I’ve Got Sand in All the Wrong Places

I’ve Got Sand in All the Wrong Places by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca  Serritella              Audio Book:  5 hours, 32 minutes           Paperback Book:  352 pages          

This is the third book I have read by this awesome mother and daughter comedy duo.    Hilarious.    I laughed out loud so many times I lost count.     Such good storytelling here, everything they talk about and tell on themselves for our listening or reading pleasure are fraught with hilarious anecdotes.    They say they fight just like any other mother and daughter, but, you would never know it.   They are so in sync  with each other and the warmth and love they express is sincerely heartfelt.   They deliver punchlines so spot on you could picture them doing standup comedy at a club but I guess they save it for their presentations at booksignings.  J    They also hold get-togethers at Lisa’s house for their fans.    Both ladies do comedy books together in which they trade off telling funny stories, but, each also writes in other genres and each have several books in print.   I dearly love their comedy works this is the third of their comedy writings I have read and I want to read them all as well as their other writings.   They are excellent story tellers when talking about their own lives, so, I am curious to see what their fiction titles are like.     I highly recommend this book as I lost count on how many laugh out loud moments I had.   In this book Francesca also tells the story of the time she got mugged on her street when she returned home a subway ride with friends who had all left a party.   The mugging happened around 1:00a.m.  She was walking down her street and was 2 blocks away from her door when she was attacked from behind.   Francesca doesn’t tell the story as a victim but as a survivor.   Though she was beaten up, she will not let it stop her from walking her dog on her street at night and not stop her from going and coming as she pleases.   She takes the experience in her stride and pulls funny bits she observed.   She is good.   Lisa and Francesca see things through their own perspective Lisa is the mother with two ex-husbands – the first was Francesca’s Dad and she has lots of stories to tell about aging and things that are meaningful to those of us in our 60s while Francesca sees life through the eyes of of a recently turned thirty something, still reveling in the tales of her 20 something years and now into her new decade as a thirty something.    Nothing is taboo for these gals and the way they tell it – its going to be real and its going to be witty and it is definetly going to be comical.   I highly recommend all of the comedy titles with these two ladies dishing up the humor – they are a riot!  

Royal Crown: From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess

Royal Crown: From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot           AudioBook: 4 hours, 7 minutes       Hardback book:  224 pages           

Not since the War of the Roses between the House of Stewart and the House of Tudor has there been such royal intrigue!   Cousins fighting amongst themselves to be the next successor to the Genovian throne being abdicated Princess Olivia’s Dad.    Cousins are coming out of the woodwork trying to climb over each other to grab the crown when succession traditionally goes to the oldest child of the previous monarch which means Olivia’s older sister (Olivia is third in line for the crown).   The cousins are playing on their worthiness, their birthrights and their genetic makeup according to the genobe project detecting their DNA lines.   It is not pretty heading up to the coronation with all the snarky remarks, backstabbing and mayhem afoot.   Add to this that loads of royal relatives are coming in for the coronation from all over the globe with their children which begets a golden opportunity to make some pocket money for the young royals to babysit the uppercrust children.   It is also a marketing coup the royal princesses advertise that the incoming royal guests can have their royal darlings babysat by princesses of the realm who can also impart knowledge to the kinder on how to behave with royal etiquette.   When the princesses royal grandmother got wind of their ploy she wanted in and took on the job of being their manager for 10% of their earnings (Grandma is certainly savvy and rules the roost).    A fun read with lots of haught attitude on Princess Luisa’s part – she is a little jerk to everyone but Grandmama knows how to get her in line – seems she is the only one with any sway when it comes to Luisa.    There is royal romance afoot, too, as well as squalling twins, and Princess Purple Iris (her mother got the idea for her name from Beyonce who she named her daughter Blue Ivy).   Princess Purple Iris is a three year old with a yen to be a hairdresser and insists on brushing everyone’s including any royal pooches’ hair or bear the brunt of her disgruntled screams.   Its either that or bear the beating of her brush and comb set – kind of a toss up and Olivia keeps suggesting Purple Iris brush the dog who just loves it.   The dog gives Olivia a long look and ducks and runs when Purple Iris comes after it, salon products in hand.     It is a cute and funny story and gads the subject of a young lady’s menses even takes center stage!    A fun romp of a story that I think would make a particularly well received film.   I would recommend this story and Meg Cabot has always been a fun writer to read.    Well done.  

Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 2

Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 2 by Jon Kabat-Zinn            Audio Book:  3 hours, 37 minutes    Book: estimated 150   

Jon Kabat-Zinn has such a great understanding of meditation that he imparts to the listener or reader.     I know a lot of meditation books try to be how- tos, but, this one accomplishes what the others merely attempt.   The meditations found in this manual to the art are most excellent.    The meditations truly do raise your consciousness in such a way that you are carried along with the instructor so fast it is almost like being hypnotized.   He cuts to the very core of quieting your mind,   relaxing your body so you can hear your breath and he guides you whether novice or experienced meditator in such a Zen (no pun intended on Kabat-Zinn) way that you ride on the dream-like wave of calm to a deep state mental as well as physical relaxation.   I tried it and I can honestly say some issues that were plaguing me afterward didn’t seem so fierce afterall.   I can only describe it as a deep felt sense of calm or better said, perhaps, a lack of worry and a sense of all will be well in the universe.   Now, I’m not saying it is a type of mental high but more an awareness that all will work out and everything will be fine.   No more, no less.   Kind of like when you are a kid and you think the world is crashing in on you for whatever reason and your Mom talks to you in that gentle understanding voice and counsels you on how to make things right in your world.  Like that only without the talking just the occasional bell and his soothing words directing you to visionary paths with mountains and lakes while you mindfully follow his words and instructions directing your sitting and lying meditations to nirvana or profound peace of mind.    He really helps the reader to accomplish that.   Not enlightenment but peace of mind.    I highly recommend this instruction as I am a witness it worked.    This work is a companion piece to his other book,  “No Matter Where You Go, There You Are,” which I plan to read, too, though this instructive book on CD was a stand alone work in its own right.    Good going, Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Footprints in the Sand: A Piper Donovan Mystery

