They Threw Us Away

“They Threw Us Away” (Book 1 in the trilogy “The Teddies Saga”) by Daniel Kraus 256 pages 

I’m not sure what to make of this novel. When I picked it up, I never, in my wildest dreams, suspected that it was a horror story. When I got into the first particularly disgusting part, I checked the audience and learned that the book is aimed at 10-14 year olds. I know I wasn’t ready for this kind of horror at that age, but kids are worldlier these days. 

The premise of the story is a hero quest. Five teddy bears find themselves in the middle of a garbage dump. Buddy becomes their leader. He knows this is not where they are supposed to be, but he doesn’t understand how he ended up here. He was made to be loved and petted by a child. Or how he is supposed to get out. 

As Buddy wakes, he realizes that he is no longer tied to the box that he called home.  He can move! But now what? 

In the group are Sugar, Sunny, Horace and Reginald. Each has a different personality that is reflected in their colors. Sugar is pink, Sunny is yellow, Horace is black and Reginald is gray. Buddy is blue. One aspect that I really did like is the depiction of Sugar. She is a damaged teddy with a head injury. The others know she is different, but help her and protect her when needed with out being condescending or pitying. It’s a great lesson for kids. 

The teddies band together to climb over the mountains of trash and back to the modern world. Along the way they encounter ravenous rats, bulldozers, screeching gulls, a highway full of cars and truckers and not-nice people. Their goal is to find the Yellow Plastic Mountains. There, they have been told, they will be safe. I had to chuckle when I found out what the Yellow Plastic Mountains were. It was the only light-hearted moment in the entire book. 

I gagged several times as the little band made its way across the dump. This book is like a car wreck.  You don’t want to look, but you must.  I didn’t want to finish it, but I had to. I’m not sure if I’ll ready Book 2, “They Stole Our Hearts.” But I was so upset about the ending, I may have to in the hopes of something happy happening. I really don’t know how to rate this. Therefore, I’m going to give “They Threw Us Away,” 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

The Anomaly

“The Anomaly” by Herve Le Tellier (translated from the French by Adriana Hunter) 400 pages

This is the weirdest book I have ever read…and I’ve read some doozies over the year. It won France’s Prix Goncourt in 2020 (a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year"). 

First, let’s talk about why I wanted to read it. From the back cover: “…an international phenomenon, the dizzying whip-smart novel blends crime, fantasy, sci-fi, and thriller as it plumbs the mysteries surrounding a Paris-New York flight.” I knew it could get a little weird because of the fantasy/sci-fi aspect and I was willing to accept that, but, honestly, I expected a more traditionally plotted novel. I had only a vague overarching idea of what was happening as I was reading. But I was curious as to what the fuss is all about, so I read Every. Single. Word.  All the way to a bunch of gobbled-gook that ended with

                                                                         e

                                                                         n

                                                                        d 

 

Don’t ask me what that was about. 

The novel is broken into two parts. The first part is about a large group of characters and their lives are told in flashbacks as they hurtle through the air from Paris to New York. I think. They hit God-awful turbulence that had me feeling queasy myself.  The air-traffic controllers along the way begin to show panic about the flight which only added to the uneasiness of the flight. The plane does land safely in New York. Trouble is, that same flight, with the same crew, and the same passengers landed at JFK in March. But now it’s June. 

I think the reason that it was noticed has something to do with the pilot, but I’m not really sure. The plane is diverted to a hanger where it and passengers and crew are held as the government tries to determine what the heck has happened. Can you hear the “Twilight Zone” theme playing in the background? 

It is determined that everything about this flight is identical. The passengers even have the exact same DNA, the exact same memories and the exact same physical. The second half of the book is about the passengers from the March flight meeting those who just arrived on the June flight. Government officials take to substituting the passenger’s last name with either March or June so they were easily identifiable. 

