Author Archives: Andy Newhall

Arena Combat with a Tabletop Card Game Twist Kaitlyn Legaspi’s YA fantasy “Card Holders” series came to me directly from the author. I hold a soft spot for both of these genres, as I firmly believe young adult literature produces some of the most imaginative books in popular fiction, with fantasy being my own entryContinue reading “Review | Red Blood: Card Holders Book One, by Kaitlyn Legaspi”

This business book, like most of its kind, seeks to provide practical applications for people working in the corporate world. I think it does just that, but is a standout because it is genuinely intriguing at a human level. You might say, this is the thing that separates most good business books from the pack.Continue reading “Review | Give & Take by Adam Grant”

I recently finished up reading book 2 of the Alphabet Squadron trilogy from Alexander Freed. Shadow Fall is good, quite good. I think it is safe to say it is better than the eponymous first in the Alphabet Squadron series. In this sequel novel to Mr. Freed’s planned trilogy that follows the exploits of aContinue reading “Review | Star Wars: Shadow Fall”

When I saw Helen Macdonald had a new book coming out, I pre-ordered it very quickly on the strength of H is for Hawk and her PBS special of the same subject-matter. The new Vesper Flights is great. It released a couple of months ago, and is highly recommended to fans of MacDonald, and BritishContinue reading “Review | Vesper Flights, by: Helen Macdonald”

The book I am reviewing is A Man Called Ove by Swedish author Fredrik Backman, copyright 2014. Ove is grumpy, only seeing black and white . To him, a rule is a rule; no discussion. It’s the story of an older man struggling after his wife’s death.  Ove has some new neighbors move in, andContinue reading “Review | A Man Called Ove, by: Fredrik Backman”

West African Travel Book Reveals Best Kept Secrets of World Tourism I recently finished an African travel log that is my favorite since reading Jason Carter’s Power Lines… The book takes the reader on an intimate journey throughout the lesser-traveled countries of West Africa. Our guide, a cordial, well-mannered Bermudian professional, Mr. Terry Lister, isContinue reading “Review | Immersed in West Africa: My Solo Journey Across Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, Guinea and Guinea Bissau by: Terry Lister”

I read non-fiction at about the same rate I read fiction, 1-2 of either type of books each month. When choosing a book like The Man who Ran Washington I am certainly affected by the big public relations and marketing budgets behind such a large release. That is just what happend when I picked thisContinue reading “Review | The Man Who Ran Washington by: Peter Baker & Susan Glasser”

I have gained a renewed interest in Star Wars printed materials (books, comics, graphic novels) in recent months. One such entry into this is a series of novels by a well-known writer in the nerdom of SF/space-opera fans, Claudia Gray. Her 2016 title, Bloodline, is a really strong addition to the LucasFilm lineup of novels.Continue reading “Review | Star Wars Bloodline by: Claudia Gray”

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an “important” writer I’ve been aware of for quite some time. However, I’m most familiar with him from an appearance on the PBS show, Finding Your Roots. So, when my company decided to get a book-reading list together in response to the George Floyd killing – and attempting to up their corporateContinue reading “Review | Between the World and Me, By: Ta-Nehisi Coates”

I’ve deliberated extensively on this. Should one of the early reviews on PennaBookReviews.com be a non-fiction book? What’s more, should it be a title from the dreaded “Business/Self-Help” section of the book store? Maybe that’s just the English major bias coming out, with an ingrained animosity to all genres outside the acceptable range of “literary”Continue reading “Review | Extreme Ownership by: Jocko Willink & Leif Babin”