Heartbreak of a Hustler's Wife

Heartbreak of a Hustler's Wife by Nikki Turner    224 pages

Des a pastor, whaaaaaaat?    Yeah, you have got to read this book in the Hustler's Wife series.   Yes,  Des becomes a pastor preaching from the pulpit!   When Des sees how high on the hog pastors are living tax free he thinks that is a better, safe racket than pumping drugs into the neighborhood and sets up his own churnch.    Yarni as first lady of the church prays desperately and daily that God moves on Des' heart to truly become a preacher and teacher of the gospels.   Des is a wonderful preacher and he truly touches the hearts of his congregation who hang on his every word.   Yarnie wants so much Des to be touched by God so that his heart and soul belong to the Lord so much so that every word, every prayer, every teaching he shares is sent straight to him from God's heavenly presence.   Then somebody robs the church and the congregation prompting Des to promise to reimburse everyone who lost something during the stick up while contemplating his retaliation on the offender or offenders,    Nothing is ever easy and the street never forgets nor forgives no matter how far back, how long ago nor how far you have come since then.   You can be in a crowd and still become a victim.   Be careful the toes you step on today they could be attached to the lunatic waiting in the shadows one day.    Great book.    I love this series.   I like Yarnie.    I don't always like all the things Yarnie does, but, dang, she sure knows how to keep on keeping on.    I highly recommend this series.    Excellent story line.   Situations, language and explicit talk about everything, sorry kiddies, again I have to say this one is for adults but as soon as you grow up read it. (Wink, wink!)

Forever a Hustler's Wife

Forever A Hustler's Wife by Nikki Turner    288 pages

The sequel to a Hustler's Wife.  Another total thrill ride from Nikki Turner.   After all that happened in the first book Des is accused of killing his attorney.   Not that he didn't kill somebody, just not his attorney.    The police have him on circumstantial evidence but a crooked cop and a crack head conspire to stack the deck against Des and things are not looking good.      It helps to have an attorney for a wife and between Yarnie and the team she brings together all hell is literally about to break lose and Yarnie is about to find out how far away from the truth a little trust can take you.   A real surprise ending with divine intervention.    Another great book from Nikki Turner.   Another recommendation for adult readers, sorry kids!  Nikki Turner weaves another tale of murder, malice, greed, and how the street can twist it all together and the stories come out with tortured souls needing God's redemption.  Just keep the dollar signs out your eyes, pastor!   Great story.   Great series.

A Hustler's Wife

A Hustler's Wife by Nikki Turner     304 pages

An ongoing series featuring the character Yarnie, who is 15 years old and living in Richmond, Virginia which plays so much a part of the story with locations, businesses, streets, roads, etc. that Richmond is pretty much a character too.    Yarnie has had an upper class upbringing but oh those bad young men are so tantalizingly attractive, now aren't they.    Through a phone prank played by her best friend one night on the telephone while sleeping over at Yarnie's they end up talking to Des a drug dealers' name and number Yarnie's friend called out of the blue from a book of telephone numbers she stole from her brother.  Pranking him telling him she got his number from her brother because Yarnie had seen him and wanted to get to know him.   Yarnie is madly shaking her head, "Don't tell him that!   I don't know him!  I've never seen him!"   One thing leads to another and Yarnie ends up talking on the phone to Des.    He is impressed by her poise, class and confidence.  He makes it his business to see what this young lady looks like.   They do finally meet and Des is blown away by her charm and good looks.    She is nothing like any of the street hoochies he has been messing with.  Long story short, Des falls head over heels for her and she admits to him that she is only 15, he on the other hand is 7 years older than her.    Her life up till now has been pretty tame, she even calls her mother, Mommie.   This sweet young thing is about to find out what life with a street hustler is all about, and she is in for it all ride or die.     How Des finesses her mother to let him date her baby and how life changes for Yarnie after is certainly worth the read.    Nikki Turner knows how to keep her readers interested and on the edge of their seats.   Excellent story.   I highly recommend it to young adults on up - while the subject matter, the language and the descriptions are likely things mature teens know of - I still want to protect their thoughts and recommend this for adults on up. 

I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Making the Journey From "What Will People Think?" To "I Am Enough"

I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't):  Making the Journey From "What Will People Think?" to "I Am Enough" by Brene Brown      336 pages

All women and honestly all men should check this read out.    Brene Brown did a study on how women shame themselves and go through life constantly nit picking about every little imperfection they detect within themselves and blow it out of proportion to the point they don't feel they stack up to what is expected of them, belittling themselves inside while pasting a smile on their faces for the world to see.    With interviews of several of the women in the study and several conversations on just how the world can force unrealistic ideals on women that men in the same categories do not have to share.  Weight, gray hair, aging, career goals, perfect homemaker, perfect mom, perfect career.   Between role distinctions, media hype, peet pressure and even family expectations - ladies - what we don't put on ourselves as mega goals - the world puts upon us and we feel shame when we don't meet the expectations of everyone.   I call, "Who Says?"   "Who Says we have to do all that?"   Be happy in who you are because you are you and a most valued and talented individual.   Naysayers be damned.     And that is pretty much the message of this book brought out in the best possible ways, Brene Brown presents the womens condition and offers insight and strength for the struggle.  Excellent book.  Sistas unite.   We are wonderful as we are.   Women you will see yourself over and over throughout this book.   Men, really read and grasp what is being shared here and be the difference in the lives of all the women in your life.   Great book I highly recommend it to one and all as soon as you are old enough to understand what is being said here.   This book will make men better men through understanding and it will empower the women who read it.

