MY GRANDFATHER'S SON : A MEMOIR
by Clarence Thomas

"Play the hand that you're dealt." "Any job worth doing is worth doing right." These words of wisdom would forever remain fixed in the mind of Clarence Thomas and he would strive to adhere to them his entire life.
Thomas was born in Pinpoint, Georgia and lived in dire poverty (the house was a shanty with no electricity) until he was seven. He and his brother were then sent to Savannah and raised by their grandparents. Myers Anderson (his mother's father) was a very proud man with a strong work ethic who was determined to mold the two boys in his own image. He was Daddy to Thomas as his own father was nonexistent. His grandmother was Aunt Tina who created a loving home for them.
These two people would be his greatest influences as he grew up.
My Grandfather's Son is a tribute to Clarence's grandfather, his hero, who made him the man that he is today. Thomas writes honestly and openly about his life. What is really interesting is how his ideology changed and how much of an individual he is.
I found this book to be awe-inspiring. Clarence Thomas has grit, determination, courage, ambition and integrity.
Highly recommended.

APPETITE FOR AMERICA : HOW VISIONARY BUSINESSMAN FRED HARVEY BUILT A RAILROAD HOSPITALITY EMPIRE THAT CIVILIZED THE WILD WEST
by Stephen Fried

If you mention the name Fred Harvey to most people, the response will be a blank stare. Most of them have no idea that this visionary created this huge hospitality empire in the western half of the United States from the 1870s through the 1940s.
His birthplace was England, but he left, at the age of seventeen, to come to America. Fred's first job was a dishwasher (the lingo at the time was a pot walloper) and he worked his way up acquiring culinary chops at the same time. Always looking forward, Fred knew that he wanted to be a businessman and when the Santa Fe railroad was founded, so was the Harvey House.
Eventually there would be restaurants, hotels, retail shops, newstands and bookstores from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Fred Harvey brought tourism to America.
Appetite for America is brilliantly researched with superb writing. It is jam-packed with trivia and details, such as: background information on Howard Johnson (he was a cigar salesman), George Mortimer Pullman (cabinetmaker and a side business of moving buildings), J. Williard Marriott (started out with an A&W Root Beer stand), how the Harvey Girls, the country's first female workforce began, the Grand Canyon, Native American arts and crafts, plus so much more.
Sixteen pages of photographs grace the pages. There are three appendices which comprise the trip that Stephen Fried took with his wife to look for what remains of Fred Harvey's empire; recipes that the all-star chefs cooked with very precise instructions; a list of all the locations of Harvey's operations, whether the building still exists, is restored, functioning or closed.
Not to be missed. A terrific read.
Very highly recommended.

FLAWLESS : INSIDE THE LARGEST DIAMOND HEIST IN HISTORY
by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell

Valentine's Day is the most romantic holiday of the year. Retailers spend months marketing diamonds and nowhere is it busier than in Antwerp home of the Diamond Center. The building that houses these sparkling gems is considered to be the most secure fortress, anywhere. Between 24/7 video surveillance, armed patrols, a couple of police stations, aboveground and sensors, closed-circuit television cameras, video cameras, magnetic alarms, a locked, bombproof steel door, underground, the vault is supposed to be impenetrable. A perfect set-up for a robbery.
On February 15, 2003, four Italians, known as "The School of Turin," entered the site and with cunning and ingenuity took off with close to a half billion dollars worth of valuables.
The investigators thought, at first, that the culprits would be impossible to find. One day after the heist, though, the local police received an astonishing phone call.
If you're a fan of true crime, then this is the book for you. From the Epilogue to the Prologue, you're in for one hell of a ride. Flawless is quite a page-turner. Impressively researched, the authors traveled throughout Europe for clues, documents, and sources to discover how the thieves planned and executed the heist of the century. Not to be missed.
Recommended.

