The True Flag

The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain and the Birth of American Empire  by Stephen Kinzer        Audio Book:  10 hours,  55 minutes   Paperback:  336 pages           

WOW!   What an eye-opener.    After this book, I felt like I must have been sleeping through my history classes in school because I don’t remember ever getting the detail you will find here.    O.K. elementary/middle school glosses over some of the hard core stuff whereas highschool becomes more detailed however this is hard facts in your face that are shocking to say the least.   The political powers that drove the U.S. from President McKinley’s time with the push of Henry Cabot Lodge and Teddy Roosevelt drove the United States to become an Imperialist nation.   What???  The behind the scenes horrific information that you will learn here about political operatives that were happening in other lands disguised as liberating other peoples from the dictatorial states they were in under foreign control only to subjugate people who were fighting for their freedom just as the U.S. had from English rule –wow!   Yogi Berra was right it was déjà vu all over again.   What the Founding Fathers fought for – Independence from a foreign power trying to subjugate the citizens of this country – then for the U.S. to do that to the then nations of Hawaii, the Philippines, Puerto Rico which are the first ones mentioned and which take the most of the book about – in clear disregard of what principles this nation was founded upon – began to claim territory and sovereignty over other non-warring people.   It is unconscionable what took place.    America’s political parties were at odds against such horror but the Republican party forwarded their expansionist platform under McKinley then Roosevelt who wanted to pursue war with everyone he could and acquiring more territory for the U.S.   The book ends with a litany of expansionist/imperialist tacks done by several regimes since on both sides of the political parties.   The horrendous acts carried out will stun most readers who like me had no idea that this land we are so much a part of was carrying out behind the flag of liberation the bullying of smaller island nations unable to stand against the superior weapons and agendas of the corrupt in power.     It gives you a whole new perspective on the Cuba situation and you will come away questioning what you were taught in school and those parts of history that seem to be a footnote rather than examining what all took place.     Your jaw will drop often during this read.    It will explain a lot that is going on in the world and why we are seen as the ugly American by so many nations in the world.     This book is a mind blower.

Not Your Sidekick

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee    283 pages

High-schooler Jessica Tran rebels against her superhero parents by getting an internship with their archenemy. Along the way she faces normal high school troubles, like a crush on her coworker Abby, and not-so-normal troubles, like a government conspiracy out to  destroy heroes and villains alike.
This is a classic YA superhero story with a refreshingly diverse cast. While the climax is marred by confused pacing and a few awkward loose ends, I enjoyed the book overall and am glad for its inclusion in the library’s collection.

My Hero Academia, Vol. 8

My  Hero Academia, Vol. 8, by Kohei  Horikoshi   182 pages

In  a world where 80% of the population has some sort of superpower called a Quirk, Izuku Midoriya was born Quirkless. He still has dreams of being a hero, though, and with the help of the world’s greatest superhero All Might and an education at Japan’s top hero academy, he just might make it.
This volume’s fight scenes are as exciting and explosive as expected when students face off against teachers in a superpowered final exam. Intriguing but sadly neglected side character Momo Yaoyorozu finally gets some of the attention she deserves, while the villains’
 schemes creep forward in the background. Though it’s not as bad as volume seven’s, this volume does end on yet another cliffhanger—I’m not sure if the publisher’s doing this intentionally or not, but I want the next book already.

The Flight: Charles Lindbergh’s Daring and Immortal 1927 Transatlantic Crossing

The Flight: Charles Lindbergh’s Daring and Immortal 1927 Transatlantic Crossing by Dan Hampton         Audio Book:  8 hours, 58 minutes    Paperback:  400 pages                

Wow!  Prepare yourself for a nail biting enthralling telling of a great local celebrity who did the then unimaginable thing of flying from New York to Paris non-stop the first time it was ever accomplished.  Lindbergh had no GPS he went by paper maps and his own mathematical calculations.   What a feat and he completed the trip in 33 hours.    Lindbergh didn’t sleep the whole way and he was so hyped he went to a party the nght before he left and couldn’t sleep a wink that night either so the man was flying on lack of sleep,  he had some water and 5 sandwiches one of his backers packed for him of which he only ate 2 sandwiches and drank very little water but Lindbergh was a rail thin lad and didn’t eat much normally so that was nothing new for him.    Author Dan Hampton tells the story as though you are right there in the cockpit with Lindbergh in real time.   Going by Lindbergh’s own diary and journals Hampton relates the story in Lindbergh’s own words and they are powerful and intense.    It is so effective you can feel the fear and anxiety in Lindbergh’s words.   Man, that 25 year old went through some stuff on that trip.    He flew barebones taking the least amount of stuff with him to keep the weight down – he didn’t even pack a parachute to cut down on the weight.     An excellent telling of a harrowing event that even includes ghostly visitations offering suggestions of help in keeping on course and the plane aloft.     Charles Lindbergh and his plane the Spirit of St. Louis are aviation heroes as well as national and international heroes receiving the U.S. Medal of Honor, the French Legion of Honor , the Service Cross of the German Eagle presented by Hermann Goering on behalf of Adolph Hitler for his contribution to aviation, and more accolades and honors were bestowed on him.   Too bad when he arrived in France the people stormed the field and broke the bearings on his plane from the weight of all of them clambering up on it.    The crowd was overwhelming to Lindbergh as he knew only the words Vive La France in French and did not know how to say STOP!   GET OFF!   (Arretez!   Descendez!)   Souvenir hounds started ripping fabric from the plane’s fuselage and grabbed him out and carried him on their shoulders.   He later learned to his great sorrow someone had stolen his log book!  (CONNARD!!!!!)   Great story, great writer.   Bravo!

Mrs. Sherlock Holmes

Mrs. Sherlock Holmes: The True Story of New York City's Greatest Female Detective and the 1917 Missing Girl Case That Captivated a Nation by Brad Ricca.   432 pages

"Mrs. Sherlock Holmes tells the true story of Grace Humiston, the lawyer, detective, and first woman U.S. District Attorney who turned her back on New York society life to become one of the nation's greatest crime-fighters during an era when women were still not allowed to vote."

