Reading With Raymond

Raymond Saadi

A Minute to Midnight By David Baldacci Grand Central $29 How long can a person hold guilt and regret in her heart? Thirty years? Is that too long? It is for FBI agent, Atlee Pine, who survived an attack by a mystery intruder when she was six years old leaving her badly beaten and her twin sister, Mercy, kidnapped and never found. To keep her sanity and her job with the FBI, she decides to return to her childhood town of Andersonville, GA, taking her assistant, Carol Blum with her. No sooner after arriving strange ritualistic murders began. Can they somehow be related to Atlee’s arrival? If so, the killer she seeks may still be there and delights in her return. BC

By Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Sophia $18.95 Readers who can recall seeing Archbishop Sheen on TV in the 50s will welcome this collection of his memorable talks and explanatory diagrams on his blackboard. His clear and easy to understand explanations of subjects will touch the hearts, not only of Catholics, but of many millions of other faiths that tuned in every Tuesday night on ABC for his program, “Life Is Worth Living” which topped even popular Milton Berle and Frank Sinatra on another network at the same time. Sheen tells why Jesus calls on his father to forgive the soldiers instead of forgiving them himself; why Jesus never proclaimed his innocence, and more. Included are secrets to living the Beatitudes. BC The CRIES of JESUS from the CROSS An Anthology I Really Needed This Today Words to Live By By Hoda Kotb Putnam $24 I met Hoda one time in New Orleans and was charmed by her and her willingness to come speak to my club. Only she didn’t, because New York was calling and she departed to co-anchor the Today Show where she remains piling up prestige awards including the Peabody and the Edward R. Murrow award. In her delightfully inspiring book she posts a daily aphorism (the finest thoughts in the fewest words), many quotes from her favorite writers and her own. One for every day of the year and since its March already, feel free to double up till you catch up. BC

The Ship of Dreams:

The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era By Gareth Russell Atria $30 Who needs another book about the sinking of the passenger ship that “Even God could not sink”? (Maybe they should have asked God about that.) Russell’s new book does indeed cover the planning, building and sinking of the massive vessel, perfect for anyone not saturated or satisfied with previous works, but more interestingly, his focusing on the experiences of six survivors provides visions of the terrifying scramble for lifeboats, some lowering with far fewer than occupancy. This section is hard to take but impossible to put down. BC

the little float that could By Yvonne Perret River Road Press $17.99 Here’s a thriller for the little ones. The last float in the big parade filled with happy costumed kids had barely started out when a wheel broke, leaving them stranded. Until someone noticed other unused floats in the den, the smallest of all inviting them to ride it. But could it make it over the big bridge? You’ll have to read to the end to find out. And, they had a happy Mardi Gras after all. BC