Unfortunately there is no viable conclusion to this work, and it sort of tapers off. I don’t even know how to rate this novel. Therefore, I’ll go to the middle of the rating system and give “The Anomaly” 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

 

Takedown Twenty

 

Shirley J.             Adult Fiction                    Female Bounty Hunters, Comedy Adventures

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich   307 pages

Why is there a giraffe moseying down the street?   Lula sees it first, then later Stephanie does.   THey begin to question whether it is a magical giraffe, because they are the only ones who have seen it and no one has reported a live giraffe just out strolling around.  Huh?  In this adventure, Morelli's Uncle Sonny is wreaking havoc, stealing, he's already a known killer and he also just happens to have missed his curt date so Stephanie and Lula are on a mission to apprehend him which is not as easy as it sounds even if he is an old guy.   He has lots of family watching over him especially Gramma Bella who is cursing  Stephanie with her super duper burn in hell evil ey this time.   Sonny is one of gramma Bella's favorite nephews afterall.   Stephanie finds herself being dropped off a bridge, she breaks a finger and she gets her nose broken in a freak accident with a gangbanger.   Steph decides it is time to find another career and tries her hand at being a butcher (through a hookup made by her mother- but you would always have great meat and at the very least a big discount when the family went to buy meat).

Lula names the giraffe, Kevin and starts leaving lettuce out for him.   A fun story from beginning to end.   I recommend this one to mature middleschoolers on up.

The Joy of Chemistry: A Quick Study Guide for Kids and Beginners to Learn Chemistry Using Fun Analogies and Examples

The Joy of Chemistry: A Quick Study Guide for Kids and Beginners to Learn Chemistry Using Fun Analogies and Examples by Dr. Nervana Elkhadragy 59 pages

I cannot remember how I got out of high school chemistry, but I am certain it was divine intervention. Math and science are just not my strong suits.

In this book aimed at an audience of high schoolers up to age 100, Dr. Nervana Elkhadragy puts a spin on explaining the differences between protons, electrons, atoms, orbits, particles, nuclei and elements. She uses humans to explain how they work and to help non-science people understand better.

I found the reading fascinating, and thought, AT LAST! I understand this stuff! The sad part is now, a week later, I couldn’t explain the difference between any of those items. I did enjoy learning how the period table came to be and how elements were assigned their symbols. The analogies got a little repetitive using people. It might have been better if she had used different analogies for each item. That would have made more sense to me.

“The Joy of Chemistry” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Born On a Blue Day

 Shirley J.    Adult Non-Fiction              Autistism,  Savant

Born On a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet

226 pages

Wow!  Daniel Tammet explains his thought processes in such a down to earth way that it is an intense and deeply personal visit inside the thought processes of an amazing mind.   Daniel explains that he sees things in his mental pictures as colors and numbers and he proceeds to break down just how that occurs.  It is an amazing story and he discusses his relationships with his family growing up, his school day and his life and work up to this day.   He is able to learn any language fluently within a week and how he does iit will astound you.   Things that are so far away from . most of us to grasp, Daniel is able to comprehend with ease, yet, simple concepts and behaviors are harder for him  to make sense of without really applying himself such as social behaviors, reactions and interactions that most people don't give a second thought to are ridiculously difficult for him and require much effort on his part.     A fascinating look into a beautiful mind.  He discovered his preference for men and after some dating over the years he is currently in a long term relationship with his partner who gives him the space he needs when he requires it and the affection and comfort of a supportive lover.  Daniel travels the world speaking on autism, being a savant and demonstrating his unique linguistic and mathematical abilities.  He is also a speaker in the TED Talk series.   

Hemingway’s Saint Louis: How St. Louisans Shaped His Life and Legacy

Hemingway’s Saint Louis: How St. Louisans Shaped His Life and Legacy by Andrew J. Theising 158 pages

Readers and scholars are aware of Ernest Hemingway’s connection to St. Louis. He was great friend with the Smiths, a high-profile St. Louis family and three of his four wives hailed from the Gateway City. This book is not about St. Louis’ connection to the writer but about those people who influenced him. If anyone is looking for a guide to visit Hemingway attractions, well, there aren’t any.

I lied. There is probably one: The house at 4748 Westminster Place. That was the home of Laura Charles, the woman who raised Katy Smith, Hadley Richardson’s friend, who introduced the two. There’s nothing to see except the house’s exterior.

The chapter on the Smith Family is confusing and seems to be all over the place. I kept having to reread paragraphs to really know who author Theising was discussing.

