This Time Together

This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett         Audiobook:  5hrs, 40 min     Paperback Book:  288 pages                   

The perfect book to read after completing a book about a tragedy,  Carol Burnett will have you in stitiches laughing about her antics, those of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, etc.   She regales the reader with tales of her youth, her family, her early career, her pets, her lucky breaks, her celebrity pals, growing up a mother, actress, comedienne, writing, collaborating with her daughter, finding love, losing  love and fnding love again.   True hilarious reflections of her life which has been so full of blessings and strength building endurance.   A beautiful chat with someone who feels like an old friend or part of the family, she was so well known when I was growing up.   Told so honestly and with so many fun pop-ups you will find yourself smiling and laughing all the way through- and you will find out why she hated that monkey in, "Annie."    Great book by a great lady.  A very pleasant read.

 - Shirley J

Once More We Saw Stars

Once More We Saw Stars: A Memoir  by Jayson Greene         AudioBook:7hrs, 1 min     Paperback Book: 368 pages       

This is a true story of the journey of Jayson Greene and his wife Stacy in dealing with the death of the love of both their lives, their 2 year old daughter, Greta, who died due to injuries of a freak accident, a brick falling from a building and smashing down upon her.    Jayson takes the reader on their dealing with receiving the new, waiting at the hospital, donating Greta's body parts and the process that entails - very good information for anyone contemplating being a donor or donating a family members organs he gives minute details of the process from beginning to end, he discusses the aftermath of once all the people are gone, stop calling and how a couple can find comfort in one another through such a traumatic time.   He discusses their search for Greta in spiritual realms from talking to a psychic to going to Taos, New Mexico on a spirit quest.    A very gripping account that while very open and honest tugging at your heart and tear ducts will renew your faith n the healing process.   A beautiful book well worth the read for evryone - a raw look at pain and suffering and survival and renewal.   There are signs along the way and a light at the end of the tunnel.  Do read or better yet, listen to this one.  You will come away with many lessons here.

 - Shirley J

A Good Enough Mother

A Good Enough Mother by Bev Thomas   338 pages

Ruth Hartland is a psychotherapist with years of experience. However, she is still experiencing private grief over the disappearance of her son. When a new patient enters for his appointment, she is startled by how closely he resembles her son. Dan is traumatized and unstable, and Ruth is determined to help him. However, with continued conversations with Dan, Ruth feels her professional resolve is starting to slip.  Before long, her professional judgment is clouded . . . and then someone gets hurt.

This is a "ticking timebomb" story where you know something bad is going to happen, and you can't believe the main character can't see it coming. At least, that was some of the frustration I had with this book --- it was like Ruth knew she was on dangerous ground but couldn't get out of her own way. At times, I found her to be pretty difficult to relate to --- but I still found the book to be interesting enough to finish. However, not good enough to remember much about once I had finished it and moved on to another book.

Travel Light, Move Fast

Travel Light, Move Fast by Alexandra Fuller   225 pages

In her most recent memoir, Alexandra Fuller focuses on the life of her father. After his sudden death, she realized that if she's going to get through this loss, that she needs to become the parts of him that she misses most.  Moving between recent memories of her father, his last days, and her past, Fuller writes the story of her father, a man who moved to Africa to fight in the Rhodesian War and who settled in Zambia as a banana farmer.

Written in a way that makes you feel like you know the man as well as his daughter does, this is a great memoir of an unforgettable man who made his own path in life, with no apologies.  I have read all of Fuller's previous books, and I enjoy the way that this book focused on her father, a person who never figured quite as prominently in Fuller's other books.  Fuller's father was a very independent person, who made his own way in the world and who raised Alexandra and her sister to be strong and independent, as well.  I found this to be a great book that gave me insight not only into a singularly great person, but also into the history and culture of Rhodesia.  It does help if you have read her other books, to give you context for this one.

Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson    340 pages

If you're going to play the game, you need to know your opponent and cover your weaknesses.  That's what Amy Whey learns when her new neighbor, Roux, appears at at book club one night. Roux's magnetic personality makes all of the other women like her, and when the wine starts flowing, secrets get spilled. However, Amy's wary of Roux and for good reason: when Roux gets her alone, she tells Amy she's going to tell the truth about her unless Amy pays up.

So now, Amy has to figure out how to play this game of cat-and-mouse blackmail with a women who seems to be hiding some hefty secrets of her own.

I thought this book was okay, but not as good as I wanted it to be. There's humor here, but I got bored with the characters pretty quickly and wound up skimming a few times just to see what was going to happen.  I liked that there were twists and turns with the story, but the pacing just didn't catch me, and I didn't find this was a great read.

Wolfpack

Wolfpack: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power, and Change the Game  by Abby Wambach   92 pages

This is a thin book and is based on Abby Wambach's 2018 commencement speech to Barnard College's graduates.  Wambach, a co-captain of the Women's World Cup Champion Team, she not only drives herself towards excellence, but understands that women as a whole can unite with each other and unleash their own power.  Her messages in this book are to the point, and while sports-based, are accessible no matter what your background is (i.e. if you've never kicked a soccer ball).

For example, she encourages women to "Make failure your fuel." Instead of making failure the focus when it happens, she believes in using failure to move forward, learn from mistakes, and get stronger. Wambach also believes in "Demand the effing ball."  Basically, if you have the ability to take something forward and succeed, then do it --- don't ask for permission, but instead embrace your own strengths and ability.

Interesting read, and I can see that this has some cross-appeal to girls and women of any age.