And In the Vienna Woods

And In the Vienna Woods Trees Remain by Elisabeth Asbrink   464 pages

As y’all know, I don’t read nonfiction that much. I do, but it has to really caprture my attention.  And this one, by author of the internationally bestselling “1947” did. 

It’s the story of Otto Ullman, a thirteen-year-old Jewish boy who is sent form Austria to Sweden at the eruption of World War II. Alone. His story is fascinating. One of the things that enticed me was the back blurb mention that Otto becomes BFFs with Ingvar Kamprad, who grows up to become the founder of IKEA.

I believe that this is an important book for scholars of the period and those seeking this type of knowledge. There is lots of information on Sweden’s, Austria’s, and even Switzerland’s positions during the War. However, it is too much information for nonscholars like me. I was ready to abandon the book by page 75, but instead I just read the parts about Otto and how he esacaped the Nazis and his life in Sweden. He was part of Kindertransport-like event to save the children of Austria.

I was disappointed that Ingvar Kamprad didn’t show up until near the end. And in my opinion, I didn’t much see the relationship. I did learn how the name IKEA came about: he added his initials to the village’s name. Ingvar Kamprad Elmtardy Agunnaryd (IKEA).

“And in the Vienna Woods Trees Remain” seems to be thoroughly researched, and as I wrote earlier, I believe it is an important book for those studying this perios. Therefore,  “And in the Vienna Woods Trees Remain” receives  2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Women: The National Geographic Image Collection

Women: The National Geographic Image Collection   509 pages

Not just a stunning book of photography, but essays on women's history, this fantastic book pulls from 130 years of National Geographic photography to showcase the past, present and future of women. Organized around themes, each chapter focuses on topic like "Grit" and "Joy" and includes commentary for notables such as Melinda Gates, Roxane Gay, and more.

I had anticipated this would be a great coffee table book of photography, but hadn't realized there would be so many fascinating essays and commentary. Having the chapters done by theme, sometimes surprisingly, makes the photographs resonate even more strongly.  Definitely a wonderful book if you're interested in women's history (or absolutely stunning photography).

The Secret Commonwealth

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman  633 pages

This is the second volume of Pullman's The Book of Dust, and honestly, if you have not read the first book, don't read this one --- it will make more sense if you're familiar with the first story.  Or at least familiar with the world Pullman has created.

In this story, Lyra Silvertongue (a/k/a Lyra Belacqua) is 20 years old and an undergraduate at St. Sophia's College. However, all is not smooth with her life, as her daemon, Pantalaimon, has witnessed a brutal murder. Lyra and Pan aren't getting along, a fact which is worsened when Pan reveals that the dying man entrusted Pan with a secret.  Lyra is also learning more about Malcolm Polstead's role in bringing her to Jordan College and as a result, is now traveling across Europe to find a desert said to hold the truth of Dust.

Okay, I admit it: I didn't love this story.  There are a lot of heartbreaking moments in this book between Lyra and Pan and frankly, she's a jerk through much of the book. Which is frustrating. And, the story gets dry at times, so even though she is on a quest, there were times when I felt the story just dragged. Combined with her unlikable character at this point in the story, it made for a less enjoyable read than I had been expecting.  I am hoping things redeem themselves in the next book. 

Full Throttle: Stories

Full Throttle: Stories by Joe Hill  480 pages

"In this masterful collection of short fiction, Joe Hill dissects timeless human struggles in thirteen relentless tales of supernatural suspense, including "In The Tall Grass," one of two stories co-written with Stephen King and the basis for the terrifying feature film from Netflix.

A little door that opens to a world of fairy tale wonders becomes the blood-drenched stomping ground for a gang of hunters in "Faun." A grief-stricken librarian climbs behind the wheel of an antique Bookmobile to deliver fresh reads to the dead in "Late Returns." In "By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain," soon to be an episode on Shudder TV's Creepshow, two young friends stumble on the corpse of a plesiosaur at the water's edge, a discovery that forces them to confront the inescapable truth of their own mortality . . . and other horrors that lurk in the water's shivery depths. And tension shimmers in the sweltering heat of the Nevada desert as a faceless trucker finds himself caught in a sinister dance with a tribe of motorcycle outlaws in "Throttle," co-written with Stephen King.

Replete with shocking chillers, including two previously unpublished stories written expressly for this volume ("Mums" and "Late Returns") and another appearing in print for the first time ("Dark Carousel"), Full Throttle is a darkly imagined odyssey through the complexities of the human psyche. Hypnotic and disquieting, it mines our tormented secrets, hidden vulnerabilities, and basest fears, and demonstrates this exceptional talent at his very best."

I used the summary from the publisher here, because that's easier than trying to summarize 13 different stories.  As usual, I enjoyed some of the stories more than others --- and I quibble with something in "Late Returns," but that was my favorite story of the bunch. "Faun" is also really good -- quite creepy and you feel like you get a good ending. I like Hill's writing and find that his stories get better the longer he writes; I didn't really like Horns or Heart-Shaped Box, but by the time he gets to The Fireman, he's golden.

