About Book Marks
Recent Reviews
Griffin Dunne
Positive Book Reporter Griffin spares no emotions in bringing readers the lion’s share of his life story ... Griffin possesses a self-deprecating manner in relating stories from both his youth and his adulthood.
Sara B Franklin
Rave San Francisco Book Review A fascinating biography about a true force in the publishing industry ... A rewarding book about a pioneer in the book world.
Abir Mukherjee
Rave Library Journal The novel begins with a bang and continues in a similar dramatic fashion ... Mukherjee approaches terrorism and terrorist actors with a view that is more nuanced than cut-and-dried.
Norman Ohler, trans. Marshall Yarbrough
Rave San Francisco Book Review Tripped cleverly dives into the chaotic battleground of the Cold War with both feet and doesn’t emerge until many secrets have been laid bare ... Ohler has written a book that is both well-researched and thoughtful.
Rachel Slade
Positive Booklist \"...both provides a wealth of background information on the rise and fall of manufacturing in America and tells a story of rebellious entrepreneurship, one full of hope, determination, and the American spirit.\
Henry Winkler
Positive Booklist Entertains as an introspective, self-deprecating, and quite moving memoir from a versatile actor.
Oliver Franklin-Wallis
Positive Booklist The author’s penetrating insight into how we both create and are threatened by this garbage shows the striking connection between humanity and our planet.
Jon Michaud
Positive Booklist \"Last Call at Coogan’s serves as a memorable Irish wake in book form for a beloved establishment where the owners looked out for the patrons as much as for themselves. Librarian and author Michaud offers a touching chronicle of a beloved New York watering hole.\
Steven Wright
Rave Library Journal This first novel from the brilliant mind of legendary deadpan comedian Wright is a funny and poignant story of a day in the life of a precocious 1960s third-grader ... The world as seen through the title character’s eyes is full of awe-inspiring wonder and fascination and is very relatable. The sincerity of Harold’s thoughts is often coupled with a cynical sense of humor that make for a droll and thought-provoking read that never ceases to prove enjoyable.
Bruce Schneier
Positive Booklist Schneier’s fascinating work illustrates how susceptible many systems are to being hacked and how lives can be altered by these subversions. Schneier’s deep dive into this cross-section of technology and humanity makes for investigative gold.
David Roberts
Rave Booklist In March 1931, two men of the British Arctic Air Route Expedition (BAARE) in Greenland ventured out to relieve a fellow team member who had been manning a distant weather station solo for months, his supplies dwindling as extreme weather conditions further deteriorated...Roberts’ pulsating real-life thriller recalls the exciting and harrowing details of an expedition into the depths of the unexplored...Readers will be on pins and needles.
Mark Rozzo
Rave The San Francisco Book Review ... as much a biography of a marriage as it is a microcosm of the chaotic decade of the 1960s. Hayward and Hopper are fascinating individuals on their own, but together, they were intriguing and explosive. Author Mark Rozzo has penned a remarkable dual biography that was hard to put down, as the subject matter never ceased to be illuminating.
Paco de Leon
Positive Booklist This step-by-step guide takes the reader from bill paying to investing to insurance. The author’s empathy and humor throughout the book provide a digestible roadmap for the financially perplexed. A must-read for financial planning.
Nicholas Guyatt
Rave Booklist Guyatt...aims to correct the written record of this tragedy, which has been largely obscured ... With breathtaking revelations, Guyatt illustrates poignantly why the past is not to be disregarded.
Peter Swanson
Rave The San Francisco Book Review Peter Swanson knows how to keep a captive audience riveted. Each successive book he’s written has held its own in thrilling his readers. Once the list reaches the first person, you will find yourself hooked on a whodunit coupled with a gradually unfolding tragedy. It is a book that will render you speechless and sleepless when finished.
Paul Vidich
Rave Manhattan Book Review The absorbing drama/mystery takes hold of your attention as Anne’s plight unfolds. The looming fall of the Berlin Wall intertwined with the fate of Anne and the spy she’s tasked with finding make for a riveting read.
Dave Pell
Positive Booklist Pell blends in the news with anecdotes from his family which often prove bittersweet. Those looking for an unbiased assessment of a tough year should look elsewhere; however, readers who share Pell’s left-leaning politics will enjoy the ride.
Noah Hawley
Rave The San Francisco Book Review an emotionally stark and brilliant work of fiction from the talented mind of Noah Hawley (Before the Fall). Humanity has never seemed so forlorn, but the multi-faceted and resolute characters highlighted throughout the book carry the torch to get the story home. This release is a must-read book for the New Year and years to come.
David Loyn
Rave The San Francisco Book Review ... offers a candid view of failed foreign policy in action. Author David Loyn covers the uneven progress of the US-led war with journalistic flair, the rotating cast of characters who fought the war offering insights along the way. This is a powerful work of history that will engender high regard in the years to come.
Neil Lanctot
Rave The Seattle Book Review ... brings the reader on a journey whose destination is preordained. However, the people and circumstances that guide the way form the crux of a brilliantly told history. The heart of the book consists of the three robust personalities caught in the middle of a rapidly escalating situation. Author Neil Lanctot relates the past with elegance and flair.
Michael Sayman
Positive Booklist Sayman’s journey to the top, written with humor and self-deprecation, serves as an emotionally rewarding guide for budding innovators.
Fernando Cervantes
Positive The San Francisco Book Review Cervantes’ portrayal of the undaunted journeyman and their conquest proves engaging.