Good Girl, Bad Girl

Good Girl, Bad Girl (Cyrus Haven #1) by Michael Robotham    353 pages

Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven knows who Evie Cormac is. Known to some as "Angel Face," Evie was the girl discovered hiding in a secret room, in the aftermath of a horrendous crime. Still unidentified six years later, Evie is living in a secure children's home, under the care of the home's own psychologist. Evie is an enigma in that she has never told anyone her real name, or her real age, but she also has a special gift: she can always tell when someone is lying.

When Cyrus is called in to investigate the murder of Jodie, a local high school girl, he starts to discover that Jodie had a number of secrets. As it turns out, there's also a connection to Evie Cormac.

I really liked this fast-paced story, which had characters I really liked -- and was just a great thriller of a read. This was one of those "The vacuuming can get done another day. Just let me read" kind of books. I got immersed in the story pretty quickly and then just devoured the book. It looks like there will be another book in the future with the character of Cyrus Haven (which is great!!), but I'm already looking for the previous books by this author. If  this book is any indication, then those other books should be good reads.

The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace

The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace:  Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People by Gary Chapman and Paul White           AudioBook:  6 hours     Paperback Book:  256 pages             

Excellent book on learning each staff members' and bosses' preferred ways to be acknowledged for a job well done.   Not everyone responds the same way to various types of praise.    Some introverted types prefer something personal and not flashy, a personal verbal thanks, a gift to express appreciation.   Extroverts like a lot of hype and for everyone to know they did something good like an award given at an event with all of their coworkers attending where everyone gets to join in their "show" and fun.   For some just a word  of thanks, a sincere pat on the back is fine.  Not everyone requires the same type of treatment and this book tells you how to find out via short quizzes what your style is, as well as that of your colleagues.     It can make for a happier work environment because once the real you is understood,  appreciation and kudos can be given appropriately so you can feel like you shine in stead of being embarrassed or stressed or worse yet that your coworkers/boss don't even get you because they gave you tickets to a sporting event when you could care less about such things when they clearly have heard you talking about your love for film over the years or fine dining or travel.   A good insight into really seeing the other person and recognizing them in meaningful ways.   Excellent book.    I recommend this to everyone because even children will grow up and have to find their niche in the workplace this will give everyone a heads up on not going for a cookie cutter non-involved approach which leaves the other person feeling you don't even know nor care if they exist.   Shows just making a gesture from the mouth out shows.   But a gesture from the heart takes the time to find out who the person is, what they like then matching good deeds with good will to make that person feel you honestly do care and want to express deep appreciation in a meaningful way.   

 - Shirley J

Just After Sunset

Just After Sunset:Stories by Stephen King      Audio Book:  14 hours, 49 mins     Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages            

Spooky stories like the husband who was on the plane blown up during the 9-11 carnage who calls home moments after the crash.   He has a conversation with his wife telling her he survived the crash as a matter of fact everyone did but he couldn't tell her where he was until he tells her he thinks he is supposed to go somewhere else, he thinks they are telling him he has to go somewhere else now until there is no sound on the other end of the line as the news in the background on the t.v. says there were no survivors...goosebumps!   I also liked the story about the guy who picks up a hitchhike3r holding a sign stating he is deaf and mute.    The driver feels sorry for the poor guy and picks up.   The driver is distraught as his wife just told him she has been having an affair with a family friend for years and now she wants a divorce so she and her lover cn be together...there is more to the story and the guy is so distraught that he pours our his soul to the deaf mute who keeps his eyes out the side window the whole way turns out fate has a way of evening the playing field.   A story about neighbors and the cruelty and heartlessness of people even in your neighborhood and the depths of evil people will go to for "Payback."  After "Stationery Bike," which will make your skin crawl you will never look upon that simple piece of exercise equipment the same way - maybe they are better serving as clothes horses - yikes!   How a miraculous gift could be given to a child who can save others but what about herself?  How Dr. and Patient share a bit of OCDC to their extreme detriment.   This collection of short stories brings King back to one of his favorite things telling a deep haunting story concisely knowing ghostly fingers will reach into the reader's psyche so that you cannot let these stories go.    Teaching moments?   More like screeching moments, but stories so eerily good even though you are pulling the covers up to your chin as you read at night in the dim lamp light as shadows seem to move acoss the ceiling.   Settle in.  I highly recommend these chilling tales by Stephen King who offers the conversation of every day people doing strangely abnormal things.    Bravo!   Another winner. .   

 - Shirley J

Gravity's Century

Gravity's Century by Ron Cowen      Audio Book:  4hrs, 57 mins        Hard Back Book:  192 pages              

Highly readable and understandable book    What sounds like Sheldon, Raj, and Leonard ought to be extrapolating on is actually relayed in laymen's terms and told by Ron Cowen as if a bunch of friends are out sharing good times and quantum theories but this time we all get it.  He breaks down Einstein's theory of relativity so well, not to mention the laws of gravity, teachings of Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Hawking and even shares that black holes while still scary monsters do eventually shrink and dissipate (but how long ie. millenia does that take?).   Eyes to the skies folks there is a black hole in the Milky Way Galaxy in the  Sagittarius Constellation - it is the weirdest looking thing this giant black hole setting there right in the middle of the galaxy (that we are in) that has a gravatational pull that is four MILLION times greater than that of the SUN!   So many phenomenal things you will learn from this book.   Gravity bends light, folks as Einstein figured out in 1919 during a solar eclipse - today with better technology and equipment scientists ie.  The Event Horizon Telescope and radio dishes connecting scientists all around the earth will allow scientists to prove Einstein's theory all the more - yeah, guys, seriously please do keep a watch on that black hole in our galaxy - that is very scary science reality not science fiction.    Lots of good information about how gravity is really the key to understanding the universe.   Well done, Ron Cowen.   Highly recommend this book to all who are space curious, to students because this opens such seemingly difficult topics up in totally mind-blowing simplicity!  We could all get it if everyone picked this book up.  Great breakdown of quantum mechanics and quantum physics.   Gravity has so much more to do with everything than we have considered.  Unique and enlightening.   A gem.