Footprints in the Sand: A Piper Donovan Mystery  (Book 3 in the Piper Donovan/Wedding Cake Mysteries)  by Mary Jane Clark                Audio Book:6 hrs. 18 min       Hardback Book:  384 pages   

This story was kind of a “meh” for me.  It was o.k.  not anything that required a lot of thought, I didn’t get attached to any of the characters in this one.    There were interesting elements, a good mix of plot lines – location Sarasota, Florida, a wedding happening on the beach,  cousins, bridesmaids, add in some Amish folks and lots of Amish proverbs stir that up add in several murders, a car wreck, an ex-cop, a lot of murders shake ‘em all up and pour out this story.    Some good parts, some pretty predictable ones and the off surprise and cryptic message.    Sorry, this one was just “meh” for me.   Seems like it could have been better, more punch with all the intermingling clandestine happenings, but, no, it was just o.k.    Passable.   I would not brag on this one, but, if someone was committed to the series I suppose they would want to read this one or if they were a fan already of Mary Jane Clark, they would likely enjoy this one.    Personally with all the potentially exciting elements I just felt there could have been more meat to this story and it ended up with no real bite.  Even the ending was like sand through an hour glass, here then gone.   No recommendation on this one unless the reader is just looking to kill some time or read something simple.       

The Next Person You Meet in Heaven

The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom  224 pages

I admit that I’ve often wondered over the last fifteen years if Mitch Albom would ever write a sequel to “The Five People You Meet in Heaven.” What happened to Annie after the tragic accident at the amusement park when she was just eight years old? Did she carry the scars of Eddie’s death? Did she even remember him? Well, now I know; my wait is over.

Annie is a nurse and a day shy of her thirty-first birthday. Readers get to watch Annie marry Paulo, a childhood friend who had been out of her life for many years. As they embark on their honeymoon, they stop to help a man change a flat tire. That moment of kindness changes Annie and Paulo’s life forever.

Later that night, Annie and Paulo are involved in a horrific accident. Annie goes to heaven to meet the five people who explain her life to her. But that’s not how the story ends, so this wasn’t a spoiler. 

I was a little disappointed in this sequel. I took the title literally, and thought there would be a sixth person. Or something. The structure of the novel follows the same structure in the original story, so that gave it some continuity.  However, I feel as if the title was misleading and that is why  “The Next Person You Meet in Heaven” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom  196 pages

I first read this delightful short novel when it was first published in 2003.  I couldn’t put it down, then, and I couldn’t put it down this time either. I wanted to refresh my memory about Eddie, the 83 year old amusement park maintenance man before I started Mitch Albom’s sequel, “The Next Person You Meet in Heaven.”

The story starts at the end, with Eddie dying on his eighty-third birthday. Eddie had worked at Ruby Pier in the Maintenance Department all his life. He considered himself a nobody, no one special. But Eddie was very special. Every day he walked through the park. He could hear a problem with one of the rides as acutely as if the park was empty and completely silent. All the regulars knew Eddie and loved him. He even carried yellow pipe cleaners in his shirt pocket to make little animals for the kids.

On that particular day, Eddie was nearby when one of the rides began to fall.  He rushed to the scene, grabbed little Annie by the hands and got her out of the way before one of the ride’s cars plummeted to Earth.

Eddie arrives in heaven. It’s not at all like he expected. There he learns that there are five people, whom you may or may not know, that are connected to your life. They are to answer the question that haunts us all:  why am I here? What is my purpose?

As Eddie advances through heaven, those questions are answered. Eddie soon learns that he wasn’t a nobody, he was important. Very important. Not just the maintenance man at an amusement park, but his real job was to protect the children. 

Eddie’s story has struck with me through the years. Oftentimes I find myself wondering why I am here and what my purpose is. Then I think of this little story and wonder who might my five people be.  This read is just as compelling and appealing as it was the first time I read it. That’s why  “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Stories of Your Life and others

Stories of Your Life and others by Ted Chiang, 10 hrs 23 m, 333 pages

This is a collection of the author's first eight published stories. All of the stories were good but my least favorite was the first one - "Tower of Babylon". It was slow to get going but had a good ending. It was the author's first published story which could be why it wasn't as good.

The title story, Stories of Your Life was the basis for the movie Arrival and it is what drew me to this collection. However, it wasn't my favorite story in the collection. I would say my favorite is a toss up between "Understand" and "Liking What You See: a Documentary".      

"Understand" is about a man who is given a life saving drug that unintentionally makes him more intelligent. After several doses, he is super intelligent and has control over his body. While he is constructing his grand philosophy he finds out there is another like him. He realizes there can only be one of them which leads to a showdown.

"Liking What You See: a Documentary" is set in the future where your ability to tell if people are beautiful or ugly can be turned off. The documentary is of people at a college debating and then voting on whether everyone at the college will be required to have the procedure while they are attending.

I would recommend this book to fans of science fiction and fantasy.        

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally,  Nick Offerman   audiobook 6 discs, 288 pages 

I listened to this audiobook, which is read by the authors and makes for some very good listening. Admittedly, I prefer listening to Nick than Megan (and it seemed like sometimes she dominated the conversation a bit too often).  I liked that the two of them talked about their childhoods, how they met, and anecdotes about their relationship and life in general. I really liked it when Nick would do a chapter on his own, like the one about how if you're looking to meet someone (for a relationship), it's best to do it while doing something you love. He starts out by talking about baking delicious cookies and then it all develops from there.

