Charlie Daniel R.I.P. October 28, 1936 - July 6, 2020

Uneasy Rider

Drinkin My Baby Goodbye

The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Book Review: Harry Truman's excellent adventure : the true story of a great American road trip by Matthew Algeo

Harry Truman's excellent adventure : the true story of a great American road trip by

Matthew Algeo is an intriguing look at a more innocent time in our nation’s history. 

The book chronicles the 2500 mile post presidential road trip that

Harry and Bess Truman took in 1953. It was the first and last time in our

history that a former president could travel without secret service, reporters,

and paparazzi following them everywhere.

The book not only gives us insight into the character of Harry Truman, but it offers us a

unique perspective on America in 1953 as ordinary people interact with their former

president.

Book Discussion Group Speed Dating

Some time ago, I participated in a Book Group Speed Dating Program at my library. We had five minutes to introduce four books to leaders of book discussion groups. After five minutes, we'd move to another table and repeat. It was a lot of fun. These were my choices for the event.

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. LeGuin is a Sci Fi classic. The central character is George Orr...a man blessed or cursed with effective dreaming. His dreams change the past and present reality. Since Orr is the only one who remembers the previous reality he self medicates with drugs. Under threat of being institutionalized, he is forced to undergo voluntary psychiatric care.

The psychiatrist, Dr. Haber, decides to use Orr’s effective dreaming

to make himself rich and powerful. The drawback is Orr’s dreams never quite deliver the desired results. For example, Haber has George dream of a

world without racism. When he awakes everyone is a uniform grey color.

 Your group will be able to find many things to discuss in this slender volume. Global warming, overpopulation, racism, war, behavioral sciences and the

quest for personal power are a few of the topics/themes. When my group read

The Lathe of Heaven, it was split which made for a very interesting discussion.

Some members didn’t detect the themes; some embraced them.

Our next book is narrated by  dog named Enzo. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein spent 156 weeks on the NY bestsellers list...and no...that wasn’t dog time...that’s people time. It deals with some of the basic questions we humans struggle with and are sometimes even afraid to ask ourselves. Why are we here?What's our greater purpose in the grand scheme of things?

Where do we go after death? What are the keys to true happiness?

What makes them palatable is they are being pondered and experienced by the dog philosopher of the book, Enzo.  His human, Denny, is a race car driver. Enzo uses the metaphor of racing in the rain to describe some of our basic struggles in life. Topics and themes that are covered are control, money, death, humanity, love, family and food. Dogs think about food all the time. Enzo, not only thinks about food, he also thinks about how others relate to food and what we can learn from that relationship. 

My group found great wisdom in The Art of Racing in the Rain. It is book that will not only touch your emotions. It will give your group plenty of topics to discuss.

The next book I’d like to recommend is Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. It tells the story of Molly Ayer, a 17 year old on her twelfth foster home and Vivian Daly, a 91 year old survivor of the orphan train movement. Molly is serving fifty hours of community service helping Vivian clean out her attic. What follows is a learning experience for both of them...and an unexpected friendship.

Orphan Train  offers many discussion points. The obvious choice is to contrast today’s foster care system to the orphan train movement of the 1920s-30s. As Molly and Vivian struggle with their past and present realities,  your groups will discover  a treasure trove of topics and themes to discuss that include: the need to belong or feel connected to others, self identity, safety, survival, trauma, loss, secrets, reality, illusion, and hope and skepticism. Ann Hood sums it up quite well in her blurb on the back of the book: “In Orphan Train, Christina Baker Kline seamlessly knits together the past and present. Kline reminds us that we never really lose anyone or perhaps most importantly ourselves.”

And now for something completely different, my last book is The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. When I distributed the book to my group, there were a lot of “deer in the headlight looks” because of its size. It is 533 pages long.

They were somewhat relieved when I assured them an average reader could knock it out in a few hours.