 - Shirley J

Little Darlings

Little Darlings by Melanie Golding       Audio BOok:  11 hours,  51 min     Hardback Book: 304 pages     

CREEPY BOOK!   Melanie Golding's debut novel is a hit!   She covers all the best aspect of a horror novel, gives you unexpected frights around every corner, keeps you guessing, you never really know who the monster is, nice people turn out to be uncaring jerks and you get a surprise twist you aren't expecting at the end.  I really thought this might be out of the headlines post partum but there are far worse things that go bump in the night.  Is she crazy?   Is she not?"   Are the events real?   Are those creepy tales from that awful ancient Irish fairy tale book actually happening?   Do the fairy folk still steal human children?  Can Lauren do what she must to get her children back even if she must drown the Changelings to do it?  Can she be sure the impostors are changlings and not her mind going?   What game is her husband playing at with the dark haired woman who has tried to steal her children over and over until she succeeded.   The police detective finds the tracks of the pram headed into the water omgosh!  Where are the babies?   IF she follows the folklore will she find out?   Or will she be charged with killing her twins?   Oh yes, dear  reader, it is that kind of a book.    It leaves you feeling off-balance, uncomfortable, your heart racing along with Lauren's wondering is she doing it all?  And the babies, omgosh, where are the babies?  . A mentally visual tour de force and I just found out they are making it into a film.   Don't know if I will be able to stand the creepy darkness of this feature..  Yikes!   My complaint is the father becomes blasphemous midway through and the offensive dialogue was not required - the story was brilliant without it and it in no way improved or added to what was transpiring and could very well have been edited out and the story would continue to flow.   I had to walk away from the book over that.but kudos to Melanie Golding's excellent story telling skills other than that,   Girl Power! for making every character 3-Dimensional.  For the Grimm's Fairytale dark quality and total creepiness you won't forget I would recommend this author but lose the blasphemy.   Haunting story more for the hard core goth fan and adults.  Not for children.   Too many hard themes to deal with.   Many adults will sleep with the lights on atter reading this one.      

 - Shirley J.

Uncluttered: Free Your Space, Free Your Schedule, Free Your Soul

Uncluttered:  Free Your Space,  Free Your Schedule,  Free Your Soul by Courtney Ellis     AudioiBook:  5hrs., 5 mins        Paperback Book:  220 pages         

Great book..I thoroughly enjoyed Courtney Ellis' witty delivery and telling about her own life and how she whipped her home, her schedule and her spiritual life into shape by learning one word NO!   Courtney, who is a Presbyterian Minister with a husband, 2 active sons and a career that goes from the pulpit to speaking engagements throughout the world.   Managing a home, a congregation and still having time to devote to God first, family second and still maintain observance of Sabbath time (the relaxing time God spells out in the 4th commandment we are to observe)  was overwhelming her first year in full-time ministry and she was so burned out after that first year, she considered leaving the ministry because it was all so hard to keep up with and she was dead tired and cranky all of the time.   Realizing she was giving her self and her time to her congregation and snapping at and being snarky to her family and becoming resentful and behaving in unloving ways she knew she had to do something and fast.   Praying about it and beggng God desperately to intervene and let her know His will for her life, first God taught her she had to still and listen for His voice and that is when He taught her to say NO.   She had previously thought it was her duty to accept whatever request any one made of her,  accept all offers of speaking engagements, bake cookies, etc. for the kids schools, volunteer for all field trips and any requirement teachers or the school made of her until it came to babysitting the classroom's pet bird over a holiday vacation - the teacher reminded her she was the only parent who hadn't taken a turn babysitting the bird yet.   Her husband put his foot down.  The answer is No.  They weren't set up to care for the bird and having a bird was the school's choice not theirs so it was up to the school  to find a solution.   She told the teacher No they would not be able to care for it.   After that initial NO, she began to find out how easy and peaceful her life could be when she said No.   When friends and relatives wanted to come visit, she learned to say No if it was not something she and her family wanted to do.    She learned to say No to projects she used to squeeze in to her own detriment and increased stresss level.    When someone wanted to dump their clutter off on her, she learned to say No thank you.   And, she also learned she didn't have to say why she was saying No! No was enough she did not have to justify herself.    She has found that No has released her from an overbooked schedule, released her to spend more happy fun ties with her family, given her time to declutter and downsize her and her family's possessions and given her the much needed more time putting God first and spending more time in prayer and meditation with him that has enriched her life,and her family's.   Now, the former chaos is gone and in its place is serene peace, family fun nights, romantic date nights and prayerful joy in the Lord enriching her soul and allowing her to impart that wisdom from God to her congregation and through her writings and seminars.   A very good book, a funny book as she discusses her life and a great teaching tool as she imparts ways that have worked for her and can improve all the clutter we weigh our own lives down with technologically, materialistically and adding to our own stress load when we really don't have to do it all ourselves.   No is now in her vocabulary and she did a fine job of teaching it to me, too.   Take on what you want not what everyone else wants you too and you will have the peace that allows you to hear the quiet teachings and words of comfort and love God offers.  Life keeps getting better and lighter and as your clothes get emptier your heart will know you have set goods free to go on to serve our fellow inhabitants on this little blue planet.   We help ourselves by helping others.   Does life get any better than that?  

