“The Annotated Christmas Carol”

 

I know the story. I’ve probably seen three or four different film adaptations. My favorites being the 1938 version, the 1951 version and “Scrooged” with Bill Murray (1988). Yet with all that viewing under my belt, I still felt compelled to read Dickens’ words. I read an annotated version (TONS of factoids to quench one's thirst for knowledge), and what I found was not one but two versions of the same story. The second, stripped down version, was better suited to readings - Dickens continually edited his Carol. The lessons being the same, the writing being difficult at times, the images it conjured were a mish-mash of movie renditions. The appendix gave a glimpse of Dickens’ life, both professional and personal. Next in my reading queue: “Oliver Twist.”

“The Mistletoe Pact”

Christmas Rom-Com. A long time crush. Friends. Marriage pact. Vegas wedding. Quickly divorce. Bounce back to the past...bounce to present time. Confused? Me too. This novel felt like it was on a s-l-o-w simmer. Just GET ON WITH IT! Do they get together or not? If this were a crime novel, a great twist would have been finding out Dan’s cheating dad was Evie’s unknown father...just sayin’. In the end you get what you came for...although a little sappy, a happily-ever-after.

“Mr. Dickens and his Carol”

It’s sometimes hard to feel the true meaning of Christmas, especially in this time of Covid. Peace on earth. Goodwill towards men. How did Dickens see his world? How did he navigate a season of love, when he found it hard to see it around him? Perhaps, these are my questions too. 

Samantha Silva’s imagining of Dickens’ journey to write his “Carol” is rich in details. Names scribbled and stuffed in his pockets. The city of London described with such affection. The scruffy street urchins. The characters begin to feel like old friends or family. Leading lives we wish we had...lives we wish we could change...lives all too familiar. 

What have we thrown away? What have we held tight? What is it we cherish? How do we reconcile all our doubts and still see love and hope this Christmas season? Perhaps Dickens’ “Carol” is a reminder on how to live Christmas in our hearts everyday.

“Christmas at Fox Farm”

 

“Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.” -Aesop

This quote fits the characters in Pollard’s novel to a tee (except for the antagonist, of course). Going above and beyond because it’s the right thing to do. Helping others to be successful. Taking the time to lighten someone else’s load. A love affair to cheer for. An antagonist you’ll love to hate. The English countryside. Artists. An eccentric writer. Long walks. And of course, Christmas. Yes, there is a happily-ever-after ending, or at least the beginning of one...

“Double-A Western Detective Agency”

 

Old Red. Big Red. A new partnership. A new mystery to solve. A range war. New Mexico territory. Power. Control. Greed.

This sixth installment was the most troubling for me. Not the mystery to be solved. Not Diana, the dude, or the bear and Cochise. No, it was the duplicity of the town of DeBarge. A town split down the middle. A town working against itself for an ideal that no longer existed. “It’s starting to look like America here, not some mongrel Mexican mishmash.” - Clayton Haney (158) I checked to see when Hockensmith published (2018) - was there a message to be learned? Or was he simply holding up a mirror to our nation? Hatred. Community. Healing. The ending left me feeling...hopeful.

“World’s Greatest Slueth”

 

Old Red. Big Red. Chicago’s World’s Fair. Sleuthing contest. $10,000. MURDER. Diana makes an appearance...again. CLUES. Bearded men, EVERYWHERE. I was thinking there might be a tie into the novel Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Sadly no. BUT, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t something nefarious happening. Pinkerton. An egg. A Ferris Wheel. Police. MORE CLUES. And a reference or two to Sherlock Holmes. The boys seem a little out of their comfort zone in the White City...perhaps it’s time to head back to the prairie?!

“The Crack in the Lens”

 

Ahhh...a cold case murder in the hill country of Texas. Five years cold. One bad sheriff, one sorta bad/sorta good marshal. PROSTITUTES (chippies). A love interest. Jack-the-Ripper, Texas style (Texas Jack). Holmes’ “method” is put to the test. A hanging tree. Explosions. A preacher. Justice. The life of a prostitute is not always easy. The how’s and why’s are as individual as the women themselves. The fact that many married and led “normal” lives is a testament to the men who really loved them. Of course, the brothers prevail in solving the case. Huzzah! Time for the next installment!

