Stay Awake

“Wake up! Stay awake! Don’t go to sleep!” Liv Reese sees these messages scrawled on her hands and arms, but she can’t recall why. As she goes through her day, she can’t help but remain confused when nothing is as she remembered it. Simple things like returning to her apartment and her workplace remind Liv that she is no longer living the life she remembers. Liv is startled when she can’t get a hold of her boyfriend or roommate, whom she hoped could give her answers. As she tries to piece together the events she has forgotten, she is entrenched in a murder investigation. Liv wonders if she may have actually killed someone, without any memory of it…

Megan Goldin’s Stay Awake has an interesting premise, yet the execution was unremarkable. Liv’s failing memory gets to be irksome as the book progresses, which left me frustrated waiting for tiny pieces of the plot to be revealed.  None of the characters were especially likable, and I hoped for more intensity in the plot. The novel did pick in the second half, yet the ending was lackluster. Overall, Stay Awake was entertaining but not propulsive.


The Moonday Letters

Stories being told through letters, emails, journal entries, and other forms of communication are increasingly in prevalence in science fiction literature, and this book is the latest entry into that category, albeit with an uneven storyline that really does not feel satisfying most of the time.

Lumi sets off to find Sol, their husband, who has disappeared and who leaves a set of cryptic clues through data messages and emails for Lumi to follow through the many inhabited colonies of the solar system after most of humanity has abandoned Earth due to the poor living conditions.

Lumi travels through a series of different ecoterrorist groups as they search for Sol and to continue their lives together. But the deeper Lumi enters into the underworld of the solar system and the many groups Sol is leading her through, the more they find themselves confronting the reality that humanity is still flawed even off of Earth.

For people who might not yet be used to the use of gender neutral pronouns in literature, this book might be a bit confusing at times with the use of “their” and other forms of neutral pronouns. Also, despite the constant messages and moving through the stars, not much actually happens.


The Path of Thorns

Ghosts, murder, witches, werewolves, magic, and more make up this gothic fantasy story set sometime in the 19th century in rural England. We follow Asher Todd, a young lady who has been hired to be the governess to three young children, despite the fact she has never been a governess and the mother of the children did not want to hire her.

Todd comes with many skills and talents that would see her burned at the stake if they were ever found out in rural England, but she does well fitting in, providing knowledge about herbal medicines for afflictions. But things begin to take a turn as the real reasons for Todd being at the house slowly come to light, reasons which led to the death of her mother and why she never knew her father.

This is a fairly enjoyable gothic fantasy set in the older days when people believed in magic and magic potions. There are times where the book just drags; it could have been a bit shorter as the reader really does not get into the meat of the story until almost a hundred pages in.


Hooked: Neverland will never let go...

Neverland is part of his past. James left his colorful moniker of Hook behind him when he traded life as a pirate for solitude in London. Despite the years that have passed, the ghosts of Neverland have found him, which reunites him with Wendy Darling – who is also running from memories of the past. James and Wendy work together to hunt down a monster lurking on the streets of London, determined to put a stop to it even if it means returning to the very place they left behind.

Haunting and poetic imagery captures an emotional, original, and breathtaking perspective that will forever alter how you view the famous pirate Captain Hook. Exploring the man behind the pirate, Wise takes you into the London of the past, which serves as a poignant and heartbreaking background plagued by the chilling presence of Neverland that haunts James, Wendy, and Jane. The eerie memories of the past provide a haunting tone for James' internal struggle of Hook versus James, a tragic love story, and a strained mother-daughter relationship.

An emotional and feminist approach to a classic tale, Hooked is told through the captivating perspective of Captain Hook with lush visuals that will resonate long after finishing the book.


Black Mouth

Black Mouth, the new novel from Ronald Malfi, after the disturbingly wonderful Come With Me, is dark in many ways. The title and cover sum up what you’re going to get, and if that’s what you’re looking for, then you’re in for a real treat.

Jamie Warren has been running for a long time. Running from his past, from his childhood, from his old friends, and the strange things that happened in the black mouth. He’s been an alcoholic for a long time too, but he’s trying to go sober. That all changes when he gets a call from his hometown about his mother passing away and his brother needing help. It means going back to his hometown, where the black mouth is. Also, meeting up with some old friends who all remember the strange man who was teaching them magic until things went too far and turned tragic.

Black Mouth is a dark story that one might be turned away from, but Malfi has a way with words and description that draws the reader in so that they can’t stop, filling the scenes and the reader’s imagination, and compelling them to keep going until the very end.


There Are No Happy Loves (Veronica Rosenthal Mystery, 3)

Investigative journalist Veronica is back to writing and on the case of missing people in this new novel. Things have not gotten easier for Veronica in her personal life, but events will turn deadly when she investigates the disappearance of a mother from a car crash. The mother is presumed dead, but Veronica’s investigation will take her into the halls of power within the Catholic Church and bring her to the attention of very powerful enemies. These people wish to keep multiple secrets, including what is happening to all those bodies that are cut up and shipped overseas, from getting out and damaging the Catholic Church in Argentina, while those in political power who wish to stay in power.

This book has a couple of different narrative threads at the beginning that eventually all roll into one story. The appearance of a truck full of body parts instead of drugs, missing adopted children who might not have been legally adopted, and the idea of people having children when they struggle through normal channels. Veronica is not the most likeable character. She has many flaws and is not agreeable, but she helps bring the underworld of Argentina to light.


The Fort

Evan, C.J., Mitchell, and Jason have been best friends forever. They each have problems they are dealing with, some pretty bad. They have a fort in the woods that no one knows about, but after a big storm, Evan’s grandmother makes Evan take Ricky, a new kid in town, with him when he’s supposed to meet his pals at the fort. It’s fortunate Ricky is there because he finds an old bomb shelter with electricity, TV, VCR, great old tapes, lots of canned food, and more. The boys make it their new fort, but when they pawn some silver they find in the shelter, their newfound wealth causes even more problems for them. Soon their secret is out, and things get very scary.

Gordon Korman’s one hundredth book is simply terrific. Told from the points of view of the five boys, readers get real insights into the problems middle graders face, and some of the things these boys have to face are difficult. The characters are believable, the story is complex and rich, and the writing is conversational and accessible. This is a satisfying story of friendship and loyalty, one that readers will love and remember. Don’t miss it.


A Taste of Magic

A Taste of Magic is about a twelve-year-old girl named Kyana. She has just discovered that she is the first witch in her family for decades. Luckily, there is a witch school that she can attend every day that is hidden in the back of the local hair salon. Kyana’s mom is spread thin working two jobs because she is trying to support the family. Kyana cannot wait to learn how to do some magic so that she can actually help out at home. Sadly, Kyana cannot tell her very best friend about her magic.

Soon, the school loses its funding and the students have to pay a large sum of money for tuition or lose their magic. Kyana, not wanting to lose the only thing that will allow her to help her mom, enters a baking contest with a large cash prize. Buy the book to discover if Kyana can manage to win the prize and return to witch school.

A Taste of Magic would appeal to younger children. I recommend this book to kids ages five to ten. Although this book was a good read, I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would because it was a little too childish for me. I think my little seven-year-old sister, who loves to bake, would enjoy it. I am sure your younger reader will too!


Pet That Cat!: A Handbook for Making Feline Friends

I love cats and wish I could have one! This book made me want one even more. My mom liked that this showed me how to take care of a cat, but it is the same for other animals too! I like that there are paragraphs and then pictures. I also like the words they used, and I thought it was a funny book too. When we went to the fair, this book came with us, and I read parts of it to my little brother. I think when someone gets a new cat, they should have to read this book with their kids to make sure the kids and the cat stay safe! I think this book is extra fun because it was written by a kid! I want to be an author someday, and he showed me I could do it now!


Now is Not the Time to Panic

Over the course of one hot southern summer, teenagers Frankie and Zeke bond over their mutual “weirdness” and decide that what they want is to create art. “We didn’t understand how normal this was, to be young, to believe that you were destined to make beautiful things.” She comes up with a mysterious phrase that he illustrates into a poster. Then, with the aid of a hidden Xerox machine, they secretly make hundreds of copies and plaster them all over their small town of Coalfield, Tennessee.

They love sharing this secret together: a secret that will shape their lives beyond anything they could have imagined, one that will—for a brief time—make Coalfield become a place that matters to other people. But Frankie discovers “how hard it was to walk through the day when you had an obsession and you couldn’t say a word about it.”

As in Kevin Wilson’s other novels, the book is peopled with indelible, often hilarious, characters, including Frankie’s brothers, who are huge, destructive triplets, and her recently divorced, distracted mother. Wilson renders adolescence perfectly: that intense time of absolute certainty, painful insecurity, and the passionate pursuit of vague, inarticulate dreams. Highly recommended.


Build!

Have you ever wanted to build? Then this book is for you! When playing with blocks, there is no limit to what you can make when you use your imagination. Build. STACK. TUMBLE! BOOM! This book is fun because the text is short and because there are some onomatopoeias! Just know that what may look like something to one person could be something another person imagines to be totally different.

I like this book. This is a fun book for readers who like to build. This is great inspiration for the next generation who is able to imagine and discover the world for the future. If you can dream it, you can do it with some practice! The pictures are colorful and fun! I like the building creations.


Against All Odds: A True Story of Ultimate Courage and Survival in World War II

At a time when the last of the fighting men from the Greatest Generation are dying out, Kershaw gives us one more reason to remember their sacrifices. This book follows the Marne Men of the U.S. Army's 3rd Division, 15th Infantry Regiment, the dogface soldiers. These men boast forty Congressional Medal of Honor recipients over the course of the war, more than any other division. Among them, a handful of the most decorated soldiers in history stand out--Audie Murphy, Maurice Britt, Michael Daly, and Keith Ware who rose from buck private to Major General.

