Kansas City Lightning

A fascinating look at Charlie Parker's beginning. I assumed (wrongly) that this would be a full biography of Parker's life, but it stops before he truly hits the big time. It traces his rice in Kansas City, his hoboing to Chicago and then to New York to see the world and prove his worth, and ends with his eventual return to Kansas City. Included are many pictures, interviews with his first wife and a wonderful array of Jazz history and culture so that the reader can gain a better understanding of how Parker created a unique sound all his own while studying the Jazz masters of the day. A wonderfully informative book that makes me wonder if it's the first in a series. I want to know about his rise to fame, not just the beginnings!

The Jazz Files

The first in a new series, this charming little mystery will delight readers. It's 1920 and Poppy Denby is new to London and determined to take in all the sights and sounds. Lured by her handicapped aunt with the promise of employment, she leaves behind her overprotective parents and seeks adventure. She quickly finds employment at a local newspaper and makes friends with the handsome press photographer and a local actress. Poppy soon finds herself in over her head after one of her coworkers mysteriously dies. Is something amiss? She soon finds herself playing the dutiful journalist an investigating all leads; she stumbles upon a web soo tangled that suffragettes, Marie Curie, a Victorian Cross wearing veteran, and a mental health patient are all involved. How will she ever get to the bottom of it? Intriguing and it keeps you guessing to the end. For fans of cozy mysteries and period pieces.

I received this book for free from Kregel Publications in return for my honest, unbiased review.

On the Shoulders of Giants

This is hands down a must read! When my uncle suggested I read this, I was skeptical. It didn't look all that amazing. But he finally wore me down and I'm so glad he did, because I enjoyed the shit out of this work!

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar combines history and personal narratives to produce an enriched account of the Harlem Renaissance and how it impacted his personal beliefs, ideologies, and life. Kareem explores three major sections of the Harlem Renaissance: the literary achievements of black legends, basketball, and the roots of jazz. I'm no history expert, but I sure as hell learned a lot more about black culture and history then I ever did in my textbooks or college course in African American History. Sometimes it can be challenging to make historical events exciting, but with all the rich material from this era, Kareem has no problem bringing it to life and showing how it impacted his early years.

A fascinating and eye opening read. A must read for fans of history, civil rights, basketball, jazz, etc. There is something in it for everyone!

Low Down: Junk, Jazz, and Other Fairy Tales from Childhood

A.J. Albany kills it in this memoir! Instead of being told in the usual narration form the author tells her story through a series of short memories and observations from her youth. Some are in chronological order, some are not, but together they all tell the haunting, enchanting, and wildly inappropriate childhood of young Amy Joe Albany, daughter of legendary Jazz pianist, Joe Albany. Her observations about drugs, sexuality, and music are stunning, startling, and amazingly ahead of her time. A great memoir full of stories that will stick with you. I can't wait to see the movie adaptation.

For fans of memoirs, coming of age stories, and jazz.

Bloody Good Read!

Holy shit. I haven't had a book punch me in the gut like this in a long time. Sweet Jesus this was a great read, and probably has one of the best endings I've read in quite a long time.

"I Hunt Killers" follows Jazz as he tries to come to terms with his haunted past and be a normal teenager. You see, Jazz isn't a normal kid, his dad was a notorious serial killer (124 murders! notorious is an understatement!) and Jazz grew up with a sociopath that taught him how to best severe off limbs, dissolve bodies, manipulate people, and think like a killer. Even though his crazy father, Billy Dent, was caught and imprisoned for life when he was 12, Jazz still can't come to terms. He's 17 and incredibly guilty that he didn't stop his father as a child and he's incredibly scared that he's really a killer at heart because he can't stop thinking about the messed up things his father taught him. Thankfully, he has an amazing best friend, Howie, who stood by him even when the world hated/shunned him because of who his father was. He also has a supportive girlfriend who puts up with his neurotic tendencies and a crazy senile grandma that he takes care of. As if trying to be a normal kid isn't hard enough there is a murder in toen and Jazz immediately recognizes the signs and tells the sheriff that it's a serial killer. The sheriff doesn't believe him so Jazz and Howie do some sleuthing and find some clues that the police miss. They still don't believe Jazz, so he becomes obsessed with finding the killer himself, soon enough there are a string of other murders and Jazz becomes central to the investigation when he figures out the pattern. Finally, Jazz can put his messed up killer mind to use for good, but as he does old memories begin to surface and it nearly tears him apart.

Overall the book is fantastic! It hooks you right from the beginning and you learn more about serial murderers and methods of killing than you ever wanted to know, but it's fascinating in a creepy way. This book is a must read and it's nearly impossible to put down. The ending alone is worth reading for, holy crap you don't see it coming. There better be a sequel!!