The Happy Ever After Playlist

 Shirley J.                 Adult Fiction Romance                        Rock Stars, Falling in Love

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez   400 pages

Sloan Monroe has been in mourning for the last 2 years.   When her finance died, she lost everything and pretty much went on autopilot through her days.  Her outlets were her art with which she earned her living so real and lifelife her paintings were often mistaken for photgraphs.  Her other outlet back to life was her best friend who saved her and stood up to the world for her shielding her from everything hurtful.  One day Sloan is driving down the street lost in thoughts from her visit to her fiance's grave when while distracted, she hits a dog.  Before she can get out to check on the dog as she is struggling with nerves the dog jumps through her sunroof into the front passenger seat.  She sees it as a sign from her fiance.    The story continues, she ends up keeping the dog falling in love with him whose name is Tucker per his tag and id chip.   She tries to contact the owner once she has his information but no word for weeks.  She is so mad at this guy for abandoned this wonderful pet, when one day he contacts her and wants his dog back.  She reads him the riot act and tells him SHE IS KEEPING TUCKER.  emails, texts and phone calls ensue.   It seems the guy is a musician on tour in Australia and his dog sitter was a lousy person who did not watch the dog, left town and didn't notify him!  GEEZ!!!!  He asks Sloan to keep Tucker till he gets home.  She agrees.  They continue to talk over the weeks till he gets home.  He tells her his real name but it turns out he is actually a famous rock star going by a stage name, too.  The story goes on and is a really lovely one with fierce friends, mutual animal lovers, rock tours, you name it.  I recommend this book to middle schoolers on up to seniors it is a pleasant fun read for anyone interested in puppy love.

I Don't Want to Read This Book

 Shirley J.              Juvenile Literature                           For kids who don't want to read books

I Don't Want to Read This Book by Max Greenfield  40 pages

Written by an amazing actor, Max Greenfield "Schmidt" from the t.v. series, "New Girl" for his two children.  A funny book about kids who do not want to read but who obviously have read a lot due to the vocabulary they use.   Very fun.  I recommend it to listeners on up.   

The Thanksgiving Visitor

 Shirley J.                       Juvenile Non-Fiction                  Family gatherings, bullies/thieves

The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote  37 pages    

Based on Capote's childhood when living with elderly cousins.   Troubled daily by a way older bully in the one room schoolhouse they attended, it is sadly reminiscent of current bullying situations in schools today.  It also tells of Capote's friendship with an elderly cousin who related more to children than adults and her deep held belief in the intrinsic value of the goodness in people leads to a fiasco at the dinner table on Thanksgiving.  A bittersweet story that gives a lot of insight into who Truman Capote really was.  I recommend this story to all ages from listeners on up to senior citizens.  It is a lovely tale.

The Bodyguard

 Shirley J.                   Adult Fiction                               Body Guards, Celebrity, Ranch life in Texas

The Bodyguard by Catherine Carter     336 pages

Hannah Brooks works as an executive protection agent.  She is a bodyguard.   She is trained in reacting to potentially dangerous even deadly circumstances with a clear head, a calm disposition and the skills of a ninja.   She is a force of one and while she looks short and sweet like a kindergarten teacher she could likely best any man in the room at any given time with lethal force.  Her latest assignment is to shadow legendary superstar, Jack Stapleton who is going home to Texas to be with his sick mother and care for her during her illness.   He has currently been dealing with stalker problems.  For one,A middle-aged woman breaking in to his supposedly secure home.   Now that he is going home to his family he wants to protect them too, and he wants to do it without letting them know.  That means Hannah has to work undercover as Jack's girlfriend.   It is all awkward but good with hilarious moments.    Stalkers and death threats abound with Hannah and Jack finding themselves in dire circumstances.  A good read.  I recommend this one to middle schoolers on up.

