Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

 This is review 2 for today.

This book has an absolutely gorgeous cover.  It was also highly recommended by our book vendor, Follett.  And it happens to be about one of my favorite serial killers, H.H. Holmes. 

That really didn't come out right...

H.H. Holmes was the Devil in the White City, which is the title of the Erik Larson book about him as well.  He killed numerous people in the famous Chicago Murder Castle he custom built next to the World's Fair.  There's also a strong suspicion he's actually Jack the Ripper.  H.H. Holmes disappears and reappears in the United States the exact same years Jack the Ripper was active in England.  History Channel did a series on it.

Anyway.

What I didn't realize is this is book 4 in a series, book 1 being about Jack the Ripper.  I was able to follow it, but I think I would've preferred reading at least book 1 if not all 3 first.  There were character developments that I really needed background info on to understand their motivations.  

Now, warning, this is pretty gruesome.  I wouldn't try to read it on a full stomach.  A goat is beheaded in the first few pages.  It's not for the faint of heart.  

Hope you are all safe and warm. 

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Foreshadow Pan and Suma, eds.

 I know.  I know.  I have been atrocious at keeping up with reviews.  Lotta stuff going on...

But, I have been reading.  So, this morning will be a two-fer.

First, Foreshadow.  This is a short story collection, but it's different in most in that it is also a writer's craft text.  Each short story is by a new and upcoming YA author, introduced by a pillar in the genre--think Jason Reynolds, Becky Albertalli, Nicola Yoon, and Laurie Halse Anderson to name a few.  Then there is a writing prompt, utilizing a technique from the short story.

I loved this.  I can honestly say I liked every single short story, and I truly wanted to write along with the prompts afterwards. I literally emailed Mrs. Bennett, our ELA Coordinator, and our English Department Chair Ms. Deninger to recommend it.

I will be donating this on Monday! Stay safe and warm everyone!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Thoughts of Dog by Matt Nelson

Thoughts of Dog and WeRateDogs are probably the reason I actually stayed on Twitter during the election coverage.  Matt Nelson is behind both accounts.  Thoughts of Dog is inspired by Golden Retrievers, and my Shandy fits the stereotypes perfectly.  If you aren't a follower, check out Dog, Human, stuffed elephant Sebastian, and the Small Neighbor Human.  You will smile.

So, this.  This is really a picture book with captions in Doggo--a language that goodest bois might use if they could text (and had opposable thumbs, something Dog laments frequently).  It's quick--like if you really worked hard it would take five minutes tops.  But it is also heartwarming, in a time we really need heartwarming.  There's also a new set in the book not on the Twitter feed that made me cry, especially remembering my sweet Sienna and Savannah, who were also Goldens.

If you like Thoughts of Dog, look up Pixie and Brutus, the stories of a Military War Dog Shepherd and an innocent kitten.  I hope they put out a book soon too!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.  

Lovely War by Julie Berry

World War I and II are all the rage in YA literature lately, so when our vendor Follett's Titlewave catalog suggested this, of course I ordered it.  The premise is that the Gods and Goddesses of ancient Greece are still meddling in human affairs, including these terrible conflicts.  What I was not expecting was this to be more mythology than historical fiction.  More romance and romanticized Goddesses than fact.  Many members of the Pantheon make an appearance, as if this was the Trojan War in the 12th Century BC rather than 1942.  It's almost set as a play.  I had visions of A Midsummer Night's Dream...

I hate to say I was not a fan.  I definitely rolled my eyes a few times at the silliness of some of the scenes.  Would someone who likes romance prefer it?  Or mythology?  Probably.  Not my particular cup of tea.  

If you are interested, I hope we will be back in person soon so that you can check it out.  Don't forget to check out the Public Library's electronic offerings at whpl.lioninc.org

Stay safe and well.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.   

 

Smoke, Roots, Mountain, Harvest by Lauren Angelucci McDuffie

 Amazon recommended this to me a few weeks ago.  It really sounded like a memoir interspersed with recipes, so of course I bought it!  However, after reading it, it's more a cookbook interspersed with memoir.  Unfortunately I do not feel it is enough of a  memoir to shelve it as one that could be used for the senior reading.  Instead, it will be shelved in our still impressive cookbook section.  Hopefully soon Covid will be gone and our Culinary program can resume making their award winning cuisine!

I had expectations this would be like Bruculinu, America or Prison Ramen or Crook to Cook or The Best Cook in the World, all reviewed here.  But this was mostly recipes with brief, reflective tidbits.  Now, that's not to say it's a bad book!  There are recipes in here that are really mouth-watering, albeit unlikely for us here in New England to find some of the ingredients at Shop Rite.  The photography is beautiful as well, which makes sense since when I read the author's bio, she's a food blogger and photographer.  The recipes are arranged seasonally, with a suggested menu pairing of courses.  

I will be adding this to our collection today.  I hope you'll be able to check it out once we are back in person.  In the meantime, take the opportunity to peruse our Public Library holdings at whpl.lioninc.org. 

Please stay safe and well!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Awesome Bill from Dawsonville by Bill Elliott

If you know me AT ALL or have followed this blog for any length of time, you know racing is my sport. And the past few days as a Chase Elliott fan have been surreal.  I've already got my plane tickets for Talledega 2021, and that trip will include a stop in the now re-famous Dawsonville, GA!  Please, before you read this review, look up Chase's victory parade through the tiny town of 2700ish residents.  The GA Racing Hall of Fame, City Hall, and the Moonshine distillery are all in the same building, with the Dawsonville Pool Room and its siren just a ten minute walk away. 

Anyway.  My Dad's favorite driver was Chase's dad Bill.  We know our phones track everything we do, so Amazon recommended this memoir to me.  I am happy to donate another racing memoir to our collection.

First things first, this is from 2006.  Chase is a feisty little boy, not the 24 year old we know and love.  Bill takes the reader through his humble beginnings in, what on the surface is, sleepy Dawsonville.  The realities though are the running of 'shine through the woods in the middle of the night fast becoming a sport of its own.  He talks about his father and uncles' love of cars, his families roots in the town, his meh attitude toward school (which Chase inherited, see attached), and why he neither smokes nor drinks.  

Most people do not know Chase has two older half-sisters.  Bill admits his failures as a father to his two older girls (the oldest from his first marriage, the middle from a brief relationship).  It was much like Dale Sr.'s relationships with Kerry, Kelley, and Dale Jr.  It wasn't until youngest Taylor that he kinda got his act together as a parent.  Bill talks about wanting to be not just a father, but a DAD to Chase.  Certainly anyone watching Sunday's race knows that was true.  

I look forward to hearing that siren ring again in the 21 season and eating lunch at the Pool Room.  Til next year, Elliotts...