In this book, Kershaw follows the Marne Men through their training under Lucian Truscott, their North Africa campaign, through Sicily and the bloody mountain ridges of Italy, and to the beaches of Omaha, Normandy, and across France in the race to the heart of Germany.

Kershaw uses the familiarity of these Congressional Medal of Honor recipients as touchstones to swing the narrative from action to action, then again in post-war from social dysfunction to broken marriages. He follows them into post-traumatic stress nightmares, unemployment, and alcoholism and drug addictions. He reveals facets of their notoriety in light of the pressures associated with guarding a hero image and their loyalties to the fallen soldiers.


Rise of the Vicious Princess

Rise of the Vicious Princess is about a young princess named Charis Willowthorn. Charis has been taught her whole life to show no emotion and know how to manipulate people in the political world. She only has one friend, her sweet little handmaiden, Milla. One day at a ball, there is an assassination attempt on the Queen’s life and a spy is found in Charis’s bath chamber. As a result of this failed assassination attempt, the Queen is injured and unable to rule. Milla, the guards, and other maids who were near the attempt are all killed by order of the Queen.

With her mother injured, Charis takes up the task of leading her kingdom in the middle of a war. She vows to never get close to the staff members of the castle again; she will never befriend another Milla. Then Charis ends up getting caught between a forbidden romance and the stress of ruling her kingdom. With enemies lurking around every corner who want the throne for themselves, Charis must be on guard at all times as she wonders if she can truly trust anybody.

Rise of the Vicious Princess was amazing! It is exactly the type of story I love to read. It has fantasy, betrayal, romance, and extremely powerful female characters. If you believe in girl power, then this is definitely a book for you! Rise of the Vicious Princess was an awesome page-turner. I am so glad I got it; I am sure you will be too!


The Summer of June

Eleven-year-old June has goals for the summer. One of them is to beat her anxiety and become the brave lion she knows she can be. This might be difficult, but June’s up for the challenge. Setting goals in June’s case involves teaching your friend how to play chess, regretting your shaved head, and dealing with a mean and selfish librarian. This might seem hard, but once June finds herself, this summer will be worth it.

June is such a lovable character because she tries so hard to fight her anxiety. I love that she and her mom are both so gutsy! Homer was a sweet and interesting character who grew on me. He seemed a little rude only at first, but he proves to be a wonderful friend to June. The library where June’s mother works sounds so fun and lovely! I love that the majority of the story took place at a public library. I think this would be a great book for kids who are struggling with anxiety to read alone or with their parents.


The Favor: A Novel

The Favor is a story about two women, Leah and McKenna, both in abusive relationships. In fact, their lives are so similar in so many ways that it is uncanny. Leah's husband Liam is a high-powered attorney. Leah is an attorney as well but likes to draw up documents for clients rather than be in the courtroom. McKenna's husband, Zack, is a psychiatrist and McKenna is a pediatrician. Both Liam and Zack make their wives stop working and keep track of their every move. Both husbands have become physically abusive as well. So when Leah decides to follow McKenna home from a liquor store to see her perfect life, she discovers this beautiful woman is just like her.

This book is fantastic and kept me on my toes the whole time to see what would happen. And although the similarities between the two women were a little too unrealistic, the book really brings to life the seriousness of domestic abuse and violence. This book is perfect for fans of Chevy Stevens and Riley Sager.


Future Stories: What's Next?

How does one foretell the future, this is the conundrum that David Christian, Professor Emeritus at Macquarie University in Sidney Australia, tackles in his inimitable conversational writing mode while analyzing this complex topic. Patterns drawn from past history often serve as the framework on which to build further expectations.  Various philosophers, scientists, historians, and other noted figures have their thoughts and studies included in this exploration of how the future might be envisioned. Through an evolutionary tour starting from the microbes and continuing to plants and animals, the adaptations taken for survival from the molecular level to the neuronal chemical adaptations are explored. On the human level, the author scrutinizes the thinking of primitive societies, then continues onto the changes adopted during the agricultural age, following onto the industrial period, and then continues to analyze the current outlook during this Anthropocene era where humans impact the planet’s ecosystem and trigger climate change. In this rapidly changing world, futuristic thoughts and concerns are further considered as they range out to the astronomic and even more expansive cosmological spheres.  There is much to think about in this intriguing adventure through these stories that attempt to see the future.


The Price of Immortality: The Race to Live Forever

The epic story of Gilgamesh and the pursuit of immortality has been repeated in history and in science fiction sagas, leading to the cryonics practice of hopefully preserving bodies until science advances will cure maladies and restore functioning bodies as suggested in the industry’s commercial slogan of freeze-wait-reanimate. Business and technology journalist Peter Ward details the personalities and bizarre characteristics energizing this passion to increase the lifespan.

Beginning with the clumsy start of the cryonics movement and its associated con artists, the quest for eternal life led to the religious founding of the Church to Perpetuate Life. As time progressed, financial tycoons backed means to increase life by stifling the aging process. Again scams abounded, with announcements of miracle drugs, blood transfusions, stem cell infusions, supplements along with fasting episodes, all of which proved ineffectual. From these trials and past history, the transhumanism movement emerged, which looks at digital immortality and how life after death could exist in the digital dimension.

Read through this engrossingly incredible and wordy whirlwind expose of human attempts to retain life and defy nature’s demand for death. One can only wonder at the worth of each of our lives.


Angry Me

It is hard being a kid in a grown-up's world. Everything seems so fast-paced and sometimes grown-ups want kids to stop playing to do other boring things, or sometimes they say it is time to leave the park, but kids don't want to. When things don't go the way they want. It is good to be able to express your feelings and emotions. If you can express the way you are feelings grown-ups can help.
This was a very cute little book, especially for readers who are learning how to deal with their emotions. It is helpful to see how the girl works through her big feelings when mad and frustrated about how things are going around her. The illustrations are colorful and really help to express the big emotions in the book.


My Mechanical Romance

A forgotten assignment lands Bel in a mandatory teacher meeting. Surprisingly, the teacher is so in awe of her hastily half-way completed project that she suggests Bel enroll in  the honors class and join the robotics team. Bel has no interest in either, but she has no choice if she wants to salvage her grade. As she enters the room for the robotics team tryouts, she is totally out of her comfort zone. While the team listens to plans for an egg drop to determine the newest team member, Bel draws out a design that steals the show.

Making the team is not for the faint of heart though. Teo is competitive and Bel knows nothing of the protocols, let alone the programming. However, with his experience and her creativity, working together might make their team the best team in the competition.

Similar to many YA stories set at comic cons, this one set in the world of robotics is candy for the geek mind. Add in family strife and post-secondary plan stress, and this tops the list of nerdy reads. Also writing as the author Olivie Blake (The Atlas Six), Follmuth delivers a top-notch YA rom com with a realistic ending.


The Bone Flower

In The Bone Flower, we meet Edward, a true gentleman living in Victorian London. Edward goes to a séance with some friends, where he meets the lovely Settie, a gypsy flower seller. They begin a love affair, but it ends in tragedy. Not long after, Edward meets Marisol and makes her his wife. Strange things begin to happen in and around their home. At times, it seems as if Marisol is possessed as well as their infant son. Edward knows he will have to return to Settie’s people if he is to ever stop this madness.

This is a fantastic Gothic ghost story set in one of my favorite time periods. It’s a classy ghost story, with just the right amount of atmosphere and subtle scares, without going for the shock factor. Daniel and Marisol were my favorite characters, no offense to Edward. Their love and strength for others was incredibly endearing. If you enjoy Victorian London, ghost stories, or Gothic mysteries, I highly recommend you add this to your reading list. Just maybe don’t read it at night when you’re alone, especially if you’ve wronged a loved one.


Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet

A science video about the glaciers in Antarctica and the threat to its wildlife just adds fire to Haven’s heightened anxiety about the environment. She is really worried about the climate and how the adults just don’t seem to be doing enough, if anything at all. When her class begins the river project, completed by every seventh grade class every year, she is hopeful about their findings, as her older brother shared his previous experience.

However, as her class’s findings come in and the complete absence of frogs is noticed, Haven knows there’s something going on, and she even knows who might be at fault. Gemba is a new employer in town, but she has to tread carefully as the company employs many people in town, including her own father.

As usual, Dee handles a scary topic with kid gloves, giving young readers validation for their fears and concerns. Haven’s beliefs are stronger than her anxiety, which shows that kids can do something constructive, but she takes it further, questioning her decisions and evaluating outcomes to do better next time. She is not satisfied until she has learned the truth. Another excellent addition to Dee’s growing bookshelf.


Find a Place for Me

Amazing Ladies Roundup

These memoirs, written straight from the heart, are brilliant, candid, and wonderful. With a dazzling cast of female authors, these books will have readers laughing, crying, rejoicing, and understanding the true meaning of love.

I'll Try Anything Once
Prue Leith
Mobius
9781529426083

Dame Prue Leith, judge of the hit show Great British Bake Off, tells her story in this incredible memoir. From her childhood in South Africa to coming to London and owning her own restaurant to becoming published and ultimately getting her position as a judge on Great British Bake Off, Prue's story will inspire readers from cover to cover.

Enough: A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood
Amelia Zachry
She Writes Press
9781647422912

Enough is one woman’s story about abuse, trauma, mental illness, and healing. Amelia Zachry chronicles her journey in this memoir as a young woman who lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia who moved to Kentucky. After a traumatic experience, she spirals into a black hole of darkness and after being diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar II disorder, she tells her readers how her experiences shaped her adult life. This bravely written memoir will evoke strong emotions in readers everywhere.

