July 22, 2026 YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY

 

Who remembers the ABC Afterschool Special? I absolutely loved it--ESPECIALLY- the 1979 episode starring Rex Smith called Sooner or Later. Denise Miller played Jessie, a love sick teenager who tries to meet and attract, Michael (Rex Smith) an aspiring musician, who teaches guitar lessons.  After watching it--I became completely OBSESSED with him. Posters from Teen Beat Magazine adorned my walls as I fantasized about meeting Rex AND BELIEVING--much like the show--that if he just met ME............This obsession lingered as I remember going to see him on Broadway in Pirates of Penzance--again dreaming we would meet....Crazy.  My heart still skips a beat--AND I FEEL THIRTEEN AGAIN-- whenever I hear the song You Take My Breath Away. This trip down memory lane has everything to do with an interesting book I just finished called American Fantasy by Emma Straub. American Fantasy is a cruise ship specializing in themed cruises. Annie, a recently divorced woman in her fifties, reluctantly agrees to accompany her sister on a celebrity cruise to see, Boy Talk, a boy band that was famous in the 1990s.  After her sister breaks her leg, Annie finds herself boarding the ship accompanied by 3,000 middle-aged screaming female fans. This is serious fandom--women completely devoted to the boy band --who  cruise every year to spend four days with the band--photo ops, meet & greets, concerts. The story is told through three different perspectives including Annie who is both horrified and caught up in the nostalgia she feels. Sarah, the head of JackRabbit productions, who is in charge of entertainment and making sure the band members are happy.  Interestingly, the story is also told through members of the band who are basically addicted to the attention in some cases while others just  need the money. Don't want to tell too much more about the story but you will totally enjoy it if you can buy into the fantasy and think of it as a fun escape. It totally made me think WAY back--who would I want to see if I ever went on a celebrity cruise.........maybe Rex Smith or KISS. Not sure....How about you??  Enjoy. 

July 14, 2026 PEACE AND HARMONY

 

Say it isn't so........Only 49% of ADULTS READ BOOKS......AND....only 16% READ DAILY. Although these statistics are MIND BOGGLING--It certainly explains SOOOOOOO many things that are wrong in our world.  Reading not only helps develop and build empathy BUT it also helps people learn about and consider different perspectives. It also helps people develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. Where else can someone build vocabulary, communication and writing skills-- ALL paramount to success--in such an organic way??  Did I  mention the medical benefits--memory retention--stress reduction--better cognitive function--increased life expectancy. Just think--If everyone read 30 minutes each day--the world would be a happier more accepting place. People might be a bit more empathetic, kind and open-minded. We'd have great thinkers who would solve world problems instead of creating them AND we'd all get to live a little longer. Can't hurt to dream. In the meantime, I'd like to tell you about Maggie O'Farrell's newest historical fiction novel Land. This beautifully written family saga takes place on a remote Irish peninsula in 1865. Tomas, a skilled cartographer, and his young son, Liam, are sent to survey land for the British after the Great Famine. After a life altering experience in the copse, Tomas is declared possessed by the devil and a local priest, Father Joseph, performs an exorcism that leaves Tomas almost catatonic. After returning to his wife, Phina, and family in the Dublin tenements, Tomas makes a rash decision to move the family to the peninsula, changing the course of their lives forever. This story then goes on to explore the lives of each of the children, Liam, Endra, Rose and Eugene as well as many others including the widow, as each endures life on this sparse land mass. The Land itself is also a character in the story as it stands as witness to history,  terrain changes, destruction and death due to the Potato Famine.  This fascinating story is so much more than I can say in this review but if you are interested in Irish history, family sagas and great writing,  this is the book for you.