A Return to Common Sense: How to Fix America Before We Really Blow It, by Leigh McGowan

 

Publication Sept. 17, 2024

"Common sense is not so common." -- Voltaire

This should be must reading for anyone interested in politics or, for that matter, maybe more so for those who claim to be uninterested in politics. As the author notes, whether we're paying attention or not, politics affects us. 

I'm not going to try to summarize the author's points but will point you to the blurb and countless lengthy reviews that have already been posted. I first encountered McGowan online where she's known as Politics Girl. Her straight-forward, no nonsense comments appealed to me, so when I stumbled across her book to review, I grabbed it. I was not disappointed. McGowan writes in such a way that you'd swear you're sitting in the room with her having a conversation. The conversational tone makes it easy to follow as she details, first, basically how our government was formed and what falls under the various branches of government (among other things), before offering possible suggestions on how to fix it. She recognizes that the first step in solving a problem is recognizing that there is a problem. Ever political decision made impacts us. 

There were many standout moments in the book but for brevity's sake, I'll only mention a few. First, a reminder that the framers of the Constitution saw it as a living document, a work always in progress, so to speak. In the grand scheme of things, only a handful of people make decisions that will have an impact on our lives so we need to be more attentive to who we select to make up that small, core group. Something is broken and ignoring it isn't going to fix it. The other thing that gave me pause was her suggestion for how to make the Supreme Court more effective and fair. Nope, I'm not going to share how. Read the book. Grin. And, finally, her reminder that freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from accountability. That is something many seem to forget or ignore.

Seriously, this book should be required reading. It's a relatively quick, easy read, too, despite the importance of what it covers. The book opens with what might be dubbed a mini-refresher course of our high school civics class (do they even still have civics classes?) and then into how we've strayed from the ideals of our nation's founders and how we can find our way back. My sincere thanks to #AtriaBooks for allowing me this early look. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Common sense if something that everyone needs, few have, and none think they lack." McGowan's book will go a long way toward helping us find our way.

A Corgi Conundrum, by M. Alfano

 

Publication October 23, 2024

A fun, quick read. Being a sucker for anything dog, let alone corgi, the title and cover pulled me right into this one. Heck, I think I spent more time fretting over Gus the corgi as the book progressed than I did the humans involved but, well, what can I say? In any case, it was great to see Gus have a role to play.

Since this was my first read of this series, it did take me the expected brief time to feel comfortable with who was who and the various relationships, That's normal, of course, when one drops into an established series. While I wish I knew a bit more about Leslie's work as a groomer and the barndorminium  (sounds fascinating), I quickly felt at home with the characters. Now true, I rather marveled at Leslie and sidekick Sophia's willingness to dash headlong into potentially dangerous situations but, hey, that's pure cozy mystery behavior. You just know upfront that when the main character muses to themselves that there's surely no harm in doing this or that alone that, well, a rescue may soon be called for. I do hope Sophia leaves the youngest child at home safe next time, however.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and liked the various characters, even the quirky ones. Poor Principal Jake. I'm not sure finding his school secretary murdered was something he had a contingency plan for. As a retired teacher, I definitely grinned and nodded knowingly as the power of a school secretary was discussed. So true, so true. I won't discuss the plot, see the blurb, but finding a dead body certainly wasn't how Leslie expected to start her substitute teacher duties, of course. She's lucky to have the likes of boyfriend Adam, who just happens to be a detective, have her back, as does her little dog Bandit. Adam seems a steady sort, even when bailing Leslie (and others) out of unexpected danger and situations. I  mean, breaking into a school building? Especially one connected to a murder? Uh, not cool Leslie. Even though the suspect list is short, it's proving difficult to pinpoint the true guilty party, keeping you guessing. Seriously, who'd want to kill a school secretary anyway?

Bottom line, this was a relatively quick, enjoyable read and I'll definitely be checking out the next in the series.Not only do I hope to see Leslie's dog grooming role play a bigger part of the story but I want to keep up with corgi Gus. My own corgi mix, Daisy, can vouch that while I'm a sucker for all things dogs, toss a corgi into the mix and I'm there. Thanks #BookSirens for allowing me to be there for this early peek at Leslie's life, friends, and dogs. I'm looking forward to following this series to see where that ending takes us!