Find a Place for Me
Deirdre Fagan
Regal House Publishing
9781646032839

A beautifully written memoir about Deidre Fagan’s last days with her husband Bob, Find a Place for Me tells the story of a happy marriage in which both partners must learn to say goodbye. Fagan paints a portrait of what it feels like to lose your best friend in life. Honest, intimate, and heartbreaking, this is a memoir that will stay with its readers.

Sit, Stay, Heal
Renee Alsarraf
HarperCollins
9780063215221

A heartwarming book about how our furry four-legged friends are so much more than just pets. Dr. Renee Alsarraf is a veterinary oncologist who tells stories about some of the wonderful dogs she treats. Then, one day, Renee herself gets a cancer diagnosis. A book that dog lovers everywhere will love that shows the wonderful impact of experiencing the unique relationship between canines and humans.

Woodrow on the Bench
Jenna Blum
HarperCollins
9780063113190

Jenna Blum pays tribute to her black lab, Woodrow, in this beautiful memoir about the time Jenna spends with him in his last six months. An inseparable bond from the beginning, the two learn so much from one another and both experience what it really means to love. With stories that will make readers laugh and cry, Woodrow on the Bench is a wonderful gift to dog lovers everywhere.


A Quilt for Christmas

A Quilt for Christmas brings out all of the feels. Vera, a widow who has recently downsized her life and tried to move closer to family, has now found herself alone in a new town with minimal motivation to decorate or be as cheery as she was in her former life. Out of the blue, a young neighbor girl comes knocking on her door, full of fear and uncertainty. Unbeknownst to Vera, more lives than her own get turned upside down through the Christmas spirit, and of course, the Reason for the Season!

A Quilt for Christmas caught my attention from the beginning due to both the writing and beautiful cover. This is my first Melody Carlson story, and I'm entranced—her writing is unique. I could pinpoint another Carlson story if I read it, rather quickly. I appreciated the toned-down version of some of the subject matter. Carlson creates feel-good stories that could apply to many readers; personally, I appreciated the Christian aspect to the story and believe that it makes sense to include it, especially with this particular holiday. This will be a reread come Christmas time for sure!


The Hero of This Book

This strange and beautiful memoir follows the narrator on her path of grief and reflection as she walks around London. She last visited the city with her mother, who has since passed away. Along her walk, she reflects on her mother’s life in as much as a daughter can ever know her mother, as well as the nature of grief, being, and writing. The journey helps the narrator process her grief, frustration, and relationships in the memoir while connecting with the joy, resilience, stubbornness, and generosity that was her mother while she was alive.

 Readers better hang on tight to this powerful, subtle narrative, lest it run away without them. The Hero of This Book by Elizabeth McCracken takes time to settle into, but by the end, it coalesces into a beautiful ode to the strong, difficult (often infuriating), and complex woman who was the narrator’s mother. The fragmented experience of grief comes across on the page in this beautifully rendered tribute to a woman the narrator describes as “she wasn’t special.” The specialness came from being a mother, who is all special to our daughters.


Token Black Girl

Danielle Prescod shares a heartfelt and heart-wrenching memoir of growing up as the Token Black Girl in the predominantly White environs of an all-girls high school and the fashion and beauty industry. Prescod worked for Teen Vogue, Elle, and InStyle, learning the ins and outs of the fashion publishing trade while also contending with the double-edged sword of racism and misogyny. Conforming with the White, Eurocentric aesthetic, Prescod writes candidly about trying to blend with White cliques and developing eating disorders. Growing up and attending school in predominantly White environments, Prescod shares her reflections as the only Black female, lamenting the damning experience of isolation and invisibility.

Token Black Girl is a courageous memoir that centers on truth-telling about how Black women navigate White spaces. Prescod writes from the perspective of the generation that grew up with Hillary Duff, Vanessa Carlton, Amanda Bynes, and Raven Symone as television and film icons. She offers a close-up view of what beauty creatives have to go through in the age of social media. Even while there is more awareness about the damaging effects of racist beauty standards, we still have ways to go as a society to minimize the harms of ethnocentric ideals on young women of color, especially Black women.


Caesar's Lord (Constantine's Empire)

In the fourth century, Christianity has taken root in Rome, thanks to Emperor Constantine. However, the old gods are still widely worshipped, causing tension in the empire. Even within Christianity, there are divisions and threats of schism.

Litfin has set the latest book in his Constantine’s Empire series against the background of the Arian controversy and Constantine’s battles against his brother-in-law Licinius and the struggles within his own household. It’s a fascinating period of history, and it’s clear Litfin knows it well. At times, it seems he knows it too well; the narration dives into detailed explanations of the controversy surrounding Jesus’s divinity and descriptions of the setting that will mainly distract people already intrigued by this period of history. I wish he had put as much energy into giving the characters more depth. As it is, there is a stark split between the good Christians and the utterly wicked pagans.

This book will appeal most to a Christian audience with either a strong backing or a strong interest in Roman history. I found it interesting but dry, and the constant reminders of monotheism being the only right way soon grew repetitive.


A Guide to America’s National Heritage Areas: A Guide to the Nation's New Kind of National Park

Planning a trip? This book introduces you to fifty-four National Heritage Areas across the country. Distinct from National Parks, a National Heritage Area (NHA) celebrates something distinctive about a region or place. For example, the Abraham Lincoln NHA, covering much of Illinois, includes sites where Lincoln lived or worked, his tomb, and many others. The Silos and Smokestacks NHA in Iowa honors the agricultural foundation of the area and the varied landscapes, peoples, and industries of the region. History, geography, industry, culture – these are just a few of the themes that can support an NHA.

This book is great fun. Dip in anywhere to learn about the different areas and how they have shaped the country with friendly, informative writing. Then start to plan some trips! A map of where the NHAs are located ensures you can find one just about anywhere you go. Each NHA then has its own entry, with an overview, descriptions of a few of the attractions there, and websites for further information. Photos enhance the text and give you a taste of what you may find. With this lovely travel guide, you'll be eager to start exploring everywhere you go!


The Ominous Ocean: Rogue Waves, Rip Currents and Other Dangers Along the Shoreline and in the Sea

That great blue sea looks so inviting, but like so many lures, this vast ocean holds many dangers for the human seafarer as well as for those engaged in water sports. Engagingly detailed, University of California professor of earth and planetary sciences, Gary Griggs, has assembled a medley of stories and scientific accounts dramatically describing the perils that this marine milieu poses.  Having already once been rescued being towed out to sea by a rip current, I am aware of this seductive challenge and gasp at other potential ways to drown at the beach. Surfing, scuba diving, and free diving are challenging and appealing endeavors, but these activities have their inherent risks. Denizens of the sea, such as sting rays, lionfish, sharks, venomous reptiles, and many others, may use their weapons in self-defense if encountered.  But even more, threatening are the rogue waves that can submerge and even tear ships apart, or think about underseas earthquakes and the tsunamis these produce, destroying coastal life. Learn that the Bermuda Triangle is nothing but a mythic mystery. Illustrated with photos supporting the absorbing text, the story of this menacing ocean is an absorbing and educational review of this powerful ocean.


The King's Shadow

James Lewis knew there were consequences for desertion, including execution. However, life in the army of the East India Company held little appeal. He walked off as James Lewis and re-emerged as Charles Masson. Masson struggled to make his way eastward, being robbed of money and clothing, among other hardships. On the verge of death, he is saved by the random kindness of strangers. At full strength, Masson is capable of disguising his identity, posing as a healer or as an intrepid explorer. Once in Afghanistan, he is determined to excavate the lost city that belonged to the empire of Alexander the Great. Masson unearths tantalizing tidbits here and there, but nothing definitive. His reputation precedes him, and shortly thereafter, he is under the thumb of men with more sinister motives.

The King’s Shadow shines as a real-life action-adventure saga where the subject is a man without a country. His successes are not nearly as long as his troubles, and Lewis’ motives can easily be second-guessed. Edmund Richardson has written a beguiling biography of the cryptic individual born James Lewis but remembered as Charles Masson. An incisive biography with a view toward the global-political struggle looming in the century ahead.


Killer Story

As a lover of mysteries and crime podcasts, I was excited to pick up a copy of Killer Story by Matt Witten. Petra, a journalism major, picks up fourteen-year-old Olivia for UCLA's journalism boot camp. They quickly become close like sisters. Olivia gets accepted to Harvard and starts her own YouTube channel. Petra is shocked because Olivia shares her very conservative views including those about immigrants. Olivia is then found dead in her dorm room, killed by a lamp.

The police do not solve Olivia's homicide, but a few years later, Petra, a struggling journalist who has gotten fired many times decides to try and find Olivia's killer. It is easy to see that Petra is extremely desperate and although she claims that she really loved Olivia, it is obvious that she is only doing it to save her job at the Boston Curion. Her boss has given her two weeks to come up with a story and podcast otherwise she's fired.

Although I loved the story, Petra made almost every person in the book a suspect whether she had real evidence or not. It seemed like she was recklessly ruining lives on her podcast just to get hits. Overall, the story was a really good one but the main character was pretty weak and scattered.


The Gravedigger's Song (Tom Killgannon Series, Book 3)

The massacre in Cornwall of young Simon West’s family was brutal… and bizarre, with the murderers dressed up in puppet costumes. Having barely escaped, a traumatized Simon is placed in the care of Tom Killgannon, an ex-undercover police officer. When Tom’s house is targeted, he decides to take action, beginning with the man whom Simon’s father, a lawyer, sent to jail.

Meanwhile, local elections are on the horizon. A right-wing party composed of thugs hiding behind a veneer of intellectual respectability wants to take England back to the glorious days of a “purer” age. The nearby village of St Petroc has its own shadowy history—the so-called “upheaval” when hysteria over Brexit gripped villagers and almost led to blood sacrifices. And then an enigmatic woman, an artist, arrives in St Petroc.

