​“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
—Viktor Frankl (Celebrated Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor)

For someone who is pro immigration, pro gay rights, pro EVERYONE’S rights, no matter race, religion, sex or lifestyle, a believer in climate change science and a believer that NO-ONE has supremacy over anyone else, this is a difficult time. The news actually makes me sick every morning, and I find my anxiety level rising as quickly as the temperature keeps falling. Several days ago, however, my friend Val posted something that reminded me of that quote by Viktor Frankl, and I realized that I need to stop letting politics take hold of my life.

I know this is easier said than done. The media’s relentless need to capture the audience at any price means that they play to the prurient interests of their readers/viewers. Even if we have no interest in witnessing another’s suffering, traffic slows to a crawl when an accident occurs in the opposite direction. People are so busy “rubber-necking” that each major collision is followed up by several small bumper thumpers. Descriptions about various forms of torture and deaths seem to sell newspapers, and newspapers are in business to make money.

Just today I read about three unrelated children dying from the flu. The flu, in fact, seems to have overtaken ISIS as our number 1 enemy. I am not sure why I need to know about the poor mother who died in Texas from flu complications or the young boy in “who remembers where” who died two days after being diagnosed with the flu. Each headline adds to my anxiety, even if I never read the article. They tell us to get our flu shots and then admit that the shot is only 10-30% effective. They tell us to steer clear of pharmacies and grocery stores because they are hotbeds of flu virus, yet warn us to make sure we take our vitamins, eat well balanced meals, keep hydrated and manage our stress levels. Where do they expect me to get these vitamins, full meals and Gatorade if not the local pharmacies and food markets? How do I keep my stress level down while they are filling it faster than a helium balloon?

This morning I learned even more about our nuclear threat clock. Are they kidding me! They are making me watch the hands of a clock crawl closer to my demise while telling me to control my stress level. They have a name for it...according to Wikipedia, “The Doomsday Clock is a symbol which represents the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe.” This clock is manned by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, who determined midnight on this clock is the time when a man-made catastrophe will end life as we know it today. By the way, after the little “mistake” in Hawaii, the clock moved thirty seconds closer. The scientists have determined that it is now two minutes to midnight.

I don’t need to know any of the above...not the tortuous life of thirteen children kept chained to their beds...not the number of people who die each day from influenza, and certainly not how many seconds until our nuclear proliferation. I need to know what I can do to stop the madness. I need to know which politicians are choosing their pocketbooks above their country. I need to know what I can do to make a difference. I need to vote. I need to convince you to vote!

Most importantly, I need to calm down and remember that we have gone through these times before, and we have survived. People have died from various epidemics, but we have found better ways to overcome illnesses because of them. We have hidden under desks during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and that taught us to respect each other and to respect the weapons that should never have been produced.  We have had Presidents who have seemed inept and yet our country survived.

If I can remember all of that and choose to believe in a country that has always landed on its feet, than my rose colored glasses can remain intact. I must believe that my fellow Americans, be they Republican or Democrat, will wake up on Election Day and do the right thing. They will restore the balance that our forefathers wanted, just like they restored it in 2010. Yes Viktor Frankl, I will choose my own attitude and choose my own way, and then...just maybe...I will sleep through the night without any anxiety driven insomnia.

A big thanks goes out to one of my favorite authors, David Rosenfelt, for the few long nights that I spent with the characters from his latest book, Fade to Black. New Jersey State Police Officer Doug Brock is back on the force after recovering (mostly) from a gunshot wound in Rosenfelt’s last “stand-alone” novel. Brock is hampered by amnesia that wiped out memories of the past ten years, but that doesn’t stand in the way of his crime solving. The wrong man may be in jail for murder, and Brock is the one who put him there. He is bound and determined to find the truth, and he refuses to let any bad guys, the FBI or his posse of friends stand in his way. Make sure that this book is on the top of your March list of books to read. You won’t be sorry.

As always, a complete review of this book follows my blog.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Genre: Thriller

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It is no secret that I am a fan of David Rosenfelt’s series featuring attorney/investigator Andy Carpenter. I anxiously await each edition and then chuckle my way through it. When Rosenfelt started writing the occasional “stand alone” novel, I found myself enjoying them as well. Their plots were more intense than his character driven Carpenter series and held up against the likes of Coben and Gross.

His last “stand alone” offering, Blackout, featured New Jersey State Police Officer Doug Brock, and it involved gangsters and shootouts and a fairly good storyline. I reviewed it in 2016 and found myself missing some of the humor that generally peppers his writing. That being said, it was a good read and l thought Brock made a strong protagonist.

