Badges
Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge–heroine of a certain age
Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge
by Spencer Quinn
We’ve probably all heard stories of being woken up in the middle of the night by a static filled phone call from a loved one who needs money right away to get out of a bad situation. Then imagine being elderly with no way of producing new income and finding you have been taken in by such a scam that has drained every penny from your bank account? And worse, if you have the same password on multiple accounts, your life savings can disappear in a matter of minutes.
Mrs. Plansky, a comfortably well off 71 year old widow, who is generous to her both her children and her father, gets taken in by some schemers. She finds herself broke, embarrassed, and very angry. She not only wants to get her money back, but she goes to Romania determined to make it happen because it is clear that there is no government that is going to help her.
It’s easy at any age to identify with Mrs. Plansky’s predicament. She is likable and determined. Although totally unprepared for undercover ops in Romania in the winter, she gathers her now meagre resources and plows ahead. I enjoyed her ingenuity and her flexibility as circumstances arise. Some of the people she encounters are caught up in a crime ring and are suffering because of it; others are mean and cruel. Mrs. Plansky knows how to deal with both kinds. At the end of the tale, there is a surprise as Mrs. Plansky is able to use a skill learned 50 years earlier in a race for her life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. There is a fair amount of mild swearing, but I honestly got so caught up in the plot, that the words disappeared into the background.
2. There is subtle humor in the difficulties of Romanians trying to understand English idioms.
Publication: July 25, 2023—Tor Publishing Group (Forge)
Memorable Lines:
Mrs. Plansky also caught the look but couldn’t interpret it. All she knew was that she felt like she was watching a tennis match featuring no players she wanted to root for. Not a very nice thought and she sent it packing at once.
From our point of view the scammers are bad guys, end of story. But to the elite running the show over there the scammers are bad guys who also have a nice little industry going, bringing in the Yankee dollar and lots of ‘em. And to the everyday Joe they’re punching up, the kind of outlaw people have a soft spot for.” “Like Robin Hood.” “You got it.”
Reflections on Reading
Like singer Jimmy Buffett who “took off for a weekend last month, just to try and recall the whole year,” I spent some time this week reflecting on books and reading. I had decided this year not to get so wrapped up in Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) that I felt limited in my reading choices. To start this process I began requesting fewer ARCs thus limiting the self-imposed pressure of commitments to authors and publishers. Initially difficult to do, I can now visually see in my book lists that I have requested about half of the number of books I normally applied for in the past from ARC sources. The result is that I am enjoying my book club reads more, occasionally reading library books and books that have been waiting patiently on my physical bookshelves, and reprioritizing my non-reading time.
“To everything there is a season.” I enjoy reading as much as ever, but I am happy with the gradual rebalancing of my time as I make these subtle changes.
HAPPY READING TO ALL! 📚💜📚
The Start of Something Wonderful–Lake District of north west England
The Start of Something Wonderful
by Jessica Redland
Sometimes people have to go through some hard times before they are ready to make changes in their lives. At some point they also begin to appreciate what they already have. Such is the case for Dane whose divorce is pending and for Autumn who loses her job as a greeting card illustrator while she is grieving for her grandfather and coming to grips with a past failed romance.
The Start of Something Wonderful is about Dane and Autumn as they literally bump into each other. In the process of their meeting, we learn so much about their pasts and their hopes and dreams. They do not start out looking for romance, but in their efforts to begin again with their lives, they discover a friendship and a kinship that draws them close together.
The setting is one the author is quite familiar with—Derwent Water in the Lake District National Park in north west England near Keswick. The beauty of the area and the feel of community in the small towns nearby are inspiring to Autumn as are her visits to Hill Top Farm and the legacy of her personal heroine, Beatrix Potter. She wants to take her inspiration from Potter and the area without copying her.
Rosie is an important character in that she was Autumn’s penpal from age eleven. Neither had a lot of friends in school and family needs kept each close to home. Thus they became confidants through the rest of their lives. When Autumn goes to meet and visit Rosie for a fortnight in the Lake District where Rosie manages a stable and teaches riding skills, a new stage of life begins for both women.