A biography of a remarkable woman in New York in the early 20th century who practiced law and then became served the governor and police for special cases. In a time when women were considered unsuited for work like that she made her mark.

Where the Dead Lie

Where the Dead Lie by C. S. Harris.   338 pages

"The gruesome murder of a young boy takes Sebastian St. Cyr from the gritty streets of London to the glittering pleasure haunts of the aristocracy . . .

London, 1813.
Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is no stranger to the dark side of the city, but he's never seen anything like this: the brutalized body of a fifteen-year-old boy dumped into a makeshift grave on the grounds of an abandoned factory."  (summary courtesy of Goodreads)

The latest in the series of Sebastian St. Cyr, a nobleman who involves himself in murders no one else seems to care about, set in Regency England. I started this series several months ago and had to read them all. Now I have to wait for the next one.

The White Mirror

The White Mirror by Elsa Hart.   320 pages

"In The White Mirror, the follow-up to Elsa Hart’s critically acclaimed debut, Jade Dragon Mountain, Li Du, an imperial librarian and former exile in 18th century China, is now an independent traveler."

Just finished her second book and I am hooked on this series. It is about a former librarian of the Forbidden City and his travels around China in the 18th century.

Tyranny of Experts

The Tyranny of Experts: Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor by William Easterly, 351 pages

In The Tyranny of Experts, development expert William Easterly describes how development orthodoxy was born during the last stages of colonialism, then proceeded to pass unquestioned from justifying European imperialism to supporting the autocracy of indigenous strongmen.  The result, he claims, is a system that supports the well-being of nations over the rights of individuals, and in the process fails both.

Easterly is handicapped by too narrow a view - he does not consider the extent to which bureaucratic management rules the West as well as the Rest.  In part this results from his own foreshortened historical perspective - beginning with late nineteenth century colonialism rather than tracing the origins of the "benevolent autocrat" back to the "enlightened despot" of the Enlightenment - Louis XIV and Frederick the Great play no part in his historical analysis, which comically imagines Tudor England to be less absolutist than Hapsburg Spain.  More seriously, Easterly's simplistic identification of collectivism and autocracy leads him to his own form of postmodern hubris.  His analysis castigates as oppressive any group in which membership is not deliberately chosen - a category that includes nations, ethnicities, religions, and families.  This ignores the extent to which the most meaningful relationships are given rather than chosen, and seems to favor the neo-colonial imposition of Western rootlessness on the poor of the world, all in the interest of liberating them from their communities.

Scooby Apocalypse, Vol. 1

Scooby  Apocalypse, Vol. 1, by Keith Giffen
In  this sci-fi reimagining of the Hannah-Barbera classic, Daphne is the host of a late-night investigative news show, Fred is her cameraman, Scooby-Doo is a genetically engineered “smart-dog” prototype, Shaggy is his trainer, and Velma is the genius scientist
 who accidentally helped transform most of the world’s population into ravening monsters.
The  transition from monthly comic to trade paperback leaves the story bogged down in redundant exposition. More important, however, is that between the nostalgic origins, wacky premise, and surprisingly grim execution, I’m not sure what this book’s trying to do  in the first place. There are a few entertaining scenes, but they’re not enough to carry the story.

Memetic

Memetic by James Tynion IV, Eryk Donovan (Illustrations)    128 pages

The  zombie apocalypse is caused not by a virus, but by a viral image of a friendly fellow known as the Good Times Sloth. The few survivors make their way through a strange and terrifying new world.
A  one-shot from BOOM! Studios, Memetic is short and—well, not sweet, but interesting. Somewhat meandering, and oddly ambivalent about the fate of humanity, there’s nonetheless a thoughtful story here.

Confucian Spirituality

Confucian Spirituality (Volume 1), edited by Tu Weiming and Mary Evelyn Tucker, 333 pages

Although Confucianism has traditionally been categorized as a religion by Western scholars, this has typically been qualified, especially in the past century, by an emphasis on the tradition's ethical, social, and political teachings.  The conventional view is that Confucius bracketed the rituals and beliefs of his own time, treating them as normative without assenting to their truth.  Yet, as these 16 essays exploring various aspects of Confucian spirituality demonstrate, a spiritual thread runs through Confucianism, if only in its assertion that there exist values worth sacrificing, suffering, and even dying for.  Indeed, a spiritual substratum is revealed in the concept of a transcendent harmony that embraces Heaven, Earth, and all the levels of human community, from the Middle Kingdom down to the individual family.

This first volume concentrates on historical perspectives, while contemporary developments are left for the sequel.  The essayists view Confucianism from a variety of perspectives, from Aristotelian virtue ethics to Nietzschean postmodernism, and likewise survey a range of sources, from focusing only on Confucius himself to considering the Confucian tradition as a whole to postulating a Chinese philosophia perennis of which Confucianism is one expression, and express a range of attitudes towards their subject, from admiration to skepticism.  Unfortunately, this very diversity precludes any unity among the essays, and the level of specialization makes it easy to become lost.

Charlotte’s Story

Charlotte’s Story by Laura Benedict, 320 pages

“The fall of 1957 in southern Virginia was a seemingly idyllic, even prosperous time. A young housewife, Charlotte Bliss, lives with her husband, Hasbrouck Preston "Press" Bliss, and their two young children, Eva Grace and Michael, in the gorgeous Bliss family home. On the surface, theirs seems a calm, picturesque life, but soon tragedy befalls them: four tragic deaths, with apparently simple explanations. But nothing is simple if Bliss House is involved. How far will Charlotte go to discover the truth? And how far will she get without knowing who her real enemy is? Though Bliss House may promise to give its inhabitants what they want, it never gives them exactly what they expect.” These books are creepy.  I would give them to people who like suspense that isn’t too intense.  These aren’t my favorite type of suspense but I like them well enough to want to keep reading them, because the author is a pretty good writer.