A strong dose of mystery, then, but also mayhem. The barbaric behavior of the story’s villains will shock (and stretch credulity), and animal lovers will want to skip the gratuitous violence in the dog-fighting scenes. Seasoned readers will likely spot how the plot’s various strands will play out, but even so, The Gravedigger’s Song delivers a thrilling ride and an action-packed ending.


Sinister Graves (A Cash Blackbear Mystery Book 3)

Cash Blackbear has been helping Sheriff Wheaton, who is her guardian, to solve some cases. Cash has dreams that sometimes help her understand things others don’t. The spring floods have been bad in the area around Fargo, and a young Native-American woman’s body has washed up. She has a page torn from a hymnal in both English and Ojibwe in her bra, but no ID. Wheaton asks Cash to find out who she is. When Cash goes to the small towns in the area, she comes across a little church that has a scary presence and sinister preacher. Cash is warned away from the church, but she feels it is there she will find answers she needs.

Marcie. R. Rendon has written a gripping mystery with enough fascinating characters and chilling problems to keep readers up reading until all hours. Cash is a great character with all the foibles one might expect with one so young and overly confident. The other characters populating her life and a setting that nearly becomes another character will make readers anxious for the next book in this series. Great writing, snappy dialogue, and a very compelling story make this a must-read for mystery fans.


Happy-Go-Lucky

David Sedaris’s newest collection of essays reaches back to his childhood, through his adulthood with his sisters and parents, and into the present, his mother long dead and his father still holding on, the pandemic wreaking havoc on every corner of life. The essays are darkly humorous—Sedaris never shies away from the absurdities that accompany life’s most arduous moments—but there’s a great deal of wisdom and stark, unsparing emotion here too. Sedaris grieves over his father’s eventual death; dissects and analyzes his sister Tiffany’s suicide; reflects on family vacations that he views with new clarity. Who’s to say each vacation, each interaction with his father and sisters, isn’t the last?

There are struggles in Happy-Go-Lucky, both personal and societal. The beach house Sedaris and his longtime partner, Hugh, purchase in North Carolina is badly damaged in a hurricane; the pandemic renders Sedaris’s book tour a theater of the absurd; he attempts to come to terms with the reality of watching his sisters grow old. The throughline is a deep commitment to family, who are both his material and his life. Each of Sedaris’s collections grows more poignant as goodbyes shrink his family circle.


The Sacred Bridge: A Novel (A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel, 7)

Jim Chee is vacationing in Antelope Canyon, hoping to find a sacred cave his mentor, Joe Leaphorn, told him about. But Chee discovers a dead body in Lake Powell, and the local police need him to stick around for a couple days and help with the investigation since he speaks Navajo. Discovering the killer puts Chee in real jeopardy. Meanwhile, back home in Shiprock, Chee’s wife Bernadette Manuelito witnesses a deliberate hit-and-run death, and she is given an undercover assignment to go into a hemp farm on native land to try to get information that will bring the killer to justice. The danger she faces is great and even puts her mother and sister at risk.

Anne Hillerman has carried on the franchise of Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries started by her father, Tony Hillerman, with great aplomb and a deft writing style. The Southwest setting and the weaving in of Navajo culture are always a treat for readers. The characters are genuine, the story is compelling and complex, and the writing is gorgeous. This is the sixth book in Anne Hillerman’s series, but it reads well as a stand-alone story. Mystery lovers will love this one.


Search: A Novel

Dana is a food writer looking for her next book idea. When an elder in her Unitarian Universalist Church suggests she join the committee in charge of selecting a candidate to replace the departing minister, Dana is initially hesitant because of the time commitment, but then realizes that her next book idea just fell into her lap. Besides her creative instinct, Dana genuinely hopes to find a minister who is a perfect fit for the congregation, ideally a social-justice-minded middle-aged woman with a wealth of wisdom and experience. The other committee members have their own wish list, however, and it doesn’t take long before committee meetings offer drama to rival any novel.

A church’s search for a minister is small-scale drama, to be sure, but Huneven gives the committee members depth enough to carry them through their months-long engagement. She teases out the humor inherent in the members’ charged interactions, but never suggests that the passion they feel about their task is silly or misplaced. Even Dana, who starts the search with a kind of artistic distance, finds she truly cares about the outcome. And, thanks to Huneven’s assured storytelling, so do we.


A Spot of New

A Spot of New is the story of a baby horse- brand new with sparkling white fur. The voice in the book is talking to the baby horse and telling it things that it doesn't know yet about life and what to expect and work toward. There is a big world full of things for the horse to experience, but it needs to know the right way to experience it all. The horse learns about friendship by befriending a mouse, and each new thing that they do together earns the horse a "spot" on itself until it is covered in spots that represent the new adventures and risks the horse took in its life until it is hard to recognize. The horse grows up and learns how to pass on its knowledge to the next brand-new horse with sparkling white fur.

 I like how the story is about being brave and not being afraid of new happenings. I like the colors throughout the story with each new "spot," and how much happier the horse appears as the story goes on. This story would be good for kids of any age because it teaches important lessons in life.


Grave Things Like Love

Funeral Girl. That’s what they call Elaine because she lives and works in a funeral home that her family has owned for generations. She enjoys hanging out with friends and watching Dragonfly with Miles, but the family obligation causes her to bail on plans often. When Xander arrives in town, Elaine feels a spark. Xander is passionate about paranormal investigations, and would love access to Elaine’s old family home. Pressured by her friends to be present, her father to continue in the family business, and Xander to ghost hunt against her family’s wishes, she doesn’t know where to turn or how to speak up without hurting those she loves.

The thrill of first love, the stress of college and career, and the wonder of the unknown all play parts in this typical teenage story, though not enough to call this a love story or a paranormal story. It is more a slice of life story with a side of ghosts and romance. It’s a story that could use more meat but works well enough as an appetizer with a little bit of everything - love triangle, ghosts, a comic con, friend drama - to interest anyone looking for a quick read.


How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race: Practical Tools for Necessary Change in the Workplace and Beyond

Every workplace interaction can be perceived as cross-cultural negotiation: requiring communication and conflict resolution skills for effective communication. Kwame Christian’s How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race offers practical tips for professionals to navigate contentious and uncomfortable discussions about race and the impacts of racism at work. He notes that creating positive change must be modeled by leaders, who are often reluctant to talk about issues concerning race. Working on systemic change, one must be ready to face skepticism, criticism, and resistance. A leading expert in negotiation in business and legal settings, Christian brings best practices in persuasive communication to advance diversity and inclusion efforts in the workplace.

Christian’s perspective on successful negotiation is anchored in psychology, communication studies, and conflict resolution. I read the book from my vantage point as a seasoned diversity practitioner. It was refreshing to approach emotionally charged racial equity discussions from a negotiation expert’s perspective. The author offers examples of real-world scenarios that touch on employee relations, and operational and management concerns. Christian has an extensive background in leadership development, and this is reflected in the way the book is written: straightforward, pragmatic, and outcome-oriented.  The wealth of strategies included in the book apply to various contexts and are essential in conversations about race.


After the Silence

The year is 2052, and aliens have just come to Earth.

Actually, the aliens don't reach Earth until significantly far into the book. After the Silence is not a fast-paced science fiction novel, nor even one with a strong emphasis on plot. It is, rather, a science fiction book that falls heavily on the science side. There are long paragraphs of scientific explanations and philosophical musings throughout. While they are interesting, I felt they took away from the book as a work of fiction.

The above sentence could summarize my feelings about the book as a whole. Loschke has devised an intriguing premise, but for the first several chapters, he doesn’t do much with it beyond give his characters things to speculate about. Their speculation is interesting—Who are the aliens? What do they want? What brought them to Earth?—but before long it feels long-winded. The aliens, too, are long-winded in their explanations of who and what they are, and what their purpose is in coming to Earth. From aliens, it could make sense, but combined with the lengthy exposition from the humans and in the narration, at times it makes the book a slog. It doesn’t help that there is little to no description. The book as a whole is very cerebral. While that is not at all a bad thing, it does mean it will appeal more to one part of the science fiction audience than the other.

I should say now that I tend to fall more on the “other” side of the science fiction audience. While I don’t want it to be all wormholes and blasters, I do think that a novel is best served by embracing some elements of story-telling. In this case, Loschke didn’t entirely avoid traditional elements; he included them half-heartedly. Every now and then, some suspense is introduced, but it never quite plays out. In most cases, it’s overwhelmed by another round of philosophizing. Once, it’s abandoned before it has a chance to affect the story much.

As far as I can tell, the science in this novel is sound, although a few minor questions arose that distracted me from the narrative. For readers who are looking for that over a gripping storyline, After the Silence may be just the book they’re looking for. However, I suspect those with a more general interest in science fiction will find the book dull. My overall response was that I was impressed but ultimately uninterested.


What Remains of Love

“A wartime love affair between a young French girl and American soldier in the 1940s. The daughter of this American soldier who finds out about her father’s long lost love after his passing. Secrets uncovered in an old diary and mementos of precious time spent. What Remains of Love is beautifully written in both past and present tense with descriptions of France in the 1940s and the effect the war had. Heartbreaking, eyeopening, and unputdownable, readers will cherish the words on each page as they follow the story through the eyes of Emelie and Kate.” —Kristi Elizabeth, Manhattan Book Review


Cobblestones, Conversations, and Corks: A Son's Discovery of His Italian Heritage

Thomas Wolfe’s famous adage states that you can never go home again; however, in Cobblestones, Conversations, and Corks, Giovanni Ruscitti demonstrates otherwise. Ruscitti is a first-generation Italian American and nationally recognized attorney, arbitrator, and mediator who has put aside his legal briefs to produce an engaging, delightful, and sometimes melancholy memoir of his search for his Italian roots. The book is multifaceted, at times a biography of his father, a history of a small town in central Italy, and an examination of the Italian immigrant experience during the post-war era. It is also an examination of Italian village culture in the Abruzzo region of Italy, and it is useful as a departure point for a traveler desiring an off-the-beaten-track experience in Italy.

