Flipping Boxcars

Flipping Boxcars by Cedric “The Entertainer” Kyles with Alan Eisenstock 336 pages

 

I admit it; I only picked this book up to see how bad it was.  I’m a fan of Cedric television shows but wasn’t sure he had the chops to pull off a mystery novel, especially a historical fiction one.  However, I was hooked from the first page and enjoyed every bit of this thriller. I love the double entendre of the title, even if it did take me half the book to figure it out.

 

The main character is Floyd Bates Sr., better known as Babe. Babe, an Army Veteran, is a gambler. The story is set in Caruthersville, Missouri, in 1948. The first chapter/introduction sets the mood for the novel. It’s foreshadowing at its best.

 

Babe is first and foremost a family man. He deeply loves and respects his wife, Rosie, and adores their four children. He will do anything to keep them safe and secure. Anything. Everyone in town loves the Boyce family.

 

Babe has two special gifts. He can talk his way out of, or into, any situation. The second is that he never loses. Never. He runs a back-alley gambling casino outside of town that reaps huge rewards for Babe.

 

The Fourth of July is a big event in Caruthersville. As the calendar days are peeled off, Babe finds himself needing something that only a gangster can get for him: more liquor. Unfortunately, the foreshadowing that is the first chapter/introduction comes true, and Babe must use all his connections and resources to get himself out of this mess.

 

I so enjoyed this novel.  Babe and all the other characters are wonderful, and I hope that Cedric writes another novel with them.  I admit that I expected much, much more profanity in the novel than there was (thank you, Cedric), it was fast paced thriller that is also sweet.

 

Flipping Boxcars gets 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Broadway Butterfly

Broadway Butterfly by Sara Divello 432 pages

 

And here’s yet another book that I picked up because of its cover. It is set in Manhattan from 1923-29 and is based on a true cold case that still lingers in the NYC police’s files. Author Divello does not solve the crime, but she brings its sordidness to the page.

 

Divello wastes no time in getting to the murder; it’s the first thing we learn in this juicy tale. Twenty-three-year-old Dot King enjoys life. Although it was never clear if she was a Broadway star, it was clear that she did enjoy the attention of several, shall we say, gentlemen (in the voice of the book.). She also made the papers so often that she became known throughout the city as “The Broadway Butterfly.” One morning when her housekeeper reported for duty, she found Dot dead on her bed with an exceptionally large bottle of chloroform next to her rapidly stiffening body.

 

The cops were called in and the list of possible suspects is rather large but is quickly whittled down to four:  A “volatile a politically connected Philadelphia socialite, Atlantic City bootlegger, Dot’s dicey gigolo lover, a sultry Broadway dancer, and a cagey sugar daddy guarding secrets of his own.” Sometimes it was hard to keep them all straight.

 

In an interesting use of character and structure, Divello uses a girl reporter, Julia Harpman of the Daily News, to cover the case and help keep the reader on what’s happening with the investigation. Julia is the lone woman in an otherwise male-dominated industry, but she is ambitious, strong, and follows the trail…and her suspicions…in the search for justice for Dot King.

 

As I mentioned sometimes it was hard to keep the cast of suspects and Dot’s friends straight, but it makes an interesting read. Also, Divello takes readers behind the scenes of the murder investigation and the world of news reporting that keeps readers glued to the story.

Broadway Butterfly gets 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Murder at the Flamingo (A Van Buren and De Luca Mystery)

Murder at the Flamingo (A Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery by Rachel McMillan 485 pages

 

I love the cover of this book; it is what enticed me to read it. Set in 1937 in Boston, author McMillian paints a vivid picture of what Boston mut have been like, If only we could time travel!

 

Hamish DeLuca, originally from Toronto, has made his way to Boston to work with his cousin, Luca Valari, in the opening of the nightclub, the Flamingo. I can’t help it, when I hear flamingo used with a nightclub, I think Las Vegas, not Boston, so that was a stumbling block for me throughout the entire book.

 

Hamish was top in his class at law school and, thanks to his father, was set on a brilliant career path. Unfortunately, Hamish suffers from crippling anxiety and can barely make it through the trials he has been assigned. When he learns that his father got him the job as a “favor,” he heads to Boston to visit his favorite cousin. Luca takes him on as Hamish has a great head for business.

