The Story of Arthur Truluv

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg    270 pages

This is perhaps one of the sweetest stories I’ve read in a long time, and one of Berg’s best.

Eighty-two-year-old Arthur Moses lost his wife, his everything, six months ago. To combat his loneliness, he takes the bus to the cemetery to have lunch with her. Every day. Regardless of the weather.

Lucille, Arthur’s next-door neighbor, is dealing with her own loneliness. A spinster and retired teacher, Lucille has little to keep herself occupied, other than pay attention to what’s going on in the neighborhood. She is also an avid baker, always with a sweet treat for Arthur.

Maddy Harris is an eighteen-year-old girl who is depressed and hangs out in the cemetery. Her classmates bully her; her father is still absorbed in his grief over Maddy’s mom, who died two weeks after she was born. The cemetery is the only place she feels comfortable. She has dreams of becoming a photographer, but doesn’t see how it would be feasible.

Arthur and Maddy strike up a rather unusual friendship. Maddy nicknames him Arthur Truluv because of his devotion to his late wife, the love of his life, Nola. Arthur and Nola never had kids, and before he realizes, Arthur begins to feel parently toward the lonely young woman. One rainy afternoon, Arthur invites Maddy over to his home. That could either be creepy or sweet, depending on the writer. If this story was penned by say, Stephen King, then YIKES! But as it is penned by a bestselling author who is known for her sweet, intimate stories, this story is sure to touch the hearts of every reader who opens its covers.

As the three main characters try to make their way in the world, they begin to lean and depend upon each other.  A truly sweet story. “The Story of Arthur Truluv” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Outsider

The Outsider by Stephen King, 561 pages

“An unspeakable crime. A confounding investigation. At a time when the King brand has never been stronger, he has delivered one of his most unsettling and compulsively readable stories. An eleven-year-old boy's violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City's most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad. As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King's propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.” This book was an extremely satisfying horror story.  It was awful and scary and gory and I loved it.  It was typical King, although maybe slightly less awful than he has been in the past, but still very, very, good.  I would highly recommend it to people who like horror.

Apex

Apex by Mercedes Lackey, 294 pages

“Being a member of the Elite Hunter Command imperils Joy in more ways than one. In their latest clash with Othersiders, the army of monsters nearly wiped them out. Apex City is safe?for now. But within the city barriers, Joy must wage a different kind of war. The corrupt and powerful PsiCorps is determined to usurp the Hunters as chief defenders of Apex City and Joy is now squarely in their crosshairs. Unused to playing political games, she has very few people she can truly trust-not even Josh, her first friend in Apex City, who broke up with her when it became too dangerous for a Psimon to be dating a Hunter. Then Josh comes to Joy for help. He fears that Abigail Drift, the head of PsiCorps, will soon use him in her twisted experiments designed to empower PsiCorps and render Hunters superfluous--a scheme that's already killed off dozens of Psimons. Joy manages to smuggle Josh to safety, but he cannot evade Drift forever? As Joy faces ever more powerful Othersiders, she is helped by the most surprising ally imaginable---the same Folk Mage she once met in battle on the train to Apex City. But can Joy trust the most cunning and treacherous of all Othersiders? In the thrilling finale to Mercedes Lackey's #1 New York Times bestselling trilogy, Joy must risk everything to end a brutal war?before she loses all she's ever loved.” If I have any complaints about this book it’s that it doesn’t completely feel like the end. 

Blueprint For Disaster

Blueprint For Disaster by Darby Conley, 128 pages

The Get Fuzzy comics are hilarious.  This is a fun collection in which Bucky Katt tries to trap Fungo, the ferret next door, and loses his tooth.  Satchel is his usual sweet, bumbling self, and Rob just tries to keep the peace as much as possible.  Unfortunately, the library doesn’t own this volume, but fans will like several of the other Get Fuzzy collections the library does own.

The Friendship War

The Friendship War by Andrew Clements, 173 pages

When Grace finds 27 boxes of buttons in an old textile mill that her grandfather just bought she has to own them.  She’s not sure why, but she knows that she does.  Then, when school starts and she sees her best friend, Ellie, for the first time that year, she tries to Ellie about her trip and about the buttons, but Ellie, as usual, interrupts to tell Grace all about her summer.  A series of events at school leads to kids bringing buttons, comparing, crafting, and trading.  And Grace has more buttons than anyone, many that are rare, unusual, and highly coveted.  This leads to big problems for Grace and Ellie’s friendship, because Ellie isn’t used to anyone upstaging her and Grace is tired of being second fiddle.  This is an awesome story about how fads get started and about friendship in middle school.  Kids who like realistic fiction will love it.

The Empty Grave

The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud, 437 pages

“Five months after the events in THE CREEPING SHADOW, we join Lockwood, Lucy, George, Holly, and their associate Quill Kipps on a perilous night mission: they have broken into the booby-trapped Fittes Mausoleum, where the body of the legendary psychic heroine Marissa Fittes lies. Or does it? This is just one of the many questions to be answered in Book 5 of the Lockwood & Co. series. Will Lockwood ever reveal more about his family's past to Lucy? Will their trip to the Other Side leave Lucy and Lockwood forever changed? Will Penelope Fittes succeed in shutting down their agency forever? The young agents must survive attacks from foes both spectral and human before they can take on their greatest enemy in a climactic and chaotic battle. And to prevail they will have to rely on help from some surprising--and shadowy--allies. Jonathan Stroud once again delivers a rousing adventure full of danger, laughs, twists, and frights. The revelations will send readers back to Book 1 to start the series all over again.” Sadly, this is the last book in the series.  I absolutely love Stroud’s writing and these books are perfect for anyone who likes adventure and supernatural stories with a little humor.  I love to recommend these to teens.

The Rain Watcher

The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay    240 pages

Most readers will recognize de Rosnay as the author behind “Sarah’s Key,” which ranks right up with “Rebecca” as haunting stories that stick with readers for years after they were first read. The four novels that came after “Sarah’s Key,” never afforded de Rosany the same success. Now  four years after her last novel, that bestselling success is so close, yet so far away.

