Uncommon Type: Some Stories

Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks 403 pages

I have to admit that the only reason that I picked up this book because I wanted to see if they were published because author Tom Hanks is movie star Tom Hanks, or if they were worthy of publication. I’m happy to say that the latter is the case.  Now I won’t say that I loved all of them, but I did find the majority enjoyable.

My favorite story was “Christmas Eve 1953.” It starts out with what seems to be a remembrance of one family’s Christmas Eve traditions. I wondered if they were the Hanks’s rituals. Then after the kids have gone to bed, the story takes a nosedive into how the holidays aren’t happy for everyone. You see, turns out Father/Virgil is a vet who suffered several amputations. Every Christmas Eve, around midnight, an old Army buddy, Bud, calls him. They catch up and remember the ones who didn’t make it home from the war.  Truly poignant, and I found myself wiping away a tear a time or two.

My least favorites were four interludes: “Our Town Today with Hank Fiset.” They were okay, but really didn’t touch on the human condition…or me…as his other stories did.

There stories that had the same characters as other stories; a bit of Sherwood Anderson’s “Winesburg, Ohio.”  It was fun to hear about characters such as Anna, Steve Wong and MDash. I felt a kinship with these characters because I had read about them earlier and sort of knew them. Another characteristic aspect that each story had was a typewriter. I was always eager to find out how Hanks would work into the stories.

I highly recommend “Uncommon Type: Some Stories.”  Therefore, it receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Davenports

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis 384 pages

Debut novelist Krystal Marquis has written an historical romance worthy of a Harlequin, a name synonymous with romance novels. She has written a work loosely based on the “real-life story of the C. R. Patterson family.”  Patterson was the first Black owner of first a carriage company, then a car company, based in Ohio.

Marquis shifts her story to Chicago in 1910 and gives readers a look into the lives of wealthy African Americans. The Davenports own a carriage company,  and they live in a luxurious home, complete with servants.

There are three teenagers in the house. All three of the children are expected to make good, wealthy marriages. The oldest daughter, Olivia, thinks she is in love with Jacob Lawrence. Her parent eagerly await news of their engagement. But once she meets Washington DeWight, a political activist, it’s love at first sight.

The middle child, John, is being groomed to take over the carriage company. He has dreams and desires to fade out the carriage company and replace it was a car company. He is not currently attached, but many of the young ladies in their societal sphere seek his attentions, including the maid, Amy-Rose, and Ruby, Olivia’s best friend.

Younger daughter, Helen, is a tomboy. She scoffs at romantic relationships, preferring be a mechanic and spend her days under the hoods of the latest horseless machines. And she’s good at it, really good at it. At her parents’ anniversary party, Cupid darts her with his arrow. The man she wants is strictly forbidden.

The book is told from three points of view: Olivia, Helen and Amy-Rose. The chapters are short, and, sometimes I was confused about whom was chasing, or wanted to chase, whom.

According to the back cover, this is “the first in a frothy, page-turning YA series set in turn of the last century Chicago and featuring an all-Black main cast.”  I don’t know if this means that Marquis will be writing sequels to “The Davenports” or if other authors will have books set during this time. 

I enjoyed reading “The Davenports,” even though romance novels are not my preferred genre. I loved the history and the escapades that the characters found themselves embroiled in. “The Davenports” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Twenty

 Shirley J.                 Adult Fiction                                             School Shootings,  parents, cops/FBI

Twenty by James Grippando    384 pages

There is a school shooting happening.  You are the parent.  You are in the school building when it happens.  You are an FBI agent.   What do you do?     FBI agent Andie Henning knows she is supposed to stay locked down in the area she is in but her daughter is in the kindergarten room, she is a mother first and foremost...a gun is found onsite that is registered to another parent of a child attending the school, a Muslim man named Amir Khoury, who is married to Andie's friend, Lilly, a white woman whose ancestors go back to the founding of America.   Emotions erupt to the frenzied anti Muslim days of 9/11, when Middle Easterners dealt with hostility and terrorist accusations.   Al Qaeda claims responsibility fanning the raging fury over 20 killed at the school.   Andie's husband Jack is a trial lawyer and is called in.  This is a story that is so full of emotion and could be pulled from current events.  

Julia Child: An Extraordinary Life in Words and Pictures

 Shirley J.                              Juvenile Non-Fiction             Julia Child - a biography for youngsters    

Julia Child: An Extraordinary Life in Words and Pictures by Erin Hagar     160 pages            

Short and sweet but a wonderful biography on the absolutely amazing life of a phenomenal lady.  This book shows the reader, that while she was a tremendous cook, she was also a down to earth fun person who knew how to joke, have a good time, enjoy food and festivity with family and friends who loved people, cultures and learning.   I loved how this book shares Julia's skill set of mastering the French language and French cooking while also letting the reader see other accomplishments she achieved such as working with top secrets during WWII, working in Ceylon, China and France,  her ability to connect with people from all walks of life.    Julia Child was a ball of energy throughout her life.  She was well organized, always striving to do her best at whatever she set her mind to and totally devoted to the love of her life, Paul Child.   A lovely book and great introduction to the life of a great lady.  I recommend this to anyone of any age who delights in all things, Julia.