Apparently Rosenfelt agreed with me, because this “stand alone” became part of a two part series. His latest book, Fade to Black, brings back Brock, his partner Nate and his fiancé Jessie in another good guy -vs- bad guy police story. Brock is back on the force after getting shot and suffering from amnesia. He has some, but not all, of his memories back, and with the help of an amnesia support group and his friends he is almost as good as new.

When a fellow member of his support group asks for Brock’s help and then ends up murdered, the plot thickens. The wrong man might be in jail for the murder of a woman whose body has never been found. A local hospital might be involved with some gangsters in drug dealings, and there is definitely a Las Vegas connection. When the FBI steps in because of terrorist implications, things go into high gear.

I was happy to see that Rosenfelt added a bit more of his snarky humor in this novel, and I kept having to remind myself that this was not a Carpenter novel. It read with the same strong characterization as his popular series, and the protagonist from this book could certainly be a member of Andy’s posse of friends.

This book is not due for publication until March, but it should definitely be on your to do list. This will give those of you who missed Blackout a chance to read it before book two is available, and if you have yet to read the Andy Carpenter series then I suggest you start it immediately.

- Beverly
​

Publisher - Minotaur Books
Date of Publication - ​March 13, 2018

“The greatest wealth is health.”
—Virgil


My quest to live a healthy lifestyle often seems fruitless, but I am determined to keep plugging along. Several weeks ago I broke down and got my first flu shot. Aside from some minor body aches the side effects were unremarkable, but the next day I read an article saying this year’s vaccine has proven to be only about 10% effective in combating the flu in Australia - the same flu that landed here, and the same vaccine I had taken. Now doctors still recommend getting it in hopes that people who do succumb to the flu get a milder case, so I suppose I am happy I did get it.

Still, it is difficult to know what to do for self-preservation in a world where advice changes more often than underwear. Even something as seemingly innocuous as calcium supplements have been found to contribute to heart disease in some cases. The recommended proper vitamin D levels have also changed every few years, and I can’t figure out if I am taking enough supplement or overdosing.

I know that as far as air quality goes we are pretty fortunate in South Florida due to a lack of big factories spewing out their poison, but we do have more and more heavy traffic, particularly during “season,” and trying to avoid people smoking or vaping can definitely be challenging. I do understand that people have the right to inhale poisons into their bodies, and since they can’t do so indoors in public places, restaurants often accommodate them outdoors, but that makes it difficult for those trying to avoid second-hand smoke to enjoy a meal under the stars.

The most challenging issue, however, is what to eat. Between mercury poisoning, botulism, salmonella, mad cow disease and any number of stomach attacking bacteria, I am beginning to think that there is no way to really protect ourselves from negative outside influences. Years ago, before the advent of preservatives, people became ill and often died from spoiled food and beverages. Now that we use preservatives, food lasts much longer, and most things are much safer to consume. The problem is, much of these chemical additives have been found to be carcinogenic which might explain the upswing in cancer cases over the past century or two.

Fortunately for my family (not so fortunate for me) my second pregnancy presented me with a severe allergy to monosodium glutamate (MSG) as well as a wonderful daughter. I began to get so ill from even the slightest amount of MSG, that processed foods became as dangerous for me as Asian restaurants. For years, in fact, manufacturers did not have to mention MSG on their labels, so I avoided anything processed. My family, by extension ate healthy meals and snacks, and I can only hope that my sensitivity to MSG helped to protect us all from harmful chemicals.

I am eating, breathing and medicating myself in the healthiest way possible, so why oh why can’t I make myself exercise? My intentions are good...really...but putting those intentions into actions...not so good. I like walking, and Arthur and I have found some terrific nature walks within 10 miles of our home, but we somehow get distracted by all of the nature, and the walking part loses its effectiveness. I bought myself weights several years ago, and they serve as lovely bookends. I have tried to go to the amazing gym my neighborhood offers...I even hired a trainer for six sessions...but I lost interest quickly and find creative excuses not to go each day.

I have to imagine that every little bit helps though, and I will continuing working towards a physically and mentally healthy existence as the years begin to laugh in my face and my face begins to look like someone I don’t recognize as I pass by the mirror. As long as Arthur ages right along with me, I will be happy being his “trophy” wife as the six months between us gain more and more importance, and together we will try to live healthily ever after.

One way to keep healthy is to stay away from drugs, prescription or otherwise, that can quickly become addictive. The opioid crisis is a very real problem today, and Lee Child builds a story around it in his newest thriller, The Midnight Line: A Jack Reacher Novel. This is another top offering from a top author that should make a wonderful holiday gift.

As always a complete review of this book follows this blog.

Happy reading,

- Beverly
​

​Click on the book cover to order the title mentioned in today's blog

Genre: Thriller

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As always, the first chapter in Lee Child’s novel, The Midnight Line: A Jack Reacher Novel, captured my attention. It begins with a woman leaving Reacher...no surprise! If you don’t know Jack Reacher (how can you NOT know Jack Reacher ) than you might not realize that he can fit all of his possessions in a paper bag but has no home to take them to on any given day. He is a wanderer, and women just can’t hitch their wagons to a wanderer.