“The Black Dove”

 

#3 of 6

I was looking forward to reacquainting myself with Old Red and Big Red, solving mysteries “Holmes style.” I also had the pleasure of being reacquainted with Doc Chan and Diana Corvus (from book #2). San Francisco’s Chinatown and the Barbary Coast set the tone for this adventure. Chinese tongs, hatchet men, and murder(s). Anti-Chinese sentiment, corrupt SF coppers, and prostitution. SCORPIONS! Although at times confusing, I knew Old Red would figure it out using his detecting skills. The twist at the end caught me off guard. Looking forward to the next installment!

“Miss Kopp Investigates”

Installment #7

Yes, there are all the usual suspects...Constance, Norma, and Fluerette. However, the one doing the detecting is not who you think. Where, in the past we have been regaled with tales of Contance’s law enforcement career, and Norma’s love of pigeons, this installment is all about Fluerette (which is just how she would prefer it). As the nation works on putting itself back together after WWI and the Spanish Flu epidemic - the Kopp sisters do the same. Long before women’s suffrage, the sisters continue to find their way in a man’s world, both individually and collectively. I loved all the historic details. The “work-arounds” to obtain their goals. Secrets still kept. But, in the end, it is family that prevails. Kopp Sisters Detective Agency...so what’s next for the ladies?

“The Vigilante Game”

 

The Frame Up #1

The Queen Con #2

The Vigilante Game #3

Drugs. Queens. Comics. What more could you ask for? The Golden Arrow. The Hooded Falcon. The Sassy Dragon. Superheroes en masse. The plot line had as many twists and turns as Lawrence has stage costumes. Secret rooms. Double “agents.” Coded messages hidden in a graphic novel. Loved all the references to movies, tv, and comics. Molin tied up loose ends and gave me the happily-ever-after ending I was hoping for!

“Lyin’ Eyes”

INSTALLMENT #13!!! 

It was great to visit with the gang again. Ellison, Anarchy, Grace, Max, and of course, Frances. I think what struck me the most was the social constraints of the seventies, especially equal pay for equal work regardless of gender. Making a living wage...hmmm, that sounds familiar. History recycling itself? The other thing that struck me was Ellison finding her voice. I grew up in the seventies (Grace and I have a lot in common) and all the while I was reading I was thinking about my mother. How did the seventies affect her? Did she gain a voice? 

So much to mull over….looking forward to the next installment!!

“Rocket Boys”

My grandson, Jeff (13), is reading this book as part of his language arts class. Since I taught eighth grade, he has asked me, several times, if I had read this book. After telling him “no,” several times, I decided to read the book…

“Well, don’t blow yourself up.” (40) 

Coal mining. West Virginia. Company town. Sputnik. The space race was “on.” Ambitious, curious, fearless. The Big Creek Missile Agency. What they lacked in knowledge they made up for with drive and perseverance. They never quit. 

Hickman’s story was about so much more than teenage boys embracing the space race by learning how to build rockets. Family dysfunction. Being a company man. A disappointed father. A mother that finds a way out of the coal town, for herself and her boys. What it means to be part of a community. Hickman also shows a glimpse of Americana that existed in our not too distant past. Unconditional love. Learning to live and appreciate one's environment...with out blowing it up.

I don’t know if this had the happily-ever-after ending I was hoping for, but in reading the epilogue, the ending played out according to life’s plan. Now it’s time to text my grandson and have a chat...

“Baseball in the Garden of Eden”

I am a self-proclaimed history geek. I love historical fiction. I will read non-fiction just to learn or clarify something. I also LOVE baseball. So John Thorn’s book was a perfect fit.