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Cabal of the Westford Knight by David S. Brody

 

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you're aware of my Templars in American obsession.  My family roots start in Nova Scotia circa 1732, and I am absolutely convinced SOMETHING is buried on Oak Island (show returns in November!) near my family's former land. There are suspicions the Templars (via Henry Sinclair) traveled up and down the New England and Canadian Maritimes, leaving stone markers along for later explorations and possibly settlements.  This theory includes the Newport Tower.  Now, what's almost bizarre here is that I've chaperoned a bunch of trips to Newport which have included bus tours around the town and local history.  NEVER has any tour gone by or even mentioned the Tower.  

So, Mrs. Alissa Ficaro gave me this knowing my obsession, and my husband saw me reading it.  I got to visit the Tower this past Saturday as part of his surprise weekend!   

This is a fictional account of a lawyer representing an elderly couple from a "developer's" land grab.  The elderly couple's backyard is believed to be where Sinclair and his party camped in the small town of Westford.  If you aren't familiar with Westford and its claim to fame: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westford_Knight (Now, I've seen the Westford Knight and believe, but it is REALLY hard to see the knight's carving without the right light and a little imagination.).

What ensues is a cat and mouse game similar to The DaVinci Code through hidden and suppressed-by-the-church history, circling back through Jesus's blood line, the Holy Grail, the Templars, and early exploration of North America (why the Mikmak have red Templar crosses on their flags, why Columbus had red Templar flags on his ships, why many New England and Maritime Canadian tribes have light eyes and reddish hair...)

On the actual book, though, have to say I didn't like the ending.  Much like The DaVinci Code, the ending hasn't actually happened (we don't have any DNA proof of Jesus's bloodline or posses the Grail if it is really a cup or anything else that might be buried on Oak Island...yet), so that part is fictional.  And I really didn't like it!  However, I know it's a set up for the next book in the series.  I believe there are 7 or 8 at this time.  Thanks to Mrs. Ficaro who has donated the first four!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes

Nikki Grimes' Bronx Masquerade is one of my all-time favorite books.  When I saw she had published a memoir, I put it on our Follett Wish List for the Spring 2020 order. Then we went on Distance Learning, and I promptly forgot I had done so.  Shopping on Amazon, I did a Dory and ordered it for myself for my own "to-read" pile.  Then placed my school order via Follett.  In short, we now have two copies of this.  That being said, I AM SO GLAD BECAUSE I'M GOING TO RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE.

This memoir, like part of Bronx Masquerade, is told in verse.  Grimes tells the story of her childhood--from her earliest memories to high school.  A child who didn't talk much, she filled pages upon pages of notebooks with words, telling no one her secrets except the pen.  From being raped by her stepfather to her mother's severe alcoholism and breaks with reality, this is an incredibly difficult read.  The hardest moment though, was when Grimes' mother, in a drunken, manic high, goes on a cleaning spree and discards all her writing notebooks. I cried. Hard.

Grimes was truly happy in a foster home, where she was encouraged and loved.  But, as is all too common, the system failed her and her sister, putting them back in harm's way with their mother and stepfather or their father, a traveling musician.  It was a high school English teacher who told Grimes to write, to never submit anything less than her best, and to be a voice for those without one.  Now in her 70s, she still remains close to one of her foster brothers and a childhood friend who never deserted her. She continues to write, and her children's biography of Kamala Harris is soon to be published. 

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

    

Racing to the Finish by Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

I think at this point most people who know me know my history in local motorsports and my love of all things racing.  So of course I bought, and will donate, this! I'll probably put it next to his sister Kelley's!

I was a big fan of Dale, Sr.  The day he died was my first real date with the man who would become my husband.  I almost cancelled, and honestly might have if cell phones were really a thing yet.  He was already en route to my house in West Haven from Orange when the crash happened, as we planned to eat after the race.  I wasn't missing the Daytona 500 for nobody.

When Dale, Sr. died most of his fans became Dale, Jr. fans (and most of them became Chase Elliot fans when Jr. retired...), myself and my now-husband included.  Jr. would never achieve the success his father did, and many chalked it up to just not having the same talent.  Jr. is very open about his treatment for concussions and anxiety now.  He wasn't then.  He kept his symptoms and feelings a secret from most of the world.  

Jr. didn't want to appear weak.  He was afraid of losing his ride in the ultra-competitive top tier of racing.  He ignored troubling feelings like rage and physical problems like bouncing vision, while getting behind the wheel of a 2 ton machine traveling at speeds up to 200 miles an hour. 

This book isn't an autobiography.  There are no long chapters about his childhood (which was troubled, as most NASCAR fans know--Dale, Sr. would never be father-of-the-year material to any of his 4 kids by 3 wives) or his early years coming up the ranks in racing.  This is truly a memoir, the story of the life-changing series of events that ended his career in racing, but started his career in broadcasting, and, unintentionally, his role in bringing the discussion about traumatic sports brain injuries and mental health to the spotlight.  He is outspoken on the need to study the brain, and injuries sustained to it, and now talks openly about his anxiety and depression and use of medication.  

Find this in the next display!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs W.

A Pirate's Life for She by Laura Sook Duncombe

One of the most awesome groups who visit me on a regular basis are our ACES and SCSpEd students.  Their positive attitude is contagious, and they are very forthcoming with what they want to read about! One of the ladies in this group asked for a book about pirates.  We were both a little dismayed to find all of our pirate books were about men!

So, I set out to find a middle grade reading level book about women pirates.  Here we are.  Once my student returned it, and it had quarantined the recommended 72 hours for books, I checked it out myself.  Because I like pirates too!

This is a collection of short biographies on female pirates from across the globe during various times in history.  If you've ever seen The Pirates of the Caribbean movies, you'll recognize some of these pirates instantly (Cheng I Sao appears in At World's End as "Mistress Ching"), other were simply nodded to (Anna Maria in Curse of the Black Pearl is a reference to Anne Bonny and Mary Read).  

The reality is pirates, with the gray area exception of privateers, are criminals, and glorifying them is, well, perhaps wrong.  But the lure of the sea, the call of adventure, and the hope of vast riches tends to skew our view on these real historical figures in favor of the Jack Sparrows, Will Turners, and Elizabeth Swans of movies.  How many times do we see people on the West Haven beach after a bad storm with metal detectors?  The fantasy that treasure might turn up is still very much alive.  And for far too long, the pirate narrative has only focused on men.  

I am happy to add another book featuring strong women from our past, even those who broke the law.  As we all know, "well behaved women rarely make history". 

