Shelby’s Story

Shelby’sStory by W. Bruce Cameron, 207 pages

Shelby is a dog who is destined to become a movie star.  She’s smart and she loves learning new things.  Sometimes, her people are worried that she won’t understand what she needs to do in time to finish making the movie, but Shelby knows she’s got what it takes.  Also, after the hard life she lived as a puppy, she knows that the most important thing is to be surrounded by love.  This is a sweet, fictional, story about the dog that played in the movie “A Dog’s Purpose”.  Kids who like animal stories will enjoy this book.

The Boggart Fights Back

TheBoggart Fights Back by Susan Cooper, 210 pages

This book is a sequel to The Boggart and The The Boggart and The Monster, but it can stand alone.  The Boggart is a mischievous creature that likes to play tricks but is fiercely loyal to its clan.  When a developer comes in wanting to buy the castle where the Boggart lives to start a new hotel resort, it’s up to the youngest members of the clan, Allie and Jay, with the help of their grandfather, to try and stop him.  With some help from the Boggart and other Old Things, they hope they can succeed.  I loved this story.  It may have been even better than the original story.  Kids who like fantasy need to read it.

Max’s Story

Max’sStory by W. Bruce Cameron, 191 pages

Max is a little dog who is determined not to get pushed around.  He makes sure that other dogs know he is in charge and he won’t let people get away with doing things he doesn’t like either.  When he finds CJ he knows that he is meant to be her dog.  CJ is the only one who can get him to be gentle, but can CJ train him to behave quickly enough that she will be allowed to keep him?  This was a sweet story that would be great for kids who like animal books.

And The Ocean Was Our Sky

AndThe Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness, 160 pages

What if whales only hunted men because we hunted them?  What if they killed people and used all of our parts, wasting nothing?  What if they only wanted to protect themselves?  And what if there were a man who had killed so many whales that his name, Toby Wick, became a legend and that there was a whale obsessed with catching and killing Toby Wick?  Bathsheba’s captain, Alexandra, is that whale.  Bathsheba, whose mother was killed by humans, is happy to follow Alexandra in the hunt to kill more people but doesn’t believe in Toby Wick.  Although Bathsheba hates all humans she becomes fascinate das gets to know a human prisoner who has been giving them information about where to find Toby Wick.  He makes her question what she knows about humans and what humans know about whales.  This retelling of Moby Dick from a whale perspective is fascinating.  I loved it and hope to put it in the hands of lots of teens.

Pride

Prideby Ibi Zoboi, 289 pages

When two boys move in with their family across the way, Zuri knows that they are nothing but trouble.  They are rich and don’t know how to fit in her family’s neighborhood.  Even though they are cute, and seem nice, Zuri knows nothing good can come of it.  When her older sister, Janae, starts dating the older brother, Ainsley, Zuri is upset, but tries to make the best of it.  One thing is for sure, she is not interested in the younger brother, Darius, no matter how much matchmaking her mother and sisters may try to negotiate.  This is a fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice.  Teens who like realistic fiction will like it.

The Girl In The Locked Room

TheGirl In The Locked Room by Mary Downing Hahn, 193 pages

The girl can’t remember her name or how long she has been in the room.  She just knows that she is locked in and that she is lonely.  Jules is lonely too.  Her family moves all of the time so she is always the new girl and never has enough time to really make friends.  She hopes that this move will let them stay a while, although the house that her father is renovating is spooky.  She really believes that it might be haunted, especially since she starts seeing people that couldn’t possibly be there.  When a new friend, Maisie, tells her that everyone thinks the house is haunted by a family that was murdered there, Jules knows she was right.  The question is, what do the ghosts want? And can Jules do anything about it?  This is not as scary as some ghost stories.  The ghost isn’t very scary at all, but the story itself has a pretty good creepy factor.  I enjoyed it and most kids who like ghost or scary stories will enjoy it.

Never Never

NeverNever by James Patterson & Candice Fox, 363 pages

“Never... assume you know someone. Harry Blue is the top Sex Crimes investigator in her department. She's a seasoned pro who's seen it all. But even she didn't see this coming: her own brother arrested for the grisly murders of three beautiful young women. Never... accept a reassignment to the middle of nowhere "for your own good." Harry's been sent to a makeshift town in a desolate landscape-a world full of easy money, plenty of illegal ways to spend it, and a ragtag collection of transient characters who thrive on the fringes of society. A place where little grows, but evil flourishes. Never... trust anyone. Looking into a seemingly simple missing persons case, Harry's been assigned to a new "partner." But is he actually meant to be a watchdog? Still reeling from the accusations against her brother, Harry can't even trust her own instincts, which she's never doubted...until now. Never... go anywhere without leaving a trace. Far from the world she knows and desperate to clear her brother's name, Harry has to mine the dark secrets of her strange new home for answers to a deepening mystery-before she vanishes in a place where no one would ever think to look for her. Never Never is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride with enough intrigue and suspense to keep you guessing until the final page. You'll never be able to put it down.”  I liked this story, although it was a little too predictable because I had the mystery solved well before the end.  Also, I was a little disappointed that a major plot point was not resolved.  I’m assuming that there will be a sequel, but I will be bitterly unhappy if there isn’t, since such a large part was unresolved.  Patterson fans will enjoy it.