Cop Town: A Novel

 Shirley J.                    Adult Fiction Thriller                 Female Cops harassed by male cops

Cop Town: A Novel by Karin Slaughter      464 pages

Excellent story about female cops in Atlanta, Georgia in 1974.  The harassment they have to endure is merciless, degrading and while 98% of it comes from their fellow male officers, the other female officers give the newbies grief, too.   Then there is an additional factor of racial barriers as well.   Trying to navigate the precinct is tough enough, the streets are no joy ride either.   This is the most realistic story I have read to date regarding the social problems female officers have to deal with regarding the old boys network.  The male cops in this book loathe the female officers and do everything in their power to make the female rookies run scared and leave law enforcement.   Unfortunately I hear that is normal, there is a big abyss between the genders on the force in every locale.   And it wasn't just in the 70s but goes on strong today, too.  It gives the reader empathy for what these female warriors have to go through.  The story is great.  Karin Slaughter is an excellent writer and the grit and feel of the job and crimes is uncannily genuine.   This gal has gotten a real inside view of the lives of which she speaks here.  The reader will learn a lot about the City of Atlanta, information on crimes committed there, local information and you will feel a kinship to the characters protecting the citizens and patrolling the streets.  This is the best police oriented book I have ever read.  Kudos to Karin Slaughter.   A lot of this info is intense so I recommend this book to mature teens on up.   

Deception: A Novel

Shirley J.                             Adult Fiction                         Female Poker Player, Murder, Foster Kids   

Deception: A Novel by Selena Montgomery    400 pages

This is the story of 4 women who grew up in the same foster home presided over by a firm but caring woman.  Many things happen along the way of growing up in foster care and Finn Borders toughens up and builds a protective shield around herself never letting anyone too close.   She moves as far away from her foster home in Hallden, Georgia as she can as soon as she is old enough to leave.  She stays in touch with her foster sisters but always feels the woman who's care they were all in never liked her.  Always feeling she was a disappointment and never feeling she could find acceptance she got involved with men who taught her many things, one being how to play poker and how to play it so well she became a professional poker player.   She breaks her vow to never return to Hallden, Georgia when her "sisters" contact her to tell her their house mother has been accused of a horrible crime.  Like a superhero, Finn rushes back to help.  This is a story of redemption, of forgiveness, acceptance and hope.  A very good story.  I could picture Taraji P. Henson playing Finn if the book is ever made into a film.  I recommend this book to high schoolers on up.

Gangsta Divas

 Shirley J.       Adult Urban Fiction                 Cripettes, Lady Vice Lords, Lady Gangster Disciples

Gangsta Divas by De'nesha Diamond   352 pages

Hey, the male gangsters of the Crips, Vice Lords and Gangster Disciples are forces to be reckoned with but their female members are just as tough and ride or die to the end, too.   Excellent story of gang violence, love, discipline, respect and loyalty in the daily battles and vendettas fought against rival gangs.  It is everything you would expect from young people brought up to be strong and deal with all the hardships dealt them in life.   So many harsh situations and fatalities are told in this story but it is so gripping you won't be able to put it down till you reach the end.   Well told by author De'nesha Diamond so real that if it isn't true, you know it could be.   It is pretty in your face and might not be for everyone, some of the incidents described are pretty graphic, the language is no holds barred and there are sexual encounters described just as real and graphically as the story calls for.   It is naive to think that younger kids don't know this stuff, but, for language, sexual content and violence I will recommend this for mature teens on up.  Having said all that, it is a story of strength and overcoming heartbreak to tend to business.  I liked this story very much.

Now That I've Found You

 Shirley J.                   Adult Fiction                             Movie Stars,  Relatives, Musicians

Now That I've Found You by Kristina Forest   336 pages

Evie Jones' grandmother is ultra famous movie star, Evelyn Conway.   Evie wants to follow in her steps and become a famous film star herself.   Unfortunately she is betrayed by her bff who cons her into doing an impression of a famous director who has offered Evie a part in a plum film he is making.  When her bff posts the video of Evie on social media, the director finds it offensive and pulls the offer affectively blacklisting Evie in Hollywood and oh yes her bff lands that role Evie just lost!   Near a mental breakdown, Evie goes to see her famous grandmother, Gigi, but, shall we say Evie has a spoiled and entitled attitude and when she goes off on her grandmother in Gigi's own house no less.  Gigi wants some space to deal with her hurt.  She disappears.  Good enough for spoiled brat Evie, but, now trying to boost her acting career, Evie has been offered a gig presenting Gigi with a lifetime film career award, but, she needs Gigi to appear at the awards so Evie can self promote at her Grandmother's expense.  Gigi does not want the award and doesn't want to go to the awards show.  It is more than Evie can stand!  She searches for Gigi to save her own career regardless of what her grandmother wants.  Evie is only thinking of herself tough cookies on everyone else including Milo Williams an up and coming young musician who is a friend of Gigi's and who tries to mediate between the two.  Lots happens and the story is a good one.   I recommend this one to teens on up.   Family, fame and fleeting opinions fly.  Sometimes enemies become frenemies, sometimes the ones we love get used in the bargain but everything is a learning experience.   

Thanksgiving

 Shirley J.              Adult Fiction                    Colonial Williamsburg, new Pediatrician, abandoned baby

Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich    256 pages

Megan Murphy is a tour guide in colonial garb working in Williamsburg, Virginia.  While taking a break one day she looks down to see a large brown rabbit chewing a hole in the hem of her period costume.   From there the rabbit leads her to its owner, the new pediatrician in town,  Dr. Patrick Hunter.   As in other stories by Janet Evanovich. the heroine is witty and funny and just a bit quirky.  She and the good doctor have an on and off relationship complicated by her parents inviting her ex to Thanksgiving dinner at Megan's knowing full well the bum left her at the altar, not that she really minded all that much it was just terribly embarrassing.  Then there is the patient of the good doctor's who drops in out of the blue at his house and in a quick conversation states she will be back in two weeks and pretty much dumps her baby on him.  Abandoned baby, should he alert the authorities?  Since Megan heard the conversation and offers to help babysit since the mom said she would be back in two weeks.   A comedy of errors ensues to the point Dr. Pat and Megan sort of play house and become a pretend family...what will come of all this?   Good story.  I am already a fan of Janet Evanovich's writing and this story did not disappoint.   Fun and hilarious dialogue between the main characters.   I recommend this one to middle schoolers on up to seniors.   A fun read.

