Today we visit with book editor Erin Kodicek to discuss the Amazon Books Editors Top 10 picks of 2021 so far and their reviews for what made each book stand out:
Great
Circle by Maggie Shipstead: https://amzn.to/3zSHQXh
At
a young age, Marian Graves becomes obsessed with flying, and she’ll
do whatever it takes to get into the sky and circumnavigate the
globe. Fast forward 100 years, and Hadley Baxter is remaking herself
in Hollywood as the role of Marian Graves in a Hollywood bio-epic.
From Montana to Los Angeles, London to New Zealand, Great Circle
follows these two women who yearn for adventure and freedom, and like
flying, it’s the thrill of the century. –Al Woodworth
Klara
and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro: https://amzn.to/2TUl80f
When
he was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature, the committee
noted how Ishiguro “uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense
of connection with the world.” In this beautiful novel, Ishiguro
presents an “Artificial Friend,” a robot girl with artificial
intelligence designed as a playmate for real children. It is a
simultaneously heartbreaking and heart-mending story about the abyss
we may never cross. —Chris Schluep
The
Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the
Human Race by Walter Isaacson: https://amzn.to/2Umk45u
Isaacson
is famous for writing Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci, so a title
like The Code Breaker might imply a book about a lesser character.
But the 2020 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, biochemist Jennifer
Doudna, who co-developed the gene editing technology CRISPR, is a
giant in her own right. CRISPR could open some of the greatest
opportunities, and most troubling quandaries, of this century—and
this book delivers. —Chris Schluep
We
Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker: https://amzn.to/3gZdF88
We
Begin at the End is a story of regret and revenge, wrapped around a
mystery, buried inside a tale of star-crossed love. Thirteen-year-old
“outlaw” Duchess Radley—fierce but vulnerable—attempts to
protect her troubled mother but instead sets off a fateful chain of
events in this gorgeous, harrowing novel. —Vannessa Cronin
What's
Mine and Yours by Naima Coster: https://amzn.to/3xLbcF3
For
fans of Celeste Ng, Ann Patchett, and Jacqueline Woodson, What’s
Mine and Yours beautifully unravels the hurt, happiness, and hope
that one generation bestows upon the next. An unforgettable portrait
of how parents and kids—white and Black—handle love and loss,
racism and loyalties. —Al Woodworth
The
Four Winds by Kristin Hannah: https://amzn.to/3gRvN3G
Set
during the Great Depression and featuring an unlikely heroine who
will lodge herself into your heart, The Four Winds is a reminder,
when we so urgently need it, of the resiliency not only of the human
spirit, but of this country as well. Kristin Hannah's latest reads
like a classic. —Erin Kodicek
Punch
Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome: https://amzn.to/3wWKYzy
Hard-hitting,
unflinching, and written with the unfettered gusto of a fist in
motion, Punch Me Up to the Gods is a searing memoir of racism,
homophobia, and addiction from a writer of enormous talent. With
humor, grace, and honesty, Broome investigates his own identity and
his experience as a gay Black man in America. —Al Woodworth
Gold
Diggers by Sanjena Sathian: https://amzn.to/3qiCEHP
This
debut novel is part examination of the immigrant experience, part
exploration of the dark underbelly of suburbia, all with a dash of
magical realism thrown in. Two second-generation Indian Americans
discover the secret to success is drinking a lemonade made from
literal gold, and their lives are forever fused together and altered.
If this funny, realistic, and heart-breaking story is any indication,
Sathian is an author to watch. –Sarah Gelman
The
Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz: https://amzn.to/3d6A1TY
The
Plot is a riveting story within a story that is a Rubik’s Cube of
twists. Jake Finch Bonner, a once-promising young author, is
floundering in obscurity when a one-of-a-kind plot falls into his
lap. The resulting book rockets Jake to stardom—only, the plot
wasn’t his. Korelitz’s thriller keeps readers guessing right up
to its shocking end. —Seira Wilson
Chatter:
The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It by Ethan
Kross: https://amzn.to/2TWMJxQ
It
turns out that some of the most important conversations we have are
with ourselves. Ethan Kross examines the voice that speaks inside our
head, explains why it’s there, and reveals how we can learn to rely
on it rather than being broken by it. Chatter is a masterful,
revealing take on human nature. —Chris Schluep
TODAY
IS A SPECIAL DAY! (A special thanks to NationalDayCalendar.com)
June 23
National Detroit-Style Pizza Day
National Hydration Day
National Pink Day
National Pecan Sandies Day
SURVEYS,
STUDIES & SUCH: Brought to you by BetterCreditCards.com
A new survey shows that Americans are ready for a post-pandemic shopping spree, as 45% of adults plan to spend more this summer than the past two combined. Researchers also found that 48% think they’ve saved enough money over the course of the pandemic to spend guilt-free this summer on restaurants and vacations. (https://bit.ly/3q1o0o2)
A new survey from Green Giant CLAIMS broccoli is America's favorite vegetable. (https://bit.ly/3q3Zsuu)
THIS
IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS: Brought to you by TimeForRehab.com!