Jack jumps the next bus going anywhere, gets off at one of the stops in Wisconsin, and notices a West Point class ring in the window of a pawn shop. It is obviously a woman’s ring, and when he asks to see it he reads the initials S.R.S. 2005. Of course the chapter ends with him telling the bus driver to move on without him, he is here to stay for awhile. He is determined to return the ring to the woman who had to give it up.

In case you don’t know Reacher, or worse, only know the movie version, you must picture a mountain of a man, well over six foot, who tips the scale around 250. He spends his life defending or saving those who need defending or saving, and he has a good heart and an often gruff manner. This novel, like many of those before it, does a good job highlighting topical issues of the day.

Child intertwines two issues in the book, one being the plight of veterans and the other being our opioid epidemic. Where once legally made and prescribed opioids helped those in pain, in Reacher’s newest surroundings legalities take a step back and corruption abounds. His simple search for a woman whom he imagines had a difficult time giving up her ring, turns into a most dangerous mission.

Lee Child always tells a good story. He always does a great job building characters, and this book was no exception. Reacher felt a little different to me here, and he did a few things I might call suspect, but he was still someone I would want in my corner in most situations. Child also did an admirable job describing the various settings. Wyoming became a little bit more vivid in my mind as Reacher traveled through it in his search for the truth.

The Midnight Line: A Jack Reacher Novel should make Child’s fans happy, and I imagine it will make a great holiday gift this season.

- Beverly


Publisher - Dell
Date of Publication - ​November 7, 2017

“Wherever there is a human being there is an opportunity for a kindness”
—-Lucius Annaeus Seneca (Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist)


Last week, when the temperature here hovered in the thirties, and South Floridians had to figure out how to use the heat option on their air conditioners, I had to crawl out from under my blanket and use the bathroom. When I came back to bed I found Arthur on my side trying to keep it warm for me. I thanked him and laughingly remarked that that was what made a good husband. After some thought I realized I was closer to the mark than one might think.

We have been together for more years than not, and he is still the person who makes me smile when he walks into a room...and yes Erin, my heart still beats faster when I hear his key in the lock. Through the years people have asked me how we make it work during a time when the divorce rate exceeds fifty percent. The answer lies in Arthur staying awake to keep my side warm and me thanking him.

It has always come naturally to both of us to do the little things that make life easier for the other person, and it has come equally natural to show appreciation after each act of kindness. These are the little things that are missing in society today. People don’t take the time to hold the door open for the person walking behind, and when someone does show this act of kindness, the recipient rarely acknowledges it.

I notice that various newspapers and online sites are now relating stories of everyday kindnesses as though the people who commit these acts are heroes. Since when is it heroic to offer a hungry man a sandwich or to leave a nice tip for a server. It seems to me that we should all be trying to do these acts of kindness every day.

The midterm exam for my speech/debate class several years ago centered around random acts of kindness. Each student had to commit an unexpected kindness for someone and then present a speech about it. I was amazed at some of the wonderful choices these high schoolers made, and almost every student admitted to really liking the assignment. As I explained to them, doing good deeds is as rewarding for the doer as it is for the recipient.

I truly believe that the seeds to grow all of these acts of kindness and the appreciation for such acts are sewn at home. If our children see us being kind and polite to one another, and kind and polite to them, then they will naturally learn to act in the same manner. With all of the tension that we face from natural disasters and despotic leaders throughout the world, wouldn’t it be nice if we could could count on our family and those who surround us to treat us with kindness and respect? In return we can display the gratitude that those acts deserve, while we show the same kindness to them. If Lucius Annaeus Seneca, who was born in 4 BC, could understand this simple truth, than surely those of us in the 20th century can live his truth.

Speaking of living one’s truth, A Death in Live Oak by James Grippando will have you searching out a truth that has haunted us for decades. His story, as relevant today as similar ones were through the last half century and more, will make you wonder if justice will ever be equally served. In this case, a white fraternity president is accused of lynching his black counterpart, and attorney Jack Swyteck agrees to represent him. Grippando’s hero will take you with him as he searches north Florida swamps for the truth that will free his client and bring justice for a dead young man.

As always a complete review follows this blog.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Genre: Legal Thriller

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James Grippando has the uncanny ability to crawl into his readers' hearts and make them feel every emotion that he puts on a page. Throughout the years he has made me laugh at the antics of his protagonist, attorney Jack Swyteck, cry at the misfortunes of Jack’s client and sometimes just wonder about the cruelty that some people seem to inflict without any conscience at all. In his latest book, A Death in Live Oak, Grippando proves he is still a master at whipping up our emotions while telling a story that is as relevant today as it was fifty years ago.