 

"Peach Blossom Spring" by Melissa Fu

 

Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu

400 pp

Peach Blossom Spring covers the years 1938-2005 in the lives of a family.  The story starts in China during the war with Japan (the early days of WWII) and follows his wife and son as they travel through China to meet his brother to find safety from the Japanese bombers.  Meilin (the wife) has a valuable scroll that her husband took in trade so that she and he could have their own business someday.  She uses this scroll to tell her son stories through much of the book.  Meilin and her brother-in-law and his family come together for some time, but when one of the nieces dies, Meilin is blamed and she decides to sever ties.  They make their way to other parts of China eventually coming to settle in Taiwan.  Her son goes to school and is a good student.  He goes through high school and college in Taiwan, but gets the opportunity to go to the US for his master's degree.  Meilin sees her brother-in-law while she is working at a party and gets him to help her son qualify to go to the US.  The story then mainly follows the son who takes the Americanized name Henry when he goes to the US.  Henry eventually marries an American woman and they have a child named Lily.  The story they follows Lily after she goes to college, but has brief interludes with Henry and Meilin.

This was an excellent story.  I particularly liked the stories from the scroll that were native to China. There is also a part set in St. Louis since the woman the son marries family is from here. The author is a woman with a background from China and the US Southwest, but who lives in Great Britain now.  Were I to give it stars, it would definitely make four our of five for me.

 

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

 

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

384 pp

Everyone in Ern's family has killed someone, but not all are murderers. Erv is a writer of books to help writers write books in particular genres. He is joining his family at a ski resort in Australia (I did not know they had these!) for a family reunion since his brother is getting out of jail. Within 24 hours of arriving at the reunion, a body is found. Then (of course) a big storm comes in and cuts off all communication for the family with anyone outside of the resort.

Throughout the book, Ern recounts his different family members and who they killed.  I have read some reviews that said that they thought the book was like the  "Knives Out" series of movies.  Unfortunately, I thought the story required the reader to suspend belief several times and played upon cliches of the mystery/suspense genre.  Perhaps I read this at the wrong time to find the humor.

The Cloisters

The Cloisters by Katy Hays 320 pages

I don’t need tarot cards to let me know that Katy Hays has a big future in writing, even if it goes off the rails a bit.

When Ann arrives in New York City, ready for her summer internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she is dismayed that the job no longer exists. Instead she is sent to The Cloisters, a museum that is part of the Met to work there. I had never heard of The Cloisters and spent an entire afternoon online, learning about this medieval museum and garden. I hope to visit there someday.

But back to Hays’s debut novel. The story start rather slowly, not much happening before page 183. It does pick up as the curator, Patrick, and his assistant, Rachel, are obsessed with locating a missing tarot card from a 15-century deck that will seal their careers. They believe that finding that lost card, that is undeniably located somewhere in the museum, will set history on its ear. 

Readers who don’t much about academia and its dark side, I think, will find that aspect of the novel compelling. There are a lot of secrets that haunt the museum, but nothing earth-shattering.

Undoubtedly, this book is well written, but it lacks depth. The setting, the museum and its gardens, provide a creepy aesthetic, but the characters are shallow. “The Cloisters” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Lucy by the Sea

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout 291 pages

It’s 2023, and upon opening this book I’m plunged back into 2020. America and the world were thrust into the midst of the covid pandemic, all of us positive that we were gonna die before it loosened.

I was one of the lucky ones; I was sequestered at home for about six weeks before I was able to go back into my office. Hubs on the other hand was always out as he worked for an “essential” business.

Lucy’s ex-husband, and the father of her two grown daughters, William is a scientist. He understands what is happening more than Lucy. To keep her safe, William borrows a cabin on the coast Maine that he whisks Lucy to in order to avoid the virus. Drama rears its head as Elizabeth and William keep tabs on their offspring, Chrissy and Becca.

This novel centers on the isolation and loneliness and how the fear of merely going to the grocery was so prevalent. As with most Elizabeth Strout novels, “Lucy by the Sea,” is character driven.

Lucy is still mourning the death of her second husband, David, all the while re-adjusting to life with William. They cook, take long walks, keep in touch with their daughters and gasp! Even make a new friend.

Their new friend is Bob Burgess, whom readers will remember from “The Burgess Boys.” When he visits, there is always the minimum six feet apart from each other.

 Readers will also rejoice in the briefly brief appearance of Olive Kitteridge, but I won’t spoil that sighting.

And, as my daddy used to say, “everything always works out.” I spent two evenings reading this novel. It was both too long and too short. Too long in that I did not really reliving those early pandemic days, and too short in that I wanted more. I look forward to reading more about Lucy and William in the future.

“Lucy by The Sea” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

November 2022 Team Totals

 

In November two people read twenty-two books with a total of 6921 pages.

Shirley read the most with eighteen books and 5401 pages, but for a change Jennifer contributed!

Great job everyone!

December 2022 Team Totals

 

This month two people read twenty-three books with a total of 6021 pages.

Shirley read the most with twenty books and 5165 pages.

Great job everyone!

The Lipstick Bureau

The Lipstick Bureau by Michelle Gable 464 pages

Normally, I’m a big fan of author Michelle Gable’s. I fell in love with her work with her debut novel, “A Paris Apartment;” then again with her fourth (“The Summer I Met Jack”) and fifth (The Bookseller’s Secret”) novels. This woman can write historical fiction!