Happiness for Beginners: A Novel

 Shirley J.                 Adult Fiction                 Backpacking, Stretching your Limits, Finding yourself

Happiness For Beginners: A Novel  by Katherine Center   473 pages

When Helen Carpenter's marriage ended, she moped for the first year, then her younger brother talks her into going on a wilderness survival course.  After signing up she learns that her brother's best friend since grade school has signed up to go to.  She and he have a moment while sharing a ride there then have a falling out and Helen asks him to pretend they don't know each other for the duration of the 3 week course.   Helen ends up being the oldest person on the trip, the most accident prone, and the one with the worst attitude.  She is obsessed with winning a certificate showing she put forth the biggest effort and she gets jealous when all the girls flirt with her brother's buddy.   The story is a good one and I would recommend it to high schoolers on up. 

Things in Jars

 Shirley J.                  Adult Fiction                                       Ghosties and Ghoulies and things in jars    

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd  Read 100 pages    I realized I had read it before but I enjoyed the ghost encounter and read the beginning again anyway.

Excellent story about a Sherlock Holmes like private detective named Bridey (Bridget) who just happens to be able to communicate with ghosts.    Fun book.  I can just picture her smoking her corncob pipe.  I recommend this one to middle schoolers on up.   A fun read.

Kids Talk Hair: An Instruction Book for Grown-Ups & Kids

 Shirley J.            Juvenile Non-Fiction         Caring for and styling Black children's hair

Kids Talk Hair: An Instruction Book for Grown Ups & Kids by Pamela Ferrell    120 pages

A how-to guide for cleansing, moisturizing and styling Black children's hair.  Beautiful photos and step by step instructions complete from beginning to end of the process.   This is great for new parents as it describes everything from the day you bring your baby home from the hospital to getting ready for their first day of kindergarten.  It lets the stars of the book discuss what they like and don't like about getting their hair combed, brushed, styled and more.   There are so many gorgeous styles included complete with instructions on how to do them.   Styles for every texture of hair and every length.  So beautiful!  This would make a great gift for families with children as there are styles for girls and boys.   I highly recommend this to parents, especially new parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, teachers, day cares, libraries, anyone who needs to style children's hair.  Gives tips on how not to damage hair, too.

The End of Me: Where Real Life in the Upside-Down Ways of Jesus Begin

Shirley J.                Adult Non-Fiction           Where the end of me and the beginning of Jesus begins

The End of Me: Where Real Life in the Upside-Down Ways of Jesus Begin by Kyle Idleman  224 pages

A fun and deeply personal delving into Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.  Kyle Idleman gives a new way of looking at what Jesus was telling His followers:  You have to be at your lowest to appreciate Jesus taking you to your highest,  mourning is going to happen because we have so much love within us but mourning is also the path to blessing, we have to be emptied emotionally if we are to experience fullness of spirit, brokenness is the way to achieve wholeness.  The paradox is you have to be one or the other but the hurt and bad we go through leads to richness, because when you come to that broken, empty place where you have to look up to see over your shoes there is Jesus waiting for you, bending down to lift you up and comfort you, show you the love you deserve and giving His grace and shining His light upon you in your deepest darkness, He is the light that will guide you out of it and into all the glory of God that is yours as His child.   Great book.   I like the way he thinks and I love the way he shares his thoughts.  I recommend this to grade schoolers on up.    Learn to look beyond the teachings that seem to contradict each other but are so simple in theory and practice when you look at it.   Wonderful book.

Be Careful What You Wish For

 Shirley J.              Adult Fiction                  Roommates, Boyfriends, Betrayal    

Be Careful What You Wish For by Cheryl Faye   368 pages

Friends Jamilah and Sabrina, and lovers don't always mix especially when your roommate has it bad for your boyfriend, however, in this case, Sabrina wants her boyfriend Darius at hand while still looking for someone better.  Jamilah is crazy about Darius and knows what Sabrina is up to, but Darius only has eyes for Sabrina.  Then Sabrina meets a new man she thinks is everything she wants, he has everything she wants and can give her all she can ever want, until he becomes abusive.  Truly a case of be careful what you wish for.   I recommend this one to mature teens on up.

