Haunting the Deep

Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather   352 pages

I was so excited when I saw Haunted the Deep in the fiction section of Blogging for Books. I love stories about the sea, and especially,stories about the Titanic. I’ve seen just about every special was has aired regarding all aspects of the luxury liner.

In this story, Samantha (Sam) Mather lives with her father in Salem, Massachusetts. It’s time for the school’s Spring Fling. The theme this year is the Titanic. Chosen not by the students or most of the faculty, Mr. Wardell, an AP history teacher, chooses it because the rest of the faculty can build lesson plans around it, thereby giving students an immersive experience. It seems, to me, odd that a theme would be chose that ends in tragedy rather than something light hearted.

A mysterious box containing a green velvet dress arrives at Sam’s home. When Sam tries it on, she is immediately transported to the ship’s desk. Sure a curse has been put upon her, Sam turns to a goth clique called the Descendants, all direct descendants of witches that hanged in Salem in the 1600s.

While not too deep, the book is confusing in that there the reader must have read author Mather’s first book, How to Hang a Witch, especially when a Revolutionary War-era ghost from the first book keeps popping up. The reader also needed to know the relationship between Sam and Jan, his mother and her father, Vivian the stepmother and others---but those are fond in the first book.

The story lacked tension. While it is labeled horror, there wasn’t much to be scared of. I was also disappointed that there was far less of the Titanic than I had anticipated. For these reasons Haunting the Deep gets 2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Most Dangerous

Most Dangerous by Steve Sheinkin, 370 pages

“From Steve Sheinkin, the award-winning author of The Port Chicago 50 and Newbery Honor Book Bomb comes a tense, narrative nonfiction account of what the Times deemed "the greatest story of the century": how whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg transformed from obscure government analyst into "the most dangerous man in America," and risked everything to expose years of government lies during the Nixon / Cold War era. On June 13, 1971, the front page of the New York Times announced the existence of a 7,000-page collection of documents containing a secret history of the Vietnam War. Known as The Pentagon Papers, these files had been commissioned by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Chronicling every action the government had taken in the Vietnam War, they revealed a pattern of deception spanning over twenty years and four presidencies, and forever changed the relationship between American citizens and the politicians claiming to represent their interests. The investigation that resulted--as well as the attempted government coverups and vilification of the whistleblower--has timely relevance to Edward Snowden's more recent conspiracy leaks.”  Sheinkin is a great writer.  This books will definitely have teen appeal based on the writing style.  The subject matter may not have wide appeal, but to teens and adults who like history, this would be an excellent choice.

These Shallow Graves

TheseShallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly, 487 pages

Jo Montfort’s life is turned upside down the day her father is found shot in his office.  She soon comes to realize that it wasn’t an accident, as was reported, but that he was murdered.  With the help of a reporter, Eddie, Jo delves into New York’s underworld to try to find her father’s murderer.  In the process, she learns more than she dreamed possible about what happens to underprivileged people on the streets and also finds some very uncomfortable information about her father’s business.  Both he and his partners may have been involved in some shady dealings.  Upset, but undeterred, Jo is determined to discover the truth, no matter who gets hurt.  This was an exciting book.  I would highly recommend it to teens who like historical fiction and adventure with strong female characters.

Mango Delight

MangoDelight by Fracaswell Hymna, 219 pages

Mango’s life is pretty good.  She has a best friend, a loving family, does well in school, and loves running in her club after school.  Then Mango wins a race and Brook, her best friend, gets jealous.  Brook gets a cell phone and immediately starts hanging out with the group of girls who have phones, led by her former arch rival, Hailey Joanne.  Mango is hurt and confused, especially when she accidentally sees a mean text that Brook sent about Mango’s mom.  Mango’s life is suddenly in shambles, both at school, and at home.  To confuse matters even more, Hailey Joanne starts to be nice to Mango.  Mango isn’t sure how her life got turned upside down and isn’t sure how to fix it.  This book was all right.  They story was decent and would probably be fairly popular right now because of the subject matter, but the book is very dated with a lot of references to text speak that will mean it probably won’t go over well in a few years.  Also, although Mango is confused about a lot of things in this book, there is very little that isn’t clear to the reader, unless it’s because you’re dizzy from being hit over the head with the author’s message.  I can’t say that I would recommend it, unless I had a kid that wanted a story like this by an African American author.  Then, I might consider it.

Shadowcaster

Shadowcaster by Cinda Williams Chima, 551 pages

“Fells Princess Alyssa Lyss Gray, aka The Gray Wolf, much prefers the battlefield to the throne room, but her sister's assassination by King Gerard of neighboring Arden means she's now heir to the throne. The war with Arden is dragging on, and finally she convinces her mother to stage a preemptive strike, capturing an attractive Ardenine lordling in the process. Meanwhile, Breon a fugitive, magically talented musician who has no idea of his heritage is trying to avoid both Lyss' men and a mysterious, ruthless empress bent on taking his magic for herself.”  Excellent sequel to Flamecaster.  I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.  I would give this to anyone, especially teens, who likes fantasy.

The People In The Castle

The People In The Castle by Joan Aiken, 252 pages

These were all odd little stories and I loved them.  I like a lot of Aiken’s novels but I’d never read any of her short stories before.  Most of these stories at least border on fantasy, which is one of my favorite genres.  Several of the stories are a little creepy as well, and that adds to the fun.  This is cataloged adult and I think that adults would like it but I think that it is accessible to kids and teens and if I had kids who had liked other books by Aiken I wouldn’t hesitate to give it to them.  

Lotta Crabtree: Gold Rush Fairy Star

Lotta Crabtree: Gold Rush Fairy Star by Lois V. Harris, 80 pages

Lotta had an interesting childhood, performing for miners during the California gold rush.  When I was a child I read a biography about her but there was a lot left out, like the fact that her mother basically was in charge of the family and that her father was an alcoholic.  The book I read focused more on her childhood and didn’t have as much information about her performing life after her childhood performances.  This was an interesting recounting of her life that older kids who like biographies will enjoy.