MARK TWAIN : MAN IN WHITE : THE GRAND ADVENTURE OF HIS FINAL YEARS
by Michael Sheldon

He caused quite a sensation at the Library of Congress on a cold day in December of 1906. Copyright legislation was being discussed at a meeting with lawyers, authors, and publishers.
The famous guest removed his overcoat revealing a white suit that shocked everyone in the room and was written about in all the newspapers. Wearing this particular color was intentional.
Mark Twain was used to being the center of attention, so he decided, at the age of seventy-one, that he was going to wear white until the end of his life. To him, it signified eternal youth and he didn't care what people said or thought.
The last three and a half years of his life, Twain lived large. He picked fights, wrote, visited Bermuda, played billiards, had a mansion built in the style of an Italian villa in Redding, Connecticut, got in trouble, stayed out late partying, and was almost swindled out of everything that he owned. His acerbic wit never faltered and wherever he appeared, there was always a crowd.
Mark Twain: Man in White is a superb biography. Extremely well-researched and written, effortlessly, Michael Sheldon has produced a masterful tale.
Between the incredible photographs and Twain's irreverent anecdotes at the beginning of each chapter, this book is an absolute joy to read. I loved it.
Very highly recommended.

FINDING OZ : HOW L. FRANK BAUM DISCOVERED THE GREAT AMERICAN STORY
by Evan I. Schwartz

On November 3, 1956, The Wizard of Oz was aired, for the first time and was watched by millions of people on black-and-white television sets. Thirteen years later, it was shown, again and people were now able to see it in color. It became an annual event and was the most watched movie ever.
The author, though, of the original story, has not been given due credit.
L. Frank Baum (how he hated his first name, Lyman) always dreamed of becoming a writer for children. But, he had to make a living for his wife Maud and his four sons. He tried all different kinds of endeavors: breeding chickens, owning a store, a publisher and editor of a newspaper, selling fine china on the road. Baum failed at each effort and was constantly on the move.
Lurking within him, though, was the urge to set his tales down.
In 1898, these images came to Baum and a year later, he wrote, feverishly, on envelopes and scraps of paper using a pencil stub. The manuscript was called The Emerald City.
1900 was a banner year for Baum. The book hit the stores and he became an overnight success.
If you're an Oz fan and want to know all the tidbits that inspired L. Frank Baum to write his masterpiece, then this is the book for you. Between the trivia and how Baum created his characters makes for fascinating reading. The Chicago World's Fair of 1893, Baum's mother-in-law, the number 4, Theosophy, had a huge impact.
Finding Oz is a terrific story and Evan I. Schwartz did a fantastic job of bringing Baum's brilliance to the printed page.
Highly recommended.

BIRTHRIGHT : THE TRUE STORY THAT INSPIRED KIDNAPPED
by A. Roger Ekirch

James Annesley (known in his youth as Jemmy) had a rather bleak life growing up. Even though he was born into a quite wealthy family, he certainly was not involved with the goings-on. He lived, mostly, like a waif crusing the streets of Dublin and fending for himself.
Soon after his father, Baron Altham died, his uncle, Richard, kidnapped Jemmy and shipped him off to America. For thirteen years, he was an indentured servant in Delaware. Eventually, James escaped and returned to Ireland and took his uncle (now the Earl of Anglesea) to court to gain what was rightfully his. (Five aristocratic titles and estates in Ireland, England, and Wales.)
The trial was truly sensational and one of the longest in eighteenth-century England. (It lasted twelve days.) After being away for so long, James had to prove his identity. He was accused of being a "pretender" and many attempts were made on his life.
Birthright is an incredible story superbly researched by A. Roger Ekirch, a professor of history at Virginia Tech University. He uncovered 400 legal depositions at the National Library of Ireland in Dublin and the National Archives near London. With these documents and numerous newspaper reports, Ekirch has written an amazing tale.
Recommended.

CHERRIES IN WINTER : MY FAMILY'S RECIPE FOR HOPE IN HARD TIMES
by Suzan Colon

After being laid off as a magazine editor, with a six figure salary, in 2008, Suzan Colon had to cut down her budget. Shopping at Whole Foods and specialty stores were no longer in the picture.
While rummaging in the basement, one day, she found her grandmother's recipe file. Here was Suzan's sustenance.
Nana, as Grandmother Matilda was called, either handwrote or typed specific directions for the recipes. She would add comments along the edges. At times, newspaper clippings would be torn out and attached.
Suzan's grandparents lived through the Great Depression, barely. They survived by Matilda's ingenuity. This resilience was passed down through the family and cooking became the way to get through hard times.
I loved this little gem of a book. It's warm and comforting with beautiful writing. Every section has the original recipe in very tiny print. If you are so enamored, you can prepare the dish, yourself. Nothing is difficult. Very simple. Don't worry. No need to strain your eyes. On the next page is the recipe in a normal font.
Cherries in Winter is just delightful.
Recommended.