The rest of the book was a little better. Each chapter focused on an important St. Louis family who touched Hemingway in some remote way. However, this scholarly work is written in the style that I don’t like about reading some biographies---it’s a list of what happened when, and sometimes not in chronological order. I was never able to get to know these people. They are abstract versions of anyone, anywhere.

The most interesting part of the book is the list of “Untimely Ends.”  I knew that Ernest’s father had committed suicide, but I was unaware that his brother and sister also met the same fate. In addition, there were many (12 in all) people in Ernest’s wide circle who died before the age of 70. That could make an interesting book, how all those young deaths attributed to his suicide.

I learned of this book when the author did a segment of KETC’s “Living St. Louis” show.  It was much more fascinating hearing Andrew Theising talk about the Hemingway’s St. Louis connection than it was to read the book. Therefore, “Hemingway’s Saint Louis: How St. Louisans Shaped His Life and Legacy,” receives 2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Plum Spooky

 Shirley J.             Monkeys,  The Jersey Devil  Cat Dad,  Bounty Hunters

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich    309 pages

Another fun Stephanie Plum adventure with Diesel popping back in.   Diesel seeks Stephanie's help cornering his evil cousin, Wulf Grimoire, who is dangling Stephanie as a prize to nerdy physicist Munch for helping him in his rocket laden plan.   Carl the monkey is back giving everyone the finger and more.   This time there is a barrell of monkeys rescued from a science lab only to be experimented on by Munch in their quest to control people's moods and sometimes the weather.   While Lula continues to plan her wedding, Tank continues to sweat and becomes a cat Dad.   Psychic Miss Gloria tells Lula their moons aren't lining up right.  Oh yeah, the Easter Bunny, Sasquatch and the Jersey Devil drop in, too.   And wait till you encounter the fire farter!   What a fun series!  Always something unexpected.  Great story lines.   Go Janet Evanovich!  I would recommend this book to middle-schoolers on up. 

Kennedy's Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby

 Kennedy’s Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby by Dan Abrams and David Fisher 400 pages

It seems each time there is a trial that the entire nation is watching, whether it be via newspapers, radio or television, it’s called “the trial of the century.” The 20^th Century had a number of the sensational trials.

First it was the 1905 trial of Henry K. Thaw, heir to coal and railway fortune, for the murder of renowned architect Stanford White. Following that was the 1924 trail of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb for the murder of fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks and their attempt to commit “the perfect crime.” Others that followed were the Lindbergh Baby kidnapping and murder (1932); the espionage trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg (early 1950s) and the O. J. Trial (1995).

Those are the ones that come easily to mind; I’m sure there were others. However, there is one forgotten “the trial of the century.” One that had millions of eyewitnesses: The murder of JFK assassinator Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby. Television cameras showed Ruby step out of crowd, shove a pistol into Oswald’s stomach and pull the trigger.

The writing team of Dan Abrams and David Fisher explores this trial in their new book, “Kennedy’s Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby.”

I admit that I have a rather morbid fascination with JFK and his death. One of the top questions I have on my to-ask-God list when I get to heaven is “who was behind the JFK murder?” There seems to be so many right answers to that question that they are all suspect.

Abrams and Fisher’s book opens with an overview of the assassination. Fortunately they do not rehash JFK’s death all over again or Oswald’s reasons. They do a fabulous job staying focused on what Jack Ruby did and his attempt for justice both behind the gun and behind bars.

Readers get a solid look at Jack Ruby and his life. I knew he was a nightclub owner and operator. He had bouts with depression and mental illness ran rampant through his family. To me, getting to know Ruby was far more interesting than the trial.

And the trial! What a circus! It makes the O.J. Trial look like a church picnic. All during the trial, Ruby sat staring straight ahead, seemingly detached and not much interested. For the defense was the Melvin Belli, “the nation’s most flamboyant lawyer.” For the prosecution, the “tough-as-Texas” Henry Wade. Presiding over the shenanigans was Judge Joe B. Brown, who “had been elected (to) his position. He was not a lawyer and lacked legal knowledge.”  Can you imagine someone with that lack of qualifications presiding over a high profile case today? Me either.

