One of our new gardeners sowing seeds. Alex is a good addition to the crew.
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
Friday, May 28, 2021
Clap When You Land
Clap When You Land
YA fiction in poetry
"I know that when a street doesn't have sidewalks and water
rises to flood the tile floors of your home, learning mud is learning
the language of survival."
Camino Rios lives with her aunt, a traditional healer to whom
she is an informal apprentice, in a very poor neighborhood in the
Dominican Republic. Her mother had died of dengue fever when she was
very young. Her neighborhood holds dangers for teenage girls. She is
able to attend a prestigious school because her father, who lives in
the United States except for summer visits, pays her tuition and
fees. She aspires to attend Columbia University and become a doctor.
Yahaira Rios lives in New York with her parents. She'd been a
competitive chess player, coached by her father and known for her bold
moves, before she quit. Her team and school had loved her.
"I got us into the newspaper and on late night tv
For something other than drugs or poor test scores or gentrification."
Now she considers herself a low profile, predictable rule follower.
The two half sisters first learn of each others' existence under
the worst possible conditions. The plane their father is on plunges
into the ocean. Very little hope for survivors is held out.
In this very poignant and powerful coming of age narrative, told
through poetry in alternating voices, they must deal with the flaws
and secrets of a beloved parent while grieving for his loss.
On a purrrsonal note, are you psyched for a three day weekend? I am
even though I don't have a clue what I'll be doing. Eugene is the one
who can drive and he lets me know the last minute. I've preemptively
packed in case it's camp. But whatever I do I will have good times.
I hope you will too. This week I took another step toward post
pandemic normalish life. I returned to Orono Community Garden. I
weeded 2 1/2 hours and enjoyed talking to old and new friends. After
missing last summer it felt like the garden of Eden minus the serpent.
(Jules)
She came back smelling of fresh air and sunshine and dawg. She said
hi to a dawg. I guess even lower species need attention. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to the community garden crew and to out
readers in hopes that we all have a safe and happy weekend.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA fiction in poetry
"I know that when a street doesn't have sidewalks and water
rises to flood the tile floors of your home, learning mud is learning
the language of survival."
Camino Rios lives with her aunt, a traditional healer to whom
she is an informal apprentice, in a very poor neighborhood in the
Dominican Republic. Her mother had died of dengue fever when she was
very young. Her neighborhood holds dangers for teenage girls. She is
able to attend a prestigious school because her father, who lives in
the United States except for summer visits, pays her tuition and
fees. She aspires to attend Columbia University and become a doctor.
Yahaira Rios lives in New York with her parents. She'd been a
competitive chess player, coached by her father and known for her bold
moves, before she quit. Her team and school had loved her.
"I got us into the newspaper and on late night tv
For something other than drugs or poor test scores or gentrification."
Now she considers herself a low profile, predictable rule follower.
The two half sisters first learn of each others' existence under
the worst possible conditions. The plane their father is on plunges
into the ocean. Very little hope for survivors is held out.
In this very poignant and powerful coming of age narrative, told
through poetry in alternating voices, they must deal with the flaws
and secrets of a beloved parent while grieving for his loss.
On a purrrsonal note, are you psyched for a three day weekend? I am
even though I don't have a clue what I'll be doing. Eugene is the one
who can drive and he lets me know the last minute. I've preemptively
packed in case it's camp. But whatever I do I will have good times.
I hope you will too. This week I took another step toward post
pandemic normalish life. I returned to Orono Community Garden. I
weeded 2 1/2 hours and enjoyed talking to old and new friends. After
missing last summer it felt like the garden of Eden minus the serpent.
(Jules)
She came back smelling of fresh air and sunshine and dawg. She said
hi to a dawg. I guess even lower species need attention. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to the community garden crew and to out
readers in hopes that we all have a safe and happy weekend.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
No, the socks pulled over jeans look is not a superlatively bad fashion statement. It's the look of the tick savvy. Since you may be going outside where those pathogen packing ectoparasites consider you an all you can eat buffet here is my timely reminder.
1. Long pants tucked into socks
2. Light colors the better to see ticks against
3. Insecticide before you go out
And when you get back home
4. Run the clothes you were wearing through the dryer ten minutes on high
5. Hot shower including hair
6. Inspect your body thoroughly. They are tiny.
Remember Lyme disease would really ruin your summer. I want it to be one you'll remember for only good reasons.
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
True North
True North
Adult nonfiction
Imagine this. You check your mail. Mixed in with the bills and
flyers is a colorful unexpected package from a friend you've known
nearly half your life. It contains a copy of her published book with
a very personal inscription.
Don't tell me you wouldn't be over the moon.
Kathryn Olmstead and I go way back. The child I was hugely
pregnant with when I took her journalistic ethics class now has her
PhD. It was my favorite kind of class because my fellow students and
I were invited to really engage with important issues (as opposed to
memorize and regurgitate). I looked forward to every class session,
seeing it as a chance for conversation. I can still remember some of
the topics we discussed. The day of the last class I told her that
although she would no longer be my professor I needed her to be my
friend.
While I was procreating and child raising Kathy was engaged in a
different version of generativity. She was raising her own Magazine,
Echoes. If I was asked to describe Echoes in one word it would be
mindful. Its focus was on a rural, traditional Maine county,
Aroostook. A migrant from away, she had managed to sink roots in her
chosen home and learn the ways in which it's special.
True North is a compilation of pieces Kathy wrote for Echoes and
for the Bangor Daily News. It's radical in its embrace of tradition.
It's the ultimate screw you, Happy Bunny. In a world that tells us
it's all about me and I am what I possess she is saying it's all about
we and we are what and whom we value.
But it isn't preachy. There's no nagging or scolding, no
intimation of things going to hell in a handbasket since some Edenic
past. It's more a matter of enticement. Have you ever gone into a
kitchen and smelled something really good cooking and wanted to sneak
a taste? That's what reading each piece is like.
The essays convey a wide range of moods. Some show the beauty
of nature: the fox Kathy saw while skiing, the moose who developed a
fondness for her apple tree. Some portray traditions: the annual
several week potato picking holiday that enabled generations of
students to learn values like persistance while earning school clothes
money, the community celebration of all things Acadian. Some are
heart felt and profound like the one in which she discusses how seeing
the stars at night undiminished by light pollution changes the way she
thinks about herself.
"I have lived in Aroostook County long enough now that I can
hardly imagine the loss I would feel were I unable to wander out into
the darkness and be so small."
And some are just funny. If you want to learn about the beer
preferences of slugs as determined by research you'll have to read the
book.
Two important themes, crucial to 21st century survival, thread
themselves through the book. One is the interdependence that is so
much better than the categorizing of people as independent and
dependent--encouraging the former to spend on whatever luxury strikes
their fancies and demonizing the latter. A sparsely populated county
with weather extremes has a way of making people equals, each with
something to offer. I think most of us have at least an inner
yearning for that kind of community.
The second is stewardship of resources. Kathy shows
alternatives to the rampant consumerism most of us are caught up in--
depleting resources and bloating landfills. Do we really need to
revamp our wardrobes every year just because fashion mavens dictate
this behavior? How can skills like mending and improvising extend the
life of useful articles? True North can sow the seeds for productive
thought along these lines.
True North is not a read and set aside. Even if you don't live
in Aroostook County there are bits and pieces you can use to inspire
you.
*Who is your tribe? Where are your passions and values shared? Who
needs what you have to offer? I volunteer with Orono Community
Garden. I get to enjoy beautiful friendships and left over fresh
organic veggies while helping grow nutritious food for low income
people.
*Where can you reconnect with nature? Where can you put away the ever
present devices for a few minutes mindful walking or cross country
skiing? Such a space may be more accessible than you think.
*How can you break the habit of running to the store or online
shopping the second you notice a want or need? How about learning
repair skills or becoming part of a network? My kids were part of a
hand-me-down clothes chain that really cut down on back to school
shopping. And the yard sales that will pop up like mushrooms are
great ways to find things you want and gifts. Last year I found a
book of writing prompts for passing down a family's history. Filled
out it was the perfect gift for my geneology loving older daughter.