Joe Hill is Stephen King's son (if you didn't already know that) and some of his writing definitely has that King feel to it.  It's especially nice to see two stories here that they co-wrote.

Curious Toys: A Novel

Curious Toys: A Novel by Elizabeth Hand  373 pages

14 years old and in disguise as a boy, Pin lives with  her fortune-teller mother on the edge of Chicago's Riverview Amusement Park.  During the sweltering summer of 1915, she witnesses a man and a young girl enter the Hell Gate ride but only the man emerge. While she questions if she really saw this, she sees another observer, outsider Henry Darger, who seems to witness the same occurrence. Initially wary of each other, they work together to try to catch what is quickly becoming obvious is a very twisted killer.

Historically detailed and rich with interesting characters, this novel gives you several points of view. By realistically portraying both the characters and the setting, and keeping you off kilter with one of the points of view, this is a great thriller/adventure/whodunit. You get the very real sense of danger that runs through the story, and Pin is a very compelling character.  As a student of Chicago history, I really enjoyed the setting of this book and it was fun to look up some of the photographs of Riverview Park, as well.  This is a great story if you are interested in a different side of Chicago's history, but also if you enjoy strong-willed and brave female protagonists.

Grass

Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim   471 pages

This adult graphic novel tells the true story of a Korean "comfort woman" and documents how the atrocity of war devastated women's lives.  Telling the life story of a girl names Lee Ok-sun who was forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II, this book unflinchingly gives the compelling and horrifying details of what she went through, as well as other "comfort women."  Using an art style that is detailed, and heavy on black ink brushwork, the author/artist brings her interviews with Ok-sun into compelling detail. 

I had read a review of this book and was interested in the topic, and was curious about the treatment that a graphic novel would give to this first-person narrative. It's a very good book, although the topic is quite serious and at times, I had to close the book and just think and reflect a bit -- because it was sometimes tough to get through.  Definitely an interesting book for students of World War II history who are not familiar with this particular bit of history, or what these women went through.

The Queens of Animation

The Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History by Nathalia Holt 379 pages

This is a great companion book to the book about the Women  of Ink & Paint at Disney, which was published a few years ago. The author goes into great detail of the story of the women of Disney Studios who had a hand in shaping the iconic films the studio created. These influential women had to fight stereotypes, and try to persevere in an industry ruthlessly dominated by men, and whose names were almost never in any of the films' credits.  Showing how these women infiltrated the boys' club of Disney, into the story and animation departments, is very eye-opening and an integral part of film history.

The author takes the reader through the early days of Disney, before Snow White was created, up to modern times, all the while keeping the thread of the influence these women have had throughout the history of the company.  Definitely a fascinating read if you are interested in Disney history, but also if you like to discover more about women's history that has been untold (until now).

The Huntress

The Huntress by Kate Quinn    530 pages

This historical fiction story focuses on a team of people searching for a woman who is a Nazi war criminal, who is hiding somewhere in America. Going back and forth in time, the story has some unforgettable characters.  Nina has always dreamed of flying and when she gets the chance to join the legendary Soviet night bomber regiment, she doesn't mind that the life is hard and dangerous. However, when she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of the lethal woman known as The Huntress.

In the present, British war correspondent Ian is working with another man to try to find The Huntress, who has apparently gone to ground somewhere in America. In Boston, 17 year-old Jordan is interested in going to college and becoming a photographer, although her father has other ideas. When he brings home a beautiful new fiancee, Jordan is thrilled --- but there's something a little off about this woman.

And, as you probably suspect, the new fiancee is likely the Nazi war criminal . . . or is she?  This is a novel of cat-and mouse, which includes real life details of people during World War II, making it an immersive, exciting story.  Definitely a great book for fans of historical fiction, especially stories about unusual and brave women.

Wheel of Time series

The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan   11,898 pages

I recognize that I have neglected to post this series as the books were read over the past few months; however, I contend that this is not a series as much as it is a single story that simply took volumes of books to tell. I am not a fan of this genre, so I challenged myself to read The Wheel of Time series, epic fantasy novels written by Robert Jordan. The various books were published from 1990 to 2013, prolonged by the author’s death in 2007; given detailed notes for the final book that the author was in the midst of writing, fellow fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson completed the story that was so voluminous that it was told in three separate volumes. The series is noted for its length (check out the page count!), its well-developed magic system, the extremely large numbers of subplots, the intricate detail of its imaginary, and the extremely large number of characters (different accounts state between 1800 to 2800 named characters in the series!).

The publisher sums up the nearly four and a half million words as follows:

Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time is a story that takes place both in our past and our future. In his fantasy world, the Dark One, the embodiment of pure evil, is breaking free from his prison. The overall plot is about a man who learns that he is the reincarnation of the world’s messiah and is once again destined to save the world from the Dark One—but possibly destroy it in the process. This saga is not only his story, but the story of an entire world’s struggle to deal with war and change, destruction and hope.

