October 30, 2020 THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR

 That's the thing with books. Every once in a while, I read a book that I just don't want to end. Crazy, I can have 15 pages left AND I put the book down. There are many reasons I find it hard to finish a book. I  might want to stay in that place or time for a little bit longer-- or I really love the characters, and don't want to say good bye just yet.  Another BIGGY for me is that  I'm afraid I won't like the ending and that could ruin the book. BUT the biggest reason I have trouble sometimes finishing a GOOD BOOK is  my never ending fear of finding another really good book to read--They are far and few between. I read A LOT of books that I enjoy but the books I savor are different. I'm currently reading one of THEM. I have 25 pages left BUT I'M AFRAID TO FINISH IT. I'm no ready to leave, I really like the characters and the story is really interesting . I'm afraid I will be disappointed by the ending AND I don't have another book like this waiting in the wings. So instead of finishing it right now--I'll tell you a little bit about it. The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo is set in British ruled Malaysia in 1930. Ji Lin is a determined young woman who wants to attend university but instead is an apprentice dressmaker because of her old fashioned family. Ji Lin also works part time at a dance hall to pay off her mother's gambling debts. One night after Ji Lin's dances with a customer, he inadvertently leaves behind his good luck charm--a mummified finger in a glass bottle. While trying to return the talisman, Ji Lin's world begins to spin out of control, especially after the owner of the charm turns up dead. Another important character in the story is Ren. He is a young house boy who has 49 days to find his dead master's long lost finger. If he fail to bury the finger with the body, his master's body will wander the either forever. The story is told alternately between the two characters until their lives become entangled later in the story. This novel is interesting on so many levels--it's rich in history, Malayan and Chinese folklore, tradition, family obligation, mystery, and forbidden love. It's also filled with many twists and turns that have left me guessing with only 25 pages left. It's about 385 pages--4 mile run--that you will find hard to put down. Enjoy. 

October 14, 2020 WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS

 

Can you think of anything worse than having shingles??? How about having SHINGLES AGAIN. Yup, when it rains it pours. Had a physical last month and my doctor said--don't forget to get your shingles shot---BUT--I kept putting it off. UGH. I NOW have a MASK of shingles--under my chin, neck, around my ear--it's disgusting. I have a line of them down my face, nose, over my eyebrow, cheek and forehead too. Every time I turn around-- new ones of sprouting. Pretty sure I look like the Elephant Man. It's  SOO much worse the second time around. The PAIN & ITCHING are making me crazy. Believe it or not--I caught it early.  Wonder what I'd look like if I had let it go for a few days. SO--If you're  putting off the SHINGLES shot or the FLU shot--DON'T. Now I can't get a flu shot until the shingles clear up. Next thing you know--I'll have the FLU. Dear Lord, NOOOO. By the way, shingles is brought on my STRESS. And the stress is real--Teaching through Covid is a nightmare. Talk about nightmares, Detective Vera Stanhope walks right into one in Anne Cleeves new mystery The Darkest Evening. Although this is the ninth book in the Stanhope series, this is the first one that I've read and I look forward to reading others. In this novel, Vera Stanhope is driving home to Northumberland during a blizzard when she gets lost. While trying to find her way, Stanhope comes upon an abandoned car that has clearly been in an accident. When Stanhope goes to investigate, she discovers a baby left alone in the car. Stanhope decides to take the baby to the nearest home which turns out to be her father's childhood home. When she arrives at the home which is called Brockburn, a Christmas party is in full swing. Minutes later, a dead body is found on the property and detective Vera Stanhope and her team come to the rescue. This is a good detective story with plenty of twists and turns as well as red herrings to keep you guessing until the end. Its about 384 pages --or a 4 mile easy read that will take your mind off of your worries. Enjoy. 

September 30, 2020 NO REST FOR THE WICKED

 BEST DAY EVER. Got a phone call this morning--NO SCHOOL TODAY.  Thank you Mother Nature. I guess all the wind caused A POWER OUTAGE. Thanks again-- Mother Nature--from the bottom of my heart.  I really needed a day of rest. A day away from the MASK. A day away from the BLOCK SCHEDULE. A day away from reminding students to SOCIAL DISTANCE. A day away from trying to find my virtual students on google classroom. A day away from SCHOOL. We have been going FULL STEAM AHEAD  for almost 5 weeks. In school EVERY DAY with ALL of the students. It's a lot.  The kids need THE BREAK just as much as we do. It's NOT easy for any of us. We are all thankful to be back at school though. Connecting and building relationships. Working together to make the best of school in the time of Covid.