What You Wish For

 Shirley J.                      Adult Fiction                School Librarian, Free Spirit Meets By the Book

What You Wish For by Katherine Center   368 pages

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids and her school family with joy and passion.  She is quirky and gets a kick out of dressing colorfully, surprisingly and being a happy surprise to every one she meets.   She learned this behavior from a teacher who taught at the first school she was hired at.  His name is Duncan Carpenter and he had a joie de vivre like no other person she had ever met.  Of course, back then Samantha was quiet and reserved and dressed pretty dull.  In other words she sort of blended into the background and though she loved Duncan from afar, he didn't even know she existed.  Now, Duncan had been hired to take over as Principal of the school she is at now.  She is vibrant and he WILL notice her.  She could hardly wait for him to arrive.  But as the saying goes, "Be Careful What You Wish For."   An excellent story.   I recommend this one for Middle Schoolers on up.

Things You Save in a Fire

 Shirley J.                     Adult Fiction                     Lady Firefighter in an old boys network    

Things You Save in a Fire by Catherine Center 368 pages

Cassie Hanwell was enjoying life as a female firefighter in her Texas firehouse.   She is good friends with the other firefighters in her unit and gets along well enough with her commander, who is also female.  Cassie isn't close to her mother, but when her mother gets sick and on the brink of death, Cassie gives up her life in Texas and asks for a transfer to Boston so she can work and care for her.  Cassie's commander gives her a pep talk and tells her to take notes because she will be in for a rude awakening.  The Boston firehouse is all men.  All old school men who absolutely do not want a female on the premises.   They make her life as hard as they can, they haze her and the new rookie mercilessly.   The only way she proves herself is to compete in horrendously difficult exercises, taking challenges during training drills, etc.  She endures cruel treatment from all of her coworkers except the rookie whom she is starting to have feelings for.   A good story with lots of information to glean about firefighters.   I recommend this for middle schoolers on up.   An eye opener on how woman are still being treated today in some careers.  

Visual Intelligence

 Shirley J.                  Adult Non-Fiction                   Improving how you see things through viewing art

Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life by Amy E. Herman    336 pages

This is an amazing book!  You will learn so much from it, I cannot praise it highly enough!  You will learn when looking at anything in your world going forward:  how to see objectively rather than subjectively, how to recognize any bias you may have even if you hadn't realized it before - how our upbringing, our tribe and our environment imprints on us even when we don't know or mean for it too and how to overcome it.  You will learn to say more by saying less.   Amy Herman teaches you how not to miss vital things when observing.  Tiny seemingly insignificant things can be the clue that solves cases for police, FBI, etc. as well as laymen in every day life needing answers.  As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle observed in his Sherlock Holmes character, the fact that the dog didn't bark when the murderer entered told him it knew the murderer.  Doctors have learned to observe their patients instead of the charts.  She has taught teachers and social workers to see the child and the parents involved not the behavior or state of appearance.  One example she cites is a photo of a dark skinned woman holding a very white child with curly blond hair and bright blue eyes.   She asked the class she was teaching her (books) principles to to tell her what they saw.   A social worker told her she was prejudiced making a big deal of the woman's brown skin holding a white child.  Just because their skins were different didn't mean they weren't related.  Amy replied to the class, that she wasn't prejudiced, the child is her son and the lady is their nanny who they all dearly.  The woman apologized but this brought up a good example of how our bias can enfluence how we see things and was a good teaching moment.   There are so many true stories and examples here that emphasize how we need to look deeper and fuller at everything we observe to see what matters most and to see clearer than we ever have before.  That is just the tip of the iceberg.   There is so much more to learn here.   I recommend this to middle schoolers on up, it is never too early to learn to be observant in life to all that is around you.  