Find this on our next display!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The Beautiful Ones by Prince

Prince was a musical genius.  There is no denying it, and there is no debating it.  If you plan to, unfriend me/delete me/stop reading.  Prince joined musical genres, styles, and instrumentation like no one before him, and I don't think we ever will again.  In addition to his own work, he wrote hundreds of songs for others vocalists and produced numerous albums of his own and others'.  Prince came from humble beginnings--a child of divorce with full and half-siblings in Minnesota. It's hard to believe a regular kid from Minneapolis would become a legend.  But he most definitely did.  

I have always loved Prince's music--from the 80s through his death in 2016.  So when the opportunity arose to add this posthumously published memoir to our collection, I jumped on it.  And being that I get to unpack the boxes, well, I grabbed it first. 

*Stops review, climbs up on soapbox, taps mic*

People tell me kids don't need to learn to read or write in cursive anymore.  WRONG.  Yes, there are transcribed versions of our founding documents like the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, and later documents like the Gettysburg Address.  However, there is value in being able to read our history as written--seeing where penmanship changes due to stress or movement.  And how exactly are you supposed to sign a check or your driver's license?  Furthermore...

IF YOU CANNOT READ CURSIVE, YOU CANNOT READ THIS BOOK.

*Steps off soapbox, reminds friends who are elementary teachers to teach it anyway*

That's right, many of the letters, notes, and lyrics are in Prince's original handwriting, and that is in cursive.

I cried a lot reading this.  For many songwriters, the source is pain.  And there is a lot of it. Physical and mental.

Prince announced the memoir just weeks before his overdose.  I am grateful his estate allowed his co-writer to continue the work and publish it as per Prince's wishes.

 

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Well, here we are again.  WHHS is closed for two days for contact tracing and testing due to a positive case of Covid.  I'm on tech support.  I had 58 emails already (it was 10 when I started writing this; I opened my laptop at 6).

This was the September Book Club selection.  However, with all the crazy going on right now, we've elected to push the meeting to October.  This was chosen by Ms. Marcella, and she will moderate. 

I have to say I struggled with this.  I tend to struggle with non-fiction that does not hold my interest.  While the topic is timely (racial social justice), there were A LOT of names, dates, and places.  All of them are in the South, and I did not have much as a frame of reference for where things were happening geographically.  In addition, some of the first names of the convicted prisoners were the same, which was confusing. 

It's not that I didn't like the book.  It is important work, and clearly still a reality for Black and Brown communities.  I simply struggled with the writing.  If I were to recommend it, it would be in excerpts.  As this is a memoir in a way, I would say students interested in social justice or appellate law would do well in reading it.

Stay safe out there.

All opinions expressed on this blog and its video version are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe

 I'm typing this inside the Library.  Things have changed rapidly in a few days.  We are officially welcoming Ms. Fanelli, Mr. Fallon, and Mr. Pistone as roommates! The QR codes are made for sign-in to be touchless.  A new video of the space will be made once we get ourselves settled.  It will be different to say the least!

So on to today's review.  I was in a conference session with Ben Philippe this summer on comedy in YA.  This was the same session I heard about Midnight and Rayne.  I had HOPED this would be more amusing.  

Unfortunately I did not find this to be all that funny.  I smiled a few times, but I was definitely not rolling around laughing.  I don't like to "genderify" books, but this is definitely a boy-ish book.  And maybe because I'm a cis-gendered female, I just couldn't get into it.  I've been teaching teenage boys 19 years, and I am a Mom to one.  Maybe that's enough locker room smell for one lady.     

I won't be recording this review as it just dawned on me our school desktops do not have webcams!  And I'm far back in the line for a new laptop.  Alas...

I'll be adding this to the collection early next week along with all the other new books. 

 

Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Our return to school is rapidly approaching!  It seems we will be going back half-days, five days a week.  The Library will still be open during study hall, but sign in will be QR code rather than laptop.  I moved the tables and chairs to be 6 feet apart. We will have some new roommates this year.  Ms. Eburg, a new English teacher, will be taking the Conference Room where Mrs. Pazsak was. Five different teachers will rotate through with their Academic Labs.  I also heard Mr. Pistone will have a class or two in our space, but that's not definite yet.  Ms. Deninger and the English Department's Book Closet will be in our back room temporarily.  A full house!  

So, today's review.  This was recommended to me by Amazon.  I've been on a supernatural/witch kick as of late, so I'm guessing that's where this came from.  This was...interesting.  Think The Giver and Gathering Blue meets The Grace Year, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Crucible.

Which is my problem with it.  Nothing was really original.  Readable for sure.  Even enjoyable.  But I wasn't shook the way I was reading Gathering Blue or The Grace Year.  I'm finding originality lacking in some new books, as evidenced by my last THREE reviews.  Is it my own fault for reading similar books?  Perhaps.  Which is why my next is completely out of the genres I've been stuck in (The Field Guide to the North American Teenager).  The book that'll follow is the book club selection Just Mercy.  Unrelated, I suggested Tigers, Not Daughters for October, and I will moderate. 

In this story, Immanuelle is the mixed-race, illegitimate daughter of a suspected witch and poor man from an ostracized family.  Her mother was betrothed to The Prophet, a Pope-like figure leader of their village.  Her parents were burned at the stake.  Living under the care of her grandmother, the Dark Wood calls to her, and it appears her first menstrual period brings about a curse from the Witches of the Dark Wood.  The Prophet's Son, a secret disbeliever, tries to help her break the curses and plagues.  Immanuelle knows change is coming, and it comes with her power.

Like I said, readable and enjoyable.  Not original.

I'll be heading in tomorrow to hopefully process all these donated books from me!  My book order for this year has not been approved yet, so I do not know when or if we will get any new books (sad emoji)!

Please stay safe!

 

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven by Bella Forrest

 Hello all.  It seems we will definitely see each other in two weeks.  There will be many changes, not all of which I am a fan of, but let us evaluate how things go once they start.

Anyway.

Today's review is for my next book club selection.  A reminder this is only my 2nd book as a part of the group.  I am hosting the gathering, and Ms. Corrado (that's Mrs. Paredes's secretary) is moderating the discussion.  I believe she is who chose this novel.

Bella Forrest is a widely popular "author".  I put the term in quotes because I don't think she's a real person.  She has no biography, no back story, no social media presence outside publishing info.  I am leaning toward "Bella Forrest" actually being several ghost writers in an anonymous group.  The vast majority of "her" work is paranormal series in YA.  This is listed as book 1 in a new serial, that of Harley Merlin.  

In addition, I am thinking "her" works are based off fanfic ideas.  There are several Twilight and Harry Potter connections that are too coincidental to be oops or common threads.  I would also draw attention to the Skull and Bones (Yale) reference and how similar the Kid City in the novel is to the one in Middletown.  A CT-based writer?  