Set in contemporary times, “The Rain Watcher” takes place in Paris. The Malegarde family has come together to celebrate parents’ Lauren and Paul’s fortieth wedding anniversary as well as Paul’s seventieth birthday.  Lauren is an American by birth, Paul is French, They have two children, Tilia who is caught up in an unhappy marriage and resides in France. Linden is an internationally known photographer and calls San Francisco home.

It’s been raining in Paris for weeks and the Seine is rapidly rising. The waters are expected to rising well above the historic flooding of 1910. As the Seine rises, so does the tension. Each of the four characters has secrets they are hiding. The family, already partially estranged, is at a breaking point. When illnesses strike, the family must learn to let go. It’s a hard lesson for those involved.

Most of the writing was beautiful. De Rosany did a wonderful job in describing the flood waters and the rain. Every time they were mentioned, virtually on every page, a new image seemed to present itself.  Kudos for that.

On the down side, de Rosnay provides readers with an agonizing detail of the Paris streets and androissments. It would have help had there been a map on the inside front and back covers. I felt lost when she began naming streets and neighborhoods that I had no concept of location. I don’t believe that de Rosnay writing for an international audience…or at least am American one. The overload of French words also got in the way.

Still the beauty of the writing, sans the above problems, help me give “The Rain Watcher” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. I wanted so bad for this to be a novel that would capture my soul the way “Sarah’s Key” did, but---heavy sigh---it just didn’t happen.

Home

Home by Nnedi Okorafor, 164 pages

It's been a year since Binti and the Meduse Okwu enrolled at Oomza University. A year since Binti was declared a hero for uniting two warring planets. A year since she abandoned her family in the dawn of a new day.And now she must return home to her people, with her friend Okwu by her side, to face her family and her elders. Her experiences off-planet have changed her forever, and Binti will have to discover whether there is still a home for her on Earth. I definitely like Okorafor’s adult books much better than her YA.  This is a very good fantasy novel.  I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.

Hello Universe

Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly, 313 pages

“Virgil feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia is deaf, smart, and loves everything about nature. Kaori is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so that he can concentrate on basketball. They aren't friends. But when Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well, Kaori, Gen, and Valencia begin a quest to find the missing Virgil.” I loved this story about friendship.  I will definitely be recommending it to grade school kids in the future.

Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race

Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein, 279 pages

In this newest adventure about Mr. Lemoncello, he has devised a new fact finding game for his trustees.  While the kids run around the country looking for the fun facts, trying to win the game, someone is planting evidence to try and discredit Mr. Lemoncello and steal his newest game idea.  Unless Kyle and his friends can prove Mr. Lemoncello’s innocence he may lose his library, and worse, his reputation.  I don’t know how Grabenstein can make each Lemoncello book better than the last, but he does.  I loved the latest book and hope that more are on the way.  Kids who like humor and adventure, not to mention mysteries and puzzles, will love this book and the others in the series.

Totally Awesome Rubber Band Jewelry

Totally Awesome Rubber Band Jewelry by Colleen Dorsey         Paperback Book:  48 pages         

I saw this title while looking for something else and requested it thinking, that sounds cool.   I am always looking for fun, simple and inexpensive crafting ideas to do stuff with the kids in the family and I thought wow, crafting with rubberbands.   I have done a little of that in the past when I taught pre-school so I thought it would be fun to learn some new rubberband crafts to learn how to do and file in my cache of fun stuff to do when the kids are over.    I was a little disappointed with this book.    The jewelry designs are clever and cute my two priorities when crafting.  The thing I found disappointing was that you can’t just do it with a big pile of rainbow colored rubberbands, you need a loom to complete them.    I like making art out of simple, let’s grab a couple of thing and beging but this entales having to come up with a loom or if working with a bunch of little ones you almost need one for everybody as patience for waiting turns is not the strong suit as everyone including me want to start creating immediately and not have to stand in line.   That sucks.   So, while I give kudos to the subject, I give boo! Dos to the implementation part.    Seems to add an unnecessary step and true it is not a major step, these looms, they mention 3 different ones to get for various projects, aren’t that hard to get but when you are in the mood for a pick up and go project it Is just off-putting to have to get something in order to do what seemed like a one-step project.    The items they demonstrate making are cute and look fun, but like I said, I like the grab and go projects not having to do a lot of set up, just pull together your crafting supplies and begin.   So, yes on the designs but no on the not having immediate gratification without making a trip to a craft or toy store first.   In hind-sight I would have passed on this book for the extra step of having to acquire equipment rather than just being able to do the project on its own.   I would recommend this book only with the caveat that you need to buy something else to make it work. 

- Shirley J.

Learn to Draw Military Machines

Learn to Draw Military Machines: Step-By-Step Instructions For More Than 25 High-Powered Vehicles Author/Illustrator Tom LaPadula      Paperback Book:  64 pages    

I saw this title and thought, Cool!  My younger nephews love to draw military tanks and stuff.    I can learn how to do it so my boxes on top of circles can get a little more clarity instead of being the stick figures of vehicular art.    The intstructions and illustrations here are so subtle and good, you will be an artist in no time polishing your skill set with really professional looking end results that start out as you guessed it, boxes on top of circles.  J    Even professional artists have to start somewhere, right?   By the end of this book you will be drawing Humvees with the best of them.    Tanks were what I was going for and jets of course, too.   But these step-by-step drawings will have you drawing stealth fighter jets, Black Hawk twin engine helicopters,  B-52 Bombers, watercrafts, heck you will be a whiz with these illustrations to go by and the end products look amazing!   I am going to get such big points with the Kiddos for drawing true to life looking air, land and sea crafts.   They really are cool.   I highly recommend this book for any one wanting to learn to draw with realism whether for your nephews or just for the fun of doing it for yourself.   This is a really good book with awesome confidence building renditions of current, former and those taken out of use military transport machines.   Excellent book.