It’s not quite a graphic novel...not really a picture book rather Selznick

created a new genre: a novel told in words and pictures. It follows the adventures of an orphan boy who lives in a Parisian train station where he maintains its clocks like his late uncle taught him. Through a series of events,

Hugo is pulled into the world of George Melies. It is a world of secrets, magic, film and mechanical men.

Your group will find many topics and themes to discuss. They range from awe and amazement to isolation to family and friendship. Another important theme paid homage to memories, the past, and the origins of the movie industry. The illustrations (including early movie stills) will give you another avenue of discussion. We sometimes are quick to dismiss a children’s book...but sometimes they can be the best discussions.

Purrrfect Summer Reads

I have a confession. I’m addicted to cat mysteries. Cats are natural sleuths. If they’re

connected to a library or bookstore, they are unstoppable. This summer if you’re

looking for a purrfect summer read, let me recommend a few of my favorite series.

“The Cat Who” mysteries by the late Lillian Jackson Braun are at the top of the list. She wrote 29 mysteries featuring KoKo and Yum-Yum and their two legged companion, James Qwilleran. The mysteries are set in the fictional town of Pickax located in Moose County "400 miles north of everywhere." While not the greatest mysteries, the characters, dialogue, and of course, the cats make these a light hearted summer read.

The magical cats mysteries by Sofie Kelly are for lack of a better term magical. Kathleen Paulson moves from Boston to Mayville Heights, Minnesota. She ends up with two cats, Owen and Hercules, who are gifted with magical abilities.One can walk through walls and the other can become invisible. They put their talents to use in solving murders.

One of the most unique cats in literary history is Diesel. He comes to life in the Cat inthe Stacks mysteries by Miranda James. Diesel is a 30 pound cat who likes walks, treats, and is extremely vocal. He is also an excellent judge of character. In addition, his owner is a fiftyish librarian. Together they are unstoppable.

The last entry on my list are the Joe Grey mysteries by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. Joe and Dulcie are cats with a secret known to their owners, They can talk. Since discovering their gift, they have been the snitches who assist the Molena Point Police Department in solving crimes. This is probably my favorite cat series. The author knows cats and the mayhem they bring to their caretakers.

All these series share inquisitive felines, strong writing, some quirky characters and

a sense of humor. The authors also know cats...their cattitudes and mannerisms.

These are nice and easy summer reads.

DVD Review: "Odd Thomas"

I waited with anxious anticipation for my request of “Odd Thomas” to arrive. Hollywood has a

long history of changing crucial elements of a favorite series. I must say I was pleasantly

surprised by director Stephen Sommers  take on the Dean Koontz series. With some

relatively minor exceptions, it was the closest book to movie interpretation that I’ve seen.

For those of you unfamiliar with the books, Odd is a small town fry cook who has

paranormal abilities. He can see dead people. Odd can also see bodachs who are

wraith like demons who are attracted to pain and destruction. When he sees his town of

Pico Mundo overrun with bodachs, he realizes it heralds a near apocalyptic event.

Enlisting the help of his girlfriend, Stormy, and the local police chief, Odd races against

time to save the day.

“Odd Thomas” stars Anton Yelchin. He does an excellent job portraying Odd’s

quirkiness and naivety. There is a strong supporting cast featuring Addison Timlin as

Stormy and Willem Dafoe as Chief Wyatt Porter. The movie is able to capture

the essence of Koontz’s creation.

I loved the blend of supernatural, humor with scenes of intense action. It is filled with

twists and turns. I  impatiently waited for its release since I first read it was in

production. I was hoping that “Odd Thomas” was the first in a movie franchise.

My hopes were dashed when Anton Yelchin died in a freak accident at his home.

Book Review: "Kicking It" edited by Faith Hunter and Kalayna Price

I’m not a big fan of short story anthologies as a rule.  They usually leave little room for

character or plot development. I picked up “Kicking It” because it reminded me of the

Nancy Sinatra song from the mid 1960s “These Boots Were Made for Walkin”. I must

say the editors Faith Hunter and Kalayna Price surprised me with this collection.  