To debunk the myth of Abner Doubleday creating the modern game of baseball, Thorn digs through history to find the supporting evidence. Cricket > Rounders > 2 Cat > 3 Cat > Baseball. Our national sport, just like our nation, sprung from our English roots. There is no shame in that. So why did early historians of the game feel the need to give the sport an alternative origin story? Pride? Power? Greed? Love? Money? (...all the usual suspects) Whatever it was, Thorn digs out more information about the origins of baseball than I ever thought possible AND he was able to throw in a little historical love interest to boot!

Now, it’s time for the end of the season and the playoffs! Go Giants!!

“All For One”

 

A love story. Maybe, maybe not. Perspective is everything. Optics. The story of Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler is complicated. White privilege. Money. Pride. Betrayal. Love. I wanted more grit in the ending of Cruz’s trilogy. She gives her reader a realistic view of life after the Revolutionary War as America grapples with creating a new nation. She also shows the struggles of those same Americans as they grapple with the idea of a “classless” society. Overall, the trilogy gives young adult readers a jumping off point into history. Forgiveness. Respect. Love. Cruz gives us a perspective that “raw” history cannot. A love story.

Love and War

I read the first of the three in this series several years ago. I was happy to reacquaint myself with Alex and Eliza, and the birth of our nation. Knowing that the novel is historical fiction, and part of the young-adult genre, the storyline was rather passive. I enjoyed the imagined conversations, the dash of history. However, I was disappointed in Cruz’s choice to leave out the fact that Alex and Eliza started having children soon after they were married. Cruz had no problem sharing the birth of Eliza’s youngest sister in her novel. I get that she wanted to keep the romance of their early years together “honeymoon like.” And I totally understand artistic license when it comes to storytelling...just not sure that reimagining history to fit the narrative she wanted to tell was the way to go. Will the young-adult audience dig into Alex and Eliza’s history to find the real story, or will they accept Cruz’s rendition as historical fact? Perhaps, it is that I’m reading this in 2021, and not say, 2018 - and the “climate” in which we live is very different when it comes to how we look at our American history.

Mycroft & Sherlock: The Empty Birdcage

 

This is the third novel in the series...of three?

Mycroft and Sherlock find themselves heading in different directions to unravel two separate mysteries. Great twists and turns. Great sibling energy, squabbling. Revenge killings. An arms dealer. TONS OF CLUES. The puzzles push the brothers to use their skills of deduction to find the answers they seek. One leads to heartache, the other to a life’s passion. 

All three novels were worth staying up late to finish. There are a few loose ends that I would love to see addressed...I hope that Jabbar and Waterhouse put their writing skills to work to bring this series to a satisfying conclusion.

“Mycroft and Sherlock”

 

This is the second in the trilogy. I fell just as easily as I did in the first installment. Although I don’t know a lot about the contentious relationship between England and China in the 1800s, I found myself caught up in the plot. The introduction of a young Sherlock (18) to the cast of characters gave the storyline an interesting perspective. I never through about Sherlock as a “teen.” Murder, opium, and a Chinese drug cartel - but not the way you think. A greedy chemist, dolls, and street urchins. A great twist at the end brings it all together. Looking forward to the last(?) installment.

“Whistling Past the Graveyard”

 

“My mouth always worked a whole lot faster than my good sense.” (1)

Starla Jane Claudelle found herself on a collision course with the Civil Rights movement, discrimination, and her mother. I expected far more from her, and I kept forgetting that she was only nine years old. She was frustrating. A liar. Sassy. And at times, selfish. BUT, she was only nine. In two weeks time she learned a lot about her own environment and that of the coloreds she co-existed with in 1963 Mississippi. What she learned in those two weeks changed her life’s trajectory, and that of the people around her. I was hoping for a happily-ever-after...in the United States that is something we still grapple with - equality and respect for all.

Indentured Servants Vs. Slaves

 

I had an interesting conversation with a friend recently. We amicably talked about politics - neither pushing the other to accept their opinion. Then the conversation took a weird turn. 

