At the Gates of Rome: The Rise and Fall of the Eternal City, AD 410 (Don Hollway)

The gradual and occasionally spastic decline of the Roman Empire occured over a couple of centuries and involved a combination of events. One of them was the sacking of Rome in AD 410 by the Goths, who were led by Alaric. Alaric was a former Roman soldier and ally of the empire before being dismissed from the Roman Army late in the 4th Century. Eventually, Alaric directed an army of Goth supporters on a rampage from the historic and symbolic capital of Rome.

At the Gates of Rome: The Fall of the Eternal City, AD 410 is Don Hollway’s detailed, historic account of this event and the decades-long lead-up to it. While Rome was no longer the capital of the Roman Empire, which by the 5th Century had been split into two parts, it was still a large, symbolic, major city with over 100,000 inhabitants. It also housed the Roman Senate and many political institutions, even though emperors were now based in Ravenna. Hollway’s account details the story of imperial incompetence, political backstabbing, murder, religion, and a former army leader turning against his former employer after they dismissed him. The Goths had rampaged through Italy on two prior occasions, including two sieges where the city’s supply of grain was cut off until a ransom was paid. On the third siege, Alaric ultimately burned much of the city and killed numerous Roman residents.

At the Gates of Rome does not just describe the sacking of Rome in technical detail, but shares intriguing stories involving Gothic treatment of religious relics and some individuals (many others were not spared such kindness). Hollway’s book closes with explaining his reasons for the Fall of Rome, quoting Patrick Henry’s remarks from the late 18th Century regarding division and unity. Rome’s inability to remain united nor welcoming to foreign groups seeking refuge within the Roman Empire is the author’s chief reason why he believes Rome was ultimately sacked and why the Western Roman Empire eventually ceased to exist. 

MY RATING - 4.5

What Happened to the Bennetts (Lisa Scottoline)

Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline's What Happened to the Bennetts is told in two parts -- one far more interesting than the other.

Jason Bennett and his family are driving home from a lacrosse game when a truck starts tailing them. Two men then draw guns on the family and want the car. What happens next changes their lives forever. Because of who these two men are, the family have 15 minutes to grab what they want to save from their home and enter the witness protection program. They of course are having trouble adjusting to leaving behind everything they know, but leaving the program would be far too dangerous. 

After a big twist that I never saw coming, Jason decides to take matters into his own hands. Part two is where we get "Superman" Jason, and things just get more unbelievable on every page, with Jason going after Mob bosses, crooked lawyers and politicians, and even the FBI. There are too many unrealistic events that take place in part two, but part one is riveting. So I'm going to average my rating out to a 3.

MY RATING - 3

The Hotel Nantucket (Elin Hilderbrand)

It's just not summer without a new Elin Hilderbrand book. I've read most of them -- some I've liked more than others. I'm happy to say that in this humble reader's opinion, The Hotel Nantucket is one of her best.

Why? It has it all -- Hilderbrand's beloved Nantucket setting, interesting characters you really care about, sumptuous food descriptions, and even a ghost! The main character of The Hotel Nantucket is, well, the Hotel Nantucket. This hotel has a tragic history -- in 1922, a fire killed Grace, a maid, and no one ever knew what happened to her. The hotel opened and closed a few times since then, until no one wanted it anymore. That is, until billionaire Xavier Darling buys it and wants to restore it to its glory. Xavier hires Lizbet Keaton as the hotel's general manager, and Lizbet in turn, hires the rest of the staff. Throughout the book, we not only get to know the staff's stories but also the colorful guests. And lest we forget Grace, she haunts the hotel and can't rest in peace until people know what really happened to her. 

All of these characters come together to create a truly wonderful book that's perfect for summertime. Best of all, since Lizbet creates a Blue Book for her guests to get to know Nantucket, Hilderbrand puts her own guide in the back of the book. This is truly one of Hilderbrand's best and one that will get a rare 5 rating.

MY RATING - 5

Radically Human: How New Technology is Transforming Business and Shaping Our Future (Paul Daugherty and H. James Wilson)

Technology is rapidly evolving. For many businesses, these changes can be very difficult to adapt to and even tougher to learn in order to help their business succeed. Paul Daugherty and H. James Wilson’s book, Radically Human: How New Technology Is Transforming Business and Shaping Our Future, attempts to help businesses understand how to use new and evolving technologies to drive innovation.