Turtles All The Way Down

TurtlesAll The Way Down by John Green, 286 pages

Aza is mentally ill.  She can’t stop the racing thoughts that attack her nearly all of the time.  Even though she wants to feel better, she worries that taking her medication and stopping the thoughts will make her someone she is not.  She misses her father, who died in a car accident several years ago.  Daisy hatches a plan to find missing billionaire, Russell Pickett, and collect the reward money.  Daisy thinks that it’s fate, because Aza knew his son from camp a few years prior.  When Aza and Davis meet again they find that they have a connection but it may not be strong enough to overcome Aza’s illness and Davis’s worries about his father and how his money affects his relationships.  This was a fantastic book that I plan to recommend to all teens.

Undead And Done

UndeadAnd Done by MaryJanice Davidson, 285 pages

“Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor continues her rule in Hell in the scorchingly funny finale to the Undead series from New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson.  It had been a well-kept secret for centuries, but now the existence of vampires is all over the news, thanks to Betsy Taylor's half sister (and the frustrated former Antichrist), Laura. Life for the undead will never be the same, and it's up to Betsy to do some damage control. But her interview on the local news doesn't exactly put out the fire. It more or less pours kerosene on it. With all the added attention on supernatural beings, the werewolves are more than a little agitated (never a good thing) and demand that Betsy gets her interview skills, and her family, in order. And while things go from bad to worse in the world, Hell continues to be hell--especially when Betsy's new parole program becomes about as complicated as you'd expect.  With a PR team launching a vampire-friendly campaign, the devil at large and out to make trouble, and mermaids on hand to see who falls--and how hard--the end isn't just near. It's here. And if anyone knows how to go out with a bang, it's the queen of Hell.” I really enjoyed this book.  I think it was one of the funniest in the series and I thought it did a great job of wrapping up the story.  I feel like this storyline really was done so I can’t even say that I’m going to miss the series.  I’m sure the author isn’t done writing and these characters may pop up from time to time so I probably won’t even miss them much either.  Anyone who likes supernatural humorous adventure and romance is going to love this author.

Checked

Checked by Cynthia Kadohata, 408 pages

When Conor finds out that his dog, Sinbad, has cancer, he realizes that he may have to choose between his dog and hockey.  Sinbad is his soulmate, so it really isn’t a choice, but Hockey is his life.  Luckily, although he has to cut back on some lessons for a while, he doesn’t have to quit completely.  Conor has a lot going on his mind, worry about his dog and his dad, hockey, figuring out the rest of his family, and his place in the world.  This book was really about relationships and growing up, but the hockey is a big part of that for Conor and I really enjoyed every part of the book.  Kids who like realistic fiction, sports stories, family stories, or dog stories will probably all love this book, unless they are bothered by the length.  I would highly recommend it.

My Father’s Words

My Father’s Words by Patricia MacLachlan, 135 pages

Fiona’s world is turned upside down when her father is killed in a car accident.  She, her little brother Finn, and her mother have to learn how to cope without their father.  While Fiona struggles, she thinks that Finn has a harder time than she does.  She wants to help Finn but isn’t sure how.  Their neighbor, Luke, finds an opportunity volunteering at a dog shelter.  Fiona hopes that Finn will respond to the dogs’ need and be able to find a way to deal with his feelings.  This was a sweet book for younger chapter book readers.

The Christmas Cake Murder

The Christmas Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke, 270 pages

“It's Christmas many years ago, and topping young Hannah Swensen's wish list is becoming the go-to baker in Lake Eden, Minnesota. But as Hannah finds out, revisiting holiday memories can be murder . . .  With her dream of opening The Cookie Jar taking shape, Hannah's life matches the hectic December hustle and bustle in Lake Eden--especially when she agrees to help recreate a spectacular Christmas Ball from the past in honor of Essie Granger, an elderly local in hospice care. But instead of poring over decadent dessert recipes for the merry festivities, she instantly becomes enthralled by Essie's old notebooks and the tale of a woman escaping danger on the streets of New York. Hannah's surprised by Essie's secret talent for penning crime fiction. She's even more surprised when the story turns real. As Hannah prepares to run a bakery and move out of her mother's house, it'll be a true miracle if she can prevent another Yuletide disaster by solving a mystery as dense as a Christmas fruitcake . . .” I really enjoyed this story.  It felt a little too good to be true with the way the sisters got along so well when they were younger.  High school girls, as the youngest was, are not usually so pleasant.  It made for a good story, if a little unrealistic, anyway.  Anyone who enjoys the series will love this book as well.