The More the Terrier: An Andy Carpenter Mystery(#30), by David Rosenfelt

 

Available October 15, 2024       Audiobook   9h   45m     Grover Gardner narrator

The verdict is in. It's another win for David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series. Rosenfelt even manages to do a sort of cameo in his own book, though he may not approve of Andy's review. Grin.

While some reviewers keep saying the series uses the same ol' formula, it works. What's that ol' cliche? Don't fix what isn't broken? In this case, Rosenfelt still offers up fun, satisfying reads each time. Not only is the whole gang here, even the work adverse Edna, but the humor and snark and character's relationships are solid and each contributes to the story in their own ways. Some, such as the tales of Sebastian's avoidance of walks are played for laughs while the human side of the suspects are revealed and make us genuinely glad Andy took on another Christmas holiday case. And, yes, Sebastian is a dog. There's always a dog....or many. In this case, Murphy, a former rescue of Andy's Tara Foundation (a real life rescue organization started by Rosenfelt and his wife), even helps kick start Andy's very much unwanted case. Although he's been trying to retire for years, I hope Rosenfelt keeps him working for a long, long time.

No way I can even begin to detail the plot. It's wide reaching and there is a lot going on. Like what? Well, it isn't just dog walking. Let's see, there's a shady lawyer, computer viruses, drug trafficking, mob involvement, including Russians, potential witnesses dying, and, well, more. Much more. Andy's frequently humorous commentary carries us along into and out of danger and into the courtroom where Andy's antics are well known. Maybe it was just my own more serious frame of mind during the fraught days leading to another national election, but Andy himself seemed more prone this go-round to vent about the pressures of the mountain of work ahead for both him and his investigative team, particularly on cases like this that can lead to a quite young man going to prison for the rest of his life. For all his snark, Andy takes his job seriously.

In any case, if you like mysteries and courtroom dramas, not to mention dogs, with a healthy pinch of humor and snark, this is the book for you. I was lucky enough to get the audio version and absolutely adore Grover Gardner as a narrator. The text flows and you feel like you really are hearing Andy's thoughts and the story from him. Just as importantly, the relationships between the various characters are solid. Each is likable and well-fleshed out and that includes the dogs. You'll see why Sebastian is one of my favorites as you read. You'll like them all. Well, the good guys anyway. They all get their moments and even those new to the series will quickly sort them out and fall into feeling like this is ol' home week. Many, many twists and turns, not to mention suspects, none of whom are easy to prove did it instead of BJ/Brian, the young man originally arrested. You'll also come away with a better feel for how investigation done right should operate albeit Andy's crew probably has a far bigger budget than the average police jurisdiction. Thanks #MacmillanAudio for allowing me this sneak peek into Andy's holiday gone amuck. Not of any particular significance to anyone but me but I note this is my 700th review for #NetGalley, too, so a win for me, too. Glad I got to share it with Grover Gardner and Andy's associates.

Fondue or Die (Cheese Shop Mystery, #5), by Korina Moss

 Publication October 22, 2024

A delicious twist of mayhem and murder, with a twist of romance. 

Willa and her friends and workers from her cheese shop, Curds & Whey, are helping out at the annual Dairy Days festival in the neighboring town. Then, something goes horribly wrong. Nadine, the festival's organizer of the Miss Dairy Pageant is killed. Was it an accident or murder? Willa and Archie are the ones who discovered the body, however, and despite the local police chief's determination that it's an accident, Willa isn't convinced. While rattled, she'd still noticed several clues that pointed towards murder. She also isn't shy about letting the Police Chief Womack know. And, this is where the story takes off.

I won't detail the plot, see the blurb, but there are quite a few things going on here. Some obviously related. Some not. As is noted in the story, you just never know what is going on in people's lives to cause them to act as they do. Nevertheless, it's great fun to see Willa and friends pull together to try to solve this mystery or, for that matter, simply to convince the police in that jurisdiction to deem it a murder. Even Det. Heath, who seems to have been distancing himself from Willa (I've obviously missed a book in the series) makes an appearance. The murder didn't occur in his jurisdiction but, well, he didn't hesitate when Willa texted him that she needed his help. Ah, something's brewing and you don't have to be a sleuth to see that. Grin. In any case, in the process of the story, we get some cute costume scenes and, oh, my, can these people eat. Make sure you don't miss the recipes, cheese related, at the end. Of course, that's natural given that cheese is Willa's comfort food as well as her livelihood. 