“Did you know that [Irish] indentured servants were killed to avoid paying them in the property they were promised? They were slaves.”

I was at once confused. Yes, many Irish immigrants came to America in the 1800s as indentured servants. But, they weren’t slaves. I had to Google it. Had I missed something in all the years I taught U.S. History?

Indentured servants were NOT forced into indentureship, they signed a CONTRACT. The terms varied greatly depending on the circumstances. Indentured servants were compensated for their work in some fashion.

What I found in my research was that indentured servants fell into one of two categories.

1. A person could indenture themselves to a master craftsman to learn a trade (think college intern). At the end of the CONTRACT they would have repaid the debt and were released from their obligation.

2. A person could indenture themselves for paid passage to America. As part of their CONTRACT they agreed to work, usually for seven years, at which time they were released from their obligation.

Did all contracts end in a “happily-ever-after” scenario? Of course not. Many of these contracts were sold to other parties, which reminded me of pro-athletes...their contracts are owned by the team they play for, and they are traded, sold, and released by mutual consent (for the most part). I’ve never heard pro-athletes referred to as slaves.

So, back to my conversation. The overall gist, I believe, of my friend’s point was that blacks were not the only slaves to suffer in the United States. I cannot for the life of me connect the dots here. One group of people knowingly entered into a legal binding contract. The other group of people were taken forcibly from their homeland to work without pay or compensation of any kind. 

Now, with this off my chest, will I ever confront my friend with my righteous true account of history? Probably not. Unfortunately, this rewriting of history to fit one's thinking is nothing new. No amount of fact checking is going to persuade my friend that his version of history is warped in some way. But, if we continue to allow people to muddy the waters with alternate versions of history, without challenging their facts - the very foundation of our nation may find itself on shaky ground. 

“The Mars Room”

 

San Francisco. The setting is what drew me to this novel. What I found as I read was something unexpected. Juvenile delinquents roaming the streets. Strip clubs and a stalker. MURDER. The storyline was choppy at times. Different supporting characters told their story and how they were connected to Romy Hall, separate from the narrative. Their stories helped clarify the storyline and muddied it at the same time. Being in prison with Hall was gritty, and at times, hopeless. A lot about this novel disturbed me. Nowhere did I get a “happily ever after” vibe - I suppose that’s to be expected when you’re on death row. 

“The Lager Queen of Minnesota

 

Edith. Helen. Diana. BEER. Betrayal. Greed. Passion. BEER. Sacrifice. Struggle. Humble. BEER. Intelligence. Hard work. Overcoming adversity. BEER. Technical. Chemistry. Ego. PIE. Compassion. Love. Dignity.  BEER. After reading this novel I have an overwhelming urge to find a small brewery and try a sampling of beers. IPAs for sure.

“The more you blow into your balloon, the easier it is to pop.” (133)

“On The Wrong Track”

The murderer is on the train...How would Sherlock Holmes solve this mystery? The characters, Big Red and Old Red, are again “deducifying”! This adventure, from Chicago to Oakland, rumbled right through my backyard. The Southern Pacific Railroad, railroad detectives, Pinkerton agents, the Give-‘Em-Hell-Boys, a beautiful woman, MURDERS, and gold. Pretty sure that covers it all. You can’t beat a great Western to escape...looking forward to the next installment in the “Holmes on the Range Mystery” series. (This was #2 of 6)

“Three Single Wives”

 

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave...when first we practice to deceive.” 

-Sir Walter Scott

I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine. Just saying it doesn’t make it so.

When three women find themselves wrapped in lies, secrets, and murder - they struggle to untangle themselves. Will the truth prevail, no matter how painful? Once that thread is pulled, who comes out clean? Where might that thread lead? Is anything what it seems? 

This page turner had me reading late into the night. Written as alternating chapters with the months preceeding the murder, the trial transcripts, and months after the murder kept the storyline moving. I had a feeling who the murderer might have been about three-quarters into the story, and my suspicions were proved right, in the end. Murder and mayhem...never underestimate bookclub!