Yellow Brick War

Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige, 270 pages

“In this third book in the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die series, new girl from Kansas Amy Gumm is caught between her home--and Oz. My name is Amy Gumm. Tornadoes must have a thing about girls from Kansas, because--just like Dorothy--I got swept away on one too. I landed in Oz, where Good is Wicked, Wicked is Good, and the Wicked Witches clued me in to my true calling: Assassin. The way to stop Dorothy from destroying Oz--and Kansas--is to kill her. And I'm the only one who can do it. But I failed. Others died for my mistakes. Because of me, the portal between the worlds has been opened. And if I don't find a way to close it? Dorothy will make sure I never get to go home again. Now it's up to me to: join the Witches, fight for Oz, save Kansas, and stop Dorothy once and for all.” I think this may be my favorite book in the series so far.  Possibly, it took me this long to adjust to the new version of Oz.  Teens who like fantasy will probably like the series, as long as they are ok with some tragedy.

The Great Greene Heist

The Great Greene Heistby Varian Johnson, 226 pages

“Jackson Greene has a reputation as a prankster at Maplewood Middle School, but after the last disaster he is trying to go straight--but when it looks like Keith Sinclair may steal the election for school president from Jackson's former best friend Gabriela, he assembles a team to make sure Keith does not succeed.” Although the book felt like it was the middle of the series instead of the first, since there were many references to former heists Jackson had pulled, this was still an awesome story. I loved rooting for Jackson and his friends and kids will too.  This is a great book for anyone who likes realistic fiction, humor, and intrigue.

Lethal Legacy

Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon, 351 pages

“The police say her father's death was suicide. But Kelly Warren says it was murder--and she has new evidence that she believes proves it. Detective Cole Taylor doesn't put much credence in her claim, and nothing in his case review suggests foul play. But when Kelly ends up in the emergency room with a suspicious life-threatening medical condition, the incident strikes him as more than just coincidence. Digging deeper, he discovers she's linked to a long-ago crime. Is history repeating itself? And who wants Kelly silenced?” This followed Hannon’s typical formula but it doesn’t stop me from feeling compelled to read the story, especially when it gets intense.  Fans of the suspense romance will like this.  Women looking for Christian romance will also like it, if they are ok with the thriller aspect.

The Haters

TheHaters by Jesse Andrews, 325 pages

“For Wes and his best friend, Corey, jazz camp turns out to be lame. It's pretty much all dudes talking in Jazz Voice. But then they jam with Ash, a charismatic girl with an unusual sound, and the three just click. It's three and a half hours of pure musical magic, and Ash makes a decision: They need to hit the road. Because the road, not summer camp, is where bands get good. Before Wes and Corey know it, they're in Ash's SUV heading south, and The Haters Summer of Hate Tour has begun.” I liked this book and I think that a lot of teens might like it also, if they like books that talk about real life.  I didn’t like the end as much as I liked the rest of the book, mostly because I like my stories more wrapped up than this was, but the ending made sense, even if I wasn’t as pleased with it.

The Last Days

The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld, 286 pages

“Strange things are happening: old friends disappearing, angels (or devils) clambering on the fire escapes of New York City. But for Pearl, Moz, and Zahler, all that matters is the band. As the city reels under a mysterious epidemic, the three combine their talents with a vampire lead singer and a drummer whose fractured mind can glimpse the coming darkness. Will their music stave off the end? Or summon it? Set against the gritty apocalypse that began in Peeps , The Last Days is about five teenagers who find themselves creating the soundtrack for the end of the world.” It took me a while to start reading Westerfeld’s books but I doubt that I’ll ever stop at this point.  This one is definitely more on the science fiction and horror side and teens who like those genres will love this.

Boxer Rebellion

The Boxer Rebellion: The Dramatic Story of China's War on Foreigners That Shook the World in the Summer of 1900 by Diana Preston, 360 pages

In the summer of 1900, an obscure Chinese religious sect - known as Boxers after their belief that certain martial arts rituals could render them invulnerable to bullets - grew into a major movement.  The Boxers demanded that the foreigners who had polluted and despoiled China be exterminated along with all those Chinese who followed their alien ways - especially the hundreds of thousands of Chinese Christians.  Soon, the Boxer movement exploded into violence, with Boxers torturing, raping, and murdering their way across northern China.  The Empress Dowager allied herself with the movement, and the foreigners resident in the capital of Peking found themselves besieged in their legations by a combination of Boxers and imperial troops.  The defenders - Europeans, Japanese, and Chinese - held out through months of desperate if sporadic fighting until relieved by a multinational expeditionary force.

Preston admirably sifts through a mass of diaries, papers, and memoirs left behind by the Europeans trapped in Peking, which provide a wide range of sometimes conflicting perspectives.  Unfortunately, the upheavals of the twentieth century have destroyed most of the primary sources on the Chinese side, and this means that the Chinese experience of the Rebellion remains largely a mystery.  Dramatically, this is satisfying, as it places the reader in the shoes of the besieged, but it is devastating historically.

The Alice Network

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn          503 pages

In this historical novel, author Kate Quinn gives us alternating perspectives of two main characters, one of them a female spy recruited to the Alice Network in France during World War I, and the other an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947.

In 1915, Eve Gardiner wants to join in the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly, gets her chance when she's recruited as a spy and is sent into enemy-occupied France.  Trained by Lili, the "Queen of Spies," Eve works right under the enemy's nose, putting herself in greater and greater danger.

Thirty years later, Eve spends her time drunk and secluded in her London house until a brash young American knocks on her door, uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades.  Charlie St. Clair, as it turns out, is on a mission to find her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France. Complicating things are a few facts: Charlie's pregnant (and her mother is determined to take her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of), Eve drinks a lot and has a brusque and difficult temperament, and, let's not forget, Charlie's cousin Rose disappeared a few years ago.  In helping Charlie, Eve discovers she's on the trail, herself, to find someone from her past.