In this, her sixth novel, we get a World War II saga that is based on the real life OSS operative Lauwers. It never fails to surprise me that with all the WWII-era books out there based on real figures that there is anyone left to influence a novel.

This one is a little different. Instead of resistance groups, concentration camps and those left behind on the home front, author Gable takes readers into the moral operations within the OSS (predecessor to the CIA).

Czech-born Niki Novotna has become an American, a newlywed with a failing marriage, and stationed in bomb-shattered, yet liberated Rome.  Her job is to write false propaganda that can dropped behind enemy lines. Looking as if the leaflets were produced in Germany, they disseminate such false information that Hitler is dead, the Allies are closer than then they think and the end of the war is very near.

Then Niki’s job is to get the prepared publications in the enemy’s hands.  That is the hard part! She comes up with a rather unorthodox way to get the information to the enemy, especially since the Air Force and the Army are more interested in dropping bombs than dropping propaganda. Her new idea borders on violating the Geneva Convention.

This book looks at the interactions of the Special Operations: Rome than how the enemy perceives the information.

Niki and her officemates are referred to as “The Lipstick Bureau,” but there were as many men in the office as women. Maybe it includes the “other” group of Italian women Niki paid to get the information out.

Y’all know how I love dual narratives. Most of the book takes place from 1943-45 and 1989. It doesn’t work. It wasn’t necessary and could have easily been deleted. However, it had to stay because this book is loosely based on the real-life operative, Barbara Lauwers, and their efforts to help win the war.

I found the office workings often tedious and lacking a forceful plot. Therefore, “The Lipstick Bureau” received 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective

Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective by Katie Siegel 352 pages

“Nancy Drew” was the first book series I read as a child, and, if memory serves, I did read all fifty-six of them.  Maybe it was because the back cover copy tells us that it is nostalgic (albeit a much younger nostalgia than mine) that Nancy resurfaced in my memories. Still, it was fun to relive those wonderful days of lying on the couch consumed with the latest un-putdownable episode that evoked such warm feelings for Charlotte.

When Charlotte “Lottie” Iles was ten years old, she solved a small mystery at her elementary school.  She became an overnight sensation and was soon helping lots of people solve little mysteries at school and in the community.

But now Charlotte is twenty-five years old. She is unemployed, lives with her mom, had no love life and a small social life. She is worried that she has “peaked.” But the universe is giving her one more chance to get her act together.

It seems that the company where her brother’s girlfriend, Olivia. works is trying to organize. Seems outdated in 2023 that unions are still considered a threat and that companies will do anything to stop it. But once I started reading this book, I saw it everywhere on the news. And so a dead body of one of the other employees turns up.  But that’s not the thing that captures Charlotte’s attention. It’s the murder and the disappearance of Brian, one of Olivia’s co-workers that lures Charlotte back into detecting. Joined by her two best friends, Lucy and Gabe, the trio pits their heads together and gets to work.

A cozy mystery disguising itself as a mystery, this mixture of past and present amateur sleuthing gives “Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective,” a wonderfully innocent, yet amusing, aura that last until all the mysterious elements are resolved.

Therefore, “Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective,” received 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Release date is June 27, 2023. 

That Summer in Berlin

That Summer in Berlin by Lecia Cornwall 464 pages

England, 1935. Hitler has risen to power in Germany, yet the world isn’t sure if he poses a danger or merely a nutcase.

On the England’s south coast, debutant Viviane Alden is headed to a party. The same boring type of party with the same people, all looking for a suitable partner for marriage. Trouble is, Viviane isn’t interested in marriage. Not right now anyway. She was to take photographs, and she is excellent at it.

The right people see her photographs, and she is recruited as a spy. It’s not unusual for Viviane to go to Berlin in 1936. After all, the world is flocking there for the Summer Olympics that are slated to take place. They should be quite the spectacle as the world waits to see how Hitler will handle any Jews on any team. 

While the world turns its attention to Berlin, Hitler and his gang of thugs are on their best behavior. They erase any sign of antisemitism, welcoming visitors with examples of peace and goodwill. It’s Viviane’s job to use her camera as a tool to uncover the darkness that hides right beneath the surface.

She is partnered with a journalist, Tom, to reveal the truth that Germany is preparing for war. The two manage to get into a few scraps and dangerous situations, but I never felt they were truly in harm’s way. The novel did not have as much tension as I had expected. In places it plodded along.

However, I was captivated by the Opening Ceremonies of the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. Seeing the event through Viviane’s lens was quite remarkable, but it wasn’t enough to propel this novel into a 4-star read. Therefore, “That Summer in Berlin” received 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

One-Lane Bridge

One-Lane Bridge by Dan Krzyzkowski 436 pages

What a great way to start 2023 with an exceptional novel by an unknown writer and a six-star read! I won the book in a giveaway contest on Shelf Awareness. It sounded interesting, and I like to get free books.  I must admit that heart sank when it arrived in the mail. 

Self-published! YIKES! That usually means a talented writer, but the manuscript isn’t polished. I can say though that this one couldn’t be more polished! I also must admit that I perused the reviews on Amazon before reading to see how bad it is. I mean, 436 pages is a lot to read of a less-than-perfect manuscript. 

I wish I had written the reviewer’s name down, but once I read this sentence, “I traveled to so many places both inside and outside of the human heart through the pages of One-Lane Bridge.”, I knew I was in for a treat!

Thanks to encouragement from his dad on the day he died, the now twenty-three-year old Simon Kozlowski is taking a gap year between college and law school. His dad wanted him to work for a year with his hands in order that he may truly understand potential clients. He wanted Simon to do hard work, like the majority of Americans. Simon secured a job doing road construction in New Hampshire.

He has to take several transportation modes to get to the job site from his home in New Jersey. That part of the book was a tad slow, but don’t give up. If you, like me, find it tedious, keep reading, it will be worth your time!