At its core, The Wheel of Time is about the struggle between good and evil, and the way that that battle exists not only on a grand scale, but in the hearts of the ordinary people fighting it. The story has many traditional European-style fantasy elements and themes combined with some strong Eastern themes such as reincarnation and the cyclic nature of time weaved in to make it more unique. Add to that a richly populated fantasy world, with creatures, many original races (human and otherwise), expansive lore, epic battles, unrelenting magic, and deeply memorable characters, and it’s hard to imagine an epic tale that can come even close. The Wheel of Time has all the makings of the next big fantasy TV series…which is coming to the small screen in 2020. I am glad I read it but will admit that the phenomenal detail distracted on more than one occasion, which I attribute to reading the entire series at once. If I had read each book as it was released, I don’t think that level of detail would have been so tedious. If you love long, epic fantasy series in which you get heavily invested in the characters and their world, read this series!  The Wheel of Time is very detailed and draws you in—if you enjoy the first book, you will have to keep reading.  If you don’t enjoy long books in which there are a lot of detailed imagery or the characters are not constantly battling, don’t read this series; with so many books and so many characters, you may get lost or bored along the way.

The Eye of the World

                          782 pages

The Great Hunt

                                   681 pages

The Dragon Reborn

                            675 pages

The Shadow Rising

                             981 pages

The Fires of Heaven

                           963 pages

Lord of Chaos

                                     987 pages

A Crown of Swords

                             856 pages

The Path of Daggers

                           672 pages

Winter’s Heart

                                    766 pages

Crossroads of Twilight

                        822 pages

Knife of Dreams

                                  837 pages

The Gathering Storm

                          766 pages

Towers of Midnight

                             864 pages

A Memory of Light

                              912 pages

                                                       11,898

“The Wheel of Time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legends fade to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. […] There are neither beginnings or endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.”

Posted by:   Regina C.   (submitted to Jen 12/28/19)

Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence

Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Richard E. Boyatzis and Annie McKee      336 pages

A well written manual on how leadership should be when common sense and book learning meet.   It shows not only how to lead but how to realize how you are being perceived by others by what you do and how you do it, and what you say and how you say it.   A truly empathic approach to leadership assessing and addressing the whole person employee, colleague, boss, customer not just the situation at hand.    Well thought out and very in touch holistic approach to being a leader.   I would recommend this to young adults moving into management positions, and as a review for those leaders who may have allowed themselves to become a little stagnant along the way.   A good review to refer back to again and again so as not to forget the person performing the job required and the many aspects of fulfilling that job and how to go the extra mile without extra effort. 

Spy Secrets That Can Save Your LIfe" A FOrmer CIA Officer Reveals Safety and Survival Techniques to Keep You and Your Family Protected

Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life: A Former CIA Officer Reveals Safety and Survival Techniques to Keep You and Your Family Protected by Jason Hanson    272 pages

Jason Hanson joined the CIA in 2003 and learned so many tactics and survival skills that he has since used in his day to day life and now retired is sharing some of those special skills with the general public to increase their own and their families well being if caught in scary circumstances.    He teaches the reader how to escape from abduction scenarios from being tied up with duct tape, wire tires, handcuffs, etc. and from being locked in a vehicle trunk.   He teaches how to disapear off the grid if a violent offender is stalking you, he teaches how to size someone up by their body language and cues within their speech patterns and facial expressions as to whether someone is lying to you or not.    He talks about the perfect weapon to keep on you at all times.   He talks about what to look for and what to do if you think you are being followed.   He tells what you should do when in your car to always avoid being carjacked,  signs to look for when assessing a would be predator, he teaches you how to set up an emergency kit and how not to become a target.    A wealth of GOOD information here that could save you and your loved ones from predators.  Excellent book.  I would recommend this book to anyone from comprehension age on up there is so much value to honing the skills and observation techniques here. I highly recommend this one.

Face It

Face It: A Memoir by Debbie Harry     368 pages

The life story of the lead singer of the group, Blondie, tells all or if not all a whole lot of what she has been up to.    She has had a Forest Gump existence in some ways in how she was right smack in the middle of a lot of momentous happenings with a lot of very famous people.   She was great friends with Andy Warhol and shared his Factory and Studio 54 days.    She was at Woodstock and hung out with all the cool heads of that event.   She was there at the beginning of the Punk Rock movement and still gleefully declares she is Punk forever.    She hung out with Iggy Pop, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols.   She was buds with David Bowie.   She talks about the drugs she did, and how she went out and scored heroin at night and would bring it back to the hospital and hit up her boyfriend who was in there and had such a high tolerance for drug use that she figured he needed a boost of heroin to help really take the pain away.   She talks about her film career including the surprise porno she walked into her then lover's apartment and a guy comes out with a camera with her spread eagle and she wasn't sure whether to be offended or turned on, so she didn't stop the filming.   She talks about the punk look and how folks created it from whatever they found on the street or at Goodwill.   She takes the reader on a historical and often hysterical look at a gutsy life lived voraciously with no regrets and no apologies.   So many lines are crossed and snorted I would suggest this one for adults.