Plot-wise, this is base novel in that there is a LOT of description--this is X and her job is Y, this is A and his specialty is B.  Introductory stuff to lay a foundation.  In short, the long lost last descendant of Merlin was hidden at birth and now finds herself part of a secret society of witches and warlocks looking for another long lost witch out for world domination.  Where have we heard this before?  Yeahhhhhh.  Looking at you Voldie.

Decent enough, but I have no intention of picking up anything else in the series or anything else of "Ms. Forrest"'s.  

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

I hope you are all safe and well.  I spent two weekends in New Hampshire (masked and socially distanced), which was fantastic.  I finished this before we left for Loudon, and promptly forgot to do the review before we left for LinWood.  

I wanted to like this.  I really, really wanted to like this.  It is set in Fairview, which is really Fairfield, CT. But, unfortunately I found it too similar to a mix of Dark Places (seriously, the ending is wayyyyyyy too similar), My Sister's Grave, and One of Us is Lying or All Eyes on Her (perhaps if I hadn't just read All Eyes, I might feel differently?).  There were also some glaring geographical mistakes that someone from Southern CT would notice right away. 

Andie Bell was beautiful and popular.  5 years ago her AP student boyfriend Sal Singh (read: brown skin, different culture than most in town) killed her.  He then killed himself. 

Now Pip, a senior, has decided to complete her capstone project on media literacy (didn't I say that in the review for All Eyes?) using the Bell/Singh murder-suicide as a case study.  She breaks her privacy commitment and reaches out to the families (wouldn't that disqualify her anyway?), befriending Sal's brother.  

The two reinterview witnesses, read transcripts, look at photos, etc.  Everything that happened in Dark Places and My Sister's Grave.  By the time I got to the end I was rolling my eyes and the ridiculousness of the plot twist, since I'd already read it! Ugh. 

Would this be a good murder mystery had I not read the aforementioned books so recently?  I'm not sure.  My bias in reviewing might be clouding my judgement.  Also, this was actually published BEFORE All Eyes, I just read it after.  Well, find it on the new shelf when we go back and decide for yourself!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Never Look at the Empty Seats by Charlie Daniels

This is the 2nd review for today.  Again, my apologies.

The world lost a music legend this month with the passing of Charlie Daniels.  I have been a huge fan all my life, and have seen him and The Charlie Daniels Band perform live four times.  I recited "The Legend of Wooley Swamp" for a Halloween-themed oral lesson in one of my undergrad classes.

I've always found him to be so incredibly down to Earth, often meeting with fans before or after performances with little to no security.  He's been married only once, as in "til death do us part" and loves his horses.  While I may not agree with his religious views, he is strong in his faith and offers praise and thanks for all.

The meteoric rise of CDB after "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" often leaves out the story of a young man just trying to make it.  Taking on little gigs playing whatever the audience at that particular establishment wanted, is one reason the Band's music is so varying among genres.  Country, bluegrass, rock, gospel, rockabilly, folk, soul, and even pop blend in their music.  Through it all, Charlie reminds his readers he doesn't actually know how to play the fiddle or guitar.  He learned by doing, no lessons or formal training. 

For any of my teachers reading or listening to this review, make sure you read the acknowledgments.  For any of my kids, don't ever forget to thank the teachers who influenced you.  

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

All Eyes on Her by L.E. Flynn

This will be the first review of another two-fer.  I'm being terrible at getting these posted.  My allergies are a mess right now too.  

Also, this reviews refers to the Advanced Reading Copy edition, but the book is now on sale. 

I LOVED this book.  You know I am not a fan usually of the alternating viewpoints, but for this whodunnit, it's necessary for the reader (in essence part of the judge and jury via the media) to get all the information.

Imagine One of Us Is Lying, Cruel Intentions, and "The Lady or the Tiger?" mixed together.  

Tabby Cousins, 17, and her boyfriend Mark Forrester, 20, go hiking in the woods.  Mark doesn't make it out.  Tabby will, arriving home hours later after becoming disoriented.  She says Mark fell off an overlook.  His body will be found in the river below.  

So, did he fall?  Did he jump?  Or was he pushed?

The story is told through various viewpoints of Mark and Tabby's friends, family, and classmates.  The media has convicted Tabby, who is known to have a temper and was jealous of star-athlete Mark's new "friends" away at college.  You, the reader (again, as someone consuming media reports and social media posts) have to make the decision.

This is actually a fascinating lesson on digital media literacy.

I do not want to spoil too much, but I will say the ending left me pretty shook.  I could not put this down until I finished it.

Hopefully we can get the published book in an order soon!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Black Spire Outpost Cookbook

Yes, today is a two-fer review day.

With our culinary program being so awesome, and my own love of cooking, I'm always looking for cookbooks I think will make a good addition to our collection (see my review of Crook to Cook!).  I'm also a huge Star Wars fan (if you've followed this blog for any length of time, you know that already).  So, of course I bought this!  

When we went to Disney World, Galaxy's Edge was still under construction.  I had huge hopes to see Disney Land's version this summer.  Covid of course had other plans.  

I kinda thought this would be like the Harry Potter cookbook, with items from the book made with every day ingredients or like the "copy-cat" recipes you see all over Facebook of Disney's signature dining places (try the gray stuff at Be Our Guest in Orlando!).  However, this is written in an in-universe style, as if by the extended cannon Strono "Cookie" Tuggs, a chef.  The recipes are pretty simplistic and renamed to match a Star Wars theme.  I'm not sure if any of it is actually on a menu in Disney somewhere, though.  I'll report back if I ever there...

Definitely a novelty, maybe for one of those theme weeks Mr. Kent does, but not exactly the standard in cookbooks for the home chef.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.   

Tigers, not Daughters by Samantha Mabry

I was in a session with Samantha Mabry at the School Library Journal's conference, which was moderated by my review editor.  I immediately ordered this book for WHHS. A ghost story with strong Latina leads?  Yes, please.

This book did not disappoint.  I read it in a day; I could not put it down.  The four Torres sisters--Ana, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa are all incredibly different, but also inherently the same.  Being raised by a single father (their mother died in childbirth with Rosa) in poverty, surrounded by gangs, theft, drugs, and classism but also by family, faith, and resilience.  The girls hatch a plot to escape to an aunt's in the country, by their father finds out and drags them home.  Two months later, Ana kills herself by jumping out a window (it is possible she fell trying to escape again or was pushed--I don't want to spoil too much).  A year later, Jessica is dating Ana's ex, Iridian is folding in upon herself mentally, and Rosa has turned to Jesus to help animals in need as a distraction. Ana's ghost is not happy.

As this IS a ghost story, with a very angry ghost trying to deliver a message and, perhaps revenge, I will stop the plot review there.  But, I promise, you will not be able to stop reading this!

Find this front and center come my Halloween display!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs W. 

Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner

Earlier this summer the Connecticut Association of School Librarians hosted NErDcampCT. I think most of you know I serve on the Board for CASL, and I am so proud of my colleagues in transitioning the event to a virtual format.  Because it was virtual, many authors who otherwise could not attend were able to, including Jeff Zentner.  I did not review his first novel The Serpent King here (I think it's OK now to say I read it for Nutmeg 2018), but I did review Goodbye Days. With both being very serious and somewhat dark, I was a little surprised he was in a forum on humor in YA.  What?

Well, Rayne and Delilah is dark, but a dark comedy.  For those of you old enough, Josie and Delia really reminded me of Carly and Sam from iCarly. The high school seniors host a weekly show on public television.  They host viewing of low-budget, old horror movies as Rayne and Delilah.  Dressed up as witches or vampires or both, it was like Celebrity Watch Party, but of bad horror movies (I kept thinking Blair Witch).

The underlying storylines are juxtaposed.  Josie is college-bound with a possible television internship with Food Network.  Her parents are overbearing in the academic world.  Delia has a fortune-teller mother.  Her father took off when she was a child.  The idea behind the show is to hope he sees it and recognizes her and their old movies.  

I did not find this to be the roll-on-the-floor funny it was advertised as, both on Amazon and in the forum, but I did laugh a few times and smile a lot. I found both girls a bit overdone, but perhaps that was the point?  A parody of teenage girl stereotypes?  Perhaps.  I also felt the door was left open for a sequel.

Hopefully we will see each other in the fall, and you can check this out then.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni

Hi everyone!

I took a brief hiatus to spend a two week "staycation" with my hubs and son.  We were supposed to have gone to DisneyLand, Universal Hollywood, and San Francisco.  Obvi, Covid has other plans.  Instead we stayed within CT doing mostly outdoor activities like hiking, horseback riding, Mystic, and swimming.  I am hopeful our back to back weekends in New Hampshire later this summer will go on as planned.

This detective novel is my book club's July selection.  I am new to this group--a definite hodgepodge of teachers, other school staff, and Westie community members.  I am looking forward to meeting, whether virtual or in person, to discuss books!

I am not sure who chose this one, but I loved it.  I later learned from Carrigan's Mrs. Tirollo it is the first in a series, and if I didn't have a 20-something deep pile to read already this summer, I'd be adding it to my Amazon cart! (An aside, speaking of Amazon's cart, a copy of Leigh-Ann Hauer's newly illustrated children's book will be headng to each of our elementary schools!)

Tracy is a detective in the Seattle area.  She had been a chemistry teacher at the high school, in a very tiny town hours away, that she graduated from prior.  She and her younger sister were competitive shooters.  In 1993, her younger sister Sarah drove their truck home alone, through a storm.  Sarah knew Tracy' boyfriend was to propose, and sent them off to dinner.  Sarah would never make it home.  The truck would be found out of gas, although Tracy had filled it the day before, along with Sarah's personal belongings.  Seven weeks later, a recently released convicted rapist is convicted of Sarah's murder, although her body was never found.  

Tracy believes an innocent man has been framed, and leaves teaching to become a police officer as a means to continue searching the evidence for her sister's killer.  

20 years later, Sarah's body is found, in an area Tracy's family and army of volunteers had already searched.  Old wounds are opened, and a tiny town is going to have to face the possibility a man was wrongfully convicted, and that Sarah's killer still walks free.

I don't want to spoil too much, as this IS a mystery.  I really had my "whodunnit" guess wrong here though.

I will be adding this to our collection when/if we return to school!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.    

The Madwoman and the Roomba by Sandra Tsing Loh

Amazon recommended this memoir to me, and I added it to my "quarantine order".  Among the quoted reviews was "hilarious, snarky, insightful", "wildly funny", "funniest writer writing today".  I expected a hilarious view on every day life.  All the things that go wrong in our typical day that if we don't laugh about them, we'd cry.  I was really expecting something similar to South of the Etowah, which is on display as one of my faves.  Raymond Atkins made a washing machine funny.  So, I had high hopes here.

I did not laugh.  Not even once.  I smiled a few times.  This was really not funny at all.  White (Chinese-German), wealthy (Malibu, CA), and whiny (please just stop complaining) is a better tagline.  I kept reading just to see if the funny stuff came later.  It didn't. 

I'm also angry Amazon sent me one with a damaged bottom corner and cover.  Not wanting to deal with sending it back for a replacement, I said whatevs.  I now believe this was actually a returned and resold copy.  Likely because it's not worthy to be kept.  I don't plan to put this in the collection.  Instead it'll be on the free shelf. You know a new book has to be pretty bad for me to do that.

Sorry, but a no. 

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed

It's summer vacation!

I posted my summer reading list on my personal Facebook Monday.  This is book #1.

*Before I begin, please know this review refers to the Advanced Reading Copy edition.  This book is now available for purchase.

This was among the 70+ ARCs delivered to WHHS students by Ms. Kym, formerly of the WHPL and now at the State Library.  It looked fantastic, so I snagged it.  It'll be on the free shelf when...if...return to school.  It is already on our pending order for next school year.  Cross fingers the order is approved!

I actually read this in its entirety on Monday right after getting home from delivering the last of the senior Band gifts.  I read it in one sitting as I could not put it down.  

I am typically not a huge fan of alternating view points, but in this case it works.  

17 year old Khayyam is an American (specifically Chicagoan) of immigrant parents.  Her mother is Indian and Muslim and her father French.  Both are professors.  So although Khayyam is most definitely "other" in the checking of ethnic/racial/religious boxes (and is a strong female lead to boot), her life is quite comfortable.  She will go to college without question, one of prestige likely.  She wants to major in art history.  

Enter the summer before her senior year.  Khayyam has submitted a thesis, hoping for a scholarship to an art school, on the connections between Delacroix, Dumas, Byron, and a mystery woman of possible Indian or Muslim origins in their art and poetry. 

The alternating viewpoint is of Leila, an unfaithful harem, the mystery woman and her travels to France. 

While on summer holiday in France, specifically Paris, Khayyam meets the *cute/same age/male* descendant of Dumas, who is also on the hunt for Leila.  

In an almost Scooby Doo-ish (they actually say so) way, they set out to unravel the story in old letters, manuscripts, poems, and paintings.

Now, I know you might be thinking this sounds kinda silly and contrived, and yep, it is.  BUT, if you like any of the above, especially the secrets contained therein (hello, Da Vinci?), you will absolutely love this.  

Lighthearted, but also historically intriguing, I'd definitely recommend.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs W.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

I pre-ordered this the first day I could. Thanks to Prime, it came the day it was released, which was last week. I read it in a day. It was just as good as I thought it would be.