Unfortunately, when Simon arrived, the job had been eliminated. The project he was supposed to work on was not going to happen.

Simon had to figure out what he was going to do. He was stuck in Swan Like, an up-scale, Hallmark-esque small town. He wanders into a diner for a piece of pie. As he tells the diner’s owner, Molly, his woes, one of the area’s residents, Alisha Caldwell, overhears him and offers him a job as a “companion” for her five-year-old son, Corey. Companion is another word for nanny or manny.

Since he is out of options, Simon agrees. It’s a nanny job, but soon, Simon finds himself becoming attached to Corey… and to his mother…and to the town.

Secrets of the town, of the Caldwell’s, and even Simon’s own family back in New Jersey begin to unravel.

This novel is character-drive, and soon I was enchanted with these characters. To me it was reminiscent of Robert James Waller's novel, "The Bridges of Madison County. Therefore  “One-Lane Bridge” received 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Dig

 Shirley J.                       Juvenile Fiction                          Dysfunctional people, dysfunctional families

Dig by A. S. King    400 pages    

I got a kick out of the characters in this book.   So real, so fun, so flawed.    Like "Can I Help You?" who has worked out a code system to sell drugs out of the drive-thru window where she has worked for years, or Loretta who does her best to hide from her abusive father while training her pet fleas to do circus feats.  The shoveler.   He tries to help his Mom survive by taking any job he can get, shoveling snow, painting/handyman stuff so they can keep living in their "apartment" long enough for him to graduate, get a car and get out of town.   Malcolm, who's Dad is dying of cancer and after a good run together, he now is going to have to go live with his estranged grandparents in their loveless home where the only good he sees is home cooked meals.  Malcolm and his Dad had been going to Jamaica where Malcolm now has a girlfriend he does not want to give this life up.   And the Freak who has so much going on and is more surprising as the story goes.  It will make you laugh out loud at times, others, you will feel for what the characters are going through.  Good book.   I recommend it to Highschoolers on up.   I think some of the stuff might be extremely deep for Middle schoolers.

        

The Upside Down Christmas Tree; and Other Bizarre Yuletide Tales

 Shirley J.                     Adult True Holiday Stories               All things Holiday related that make you laugh

The Upside Down Christmas Tree and Other Bizarre Yuletide Tales by Delilah Scott and Emma Troy    208 pages

Whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah, Humbug Day, you name it there are hilarious tales to tell and many are right here.   Many families have hilarious traditions they have started, some pass age old fruit cakes back and forth, gag gifts, do bizarre gift exchanges to keep it interesting.  Many people go to extreme lengths to get out of going to family get togethers signing on to work the holiday - legitimate excuse - I have to work no one questions you and most feel sorry for you.   Some folks go on vacation to some exotic locale to avoid family gatherings and bad weather.  The book talks about traditions from around the world, wacky variations on the Santa Claus theme, unusual decorations, weird holiday food, you name it - you will find it here.  Too cute.   I enjoyed it.   Seems all families have hilarious/not so hilarious happenings.  i recommend this book to all who love the holidays and get a kick out of finding out about other people's celebrations.

The Blood of Emmett Till

 Shirley J.      Adult Historical       A Historical Event Involving the lynching of a 14 year old child

 The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson    493 pages

A deeply moving, painful to read, depiction of the lynching and maiming of a 14 year old black child in Mississippi in 1955.    Emmett Till lived in Chicago with his mother.  His Uncle convinced her to let Emmett come down to stay with him and his cousins for the summer.  While there Emmett was told, "Do not speak to white people unless spoken to first.  Never look a white person in the eyes and whatever you do - do not speak to a white woman.   Emmett was used to speaking to people in Chicago which was in the north and far more liberal than 1955 Mississippi.   Maybe he forgot.   Maybe his cousins dared him.   Maybe it didn't happen at all, but, witnesses and his cousins when questioned by the law said Emmett whistled at a white woman at a cash register in a little general store not far from his Uncle's house.   The white woman in the store lied and told the story as though he practically assaulted her.   The woman's husband, brother-in-law and others went to Emmett's Uncle's house and demanded Emmett come out.   The men took Emmett that night and when his body was found in the swamp by a young man going fishing, the body was mutilated nearly beyond recognition.  He was identified by the ring (his father's) he wore on his little finger.   Emmett's mother had him laid out as he was (though the funeral director sewed his face up a little without her permission).   She wanted the world to see what was done to her son.  This book draws on new evidence and the admission of his innocence from the woman who accused him.  It is historical with a lot of research into what actually happened, when and how.     It is brutal and accurate.  I recommend this one adults who feel they can handle brutal murder details.                                                         

Panama: Enchantment of the World

 Shirley J.                      Juvenile Geographical Account                      All things Panama

Panama: Enchantment of the World by Jean F. Blashfield         144 pages

Really good  book on the country's history, culture, people, the Canal and so much more.   It talks about the shrinking rain forest area, the local animals, local customs.   It tells what it is like to live there, to work there and how it was sectioned off during the time many U.S. citizens came there to work on the canal and the U.S. military presence that was strong there at one time and caused many protests and uprisings wanting Americans to get out of their country.   Today it is a vacation destination and American dollars are very welcome to their thriving economy.   

