalker, but I will be at the same conferences where he will be speaking this summer. No worries. I have already notified him that I will be at both locations. I want to get my books signed and to meet this masterful writer in person.

As soon as Brad started sending out teaser for The House of Secrets I knew I didn't want to read any of the chapters he was releasing on Facebook. I would not be able to stand the wait for the book to be published. Thankfully I was lucky enough to get an advanced electronic copy of the book. I was immediately hooked and desperately did not want the story to end.

I have to say in the beginning I was a bit concerned about the collaboration of Brad and Tod Goldberg. To be perfectly honest I did not know Goldberg. When I looked him up, I discovered he has written five books based on the characters from the USA television series Burn Notice, as well as other books including Living Dead Girl. I now have a new author and titles to add to my ever growing To Be Read list. Their collaboration reads seamlessly, as if they were writing as one. The only criticism I have for the book is in the use of the FBI Agent's name. They go back and forth between his given name Trevor Rabkin and his nickname Rabbit. Sometimes using both in one paragraph. That was a bit confusing, but it does not hold the storyline back by any means.

If you are a fan of the Culper Ring series with Beecher White, you will enjoy Hazel Nash as the heroine. Only knowing the book had something to do with Benedict Arnold, I thought it was a new title in the Culper Ring series. It is not, however White makes a "guest appearance" in this book. I do foresee a continued partnership between Meltzer and Goldberg. I would love to see more books featuring Hazel. She is a strong character with a great deal more to share about her past and to discover with her future. I am placing my order for more "episodes" of House of Secrets please.

The House of Secrets will be released on Tuesday, June 7, 2016.

**To comply with new guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, Grand Central Publishing has provided a complimentary electronic copy of The House of Secrets for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the authors or the publisher.

Meltzer Delivers

The President's Shadow
by Brad Meltzer

"A severed arm, found buried in the White House Rose Garden. A lethal message with terrible consequecnes for the Presidency. And a hidden secret in one family's past that will have repercussions for the entire nation."

If you are a history buff and have not read Brad Meltzer here is your chance to read a master of the historical conspiracy thriller. The Culper Ring Series: The Inner Circle (2011), The Fifth Assassin (2013), and now The President's Shadow (2015) further establishes Meltzer as an incredible storyteller. His abilty to capture history and make you question all you have learned is masterful.

Beecher White works as an archivist at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. His job is to protect some of our countries most important and valuable documents. He is also a member of the Culper Ring, a secret society established by President George Washington over 200 years ago in order to protect the Presidency. There are secrets in our country's history, but once we uncover those secrets, they can never be hidden again.

In the third installment of the Culper Ring Series, Brad Meltzer delivers the thrills and excitement his fans have come to love. I highly recommend the series and especially this exciting thrill ride of a tale.

The President's Shadow is currently available for pre-order at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It will be released tomorrow, June 16th. Meltzer is also currently on a book tour across the country. Check out his site to see if he is going to be at a location near you.

**To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, Grand Central Publishing has provided a complimentary electronic copy of The President's Shadow for review purposes. My review is in no way influenced by the author or publishing company and is solely my opinion.

Ordinary People Change the World

I have been a fan of Brad Meltzer for quite awhile. I have read a number of his adult bestsellers and love watching his television series Lost History and Brad Meltzer's Decoded.  His love for history is always clear in his delivery, whether through television or the written word. 

I am Abraham Lincoln
by Brad Meltzer

I am Jackie Robinson
by Brad Meltzer

I am Rosa Parks
by Brad Meltzer

I am Amelia Earhart
by Brad Meltzer

When I heard he was going to be writing a series of books for young children on historical figures I knew it was going to be great. I would expect nothing less. I have to say though, he far surpassed my expectations with his series of book geared to children from kindergarten to third grade. The series Ordinary People Change the World includes books about many famous historical figures including Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, & Jackie Robinson. Books about Lucille Ball and Helen Keller will be released later in 2015. They are perfect introductory biographies for this age group. The research and language used allows young children to understand the hardships overcome by each of the famous individuals, while encouraging the reader to follow their own dreams and aspirations. There is a clear sense of positivity in each of the books, even those whose life was cut short. Amelia Earhart’s story ends with a parade following one of her historical flights. Abraham Lincoln’s story ends following the historic Gettysburg Address. Each book ends with a two page spread of photographs of the historic figure and Jackie Robinson’s also includes a timeline with significant dates highlighted including: 1942 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army, April 15, 1947 – his first game with the major-league team the Brooklyn Dodgers, and other history making events. I highly recommend all of the titles in this wonderful series of biographies for young children. I can't wait to see the next set of historical characters he will present in this series.

Meltzer's website provides a few printable activities to go along with the book series. Activities include a page for children to draw a picture of their hero - "Who's Your Hero?", a chart with brave deeds where you must decide if the heroic deed was performed by Abraham Lincoln or Amelia Earhart - "Guess the Hero",  and "What Makes a Great Hero?" where the heroic traits of Abraham Lincoln and Amelia Earhart are listed and the child can list the traits of their personal hero. There is also a word search and a connect the dots activity.

**To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, Dial Publishing Company has provided a complimentary copy of the following titles for review purposes: I am Amelia Earhart, I am Abraham Lincoln, I Am Rosa Parks, and I am Jackie Robinson.

November Challenge - Whatever Wednesday

November 24 - Whatever Wednesday

Since this is the last Whatever Wednesday post for this November Challenge, I am not going to focus on just one book. Instead, I am going to focus on a element of writing I have always found very intriguing and fun. I didn't do a great deal of research, just a little searching, but I could not find a specific word for this element. I'm sure there is one out there, and maybe someone can help me out. The element I am talking about - the use of ephemera (facsimile documents) within the book.

History Decoded: The 10
Greatest Conspiracies of All Time
by Brad Meltzer

The Griffin & Sabine Trilogy
by Nick Bantock

I recently picked up a copy of Brad Meltzer's History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time. As soon as I read about the publication of this book, I knew it would be one I HAD to read. When I got into my car with it earlier in the week, I could not wait to open it up and begin to read. I got so excited when I opened the first envelope to pull out the documents included on the chapter surrounding the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, I was taken back twenty years to the day I first came across Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine Trilogy. I was so engrossed in Griffin & Sabine I ignored everyone around me in order to enjoy it thoroughly from cover to cover. Granted the first book, Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence is only 48 pages long, but when you taken into consideration all of the little details taken into the writing of this book, just know I was in my very own bibliophile heaven for a few hours time.

So, knowing how much I enjoyed Griffin & Sabine and my love for history, you can see why I was thrilled when I got my hands on Meltzer's book. I was lucky enough to receive an electronic pre-publication version of History Decoded, but because of the formatting of the book, I was not able to enjoy it. I had to get my hands on the physical book. I think that is another reason I love these kinds of books so very much. It not only allows you to hold the "actual documents" and peruse them as if you were the recipient (of the letter, postcard, brochure, etc.) it also brings an entirely different experience to the reader.

I'm not going to say there is anything against reading on a device. I'm not going to say I HAVE to have the physical book because I want to hold it, turn the pages, and enjoy the smell of the pages. I'm simply going to say it is just different. I love the convenience of my e-reader. I love having books with me no matter where I am going or what I am doing. If I have my telephone, I have my books. It is like my security blanket. I also love to read physical books. I have a VERY hard time going into a book store and walking out of the store without at least one bag. However for books like History Decoded and The Griffin & Sabine Trilogy, the physical book is part of the adventure.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other books which fit into this same category for adults. I'm sure there are other out there, and I encourage you to pick one up and get a feel for the excitement of discovery through the pages of a book and the ephemera included.