by Juliet Blackwell
Hennepin County Library audiobook 6 CDs
read by Xe Sands
genre: paranormal murder mystery
Overall, this was an interesting murder mystery. Mel(anie) Turner runs her father's construction business for rich people in the San Francisco bay area. She gets drawn into investigating who killed Kenneth C (and how it was done).
The occult, seance, ouija boards, etc. bothered me more than the actual ghost(s) who communicated with Mel. I'm not a big fan of messing with paranormal phenomenon . . . unless you're talking about God's moving things miraculously!
There were a lot of characters - Mel, her dad, Stan (family friend in wheelchair), Caleb (Mel's ex's son), Dylan (Caleb's friend, Matt's son), Matt Addix (faded rock star, house flipper wannabe), Grahame (former beau of Mel's, now an OSHA dude), Kenneth (the victim), Jason (the architect), Rory (restauranteur), Bryce (investigator), . . .
Since libraries are closed because of Covid-19, I think I'll give this to my sister Louise. She'll probably enjoy it more than I did!
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Almost Home
by Valerie Fraser Luesse
Hennepin County Library paperback 318 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction
This is our March book club title. I really enjoyed it a lot! The characters were wonderfully written, though there were a lot of them and I didn't remember them all.
Book blurb: "With America's entrance into World War II, the town of Blackberry Springs, Alabama, has exploded virtually overnight. Workers from all over are coming south for jobs in Uncle Sam's munitions plants - and they're bringing their pasts with them, right into Dolly Chandler's grand but fading family home turned boardinghouse."
Page 41 - "Nobody knows. Presbyterians keep things close to the vest. They're not like us Baptists. If we know it, we've told it." This made me laugh! I don't know a lot about the different denominations, but I would be a Baptist if this were the only criteria! Actually, I can keep quiet about things; it just takes effort.
Page 47 - "She would much rather have one close friend than twenty casual acquaintances, and she tended to move slowly in forging those bonds." Said about Anna, it makes a lot of sense that some people are more deliberate and prefer a smaller, tighter circle of people around them. I'm not that way in general.
Page 57 - "Leaves are at the mercy of the current, Anna, but you and Jesse are not. You can choose whether to float wherever it takes you or swim against it. And you can choose whether to travel together or let the rocks divide you. That's a decision you must make together. Otherwise you could land on opposite sides of the river." I love Lillian's gentle, loving way of prodding people's minds and hearts.
Page 66 - "Tell him you're done with this nonsense. You're his wife and you mean to have a husband again. Just give it to him straight. Men can't decipher hints and moods, so you gotta put what you're feelin' in a cast-iron skillet and hit 'em over the head with it." Amen, Daisy! These two women were so good for one another. Daisy's advice to Anna was what she needed to hear. Men definitely are not fabulous (in general) about picking up on subtle hints.
Page 157 - "He had not lost his faith, but he had lost the ability to cope with the powerful emotions it stirred. Church seemed to demand that he contain but not extinguish the fires it stoked. Reed just wasn't up to it." I loved the story of Reed's journey through this book.
Page 261 - "We've been throwin' time away, Reed. And time's a gift. We oughta be usin' every minute we've got." Yes, Daisy! You're absolutely right. Time is an incredible gift.
This book was fairly predictable but definitely interesting enough to keep my interest. I want to read more by this author! I enjoyed this and look forward to the book club discussion.
Dolly and Si
Anna and Jesse
Daisy
Reed
Miss Lillian
Catherine and Andre
Hennepin County Library paperback 318 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction
This is our March book club title. I really enjoyed it a lot! The characters were wonderfully written, though there were a lot of them and I didn't remember them all.
Book blurb: "With America's entrance into World War II, the town of Blackberry Springs, Alabama, has exploded virtually overnight. Workers from all over are coming south for jobs in Uncle Sam's munitions plants - and they're bringing their pasts with them, right into Dolly Chandler's grand but fading family home turned boardinghouse."
Page 41 - "Nobody knows. Presbyterians keep things close to the vest. They're not like us Baptists. If we know it, we've told it." This made me laugh! I don't know a lot about the different denominations, but I would be a Baptist if this were the only criteria! Actually, I can keep quiet about things; it just takes effort.
Page 47 - "She would much rather have one close friend than twenty casual acquaintances, and she tended to move slowly in forging those bonds." Said about Anna, it makes a lot of sense that some people are more deliberate and prefer a smaller, tighter circle of people around them. I'm not that way in general.
Page 57 - "Leaves are at the mercy of the current, Anna, but you and Jesse are not. You can choose whether to float wherever it takes you or swim against it. And you can choose whether to travel together or let the rocks divide you. That's a decision you must make together. Otherwise you could land on opposite sides of the river." I love Lillian's gentle, loving way of prodding people's minds and hearts.