That being said, I did not feel it appropriate to write/record/post a book review within the next few days.  It'd gotten even harder. I honestly had every intention of doing this yesterday, but after getting home from delivering the graduation signs and my adopted senior's gift, I was riding the proverbial high.  I have proofread numerous scholarship thank you notes and cried with pride.  I guess that makes the crash worse.

I see you.  I hear you.  I will try to understand you.  I just ask you see me too.

So, this review.  

Set 64 years before The Hunger Games, this is a prequel, the story of one of my favorite villains, Coriolanus Snow.  The equivalent of a high school senior in the Capital, the once weighty Snow name is fading fast.  Coriolanus lives with his cousin (that's TIGRIS, people) and their grandmother.  With little money, they are facing what we'd call foreclosure while wearing hand-me-downs and eating broth for dinner. 

It is the 10th anniversary of the Games, and it's a new idea to pair one of the seniors with a Tribute.  Coriolanus is paired with the District 12 girl, Lucy Gray Baird.

Now I don't want to spoil too much, but...

-It's pretty obvious this is the first book in a new series/duology/trilogy.

-"The Hanging Tree" writer/singer is Lucy Gray. Katniss learned the song from her father. Coincidence?  I would bet the farm not.

-There are several families that are legacy and who are either older adults or a younger generation in the original trilogy, which does get somewhat confusing.

And speaking just of Coriolanus, to quote the villain in another of my favorite trilogies, "the villain is always the hero, in his own story"....

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

 

Drive by Kelley Earnhardt Miller

"Believe it or not, there were times years ago when people referred to me as the best driver in the Earnhardt family, which is quite a compliment.  I definitely know how to handle a car at high speeds, and I know what it feels like to thrive on the rush of racing..."
"People are understandably curious about how I came to be a racing executive.  I don't have a dramatic story about breaking glass ceilings as a woman in a man's world...I was simply born into it, and it has been my world all my life."

While I'm not a national racing executive and I never actually won a race as a driver, I WAS the girl at the track.  Me and Jackie (who coincidentally both went to WHHS and are still very close friends) were a force little girls looked up to at the track.  We were dirty, covered in track dust and oil and smoke and heaven knows what else coming off that toxic stream in the back.  Our long hair in braids, wearing pink Mechanix gloves, we were actually opponents at Waterford.  And I loved every minute.

Although my track days are long over, I still try to go once a year at least.  It's fun to run into the guys who once feared you and the cars you could set up.  I get comments every now and then on FB on memories "you were one of the best", "your Dad taught you so well", "you could make a Fedex truck run on rails". I reply with "retired" usually.  However, the thought of putting my son in a Strictly has crossed my mind on occasion.  I could fling tires and bench press a full-weight jack a lifetime ago.  Not so much now.  Jackie's old team has a young man driving a Modified today.  He won a track championship at 16.  Johnny P. is going places, you watch. And funny enough, his Dad became a teacher too.

Anyway, enough reminiscing.  I think it's plainly obvious why I chose to order this as a quarantine read.  WHEN we go back, find it with the athlete memoirs.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

From Crook to Cook by Snoop Dogg

I love Snoop's old music.
I love to cook.
I love Martha and Snoop's cooking show.
So of course I bought myself this.

What's really awesome about Snoop is that he's, for lack of a better word, NORMAL.  I know that wasn't always the case, but really he's a devoted Dad and doting Grandpa.  Although he and his wife had issues in the past, they're still together.  Their kitchen has HEINZ KETCHUP and AUNT JEMIMA SYRUP in the pantry! I mean, really?  Billions of dollars, and they still cook for themselves and their grandson using what us everyday people can buy at Walmart.

What was supposed to be a novelty in Martha and Snoop's Pajama Party (a reference to both of their pasts as inmates) became an absolute hit. 

I had no expectations about this cookbook.  I knew there were stories interwoven from Snoop's past and present, but I did not think there'd be soooo many amazing recipes.  And some of these are very intricate.  Jilly Mae is absolutely going to try some soon!  That Jamaican Jerk Yardie Yardbird might be first!

The photography is gorgeous, and the random tidbits thrown in are a good laugh (best cereal at midnight?, best candy for the munchies?).

Definitely recommend!

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

Rust by Eliese C.Goldbach

I hope this review finds you and your family safe and well. 
I could write a book here about my emotions right now, but I will simply say I miss my kids and my colleagues!!!

So, on to this review.

I really, really wanted to like this.  "A memoir of steel and grit" is the subtitle.  I expected a kick-butt story about a woman in a male-dominated trade working her tail off to support herself through school.

This was so incredibly hard to follow.  Goldbach bounces between events, without really much of an indication that time or location is changing.  She seems to be OK being a conservative, then goes on a Trump bashing rant.  She's proud to be a union worker, then condemns the industry.  What would be comedic events, such as trying to get a squirrel out of her apartment, are all tied to her mental break--what?  It seemed like Goldbach was grasping at straws to find her a cause for her instability, which, please do not misunderstand me; it certainly it may have felt like to her at the time.  But it comes across as whiny, woe is me, all the world and its creatures are out to get me!  It grated on my nerves.  Girl, get up, dust yourself off, and get back on the horse.  I rolled my eyes more than a few times.  Coupled with the lack of continuity, and I just slogged through. 

A no from me.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

Let's get this out of the way first. Joe Hill's real last name is King. He wanted to make his own name without being linked to his father.  It was pointless, since he looks JUST LIKE STEPHEN KING. Hill continues to write under the pseudonym, but no longer hides who his parents are (Tabitha King writes too).

I normally steer clear of anything involving kids, especially kids being molested.  I can't tolerate it.  So I was really worried about this, however NONE of the kids involved are touched in any way.  In fact, the main vampire-like villain Charles Manx makes it very clear there is a special place in Hell for those who do.  So, if you were afraid of that, know it is not something happening in this book.

OK then.  IF you were worried about it, why did you even try to read this, Mrs. W.?  Because a student, a PACE student, a young lady who would be placed in the dreaded "reluctant reader" category (seriously, can we just erase that label out of existence?!?!?!) recommended it to me.  She loved Kim Liggett and Amy Lukavics.  She told me I should read this after I had her read them.  I take that kind of discussion VERY seriously and to heart. 