“ A Splendid Ruin”

 

1904 - 1907. San Francisco. Corruption. Murder. Inheritance. Greed. Earthquake. Revenge. 

What happens when you trust unconditionally? What happens when you realize you’ve been “played”? What happens when your talents are amazing, except that you’re a woman? What happens when your naïveté lands you in an insane asylum? What happens when the 1906 earthquake presents you with an opportunity you didn’t see coming? What happens when your plans for revenge come to fruition? What happens? Satisfaction? Joy? A happily-ever-after? 

Loved the history of this novel. However, I was disappointed that the author didn’t share any of her research, or where she “re-imagined” history. 

“The Henna Artist”

 

Every time I opened this book, I was transported back to 1950s India. I was totally absorbed in the setting, the characters, the culture, the story. The rich history. The diversity. The novel left me with questions...

How do you reinvent yourself, leaving your past behind? How do you maintain your independence and not surrender bits and pieces of yourself in the process? When should you open your heart and your life to others? How do you find family, where you thought you had none? How do you find the courage to leave all that you have known and worked so hard for? How do you navigate your choices as a woman in a caste society? How will you measure your happiness? Success? How will you know if you’ve achieved your best life? How will you stay true to who you are? 

“Escaping Dreamland: A Novel”

 

Broken, damaged characters seem to make the best storytellers. They have hope, resilience, and the ability to heal. Parallel storylines spanning several generations may have been confusing at first, but the story they tell is mesmerizing. An unexpected love triangle, guilt over a tragic accident set the wheels in motion. The bits of history Lovett added to his novel grounded it and sent me searching for more information. The secrets that we keep, the secrets that we share. I so wanted a happily-ever-after ending...

“Woman 99”

 

“...a Progressive Home for the Curable Insane.” (1)

Macallister’s Goldengrove in the Napa Valley, sounds a lot like the Napa State Hospital that was a fixture of my hometown of Napa, California. We called it Imola, which refers to the neighborhood that grew up around the hospital. Built in the late 1800s, and spanning several hundred acres, what remained in my youth was a far cry from the “Castle” that first inhabited the grounds. As a child, with my mother’s women’s group, we wrapped gifts for patients as part of a community outreach event at Christmastime. Napa State Hospital is what I saw in my mind's eye as I read “Woman 99.”

Running into a burning building is the analogy I draw of Charlotte’s crusade to save her sister from Goldengrove. Sanity vs. Insanity. Women being sent to asylums as a means of making them disappear. Safety, cures, inhuman treatment, compassion. How do you create an environment that works for so many disparate women? And what of the women who weren’t technically insane?

The historical aspect of the story kept me engaged. The storyline had its moments...right up until the end.  How does Charlotte’s sister find her happiness, her sanity? Is a happily-ever-after ending the way this story should end?

“Covet Garden in the Snow”

 

I’m not a great fan of novels set in England. Don’t know why, I’m just not. However, Jules Wake caught my attention with her main character, Tilly. Make-up artist. Wig maker. The London Metropolitan Opera Company. I just had to continue reading. I enjoyed all the behind the scenes peeks, the technologically impaired Tilly, and the romance. Although the story was a wee bit predictable, it was well worth the read. Christmas in London, who knew?

“Woman Last Seen In Her Thirties”

 

Lying, cheating (sort of), scumbag (maybe) spouse. How do you find the courage to move beyond 30+ years of life spent with someone who promised to love you forever?

Perhaps, in starting over, we are able to find a strength in ourselves we never knew existed. Perhaps, happiness is in the chances we take. Where do we find the spark that ignites our passions? How do we know which path is the right one? Should we fall back on what we’ve known and steer our lives in that direction? How can we make decisions when the only voice we hear is ours? Will there be a happily-ever-after waiting for us? Will we acknowledge, that in starting over, we may have the “...good fortune of more chances to fail and succeed, more love to give and receive - more life [?]” (243)

“The Edge of Lost”

 

The mention of Alcatraz is what drew me to this novel. Getting to the island would take a tremendous amount of time and energy. Shifting settings, characters, and situations created a lull in the middle. Would we ever get “back” to Alcatraz? Briefly, and then it was gone. 