Ghost Boys

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes, 214 pages

"After seventh-grader Jerome is shot by a white police officer, he observes the aftermath of his death and meets the ghosts of other fallen black boys including historical figure Emmett Till."  This was a difficult books to read.  Although the story is sad, there is hope.  It’s well written and I think that a lot of kids would enjoy reading it, even if it is upsetting to them. 

Progress and Religion

Progress and Religion: An Historical Inquiry by Christopher Dawson, 197 pages

In Progress and Religion Dawson analyzes the spiritual roots of modernity, finding the animating religious impulse of modern culture in the cult of progress which triumphed in the Enlightenment.  However, he also finds this idea spiritually impoverished - so much so that its religious nature is invisible to most people - and therefore concludes that it cannot serve as a great unifying principle for the West, even if it could survive the scientific advent of Darwinism and thermodynamics.  The choice, then, is between recovery and disintegration.

Progress and Religion was originally published in 1929, and like many of Dawson's works it is full of moments of unexpected brilliance, such as his explanation of the emergence of primitive religion, not from an early attempt to master the material world but from a primal intuition of Being.  It is also, ninety years later, prophetic, both in Dawson's realization that the failure of utopianism would merely displace the goal of progress from social perfection to infinite consumption, and the warning that this would lead to an anti-culture "which will acknowledge no hierarchy of values, no intellectual authority, and no social or religious tradition, but which will live for the moment in a chaos of pure sensation."

Why Don't You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It?: A Mother's Suggestions

Why Don't You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It?: A Mother's Suggestions by Patricia Marx,  Roz Chast (Illustrations)    112 pages

Just in time for Mother's Day coming up in a few weeks!!

Patty Marx' mother knows better than other mothers.  Patty has never been able to shake her mother's one-liners from her mind, so she collected them into this book, illustrated by Roz Chast (one of my favorite New Yorker cartoonists).  These witticisms include gems like If you feel guilty about throwing away leftovers, put them in the back of your refrigerator for five days and then throw them out.

 This is a funny little book and it made me think of some of the things my own mother has said over the years.  She's never said "Write my eulogy now so I can correct it," but she has given plenty of advice over the years.  

My Own Two Feet

My Own Two Feet by Beverly Cleary   352 pages

This is the follow-up to Cleary's first autobiography and continues where that book leaves off, with her leaving Oregon to attend junior college in California.  Like her first book, she writes with warmth and detail about her family, her school life, her marriage, and her jobs (including her librarian jobs!!).  I really enjoyed learning about what her life was like during the 1930s and how she navigated school, her family life, and her social life.

Like the first book, Cleary doesn't spare details; this  means that there are at times some unhappy details. But again, there is never a feeling of "poor me" and instead, just a feeling that you're getting a glimpse into the life of an amazing woman.

I didn't really know anything about Cleary until I read these two books, so I have enjoyed learning about her.

A girl from yamhill

A girl from Yamhill by Beverly Cleary   352 pages

I think I read almost all of Beverly Cleary's books as a child, but I never knew she wrote her autobiography (and this is the first book -- she also wrote a follow-up).  I really enjoyed this book and found myself making time to sit down and read. Read that sentence as "I really enjoyed this book and put housework to the side for an hour so I could read instead." 

Cleary adds detail to her memoir and makes it very easy to imagine her life, although she doesn't overburden the reader with details --- there's something very honest and clear about her writing, including a true warmth in her tone, that made reading this book really great.  Growing up during the Great Depression in Oregon, Cleary describes life as only child, her love of her early years on a farm, and even her difficulties in learning to read.

Sometimes, what she writes about is a little heartbreaking. Her parents were not always loving and life was sometimes difficult. However, there's never a feeling of "poor me" in this book. She relates her life plainly, never shrinking from details that may be unhappy.

I had read an essay about this book, which is what made me seek it out (along with her followup memoir), and now I'm finding I want to re-read some of her books, including Ellen Tebbits and Henry Huggins.

The Last Book Party

The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess   256 pages  I read a galley 

This coming-of-age story takes place over the summer of 1987, when Eve Rosen is an aspiring writer stuck in a job she doesn't love. With her professional ambitions seemingly on hold, she jumps at the chance to attend an early summer party at the home of a famous writer, Henry, and his poet wife, Tillie. Instantly crushing on the author's son, Eve then lands a job as Henry's research assistant for the summer.  She also lands an invitation to Henry and Tillie's very exclusive "Book Party," where partygoers dress as literary characters.  What starts off as a fantastic summer job turns into more of an adventure than Eve bargained for, and also reveals that the literary world she covets may not be as wonderful as she imagined.

I liked the simple prose of this book and the way the story seemed to flow pretty effortlessly. The characters are very realistically written (which means you sometimes don't like them very much), and I was curious to see what would happen to Eve.  I have read reviews on Goodreads from people who loved this book --- and I thought it was okay. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, and I don't see wanting to pick it up again in the future.  It's an interesting story, but I didn't feel much connection to the characters or the storyline.