Fairy Tale

 Shirley J.                 Adult Fiction                          Another world under a neighbor's house

Fairy Tale by Stephen King    608 pages

I liked the first part of this book more than the latter part.    The story build up was excellent and very much the Stephen King of old with great quirky characters and places a presence of their own.  The fairy tale part when the 17 year old boy visits the world below his neighbor's house made me think King had watched the t.v. series, "Once Upon a Time,"  maybe "Stranger Things," possibly, "Game of Thrones," and reworked his own spin on them.   He even directly mentions Rumpelstiltskin and his pixie-ish voice further stating, "Dearie," throughout at his mention which is a direct take from Robert Carlyle's characterization of Rumpelstiltskin and his own development of how Carlyle came up the twinkie voice and how "Dearie," developed.   He sort of lost me at that point.   I finished the book and there are lots of fairyland wonder and wonders all exacted from King's imagery.   It just didn't feel genuine to me to credit King when it had been done by Carlyle earlier on with no nod to him for it.   I would say to die hard King fans, you will like the first half of the book but tell me what you think when you finish it.

Tar Baby

 Shirley J.              Adult Fiction         The definition of personalities, what is expected juxtaposed with what is real 

Tar Baby by Toni Morrison  320 pages

Valerian and Margaret are rich white privileged individuals.  Ondine and Sydney work for them.  Have worked for them all their lives.   The feeling seems to be that of the old plantation owner, though, the setting of the story seems to be modern times.   It takes place in the Caribbean.    Valerian financed Ondine's and Sydney's niece, Jadine Childs to attend the Sorbonne, she is now a fashion model and though her upbringing was not poor but not lavish, her career allows her designer clothes, an upscale lifestyle in New York and she has developed the tastes and seeming attitudes of Valerian and Margaret.   One day a black man known as Son is found in the house.  Valerian decides to mess with Margaret's head and invites Son to stay with them and gives him the guest bedroom to stay in as long as he likes and full run of the house.   Margaret is freaked out and stays in her room intending to stay there until Son leaves.   Jadin finds the rough mannered Son intriguing and falls hard for him.   The story goes on, the relationship grows stronger, Jadin wants to bring Son into her world in New York.  Son isn't for it and wants her to marry him and come with him back to the little town he is from, Eloe Florida.   Jadin wants to keep her career and travel the world.   Son thinks she is too caught up in trying to be white.   She wants him to get educated and seek success.   Will this standoff sort itself out?   WWTMD?  (What would Toni Morrison do?)   I recommend this book to adults.   It is a deep book like Toni Morrison's are, I think some of the symbolism and nuances might be lost on younger readers,  but, will speak to men and women who have been there, see the signs and instead of wondering what Toni Morrison would do think what they would do in that situation.

        

The Art of Happy Moving: How to Declutter, Pack and Start Over While Maintaining Your Sanity and Finding Happiness

 Shirley J.       Adult Non-Fiction             Decluttering, tips to survive multiple moves regardless where

The Art of Happy Moving: How to Declutter, Pack and Start Over While Maintaining Your Sanity and Finding Happiness by Ali Wenzke    288 pages    

Excellent book with tips out the wazoo on moving and a thousand or more ways to make life easier on yourself from a woman who knows of which she speaks,  author Ali Wenzke moved eleven times in ten years!  She has decluttering, packing, how to sell your house, how to look for new digs in your new neighborhood, city, state, country.    Most excellent strategies for all things related to leaving your current place for a new place.   She has kulled genius maneuvers for getting the humongous job accomplished while still being able to smile and show love to your family members, even sympathy, understanding and more strategies for getting over those parting with friends tears/tantrums, parting with toys, etc.   I loved this book, and while I am not moving, her decluttering techniques are the best!  Woop, woop!  Ali Wenze is the go to gal - she has lived it, done it and is here to tell what she has learned along the way.  This information is priceless, seriously!   I recommend this book to all who plan to move to save you from pulling your hair out and stressing.   Read this and feel the calm that will ensue.   Breathe, ahhhhh!  I also recommend it to lovers of Marie Kondo - Ali Wenzke's decluttering tips are awesome.

Cemetery Road

 Shirley J.        Adult Fiction                                      Small town politics in Bienville, Mississippi    

Cemetery Road: A Novel by Greg Iles    656 pages

When Washington, D.C. journalist, Marshall McEwen gets word his Dad is in the last months of life wih Stage 4 Cancer, he struggles with the idea of returning home to Bienville, Mississippi.  When he left he swore he would never return and his relationship with his Dad hasn't been what anyone would call close in any definition.   He doesn't want to go back but guilt prompts him to bite the bullet and do so.  Turns out not much has changed, same players, just older and now the sons are in control instead of their Dads.  His Dad runs the local paper which has been in their family for 150 years and with the economy and the internet it is failing.  With his Dad's illness Marshall thinks maybe it is time to let it die its final death but the history and his own inclination to keep journalism alive it was what inspired him to move to D.C. and become so successful after all.   Then there is the exotic Jet.  The love of his life, who he has never gotten over but who happens to have married the Coach and resident richest guy in towns' son.   Once they see each other, married or not old habits come easy.   The Poker Club, the "club" of all the movers and shakers in the local area are working deals with a benefactor in China who is filtering lucre into the local rich guys pockets but which will destroy what jobs there will be available to the local blue collar workers.   In comes Marshall to this hornets nest and a journalist just can't leave a potential story alone, it is in their blood.  Good story to all lovers of mystery, suspense and plain good story telling.  Not to mention the hot rekindle of forbidden romance.   I recommend this story to adults.  It has lots going for it, but, I feel it speaks more to adults than even mature teenagers.

The Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement

Shirley J.       Juvenile Biography          Biography of Civil Rights Champion, Fannie Lou Hamer

The Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford     56 pages

With hope, determination and strength, Fannie Lou Hamer championed Civil Rights from the 1950s up to her death in 1977.   She endured a beating so severe she came within an inch of dying for the Civil Rights movement she fought so valiantly to bring to be.   The book goes into the many times she stood up to all who would come against her.   She was a force during the Freedom Summer of 1964 and she gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention that aired on national tv news spurring the nation to support the Freedom Democrats.  So full of detail on her many accomplishments for the cause of equality.  An excellent book that should be part of every school curriculum in the U. S.  