 - Shirley J

Seriously, I'm Kidding

Seriously, I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres          AudioBook:  3hrs, 7min     Hardback Book:  256 pages     

I enjoyed this fast paced hilarious book.   It is like spending time with Dory from the Nemo films.   So funny.   I am amazed at how Ellen can find the funny in so many things.   I don't think there is anything she couldn't come up with a whole comedy bit about.    Whether herself, her wife, Portia or her Mom and/or life in general - Ellen will regale you with such brilliant witticisms, comparisons, you name it, she will pull the funniest stuff out of thin air - she is a little angrier in her humor this time, but, celebrity I would think would bring that will all the lack of anonymity and constant fans in your face whether you are o.k. with it or just seeking a bit of quiet private time.   Still so brutally funny your insides will be sore from laughing so much.  Love it!  Recommend this one to everyone - great book - hugely uplifting.

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 - Shirley J

Vindication of Tradition

The Vindication of Tradition by Jaroslav Pelikan, 82 pages

In this transcription of his 1983 Jefferson lectures, Jaroslav Pelikan discusses how the rediscovery and subsequent rejection or recovery of tradition is possible in the aftermath of Reformation and Enlightenment.  Where those movements claimed to embody ahistorical truths and directly attacked pre-existent traditions through the historical-critical method, post-modernity has exposed them as themselves historically and socially conditioned and thus traditions vulnerable to the same critiques.  Even at the height of nineteenth century rationalism, however, Newman established the concept of authentic and inauthentic development, which Pelikan suggests allows for an approach to tradition characterized by thoughtful gratitude rather than unquestioning idolatry or arrogant rebellion.

Coningsby

Coningsby, Or, The New Generation by Benjamin Disraeli, 420 pages

The first novel in the trilogy that continues with Sybil and ends with Tancred, Coningsby is the story of the young aristocrat Henry Coningsby and his circle as they seek a place for themselves and their ideals in the political and social worlds of England as the Georgian era gives way to the Victorian.  As in most of Disraeli's novels, the characters are often slightly disguised fictionalizations of actual people he knew.  Fortunately, Disraeli knew a great many interesting people.  Unfortunately, he never learned the art of showing rather than telling, and large sections of the novel are filled by character biographies and political journalism.

Early on in Coningsby, it is noted that in the debating society at Eton it was forbidden to choose contemporary issues as subjects, but it was child's play to find analogues in past eras.  For analogues to the present, Disraeli offers this: "Coningsby found that he was born in an age of infidelity in all things, and his heart assured him that a want of faith was a want of nature."  The party which he might expect to offer him a home is run on "Concessionary, not Conservative principles" according to which, "while forms and phrases are religiously cherished ... the rule of practice is to bend to the passion or combination of the hour."  In such an environment, it takes a hero to assert that "there are still great truths, if we could but work them out; that Government, for instance, should be loved and not hated, and that Religion should be a faith and not a form."

Lovely

Lovely by Jess Hong      Hardback Book:  32 pages          

Loved this book.   When I saw the cover I had to open it and read it.    Beautiful sentiments showing that we are all lovely.   Big, small, straight, gay, old, young,  no matter what everyone is lovely and should be treated as unique and beautiful because we all are.  This is such a precious book that I recommend it to everyone.

 - Shirley J

The Vanishing

The Vanishing by Wendy Webb         Audio book:8 hours, 41 minutes,  Library Binding:  399 pages

What a great book!   Gothic feel with a huge rambling old English estate yet it is set on Lake Superior on the Michigan/ Canadian border - o.k. what is not to love there?   Then there are ghosts and paranormal activitiy out the ying-yang, a couple of psychics down the family tree, celebrity clients, ponzi schemes, suicide, mysterious people who could be withholding nefarious secrets.  OMgosh!  I loved this book.   The heroine is spooked but too curious for her own good - geez!  Like at the movie theater when you are yelling at the screen, "DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR!"  This book is a Pandora's box of spookiness and evil things crawling into the world - Whoo!  Creepy.   If you love suspense and being scared this is the book for you.   Well done, Wendy Webb.   Yes, I highly recommend this one.   A pageturner for sure.   Any age that can deal with frightful things will adore this one.

 - Shirley J

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk:

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk:  A Modest Beastiary by David Sedaris        Audiobook: 3 hours      Paperback  Book: 192 pages

Aesops fables for the older crowd.   Enlightening little ditties all starring animals that deal with all sorts of moral dilemmas in which satisfactory if not always satisfying outcomes are the norm.   Well done,  David Sedaris many of these short stories are laugh out loud funny while others will make you ponder and go hmmmm.   All of the stories are first rate and if you are a David Sedaris fan, which I am, you will love them.   A different side of David Sedaris, but a fun one.   I do highly recommend this one to any and all readers.  Kids will love the animal imagery even if they don't get all of the inuendos.   Adults will get a kick out of the savvy intellectual animals.  Pure fun. 

 - Shirley J

Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village

Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village: A Tangled Novel by Leila Howland     Audio Book:  5hours, 48 minutes       Hardback Book:  288 pages         

I am a fan of the Tangled version of the Rapunzel story so this adventure was right up my alley.    Rapunzel is out of the tower the witch had imprisoned her in and craves an adventure to get away from her kingdom and seek out some new experiences, having been deprived of being out of the world so long.    So she, her boyfriend, Eugene, her best friend, Cassandra and accompanying pets set off on an adventure with good and bad results along the way.    Stopping off to check out a village that is said to be the birth place of the Flynn Rider books, they get way more than they bargained for.    There are strange and mysterious goings on and disappearances within the village of Harmony Glen.   People are said to just up and leave home from time to time without an explaination, ie. the sister of one young man, the fiance' of a young woman who is heartbroken and finally Cassandra herself ups and leaves with no word.   What the heck is going on?   All mysteries will be revealed I just don't want to spoil the story for anyone.    Good Rapunzel story.  Leila Howland has captured the true essence of good fairytale telling.   I recommend this to young and old a good fairytale and mystery story in one.     

