On Choosing a Book

There are zillions of books out there. You can get them in hard cover, soft or no cover (bargain bin). You can get them from the Web, from neighbors and relatives, and from reviews and marketing blurbs. Some are out-of-print and some should be.

Awhile ago, my brother-in-law gave me a book to read. I was swamped at the time and it landed on the bottom of the pile. Now it has seen the light of day and I have to either read it or give it back. So, how do I decide?

Well, it is 630 pages long. It was published in 2009, a #1 New York Times best seller, the fourth book using the same two main characters, and there were many positive comments about the book (but do publishers ever use negative comments?). Like “riveting . . .stellar . . . thriller . . . not a simple whodunit and heart-pounding.”

It was published by Vision of New York and Boston, a trademark of Hachette Book Group, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing. So, I went to the Hachette Web Site to learn more. Mr. Baldacci practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C., as both a trial and corporate attorney. His works have been in numerous worldwide magazines, newspapers, journals, and publications. Baldacci has authored seven original screenplays. His books have been translated into more than 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries. All of his books have been national and international bestsellers. Over 60 million copies of Mr. Baldacci's books are in print worldwide.

Impressive for a fifty-year old lawyer. So, what's the plot of the book? It involves a kidnapping at Camp David. A couple of former Secret Service agents became private investigators who initially didn't want to get involved. But they did. It teems with well-researched, inside the Beltway details . . . and [he] is a more subtle writer now. And David Baldacci dedicated First Family to To my mom, my brother, and my sister, for all their love.

My senior moment arrived when I realized that he and his wife are co-founders of the Wish You Well Foundation dedicated to supporting literary efforts through its program to spread books across America. I'm going to dive into it. I'll let you know what happened.