Based on some real people and real events, I found this story entertaining, but it also made me want to know more about the real Alice Network.  The back-and-forth in time and the two narratives made the story really compelling, and the sense of danger that underlies Eve's story just helps to increase the pace.  Both women are well-written characters and Eve's story, in particular, is very believable.  Good story.

No Kidding

No Kidding: Women Writers on Bypassing Parenthood edited by Henriette Mantel    248 pages

This collection of essays by various writers tackles the topic of not having children. Whether their reasons have to do with courage, health issues, apathy or something else, each essay gives insights into each woman's decision.

Admittedly, when I picked this up, it was because the title made me curious.  I didn't realize that the women writers would mostly be writers in the field of comedy. After a few essays, I felt like this wasn't quite the book I had been hoping for, and most of the time, I didn't find the essays that funny. Some of them were more interesting than others, but I felt there was some repetition and I wish there had been more variety in the authors.

Unforgettable: A Son, A Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime

Unforgettable: A Son, A Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime  by Scott Simon           Audio Book:  6 hours       Paperback Book: 272 pages          

What a fun story about Scott Simon’s mother,, Patricia.   Written as only a loving son could tell it, there are celebrity and society names mentioned, there are glimpses into what it’s like growing up the son of a successful though alcoholic comedian father  and a sometimes actress but all the time great gal, Mother, then after they divorced, many of Mom’s pals, 3 more husbands, and all the adventures that got them from there to here.    His mother is so full of life that Scott’s telling gives a real word portrait of growing up with a beautiful mother that men threw themselves to be with her and how a young boy comes to terms with all the gay male friends who frequented their home and remained dear friends all their lives.   One story in particular when at 2 years old, while out at a chic restaurant with his mother and grandmother he sees one of his grandmothers dear friends who often came over in drag, however at the restaurant he was portraying his hetero side in a 3 piece suit.   Scott screamed, “Grace!  Grace!”  (The  gentleman’s alter ego.)    The man obviously with a group who did not know his other side came over and said, “What a lovely young man, but, I believe you have mistaken me for someone else.”   He looked to Patricia and her mother but received no help, though they did pretend not to know him to keep his cover going.    Scot continued to rail, “Grace!  Grace!   Don’t you know me?  Don’t you recognize me?”  Scott carried on so the poor man had to leave or be exposed!    Scott Simon  juxtaposes the history of the times with  the prevailing attitudes and what was happening in their own lives.  He gives an honest approach to the good and the bad they went through over the years and how everyone in their circle affected him and helped him to become the man he is today.   Whether it was his Mom’s Irish upbringing or being married to his comedic father, regardless the situation,  his mother looked for and taught Scott to look for the funny side in all things.   She also taught him to always write notes of thanks for both small and big things.   People remember what you say and how you took the time out to say something nice to them personally.    She taught him to leave big tips because tips got them through many a dicey time when they needed to scrape up rent or food money during those in between times.   (Usually in between lovers or husbands and acting jobs.)   This would serve him the rest of his life.   Scott is a successful writer and broadcaster on NPR.    I loved all the recollections and the laughter.    There were hard times too and when times got too hard Mom got married or found a boyfriend with money to help them get by.  They had many a wonderful adventure and loads of memories that I am glad he shared.    Good book.

The Almost Sisters

The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson                     Audio Book:12 hours,  45 minutes   Hardback Book:  352 pages              

A well told story so well told that I did not like the narrator.    She is harsh to her grandmother and her grandmother’s best friend by coming in after a long time away and tries to make them move out of the family home they share in order to get them both in an elder care facility.    Leia Birch Briggs finds out her grandmother has Alzheimers and is getting worse and that this has been going on for several years but her best friend took care of her and never told any one in the family how severe it was getting though they both were up in years and neither got around that well so they always held onto each other to walk.   Leia’s grandmother was appalled by all the rabbits she kept seeing and the things they were doing (multiplying).   O.K. no one else saw the rabbits, but,  I think her better tack would have been to find someone to come in for a few hours each day and look after them rather than just in bust in out of the blue and tell them what they were going to do because she said so after years of not worrying about her granny enough to see how she was doing?    Leia is a graphic artist who writes and illustrates her own books.    She is queen on the Con(vention) set and has a fling with a gorgeous guy dressed as Batman after they imbibe a little too much and fall on top of one another.    Turns up later she is going to have Batman’s baby.    The story has a lot of good twists and turns, funny dialogue and I did enjoy the book very much.   Don’t want to give too much away but Leia’s hateful blunderbust charge in take over and run the show attitude is what sets the whole story and a giant mystery into play.   A good WHO DID WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and HOW.

Weird Sh!t!

Weird Sh!t: True Stories To Shock, Stun, Astound and Amaze by Mark Leigh                    Hardback Book: 169 pages            

Oh how I love these types of books.   I just adore learning new incredibly bizarre stuff about everything in the universe.   It’s awesome!  Actual definition not the gushy over used version of that word.
Who knew a yak’s milk is pink?   Or a lab mouse/rat runs on average 5 miles per day on that wheel in their cages.   Or that Al Capone’s business card said he was a used furniture salesman?   Johnny Depp is descended from the first female slave in the United States to sue for her freedom and win!   Elvis Presley owned a chimpanzee named Scatter?   Wonder if that is where his son-in-law got the idea?   The Dahari tribe in India has a practice that all the brothers in a family can pool their money and buy a wife they all share.   When “The Sound of Music,” was released in South Korea, it turned out to be too long for local audience’s taste so the local distributor cut out all the songs.   Paintball guns were originally invented as a way of marking cattle for slaughter.   Adolph Hitler was declared Time magazine’s “Man of the Year, 1938.”    U. S. President James A. Garfield could simultaneously write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other.   Or how about every time you lick a stamp you consume one-tenth of a calorie?   Man, who knew sending out wedding announcements or holiday cards could be fattening?    Love this book.   Warning – some things here are pretty gross but there are a whole lot more really interesting tid bits I couldn’t put in this family posting.    Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