In affordable paperback, True North will make a great Christmas
gift, a perfect read for a snowbound evening. And it's a terrific way
to give yourself a treat. On a scale of one to ten I give it an
eleven. And buying it will help one of the small indie publishers
that the near monopoly corporate entities constantly endanger.
On a purrrsonal note, last fall I had an experience that True North
reminded me of. And this is a story Kathy hasn't heard. My husband
comes from a long line of people who hunted, fished, and foraged to
supplement income. Eugene learned these skills and traditions from
his father. A little over a decade ago he built a camp on a piece of
land he had in the woods. Every year he improves it in some way.
Adam spent part of Labor Day weekend with Eugene and me. Eugene said
to Adam, "This is your heritage. This is what you and your sisters
will inherit from me." Reading the book helped me to understand how
much richness lay behind such a simple seeming statement. (Jules)
Don't go to a pet store for your next cat or dog. We rescue critters
need furever homes too. And we are awesome. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Kathryn Olmstead and Islandport
Press for sharing such a wonderful and intimate collection of stories.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
Imagine this. You check your mail. Mixed in with the bills and
flyers is a colorful unexpected package from a friend you've known
nearly half your life. It contains a copy of her published book with
a very personal inscription.
Don't tell me you wouldn't be over the moon.
Kathryn Olmstead and I go way back. The child I was hugely
pregnant with when I took her journalistic ethics class now has her
PhD. It was my favorite kind of class because my fellow students and
I were invited to really engage with important issues (as opposed to
memorize and regurgitate). I looked forward to every class session,
seeing it as a chance for conversation. I can still remember some of
the topics we discussed. The day of the last class I told her that
although she would no longer be my professor I needed her to be my
friend.
While I was procreating and child raising Kathy was engaged in a
different version of generativity. She was raising her own Magazine,
Echoes. If I was asked to describe Echoes in one word it would be
mindful. Its focus was on a rural, traditional Maine county,
Aroostook. A migrant from away, she had managed to sink roots in her
chosen home and learn the ways in which it's special.
True North is a compilation of pieces Kathy wrote for Echoes and
for the Bangor Daily News. It's radical in its embrace of tradition.
It's the ultimate screw you, Happy Bunny. In a world that tells us
it's all about me and I am what I possess she is saying it's all about
we and we are what and whom we value.
But it isn't preachy. There's no nagging or scolding, no
intimation of things going to hell in a handbasket since some Edenic
past. It's more a matter of enticement. Have you ever gone into a
kitchen and smelled something really good cooking and wanted to sneak
a taste? That's what reading each piece is like.
The essays convey a wide range of moods. Some show the beauty
of nature: the fox Kathy saw while skiing, the moose who developed a
fondness for her apple tree. Some portray traditions: the annual
several week potato picking holiday that enabled generations of
students to learn values like persistance while earning school clothes
money, the community celebration of all things Acadian. Some are
heart felt and profound like the one in which she discusses how seeing
the stars at night undiminished by light pollution changes the way she
thinks about herself.
"I have lived in Aroostook County long enough now that I can
hardly imagine the loss I would feel were I unable to wander out into
the darkness and be so small."
And some are just funny. If you want to learn about the beer
preferences of slugs as determined by research you'll have to read the
book.
Two important themes, crucial to 21st century survival, thread
themselves through the book. One is the interdependence that is so
much better than the categorizing of people as independent and
dependent--encouraging the former to spend on whatever luxury strikes
their fancies and demonizing the latter. A sparsely populated county
with weather extremes has a way of making people equals, each with
something to offer. I think most of us have at least an inner
yearning for that kind of community.
The second is stewardship of resources. Kathy shows
alternatives to the rampant consumerism most of us are caught up in--
depleting resources and bloating landfills. Do we really need to
revamp our wardrobes every year just because fashion mavens dictate
this behavior? How can skills like mending and improvising extend the
life of useful articles? True North can sow the seeds for productive
thought along these lines.
True North is not a read and set aside. Even if you don't live
in Aroostook County there are bits and pieces you can use to inspire
you.
*Who is your tribe? Where are your passions and values shared? Who
needs what you have to offer? I volunteer with Orono Community
Garden. I get to enjoy beautiful friendships and left over fresh
organic veggies while helping grow nutritious food for low income
people.
*Where can you reconnect with nature? Where can you put away the ever
present devices for a few minutes mindful walking or cross country
skiing? Such a space may be more accessible than you think.
*How can you break the habit of running to the store or online
shopping the second you notice a want or need? How about learning
repair skills or becoming part of a network? My kids were part of a
hand-me-down clothes chain that really cut down on back to school
shopping. And the yard sales that will pop up like mushrooms are
great ways to find things you want and gifts. Last year I found a
book of writing prompts for passing down a family's history. Filled
out it was the perfect gift for my geneology loving older daughter.
In affordable paperback, True North will make a great Christmas
gift, a perfect read for a snowbound evening. And it's a terrific way
to give yourself a treat. On a scale of one to ten I give it an
eleven. And buying it will help one of the small indie publishers
that the near monopoly corporate entities constantly endanger.
On a purrrsonal note, last fall I had an experience that True North
reminded me of. And this is a story Kathy hasn't heard. My husband
comes from a long line of people who hunted, fished, and foraged to
supplement income. Eugene learned these skills and traditions from
his father. A little over a decade ago he built a camp on a piece of
land he had in the woods. Every year he improves it in some way.
Adam spent part of Labor Day weekend with Eugene and me. Eugene said
to Adam, "This is your heritage. This is what you and your sisters
will inherit from me." Reading the book helped me to understand how
much richness lay behind such a simple seeming statement. (Jules)
Don't go to a pet store for your next cat or dog. We rescue critters
need furever homes too. And we are awesome. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Kathryn Olmstead and Islandport
Press for sharing such a wonderful and intimate collection of stories.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Monday, May 24, 2021
House Rules
House Rules
Adult Mystery
"I suppose these talents would make me a hit at a cocktail party
if (a) I drank, which I don't, or (b) I had any friends to invite me
to a party, cocktail or not. My mother has explained it to me this
way: imagine what it's like to have someone with an intense stare come
up to you and start talking about medium-velocity-impact blood spatter
patterns caused by objects moving between 1.5 and 7.5 meters per
second and how they differ from high-velocity-impact spatter from
gunshots or explosives. Or even worse, imagine being the person
talking, and not getting the hint when the victim of your conversation
is desperately trying to escape."
Jacob, the speaker above and one of the main characters of Jodi
Picoult's House Rules, is often that person. He's been diagnosed with
autism. He's painfully aware of his frequent ostracism by peers and
his inability to read social cues or understand the emotions of those
around him. At one point he compares these disability symptoms to
being in a country where you don't know the language.
Jacob is also aware that younger brother, Theo, is about to
bypass him in what he's allowed to do. The current issue is learning
to drive with going off to college on the near horizon. Only Jacob's
future is in danger of being further circumscribed. His social skills
tutor goes missing on a day he's supposed to meet with her. When her
body is discovered his expertise in forensics that surpasses that of
many police officers, a fight he had previously with her, and typical
autism symptoms that the general public associates with guilt, such as
failure to make eye contact, get him on trial for her murder.
"...But the universe has a way of punishing you for your
deepest, darkest secrets; and as much as I love my son--as much as
Jacob has been the sun around which I've orbitted--I've had my share
of moments when I silently imagined the person I was supposed to be,
the one who got lost, somehow in the business of raising an autistic
child."
Emma had the heartbreak of seeing her formerly normal toddler
withdraw into a world of his own. Her husband left her, choosing to
go on to create a more perfect family. She did not have the option.
She's tried to help Jacob acquire the skills necessary for an as good
as possible life. She's worked really hard to have him mainstreamed.
Now the only possible way to get him acquitted is emphasizing his
diagnosis and the ways in which it makes him different. And his fate
is in the hands of twelve neurotypicals who may not be able to see
past their prejudices.
"You always read these books about kids who have autistic
siblings and are constantly looking out for them, who love them to
death, who do a better job diffusing their tantrums than their
adults. Well, I'm not one of those people. Sure, when Jacob used to
wander off I'd feel sick in the pit of my stomach, but it wasn't
because I was worried about him. It was because I had to be an awful
brother to be thinking what I was: Maybe he'll never be found, and I
can get on with my life."