Catcher in the Rye

 Shirley J.                          Adult Fiction                           Holden Caulfield says it all

Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger  288 pages

In my quest to go back and read the classics, I picked this book up.  I have wondered what it was about since highschool and found it to be a very pleasing read.   Holden Caulfield, now I know.   What a man of many layers.  An empath on one hand and a manic depressive on the other.   He feels the magnitude of any situation good or bad then boils it down to its infinitesimal point then tries to elucidate on it which can be off putting to others, hence why he doesn't have friends just acquaintances.  He is a complicated guy but an interesting one.  Sometimes his thoughts pour out his mouth which can be very confusing for any one other than him.   He doesn't last long in any of his schools and is constantly changing.   He is most often misunderstood but he is his own undoing.  I did like the story though.  I would recommend this to mature teenagers on up.   Holden is a mental tempest.  The original "beautiful mind."

Shadows in the Night

 Shirley J.            adult fiction                                      Archaelogical dig, exhibit and murder    

Shadows in the Night by Heather Graham   244 pages

Mummies, egyptologists and murder!   What's not to like?  There are also a few teaching moments here where the reader will learn a little about Egyptology.    Harley Frasier teams up with FBI special agent Micah Fox to find the killer of Harley's mentor.    Good story.  I would recommend this one to adults, it might be a little too dry for the younger set.

Never Sleep With Strangers

 Shirley J.             Adult Fiction                                      Trapping a murderer        

Never Sleep with Strangers by Heather Graham   456 pages

Wealthy Jon Stuart and his wife were staying at their "castle" in Scotland.  They enjoyed entertaining guests and several friends and colleagues were on hand the night Jon's wife fell to her death by falling from one of the parapets.   Jon was suspected of his wife's murder but was cleared of all charges however his reputation suffered in the process.   He has invited the same group back to the castle for another writer's retreat for charity but this time Jon is determined to find his wife's killer and why anyone would do such a thing.  Good story, very Sherlock Holmes' style.  I recommend this one for adults who I think would find it far more interesting than the younger set.

How to Walk Away

 Shirley J.         Adult Fiction                     Paraplegia, Physical Therapy, old and new relationships        

How to Walk Away by Catherine Center  368 pages

Margaret Jacobsen is terrified of flying but she is so in love with her boyfriend, Chip, that he finally convinces her to fly with him.   While in the air he proposes and gives her his grandmother's engagement ring.  She is ecstatic all her dreams are coming true!  Then the plane crashes and her life takes a number of tragic twists culminating in her being left a paraplegic while her boyfriend walked away with minor healable injuries.   During all she has to endure, the now fiancee either is AWOL or drunk out of his mind when he does deem to drop by.  Chip's mother intervenes and life comes to an unbelievable screeching halt for Margaret and now she has to do physical therapy with a cranky Scotsman who has no sympathy for her and pushes her to her breaking point.  And now her sister who left 3 years ago and was always the black sheep of the family is trying to barge into her life!   A good story, with many funny parts, too.  I would recommend this one to high schoolers on up.

The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues

 Shirley J.            Adult Fiction                            Folks growing up together in families & foster homes

The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues by Ward Kelsey Moore   320 pages

Great book.  So funny and so real!  The Supremes in this story are 3 friends who grew up in the same neighborhood and church singing together and nicknamed "the Supremes."  There is so much going on in the story and so many characters introduced but each one brings an intriguing aspect like rolling out the dough and adding ingredients to a pie.  Everyone has something delicious to bring to the story.  Unlikely pairs hookup (a sanctified staunch elderly church lady and the elderly owner of a "gentlemen's club"), a woman and her daughter who are psychic and speak to the dead, a Blues Man who left his wife and son disappearing for years then turning up one day to try to reconcile, folks that run the diner, a woman with ambitions to become the new pastor and so many more.   Great stories behind everyone.   I thoroughly enjoyed this story and just found out there is another one with these characters.  I can't wait to read that one.   I recommend this book to middle schoolers on up to seniors.  All ages will enjoy this story.

The Heist

The Heist (Book 3 in the To Catch a Leopard Series)  by C.W. Gortner and M. J. Rose 115 pages

“The Heist” is the final book in this series. Ania and Jerome have separated, although they are still deeply in love with each other. 

Ania has gone into hiding while Jerome has taken a job back in the States a job at a Hollywood studio, It’s the late 1950s and the studio-system has not completely crumbled.