 - Shirley J.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS IN BROOKLYN

Edited by Theodore Hamm  222 pages

https://slpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1387932116

Reviewed by Rae C.


I try to read anything that Douglass has written or texts of speeches he has given and this book is fantastic!  Douglass at his best, with a lot of Brooklyn history as well.  This is an imprint of Akashic, a truly unique publisher.  All fans of Douglass should read this.  Some of the material will be familiar, but much won't.  Not to be missed is Douglass' speech on John Brown, including his esteem for Brown as a family man (apparently the men and the women cleared the dinner dishes).

And his speeches on Lincoln, while a little bit of blind hero-worship, also illustrate the contrast between how Lincoln related to Douglass, compared to other powerful men, i n particular one abolitionist:

On one occasion a well-known abolitionist said to me. “Come, Douglass, let’s walk down Broadway together.  I’m never ashamed to walk with a Negro.”  It never occurred to him that I might be ashamed to walk with him. 

Sources of Danger to the Republic is as relevant today as it was then.  And What Shall Be Done with The Negro? is still all to frighteningly relevant.

…Inferior race! It is an old argument. All nations have been compelled to meet in in some form or the other since mankind have been divided into strong and week, oppressors and oppressed.  Whenever and wherever men have been oppressed and enslaved, their oppressors and enslavers have in every instance found a warrant for such oppression and enslavement in the alleged character of their victims.  The very vices and crimes which slavery generates are usually charged in the peculiar characteristic of the race enslaved.  When the Normans conquered the Saxons, the Saxons were a coarse, unrefined, inferior race.  When the United States wants to possess herself of Mexican territory, the Mexicans are an inferior race.  When Russia wants a share of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks are an inferior race, the sick man of Europe.  So, too, when England wishes to impose some new burden on Ireland, or excuse herself for refusing to remove some old one, the Irish are denounced as an inferior race.  But this is a monstrous argument.

                Now, suppose it were true that the Negro is inferior instead of being an apology for oppression and proscription, it is an appeal to all that is noble and magnanimous in the human soul against both.  When used in the service of oppression, it is as if one should say, “That man is weak; I am strong, there I will knock him down, and as far as I can I will keep him down.  Yonder is an ignorant man. I am instructed, there I will do what I can to prevent his being instructed and to withhold from him the means of education.  There is another who is low in his associations, rude in his manners, coarse and brutal in his appetites, therefore I will see to it that his degradation shall be permanent, and that society shall hold out to him no motives or incitements to a more elevated character.”  I will not stop here to denounce this monstrous excuse for oppression.  That men can resort to it shows that when the human mind is once completely under the dominion of pride and selfishness, the reasoning faculties are inverted if not subverted.

                I should like to know what constitutes inferiority and the standard of superiority.  Must a man be as wise as Socrates, as learned as Humboldt, as profound as Bacon, or as eloquent as Charles Sumner, before he can be reckoned among superior men?  Alas! if this were so, few even of the most cultivated of the white race could stand the test. 

It is so well put together, the source and footnotes help to really paint a full picture of the world Douglass was living in and the challenges he faced every time he was invited to speak somewhere. For example, Tilton's comments on the 5 directors of Brooklyn Academy of Music who (unsuccessfully) opposed Douglass speaking engagement February 8, 1866:
"We understand the names of the five dissenting directors are to be written on shells and deposited in the Brooklyn Historical Society's collection of Long Island fossils."

The Pig is in the Pantry, the Cat is on the Shelf

The Pig is in the Pantry, the Cat is on the Shelf by Shirley Mozelle          Hardback Book:  32 pages                 

When Mr. McDuffel, the farmer, has to go run some errands, and forgets to lock his door on the way out.  The animals out in the barnyard decide to go inside his house for some fun.    Mr. McDuffel’s cat who lives in the house, freaks out and jumps up on the shelf watching the menagerie come in and take over (the cow, the goose, the horse, the duck, the goat, the pig,  etc.) .   The pig goes in and starts pulling stuff out of the pantry and makes them all some biscuits from the ingredients he found, they all pitch in and come up with enough food for a good filling buffet meal for all of them.   After that they play and seeing clothes decide to play dress-up pulling clothing out of the closet and drawers in the bureau, etc.    They have a lovely time dressing up in shirts, ties, scarves, etc. and dance as though they were attending a fancy dress up ball.   They are so full and have played so much that they get sleepy and all spread out around the living room finding good nap spots, the cow in the recliner, the horse on the sofa, the duck laying on top of the horse’s chest,  the others finding spots on the floor to snuggle up under blankets and on pallets they made of the clothes they had dressed up in.   The time is recorded on the top corner of the pages showing what Mr. McDuffel is up to and what the animals are up to at the same time.    Before you know it Mr. McDuffel is back home and comes in to find, clothes strewn here and there and all the barnyard animals in different places around the room taking a nap.   He is not pleased and makes all the animals leave and go back outside.   At least the horse had swept the kitchen floor and the cow had done the dishes after they had eaten.   Things weren’t too untidy just in slight disarray from the strewn clothes they had been playing with.   All in all I think everybody had a good time, but, I bet Mr. McDuffel remembers to lock the door next time.   The cat was glad to have the house back to him and Mr. McDuffel.     Cute book, yes, I recommend this and think it would be a fun storytime book.   I would have a blast with this one – we would be up acting it out along with the animals.   J

- Shirley J.

Best Organizing Solutions

Best Organizing Solutions: Cut Clutter, Store More, and Gain Closet Space by Reader’s Digest     Paperback Book:  143 pages               

I see books like this and all I want to do is grab some tools, go to pick up the materials I need and start creating things that will make my life better.    That is what I WANT to do.   The projects in this book looks so simple and the photos are great and show you and tell you just what to do to make the a reality, however, I just don’t have the faith in my carpentry skills to make them come to pass.   That is why God made brothers.    My brother has the skill set I can show him what I want or tell him what I would like and he can conceptualize it and the next thing I know he whips out his powerdrill and my requests become vertical realities.    I love DIY books so much though.    I can often work out ideas I am trying to come up with that someone else has already laid out measurements etc. all for me.   These books inspire me with all their closet and utility room organizing projects.   I love them and I hightly recommend this one, too.   The solutions offered here for getting your house in order with quick and relatively easy instructions is inspiring.   And I have always loved to see other people’s take on something I may be considering.   I have been able to cabbage so many creative ideas and put my spin on them to come up with creative outcomes for my living space.   Love it!   I do highly recommend this book for DIYers and novice wannabes like myself.   Like having a friend there with you saying, “You can do this and here is how.”