The main characters are quite likable along with several others who contribute to the plot. There are also a few who are despicable, especially Autumn’s ex-boyfriend. The romance is gentle and slow and suited to the story and the needs of the characters. Several events were quite touching, and I enjoyed the whole book. Redland is a good writer. I have enjoyed everything I have read by her, and I am excited for this new series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction, Romance
Notes: #1 in Escape to the Lakes
Publication: July 17, 2023—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
“You really think certain people are meant to be in your life?” “Of course! I think they appear when you need them and we’re the living proof of that.”
We really were kindred spirits, neither one us willing to travel far from home because we had a loved one to look out for, and neither of us having a friend who we could pour our hearts out to in person. It was no wonder we’d become so close as penpals. There’d been nobody else to turn to.
It was my grandparents’ home and I needed my own space. It was full of memories, but selling it wouldn’t take them away. They were in my heart and my head and would remain with me wherever life took me. I didn’t need to own their house to remember them.
Trouble is Brewing–dysfunctional family
Trouble is Brewing
by Vicki Delany
There are a lot of appealing aspects to Vicki Delany’s Tea by the Sea Mystery Series, but most important is the way the various aspects (setting, characters, and plot) are integrated. They share the focus of the books as they support the mysteries, but the author allows each feature to have prominence at various times.
The setting is the backdrop of Cape Cod Bay and the Victorian-era mansion Grandma Rose purchased to transform into a B&B along with a cottage on the same property that becomes a tea room for her granddaughter Lily to operate. The gardens on the grounds are rated at the top of visitor attractions for North Augusta, and the view from the cliffs is outstanding. The reader can not miss the ambiance.
Characters, especially the investigative trio of Lilly, Rose, and Lily’s best friend Bernie draw readers into the story. Lily works hard as the owner of the tea room and the pastry chef at both the B&B and the tea room. Rose will keep you smiling with her energy, enthusiasm, and ability to use her advanced age to her advantage when necessary. Bernie, the “Warrior Princess,” is in a never-ending loop in writing her first novel because she keeps changing her plot and characters. She reminds me of a butterfly flitting from one idea to another.
In Trouble is Brewing, the characters and setting do not outdo the mystery. When Lily agrees to host a bridal shower at the tea room, she doesn’t anticipate an anonymous prank gift that upsets the bride, the death of a guest at the B&B, or the negative feuding of the two families involved in the wedding. The action keeps coming and the clues lead to a variety of suspects. I definitely didn’t see the identity of the murderer before the author revealed it.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #5 in the Tea by the Sea Mystery Series but Delany writes so well that new readers are updated almost seamlessly.
2. A book focused on a tea room and a B&B must have recipes, so the author includes recipes for Banana Bread with Walnuts, Egg Salad Sandwiches with Herby Mayonnaise, and Maple Pecan Squares.
Publication: July 23, 2024—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“The whole thing was weird.” Bernie stopped cutting scones and waved the cutter in the air. “Like a gathering of the Hatfields and the McCoys. Each group kept strictly to themselves, trying the pretend the others weren’t there.” “You’re full of literary references today, Bernie,” I said. “Earlier it was Romeo and Juliet.” “Them too,” Bernie said. “Feuding families.”
I suppressed a shudder. “No, I do not have any fat-free scones.” “What’s a fat-free scone anyway?” Bernie said. “Might as well eat a pile of raw flour.”…”I don’t know what I have that’s completely fat-free. Afternoon tea is not known for being diet friendly.” “Want me to run out to the garden and collect some dead leaves?…Is compost fat-free?”
“What were you doing in her place for two hours, if not helping cook?” Simon asked. “Girl talk,” Bernie said. “More mysterious than the origins of the universe,” Matt said.
Steeped in Malice–where is the third will?
Steeped in Malice
by Vicki Delany
Lily, a trained pastry chef, is hard at work making breakfasts for her Grandmother Rose’s B & B and her own tea room on the same property. While shopping for more china tea cups in an antique store, she finds a cute children’s tea set with Beatrix Potter decorations. It costs more than she should pay, but it is unusual and so she purchases it. She has bought more than she bargained for; there is something important hidden in the set’s box.