 - Shirley J

After

After by Anna Todd             Audio Book:  16 hours, 49 minutes      Paperback book:  592 pages          

Argggggghhhhhhhh!   Another book in a series that I thought was a stand alone book.   I get that there is money to be made in series, but, honestly folks, could you identify books as being part of a series on the front cover or in the blurbs that give us a hint of what the story is about?   Really.  If I am going to be sucked into a series I would like to go from book 1 to the final book in order rather than jump in somewhere in the middle.   On this book I had seen the film first so I had a good idea of who was who and what was what, but, now after completing it and finding that the film either took license and went further with the story than did the book or does the book go even further than the film did because it tells the story in five novels?    So annoying.   However the story is good, and the characters described in such perfect detail that you come to know them as if they were tangible.   Knowing now that there is this wider universe of the story I am stuck deciding whether to go back then forward or just call it done.   Because it irritates me I will call it done with the caveat that the story is a good one and in recommending it I would let the reader know there are 5 sectors to get it all across but if you watch the film first - you will get enough of the gist of the story that like me, you might feel satiated with reading only AFTER and skip BEFORE, AFTER WE COLLIDED, AFTER WE FELL AND AFTER EVER HAPPY.   Yeah, I'm shaking my head, too.    Label the bloody series - publishers, if you please.   Good book nonetheless, and yes, I do recommend it.   The heroine is so guileless you will want to shake her at times, but, maybe that is because she goes ahead and does what the more jaded wouldn't.    Sexual content pretty hot for teens - adults might find it pretty steamy, too.   Well written, Anna Todd.

- Shirley J

Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food To Nourish Every Day

Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food To Nourish Every Day by Hetty McKinnon      Hardback Book:  288 pages        

I like vegetables, I just don't eat vegetables as often as I should.   It is so much easier to pick up a can of V8 and wham - 2 servings of vegetables right there.  That has pretty much become my go-to for veggies.   But I would like to have a better relationship with vegetables and find some tasty recipes for fixing them in unique ways that will fool me into eating more for a much healthier lifestyle/nutrition.    When I saw this cookbook had vegetarian comfort food I was intrigued.  Reading through the recipes and ingredients as well as the stories told with each and the cultural shares by the various recipe donors for the first time I can remember got my mouth watering for vegetable dishes, but, honestly mostly the desserts.  But Hetty McKinnon has some very tasty sounding and looking foods to choose from here.  I like the sound of her BLEAT salad.  Or, broccoli, lettuce, egg, avacado and tomato salad.   It looks delicious and right about now I would tear it up if it were sitting in front of me.   Sweet and Sour Cauliflower with Ramen Noodles (love Ramen Noodles, too), Grilled Peach Salad with Mozzarella, Basil and Honey - doesn't that sound good?  Yum!  Roasted Chestnuts which I found out I like a lot - there is a lot of good nut meat in a chestnut and cremini mushroom soup - love it!   Broccoli Soup with Cheesy Macaroni - what?  Hadn't thought of it before, but, I love broccoli and cheddar soup and certainly I am a mac and cheese fan.   Who knew I was on my way to vegan already?    Roasted garlic and potato soup - a favorite add almonds or almonds rolled in butter and sugar for a sweet twist - mmmm,   I am a big soup fan.   A bowl of hearty soup, Italian bread and butter and I am happy.   The coconut soup with asian greens and rice noodles sounds good.   I like coconut and I like soup sounds like a winner.  I like cauliflower and cheddar soup and there is a recipe in here for Cauliflower Soup with smoky eggplant and pomegranate.   All things I like.   This vegan thing may be easier than I thought.   There is even a recipe for sweet potato mac and chese which also sounds sweet and cheesy which equals GOOD.  There are variations on baked potatoes listed and a baked tomato cobbler with buttermilk parmesan biscuits - I'm like Pavlov's dog here.  She includes a recipe for one of my all-time favorite things - eggplant parmesan.    I'm interested in trying the 5 spice cauliflower "steaks" with mushroom "XO" sauce - sounds good then we come to the sweets/desserts.  Pear tarts, fruit crumbles, bavarian apple torte shades of the Strassenfest and my Austrian friend, Liz who makes the best Christmas cookies and apple streudel!   There is even a recipe for Sweet Potato pie though I admit I am so partial to Patti LaBelle's sweet potato pie it is hard to think of making one when hers are like my Mom's.    Not to mention the mousse like chocolate cherry semifreddo (half-cold) which must be like a blackforest cake flavor and between the golden syrup dumplings and the hello!  Self-saucing chocolate orange pudding - I have been missing out not paying more attention to my fruit and vegetable intake.   This cookbook rocks!  Yes, highly recommended to all of us who love to eat and really want to get our veggies in. 

 - Shirley J

Everything is F*cked:

Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson    Audio Book: 7 hrs., 2 mins       Paperback Book 416 pages            

