I thought that you'd like to see this critter I found standing in front of a bike shop in Orono. Every summer ☀️ a menagerie of colorful creatures arrive and can be found all over downtown Orono. It's one of the really special summer traditions. 

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Gem & Dixie

     "An abandoned mother here. A missing uncle there. A disappearing father two generations back. A friendship broken by fear or mistrust or addiction. Genes that make you vulnerable to certain problems. Two children who weren't loved right meeting up when they're not really adults yet and having two more children who aren't loved right. 

     It adds up. It all adds up."

    Gem, narrator of Sara Zarr's Gem & Dixie, has studied her family's history. She and little sister, Dixie, are the "two more children who aren't loved right". Even though her family hasn't been reported to children's protective services her home life is most definitely dysfunctional and dangerous. Both parents are substance abusers. Her father has taken off. Her mother is incapable of taking care of herself, let alone two young daughters. Gem has cared for and protected Dixie.

     Unexpectedly--totally out of the blue--their father decides to re-enter their lives, painting himself as a devoted parent and a responsible adult. Dixie, who has been shielded from the worst of the family dynamics, takes him at his word. When he goes on a $400 grocery shopping spree she believes happy days have arrived. Gem can't buy in.

     "Our dad buying us food shouldn't have been a special treat, it shouldn't have felt like Christmas or a trip to Disneyland; we should have had it all along. There should have been child support, there should have been someone making sure we had what we needed for school. There should have been regular bedtimes and no one working nights, leaving us home all alone."

     When the girls' mother gets home she threatens to call the cops if he doesn't leave right away, preventing him from retrieving the mystery backpack he stashed under Gem's bed...

     ...a backpack that contains about $27,000 (probably gained illicitly), a sum that would allow the sisters to escape their dysfunctional household and start a new life. There's only one problem...

     ...Dixie, believing that their family good times have finally begun, does not want to escape. 

On a purrrsonal note, I had a bit of a scare yesterday. A neighbor told me that the (annual trailer coop) barbecue will be August 9. I thought OMG!!! I have only three weeks to get the backpacks ready. Since 2020 I've been running a backpack 🎒 project that provides backpacks full of school supplies for the kids in my trailer coop. I called Amber and my church for help. Then I looked over my supplies in my shed and the money people have given to buy more. Looks like the sixth year is going to be epic. 

A great big shout out goes out to everyone who is helping me and the fine folx who are coordinating the barbecue. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Enemies To Friends and beyond (YA romance)

     Fam, if you're in the market for perfect beach or pool side reads I've got a couple of winners. They're in my favorite YA romance genre. Just PLEASE before you settle down and get comfy exercise due diligence with the sunscreen. Future you will be grateful. 

   

   "'And you know how Wharton is. They don't just want some typical straight-A .student. Academics is just one part. They want leaders, not lazy soon-to-be seniors who can't even get a job at the bakery.'"

     Rochelle, protagonist of Zakiya N. Jamal's If We Were A Movie, is obsessed with getting accepted at her mother's alma mater. She's done her academic due diligence, being on track to be valedictorian. But something is missing. She's applying to an ejlite business school and she's, never held a job the summer before her senior year. 

     Fortunately she gets a job at Horizon Cinemas, a beloved Black founded and owned multi plex. There are only two problems. Her immediate boss is Amira, her academic rival and all round nemesis. And someone seems to be trying to sabotage the theater to force it to close.

     "Some people don't think asexual or aromantic people count as queer, or just not queer enough without another letter tacked on, and--well, it's a shitty feeling, being told that you don't belong by people who are supposed to know what it's like to be treated like there's something wrong with you."

     What I love the most about Amanda Dewitt's Wren Martin Ruins It All is that her narrator, Wren, is unapologetically ace. In my experience people who are ace encounter the most entrenched prejudice. IDK. Maybe it's because of the idea that developing sexual attraction is an integral part of growing up. The narrative so often is that they just haven't found the one or are somehow deficient. 

     At the beginning of his senior year in high school Wren has been bumped up to student council president. And does he ever have plans for change. "'I want to abolish the Valentines Day Dance,' I say with all the confidence of someone dropping an atomic bomb. 'And redirect the funding into the school's infrastructure to actually improve this place for everybody who goes here after us.'"