The antics that went on in that truly gave me a headache. I cannot imagine being on that jury. Heck, it took Judge Brown seventeen minutes just to read the charge against Ruby. How they were able to return a verdict in two hours and nineteen minutes is beyond me. I would still be trying to look pass the all the antics.

One thing that I did not care for, and subsequently glossed over, was when the authors gave a history of different things about and during the trial. That happened about five times, I believe.  Therefore “Kennedy’s Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby”  receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Off the Wild Coast of Brittany

Off the Wild Coast of Brittany by Juliet Blackwell 464 pages

For fans of Jenny Lecoat’s “The Girl from the Channel Islands.”

This story takes places on a fictional island, Ile de Feme, off the coast of  France’s Brittany region, the part of France that sticks out like a thumb into the Atlantic Ocean.  It has one of my favorite plot devices too, dueling timelines.

Most of the book is centered in present day. Natalie Morgen is a best-selling memoirist. In fact, people travel to the island (accessible only by boat) just to catch a glimpse of her or have their picture taken with her. But Natalie’s like isn’t going according to plan.

Her partner, Francoise-Xavier, had abandoned her to return to Paris. There he plans to open a new restaurant. But on the Ile de Feme, Natalie is left with a guest house that is stuck in a partial rehab. He has absconded with their bank account, leaving Natalie almost penniless. She is thinking of chucking the whole thing and heading, well, she isn’t sure where. Fortuantely, her sister, Alex, arrives. She is a great handywoman and pitches in to help get some of the basic repairs done.

The two sisters have never really been close, but this affords them the opportunity to get to know each other.

Alex and Natalie find an old cookbook, more like a journal, in a concealed cupboard.  It once belonged to a young woman named Violette, who has some interesting things to share. One is that she marries a man named Mark, who is besotted with her, yet she is in love with his brother, Salvatore. Quite  the dilemma!

When the Nazis occupy France, all the men on the island take their fishing boats and head for England to join de Gaulle and the Free French. The women are left to fend for themselves.  The Germans take over the entire island and many of the men are billeted in the islanders homes. Violette’s home is no exception, and she becomes friendly with Rainier, a military customs officer. As food becomes evermore scarce, Rainier helps out Violette and her parents obtain the necessary food supplies to keep them alive.

As much as this book is about relationships, it also about secrets. Everyone, past and present. on Ile de Feme has a secret---Violette, Rainier, Natalie and Alex.

Off the Wild Coast of Brittany  is a good read. I loved the descriptions of the scenery, but I hated the abundance of French words that the author used that was overkill in my opinion. Therefore,  receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Rhapsody

Rhapsody by Mitchell James Kaplan   352 pages

I was so excited to get my hands to read this novel. Set during the Jazz Age in New York, the story centred around George Gershwin and Kay Swift.  I admit that I had no idea who Kay Swift was in the annals of music history. But I am familiar with George, and especially his brother, Ira. The story, I thought, was supposed to be about George and Kay’s 10-year love affair. To me, that story seemed to live in the background most of the time.

Here’s a summery from Goodreads.com that made me want to read this novel:

“One evening in 1924, Katharine “Kay” Swift—the restless but loyal society wife of wealthy banker James Warburg and a serious pianist who longs for recognition—attends a concert. The piece: Rhapsody in Blue. The composer: a brilliant, elusive young musical genius named George Gershwin.

Kay is transfixed, helpless to resist the magnetic pull of George’s talent, charm, and swagger. Their ten-year love affair, complicated by her conflicted loyalty to her husband and the twists and turns of her own musical career, ends only with George’s death from a brain tumor at the age of thirty-eight.

Set in Jazz Age New York City, this stunning work of fiction, for fans of The Paris Wife and Loving Frank, explores the timeless bond between two brilliant, strong-willed artists. George Gershwin left behind not just a body of work unmatched in popular musical history, but a woman who loved him with all her heart, knowing all the while that he belonged not to her, but to the world.”

The novels opens with the focus on Kay. I admit that I had no idea who the author was talking about most of the time when “Jimmy” kept cropping up. Turns out, Jimmy is James Warburg, a wealthy banker and Kay’s husband.