Theo is the little brother who has to be the big brother. He's
never known his father who left when he was he was just a baby because
of Jacob's difference. He's the one who can't fight with Jacob even
when his brother steals his possessions. He's the one who is often
ostracized by his peers because of who his sibling is.
And he also has a secret that may have a lot to do with Jacob's
plight.
House Rules is a riveting courtroom drama and a whole lot more.
It delves into the issues surrounding people with neurological
disabilities who get caught in the criminal "justice" system. It also
presents the parent, child with a disability, more neurotypical
sibling triad in a humanizing way that takes all their perspectives.
I'd especially recommend this book for family members of people with
neorological challenges.
This book is so excellent that I'll forgive Picoult for the
defense lawyer's sexual misdeeds. She isn't the only one who adds
this element. If I only knew about lawyers from mysteries I'd wonder
if there were many who could resist hooking up in ways that are
ethically and sometimes legally forbidden? Can we say conflict of
interest?
On a purrrsonal note, House Rules is the book I'd been waiting all my
life for. In all my reading (and you know what a binge reader I am) I
had never met a character before Theo who reflected my experience of
being a teen who was invisible and made to grow up too fast in the
face of a sibling's disability. I'm not the only one who has had
these feelings!!!
On a purrrsonal note, Adam just stopped by on his way home from a
flying lesson. He's taking them again. And you know who he got this
interest from. He and Asia gave me a perfect Mothers Day gift. In
addition to giving me candy they donated $50 to Waterville Humane
Society in honor of me and Tobago. How purrrfect! (Jules)
I'm a graduate of Waterville Humane Society. If you live near there
and need a feline friend I'm sure they have plenty of good girls and
boys. (Tobago)
A great big shout out and thanks to Picoult for so skillfully breaking
this silence.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult Mystery
"I suppose these talents would make me a hit at a cocktail party
if (a) I drank, which I don't, or (b) I had any friends to invite me
to a party, cocktail or not. My mother has explained it to me this
way: imagine what it's like to have someone with an intense stare come
up to you and start talking about medium-velocity-impact blood spatter
patterns caused by objects moving between 1.5 and 7.5 meters per
second and how they differ from high-velocity-impact spatter from
gunshots or explosives. Or even worse, imagine being the person
talking, and not getting the hint when the victim of your conversation
is desperately trying to escape."
Jacob, the speaker above and one of the main characters of Jodi
Picoult's House Rules, is often that person. He's been diagnosed with
autism. He's painfully aware of his frequent ostracism by peers and
his inability to read social cues or understand the emotions of those
around him. At one point he compares these disability symptoms to
being in a country where you don't know the language.
Jacob is also aware that younger brother, Theo, is about to
bypass him in what he's allowed to do. The current issue is learning
to drive with going off to college on the near horizon. Only Jacob's
future is in danger of being further circumscribed. His social skills
tutor goes missing on a day he's supposed to meet with her. When her
body is discovered his expertise in forensics that surpasses that of
many police officers, a fight he had previously with her, and typical
autism symptoms that the general public associates with guilt, such as
failure to make eye contact, get him on trial for her murder.
"...But the universe has a way of punishing you for your
deepest, darkest secrets; and as much as I love my son--as much as
Jacob has been the sun around which I've orbitted--I've had my share
of moments when I silently imagined the person I was supposed to be,
the one who got lost, somehow in the business of raising an autistic
child."
Emma had the heartbreak of seeing her formerly normal toddler
withdraw into a world of his own. Her husband left her, choosing to
go on to create a more perfect family. She did not have the option.
She's tried to help Jacob acquire the skills necessary for an as good
as possible life. She's worked really hard to have him mainstreamed.
Now the only possible way to get him acquitted is emphasizing his
diagnosis and the ways in which it makes him different. And his fate
is in the hands of twelve neurotypicals who may not be able to see
past their prejudices.
"You always read these books about kids who have autistic
siblings and are constantly looking out for them, who love them to
death, who do a better job diffusing their tantrums than their
adults. Well, I'm not one of those people. Sure, when Jacob used to
wander off I'd feel sick in the pit of my stomach, but it wasn't
because I was worried about him. It was because I had to be an awful
brother to be thinking what I was: Maybe he'll never be found, and I
can get on with my life."
Theo is the little brother who has to be the big brother. He's
never known his father who left when he was he was just a baby because
of Jacob's difference. He's the one who can't fight with Jacob even
when his brother steals his possessions. He's the one who is often
ostracized by his peers because of who his sibling is.
And he also has a secret that may have a lot to do with Jacob's
plight.
House Rules is a riveting courtroom drama and a whole lot more.
It delves into the issues surrounding people with neurological
disabilities who get caught in the criminal "justice" system. It also
presents the parent, child with a disability, more neurotypical
sibling triad in a humanizing way that takes all their perspectives.
I'd especially recommend this book for family members of people with
neorological challenges.
This book is so excellent that I'll forgive Picoult for the
defense lawyer's sexual misdeeds. She isn't the only one who adds
this element. If I only knew about lawyers from mysteries I'd wonder
if there were many who could resist hooking up in ways that are
ethically and sometimes legally forbidden? Can we say conflict of
interest?
On a purrrsonal note, House Rules is the book I'd been waiting all my
life for. In all my reading (and you know what a binge reader I am) I
had never met a character before Theo who reflected my experience of
being a teen who was invisible and made to grow up too fast in the
face of a sibling's disability. I'm not the only one who has had
these feelings!!!
On a purrrsonal note, Adam just stopped by on his way home from a
flying lesson. He's taking them again. And you know who he got this
interest from. He and Asia gave me a perfect Mothers Day gift. In
addition to giving me candy they donated $50 to Waterville Humane
Society in honor of me and Tobago. How purrrfect! (Jules)
I'm a graduate of Waterville Humane Society. If you live near there
and need a feline friend I'm sure they have plenty of good girls and
boys. (Tobago)
A great big shout out and thanks to Picoult for so skillfully breaking
this silence.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
The Cousins
The Cousins
YA mystery/thriller
What's better than a Karen McManus mystery? Why two of course.
In The Cousins McManus leaves the deadly halls of high school to show
us that family may be a little less safe than we'd like to believe.
Narrators Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah are cousins about to be
united for the summer. Their wealthy grandmother, Mildred, owns a
posh resort on a rich people destination island. She's invited them
to work there over vacation.
None of them have ever seen the island. Before they were born
their grandmother disinherited all her children with a cryptic note
that said, "You know what you did." She's ignored all their attempts
at reconciliation, even wedding invitations. Now the cousin's parents
see a way to get back into Mildred's good graces and will. Not going
is not an option.
When the cousins arrive on the island things start looking
fishy. It doesn't seem like Mildred even knew they were coming. Her
second-in-command, Theresa, and lawyer, Donald, seem determined to get
them off the island as fast as possible. There are long buried
secrets and people who would go to great lengths to keep them from
seeing the light of day.
Will the cousins discover the truth and all make it off the
island alive?
There's only one way to find out.
On a purrrsonal note, I had a totally amazing weekend. Saturday was
Amber and Brian's wedding. Actually they've been married a year. But
back when the pandemic lockdown was in full swing with no vaccine in
sight only the most immediate family members could participate. This
time around her grandmother, aunt, and uncle could be there. Then
Sunday Eugene and I took a road trip. A Dunkin Donuts actually had my
favorite, lemon, so I knew it would be a lucky day. And it was. The
91% probability of precip panned out at a mere 10 minute shower. And
we hit the legendary ten mile yard sale I'd previously only heard
about. We scored ourselves some bargains and had fun treasure
hunting. (Jules)
They lucked out on the rain. That's for sure. (Tobago)
Great big shout outs go out to Amber and Brian, to Eugene, and to the
people who held all the yard sales.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA mystery/thriller
What's better than a Karen McManus mystery? Why two of course.
In The Cousins McManus leaves the deadly halls of high school to show
us that family may be a little less safe than we'd like to believe.
Narrators Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah are cousins about to be
united for the summer. Their wealthy grandmother, Mildred, owns a
posh resort on a rich people destination island. She's invited them
to work there over vacation.