 - Shirley J

There are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America

There are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America by Alex Kotlowitz    323 pages

Alex Kotlowitz spent three years with Lafayette and Pharoah, and their family and friends, and wrote this book based on his numerous interviews, discussions and reflection. The boys lived with their family in the Henry Horner Homes public housing in Chicago, and this account shows how they struggled to survive in a dangerous and inhospitable environment.

Beyond the story of the two boys, this is an exploration into urban youth in society, where children as young as thirteen are engaged in violence, drug dealing and gangs.  It's also a view into the horrible living conditions in the Henry Horner Homes, showing how the Chicago Housing Authority failed the families living there. The City officials were no better, corrupting the budget intended for the betterment of the building occupants. The police were also not always looking out for the welfare of building residents.  All of the factors combined meant that these boys were growing up in an environment where they had almost no chance of successful futures. The near constant trauma means that children age quickly, becoming emotionally scarred and understanding that death is a near presence where they live.

However, Kotlowitz does find hope here, showing that if children are given a chance and support, that they can succeed.  Pharoah in particular is an example of this, taking school seriously and studying hard.

The title of the book comes from a quote from Lafayette and Pharoah's mother, LaJoe, who said, "But you know, there are no children here. They've seen too much to be children."

I found this book to be a very moving read. As I have been reading more about the Chicago public housing projects, it has been particularly compelling to read people's accounts of their lives in these buildings. Reading this book, set over a period of time when I was in high school, made me extremely aware of just how different my life was from that of these two boys.  Living in a suburb of Chicago, with parents who worked in the city, I was aware of the public housing projects. I remember reading about them in the newspaper, seeing reports of crimes, and driving past the buildings with my family on our way to somewhere in the city.  However, until I started reading more recently about these buildings and about the history of public housing, I had no idea of the extent of how awful the living conditions and violence were.  I appreciated that Kotlowitz gives an epilogue at the end of the book and also that he used money from the sales of this book to not only set up a trust fund for the two brothers and some of their friends, but he sent the two boys to private school.

If you'd like to know more about the Henry Horner Homes, I included a link above. There is also this sobering article from the New York Times, titled "What it's like to be in Hell."  While the Henry Horner Homes were not the largest public housing project (an honor that goes to the Robert Taylor Homes, which stretched for 2 miles), it was one of the most troubled and violent projects.

Annie Leibovitz at Work

Annie Leibovitz at Work   259 pages

While this book is a book of photography, it's also a memoir.  Leibovitz describes her start in photography and also explains how her pictures were made, including her work with Rolling Stone magazine.  She covers portraiture, including the intricacies of photographing Queen Elizabeth and the stories behind some of her most well-known photographs.  She also discusses lighting, digital cameras, reportage, and more.

I have a few books of her photography, but I hadn't picked up this book. It was really interesting to learn about how she got started in photography and how she uses different kinds of lighting and cameras.  It was also interesting to read the stories of some of these photographs.  For example, the photo of Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi was a shoot that just wasn't producing what Leibovitz wanted --- until the idea of painting their faces blue was brought up; but apparently, Belushi really wasn't happy with that. Reading about her photographs of Queen Elizabeth was also really interesting.  I think a lot of us can look at a photo and enjoy it, but not always understand all the work that goes into making that one perfect image.

Elements of Japanese Design

Elements of Japanese Design  by Boye’ Lafayette De Mente            Paperback Book:  142 pages                    Genre:  Adult Non-Fiction    Japanese Philosophy,  Japanese Culture, Western influence on Generational interaction,     Contemporary vs. Traditional Behavior

Beautiful book giving deep insight into Japanese culture, traditions and the changes occurring today between centuries old traditions and new contemporary ideas and lifestyles.   Lots of discussion on various design concepts in short reader friendly chapters.   The author introduces Japanese phrases and the concepts behind them introducing the reader to several concepts both simple and complex but put to the reader in such understandable language that I think the reader will be completely surprised at how easy it is to discover the concepts offered here are not way over your head but easily understood and immediately able to learn and grow from each mini chapter.    I was amazed at just how easily relatable the information here is and how clearly the author expresses these design concepts.   It covers the similarities between the Japanese wabi sabi principles that can improve one’s understanding of the good and the bad of life and how one can achieve contentment by allowing our minds to grasp the serene in life and how down sizing our things to a point of simplicity will help us to grow and not get caught up in the accumulation of things but just the opposite going along with the less is more concept.     The less we have the more we can see and appreciate that which we have when we suffer from over abundance it takes our focus away.   We become over whelmed by all the stuff but when we choose to get back to basics, we can appreciate the silence of the tea ceremony we share with friends and feel sorrow for the loss of cherry blossums in the Fall.    Beautiful book.   It will change the way you look at things and will give you understandings of the deep emotions evoked by the simplicity in Japanese pieces of art which are mini snapshots artists share with us of moments in time so beautiful that the magnitude, though still will lift one’s spirits.   I recommend this book to anyone interested in finding the humble beauty in life, I recommend these concepts to anyone familiar with the Chinese concept/philosophy of feng shui, I recommend this book to anyone who loves the Japanese culture and language.   Like sitting at the feet of a Buddhist Monk and learning the lessons of appreciating silence and simplicity.   Good book.

 - Shirley J.