It was the worst of times and then it was the worse still of times.    Mark Manson preaches a gloom and doom perspective on life as we know it today saying first of all that everything - life as we know it today is better than it has ever been but turn that thought over and artificial intelligence while rushing toward A.I. being able to out think itself while making our lives better and easier may at some future point decide that humans are expendable - Will Smith tried to tell us.   As technology races toward ever better means of communication and learning it is also insulating us from our fellow man and breeding a planet of introvert.    Global warming may take us out before technology does, he says but there is always the hope that man will find a way to survive.   He really doesn't hold out much hope for society.   While we are better off healthwise, wealthwise and with all things over the internet making the world ever more accesable for us.it

 is also a fact that while we can now do in two minutes what once took over a month to complete- we are on a global level feeling unhappier than at any time in history.   Feelings of worthlessness, unrealized entitlement and that basically everything is f*cked and again globally humankind is taking more drugs to fight anxiety, depression and a maliaise of other woes and complaints.   We strve harder to find what makes us happy, how to achieve ultimate happiness yet, relationships, money, entertaining our constant need to combat our stress overload syndrome with what ever we feel will calm our constant running in place when we are trying to satisfy an unquenchable desire to live a simple life and be happy.  The Go-Go-Go of our never sit still never get quiet lifestyles don't offer the solace we hope for.  Manson says every thing is f*cked and so are we,   He offers only the briefest hope that the maladies in our lives are 'fixed" by future generations.   Not an up nor positive book at all though sometimes his constant use of profanity and absurb generalizations will make you laugh out loud because they catch you off guard.   Nothing is sacred as he picks apart religion, as he counters with quotes from Nietzsche, Socrates, and fake quotes from Einstein - read the book it will all make sense.    Would I recommend this book - it is well written and informative, but it is a real downer with only the tiniest likening to something approaching hope, so,  I don't think I can recommend it to anyone.   Readers will not come away from this book with a glass half full mentality.   If things were racing toward chaos before - read this and you will become aware of just how f*cked we are.

 - Shirley J

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard         Audio Book:  7 hours, 49 mins   Hardback Book:  589 pages                     

Really good telling of the events surrounding the two weeks before Lincoln's death with blow by blow correspondent coverage as though you are there and a news reporter is telling you all about what is transpiring, day by day as it relates to the countdown to his death.   Lots of good intel about the participants in this sad part of our American political saga.   O'Reilly even walks the reader through his last minutes alive so thoroughly that the reader empathizes with Mary Todd Lincoln and you feel for Mr. Lincoln, still alive and suffering the pain of that bullet lodged behind his eye and when Mary kisses him and touches his cheek, his eyes and faced now bruised from the trauma and she says, 'Speak to me, Love," and he makes the most awful sound as though bubbling up from the inner depths of his soul.   Chilling.   So much so that Mary fainted.  Haunting, too.   You can't forget that scene so aptly described.  Wow!   So many years later and still I cry for this poor couple.   So unfair, just when things seemed to be getting better - BAM!  One shot changes everything.    I highly recommend this book.   I think adults will appreciate it most, but, I also think Highschoolers and Middle Schoolers would also benefit from all the intense 'you are there for this time in history' drama.   Excellently told story.   Particularly enlightening are all the subltle details included that may have eluded readers in earlier tellings.  Well done!   

 - Shirley J.

Waiting for the Past

Waiting for the Past: Poems by Les Murray, 78 pages

In this short collection, Les Murray celebrates the poetry of the everyday.

     embracing your knees in opposition

     you show inner thigh, and lift

     toe-horn turrets which will grit

     the flooring with grey beetle bix.

And explores the temporal rhymes of present and past.

     A youth, rusty haired

     as I was in my time,

     rocked atop a high stool

     as he read a book from

     the stock he was to sell.

Murray's poems tend to be short and enigmatic, often surprising with sudden turns of phrase and rewarding rereading.

     Leaves absorbing light

     steep it in syrups down

     into the buried world.

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe

 Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber   336 pages

Anna Kate has come home to Wicklow, Alabama. Not really home for her, but it is where her Granny Zee lived all her life and where she owned and operated The Blackbird Café. Now that Granny Zee has died, it’s up to Anna Kate to run the café for three months before she can sell it, close it, or do what she wants with it.  Luckily, it’s summertime, and Anna Kate doesn’t have to head back to Boston where she will enter medical school.

The townspeople are very interested in Anna Kate. Seems like the majority of those who frequent the café never even knew Zee had a granddaughter until Anna Kate showed up. Anna Kate’s mother left town shortly after a car accident that killed her boyfriend, son of a prominent family, and never looked back.

The café is one of the center pieces…a place to grab a bite, as well as the magic that can be found in the blackbird pies. Anna Kate jumps right in and learns the restaurant business and takes over the pie-baking. There’s a secret to the blackbird pies.

If a person eats a piece of the café’s blackbird pie, she/he will receive a message from a departed loved one.  It work. Many of the local townspeople are there when the café opens for breakfast to make sure the pies don’t sell out before they can get a piece.

The a flock of birders start showing up to see and hear the blackbirds that live in the mulberry tree behind the café. They only come out at midnight, singing their haunting melody and bridging the gap between this world and the next.  As rumors of the rare blackbird sightings spread among bird lovers acros the world, Wicklow becomes more and more of a tourist destination.

The Anna Kate has to come face-to-face with one of the town’s most prominent families, the Lindens. Seems she looks exactly like their late son, AJ, who was killed in the aforementioned accident. Having moved around most of her life, seldom staying in one place more than two years, Anna Kate can’t decide if she wants a relationship with her new-found family or not.

Anna Kate has a lot of decisions to make in the next three months.  Readers of this sweet little  stor will love to follow along as Anna Kate charts new territories in almost every aspect of her life.  I was never sure how Anna Kate knew so much about Wicklow since she had never visited the tiny town. That’s why “Midnight at the Blackbird Café” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Book Charmer

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins   368 pages

The small town of Dove Pond, North Carolina, is slowly dying. Most of the shops and businesses have all moved away. But the people who live ther love it; generations of their families have called it home.

Sarah Dove is one such person. A descendant of the town’s founders and the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, Sarah has a special gift. Most people in the town know that she has a unique ability to find the right book for the right person at the moment they need it. But what most people don’t know is that the books talk to her. Sarah and the books don’t have conversations, but Sarah understands the noises they make. It’s really kinda cute. No wonder she became the town librarian.