I hate to feel lost and that is what I felt most of the time I was reading. I felt this way the same way I felt about “Loving Frank.”  I just couldn’t care about these people.  In my opinion, Rhapsody is a big ol’ flop and receives 1 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey

 You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism by Amber Ruffin, Lacey Lamar   215 pages

Summary from Goodreads: Now a writer and performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers and host of The Amber Ruffin Show, Amber Ruffin lives in New York, where she is no one's First Black Friend and everyone is, as she puts it, "stark raving normal." But Amber's sister Lacey? She's still living in their home state of Nebraska, and trust us, you'll never believe what happened to Lacey.

From racist donut shops to strangers putting their whole hand in her hair, from being mistaken for a prostitute to being mistaken for Harriet Tubman, Lacey is a lightning rod for hilariously ridiculous yet all-too-real anecdotes. She's the perfect mix of polite, beautiful, petite, and Black that apparently makes people think "I can say whatever I want to this woman." And now, Amber and Lacey share these entertainingly horrifying stories through their laugh-out-loud sisterly banter. Painfully relatable or shockingly eye-opening (depending on how often you have personally been followed by security at department stores), this book tackles modern-day racism with the perfect balance of levity and gravity.

And here's what I thought: No, I can believe this. But I can't. Maybe I can, because I know first-hand how ignorant people can be ---- but seriously, it's hard to believe just how many people Lacey encounters who are like this. Disappointing, yes. Believable, yes. Funny, yes --- but also pretty sobering because these stories are funny because it's hard to believe people are that stupid. Definitely an eye-opening read and while this is written with a humorous tone, it's seriously not funny what some people say or do. Yikes.

A Sunday in Ville-d'Avray

A Sunday in Ville-d'Avray by Dominique Barberis  (Translated from the French by John Cullen) 144 pages

This novella packs a lot into it. It’s brief, moody, spare, completely French and has a other-worldly atmosphere to it.

 Two sisters, Jane and Claire Marie don’t see each other often, even though they live relatively close to each other. Jane lives in the heart of Paris, while Claire Marie lives in the suburban community of Ville-d”Avray. Jane lives with her partner and Claire Marie has a husband and a teenage daughter.

It’s early autumn, and the sisters are enjoying a few glasses of wine in the garden. After the initial and normal conversation exchanges, Claire Marie begins to talk about a man she had known fifteen years prior. It’s a whimsical, whispery, misty description of a man named Marc Hermann. I’m was never sure if the two had an actual affair or danced around one.

Claire Marie would sneak out of the house to meet him, but the meetings took place more around train stations and parks than in hotel rooms or quaint B&Bs. I got the feeling that Marc was more of a stalker, and that Claire Marie was having wispy fantasies about him. The scenes in which Claire Marie tried to see him at his place of business is disturbing, making the reader feel as if there was something else going on altogether.

The pace of the novella ebb and flowed, as a good story does. However, it didn’t reel me in completely. I found myself more mystified than satisfied at the conclusion. Therefore,  A Sunday in Ville-d'Avray received 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. I wanted to give it 2 stars, but the beautiful writing and scenery had me bump it up a star.

 

Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York’s Most Creative Bakery

Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York’s Most Creative Bakery by Agatha Kulaga and Erin Putinkin 272 pages

I love to bake almost as much as I love to read.  So when I got my hands on the updated version of Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York’s Most Creative Bakery, I was in hog heaven.  I couldn’t wait to flip through its glossy pages and see what spoke to me. Is it bad to say that almost everything did? And I think I gained five pounds just drooling.

What I liked most about this cookbook was that it is geared toward an experienced baker, yet doesn’t forget about the novices out there. I loved the Essential Tools & Ingredients guide, Choosing a Baking Pan, Sugar definitions and conversions charts,

I haven’t tried many of the recipes, but the Hot Chocolate Cookies are wonderful!  I’m eager to try the Bloody Mary Scones, The Stumptown Shorty and Spicy Bacon Caramel Corn. 

One thing that I did not like about the recipes was that many of them had ingredients that are not commonly found in everyday kitchens, mine included. Therefore, Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York’s Most Creative Bakery receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

The Paris LIbrary

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles 368 pages

This fabulous novel explores the meaning of friendship, loyalty, and most important, the need--- and the desire---for information. It illustrates how important libraries are, even in these days of Google and the internet.