None of them have ever seen the island. Before they were born
their grandmother disinherited all her children with a cryptic note
that said, "You know what you did." She's ignored all their attempts
at reconciliation, even wedding invitations. Now the cousin's parents
see a way to get back into Mildred's good graces and will. Not going
is not an option.
When the cousins arrive on the island things start looking
fishy. It doesn't seem like Mildred even knew they were coming. Her
second-in-command, Theresa, and lawyer, Donald, seem determined to get
them off the island as fast as possible. There are long buried
secrets and people who would go to great lengths to keep them from
seeing the light of day.
Will the cousins discover the truth and all make it off the
island alive?
There's only one way to find out.
On a purrrsonal note, I had a totally amazing weekend. Saturday was
Amber and Brian's wedding. Actually they've been married a year. But
back when the pandemic lockdown was in full swing with no vaccine in
sight only the most immediate family members could participate. This
time around her grandmother, aunt, and uncle could be there. Then
Sunday Eugene and I took a road trip. A Dunkin Donuts actually had my
favorite, lemon, so I knew it would be a lucky day. And it was. The
91% probability of precip panned out at a mere 10 minute shower. And
we hit the legendary ten mile yard sale I'd previously only heard
about. We scored ourselves some bargains and had fun treasure
hunting. (Jules)
They lucked out on the rain. That's for sure. (Tobago)
Great big shout outs go out to Amber and Brian, to Eugene, and to the
people who held all the yard sales.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, May 21, 2021
One Of Us Is Next
One Of Us Is Next
YA mystery/thriller
Oh, happy day! Karen McManus has written a sequel to her One Of
Us Is Lying. It's every bit as good.
One Of Us Is Lying Starts out in am after school detention
room. The teens serving time--Bronwyn, the brain, Addy, the home
coming princess, Cooper, the baseball star, Nate, the juvenile
delinquent, and Simon, whose very active gossip app tantalized and
aggravates his peers--seem to have nothing in common.
When Simon dies in that classroom and his death is deemed to be
murder his detention mates all become suspects. They were the last
ones to see him alive. He was going to reveal major dirt on them the
next day. Can we say motive and opportunity?
In One Of Us Is Next McManus returns to Bayview High. This
time, rather than an app, there's a top secret Truth or Dare game. A
student will be notified that they have to either accept and pull off
a dare or have a painfully embarassing secret revealed to the whole
school. Either option is dangerous. The mystery game host has access
to some real dirt. Then one of the dares ends in tragedy.
Once again McManus uses her multiperspective narrative style to
bring to life complex characters and relationships and create an aura
of palpable suspense. YA and adult thriller affecianados, especially
fans of One Of Us Is Lying, will find this most worthy sequel to be a
must read.
On a purrrsonal note, well once again we're coming up on a weekend. I
hope you have something good planned. I have something awesome. Last
May when Amber and Brian got married they could only have immediate
family. Now they're planning to reenact so more members can take
part. The weather's the potential challenge. But possibility of
precip has just dropped from 42% to 24%. So I'm hopeful.
I'm really enjoying lilac season. I keep a vase in my kitchen and am
savoring that once a year aroma. (Jules)
Hoping for not rain (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, our readers, with best wishes
for a safe and happy weekend.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA mystery/thriller
Oh, happy day! Karen McManus has written a sequel to her One Of
Us Is Lying. It's every bit as good.
One Of Us Is Lying Starts out in am after school detention
room. The teens serving time--Bronwyn, the brain, Addy, the home
coming princess, Cooper, the baseball star, Nate, the juvenile
delinquent, and Simon, whose very active gossip app tantalized and
aggravates his peers--seem to have nothing in common.
When Simon dies in that classroom and his death is deemed to be
murder his detention mates all become suspects. They were the last
ones to see him alive. He was going to reveal major dirt on them the
next day. Can we say motive and opportunity?
In One Of Us Is Next McManus returns to Bayview High. This
time, rather than an app, there's a top secret Truth or Dare game. A
student will be notified that they have to either accept and pull off
a dare or have a painfully embarassing secret revealed to the whole
school. Either option is dangerous. The mystery game host has access
to some real dirt. Then one of the dares ends in tragedy.
Once again McManus uses her multiperspective narrative style to
bring to life complex characters and relationships and create an aura
of palpable suspense. YA and adult thriller affecianados, especially
fans of One Of Us Is Lying, will find this most worthy sequel to be a
must read.
On a purrrsonal note, well once again we're coming up on a weekend. I
hope you have something good planned. I have something awesome. Last
May when Amber and Brian got married they could only have immediate
family. Now they're planning to reenact so more members can take
part. The weather's the potential challenge. But possibility of
precip has just dropped from 42% to 24%. So I'm hopeful.
I'm really enjoying lilac season. I keep a vase in my kitchen and am
savoring that once a year aroma. (Jules)
Hoping for not rain (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, our readers, with best wishes
for a safe and happy weekend.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, May 20, 2021
Here are Pastors M & M, our spiritual leaders. They had only just started in our church when the pandemic thrust them and the rest of us into unchartered territory. They really held the church together and in the midst of chaos Mariah completed the work on her ministry doctorate. YASSS!!
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
This Is The Rope
This Is The Rope
Picture book
People tend to envision fancy things--jewelry, silverware--as
being passed on from generation to generation. Sometimes much more
humble objects can take on this significance. This is the case in
Jacqueline Woodson's This Is The Rope: A Story From The Great
Migration.
During the Great Migration over six million Blacks moved from
the rural south to big northern cities. They were tired of grinding
poverty and Jim Crow indignities and cruelties. They wanted decent
jobs and living conditions and better schools for their children.
Woodson's family was part of that movement.
A little girl finds a jump rope. Grown and married with a
child, she uses it to tie her family's few belongings to the roof of
their car for the journey to New York City. In their new home the
rope is used to dry flowers and wet diapers and pull a toy before it
becomes again a jump rope. In an especially poignant scene it secures
the now grown baby's belongings as she sets off for college.
And there's one more generation to go.
Illustrated warmly with James Ransome's beautifully detailed
paintings, This Is The Rope is a warm, tender read aloud. It's also
an excellent way to introduce children to a very important but too
often overlooked chapter in American history.
On a purrrsonal note, I've been having an exciting 24 hours. Last
night my church choir, following over a year when we could only meet
on zoom, came together on the patio behind Orono Public Library.
Pastors Mariah and Malcolm joined us. We sang a bunch of songs
accompanied by Laura on guitar. I taught a song I'd learned from WMEB
radio on a road trip with Eugene. And there was plenty of time to
chat. Today Eugene needed me to deposit money in the credit union.
So I took the bus for the first time in 14 months. It wasn't bad.
Everyone wore masks. There were only three people (including me) on
the way to Orono and five on the way back. We had enough space to
distance. (Jules)
Glad she's vaccinated as she goes back into the world. That's for
sure. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to our church choir, Pastors M&M, and
the bus drivers.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
People tend to envision fancy things--jewelry, silverware--as
being passed on from generation to generation. Sometimes much more
humble objects can take on this significance. This is the case in
Jacqueline Woodson's This Is The Rope: A Story From The Great
Migration.
During the Great Migration over six million Blacks moved from
the rural south to big northern cities. They were tired of grinding
poverty and Jim Crow indignities and cruelties. They wanted decent
jobs and living conditions and better schools for their children.
Woodson's family was part of that movement.
A little girl finds a jump rope. Grown and married with a
child, she uses it to tie her family's few belongings to the roof of
their car for the journey to New York City. In their new home the
rope is used to dry flowers and wet diapers and pull a toy before it
becomes again a jump rope. In an especially poignant scene it secures
the now grown baby's belongings as she sets off for college.
And there's one more generation to go.
Illustrated warmly with James Ransome's beautifully detailed
paintings, This Is The Rope is a warm, tender read aloud. It's also
an excellent way to introduce children to a very important but too
often overlooked chapter in American history.
On a purrrsonal note, I've been having an exciting 24 hours. Last
night my church choir, following over a year when we could only meet
on zoom, came together on the patio behind Orono Public Library.
