D. Lanier Shook Book Club: Discover Our Recommended Reads
These are books I've read and recommend you reading.
September Book of the Month
THE LOOMING TOWERS by Lawrence Wright
Here is the link to the book on Amazon.
Probably available at your library, though.
This book reveals the disturbing story of John P. O'Neill, the FBI agent who tried to stop 9/11, but was sidelined because he wasn't a people person. It starts a little slow delving into the Muslim Brotherhood, but is complex, disturbing, provocative, and a must-read. John P. O Neill would be forced out of the FBI and begin his job at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. He was last seen going back into the building.
While this is a must read, it is very intense and I don't recommend it for anyone below high school. There is language, violence, and other things associated with both terrorism and law enforcement.
AUDIOBOOK I JUST FINISHED:
Violin Varnish and How to Make It | LibriVox
Fascinating little volume; a quick listen covering chemistry and violins. Totally free download or stream.
October pick
For Halloween Month my choices are my Christian quiet horror romance novella Lily of Happy Valley and my adventure thriller The Doctor, the Detective, and the Druggist, a thriller that is meant to read like Batman: The Animated Series and based around a Sherlock Holmes type vigilante.
In Lily of Happy Valley, a secret agent is sent into a valley where a cult of Luddite atheists are run by a tyrannical leader. The titular Lily is a young woman who becomes wrapped up in the plot early on with a meet-cute. The story turned out to be a remarkable anti-Jack Reacher tale in several ways and I believe the suspense is maintained well into the last chapter.
The Doctor, the Detective, and the Druggist centers around an ethnomusicologist billionaire trust fund brat who solves crime in a Batman Animated Series styled world. In this episode a villain emerges who drugs victims to gain a business advantage. The following story is a family friendly, nonviolent investigation.
Aside from the scary factors, these books are quite family friendly. Nothing in them rises above PG and the vast majority of the content is solidly G rated. Also, both are available in both paperback and on Kindle. That means of your go to Amazon you can click on the Kindle copy and read about 11% of each book.
December pick