What You Left Behind

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi, 361 pages

Ryden Brooks is a single father to Hope.  At 17 years old, Ryden isn’t prepared to be a father but since Meg, Hope’s mother, died of cancer, he isn’t willing to give her up so he doesn’t have much choice.  Ryden feels like he is failing miserably at being a father, he blames himself for Meg getting pregnant when she had cancer, and he’s having a terrible time juggling fatherhood with work.  He is really concerned about how to handle school when it starts and especially his soccer schedule.  His plan has always been to play for UCLA on scholarship and doesn’t want to give it up.    Ryden’s feelings about Meg, Hope, and his life threaten to overwhelm him. If he can’t find a way to deal with them, he may fall apart completely.  This was an incredible coming of age story about an atypical single parent in high school situation.  I would highly recommend this to teens who like realistic fiction.

Walk On Earth A Stranger

Walk On Earth A Stranger by Rae Carson, 436 pages

Lee Westfall is horrified when her parents are killed.  She is even more horrified when she realizes that her uncle killed them because he knows about her ability to sense gold.  Gold has been found in California and Lee knows that he wants to take her there and use her to get rich.  Unwilling to assist him, she dresses like a boy and makes her way to Independence, hoping to meet up with her friend, Jeff, so that the two of them can make their own way to California, without her uncle’s interference.  If her disguise can hold up, if no one recognizes her, and if she can stay alive, then maybe she can build a new life in California.  This was a fantastic book.  Despite Lee’s ability to sense gold, this book is mostly just historical adventure with a touch of fantasy thrown in.  I didn’t want to put this book down and would highly recommend it to teens.

X-Men: Storm

X-Men: Storm by Warren Ellis & Terry Dodson, 112 pages

“Storm is abducted by the mutant villain Mikhail Rasputin and brought to an alternate dimension, where she must battle the next generation of Morlocks, bitter over Storm's failings as their leader.” I wanted to give the typical comic book format another chance because I used to love them when I was a teen.  Storm was always one of my favorite characters.  This particular one didn’t hold up as well as I would have hoped.  Storm’s character seemed flat, and I know they want to give the characters flaws to make them more human, she just seemed to weak and kind of whiny.  This wasn’t the woman I remembered and I didn’t enjoy it very much.  However, I will probably try again with something different.  In the meantime, I still think this will probably appeal to teens who like graphic novels about superheroes.

Reset

Reset by Ellen K. Pao Audiobook 10 hours Book 274 pages

"In 2015, Ellen K. Pao sued a powerhouse Silicon Valley venture capital firm, calling out workplace discrimination and retaliation against women and other underrepresented groups. Her suit rocked the tech world--and exposed its toxic culture and its homogeneity. Her message overcame negative PR attacks that took aim at her professional conduct and her personal life, and she won widespread public support-- Time hailed her as "the face of change." Though Pao lost her suit, she revolutionized the conversation at tech offices, in the media, and around the world. In Reset, she tells her full story for the first time." - SLPL

This book read like fiction, it was so engrossing. The only thing was the reader gets upset because then you realize the book is non-fiction and all her accounts are true. I don't know how much editing was done on this book, but either way it was written very well. I totally sympathized with Ellen and couldn't stand the people she worked for/with who treated her and other poc so terribly. I'm sure this book was a wake up call to many that there is a lot in the business world that needs to change. There are still old prejudices and biases and the world will not progress the way it needs to if these prejudices and biases aren't called out. I recommend this book to anyone who just likes to read good books, I think anyone (with an open mind) who read it would enjoy it. 

Rules of the Game

Rules of the Game by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton (3
 stars, hardback, 327 pages)

This book is the third and final chapter of the Endgame Trilogy.
 Over the course of this series, twelve teenage representatives of the bloodlines of ancient civilizations compete in a life or death struggle to find and unite three keys and win salvation for their line. As this book begins, seven players are still alive with one very close to winning. The rules have changed, though, and their purpose for playing is not the same as it was when they started.

I loved the rapid pace of the action, and the apocalypse theme.
 (I think “disaster science fiction” is closer to describing this book than the “dystopia” people like to bandy about.) I was very invested in the arc of the characters, which is why I just had to finish the series. Unfortunately, this book has significant
 weaknesses. These included the introduction of new characters to keep track of in a series driving towards a necessarily apocalyptic conclusion. Nori’s role was so small as to make me wonder why they even bothered introducing a character. Jenny’s role was so important that it should have been played by somebody with whom we were more familiar. Stella’s role in this book was as a mere plot device. The conclusion was weak, little more than a deus ex machina thinly disguised as a celebration of an ancient belief.

The biggest problem with the book is the why - what the Makers wanted to get from all of this. They conducted this genetic bloodlines thing that spanned all of human civilization, and planted these tools for the players to gather them at the right time and… do what with it? kepler 22b was obviously lying to the players and the lines about their survival, but I don’t think we ever learned what the aliens got out of the whole deal. Maybe their motive was discussed at some point in the second book that I’ve forgotten, but their stakes were not sufficiently clear to me. I’m not alone in this, as several other reviewers express the same reservation. I guess their motives were supposed to be arcane and unknowable, but it weakened the story dramatically. Perhaps Baitsakhan was right in the first book when he said “This is Endgame. There is no Why.” This is interesting/nihilistic as a philosophical idea, but pretty annoying if it’s the only motivation for an otherwise fascinating book series.

Rules of the Game is a mediocre conclusion to a series with a fascinating premise and a strong beginning, but I appreciated it anyway. I may have liked the third book more if the events of the second book were fresher in my memory.