Let's Call It a Doomsday

Let's Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry     416 pages

Ellis Kimball is terrified of the end  of the world, so totally in fact that she is prepared for most any potential apocalyptic collapse and ruin as best as she and many other doomsday preparedness folk are.   Ellis' anxiety nearly causes her a complete collapse when she meet Hannah, one of her therapist's other patients in her therapist's waiting room.     Ellis, being totally paranoid about the end coming is dumbstruck when Hannah tells her she knows when and how the world is going to end.  Hannah from that point on becomes Hannah's obsession and main focus, letting nothing stop them from being together at the end of the world.    In the world of mental health it is not always a smooth path to get to the answers and outcome desired and how can one make the rest of the world understand what they see so clearly but the rest of the world misses all the signs by not paying attention?    Ellis wants to ring all the alarm bells and wake everyone up so they, too, will be ready and prepared but why is Hannah laying back and not want to share her vision with the rest of the world?   Doesn't she want to save the world?   Why is she running from her psychic ability?   Why isn't standing on top of a building shouting to the world to get ready?   She even knows the date it will take place!    Well written, good story, after a while you want to tell Ellis to get somewhere and sit down and chill because she is so manic about the end of all days coming but, if we all believed that we knew the when and how of the end of the world we would want to save as many people as possible.   There is method to her madness, but, she is so hyper sometimes you do want to grab her and say, "Calm Down!"   I would recommend the story to middle schoolers on up but mature ones so they can get the line between reality and when the mania becomes over the moon.

Gypsy Boy on the Run: My Escape from a Life Among the Romany Gypsies

Gypsy Boy on the Run: My Escape from a Life Among the Romany Gypsies by Mikey Walsh   
320 pages

The continuing story of Gypsy, Mikey Walsh as he runs away from home at the age of 15 to live with his lover, their stolen moments, the beatings that continue from Mikey's Dad and relatives beating his lover up then his lover taking it out on Mikey and becoming his new abuser.    This second book by Mikey Walsh tells the story of what happened to Mikey beyond his first lover, how he learned to make his way in the world and maintain a place to live and food to eat to his coming out as a gay man to his friends and eventually his family.   He tells the continuing story of his family as they all struggle with the demons they are dealt.   Such an interesting story to read, I couldn't put it down.  Such a hard life all the way through with the occasional happy moments.  Gives inspiration to keep on pushing toward what you want not what people try to make you be.    Very adult matter so I wouldn't recommend this for the very young but mature highschoolers on up for sure.   I highly recommend both of Mikey's books they address so many issues and I think might offer some saving grace for anyone going through similar circumstances.   Bravo, Mikey.

The Beckoning Shadow

The Beckoning Shadow by Katharyn Blair    463 pages -- read 350 pages

This YA fantasy novel focuses on Vesper, a teen runaway who has some dangerous powers. One of the many Oddities, she's a person who can summon your worst fear and turn it into reality. It's a scary sort of power, especially because she can't always control it.  Finding a group of other Oddities, Vesper learns there might be a way for her to rid herself of her power. However, to do this, she'll have to compete in the Tournament of Unraveling, where one wrong move can mean landing her or someone she loves in a world of hurt.

I got 350 pages through this before closing the book and returning it. I liked the idea of these powers, kind of like the tv show The Gifted, which is based on the X-Men universe. However, I felt like the story's pacing was a little slow and then I got a little bored by the main character and the fact that there was a love interest thing running through this.  I don't think this is as much a problem of the story as it is that I'm not the reader for this book.  Interesting premise, and for someone else, probably a really good story.

Not If I Can Help It

Not If I Can Help It by Carolyn Mackler   240 pages   

A well told tale, either Carolyn Mackler is VERY familiar with autistic kids or she has certainly done her research diligently.   The narrator of the story is Willa who suffers from a severe sensory processing emotional disorder with autistic tendencies in which she can tolerate some things but others drive her over the brink into near madness with emotional tantrums to the extreme.   Her case is so severe I find it hard to imagine she kept it from her best friend since babyhood.   Willa does not like change of any kind and when her parents divorce she nearly goes berserk trying to adjust to two different lifestyles in two completely different households.    She finds some solace escaping the terribleness of it all talking out her life with her best friend.   Things eventually settle down, both of her parents are tolerant to the point of exercising New Age practices to help her deal with her excessive tirades.    As hard as it is, she stays with her father and brother when her mother marries someone else.   HORNS BLARE, ROCKETS EXPLODE as she is set off into mind numbing screaming fits that she has to be comforted through.    After much time she accepts this change too but now it turns out her father is dating her best friend's mother!!!!   The screech of metal grinding metal,  horrific howls,  destruction of everything within her reach and much that is not - Willa is not having it - she has never told her friend about her sensory processing disorder - it is too awful a secret to share.    For the most part she has learned to maintain at school over the years but this is too much and she is wound way too tight to think of her best friend becoming her sister as her father gets more and more serious about her best friend's Mom.   She is on red alert almost constantly and her friend does not understand why she would hate the idea, because, being sisters they could live together in the same house and play together all the time.   That sounds like heaven - why does Willa take such offense and something so wonderful?    It is quite a harsh ride with Willa going 0 to 60 at the drop of a hat or less.   A good perspective into what it must be like living with such a condition for the person who has it and the people having to deal with the repurcussions of it.    A good story, you will often get miffed at Willa, she is so unreasonable although she can't help it, but, it is agonising for the reader, too, because her outbursts are told so realistically you can picture yourself watching the goings on.  Good book.    I recommend it to middle schoolers on up.    A good read, an intense read and sometimes you will feel like Willa is just a selfish brat but then you will turn around when her mother is comforting her and feel sorry for the poor kid having to deal with so much.             