Never Grow Up

Never Grow Up by Jackie Chan with Zhu Mo          AudioBook: 9hrs. 30 mins.       Hardback Book:  352 pages                        

Jackie Chan has been a favorite celebrity of mine ever since I first became aware of him through the film, “Rumble in the Bronx” then after, t.v. talkshow appearances.   He has a great style, extraordinary Kung-Fu skills but with comedic timing the likes of Lucille Ball and Buster Keaton showing the regular person put in wild circumstances but by who’s skills or sheer luck, they come out o.k. and in Jackie Chan’s case a hero.   He has such a beautiful smile and sparkling mischievous eyes that in his agelessness you see the fun-loving little boy that still resides within him.   Though currently in his 60s, he is still looking for the next awe-inspiring stunt to pull off in his films to wow his fans, though, he admits he doesn’t know how much longer he can continue to do awesome stunts himself and has for the past couple of years gone for roles that rely more on his acting abilities than his action stunt work.   He tells throughout the book how he has gotten seriously hurt throughout his career and you come away wondering how he manages to stay alive.    He has had brain surgery from a fall, his ankles pop out of their sockets as he walks to this day from so many harsh landings on his feet.   He has suffered permanent hearing loss in one ear.   He is a perfectionist on set and has done as many as 50 takes of an action scene for it to look just the way he wants on screen.    He prefers the Chinese way of filming – everyone on set does whatever is needed to get the job done and does it as quickly as possible.   In the United States while he loves making films here it drives him crazy that jobs are only allowed to be done by whoever’s assigned to that job and people in that job will scream, “Hey!  That’s my job!”  If one of his staff go to do something on set they see needs done.   But the American person will also take their time doing whatever it is they need to do.    The American might even stop to chat with someone along the way before completing whatever task it is.    Jackie Chan is thinking time is money!  Just do it already!   He loves the amazing technology American film studios have and wishes so much that the Chinese film industry would catch up.   Even in his studio he is still using harnesses and ropes and was blown away by the holograms and CGI effects James Cameron and Steven Spielberg showed him at their studios.    Still Jackie Chan feels he prefers the realism of actually doing all the stunts often without a net or protection below from falls – hence why so many of his injuries – he can hardly straighten up his back each morning when he gets out of bed.   He has come so close to death so many times but as he said, “Wouldn’t that be amazing to hear that Jackie Chan died while jumping into a live volcano?   But I don’t want to die, yet.”    This year, he will turn 65.   He said he doesn’t feel old until he looks at his son who is now in his late 30s and he thinks I am an old man.   Should I stop doing all the dangerous stunts?   I don’t want to do them to the point the fans start saying STOP ALREADY – YOU ARE SO OLD JUMPING AROUND LIKE THAT YOU LOOK PATHETIC!  But on the other hand, he just can’t stop coming up new ideas for even greater stunts.   He has been scratched by a leopard and nearly attacked by it several times on set because he scared it once and it would never forget it.    He also rode a rhinoceros until someone threw him a spear because they thought it would make an awesome looking picture.   The rhinoceros didn’t think so and thought he was trying to attack it and took off running.   To save himself Jackie jumped off but the Rhino continued to charge him.   He swiftly climbed a tree until the rhinos owner got him calmed down and away.     Jackie discusses his childhood, sent away to boarding school from the age of 7 until he was 17,   the siblings from each of his parents previous marriages he didn’t find out about until his father was near death.    How his mother was forced to make a living from the streets to support her 2 daughters (long before Jackie was born).    How Jackie treats the women in his life with scorn because his friends tell him they are after his money, his gambling and drinking phases, and much more.    Really good book, you will learn so much about this celebrity icon. In his own words, “I am a man and I make mistakes.”    He tells his mistakes and his efforts to rectify them.   He tells fan stories and he has had some wacko adventures and potentially fatal encounters.   Really good book, one you won’t want to put down.    If you like Jackie Chan you will like this book.   If you like biographies, you will definetly like this one.    And if you love trues stories there is a lot to love about this one.    I feel like some of my starry-eyed fandom has gotten a wake up call,  but, still I think all in all Jackie Chan is one of my favorite celebrities.   I like how he is not afraid to laugh at himself and not afraid to show in every movie he makes the bloopers and how he gets hurt doing his stunts while the credit run.   He is a force to be reckoned with and proud to be Chinese.  Good Book.

 - Shirley J.

Have Yourself a Very Vintage Christmas

Have Yourself a Very Vintage Christmas: Crafts, Decorating Tips, and Recipes, 1920s-1960s by Susan Waggoner         Hardback Book: 144 pages                 Genre:  Adult Non-Fiction    Historical Times and the Christmas decorations, crafts and recipes for cookies and more of each decade from the 1920s-the 1960s