  Jessica Farris, the main character of An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, tries to make the best of awkward situation after sneaking into a morality study. That sounds like an oxymoron in itself right?? Sneaking into a morality and ethics study? Anyways, Jessica needs the cash so she agrees to be a test subject in a physiological study by a renowned psychologist named Dr. Shields. After the initial consultation, the study moves to real life experiences that become more disturbing as the story twists and turns. Told in first person present from the point of view of both Jessica and Dr. Shields, the reader really learns about the characters and the true motives behind both of their actions. This thriller is filled with creepy drama that doesn't stop until the bitter end when it finally  leaves you shaking your head. WOW. This book was on every best list back in 2018--thriller, suspense, you name it. Find out more about this suspense-filled novel when you read it for yourself. It's about 380 pages or a 4 mile run that you won't be able to put down. Enjoy. 

September 20, 2020 YOU'RE A HARD HABIT TO BREAK

 Another thing keeping me from my blog these days is the Sudoku. Don't laugh, I'm serious. I'm kind of addicted.  Add that to my list of addictions---running, yoga, reading, crossword puzzles,  words with friends, cocktail hour and you'll have to agree--THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY. It was easy to fit it all in when I was home BUT now that I'm back at school--I'm finding it increasingly difficult. SOMETHINGS GOT TO GIVE.  I can't give up running--yoga-- reading-- my current fixation with SUDOKU-- OR cocktail hour--so I've had to cut back a little on my crossword puzzles, words with friends and THE BLOG. Don't get me wrong--I love writing the blog BUT it takes TIME. In addition to time--it takes BRAIN CELLS--which seem to be FRIED by the time I get home from school. It's HARD to come up with something CLEVER to say--when the brain's on PAUSE. No worries--this too shall pass. I'll find a way to make it all work because I can't give up ANY of my compulsions. They make me--ME and it's ALL GOOD.                                                                           

Vivian Morris, the main character of Elizabeth Gilbert's novel City of Girls, has a few addictions of her own that eventually land her in a heap of trouble.  As the story begins, Vivian Morris is a 95 year old woman from New York City, looking  back on her life as she responds to a letter from an old acquaintance. Vivian describes herself as a WASP who is sent to live with her Aunt Peg after being expelled from Vassar. Aunt Peg and her secretary Olive own a run down theatre where they produce shows for working class people. Vivian is initially shocked by their lifestyle, but quickly falls in love with the theatre, the quirky actors and the showgirls who reside at the theatre. As a seamstress, Vivian is finally allowed to design costumes and join the cast on their adventures in the city. She loves the bars, men, dancing, and the lifestyle a little too much. One night after too many drinks, Vivian makes a mistake that threatens to ruin not only her life, but the lives of other people she loves. Find out what happens to Vivian, Peg, Olive and a host of other great characters when you read this fun story for yourself.  It's an easy read of about 480 pages--4 mile run--that keeps you interested until the very last page. Enjoy. 

September 7, 2020 I WANNA THANK YOU

       September 7, 2020   I WANNA THANK YOU                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                           

Had to step away from the BLOG for a bit so that I could WRAP MY HEAD around the school year. It's THAT complicated. Seriously--when you see your teacher friends out and about please say--THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. It's Crazy.  Teachers are being asked to basically be MIRACLE WORKERS because of Covid 19. In addition to dancing and singing, we are now performing magic tricks while balancing teacups on our noses AND doing a handstand--or  maybe that's just how I feel. In an effort to keep kids safe, most schools are either going hybrid and or simultaneously teaching to IN-class learners  and ON-line learners.  It's a real balancing act. The logistics are ALSO mind boggling. Who's online? Who's in person?  How do I get the supplies/supplementals to the online learners so that it's equitable? AND the inevitable loss of the online learners because of "INTERNET PROBLEMS" which are way above my pay grade. I finished week one--BARELY--and am hoping for a SMOOTHER WEEK this week. I'm trying my hardest to live in the moment--AND KEEP IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE. Wish me luck. Emira Tucker, the main character in Kelly Reid's debut Such a Fun Age is going to need a little more than luck to get her life on track. Emira is a 25 year old African American college graduate living in Philadelphia who can't decide whom she wants to be when she grows up. She knows she needs medical insurance, but with two part time jobs, she's just barely scraping by. Emira loves her baby sitting job because they pay her well, but things get rather tangled after her boss, Alix Chamberlin, sends her an emergency call. In the call, Alix begs Emira to come over and take her two year old daughter, Briar, to the grocery store. Although Emira thinks it's odd, she agrees to help her employer, only to be accused by a security officer of kidnapping the child. After the mess is sorted out, Alix becomes slightly obsessed with Emira--for all the wrong reasons. Although Emira wants to leave her job, she truly loves Briar and feels guilty about leaving. It's only after Emira meets and starts dating Kelley that things go from bad to worse, especially, after he meets Alix. Find out what happens to Alix, Emira, Briar and Kelley in this interesting novel that explores race, class, friendship, forgiveness and how people can "trick" themselves into believing what they need to believe. This novel is about 300 pages or a 3 mile run that will keep you guessing and thinking. Enjoy. 

