Bookreview: Arroyo

 Very special read!

Summary

Set into two distinct epochs in the history of Pasadena, California, Arroyo tells the

parallel stories of a young inventor and his clairvoyant dog in 1913 and 1993.

In both lives, they are drawn to the landmark Colorado Street Bridge, which
suffered a lethal collapse during construction but still opened to fanfare in the
early 20th. century automobile age. 

When the refurbished structure commemorates its 80th B-Day, one of the
planet's best known small towns is virtually unrecognizable from its past.

Wrought with warmth and wit, Jacobs' debut novel digs into Pasadena's most
mysterious structure and the city itself. In their exploits around what was then
at America's highest, longest roadway, Nick Chance and his impish mutt interact
with some of the big personalities from that time inter alia: Teddy Roosevelt,
Charles Fletcher and others. 

While undergoing the truth about the Colorado Street Bridge, in all its eye-catching

grandeur and unavoidable darkness, the characters of Arroyo paint a vivid picture
of how the home of the Rose Bowl got its dramatic start. 

My Review

First of all I want to say I liked the cover a lot! It's beautiful and to the point!

The book surprised me very much due to the story, the timelines and many
historical facts. 

It was lovely to meet the dog and Nick too. I enjoyed following their
adventures. It also was nice to see how the city has changed (or not).  

Sometimes I was confused due to the mix of fiction (characters) and non-
fiction (historical facts). Overall a splendid mix and story! 

I saw in Arroyo lots of different genres: historical fiction, fantasy and even
tales. If you like to read a mix of genres you'll certainly won't regret this
book. 

I want to give a 5 star for this very special read!

The author

Chip Jacobs is a bestselling author and journalist. His most recent book is
"The Darkest Glare": A True Story of Murder, Blackmail, and Real Estate
Greed in 1979 Los Angeles. He is currently partnering with WarnerMedia
to develop "Smogtown" into an entertainment project and is also at work
on a follow-up novel and a non-fiction project. 

Jacobs won lots of Awards with his works inter alia:

- Independent Publishers' Book Awards (IPPY);

- the Indies Book of the Year Contest;

- Foreword and Booklist magazines;

- The Green Prize for Sustainable Literature;

- the Southern California Book Festival;

- the Los Angeles Press Club;

- the Shanghai Book Awards;

- Chinese Most Influential and Outstanding Popular Science book.

His subjects and reporting have appeared in The New York Times, 
the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Daily News, CNN, 

The Wall Street Journal and many more.

Chip Jacobs lives in Southern California. 

Booktasters

I received a free copy via Booktasters in exchange of my honest review.

Thank you very much for this excellent reading chance!! 

The Book

Arroyo was published in March 2021. 

Language: English

Publisher: Rare Bird Books 

Pages: 376

Bookreview Sleeping Around in America

Revisiting the Roadside Motel

What an excellent travel memoir with amazing pictures! 

Summary

Explore 50 of America's remaining iconic roadside motels.

Admire the magical allure of their neon signs, unique architecture and their
beautiful design that beckon you off the highway through a collection of
astonishing photographs. Meet the moteliers creating the experience for a 
new generation to enjoy. 

A book to satisfy armchair travelers, American pop-culture enthusiasts and
nostalgia seeking adventure romantic explorers .... 

Release date

Sleeping Around in America - Revisiting the Roadside Motel was released in
March 2020.

My Review

Reading this book, brought a real smile on my face because it was just as I was
sitting on a motorbike on a tour through the United States of America, traveling
from motel to motel.

I really liked the fab book cover and all the pictures, just as the clear chapters
and the consequent lay-out. 

It was very interesting to read the history of the motels in the USA and of the
different motels too. Each chapter was a good review and a fantastic description
of the motels! Keep up the travel and your excellent writing work!

Without any doubt I want to give this book a 5* rating!

I would recommend Sleeping Around in America to anyone who loves excellent
travel memoirs with amazing pictures. 

The Author

Andrew Beattie was raised in Ottawa and has lived in the United States and
Chili. For 25 years he worked in senior executive positions in the hospitality
inustry before beginning a second career in journalism. 

Throughout his career he has been fascinated with meeting people and hearing
their stories. In all his writings he loves to retell those stories for everyone to
enjoy as he belevies that through reading, listening and understanding that the
bridge of humanity is built. 

He continues to write for BMW Owners News Magazine and has contibuted to 
Traverse Magazine in the past. His website serves as a directory of roadside
retro motels for those looking for a nostalgic road trip.

BookTasters

I received a free copy via BookTasters via the author. Thank you very much for
this splendid reading chance! I absolutely want to read and review more books
from the author! 

Where to buy?

Sleeping Around in America is available on Amazon as Kindle, Hardcover and

Paperback. It also is available in Hardcover and in Paperback on Bol.com. 

Bookreview: The Wolf & The Bee

Animals We Are: Book Two:

The Wolf & The Bee

written by Valerie Brandy

Summary

A tropical paradise. A wedding party. One of them is a killer.

Zoe is on the perfect tropical honeymoon with her husband, Mike, until itthe trip is interrupted by two dangerous "animals" they've met once before.Trapped on an island with their wedding party by a madman and his co-conspirator, Zoe has to solve a mystery in order to escape to the mainland. Someone in their wedding party betrayed them. Someone is working with their adversary. As the clock ticks, they'll need to sort through clues to decide who they can trust, before time runs out and their only means of escape is destroyed.

Action/Adventure, Thriller, and Travel Fiction fans will love this dangerous game, played out an island where treasure is buried not just under the sand, but in the heart of the person next to you. This book is the second installment in the "Animals We Are" series, but can be read as a standalone.

Review

First of all: the black and white book cover already looks frightening and gives an excellent idea of the story. Anyway i liked the cover very much. 

The story itself also really is fantastic with unexpected twist and turns. I read it on a rainy lazy afternoon and it was certainly no disappointment. 

All the created characters are very great and well developed. The author must have done huge research work to create them. 

So, if you are a fan of mystery and exiting books, don't hesitate to read: "Animals We Are: Book Two: The Wolf & The Bee". I give it 4 stars on 5. 

Author

Valery Brandy also has written other books from these series: the first part, the second and the third part. 

BookSirens

I received an advanced copy for free by BookSirens, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily. 

Thank you for giving me this fantastic reading chance. 

Source picture: Book cover