The Comfort Food Diaries:

The Comfort Food Diaries: My Quest for the Perfect Dish to Mend A Broken Heart by Emily Nunn          Audio Book: 11 hours     Hardback Book: 320 pages           

What a great book and it even includes amazing recipes that will not only comfort you but make you salivate just thinking about them.     This is the true story of Emily Nunn’s mental breakdown and recovery through the love comfort of friends, family and good comforting food.   Emily has written food columns in both the New Yorker and for the Chicago Tribune.   A self-proclaimed foodie she rivals the awe inspiring talents of Julia Child and James Beard,    Her book is a how-to on working one’s way through utter despair when your life becomes one big drop off over an abyss of pain, but by sharing her awful circumstances one night on her Facebook page as an outlet for the pressure cooker she was enduring in her life, she was able to connect with a world of friends who loved her and invited her to come stay with them and cook with them and together they all held her up when she was mentally sinking.   What led to the Comfort Food Diaries – Emily’s brother, who she was exceedingly close to committed suicide – this left her adrift – how could this have happened, how did she not know how deeply he was processing things to let them get to him this much without her knowing it?    They talked constantly.    He called and left jokes on her answering machine.    What happened?    She had no closure.     She was living with a man she dearly loved in a fantastic apartment she had found for them, enjoying an ideal life of socializing with their mutual friends, writing at a job she adored and helping to raise her fiancee’s young daughter.     She lost all sense of reality when the news came of her brother’s tragic death.    Things started unravelling in her ideal life.    She cried a lot.   She could not function well in taking care of all the little things she had previously done around the home, her fiancee’s daughter told her mother what was going on which led to arguments with her fiancée – his ex did not want their daughter around this weepy mental mush of a person.    Then she started drinking, heavily to self-medicate.    Her fiancee’ did not like this turn of events.    He found her to be an embarrassment.    He did not try to help her through what she was experiencing.    He did not try to get her help.   He told her he would not police her.   Then he broke up with her.    At first he told her she could stay in the apartment until she found other arrangements, then days later due to his ex’ prodding he told her she had to move out immediately.    These last two blows left her feeling like she was drowning and couldn’t come up for air.   She went through a mental melt down and was hospitalized for a mental breakdown.    Upon release she knew she had to find her way back out of the despair that was paralyzing her.    She wrote about her situation on Facebook one night and found out her lonely cry was heard.    Friends popped out all over the world inviting her to come stay with them and they could cook together – everyone that knows her knows her culinary skill and her love of cooking and collecting new recipes or receipts as her Aunt and cousins in the South called them.    She began her Comfort Food tour.    She travelled around the globe staying with friends in their homes, chatting, hugging and cooking.   Everyone she spent time with and everywhere she stayed offered love, support and food to die for that was as comforting in its many forms and flavors as were the true friends and loving family members she was lucky enough to be blessed with.     A feel good book that will make you so hungry hearing about the wonderful ingredients and how they blend into the magnificent dishes created.  Read it around the holidays so you can load up on a buffet of wonderful family favorite foods between chapters.    It will make you feel a part of the story and enjoy it that much more.   J      Bravo Emily Nunn for sharing your wounds and your healing in such an honest way.   And thank you for reminding me of the homegrown stories and recipes so richly shared in families and from friends who become family.  The tunnel may have been a dark one, but, there is a warm light that smells like all your favorite things baking at the end.     Excellent book.     

The Gunslinger

The Gunslinger by Stephen King (2 stars, audiobook, 231 pages)
 Tag: character’s name (arguably, anyway - I guess his name is Roland, but the book calls him The Gunslinger 90% of the time)

The Gunslinger Roland Deschain is a hardscrabble western hero-type, tracking the mysterious sorcerer he calls the Man in Black across an endless desert. The Gunslinger must find him and learn what he knows about a place called The Dark Tower, while also protecting the young man named Jake, who comes from a very different world.

I liked the worldbuilding, language, and mythology, and it’s fun to see the Gunslinger’s influence in a large swath of popular culture. I liked the Gunslinger’s flashbacks, especially to his coming of age. The demons and mutant creatures gave a compelling glimpse into the hazards of this desolate world, not to mention the fascinating Man in Black himself. What I didn’t like was the plot. The slow, plodding, philosophical pace did nothing for me this time through a King novel. I was not invested in the Gunslinger’s quest, I didn’t know why I should care about the Dark Tower, and the characters evoked very little emotion in me. I’m not even remotely curious about what happens next. It seemed to be written well enough, and I certainly liked several parts of it, but it does not hold my interest. This series was just not intended for me, and I’m fine to leave it at that.

I listened to the audiobook version. The narration by George Guidall was flawless, but it was not enough to invest me in the story.

In the Midst of Winter

In the Midst of Winter: A Novel by Isabel Allende             Audio Book:  9 hours, 47 mins        Hardback Book:  352 pages                           

The theme of the book is a quote from Albert Camus: “In the midst of Winter, I finally found there was within me an invincible Summer.”     Three characters are joined together in remarkable ways that serve each and create bonds that get them through good and bad times.    The bad times are really bad and there are so many factors that lead up to the climax it is a truly awesome story the way the lives of 3 very different characters are wound together in this most excellent story from author, Isabel Allende.     The detail she is able to give on Central and South American countries and cultures is mesmerizing.    Just when you think you may know what comes next the bottom drops out and you are back wondering where will this story go now?    I would love to tell you more of the story but this is such a rich and tantalizing tale that I don’t want to take the sizzle out of it for you.     Suffice it to say, there is a rich collage of characters who will all bring a lot of baggage to the table.   There is going to be a body involved – so don’t skip any pages – trust me you won’t want to miss any of this story.    Ms. Allende is a most excellent story teller and I highly recommend this read.

Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure

Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip by Matthew Algeo        Hardback Book:  262 pages         

What a fun read.   After Harry Truman left the Presidential office and returned to being an ordinary citizen he received no pension for his years of service, no compensation for keeping an office, no special dispensation to cover postage on anything even though he spent a lot of time corresponding with the democratic party affiliates, etc. to help both the party and new candidates campaigns as well as responding to public inquiries for photos, autographs and speaking requests.    The only income Harry Truman had to fall back on after leaving office was his social security check, which barely covered his and Bess’ expenses at home, much less the rent of his office, and the price of postage, etc.    Harry Truman did not come from a wealthy background, he rose through the political ranks as a common man of the people and remained so during his presidency and later retirement from office.    Harry and his wife Bess, lived frugally but comfortably in their home in Independence, MO.   Harry had a passion for cars and a bigger passion for driving, so, since they didn’t have the money to go on fancy vacations to foreign lands, they went on the occasional road trip.    This book is the story of the road trip that Harry and Bess, whom he always referred to as “The Boss,” took in 1953 from Independence to Washington, D.C. visiting friends along the way going up to New York City to visit their daughter, Margaret, then returning home, 19 days later.   Harry had no secret service detail so when he and Bess decided to take the trip there were no naysayers telling them it would be too dangerous for a former President and former First Lady to be out amid the public on such an adventure.    So, they loaded up their Chrysler New Yorker and went.    It was a most excellent adventure and the author relived it as he was compiling information to write this book.     As near as possible, he followed their exact route and stopped in the places they did, though, most often the hotels, restaurants and homes they visited and stayed in have changed hands, gone out of business or a few have adapted with the times and revamped so that while the gist of the family business may be there – the exteriors and interiors have changed with the times.   When the places the Trumans visited were no longer there, the author stayed or visited locations as near to their itinerary as possible to get the feel.    Harry left behind a detailed journal of their trip and there are many children of the people they visited who either remember the Trumans stopping by or have terrific stories they share that have been handed down in their family along with photos.   Many of the people were still living in the towns and the author was able to interview them directly to hear their thoughts and feelings on meeting the former first couple.    Though, often tired and just looking to be normal citizens in for a meal or an overnight stay once word got out it went through the towns like wildfire and everyone and their brother showed up to get autographs and photos with the couple, who were always kind and gracious even when the folks were truly intruding on them.     Just before he died, Harry was able to get a stipend of $25,000 a year to cover expenses  though all the years prior he had paid out of his own pocket and was never reimbursed.    But, better late than never and Harry was able to set the precedent for all the Presidents to come after him who received far more perks and way better pensions.    Harry and Bess never cared much for being tailed by Secret Service so they did not miss that when they got home and did not have Secret Service guarding them though it is part of the Presidential package now to have a Secret Service detail for  all Presidents and their families paid for by the government (taxes) for 10 years after they leave office, then it is up to them to pay for body guards/security if they choose to continue with it once the 10 years have passed.     No president since Harry Truman would have the luxury of being able to travel in a car across country incognito – the press would be a constant presence and the safety of the first or former first families would be a huge concern.   But, “Give ‘Em, Hell, Harry”  was able to toss caution to the wind and have a great time seeing the countryside and enjoying visiting friends and sight seeing along the way like any other tourist on vacation.   Excellent adventure and an excellent book.

Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need To Know

Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need To Know by Adam Bray, Kerrie Dougherty, Cole Horton and Michael Kogge             Hardback Book: 199 pages           

Amazing book jam packed with so many facts about the Star Wars series I think Yoda and Yaddle’s heads would spin, then there is Anakin’s mother Shmi Skywalker, sounds like a Mel Brooks movie to me, however, he did do, “SpaceBalls,”  which parodied Star Wars.( Lonestar as the Han Solo character and Barf as the Chewbacca character).     Did you know that Jabba the Hutt’s son, Rotta the Hutt was nicknamed, “Stinky” as an infant?     Do you know all the capabilities of that stick Yoda uses to walk with?    He chews on it to release a natural plant substance that helps him meditate and the nutritious juice inside the gimer stick eases thirst and acts as a natural painkiller plus it is a symbol of a Jedi Master’s ancient wisdom, status and practical all at the same time.   Little known fact  -  Yoda was originally a monkey in a robe with a cane and a mask – I imagine the monkey wasn’t up for the mask so they opted for Yoda’s well known look.  Also an early design for Yoda ended up being Yaddle.    The clone trooper DC-15 Blaster rifle is based on the desing of the German MG 34 machine gun from World War II.   Twi’lek’s head tentacles are kind of like a cat or monkey’s tail  they are super sensitive and can be used to grab and hold things.   Luke started out as a moisture farmer on his Aunt and Uncle’s moisture farm on Tatooine.   Han Solo was a big green alien in the original drawings and rough draft of Star Wars.   Chewbacca was inspired by George Lucas’ dog, Indiana, who always sat in the passenger seat of his car.    Wookies can’t speak Basic because of their vocal chords, but, they can understand it.    Darth Vader’s face mask and helmet were inspired by the headdress worn by Japanese Samurai.    Seems to me a large percentage of the costumes are based on kimonos, obis, etc.   Even many of the hairstyles reflect Samurai stylings.   Much of the royal wear, too.    Did you know Obi-Wan had a girlfriend once?   He was madly in love with Satine Kryze, the Duchess of Mandalore, but the Jedi code forbids attachment so bros before Mandalores.   Bits of Grievous’s brain have been cybernetically rebuilt to make him a smarter, faster fighter and he can walk on 6 limbs like a crab when he needs to move quickly.   The deadly witch Asaij Ventress’ name, Asaij is based on a character in a 1957 Samurai film.     Storm troopers are not clones they are trained civilians ie. soldiers.   Jar Jar’s antics were based on Charlie Chaplain and Danny Kaye.    The Bith muscians in the bar move to the beat of Benny Goodman’s, “Sing, Sing, Sing.”   Tauntauns have thick blubber like a whale and live in glacial caves where heat from the planet’s core keeps them warm.   What do Darth Vader, Asaji Ventress, Darth Maul, Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus have in common (other than the darkside)?   They all wield red lightsabers.   This doesn’t even scratch the surface on all the info packed into this book.   There is so much stuff it is almost overwhelming.