Recently a new family has moved in down the street: Grace Wheeler, her foster mother Mama G, and her neice, Daisy. Sarah feels, and the books confirm, that Grace is the one who can save Dove Pond.

Grace has other plans. She left a high paying, successful job in finance to care for Mama G, the woman who took in Grace and her sister, Hannah, when no one else wanted them. It wasn’t easy trying to raise two very angry little girls. Now that Mama G has been diagnosed with dementia, Grace is taking her to her hometown of Dove Pond.

Grace has vowed she will only stay a year. She vows not to get involved in making friends and especially not to get involved witht the motorcycle-riding bad boy who lives next door and sends shock waves pulsing through her body when their eyes meet.

I found Grace’s vow alittle strange in that who knows how long Mama G might live. And then there is Daisy. An angry little girl whose mother died and left her. Since there wasn’t a father in the picture, it’s up to Grace to raise Daisy. She doesn’t seem to have any ideas what to do with her, much less if she takes yer back to Raleigh and her eighty-hour-a-work-week lifestyle.

But I need not to have worried too much. Grace, reluctantly, becomes the head committee chairperson of a local festival. The festival is important to the town, it’s tradition to host it every year. The townspeople won’t let it die, no matter what.

All these struggles make “The Book Charmer” a sweet read. I feel that the title  of the novel is a bit misleading because Sarah, the book charmer, is a secondary protagonist.  I expected more of Sarah. I wasn’t overly happy with the ending, But it does set the characters and the town up for a sequel.  Therefore, receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Judgment in Moscow

Judgment in Moscow: Soviet Crimes and Western Complicity by Vladimir Bukovsky. translated by Alyona Kojevnikov, 626 pages

Usually, when a criminal regime is removed from power, there is a reckoning, whether in the form of war crimes trials or truth and reconciliation commissions.  When the USSR collapsed, however, there was no judgment passed upon the men and women who had brutally tyrannized millions for generations.  In the opinion of dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, there could be only one reason for this lapse - the criminals had not really been defeated.  To the contrary, they remained at the levers of power, fully prepared to reassert themselves in time.  And so it happened.

Judgment in Moscow was originally published, in Russian, in 1996.  It was soon translated into a number of languages, but English was not one of them - until now.  In Bukovsky's account, this was due to the unwillingness of his publishers at Random House to market a book documenting  how Western elites fundamentally misunderstood the Soviet nightmare, deliberately or accidentally supported its continuation, and finally helped its engineers escape justice.  This unwillingness was itself a demonstration of the urgent need for an honest accounting for the history of Soviet tyranny and the struggle against it, a need which has tragically continued to be unmet.  The long-delayed publication of Bukovsky's book is at least a small step in that direction.

The Whisper Man

The Whisper Man by Alex North   369 pages  I read a galley

Dark and atmospheric, this thriller weaves together a multi-generational story of a father and son, along with a town's dark past and lingering fears about a serial killer. If you like high tension with your suspense, mixed with some menace, this is the book for you.

Tom Kennedy thinks a new start, in a new town, is just what he and his son need after the sudden death of his wife. However, the town they move to has a dark past and their own house seems to have some sinister secrets all its own. It doesn't help that right when they're settling in, a young boy vanishes on his way home. To add to the tension, it seems that this disappearance bears a strong resemblance to the terrible crimes committed by "The Whisper Man" years before.  But "The Whisper Man" is in prison, isn't he?  And just who is Tom's son hearing at the window?

This is a nailbiter of a book. The characters are realistic, so even when you start wondering if there might be some bit of a supernatural element to the story, you tell yourself you must be wrong. But there's seriously something going on --- who is the little girl that only Tom's son can see?  If you think you know what's going to happen next in the story, prepare yourself for some twists.

Dominicana

Dominicana by Angie Cruz    336 pages  I read a galley 

This is a thoughtful, heartfelt portrait of immigration, family, and self-resilience. It's also a glimpse into the social upheaval of the 1960s in America, through the eyes of an immigrant and new resident of New York City.  Great for readers who enjoy historical fiction, as well as stories of immigration told from a first-person point of view.
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Ana Cancion is 15 and has never dreamed of moving away from the Dominican countryside. When Juan Ruiz proposes, promising to take her to New York City and set her up in a new life, she is reluctant. After all, Juan is twice her age and she doesn't even like him very much. However, under pressure from her family, she accepts. So, Ana leaves everything she knows behind and becomes Ana Ruiz, moving to New York City in 1965, in the midst of social and political upheaval in both the United States and the Dominican Republic. Trapped in her cold apartment, Ana recklessly plans to escape. However, Juan's brother Cesar convinces her to stay, pointing out that when Juan returns to the Dominican Republic for a business trip, Ana can finally leave the apartment on her own and even take some lessons to learn English. Soon, Ana is imagining a different kind of life in America, where she can be free to make her own money, and do as she pleases.  However, when Juan returns, Ana is forced to choose between her dreams and her duty to her family.

This book is a bit of a slow start and at first, I wasn't sure if I liked it enough to continue. However, I was curious about Ana and what was going to happen. And, as I kept reading, I started to enjoy her first-person account of what was happening, and what her life in New York City was like. Before I knew it, I was wrapped up in this story. There are parts of this story that are heartbreaking, but other parts that are uplifting, where I found I truly had hope that Ana would have a better life. It's hard to imagine leaving everything and everyone you know behind to move to a new country, with a man you don't like very much, and where you don't know the language. Ana's perseverance was inspiring, and I found the story very compelling.