There are a lot of surprises that Lily truly doesn’t go looking for including the arrival of her old boyfriend and his new wife. He is not a very nice person and immediately makes flirtatious advances on Lily. There is a murder outside the tea house that involves a formerly wealthy family and all kinds of machinations.
I enjoyed my visit to Lily’s tea room which is picturesque with a view of Cape Cod Bay. Rose is quite a character using her age to her advantage in the informal investigations. Lily’s friend Bernie, an aspiring writer, is always ready to help along with her boyfriend Matt, already an accomplished author. Lily’s romantic interest is Simon, a gardener from England. He doubles as a landscape artist; he is handsome, charming, and knows his way around a kitchen.
I liked Steeped in Malice so much that I am going to dive immediately into the next book in the series. I need something relaxing this week and Vicki Delany’s cozy mysteries are just the ticket.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #4 in the Tea by the Sea Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone as the author quickly fills the reader in on any repeating characters.
2. Recipes included are all fairly easy but sound delicious: Gluten-Free Pancakes made with oats, Blueberry Muffins, and Lemon Squares.
Publication: July 25, 2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
As far as I’m concerned, mugs are for coffee and cups with saucers are for drinking tea, and I do not—shudder—serve tea in mugs. Presentation is a vitally important part of the image of a traditional afternoon tea.
Seeing the signs of leaving, Éclair stretched and came out from under the kitchen table, stubby tail wagging, ears up. She spends the mornings under the table, hoping I’ll drop something tasty. I never do, but her optimism could serve as an inspiration to us all.
“Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it makes being miserable a heck of a lot better.”
Summer in the Mountains of New Mexico
While some temperatures in August are roasting hot, we are cool (70’s F) in northern New Mexico. Here are a few photos from one of my favorite activities–an early morning walk with my dog. It is so beautiful and so peaceful.
Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life–not a mean bone in his body
Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life
by Helen Fisher
Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life is the story of a neurodiverse young man whose mother’s goal is to support him into being a happy person able to live independently and hold down a job. He is a man of routines and anything that deviates from that routine or is out of place makes Joe very uncomfortable. Joe has a job at a grocery store called The Compass where his favorite activities are to stack items for display and to return mislaid items to where they belong. His mother is writing a book, a manual, for him in case he gets confused or forgets how to do something. He is quite literate, reading and retaining so many facts, but he can’t make the connections necessary for functioning easily in settings with other people. He has an understanding boss Hugo. Joe’s friend Chloe is a foul-mouthed co-worker who is not afraid to stand up to “Mean Charlie” who bullies Joe unmercifully.
The first part of Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life is well-written, and I really cared about Joe and the other characters. There is a major event which happens in Joe’s life (spoiler if I included it) after which the book went downhill for me. The plot and the characters became more negative. Joe’s life goal is to prove his mom right that he “doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.” While that is a positive attribute, because Joe doesn’t understand anything that is not literal or is nuanced, he unintentionally causes a lot of physical pain in a relational situation. The reader has to cringe and inwardly say, “No, Joe! Stop!” several times.
Joe’s mother has beautiful handwriting. In this book the author quotes from the manual when Joe reads passages in it. This style and format (italics in place of cursive) are effective ways to demonstrate the difficulties faced by neurodivergent children and adults and how Joe’s mom clearly tries to address all of his present and future concerns. People who are neurodivergent are open to bullying, and their parents face huge challenges in preparing them for life as adults, especially after the parents have died.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. I am probably in the minority in not loving this book. I really liked the character of Joe, and I understood the author’s portrayal of him. I even both sympathized and empathized with Joe, but the negative events were too strong and outweighed the positives for me.
2. There was a lot of inappropriate language from Chloe who is actually one of my favorite characters because she is someone Joe can rely on and she has no agenda. Even Joe didn’t like her swearing; he made a box for her to put money in when she swore.