Hill writes horror, and this definitely is.  It's also on the Hardinge level of weird in some places.  For example:
Shusterman's Full Tilt meets New Hampshire's Santa's Village
Nosferatu
Allusions to the book that would become Nov. 22, 1963 by King
A fortune telling Librarian named Maggie in nowhere but Here, Iowa
Scrabble tiles that talk and ghosts that speak backwards
Magic New England covered bridges
An escape room book for little kids
Bikes and motorcycles and antique cars with healing abilities
Cosplay
Geek culture

Yeah, this was an acid trip, but in a good way.  I did like it, in an I Like King way, if that makes any sense. Which it might not, considering.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

Dreams of El Dorado by H. W. Brands

I had hoped to post this review over vacation, but then my husband's schedule changed.  We were supposed to go to the race in Richmond Sunday.  We planned to leave Friday, hit Hersheypark midway, and arrive in VA late Saturday night.  Alas, Hershey is closed until further notice, and NASCAR has postponed all races til at least mid-May.  So Justin changed his days to be home with the boy and I Thursday and Friday, which I won't lie was nice.  But now, with MTA on an ultra-reduced schedule, he and his crew will be working 21 straight days of 12 hour shifts.  Bleh.

So, on to this review.  Meh.  That rhymes with bleh.  I digress.

I really wanted to write this a glowing review.  It is one of the most detailed American history books I've ever read.  BUT the glaring problem is the glossing over of the Native American Indian.  Again.  Like, aren't we passed this phase in textbooks?  Why are we suddenly all over the Brown and Black Western Experience but forgot all about the Red?  I actually rolled my eyes a few times at the stereotypical, almost Disney-like portrayals.  I also recognize this is my own bias as well.

Dates, places, packing lists, survey equipment, horse counts, types of boats...there is a ton of sheer data presented (which might be what took me so long to read this; there is just a LOT of words on the page of STUFF).  It certainly makes for an interesting log of how exploration and travel have changed.  Politics and grandeur play an important part in the desire to seek the West, and both were emphasized by the author as central to American expansion.

Just OK I guess. #shrugs

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

Spin by Lamar Giles

I hope you are all safe and well.  Both of my sisters are nurses, and my husband is an essential MTA subcontractor.  It has been a stressful time for our family.  Please remember I am here if you need to talk to someone.

I heard Ellen Oh speak at the American Association of School Librarians conference last November.  She is the founder of We Need Diverse Books.  Lamar Giles is is also a founding member.  So when I saw this pop up as a recommendation from Amazon, of course I ordered it.

First, the characters and premise are phenomenal.  Three strong Black female lead characters in a city much like our own: one high school serving the entire city, meaning the wealthiest kids are in classes with the poorest.  Music is central to the plot.

At first, I loved this.  DJ ParSec (Paris Secord) is an up and coming musician, raised by her grandmother (after her father took off and her mother died of cancer) in the poorest of housing projects.  She spins on third-hand tables and has an ancient laptop rescued from a thrift shop.  Her best friend Kya (no father in the picture although he sends birthday cards; Mom, a former singer, in a minimum wage job) is a tech wizard and helps her repair and keep the tables spinning.  As Paris's local fame starts to grow, she is befriended by Fuse (Fatima), from the rich side of town with strict parents.

Eventually Paris's fame grows exponentially, and she has her ticket out after signing with a marketing team.  Fame goes to her head, and she loses Kya and Fuse as friends.  On her last night in her home city, she asks Fuse and Kya to meet to say goodbye before a free rave Paris is throwing. They never get the chance.  Paris is murdered before the show, to be found by her former friends, now suspects.

The book is told in alternating viewpoints of Kya and Fuse in the present; Paris is told in the past.  I was guessing until the last "day of" flashback of Paris's.

Then I wanted to throw the book.  I hated the way she died and who killed her.  I'm actually mad at it.

*pouty face*

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

Consider the Platypus by Maggie Ryan Sandford

Amazon recommended this to me.  Knowing we'd be home for a while, I placed a big order with this among others.

This was definitely....interesting.  And weird.

This is a collection of short (1-4 pages) entries on animals.  Not all of them are as unusual as the platypus.  Each entry discusses the animal's interesting features, how it relates to humans on the genome scale, what Darwin thought of (or might think of) said critter, and other information like size/habitat/behavior.

Some of this is incredibly informative and I learned a lot...of useless trivia in case I ever go on Jeopardy.  There were also little zingers one might miss if just flipping through (the entry on manatees had some snark about the sea cow's weight and the whale's size was labeled "big as a whale").

On the whole, a conversation starter/coffee table book for sure, some good bell ringers if used in a biology classroom, and lots to study if going on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, but not exactly future standard textbook or classic science literature.

Mr. Dickson would like it.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

Richard Potter by John Hodgson

Hey everyone.  I hope you are all healthy and well.  This is a very weird time.  Please reach out if you need someone to listen. 

I watched an actor portray Richard Potter in Sturbridge Village two Christmases ago.  I've always been fascinated by slight of hand.  I'm too clumsy and shaky to do it myself though.  Potter was our pre-dinner entertainment.  I loved it. 

Fast forward a bit and this biography appeared as a suggestion from our book vendor Follett. Of course I bought it.  I took it out to read Friday during what was supposed to be a two week shutdown.  If we only knew then...I digress.

Richard Potter was born circa 1783 in Hopkinton, MA.  His mother Dinah was a black household slave to a wealthy tax collector.  His paternity is still questionable, either his mother's master Charles Frankland, a family relative Henry Cromwell, or a local pastor George Stimson/Simpson/Stimpson.  He often told people Frankland, frequently misheard as Franklin, which Potter played up as a relation to Benjamin Franklin. 

Potter claimed to be West Indian, often dressing in fancy robes and adornments, to hide his ethnicity, especially when touring in the South.  He was famous all up and down the East Coast and in England and served as a Mason in all African Lodge. 

So why had I never heard of him until that Christmas in Sturbridge? How did I not know about this local celebrity?  Why is he excluded from history?  A better question might be what are doing now to make sure he is?

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Let's go back in time.

I read The Handmaid's Tale in 2000, as a sophomore at SCSU in a Women's Literature course.  I absolutely loved it, so much so I used it when I student taught Honors level seniors in 2002.  I also used clips from the 1990 movie version.  Yes, The Handmaid's Tale is THAT OLD.  The award-winning series is not the first version.  However, the new series did introduce a younger generation to the story, which, unfortunately, is just as timely, if not more so, today.

So, I have to be honest and say I've never watched the TV show.  I loved the book and movie; why ruin it?  But it seems everyone loves it!  Perhaps because of the success of the show, Atwood published a sequel, The Testaments.  Same reason I didn't want to read it!  I didn't want to spoil things.

Mrs. Robles kept asking for this book, but it was always checked out when she did.  Because it was evident we really needed a second copy due to popularity, I ordered one off Amazon and let her check it out first.  She really liked it and said I should read it.  So I did.

And I really should've before!

Fifteen years after the events of the first novel, three women's testimonies are woven together to present life in the regime and Canada.  One story is from a girl who was taken from her biological mother and given to a powerful Commander and Wife.  She is coming of age to marry.  The next is from a girl who was smuggled to safety in Canada and has been raised to hate the regime and all it stands for.  Third is an Aunt, the older women who have some semblance of power in training girls and Handmaid's.

