The Lynching of Cleo Wright, by Dominic J. Capeci, Jr. (The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 1998, 274 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

August 25, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Terry Teachout, a New York Times critic, playwright, and inveterate blogger, and I have something in common. He and I were both born in the “bootheel” of Missouri, he in Sikeston and I in Charleston – in the area of one of the most tragic and heinous lynchings in the annals of America; the lynching of Cleo Wright. We both, also have weighed in on Dominic J. Capeci’s book; The Lynching of Cleo Wright, which has been described as “a creatively conceptualized anatomy of a lynching, and “Capeci places the lynching of Cleo Wright within the context of the city of Sikeston, the state of Missouri, and the nation.” This book should also be viewed in context with the ongoing furor and debate of Ferguson, Missouri and the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by a white policeman.

Laker Girl by Jeanie Buss, Triumph Books, Chicago, Illinois, 2013, 310 pages.

Book Review by Dennis Moore

The Los Angeles Lakers are at a crossroad in history and basketball lore and legacy. These last few years have not been kind to them, and author and Lakers’ VP in charge of basketball affairs Jeanie Buss puts it all in perspective in her book Laker Girl. She writes a candid tell-all account of the Lakers’ rise to basketball and sports’ glory, and their descent into implosion on a scale that is astounding, especially considering the legendary history and beginnings of this franchise.

My Gold Coast: Baja A Practical Guide 2^nd Edition, by Susan A. Mahalick

Book Review by Dennis Moore

Susan A. Mahalick, having grown up in Middlesex, New Jersey, has written an indispensable primer and guide for those considering visiting or an extended stay in Mexico; My Gold Coast: Baja A Practical Guide 2^nd Edition. The author states: “A sampler of information and interesting things to do in this part of Baja. This book represents 11 years of living and thriving in a wonderful climate with a culture that is both delightful and welcoming to people from other countries It is not just about the low cost of living, it is about an experience of community with fellow expatriates and locals alike. This is what makes this place so special.”

Book Review by Dennis Moore

Every Child in America deserves a world-class education. Today, more than ever, a world-class education is a prerequisite for success. America was once the best-educated nation in the world. A generation ago, we led all nations in college completion, but today, ten countries have passed us. The issue is not that their students are smarter than ours. It is that these countries are being smarter about how to educate their students. And the countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow.

We must do better. Together we must achieve a new goal, that by 2020, the United States will once again lead the world in college completion. We must raise the expectations for our students, our schools, and ourselves – this must be a national priority. We must ensure that every student graduate from high school well prepared for college and a career. -- President Barack Obama (2010), 44^th President of the United States

“A Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act”

Event is free and open to the public

March 24, 2014 (Casa de Oro)--Reina Lisa Menasche, radio host for East County Magazine’s “Bookshelf” radio program on KNSJ, 89.1 FM, will discuss, dramatize, and sign her new novel, Silent Bird, at the Casa de Oro Library on Saturday, March 29 at 10 a.m.

Reina Menasche calls her first love “writing fiction,” though she fulfills many other artistic and professional roles.  In addition to hosting “Bookshelf” (highlighting “local literary luminaries—and some great books to read!”), she is also a social worker, university instructor, and actress.  Her first novel, Twice Begun, was a finalist in the 2013 San Diego Book Awards, and her new novel, Silent Bird, won the Outstanding Fiction Award from the Southern California Writers Conference in 2009.

Off My Rocker, by Kenny Weissberg (Sandra Jonas Publishing House, Boulder, Colorado, 2014, 311 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

January 15, 2014 (San Diego)--Kenny Weissberg, the former producer and promoter of the internationally acclaimed Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay series in San Diego, has lived the life that many of us could only dream about.  It is reflected in his wildly entertaining tell-all book, Off My Rocker.