I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed this as much if I had read the book because the audiobook just feels like a natural conversation between the two of them, complete with occasional snickers. It's clear that the two of them have a solid relationship and their comfort level with each other comes through as you listen to them.

Mrs.

Mrs. by Caitlin Macy        341 pages --- read 150 before I gave up

"Macy has written a modern-day House Of Mirth, not for the age of railroads and steel but of hedge funds and overnight fortunes, of scorched-earth successes and abiding moral failures. A brilliant portrait of love, betrayal, fate and chance, Mrs marries razor-sharp social critique and page-turning propulsion into an unforgettable tapestry of the way we live in the 21st Century."  (per Goodreads summary)

Our main character is Phillippa Lye, a tall and elegant woman who seems to be the one person everyone can't stop discussing. She's married a man who is part of the last family-held investment bank in New York City (read this as "they have loads of money"). While her life seems balanced, when she meets Gwen Hogan (and actually, meets her again, as it turns out they went to school together) and Minnie Curtis, things start to come unraveled. Because Philippa has a past (of course she does) that may be connected to a criminal investigation.

I had put this book on hold and I'm assuming I did that because I read a review that made this book sound good. It wasn't. I gave up after 150 pages because I was bored. Rich ladies gossiping about other rich ladies, a wife who is rags to riches, a husband who is an investment banker (but wait, is he up to something shady?) . . .  after a while, I just didn't care.  I contemplated skipping to the end to find out what happened but ultimately didn't care enough to do even that. I'm hoping the next book I pick up is better than this one was.  

Nicole Eisenman

Nicole Eisenman by Nicole Eisenman, Beatrix Ruf, Lynne Tillman, Laurie Weeks, and Nicola Tyson

Harcover: 96 pages

Nicole Eisenman is a contemporary artist, best known for her paintings (though she also works in installation, printmaking, and sculpture), and a 2015 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. This book came out in 2011 and features many handsome reproductions of Eisenman’s paintings and drawings from the mid-90s to about 2010. Check out this book to look at the paintings, of course, but you’d be remiss to skip the writing, which includes an introduction by the editor/curator Beatrix Ruf, an interview with the artist, and a short story.  In the interview, conducted by the author Lynne Tillman, Eisenman talks about her approach and evolution as a painter, and the early influence of art history on her work  – particularly Italian Renaissance and Gothic art. She points out how she built from the ruins of these traditions, imbuing them with her specific world of characters, abjection, subconscious desires, and importantly, humor. She also addresses feeling constantly disappointed by feeling forced to define herself and her paintings in terms of gender, when to her, “all in life and painting is fluid.”  Speaking about her newest paintings at the time, she explains how she reassessed her formal approach, deciding to become more painterly and less controlling – that is, to let the paint itself claim as much or more meaning than the image. This changing approach can be seen in the range of paintings featured in the book. The author Laurie Weeks provides a surreal and hilarious meta-story about writing a story for a Nicole Eisenman book, in which the author and her cohorts pontificate on the artistic and political implications of Eisenman’s work, and totally eviscerate capitalism and patriarchy in the process. I enjoyed it immensely and can’t think of a better introduction to the paintings in this book. Recommended!

 - Aleta L.

Dog

Dog by Michelle Herman   Hardcover: 188 pages

Dog is a novella about a cynical, reclusive poetry professor and her transformative experience adopting a puppy. Though she’s resistant to change at first, the protagonist finds that the emotional space she creates for Phil, the dog, opens things up everywhere: she begins reconsidering the meaning of “goodness” in her life, and she contemplates her past, present, and future with more kindness than she’d ever been able to muster. I enjoyed the changing tone of the professor’s musings as she grew more and more attached to the dog, and appreciated the depictions of her very different academic and domestic selves – a divide everyone can relate to on some level.  Ultimately a story about companionship and possibility, I recommend it if you want a rare feel-good but believable, engaging short book – it didn’t take much time to read, but the story is still hanging around pleasantly in my mind.

 - Aleta L.

Farsighted: How We Make the Decisions That Matter The Most

Farsighted: How We Make the Decisions That Matter The Most by Steven Johnson            Audio Book: 6hrs., 30 mins    Paperback Book: 384 pages          