Sugar Pine Trail

Sugar Pine Trail: A Haven Point Novel by RaeAnne Thayne           Audio Book:  8 hours 15 mins    Paperback Book: 352 pages         

Didn’t realize this was a series – man – there are so many series out there.    This is book 7 in the Haven Point novels.   This story’s main character is a Librarian named Julia Winston.    She is young and fun and gives a shining example of how cool Librarians are.    This story shows how people are deeper than they first appear.   Julia is a Librarian – word association in most people’s mind – quiet.   NOT!   Her temporary tenant is a rich playboy/player type but as you read the story you will be given an x-ray into his inner man and find he isn’t what he shows to the world – ladies there is a deeply emotional hurt here that goes way back that our maternal/savior impulses would pounce on to nurture.    But of course that isn’t immediately apparent so keep reading.   Julia would be a great person to have for a best friend once you get past her outer don’t want to get involved façade to find out who she really is.    A mother going through some deep upheavals in her life disappears leaving her two sons, 7 and 4 to fend for themselves.    You got it, they go to the Library to keep warm while Mom is away and Julia gets involved in their life problems.    It takes off from there and covers the time from just before Thanksgiving to New Years.    A good holiday story – Hallmark, Lifetime or ION seriously need to make this one into a movie.    This is definetly a feel good story. 

Gold Dust Woman

Gold Dust Woman: A Biography of Stevie Nicks by Stephen Davis     320 pages

This is an unauthorized biography, although it was clear that the author had done a lot of research and also worked with Mick Fleetwood on Fleetwood's own memoir.  Per the Goodreads info, "Gold Dust Woman gives "the gold standard of rock biographers" (The Boston Globe) his ideal topic: Nicks' work and life are equally sexy and interesting, and Davis delves deeply into each, unearthing fresh details from new, intimate interviews and interpreting them to present a rich new portrait of the star."

I didn't know that much about Stevie Nicks, although I own a few of her CDs, as well as a copy of Rumours by Fleetwood Mac.  I've read bits about her over the years and when this book got a number of good reviews, I picked it up as soon as it hit the library.  I found it to be an interesting read, although the author's personal tone comes through at times.  Which is fine, although the book can sometimes come off as being pretty critical of Nicks. However, if this were a book that made it sound like Nicks was a perfect person, it wouldn't be accurate.  I appreciated that the author went into a lot of detail about Nicks' life and her artistic process, as well as how her decisions would have far-reaching impact on not only her own work but the work of other musicians.  If nothing else, it gives me a little more insight into Nicks' own music, which I've started listening to again after reading this book.

Nest of Tigers

A Nest of Tigers: The Sitwells in Their Times by John Lehmann, 275 pages

"We are as cosy as a nest of tigers on the Ganges," was how Dame Edith Sitwell described her relationship with her brothers, Sir Osbert and Sacheverell, to her friend John Lehmann.  This provided the title for Lehmann's admiring portrait of the Sitwell family, their literary works in all their variety, their roles in the English Modernist avant-garde, and their relations with their contemporaries both famous and obscure.

Although the book concentrates as much on their works as on their lives, Lehmann writes more as a friend rather than as a critic, and his obvious sympathy with the Sitwells is perfectly mirrored by his antipathy towards their detractors.  The result is not, perhaps, as fine as a more objective evaluation might have been.  It is, however, undoubtedly more charming.

Killing Wind

The Killing Wind: A Chinese County's Descent into Madness During the Cultural Revolution by Tan Hecheng, translated by Stacy Mosher and Guo Jian, 464 pages

Jiang Xiaochu was a 22 year old engineering student when the Cultural Revolution began in Hunan.  As his father, a former teacher, had been censured for supposedly holding counterrevolutionary views and relegated to farm labor several years earlier, the entire Jiang family were considered suspect "black elements".  Fearing for his safety as turmoil enveloped the university, Xiaochu returned to his native town.  Ever since his father's censure, the Jiang family had devoted themselves to Mao Zedong Thought, and he believed that their conspicuous loyalty would persuade their neighbors to overlook their past.  So strong was his faith that when his father and brother were arrested, Xiaochu went to the local authorities to argue for their release.  He was arrested as well, and killed beside them.  His mother and sister were gang-raped by the executioners, but survived to tell their story to investigators - including journalist Tan Hecheng - two decades later.  Tan's original article chronicling the investigation was censored by China's Communist authorities, but became the germ for his exhaustive study, The Killing Wind, where the story of Jiang Xiaochu and his family joins the stories of nearly 5000 other victims of the Cultural Revolution in the small county of Daoxian.

Stalin is famously supposed to have said, "One death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic."  The number of people killed in the Cultural Revolution is unknown, but almost certainly over a million, and possibly several millions.  Tan Hecheng, chronicling the violence in a single county, manages to combine the statistics with personal stories that preserve the tragic, human scale.  Unfortunately, the sheer scale and disorder of the killing wind inevitably makes the narrative difficult to follow at times.  Tan intended his report as a reckoning with history, insisting that the horrors committed cannot - must not - be forgotten, not only out of a sense of justice for the victims and survivors, but also due to a commitment to the truth.  Meanwhile, on the other side of the Pacific, where many Americans increasingly regard their political opponents as irredeemable deplorables against whom violence is acceptable, Tan Hecheng's study of how what Che Guevara famously described as the "extremely useful hatred that turns men into effective, violent, merciless, and cold killing machines" is fostered and exploited is as timely as it is powerful.