August 19, 2020 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

One positive during the pandemic is the resurgence of board games. Believe it or not--Scrabble, Monopoly and a form of Parcheesi called Ludo are still the most popular board games. Do you remember playing

Parcheesi?  I whittled  away several hours trying to win that game. Haven't played it in years though.  I've been playing Scrabble my entire life though and have to admit that I'm a little addicted to Words With Friends. Monopoly always took TOO LONG for me so it wasn't one of my favs BUT I spent huge amounts of time pretending I was Miss Scarlet when I played CLUE--one of my all time favorites. Remember playing Trouble with its "Pop-O-Matic" dice action, Or Sorry, Checkers and Battleship? It's funny--I always thought of Battleship as a boys game. Not sure why but I can still hear the commercial from back in the day--"you sank my battleship." Right now--I'm listening to a couple of teenagers try to play SpongeBob Guess Who!! Ha! They haven't played this game in years. Life is good. 

 Life was also pretty good for the Vignes twins before they ran away in The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Stella and Desiree Vignes grew up in a small Southern black community in Mallard, Louisiana.  Although the residents are black, they pride themselves on being very light skinned. Desiree, feeling smothered by the town, talks her identical twin sister into running away to New Orleans when they are sixteen. Starting a new life is difficult, until Stella realizes that she can pass as a white person while applying for a job at a local department store. This realization sets in motion events that separate the twins forever. While Stella disappears to California and life as a white privileged woman, Desiree flees her abusive husband and returns home with a daughter, Jade, who is "dark as tar". After enduring many years of abuse because she is dark, Jade moves to California for college where she unexpectedly runs into her aunt. This story is told through flashbacks and alternating points of view between the 1960s-1990s. It's an interesting read that focuses on race, identity, sisterhood, and how the choices people make-- many times due to circumstances--can shape a life. This moving novel is about 350 pages or 4 mile run that is well worth your time. 

August 11, 2020 KNOCKING ON HEAVEN'S DOOR

Confessions of a dysfunctional home owner. Did you know that until last year--NONE of our door knobs

worked correctly?  I'm serious--they turned by wouldn't open.  EVERY  person that came over our house--got stuck in of bathroom. So embarrassing. We were forever rescuing people from the toilet. Crazy. One time we actually forgot that someone was in the COMMODE  and they LITERALLY spent a good hour in there before being let out. That friendship didn't LAST. So then I became a BATHROOM MONITOR. Every time someone used "THE CAN" I would practically stalk them  just to make sure I could help them out of the facilities. Stalking bathrooms IS NOT OKAY Though--I started getting strange looks--and I started worrying that people thought I was a PERVERT--NOT KIDDING. So then  I starting making people sign a disclaimer when then entered our house. I'd have to explain--sometimes to complete strangers--ABOUT OUR DOORKNOB DYSFUNCTION--so that I wouldn't feel responsible for any more bathroom mishaps. Isn't this nuts Yup. 27 longs years. Did I every tell you about my sink woes? That's a story for another day. 

Have you ever heard the story of the runner in red? Many people believe that in 1951,  a woman wearing red ran the Boston Marathon--although it's never been proven. In his novel Runner In Red, Tom Murphy uses this urban legend as a springboard to solve the mystery of the runner in red. Set in 2000,  Murphy mixes Boston Marathon history with fictional characters to create an unforgettable story of a family torn apart by the Marathon of 1971 who find their way back to one another through the millennial marathon. This book explores the history of women's running and the pioneers who opened the door for future runners. It's also a love story and family drama that is a real page turner. It's only about 240 pages-- or a 2 mile run that you will not be able to put down. Enjoy.