The authors frame much of this book off their experience and research working for Accenture, a major information technology (IT) company. Radically Human offers a strategic framework of five basic fundamentals: Intelligence, Data, Expertise, Architecture, and Strategy, which make up the acronymed word IDEAS. As an example, the authors talk about how technology can help gather large reams of data, with human leadership and know-how harnessing and refining that data to make better-informed decisions for their business. 

Beyond that, the authors argue that improved technology and artificial intelligence may help improve the customer service experience for many businesses, reduce bias in hiring and decision making, and improve transparency in business processes. These improvements will increase consumer trust in business, as well as trust between employer and employee.

Radically Human is designed for business leaders and technology officers who are looking to utilize technology in a better way with their business. While a complex and at times technical read, the authors draw heavily on research to offer an informed, thoughtful opinion on a fast-changing field.

MY RATING - 3.5

The Family Plot (Megan Collins)

I don't really have a genre that's my favorite, but I do tend to gravitate toward darker books. No matter how dark the book, however, there needs to be some realism within the darkness for it to make sense. This is not the case with Megan Collins's The Family Plot.

Dahlia Lighthouse has come back home to bury her father. "Home" is a place that's filled with people who are obsessed with true crime. I know a lot of people who love to read true crime but not people who's mother made them write "murder" reports and do honorings as part of her true crime homeschooling curriculum. Or a sister who does dioramas of infamous killings and puts them on social media. Or a brother who puts together a "murder memorial" museum in his own house. See the lack of realism above.

When Dahlia's father's grave is dug, a shocking discovery is made -- there's another body in it. This body is Dahlia's twin brother, Andy, who went missing years before. How Andy got there is the main plot, along with who the identity is of the island's serial killer. 

This one wasn't for me, even though I like darker books. I feel like it had promise, but the plot was just too unrealistic.

MY RATING - 2

All the Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life's Work (Hayley Campbell)

If you have a morbid side (like me), you'll love Hayley Campbell's All the Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life's Work. I've always been fascinated by this topic but have never read anything quite as original as this.

Each chapter focuses on someone who has a key role in death. This not includes the professions you typically think of (like funeral directors, embalmers, crematorium operators and gravediggers), but also people who work quietly behind the scenes (like crime scene cleaners) doing something no one else wants to (or has the stomach) to do. Campbell follows these people as they do their unheralded work, writing absolutely fascinating accounts of why each person is in their profession. Some accounts are truly heartbreaking, such as the one of the bereavement midwife.

I loved this book and found myself enthralled with each chapter. All the Living and the Dead takes people right into the death industry, wondering why we allow death to remain so hidden.

MY RATING - 5

This book's expected publication date is August 16, 2022.

Diplomatic Gifts: A History in Fifty Presents (Paul Brummell)

Gifts between cities, states, heads of state, or nations are often done with a number of intended messages. Whether the gifts are tokens of appreciation (such as "thank you" train that the French gave Americans after they donated food and goods in the aftermath of World War II), or more symbolic displays of political influence (such as stadiums or other infrastructure), gift-giving from one political entity to another has been a longstanding tradition in the world. Paul Brummell captures fifty of these interesting gift exchanges in his book Diplomatic Gifts: A History in Fifty Presents.

In general chronological order, Brummell traces how gifts have been ruses (such as the Trojan Horse), used to help strengthen political alliances (of which there are many examples), or more unique gifts to show scientific and artistic prowess (such as a planetarium). In numerous chapters, the author tries to trace where some of the gifts have gone over the centuries or how they may have been destroyed. He highlights wildlife in several examples, as well as a human "gift" that was saved from human sacrifice in the 19th Century.

Diplomatic Gifts features a diverse collection of stories, many of which are quite funny. One of the funniest is the story of Sir Oliver Franks, British ambassador to the U.S. Back in 1948, he was told that a local radio station had asked what he would like for Christmas and he gave his response. A few days later, that radio station announced the requests made by various countries. The Soviet ambassador wished for freedom for all people enslaved by imperialism. The French ambassador desired world peace. The British ambassador's request? A box of crystallized fruit.

MY RATING - 5