Pastors Mariah and Malcolm joined us. We sang a bunch of songs
accompanied by Laura on guitar. I taught a song I'd learned from WMEB
radio on a road trip with Eugene. And there was plenty of time to
chat. Today Eugene needed me to deposit money in the credit union.
So I took the bus for the first time in 14 months. It wasn't bad.
Everyone wore masks. There were only three people (including me) on
the way to Orono and five on the way back. We had enough space to
distance. (Jules)
Glad she's vaccinated as she goes back into the world. That's for
sure. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to our church choir, Pastors M&M, and
the bus drivers.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, May 17, 2021
My new Harry Potter shirt. It has a picture of the owl delivering Harry's acceptance to Hogwarts. I got my grad school acceptance in a much more mundane way--by email. But even minus snowy owls and magic wands my program feels like Hogwarts, especially since I've aced spells also known as statistics. Just think of me as an older version on Hermione.
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
The Way We Never Were
The Way We Never Were
Adult nonfiction
Trump built up the hopes of his base by promising to make
America great again. Implicit in his promise was a return to the
ethos of a more moral and prosperous era--presumably the 1950s. Dad
worked. Mom cooked, cleaned, and cared for the 2.5 children who said
yes ma'am and no sir, ate their vegetables, and had problems that
could be solved in a half hour by wise dad. Families went to church.
Schools opened the day with prayer.
Nostalgia has become quite popular. Today's complex and crisis
packed world, especially since the pandemic hit, has a lot of people
missing the kinder, gentler past popularized by shows like Leave It To
Beaver and Father Knows Best.
Stephanie Coontz knew how to call bullshit when she wrote The
Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia trap. In this
thoroughly researched volume she shatters myths that:
*the suburban families of the 1950s were glowingly happy;
*families other than the lazy poor were totally fiscally independent;
*women were fine with gendered divisions of labor until feminism
ruined everything;
and *teens were relatively chaste and produced fewer out of wedlock
babies.
She also debunks the illusion of Black poverty and precarity being due
to dysfinctional family lives rather than systemic racism.
In a 2016 New Republic article Coontz says that some forms of
nostalgia, such as children remembering the good but not the bad from
a summer vacation, are benign. "...But it's a serious problem when it
leads grown-ups to try to recreate a past that either never existed at
all or whose seemingly attractive features were inextricably linked to
injustices and restrictions on liberty that few Americans would
tolerate today."
As when we elect a real estate mogul to the highest office in
the nation to "make America great again"?
On a purrrsonal note, I hope you had a great weekend. I sure did.
Saturday morning Eugene and I went up to camp. The weather was
perfect. The scenery was sweet. It's that time of year when fruit
trees and bushes are beautifully blossoming. At camp I did a lot of
reading and some walking. A hummingbird checked Eugene and me out.
Eugene grilled burgers for supper. We played gin rummy. He won. He
always wins at camp. Before bed we watched a movie. After breakfast
we took a very meandering scenic route home. We saw a rabbit, 2
deers, a turkey, a bunch of geese, and an eagle. We found a yard
sale. I finally was able to find angel Christmas ornaments that
aren't all white skinned. We stopped at Goodwill. I bought a Harry
Potter shirt and one piece Christmas Moose pajamas. At Hannaford I
slipped yogurt and bananas (potassium) into the grocery cart. Eugene
tried out his new grill cooking hot dogs for supper. He must like it
because he went on to cook a steak we can have tonight. (Jules)
I missed my hoomans. But I knew they'd come home. They always do.
(Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene. Also to Rev. Mariah who
just earned herself a PhD without pushing her cat off her work. You
go, Girl!
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
Trump built up the hopes of his base by promising to make
America great again. Implicit in his promise was a return to the
ethos of a more moral and prosperous era--presumably the 1950s. Dad
worked. Mom cooked, cleaned, and cared for the 2.5 children who said
yes ma'am and no sir, ate their vegetables, and had problems that
could be solved in a half hour by wise dad. Families went to church.
Schools opened the day with prayer.
Nostalgia has become quite popular. Today's complex and crisis
packed world, especially since the pandemic hit, has a lot of people
missing the kinder, gentler past popularized by shows like Leave It To
Beaver and Father Knows Best.
Stephanie Coontz knew how to call bullshit when she wrote The
Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia trap. In this
thoroughly researched volume she shatters myths that:
*the suburban families of the 1950s were glowingly happy;
*families other than the lazy poor were totally fiscally independent;
*women were fine with gendered divisions of labor until feminism
ruined everything;
and *teens were relatively chaste and produced fewer out of wedlock
babies.
She also debunks the illusion of Black poverty and precarity being due
to dysfinctional family lives rather than systemic racism.
In a 2016 New Republic article Coontz says that some forms of
nostalgia, such as children remembering the good but not the bad from
a summer vacation, are benign. "...But it's a serious problem when it
leads grown-ups to try to recreate a past that either never existed at
all or whose seemingly attractive features were inextricably linked to
injustices and restrictions on liberty that few Americans would
tolerate today."
As when we elect a real estate mogul to the highest office in
the nation to "make America great again"?
On a purrrsonal note, I hope you had a great weekend. I sure did.
Saturday morning Eugene and I went up to camp. The weather was
perfect. The scenery was sweet. It's that time of year when fruit
trees and bushes are beautifully blossoming. At camp I did a lot of
reading and some walking. A hummingbird checked Eugene and me out.
Eugene grilled burgers for supper. We played gin rummy. He won. He
always wins at camp. Before bed we watched a movie. After breakfast
we took a very meandering scenic route home. We saw a rabbit, 2
deers, a turkey, a bunch of geese, and an eagle. We found a yard
sale. I finally was able to find angel Christmas ornaments that
aren't all white skinned. We stopped at Goodwill. I bought a Harry
Potter shirt and one piece Christmas Moose pajamas. At Hannaford I
slipped yogurt and bananas (potassium) into the grocery cart. Eugene
tried out his new grill cooking hot dogs for supper. He must like it
because he went on to cook a steak we can have tonight. (Jules)
I missed my hoomans. But I knew they'd come home. They always do.
(Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene. Also to Rev. Mariah who
just earned herself a PhD without pushing her cat off her work. You
go, Girl!
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, May 14, 2021
Ghosts In The Schoolyard
Ghosts In The Schoolyard
Adult nonfiction
In 2013 Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the imminent closing of 330
(later pared down to 49) of Chicago's public schools. Of the targeted
schools 90% were majority Black student wise and 71% faculty wise.
For Eve Ewing this was personal. She taught at one of the
schools on the chopping block. The reasons for the closures did not
seem to make sense. So she did her own research.
"...What role did race, power, and history play in what was
happening in my hometown? Behind the numbers and the maps and the
graphs, who were the people--the teachers, the children, the
neighbors--who would be affected by the decision to close so many
schools?..."
And why were so many people fighting so hard to save schools
deemed by those in authority to be failures?
Ghosts In The Schoolyard focuses on school closings in Chicago's
Bronzeville section. Having grown up in that neighborhood, Ewing
brought the perspectives of both teacher and student to bear on her
task. Through use of a variety of techniques such as interviews,
document analysis, and field observations, she was able to uncover an
ugly legacy of systemic racism and failure on the part of those
running the school system to take into account the competing set of
values and needs voiced by the students, families, and community
members whose lives and hopes would be impacted by their decisions.
"What do school closures, and their disproportionate clustering
in communities like Bronzeville, tell us about a fundamental
devaluation of African American children, their families, and black
life in general? Is there room for democracy and real grassroots
participation in a school system that has run like an oligarchy?"
Ewing isn't saying that school closures shouldn't happen. But
she believes that when one is contemplated inconvenient questions must
be asked, those who would be most impacted must have real roles in
decision making, and systemic racism, past and present, must be
acknowledged.
On a purrrsonal note, it's a lovely sunny day out. Maybe we'll get a
little rain Sunday. But it looks like we'll have a pretty decent
weekend for any outdoor plans people might have. Wonder cat, Tobago,
and I are full of joy and hope. We have decided we're going to have a
super sensational summer, a season to remember for good reasons. As
opposed to last year when we had a summer I don't think we'll be able
to forget. (Jules)
Super sensational summer? I'm all over it. By the way, readers, if
you want a super sensational summer adopt a rescue cat. Word on the
street is shelters are packed with the most adorable furever friends.
(Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, our readers, with best wishes
for a wonderful weekend.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
In 2013 Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the imminent closing of 330
(later pared down to 49) of Chicago's public schools. Of the targeted
schools 90% were majority Black student wise and 71% faculty wise.
For Eve Ewing this was personal. She taught at one of the
schools on the chopping block. The reasons for the closures did not
seem to make sense. So she did her own research.
"...What role did race, power, and history play in what was
happening in my hometown? Behind the numbers and the maps and the
graphs, who were the people--the teachers, the children, the
neighbors--who would be affected by the decision to close so many
schools?..."
And why were so many people fighting so hard to save schools
deemed by those in authority to be failures?
Ghosts In The Schoolyard focuses on school closings in Chicago's
Bronzeville section. Having grown up in that neighborhood, Ewing
brought the perspectives of both teacher and student to bear on her
task. Through use of a variety of techniques such as interviews,
document analysis, and field observations, she was able to uncover an
ugly legacy of systemic racism and failure on the part of those
running the school system to take into account the competing set of
values and needs voiced by the students, families, and community
members whose lives and hopes would be impacted by their decisions.
"What do school closures, and their disproportionate clustering
in communities like Bronzeville, tell us about a fundamental
devaluation of African American children, their families, and black
life in general? Is there room for democracy and real grassroots
participation in a school system that has run like an oligarchy?"
Ewing isn't saying that school closures shouldn't happen. But
she believes that when one is contemplated inconvenient questions must
be asked, those who would be most impacted must have real roles in
decision making, and systemic racism, past and present, must be
acknowledged.
On a purrrsonal note, it's a lovely sunny day out. Maybe we'll get a
little rain Sunday. But it looks like we'll have a pretty decent
weekend for any outdoor plans people might have. Wonder cat, Tobago,
and I are full of joy and hope. We have decided we're going to have a
super sensational summer, a season to remember for good reasons. As
opposed to last year when we had a summer I don't think we'll be able
to forget. (Jules)
Super sensational summer? I'm all over it. By the way, readers, if
you want a super sensational summer adopt a rescue cat. Word on the
street is shelters are packed with the most adorable furever friends.
(Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, our readers, with best wishes
for a wonderful weekend.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Lies You Never Told Me
Lies You Never Told Me
YA/adult mystery/thriller
Some relationships are warped, misbegotten, morphing from
sources of pleasure to paths to peril and terror, impossible both to
navigate and get out of. The characters in Jennifer Donaldson's Lies
You Never Told Me are caught in such relationships. Readers are
quickly pulled into the spine chilling narrative she constructs.
"Tomorrow I'll go through Mom's room, try to find her stash.
Flush it. Not that it will matter; she's got half a dozen doctors
ready and willing to prescribe her more. Mom's a mess, but she's a
cunning mess, good at manipulating what she needs out of people..."
Elyse has had to grow up much too fast, suffering through the
ups and downs of her mother's drug addiction. In fact she plays the
parenting role. So when a cute male drama teacher gives her an
unexpected lead in a school play and treats her as someone special..."
"'You're such an asshole sometimes.' 'Whatever. Have a good
time in the backwoods. I hope you get murdered by hillbillies.' She
stalks away, her profile icy with disdain."
Sasha is mean girl popular. People do what she says out of fear
of getting on her bad side rather than any kind of loyalty. She
suspects that boyfriend Gabe is slipping away from her and will do
literally anything to keep that from happening.
"It suddenly feels crazy to me, like Savannah's sticking her
hand in an alligator's mouth. And then, with disgust, I realize I'm
no different. We all act like we're honored to let her treat us like
shit."
Gabe is desperate to get out of Sasha's grasp but terrified of
what she'll do to those he cares about including his little sister and
a new girl in school he's come to care about and want to help, a girl
who's terrified of just about everything...
...maybe with good reason.
Warning: once you pick up this dark drama and get into the plot,
if you're a thriller affecianado, you won't be able to put it down.
On a purrrsonal note, I've had two wonderful things happen so far this
week. Last night I got a package in the mail from Kathryn Olmstead--
an autographed copy of her book (which, yes, I plan to review on this
blog). Kathy and I go way back. She taught my journalistic ethics
class back when I was pregnant with Dr. Amber Hathaway. I was so
excited to get that book and know that our friendship matters to her
as it does to me. Today my dining manager, Anna, came over to visit
me and Tobago. She was the one who brought Tobago and me together.
She has a passion for homing animals. I appreciated her stopping by
on her vaca. We had a lovely visit. Tobago was swanning around being
super affectionate. It made Anna very happy to see her so secure and
happy. (Jules)
I got to see Anna today. I was very happy to see her. She was the
one who busted me out of the joint and set me up with my home and
family. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Kathy and Anna.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult mystery/thriller
Some relationships are warped, misbegotten, morphing from
sources of pleasure to paths to peril and terror, impossible both to
navigate and get out of. The characters in Jennifer Donaldson's Lies
You Never Told Me are caught in such relationships. Readers are
quickly pulled into the spine chilling narrative she constructs.
"Tomorrow I'll go through Mom's room, try to find her stash.
Flush it. Not that it will matter; she's got half a dozen doctors
ready and willing to prescribe her more. Mom's a mess, but she's a
cunning mess, good at manipulating what she needs out of people..."
Elyse has had to grow up much too fast, suffering through the
ups and downs of her mother's drug addiction. In fact she plays the
parenting role. So when a cute male drama teacher gives her an
unexpected lead in a school play and treats her as someone special..."
"'You're such an asshole sometimes.' 'Whatever. Have a good
time in the backwoods. I hope you get murdered by hillbillies.' She
stalks away, her profile icy with disdain."
Sasha is mean girl popular. People do what she says out of fear
of getting on her bad side rather than any kind of loyalty. She
suspects that boyfriend Gabe is slipping away from her and will do
literally anything to keep that from happening.
"It suddenly feels crazy to me, like Savannah's sticking her
hand in an alligator's mouth. And then, with disgust, I realize I'm
no different. We all act like we're honored to let her treat us like
shit."
Gabe is desperate to get out of Sasha's grasp but terrified of
what she'll do to those he cares about including his little sister and
a new girl in school he's come to care about and want to help, a girl
who's terrified of just about everything...
...maybe with good reason.
Warning: once you pick up this dark drama and get into the plot,
if you're a thriller affecianado, you won't be able to put it down.
On a purrrsonal note, I've had two wonderful things happen so far this
week. Last night I got a package in the mail from Kathryn Olmstead--
an autographed copy of her book (which, yes, I plan to review on this
blog). Kathy and I go way back. She taught my journalistic ethics
class back when I was pregnant with Dr. Amber Hathaway. I was so
excited to get that book and know that our friendship matters to her
as it does to me. Today my dining manager, Anna, came over to visit
me and Tobago. She was the one who brought Tobago and me together.
She has a passion for homing animals. I appreciated her stopping by
on her vaca. We had a lovely visit. Tobago was swanning around being
super affectionate. It made Anna very happy to see her so secure and
happy. (Jules)
I got to see Anna today. I was very happy to see her. She was the
one who busted me out of the joint and set me up with my home and
family. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Kathy and Anna.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, May 10, 2021
I Know You Remember
I Know You Remember
YA/adult mystery/thriller
"The urn is smaller than I expected. It's green--her favorite
color--and even though it's less than a foot tall it's heavy. Dense
with her ashes. With her body.
With my mother broken down into a million crumbling pieces."
As you can see from the opening paragraphs of Jennifer
Donaldson's I Know You Remember, protagonist Ruth has just been dealt
a heavy blow. She'd been hiking with her mother on a promontory.
Suddenly her mom slipped and fell off the edge.
Ruth and her mom had left her dad three years earlier because he
drank too much and was a violent drunk. Now, since he's her closest
living relative, Ruth is going back to Alaska to live with him,
wondering how much he's really changed. Dear old Dad isn't the only
unknown. He's acquired a new recovering drug addict wife, Brandy, and
stepdaughter, Ingrid, who, like Ruth, is a senior in high school.