Bon Appetite! The Delicious Life of Julia Child

 Shirley J.                   Juvenile Biography             A picture book biography of Julia Child

Bon Appetit!  The Delicious Life of Julia Child by Jessie Hartland   48 pages

A delightful biography of Julia Child from her childhood growing up in Pasadena, California, her work as a spy during WWII, her cooking classes as Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, authoring Mastering the Art of French Cooking to her t.v. show in which she cooked French dishes showing how easy they are to prepare.   A fun and funny look at the brilliant, delightful woman, Julia Child.  I recommend this book to listeners on up to seniors who will love it just as much as youngsters, I promise!

Julia Child

 Shirley J.      Juvenile Fictional                   Julia Child and Simca Beck as children (fictionalized)

Julia, Child by Kyo Maclear    32 pages    

Children, Julia and Simca are friends who believe you can never use too much butter and that it is best to be children forever.   In the Peter Panesques sense the two friends stay little girls who love to cook and spread their philosophy of play more, cook more, enjoy life and eat and share all the delicious dishes you create.  A fun story with a French feel, perhaps it is that jaunty kerchief Julia wears in all the illustrations.  Sweet book about making people happy through introducing them to wonderful meals and the joy of preparing crowd pleasing recipes.   I recommend this tour de force to all fans of Julia Child and Simca Beck at all ages from listeners to senior citizens.

This Book Is Not A Present

 Shirley J.             Juvenile Literature      A book for kids who do not like books especially as presents!

This Book Is Not A Present by Max Greenfield     

Author Max Greenfield is also known for his role as Schmidt in the "New Girl," t.v. series.   He was excellent in that role and now in his role as real life Dad and author he is just as fun and entertaining.   A fun premise that while some kids love books and want stories read to them, this book is geared to those kids who don't want clothes or BOOKS as presents and resent the fact that any one would consider the thought!  So cute!   Parents, teachers, babysitters, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents will love this book especially reading it out loud.   This is a great book for listeners, for toddlers, for younger kids and even older kids on up to seniors will get a kick out of the tongue in cheek humor found here.

Born Hungry: Julia Child becomes "the French Chef"

 Shirley J.                 Juvenile Non-Fiction                               Julia Child's life

Born Hungry: Julia Child Becomes "the French Chef" by Alex Prud'homme   40 pages

The nephew of famous cook, author and t.v. star, Julia Child writes a picture book in the My First Complete Learning Library series (20 books) about his delightful aunt who had quite an amazing life first as the daughter of well-to-do parents in California, then during WWII, she worked in the foreign service on assignments in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), India and China where she met her husband, after which they enjoyed living in the Netherlands, and most particularly in France where Julia found she had a passion for cooking and learned to master the art of French cooking and brought her skills to the United States and to the world teaching everyone how easy it is to prepare French food with a flare every day.  Such a good book and presented in such a way youngsters on up to adult seniors will love the story.  Just delightful.

The System Has Failed

 Shirley J.              Adult Urban Fiction        Children of Pimps, Prostitutes, Drug Addicts and how their upbringing affects their lives as teenagers and young adults

The System Has Failed (Book 2 in The Out For Self Series) by Ms. Michel Moore   304 pages

Really good book with deep characters throughout.  Characters who have hard lives then bring up children within that same hard life.  Action packed with murder, abuse, drug activity, trying to make material things equal love and attention with a few good souls who honestly try to help and improve the lives of some of the hardcore players.   Really good story.   It will grab your attention from the first page to the end.  Not for the squeamish, but, written brilliantly by Ms. Michel Moore who introduces the reader to what street life means.   I recommend this to teens on up to all who enjoy excellent urban fiction.

Big Cherry Holler

Shirley J.          Adult Fiction      Life in Appalachia, Living in a Small Town,  Trials & Marital Bonds

Big Cherry Holler (Book 2 in the Big Stone Gap series) by Adriana Trigiani    272 pages                    

I loved this book!  The characters are so down to earth and folksy.   Set in Appalachia, a city gal in her 40s marries a man from Appalachia and moves back to his home town, Big Cherry Holler, with him and begins life as a wife and learns the less hectic though just as intense life in rural America.   Another woman makes significant moves on Avi Maria's husband Mac.   Ave Maria sees her marriage going up in flames, especially when the family vacation they had planned to go to Italy to meet up with Ave Maria's Italian father and his kids while touring Italy suddenly becomes a solo trip for Ave Maria and her daughter.  Hubby stays home to "play."   Girlfriends from Big Cherry Holler contact Ave Maria to tell her to come home this woman stealing her husband plans on keeping him and marrying him herself.  A great story not to be missed.   Didn't know it was a series though it stands alone beautifully, now I can't wait to read the rest of the series.  You will love these characters, most especially Ave Maria.  I recommend this one to mature teens on up to senior citizens.

Trains Can Float: and Other Fun Facts

Shirley J.              Juvenile Non-Fiction                     Fun Facts about trains, tunnels and more

Trains Can Float: and Other Fun Facts (the Did You Know? Series) by Laura Lyn DiSiena and        Hannah Elliot     32 pages

Not to be confused, the book isn't talking about in water but actually seeming to "float" or hover above the train tracks due to magnets.   So many fun things to learn here.   In the Netherlands they build tunnels for animals to cross over/above areas with lots of traffic so the animals have access without endangering themselves trying to cross heavily trafficked roads, etc.   It tells about the longest suspension bridge which is a mile and a quarter long.   That would be scary!  So many more fun things packed in this book, it is great.  I always love to learn new things.   I recommend this one for kindergarteners on up.  Adults will enjoy learning new things, too!  