 

Meanwhile, Regina “Reggie” Van Buren has come to Boston to escape the humiliation of a marriage proposal she had no inclination of accepting. She also goes to work for Luca as his secretary and right-hand man, although she has no experience in either profession.

 

Hamish develops a love-interest in Reggie as the two learn to navigate a world where they are no longer rich and have servants to wait on them and Boston’s underbelly.

 

Reggie was my favorite character. She is a fan of the Nick & Nora/Thin Man detective series and is constantly referencing them.

 

The book gets off to a slow start and stays that way. There is too much detail. It’s more of a romance/cozy mystery, but I had to finish in order discover the murderer. This is a two-book series, but I won’t be reading the second volume.

Murder at the Flamingo (A Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery) gets 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond

Being Henry: The Fonz …and Beyond by Henry Winkler   265 pages

Henry Winkler, a Yale School of Drama, was a struggling actor in New York when he decided to try Hollywood. It was there, in 1973, that he landed the role of a lifetime and became a television icon when he was cast as Arthur Fonzarelli on the TV series, Happy Days.  And he made it look easy.

Henry had a hard time at Yale and in New York, not because he didn’t land the roles he wanted, but because he suffered from severe dyslexia. It was that dyslexia that made his father, a wealthy man in the lumber business, think he was stupid and lazy. He always felt not good enough, and it wasn’t until his later years that he found help.

In fact, Henry had to work twice as hard and twice as long to learn his lines as other actors, but he persevered. The scenes where he tells the readers how “the Fonz” was born, was like peeking behind the curtain. In fact, this entire memoir is like that. I feel like I’ve this guy like a close cousin.

Now 78, Henry tells his stories of struggle and achievement in a memoir that sounds like he is sitting in your living room telling you his life story. I had no idea that after Happy Days, he struggled due to typecasting. When an audience looked at him, they saw “the Fonz.”  But when I thought about it, I wasn’t surprised. “The Fonz” is a legend.

I didn’t know that he went on to become a director to some hit movies, a producer and a co-author of more than thirty books for kids including Alien Superstar Trilogy and a twenty-eight-book series starring Hank Zipzer: The World’s Greatest Underachiever.”

I really like the structure of Being Henry.  It is tales of his days as “The Fonz” and Happy Days interspersed with tales of his forty-five, and counting, year marriage to Stacey, his kids, the other roles he has played, his famous friends. And yet through it all, he seems like a down-to-earth nice guy who doesn’t live in a billion-room mansion, but a nice house in Los Angeles.

I always like “the Fonz,” but now I have a deeper appreciation for Henry.

Being Henry: The Fonz …and Beyond get 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Veil of Doubt

Veil of Doubt by Sharon Virts 410 pages

 

Set in Virginia in 1872, “Veil of Doubt” tells the story of Emily Lloyd, a widow who is accused of murdering her youngest child, three-year-old Maud. Her death is gruesome and hard to watch. And what’s even more ghastly is that Maud’s autopsy takes place on her deathbed, right in front of Emily. (I admit I gagged a couple of times.)

 

Unfortunately, Emily is no stranger to death. Her other three children, her aunt and her husband have all mysteriously died. Maud’s death is the last straw. The authorities, and indeed the entire town, are convinced that there is something deeply wrong with the woman.

 

Her lawyer is Powell Harrison, a family who has recently returned to help his brother run his father’s law practice. When Powell is approached to defend Emily, he initially declines. He wants no part of it. But he relents, believing his strategy will be insanity. But as the investigation dives deeper and deeper, Powell is not so sure that she is insane. He believes that a prior traumatic event muddled her brain. It’s a slippery slope, but as his brother tells him, “you promised to defend her. You made no promise to defend the truth. It's not up to you to prove she is responsible for the deaths of her children or not.” 

 

“Veil of Doubt” got off to a slow start for me. Watching Maud die and Emily’s time in prison made for some difficult reading. But as the book progressed, I found it harder and harder to put down. As facts and the truth are uncovered, it’s obvious that Emily is not in her right mind. Or is she? I’m glad I was not one of the jurors; I vacillated between guilty and innocent from one page to the next. There are shocking and more shocking revelations as the story progresses. A shocking surprise ending made this novel worth the read. I think I gasped at least once every page of the trial. So many surprises and twists. And it was worth it!