Same Beach, Next Year

Same Beach, Next Year by Dorothea Benton Frank             Audio Book:  10 hours,  15 mins     Hardback Book:  384 pages              

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.    Great tale of a man withholding important bits of his past when introducing his ex main lover to his wife as just someone he happened across while walking on the beach they have a summer home at.    Oh yeah, Girls, you know it is on once the big reveal comes but there is so much more to this story that you will end up feeling like you have been to Greek Fest before it is all said and done.    Deliciously told in the vein of Shirley Valentine – this is a most excellent story.   I have given you the bare bones of the story but there is so much flesh to attach to those bones and Eliza has the funniest sense of humor and reasons like a lawyer.    Most excellent story.   Treat yourself to this one.

Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned

Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower     256 pages

Viking marauders descend on a much-plundered island, hoping some mayhem will shake off the winter blahs. A man is booted out of his home after his wife discovers that the print of a bare foot on the inside of his windshield doesn’t match her own. Teenage cousins, drugged by summer, meet with a reckoning in the woods. A boy runs off to the carnival after his stepfather bites him in a brawl.

Just a whole bunch of stories about sad, sometimes pathetic people, whose lives are a train wreck. There were bits and pieces that I enjoyed - some clever prose popped in and out - but I really didn't much care for the stories. 

This had been on my to-read for a while, so I can only imagine I put it on my shelf when I saw there was a story about vikings in it. Sadly, the viking story was my least favorite out of the whole compilation. 

I really don't like reading sad stuff, so that's probably why I didn't enjoy Tower's stories. There was also a lot of meat butchering and general icky things that I just don't enjoy reading about. Most of the stories were told from a male perspective, which is fine, except that it came to be another blah story about a sad, depressed middle aged white man after another and yes, I'm going to say it: if you've read one, you've read them all. Boring, done.

Come Rack! Come Rope!

Come Rack!  Come Rope!  by Robert Hugh Benson, 377 pages

The only son of a proudly recusant Catholic family in the reign of Elizabeth, Robin is devastated when he learns that his father intends to recant and join the state church.  Perhaps even more surprisingly, his beloved Marjorie reveals to him her growing conviction, despite her own wishes to the contrary, that it is the will of God he should become a priest.  Robert Hugh Benson's classic novel follows the pair on their separate journeys of love from this initial sacrifice to the ultimate consummation.

Although the primary characters are fictional, a number of historical personages make appearances in Come Rack!  Come Rope!, including St Edmund Campion and Mary Stuart.  Benson evokes the historical period with a casual ease, conveying its peculiarities without belaboring them.  The novel focuses on the characters and lacks a strong central plot - the primary antagonists barely appear - and, unfortunately, those characters are not strong enough or interesting enough to carry the book.

No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!,

No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Vol. 1 by Nico Tanigawa    136 pages


Tomoko Juroki is about to enter high school and become as popular she deserves. Unfortunately, it turns out her experience playing dating sims doesn’t translate well when it comes to interacting with actual humans.
Funny, but recommended if and only if you have a high tolerance for cringe comedy. Tomoko’s problems are almost entirely her fault, and her social anxieties wouldn’t be nearly as crippling if she weren’t also such a misanthrope. For readers who can bear it, there’s almost a hopeful edge to Tomoko’s despair—your high school experience might have been rough, but at least it never got this bad.

The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart

The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgess          247 pages

Aventurine, a young dragon, sneaks out of her family’s cave in search of adventure. A deceptive mage curses her with a human form, but the human world also holds a great wonder: chocolate.
This is a fun, adventurous romp, spiced with delicious descriptions of chocolate and just a hint of actual information about the chocolatier’s trade.

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 5: Imperial Phase (Part 1)

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 5: Imperial Phase (Part 1), by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie    144 p.

Every ninety years, twelve gods are incarnated as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead.
The fifth trade paperback for Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s dark fantasy series has the same beautiful post-pop art as the rest of the series. More than that, plot threads are finally starting to come together after the beautiful but meandering Volume 3: Commercial Suicide and the appropriately named Volume 4: Rising Action. There are still mysteries here, occasionally frustrating ones, but this latest volume gives me hope for a satisfying story to come.

National Public Radio’s The People We Meet: Unforgettable Conversations

National Public Radio’s  The People We Meet:  Unforgettable Conversations                   Audio Book: 2 hours, 30 mins.   Paperback Book:  150 pages            