The reading group guide suggested that the novel was about “love, forgiveness, redemption, loyalty, and sacrifice.” Which it was, but I saw the theme as being about second-chances. The main character never took his second-chances for granted. However, my sense of right and wrong was put to the test...no character should be given a happily-ever-after when their morals are questionable. 

Well researched. Well written. Believable. 

“Remember the Ladies”

 

“True lasting success [comes] in the form of shaping generations of brave, empowered women…” (386)

Corruption. Greed. Lobbyists. Women’s Suffrage. 

What is it that defines who we are? Is it our charitable nature? Our accomplishments? What will our legacy be? The deals we brokered? Our questionable morals? Our sincere belief in what we are doing is right and true to who we are?

This novel brought more questions than answers. My naïveté about human nature also became abundantly obvious. I don’t want to be jaded. I want to believe that people do things for the right reasons. That those who are called to serve, are serving the greater good, not their pocketbooks.

Remember the Ladies begs the question; do the means justify the end? Does our Congress still run the way Mulligan portrayed in her novel? If so, do I need to send off an email to my representatives in Washington? 

“UnBroken Threads”

 

The “threads” of this novel kept me reading late into the night. The subject matter was familiar but with a cultural twist that tugged at my heart. What did I take away from this novel? Hope.

Hope for the future. Hope for healing broken relationships. Hope for finding one's-self. Hope for connecting the threads of one's life to the past. Hope for empathy. Hope for community. Hope for breaking stereotypes. Hope for respect. Hope for the courage to endure. Hope for a happily-ever-after. 

“Answer Creek”

 

Having lived in the shadow of Truckee/Donner Lake for the past 30 years and now on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada range, the Donner Party saga played out in my backyard. Sweeney’s reimagined westward journey is filled with history. She didn’t gloss over the hardships of the journey, but neither did she dwell on the sensationalism that followed the party’s rescue. Adding Ada Weeks to the cast gave the novel an intimacy, an insider's voice. At the end, the novel jumps to the present time, dotted with breadcrumbs left by Ada. What a great way to tie the history of her life to future generations. Our stories are worth telling...worth saving.

“What Unites Us”

 

This book caused me to read, pause, and reflect. A lot.

Empathy, Service, Audacity, Citizenship - these essays resonated with me.

As I think back over my life and understanding of history, the years I spent teaching US History to eighth graders has served me well. And still, there is so much more to learn and understand. So many questions. Looking forward, I worry about our democracy. Voting rights. Women’s rights. Immigrants. So much tied to my own history

I appreciate Rather grounding his thoughts in his history. His moral compass. His understanding of how our government works. I can only hope that as a teacher I laid the groundwork in my students to listen, think, reflect, and to be steady. 

“Dear Miss Kopp”

 

Please note: this work of historical fiction is written as a series of letters. I felt the need to construct my review in the same fashion.

Dear Miss Stewart,

I have recently laid my eyes upon your latest installment of the Kopp Sisters. I have to say that I was not disappointed with the time I spent with the sisters during WWI.

I was happy to see that Constance was able to continue to fuel her passion for law enforcement. Fluerette, well, that girl is destined for great things on stage, for sure. Norma. What can I say about Norma? Of the three, I wasn’t surprised to see that she went to France with her beloved pigeons. I found the girls’ letters intimate, in a way another literary vehicle would have lacked. The introduction of a “fourth sister” helped to round out the plot lines. (Will Aggie return?) As always, I was thrilled to see the sisters overcome obstacles and pave the way for other women to follow in their footsteps.

Mysteries being solved, the war having ended, new adventures await all - I look forward to reading your next installment in Miss Kopp Investigates.