In Pieces: A Memoir

In Pieces: A Memoir by Sally Field         Audiobook:  10 hrs., 41 mins.       Hardback Book:  416 pages                  

First off, I have to say, I like biographies but this is the most depressing biography I have read.   As the saying goes, “No one know what goes on behind closed doors.”  There has always been a sadness around Sally Field, though her early t.v. work showed a smiling,  vibrant young woman there was always a deep melancholy in her eyes like there was so much more to her than what her persona revealed.   Now, after reading her life story, I see what her eyes were trying to tell.    First of all her father was one of her mother’s teachers, her parents never married.   Sally didn’t know her father until she had grown up and was on t.v. when her father contacted her.   He talked a good game to get her to come to his house so he could meet his little girl.   Trouble was, it really wasn’t her he wanted to meet,  he thought with her celebrity being on t.v. he could hit her up for money, which he often did over the years.    She had an older brother who she was really close to.   Her brother was bookish, wore glasses and was over weight which meant he got hassled a lot at school.   They lived in California and her mother did some acting and landed a few roles in films and at one gig, met the stuntman turned actor, Jock O’ Malley,  they fell in love and married.    Jock was an athlete and he determined the family was going to be athletes, too.   He built contraptions for them to do stunts,  he set up a 3 story high diving board forcing and shaming the kids into going off the high dive though Sally cried until he got aggravated and went up and pushed her off into the water.  Jock’s behavior darkened over the years, he would get particularly annoyed with her brother and strong arm him into doing exaggerated feats to toughen him up.   No Sissy’s in his household and that included Sally.   There was something else going on, too.   From the time Sally was 2 years old Jock started having her walk on his back, then he started rolling over so she could walk on his front, too.    Sally knew even then this wasn’t right but her mother would often call to her that her “Dad” (Jock) wanted her to come walk on his back.   Though she hated it, she would make the awful ascension up the stairs and into the bedroom where Jock lay naked on the bed with a sheet tossed across himself.   She didn’t want to, but, she was intimidated by him and even though he began putting his hands on her little body she endured it silently and her mother continued to drink to the point of becoming an alcoholic but again, this was accepted as just who she was and another thing to be endured.  The molestation continued through her teenage years.   When she began to have boyfriends her relationships were never what she wished they would be and she always seemed to lose herself in catering to the needs and going along with whatever her boyfriend wanted    It infuriated her, but, she couldn’t seem to change including when she dated Burt Reynolds.   They were each damaged by their pasts and she adored Burt and was sure she had found her true soulmate anxious to share their experiences and finally have someone she could talk to about her troubled past, unfortunately, Burt didn’t want to hear about her issues, nor did he want to speak about his own beyond the bit he shared with her on their first date.    She liked to cuss, he didn’t want his lady to cuss.    She had been married and had 2 young sons.   Burt didn’t really want the kids around.   He didn’t want to be reminded of her other life with other men.   So she would go over to his house and spend the night after the boys went to bed while her mother babysat, then she would get up and go home early in the morning to be home to make breakfast for the boys when they got up.    She was wearing herself out trying to accommodate everyone except herself.    Burt would send her out on errands but he didn’t give her money to pick stuff up for him.    She finally told him she would need some cash to pick up his requests and he told her his manager only gave him a thousand dollars a week to spend and if he gave her $200 that would only leave him with $800 to spend.   She felt so guilty she never asked for money again and continued to pay for his stuff out of her pocket but being with him so much she wan’t working steadily and was getting low on money herself and still had to pay her house payment and keep food on the table for the boys.   A showdown came between her and Burt when she took an edgy role to break her typecasting of the girl next door type.   Burt accused her of wanting to play a whore and started making wacky accusations.   She finally realized it was time to put space between her and Burt and get out of the relationship all together.    In this book, Sally names names discussing casting couch sessions she endured, etc.    Like I said, there is so much here that is really sad, bad or unfortunate that it outways anything nice or good – very little of that mentioned here.   It is well written.   It is blunt but honest.   But when you come to the end you think man, what a downer that was a really depressing book.   It takes you a couple of days to shake that feeling off but, with that, you get the feeling that you have looked behind the façade and now know the real person, flawed, silently suffering and in her 60s and still striving to be liked, hence the no one knows what goes on behind closed doors analogy.   I would recommend this to readers who enjoy biographical reads.   I would recommend it to anyone who likes Sally Field and who would like to learn about her life with the caveat that people are complex and be ready to learn a lot of things that you might not want to know.    I would liken this book to someone ripping a bandage off and showing you the wound underneath.  Maybe you can look at the wound and not be phased by it, but, maybe not.   A good book but a sad life.

 - Shirley J.

Bethlehem

Bethlehem by Frederick William Faber, 421 pages

Bethlehem is both an extended reflection on the first phase of the Incarnation and a consideration of the nature of true devotion.  Father Faber warns against "spiritual tourism", against a superficial search for a change of scenery as a substitute for living in and through the mysteries.

Fifty years after the publication of Bethlehem, Chesterton had the Virgin Mother say

     And any little maid that walks

     In good thoughts apart,

     May break the guard of the Three Kings

     And see the dear and dreadful things

     I hid within my heart.

This is the plan of Father Faber, following the Incarnation itself from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of the Virgin, journeying to the filthy manger with the wise kings and simple shepherds, the rejoicing angels and the faithful Joseph, then on through the Immaculate Heart to the Sacred Heart and the incomprehensible Love of the Almighty.

American Princess

American Princess by Stephanie Marie Thornton    488 pages   Read a galley - book is due out March, 2019

I usually don't read a lot of historical fiction, but Julie's review of this book was really good. So when Julie offered to lend me her copy, I thought I'd give it a try.  And, I wound up really enjoying this book!

Since Julie already did a summary on this book, I'll just say that the book is based on the life of Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. I knew a little about Alice, mostly that she was a darling of society and was also outspoken and daring in her behavior. However, beyond that, I didn't know that much. I found myself enjoying the book so much that I was frequently putting it down, grabbing my phone, and looking up people that were in Alice's life. She definitely was a fascinating woman who knew who she was, was comfortable with who she was, and who inevitably found the strength to face her challenges (and challengers).  As the book progresses through her life, you not only get a feel for what her life was like, but what politics were like throughout the years. Alice married a politician who eventually became Speaker of the House, so you have that perspective in addition to her father's political life.