However, Ania’s right hand man in her jewelry business has come to fetch Jerome. It’s time to confront the man Ania believes, no knows, who the Leopard s and is determined to bring him down. And if Jerome insists on getting the way, well, she cannot be held responsible.

I found the outcome of the cat-and-leopard game Ania is playing with the thief interesting and highly entertaining. The result was not as I had anticipated, it was much better.

“The Heist” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Bait

The Bait (Book 2 in the To Catch a Leopard Series)  by C.W. Gortner and M. J. Rose 125 pages

It’s been a year since a cat burglar who goes by “Leopard,” stole Ania Thorne’s most recent collection of one-of-a-kind designer jewelry in Cannes. And one year, since she met insurance investigator Jerome Curtis.

Together, they may not have been able to solve the theft, but they do know who did it, and Anika and Jerome have become lovers. Ania has been planning her next move since leaving Cannes.

Now it’s carnival time in Venice. Ania has been planning her next move since leaving Cannes. And it’s quite the elaborate plan! Unfortunately, things don’t go their way. They wind up in jail, accused of a crime they did not commit. Once again Ania and Jerome are thwarted when Leopard unexpectedly pops up. This time Ania is able to confront Leopard to no avail.

A fun little read that can be read in one sitting. I love the descriptions of Venice, but I wish there had been more.

 “The Bait” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 146 pages

It’s October, and if you are looking for a spooky read, forget Stephen King and grab a copy of any of Shirley Jackson’s books. I love how Jackson’s terror is so subtle.

In this, the last book she published, in 1962, the basis is family. Generation of Blackwoods have lived on their estate, but now a shroud has been draped over the family’s reputation.  One of the three remaining Blackwoods is guilty of poisoning the rest of the family.

The suspects are:

            *Eighteen-year-old Mary Katherine, known throughout the village and by the family as Merricat, has been acquitted of all wrongdoing.

            *Uncle Julian, who drank just enough of the poison wine to render him an invalid and confined to a wheelchair.

            *Merricat’s sister, Constance, who never leaves the estate and rarely ventures past her garden.

The answer to the crime seems obvious, but nothing is ever like it seems in a Shirley Jackson story.

Merricat goes into the village on Tuesdays and Fridays to get groceries and whatever else the family needs, but she hates it.  The villagers avoid her and the children make fun of her.

I gather that the estate and the house that looks like a castle is quite large. The three don’t live in the house’s entirety, but five rooms at the most.

One day, a cousin, Charles, appears at their door. He has heard the rumors of a fortune being stashed on the estate and is determined to find it.

Okay, I can’t say anymore without giving the plot away, so you’ll have to read this one for yourself.  I highly recommend it.  “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Book Haters' Book Club

The Book Haters’ Book Club by Gretchen Anthony 352 pages

Love the title of this book! I had to read it just to find out who would attend a book haters’ book club if the person hates books. That had to be an interesting group of people. Perplexing at the least.

Elliott, co-owner of Minneapolis’ Over the Rainbow Bridge, has recently passed away, leaving the other co-owner, Irma, in a pickle. Business is not good, and bills are piling up. Irma is also grieving the death of her longtime boyfriend, Nestor, from cancer.

Irma calls a meeting with her two daughters, Bree and Laney, and Elliott’s life partner, Thom, at the lawyer’s office. She has decided to sell to a developer who plans to raze it and replace it with high-rise condominiums.

As shocking as this decision is to the three, Bree has the most to lose. She works in the store and has assumed that she would take it over when Irma retired. Laney just wants to get back to her home in Oakland, California, and running a tire-repair shop with her husband. Thom is angry at Irma, but no one seems to know why, including Irma. The most infuriating part is that Irma won’t say why she so desperately wants to sell. This part of the plot dominates the first book’s first half.

The second half is about Irma coming clean with her secrets and what the three can do to save their relationships…and the bookstore.