Page 66 - "Tell him you're done with this nonsense. You're his wife and you mean to have a husband again. Just give it to him straight. Men can't decipher hints and moods, so you gotta put what you're feelin' in a cast-iron skillet and hit 'em over the head with it." Amen, Daisy! These two women were so good for one another. Daisy's advice to Anna was what she needed to hear. Men definitely are not fabulous (in general) about picking up on subtle hints.
Page 157 - "He had not lost his faith, but he had lost the ability to cope with the powerful emotions it stirred. Church seemed to demand that he contain but not extinguish the fires it stoked. Reed just wasn't up to it." I loved the story of Reed's journey through this book.
Page 261 - "We've been throwin' time away, Reed. And time's a gift. We oughta be usin' every minute we've got." Yes, Daisy! You're absolutely right. Time is an incredible gift.
This book was fairly predictable but definitely interesting enough to keep my interest. I want to read more by this author! I enjoyed this and look forward to the book club discussion.
Dolly and Si
Anna and Jesse
Daisy
Reed
Miss Lillian
Catherine and Andre
R My Name Is Rachel
by Patricia Reilly Giff
Scott County Library audiobook 3 CDs
read by Cynthia Holloway
genre: YA historical fiction
I mostly enjoyed this book set during the Great Depression. Rachel and her two younger siblings lost their mom when the youngest child was born. Now their dad has lost his job and they're moving to a small town in the country so he can find new work.
Rachel is 12 and loves to read. Joey is 11 and very good-natured. Cassie is 10 and likes things neat.
Two things that bugged me that I kept hoping the author would rectify: Rachel and Miss Mitzi love to write letters. Toward the start of the book, they were writing to Admiral Byrd to ask about the South Pole and the polar bears there. What?! I kept waiting for Miss Mitzi to point out the error to Rachel. Did people not know in the 1930s that polar bears live at the North Pole and penguins at the South Pole? The other irritation was my error - Rachel tries to think of the mice as friendly, like Mickey and Minnie. I didn't think the characters were known at that time. But I just checked and both were featured in films in the very late 1920s and the 1930s. My mistake!
Some of the situations got on my nerves, like Rachel capitulating to Cassie about the money their dad left. I loved Rachel's love of books and reading. I loved the artist and the drawings. Miss Mitzi was a hero.
Scott County Library audiobook 3 CDs
read by Cynthia Holloway
genre: YA historical fiction
I mostly enjoyed this book set during the Great Depression. Rachel and her two younger siblings lost their mom when the youngest child was born. Now their dad has lost his job and they're moving to a small town in the country so he can find new work.
Rachel is 12 and loves to read. Joey is 11 and very good-natured. Cassie is 10 and likes things neat.
Two things that bugged me that I kept hoping the author would rectify: Rachel and Miss Mitzi love to write letters. Toward the start of the book, they were writing to Admiral Byrd to ask about the South Pole and the polar bears there. What?! I kept waiting for Miss Mitzi to point out the error to Rachel. Did people not know in the 1930s that polar bears live at the North Pole and penguins at the South Pole? The other irritation was my error - Rachel tries to think of the mice as friendly, like Mickey and Minnie. I didn't think the characters were known at that time. But I just checked and both were featured in films in the very late 1920s and the 1930s. My mistake!
Some of the situations got on my nerves, like Rachel capitulating to Cassie about the money their dad left. I loved Rachel's love of books and reading. I loved the artist and the drawings. Miss Mitzi was a hero.
Thursday, March 12, 2020
A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership
by James Comey
Scott County Library audiobook 8 CDs
read by the author
genre: politics
I'm glad I listened to this because I have a better understanding of some of the events of the past five or so years. It was a bit disconcerting, though, because I don't have a lot of confidence in Comey. He says that integrity and truth are important to him, but he also comes across as someone who lacks spine.
Even in the story about his teen years when they had the intruder in their home, I thought he was such a wimp. I would love to hear his brother's version of what happened that night!
Comey really emphasized his dogged focus on truth and that lying should be punished severely. He seemed a bit myopic. I made a note that he stressed that people SHOULD FEAR - God, jail, . . . since he read his own book, his emphasis was strong.
He had some really nice storytelling. I especially liked the personal stories about his childhood and his family. Patrice (his wife) added so much more dimension to Comey's identity. The conversations he relayed helped make him seem more personable.
Some parts of the book were just boring. It reminded me of the Joe Biden book I read. Those of us who aren't necessarily fascinated by politics don't care as much about the nitty gritty or the who's who.