Great book, my memories of being a tiny child and watching the bubble lights on the Christmas tree, my brothers Lionel locomotive trains on their tracks circling the tree and taking up a lot of the floor in the living room at Christmas, all the fun and memories of decorations (that sticky angel hair – spun fiberglass), spray on snow,  tinsel,  trade-offs between topping the tree with either Santa, an angel or a star.    I loved this book, it brought back so many great memories of good times.    Susan Waggoner not only gives you a brief history lesson of what was happening at the time during each decade, but, she explains why the particular materials were used to make the Christmas memorabilia we associate different points in our lives (if you are of this vintage).    I learned a lot of the whys behind so many things that it was a real treat to get a better understanding of things I had previously taken for granted.   She even includes directions on how to make some of the vintage decorations, she also offers art of the holidays from the various decades many I remember that the reader can scan and use to make your own vintage Christmas crafts.   A really fun book here and oh, yes, there are loads of Christmas sweets recipes to delight your taste buds and take you  back to gentler times when all the responsibilities in life were handled by somebody else and you got to dream about what prezzies you hoped Santa would bring you.   For young folks there are wonderful retro itmes to be found here.    I smiled all the way through reading this book and I plan to put many of the ideas and reminders I came across to use in the upcoming holidays this year.   Thank you Susan Waggoner for taking me back through some of the most fun things from my childhood.   I highly recommend this book to all babyboomers and retro lovers, and everyone who remembers Christmas at Grandmas or wish they did.   Well done.

 - Shirley J.

Finding Audrey

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella             Audiobook:  6 hrs.,  36 mins.         Hardback Book:  304 pages                    

Sophie Kinsella, one of my favorite authors, has tackled the topic of bullying in schools in “Finding Audrey.”      Audrey is the victim of bullying by several girls who form a click at her school.  I won’t go into all the details so as not to spoil the story for you, but, the bullying escalates to the point that Audrey is so traumatized she suffers a mental breakdown.   Through intense therapy she is finally released to go home but with the caveat she will continue her therapy sessions with the doctor over her case.    Once home, Audrey finds the sight of other people’s eyes, even her family’s eyes, so disturbing that she has to wear dark glasses at all times except when she is alone with her 4 year old brother, who she adores and who is angelic in her opinion.    She finds his eyes so pure they don’t burn into like everyone else’s does.     She and her middle brother have an easy banter between them and she is the only family member he can be completely honest with.    She keeps his secrets and gives him counsel as needed and she always takes his side against their parents.   Honestly their parents can be a little squirrely at times – Mom used to work in architectural design, Dad is a teacher – Mom quit working after Audrey’s breakdown to stay home with her as once Audrey was released from the hospital her mental illness left her without coping skills and she could not return to school.   As a matter of fact, Audrey was left in such a state that she could no leave the house period.   If the family wanted to go out to eat, or go to the cinema, visit relatives, go grocery shopping or to the mall,   they went and she stayed home.   To get away from everyone when she couldn’t take the noise of their voices she would go into a room in the house that became designated as her quiet place and she would sit in the dark alone with the unspoken rule that this was her quiet time in HER quiet space.   No one bothered her there, EVER, until the day her middle brother’s friend, Linus, started coming over.    The plot thickens at this juncture.   Their mother starts going ballistic over the boys” constant gaming (little does she know they are practicing for a World Tournament with a $6 million prize).    Mom decides technology is ruining her family and separating them to the point, they never have conversations anymore  because someone is either on their cellphone or computer, she starts insisting technology be put away and they have family board game nights where they can all be together across the table from one another and family movie nights where they all sit in the same room eating popcorn and enjoying DVDs together.   She has no idea how far a teenage boy will go to get his gamin in even after being grounded and Mom being pushed to the brink of destruction and desecration.   Lots of sub-plots and humor along with Audrey’ s visits and conversations with her therapist.   And this kid, Linus, with this strange empathic way about him.   It is a good story and I recommend it to 5^th graders on up, with the hope young folks don’t pick up the snarky back talk and ways to connive their parents as could be taught here.    This book would make a good movie on the effects of bullying, I think.    Well done once again, Sophie Kinsella.   

 -- Shirley J.

Handcrafted Christmas

Handcrafted Christmas:  Ornaments, Decorations, and Cookie Recipes to make at Home by Susan Waggoner       Hardback Book:  144 pages            

What fun books Susan Waggoner comes up with.   The nostalgia of Christmases past, craft items I remember seeing over the years and all with complete instructions from beginning to end on how to make them just as beautiful as you remember them or how you may have seen in retro shops.   Lots of smiles to be had here and she has given me a lot of ideas to use not just for home decorations although there is an abundance of them, but, lots of my family and friends have passed so I am having a field day coming up with great ideas for decorating their graves, too.  Morbid for some, maybe, but, necessary for me.   I always like to do them up fun in keeping with their personalities and my own, of course, hey, they can’t slap me now!  J   So cute and so clever not to mention nothing too off-putting for its degree of difficulty, either.    And the recipes for all the lovely Christmasy desserts – also – not difficult recipes to follow nor extravagant ingredients but wonderful Christmas favorites from our childhoods o.k. maybe your grandmother’s childhood, too, but good recipes survive sometimes hundreds of years or even more, delicacies like Russian Tea Cakes and Thumbprint cookies you can fill with jam or chocolate or caramel,  Lace Cookies, Pecan Tassies, Date Bars (we had Date Rolls – like a Jelly Roll only with dates), man the sugarplums are dancing in my head already.    Such fun books, Susan Waggoner, keep up the good work! J  I highly recommend this book to all ages.   Youngsters will require help to read the instructions and help crafting and baking but how fun would that be?   Really good book.