Interesting book.   You will come away from this read having learned to think differently about every decision you make regardless the subject.    Steven Johnson discusses the thought processes that go into decision making – nothing so simple as you may have thought, he goes into the depths of such things as Navy Seal Training and how they decide what actions they will take in any scenario based on every possible outcome they can come up with and it is varied and extensive.     That example alone gives one pause to consider how often we may think on situations we may find ourselves in but to put the time and effort into every possible snare and potential outcome, man, that gives you a totally different perspective on things.    He discusses how Benjamin Franklin always used a Pro and Con list when met with tenacious issues needing to be dealt with.    Charles Darwin used the Pro and Con list when deciding if he should marry or not.   He loved the lady, but, did he actually want to give up his virtually free life to settle down?    He had one issue more in his Pro list when he weighed the values of both sides and he did indeed marry, not as much for the lady as for the anticipated progeny he wanted to leave behind an evolutionist to the end!  The writer, George Elliot who was actually a woman named Mary Anne Evans had to decide whether to live in sin (remember this was the Victorian Era) with the married man she loved or give him up and keep her place in polite society?   Love  won out she decided to go away with him to the Continent passing time with fellow writers, poets and artists in Café’ Society for a time and when they returned he was still married to someone else, they never legally married but Mary Anne began to use his last name and asked that all future correspondence be sent to her as Mary Anne Lewis as though they were married.    She even wrote her sister asking her how she felt about her now as a “married” woman?    Her sister nor her family ever had anything to do with her again, but, Mary Anne exercised her feminism by doing what felt right for her rather than bowing to the standards set by society.     Quite a radical stance for a woman in those days.   Steven Johnson talks about Global Warming and how the decisions or lack of decisions will weigh on society in the long run.   If big business does not adjust and lessen or do away completely with fossil fuels the earth will cease to be as we know it now.   Mass destruction may not come in our lifetimes, but, what about our grandchildren’s lives?    Do we say forget them – each age will do for itself or do world leaders come together to fix the problem now?    Naysayers won’t reap the consequences, but, their descendants will if changes aren’t made to preserve life as we know it.    There are so many other examples of decision making with the future in mind and how humankind needs to always look at the big picture and work out the mathematics of each problem we come up against in order to find the best solution for ourselves and the world we live in.    Very in-depth look at the process of working out our conscious thoughts on all sides of issues to discover or come to a better understanding of best outcome bit by bit until all the possible alternatives or unknowns can be taken into account and given our best surmise to come to our best outcome.    Gosh, this guy is good. And yes, I recommend this book, but, it isn’t light fare so be in a mood to be ready to think because it will definetly spark ideas aplenty for all those nagging either ors we have in our lives.  Good book.

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life: A Sort of Biography by Eric Idle           Audio Book: 8 hours    Hardback Book 304 pages                    

Famed member of the Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Eric Idle regales his fans with tales, lurid, outrageous and obsequious and they are all true happenings in his own life.    What a great book.  So fun and so funny.    One of the Pythons of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, best friend of George Harrison of Beatle fame and quite the musician and singer in his own right/write.     His life would make a great film.  His Dad was a door gunner in the RAF during WWII, who made it through the entire war unscathed only to be taken out by shifting metal on the back of a lorrie (truck)  he caught a ride with while walking and hitchiking on his way back home when he was released from service.  Life went south for a while after that.   His mother put him in a school that had been an orphans’ asylum when he was 7.    She took him there with no word on why they were going there, then, dropped him and left quietly before he noticed she was gone – then it was too late.    He still has nightmares about his time there and he is 75 years old.   He said that is when he learned the value of humor.    If he could make the big blokes and the prefect laugh, they wouldn’t beat him up as bad.   He ran away when he was 19 years old and never looked back only forward.    I don’t want to tell too much because it is such an enjoyable book but, suffice it to say that he went on to be friends with the likes of Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Eric Clapton of course his fellow Pythons John Cleese, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Terry Gillium and Terry Jones as well as Tom Hanks, Andy Warhol, and all the other elite A listers of Hollywood and New York.    So many good stories and psychedelic 60s on both sides of the Atlantic, adventures galore, it has everything high times, low times, happiness, sorrow, romance, lost romance, finding oneself amid a sea of comedians and musicians.    Seeing a small life and living a big one.    Great stuff here.   I highly recommend this book to everyone, well, it might be a bit over the top for the young, but, for the most part, it teaches you to, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”      Big applause and a resounding, “Bravo!” and a wave high enough to be a rogue tidal wave.    Well done, Eric Idle

Chi’s Sweet Home Part 3

Chi’s Sweet Home Part 3 by Konami Kanata             Paperback Book: 464 pages                                 

I love this kitten!  Chi is sooooo sweet!    Even in her moody times, I still adore her!    In this 3^rd book in the Chi’s Sweet Home series, Chi hangs out more with her new friend Cocchi, who introduces her to his life as a stray, the only kitten not picked out of a box of kittens left in a City park.    So sad!    Cocchi learned he was all alone and had to figure out how to find food and shelter on his own.    It is such a pitiful thing that this dear little guy was left to struggle for survival on his own.   So Cocchi has a bit of an attitude but understandably so, however, he can’t help but love his new friend, Chi.   She just goes at everything so freely and full-throttle because she is so innocent and sweet though she gives him a good wrestling match and playful head butt from time to time.   They get along great.   Cocchi takes Chi to some of his favorite spots to find food but unfortunately, Chi doesn’t realize she needs to smell everything before she eats it and ends up getting food poisoning which prompts her family, the Yomatas to keep her inside.   She misses Cocchi and her other friends and especially her freedom.   She even has to wear a cone on her head which plays havoc with her trying to get outside through the sliding door and it takes her a while to learn to eat with the Victorian collar on, but, she manages to learn to maneurver with it eventually and then thankfully the thing got taken off!  YAY!   Lots more adventures happen and Cocchi even teaches her how to meow at a friendly lady’s door so she will come out and give them food.   Chi loves this new food treat and makes those delightful big round eyes with her head tilted looking so CUTE that the lady brings them even more of the delicious new treats.  YUM!  I love this series so much!   Chi is darling.   The two kittens eat so much of the delicious treats that Chi keeps falling so deeply asleep she just sprawls in the middle of the street.   Cocchi is afraid she will get hit by a vehicle and keeps trying to wake her to no avail.    Traffic whizzes by and Cocchi is freaking out but he too is so full and so tired his eyes are watering and he can’t stay awake either.   OMgosh!   What happens then is a REAL adventure!    Don’t want to spoil the story for you.    I LOVE this series.   I cannot get enough of Chi and her pals.    Such a wonderful series.   I am on to book 4 – I’ve already got it on reserve.   I highly recommend this book to anyone of any age.   I Love It!

Nones

Nones by WH Auden, 81 page

Written in the years immediately following the Second World War, in these poems Auden is haunted by the festival of war now concluded.