Comey seemed like a coward at times, wanting to say he stood up for truth, the FBI, whatever . . . but it seemed like some hindsight perspective altering . . . when he related the part about Dick Cheney and the Abu Ghraib torturing, it sounded as though he was trying to make himself the hero, but he seemed to just be a bit pathetic.
When he talked about leadership and how a mix of confidence and humility are necessary for a good sense of humor, I liked that he added the part about his family teasing him about "Seacresting" a news briefing. It seems to have more than a kernel of truth, though. His ambition seems to get the best of his intent to be modest. Ego can be challenging.
I found myself really wanting to hear about events from other people's perspectives - Robert Mueller, Anthony Wiener, Mrs. Comey, Hillary Clinton, Obama, FBI staffers, . . . . I'll just have to keep reading books by different people.
Overall, I don't have a really high impression of Comey, but I do believe he sees himself as a person of high integrity. I believe he was genuinely trying to do the right thing in the investigation of Clinton's emails and in communicating with Donald Trump. I am horrified at our current commander in chief and his wheeling and dealing attitude toward the Oval Office and our country.
Comey says he's a spotlight denier, yet his ego seems to give him plenty of opportunities to be front and center. Someone accused him of being proud of his own righteousness . . . I wonder how much truth is actually in that.
Hindsight . . . he says he wouldn't have done anything differently. With Clinton's emails. With the Steele dossier. In communicating with Trump.
His mafia and honor comparisons were fascinating. He's painting a picture for us in hindsight . . . it makes me wonder what really happened. Trump asking him for loyalty - yuk. The way Trump fired him - appalling.
His wife Patrice saying, "It's not about you, dear." I love that woman!
Scott County Library audiobook 8 CDs
read by the author
genre: politics
I'm glad I listened to this because I have a better understanding of some of the events of the past five or so years. It was a bit disconcerting, though, because I don't have a lot of confidence in Comey. He says that integrity and truth are important to him, but he also comes across as someone who lacks spine.
Even in the story about his teen years when they had the intruder in their home, I thought he was such a wimp. I would love to hear his brother's version of what happened that night!
Comey really emphasized his dogged focus on truth and that lying should be punished severely. He seemed a bit myopic. I made a note that he stressed that people SHOULD FEAR - God, jail, . . . since he read his own book, his emphasis was strong.
He had some really nice storytelling. I especially liked the personal stories about his childhood and his family. Patrice (his wife) added so much more dimension to Comey's identity. The conversations he relayed helped make him seem more personable.
Some parts of the book were just boring. It reminded me of the Joe Biden book I read. Those of us who aren't necessarily fascinated by politics don't care as much about the nitty gritty or the who's who.
Comey seemed like a coward at times, wanting to say he stood up for truth, the FBI, whatever . . . but it seemed like some hindsight perspective altering . . . when he related the part about Dick Cheney and the Abu Ghraib torturing, it sounded as though he was trying to make himself the hero, but he seemed to just be a bit pathetic.
When he talked about leadership and how a mix of confidence and humility are necessary for a good sense of humor, I liked that he added the part about his family teasing him about "Seacresting" a news briefing. It seems to have more than a kernel of truth, though. His ambition seems to get the best of his intent to be modest. Ego can be challenging.
I found myself really wanting to hear about events from other people's perspectives - Robert Mueller, Anthony Wiener, Mrs. Comey, Hillary Clinton, Obama, FBI staffers, . . . . I'll just have to keep reading books by different people.
Overall, I don't have a really high impression of Comey, but I do believe he sees himself as a person of high integrity. I believe he was genuinely trying to do the right thing in the investigation of Clinton's emails and in communicating with Donald Trump. I am horrified at our current commander in chief and his wheeling and dealing attitude toward the Oval Office and our country.
Comey says he's a spotlight denier, yet his ego seems to give him plenty of opportunities to be front and center. Someone accused him of being proud of his own righteousness . . . I wonder how much truth is actually in that.
Hindsight . . . he says he wouldn't have done anything differently. With Clinton's emails. With the Steele dossier. In communicating with Trump.
His mafia and honor comparisons were fascinating. He's painting a picture for us in hindsight . . . it makes me wonder what really happened. Trump asking him for loyalty - yuk. The way Trump fired him - appalling.
His wife Patrice saying, "It's not about you, dear." I love that woman!
Saturday, March 07, 2020
Gift from the Sea: An answer to the conflicts in our lives
by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
my mother's copy, hardcover, 128 pages
genre: philosophy? personal essay?
I was so excited to see this as I helped my sister with clearing out some of our mother's books. Ever since reading The Aviator's Wife, I've been curious about reading some of her work. Perfect!
