It’s been a while since I’ve recommended books and authors to you, so without further ado, here are some of the terrific reads I’ve enjoyed this year:
Tough Streets, Rough Skies, and Sunday Sidelines
Written by Larry Wansley, this book is a fascinating biography spanning the author’s time as a cop on the mean streets of Compton through his years as an undercover FBI agent and the many exciting adventures of his post-law enforcement career. He held a prominent role with the Dallas Cowboys football team, provided security for the iconic Whitney Houston, and spent years as a specialist in the airline industry for American Airlines. Though you wouldn’t think one’s life after law enforcement could hold a candle to those years as a cop, Larry’s life seems to get more and more interesting through the years. To say he’s lived an exciting and challenging life would be the understatement of all times.
I know Larry through my books and a mutual friend, and I was privileged to get a signed copy from Larry. His book is now available in paperback, and ebooks are forthcoming.
Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown
This is a remarkable story of Adam Brown, who overcame many barriers and obstacles throughout his life to make it to the top tier of elite military operators.
I’ve read many military biographies, and to be honest, I had kind of grown tired of them a couple of years ago. But this story had me hooked from the blurb, and I decided to give it a try. The first third of the book is fascinating, exciting, and tragic. Throughout much of it, I kept asking myself, How the hell did this guy even get into the Navy? Well, that question is answered quite clearly, and then the next third of the book is the fantastic story of all he overcame to become a Navy SEAL. I won’t ruin the story, but again, it’s nearly unbelievable — and then he makes it to the elite of the elite, SEAL Team SIX! Trust me, this book is one you won’t put down. It’s wild. It’s heartwarming, heartbreaking, tragic, and beautiful. It is literally everything! And the last third of the book is daunting. It’s where heartbreak and tragedy steal the spotlight, and I suggest that, no matter how tough you are, having a box of tissues handy is a good idea.
One final thing I must say about this book: Adam Brown’s story is one that will stay with me for the rest of my life, and it will likely have a significant impact on you as well. Read it in honor of American Hero Adam Lee Brown and the loved ones he left behind.
The Rose Code
My daughters turned me onto Kate Quinn and her beautiful writing, and I’ve enjoyed a couple of her novels to date. However, The Rose Code was off-the-charts, in my opinion — truly a classic in the making!
Honestly, I can say The Rose Code ranks among the best novels I’ve ever read. It is a fictionalized account of 1940s England and the codebreakers of Bletchley Park. The characters are remarkable, and they will live in your head. The storyline is beautiful and also breathtaking at times. The prose is as fine as anything you’ll ever read, and you’ll stay up late at night unwilling to put it down.
And finally, last but not least, the best true crime I’ve read this year is:
To Kill and Kill Again
Most of you know I’m a big fan of the true crime genre. Apparently, some things you can’t get out of your blood.
To Kill and Kill Again is the story of a serial killer in Missoula, Montana, during the seventies and eighties. As is the case with so many of these serial killers, this is the “killer next door,” so to speak, a sociopath from his early years whose behaviors were dismissed out of hand.
The story is a fascinating one, but what made this book stand out from all of the other true crime books I’ve read is the ending. I’ve never before read a true crime that caused my pulse to race as I flipped through the final pages, devouring the breathtaking story’s ending. WOW!
A must-read for fans of true crime.
Enjoy your reading!
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