The stories were assembled around the theme of strong,  beautiful women and fancy

footwear. Oh, I forgot to mention...the boots and shoes are enchanted and/or cursed.

The heroines in the stories must use their  their powers to stop evil from winning.

The characters range from witches to a descendant of Lucifer. The stories are filled with

action, humor and enchanted footwear.

If you like urban fantasy or fancy footwear, this anthology is for you. You will never

look at shoes or boots in quite the same way.

Book Review: Death's Rival by Faith Hunter

Death's rival is the fifth book in the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter. Since

she walked out of a forest as a child, Jane has been on a quest to find her roots.

Over the course of the series, she has discovered that she is the last of the

Cherokee skinwalkers. In one of her shifts, Jane’s soul merged with Beast one of her

animal forms. This dichotomy offers a fresh twist to the typical urban fantasy tale.

For years, Jane was a vampire hunter. However, her employment status was changed

when she was hired by Leo Pellisier, Master Vampire of New Orleans, to rid the city of an

out of control rogue. Now, Leo and his territory is under attack. A mysterious Master has

unleashed a plague that can cause the undead to sicken and face final death. Jane must

use her skills to track and destroy this challenge.

Death's rival combines a great mix of well developed characters, a strong story line,

and intense action sequences. The tension builds to the climatic battle between Jane and

the Master who has unleashed the plague. Secrets are revealed and Jane Yellowrock

will never be the same.

If you haven’t read any books in this series, I recommend that they be read in order.

While they are stand alone books, certain characters and plot development would be

easier to understand if the reader is familiar with the series.

Book Review: "Nightworld" by F. Paul Wilson

The end of the world begins when the sun rose late one morning.  Scientists are baffled

by this celestial phenomenon. The next disturbance occurs when bottomless sinkholes

began to appear. When night fell, flesh-eating monsters appeared to attack the New York

populace. The following pages are filled with intense action, terror, loss of hope as the

world is bombarded with attacks from “The Otherness”.

Mankind is doomed unless a small band of fighters led by centuries old, Glaeken,

can reforge an ancient weapon to combat the evil. This is a classic battle of good versus

evil or order versus chaos. Who will fall? Who will be victorious? You’ll have to read

this suspenseful book to find out.

It was deja vu all over again as I read “Nightworld”....except it was different

this time.F. Paul Wilson’s “Nightworld” is a heavily revised version of a book he wrote

almost twenty years ago. He merges his “Adversary Cycle” with his “Secret History of

the World” series that features  Repairman Jack. If you haven’t read any of Wilson’s other

books, you will be entirely lost in this superb supernatural thriller.  Fortunately, you will have

a lot of great reading to catch up on before you tackle this one.

Dead Mann running : a Hessius Mann novel is the latest in the series by Stefan Petrucha. 

It features chakz detective, Hessius Mann. If you missed the first book in the series,

a chakz is a zombie of a different sort. Set in near future, the nation is plagued by a rash of

innocent people executed by the government. A company named ChemBet offers a solution

in the Radical Invigoration Procedure (RIP).  It can bring back the recently departed. 

Problems developed when the chakz were discovered to have lost some brain function.

If they are isolated with little or no social interaction then they could become feral in other

words they are a new breed of zombies. Mann has better mental function than most.

Needing money the ex-cop, Mann becomes a private detective.

The story opens when a severed arm...just an arm...drops off a briefcase containing  a

mysterious blue chemical. Mann is debating whether to investigate when the attacks

begin. The story is filled with intense action, gory descriptions, and sympathetic

characters. The violence is eased by a wicked vein of dark humor that is blended

into the narration.

If you’re a zombie fan Dead Mann running : a Hessius Mann novel will be very enjoyable.

If you’re a newbie to paranormal urban fantasy told in a gritty style, it is a great introduction

to the genre. The only problem I had with the book is wondering how the

author is going to proceed in this series.

Dead weight by Susan Rogers Cooper is the tenth book in the series to feature romance

writer and amateur sleuth E.J. Pugh. It is a delightful blend of folksy storytelling,

unique characters, humor, and mayhem.

