Memoir
This book is about women in Saudi Arabia. Women are merely possessions of first their father and then their husband. How these women are treated even by supposedly understanding men is absolutely despicable. A woman is raped and then stoned to death for being promiscuous. Another woman is shut in a dark room for the remainder of her life with no interaction with another human being because she dared to fall in love with a Christian. No Saudi man could actually love a woman because if they did this just wouldn't happen.
The book also shows how arrogant, selfish and self-centred these men are. They profess to be extremely religious and when they seem to be out of reach of the Mutawas do whatever they want. They seem to have no morals at all.
Besides all the stories of the oppression of woman there were also stories about the extreme wealth of the royal family. Maybe this is the actual source of the problems as there are no limits and boundaries. I was amazed at the spending with no thought as to a price tag.
First Line: "In a land where kings still rule, I am a princess."
Rating: 
(4.0/5)
When two teens go missing after another two are shot, they become the prime suspects in the case. However, there are many who are close to the missing teens who don't believe this is true and they hire a PI, Mallory Russo, ex-cop, to figure out what really happened. Russo however, isn't without ghosts from her past. She ratted out her partner and was shunned from the force, being forced to quit for fear that she wouldn't get backup when she needed. She delves into the investigation of this case, thankful to get back into the work that she loves. During her investigation, she meets the detective set to take her place. The two fall into a routine of sharing information to solve this case. 
When Parsifal, a magician, dies his widow Sabine finds out that his family did not die in an accident but are very much alive in Nebraska. This book is like an onion that must be unpeeled layer by layer. Sabine sets out on a path to discover why Parsifal denied his family. With each turn she learns something new, along the way finding out about herself.
This story is written in three parts: Beijing, China 1421, Lisbon, Portugal 1496 and present day. Beijing is under the Ming dynasty. The forbidden city has just been completed and to celebrate the completion Admiral Zheng He is told to amass a fleet to map the world and bring back riches and glory for the emperor. Ma Zhi is a eunuch cartographer who wishes to join the armada and help his family's finances. He must go through rigorous testing but is finally chosen to accompany the Admiral. He creates a beautiful map of the world. Upon arrival home he finds that China is now not interested in exploration but is turning inward and becoming isolated. They are not the heroes they thought they would be.
Emily Faithful(Fido) is an independent British woman in 1864 who owns a printing press. She is one of the main founders of the British Woman's movement. She may be a force to reckon with in business but when it comes to personal relationships she is just too trusting. When a chance encounter brings her back into contact with her old friend Helen Codrington, she believes all she is told. In order for Helen to explain to her male escort how she can no longer continue to see him, she requires to meet him at Fido's place. Fido wishes to do all she can do to help her friend in an unhappy marriage. What follows is a tryst by the two lovers. Fido seems to fall into this trap more than once.
Lyra is a rebellious child who has grown up in a college with scholars because her parents were killed in an accident. She doesn't care to learn much, but would rather explore, play with her friends, and make fun of the scholars. Her daemon, Pantalaimon, has not yet taken a permanent form because Lyra is still a child. Each person in the world has a deamon, an animal that is the soul of the person, showing their emotion, defending their human counterpart and speaking to them. 
Linwood Breedlove Scott's life is a mess. Her husband has left her for a stripper and drained all their bank accounts and owes the IRS. She has nothing. Returning home to a small Southern town, Lin finds nothing has changed. Her mother is still controlling and her father has no problem telling her what she has done wrong. Her Aunt Gloria and Uncle Bedford who has Altzheimers are living with her parents. Her brother still doesn't have a job.
This is a biography of Galileo. Through letters sent to him by his eldest daughter, his life is chronicled. Galileo's 2 daughters were sent to a convent because of the circumstances of their birth. Unable to leave the convent the eldest developed a very close relationship with her father. She wrote and saw him very often.
You just have to love Harry Bosch. This time he is called in to investigate a murder that doesn't happen in his jurisdiction. He is one of the few cops that the victim hasn't had dealings with in court. The victim, Howard Elias, is an activist lawyer who helps clients who feel they have been wronged by the police. His trial record is great and the police hate his guts.