Definitely a fascinating read! 

Night School

Night School: Book 21 in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child     Audio Book: 13 hours, 7 mins.     Paperback Book: 496 pages             

I’ve heard of Jack Reacher, I think some years ago I watched a film with Tom Cruise playing the part of Jack Reacher, but, this is the first book with Jack Reacher as lead character I have experienced and I am now a fan of Jack Reacher.    I’m usually not big on spies nor espionage stories but this one intrigued me although I didn’t realize I was #21 in a series, but, this is surely a stand alone story as I imagine they likely all are, though, the reader probably picks up a good bit of background on John Reacher with each succeeding tome.   Mr. Reacher seems like a pretty fun guy, I like his sense of humor a lot.   And his assistant is like the Army’s Wonder Woman.    The story starts off with Mr. Reacher receiving accolades and a(nother) medal that morning then he is assigned to attend Night School that same evening.  He is wondering why Night School?   But goes along with his orders.   When he gets to class there are 2 other agents there.   One from the FBI and one from the CIA.   It seems the Government ie. the President wants a cooperative mission between the Army which Jack Reacher is a highly placed special operative in and the other two agencies being the FBI and CIA.    The President wants them all to play nice, work together, share information that each has specific access and specialization in and find a loose cannon who sources have alerted that Jihadists are working with to buy a hundred million dollars worth of “something,” and the Jihadists are willing to pay the price for whatever it is.     The mission is to find out who has whatever it is for sale then find out what in particular are they selling?    The story keeps the reader’s attention from beginning to end.   It is fascinating how the info is tracked between all of the agencies and how much can be accomplished with all of the contacts at each agency’s disposal.   Jack Reacher is this strong presence yet very down to earth and witty who will drop to his favorite thing – street fighting – with very little provocation.    Jack Reacher is a very likeable character someone you would be able to have a beverage with and a few laughs before he had to go fight bad guys and save the world.   This story takes the reader along from Langley, Virginia to Jalalabad, Afghanistan to some very miltant cells of Reichers working toward raising the 4^th Reich in Germany and are not at all shy about their anti-Semitic tendencies.   Searching and researching for who, what and when goes global with stop offs in Kiev, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and other global hot spots for arms dealing.    It really is a good well told story and I enjoyed getting to know the character Jack Reacher.    Lots of possibilities as to what is going on and author Lee Child swoops you up in all the action and carries you right along as if you are decked out in full armour to face any faction lurking in the shadows, sand dunes, or at the local bar or bistro.    Excellent story telling here.   I think I might just check this series out, I like Jack Reacher.    I would definetly recommend this series to anyone who likes Mission Impossible type stories, military stories, spy,  suspense, iintrigue or an open mind to be introduced to something you might never check out on your own, but might find Lee Child’s writing to your taste.   I would not have sought this story out.    I was just browsing when I came across it and decided to check it out.   I’m glad I did.    It is a worthy story.    I highly recommend it.

 - Shirley J.

How To American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents

How To American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disapointing Your Parents by Jimmy O. Yang           AudioBook:  6 hours, 5 min    Hardback Book: 240 pages          

Jimmy O. Yang and his family immigrated from China to the United States when he was 14 years old.    He didn’t speak a lot of English when he got here, his mother never learned to speak English or understand it fluently and eventually she moves back to Shanghai to go back to a good executive position whereas in America she was reduced to lowly positions because of her lack of grasp on the English language.   Jimmy’s first culture shock was when he went to his first gym class.  Gym was his favorite class back home and exceedingly easy but when he got L.A. he teased mercilessly for wearing tighty whities (briefs instead of boxers)   and terrified of being gang-raped like he had seen in American Prison films back in Shanghai, when the guys in his gym class semi-circle around him like a pack of ravaging wolves and tell him to pull down his pants.   Jimmy was freaking out but he was outnumbered and didn’t know what to do, he might be able to fight 3 of them if he was lucky but, there were way more than 3 of them.   He slowly began to obey when one of the guys said, “Hey Man!  What are you doing!   Don’t pull them down that far, you just want them to sag and show the tops of your underwear that is the style here.   Those tighty whites have got to go.   Get you some boxers.”    And that is how he went from being terrified to being in fashion with the other guys in his school.    He learned to speak English by watching the BET channel on cable.  After which he made some friends, Pershians, Black, and Hispanic with the occasional Asian – he didn’t want to limit his chances at fitting in by hanging exclusively with other Asians and becoming unapproachable in the eyes of the other students, plus, there weren’t that many Chinese kids at his school, mostly Koreans.  He tells how his life went from then until now.   Lots of funny events,. Like the rap group called the Yellow Panthers that he and his crew (the Persians, Hispanic, and Black friends mentioned above) formed,  how he learned to beat box and come up with his own tunes which got a little play though he admits he wasn’t very good at but wanted to be a rapper so bad he kept trying.   He did actually sell one of the rap tunes he wrote himself to a guy that made porno films who had heard some of his tunes and particularly liked one of them and paid Jimmy to use it in one of his films.    He talks about living in L.A. and surviving his mother leaving him, his brother and his Dad to move back to China for work, he shares so many hilarious stories about the jobs he had over the years, his one-time dream job – to be a D.J. in a stripper bar he was able to achieve, then how he found his passion doing stand-up comedy.   His parents wanted him to go to college, get a degree in Economics and work on Wall St. but that wasn’t his path.   It was hard for him to tell them that he didn’t want to go to college, he didn’t want to study economics – he wanted to become a stand-up comedian.    His Dad said, “But Jimmy you are not funny.”   Always getting the unbridled true sentiments from his parents, jimmy didn’t let that stop him, he kept pursuing his dream of doing stand-up and he began to go to comedy clubs paying $5.00 for 5 minutes on stage to the club owners.   He invited his old boss from the stip club for his first paid stand-up comedy gig and the owner brought several of the strippers to the show.    They all hooted and hollered for him and the owner of the strip club remained a close friend and supporter as were the strippers who thought he was the most honest and kind person they knew.   Jimmy eventually did stints on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,”  and other shows eventually ending up with a recurring starring role on the HBO series, “Silicon Valley.”     There are so many funny moments described here and Jimmy gives a true look at the immigrant experience and describes for the reader what he had to go through when visiting Mexico with his buddies and trying to get back across the border before he got his green card.  He nearly got deported.   He talks about what he had to go through to become an American citizen.      Fun read and very informative on the immigrant experience and how to make it in Hollywood complete with recommended agent and agency who got him primo roles from the git go.     I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something that will make you laugh and go hmmmm at the same time.   It is an illuminating look into how Americans are perceived from a Chinese immigrant’s perspective – he was very disappointed in the fast food restaurants in America – in Shanghai they also serve fish dishes and duck and here in America where the restaurants originated they don’t!  Funny tales about bringing his lunch from home that was made up of homecooked Asian cuisine while his fellow students were gorging on French fires, and burgers, pizza, etc.  while he had grown up on the food and liked it that his Dad cooked for them, it got many odd looks from others in the school cafeteria.   Lots of amusing tales here.    I highly recommend this one.   Lots of laugh out loud humor and humor found in serious situations.  