The narrative starts with Ruscitti’s 2016 trip to his parents’ hometown of Cansano, Italy. It is on this trip that he learns about his parents’ Italian roots, meets his Italian relatives, and comes face to face with his family’s past. Ruscitti, as a son of Italian immigrants living in a close-knit Italian American community, grew up in world formed by Italian customs, but he never explored, as he writes, the “fabric out of which my parents’ lives were woven, as well as the colorful threads out of which they spun the tapestry of our lives.” The four-day trip is the center of the narrative, and the author presents the formative experiences of his life and how his relationship with his father grew and changed over the years. This intimate memoir unfolds as Ruscitti reveals his father’s life experiences in America and Italy.

Cobblestones, Conversations, and Corks is apropos as a title, as Ruscitti treads the cobblestone streets of his father’s past and engages in lengthy conversations with relatives while the Italian red wine flows. One of the saddest subjects is the recitation of the village of Cansano’s experience in World War II. Cansano had the misfortune to be part of the Gustav Line, which was a Nazi defensive position in central Italy anchored by the famous Monte Cassino monastery. Cansano’s population underwent devastating deprivations during the war and it never fully recovered as a village.

The book is a slim volume of forty-one chapters packed into a little over two hundred pages. At times, the thread of the narrative gets sidetracked by excessive flashbacks as the reader is continually sent back in time, only to be thrust forward again a few pages later. A more moderate use of flashbacks would have improved the flow. However, this is a minor distraction in an otherwise excellent book. At the end of the day, Ruscitti proves that not only can you go home again, you can also go home for the first time.


But Still, Music

But Still, Music by Anne Pitkin truly is a beautiful poetry collection. Rich in imagery, emotion, and passion, these poems are exceptionally composed.

The collection is divided into two sections, both of which focus on different parts on Pitkin’s life. The first section refers to Pitkin’s life in the segregated south. Growing up middleclass in the Jim Crow era, her family, like many at the time, had employed African American maids to help clean the house and take care of the children.

One of my favorite poems in this section was titled “Southern,” where Pitkin talks about Elsie, their maid. Pitkin writes that Elsie took her on the bus, but didn’t sit with her. Elsie ate in the kitchen with the yard man, instead of at the dinner table with their family. Pitkin says that when she injured herself barefoot in their yard, she didn’t need money, food, soap, or running water; she had Elsie, who soothed her sores and provided for her needs. This poem highlights the childlike innocence of Pitkin, completely unaware of Elsie’s struggles and situation, but still full of love for her dear maid who always took care of her.

Another poem I particularly liked in this collection was titled “The First Home,” a dedication to Pitkin’s childhood friend, Michael. Full of sorrow and nostalgia, she recalls the best friend of her childhood with wonder. Inseparable in youth, Pitkin recalls their days together quarreling, playing, and climbing trees. Unfortunately, she has lost touch with Michael besides a drunken phone call saying “I love you” years ago. I loved this poem, not only because it was beautifully written, but also because it made me think of my own childhood friends and memories. Overflowing with imagery and emotion in every verse, this poem stood out to me as I deeply felt Pitkin’s grief and love for Michael.

Finally, “Afterlife” was another poem that I loved from this book. Told from Botswana in the Okavango Delta, Pitkin recalls a trip she took with a friend. Both recently divorced, they went to Botswana on their savings to see all the country has to offer. Their guide on a sort of riverboat tour tells them if they fall out the boat they will be eaten by crocodiles, which thrills them both even more. I loved this poem because the imagery of the animals and scenery was pristine. I felt transported to the banks of the Okavango Delta myself, alongside Pitkin and her friend, gazing into the water.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and all its tales. For all readers who enjoy poetry, especially poetry full of nature and sorrow, I would recommend this book.


Making the Rounds: Defying Norms in Love and Medicine

Making the Rounds is the fascinating memoir by Patricia Grayhall (pen name) which gives readers a glimpse into the complicated life of a female doctor in the 1960s and 1970s while becoming comfortable in her own skin as a lesbian. Grayhall does a wonderful job of starting from the beginning and leading her readers through her life, not leaving anything out, no matter how embarrassing or self-deprecating.

The book begins with a young Patricia who is about fourteen or fifteen years old. Her playmates were often male and she loved to dress in jeans rather than the dresses her mother would have preferred. Patricia knew she had an interest in girls but didn't know any other female who had this interest. She started to think she was the only lesbian in Arizona. Reading about how Patricia was able to find education about gays and lesbians at such a young age was impressive. She called a lesbian organization in San Francisco to obtain their magazine via mail. Patricia goes on to have a heterosexual relationship but knows deep down that she loves women. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was very brave of her to admit this, although she was careful to who she admitted it.

On top of everything, Patricia attends Arizona State University and decides to pursue a career in internal medicine. However, she also starts frequenting San Francisco because there are many opportunities to find other lesbians. The book is written in such a way that the reader follows Patricia through her relationships with several women in a polyamorous fashion as well as through the hospital doors as she experiences sexism in the male-dominated medical field. I loved how she told stories about some of the patients she had during her time as an intern/resident. While I was reading this book, however, sometimes I felt as if I was reading about two different women; the professional Patricia who studied hard and knew her stuff at work, and the Patricia who was discovering and learning more about her own sexuality via a series of relationships. I wondered how she was able to concentrate on her studies when it seemed like all she could think about was the women in her life.

The people Patricia met throughout this time in her life were so interesting and different from one another. I especially liked her roommate David who put up with Patricia's emotional ups and downs and her lack of housekeeping. This sounds like a true friend to me. From the people whom she meets, Patricia grows and learns more about herself and her likes and dislikes.

Making the Rounds is a wonderful book that flows from page to page keeping its readers engaged in Patricia's story and wanting to know where it would go next. Inspiring, heartfelt, and brutally honest at times, this is a book that will give women and those who care about them, the strength and motivation to persevere through the trials and tribulations in life.


"Fascinating and brutally real, Grayhall tells her story as a doctor and lesbian who has carved a path for today's females with strength and courage. Well-written with words that float right off the page, readers will find themselves deeply engaged in this true story of love, life struggles, and the feeling of success ." --Kristi Elizabeth, Seattle Book Review


Public Opinion

You’re super-rich and someone has canceled you on social media, denigrated you in an article, or, worst of all, hacked your computer, and unless you pay them all your dirty, illegal secrets are going to be exposed. What do you do? You call Melvin Ritkin.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Melvin’s a consultant and works mainly with publicists. But according to Melvin himself, he’s “a dirty, slimy opportunist: a grifter and a liar, a catfish and a cyber bully. I enable deep fakes, spread vicious rumors, and sling bullshit far and wide on the almighty internet for whoever pays me the most.”

In digital strategy and crisis management he’s categorized as a “whatever needs to happen to get the job done type of consultant–a fixer.”

Melvin mostly works for Titus, a “thirty-two-year-old narcissist worth over $400 million...A man born into money and privilege who became a movie star” and his sycophants. His latest assignment is to manipulate positive reviews for a movie that’s about to be released that Titus has directed and financed with his cohorts. Using a combination of bribery and blackmail Melvin manages to coerce eleven out of twelve, but when the last reviewer threatens to expose his illegal acts, Melvin and his associate murder him and make it look like an accident.

Titus thinks it’s unfortunate but since it appears the crime will go undetected he gives Melvin another assignment – manipulate the vote for the Oscars.

That’s when Melvin’s porn star wife, Ruby, and mother of their baby daughter discovers her husband’s secret retirement/insurance stash – incriminating digital files he could use to blackmail his previous clients. Those files also reveal the kind of work he does and the havoc he’s wreaked on their behalf. Ruby’s shocked and appalled at “the monster” her husband truly is and leaves with the kid and the evidence.

Now Melvin’s the one whose life can be destroyed if Ruby decides to take this evidence to the authorities. If she does, will all his tech-savvy and nefarious social media skills keep him from spending the rest of his life in prison?

In Public Opinion, author Nathan Pettijohn tells you everything you want to know and more about what’s fake, fraudulent and just distasteful on the internet as well as how reputations can be destroyed, created or rehabilitated. This intriguing novel, ringing with authenticity, will have you reconsidering your digital footprint as it reveals just how vulnerable we all are.


Eventually, They All Fall

Never have I read such a wonderful book with so many fantastic themes and characters. Domino Garrison is fifteen-years-old but very wise beyond his years. This is due in part to the fact that his dad left when he was a young boy and he has been raised by a single mother who is also a heroin addict. As a child, Domino learns that he is able to see other people's fantasies as they imagine them. At first, Domino just thinks he has a vivid imagination. He learns differently the day he meets his future best friend Griffin at the park when they are five years old. Griffin is obsessed with rabbits and imagines all different rabbits. This scares Domino for a minute and he asks Griffin what is up with all the rabbits? Griffin, in shock, replies, "You can see them too?". This is how Domino learns that he has a special ability.

This book takes its readers on an exciting adventure to solve problems that seem to get worse and worse. First, Domino and his friend Lucy are on a date at the zoo and a tiger gets loose. He thinks it's just himself seeing someone's fantasy until he realizes everyone is running and that the escaped tiger is real. From there, problems escalate and include black acidic sludge on the ground and frogs raining from the sky. It is up to Domino and his friends to figure out why this is happening. Along the way, Domino learns to develop his special power and learns there is more to it. Is there someone who is creating these disasters and if so, why?