 - Shirley J.

A Dog’s Way Home

A Dog’s Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron         Audio Book: 11 hours, 30 mins        Hardback Book:  336 pages              

As a puppy, Bella and her Mother and littermates lived under an abandoned house with a colony of feral  cats.   When a bunch of uncaring (expletive) (expletive) land developers and their mob of excavators and other shysters on the payroll buy the land and decide to go in and demolish the houses on the ground to turn it into a money making development – they could care less about the animals living there and send in a despicable bunch of rogues to capture and kill the dog, her puppies and all the cats and kittens without really bothering to worry whether the animals all got out or not.  A young guy named Lucas who lives across the street with his disabled veteran mother knows the animals are there and Lucas has been going over and feeding the critters and bringing them water.   He enlists the help of his girlfriend, too.    He and the wrecking crew go head to head over the animals with the law being brought in over trespassing issues, etc.   The evil ones wreak havoc and the mother dog and all of the puppies except one little female along with several of the feral cats fate are left up to the imagination but it looks real bad for them even if you try to imagine they escaped.    The little female has spent so much time playing with one of the litters of kittens that the kittens mother saved her during the massacre and hid her in safety along with her own litter.    Bella, the puppy, as she is come to know later, thinks of the mother cat as her second mother but they are still in dire straights because the land developer is relentless.   Lucas gets a woman from the local animal rescue to help him save as many of the animals that are left as they can over a few nights visit while there is legalities going on to temporarily keep the developer from going in and killing any more animals but only temporarily because the developer is hell bent for ridding the animals from the picture and buying off the local authorities to make that happen.    Lucas finds Bella and while the lady from the animal rescue argues she needs to take Bella to the shelter, Lucas has fallen in love with Bella and says she is his dog because he found her first.    While the animal rescue lady continues stating the rules Lucas is persuasive and gets his way  and takes Bella home.   The jerks aren’t finished with the rescuers, yet however.    It is such a good story and told so preciously from Bella’s point of view.   Excellent.   I highly recommend this book and the film which I plan to watch now that I finished the book.  Bella has so many adventures and endears herself to so many people and other animals along the way she endures sorrow and pain but the baby girl is resilient and lives up to her life purpose in comforting and helping everyone she meets however she is needed.  GREAT STORY.  I loved it.   Bella’s take on life is so pure and so funny and childlike you will laugh, you will cry and you will get so angry you may become an animal activist.    Do read this one and check out the film it is a true adventure story that will make you glad you got to be there as it unfolds.   Good, good, GOOD book.  J

 - Shirley J.

American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment

American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment by Shane Bauer          AudioBook: 10 hrs, 25 mins       Hardback book:  368 pages            

Excellent Book.    Shane Bauer, an award winning journalist working for the magazine,  Mother Jones, went undercover as a Correctional Officer for a privately owned prison in Winnfield, Louisiana.   He had heard awful things about the treatment of prisoners in privatized prisons in the United States and wanted to do a story about the system.   After a lot of research and consideration he found a privately owned prison that was hiring.   Using his real name he applied for a position as a correctional officer and got it.   Using his real name, had the prison done a check on him they would have found out pretty quickly that he was a reporter and had won awards for his work as journalist in the past, but, it became clear that they didn’t do very thorough checks if they checked at all.    He was hired.   The magazine paid for his hotel stay and off to Louisiana he went.   He went through the training classes with several other applicants both male and female of varied ages.   One older lady had to drop out.   She had asthma and was not supposed to carry her inhaler into the prison.  A couple more of the applicants were weeded out for various reasons, but Shane made it all the way through and actually went to work as a correctional officer.   Some of the training classes were enlightening but not in a good way.   The instructors discussed looking the other way if an officer and an inmate were involved in an altercation as long as the officer was on top of the situation,  but if the situation were reversed officers were to respond and help control the situation (ie. use whatever force they deemed appropriate);  not necessarily responding if a couple of inmates were fighting; and so forth.    Shane cites true historical accounts of actions taken by guards at the prison from just after slavery had been abolished to current day.  To get back at guards that peeved them, inmates would throw excrement and urine on the guards as a means of retaliation which could land them in solitary confinement and the term of the confinement was up to the prison officials regardless of the mental state of the inmate.   Prisoners were not considered to have any rights and any kindness a prisoner received from a CO (correctional officer), sharing a smoke, getting too chummy talking to inmates, not writing them up when they had committed an infraction of the rules could get the Co fired.    Shane found himself falling into the role way too easily of writing the prisoners up for any little infraction and even his wife noticed he had changed to a more moody disposition.   It is a good piece of investigative reporting and this book came from the original article he wrote for Mother Jones magazine.   There are so many things you will learn here about what it is actually like behind prison walls for both those that are incarcerated and those who work inside the walls.   It is a book you cannot put down because your inquiring mind will want to know.   Excellent read/listen.   I highly recommend it from highschool on up.

