4.5 stars
Richard Engel has spent decades reporting from the Middle East and provides a clear, concise portrait of major events in the region since 9/11. As he moves from country to country, war seems to follow him and even a much needed respite in Beirut happens as the attacks between Isreal and Lebanon break out. He completed daring reporting assignments during times when most of the other major reporters had already left and seemed to almost be addicted to the danger of living in these areas. I have read several books that try to explain the turbulence in the Middle East but this is probably the most current and most accessible that I have read. I finished this book with a clearer picture of how ISIS came to be and the mistakes that the U.S. and other foreign powers have made along the way. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Arrangement by Ashley Warlick
3 stars
MFK Fisher became a successful food writer who bucked her traditional marriage by having an affair with her husband's best friend. This book imagines the relationship between all three and how it affected Fisher's life and writing. I found this to be a compelling story and I almost always like these fictionalized accounts of famous writers, however, I found the structure of this to be strange. It jumped between characters randomly and even jumped ahead to MFK Fisher's old age which would have worked had it happened consistently. Instead there were just scenes thrown in that didn't really add much to the story and disrupted my enjoyment of the narrative. Overall, though, I liked this book and thought it an interesting story to tell. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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