3. One of Joe’s favorite things to do with and without his mom was to watch episodes of the TV show “Friends.” It was part of his routine and relaxed him. I just don’t think that show has good role models and would have too many jokes and situations that Joe would not understand.
4. A minor detail: the author used a mask in a scene and the usage was OK in terms of the plot. Joe understandably doesn’t like masks because he can’t tell what expression the person has and match it up with the expressions he has learned from a chart. The mask in this case was worn by an insensitive bully and was the face of an American president. My problem with this scene is that the author slipped in a slur about the president. It was not funny and it did not further the plot in any way. It was clearly politically motivated and unnecessary, and I would not have appreciated it regardless of which president was depicted.
5. The book includes “Topics and Questions for Discussion” and a section of activities to “Enhance Your Book Club.” Both of these were well done.
Publication: May 28,2024—Gallery Books (Simon and Schuster)
Memorable Lines:
Making sure that her son had a secure job with a nice manager somewhere that was walking distance from home was one of the most important things on Janet’s list to help Joe-Nathan prepare for independent life.
Janet knew that assumptions were lazy; a simple way of filling in the blanks when there wasn’t enough information Assumptions were a way of connecting the dots to give you a picture that worked, but not necessarily the right picture. Not necessarily the truth.
He wished it was Monday morning so he could go to work and feel completely comfortable knowing how he fitted into the world.
Tess of the d’Urbervilles–new look at a classic
Tess of the d’Urbervilles
by Thomas Hardy (and Karen Swallow Prior)
First published in serialized form in 1892, this classic has been read and studied over the years. Summaries are available everywhere on the Internet, so I want to share with you the particular edition I read this summer with my book club. It includes “A Guide to Reading and Reflecting” by Karen Swallow Prior who is a literature professor and author herself. We have read other books that include her notes, but I think this is the best one of the series that we have read.
Prior gives a lot of background on Thomas Hardy and the times in which he lived that are essential for understanding Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Born to a working class family, he longed for a scholarly life which at times seemed out of his reach. For example, he desired ordination but was unable to afford the university costs and so became a draftsman for a church architect. He studied on his own, and this book is full of classical and Biblical references. He also read books that are contradictory to traditional Christianity. He became an agnostic who attended church all his life. These are a few of the conflicts that show up thematically in Tess of the d’Urbervilles along with sexual purity being essential to women, but not to men. The plight of agricultural workers can not be missed as well as the difficulties of overcoming class rules and status. Nature itself and self-determination are also central themes.
In this edition, Prior helps the reader delve into the deeper meanings of the book. Hardy creates interesting characters and a solid plot, but also a certain line to destruction and despair for Tess. Prior points out Hardy’s use of literary techniques but also how to read this novel from a Christian worldview. I think her comments would also be interesting to those with a secular point of view.
Prior does not change anything in the original text. She does include brief, helpful footnotes that explain words that might be unfamiliar to a modern reader as well as classical allusions. Hardy divided the book into seven sections called “Phases.” Prior ends each phase with reflection questions which are valuable in pointing out aspects the reader might miss and in demanding deeper introspection. Prior concludes the book with questions “For Further Reflection” which apply to the text as a whole.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Classic, Fiction
Notes: There are currently 6 classics in this series.
Publication: 2022—B&H Publishing Group
Memorable Lines:
From Prior: Tess of the d’Urbervilles is not merely dark and pessimistic but is tragic—tragic in the true literary sense.
From Hardy: The clock struck the solemn hour of one, that hour when fancy stalks outside reason, and malignant possibilities stand rock-firm as facts.
From Hardy: It is Tess Durbeyfield, otherwise d’Urberville, somewhat changed—the same, but not the same; at the present stage of her existence living as a stranger and an alien here, though it was no strange land that she was in. After a long seclusion she had come to a resolve to undertake outdoor work in her native village…
Must Love Flowers–revival for a widow
Must Love Flowers
by Debbie Macomber
As may know, Debbie Macomber, after forty years of writing, put aside her pen for a well deserved retirement. That lasted for four months before she picked up her pen to compose Must Love Flowers, a sweet romance about a widow who is in her fifties and needs to move on with the grieving process and can’t seem to do so. I’m glad Macomber decided to tell this tale.
