Secrest, Meryle. Frank Lloyd Wright: A Biography.

Title: Frank Lloyd Wright: A Biography

Author: Meryle Secrest

Publication Date: 1998

Number of Pages: 652

Genre: Nonfiction/Biography

Geographical Setting: Europe, North America, Asia

Time Period: 1869-1959, roughly

Plot Summary: This biography of Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the world's most most gifted architects is compellingly written by Meryle Secrest. Wright's ancestors are explored, along with their thoughts on life, religion, and occupation, giving great comprehension to the personal devotion and calling he felt for the architectural world. Exploring his many finanical difficulties and relationship troubles, Secrest invites readers to see Wright as en entire person, and not merely through the lens of talented architect or romantic struggler. Secrest discusses the many houses built by FLlW, the history and method that went into the construction of each, and also the unique combination that became the Taliesin Fellowship. Secret has a delightful way of telling the story of Frank Lloyd Wright -in a way that makes it impossible to put down the story of this one man and his impact on American architecture.

Similar Works (nonfiction): Friedland, Roger - The Fellowship: The Untold Story of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Fellowship (an insider look at Wright's group of apprenticed architects and their time at Taliesin); Amin, Karmal - Reflections from the Shining Brow: My Years With Frank Lloyd Wright and Olgivanna Lazovich (a personal story of a young Taliesin apprentice, highlighting the life and mannerisms of Wright's third wife); Tafel, Edgar - Years with Frank Lloyd Wright: Apprentice to Genius (yet another look at an apprentice's experience working with Frank Lloyd Wright).

Horan, Nancy. Loving Frank

Title: Loving Frank
Author: Nancy Horan
Publication Date: 2007
Number of Pages: 384
Genre: Historical Fiction/Best Seller
Geographical Setting: Oak Park, IL; Europe; Japan
Time Period: early 1900s

Plot Summary: The story of Mamah Borthwick Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright is beautifully described in this title by Nancy Horan. From the beginning of their affair in 1904 until 1914, this is Mamah’s story of loving a man who – like herself – was married, talented, and extraordinarily complex. The ups and downs, moments of celebration and exhilaration, as well as tragedy and heart-shattering pain are all covered in this historical novel. Elements of Wright’s architectural plans, as well as insight into his personal behaviors and downfalls are particularly fascinating. Horan has combined the facts that were available regarding the Borthwick/Wright love story with probable dialogue, creating a story that is gripping in its authenticity.

Similar Authors and Works (Fiction): Hambly, Barbara – The Emancipator’s Wife (famous misunderstood woman – Mary Todd Lincoln and her issues within society’s constraints, tragedy); Morgan, Jude – Passion (story told by the main women in the lives of Keats, Shelley, and Lord Byron); Mills, Mark – Amagansett (tragic death of female lover, candid look at society in the 1940s).

Similar Authors and Works (Nonfiction): Drennan, William – Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders (closer look at the murder of Mamah Borthwick and her two children); Wright, Frank Lloyd – Frank Lloyd Wright: An Autobiography (his life from his own perspective, further reading regarding the women in his life); Forden, Sara G. – The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed (famous family, real-life tragic murder, establishment of current trends – albeit in fashion, not architecture).

Patterson, James. Honeymoon.

Title: Honeymoon
Author: Patterson, James and Howard Roughan
Publication Date: 2005
Number of Pages: 400
Genre: Suspense
Geographical Setting: Connecticut, Boston
Time Period: Present day

Plot Summary: Nora Sinclair is a beautiful, successful interior designer with many secrets – least of which is the truth about her multiple husbands that she keeps stashed around the country, both dead and alive. When large amounts of money begin leaving her deceased husbands’ accounts, John OHara, FBI agent, is assigned to monitor her every move. Is Nora killing her husbands, or is it mere coincidence? Who tipped the FBI off to the transfer of the money, and named Nora as a suspect? With fast-paced intensity and page-turning necessity, James Patterson and Howard Roughan follow the case of Nora (alias “Olivia”) Sinclair as she ensnares new victims with her irresistible sensuality and poisonous games.

Similar Authors and Works (Fiction): Massey, Sujata -Girl in a Box (undercover cop, romance on the job, murder investigation); Stewart, Mariah – Dead End (death of fiancé, murder investigation); Martinez, Michele – Most Wanted (marital infidelity, attraction to FBI agents).

Similar Authors and Works (Nonfiction): DeNevi, Don and John H. Campbell - Into the Minds of Madmen: How the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit Revolutionized Crime Investigation (a real-life look at the work of FBI agents); Trestrail, John H. - Criminal Poisoning: Investigational Guide for Law Enforcement, Toxicologists, Forensic Scientists, and Attorneys (discussion of poison used in murder); Emsley, John – The Elements of Murder: A History of Poison (historical look at the use of poison).

Wheeler, Richard S. Sierra: a novel of the California gold rush.