I don't want to write about this the way I usually do, but rather in impressions.
Parts of it read like poetry, a gorgeous love of words and how they can evoke places, ideas, and feelings. I could savor, re-read, and contemplate the text.
I wish I could talk with my mom about what this book meant to her. There is something innately lonely and companionable about motherhood and its demands on a person.
At times, I thought it was overwrought and dramatic (more reflective of my mood at the moment than Lindbergh's writing?).
Page 42 - "Now instead of planting our solitude with our own dream blossoms, we choke the space with continuous music, chatter, and companionship to which we do not even listen. It is simply there to fill the vacuum. When the noise stops there is no inner music to take its place. We must re-learn to be alone."
Imagine what she would think of modern day smart phones and instant access to nearly anything!
Page 49 - "By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class."
Amen, sister! I'm not in that stage of life anymore, but there were days I just wanted to be all by myself. I remember telling my mom that if I were locked up in solitary confinement, that would be so relaxing . . . and she just laughed at me.
Page 50 - "What a commentary on our civilization, when being alone is considered suspect; when one has to apologize for it, make excuses, hide the fact that one practices it - like a secret vice!"
Page 100 - "We run bare-legged to the beach, which lies smooth, flat, and glistening with fresh wet shells after the night's tides. the morning swim has the nature of a blessing to me, a baptism, a rebirth to the beauty and wonder of the world."
She and her sister have this wonderful beach retreat. Lovely!
Page 124 - "The inter-relatedness of the world links us constantly with more people than our hearts can hold. Or rather - for I believe the heart is infinite - modern communication loads us with more problems than the human frame can carry. It is good, I think, for our hearts, our minds, our imaginations to be stretched; but body, nerve, endurance, and life are not as elastic."
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed about all the people and issues to care about and pray about. I'm glad that God is infinite and infinitely able!
my mother's copy, hardcover, 128 pages
genre: philosophy? personal essay?
I was so excited to see this as I helped my sister with clearing out some of our mother's books. Ever since reading The Aviator's Wife, I've been curious about reading some of her work. Perfect!
I don't want to write about this the way I usually do, but rather in impressions.
Parts of it read like poetry, a gorgeous love of words and how they can evoke places, ideas, and feelings. I could savor, re-read, and contemplate the text.
I wish I could talk with my mom about what this book meant to her. There is something innately lonely and companionable about motherhood and its demands on a person.
At times, I thought it was overwrought and dramatic (more reflective of my mood at the moment than Lindbergh's writing?).
Page 42 - "Now instead of planting our solitude with our own dream blossoms, we choke the space with continuous music, chatter, and companionship to which we do not even listen. It is simply there to fill the vacuum. When the noise stops there is no inner music to take its place. We must re-learn to be alone."
Imagine what she would think of modern day smart phones and instant access to nearly anything!
Page 49 - "By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class."
Amen, sister! I'm not in that stage of life anymore, but there were days I just wanted to be all by myself. I remember telling my mom that if I were locked up in solitary confinement, that would be so relaxing . . . and she just laughed at me.
Page 50 - "What a commentary on our civilization, when being alone is considered suspect; when one has to apologize for it, make excuses, hide the fact that one practices it - like a secret vice!"
Page 100 - "We run bare-legged to the beach, which lies smooth, flat, and glistening with fresh wet shells after the night's tides. the morning swim has the nature of a blessing to me, a baptism, a rebirth to the beauty and wonder of the world."
She and her sister have this wonderful beach retreat. Lovely!
Page 124 - "The inter-relatedness of the world links us constantly with more people than our hearts can hold. Or rather - for I believe the heart is infinite - modern communication loads us with more problems than the human frame can carry. It is good, I think, for our hearts, our minds, our imaginations to be stretched; but body, nerve, endurance, and life are not as elastic."
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed about all the people and issues to care about and pray about. I'm glad that God is infinite and infinitely able!
Red's Planet: Friends and Foes
book two in the series
by Eddie Pittman
County Library hardcover
Genre: YA graphic novel
I read this and then loaned it to some young friends, so I don't have all the details at my fingertips.
Red remains stranded on an alien planet with a variety of life forms. She is egged on to compete with Goose (a tiger-type macho man) for leadership on the planet.
A quick read, some good adventure, I'm already looking forward to book 3 which should be out in a few months.
by Eddie Pittman
County Library hardcover
Genre: YA graphic novel
I read this and then loaned it to some young friends, so I don't have all the details at my fingertips.
Red remains stranded on an alien planet with a variety of life forms. She is egged on to compete with Goose (a tiger-type macho man) for leadership on the planet.
A quick read, some good adventure, I'm already looking forward to book 3 which should be out in a few months.
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