Readers of all ages will love this story. The imagination is an endless pit of wonders and readers will love scenes such as the flying dragon-sometimes Pegasus named Hermon the Third with purple fangs and the invisibility cloaks. This book reminded me of a cross between Harry Potter and Stranger Things because the main characters were all kids who go on danger-filled adventures. There are some serious themes in this book, however, and the author does an amazing job of weaving them into the storyline. Themes such as drug abuse, single parenthood, children raising themselves, and the importance of good friends who will stick by your side no matter what all come into play in this fairytale of a story. Domino also displays perserverance and bravery as he tries to save the Earth from the mysteries happenings. Packed with action and adventure, Eventually, They All Fall is a book that anyone can enjoy from young adult to adult. Magical, fun, and exciting!


"Parents and children will love the colorful drawings in Steve the Bee and Little Frankie Talk Behavior and Feelings. Follow Steve the Bee as he teaches parents to listen to what their children are trying to tell them instead of using physical punishment. Little Frankie will teach children to think about how they feel before doing an action. Two wonderful stories in one that will help make the world a better and safer place for all!" --Kristi Elizabeth, Manhattan Book Review


East of Troost: A Novel

Can you truly buy back the past? The narrator in East of Troost is recovering from two traumatic events: the slow death of her husband and a conflagration that torched her home in California. She has decided to seek stability in the familiar and so purchases her childhood home in Kansas City. The idea is promising; however, the house is a fixer-upper. Repairs need to be made to various rooms in the house, furnishings are sparse, and much work needs to be done to render it a home. Funds are available, but not limitless.

The neighborhood was changing before her move. The location of a freeway that cuts through her community led to an exodus of familiar faces, her parents eventually joining the majority who fled. Many familiar businesses are gone, and navigating her way around seeking food and supplies has become angst-ridden chores. A successful discovery of a hardware store or dollar store is cause for celebration. The “to-do” list changes daily. However, a break-in by a previous owner puts her on edge. Is she truly safe when it's just her and her dog in the house? Was her sense of safety removed with her previous losses?

Rebuilding her life was never a small task, yet she is resolute in her desire to reclaim her childhood home. Every day brings with it another step in that direction, along with the occasional challenge. She must manage to renovate the house while telecommuting to work. The changing of the seasons provides new tests as well, from food growing to laundry to storm windows. Comfort is provided by various neighbors who look out for the narrator and each other. Is it possible for her to renew her life at this stage and in this place?

East of Troost proves that sometimes you can go home again. Author Ellen Barker has written an emotionally charged drama where thoughts of nostalgia compete with the predicaments of the present in the protagonist’s quest to settle down in a familiar environment. The task of starting anew is daunting, even more so when alone and coping with emotional stress. The emotional upheaval caused by her immeasurable losses is conveyed with sympathy. Her desire to put her best foot forward is admirable. The delicate topic of racism is featured throughout the narrative, and the sins of the past with respect to the racist practices of realtors and urban developers are highlighted.

It is an inspiring book that will make many a reader think about life and how we treat our neighbors.


Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun is an amazing book. It starts off with a young girl named Onyeka. She and her mom moved to America from Nigeria when they found out that her father had gone missing. Now she only has one friend, who is named Cheyenne. Onyeka has always been the weird one out because of her hair, but Cheyenne is good to her anyway.

When her friend Cheyenne starts drowning in the pool, Onyeka naturally goes to save her only friend. As she drags Cheyyenne to the surface, she starts drowning, until her hair magically forms a protective bubble around her! When Onyeka confronts her mom about what happened, she discovers a deep secret about herself and her father.

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun was super interesting. While it is not quite for my particular age group or grade level, it would be great for children ages six to ten years old. Onyeka is truly Black girl magic! Buy the book and discover the dark secret about Onyeka and her father.


Attribution: A Novel

Cate Adamson despairs she’ll ever convince her misogynistic supervisor that her dissertation proposal in art history meets the standards of New York University. Dismissing her latest effort, the mean-spirited professor dispatches her to inventory the contents of a little-used basement. There she discovers an old painting in a chest. A long-lost seventeenth century masterpiece by Velázquez? Perhaps. Cate doesn’t know, but she intends to find out.

With the painting rolled up in a cardboard tube, she miraculously sneaks it out of the university, boards a plane, and flies to Spain to have it authenticated. The plot, part romance, part treasure hunt, turns on a chance encounter. Traveling by train to Seville, Cate meets an impoverished Spanish aristocrat who soon becomes her love interest and whose crumbling family home in Olivares just happens to house historical records and artifacts dating to the time of Velázquez.

Improbable to be sure, but thereafter Attribution delivers an exciting journey of exploration and discovery that builds to a tense press conference at which Cate reveals the painting’s extraordinary history and the identity of the artist. Filled with exciting findings and daunting setbacks as well as numerous fascinating art references, Attribution is an enthralling read.


Grounded for All Eternity

Mal, Lilith, Aleister, and Crowley are just your average teenagers. Except they have wings, and they live in Hell. Mal and the gang are pumped for school vacation, which is practically canceled the second a soul escapes from the Pit, where the worst dead are imprisoned.

Unable to resist the promise of adventure, the kids sneak out. While goofing around in the woods near a tear in the veil, they accidentally fall through into a town called Salem, and unbeknownst to them, they bring the spirit with them. When chaotic things start happening in Salem, Mal and his friends have to trap the escapee and save the people of Earth before the veil closes… and they can’t go home.

This was a very interesting story! While being entertaining and fun, it also had a more serious side with some deeper elements, even though it still maintained its overall light-hearted manner. The characters were all unique and well-developed, with witty dialogue and realistic personalities. Their adventures were humorous, with plenty of nods to well-known myths and stories.

I loved Mal and the gang, and I would recommend their story to anyone who loves dark, interesting, and witty adventures.


Toxic Effects (Memory Thieves Series, Book 2) (Memory Thieves, 2)

Cristina and Wilson are back in Toxic Effects. Cristina is still trying to come to terms with who she really is after the events in Adverse Effects. Wilson is working on a case involving teens who are losing their memories and then turning up dead. Cristina discovers that someone is killing everyone who had any connection to her previous employer. As she turns to Wilson, they realize their problems might be connected. They will have to work together again to stop an assassin and a killer, as well as come to terms with their new reality.

I’m not sure if it’s ironic, but I could not remember the plot of the first book very well. I would highly recommend reading these back-to-back to keep all the details straight. From what I could remember, this story was just as action-packed as the first one, and while it is a medical thriller, it’s more along the lines of assassins and espionage. If you enjoyed the first one or enjoy medical/spy thrillers, then you should definitely add this series to your reading list.


Amazing Ladies Roundup

These memoirs, written straight from the heart, are brilliant, candid, and wonderful. With a dazzling cast of female authors, these books will have readers laughing, crying, rejoicing, and understanding the true meaning of love.

I'll Try Anything Once
Prue Leith
Mobius
9781529426083

Dame Prue Leith, judge of the hit show Great British Bake Off, tells her story in this incredible memoir. From her childhood in South Africa to coming to London and owning her own restaurant to becoming published and ultimately getting her position as a judge on Great British Bake Off, Prue's story will inspire readers from cover to cover.

Enough: A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood
Amelia Zachry
She Writes Press
9781647422912

Enough is one woman’s story about abuse, trauma, mental illness, and healing. Amelia Zachry chronicles her journey in this memoir as a young woman who lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia who moved to Kentucky. After a traumatic experience, she spirals into a black hole of darkness and after being diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar II disorder, she tells her readers how her experiences shaped her adult life. This bravely written memoir will evoke strong emotions in readers everywhere.

Find a Place for Me
Deirdre Fagan
Regal House Publishing
9781646032839

A beautifully written memoir about Deidre Fagan’s last days with her husband Bob, Find a Place for Me tells the story of a happy marriage in which both partners must learn to say goodbye. Fagan paints a portrait of what it feels like to lose your best friend in life. Honest, intimate, and heartbreaking, this is a memoir that will stay with its readers.

Sit, Stay, Heal
Renee Alsarraf
HarperCollins
9780063215221

A heartwarming book about how our furry four-legged friends are so much more than just pets. Dr. Renee Alsarraf is a veterinary oncologist who tells stories about some of the wonderful dogs she treats. Then, one day, Renee herself gets a cancer diagnosis. A book that dog lovers everywhere will love that shows the wonderful impact of experiencing the unique relationship between canines and humans.

Woodrow on the Bench
Jenna Blum
HarperCollins
9780063113190

Jenna Blum pays tribute to her black lab, Woodrow, in this beautiful memoir about the time Jenna spends with him in his last six months. An inseparable bond from the beginning, the two learn so much from one another and both experience what it really means to love. With stories that will make readers laugh and cry, Woodrow on the Bench is a wonderful gift to dog lovers everywhere.


The Clackity

After losing her parents in a devastating accident when she was younger, Evie moved to Blight Harbor to live with her Aunt Desdemona, who deals with the paranormal going-ons in the town. One night when Desdemona goes to the abandoned slaughterhouse near the edge of town, Evie is intrigued; the slaughterhouse is the one place her aunt forbade her to go. Desdemona has disappeared— and in her place, a strange and terrifying creature named the Clackity appears. It tells Evie that if she ever wants to see her aunt again, she must enter a shadowy world filled with the things of nightmares and bring back the ghost of a serial killer— all while she searches for Des. Can Evie save her aunt? Or will she play right into the hands of the Clackity?