Gone by Midnight

Gone by Midnight (Crimson Lake #3) by Candice Fox   400 pages  I read a galley 

Taut and suspenseful, with a touch of wry humor, Candice Fox brings back ex-cop Ted Conkaffey and his partner, Amanda Pharrell, in this story of a race against time to find a missing boy. Perfect for fans of books by Dennis Lehane or Sophie Hannah.
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Ex-copy Ted Conkaffey is trying to rebuild his life and connect with his young daughter when he gets called to help the police with a case. An eight-year old boy has gone missing and the boy's mother insists that Conkaffey be brought in to help. Which, of course, means that Conkaffey will bring his partner, Amanda Pharrell, in to help. As a convicted killer, Amanda has never had the best relationship with the police. However, her clockwork brain and sharp instincts will be essential to finding the missing boy. Filled with twists and turns, and bits of dark and wry humor, this book has a pace that slowly builds until you realize you're turning page after page, letting your dinner grow cold or staying up past your bedtime, just to find out what happens.

This is the third book in the Crimson Lake series, and partway into the first few chapters, I realized I had read the previous book and not realized it was a series. So, I was very happy to be rejoined with these two characters.

Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt

Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt by Emily Teeter, 200 pages

For three thousand years, Egyptian civilization thrived along the banks of the Nile, producing monumental temples that continue to stir the imagination.  But what really happened in those temples, and how did the Egyptians themselves relate to their gods?  These are the questions Dr Teeter attempts to answer, as she strives to translate the religious practices of the ancient Egyptians into terms that are easily comprehensible - and even sympathetic - to a modern reader.  

Unfortunately, this aim is complicated by the introductory nature of the book, leading her to sometimes make sweeping claims on seemingly little or even contradictory evidence.  For example, she stresses the ubiquity of the gods in ancient Egypt at the start of a chapter in which the evidence repeatedly demonstrates the extreme importance the Egyptians placed upon their temples as sites of divine presence, and goes on to contrast this with "societies in which communion with the deity was restricted to temples or churches," without stating which societies she has in mind.  This calls into doubt other conclusions, as when she implausibly suggests that the Egyptian afterlife was egalitarian, or when she elides the role of the pharoah outside of the Amarna period.  The drive to simplify and generalize results in a book that seems to tell us more about Teeter's attitude towards religion than the ancient Egyptians.

Real Wifeys Hustle Hard

Real Wifeys Hustle Hard: an Urban Tale by Meesha Mink      Audio Book:9hrs, 15 mins,    Paperback Book:  320 pages             

Book Three in an explosive series by Meesha Mink, this book is so hot it smolders!  For sure and ADULT title with lots of adult activiities happening through out.     Sophie "Suga" Alvarez is madly in love Dane who happens to be a loanshark - but - a devoted boyfriend and friend.  Sophie's father is a known drunk but there is a heap of stuff that is not known about him - whoa!   Lots of great characters, multi-diverse in character ethnicity and persuasions.   You won't be able to put this one down till you finish it because you will want to know what everyone is up to that much.   If you love the t.v. show, "Power," you will love this book.  A little gansta, a little hustle, money, diamonds, and a few folks getting their freak on in both good and bad ways.    Just when you think someone is safe THEY ARE NOT!  Killing, revenge, betrayal, Meesha Mink covers it all in this book.   And reader, keep a fan nearby - this book is HOT.    Anyone who enjoys urban novels gritty,. get down and say it like it is and call it what it is style will love this one.   Sophie brings GIRL POWER to a new level.    So much goes on so many lives are touched in so many ways just like life on pushed up a notch for most.   Good story.   Not for the prudish, lots of sex, lots of violence and some extreme descriptions of the underbelly of society.    Like coming off of a roller coaster times 10.   This one might make your heart palputate and your breath quicken.  Whew!  I do recommend this book to lovers of urban fiction.

 - Shirley J

Cinder

Cinder by Merissa Meyer           Audio Book: 10 hours    Paperback Book: 448 pages     

This book is the first one in the Lunar Chronicles Series.   Again, I had thought this was a stand alone book until I got to the very end which certainly leaves no doubt this is likely the first book but that it is indeed part of a series.    I wish reading material would come marked this book is part of a series and what number in the series the book is.   Sometimes you just don't want to commit to an entire series, but then to find out where your characters are headed you are kind of stuck especially with a big cliffhanger ending.   This book was a sci-fi take on the Cinderella story except in this version - Cinderella "Cinder" is a cyborg and was "adopted" by a man who she comes to know as her father but who you come to find out may have led a double life.   While you suspect he is dead there is so much high tech chaos occurring that who knows what will come of him?  Cinder's father marries and has two daughters with a wicked woman who treats Cinder as substandard and when either the legitimate death of or clandestine subterfuge happens Cinder;s "stepmother" really gets insulting and lets Cinder know in no uncertain terms ie. she tells her she hates her and doesn't want her in her house and more making Cinder feel terrible.   It is a very unfortunate, very uncomfortable living arrangement.    Of Cinder's two step-sisters, Peonne and CInder get along and do care about one another, however her oldest step-sister could be a clone of the step-mother and treats Cinder so callously and cruelly that Cinder is a far better person than I am because once you have been pushed to that last nerve then pushed some more and in such a disrespectful way - I was expecting Cinder to snatch her up by the neck and have a one on one consultation but her strength lies in her patience.  The story of course has a prince, too and a ball and it all takes place in Beijing, China.   It is certainly well thought out, however, by the end of the book, I had pretty much lost interest.    I won't continue in the series because it drags out too much.   It was an interesting premise but not enough of a pull to keep me coming back for more.   I'm done with this series.   Would I recommend it?  Yes, just to check it out for Middle School through High School and for adults who are gung-ho for sci-fi but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone opposed to sci-fi because I think they would find it tedious. 

 - Shirley J