There is one person Ruth's looking forward to reuniting with:
Zahra who had been her best friend before she moved to Oregon. The
two had marched to the beat of a different drummer. Communications
had tapered off off over their years of separation. But surely they
can pick up where they left off...
...Or maybe not. When Ruth leaves a note in her friend's room
she sees no traces of the chum she left behind.
"...No twinkle lights, no tulle, no uncapped paint pen drying
out on the desk next to a half-drawn sign...There are no stuffed
animals, no empty cups or art supplies or scented candles."
But, weirdest of all, there are no books.
Sadly Zahra's eighth grade persona isn't the only being
missing. Zahra herself is. Her parents hadn't been alarmed when Ruth
stopped by, sure their daughter was on a weekend camping trip with her
boyfriend, Ben. By Ruth's first day at school Ben has returned solo
and Zahra has been declared missing, the object of police
investigation and searches.
Of course rumors fly. Right before she disappeared Zahra had
had a fight with Ben at a big party. Could he be as innocent as he
claims? After all, solo camping, he has no witnesses to his alibi.
And how about the boy Zahra allegedly cheated on him with?
Zahra is the granddaughter of the minister of a strict
fundamentalist hellfire and brimstone church. The sermons are often
centered on the need to physically punish one's children to save their
souls. Could he have taken his message a bit too far?
Join Ruth in her desperate search to find the one friend she
considers closer than family. If you can guess the ending you're a
lot smarter than me.
On a purrrsonal note, I hope you had a good weekend. I sure did. The
best part was mothers' Day. Eugene and I went on a lovely road trip.
We went to our first yard sale of the year. YASSS!! I found some
good stuff. He scored a free grill. Food always tastes better cooked
outside--especially if someone else is doing the cooking. We got
McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. I talked on the phone to all 3 of my
wonderful children and had some lovely outside reading time. (Jules)
They iz good hooman kittens. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene, Amber, Katie, Adam, and
sweet fur baby Tobago.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult mystery/thriller
"The urn is smaller than I expected. It's green--her favorite
color--and even though it's less than a foot tall it's heavy. Dense
with her ashes. With her body.
With my mother broken down into a million crumbling pieces."
As you can see from the opening paragraphs of Jennifer
Donaldson's I Know You Remember, protagonist Ruth has just been dealt
a heavy blow. She'd been hiking with her mother on a promontory.
Suddenly her mom slipped and fell off the edge.
Ruth and her mom had left her dad three years earlier because he
drank too much and was a violent drunk. Now, since he's her closest
living relative, Ruth is going back to Alaska to live with him,
wondering how much he's really changed. Dear old Dad isn't the only
unknown. He's acquired a new recovering drug addict wife, Brandy, and
stepdaughter, Ingrid, who, like Ruth, is a senior in high school.
There is one person Ruth's looking forward to reuniting with:
Zahra who had been her best friend before she moved to Oregon. The
two had marched to the beat of a different drummer. Communications
had tapered off off over their years of separation. But surely they
can pick up where they left off...
...Or maybe not. When Ruth leaves a note in her friend's room
she sees no traces of the chum she left behind.
"...No twinkle lights, no tulle, no uncapped paint pen drying
out on the desk next to a half-drawn sign...There are no stuffed
animals, no empty cups or art supplies or scented candles."
But, weirdest of all, there are no books.
Sadly Zahra's eighth grade persona isn't the only being
missing. Zahra herself is. Her parents hadn't been alarmed when Ruth
stopped by, sure their daughter was on a weekend camping trip with her
boyfriend, Ben. By Ruth's first day at school Ben has returned solo
and Zahra has been declared missing, the object of police
investigation and searches.
Of course rumors fly. Right before she disappeared Zahra had
had a fight with Ben at a big party. Could he be as innocent as he
claims? After all, solo camping, he has no witnesses to his alibi.
And how about the boy Zahra allegedly cheated on him with?
Zahra is the granddaughter of the minister of a strict
fundamentalist hellfire and brimstone church. The sermons are often
centered on the need to physically punish one's children to save their
souls. Could he have taken his message a bit too far?
Join Ruth in her desperate search to find the one friend she
considers closer than family. If you can guess the ending you're a
lot smarter than me.
On a purrrsonal note, I hope you had a good weekend. I sure did. The
best part was mothers' Day. Eugene and I went on a lovely road trip.
We went to our first yard sale of the year. YASSS!! I found some
good stuff. He scored a free grill. Food always tastes better cooked
outside--especially if someone else is doing the cooking. We got
McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. I talked on the phone to all 3 of my
wonderful children and had some lovely outside reading time. (Jules)
They iz good hooman kittens. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene, Amber, Katie, Adam, and
sweet fur baby Tobago.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, May 7, 2021
One of my best decorating hacks. I originally got the revolving bookcase when someone threw it out quite awhile ago. Amber claimed it for her and Katie's room. Then when I turned that room into a studio it turned out to be purrrfect for my Beanie Buddies collection.
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
Does My Head Look Big In This?
Does My Head Look Big In This?
YA fiction
"I'm terrified. But at the same time I feel like my passion and
conviction in Islam are bursting inside me and I want to prove to
myself that I'm strong enough to wear a badge of my faith..."
For Amal, narrator of Randa Abdel-Fattah's Does My Head Look Big
In This, choosing to wear the hijab full time is a lot bigger than
just making a fashion statement. She knows she'll encounter prejudice
from some of her high school peers. She's aware that such a visible
symbol of Islam may keep her from getting some jobs. But her religion
is important to her.
Her parents initially view her decision with trepidation.
"'What's the big deal? It's a piece of material?'
My mother snorts. 'Since when do people see it as a mere piece
of material? You and I both know that's being a tad optimistic, ya
Amal!'"
A tad optimistic is quite the understatement. The story is set
only a few years after 9/11. Many people had come to equate Islam
with terrorism and hatred of of our way of life. So making such a
visible faith statement while also dealing with more typical teen
issues (academics, mean girls, a potential boyfriend) would be quite
the challenge.
Throughout the book Amal engages with the challenges--sometimes
with grace, sometimes with anything but, but always in a way that will
engage the reader.
On a purrrsonal note, it's been a pretty quiet week. I was
disappointed when I didn't make my numbers and get to donate blood.
But Red Cross gave me a tee shirt for trying--the huge size that's
perfect for sleeping in on hot nights. The big relief was Eugene
coming home safe yesterday. He was up to camp on vaca, catching
himself some fish. I was glad he could have some good times. But
camp is up in the boonies with crappy cell reception. So I'm glad
when he gets back and I can see he's alive and well. Sunday is
Mothers Day and I'm hoping we'll go for a ride. It would be fun.
(Jules)
My hooman is home safe. He didn't get chomped by preditors! YASSS!!
(Tobago)
A great big shout out for those of my readers who are moms and a
reminder to those who have living moms to remember them. Also to this
year's UMaine graduating class. Go Black Bears.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA fiction
"I'm terrified. But at the same time I feel like my passion and
conviction in Islam are bursting inside me and I want to prove to
myself that I'm strong enough to wear a badge of my faith..."
For Amal, narrator of Randa Abdel-Fattah's Does My Head Look Big
In This, choosing to wear the hijab full time is a lot bigger than
just making a fashion statement. She knows she'll encounter prejudice
from some of her high school peers. She's aware that such a visible
symbol of Islam may keep her from getting some jobs. But her religion
is important to her.
Her parents initially view her decision with trepidation.
"'What's the big deal? It's a piece of material?'
My mother snorts. 'Since when do people see it as a mere piece
of material? You and I both know that's being a tad optimistic, ya
Amal!'"
A tad optimistic is quite the understatement. The story is set
only a few years after 9/11. Many people had come to equate Islam
with terrorism and hatred of of our way of life. So making such a
visible faith statement while also dealing with more typical teen
issues (academics, mean girls, a potential boyfriend) would be quite
the challenge.
Throughout the book Amal engages with the challenges--sometimes
with grace, sometimes with anything but, but always in a way that will
engage the reader.
On a purrrsonal note, it's been a pretty quiet week. I was
disappointed when I didn't make my numbers and get to donate blood.