     In Wren's opinion it's just plain wrong to devote such a huge amount of the school's very finite resources to a one night event that won't benefit many of the students when the badly in need of repair facilities endanger them all. The year before a student performing in a play fell through the stage. 

     Wren has a problem even bigger than the love of the student body for the dance. His newly bumped up vice president, Leo, just happens to be his personal nemesis. And Leo believes that they can get the dance sponsored by a social media ap called Buddy.

     Needless to say, Wren is not a happy camper. 

     It doesn't look like Wren and Leo are going to work together well...

     ...unless...

On a purrrsonal note, today I'm enjoying a perfect day 📚  and writing outside near my beautiful flowers. Today when I walked to train for the mountain climb I wore my new used boots. They are very comfortable and seem perfectly suited to the mission. I am SO EXCITED about achieving my goal and raising money for a good cause. Also it is getting less hard to give up the foods I enjoy. It's been weeks since I've had candy, 🍰, ice cream 🍦...you know the yummy sugary stuff. Of course I can't give myself a treat to celebrate because human treats have too much sugar. So I have to enjoy watching Tobago enjoy a treat. She's going to get an unexpected tin of her beloved Fancy Feast.

A great big shout out goes out to my kids and friends for being there for me during this traumatic transition. And a great big shout out and tons of wishes go out to my good friend, Bailey, who is marrying the love ❤️ 😍 💖 ❣️ 💕 💘 of her life today. They are such a cute couple!!!

Jules Hathaway 

     

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Fam, I found this wonderful painting in an alley between two buildings in Lincoln, Maine. It really resonated with me. Because I usually can see the 🌞 shine I do my best to be it. (Except when it comes to politics in America. I am a realist.)

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If You're Not The One (YA romance)

     The order I review books in is purely random. It's based on the order in which they arrive by ILL 🚚. I haven't requested them by any unifying theme since my third internship when I had to learn all that I could about restorative justice in general and in higher education. I basically send for books that have interesting reviews in journals and newsletters, are recommended by friends, are other volumes by a newly discovered favorite author or look interesting but unaffordable in bookstores. Even then I sometimes find an intriguing unifying element in two consecutive reads. Although Farah Naz Rishi's If You're Not The One and Not So Pure And Simple may seem worlds apart (Islam/fundamentalist Christianity) in both the influence of religious communities on relationships is major. 

     Ani (Anisa) is the perfect desi daughter. She follows all the rules and customs that will protect her family's reputation in the their religious community. She's chosen an acceptable vocation: lawyer. In high school she had virtually no social life, being too busy with AP classes, work, volunteering, and being editor of the school paper and student body VP. Now in her first year of college she's got a similar lifestyle going on to prepare for law school. 

     Although Ani isn't officially engaged, there is an understanding between her family and Isaac's that they will marry. 

     "I should feel lucky she's (future mother-in-law) deemed me good enough for her only son, which means that I've managed to meet her three basic requirements: 1) Good looks (self-explanatory), 2) Good education (solidified by my acceptance to Marion and eventually law school) and 3) Good family (that my family has solid standing, which is just a fancy way of saying no one has dug up any dirt on us)."

     Ani is fine with that. She considers Isaac perfect and gets security from the arrangement. In her mind they are on a guaranteed path to a perfect marriage, home, children...

     ...in other words a perfect life...

     ...She'd been looking forward to college when they'll have more time together away from parental eyes. But it's not working out that way. He rarely has time for her. If they make a date he usually cancels. He gets ugly when she tries to make plans...

     ...he may even be seeing someone else on the side and keeping her in the dark...

     Ani has disliked Marlow on first sight. (He was wearing crocs). She's irate when a professor pairs them up for a project that will count for a big percentage of their grades.

    But when he offers to be her love coach and help fix her relationship with Isaac...

     ...she's too desperate to say no. 

     If you like your romances with some depth and nuance to them If You're Not The One will make a perfect addition to your summer reading list. The ending makes it Hallmark movie worthy. 