     For the present stalks abroad

     Like the past and its wronged again

     Whimper and are ignored,

     And the truth cannot be hid;

     Somebody chose their pain,

     What needn't have happened did.

If there is an overarching theme, it is the wartime triumph of technicians and social scientists.  This reaches a kind of giddy though inelegant climax in "Under Which Lyre", in which the poet cheers on the "sons of Hermes" as they quietly sabotage the works of Apollo.

     A compromise between us is

          Impossible;

     Respect perhaps but friendship never:

     Falstaff the fool confronts forever

          The prig Prince Hal.

Auden regards the arcane disenchantments of planners and bureaucrats with a skeptical eye.

     The last word on how we may live or die

          Rests today with such quiet

     Men, working too hard in rooms that are too big,

          Reducing to figure

     What is the matter, what is to be done.

And looks forward to the apocalyptic recovery of the human.

     The pantocratic riddle breaks -

          "Who are you and why?"

Winners Take All

Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas, 288 pages

Summary from Goodreads: An insider's groundbreaking investigation of how the global elite's efforts to "change the world" preserve the status quo and obscure their role in causing the problems they later seek to solve.

Former New York Times columnist Anand Giridharadas takes us into the inner sanctums of a new gilded age, where the rich and powerful fight for equality and justice any way they can--except ways that threaten the social order and their position atop it. We see how they rebrand themselves as saviors of the poor; how they lavishly reward "thought leaders" who redefine "change" in winner-friendly ways; and how they constantly seek to do more good, but never less harm. We hear the limousine confessions of a celebrated foundation boss; witness an American president hem and haw about his plutocratic benefactors; and attend a cruise-ship conference where entrepreneurs celebrate their own self-interested magnanimity.

Giridharadas asks hard questions: Why, for example, should our gravest problems be solved by the unelected upper crust instead of the public institutions it erodes by lobbying and dodging taxes? He also points toward an answer: Rather than rely on scraps from the winners, we must take on the grueling democratic work of building more robust, egalitarian institutions and truly changing the world. A call to action for elites and everyday citizens alike.

It's not his focus but along the way he points to some of the reasons that Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. There was a certain amount of repetition but he managed to not bludgeon you with it. Each chapter focuses on a person that is part of the group of people he is talking about. He uses each person's story to talk about part of the problem. Some have doubts but continue on while others are certain it is the right way.  I highly enjoyed this book. At times, I didn't want to put it down. 

Wisdom's Journey

Wisdom's Journey: Living the Spirit of Islam in the Modern World by John Herlihy, 237 pages

This book is partly about Herlihy's conversion to Islam but mostly him telling the reader why Islam is great and the parts of the faith.

He begins by describing Mystery and the choice to deny or confront it. He is critical of science and the shallowness of many in the modern world. He goes on to talk about accepting the faith and the details of the parts of it.

Herlihy provides information on the three distinct sources of knowledge which are the Quran, virgin Nature and humans themselves. He also covers virtues, prayer as ritual and the Hajj.

It was illuminating to some degrees. The partial description of his conversion and his personal experience with the religion were good. On the other hand, there were some aspects of the religion I was expecting him to talk about but were absent. He makes no mention of the place of women in Islam. Nor does he touch on Sunnis versus Shiites. For multiple reasons, I would not recommend it as the best source to gain knowledge of Islam.

MAKE YOUR BED

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe The World by Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired)   130 pages

Reviewed by Rae C.

I never understood the military's obsession with making the bed.  I've asked a number of veterans and enlisted military personnel about this, and I've gotten the same few answers: "Everything is important in the military.  Everything has to be done right." And "it's the first thing you do and you have to do it right."

But McRaven really made it clear: it's the first thing you do in the morning, and if you do it and do it well, it sets a precedent for accomplishing throughout the day.  (And if you have a bad day, you come home to a nicely made bed at least.)

If you want the motivation, just read the speech at the end of the book.  All of the points are covered.  If you are interested in Navy Seal training and anecdotes about McRaven's life, read the book.  It's a fast (under an hour), easy read, and it is motivating, but there's not much meat to it.  It's mostly just "strong survive, life isn't fair, don't give up."  But I did enjoy reading it.

Here is my favorite quote:

"...we both wanted to be SEALs so badly that nothing in the water that night was going to stop us.  If we had to fight off the sharks, then we were both prepared to do so.  Our goal, which we believed to be honorable and noble, gave us courage, and courage is a remarkable quality.  Nothing and nobody can stand in your way.  Without it, others will define your path forward.  Without it, you are at the mercy of life's temptations.  Without courage, men will be ruled by tyrants and despots.  Without courage, no great society can flourish.  Without courage, the bullies of the world rise up. With it, you can accomplish any goal.  With it, you can defy and defeat evil."

100 Ways to Simplify Your Life

100 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Joyce Meyer           Hardback Book: 192 pages                      

Really good book.    Joyce Meyer doesn’t pull her punches especially when she is telling about her own foibles, her temper, her impatience, her childhood when she was molested, living a busy life and coping with home, family, work, travel and trying to find that quiet niche in all the chaos that is life.    She is a good teacher and shares a lot of ideas on how to come out of screw-ups, tragedy, drama, disappointment, elation, pride, learning hard lessons, how to let people in on what is honestly going on in your own head, your own life be it emotional, financial, physical, or spiritual.  She tells a good story and there are 100 of them here.   You get the distinct impression these life lessons were hard won for her, and that she is honest in sharing that she still has to work at all of them, every day brings new joys and woes, there will never be a time of utter peace because something will happen to steal your joy, but, she offers counsel on how to deal with the bad and often turn it around for your good.   I truly enjoyed this book and I plan to read more of her writings she is a wise lady and sometimes a wise-guy lady, but, always enjoyable and entertaining.   She admits she is not perfect so we can all identify with that.   I highly recommend this book to one and all of every age.   It is a blessing and a balm to the soul where our genuine self lives.    Good on you, Joyce Meyer, thank you for writing this one.

