Article first published as Book Review: The Missing File by D.A. Mishani on Blogcritics. About: The Missing File by D.A. Mishani is mystery novel taking place in Holon, Israel. The book has been translated from Hebrew and is one of the few police mysteries / procedural written in Israel. 304 pages Publisher: Harper Language: English ISBN-10: 0062195379 My rat­ing for The Missing File — 5 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format Thoughts: The Missing File by D.A. Mishani (Facebook | Goodreads) caught me unprepared, I was expecting a good book but what I found was exceptional. The structure is fascinating and I could not find any glaring plot holes in the narrative. The book is not only a mystery, but a fascinating glimpse into day-to-day Israeli life and culture without the preaching or propaganda. Mr. Mishani does not underestimate his readers and wrote an intelligent, well built novel. The protagonist of the book, police Detective Avraham Avraham, is not your typical hero. He is a grey man living in a grey world. Avraham is a good, solid police officer who smokes too much , drinks occasionally, visits his parents but keeps them at a distance, a bit disorganized…

Article first published as Book Review: The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva on Blogcritics. About: The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva brings back Israeli spy Gabriel Allon in this seventh installment. This time we find Allon as a weary, tired agent ready to hang up his holster and, unwillingly, accept his fate in management. 385 pages Publisher: Putnam Adult Language: English ISBN-10: 0399154221 My rating for The Secret Servant – 5 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format More Books by Daniel Silva Thoughts: I found The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva (web­site) to be a more current, at least in atmosphere, of the Gabriel Allon series. As usual with the rest of the series, the book is difficult to put down, a fast paced adventure and thriller which brings back familiar characters. The characters age with the books, which I like. None are superheroes, but people with issues and problems who only justify their acts to themselves by holding a high moral ground. However, this high moral ground must be broken from time to time which leaves them feeling confused and filled with regrets. The book is filled with many characters, bumbling politicians, Islamic extremists, non-extremists Islamic people and other hot button issues from current day world. However,…

Article first published as Book Review: The Last Israelis by Noah Beck on Blogcritics About: The Last Israelis by Noah Beck is a short novel taking place mostly on a submarine. The doomsday scenario, a threat to the State of Israel, is the “ripped from the headlines” type of novel. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one eCopy of this book in PDF format— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter. 263 pages Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. Language: English ASIN: B008HEFVI2 My rating for The Last Israelis – 4 Buy this book in electronic format Thoughts: The Last Israelis by Noah Beck (website | Facebook) could be considered a military thriller, there are some plot twists and action, however the author approaches the story more on an intellectual side. The setting is a chance for the author to engage in intellectual debates between characters of different backgrounds. The novel does have good characterization; the author builds up each character so there is some background to the debates and the reader understands who each person formulated their ideology over a lifetime of various experiences and family history. What follows is a very interesting and balanced look at Israel…

This very compelling account is not only about the murder, but a small lesson in history to put everything in context. The struggle of the US Air force against the MiG fighters, the birth of the Israeli Air force, as well as the mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries, as well as sections devoted to how Middle Eastern terrorism operated in the 70s.

A fictional alternate history book published in 2007. This book has won several science fiction awards: the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Locus Award for Best SF Novel, the Hugo Award for Best Novel, and the Sidewise Award for Alternate History for Best Novel. It was shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel and the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel.

Captain Stanley Adam Malcom Parker, known as Sammy (S.A.M. Malcom), is a British captain in the Parachute Regiment during World War II. During operation Market he was captured but after attacking an SS officer, was sent to spend the rest of the war in a concentration camp. The same impulsiveness which has gotten him to the camp also helped him to survive.