The H-Spot

The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness by Jill Filipovic    336 pages

For women, it can be tricky to pursue happiness and if you talk to women one-on-one, like the author did for this book, you begin to understand that happiness is shaped by the constraints of gender, as well as race, class, identity and more.  Filipovic argues that the main obstacle between women and happiness is a rigged system:  "In this world of unfinished feminism, men have long been able to "have it all" because of free female labor, while the bar of achievement for women has only gotten higher. Never before have women at every economic level had to work so much (whether it's to be an accomplished white-collar employee or just make ends meet). Never before have the standards of feminine perfection been so high. And never before have the requirements for being a "good mother" been so extreme. If our laws and policies made women's happiness and fulfillment a goal in and of itself, Filipovic contends, many of our country's most contentious political issues--from reproductive rights to equal pay to welfare spending--would swiftly be resolved."

In this book, Filipovic explores women's happiness and how prioritizing their happiness will make men's lives better, as well.   I found this an interesting read, although some chapters resonated more than others (especially because I do not have children).  I did make some notes along the way, because there were things that I found especially thought-provoking.  For example, in the chapter "Playing in the Dark," Filopovic writes about the way that women and girls are objectified in the media, as well as how we are bombarded by hypersexualized images of women and girls.  The point I was especially struck by was this quote on page 65: "Women on film are routinely sexually desirable but also keep their mouths shut - just 30 percent of speaking roles in the seven hundred biggest movies went to women between 2007 and 2014, and not a single woman over the wage of forty-five held a lead part."  I apparently have not been paying that much attention because I was startled by this (although I could make the excuse that I don't see that many movies in a year).

Definitely an interesting, thought-provoking book that could make for a good book-group read.

Public Enemies

Public Enemies: Dueling Writers Take on Each Other and the World by Bernard-Henry Levy and Michel Houellebecq, translated by Miriam Frendo and Frank Wynne, 309 pages

This book is the product of a half-year correspondence between two of France's most talked-about contemporary writers.  One is Bernard-Henry Levy, the politically engaged Jewish public intellectual and journalist, author of Barbarism with a Human Face and Left in Dark Times.  The other is Michel Houellebecq, the self-described "absolute atheist" (disdaining both religious and political faiths), author of The Elementary Particles and Submission.  The former travels all over the world chronicling injustice, the latter lives as a tax exile in the Irish countryside.

In one memorable passage, Houellebecq compares their dialogue to miners working parallel shafts, each hearing the other digging and searching for the breakthroughs that will bring them together.  Levy describes it, in turn, as a correspondence in search of correspondences.  These seem to come, when they come, in two basic forms: the first is the common experience of living as celebrities in a hostile media environment, while the second is the French literary culture they both share.  If the first is the major theme of the book, the second is the most interesting, for an Anglophone reader especially.  Both correspondents write engagingly, if not always candidly, their apparent sympathy with one another (not untainted by a certain amount of narcissism) underlining the irony of the title.

Who Was Jospeh Pulitzer?

Who Was Joseph Pulitzer? by Terrence Crimmins   276 pages

Despite its less-than-creative title, I jumped at the opportunity to read Terrence Crimmins’ historical novel, Who Was Joseph Pulitzer? I even saved it to read on a trip I was taking because I was prepared to be immersed in Pulitzer’s story.

Joseph Pulitzer has strong ties to St. Louis, where I reside. He came to St. Louis and became a cub reporter for the St. Louis Dispatch, later bought the defunct paper and merged it with the St. Louis Evening Post. He reamed the paper to the St. Louis Post and Dispatch. I’m not sure when it became the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but after the Pulitzer merger, it became the most influential papers in St. Louis.

I am extremely disappointed in Crimmins’ tale. It’s as if he has never read historical fiction. It’s really just a bunch of facts strung together that makes for boring reading. The dialogue doesn’t fit the time period in which Crimmins’ is writing. Then there is the author intrusion. Crimmins’s pulls readers out of the story by making comments that have no room in the story.  For these reasons Who Was Joseph Pulitzer? gets 1 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The sudden appearance of Hope

The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North    468 pages

"Listen.
All the world forgets me. First my face, then my voice, then the consequences of my deeds.
So listen. Remember me."

In this story, told in first person through the eyes of our main character, Hope Arden is a woman that is forgettable.  At least, to anyone who has met her and then left her presence. At the age of sixteen, Hope noticed that there was a slow decline in people remembering her, including her own parents.  As an adult, Hope takes advantage of this strange condition and becomes a thief.  It makes her life tricky, although it also makes her quite dangerous.

When Hope meets a young woman and steals her phone, she learns about a product called Perfection, an app you put on your devices which tells you what to eat, what to buy, and essentially takes over your life in the pursuit of making you "Perfect." When the young woman commits suicide, Hope finds she is blaming Perfection and begins a relentless pursuit of the people who have created it.   

And that then leads you down the rabbit hole in a story that I found unforgettable. I loved that there was a character who was forgettable, and who worked that to her complete advantage (even when she is arrested at one point).  At first, it seems like a wonderful gift, although Hope points out that if she is injured and needs surgery, the surgeon better not need to take a break in the middle of surgery.  In her pursuit of the people running Perfection, Hope encounters some of the same characters again and again and at one point, tries working with one of them to restore her condition to normal, so that she may be remembered.

I liked this book a lot because I found Hope to be compelling, the premise to be interesting, the pace to be even, and the story to be pretty creative.  Definitely adding this to the list of "read again" books!

You'll Grow Out of It

You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein    291 pages

This collection of stories by comedian Jessi Klein take you through her childhood into adulthood (although not always completely in time-line order).  She offers a funny but sometimes touching account on a variety of topics, including her "transformation from Pippi Longstocking-esque tomboy to are-you-a-lesbian-or-what tom man," attempting to find watchable porn, and identifying the difference between being called "ma'am" and "miss" ("Miss" sounds like you weigh ninety-nine pounds).