On a purrrsonal note, I have a major announcement to make. Early in the summer ☀️ I'd set an intention of climbing a small mountain by the end of summer. I later changed it to autumn because I do better in cooler weather. I just was having trouble working out a way to train. I can't drive to official trails. And I can't yet keep up with my adult friends. But when I got Eugene to buy me my perfect hiking boots my brain kicked into gear to come up with a plan. The first phase involves swapping out hiking for stationary biking twice a week. I know the layout of Veazie from my years of door to door campaigning for myself in school committee elections. I planned out a morning route and evening route. In phase two I'll do some hiking/climbing with families with kids. Phase three will be the real thing. Today after breakfast I slipped on my sneakers 👟 and grabbed my keys 🔑 and took off. It was almost an hour going steady and I did much better than I'd expected. About halfway I had an inspiration. Instead of doing a small mountain climb with a few friends I can turn it into an EVENT to raise money for Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund which helps UMaine students with stuff like textbooks and unexpected medical expenses. Wouldn't this be AWESOME?

A great big shout out goes out to me for coming up with this creative idea and totally committing to it. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Fam, just had to share this picture with you. It's me with my special pin. I'm quite proud of being the official library photographer. BTW don't you just love my hair? I adore my wild curls. I think they're one of my best features. And I love the way my crowning glory feels so soft and bouncy when I run my fingers through it. I am so glad I do not dye it!

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Not So Pure And Simple

     I've got a real winner for the old summer reading list.  Lamar Giles' Not So Pure And Simple seamlessly combines a truly engaging,  relatable narrative with perceptive insight into sexism and misogyny.   

     Del has been crushing on Kiera since kindergarten when they were leads in their class play. Only he's never been able to act on it because of her suitors. Every time she breaks up with one she takes up with another before he can make a move. 

     When Kiera breaks up because of Colossus cheating with "some heifer named Angie " Del thinks that his chance has finally come. And he's looking for opportunity to knock. They go to the same fundamentalist church. One Sunday, waking up from daydreaming through the pastor's sermon, he sees other teens including Kiera approaching the alter and joins them.

     "In the early moments of service, before I zoned out, they'd talk about volunteering. Go read to old folks at the nursing home. Help scrub graffiti off the community center. Whatever it was, Kiera would be there."

     It's not until he's fully committed that he learns they're signed on for an eight week purity pledge class to become "ambassadors of God serving as positive influences for their peers and the community at large."

     Not exactly on brand for our boy, Del. But he's willing to do whatever it takes to win the beautiful Kiera over. Only it doesn't seem to be working. 

     A fellow classmate who is Kiera's next door neighbor offers to help him in his quest in exchange for getting answers to his and his friends' sex questions. You see the high school has a sex ed class called healthy living elective which includes "a thorough review of STD prevention and contraception" as opposed to Purity Pledge which offers "A thorough review of why Jesus wants me to abstain." You can guess which one most of the church kids aren't allowed to attend...

     ...Which does not seem to be all that effective since a lot of Del's classmates are having babies out of wedlock.

     Del considers himself one of the good guys as opposed to his church and society as a whole. But could instead be part of the problem?

On a purrrsonal note, yesterday three wonderful things happened. ✨️ First I was browsing the Orono Public Library sales shelves and found a book by one of my Katie's favorite authors. Now I have part of her Christmas 🎄 present. I shop basically year round to try to on a shoestring budget find my kids gifts 🎁 they'll love.

Second the librarians gave me a special volunteer pin. I am officially the volunteer who takes pictures for their social media. This is a first and mutually beneficial. They love the pictures and I love taking them.

Third I finally figured out how I can get in practice for my mountain climb. I know I'd slow my friends down. But I bet I can keep up with a family with little kids. I've already found one. I am so looking forward to that.

A great big shout out goes out to my Orono Public Library family and the children and parents participating in the children's garden. 

Jules Hathaway 

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My new gently used hiking boots

My best yard sale find of the weekend. They are a perfect fit and just right for my first post stroke mountain climb which I plan for this fall. Getting ready will be its own challenge. Since I don't drive I don't have access to places I can practice. Gotta be creative here. When I picked out the boots Eugene had this what do you need those for look on his face. In his mind since I can walk that should be enough. I had to work really hard to be able to run. I just regained the ability to jump rope. It's hard to explain but I don't want residual brain damage to define me. I'm still an adventurous person who thrives on challenges. Am I making sense?