Bottom line, a intriguing mystery that kept me unsure until the end, always a plus, with natural sounding dialogue and quite likable characters. The way they all interact, including Willa and Heath as they dance silently around their attraction for each other, is also realistic. Mrs. Schultz, despite her own part in the action, remains upbeat and a bit of a calm force in the group. The author does an excellent job weaving the various side-stories and clues together into a neatly wrapped whole by the end. Well, for all but the murderer. Thanks #StMartin'sPress for the sneak peek allowing me back into Willa's cheesy, sorry, couldn't resist, world. Now, I think I may have to go make myself a grilled cheese sandwich. Enjoy, readers. It's a fun one.

World War II Close Up: They Saved the Stallions, by Deborah Hopkinson

 

Publication October 15, 2024

It's telling in a good way that I started this book that should have taken a day or two to read and review more than a week ago. I found myself getting so caught up in the story that I spent a great deal of time refreshing my brain about the story and searching out info on the Disney movie "Miracle of the White Stallions" that I was only reading in spurts. I am happy to tell you, however, that I not only enjoyed the book fully but found the movie streaming and flashed back to my childhood when I first saw it. Funny how memory is selective as about the only thing I recalled was how enchanted I was with the gorgeous horses and a scene on a train with bombs and mayhem. Equally funny that if memory serves, I was worried about the horses not the people involved. Ah, the innocence of youth.

In any case, I obviously recommend this book highly to both horse and history lovers. It definitely filled in the huge gaps in my knowledge of the real story and more. The photos of the horses and Spanish Riding School of the time were fascinating, as was learning more about the art of classical dressage. After opening with the tense status of the horses and school's sheer survival as the war neared, the author takes time to provide us with background on Alois Podhajsky and the long history of the Lipizzner stallions and breed. i should also note that even before this, as well as afterward, the author has provided readers with not just a list of the personalities, but their positions/status (I was surprised to discover how many were actually in the German military) as well as listing the individual  horses. There's also a glossary which includes terms used to describe the various airs above the ground the Lipizzners are so famous for. In other words, a great deal of thought has been put into organizing and assisting readers relatively new to the art. Of course, the Virtual Field trips links included is what kept sending me off to find out more and more. I honestly didn't try all the links, of course, but will note that the ones I checked were up and working. A great add to a reader's experience.

Bottom line, while I won't detail the text, it was a 5 star for me. Others, less familiar with the story, may find themselves less interested in the history lesson and just want to find out what happened but it's easy to skip ahead without taking in all the background information. I'd suggest you read it in its entirety, however, to fully grasp what an amazing feat this was, one that involved not only US General George Patton but a host of others, not all of them on the same side of the conflict. They were all on the side of the horses, though, and worried what might happen if the stud farm wasn't relocated out of Czechoslovakia before the advancing Russian army took control. And, for those familiar with "Miracle of the White Stallions", yes, a demonstration was put on for Patton. Seeing a photo of the real Podhajsky, I must also note that Disney did an excellent job of casting and the real Podhajsky even appears briefly in the movie. So, rather than ramble on, let me simply thank #Scholastic for allowing me an early look at this book, one that I will surely be adding to my own "horse crazy girl" shelf as soon as it goes on sale.

Book of the Month, by Jennifer Probst

 

Publication Ocotober 22, 2024

This was one of those books that I was either totally into or meh on at various times. Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate it. It'll be an all-around hit for many. I just couldn't fully connect to the characters or scenario. I mean, main character Aspen spends a great deal of time telling us she's not particularly attractive, just average, has a too large nose, etc etc etc, but at the same time she's confident enough to believe she can win over the town's seemingly hot guy. Brick? He did have a dog, though, so he won points from me. Grin. 