The library in this novel is The American Library in Paris. A real, still-functioning library in Paris’ 7^th arrondissement, ten minutes from the Eiffel Tower, celebrated its 100^th anniversary in 2020.  From their website: “The American Library in Paris was established in 1920 under the auspices of the American Library Association with a core collection of books and periodicals donated by American libraries to United States armed forces personnel serving their allies in World War I. The Library has grown since then into the largest English-language lending library on the European continent. It operates as a non-profit cultural association…”

I loved looking at the website photos to help clarify my visions of what the library looked during the novel’s time frame (1939-1944).  That is one timeline in this fabulous story. The other is 1986-87 and takes place in Montana.

The war years’ part of the story mostly takes place in the library. There is a whole cast of employees and patrons that readers get to know as the noose of the German Occupation grows tighter and tighter. However, the main protagonist is Odile (Oh-deal) Souchet. The Montana part of the story gives readers full-circle about what happened after the war.

Odile has just landed her dream job at the library. She is so happy to be there, she doesn’t even mind that her parents are desperately trying to find her a husband. Her dad, a police commissioner, is always bringing single officers home for Sunday dinner. Odile has no interest in marriage.

As the Nazis goose-step down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, most Parisians flee the city, except for the library employees and a few faithful patrons. The employees stay behind because they believe in their mission, to provide information and entertainment.

What happens in this novel is not unlike what is happening at libraries in 2021. They are doing their best to stay open and meet patrons’ needs. I work at a library (not on the frontlines though) and felt a symbiotic relationship with Odile and the others. Even when they were in danger (as our staff is with the coronavirus running amuck), they showed up to complete their mission---even if that meant home deliveries and hiding patrons of a certain religious persuasion.

I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. I also recommend visiting The American Library in Paris; website at americanlibraryinparis.org.

The Paris Library receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

Dragonfly

 Dragonfly by Leila Meacham 576 pages

Fiction writing 101: The author needs to know her/his character(s) like the back of her/his hand in order to know which details to leave in and which to leave in. Most of the time, readers never know the character(s) that in depth. But author Leila Macham put everything in this book. Often, putting in everything doesn’t work, but here it does. This is the first of hers (this is her eighth novel) that I have read, and I wonder if all her work is this detailed. Guess I’ll have to do a little research.

In 1942 America, five twenty-somethings receive a letter from the Office of Strategic Services [OSS] (forerunner to today’s CIA) asking them if they are willing to fight for their country. Note: This is not a draft notice.  They come from different parts of the country and have different careers. Yet, all are willing, especially after Pearl Harbor, to do their part.

The three men and two women have been carefully selected and report to “the man in brown.” Once they accept, they are given an OSS code name and a working name. Their operation is assigned the code name “Dragonfly.” Then they are dropped in Occupied Paris and embedded among high-ranking Nazis. Thank heavens Meacham provide a Cast of Characters before the story even begins, otherwise I would have been lost.

They communicate via a mural that one of the women paints on a blank convent wall, with permission of course, and a secret drop box located nearby.

The novel is broken into four parts: “The Recruits,” where readers get a lot of background information on the intrepid spies. Then Part Two is “The Missions,” where readers learn the groups’ objective. Next is “The Game” (1942-1944), the young spies at work. To me this section is the best as it had most tension because more was at stake. The last is “Home” (June 1944 – September 1962). Readers are brought full circle with the recruits and learn the end of their stories.

All-in-all, this was a good book. Not great, but good. I found it interesting enough to keep reading, but I took me a good three weeks to finish it. Highly unusual for me. And that is why Dragonfly receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

Cheeky: A Head-to-toe Memoir

 Cheeky: A Head-to-toe Memoir by Ariella Elovic   241 pages

Summary from Goodreads: Too tall. Too short. Too fat. Too thin. The message is everywhere--we need to pluck, wax, shrink, and hide ourselves, to not take up space, emotionally or literally; women are never “just right.” Well, Ariella Elovic, feminist and illustrator extraordinaire, has had enough. In her full-color graphic memoir Cheeky, she takes an inspiring and exuberant head-to-toe look at her own body self-consciousness, and body part by body part, finds her way back to herself.