Title: Sierra: a novel of the California gold rush
Author: Wheeler, Richard S.
Publication Date: 1996
Number of Pages: 380
Genre: Western
Geographical Setting: Rural Iowa and California
Time Period: 1849-1851

Plot Summary: Wheeler tells the story of two men and their lives during the period from 1849-1851. Ulysses McQueen is from a small-town in Iowa and little more than a boy himself. Recently married and with a baby on the way, he decides to seek his fortune along with thousands of others in the California gold rush. Leaving his expectant wife with promises of a rich and well-worth-it return, he travels across thousands of miles of ungodly countryside, all the way to California. With little to no communication with his family back East, his lonesome and frustrated wife finally travels to find whether he is alive or dead. Simultaneously, Stephen Jarvis is fresh out of the Mexican-American War, and looking for a new start. After falling in love with the Mexican girl who sells him a horse, he leaves to seek his fortune so that he might win her hand in marriage. His plans are thwarted when her father forces her to marry another. How will these families survive in their new lives? The novel alternates sections between McQueen and Jarvis’ points of view, offering an interesting approach to the storytelling. The descriptions of the way life was on the journey west are highly colorful, and therefore appealing. The book casts a realistic glimpse into the past, at what thousands of man left families and futures to find.

Similar Authors and Works (Fiction): Allende, Isabel – Daughter of Fortune (love during the time of the gold rush, pregnant woman left alone who eventually follows); Holland, Cecilia – Ordinary Woman, An: a dramatized biography of Nancy Kelsey (young married man who gets the itching to go west after gold, strong female characters); Blum, Ivon – River of Souls: a novel of the American Myth (life during and after the Mexican-American War, and settlement of the west).

Similar Authors and Works (Nonfiction): Garcia, Jeff – Gold Mining Together (the art of gold mining detailed and examined for the contemporary prospector); Kelly, Leslie A. – Traveling California’s Gold Rush Country (modern-day look at the sites to see for those who wish to follow the path of the gold miners); Sidel, Ruth – Unsung Heroines: Single Mothers and the American Dream (being a single mother, encouraging strong women).

Mosley, Walter. Little Scarlet.

Title: Little Scarlet
Author: Mosley, Walter
Publication Date: 2004
Number of Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery
Geographical Setting: Los Angeles, CA
Time Period: 1965
Series: Easy Rawlins mysteries, 8

Plot Summary: Just after the L.A. riots in 1965, African American detective Easy Rawlins is sought out by the L.A.P.D. to help them solve the mystery of the murder of a young girl. The girl that was murdered was African American, and she was murdered after helping a white man escape from the riots. Rawlins is asked to discover who the white man was that entered the building where Little Scarlet was murdered and whether he is responsible for her death. Along the way, Easy deals with issues in his own life (both in his love life and with the children that he has more-or-less adopted) and uncertainty about helping white men with the task at hand. The book highlights the state of racial tension during the 1960’s, while giving readers an honest look into life in the L.A. ghetto. Strong language is scattered throughout, as are several sexual themes.

Similar Authors and Works (Fiction): Revoyer, Nina – Southland (1965 Watts riot, L.A. setting, family secrets); Nelscott, Kris – War at Home (African-American private investigator, race relations during the 60’s); McCullough, Colleen – On, Off (serial murderer with female victims, 1960s setting).

Similar Authors and Works (Nonfiction): Penrice, Ronda Racha – African American History for Dummies (History, Biography, and Politics) (a starting place for those needing a place to start learning about the African American story); Soitos, Stephen F. – The Blues Detective: A Study of African American Detective Fiction (a look into African American detective authors); Raybon, Patricia – My First White Friend (an African American woman’s journey from rage to forgiveness and friendship).

Roberts, Nora. Jewels of the Sun.

Title: Jewels of the Sun
Author: Roberts, Nora
Publication Date: 1999
Number of Pages: 368
Genre: Romance
Geographical Setting: Ireland
Time Period: Late 1990’s
Series: Irish Jewels Trilogy, Ardmore Trilogy 1

Plot Summary: Psychology professor Jude Murray moves to Ireland after a somewhat amicable divorce in need of relaxation and escape. She seeks to create a new identity and lifestyle. Living in her grandmother’s old home, she forms bonds with relatives and neighbors and becomes acquainted with the ghost who cries in the second-floor window. Jude discovers the beauty of the Irish countryside, which she falls in love with. She becomes romantically involved with Aiden Gallagher, the local pub owner and is forced to decide what she believes about love, marriage, and local legend. An unresolved ending leaves the door wide open for future books in the series.

Similar Authors and Works (Fiction): Bourke, Angela – By Salt Water: Stories (Irish setting, women and relationships); Kelly, Dorien – Hot nights in Ballymuir (American woman moves to Ireland, Irish magic); Thompson, Dawn – The Falcon’s Bride (Celtic legends and romance).

Similar Authors and Works (Non-fiction): Heaney, Marie – Over Nine Waves: A Book of Irish Legends (compilation of Irish lore); Allen, Darina – Irish Traditional Cooking – Over 300 Recipes from Ireland’s Heritage (Irish recipes, including pub favorites); Rittenburg, Ann and Whitcomb, Laura – Your First Novel: A Published Author and a Top Agent Share the Keys to Achieving Your Dream (encouragement and guidance for readers seeking to write a novel).