In The People We Meet the reader will be introduced to an eclectic group some famous (Stephen King) some not so famous who were interviewed by the various commentators on the station.    You will learn about Antoinette Tuff, a bookkeeper for the McNair Discovery Learning Center, was sitting in for a receptionist when a 20 year old gunman entered the building armed with an assault rifle.   When she saw what was happening she dialed 911 and left the phone on so the dispatcher could hear what was happening.   Silently she prayed then began talking calmly to the young man telling him everyone has bad days and continued to share her own story of financial woes she was going through.   She empathized with his problems and the dispatcher hearing what was transpiring sent police to the location who were able to  apprehend the gunman without incident.    Emily Bear, of Rockford, Illinois,  who at 1 year old began emulating the tones her mother sang to her in lullabies note by note.   As she learned to walk, Emily made her way to the family piano playing with the keys, not pounding them but actually making music .   By the age of 3 she was composing and playing her own original songs.   She was 6 years old when this interview took place and she could compose original music whenever someone told her a story creating a fitting piece to represent it.   Emily does not like the term prodigy which in her mind connotes someone being forced to learn,  while her ability comes naturally from the joy and love of creating and playing her compositions.    Hurricane Katrina survivor Colleen Bordelon whose sweet spirit and story of what she and her husband went through and how in the aftermath she continues though now widowed to survive and take life’s knocks and blessings still in her home in Saint Bernard Parish outside New Orleans.    Temple Grandin, a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University,  grew up autistic and could not stand human contact it would throw her into panic mode.    She invented what she called a “hug box” a device that would hold her and give her the security and stability of something solid around her that she could lean against and relax  similar to the concept of a hug just without the human contact aspect.     Having spent some time on a ranch in her youth she pursued a master’s degree in animal science and after a doctoral degree in that field.    She felt an understanding of the behavior of livestock sensing livestock reacted in much the same way a person with autism does feeling stress in reaction to their environment.   She studied the handling, transporting and slaughter of animals noting animal’s reactions to shadows, dangling chains and other details most people do not notice.    She noted cattle stressing out and crying out horribly from their treatment and this led her to  develop equipment similar to her hug box but for cattle, a center track double rail conveyor restrainer system that held cattle and kept them calm during the stunning in large beef plants improving animal welfare from the farm to the slaughter houses.   She is a champion for the humane treatment of animals in the food process and is a sought after expert, consultant and lecturer on the subject and on Autism.    Connie Harrington,  who heard an interview of Paul Monti, a father telling about his son getting killed in the war in Afghanistan and how he (still) drives his son’s old pickup truck.   Connie was so moved by that interview that she wrote a song about it, “I Drive Your Truck,” that was recorded by Lee Brice and became a hit.  Whoa!  I just listened to that tune and she definitely captured that feeling of wanting to be close to the person who is gone through a tangible thing holding a bit of their essence.  There are more great stories here, Irena Milic the jaded teenager living in Sarajevo who has seen so much devastation she is numb to the possibility of  life ever improving, there are interviews here with people dealing with deforming cancer who maintain a loving spirit and positive attitude even if she does freak kids parents out in groceries stores when their kids ask, “Why is your face like that?”  and she doesn’t get mad, she explains it to them, and the successful English author who writes fantasy novels who has found out he has Alzheimers.   So many great stories here.    Well worth your time.   It’s like chicken soup for your mind.     An enjoyable read.

National Geographic Kids Ultimate Weird But True

National Geographic Kids Ultimate Weird But True              Hardback Book:  192 pages                   

I can’t put these books down they are such fun to read.   From the Air Pod a tiny car that runs on compressed air rather than fuel and weighs as much as four 12 year olds; the Walking House that stores rainwater and runs on wind and solar power – yes – it also walks making moving a breeze (literally); lots of cool animal stuff in here too – the surfing cat, the hangliding dog, a fish named Albert Einstein that plays soccer (football to the rest of the world); a pig who is afraid of dirt and mud and wears doll boots tokeep from getting its feet dirty; the hen that babysits a litter of puppies;  you will learn how a basilisk lizard can walk/run on water; see if you can find Chinese artist, Liu Bolin when he disappears into one of his scenes; see a man-made island in the shape of a palm tree in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; learn that a hurricane weighs as much as 160 million rhinos; see and learn about circumzenithal arcs or in laymen’s terms and upside down rainbow – yeah they do exist’  See deep fried scorpions on a stick are a delicacy in China; see wedding dresses made out of toilet paper – man, that would be a savings!

Spanish Baroque

Spanish Baroque Art, with Buildings in Portugal, Mexico, and Other Colonies by Sacheverell Sitwell, 108 pages

Sacheverell Sitwell's guide to the Baroque architecture of the Iberian nations and their colonies is not a book of art history so much as it is a travelogue, as the author takes the reader on an international tour of interesting sites and sights that fit his theme.  The word "indescribable" appears repeatedly.  The book includes only a few black and white photographs illustrating the subjects - luckily, the 21st century provides easy access to better images.  Sitwell certainly suggests plenty of interesting things to admire, including many secreted away in the Spanish countryside far from the tourist centers, while also reminding the reader of the truly global appeal of the Baroque.

M is for Magic

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman     260 pages    

This book is a collection of fantasy/supernatural stories that Gaiman wrote for various magazines and in other published places that he then compiled in this volume as a tribute to Ray Bradbury (in the same vein as Bradbury's "R is for Rocket" collection of short stories). Each story features a different tale of mischief, magic, and a small amount of, if not horror, some creepiness.

I highly enjoyed this read. The stories were unique, fairytale-like, and imaginative. I particularly liked the stories "Chivalry," which was about an old lady who buys the Holy Grail from a pawn shop and is subsequently visited by Sir Galahad, and "October in the Chair" which is a story about stories, with each month of the year taking turns to tell a story to the rest.

Gaiman's writing is always sure to delight me. He is a brilliant storyteller and I particularly liked reading his short stories. He crafted them so well, it was the perfect amount of plot, character building, and scene setting. I would highly recommend this book to adults as well as teens - but not to any younger readers as adult themes are explored.

Drink Slay Love

Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst, 386 pages

“After sixteen-year-old vampire Pearl Sange is stabbed through the heart by a were-unicorn, she develops non-vampire-like traits that lead her to save her high school classmates from the Vampire King of New England.” I liked this more than I expected to. I expected a light, funny vampire story with a certain amount of cheese.  It was mostly light and funny but much less cheesy than I thought it was going to be.  Also, I hadn’t read the description, so I didn’t realize that the unicorn was a were-unicorn and was taken by surprise by that revelation. I would give this to teens who like humor and are good with the supernatural.