The basis of the plot was both a bit egotistic and self-centered. Aspen needed inspiration for another potential book-of-the-month. Her plan was to have a hot summer romance with Brick, whose reputation for loving them and dumping them seemed to be legend, thus breaking her heart and giving her he perfect plot for her next novel. Brick earned a few more point with me for initially rebuffing her. It's only because he needs to save the business he inherited from his grandfather that he comes around when Aspen offers something too much needed to turn down. Let's face it. Albeit in different ways, both Aspen and Brick are under great pressure to produce results. He rather envies his friend Marco's seemingly carefree lifestyle while Aspen admires her sister Sierra's life choices that lead her to settle in the Outer Banks after the pain of a divorce from her cheating husband, so you know right away these two may have more in common than they think.

The story really begins here after he accepts and begins to actually like this wannabe-girlfriend. And, she likes him back. Plot twist. Only Aspen isn't quite ready to give up on her original idea that easy. That's when things get both hot and complicated. I won't detail the plot further other than to say that the sexual encounters seem to be what is now being tagged as open-door. I've reached the point where that doesn't really intrigue me much any longer, so I tend to lean toward closed-door, only in my imagination encounters, which may be why I found myself impatiently skimming through the sexual bits that may entice others. To each his own. We do get sections from Brick's point-of-view, btw, which is where he details not just his family ties/situation but Aspen's, uh, mind-blowing skills....and he doesn't mean as a writer, although he's quite supportive. 

Bottom line, the book was alternately a 3.5/4.0 for me. I'd fall into a scene only to suddenly realize I was skimming and wasn't interested enough to go back and reread. Again, that's is probably on me, not the author. As noted, I enjoyed the story, especially as it spurred my thoughts on the pressure even best selling authors are under to constantly produce another best seller. There also seemed to be more telling than showing, if that makes sense. I definitely enjoyed the Outer Banks as a setting, especially the idea of wild horses. What can I say? I was a horse crazy girl. So, while I didn't love the book, I enjoyed it. Thanks #BlueBoxPress for sharing the story of Aspen and Brick with me. Looking forward to seeing what happens with Marco and Sierra.

Selena Gomez, by Beth Gottlieb

Short and sweet and I mean that as a compliment. Written for young readers, it presents quite a bit of basic information on Selena Gomez in an easy to read manner. While positive in nature, it doesn't avoid mentioning her various health issues, either, which I count as a plus. Gomez seems to be upfront with her fans about such issues, so it was nice to see the book take a similar approach. Nicely illustrated, it covers her early life, including her parents' divorce, and her emergence first on Barney & Friends, going up to her current position on Only Murders In the Building with Steve Martin and Martin Short. As I type, that show is in the entertainment news with the well-received premiere of Season 4 and quick renewal for another season, so I was happy to see the relative up-to-date nature of the book. 

You're not going to learn everything there is to know about Selena Gomez from this book, of course, but for young readers eager to get to know a favorite star, it's a great start. Chapters are quite short, with words possibly unfamiliar being in bold print later being defined in a glossary. There's also a timeline and suggestions of where to find more information. The publishers and authors note that while the sources were checked for appropriateness, parents of young readers might want to do an updated check, a nice suggestion. Bottom line, a nicely done book for young readers and even older readers might pick up a few things while enjoying the photos, too. Thanks #RosenPublishingGroup for sharing this look at a young woman I've come to admire.

Wildflower Emily: A Story About Young Emily Dickinson, by Lydia Corry

 

Publication October 15, 2024

I'm so glad I took this walk in the woods with a young Emily Dickinson and her dog Carlo. The illustrations are lovely, colorful, and nicely done with lots and lots and lots of flowers. Emily loved the outdoors and her flowers. I must admit that while I've enjoyed her poetry, I knew little about Dickinson's life when  started reading. My sum total of knowledge pretty much was that she was reclusive somehow different from most but wrote wonderful poems.

What I particularly enjoyed about the book format was its inclusion of not only many flower pictures but Emily's poetry interspersed throughout, each relevant to that particular part of the story. The text itself is simple and easy to understand. While written for young readers, I'm sure readers of all ages will find something to like about this enchanting look into life and heart of a young girl whose poetry, whether we recognize it as hers or not, has surely touched some part of our lives. It's telling that in one flower viewing adventure she loses, then finds both her dog and a lovely flower she's long wanted to see. As she goes to snip it, she stops, however. She decides it's not meant to be moved from its place in the sun. A reminder for all of us to enjoy nature and, in a way, leave nothing but tracks. Well, okay, she loses a shoe in the process but, hey, she was in a bog. The understanding nature of her parents was further shown by them calmly accepting the muddy girl and dog home with no chastisement. They and seemingly those about her, accepted her as the unique individual she was, another subtle reminder to us all to accept all. 

