May 28, 2019 TWO SUNS IN THE SUNSET

Discrimination. It's a virus--APPARENTLY--without a cure. Racial--Religious--Gender--Age--Sexual Orientation--Ethnicity. Whatever. It's all BAD. Is it Ignorance--Narrow Mindedness--Fear --Arrogance or some combination?? Do people bash others in order to feel better about themselves?? Is it lack of self-esteem?  I wish I could understand why people behave BADLY-- or say the things they say--without batting an eyelash. We are ALL just people. So what if our skin color is different or we practice another religion?? When you get right down to it we have SO much more in common. It really doesn't matter who your God is as long as you are a decent person. And  people--regardless of skin color--care about the same thing. Their families. They worry about  keeping them safe--happy--healthy. Some lyrics from an old Pink Floyd song just popped in my head--Ashes and diamonds/ Foe and friend/  We are all equal in the end. Truer words were never spoken--time to wake up and STOP drinking the kool-aid. 
No one knows this better than Neel Patel the author of If You See Me, Don't Say Hi.
Neel Patel is a first generation Indian American who grew up in Illinois. In his debut collection of short stories, Patel explores what it's like to be a first generation Indian American through several interesting, unforgettable characters. Many of the characters are discriminated against or treated unfairly because of their difference. He also explores stereotypes in American society and  works to undermine them as well as poke fun at them. Make no mistake--his stories may make you uncomfortable-- but that's the point. He wants the reader to understand the experience of the Indian in America today. He also wants his readers to see beyond skin tone--stereotypes--and realize that Indian Americans are just people too. I really enjoyed this collection of stories and you will too. It's about 230 pages or a 3 mile run. Not a huge commitment but a huge lesson. Enjoy.

May 21, 2019 SHOUT IT OUT LOUD

Just want to send a little shout out to The Queen--AKA--my lovely daughter. She's spent the last year working FULL time AND going to school FULL time. Did I mention that she also has a  little "Uber" job-- a babysitting job--and a BOATLOAD  OF HOMEWORK every weekend. YIKES. She's been out of her mind CRAZY for the last year but I'm sure she'd say it's worth it as she's graduating this Thursday with a Master's Degree in Moderate Disabilities--with a 4.0 GPA. So proud of her. Five years of school is finally over--time to start ADULTING--her word not mine! Now comes the scary part--applying--interviewing--securing-- a job.  I keep telling her it will all work out. Any school system would be lucky to have her.  She's smart--funny--kind--and a VERY  hard working, dependable teacher. A natural. Kudos kiddo--the rest is just icing on the cake. Congrats.
Mrs Creasy, one of the characters in Joanna Cannon's International bestselling novel The Trouble with Goats and Sheep isn't so fortunate.  Set in England in 1976, the story centers on the sudden disappearance of Mrs. Creasy. Some people blame it on the heat, but Grace and Tilly, two 10 year old girls, disagree. The girls decide to spend their summer solving the mystery. In order to find clues, the girls go door to door to interview their very quirky neighbors.  As the story continues, the girls come to realize that Mrs. Creasy's disappearance might be connected to a mysterious fire in the neighborhood ten years earlier. They also believe that their neighbors know a lot more about Mrs. Creasy's disappearance than they are willing to admit.  Could Mrs. Creasy have stumbled upon some incrimination information? How is Walter Bishop, their  eccentric oddball neighbor, involved? Who are the goats and who are the sheep--literally--in the story? And does God live in their neighborhood?  Find out the answers to these and many other questions when you read this lovely, beautifully written novel for yourself. It's about 350 pages or a 4 mile run that will keep you guessing until the end.