 

“Veil of Doubt” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

NOTE: “Veil of Doubt” is based on a true crime.

 

 

September/October totals

 

In September and October, SLPL staff read 21 books with 2774 pages.  Shirley read the most books with 16 total, but Julie read the most pages with 1632 total.  Congrats to everyone for reading the past two months.

Hannukah Baby!

 Shirley J.        Juvenile E Book         This book is part of the indestructibles series for babies & newborns

Hannukkah, Baby! by Ektarine Trukhan  12 pages        

This book/series is totally made for babies who like to chew on their books, they sort of absorb their reading material.   The books are waterproof, drool all you want babies!  They can be washed off - no germs for next time!  They are rip proof hence the name indestuctibles.    Big bright pictures and few words allow parents/baby sitters to add their own words/descriptions for baby or just go with the pictures and one word pages.  The babies will get it.  Cute book to share Hannukah with baby.

Fun and Games for Cats

 Shirley J.                   Adult Non-Fiction        Teaching and recreational games to play with your cat(s)

Fun and Games for Cats by Denise Seidl   128 pages

A fun book to read and look at as there are illustrations on every page showing and explaining different cat personalities and how best to engage them in play.  Play involves a cat's predator response and they love that.  Some cats are shy and need a little one on one and patience to becoe interested in play time, the author shares various tacks for appealing to even the most finicky of felines.   There are personality tests and tests  that will measure your cat's intelligence.  The play time is especially necessary for house cats but outdoor or indoor/outdoor cats will love the attention, too and it becomes a beautiful way to bond with your cat.   Cats tend to have a 10 minute attention span akin to a 2 year old child so keep loads of different toys, crinkly paper, and boxes to keep kitty interested.    A good way to work off some energy before bed so kitty isn't climbing the curtains while you sleep.    A fun read with good ideas for cat lovers.  I recommend it to people who want to spend time with their cats. 

One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way

 Shirley J.              Adult Non-Fiction              How to make great changes by taking miniscule actions

One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Dr. Robert Mauer    228 pages

Excellent book explaining change and accomplishments do not have to be hard by following the Japanese method of Kaizen which is essentially climbing a mountain by taking that first step up.    The book cites examples of how to apply kaizen to your own life - what is it you want to accomplish in your personal life?  Your work life?  Instead of taking on the whole overwhelming project at once start by taking a ridiculously small first action toward it.  Something so small and easily completed it seems sort of absurd but the good news is once you do that first small act, you are on your way.   No matter what it is you want to do it can be done with surprising results.   A great way to look at how to make huge problems into bite size tolerable actions that accomplish anything you never believed you could.   Very good book.

Contenders: Two Native Baseball players, one world series

 Shirley J.            juvenile literature      The story of two native americans who rose to fame in sports        

Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series by Traci Sorell   48 pages

Two native baseball players who were taken from their families by government programs set up to indoctrinate native children from their cultures into living the life of white people.  Native children were torn from their families and  forced into boarding schools that strove to take their true identities from them, to strip them of their culture, their language, cut their hair force them to wear the white man's clothes and follow the white man's ways treating them like second class citizens while praising the white lifestyle.  This is the story of two of the captives at the orphanage who grew up playing baseball and who were discovered for their excellent skills at the game and who went on to play for different teams who eventually face each other in the world series.   A good story showing the cruel reality of early native life after the white man took over to the prejudices they grew up facing and even in adulthood continued to deal with even as professional baseball players.  

 

Barbie Developer: Ruth Handler

 Shirley J.            Juvenile literature                                 The story of the woman who invented Barbie

Barbie Developer: Ruth Handler by Lee Slater   32 pages    

The biography of the woman who invented the Barbie doll and became co-owner of the Mattel Corporation and president of Mattel from 1945 to 1975.    Excellent story of achieving success and introducing the world to a toy phenomenon that outlived its maker and is ever more popular as time goes on.  Enjoyable read.