I would recommend this book to all lovers of poetry and flowers, not to mention dogs and nature. While we often think sadly of her as a recluse, she obviously lived life her way. There's a great deal to be said for that. Teacher friends, this would be an excellent introduction to her poetry or, for the more scientific minded, types of flowers as all the illustrations of flowers are nicely labeled. The quick snippets of info at the end detail her full life in more detail. Wait till you see how she kept in touch with friends! Thank you so much #MacmillanChildren'sPublishingGroup - #GodwinBooks for refreshing my interest in this fascinating woman. She definitely wasn't a nobody.

Rockin' Around the Chickadee (Meg Langslow #36), by Donna Andrews

 Covers both print and audio

Publication October 15, 2024     Audio version 9h 45m    Narrator Bernadette Dunne

This is one of those series that when I see it's available, I quickly click request to review. I don't even read the blurb, check the length, or even the publication date. Hey, it's worked through the rest of the series so I trust Donna Andrews to deliver another Meg Langslow story that I'll find myself unable to stop myself from reading as soon as possible. In this case, I was lucky enough to have both the ebook and audio book, so I found myself flipping back and forth between the formats. It's always fun to read ahead and then check in with the audio version to see how closely my mind interpreted the voices. As usual, narrator Bernadette Dunne did her usual excellent job. It was extra fun hearing the soft, soothing, well, attempted soothing voices being used on Delaney, whose baby is due just about any time. Cousin Rose Noire takes it seriously when told no disturbing sounds or activities, much to the usually active Delaney's frustration. Of course, when your father-in-law is a doctor, you're pretty much expected to just go along with medical decisions. Good thing she has the Chickadees to distract her attention, even if she does fret whether they have enough suet or not. 

That's where the book opens. The mystery that follows centers around a Presumed Innocent Convention set up by grandmother Cordelia although, as usual, the entire family is involved in some way. Dedicated to efforts to assist those falsely imprisoned in any way possible, it's the brainchild of the lawyer of the family, Festus Hollingsworth. It's also being held just before Christmas, giving extra emphasis to everyone's hopes that nothing goes wrong. Of course, those hopes are shattered when an obnoxious detractor is found dead. In Meg and Michael's backyard at that. Chief Burke's hopes for a short suspect list are quickly shattered when it turns out Godfrey Horton, aka Gadfly, seems to have a very lengthy list of people who'd like to see him dead. I wasn't feeling too kindly toward him myself after his encounter with sweet dog Ruth,

Distracted by everyday worries, like making sure her barely teen boys don't get into mischief at the convention, worrying about Michael being on the road to pickup and deliver family members, keeping Delaney calm, or at least entertained, and helping Chief Burke in the investigation, Meg is her usual organized, seemingly never unsure self. Well, most of the time. Ask her about her son crawling through the rafters of a loading zone. Everyone is also pondering what name Delaney and Rob, who are also fretting over buying a home, will give their child-to-be. Trust me, Delaney, you really don't want to name them after the scientific name for chickadees. It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Nope, not telling.

Bottom line, there's a great deal more going on. The characters, even the minor ones or new to the series ones, are all fleshed out nicely. You'll feel like you know them all by the time you finish the book which moves along quickly and is hard to put down once you start. Needless to say, I was delighted to see sweet Ruth play an important role in the book, too, as the service dog in training by ex-inmate Ezekiel "Izzy" Blaine. Finally, for true crime fans, I must mention an important caution that Kevin issues during his presentation, that fans need to be careful not to spread false information or, in fact, even true information the police would prefer not be shared. That added an extra dose of reality to the book. Read it. You won't be sorry. My thanks to #MacmillanAudio - #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for allowing me an early peek at life in Caerphilly for Meg and her family and friends. I'm hoping some of the new characters stick around, particularly Izzy and Ruth.