Ashley Bell

Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz, 560 pages

“The girl who said no to death. Bibi Blair is a fierce, funny, dauntless young woman--whose doctor says she has one year to live. She replies, "We'll see." Her sudden recovery astonishes medical science. An enigmatic woman convinces Bibi that she escaped death so that she can save someone else. Someone named Ashley Bell. But save her from what, from whom? And who is Ashley Bell? Where is she? Bibi's obsession with finding Ashley sends her on the run from threats both mystical and worldly, including a rich and charismatic cult leader with terrifying ambitions. Here is an eloquent, riveting, brilliantly paced story with an exhilarating heroine and a twisting, ingenious plot filled with staggering surprises. Ashley Bell is a new milestone in literary suspense from the long-acclaimed master.” I totally did not expect the direction this book was going to go.  I probably should have, given the type of book Koontz normally writes and with the clues in the text but I was still taken by surprise.  I really liked the book and would definitely recommend it to people who like thrillers, especially those with a supernatural bent.

Drag Teen

Drag Teen by Jeffrey Self, 272 pages

“JT feels like his life's hit a dead end. It looks like he'll always be stuck in Florida. His parents are anti-supportive. And his boyfriend, Seth, seems to be moving toward a bright future a long way from home. Scholarship money is nonexistent. After-school work will only get JT so far. There's only one shot for him — to become the next Miss Drag Teen in New York City. The problem with that? Well, the only other time JT tried drag (at a school talent show), he was booed off the stage. And it's not exactly an easy drive from Florida to New York. But JT isn't going to give up. He, Seth, and their friend Heather are going to drag race up north so JT can capture the crown, no matter how many feisty foes he has to face. Because when your future is on the line, you have to be in it to win it, one fraught and fabulous step at a time.” I enjoyed this story.  It was a light-hearted, fun look at a gay teen’s life in small town America.  Anyone looking for a serious, hard-hitting book should look for something else but this book still confronts some real issues, despite its light take.  This would be a fun read for teens today.

The Care And Feeding Of Stray Vampires

The Care And Feeding Of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper, 356 pages

“’The thing to remember about a 'stray' vampire is that there is probably a good reason he is friendless, alone, and wounded. Approach with caution.’ Iris Scanlon, Half-Moon Hollow's only daytime vampire concierge, knows more about the undead than she'd like. Running their daylight errands--from letting in the plumber to picking up some chilled Faux Type O--gives her a look at the not-so-glamorous side of vamps. Her rules are strict; relationships are purely business, not friendship--and certainly not anything more. Then she finds her newest client, Cal, poisoned on his kitchen floor, and her quiet life turns upside down. Cal--who would be devastatingly sexy, if Iris thought vampires were sexy--offers Iris a hefty fee for hiding him at her place. And even though he's imperious, unfriendly, and doesn't seem to understand the difference between "employee" and "servant," she agrees. But as they search for who wants him permanently dead, Iris is breaking more and more of her own rules . . . particularly those about nudity. Could it be that what she really needs is some intrigue and romance--and her very own stray vampire?” I like Harper’s books and this one was typically amusing.  It could have used a little better editing.  At least three times I went back and reread a section because something didn’t make sense.  Rereading didn’t help, either; there were issues with the text.  These problems aside, I still enjoyed it and would recommend it to fans of supernatural humorous romance.

Selected Poems

Selected Poems by John Dryden, 124 pages

     O gracious God!  How far have we

     Profaned thy heav'nly gift of poesy!

     Made prostitute and profligate the Muse,

     Debas'd to each obscene and impious use,

     Whose harmony was first ordain'd above

     For tongues of angels, and for hymns of love!

This short book collects selections from the works of the poet-laureate of the Restoration, John Dryden.  Dryden, who saw the beginning of the Restoration and its end, typifies the era, embodying its charming wit and skeptical irenicism.  Also in keeping with his time, and despite his own distaste for "enthusiasm", Dryden wrote with more energy than control, for his

     Passion's too fierce to be in fetters bound.

Dryden's output includes comic pieces for the stage, poetic satires, love poems, elegies, and religious works, all of which are represented here.  Unfortunately, the short length does not satisfy, but promises further pleasures for those who accept the invitation

     To seek repose in the cool shades of wit

     And, from the sweet retreat, with joy survey

     What rests, and what is conquer'd, of the way.

Archie, Vol. 3

Archie, Vol. 3 by Mark Waid, Joe Eisma (Illustrator)     176 pages  

This is the third volume in the "new," contemporary Archie series. This volume features the introduction of Cheryl Blossom to the Riverdale mix. The issues revolve around Archie and Veronica missing each other, due to Veronica's new placement at a boarding school in Switzerland. She meets Cheryl there and a new rivalry is formed.

I love the illustrations for this new series. It features many different comic illustrators and I think it really gives the series a refreshing look. The contemporary feel is reinforced by a more diverse cast - which includes both POC characters as well as LGBTQ+ characters. The story is silly and goofy, but that's the main point. It's just a fun, quick read.

Human Acts

Human Acts by Han Kang      218 pages

In the midst of a violent student uprising in South Korea, a young boy named Dong-ho is shockingly killed.

This story is told through six perspectives, with the writer's perspective at the very end in an epilogue. It begins with Dong-Ho and it ends with his mother, but each individual person is some how tied to Dong-Ho. The story focuses on the rise of Chun Doo-Hwan as South Korea's leader, who instated martial law and ruled as a dictator. Dong-Ho and each of the people in this story all were involved in the student demonstrations in Gwangju - it became known as the Gwangju Uprising and it led to a brutal crackdown from the military under the guise of a Communist plot sparked by North Korean spies. This led to the violent killing, torture, and wounding of Korean citizens, some who - like Dong-Ho, were merely high-schoolers. 

With this book, Kang wanted to show the many layers of this uprising, from the work and dedication of innocent children to the abuse and torture suffered by others, to the mourning of parents, all of which were in violation of human rights. Kang's main focus is to showcase humanity - how each person handle's the stripping of humanity or rises above it. The book is also in memory of the young boy who's country did not allow him to grow into an adult, who took his life needlessly and brutally. It was a very sad story, but it really resonated with me. 