The Bucket List

The Bucket List by Georgia Clark       Audio Book:  13 hours, 40 minutes    Hardback book:  352 pages                  

Lacey Whitman’s mother died of breast cancer when she was 31 years old.    Lacey knew this could mean she and her sister might inheirit cancer genes and goes to get a cancer screening when she is 25 years old.    Her older sister doesn’t want to hear about it and plans to ignore the whole idea of cancer as she tries to shield her beloved daughter.   Turns out Lacey tests positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation also known as the breast cancer gene.   After Angelina Jolie’s very public choice to have a double-mastectomy when she screened positive for the same BRCA-1 gene, Lacey is given a choice by the doctors take her chances and see if she develops breast cancer which they feel 100% positive she will or take preventative measures and get the mastectomy now saving herself a painful go later.   This book addresses real issues, real emotions, real thoughts that anyone going through such a dilemma might honestly think and being from the perspective of a young woman who still parties and wants so many things out of life this read is such a good one I highly recommend it to female or male adults as it addresses a lot of issues on both sides of the gender line.   There is a boat load of factual information here that I found greatly useful and many profound questions, answers and thought provoking concepts that were excellent for anyone to learn about.   This book has some very adult scenes that would not be recommended for young readers but the massive amount of good information found here telling the story in such relevant ways it would make a terrific Book Club, Cancer Club, online groups, etc. selection.     I hope this book gets the recognition it deserves because while being a fun read it is also brilliantly sharing information everyone can use along with humorous dialogue to lessen some of the painful topics.    GOOD READ!   I highly recommend it.

Mile 81: A Novella

Mile 81: A Novella by Stephen King                Audio Book: 2 hours, 32 minutes    Paperback Book: 52 pages  (Couldn’t find a true count)        

Monsters exist and so do other scary things in Stephen King novels and in this novella.   Always unexpected, sometimes outrageous – the man likes cars its apparent.  (Smiling.)   This one, too, is from the Christine line.   He mixes kids, cops, and kooky characters always with poignant qualities that bring them all together and he adds a horse into this mix.    Good story – the man compels you to read his stuff you cannot put it down.   Good read.    Stephen King fans, horror fans and any one who enjoys well written plots, faceted characters and whimsy stop here it is well worth it just keep going if you come up on the closed reststop at Mile 81.  YIKES!!!!!!!     Little brothers rock!     I definetly recommend this one to those not faint of heart.    The images in your mind Stephen King creates are truly horrifying.   I could see this one made into a film. 

I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere But the Pool

I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere But the Pool by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca  Serritella                          Audiobook:  5 hours, 14 minutes     Hardback Book:  336 pages              

I love this mother daughter tag-team comediennes.   Lisa tells a story, then her daughter Francesca tells a story – always about a funny experience they have had personally.   These ladies are a riot.   I love listening to them on their audiobooks while I have to do chores around the house, it makes the chore easier because I am laughing so often.    The stories they tell are about things we all do, or things we have likely experienced or thought about in our own lives.    They tell on themselves, too, their reactions, their DUH moments, good, bad, and indifferent but every story is hilarious.   How do they maintain that quality of humor, it must be in their genes as they tell stories on Mother Mary, Lisa’s mom and Francesca’s maternal grandmother as well as on their friends, family members, co-workers, but always either how they did something funny and it is just such fun like hanging out with girlfriends and laughing over cocktails and a night out.   They tell funny stories on their romantic lives, Lisa calls her two ex-husbands Thing 1 and Thing 2.   It makes you smile just thinking back over some of the stuff they have done or said.   It is such an enjoyable read when these two ladies get together.   This is the second comedy book of theirs I have listened to and I can’t wait to experience them all.    Also, I found out they have lots of books each has written in other genres as well, so, I picked up a couple of Lisa Scottoline’s thrillers and will soon be reading those.    She has a great way of speaking so I am interested to find out if I will like her other writings as much as her hysterical humor books.   Hope so.  YES, definitely,  I recommend these two ladies humor books SO FUNNY!!!!!

Upgrade Your House: 100 DIY Repairs & Improvements for Under $100

Upgrade Your House:  100 DIY Repairs & Improvements for Under $100 by Philip Schmidt        Paperback Book:  144 pages          

This is the best book I have ever read on how to do home repairs.    So easy to comprehend, step by step excellent photos and directions that even I can understand.    I was particularly impressed with the exterior because it is getting to be that time in the life of my house that it is going to eventually need the roof replaced.    I know there was an issue with the flange on my roof and this book walked me through the repair process completely.   Now, honestly, my brother did the work for me, he is my go-go-guy for repair work when he has time, but, now I understand so much more about the process of repairing loads of things interior and exterior –wise on my house now thanks to the perfect photos and simple explanations.    Now I don’t have to be that person with a big question mark above my head when people are speaking about home repair.    Seriously, this is THE BEST book on home repair I have seen so far and I have read a few over the years.  Philip Schmidt breaks things down so well, it makes me want to get a tool belt and a ladder and start cleaning out my gutters, repairing my roof and a multitude of other tasks I have often had to ask or hire others to do for me.    It is just a matter of understanding the task in order to be able to accomplish it and this book is like your best friend taking your hand and saying, “O.K. this is how we are going to do it.”   Seriously, this book makes me believe I can do everything in it.  Drywall here I come!   YES, YES and YES, I highly recommend this book for anyone, the reluctant homeowner with lots of little jobs that could be done by oneself and the handyman who might do it himself, but, I bet even pros could learn some shortcuts and tips here.   It is excellent.   Makes me want to grab a hammer and start banging!