Barbie in a Christmas Carol

 Shirley J.              Juvenile literature                               Barbie does a version of Dicken's carol

Barbie in a Christmas Carol by Mary Man-Kong    32 pages

A cute story, but, different from the dickens version.   In this version Barbie is Eden Starling, owner of a theater with a small company of actors and a costumer.   Barbie is scrooge like, hates Christmas, hates giving her actors and seamstress time off for Christmas.    She is visited by her evil aunt who taught her to hate Christmas and set the example to be mean to people even though the ghost of Christmas past shows Eden had been a loving child with a best friend Catherine who was still her friend trying to bring back her loving side.  Her Aunt's ghost comes back in the Jacob Morley role warning her to change her ways or end up bearing the awfulness that became her afterlife.   The ghost of Christmas present finds Eden's employees grousing and mutinying to go home for Christmas and of course the ghost of christmas future showing Eden broke because she alienated her actors and seamstress and her hatefulness finally turns her friend Catherine hateful and hating Christmas, too.   Barbie/Eden wakes up and doesn't want this to be her fate nor Catherine's either so like Scrooge she mends her ways gives her staff time off for the holidays gets in the giving spirit and does her best to make the world a better place.   A good story for young and old.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill

 The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill  286 pp

After dropping out of law school, Theo heads to her brother's house in Lawrence, KS to write a novel. Theo and her brother Gus are originally from Australia. While looking through the town for a good place to write, she finds a combination bar/coffee house called Benders.  While writing there, she meets Dan Murdoch, a fellow author who has already been published, and they become friends. When she finishes her novel, she begs Dan to introduce her to his agent and to submit her novel.  He originally says "no."  Not finding Dan at Benders one day, she heads to his house to look for him.  When she enters, she finds Dan dead.  Of course she touches him and gets blood on her so when the police come and she's washing her hands she looks suspicious.  Enter Gus who is a lawyer and his friend Mac, an investigator (who has a bunch of end-of-the-world preppers as family).  What happens next is a combination spy/assassin/conspiracy theory story including a cult like following of Dan Murdoch who blames Theo for his death.  Each chapter begins with a conversation between conspiracy theorists that is very 1/6.

This is a totally different type of story than The Woman in the Library but still about books.  I really had to take time to think about this before I gave it any type of rating on either Goodreads or in Net Galley.  There were many clever ideas in this story (which I can't talk about or you would be spoiled).  Some might say these were too cute.  In the US where January 6 will be talked about for years, the conspiracy theories will ring true.  While I know "preppers" exist, it is interesting to think of people who are so crazy about an author that they would become violent upon hearing of their death (even in the case of murder).  While I enjoyed this story, I would say there may have been too many weird things piled up on each other for me to love it as much as The Woman in the Library.  3.5 stars rounding up to 4 for creativity.

Life

 Shirley J.                              Juvenile Fiction                        Life as seen through animals' lives    

Life by Cynthia Rylant    48 pages

 Cynthia Rylant talks about life by using animals to illustrate her points.   Life starts small then grows.   She explores what it means to truly LIVE through the perspective of animals as it relates to the human viewpoint.   Whether appreciating small victories, muddling through hard times or celebrating our victories, Rylant encapsulates large difficult concepts and breaks them down to relatable small samplings presented through the behaviors of animals and told in such a way there is no mistaking whether an animal or a child experiences the idea being discussed life is beautiful.    I recommend this one for listeners up to kindergarten age.

All the Animals Where I Live

 Shirley J.              Juvenile Fiction                           The telling of the author's move to the country

All the Animals Where I Live by Philip C. Stead   48 pages       

This is such a dreary melancholy book.   The illustrations are washed out and sad looking, the story itself is much that way, too.   It must have been a positive, uplifting premise in the author's mind, surely, but, it did not play out on the page that way.   Everything just seems sad and has a detached feel to it.  It is the story of the author moving from the bustle of City life out to the country.    It talks about his country home and all the animals that live near his home that he meets along the way as he goes walking.   The trouble is the feel and tone here are not happy-go-lucky, YAY!  I live in the country and there are all these great animals to see and interact with.   No, the story has the same pale, washed out feeling as the illustrations.  I don't recommend this one.   There are far better uplifting choices along the same story lines out there.