 - Shirley J.

Godfather

The Godfather by Mario Puzo, 479 pages

The Godfather tells the colorful story of mob boss Vito Corleone and his children - volatile eldest son Santino, gentle middle child Fredo, unfortunate daughter Connie, and rebellious youngest son Michael, who turns out to be the most ruthless of all.  With the films being the cultural touchstones they are, the basic tale will be well known to most, although there are some differences between page and screen.  The book includes details of Vito's rise to power that were used as the basis of his story in The Godfather Part II, but does not include any of Michael's parallel story from that film.  The book fleshes out a number of supporting characters to varying degrees, notably Joey Fontane and Lucy Mancini, and although their subplots have little to do with the main narrative, they do explore the way the Corleone empire of influence operates.  On the other hand, with the book ending where it does, Fredo is almost a complete nonentity.

Mario Puzo had a long and successful career as a pulp writer, and it shows here, in his crude effectiveness or effective crudity.  All of the lyricism of the films is absent from the novel, replaced with a fixation on sex and genitalia, especially male genitalia.  There is also a great deal of artless repetition - the narrator tells us exactly what Woltz paid for his prize racehorse, for example, only a few pages before Woltz tells us himself.  If this artlessness has an unexpected positive side, it is that it strips the central themes naked.  The confrontation between the values of the Family and the values of America is presented with a minimum of subtlety.  Bonasera wanted to leave behind the obligations of the traditional patron-client relationships for the rootless freedom of his adopted homeland.  The movie producer Woltz uncomprehendingly ponders the values of men who would destroy a six hundred thousand dollar thoroughbred just to send a message.  Michael only grows to understand his father by being involuntarily immersed in Sicilian culture.  The novel is, if anything, less confident that bourgeois morality will prove superior to the feudal ethic, a lack of confidence highlighted by Kay's arc.

Mindfulness For Beginners

Mindfulness For Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn            AudioBook: 2 hours, 24 minutes         Hardback  Book:  184 pages                   


Jon Kabat-Zinn takes the reader to a place where consciousness transcends to awareness.   In this book, he instructs the reader on how to go so fully into your meditation that you become so aware of your surroundings, a place where heart and mind come together, where the reader can learn to step out of time through his teachings on achieving mindfulness.    His teaching is to be fully present in the moment.   To notice things so many others don’t pay attention to and neither do we normally, but through being in the moment and noticing your breathing, giving freedom to your thoughts – let them go where they will then ease them back to what it is you are focusing on.   He doesn’t tell the reader to clear your mind, or focus only on one thing, Kabat-Zinn says if you try to stop your thoughts you will only get a headache, it is o.k. to let your thoughts fly where they will for a time then slowly bring them back to concentrating on your breathing then to the subject you are meditating on.   Creative thoughts are often delivered to you in this way.    While letting your thoughts dwell on climbing Kilamanjaro when you started out meditating on the obstacle in your path, perhaps in your pursuit of climbing Mt. Kilamanjaro the answer will be delivered to you as to what you should be doing to rise in your career path or how to overcome the obstacles along the way to get there (someone who is jealous who is trying to block your path, or your need to learn certain skills that are currently not in your skill-set but which you could learn by taking some classes that would teach you what you need to know to even the playing field.    Being in the moment, taking the quiet time to concentrate to use your Beginner’s Mind allowing it to be free of distractions so it show you what it is you seek and what it is you need to know.  In this way you are resting in not knowing what we don’t know.   He teaches that Buddhist Monks take each moment as fresh.  Often starting their talks with, “I know nothing.”   It is not a false modesty  Kabat-Zinn says,  they really do see each moment as fresh in practicing mindfulness or being fully in the moment letting their breath, the life force flow into and out of even through their bodies as they befriend mind and heart thereby touching awareness – full awareness of self within each breath within each heartbeat.   Just sitting silently in your awareness of all that is and your place therein allowing the chi or lifeforce surround you and become a part of you as you take it into yourself.    This experience will take you outside of time and outside yourself merging or becoming one with the universe.   Like an empty mirror you know the quality of awareness that gives you a whole other dimensionality to live in and a calm you didn’t have before you learned this technique to become one with the universe, and gain this deeper understanding of spirituality and your place within those separate concepts now joined into one.   Our thoughts are liberated and begin to heal us by connecting to what is going on in our lives then through our awareness tap into what is going on and what we can do to heal the situation and make our lives better by providing the insight which provide answers offering instruction into clear and reliable solutions when we seek shifting what is to what we want the outcome to be in the way that is best for us providing a loving connection with ourselves and the world.   He teaches mindful meditations on breathing, eating, focusing on your body, focusing on objects, he also teaches what he calls are the Attitudinal Foundations of Mindfulness on Non-Judging, Patiene, the Beginners Mind, Trust, Non-Strife, Acceptance and Letting Go.   His basic premise is:  Mindfulness Meditation is letting the doing come out of the being right now in this moment.   He says that the word mindfulness in all Asian languages is the same word for mind and heart.    He says that meditation is about awareness and that wisdom is knowing reality without being caught up in our own value systems.    Discernment is clear seeing, openness, kindness, paying attention, caring or our heart’s intrinsic compassion – not what we have but what we are, your sense of where you are in time.   He notes that we should be good listeners to all around us and that often sounds draw us back in our pasts.     Lots of interesting concepts shared here in getting to that oneness with awareness, in being mindful in the moment and curing whatever we are up against and tuning in to what our subconscious wants to bring to our attention.    Good book.   I would recommend it to anyone who would like to de-stress and gain control of their lives focusing on the simplicity of the moment and who would like to tap into their inner consciousness for guidance.