I liked Elovic's approach to this book, where she breaks down different body parts but also writes about her experiences and her close female friends. She has a bold, colorful graphic style and admittedly, I sometimes looked back at the author photo because I felt like I needed to compare the drawing to the photo. This book is full of empathy and candor and it's very funny -- although if bodily functions make you squeamish, then this isn't the book for you. 

Alaskan Holiday

Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber  243 pages

Josie Avery takes a Summer job cooking in a lodge in Ponder, Alaska up past the arctic circle.   Her dream job os to work as a sous chef under the famous Chef Anton who is opening a new hot restaurant in Josie's hometown of Seattle, Washington.    While living and working in Ponder she soon falls in love with its beauty, the great people living there, in particular Palmer Saxon and his husky as well as a crusty older fellow named Jack Corcoran, who adores her cooking..    Josie never makes any illusion she plans to stay iun Ponder and always talks about her dream job working with Chef Anton.   When things heat up between her and Palmer she turns down his marriage proposal knowing she is not about to give up her dream nor does she have any desire to live her life in the outskirts of humanity in Ponder.    the tory is happy, sad ,but, Debbie Macomber may give you lot of twists, som laughs and the occasional broken heart along the way but her writing will never disappoint.   I recommend this book to middle schoolers on up and especially to Cooking show fans.

- Shirley J.

The Lost Apothecary

 The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner  320 Pages

 I am so glad (Y-A-W-N) that I didn’t start this spellbinding novel (Y-A-W-N) on a work night; I could not turn the pages fast enough. Author Penner uses dueling timelines and three heroines in the novel of poisons, potions, revenge, intrigue, betrayal and discovery.

The first timeline is London, February 3-11, 1791.  Nella continues her mother’s work in a hidden back alley apothecary shop. Her business is strictly word of mouth; the shop is hidden for one reason… to help women get rid of the men in their lives who have abused and/or betrayed them. As the novel opens, Nella is awaiting a new customer, the second heroine, Eliza to arrive. Eliza is on a mission of mercy from her employer. Eliza is captivated by Nella’s work and becomes her unwanted assistance.

The second timeline is London, present day. Caroline Parcewell has arrived in the city on her 10^th anniversary trip, sans husband James. She is devastated by James’s infidelity and must decide what course her marriage will now take.  The worst part is that Caroline and James had decided to try for a baby a few months earlier. Unwilling maintain the itinerary she had planned with James, she stumbles upon a group of mudlarkers about to embark on a new adventure. This group scours the muddy bank of the Thames, looking for items from long ago. A waylaid historian, Caroline joins the group and discovers a light blue vial with a single logo---that of a bear on all fours. The historian in Caroline’s heart bubbles to the surface and sends her on a journey that will lead her to her true self.

I highly recommend The Lost Apothecary, which receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Adjustment Day

Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk     336 pages

This wa the longest 336 pages I have read in a long time.    All the way through it was like the author is screaming at the reader.   the long and the short of it is   Suppose one day that everyone in the world picks a group to identify with and takes it so far as to reestablish borders and countries pertaining solely to their particular group identities and while the ideal is to establish utopian societies, instead all the groups repeat the same historical mistakes and redo the things that have over time separated and segregated.   As are all of Chuck Palahniuk's books there is much sexual and violent content so like the parental warnings = I'm just saying = but with that caveat, I think teenagers could get the gist of the heart of the story.   It is often cruel and unkind and Palahniuk makes many sensical deductions on how the human race gets way off kelter very easily.   Mind numbing at times.  It is Mein Kampf perhaps for Millennials.

 - Shirley J.

Getting to Happy

Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan    496 pages

Another wonderful read from Terry McMillan.   This is the tale of 4 best friends who each in turn deal with Bernadine's sleeping pill addiction, Gloria's death of a spouse, the divorce of a spouse which leaves Savannah feeling like her spouse died though he is still very much alive, and Robin's shopaholism.   These are the Waiting to Exhale ladies 15 years later and they are asking themselves when is it time to realize their dreams?    I highly recommend this book to all who loved the characters in the first read or the film.   Great book so real and so emotional.

 - Shirley J.