Click to buy this book

On Teaching Well: Using Classroom Instructional Strategies to Increase Your Teaching Effectiveness, by Dr. Dee L. Fabry (Ready or Not Press, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 2012).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

January 5, 2014 (San Diego)--Dee L. Fabry, Ph.D, along with 18 eighteen high school teachers in a graduate level course on effective teaching practice, shares their journey of improving the cognitive skills of students in Fabry’s groundbreaking book; On Teaching Well: Using Classroom Instructional Strategies to Increase Your Teaching Effectiveness.

The author, Associate Professor at National University, School of Education, Teacher Education Department in La Jolla, serves as the Master of Arts in Teaching Program Lead, teaching classroom teachers returning for their post graduate degrees. This makes her eminently qualified to lead these high school teachers in a graduate level course in effective teaching practice, which has resulted in this innovative book. Her research and scholarship is focused around improving teaching and student learning outcomes.

The Black Book: Lessons from American History – Abraham Lincoln to Modern China, by Senator Adlai E. Stevenson, III (The Stevenson Family, 2009, 299 pages).              

Book Review by Dennis Moore            

  “Once a man holds public office he is absolutely no good for honest work.” --Will Rogers

September 22, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)-- The Black Book: Lessons from American History – Abraham Lincoln to Modern China  is a guide-- a road map for future politicians authored by Adlai E. Stevenson III.  He  laments changes in the electoral process and the loss of civility in politics, also speaking of opportunities in politics being limited by money and a media which restricts comments to one or two minutes while focusing on the game, the trivial and the sensational.

The book began as a brown loose-leaf binder in which the author ‘s great-grandfather, Adlai E. Stevenson  (1835-1914), collected anecdotes and maxims, stories and sayings during his life as a county prosecutor, congressman, assistant postmaster general and U.S. vice president under Grover Cleveland. His grandson, known to friends and family as “the Guv,” expanded the collection in a large black binder during his life as an official in the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, governor of Illinois, Democratic presidential candidate in 1952 and 1956, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.  

Twice Begun, by Reina Lisa Menasche

Book review by Miriam Raftery

March 17, 2013 (San Diego)--Paris Jablonski has a seemingly idyllic life in San Diego with her charming French husband and young daughter.  But that illusion is shattered on her seventh anniversary, when she finds love letters in her husband’s closet from a woman in France.  

Twice Begun, a novel by San Diego author Reina Menasche, opens  with this line: “Before I stepped into the closet, my life felt like an Impressionist masterpiece—filled with elusive light yet made of simple dabs of color that even a child could paint.”

But  Paris is given no opportunity to absorb the shock, caught in the moment not by her philandering husband, Serge, but by the family dog tailed closely by Paris' 7-year-old daughter, who asks innocently,  “Mommy, why are you in the closet?”

Between Boyfriends, by Sárka-Jonae Miller, San Diego

Review by Miriam Raftery

February 18, 2013 (San Diego)--Between Boyfriends hit three Amazon best-seller lists the week after Valentine’s Day, ranking #9 for humor books, #11 for humor e-books and #54 for women's fiction.  Written by San Diego-area resident Sárka Jonae Miller, this book is the ultimate chick-lit read—a light-hearted romp focused on the travails of Jan, a college student dumped by her boyfriend, an SDSU student.  The moment proves an epiphany, as Jan resolves to stop dating and find fulfillment as a single woman.

Raised in pampered privilege, Jan’s problems soon get worse when she loses her parents’ financial support and must learn to be a self-sufficient.

After  two days spent  wallowing in a a self-pitying stupor  following  the breakup with her boyfriend, Jan awakens in her apartment. Appalled upon looking in the mirror, she whacks her hair with manicure scissors. Then she clears out the medicine cabinet of souvenirs from losers she has dated, determined to rid herself of ghosts of boyfriends past.

No Cats, No Chocolate, by Ken Kuhlken and Alan Russell, Hickey’s Books, La Mesa

Book review by Miriam Raftery

February 10, 2013 (La Mesa)--What happens when a pair of formerly acclaimed but now down-on-their-luck mystery novelists hit rock bottom? 