Tea for Ruby

 Shirley J.           Juvenile Fiction                 Being polite, practicing your manners and tea with the Queen

Tea for Ruby by Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York     40 pages

Ruby has impeccable manners.   She is polite to a fault.   Etiquette is her favorite thing and always doing just the right thing the right way pleases her ever so much.    When Ruby receives an invitation to have tea with the Queen she especially wants to polish up her poise to be on point!   She practices all her good behaviors  being the best possible person she can be to everyone she encounters.    She curtseys, she inquires as to others health, she listens, she bows, she does her best to mimic the proper princess moves and attitudes she has observed in order to prove herself worthy to the Queen when she attends the tea she has been invited to.   She cannot wait!    A sweet story of a little girl trying to be her very best self.   I recommend this one to listeners up to 8 year olds.

             

Life on Mars

 Shirley J.     Juvenile Fiction      An astronaut explores the planet Mars carrying a present for whoever/whatever he encounters there

Life on Mars by Jon Agee      32 pages            

Really cute story about a young astronaut who is sure there is life on the planet Mars.  On a solitary mission he walks all over the planet just knowing in his bones there is life there and he wants to find it.  He even brings a present for said life, a box of cupcakes!  He journeys here and there but does not meet any new life forms until he comes across a lone flower.   There are no other flowers just this one.  He picks it from the ground and puts it away to take back to earth to prove there is something alive and growing on Mars.   Little does the astronaut know that a huge alien creature has been stalking him the whole way, of course, the reader and those listening to the story know.   They see it in the illustrations but it stays behind the astronaut and he never sees it.   Finally, the young astronaut returns to earth sad not to have made a discovery of other life on Mars, though, he is happy with the flower he can show everyone when he gets back.    He is still carrying the wrapped box bedecked with ribbons that hold the cupcakes.  Since there was no one to give them to he decides to open the box himself and enjoy the cupcakes inside but lo and behold!   The box is empty!    That was some skilled Martian to spirit those cupcakes away while the astronaut carried them and had no idea what happened.   I recommend this book for listeners up to kindergarten, maybe first grade.   

August totals

 

Only ten books read by three people in August with  2566 pp read.  

Shirley read the most books with five, but Julie read the highest number of pages with 1320.

Great job everyone!

Holly Claus the Christmas Princess

 Shirley J.            Juvenile Fiction                    When a little boy writes and asks Santa what He would like              for Christmas, Santa says a child and Santa's Christmas wish is answered with a baby girl 

Holly Claus the Christmas Princess by Brittney Bryant   48 pages

A little boy feels sorry for Santa one Christmas.   Everyone always writes to Santa with their wish list, but, this little boy instead wrote and asked Santa what He would like for Christmas.   Santa was so surprised and happy that he told the little boy how he and his wife longed for a child of their own and if he could have one wish it would be for a baby of their very own.   Someone was listening in the wish making realm and lo and behold the Clauses were blessed with a beautiful baby girl of their own.   Nothing can remain all happy or all good for long it seems.  An evil wizard casts a cuse on the baby and all the immortals for woe to fall on all of them until the day that Holly gives him her pure heart and agrees to marry him!  HORRORS!  The book is beautifully illustrated and a good story to add to any Christmas collection.  I recommend this one to listeners up to age 9.   It is a little longer and a little more intense than the whimsical stories. 

The Very Fairy Princess Valentines from the Heart

 Shirley J.             Juvenile Fiction                         Gerry worked hard making just the most special                                                                                              valentines for all her friends and family

The Very Fairy Princess Valentines from the Heart by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton    32 pages

Gerry has worked hard to make just the perfect valentine for everyone in her class and can't wait to see their faces when they see them but wait!  What????   When she gets to school she finds she has picked up her Dad's work folder instead of her precious lovingly made valentines for all her friends!  Disaster!!!!  So, she comes up with a creative alternative.   Dad finding her valentines gets them there just in time though Gerry has things well in hand.   Very Fairy Princesses are good in a crunch and always at the top of their creative potential after all.   I recommend this book to listeners up to 8 year olds.  A valuable lesson taught her that grand gestures often make up for or are better than written ones!  Way to make folks feel good, Gerry.  