Two Dogs in a Trenchcoat Go on a Class Trip

Two Dogs in a Trenchcoat Go on a Class Trip #3 in the series by Julie Falatko and Colin Jack
192 pages

I loved this book.   It is so funny.   The dogs are great.   They walk ala the Little Rascals on one another's shoulders and sneak aboard the bus taking their master on a school field trip to the local
Science Center where the dogs fall in love with the flavor of the dinosaur bones, and everyone gets to eat all the free lunch they want when misunderstanding the rules of not charging anything the dogs and kids go to the musuem cafeteria for a buffet of all the food the museum has to offer.   The kids teacher is a science buff and totally enraptured with the science guy leading the tour, who happen to be so caught up in the science of it all, they don't notice when the dogs and kids disappear within the collections.    Chaos ensues but you saw that coming didn't you?   Security is called in - how will the class get out of this one?   Hilarious.   I loved the dogs they are so genuine in their love of dinosaur bones and their delight in free cafeteria food not to mention their take on the exhibits.   A really fun read.   Everyone from youngsters on up will get a kick out of this one.

Toy Academy: Ready for Action

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Toy Academy: Ready for Action by Brian Lynch

I didn't realize this was part of a series but this is the second book in the Toy Academy series.  A fun read from the writer of the film, "Minions," and a writer of "The Secret Life of Pets."   Its a bummer when you go through all the learning to be a super hero only to find out you are going to be a side kick to one of the jerkiest guys at the academy, arrogant Rex Everything, who's name says it all.   Then, an evildoer toy named Tempest Bloodcloud starts reeking havoc and don't get me started on those sweet Care Bears she has totally turned bad!  WHAT???? Yep, that and more in this action packed thriller that will also have you cracking up as you learn those dear toys from your childhood may have had sinister pasts.  YIKES!   A fun book but I recommend the reader starts with the first one which will lay the ground work for these characters.    Fun, probably more for the younger set but Sci-fiers will find fun parallels here, too.  I recommend the series to anyone interested in toys both  loving and nefarious, laughing - lots of good lines to be found here and to all who enjoy good juvenile reads. 

Gypsy Boy

Gypsy Boy: My Life in the Secret World of the Romany Gypsies by Mikey Walsh      288pages

Excellent Book!   Mikey Walsh tells the real down and dirty side of Romany Gypsy life.   He shares some of the lingo Gypsies use as part of their special language that they do not share with non-Gypsies, he also tells what it is like in the very male dominated lifestyle of Gypsy life.   Gypsy women are treated like princesses growing up and are expected to marry between the ages of 14 and 18.   If not married by 18 they are considered spinsters and it is hardly ever done for a Gypsy man to consider marriage to a girl that old.    Gypsy men are taught to be tough from about the age of 7 years old when they are taught to fight and work along side their male relatives.   Mikey's family had held the prized role of his paternal grandparents being Gypsy royalty (tribe elders) and also they were known for their skills at bare knuckled fighting.   Before Mikey was 7 his father would take him out to train for fighting as he wanted to keep the title going down the lineage.  Unfortunately, Mikey was never good at fighting so his father ended up beating him up as well as any comers looking to challenge him.    Embarrased, his father would take Mikey out after his having lost a fight and his Dad would beat him up again for shaming him.   This did not stop until a non-Gypsy friend from town helps Mikey escape.   Sadly his life away does not get much better than what he left because his father and male family members come after him and beat his friend, and his friend's family and friends up threatening worse violence unless they told his Dad where he was.   Then after several beatings, his friend goes off the deep end and begins to take out his frustration at the situation on Mikey, beating him unmercifully, too.   Along with this Mikey has endured being molested for years by an Uncle that his father would not allow him to talk about and beat him for lying.   It is surprising the boy survived his childhood at all.   Also Gypsies so no need for school and few of them could read or write beyond sounding things out and trying to spell them.  Once when the governement made the Gypsies send their kids to school it lasted only about 3 weeks.   The Gypsies were kept in a separate class from the other kids whose parents did not want them associating which was fine with the Gypsy kids because their parents didn't want them associating and being brain washed by the non-Gypsy kids at school.   Seems Mikey had a tortured life the whole way through.   There are some bright spots and it is an exceptional read to get a voyeur's view at what is inside all those caravans.   I would recommend this to anyone middle school on up.   It is such a great introduction to what Gypsy life is actually like today.   It is also a good look and understanding of how hard some people's lives are and so unjust.  Excellent Read.