I liked this book because it was well imagined and amazingly creepy, with just the right amount of adventure and suspense to pull it all together. I liked Evie as a character, her persistence, and her will to protect her aunt, making this a great read! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a spooky, wildly entertaining ride.


No Perfect Love: Shattering the Illusion of Flawless Relationships

I will not say this is perfect (because Dr. Nerenberg teaches that perfection doesn't exist), but I will say that No Perfect Love is pretty darn close! Relationships exist among nearly every living person and present themselves through various people and in multiple ways—family, friends, romantic, platonic, etc.

Dr. Nerenberg wrote No Perfect Loveamid the COVID-19 pandemic, arguably one of the most challenging times to work on maintaining, let alone strengthening, relationships. Dr. Nerenberg is a strong endorser of the twelve-step program commonly used for addiction; her book includes twelve chapters covering every area of a relationship imaginable.

Whether your relationship presents to be "perfect" and you have no concerns, or you don't know how you will make it through another day, you have at your fingertips an abundance of information (Dr. Nerenberg provides more than enough research and resources) to maintain or improve not only a relationship with someone else, but more importantly, your relationship with yourself.

The information will not read like a textbook; instead, case studies from clients and much self-disclosure allow the book to read as relational and comforting. Dr. Nerenberg concludes each chapter with two to three exercises/activities to try that focuses on the relationship issue mentioned in the chapter.


Endless Forms: The Secret World of Wasps

Most people don't like wasps. They're aggressive, sting (and hurt!), and ruin your picnics trying to steal a sip of your drink. Right? Well, this book will open your eyes to how varied, fascinating, and wonderful wasps really are. Thousands of species (most of which do not sting!) play an essential role in ecosystems around the world, and many directly benefit humans. Wasps are tragically understudied, but researchers who study wasps invariably fall in love with their exotic behaviors – which nevertheless eerily echo our own. Author Sumner, who has been studying wasps for two decades, honors these insects with humor and appreciation as she explains their evolution, sociality, and foraging, feeding, and breeding habits. She introduces you to early wasp pioneers, with their unimaginable patience for making exacting observations, who thread their way through the book with their own boundless enthusiasm, and whose work built a solid foundation for her own wasp research. Their stories are entwined with hers and with that of the wasps to create an engrossing narrative that is sure to give you a new appreciation for this amazing creature and maybe create a fondness for them in you, as well.


Monsters Born and Made

Koral Hunter hunts maristags for the Glory Race, an event reserved for the upper-class Landers that rule the island. But when she loses the last maristag of the season and her family falls into even more debt, she is forced to enter the race to pay for her ailing sister's medicine. Even though she's up against competitors who have been training their whole lives, Koral is certain that because she grew up raising the maristags, she just might be able to win. But when someone tries to sabotage her plans to win and it seems that the people whose approval she’s trying to win are working against her, Koral realizes she just might be in over her head…

I liked this book because it was smooth and entertaining, even though it dragged a little at times. It had a good plot and story (similar to The Hunger Games), but I feel that most of the supporting characters weren’t very well developed, and the rebel group, Freedom Ark, was a faceless group without sufficient background. Overall I liked the story though, and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cool, wild read!


Mary Had a Little Plan (Volume 2) (Mary Had a Little Glam)

Do you remember the rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb? This dynamic duo of author and illustrator have updated the poem into a modern tale that is absolutely fantastic. In this second book in the series, Mary sees an abandoned lot in her neighborhood. She decides to take the initiative to bring her neighbors together to create a space they can all be proud of.

The text in this book has the perfect rhythm and rhyme. It brings the book and characters to life. I love the intention of using vocabulary words for the reader and listener to discuss. I loved the hint of another beloved nursery rhyme as well.

The illustrations make this book shine. I love the color pallet that shows a dull-looking lot at the beginning and a bright and beautiful one at the end. My favorite illustration, besides the ending, was when Mary is drawing out her plan in her room. It’s just a fun and exciting scene to me to see the possibilities of what could be. My five-year-old child loved the pictures when the community cleaned up together and when they were planting flowers to make the space pretty.

This book is great for babies to eight. I think everyone could learn something about helping our community to make something better.


The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!

The Pigeon finally gets to do something he has always wanted to do. Pigeon has it all planned out, and he knows it might be scary and he will need to be brave, but he wants to ride that rollercoaster. Pigeon must be patient because we all know there is always a line for rollercoasters, but his patience will pay off, or so he thinks so. It is finally Pigeon's turn, he thinks he is prepared to ride the rollercoaster, but will it be just as he planned? Read this new Mo Willem's Pigeon book to find out!

I really liked that this book is different from all the other Pigeon books. Pigeon finally gets to do something he wants, he usually does not get his way. Illustrations are hilarious as always. Another winner! I can't wait for more Pigeon books in the series.


Ben Acker’s Stories to Keep You Alive Despite Vampires is just that. Warning: If you don’t like vampires, please do not read this book. It starts out with an introduction (behold: quotes like “That’s right: the sharks here are vampires!”). But here’s the catch: the story goes that you are stuck in a house… filled with vampires… and the only way to get out is to tell them scary stories! That’s because vampires absolutely adore scary stories. And then it goes uphill from there: a story about a “hitchhiker who was a phantom of a hitchhiker” is a good action story. But I don’t know my “thriller” from my “horror," so please bear with me. I love the part in “Thicker Than Water” where the narrator shifts to a hissing tone: “The counssselorsss hadn’t actually killed him at all. He wasss vassssstly overreacting.” Another one of my favorites is “Mr. Birdclock,” about the secrets behind the cuckoo clock. There are also interludes in the book, which I absolutely adore. Note: You can’t just tell these stories to vampires. You can tell them anytime on a dark, moonless night to your friends.

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers


The Virtuous Ones

January 2023 Popular Fiction Roundup-New Year, New Book

Is your New Years’ Resolution to read a little more? Have a little more downtime to do things you really enjoy? Here is a great list of new releases in the popular fiction category. So grab yourself a hot cocoa and blanket and settle in for the night.

The Virtuous Ones
Christopher Stoddard
ITNA Press
ISBN: 9780997643206

Ad agency, Pure Creative, is using their new rap star Markus in an ad campaign that will take the world by storm. There are underlying issues with the staff at Pure Creative that create an unstable environment for all those involved. Will the company’s plan backfire? If you are looking for a book about modern marketing and progressive social values, this is it.

When We Were Friends
Holly Bourne
MIRA Books
ISBN: 9780778311294

When Jessica and Fern reunite after ten years of estrangement, the friends must confront the very thing that destroyed their friendship in the first place. A book that many people may identify with the main characters, When We Were Friends, visits themes of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness.

We Spread
Iain Reid
Gallery/Scout Press
ISBN: 9781982169350

Penny, an aging artist whose partner has passed away, finds herself in a long-term care residence. As she lives in the residence, she starts thinking about life and purpose. A beautifully written book that will have readers thinking and contemplating their own existence as it relates to the world.

The Furrows
Namwali Serpell
Random House Publishing Group
ISBN: 9780593448915

Cassandra’s little brother, Wayne, is only seven years old when he disappears. This breaks their family apart and leaves Cassandra seeing his face everywhere she goes. One day, she meets someone mysterious named Wayne who is searching for someone. This tale of grief and hope will rub away at your heartstrings.

The Sacrifice
Rin Chupeco
Sourcebooks
ISBN: 9781728255910

Add a little adventure to your day with The Sacrifice. The Philippine Island of Kisapmata is known to be haunted by the locals, but when a film company decides to ignore all warning, they find out the hard way that the Dreamer god is not kidding. Sinkholes, mummies, and an island curse awaits readers of The Sacrifice.


Alliana, Girl of Dragons

Alliana, Girl of Dragons is an interesting, immersive variation on Cinderella. Alliana’s stepmother, sister, and brother mistreat her. The only comfort she receives is from her step-grandmother Mari. But one day, Mari passes away and leaves her to fend for herself. She meets a dragon while hunting for herbs. Soon, she meets a witch who needs help. Can she help the witch and escape her stepfamily once and for all?

I like Alliana, Girl of Dragons a lot, although it did start out slow. I find the plot interesting and think it makes sense. In addition to having a good plot, it can be quite funny. The dragon tends to lighten the mood. I think that this book should belong in every children's library. Kids from seven to twelve who like a combination of Disney-style adventure and fantasy will like Alliana, Girl of Dragons. This book is best read for enjoyment, not schoolwork, but school libraries might buy it for their students to borrow.


Swords & Cell Phones

Honor and her brother, Jalen, have grown up like most kids until the day they realize that their father, Christif, is from another realm and in hiding. When Jalen turns eighteen, evil beings from other realms become aware of his existence. Trill and Loathel arrive in Universe to help bring Christif to safety, but in the middle of a wizard’s tantrum, their youngest child, Travon, is captured by Maldonus, the one who seeks to punish Christif for past wrongs. The group must travel to another realm to save the child while avoiding arranged marriages, violent enemies, and dying cell phones.

The writing style and word choice denote a read for older audiences, with several uncommon words used that are completely unnecessary. The speech used by the characters to signify their other-world status comes off as clunky. Honor is too independent to fall for the misogynistic customs and control of her father’s world, so her capitulation seems ridiculous, and her cell phone just seems like a statement about teens and technology. Too many repetitions of someone being “so hot” and a blatant information dump allude to a work that lacks creativity. Pass on this one.


Xuleca Lounge

This book is a variety of poems about the emotions of a man both in his journey through joys and grievances in life and some poems that are specifically about his love life with his husband. Below I’m going to talk specifically about several poems I enjoyed.

I enjoyed "Conflagration" because it’s a very emotional poem that tells the story of a hero falling, but coming back again. While the ending isn’t the happily ever after that I want. I think it shows that sometimes things in life don’t work out no matter how hard we work to cheer the hero on.

