I had never heard of Mike Massimino until I got this book on clearance at Booksamillion. I am glad I decided to pick this up, because it was a very inspiring read. It was really awesome to see a child grow up to realize his dreams of being in space. Massimino worked on some really well known projects, and learning more about the Hubble Telescope was really neat. I remember that being a really big deal when I was in school. I highly recommend this book for fellow space lovers. 

 I listened to a podcast about the LeBaron cult, and this book popped up during a google search to see what some of the people looked like. I ordered this book and another one, and I was absolutely shocked at the conditions these people lived in. Ervil LeBaron seemed to be an absolutely nut. One could read this book, or any like it, and think that it was a horror novel. It is more terrifying than a horror novel, because they are true. I hate that she never got to know her father, and I feel even worse that her step father treated her the way that he did. This book was infuriating and heartbreaking all at the same time. I am so glad she was able to find healing in her life, and I appreciate the courage it took to tell her story in such a well spoken way. 

 I remember R Kelly being very popular when I was in school, especially with the Ignition Remix came out. I also remember the urination tapes and all the jokes about it on other television shows. I never really thought much about it because I was probably about 13 or something. As an adult, I really understand how vile he is and how gross the people joking about it and participating in it are as well. I watched the Surviving R Kelly documentary, which is why I picked up this book. This was well written and horrific. It followed the entire timeline up to pretty much present day. I thought it was very informative, and would suggest the book to anyone interested in this case. 

 I hate to say this was a great book, but it was a great book. It really gave an appropriate mental image of the Somme, thought I'm not sure that good is quite the word for it. War is horrific, and World War I and II were certainly extraordinarily horrific, especially in certain areas and events. I learned a lot from this book though, and I am glad to know that it was included in the Audible Plus Catalog. 

 A lot of people only read books from Holocaust survivors or those about Allied powers. I think everyone should read more accounts from those in the Axis powers. This is the account of Siegfried Knappe. He tells about his life and how he came to be in the German Wehrmacht. He was involved in nearly every major battle they participated in, and was wounded as well. This book really gives people a clue as to how people were motivated to follow Hitler and his regime. 

 This is the twelfth installment in the Crime Files series by celebrated author Ann Rule. I enjoyed reading about the cases in this book. I think that Rule has a great knack for telling grim stories in a way that are factual and appropriate for the masses. I still prefer single case books, but I have nothing negative to say about this one. 

 This book focuses on the experiences of Koren, who had an addiction to alcohol. A lot of the reviews of this book are great, and a lot of negative. I feel like I am middle of the road on my opinion of this book. I always hate saying that I enjoyed reading a book like this, but it was a good read, in my opinion. It seems like a lot of college age students find themselves drinking socially. Certainly, Koren is not the first person to ever have these college experiences, and she will not be the last. I think that she left out some parts of her life that could have influenced her self image and caused her to rely on the alcohol. I also wonder if addiction ran in her family tree. If nothing else, this book does make you think about the social drinking culture and the college drinking culture. 

 This book covers the case of Diane Downs, an Oregon woman who claimed that she was accosted by a man who was trying to carjack her. She claimed that the man shot her children, and she was able to speed away to the hospital. Upon arrival, medical personnel and police found that the car was covered in blood. Diane had been shot in the arm, and each of the three children had been shot as well. Forensic evidence was not supportive of Diane's story. She was ultimately charged in the crimes against her children, being sentenced to life plus fifty years.

I have always enjoyed Anne Rule's books, and this one was no different. I thought her research into the case was well done. She presented all of the evidence in a way that was factual and easy to follow without having to be a forensics expert. This was a terrible story. It's always exceptionally disturbing to read about parents who murder their children. I could never imagine doing anything like this to my children, yet there are people like this all over the world. If you can't handle crimes against children, I would avoid this book, otherwise it was good. 

 This book focuses on two teens who run away from poor home environments to squat around in homeless camps. They think the freedom is amazing, but then they discover heroin. The fact that there are so many kids in poor home environments, running away and being on the streets is sickening. There are so many kids on the streets getting addicted to all manner of substances and being abused by weirdos. It is really tragic to think about. My one real problem with this book was that it was put out into the world as a Young Adult book, and it really made the street and drug life seem so romantic. I didn't care for that take. 

 This book has several cases centered in Oklahoma in it, but the one that was of the most interest to me was the one regarding Dennis Lee Hellar. Mr. Hellar plead guilty to poisoning his wife, Carol, for at least eight months by putting antifreeze into her food. The Hellars were only married a year before her death. She was terribly sick in the last few months of their marriage, and everyone knew it. In fact, she had made numerous trips to hospitals and doctors in those last few months. Nothing really helped her feel better, and during her last trip to the hospital, a suspicious doctor decided to check for poisoning...thereby cold busting her husband.

I requested this book from the library simply because of this case. I watched an episode of Forensic Files in which this case was discussed and this book mentioned. I have never read anything else by this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought the research was sufficient. The writing was sufficiently entertaining and factual. This was a pretty short book, just over 200 pages, so it was perfect to read in the pick up line this week.