In No Cats, no Chocolate,  local authors Ken Kuhlken and Alan Russell  pen themselves in as the main characters.  Best noted for their literary-quality mystery works,  they resolve to make some quick cash writing a romance novel after an outline sent as a lark lands an assignment from a publisher.  Delilah Bluefeather and Violet St. Claire ( the authors’ noms de plume), are born. Worse, they must complete the task in days, while on a road trip to jump-start their careers  with a coveted appearance on Oprah’s show.

The book  is a sequel to Road Kill, in which the same quirky duo embarked on a journey to convince readers across America to buy their books.  It’s a clever literary trick for the authors to write themselves in as characters in their own works—and create a series to boot.  As a former participant in a writing critique group led by Kuhlken, I can’t help wondering how many quirky traits described in the book are fact – and which are fiction?

Baja California Plant Field Guild: 3^rd Edition, by Jon P. Rebman and Norman C. Roberts (Sunbelt Publications, San Diego, California, 2012, 451 pages).

The desert regions of Baja California and Southern California satisfy my need for scientific adventure while providing a sense of excitement towards botany, reverence for nature and its unaltered  beauty, appreciation for the complexity of natural history, and an overall feeling of peace and purpose.  -Jon P. Rebman

Book Review by Dennis Moore                    

December 18, 2012 (San Diego)--Having lived in Baja California for a number of years and traveled all over this beautiful country of Mexico, from Cancun, Cantamar, Rosarito Beach and Tijuana, I have gained a great appreciation of the book written by Jon P. Rebman and Norman C. Roberts; Baja California Plant Field Guild: 3rd Edition.  For those with an interest in the outdoors south of the border, this book, rich with beautiful photographs and descriptions, would make an appealing holiday gift.

The Quantum Love Gene, by Raymond J. Pilon (Choice MaKer Productions, Victoria, BC, Canada, 2009, 136 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

December 15, 2012 (San Diego)--The Quantum Love Gene by Raymond J. Pilon has been described as possibly a hotter product than Avatar, and after reading this spellbinding fantasy science fiction novel, I am inclined to agree. The book is based on dreams, which the author’s wife describes as “automatic handwriting.” It incorporates many of the aspects of Avatar, as well as some of those in Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles.

The premise of Pilon’s book is that we are all “Spirit Beings” and that we evolved from an ancient alien civilization called the Pleiadians that actually traveled to earth and inhabited our planet some 26,000 years ago. Pilon is a master story-teller in how he weaves together the mysteries of Stonehenge, the pyramids, the most intriguing crop circles, and many other unexplainable structures.

by Laura A. Lewis (Duke University Press, Durham, North Carolina, 2012, 370 pages)

Book Review by Dennis Moore

November 29, 2012 (San Diego) -- Before reading Chocolate and Corn Flour, I did not know that there was such a thing as a "Black" Mexico.” Having lived in Tijuana, Mexico for a number of years and visited a number of Mexican cities, such as Cancun and Rosarito Beach, this book comes as a revelation to me.

Hope Begins In The Dark: 40 Lymphoma Survivors Tell Their Exclusive Life Stories, By Jamie Reno (Edwards Brothers Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2012, 246 pages).

Book review by Dennis Moore

October 2, 2012  (San Diego) -- Cancer, in all its forms and manifestations is an insidious disease, that does not discriminate.  It comes in the form of breast cancer, leiomyosarcoma, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), prostate cancer, Askin's Sarcoma, or lymphoma, among many more. PSC, a rare disease that scars the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the small intestine to aid digestion, is the form of cancer that took the life of former NFL star Walter Payton.

Jamie Reno, journalist, singer-songwriter, patient advocate and 15-year survivor of stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, has written an all-new edition of a book that I had earlier had the honor of reviewing; Hope Begins In The Dark: 40 Lymphoma Survivors Tell Their Exclusive Life Stories.