"Before the Door of Nothingness" reminds me of what it is like to feel fear and hopelessness. I feel the fear he feels. I’m not sure but it almost seems he’s afraid of the dark or being alone, either one was a big fear of mine as a kid.

In the "Satori of the Trees" poem, I love the beautiful descriptions of what the author sees in autumn. I can just picture all the colorful trees. The ending is sad to me as he describes the “zenith” of the colors and then the falling of the colors as a loss of the colors akin to a loss of love.

"Red Trees" is another beautiful description of the magic of fall. I love the comparison of the sky to the rings of Saturn. I love the description of how the trees suddenly transform from green to yellow, red, and orange.  Living among lots of trees I understand how it can be inspiring to a writer.

"The Rain Poem" is a spectacular one for how we as humans feel all gloomy and damp inside. Then those thoughts will stay a while until we or someone we love helps push them away.  I love the last lines describing the author basking in the prism of the rainbow and then letting his cloud-covered thoughts drift away.

"Caribbean Colors" is a lovely description of a vacation with your romantic love. The author does it in a way that shows the fun things done in poem form but it’s written like he’s remembering the special moments.  This poem makes me want to take an island vacation.

"The Song of Fire" is a special poem written by the author to his husband on their wedding day. It is full of the passion and love he feels. The comparison of love to a fire and being spellbound by love. I can tell this was written and rewritten to be just perfect for the one he loves.

"Xochimilco’s Waters" is an inspiring poem. The author writing about opportunities and how we take flight towards them even if we have had issues before. I love the lines:

 “Soaring on winged air

 Soaring unhindered where

 We (are in flight) alight

Beasting our wings

 Keeping the dreams from mooring…”

 This just motivates me to keep going and work around what gets in the way.

Overall note, that the poetry is well written, and the emotional language is well done. The two things I thought that could be better are some of the poetry, especially towards the beginning was difficult to understand and my second suggestion trimming the length of some of the poems. I think anyone looking for an emotional and descriptive poetry book would be happy with this one.


Boondocks: An Asian Evil Apocalyptic Thriller

The people of India are united in fear against a monster of unimaginable proportions. The leviathan feeds off negative thoughts and preys on defenseless citizens. Dali is a witch possessing unprecedented powers, whose only vulnerability is fire. One fateful night, she struck with near impunity, killing and consuming the helpless. The surviving populace fears her return when her hunger will cause her to rise from the depths of the netherworld.

Rahul and Elisa are a young couple in love. They are on a trip to visit Rahul’s home when a destroyed map renders their direct route a moot point. After a period of aimless driving, they arrive at a village named Kendraa. They are greeted by a man named Dansh, a native with an ingratiating way but who triggers alarm bells in Rahul. Dansh has a hidden agenda, as he has been pursuing the path to Dali. Dansh has been warned from reviving the demon of destruction. Dansh has a cruel streak running through him that has branded him as a bully in the village. Dansh uses a cheery facade to lure Rahul and Elisa to his cave, where he shows off the collection of skulls that decorate the interior. Elisa is fascinated, and Rahul is horrified. Both are soon to find that they are trapped. Dansh has revived Dali, who is ready to consume.

As Rahul’s fears about Dansh have become abundantly clear, the situation is not without hope. Elisa and Rahul are not inclined to succumb to their captor. They summon their own inner energy, filled with positivity, and shortly thereafter defeat Dansh and Dali. Their apparent victory is premature, as Dansh is a villain of near superhuman will. Another clash awaits Rahul and Elisa. They will need more than just each other to defeat an evil energy unlike any other.

Boondocks”is a supernatural thriller that digs its hooks into the reader in an intense and gripping manner. The opening shock and awe of the distant past are offset by the road trip of the book’s leading protagonists. The affection between Rahul and Elisa is genuine, serving to disarm the reader and lull them into a false sense of security. The trap sprung on the reader parallels the trap sprung on Elisa and Rahul, a slow burn paying off quite handsomely. Author Jaydeep Shah (The Haunting of Black River Forest) constructs a profound and enjoyable horror thriller that will entertain a vast audience of readers.


Humor All The Way

A fun and lighthearted read that will brighten anyone's day, Humor All The Way incorporates all of the little elements in life and will make its readers chuckle from one page to the next. This book is formatted so that each page has one saying on it. As I was reading Humor All The Way, I would often stop and ponder about what the subject matter was on the page and either chuckle, nod in agreement, or snort with laughter. Although the book mainly talks about aging and seniors and some of the issues with growing older, I found that this book is appropriate for almost any age from young adults and on.

With themes such as food, family, the differences between men and women, exercise and fitness, the pandemic, real estate, and of course the trials and tribulations of gently aging, this book has a little bit for everyone who is looking to add a bit of humor in their lives. There are some one-liners in this book that really need to be shared as well. Sayings such as "The only thing I retain these days is FLUID!" made me laugh because I know this is something that happens as people age and I have heard many people complain about it. There are even some snippets that are a little gross, but nevertheless funny. "Suntan" in particular was gross but funny. It states, "I don't know what your suntan looks like but mine consist of freckles and more freckles. The freckles then expand to look like brown globs. Not to worry folks, I have faced this head on. I realize I have become a GLOB!" This visual made me laugh out loud. The fact that the author makes aging seem so unpleasant and that these are the truths are somehow funny in itself.

I also really enjoyed the few photos that the author included in the book. These were delightful and fun to look at. It would have been great to see more photos and maybe a few of the author herself.

Overall, I would describe this book as the adult's version of a Shel Silverstein book--a bit cute, a bit gross, and a lot funny. I would have loved to have seen some Silverstein-like drawings included in the book simply because I could picture them accompanying each little blurb. A job well done by the author. You certainly made me laugh.


Humor All The Way

Iowa is the nation’s major producer of corn; however, Houston, Texas produces its own as hometown author Renee’ Servello dishes up a heap of corny, but insightful jokes. Servello, in Humor All the Way delivers a lighthearted follow-up to her first book You’re Kidding: I’m a Senior?. This is old-fashioned good-time humor that focuses on the foibles and travails of senior life. Readers old enough to remember Reader’s Digest “Laughter is the Best Medicine”, or the comic stylings of Erma Bombeck, will get a kick out of Humor All the Way.

This slim volume of jokes (one per page) examines life as a senior. For example, grandchildren get the treatment with: “have you ever noticed that the only grandkids that visit are the ones that don’t drive yet?”  Senior sleep habits are mocked with: “Seniors don’t sleep, they speed nap.”  Doctors, exercise, travel, cruises, retirement, and health are the subjects of Servello’s wit. However, not content to live in the past, Servello also takes on the recent Covid-19 pandemic and relays her senior point of view. For example, Servello riffs on the wisdom of buying a 2020 planner, and how she used to seek out positive people, but the pandemic changed that. Then there’s the hilarity of seeing grandchildren for the first time via Zoom and the travails of figuring out who is behind the mask in the supermarket.

This book is clean fun, and the reader will not find any edgy punching down and making fun of people that makes up the bulk of contemporary comedy. This is mainstream humor dished up in a suburban country kitchen or backyard barbecue with the over sixty set who are all wearing cushy running shoes because their feet hurt all the time. It’s a collaborative effort as well, as sprinkled throughout are jokes from Servello’s partners in comedy. This dynamic results in a snapshot of a particular place and era of America with over twenty-five of Servello’s acquaintances contributing to the book. There are also photographs sprinkled throughout the book that reinforce the humor’s down-home sensibility.

Be advised this is not the book for anyone looking for a lengthy book of dense humor that exists on many levels. This is a book that the homemaker leaves out on the coffee table for the company to peruse or places in the guest powder room with the book of cat jokes and copies of People magazine. This is cleaned-up Borscht Belt humor designed not to offend and to be consumed in short bites. It’s a humorous collection of jokes that's worth the time to read.


Humor All The Way

Life is tough, no doubt. However, choosing to look at it from a humorous point of view can make the journey much more bearable. In Humor All The Way, Renee Servello shares her experience with aging and several other aspects of life through a comical collection of thoughts. The book contains various stories and opinions that senior readers will find relatable as well as some insights and words of advice that will prepare younger readers for their twilight years.

One of the many hilarious remarks by the author reveals that she fears updating her computer because of the possibility of a data breach. Another one discloses how her legs could become tangled and get her into trouble sometimes—turning her into a human rocket that is jet "propelled at 70 miles an hour." Follow Servello's hysterically funny and tastefully scintillating observations in Humor All The Way.

When it comes to books about aging, it doesn't get more hilarious, engaging, and original than Humor All The Way. I didn't expect to be laughing through almost every page in the book like I did. In fact, I had to pause the book several times just to laugh before proceeding to the next page. I loved that Servello finds humor in experiences that could be considered painful, like taking a long time to remember a name instead of remembering it instantly. I don't think I would have ever considered the idea of seeing wrinkles on my smooth earlobes if I hadn't read the book. The book is rife with other similarly introspective insights about different things nobody prepares you for in relation to aging.

This comical book reads like a book of poems as it has titles dedicated to particular themes and lyrical lines that make reading it a joyous, stress-free experience. As it includes several relatable themes, readers will find themselves laughing at themselves and taking a trip down memory lane while they read through the book. Humor All The Way covers such diverse themes as hair loss, grandparenting, marriage, fun, food, driving, grocery shopping, medicines, and makeup. You will also find some lovely family photographs and different quotes from other elders and individuals throughout the course of the book, which add to its elaborate experience.

Humor All The Way reminds us to take life less seriously and share our experiences, which are usually not as isolated as we think, with others. Personally, it gave me a most pleasurable experience I didn't know I needed. Thank you, Renee Servello!