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My new gently used hiking boots

My best yard sale find of the weekend. They are a perfect fit and just right for my first post stroke mountain climb which I plan for this fall. Getting ready will be its own challenge. Since I don't drive I don't have access to places I can practice. Gotta be creative here. When I picked out the boots Eugene had this what do you need those for look on his face. In his mind since I can walk that should be enough. I had to work really hard to be able to run. I just regained the ability to jump rope. It's hard to explain but I don't want residual brain damage to define me. I'm still an adventurous person who thrives on challenges. Am I making sense?

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Even In Paradise (YA fiction)

     Some families are perceived by the world as being larger than life. When I was growing up one of the storied clans was the Kennedys. These days you have the Kardashians. Legions of people have insatiable curiosity about every facet of their lives and dream of becoming even a peripheral part of their world. But these families' stories can contain heart breaking tragedy as well as triumph. Chelsey Philpot's Even In Paradise shows becoming engaged with them can leave scars.

     "The Buchanans' pull was as natural and strong as the moon on the tides, and when I was with them I was happy in the warmth of their reflected light. 

     If they had any sense of their collective charm, they never showed it...They were all royalty. They were all gods. They were all broken."

     One fall night after lights out Charlie (Charlotte), a Saint Anne's junior, hears noises outside her dorm and saves a very drunk (and abandoned by her partying chums) Julia Buchanan from getting caught by the night patrol. The next morning she receives gifts and an invitation to Julia's dorm room.

     When Julia decides that she and Charlie are meant to be friends Charlie's friends try unsuccessfully to warn her that this might not be such a good idea. To no avail.  Soon she and Julia are spending all their free time together. It isn't always easy. Julia has a very mercurial temperament. 

     That summer Charlie spends a lot of time in Julia's mansion with her larger than life family including her crush worthy brother, Sebastian. She learns that to them she's more than just a guest. She's a good influence, protecting Julia from something never explicitly mentioned...

     ...perhaps well kept secrets about the tragic death of Julia's beloved older sister?

On a purrrsonal note, I had a really spooky experience last night. I was shade chasing and reading. At that moment I was in front of Eugene's new used truck. I heard a faint tick sound. As I looked at that truck all its lights came on with Eugene on the sofa inside watching the hunt for Bigfoot and the key fob on the kitchen counter. Thankfully the truck did not set off on a murderous rampage like Stephen King's Christine. 

A great big shout out to Eugene for buying a non possessed (hopefully) truck. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Well, fam, just got back from camp and did my tick protection routine. Just wanted to share one more picture from Amber's Thursday event. You can find more about the event and so much more on amberhathaway.com.

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Epic Fail (YA fiction)

     Although I love a good chiller as much as anyone else, sometimes after a particularly intense one I find myself craving something more upbeat where the characters aren't going to be killed in gruesome ways. Claire LaZebnik's fit the bill just perfectly. 

     Elise and her family have just moved from the East Coast to sunny 🌞 California. The older girls are enrolled in Coral Tree Prep which is described as "basically a country club masquerading as a school". Elise is a junior. Juliana, with whom she's very close, is a senior. Chelsea, whom both consider aggravating, is a freshman. Actually with their mother being principal of the school and their father teaching there (which does not endear the girls to their new peers) the littlest sister, Kaitlyn, is the only one in the family whose life doesn't revolve around Coral Tree Prep.

     Just about everyone who attends the school is wealthy. The student parking lot is full of luxury vehicles.  The true elites are the offspring of show biz celebrities. At the top of the pyramid is Derek, the son of a Hollywood  royal family. 

     Elise prides herself on not sharing the superficial values of her peers. She sees Derek as an entitled snob and can't imagine having anything to do with him other than passing him in the halls...

     ...certainly not falling into his orbit when his best friend starts dating Juliana...

     ...This cute romance would make a great beach read. 

On a purrrsonal note, I'm posting this review a day early because tomorrow and tomorrow night I'll be on a romantic getaway in the Maine woods. 