I had this book on my TBR list and picked it up when I had a book fail earlier this week.  I didn't know anything about Jessi Klein, but that didn't stop this from being an enjoyable read.  I admit that I did laugh out loud several times, and at one point, reading before bed, had to put the book down because I was laughing too hard.  I may have just been over-tired.  I don't know if I'll pick this up for a re-read, but I enjoyed it this time around.

Braving the Wilderness

Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown           Audio Book: 4 hours,   Hardback Book:  208 pages                    

Brene Brown, social scientist, teacher, activist, discusses how humans are becoming isolationists, hiding behind computers rather than confronting other human beings to exchange ideas,   build friendships, explore human diversity, and to bridge communication and hold dialogue with others who hold different views, opiniions and beliefs.   She feels this isolationism programmed into our lifestyles helped by the Internet is what continues to separate and exaserbate volatile topics that should be addressed by coming together sitting across from one another- face to face- to come together to reason in person not via email which can easily be misinterpreted.   She feels things can be settled or at least compromises arrived at more easily when everyone can see and hear each other and read the cues of body language, voice tone and inflection.   Social media while it has its place and is wonderful at bringing long lost friends and relatives together doesn’t take the place of eye contact.   Her strong social work background shows in her psychological breakdowns.  She likens life to being a wilderness that we humans are afraid to leave ourselves open to.     Our fear of being humiliated, of not being accepted, of getting our hearts broken keeps us hidden behind technology to keep society at arm’s length from us so we can cocoon ourselves inside our insulation against pain hence why so many people self-medicate with food, drugs, shopping etc rather than putting themselves our to develop viable relationships that could give us the dopamine fix that those things do, creating real not synthetic happiness in our lives.  She notes that once we take the step and brave the wilderness of all those unknowns in life we must risk in order to find fulfillment and satisfaction we have to get to the place that Maya Angelou describes when she says, “You only are free when you realize you belong no place – you belong every place – no place at all.”   May we all belong no place so that we can belong every place-no place at all.    I like that.   Good book.   Quick read.     

Guards! Guards!

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (4 stars, paperback, 403

Captain Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch has seen better days, and so has his institution. There are only three members left when Carrot Ironfoundersson, a plucky new recruit, journeys to the city from Dwarven lands with a willingness and drive to protect and to serve. Meanwhile, the city is having a bit of a dragon problem, and the orange, most-definitely-not-a-monkey Librarian of Unseen University discovers he is missing a book. Can Vimes reconcile the fate and purpose of the City Watch and solve the mysteries?

I think I figured out what I like about Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, aside from the obvious humor. These novels aren’t tightly-plotted page-turners, not really. They’re meandering, stubborn, and the pace sometimes slows to a trickle as the wide cast of characters debate and philosophize on an extended spoof of some aspect of life or literature. They’re messy, a bit all over the place. The books wrap up generally happy, with the right people coming out better off, but you can never guess exactly how. These books don’t read like novels - they read more like it would happen in real life (for an optimist, at least). Pratchett finds ways to simultaneously spoof tropes, play them straight, and shatter them into a million pieces. He writes with an excellent grasp of humanity, and these novels are more true to life than anything in the comedy fantasy genre has any right to be.

This book is no different. I appreciated Vimes’s origin story, so to speak, and of course I love the Librarian and Lord Vetinari. I will definitely be reading more books in the City Watch line.

The Beloved Christmas Quilt

The Beloved Christmas Quilt by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter and Richelle Brunstetter            Audio Book:  12 hours, 12 minutes          Hardback Book:  512 pages   

I enjoy stories about the Amish (must be my ancestral Mennonite genes) but I balk a bit when the book talks about someone going out to the barn to use the phone to call a ride or discusses the purple or blue blouse an Amish woman is wearing.   Now, I am no expert on the Amish culture but I do know from time spent in Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania in particular in the town of Bird in Hand which is the locale of this tale, that the strict Amish women do not wear colors, they dress in the same colors as the men do – black and white.     The local Mennonites wear colors.     I understand there is a sect of the Amish that is a lot looser on such things as using electrical appliances, phones, some even own automobiles rather than the horse drawn carriages, why, they even wear colorful clothing, this sect is known as the Beachy Amish.   So given some of the modern conveniences mentioned throughout the book, I have to question, if the characters are adhering to the Old Order Amish ways, speaking Deutch, still driving buggies but wearing colorful clothing and owning a phone – seems to me it is an either or situation.   Either you adhere completely to the Old Order ways or you adhere to the Beachy persuasion and are allowed to own modern conveniences within limits (no radio, no t.v. – owning computers is o.k.,  it is o.k. to own some power tools and drive a vehicle and so on).     The characters in this story swing somewhere between the two and that from what I understand just isn’t done.    So, I have an issue with that because to me it is distracting to think the story is inaccurate.   It is off putting to me, however, I did complete the story.   The story itself is good, actually 3 stories in one covering 3 generations of the same family telling how the Christmas quilt came to be and the meaning and love attached to it as it is passed down through the generations.     A pleasant generational story that carries on easily from one to the other allowing the reader to see the characters as children, teens, adults, marrying and having families and all the struggles, heartbreak, adapting, hard work and smiles that take them through their lives.        I did like the story but I would like it better if the author clarified her characters are either Old Order or Beachy and stick to one or the other – it makes me do that Elvis lip curl every time I come across an inconsistent bit.  