The Very Fairy Princess: A Fairy Merry Christmas

 Shirley J.              Juvenile Fiction                                    Gerry's Christmas Adventures

The Very Fairy Princess: A Fairy Merry Christmas    32 pages

Gerry, the very fairy princess, is ready for the holidays.   Decorations galore, snowflakes, santas, gingerbread men, snowmen, reindeer and glitter and sparkles a plenty!  She is so ready and when Mom suggests the family give each other gifts they have made this year, Gerry, puts on her thinking cap and comes up with just the perfect present for everyone on her list!  A very merry Christmas is had by all!  I recommend this book to listeners on up to 8 year olds.

The Very Fairy Princess: A Spooky, Sparkly Halloween

 Shirley J.            Juvenile Fiction                                               Gerry saves Halloween!

The Very Fairy Princess: A Spooky, Sparkly Halloween by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton     32 pages

Gerry comes up with the perfect Halloween costume - a beautiful sparkly angel outfit complete with wings and glittery, halo.   She is all ready for the Halloween parade at school, her bff is all set too until "OH NO!"  A spill threatens the day when one of their costumes is ruined!  Or is it?   Gerry the very fairy princess saves the day once again with her exuberant ingenuity!   What are friends for?   I recommend this book to listeners up to 8 year olds.   A teaching lesson on how to give of ourselves when friends are in need.   

The Very Fairy Princess: Attitude of Gratitude

Shirley J.                 Juvenile Fiction              Gratitude Day at school time to compliment and do nice things for others, family, friends, even strangers - Gerry learns some valuable lessons in kindness.

The Very Fairy Princess: Attitude of Gratitude by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton   32 pages                                                                                                                                                         

An excellent Thanksgiving story to remind us all to be kind and greatful for our bountiful blessings in life.  A great teaching story for youngsters to see the good things in life and to share our bounty with others by both giving and doing for others be it a helpful hand when they need it or a kind word to let them know how terrific you think they are.    A kind word and/or a kind gesture does wonders for us all, we must remember how much we love to receive so we can be as generous in sharing and caring with others.    Gerry is a very vigilant fairy princess in that she is quite complimentary to others and generous to a fault in her giving to make others' day.   I recommend this book to listeners up to 8 year olds.                                                                                                          

               

 

The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Flower Girl!

 Shirley J.             Juvenile Fiction                       Gerry gets to be the flower girl in her Aunt's wedding

The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Flower Girl!  by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton      32 pages    

Gerry is ecstatic!  She gets to be flower girl in her Aunt Sue's wedding!  While she has visions of hundreds of guests, a billowy white  gown and extravagant decorations, it turns out Aunt Sue has something a lot smaller in mind.  ie. just family and in the backyard of Gerry's house.   At first, Gerry is disappointed but then she realizes having it at her house allows her creative license with the decorations!    Even with rain on the big day Gerry finds sparkle in the happiness and love.   Another cute story showing how to make lemonade out of lemons.   I recommend this one to listeners up to 8 years old.

The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage

 

Shirley J.       Juvenile Fiction            A little girl who feels she is a fairy princess performs ballet

The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton   32 pages

Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma have written a series of children's books titled, The Very Fairy Princess Series.   The series stars a little girl named, Gerry, who loves sparkles and glitter and wearing fairy wings.  She does feel she is a fairy princess which is why she loves wearing a crown and her special sparkly wings.  In this story, Gerry is performing in a recital with her ballet class.   She so expected to get the starring role of Crystal Princess because she is always so sparkly herself, however, her teacher gives her the role of court jester instead.  While hurt she does her best to do her best at it after all the girl who got the part of Crystal Princess looked divine in the costume.  Making the best of things can turn out awfully grand when your heart is in the right place and sometimes good things follow.   A sweet story and an enjoyable series.   A good read-aloud series, too.   I recommend this to listeners up to age 8.   It is a good lesson in being o.k. when you don't get your way.  

California Golden

California Golden by Melanie Benjamin 352pages

 

I’m not much of an outdoorsy person. In fact, I rather loathe it.  Bu that doesn’t stop me from reading about the great outdoors.  I would like to hang ten and try surfing, but like I just said…and without my glasses/contacts I couldn’t even see the darn wave.

 

Most of the time, when I hear “great outdoors,” I think woods and insects. The critters I can handle, but not those pesky insects. However, in Melanie Benjamin’s newest novel, the great outdoors refers to the surfs and sand of California and Hawaii. Benjamin’s description of the waves, the sun, and the freedom one feels in the water is unparalleled. I felt as if I was there.