The book’s title comes not from a fictional book club, but that is the name of the newsletter that Elliott sent out with reading recommendation to his customers. That title comes from Elliott’s belief that “all it takes is the right book to turn a book hater into a book lover.” He wasn’t actively trying to turn non-readers into readers, and, truthfully, I don’t get it. Readers are treated to a few of the newsletters. Cute and interesting, but they do not push the plot forward. And neither does periodic visits from Elliott in the form of the Forward, Commercial Breaks, Intermission, Curtain Call and One Last Thing…They’re creepy.

“The Book Haters’ Book Club” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Picture Bride

 The Picture Bride by Lee Geum-yi, translated from the Korean by An Seonjae 320 pages

I am familiar with mail-order brides but have never heard of “picture brides.”  That is what attracted me to this book.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, a large number of Korean men left for Hawaii, then a United States territory. They worked the sugar cane fields and became successful. Some even owned land, a dream of all Koreans. When it came time to take a wife, the men depended on matchmakers back home to help them find the perfect woman. The men would send a picture and a letter to the matchmaker. Basically, it’s 1918 Korea’s version of today’s dating apps.

“In 1918, three Korean picture brides sail to Hawaii, based only on photos of their husbands-to-be. Hongju, looking for real love, discovers her husband is 20 years older than his photo; Songhwa, escaping her home life, finds her husband is an old drunkard. Willow’s husband, Taewan, looks just like his photo. But the matchmaker lied when she said he was a landowner, and she could go to school.”

That is what hurt the most. Willow is intelligent and longs for an education. It was the only reason that she consented to the marriage. As the years go by, Willow dutifully cares for her husband, their children and his father.

As 1918 slides into 1919, Willow’s husband gets involved with the Korean Independence Movement. He is gone for years, leaving Willow to manage on her own. She does have her two friends, Songhwa and Hongiu, counsel as they struggle to survive.

I wish I had read the Author’s Notes and the Translator’s Notes first. It might have made a difference in reading this novel because I felt lost most of the time.

“The Picture Bride” receives 2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Sins of the Tribe

 

Sins of the Tribe by Mark A. Salter 400 pages

I grew up in the southern United States where college football was/is king. Especially in my home state of Arkansas, where cotton, rice, soybeans and the Razorback football made up most conversations. (When I was planning my wedding, Daddy told me that he was unavailable September through December, non-negotiable. Such is the power of college football. I married in July.)

Mark A. Slater’s first novel takes on the dark underbelly of college football and combines it with the deep human need for connections, to be with one’s own. Football teams are the perfect example of a tribe working, playing, protecting each other and dominating the other teams. And wow, does Slater pack a punch!

The story centers two young Georgia men, Wally and Henry. Henry suffers from an undiagnosed medical condition that I would describe as autism, but I’m not a doctor. Henry’s talent is his ability to kick a football. As long as Wally is the holder, Henry NEVER MISSES, whether it’s from twenty yards or sixty yards. Henry NEVER MISSES.

As kids, Wally suffered parental abuse while Henry was left largely ignored. Wally dreamed of attending Bastille University and becoming a member of the Tribe football team. (So much symbolism in that choice of moniker.) He had the grades to be accepted but not the financial resources. When the scouts come calling, Henry is offered a full ride, provided he can do he scholastic work, and where Henry goes, Wally goes, so the university makes it happen.

In the first half of the book, the team is led by Coach John Oldham. He and his coaching staff are trying to build decent young men as well as win football games. The team coalesces into a tribe that works hard and plays hard. Coach Oldham reminded of what I thought Bear Bryant would have been like.

In the second half of the book, Coach Oldham is replaced by Coach Castritt. The staff he brings with him have the same belief: Winning is the only thing and everything.

Castritt and his staff don’t care about the team as individuals. Players are dehumanized and believe they can get away with anything and everything, from treating others as dirt to committing a horrendous crime. How Wally navigates this new regime is what makes this book a page turner.

One thing did irritate me though. One of the teams that the Tribe played against with the Arkansas A&M Aggies.  No such school.  It’s Texas A&M. All the other colleges/universities were given the correct name.

 “Sins of the Tribe” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.