May 14, 2019 BITTERSWEET

Mother's Day was bittersweet this year. Bitter because my dear friend wasn't here to celebrate the day with her LOVELY daughters. Sweet--because of her-- I've learned a great lesson. Finally learned what Mother's Day is all about. It's not about gift certificates or lavish presents--it's about something very simple. Spending the day with your kids.  When I became a mother --my world was turned upside down. Felt completely overwhelmed. Couldn't believe how much work MOTHERHOOD was. Can't believe it's been 25 years since my first was born. Still trying to figure out how many meals I've cooked--loads of laundry I've folded--boo boo's I've bandaged--nights I've worried myself to sleep.  And you know what--I'd do it all again in a second. It's really been a privilege to be a mother and consider myself lucky to have three great kids.
Motherhood is a major theme in Claire Adam's debut novel Golden Child. Set in Trinidad, Clyde and his wife Joy are awaiting the birth of their twins. After complications during birth, one of the boys has many challenges. Fast forward thirteen years. While Peter is believed to be a genius, Paul has several problems in school and is labeled odd by most of his peers. After an argument with his father one day,  Paul goes for a walk in the bush where he is kidnapped and held for ransom. Clyde and Joy are left to make an impossible decision. One that will change their world forever. Find out more about this beautifully written story of love and betrayal when you read it for yourself. It's about 275 pages or a 3.5 mile run that leaves you wondering what will  happen until the last page. Enjoy.

May 3, 2019 I GET AROUND

It's a pattern. Reinventing myself. I seem to do it every five years or so. Don't want to get too comfortable. Need to mix it up. Try something new. That probably sounds scary to most people--AND IT IS TO ME TOO--but it's how I operate. Seriously--I can't imagine teaching the SAME thing for 30 years. It would drive me crazy. I've worked with disabled students--taught a few college courses--spent 5 years teaching elementary students--7 years teaching middle school English--5 years teaching High School English--NOW IT'S TIME TO TRY SOMETHING NEW. This will probably be my last HURRAH. I'm going back to my first love--ART. Although I've been a certified art teacher for MANY years I've only dappled in teaching art. That's ALL about to change. I'm going to start teaching the Fine Arts classes at my school. YIPPEE--BUT--SCARY. It's an incredible classical art program and a BIG STEP out of my comfort zone. NEED to step out of my comfort zone--CHALLENGE MYSELF-- in order to grow--change--help the next generation appreciate art. Wish me luck.
Chief Inspector Gamache is going to need more than a little luck in Louise Penny's latest installment of  the Gamache series called Kingdom of the Blind. In this book, Gamache is suspended pending an investigation into the deadly opioids he failed to keep off the streets. In the meantime, He receives a strange request from a stranger to meet at an abandoned farmhouse. Upon arrival,  he sees his neighbor Myra, and meets  a young builder and a lawyer. The lawyer tells them that they have been named joint executors for the will of a woman they have never met. Even stranger, the requests in the will are outrageous and seem to be from an insane women. Soon after,  a body is found dead at the farmhouse--the son of the dead woman. Don't worry-- Gamache is on the case. Was it an accident or was it murder?  Was the woman crazy or is there more to the story than meets the eye? Will Gamache manage to get the opioids off the street before they kill millions? Will Gamache get his job back?  Find out the answers to these and many more questions when you read this book for yourself. I'm a huge Gamache fan--and recommend that you read these books in order. It matters. This installment is about 400 pages--4.5 mile run--that is hard to put down. Enjoy.

April 26, 2019 I CAN'T GO FOR THAT

Life isn't fair. My father used to say that to me when I was a teenager. It annoyed me SO much.  His rational--as far as I was concerned--DEFIED logic. Why couldn't I have two dates in a weekend?? He'd reply--BECAUSE I SAID SO. Then  I'D YELL--That's NOT FAIR--to which he'd reply--Life isn't fair get used to it.  UGH. Every time I hear that statement--I CRINGE. It's been 35 years AND that statement STILL makes my BLOOD BOIL. Image my horror when I ACTUALLY had to tell some of my students that LIFE WASN'T FAIR TODAY. I could barely SPIT THE WORDS OUT.  I think it's because those words make me feel powerless.  Kids shouldn't have to learn that LIFE ISN'T FAIR because adults abuse their power. SHAKING MY HEAD..........wondering what's wrong with this world. Life isn't fair should ONLY be applied to important things like Dani Shapiro finding out that her whole life is a lie in her  new memoir Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love.   