 -- Shirley J.

Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics

Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics by Chris Christie and Ellis Henican     AudioBook: 10 hours     Hardback Book:  432 pages

He could have been a contender, wait a minute, for a while there he actually was a contender in the 2016 Presidential race.   Two-term Governor of New Jersey from 2010-2018, prior to that he practiced law after graduating college and was appointed  Attorney General for New Jersey from 2002-2008   Now, after leaving office he has written this book and is a contributor to ABC News.    Christie doesn’t pull any punches when talking about his life, his mistakes and his successes.   He speaks openly about good times and rough times in his marriage, he talks about his kids including his teenage daughter’s remark when he told his kids he was running for Governor of the State of New Jersey to which his daughter replied, “Thanks for ruining my life, Dad.”   She got over it.   He has a very conversational way of talking and he is compelling in everything he brings to the table – you want to know where he is going with what he is talking about and he tells it like it is.   If he thinks someone is a liar, he says so, if he thinks someone is a dirty snake pushing their own agenda instead of the President’s and what is best for the country he names names.   He does not back up from telling the truth and I would imagine he is likely in litigation over many of the truths he shares here.    He has been friends with the Donald for 15 years and while he was Attorney General, he actually prosecuted the Donald’s son-in-law’s father,  which did not endear him to the inner circle of those who have the ear of the President.    Christie was a consultant to Donald Trump throughout their friendship and he was very forthcoming in telling the Donald the 2 positions he would be interested in holding if Trump won the election.   Trump promised him it would be done.   After the election looked like a shoe-in, Trump asked  Christie if he would be interested in the Vice-Presidency?   Christie said yes but if not he still wanted the Attorney General position.   Trump told him he would “talk to the guys and get it done.”    Christie went on to be the one who always told Donald Trump the truth even when he didn’t want to hear it.  Kushner, the Donald’s son-in-law, would talk a good game when the whole team was together saying he held no grudges but of course as things played out he was doing everything he could to talk against Christie saying he was just trying get in with the President to further his own career goals and trusting “family” above all others, Trump believed what he was hearing and when the time came to make the appointments, he gave the positions Christie had hoped for to other people without so much as giving Christie a hint he was passing over him completely.   And after offering the V.P. position to him went Pence who Christie had introduced him to!    All those smackdowns and yet Christie continues to believe his good friend isn’t to blame for any of it that his son-in-law is the one who poisoned the Donald against him.  In a menial gesture Trump threw some scraps at Christie of being Secretary of Labor and Head of Homeland Security, etc.   always positions he knew Christie had no interest in.   Christie declined them and that gave Trump recourse to say he offered him all these positions but he wouldn’t take them.   Trump belittled Christie for being too fat to look good on t.v.   He humiliated him at a dinner Trump had invited Christie and his wife to that he also invited Pence and his son-in-law (who always made sure he attended every meeting Christie was invited to so he could hear everything that was said).   At that dinner Trump looked at Christie and said, “ if it hadn’t been for that Bridge thing this could have been you.”   Christie’s wife about choked.   So many more of the Donald’s jabs are discussed and yet, Christie STILL holds up for him.   Dude, he is the President, as a colleague and a friend, he jerked the rug out from under you several times, saying one thing and doing another.    Do you really honestly believe he didn’t know what he was doing just following bad advice by incompetent advisors.   Come, on, really?   Of course, I understand we must pick our battles, but while reading this, while I love how you are telling what you endured so that is justice for the wrongdoers showing their underhanded deeds coming to light, I also understand if you want to have a hope at another shot at the presidency you have to make nice with everybody so the party gets it that you know how to take it and won’t point blame at the top office, just the hangers on.   I hope your diligence is rewarded.   I think I would have been done with the first burn.   Really good book.   The truth is stranger than fiction.  I would recommend this book, too, to High school on up,  he does drop the f-bomb now and then.   Well written and deeper understandings of Bridgegate,  the Obama hug and more are given.   Well done, Chris Christie.

- Shirley J.

World of Silence

The World of Silence by Max Picard, translated by Stanley Godman, 231 pages

In The World of Silence the Swiss philosopher Max Picard presents an understanding of silence, not as the mere absence of sound, but as a positive presence with its own definite qualities.  For Picard, silence is the primordial fact into which the Word was spoken, and it is with the Word that humanity was born.  Speech and music are, each in their own distinct way, born from silence, return to silence, and are structured by silence.  This distinguishes them from noise, which is a flight from silence, and which has come to dominate the Western world.

A reader who comes to The World of Silence expecting simple propositions, a clear argument, or utilitarian applicability will be thoroughly mystified - it is itself a gift of silence that must be received in silence.