I don't want to spoil too much.  I will say it was pretty obvious to me early on who was really who though.  You must read the first novel to understand this one, not just watch to show or movie. 

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

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Hoax by Tattersall and Nevraumont

Fake News isn't anything new.  Sure social media has made the proliferation of doctored images, exaggerated tales, and non-existent statistics easy to share, but we, everyday humans, have been being duped by hoaxes a whole lot longer than since the invention of Facebook and Twitter.

Cons, scams, fakes, cures, and the like have existed for as long as humans it seems.  The first recorded report of the Loch Ness Monster was in 563. The Shroud of Turin dates to 1390. Bigfoot footprints were cast in 1811. The Fox sisters claimed to be psychic mystics in 1848.

Some of the modern hoaxes our authors mention: Milli Vanilli's lip sync scandal (which happened right here in CT at Lake Compounce, when the area that's now the Haunted Graveyard was a concert venue), Flat Earth Theory (really????), faking the Moon landing, Walt Disney's frozen head, and of course vaccines and autism.

This would be a great references for courses on digital media and social media.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

Romanov by Nadine Brandes

Every once and while you hear a claim made by an elderly woman that she is the long lost Anastasia Romanov. It was even a joke of Betty White's character Elka on "Hot In Cleveland".  I had a childhood friend who claimed to be Anastasia's granddaughter (she wasn't--I knew both sets of her grandparents, and they were 100% Italian.).

So who exactly was Anastasia Romanov? 
Read here from Wikipedia:

"Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (Russian: Анастаси́я Никола́евна Рома́нова, tr. Anastasíya Nikoláyevna Románova; June 18 [O.S. June 5] 1901 – July 17, 1918) was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna.

Anastasia was the younger sister of Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, and Maria, and was the elder sister of Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia. She was murdered with her family by a group of Bolsheviks in Yekaterinburg on July 17, 1918.

Persistent rumors of her possible escape circulated after her death, fueled by the fact that the location of her burial was unknown during the decades of Communist rule. The abandoned mine serving as a mass grave near Yekaterinburg which held the acidified remains of the Tsar, his wife, and three of their daughters was revealed in 1991. These remains were put to rest at Peter and Paul Fortress in 1998. The bodies of Alexei Nikolaevich and the remaining daughter—either Anastasia or her older sister Maria—were discovered in 2007. Her possible survival has been conclusively disproved. Scientific analysis including DNA testing confirmed that the remains are those of the imperial family, showing that all four grand duchesses were killed in 1918.^[1][2]

Several women falsely claimed to have been Anastasia; the best known impostor is Anna Anderson. Anderson's body was cremated upon her death in 1984, but DNA testing in 1994 on available pieces of Anderson's tissue and hair showed no relation to the Romanov family."

So despite proof of Anastasia's murder, stories that she survived and fled to Siberia or America persist.  

This was a very easy read I finished in a day.  It's a romanticized tale that had a few eye roll moments for me.  Not really my cup of tea. 

A better question though is I have absolutely no idea how I got this book or how it made it's way to my to-read shelf.  It's not pre-cataloged, so it didn't come from Follett.  It's not a Scholastic edition, so it didn't come from the annual warehouse sale. It's not in my Amazon order history.

Maybe Anastasia wanted me to read this version of her story?

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The Trial of Lizzie Borden by Cara Robertson

Lizzie Borden took an ax
Gave her mother 40 whacks
And when she was done
Lizzie gave her father 41...

While the old jump rope rhyme isn't totally accurate, it solidifies the picture of a young woman who brutally murdered her parents in every child's playground memory.

The Lizzie Borden murders are a fascinating story, an unsolved mystery in a quaint New England town at the end of the 1800s.  The Borden house still stands, operating as a haunted bed and breakfast.  The same goes for the home she'd die in later.  Halloween in Fall River brings paranormal investigators, amateur sleuths, and macabre tourists.  And me. (Let's not neglect to mention the phenomenal Portugese bakeries all over the city!!!!)

Mr. Lupoli, the Carrigan Band Director, recently went on a "Babymoon" as he and his wife await the arrival of their son.  His Facebook album basically planned my itinerary to Fall River/Newport/Providence.

In preparing to visit, I wanted to brush up on my Lizzie history. 

I'll be honest, I have not seen the most recent movie on the murders, because Kristen Stewart?  Then again, I was shocked at Stewart's amazing portrayal of Joan Jett (see my post about Neon Angel).

So when this appeared as a suggestion for our Library collection, I jumped on it.  Again, box-unpacker perk hehehe.

There are a lot of theories about who really killed Andrew and Abby Borden (Abby was Lizzie and her sister Emma's STEPmother).  Certainly could've been Lizzie.  Her maternal uncle visiting?  A recently fired employee of Andrew's?  The housemaid Bridget?  A would-be thief? 

As a final note, and something I learned in reading this book---Lizzie's lawyer locked up her file as it confidential under attorney-client privilege.  The law firm still exists.  And Attorney Robinson's file cabinet is still there.  Locked and under the watchful eye of the firm's current partners more than 125 years later.

Coming up in early Spring, the Connecticut Association of School Librarians annual Share2Learn UnConference.  One of the sessions is Readers' Advocacy.  We have to bring 5 books to share, and this is one I'll be bringing!
Among the others reviewed here:
A Craftsman's Legacy
The Toll
The Grace Year
Nightingale

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

This book was recommended to me by our book vendor, Follett, as a "top selller" in nonfiction.  One of my goals is to update our nonfiction holdings (still hovering in 2002/3 for our average age).  Now, the Dewey Decimal System is kinda weird (OK, let's be honest here, it's outdated, misogynistic, racist, and just plain dumb in some respects); things Library related are in the very first set of Dewey--027.  So that's where this was placed.  True, it does have a lot of Library stuff in it. For example, as topics are discussed, their Dewey numbers are included. Also how Libraries work and how this has changed as the American concept of "Library" has developed, how materials are processed and moved, the various jobs of the staff in a system holding millions of volumes (we hold about 9,000 for comparison), the relevance of Libraries today.  But also History, specifically American/California History tied to literacy, suffrage, urban planning, war, poverty, philanthropy, and politics.  And a lot about fire--how fire burns, how it spreads, and its suppression.  There is also a fair amount of personal autobiography and reflection.  It would be interesting to poll a bunch of Librarians and ask where they'd put it.  I think there'd be a wide spread based on age, location, and level of the Library and Librarian!  If I was going to teach a class or guest speak in a Librarian preparation program, I'd definitely be requiring at least an excerpt from this book and holding an exercise in cataloging.  Maybe something you might see some day?  #wink

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.