Spirit of the Cheetah: A Somali Tale

 Shirley J.                Juvenile Literature                      Cheetahs, running a race, coming of age  

The Spirit of the Cheetah by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed   40 pages

A young boy named Roblay is practicing for the big race in his Somali village in which the fastest young runners are declared men.    Roblay runs everywhere practicing for the big day.   He seeks advice from his grandfather who tells him he must gain the spirit of the cheetah if he wants to win.   Roblay studies the habits of the cheetah and his grandfather likens the strength and endurance of the Shabelle River to this cheetah spirit.   Roblay studies hard, runs even harder focuses on how the cheetah sees the world and runs the race like the wind!  Just like a cheetah!  Good story.  Lovely illustrations.  I think listeners on up to the elderly will enjoy this coming of age tale.

Climaturity: A Journey Into the Muddy Climate Middle

Climaturity: A Journey into the Muddy Climate Middle by Marc Cortez  126 pages

I feel terrible that I agreed to review this book. I admit that I was excited to learn more about climate change from a unique perspective than I see on cable, the news or from Al Gore. I was especially excited when a Glossary was at the very beginning. I knew then that this author knew this was virgin territory for most readers.

I wasn’t too alarmed when reading though the Glossary gave me a headache; I figured that I could understand the terms once I saw them in context. Man, was I wrong! I read the whole book, but the only thing I understood was the author’s poem, “What’s the Fuss on Planet Gus?” But that was even too long in my opinion.

 “Climaturity: A Journey into the Muddy Climate Middle” receives 1 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. But don’t take my word for it; I suggest everyone give this a read. If someone out there can make sense of this, maybe the Earth will get lucky.

 

Twenty Years Later

Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea 368 pages 

Welcome to another novel that was nothing like I expected…sort of. It was the cryptic postcard that serves as the book’s synopsis that made me want to read this one. Only one aspect, 9/11, was what I expected but not in the way I expected it.

A little over twenty years ago, 9/11 happened. Victoria Ford was visiting her lawyer, prepping for her murder trial when the Towers fell. Victoria, like so many others, was gone without a trace. But a trace did remain.

Fast forward to 2021. The New York Medical Examiner’s Office* has made a discovery. For the first time in many years, the OFFICE has made a successful identification. Using advanced DNA technology, a tooth recovered from the wreckage has led to the identity of one of the victims: Victoria Ford.

Avery Mason is a national television celebrity who hosts “American Events.” She flies to New York to learn more. With the 20^th anniversary looming, Avery knows looking into how Victoria was identified will be ratings gold.

But then Avery learns that Victoria was the primary suspect in a grisly, yet abandoned, murder investigation and heck, what kind of reporter would she be if ignored that? Victoria did leave one piece of information behind: In a last phone call to her sister, Emily Kind, she begs her to prove Victoria’s innocence. Emily has tried, but no one will take the case. It seems pretty cut and dry, but there wouldn’t be a thrilling novel if that was the case.

As Avery discovers, “Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA.”  But as she pushes deeper into the past, Avery’s own past begins to surface; a past that the network and her fans would find very troubling.

This was quite the thriller until the climax. Events and people appear without any foreshadowing that makes the final fourth of the book implausible.

 Still, up to that point it was a great read, but “Twenty Years Later” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

*To date, The New York Medical Examiner’s Office has successfully identified 1,646 9/11 victims. There are still 1,106 remains that have not yet been identified.

 

Black Candle Women

Black Candle Women by Diane Marie Brown 368 pages

This novel was nothing like I expected. I expected a dual narrative, lots of voodoo/hoodoo/black magic and more New Orleans. Of course those expectations were based on one sentence at the end of the back over synopsis.

Thankfully, I wasn’t totally disappointed with the linear narrative, Black family life, generational trauma and a decades-old curse novel that I ended up reading.

Augusta Montrose fled New Orleans with her granddaughters after her spiritual mentor put a curse on the women in her family in the 1950s. Now it is current time. The curse has come true for Augusta and her oldest granddaughter, Victoria. The younger granddaughter, Willow, has managed to avoid it, but her life is spiraling towards it. Even Victoria’s great-granddaughter, seventeen-year-old Nickie is even barreling toward heartbreak and tears.

Although Victoria is not a licensed therapist, she runs a successful business out of their basement, using her special gift: being able to read people and talk with them through their troubles. She is highly respected in her African-American community. Her sister, Willow, has a side hustle going on that is steeped in the potions and powders she can make for the book of spells that Augusta brought from New Orleans.

Nickie is aware of the curse but does not feel that will be affect her. It is only after she is abandoned in a nearby hotel that Nickie comes to understand the consequences.

This story moved slowly. It just did not engage me as much as I thought it would based on the cover and synopsis. “Black Candle Women” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Inner Guru: The Guide to Mastering Your Health, Wealth & Relationships From the Inside Out

 

Shirley J.                     Adult Non-Fiction                Fitness tips for your body, mind, and finances

Inner Guru: The Guide to Mastering Your Health, Wealth and Relationships from the Inside Out by Charles D'Angelo   304 pages

Fitness and Motivational Coach, St. Louis' own, Charles D'Angelo goes further than improving the fitness of your body, he teaches the reader how to relax mentally for improved focus and gives a crash course on how to get out of debt and get on to achieving all your goals financially as well as feeling and looking good.   Really in-depth stuff here at times reminding you of Anthony Robbins.   Charles D'Angelo teaches from the heart and his own experiences.   Lots of good information to be found here.  I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a better understanding of themselves, their financial growth and how to be their very best and live their best life.  never to young to start learning these tools that will get you on the fast track to success.