Park Avenue Summer

Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen     368 pages

 I first became aware of “Cosmopolitan” magazine when its intrepid editor-in-chief, Helen Gurley Brown, visited “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson in the late 1970s. It was on those shows that I learned of her radically feministic book “Sex and the Single Girl,” which was published in 1962.

This story takes place three years later, in 1965 Manhattan. The publishing world is still the old boys’ network and women were supposed to be at home. Alice Weiss (a fictional character) has left her Ohio home for New York, with dreams of becoming a photographer. Thanks to an old friend, she gets an exciting job as the secretary to HGB, a woman who knows what she wants but doesn’t know a thing about publishing a magazine.

The Hearst Corporation wants to shutter Cosmo, but HGB wants to bring it into the twentieth century and revitalize its contents and looks. She wants to aim it at young women who want something more before they settle down to a home and a family. It’s HGB’s job to turn the magazine around but not offend old conservatives. Easier said than down when the old boys’ network is sabotaging her every move and decision.

Readers get to see the birth of Cosmo and how HGB raised it from the ashes. Daily life is hectic in the magazine world, and readers get a chance to see what life was really like back in those days: the cigarettes that everyone chain-smoked, the lunchtime drinks, the deals.

Author Rosen was fortunate to meet and talk with Lois Cahall, the woman who probably knew HGB better than anyone else. I’m sure that’s why the story feels so intimate. With Alice as its narrator, modern readers get a glimpse into a storied past. Along the way, Alice finds a way to have everything HGB says she can have, and more.

 “Park Avenue Summer” receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

A Silken Thread

A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer   352 pages

I loved Kim Vogel Sawyer’s “Bringing Maggie Home,” and I jumped at the chance to review her latest book, “A Silken Thread.” This historical novel takes place in Atlanta and during the Atlanta Cotton Exposition of 1895.

When the story opens, eighteen-year-old Laurel Millard has a surprise visit from her six older siblings. They are concerned about their sixty-year-old mother. They feel that Laurel must give up her dreams of a husband, a home and a family to take care of Mama in her dotage. I admit that I laughed out loud at that. Sixty isn’t old, well by today’s standards. But in the late nineteenth century, that was considered elderly. Still it was a great laugh.

Laurel, wanting to please her much older siblings, stunned by their demand, neither agrees nor disagrees, but below the surface she fumes. How dare they ask her to abandon her dream! Although, she is recovering from a broken heart, she understands that she can still find a man. Oh that sound so quaint, but that’s the way it was back then.

Laurel and her mother don’t have a lot of money. Papa’s death didn’t leave then destitute, but they weave rugs and other items that they sell for extra income. Laurel changes her reasoning, feeling she must set her sights on a wealthy man, one who would be willing to take Mama into his household.

In order to meet these types of men, Laurel gets a job in the Silk Room at the Exposition. There she weaves the raw silk into cloth while her co-workers enlighten visitors with how silk is produced.

Across town, the wealthy Mr. and Mrs. Rochester give their son, Langdon, an ultimatum: find a wife or lose his inheritance. Langdon finds that special someone, someone who is pretty and obedient, when he spots Laurel on the fairgrounds.

An unlikely romance begins to take shape, until Laurel meets another man, one of the fair’s security guards, Willie Sharp. She and Willie become friends, but Langdon isn’t convinced. As the romance plays out, reads get to see various aspects of the Exposition, which are quite interesting and made me want to know about this event.

Against the backdrop of the Exposition, author Vogel Sawyer tackle racism in all its ugly forms. Willie’s best friend is Quincy, a hot-headed young African American man. 

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. It seemed that dragged a bit in the middle. I felt as if the same scenes were being replayed over several times, in various ways.  Therefore,  “A Silken Thread” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

You Know You Want This

You Know You Want This: Cat Person and Other Stories by Kristen Roupenian, 225 pages

Summary from Goodreads: You Know You Want This brilliantly explores the ways in which women are horrifying as much as it captures the horrors that are done to them. Among its pages are a couple who becomes obsessed with their friend hearing them have sex, then seeing them have sex…until they can’t have sex without him; a ten-year-old whose birthday party takes a sinister turn when she wishes for “something mean”; a woman who finds a book of spells half hidden at the library and summons her heart’s desire: a nameless, naked man; and a self-proclaimed “biter” who dreams of sneaking up behind and sinking her teeth into a green-eyed, long-haired, pink-cheeked coworker.

Spanning a range of genres and topics—from the mundane to the murderous and supernatural—these are stories about sex and punishment, guilt and anger, the pleasure and terror of inflicting and experiencing pain. These stories fascinate and repel, revolt and arouse, scare and delight in equal measure. And, as a collection, they point a finger at you, daring you to feel uncomfortable—or worse, understood—as if to say, “You want this, right? You know you want this.”

The stories start ordinary enough but somewhere along the way they take a turn. I wouldn't classify most of the stories as horror but almost all of them have the element of the macabre. Despite the fact that most of them don't have happy endings I kept wanting to read the next story and see if it was different. The stories are very good but I can't say that I liked them and yet I am glad I read them and would highly recommend this book.