But Red Cross gave me a tee shirt for trying--the huge size that's
perfect for sleeping in on hot nights. The big relief was Eugene
coming home safe yesterday. He was up to camp on vaca, catching
himself some fish. I was glad he could have some good times. But
camp is up in the boonies with crappy cell reception. So I'm glad
when he gets back and I can see he's alive and well. Sunday is
Mothers Day and I'm hoping we'll go for a ride. It would be fun.
(Jules)
My hooman is home safe. He didn't get chomped by preditors! YASSS!!
(Tobago)
A great big shout out for those of my readers who are moms and a
reminder to those who have living moms to remember them. Also to this
year's UMaine graduating class. Go Black Bears.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, May 3, 2021
Something Real
Something Real
YA fiction
"I can't believe it. Despite all her promises, my mom has
finally given in to Meta Reel. After four camera free years, the cast
of Baker's Dozen--my family--is back on the air."
For the first thirteen years of her life Bonnie Baker,
protagonist of Heather Demetrios' Something Real, grew up on a reality
tv show. In fact she was born on camera. She wasn't an only for
long. By the time she was ten she had twelve siblings. An audience
of millions was privy not only to a weekly show, but to 24/7 live
streaming with very few parts of the house off limits to cameras.
When Bonnie took an overdose of pills and her parents broke up
the show went off the air, presumably forever. Going into her senior
year of high school, she has a fairly normal (other than the
overabundance of siblings) life. She's a regular high school girl
whose classmates don't connect her with a defunct series. It's all
she's ever wanted.
So imagine how she feels when she gets home after school to see
her house being transformed into something posher for the resuming
show which is about to start shooting. She can't opt out of
participating. Unless all the kids cooperate the media company will
pull the plug and sue for breach of contract. Not to mention her mom
and new stepdad seem to prefer the on camera life. In fact Bonnie and
brother Benny (also a senior) seem to be the only ones who aren't
pleased with the situation.
Although very few people are compelled to be reality tv stars,
many are victimized by internet oversharing. How about revenge porn?
How about the posting and tagging of embarassing photos, some of which
could have serious academic or career consequences?
How do we protect the privacy we need to feel comfortable while
respecting that of the people around us? What does it mean to do no
harm in an increasingly online world? Something Real can be an
impetus for private reflection or open discussion about an aspect of
life in which ethical considerations lag far behind technogical
capabilities.
On a purrrsonal note, it was a good weekend with a little drama.
Sunday a little after Tobago and I attended zoom church I by mistake
locked myself out of the house. Eugene wasn't due home for hours.
And I'd half finished the only book I had outside. Luckily I was able
to get help from the fire department and have a productive afternoon.
This week I'm eating lots of 100% iron cereal. Wednesday my friend
Connie and I have a blood donating date. I am really eager to start
on my eleventh gallon. (Jules)
And then after she donates I haz to make sure she rests up. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to all the fire fighters who help
people and cats out.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA fiction
"I can't believe it. Despite all her promises, my mom has
finally given in to Meta Reel. After four camera free years, the cast
of Baker's Dozen--my family--is back on the air."
For the first thirteen years of her life Bonnie Baker,
protagonist of Heather Demetrios' Something Real, grew up on a reality
tv show. In fact she was born on camera. She wasn't an only for
long. By the time she was ten she had twelve siblings. An audience
of millions was privy not only to a weekly show, but to 24/7 live
streaming with very few parts of the house off limits to cameras.
When Bonnie took an overdose of pills and her parents broke up
the show went off the air, presumably forever. Going into her senior
year of high school, she has a fairly normal (other than the
overabundance of siblings) life. She's a regular high school girl
whose classmates don't connect her with a defunct series. It's all
she's ever wanted.
So imagine how she feels when she gets home after school to see
her house being transformed into something posher for the resuming
show which is about to start shooting. She can't opt out of
participating. Unless all the kids cooperate the media company will
pull the plug and sue for breach of contract. Not to mention her mom
and new stepdad seem to prefer the on camera life. In fact Bonnie and
brother Benny (also a senior) seem to be the only ones who aren't
pleased with the situation.
Although very few people are compelled to be reality tv stars,
many are victimized by internet oversharing. How about revenge porn?
How about the posting and tagging of embarassing photos, some of which
could have serious academic or career consequences?
How do we protect the privacy we need to feel comfortable while
respecting that of the people around us? What does it mean to do no
harm in an increasingly online world? Something Real can be an
impetus for private reflection or open discussion about an aspect of
life in which ethical considerations lag far behind technogical
capabilities.
On a purrrsonal note, it was a good weekend with a little drama.
Sunday a little after Tobago and I attended zoom church I by mistake
locked myself out of the house. Eugene wasn't due home for hours.
And I'd half finished the only book I had outside. Luckily I was able
to get help from the fire department and have a productive afternoon.
This week I'm eating lots of 100% iron cereal. Wednesday my friend
Connie and I have a blood donating date. I am really eager to start
on my eleventh gallon. (Jules)
And then after she donates I haz to make sure she rests up. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to all the fire fighters who help
people and cats out.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Saturday, May 1, 2021
The Daughters of Foxcote Manor
The Daughters of Foxcote Manor
Adult mystery
The 1970s Harringtons are a family whose posh life style many
people would envy. But as Eve Chase's The Daughters of Foxcote Manor
begins all is not well with the clan. Mom Jeannie had to be
hospitalized following a still birth. A year later she is far from
well. This is taking a toll on her children, Hera and Teddy. Nanny
Rita has her hands full keeping track of two very lively charges while
doing her best to comfort and stabilize their mother...
...and somehow keep Walter, Jeannie's away on business husband,
from discovering that his best friend, Don, is having an affair with
his distraught wife or that an abandoned infant has been found and
Jeannie refuses to turn it in to the authorities.
Present day Sylvia has ended a marriage that she'd felt would
last forever. She's having a hard time communicating with her beloved
only child, Annie, who has become a pregnant teen. The child's father
(according to Annie) is showing no interest in being a baby daddy.
His mother is convinced that terminating the pregnancy would be in
everyone's best interests...
...while Sylvia's beloved mother lies in a hospital in a coma
from which no one can be sure she'll ever return.
What do these two families have to do with each other or with a
sinister falling down manor closely surrounded by a deep, dark, and
seemingly malevolent forest?
I guess you'll have to read the book to find out.
On a purrrsonal note, I have wonderful news! I found out my
statistics grade for this semester. I got A like last semester. And
both semesters were online. My computer skills sure are improving. I
am in full on celebration mode. (Jules)
Nothing says celebration like tuna. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to my professor Craig who conveyed not
only his topic but its magic and allure brilliantly. I am well
prepared and inspired to incorporate my new skills into my own research.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult mystery
The 1970s Harringtons are a family whose posh life style many
people would envy. But as Eve Chase's The Daughters of Foxcote Manor
begins all is not well with the clan. Mom Jeannie had to be
hospitalized following a still birth. A year later she is far from
well. This is taking a toll on her children, Hera and Teddy. Nanny
Rita has her hands full keeping track of two very lively charges while
doing her best to comfort and stabilize their mother...
...and somehow keep Walter, Jeannie's away on business husband,
from discovering that his best friend, Don, is having an affair with
his distraught wife or that an abandoned infant has been found and
Jeannie refuses to turn it in to the authorities.
Present day Sylvia has ended a marriage that she'd felt would
last forever. She's having a hard time communicating with her beloved
only child, Annie, who has become a pregnant teen. The child's father
(according to Annie) is showing no interest in being a baby daddy.
His mother is convinced that terminating the pregnancy would be in
everyone's best interests...
...while Sylvia's beloved mother lies in a hospital in a coma
from which no one can be sure she'll ever return.
What do these two families have to do with each other or with a
sinister falling down manor closely surrounded by a deep, dark, and
seemingly malevolent forest?
I guess you'll have to read the book to find out.
On a purrrsonal note, I have wonderful news! I found out my
statistics grade for this semester. I got A like last semester. And
both semesters were online. My computer skills sure are improving. I
am in full on celebration mode. (Jules)
Nothing says celebration like tuna. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to my professor Craig who conveyed not
only his topic but its magic and allure brilliantly. I am well
prepared and inspired to incorporate my new skills into my own research.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
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