Today my one and only, Eugene, and I went to the in-laws for his family's cookout. The food was awesome: steak, chicken, burgers and dogs, chicken salad, deviled eggs, cheese and crackers, cherries, strawberries and cream, chips and dip...something for everyone. Cheryl (Eugene's sister) presided over the event and made sure nobody went home hungry. She cooks steak better than anyone else, 😋, even restaurants that specialize in steak.

A great big shout out goes out to Cheryl for being once again the hostess with the mostest.

Jules Hathaway 

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Here is a picture from last night. Don't you just love Amber's outfit? Check out amberhathaway.com to learn more about her and Little White Flowers. If you enjoy well written, suspenseful chillers it's a great addition to your summer reading list. 

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That's Not My Name (YA chiller)

     If you're in the market for a hard core chiller, something you wouldn't want to tackle in the middle of a blizzard with the power out, especially if you are a fan of crime podcasts, Megan Lally's That's Not My Name should be on your summer reading list. 

"I think I might be dead.

     I try to gather my bearings, but I can't see. I feel nothing. Not even my own body. The lack of sensation, the way the silence wraps me in a hug and squeezes--it's unnerving. I want it to stop--

     Until the pain comes."

     An injured teenage girl finds herself in a ditch at night, not knowing where she is or how she got there...

     ...or even her own name...

     A police officer finds her and brings her to the station. As he's checking missing person reports a man arrives who claims she's his daughter, Mary. He has enough documents to satisfy the officer who lets him take her to an isolated cabin on a mountain. He plays the role of loving father. But she quickly starts seeing red flags. 

     "I'll never give up on Lola, but how am I supposed to fight for her and myself at the same time? Roane said I was their last suspect. And knowing him, he won't stop until he's pieced together enough evidence to fit his version of events. Then I'll get arrested, and Lola will still be gone. How do I help her from behind bars?"

     Drew had a late night argument with his girlfriend. She went running off into the night...

     ...and never made it home...

     ...now weeks later he feels like the police aren't doing enough to find her, like they've latched onto the boyfriend as killer theme and are trying to prove it instead of exercising due diligence in searching for her.

     As the narratives alternate the suspense builds. There's no way they'll not intersect in a really grim grand finale. The question: just how grim and who will be left alive. 

On a purrrsonal note, today was the first event for Amber's book, Little White Flowers. The Orono Public Library was the gracious host. Amber enjoyed their creative youth program during many of her growing up years. The event went really well. Amber read from her book and answered many questions from a very engaged audience--very well in my opinion. She had a prize drawing and autographed the books people purchases. Pictures were taken. It was quite a success. Now I have to set up more events. 

A great big shout out goes out to Amber, the star 🌟 of the event and her very supportive husband, Brian. 

Jules Hathaway 

 

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The Vanishing Season

     The best word to describe Jodi Lynn Anderson's The Vanishing Season is haunting. It's set in the outskirts of a small town without even reliable cell phone reception. And the living seem not to be the only inhabitants. 

     The town is being rocked by a rude awakening, a loss of innocence. Something that could not possibly happen here is most definitely happening. Teenage girls are going missing and turning up dead. Panic is setting in along with the bitter cold winter. People are isolating themselves behind locked doors. Businesses are shutting down. 

       The outskirts consists of three houses, each containing a teenager. There's Maggie who has just moved from Chicago with her parents when her mother lost her job. There's the impetuous and seemingly irresistible Pauline. And there's Liam, son of the town pariah. His dad manages to piss off the whole town with his in your face promotion of atheism.

       Pauline and Liam have been a couple seemingly forever. Maggie initially is friends with both. But when things change there is a sense of loss and betrayal. 

     With dread in the town and drama in the outskirts all are locked in the brutal grip of winter. Who will not make it through to spring?

On a purrrsonal note, I'm a grandmother. No, my kids haven't gone and procreated. It's the official launch day for Amber's first solo book (she's had stories in a number of fine anthologies), Little White Flowers. It's the first volume in a trilogy. I've seen that creation evolve from first draft (which can be considered a literary sonogram) through every stage of its evolution. So, yes, I'm a Grammy. Instead of knitting booties and offering to babysit I get to spread the word.

A great big shout out goes out to my gifted, talented first born. Check out amberhathaway.com. And if finely crafted horror stories are your fiction go tos, Little White Flowers most definitely belongs on your summer reading list.

Jules Hathaway 

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