Fake Skating (YA romance)

     If you're in need or want of an engaging YA romance that will keep you in suspense because there are a lot of twists and you really care about whether the protagonists get together in the end you can't do better than Lynn Painter's Fake Skating. It's about a boy and a girl individually dealing with really stressful life circumstances. 

     Alec, nicknamed Zeus, is his school and town's great ice hockey 🏒 hope. The sport reigns supreme there. For all the times the Southview Packers have made playoffs they've never gone all the way. Everyone is counting on Zeus to provide the skills and the magic. It's his senior year. 

     He also feels that he's the only one who can pull his family out of the financial crisis they're in through no fault of their own. They're deep in medical debt from a car accident his father was in. His father can't work. Alec feels that making pro hockey is the only way they can pay off the debt and become financially stable. He is hiding a serious shoulder injury for fear it could derail his career.

     Dani has been a military brat, having to move frequently because of her father's career. Formerly outgoing, she was bullied in ninth grade and now is cynical and cautious, focusing on keeping schoolmates at a distance so they can't hurt her. Her parents have divorced. She and her mother have moved to the town her mother grew up in. 

     Until they were twelve Dani and her mother spent time in that town every summer. Dani and Alec were inseparable best friends...

     ...but a lot has happened in the intervening years. They both have changed a lot. And each feels betrayed by the other. Circumstances make it expeditious for them to fake a romance. After awhile they both want it to be real...

     ...But there is someone determined to prevent that from happening. 

     I was riding my exercise bike when I got near the end of the book. I was so unable to put the book down even though it meant extra cycling. That's how engaging Fake Skating is.

On a purrrsonal note, I feel so energized now that we're back on daylight savings time as of yesterday. Seeing it stay light out longer was so beautiful!!! Today temps are supposed to get into the 50s. Whole lotta snow gonna melt. Having lived in New England my whole life, I'm under no delusion that it's smooth sailing from now till next autumn. At least one more storm is guaranteed. But I enjoy the spring adjacent preview of coming attractions. 

Today I will get my fourth tattoo. Can't wait to share a picture with you.

A great big shout out goes out to the Canadian province that is now going with year round daylight savings time. Setting a great example for the rest of us.

Jules Hathaway 

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Engaged in lively discourse

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The authors and moderator

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Bittersweet (picture book)

     Christy Mandin's Bittersweet, based on true history, is a super book, having the power to  give younger readers and listeners insights into not only not so ancient world history but the evils of the times we're living in. 

     World War II had just ended. It must not seemed like that to the children of Berlin. Much of their city was in rubble. And many of the necessities of life were very hard to get...

     ...including food...

     ...Germany had been split up like a pie between the conquering nations. Berlin itself was split between East and West with blockages preventing food from being delivered by motor vehicles, trains, and boats to West Berlin. 

     The countries in charge of West Berlin de cided to fly food in. One of the pilots conducting this vital mission, a man named Gail, spoke to a bunch of kids. He had only two sticks of gum to share with them. But he promised them a surprise. He and his fellow pilots used their ration books to buy as much candy as possible. They dropped it from planes, using hankies as parachutes...

     ...They were violating military rules by flying secret missions...

    ...But when they were caught Gail was in for a real surprise. 

     In her author's note Mandin reminds readers that, "Unfortunately, this story isn't ancient history. In many places around the world today, from Palestine to Yemen, Ukraine to Israel, Myanmar to South Sudan, children are caught in the crossfires of conflicts they did not create. They face hunger, fear, displacement, and trauma on a scale that echoes the darkest chapters of history."

     In writing Bittersweet she was expressing her hope that the children of today can grow up to create a more just, compassionate world than the one we live in today...

     ...which is why it's a most excellent acquisition for public, school, and family libraries. 

On a purrrsonal note, Amber had a most excellent event Thursday night. Ampersand is a beautiful indie store in downtown Orono that sells the most wonderful array of products. It's legendary here. It's survived the pandemic and many less major crises such as, if I remember correctly, a flooded basement. The event was a book talk featuring four women authors (in honor of women's history month) and wine 🍷 tasting. The setting was perfect for intimacy. The hostessing was wonderful. Maddy from Orono Public Library, who was the moderator, asked open ended questions that elicited thoughtful, candid answers from the authors who also spoke spontaneously to each other. For a book loving future author it was purrrfect. And I got a lot of useful information, especially when the authors answered my question: what was the biggest obstacle you encountered in the road to getting published and how did you surmount it? I left so inspired and confident that I can follow in Amber's footsteps. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who facilitated and participated in that most excellent event. 

Jules Hathaway 

     

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Fun times

This is my friend Catherine concentrating on playing Jenga. I think it's one of the best candid shots I have of her. Between the puzzles, games, and refreshments a lot of people had a really good time. 

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Fun times

This is my favorite picture from the Wednesday event. They are deservedly proud of their accomplishment. That puzzle had very tiny pieces. Seeing such diligence in real life is totally inspiring to me.

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The Dog Who Saved The Bees 🐝 (picture bees)

     We know dogs 🐕 can do really amazing things. They can help people with disabilities lead fulfilling, productive lives. They can locate avalanche survivors trapped under the snow. They can detect minute amounts of bad stuff like illegal drugs. They can locate people who go missing. 

     And when I read Stephanie Gibeault's The Dog Who Saved The Bees I learned another super power canine companions have. They can be trained to detect foulbrood, a highly contagious, fatal bee disease with no cure.

     Cybil was the apiary inspector for the Maryland Department of Agriculture. She had to inspect every shipped all over the country before they left the state...

     ...Shall we say that's an awful lot of hives? She heard that a trained sniffer dog would be a big help...

     ...But Mack, the dog she rescued from an abusive situation, proves to be impulsive and distractable. Can she possibly get him to focus enough to learn the skills necessary to pass the test?

     Mack is a gorgeous protagonist. The Dog Who Saved The Bees is sure to be a hit with dog loving kids.

     And it's so important for kids to know and care about and be invested in bees, considering their crucial role in food production and how endangered they are. This book could inspire some future entomologists.

Yesterday I was paparazzi for a really cool event that involved puzzles, games, fresh hot popcorn 🍿 😋 machine popcorn 🍿, 🍬 🍫 🍭, and soda. It drew a lot of people. Maybe the irresistible popcorn 🍿 aroma wafting through the union. I got lots of cool pictures. One couple put together an incredibly complex puzzle with tiny pieces. (In contrast my residually damaged brain 🧠 froze up on a simpler 300 piece puzzle because too many pieces were solid color background.) I insisted they get a prize.) I knew the candy and soda were off limits. I read the nutrition information for machine popcorn. It made me so sad. It's really hard to photograph an event where you can't eat or drink anything, especially when an enticing aroma is everywhere. 

I've got two major events to look forward to. Tonight my older daughter will be on a panel of authors at a local store. Tomorrow is a date yourself event catered by Olive Garden. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who participated in yesterday's event. 

Jules Hathaway 

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