Article first published as Book Review: The Messenger by Daniel Silva on Blogcritics. About: The Messenger by Daniel Silva is the sixth novel in the Gabriel Allon series. Allon is an Israeli agent who is more interested in restoring works of art than the world of espionage. 352 pages Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons (July 25, 2006) Language: English ISBN-10: 0399153357 My rating for The Messenger – 4 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format More Books by Daniel Silva Thoughts: The Messenger by Daniel Silva (web­site) is more of a thriller than the previous five books. The book is quite violent and Allon’s ruthlessness comes out in several highly charged scenes. While I didn’t think The Messenger was the best in the series, it did fill in some missing gaps in the relationships between the characters. As in many book series this one also is a standalone, but it’s always nice to read them in order. I was glad to read about the return of Chiara, Allon’s love interest which we lost in the previous book. I also loved the way Silva wrote the Pope (“the” Pope, not some mobster or terrorist with a nickname), he was approachable and seemed like a good leader. Silva incorporated current events…

Article first published as Book Review: Man At a Machine by Stef Wertheimer on Blogcritics. About: Man At a Machine by Stef Wertheimer is an autobiography of the Israeli industrialist. My father has always admired Mr. Wertheimer, unfortunately he did not live long enough to read this book which I’m sure he would have loved. 383 pages Publisher: yediot sfarim (2011) Language: Hebrew ASIN: B00641DQDM My rating for Man at a Machine – 5 Buy this book in paper format. Thoughts: Man At a Machine by Stef Wertheimer is more than just a biography, it is an important document of what can be achieved with dedication and creativity. Mr. Wertheimer came to Israel as a boy after his family escaped Germany during the 1930’s and has became a successful entrepreneur and statesman. The self-made man, who built his first business with his own two hands believing in himself and his foresight, is not only one of the captains of Israeli industry but also a posses a unique ideology. Mr. Wertheimer’s views were shaped and solidified by his parents, who accurately forecasted Europe’s turmoil and managed to get out in 1936, when Stef was 10 years old. To this day, in his…

Like every other bookish person, I like bookends as well, especially ones that goes nicely with the books they hold in between even though, most likely, I’ll be the only person to ever notice. I was looking for bookends, not to buy but just to imagine when I noticed how many bookends of people there are. To be honest – they look good but I like the “Reading Sophisticates” one especially. Here are some of my favorites – which one is yours? Sterling Home Child Games Bookend Trio, 7-1/4-Inch Tall by Sterling Homedj 7-1/4-Inch tall bookend trio features young children playing hide-and-seek Makes a great gift for a teacher, parent, child care provider, or grandparent Crafted from durable composite material for long lasting beauty Antiqued finish Bookends can decorate a table or shelf or even use to hold up books Bey Berk Lady Justice Bookend by BEY BERK Dimensions: 4 inches x 3.75 inches x 8.5 inches (per side) and 9.5 pounds Blind justice guards the innocent daily in the court, now let her protect you books Cast in solid bronze and set upon solid marble Sterling Home Pair of Children Swinging Not Too High Bookends by Sterling Home Pair of not too…

Article first published as Book Review: Queenmaker: A Novel of King David’s Queen by India Edghill on Blogcritics. About: Queenmaker: A Novel of King David’s Queen by India Edghill is considered to be biblical fiction. I have studied the bible (both Jewish and Christian) and do enjoy biblical fiction very much. 384 pages Publisher: Picador; First Edition edition (November 2002) Language: English ISBN-10: 0312289197 My rating for Queenmaker – 3 Buy this book in paper for­mat through the Man of la Book Affil­i­ate Account More books by India Edghill Thoughts: I enjoyed India Edghill’s (website) Delilah: A Novel (book review) very much so I figured I’ll pick up her novel Queenmaker as a follow-up. Queenmaker is a biblical fiction first person narrative of Michal, King David’s first wife (out of several) and the one to hold the title of Queen. The book follows the biblical books of Samuel and II Samuel from Michal’s perspective; from her humble beginning as a daughter of Saul, a humble farmer, through his ascension to king, wars and madness. After marrying her father’s harper / war hero David she helps him escapes her father and for her help gets sold to another man until David’s army goes back to reclaim /…