Easy Upgrades, Bathroom

Easy Upgrades, Bathroom by The Publisher of This Old House Magazine           Paperback Book: 207 pages                  

I so want to be handy and be able to do my own upgrades, but, I am so carpentry challenged it is sad.    I have the desire but not the skill so I read books like this one with longing to create the lovely cubbies for organizing towels and placement of accessories and storage bins, gorgeous fixtures and the dream of huge walk-in showers almost like a small room itself with a huge shower head for a rain effect or multiple shower heads for that spa feel.   I lustfully look at glorious designs for dream bathrooms found in multi-million dollar homes that truly are fantasy designs but the architecture is amazing.   Claw foot tubs beckoning one to a by-gone era of lush and lavish self-indulgence, sigh….This book shows the reader so many ways to make your champagne wishes come true and explains in such wonderful detail just what tools to use and how to apply them yet still I feel like the child sent to sit in the corner while the adults make something wonderful.  If only.    My hope is if I keep reading books on home improvement, even if I can’t actually do the plumbing myself, maybe I will get the idea, figure out a way to have something grand and these photos are beautiful let me tell you, it is my wish that I do learn from the pros who put books like this together and apply the terrific ideas they impart into something wonderful if on a lesser scale.   I do love how-to books.   I’m hoping the technical tool skill will follow if I just keep reading how to do upgrades by mental osmosis.    I love the looks, I love the independence of making it yourself, so far my practical building skills are not up to pro-grade but one day.   I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to update,  re-create or create the bathroom in their home that would be their happy place of serenity.   So many great ideas to be found here.

Confessions of a Credit Junkie

Confessions of a Credit Junkie:  Everything You Need To Know to Avoid The Mistakes I Made  by Beverly Harzog                 Paperback Book:  224 pages           

Most excellent book on the facts behind credit scores and an everything you need to know book about maintaining your financial sanity.    She is so candid about her own mistakes living outside her means vicariously through her credit until the bills caught up with her and were so momentous she realized she had to reign her spending in and take control of her finances.   The author also has a website that she offers help and counselling on.   She breaks down all the big bad credit returns and walks readers through deciphering their credit reports.    She tells you how and where to get free credit reports with actual FICO scores not the FACO scores as she calls them that might give you an idea of your actual credit scores as tallied by the big 3:  Experian, TransUnion and Equifax and if the score you are getting is not from one of the big 3 it is a FAKO score which is not entirely accurate though in the ballpark enough that it will give you an idea of where you are and where you need to be.    The big thing I took away from Harzog’s book is that I learned about the credit ratio which is incredibly important in the tabulation of your credit score but is often not mentioned.    She says the big 3 credit bureaus recommend people never accumulate more debt than 30% of their credit limits with creditors, but, Harzog says folks should never accumulate more than 10% of their credit limits because this counts BIG when future bankers, credit card companies, and even employers pull your pinger (check your credit viability to see what you are up to).   She is a great teacher of all things credit and her books are worthy to be read cover to cover and more than once.    She reads all the fine print so you don’t have to, then she regurgitates all that in terms we can all understand without wading through legal jargon.  I loved this book I highly recommend it and all of her other books.   She cuts out all the blah blah blah stuff and gets to the heart of what you really need to know.   10 stars for this one!

Elevation

Elevation by Stephen King    146 pages

Scott Carey doesn't appear to look any different, although he's steadily been losing weight. And, oddly enough, he weighs the same in his clothes, shoes and all, as he does with no clothes on at all. He knows this is strange, although he also knows if he goes to a regular doctor, he'll be put through all kinds of tests. Mostly to share this odd experience, he tells his friend, Dr. Bob Ellis, who keeps Scott's situation a secret.

At the same time Scott is experiencing this odd weight loss, he's trying to get along with his neighbors, married lesbians who own a local restaurant. It's not a big deal that their dogs poop on Scott's lawn, but he'd like the ladies to at least pick up after the dogs. One of the women is pretty friendly, but the other is downright hostile --- and, as it turns out, isn't making any friends in town. When Scott discovers how much prejudice these women face on a daily basis, he tries to help.

This is a pretty slim book, but it's so well-crafted that you keep turning the pages, not sure of what's going to happen next, and getting pulled in to the story.  At least, that's what happened to me. I liked how Scott is an everyday kind of guy, who just wants to try to get along with people but who is secretly battling this weird weight loss (which does play in to the story).  Without giving much away, I can say that this is a story about finding common ground, even when people seem as different as night and day. Scott works at this, and I respected his character for that; he doesn't give up even when one of his neighbors continues to be hostile. Is Scott a super well-developed character? No. None of the other characters are either, and if this were a longer book, I could see the problem with that. However, I felt the characters were developed enough for me to imagine them and along with the setting and steady pace, it allowed me to focus on the overall story, which I enjoyed.

My Husband's Wife

My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry    373 pages

"When young lawyer Lily marries Ed, she’s determined to make a fresh start and leave the secrets of the past behind. But then she takes on her first murder case and meets Joe, a convicted murderer to whom Lily is strangely drawn—and for whom she will soon be willing to risk almost anything.

But Lily is not the only one with secrets. Her next-door neighbor Carla may be only nine, but she has already learned that secrets are powerful things. That they can get her whatever she wants.