Mansoor Adayfi
Rave Booklist The author’s harrowing, 15-year ordeal is one that is ultimately of resilience and deep faith ... This survivor spares no details in relaying his travails, but he also provides beauty, in describing the little things that gave him hope, like animals or the sounds of the sea. Mansoor’s plight is unfathomable, but his strength is enviable. His powerful story is a must read in every way.
Chaney Kwak
Positive Booklist Chaney fills out the volatility of the weather conditions of that day with viewpoints from those on rescue vessels and other ships occupying the same rough ocean. Writing with a tender honesty about not only his situation but that of the entire group, as some are rescued while the remainder can only wait until the boat’s mechanical situation improves, Chaney offers a riveting read from start to finish.
Simon McCarthy-Jones
Rave Booklist McCarthy-Jones (Can’t You Hear Them? 2017) probes the subject of spite in this fascinating study ... McCarthy-Jones’ thoughts and research provide a compelling view of how we perceive spite, making this a book that could stimulate many conversations.
Glenn Stout
Rave The San Francisco Book Review ... an excellent True Crime romp that is consistently compelling throughout its narrative. The brief spell the two Whittemores cast over the public conscience resonates even more a century later, with the glorification of the outlaw. Author Glenn Stout has written a fascinating account of the ill-fated rogues.
Dorothy Wickenden
Rave The San Francisco Book Review ... an impressive narrative of three women who were at the center of a burgeoning movement. Their trailblazing path is captured and related deftly by the author, their triumphs and tragedies narrated emphatically for a modern audience. All three women lived and breathed for the freedom of all men and women, selflessly giving as much as they were capable. An A+ historical narrative.
Jessica Donati
Positive Booklist The book hits its mark in its sympathetic portrayal of the boots on the ground, in particular the Special Forces and Green Berets of Operational Detachment Alpha. Their frustrations at the human costs, from deaths to homesickness to mission futility, will resonate with readers.
David Duchovny
Rave The San Francisco Book Review ... an emotionally captivating tour de force from start to finish. David Duchovny fires on all cylinders in penning a modern-day fish out of water tale. The culture clash played out in the book provides humor, heart as well as deep philosophical questions. A true must-read for 2021.
Monica Black
Positive Booklist Both an excellent study of a weakened and fickle humanity, and an engrossing story from beginning to end.
Catherine Coleman Flowers
Positive Booklist With the people of Lowndes Country forced to live in squalor, and burdened by an unaffordable fix, Flowers exposes the true injustice of the situation and how it can be remedied, from both sides of the political spectrum. This is a powerful and moving book that deserves wide readership.
Julian E Zelizer
Rave The Seattle Book Review ... a powerful illustration of politics as blood sport. Author Julian Zelizer focuses on the two men at the heart of the struggle, the powerful but flawed Wright and his nemesis, the aspiring Congressman Gingrich. The war for the future of the legislative body proves captivating in its telling.
Miles Harvey
Rave San Francisco Book Review The King of Confidence reads akin to the best of thriller fiction. The true nature of the book renders the events all the more shocking and makes for an impactful read. Miles Harvey has done a masterful job bringing the past to life, narrating the whirlwind rise and fall of a true confidence man.
Gerard Koeppel
Positive Booklist This captivating and thorough true crime work reads like a suspenseful novel, the mystery of which continues even after the last words have been read.
Chris Wallace, with Mitch Weiss
Positive Booklist Wallace charts the perilous and unsure course of the U.S. during the waning days of WWII, capturing the various personae who brought the bomb to fruition. With minute-by-minute suspense, Wallace masterfully writes of the trying time and the Allies’ omnipresent doubt up to the very last second.
Carlos Busqued, Trans. by Samuel Rutter
Positive Booklist Melogno’s life in prison in the wake of sentencing provides compelling stories about the brutality he witnessed along with coping mechanisms necessary to insure survival. This is a true-crime book that pulls no punches in covering a killer, but doesn’t skimp on humanity, either. A solid effort not to be missed.
Cody Cassidy
Positive Booklist Cassidy embarks on a wide-ranging, far-flung journey of curiosity that easily engages the reader. Chapters are brimming with history that may surprise readers as well as compel them to further investigate.
Peter Swanson
Rave Manhattan Book Review \"Before She Knew Him is a wicked thriller that does not disappoint. Peter Swanson has written another gem that pulls the reader in and never lets go, even as the story comes to a close. This is a book that will keep you up at night and haunt your thoughts. A fun, chilling read.\
Thomas Mallon
Rave The Seattle Review of Books Mallon’s work is breathtaking in its depth and humanity. He has turned his focused microscope on recent history and unlocked the covert lives of public figures. Part love story and part tragic drama that never ceases to keep the reader interested and involved.
Karina Longworth
Positive Manhattan Book Review \"Karina Longworth has tackled a tough subject but at the right time. Howard Hughes has been written about ad nauseam, but Seduction offers differing perspectives, which is truly refreshing. All sides are explored…Hughes, his women, insiders…an exploration of a troubled man and troubling times. A book that should be read and enjoyed by many.\
Oona A. Hathaway and Scott J. Shapiro
Positive The Seattle Book Review The Internationalists is an exhaustive but well-written text revolving around changes in war, particularly in the past hundred years. The writers endeavor to detail how global conflicts are a thing of the past due to the work of treaties such as the Kellogg-Briand pact. Some might disagree, but the authors offer compelling evidence proving their thesis. An excellent and informative study.