 - Shirley J.

The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity

The State of Affairs:  Rethinking Infidelity by Esther Perel         AudioBook:  12 hours     Paperback Book:  352 pages           


Excellent book on the psychology behind why while in romantic relationships, marriages or agreed upon monogamous arrangements one partner sometimes both or more if in a multiple partner relationship (3 people or 4 people) stray from the original agreed upon arrangement and seek other partners outside of the original parameters.  Perel does a very thorough and thoughtful delving into the psychology behind all the trespasses discussed here.   Relationships of any kind are fraught with emotion, attachments or on the other end of the spectrum lack of attachment.    Some reasons are boredom,  curiosity, flattery, escapism, mentally assigning parental or Madonna roles to the female partner, being turned of by changes that come with childbirth, with the onset of aging, with the partner getting too relaxed and no longer feeling the need to monitor how they look or filter what they say to or within hearing of a partner,  growing apart in their experiences and desires, one person loses interest and the other still needs to have contact, etc.   so many reasons big or small can drive a wedge between former lovers who no longer communicate adequately and if not rectified can be the end of a relationship or if those involved in the relationship want to try to revive the love and desire for one another they once felt then therapy sessions such as those held by Esther Perel can find the root of the disturbance in their life, name it then find a resolution for it.    Sometimes that resolution is ending the relationship if it really is irrepairable but most often once the true cause that severed the bond between them is discovered and addressed, solutions can be arrived at, worked on and if the partners are committed to each other emotionally, worked out.   Family and friendships roles in support of and destruction of is discussed as is the difference between a dalliance and a full-blown love affair with someone outside the original partnership.   Obliteration of trust is deeply probed as this affects one’s self-esteem, is he/she treating me like a doormat or am I a doormat?   Am I paying more attention to my own needs and ignoring my partners?  Is my supporting their career and putting mine on hold breaking us apart?   Do we resent where our life has gone when we had all these dreams we used to plan together and now we hardly speak?    Is it cheating if it is virtual reality or just a fantasy?   We always told each other the truth and now I realize my partner has been lying.   When did we lose touch with one another?    I used to love my partners touch and now not only do I not want it anymore, I can’t stand to hear my partners voice.    I’ve been faking it so long it is frustrating to think of continuing this farce any longer.   So much more.   I think this is a must-read for everyone.   You learn such great life lessons here that cheating and betrayal are far more involved than just oops, I don’t know why I did that but I will never do it again if you forgive my trespass this time.    There is always a WHY behind every act of disloyalty.    Find the WHY and it is possible the relationship can be worked through and strangely even helpful at times (examples discussed) before it is too late to reclaim and restore lost love.   Excellent book.  It is an eye-opener proving that nothing is as it seems or as dire if people will come together to reason and hold fast to that elusive thing we call love.   Not recommended for children but, teens to adult who are in relationships or getting ready to be in one and certainly anyone in a relationship that is being tested could benefit from the wisdom and insight found here.   A galaxy of stars for this book.  Even if you are in what you think is a solid, stabile relationship this book delivers information that will open your mind and help you to keep it that way as much as possible by delivering information on things that may be without meaning to us but will teach you to see from your perspective AND your significant other’s.  A great read-between-the-lines and look past your interpretation to how your actions might be perceived by others without your intentionally meaning to leave such an impression.   Very open and very in your face but all of it is very worthy.   Good stuff to be found here.  Perel performs the work of a mentor of romance and how quickly it can be lost.  Bravo!

 - Shirley J.

Before the Devil Breaks You: The Diviner Series Book #3

Before the Devil Breaks You: The Diviner Series Book #3 by Libba Bray        AudioBook: 21 hrs, 26 mins       Hardback Book: 560 pages             

OMgosh!   I love this series.    I am so happy to find out today that while it was originally said there were 3 books in this series turns out there will be 4!   Yippee!   I love this series.   Libba Bray you open the door to the authentic Roaring 20s!   The language and slang of the time is spoken so genuinely, reader, you will feel like you have been transported back in time.    The core characters are so real and believable, you come to feel so close to them you can’t wait to find out what happens to them next.   Glad Mabel found love.   I’m just saying… in this book the dead are chomping at the bits, the bits of people they can snatch up and eat that is!   Man, for entities that say they want people to remember them, that is a hair-raising way to get attention!    The group spends some time in a mental institution out on Ward’s island in a storm can’t you just feel the rain and wind, geez!   And a poor Irish Lad who does his best to keep the ghosties away by constantly counting being sure to leave out the number 6 because it is bad.   The Diviners hone their particular skills and like many groups of superheroes before them find there is strength in their power when they join together to fight the common enemy – the King of Crows.    Things bubble up and boil over with our heroes all on the same page but everyone pursuing a unique path – hold on cause your head may spin by the end of this one.   Halleluiah there is another book coming!   LOVED IT!!!   LOVE THE SERIES!!!   EVERYBODY READ IT I RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE! 

 - Shirley J.