Doll House

Doll House by Amour       288 pages

Set in Toledo, Ohio, Spring and her sister Autumn have a hard life as their mother is on drugs and in her stupors sometimes turns tricks to make money for food (and more drugs).   Spring was growing up fast and at 13 was just finding out how looking hot got the attention of the young men in the neighborhood.    Her Uncle stepped in and kept an eye on Spring whom he nicknamed "Doll" and her younger sister.    When things began to get a little too intense with "Doll" and her boyfriend Zae and shady dealings started to draw "Doll" into places she was way too young to be her aunt asked her and Autumn to move to Atlanta and stay with her.    Autumn does, but, "Doll" feeling she could handle all that was going on remained with in Toledo.    Her best friend who was way wilder than her gets things going and before long Doll is in over her head and nearly raped by a local street guy until Zae comes to her rescue and saves her.   She feels so much love for Zae she ends up giving herself to him and at 17 finds herself pregnant.   The story goes on there is much drama with Zae and his people and her mother and her pimp, not to mention Zae's ex and her friends giving "Doll" a hard time and the ex trying to be with Doll's man every chance she gets.   Street fights, and more occur, eventually Doll just wants out and to have a normal life again.   Getting out of Toledo seems a good answer but Zae has gone crazy stalker and gone into if he can't have her nobody will mode.   How will she ever get away?     Good story.    The reader will like "Doll," and root for her all the way - she is so young and has so many hard days ahead.   Thank God for family.    I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good urban tales.     

Sing, Unburied, Sing

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward    320 pages 

 Excellent book!   A family's tale through three generations growing up in Mississippi and the racism they were forced to endure.   Encounters so intense that the ghosts of the tortured can't leave, they come back and try hard to connect with the living.    Maybe it is the hurt within each life the ghosts sense and reach out to, the mourning, the grief, the remembering as tales are told and shared down through the generations.   Many individuals, each with problems that feel like mountains to climb without direction on how to get to the top.   A young man, JoJo is the center of the story but the past clings on him as he helps his grandparents raise his sister until the day his mother shows back up with another boyfriend and why are the ghosts contacting JoJo?   Hasn't he got enough to deal with?   Lots revolves around the State Penitentiary and the many men who spent time there.    So much sadness to overcome but a brilliantly told story.    I highly recommend this book.   It is a gripping story that will remain with the reader.   Great character development on all the souls involved and the nurturing spirits of grandparents standing in with all the love that parents ought to be giving.    Well told tale.   I have to go with this being a mature young adult or maybe adult book given that the themes can be so utterly horrifying to think about then to be able to continue reading beyond those points.  Definite recommended reading.

Technically, You Started It

Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson     340 pages

I grew to like this book very much.   It is sort of like penfriends only texting friends, however, when Haley receives the texts she is not entirely sure which of two people the texts are from.   She thinks she knows but does she?    They grow to share so many things in each of their lives and become very close though they never talk in person nor greet each other when in the same place.   Is it really who they think it is?    The longer it goes the deeper their sharing and how hard it is to be so intimate through their words revealing many things no one else knows about each other, yet, why when going to the same school, attending the same parties is there never a time to at least acknowledge each other?   Why is it everytime one of them mentions meeting the other has some calamity arise and they miss each other or just don't seem to hook up.   Life is a mystery and mysteries can often feel better than the big reveal or is that just the shyness talking when both seem to want to be together?   Good book, it takes you from the link of mutual friends to quizzical potential friendship to a multitude of opportunities for more.   Can they reach out and be there for one another or are they going to let each go to the social norm?     Good book.    Fun read.    The humor is very sparkling.   I would recommmend this one to middle schoolers on up.

How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper

How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper     336 pages 

I loved this book.   Andrew has been doing his public health job so long he doesn't even have to think about it any more he just knows what to do immediately and follows the rote of his position however that position is going into a person's (who has died) home to forage for any contact info for next of kin, any possible insurance papers or papers knowing any means of contributing to their burial.   He likes his job well enough, for the most part it is quiet unless there is some snarky person trying to come in while he is there to make a claim on something the deceased supposedly promised them, then, there are occasions when the police have to be called in but generally it is a relatively quiet job without any bother.   His boss starts trying to boost employee morale and bonds by suggesting staff take turns hosting the other employees for a meal at each of their homes.  Hmmm.   When Andrew was hired his boss went on so about family and couples and so forth that when he asked if Andrew was married, Andrew said he was and they each regaled the other with tales of their families and home life.  However, Andrew isn't married.   Darkly funny and it just gets better when his boss assigns him to train a new employee.   This book is so good I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone Middle School on up.   Maybe geared more for adults but so good I think the younger set will get a kick out of the humor, too. 

Household Gods

Household Gods: The Religious Lives of the Adams Family by Sara Georgini, 204 pages

Gore Vidal memorably remarked, "As far as we know, it never occurred to any Adams of the Four Generations that there might be no such thing as eternal justice."  As Vidal went on to note, "eternal justice" took many forms in their imaginations.  Sara Georgini prefers to refer to it as "Providence", and the changes it underwent through the successive generations of America's first First Family, from the Puritan Henry Adams who first settled in Massachusetts to the historian Henry Adams who died mere blocks from the White House that had been occupied by his grandfather and great-grandfather, is the subject of her short book.

This tale obviously particularizes, and thus highlights, much larger movements within American religiosity and New England Protestantism.  For Georgini, who seems to equate Unitarianism with reason and progress, this may be viewed as a positive development.  For those who regard the transition from dogmatic principle to moral sentiment as rather a dissipation than an evolution, it will appear very different, but no less important.