The Boys in the Bunkhouse

The Boys in the Bunkhouse: Servitude and Salvation in the Heartland by Dan Barry    352 pages

"In the tiny Iowa farm town of Atalissa, a group of intellectually disabled men, all from Texas, lived in a tired old schoolhouse. Every morning, well before dawn, they were bussed to a processing plant to eviscerate turkeys in return for food, lodging, and $65 a month. From 1974 until 2009, the men lived in near servitude, enduring increasing neglect, exploitation, and physical and emotional abuse—until state social workers, local journalists, and one tenacious government lawyer helped these men achieve their freedom.

New York Times columnist Dan Barry reveals how these men in an Iowa schoolhouse remained nearly forgotten for more than three decades. Drawing on exhaustive interviews, he dives deeply into their lives, recording their memories and suffering, their tender moments of joy and persistent hopefulness—their endurance of harrowing circumstances. Barry explores why this small heartland town remained all but blind to the men’s plight, details how those responsible for such profound neglect justified their actions, and chronicles the lasting impact of a dramatic court case that has spurred advocates—as well as President Obama—to push for just pay and improved working conditions for people with disabilities."


I felt it was easier to use the summary from Goodreads than write my own --- mostly because I don't think I would have been able to write something this compelling (and I would left something out, I'm sure).  This was a book that was hard to read, but hard to put down. You feel like you must be reading fiction at times, because you don't want to believe that all of this happened. And that people could be treated this way.  Actually, I can believe that humans would treat other humans this way, which is why this book was upsetting at times.  Dan Barry does a wonderful job of bringing this story to life, in a way where you get to know the different men in the story, in a way that is compassionate, but heartbreaking.  

Stay With Me

Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo    272 pages

Yejide and Akin have been married since they married and fell in love at university. They've always agreed that Akin would have Yejide as his only wife, but after four years into their marriage, they still have no children. Yejide assumes she has time, but then her family arrives on her doorstop with a young woman that they introduce as Akin's new, second, wife.  Furious, Yejide knows the only way to save her marriage is to get pregnant, which she finally does --- at a cost far greater than she or Akin could have imagined.

This was a fascinating book. I have read many amazing reviews of it, so I was happy to get my hands on it.  I found it propelled me into a completely different world, where I felt I was feeling my way at first. Then, I got into the story and the characters and the whole book just flowed.  The characters here are complex and flawed, but compelling. The intricacies of not just the marriage between these two people, but what children and family mean to them, and in the greater context of their culture, were fascinating (and at times, heartbreaking).

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxanne Gay             Audiobook:  6 hours    Hardback book:  320 pages                          

Excellent book.   The deep emotional scars that Roxanne Gay opens and horrific moments in her life brought on by others inflicting pain and later by Roxanne’s own self-loathing and self-punishment.   Roxanne is of Haitian parentage and ancestry.   She grew up in America born of wealthy Haitian parents who are academics.  She never wanted for anything while home with her parents, the neighbors were all wealthy professionals whose children were thought to be good.   At 12 years of age, Roxanne fell in love with one of the “good boys” whose parents were considered society elite.   This good boy who stole Roxanne’s heart turned out to be cruel and sadistic and through her complete trust and devotion he coerced her into going with him to a private place in the woods where they could be alone, however, when they arrived at the place a bunch of his friends were waiting for them.   To her terror she found out her boyfriend set this all up with the other boys and in cahoots they held her down and gang-raped her.    This horror has affected her ever since though she has tried to come to terms with it and get past it.    In trying to deal with the memories she began to feel she had somehow brought it on and continued to have a relationship with the boy.   Though all of the boys told others at school what they had done everyone looked down on Roxanne calling her slut and worse.    She had no friends when she tried to reach out to other girls they would call her names and humiliate her.  She finally begged her father to send her to Exeter a prestigious private boarding school (and the most expensive private boarding school in the U.S.) so that she could start over where no  one knew her.   Life was tolerable for a while but she could not rid herself of the shame and began to eat to self-medicate to try to make the bad feelings and memories go away.    She gained 30 lbs. the first year there.   When she went home during the holidays her family freaked.   They tried to help her but also they criticized her and made fun of her for being what they considered so fat.   Their jibes did not stop her food bingeing.     Relationships came and went both male and female and her weight rose with every new criticism by friend, foe and family.    The more they made her feel bad about her weight the more she ate to make herself feel calmer.   She began to avoid going home and finally stopped going home all together though her parents continued to support her in school and for a time on her own until she disappeared because she could not take their criticisms anymore.    She dove into a pit of perversions with strangers, and taking chances with her life with sordid characters she met over the internet or on the street.   She would do anything to try to make the awful pain go away but it never did and she began to feel so low she let others degrade her because she thought it might purge her of her awfulness.    And her weight continued to rise.    Her story is such a brutal one but such an intense look into the psyche of a highly functioning yet broken human being.       Excellent portrait of bulimia and its underlying causes and how body image can blind the public to the person.   This is the most honest life story I have ever read.     Excellent book.             

Once Broken Faith

Once Broken Faith (October Daye, #10) by Seanan McGuire    420 pages

In this tenth book of the October (Toby) Daye series, the focus is on the cure (and ensuing politics of) for elf-shot. She's been ordered to appear before a historic convocation of monarchs, overseen by the High King and Queen themselves.  Of course, things have barely gotten underway when the first dead body is discovered. As the only changeling in attendance, Toby is already the target of hostility and suspicion, so she needs to find the killer before they strike again.

I don't know why I keep reading this series because I'm pretty much to the "meh" point when I finish the book. However, I enjoy some of the characters and find that even though some of the storyline can be predictable, the books are overall an okay read.

McGuire doesn't expect the reader to have read all of the books in the series, so she does give a bit of backstory here and there --- which is helpful, but doesn't make it a slog for those of us who have been reading the series all along. I do find that I get a little confused with all of the different political intrigues that go on (and admittedly, find at times that it's a little pretentious). However, I like the world that McGuire has created in this series and as mentioned, like some of the characters.