The Running Bibliophile

Remember Her Name! Debbie Allen's Rise To Fame by Tami Charles   is a children’s nonfiction book that explores how Debbie Allen became a dancer during the Civil Rights Movement and rose to fame through talent, perseverance, and determination.  I received an Advance Reader’s Copy (ARC) of this book for free from NetGalley and Charlesbridge in exchange for my honest review. I grew up watching Fame , so I’ve always known who Debbie Allen was, but I realized I didn’t know much about her life beyond her connection to her sister, Phylicia Rashad.  I also remember seeing her appear on an episode or two of the reality dance show Dance Moms , which made me even more curious about her journey and legacy in the dance world. This children's picture book gives kids a look into Debbie Allen's life in a friendly, easy to understand format. Additionally, the story teaches children about the Civil Rights Movement since that is part of the dancers story. It's extremely well written, and...

The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch is about the first ever meeting between Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill in Iran.  When the Nazis find out about it, they create a secret plan to assassinate the Big Three.  The expected publication date of this book is January 10, 2023. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Nazi Conspiracy .  I never learned about this secret plot in school, and I wanted to learn more about it.  When I learned that I had been approved to receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, I was thrilled. This non-fiction book was an informative read as well as mostly interesting.  There was a slow stretch in the book where approximately fifty of the pages read like a text book, but overall, it was a learning experience.  There is so much that was never taught in my histo...

On November 15, 1959 in Holcomb, KS, four members of the Clutter family were murdered at their home. There are few clues and no motive that the police can find. Truman Capote takes a look at the murders that Perry Smith and Dick Hickock were convicted for in his non-fiction / true crime book In Cold Blood .  What made me pick up a non-fiction book such as In Cold Blood ? I don't recall why it interested me, but I'm sure it came up somehow in a book club discussion at some point. Not knowing anything about the story or the author, I wasn't sure what to expect when I read it. The brutality of what happened to the Clutter family is absolutely horrifying, and the reasoning behind it was truly awful. You'll have to read the book to find out. The first two-thirds or so of In Cold Blood was a fast paced and interesting read, but the last third of the book was painfully slow, so much so that I put the book down for several years before picking it up again and finishing. I was ...