The book opens with E.J. attending the memorial service of one of her weight loss

group acquaintances, Berta Harris. E.J.’s suspicions are tweaked by the conflicting

stories of Berta’s demise. Did she die in the hospital from complications or was she

dragged to her death by a car? No one seems to know. When Berta’s best friend is

murdered, E.J. is convinced that the deaths are connected. She launches an investigation

that puts stress on her family and threatens her marriage. Will her family survive?

This is an entertaining cozy mystery. The dialogue is light and fun.There are enough

twists and turns to please the mystery buff. However, it is the characters and

the humor that are the book’s winning strengths.

Frost burned by Patricia Briggs is the seventh book in the Mercy Thompson series. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this series, Mercy is a mechanic by trade and

a Native American “walker”, a shapeshifter who shifts to the form of a coyote. 

The book opens with Mercy still adjusting to her new role as the wife of the local

werewolf pack’s Alpha. Mercy and her stepdaughter, Jesse, are involved in a car accident

on a Black Friday shopping trip. Mercy and Jesse are alarmed when they can’t contact

any of the pack members for assistance. Using her mate bond, Mercy knows

that Adam is in pain but alive. Mercy puts together a team of unlikely allies to

rescue the pack.

Patricia Briggs manages to combine the world of the paranormal and government

conspiracies into an action packed thriller. There are scenes of intense action,

high emotion and plenty of twists and turns that leaves the reader wanting more.

Book Review: "I, Robot: to protect" by Mickey Zucker Reichert

“I, robot: to protect” revisits the world created by the master of science fiction,

Isaac Asimov. Although Asimov passed away in 1992, the three laws of robotics he created

lives on in books and movies. This book was authorized by the estate of Isaac Asimov.

It is written by Mickey Zucker Reichert. 

This book is a prequel to Asimov’s work. It tells the back story of Susan Calvin before

she becomes involved with robotics. It opens with her being a psychiatry resident at

Manhattan Hasbro teaching hospital. Her patients range from the near comatose

to a four year old sociopath. Susan makes some brilliant diagnoses/breakthroughs in her

first few weeks.This causes her to be chosen for an experimental project using nanobots.

While the experimental programs offers hope, it attracts the animosity of the Society of

America who fear they will create a cyborg. 

While the book has some problems, it is a worthy addition to the Asimov universe.

The science fiction purist might be upset because this book is more medical thriller than

a true science fiction story that one might expect. It also takes some creative licenses with

Asimov’s original timeline. The most obvious example is the twenty something Susan

Calvin

was unaware of robots until she stumbles over an android in the hospital doing scut work. 

In the original timeline Asimov established, she wrote her first paper on robotics at 16.

On the plus side, I thoroughly enjoyed the way Reichert develops the three laws of robotics.

The dialogue between Susan and Nate on the laws was fabulous. If you enjoy

medicalthrillers with a hint of science fiction, I recommend “I, robot: to protect”.

Book Review: "An Apple for the Creature" edited by Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner

An apple for the creature is the new anthology that is edited by Charlaine Harris and

Toni L.P. Kelner. What can be more terrifying than the first day of school or that important

test you didn’t spend anytime studying? How about combining these school day fears

with paranormal twists served up to us by some of the premier

authors of urban fantasy?

Charlaine Harris’ entry entitled “Playing Possum” is a take on the cupcakes for

the class. Sookie Stackhouse, being a dutiful aunt, takes cookies to her nephew’s class

for a party. The celebration is interrupted by an angry ex of the school secretary.

Sookie must use her telepathic abilities to save the day.

      Ilona Andrews’ “Magic Tests” centers on Julie, Kate Daniels’ ward as she is sent to a

boarding school. Julie must use her wits to solve a mystery at the school.

It introduces us to some new supernatural creatures. 

A short story collection does not allow a great deal of time for character or plot

development. However, An apple for the creature is a good introduction to urban fantasy.

If you have ever been frightened of school, check out this delightful paranormal romp.