 

Carol Donnelly is one of the first female competitive surfers in the sport. She is a marvel to behold on board. But Carol is trapped in 1950s- ‘60s societal expectations of marriage and motherhood, and she resents her children for it.  Her daughters, Mindy and Ginger drop out of school to partake in the surf culture and, sadly, to gain their mother’s attention.

 

Carol teaches her daughters to surf. Mindy is a natural while Ginger can barely hang onto the board. When Mindy wins a competition in California, Carol seethes with resentment. And to top it off, Minday gets work as an extra in the surfing movies that were so back then. Mindy first gains notoriety as the Girl with the Curl. The 1960s come alive when Mindy goes to Whiskey A-Go-Go and is seen at all the LA hotspots.

 

She finds love with a Hawaiian surfer. But with Vietnam escalating, the pair breaks it off. It is only when Mindy is on a USO tour in ‘Nam, does love return in a rather unexpected way.

 

Meanwhile, Ginger falls in love with an abusive surf bum. Author Benjamin creates the life of authentic beach bums, unlike the glamorous life portrayed in the movies. Unwashed and malnourished and high isn’t the life Ginger had dreamed of as a little girl, but she loves Tom with every fiber of her body and mind.

 

Readers don’t know much about Carol after she loses the competition. She had an accident which forced her retirement from surfing and eventually was the root cause of her Parkinson’s Disease (I’m not sure how a head injury could cause Parkinson’s, but what do I know.).

 

Reader’s journey through the two very different lifestyles of each sister. However, an unexpected pregnancy causes major strife and happiness with the family.

 

California Golden is different than most of Benajmin’s wonderful books. While most of her novels are character driven, this didn’t have a strong plot. California Golden receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Who Killed Jerusalem?

Who Killed Jerusalem? by George Albert Brown  576 pages

 

How could I resist a novel whose main characters are Ickey Jerusalem and Ded Smith? Especially with this elevator pitch: “A rollicking murder mystery based on William Blake’s characters & ideas updated to 1970s San Francisco.” You’re right; I couldn’t. But what made me think that I would, all of a sudden, understand and adore Blake since I could do neither of those things when I was in college twenty-five years ago? What I was thinking! Unless it was the characters’ names, the setting is one of my favorite cities and I won the book from Bookishfirst.com.

 

Here's what synopsis from Amazon:

 

In 1977, Ickey Jerusalem, San Francisco's golden-boy poet laureate, is found dead in a locked, first-class toilet on an arriving red-eye flight.

Ded Smith, a desperately unhappy, intelligent philistine with a highly developed philosophy to match, is called in to investigate the poet's death. Thus begins a series of hilarious encounters with the members of Jerusalem's coterie.

Ded soon realizes that to find out what happened, he must not only collect his usual detective's clues but also, despite his own poetically challenged outlook, get into the dead poet's mind. Fighting his way through blasphemous funerals, drug-induced dreams, poetry-charged love-making, offbeat philosophical discussions, and much, much more, he begins to piece together Jerusalem's seductive, all-encompassing metaphysics.

But by then, the attempts to kill Ded and the others have begun.

Before Ded's death-dodging luck runs out, will he be able to solve the case, and perhaps in the process, develop a new way of looking at the world that might allow him to replace his unhappiness with joy?

 

I loved Chapter One, in which author Brown drops us right into the middle of the action. Ickey died a gruesome death there in the plane’s bathroom.  But by Page 5, I was so lost I found myself reading words and wondering WTH?

 

And I will admit to reading every blast word of this 576-page tome and only understanding about a fifth of it. Afterwards, I jumped on Amazon and perused the review section. This is what I wanted the book to be, from a review by Maddogish:

 

The book is loosely based on William Blake's poetry, characters and ideas... fortunately you do not have to be familiar with any of Blake's work to love this book. If anything it opens the world of poetry in an accessible manner so that maybe more people will learn to love epic poetry and romantic era classics. The book centers on the mysterious death of San Francisco Poet Ickey Jerusalem and his wild and crazy group of cohorts. An insurance adjuster, Ded Smith who is known as Dr. Death for his uncanny ability to determine cause of death and solve murders, is on board the flight when Jerusalem is found dead. He is initially asked to help the police with interviewing the suspects as a friendly courtesy, but when it is discovered that Ickey took out a life insurance policy a month before his death, Ded is called in to rule if the case a suicide or murder in an official capacity. While he investigates each of the suspects and the crime itself, he finds himself caught up in a web of philosophy, intrigue and murder. The poet not only collected delightfully weird friends the stand out on the page; he had seemed to develop strange ideas on life and existence in general. I can honestly say the author had me guessing until the end who the killer was, while at the same time weaving so much philosophical information and poetry that I found my self in awe of how he tied all of it together. This is a truly magical and unique book that will take readers on an epic journey.