“Night Moves”

 

There are only a handful of series that I have fallen into, Julie Mulhern’s Country Club Murders is one. It was great to visit with my old friends. There is always anticipation for the next new installment in the series...do I savor every word and slow my reading OR do I devour the whole thing at a lightning fast pace? 

Ellison and Anarchy. Engaged. Planning a future together. Yes, there was murder. Yes, there was suspense. Yes, there was the 70s couture. Yes, there were the breadcrumbs of social commentary. However, I couldn’t help feeling that this book was a bridge to what’s coming next.  Anticipation.

Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing

 

“I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one.”

 - Calamity Jane

Power. Glass ceilings. Determination. Rules. Equality. What I came to understand, or perhaps I already knew, the rules are sometimes different for women. The character, Cleo McDougal, had a set of very strict rules for her behavior as a U.S. Senator. Women should not be too feminine. Not too masculine. A hybrid of sorts. 

We all come to terms with the rules in our own way. How to be strong and caring. How to be a bulldog, yet sensitive. How to be a powerhouse and have empathy. How to get where you’re going and not be called a bitch for getting there. How to find balance in your life. Relationships. Love. No regrets.

What happened to my eyebrows?

 

Where the hell did my eyebrows go? I have photographic proof that during puberty, I was close to sporting a unibrow. But now? If patchy with a hint of gray were an eyebrow thing - I’d be totally in style. I know that I could just let them be - sparse in places - and just chalk it up to aging. However, I spent a good deal of time perfecting the dramatic one-eyebrow lift...I’m not going to waste all that hard work. So, for the time being I am happy to fill in the missing parts of my eyebrows. 

I wonder...could I transplant the hair on my chin to my eyebrows? I always thought the bearded lady was some kind of myth. An act straight out of Barnum and Bailey’s playbook. Now, in my 60s, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a myth at all. Pluck those little buggers. Shave ‘em. Wax them off. Whatever the method, they always grow back. Why? When my estrogen dried up, my chin seems to have given up the good fight - leaving me thinking that turtlenecks may be a viable fashion option. At least they would hide a few of the longer hairs I can’t see.

Evaporating eyebrows. Chin hair. Ears. Whose bright idea was it to let our ears keep growing? Is it for better sound absorption as we age? What function could bigger ears perform?  At some point my “dangly” earrings will be hitting my shoulders. Will that look weird with the turtlenecks? If I look on the positive, the extra ear length will give me more geography for piercings. Just sayin’.

It’s kinda funny when I think about it. I had no problem letting my hair achieve its natural state and let it go gray about ten years ago. In fact I really like my gray locks. I guess this is all part of the aging process. Before you know it, I’ll be eating dinner at 4:30, calling perfect strangers “honey,” and never driving over the speed limit. Ahhh, something to look forward to.

Confessions of a Curious Bookseller

 

Oh come on, the main character is a “wack-a-doodle” - delusional, a liar, and completely mesmerizing. Elizabeth Green pulled me through the front doors of The Curious Cat Book Emporium, and I didn’t want to leave. The novel is written as emails, journal entries, hand written notes, and text messages. Broken and living with a chip on her shoulder from her childhood, Fawn fights to keep her business alive by any means possible. She is unquestionably out of her mind. BUT, I wanted to know just how this was all going to end. Was there going to be a twist? Was I going to be let down, or would there be an epiphany to save the storyline? I’ll be puzzling out Fawn’s erratic behavior for a long time.

“Holmes on the Range”

 

How many would-be detectives got their start by reading “Sherlock Holmes”? How many of those would-be detectives got their start “detecting” in the Wild West? This western has cow-pokes, cow pies, catallo (yep, a buffalo cow mix), and English nobility - throw in not one, but two deaths and you’ve got yourself a Holmes worthy mystery. The main characters, Old Red and Big Red are what you’d expect from a pair of brothers - cantankerous and loveable. This is the first of six in the series...I’m sure I’ll be spending a lot more time in the old west in the near future.