I don’t normally read anything about the Covid fiasco, but I could tolerate it in this book because it is not set during the restrictions, but shows the negative effects on someone who maintains feelings of being “safe” and “protected” by continuing to cut herself off from people and activities—life, in short. Family members want to help her, but are at a loss as she is in denial that she has a problem.
This novel tells Joan’s story as she takes a few steps at a time to rejoin the world and find her new place in it. Joan was pushed into these changes by threats from her HOA because in four years she has let the yard she was once proud of become an overgrown mess. Enter Phil Harrison, a former lawyer, who is currently a landscaper and a really nice person. She even decides to take in a boarder, Maggie, who needs to get out from under her alcoholic father. Along the way she joins a grief therapy group, which she had said she would never do. The ramifications of Joan’s decisions reach out to affect the lives of her two grown sons and their relationships with others.
I enjoyed this novel which contains several romantic threads. When one of the twists occurred, I was sad because it potentially meant good things for some characters and bad for others, but Macomber works the situations out for her characters in a way that is both realistic and satisfying for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Publication: July 11, 2023—Random House (Ballentine)
Memorable Lines:
It used to be… That was what her life had become: a series of all the things that once were but were no longer.
As silly as it sounded, she recognized deep down with a certainty that she didn’t question that she was meant to help Maggie Herbert. For whatever reason, God had put Maggie in her path.
“It didn’t take me long to realize it didn’t matter how much money I had in the bank, or what my career goals were; if I didn’t have someone to share life with, they meant nothing.
Ladies of the Lake–bonds of friendship
Ladies of the Lake
by Cathy Gohlke
Viewing the same characters in a split timeline is a good way to tell the story of four girls who formed life long friendships at Lakeside Ladies Academy in Connecticut. They dubbed themselves “Ladies of the Lake.” They were not similar in background, but over their years at the school, they developed a close bond which they sealed with blood signatures at a gazebo on the school grounds, promising to keep in touch and support each other. The split timeline varies between showing the ladies as young people and as adults with a mystery gradually unraveling as the backgrounds and events that shaped them as adults are revealed.
Unfortunately, mistakes were made and things were said that broke some of the bonds. Dot and Addie are the most prominent characters, but they harbor secrets that keep them apart. Loving the same man, the Great War, and the Halifax Explosion all play a tumultuous role in their futures. Can a teenager bring them together?
Ladies of the Lake has a strong Christian theme as the women struggle through seemingly impossible situations. Portia, Addie’s housekeeper, is a woman of faith who gently guides Addie through some difficulties. The author holds up for examination the perspectives of the times on German Americans and Blacks. She invites the reader to see more than one side of an issue For example, people of German descent, former friends and neighbors, might be viewed as the enemy. Blacks were often held in contempt by some as “less than” even though they were put in a position of nurturing white children.
Forgiveness is a strong theme in this book as there are several characters who need to ask and receive forgiveness. Family is another important theme as the girls form a family for each other regardless of their home situations.
Reading this book is an escape into another world, but not one without pain. The characters are described well, and readers can immerse themselves in their lives as the story is full of twists and turns. The author cleverly hides the identity of Dorothy’s husband, but as the book progresses the reader will take pleasure in deciphering who he probably is.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Christian, Women’s Fiction
Notes: There are lots of Scripture references and some particularly lovely and meaningful prayers at appropriate places in the story.
Publication: July 11, 2023—Tyndale House Publishers
Memorable Lines:
If I’d had a grandmother or a guardian angel, I would’ve wanted her to be just like Mrs. Simmons…I would have wanted her to be Mrs. Simmons.
She watched as he rejoined his brother, two halves of a whole, one with a slight limp and the other with a sleeve empty since the Great War, neither of which stole appeal from either man. That war had stolen much from the Meyer family, far more than the damage or loss of limbs.
Tears know no quota; mine couldn’t seem to stop.
education pathways 