 

But all I got was a series of headaches, a lot of re-rereading, so much that it took almost a month for me to get through this novel. I'm going to put it back on the shelf and tackle it again in a few years. Best of luck to anyone who tries to decipher this novel. Who Killed Jerusalem? receives 2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Code Name Sapphire

Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff 368 pages

 

No one writes about World War II quite like Pam Jenoff. She manages to find the forgotten stories of how important women were to conquering Hitler and the Nazis.

 

In this novel, Jenoff tells the story of three Belgian women from three different viewpoints. First there is Micheline, the elusive leader of the Sapphire network. Their mission: to spirit downed British pilots back to England so that they may live to fight another day. Micheline is tough, but she must be to do her job. It’s a credit to Jenoff that the pilots’ stories are not included.

 

Next is Hannah, a Jew, who has joined Sapphire in the hopes of escaping to America. She manages to secure a place on a ship headed for America, but upon arrival, the ship and its human cargo are turned away (for those that don’t know, this is a true story. To read more, try “Refuge Denied,” by Sarah A. Ogilvie).  Upon Hannah’s return, she turns to her wealthy cousin, Lilly, to protect her.

 

One night, a horrible mistake occurs, and Lilly, her husband and her son, are arrested, split up, and placed on trains bound for a camp. Lilly arrives first and has grown accustomed (if that is possible), to life in the camp. Her husband and son soon joined her. (I found that bit unrealistic that the family was housed together, as all other books I’ve read about the camps, men, women and children were separated.)

 

Then, Lilly and her family are once again, placed on a train and headed further east to another camp. Hannah enlists Micheline to help her stop the train and rescue the Jews bound for Auschwitz. Now comes the time when I must shut up or risk spoilers. It’s a harrowing escape story that will keep readers up until they reach the end of this novel.

 

Code Name Sapphire receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Air Raid Book Club

The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons 336 pages

 

I love books about books, readers and bookstores. Author Annie Lyons has given us a wonderful little slice of heaven in this book.

 

The story begins in a suburb of London in 1938. Hitler is on the rise and war looks inevitable. Readers get to meet Gertie Bingham right away, and I immediately fell in love with her. Since 1911, she and her husband, Harry, have owned and operated Bingham Books. She is considering retiring, and since Harry’s death two years earlier, it’s getting harder and harder. At first, I thought Gertie was in her late seventies, perhaps early eighties, but she is only in her early sixties. She does have a faithful companion in her dog, Hemingway, who is aging as well, but she’s tired.

 

As she considers this life change, readers get to meet the villagers who frequent the bookstore. Young and old frequent the shop and since her village is so small, Gertie becomes close to all of them.

 

As Hitler continues his assault on Europe, one of her dearest friends, Charles, asks Gertie to help by fostering a young Jewish girl. At first, she is reluctant, but eventually she gives in, and it changes her entire life.

 

Hedy speaks some English and at fifteen years old, she is terrified of her new surroundings. Eventually the two settle down into a routine, Hedy loves the bookstore and books as much as Gertie did.

 

The bombs begin to fall, and the people of the village spend more and more time in the air riad shelters, Hedy and Gertie bring books to read aloud until the all-clear sirens begin to shrill.

 

I don’t feel that the title of this read gives the right impression. It’s less about what happens in the shelter and more about re-discovering life. Author Lyons does a wonderful job of balancing the unimaginable tragedies of war with finding happiness in a world that seems bent on destroying everything that is good.

 

I loved all the characters whom Gerti welcomed into her bookstore and her village. The one who made me smile the most, however, was five-year-old Billy, who called everyone by their full name!

 

The Air Raid Book Club receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.