Imagine taking an Ancestry.com test to find out more about your family tree, but  instead you  find out that your father isn't your father. This is exactly what happened to Shapiro when she was 54 years old. This event shook her to the core. Shapiro, a best-selling writer, spent her life writing memoirs about her family  only to find out that it was a lie. She wasn't really the daughter of a conservative Jewish family--but a Christian family on the other side of the country. This book is about Shapiro's journey toward understanding the secrets her family kept and the reasons she was never told. It's also a story about medical ethics. Should donors be anonymous or does the person have the right to know. Equally fascinating is that Shapiro actually found her biological father only 36 hours after discovering the truth. This must read is about 270 pages or a 3 mile run that is not only  interesting but timely.

April 20, 2019 CONCRETE JUNGLE

Spent a few days in THE BIG CITY. Yup--New York City. So much fun. Two fun filled days with a few friends. We were up and out early--Theatre--Museums--Central Park--Bookstores--GOOD Food & Drinks. There's really nothing better than walking through Central Park in the spring--tulips--daffodils--cherry blossoms--dogwood--hawthorn. It's really incredible. The ONLY thing better than that was shlepping through MoMA-- The Met--and spending a few hours at The Strand. What's THE STRAND?? Only my favorite place in the world. It's a bookstore BUT not your AVERAGE bookstore. Imagine being surrounded by  2.5 million--NEW--USED--RARE--Books. PURE HEAVEN. THE ONLY thing better than the bookstore was spending time with good friends. Laughing--Swapping Stories--Enjoying drinks as we TOASTED TO  LIVING!! Thanks for the memories.
Martha Storm is a small town librarian who loves books as much as I do in Phaedra Patrick's new book The Library of Lost and Found. Set in a coastal town in England, Martha Storm is a single forty-something year old woman who spent the best years of her life taking care of her ailing parents. After their death, she continues to live in their house but now takes care of people in the community. She is a pleaser--who doesn't know how to say the word NO. She is a sad sap who seems to go through life in a fog. This all changes when a mysterious book appears on her doorstep. Upon opening the book, Martha reads the dedication which was written to her from her grandmother Zelda--three years after her grandmother's death. The book's appearance begs many questions and opens a flood of memories. While searching for the owner of the book, Martha reexamines her life and her relationship with her mother, father, sister and grandmother. Find out what happens to Martha, Zelda and some of the other quirky characters when you read this heartwarming story of rediscovery. It's about 350 pages or a 4 mile run that any book lover will enjoy!

April 12, 2019 MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

Imagine this---SIXTY teenagers happily putting their cell phones away. SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE?? WELL--NOT if you have the right board game. REMEMBER BOARD GAMES?? Good old fashioned fun. We finished reading an Agatha Christie mystery earlier in the week so I promised my students that we would play Clue at the end of the week. Remember that game--It's an oldie but goodie. My version of the game is at least 35 years old. Ms. Scarlett is actually wearing this slinky RED dress while smoking from one of those fancy cigarette holders.  SO POLITICALLY--MORALLY--SOCIALLY--INCORRECT TODAY. AHHH--back in the day--I wanted to be Miss Scarlett and HAD to be her whenever I played Clue. Sorry I digressed. My students actually gave up social media for 45 minutes today to play Clue AND THEY HAD FUN WITHOUT PHONES!!! Just conversation--competition--classmates. It was PERFECT. David Neff, a true crime writer in James Renner's book The Man From Primrose Place, would be content if he could only solve the murder of "the man with a thousand mittens."
If you like science fiction, mystery and time travel then this is the book for you. Set in Akron, Ohio, the man from Primrose Place is an elderly hermit who wears mittens every day. He's a real loner who almost never leaves his house.  One summer day, he is violently murdered and the mystery surrounding his death remains unsolved.  David Neff is a famous crime writer, who is broken by his wife's suicide. He hasn't written a word since her death four year ago. After his publisher convinces him to investigate the mystery of the man from Primrose Place, his world is turned upside down. As the investigates gains momentum,  David learns that the murder of the man with a thousand mittens  is not only connected to his wife's death but also to a serial killer. This book is a crazy thriller ride. Just when you think you know where things are going--you don't. This hard to put down book is about 350 page long or a 4.5 mile run with more twists than a river. Good Luck!