The Flame Is Green

The Flame Is Green by RA Lafferty, 245 pages

In the middle of the nineteenth century, poor Irish fisherman Dana Coscuin is drafted into a revolution.  Not the revolution of the radicals who are really superficial, not the revolution of liberals who are really quite close-minded, not the red revolution which claims to be new but is as old as Adam, but the green revolution, which is older still and yet ever new.   Although he only knows one song, Dana sings his way into a company of fighters who dance across Europe, from the Carlist hills to 1848 Paris to partitioned Poland, wrestling with principalities and powers as well as flesh and blood.

The Flame Is Green is set in a reenchanted world.  The characters consistently intuit future events, although not always accurately, and perform feats that are physically impossible or seemingly inexplicable.  Everything is connected, and even the greatest surprises are accepted graciously.  The novel will not be to everyone's taste, but no one will mistake it for anything else.

The Whispers of War

The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly   336 pages

I read Julia Kelly’s first novel, “Light Over London” and enjoyed it enough to make me want her read the author’s sophomore effort. 

As the cover suggests, this is a story of women’s friendships. Marie, Hazel and Nora have been friends since they were twelve years old and were roommates at boarding school. Although I don’t recalling Kelly specifying their ages, they seem of be in their early- to mid-twenties.

The time frame is August 1939 to June of 1940, with a bit of now thrown, and is set in England. The story opens with Samantha, Marie’s granddaughter, going to England to visit Nora after Marie has died, wanting to know more about her grandmother. That felt rather contrived and didn’t need to be there. The book would have worked well, if not better, had it been deleted.

Then the novel is divided into three parts, each focusing on one of the friends.  Marie has lots to worry about. She was born in Germany but England has been home since she was twelve. Her German accent is still pronounced and gives her heritage away the moment she opens her mouth. Nora comes from a wealthy family. She defied her mother by marrying for love and not a better social status.  Hazel, also married, is a matchmaker. She is the more gregarious of the trio.

As the whispers of war blow across the waters from Germany, Marie is the most worried about what could become of her, especially since her family still resides there. Nora goes to work for The Home Office. I never truly understood what she did, but it didn’t interfere with the story. Hazel tries to balance work and home.

This is a novel of women who would sacrifice everything for each other. Their bond is unbreakable, although it gets a little frayed at times. 

 “The Whispers of War” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Vineyards of Champagne

The Vineyards of Champagne by Juliette Blackwell   416 pages

If I don’t get my Christmas cookies baked this year (2019), it’s Juliette Blackwell’s fault. She has written another compelling novel that had to be read as opposed to baking.

The story takes place in, and below, in France’s Champagne region. I first learned about the numerous cave systems that run throughout the area when I read Kristin Harmel’s “The Winemaker’s Wife.” Fascinating reading.

This story has one of my favorite storytelling devices: dualing timelines.  The present day starts off in California’s Napa Valley. Recently widowed Rosalyn Acosta, a wine rep for Small Fortune Wines, is begin sent to Reims, France, to call on the smaller growers there in hopes of gaining the rights to represent them in the States. There are only two drawbacks to this assignment. First, Rosalyn doesn’t want to go to France, Paris in particular. It was where she and her late husband, Dash, honeymooned.  Second, Rosalyn abhors champagne.

On the flight to Paris, Rosalyn lives every long-distance flyer’s nightmare. A chatty seatmate in first class.  Turns out that the seatmate, Emma, is also headed to Reims. With her she has letters from Emile Legrand, that date to World War I. The letters are are between Emile and Lucie, a childhood friend,and Doris, Emile’s marraine de guerre, or war godmother. Women who wrote to the soldier’s that didn’t have no one back home. Emma knows that to get the complete story, she must find other letters. Letters that have been sitting in attics, backs of closets, in tiny museums for decades. That is her quest and it’s clear early in the novel, that Emma pretty much well gets what she wants.

As Rosalyn is reluntanctly brought into Emma’s quest, she becomes fascinated with how the people of the Champagne moved into the cave system in order to avoid the German bombs that fell incessantly. They had schools, shops, resturants, everything that was accessible above ground.

So now Rosalyn has two goals while she is there: Land some new accounts and help Emma translate the letters.

I enjoyed reading what life was like in the caves. It sounds rather romantic, but the facts lead to a different conclusion. I really enjoyed this novel and “The Vineyards of Champagne” receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

HP Lovecraft

HP Lovecraft: Against the World, Against Life by Michel Houellebecq, translated by Dorna Khazeni, 119 pages

No one with even a passing familiarity with the biography of HP Lovecraft doubts that he was a man deeply alienated from his times, from humanity in general, and even from himself.   In these essays Michel Houellebecq argues that Lovecraft's discomfort with the world matured into hatred, and that Lovecraft was, in his own retiring, shabby genteel way, at war with modernity and all it implies.  Faced with world-historical forces that reduced him to insignificance, Lovecraft invented his cosmic horrors to simultaneously represent the ultimate sources of the personal and social dissolution which terrified him and the causes of its own eventual (but inevitable) doom.

This book was written before Houellebecq had himself become a well-known writer, and it is interesting, of course, to note the obvious differences and subtle congruences between his writing and that of his subject.  Both are appalled by the formlessness of the modern and post-modern world, neither is capable of the leap of faith necessary to find a solution in pre-modernity.  What is left to them, beyond horror and despair, except anger and disgust?