When Lily finds Carla on her doorstep twelve years later, a chain of events is set in motion that can end only one way."  summary courtesy of Goodreads

“If you loved Gone Girl and The Talented Mr. Ripley, you’ll love My Husband’s Wife. It’s got every thriller’s trifecta: love, marriage, and murder.” —Parade

So, if you read the summary and that blurb, this sounds like a pretty exciting book, yes?  I found it to be, in one word, "meh."  The plot is well thought-out, but I found the characters to be mostly predictable and, once in a while, annoying and unsympathetic.  The most interesting character for me was Carla when she was a child because I had some sympathy for her but also found her deviousness (and what came off as a lack of morals or empathy on her part) to be interesting.  However, Lily bored me most of the time and Ed?  Ed's pretty meh -- I couldn't figure out why Lily married him. I also found the plot to drag at times --- with better editing, this could have moved along much better.  Not a memorable read for me.

Sculpture in the Age of Donatello

Sculpture in the Age of Donatello: Renaissance Masterpieces from Florence Cathedral, edited by Timothy Verdon and Daniel M Zolli, 185 pages

As the Duomo of Florence neared completion in the early fifteenth century, the decoration of the cathedral, along with its baptistery and bell-tower, became the field for an informal competition among the leading guilds of the city - like the buildings themselves, the art adorning them was designed both to honor God and proclaim the greatness of the city.  If anything can be said to mark the birth of the Renaissance, it was these projects.  Long since removed from exposure to the elements to the cathedral museum, in 2015 a major renovation of that museum created an opportunity for the works to travel to New York's Museum of Biblical Art for a unique exhibition showcasing works by Donatello, Brunelleschi, Nanni de Banco, and Luca della Robbia.  The catalog of the exhibition not only includes interesting pieces on these, but close examinations of Ghiberti's famous bronze baptistery doors, then in the midst of an extensive cleaning.

Eloquent Rage

Eloquent Rage by Brittany Cooper     288 pages

From Goodreads:

So what if it's true that Black women are mad as hell? They have the right to be. In the Black feminist tradition of Audre Lorde, Brittney Cooper reminds us that anger is a powerful source of energy that can give us the strength to keep on fighting.

Far too often, Black women's anger has been caricatured into an ugly and destructive force that threatens the civility and social fabric of American democracy. But Cooper shows us that there is more to the story than that. Black women's eloquent rage is what makes Serena Williams such a powerful tennis player. It's what makes Beyonce's girl power anthems resonate so hard. It's what makes Michelle Obama an icon.

Eloquent Rage keeps us all honest and accountable. It reminds women that they don't have to settle for less. When Cooper learned of her grandmother's eloquent rage about love, sex, and marriage in an epic and hilarious front-porch confrontation, her life was changed. And it took another intervention, this time staged by one of her homegirls, to turn Brittney into the fierce feminist she is today. In Brittney Cooper's world, neither mean girls nor fuckboys ever win. But homegirls emerge as heroes. This book argues that ultimately feminism, friendship, and faith in one's own superpowers are all we really need to turn things right side up again.

My Review:

I learned a lot while reading this book. Cooper brought a lot of new things (for me) to the table. I would have loved to read this in a class setting, to have other folks to talk about it with to better digest what I read. As I read it on my own, I have some things I can take away with it, and I'll certainly mull over other things, but I feel like I lacked the educational rigor to understand some of the concepts she brought up. Otherwise, it's a lot to chew on, but I'd recommend it because Cooper's intelligent delivery is worth reading through. You'll definitely learn something and perhaps have a new perspective.

The Body at the Tower

The Body at the Tower by Y. S. Lee   337 pages

From Goodreads:

Now nearly a full-fledged member of the Agency, the all-female detective unit operating out of Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, Mary Quinn is back for another action-packed adventure. Disguised as a poor apprentice builder and a boy, she must brave the grimy underbelly of Victorian London - as well as childhood fear, hunger, and constant want - to unmask the identity of a murderer. Assigned to monitor a building site on the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, Mary earns the confidence of the work crew, inching ever nearer her suspect. But if an irresistible desire to help the city's needy doesn't distract her and jeopardize her cover, unexpectedly meeting up with an old friend - or flame - just might.

My Review:

It's been a long time since I read the first book in the series, and some references too that book in this one went over my head (but I blame myself for that), but I still remembered the sense I got while reading that first book that I really liked this world Lee has built. It's no different with this second installment of the Mary Quinn series.

Overall, if you're just picking this book up the action is slow to build, the story is revealed in fits and stars because Lee takes a good portion of time building the world of Victorian London for you, the reader who is not familiar with this time period, to enjoy. I don't mind this as I enjoy the characters and Lee's writing, but someone who only likes to read fast-paced mysteries will probably find this book boring. I think it's worth sticking it out, because who kno
ws, the next book might be different.

The Architecture of Madness

The Architecture of Madness: Insane Asylums in the United States by Carla Yanni  191 pages

"Elaborately conceived, grandly constructed insane asylums—ranging in appearance from classical temples to Gothic castles—were once a common sight looming on the outskirts of American towns and cities. Many of these buildings were razed long ago, and those that remain stand as grim reminders of an often cruel system. For much of the nineteenth century, however, these asylums epitomized the widely held belief among doctors and social reformers that insanity was a curable disease and that environment—architecture in particular—was the most effective means of treatment."  summary courtesy of Goodreads

This subject has long been an interest of mine and I really enjoyed this book. The author goes through history, explaining how "therapeutic design" developed over the decades.  The author does spend a fair amount of the book on the Kirkbride design (named for Dr. Thomas Kirkbride) was used for a long time, across the United States until interest in his plan and design had started to decline. I have always found it interesting how architectural design of these places was so closely tied to theories of treatment, and it also explains why by the end of the century, Kirkbride's design had fallen out of favor (since the medical focus was on a more neurological approach that didn't consider architecture to be relevant to treatment).