Different Paths of Buddhism

The Different Paths of Buddhism: A Narrative-Historical Introduction by Carl Olson, 256 pages

This is a short academic introduction to the history of Buddhism in its many forms, from the folk Buddhism of Tibet to the devotional Pure Land Buddhism of China to Japan's Zen Buddhism to the political Buddhism popularized among India's untouchables in the twentieth century.  As the book's subtitle indicates, Olson chooses to explore his subject along a narrative path, avoiding the mistake of abstracting some supposedly pure Buddhism that may never have existed.  Rather, he traces the development of different Buddhist schools, relates how they influenced each other and the cultures around them, all without stigmatizing any of them as corruptions of the true doctrine.  This is further validated by the experiential element within Buddhism itself.

The Different Paths of Buddhism was clearly intended for use as a textbook, despite being considerably better-written than most of that genre.  Unfortunately for the solitary reader, there are times when the text seems to want additional elucidation or context, although some of these problems are resolved later within the book itself (for example, Olson alludes to "Protestant Buddhism" several chapters before describing it).  Such difficulties are inevitable, however, in such a dense exploration of the rich traditions of one of the world's great religions.

The Last Camellia

The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio    320 pages

 I’m a fan of author Sarah Jio’s. I adored The Violets of March and Goodnight June. I also like Blackberry Winter, but that novel had its drawbacks. And as sorry as I am to have to say this so does The Last Camellia.

One of the things that I like about Jio is that most of her stories have dualing timelines, and this one is no exception. In 2000, Addison Sinclair’s ugly past is rearing its head. She grew up tormented in a foster home by a boy who also lived there. Now he is out of prison and stalking Addison. Luckily for her, her in-laws have purchased an old estate in England. She convinces her husband that Livingston Manor would be the perfect place for him to do research for his new novel. It didn’t take much convincing and within a week the couple is taking up residence at his parents’ new pet project.

The manor is daunting. It’s huge, with wings and suites. It also comes with a staff who seems to have been there since the before World War II, especially the housekeeper, Mrs. Dilloway, who reminded me of Mrs. Danvers from Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca. Addison, a botanist, is enchanted with the orchard, especially the camellia trees. When she stumbles upon the late Lady Anna’s old gardening notebooks, questions begin to rise.

In the dualing time line, Flora, and amateur botanist, leaves America for England in 1940 under false pretenses. She goes to Livingstone Manor as a nanny, but in actuality she is searching for the Middlebury Pink, a famed camellia that is virtually extinct. An international ring of flower thieves has convinced her to go look for the tree. The thieves threaten her parents if she doesn’t cooperate.

The story moves quickly and easily. In the beginning, it was unputdownable. But as the plot progressed, more and more questions were brought up than were answered. By the time I finished, I was ready to throw the book across the room. It was almost Jio got bored, didn’t want to make the novel any longer, or was on a tight deadline. There are so many unanswered plot points. 

Since I have loved, half hated The Last Camellia, it gets 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Transformation in Christ

Transformation in Christ: On the Christian Attitude by Dietrich von Hildebrand, 500 pages

Dietrich von Hildebrand's masterpiece has been called a "modern day Imitation of Christ", and this is only a slight exaggeration.  This long combination of theological treatise and spiritual meditation uniquely combines psychological acuity and philosophical rigor.  Most important, however, is the transformational love of God that radiates almost visibly from the text.  Startlingly, again and again von Hildebrand reveals the superficiality of conventional wisdom falsely-so-called and unveils the profound truths it conceals, all in the service of an ever deeper and more radical conversion.

It should be noted that although Transformation in Christ is von Hildebrand's most accessible work, it remains the work of a German philosopher, and although intended for a wider audience than his other works, it will present challenges for the average reader.  Indeed, its greatness consists precisely in the challenge it poses to modern cant - its revelation of Christianity not as a matter of intellectual propositions or ethical prescriptions, but of metaphysical vision and continuous conversion.

Behind Closed Doors

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris 293 pages

"Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace: he has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You'd like to get to know Grace better. But it's difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are never apart. Some might call this true love.

The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?" - Goodreads

I couldn't  put this book down and finished it in almost one day. I won't say it was an original plot line, but I enjoyed the journey nonetheless. I didn't have as much sympathy for the protagonist as the author might have wanted me to have, she got on my nerves more than once, but I did care what happened to her and her sister. I definitely hated the antagonist, he was everything that readers love to hate. I wish his ending had been even more excruciating just because the author made me hate him so much. The writing was good, a little repetitive in the middle, but good. I liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes suspense and psychological thrillers, however I would caution not to expect a new take on the genre.

Landscape with Invisible Hand

Landscape with Invisible Hand by M. T. Anderson     149 pages

When the vuvv first landed, it came as a surprise to aspiring artist Adam and the rest of planet Earth - but not necessarily an unwelcome one. Can it really be called an invasion when the vuvv generously offered free advanced technology and cures for every illness imaginable? As it turns out, yes. With his parents' jobs replaced by alien tech and no money for food, clean water, or the vuvv's miraculous medicine, Adam and his girlfriend, Chloe, have to get creative to survive. Soon enough, Adam must decide how far he's willing to go - and what he's willing to sacrifice - to give the vuvv what they want.

This is such a strange story - but it's quirky and that's why I liked it. One would think it would be hard to imagine such a short story capable of encompassing a futuristic Earth where alien creatures basically run things and everything from society to technology is different, but Anderson is able to deftly create this new, strange world without long passages of description or "telling," he just shows it to you through little windows throughout the story.

Adam Costello is a hilarious narrator and I think this would make a really good recommendation book to any teen who doesn't like to read - One, it's short. Two, it's funny. And three, it stands out because it's different - there's a little bit for everybody and the main character is just so relatable, you can't help but get behind him.

Honestly, I'd recommend it to everybody - even if you don't like sci-fi. It's very light on the sci-fi. It's mostly a story about a boy trying to help his family get through a crisis (with aliens and their new economy as the backdrop). It's worth the read, and hey - it's short. You can finish it in a day.