Bill's Picks
Bill reads mostly fiction, principally mystery, non-fiction, including historical non-fiction, and an occassional young adult adventure.
A Breakout NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller
A USA Today Bestseller
An Indie National Bestseller
“Outstanding . . . The days when you had to choose between a great story and a great piece of writing? Gone.” —Esquire
“The story unfolds brilliantly, always surprisingly . . .
Imagine that you could go back in time and change history, change an event so devastating that everyone alive on that day still remembers where they were and what they were doing. If you could travel back in time, it should be easy - But it's not! King pens an intricate, well thought out tale of such a time traveler who becomes involved in the past much more than he intended. History turns out to be very resistant to change. And if one can change history, will the world be better? King weaves these hard questions into life and relationships in the late fifties/early sixties. As the New York Times says, "one of the best time-travel stories since H.G. wells. King has captured something wonderful." This was my first King book but it won't be my last. I came away impressed. - Bill, Redbery Books, Cable, Wisconsin
Wow! I'm almost at a loss for words. Save some time after you finish this book. You will want to discuss it with someone. Profound. If you liked The Book Thief, you'll love The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The holocaust told through the eyes of a naive nine year old boy. Even at nine years old, how could he be so naive, we ask? But then many were naive as the holocaust unfolded. Is it naivety, didn't we want to know, or were we unwilling or unable to do anything about it. - Bill, Redbery Books, Cable, Wisconsin
The true story of Louie Zamperini's, an olympic runner, travails after his bomber is shot down in the South Pacific during WWII. It is a gripping tale of courage and survival. Can Louie remain unbroken? - Bill, Redbery Books, Cable, Wisconsin
An amazing look at how the brain functions and, over time, heals written by a then 37-year old brain researcher who had a stroke herself. Not only interesting but also very potentially helpful information as we and our loved ones age. And, as the author herself demonstrated, you or your loved ones don't have to be old to encounter this medical issue. - Bill, Redbery Books, Cable, Wisconsin
A haunting book set in World War II Germany and narrated by death, The Book Thief both thrills you with young adult ideals and realistically sets the Jewish scene in Hitler's Germany. A fascinating read, not only for young adults, but young adults of all ages. - Bill, Redbery Books, Cable, Wisconsin
In the winter of 1913-1914, Theodore Roosevelt began an arduous, thrilling, life-threatening and life-changing adventure exploring an here-to-for unexplored portion of the Amazon basin, a tributary of the Amazon River then-called the River of Doubt. Roosevelt often undertook physically challenging tasks following personal defeats and he had just lost a bid for re-election as President of the United States. This journey, however, was particularly challenging presenting white water rapids, potentially hostile natives and, most of all, the unknown. Their perils included loss of equipment and near starvation as well as personal intrigue among the expedition’s members.
This book is more than an adventure. It is more than an historical novel. It is more than an ecological look of the Amazon basin. It is all of the above and more as Theodore Roosevelt and his traveling party, including one of his sons, literally struggle to survive in a hostile environment unexplored at the time. Roosevelt himself never fully recovered from the effects of the expedition and died prematurely only a few years later. The River of Doubt is the best historical book that I have recently read. I recommend it heartily to the adventurer, the historian and the ecologist. - Bill, Redbery Books, Cable, Wisconsin