Each
day we share stories about people doing dumb things under the
influence, but ADDICTION IS NO LAUGHING MATTER! If you or someone you
know needs help, we're here! Learn more at TimeForRehab.com.
A
Philipsburg man is behind bars after state police say he was on meth
when he led a state trooper on a chase while riding a minibike.
46-year-old William Shutt was riding a camouflage minibike through a
gas station parking lot just after 7:00 a.m. when he was spotted by a
state trooper, who knew he was wanted on Clearfield County warrant.
When the trooper turned on his lights to pull him over, Shutt made a
U-turn and sped away on Route 322. State police noted that Shutt
drove in the opposite lane toward oncoming traffic and rode over
sidewalks as he led the trooper on a chase through Philipsburg
Borough. Shutt then rode though the parking lot of Sheetz before
riding through the harbor Inn’s rear courtyard. The trooper
followed Shutt as he rode north and, after he turned, he crashed the
minibike into an embankment. Shutt told the trooper he had
methamphetamine and Adderall pills in his pocket and he said he used
meth a few hours earlier. A search of Shutt allegedly turned up two
bags of meth weighing a total of 8.5 grams, a gram of marijuana,
eight Adderall pills, a glass pipe, and a straw.
(https://bit.ly/2SGF9XV)
BIG
SCREEN-LITTLE SCREEN: Brought to you by ChannelSurferTV.com
Traci Lynn Johnson is in talks to join “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.” (https://pge.sx/2ShBbVA)
The wand and glasses used by Daniel Radcliffe in the “Harry Potter” films are expected to raise thousands at an upcoming charity auction. (https://bit.ly/35sRYrC)
SCOOP
OF THE DAY: Brought
to you by RadioSavings.com
A New Jersey Water Park slide burst into flames just days before the park opened. (https://bit.ly/3xw4Wky)
Victoria's Secret is replacing their angels with feminist women. (https://bit.ly/2U9FEtT)
A video of a black bear dancing on a pole in the backyard of a New Hampshire home has gone viral. (https://bit.ly/3vKDEFD)
A Tik Tok Bride knit her wedding dress on the New York City Subway over the course of nine months on her way to work. (https://bit.ly/3qksbvu)
FUN
FACT FOR YOU:
Share
this with your friends... they'll think you're really
smart!
Tornadoes
can cause "fish rain." Tornadoes can develop over water
just as well as they can over land. When they do, they're called
"waterspouts," and they suck up large amounts of lake or
sea water—as well as whatever's swimming in that water. If the
waterspout travels on to the land and the winds decrease, there's
nowhere for those fish to go but down. As far as we know, there's no
tornado powerful enough to pick up sharks, but a fish-nado is
entirely possible.
RadioTravelGroup.com
PRESENTS... A NEWS HEADLINE... FROM SOMEWHERE IN THIS
WORLD!
Dateline....
NORTH KOREA
North
Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has warned of potential food shortages in
the Hermit Kingdom as photos showing his own weight loss are
scrutinized by analysts around the world. North Korea’s economy has
deteriorated as a result of Pyongyang’s decision to close its
border with China due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(https://bit.ly/3q7JTSD)
WEIRD
NEWS: Brought to you by WeirdGiftOfTheDay.com
A
modern-day Bonnie and Clyde story, except they’re even bigger
idiots. 31-year-old Matthew Swett and 32-year-old Kaila Ellig are in
huge trouble after a police chase ended with them breaking into the
Haines City Mayor’s home. It all started at a construction site at
2:00 a.m. on Monday when an officer spotted a 2003 blue Toyota. The
suspects spotted the officer and the K9 and they jumped back into
their car and they drove straight at the officer and the K9 and
actually struck the K9 and the patrol car. A short police chase
ensued but they eventually stopped at a wooded area when their car
burst into flames. They climbed a fence and cut a hole in the
screened-in lanai of Haines City Mayor Morris West’s home. After a
standoff, the K9 was able to subdue Swett, and Ellig cooperated
without a fight. (https://bit.ly/3cMe3W4)
MOMENT
OF DUH: Brought
to you by RadioSavings.com
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office arrested 53-year-old Frank Owen of Colchester, VT after he reportedly tried bring a loaded handgun and switchblade knife into the Great Escape Amusement Park. Police say the weapons were found by members of security at the park as part of the security screening before entering the park. A member of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office reportedly responded to the area after the weapons were discovered. Deputies say Owen had a legal license for the gun in Vermont, however he did not have a license to carry in New York. Owen was charged with the following: Class C felony of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd degree and Class A misdemeanor of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 4th degree. Owen was arraigned at the Centralized Arraignment Part Court and remanded to the Warren County Correctional Facility for lack of $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 insurance bond. (https://bit.ly/2SDwTbc)
GOLF
COURSE OR REHAB: Brought to you by TimeForRehab.com
I
read the name of a REAL business located somewhere in the world...
Heidi has to guess if it's a Golf Course or a Rehab Center.
River
Oaks in Cold Spring, Minnesota ….. GOLF COURSE
GOOD NEWS: Brought to you by BetterCreditCards.com
Border
Collie In Car Crash Went Missing. He Was Found On A Farm, Herding
Sheep
https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news