When Jack’s dad asks him to look into the case of Mark Towson, president of a white fraternity in Florida’s major university, he reluctantly agrees. Mark is being accused of the lynching of fellow student Jamal Cousins, president of the school’s top black fraternity. The evidence is pretty damning and the political implications are overwhelming. A threatening text message from Mark’s phone goes a long way in bolstering the prosecutor’s case, but Mark swears he never sent it.

Never one to give up, Swyteck begins to find evidence that points to Mark being an innocent victim of a criminal plan as horrifying as the one he is being charged with and just as difficult to prove. Grippando’s storytelling ability is at its best as this tale unfolds, and I found myself having to put the book down at times because my emotions got the best of me. This type of story has been told many times through the years since the turbulent sixties, but this author kept it fresh and important. His descriptions of northern Florida are spot on, and I felt myself sweating in the swamps around the Suwannee River Valley.

Jack’s hunt for the truth will keep you on the edge of your seat as you realize that while the days of obvious segregation are behind us, much still needs to be done to make sure that our justice system works equally for all. This February title will definitely give you plenty to think about as you try to stay warm.

- Beverly​


Publisher - HarperCollins Publishers
Date of Publication - February 6, 2018

“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”
—-Friedrich Nietzsche


I woke up last month to find that Roy Moore is not the new Senator elect of Alabama, thank goodness, and I hope most of America is sharing my relief. This was not a political call; this was a call for decency. I realize that all of the charges against him have not been proven, but when a public servant in his thirties is banned from an establishment because of his dealings with young teenage girls, I don’t want him representing any part of my country.

I wondered how the vote could have been so close with all of the accusations and bits of proof that covered the media, but I read something very interesting yesterday. Apparently Alabamans were not getting the same Roy Moore news that the rest of us were privy too. His name was connected with the term sexual harassment fewer times in the Alabama media than elsewhere, and the stories were skewed in a gentler manner.

It sometimes seems that the truth fights an uphill battle in so many walks of life. For example, I realize that it is important to protect all of our rights, but sometimes I think we are losing our right to a safe environment along the way. When many out and out facts are kept from a jury during a trial, for example, the outcome can be startling to a public that was allowed to know “the whole truth.” While a person’s past shouldn’t influence decisions of today, many times these past deeds are relevant to current ones. We will never know if O.J. Simpson killed his wife and her friend, but we do know that the jury believes that the addition of some blocked information might have changed the trial outcome.

I can’t say that I never told a lie, but it is a rare occurrence in my life, and it is almost always done to protect someone else’s feelings. I can’t imagine a relationship without trust, so I don’t want to take trust out of any of my relationships. One of the most difficult aspects of my raising children was the simple truth...they lie. Each untruth made me a little crazier, because I became less likely to have a quiet confidence in the culprit. I need to trust everyone implicitly or I start second guessing everything, and as one can imagine, the complete lack of respect for the truth in politics today is not contributing to a host of well rested nights.

Luckily, Arthur and those closest to me are either intrinsically honest or innately good liars, and I am going to go with the former. Since they have become adults, my children have little reason to lie, and I think my sister has the same need (weird genetics?) to be able to trust those she loves without question, so she remains as married to the truth as I am.

Of course politicians have a great deal more to lose than I do if certain truths emerge. Once someone of a certain age admits to an interest in young girls, he loses his status as candidate in the public eye and becomes more of a sleaze. Once a suspect admits he committed a crime, all that is left for him is the punishment. So people in the public eye will often lie, and those of us who vote for them simply have to get better at recognizing the true values that might be hidden beneath the false words.

Speaking of lies and people who tell them so well, Hourly History’s latest offering, Ted Bundy: A Life From Beginning to End (True Crime Book 1), gave us background on a man who lied to virtually every woman he met and yet went on for years without being caught. Since Beth used to tease me about always referencing Ted Bundy when I wanted to make certain she was diligent about protecting herself from men she didn’t know, I picked up this book to see if I could learn more about what made this monster tick. Though short, this was a thorough description of one of the most notorious of serial killers, and I found myself turning pages well into the night.

As always, a complete review of this book follows my blog.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

Click on the book cover to order the title mentioned in today's blog

Genre: Non-Fiction

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Hourly History is a group that presents history in a clear and concise manner that can be theoretically read in an hour. Since Ted Bundy has always fascinated me, when I cam upon this book I decided to read my first Hourly History offering. I was very pleasantly surprised. Unlike most history books, Ted Bundy: A Life From Beginning To End (True Crime Book 1) definitely drew me in immediately, as it explained the childhood of one of the most monstrous men of the twentieth century.

I believe what made him so horrifying was the fact that he could have been anyone’s brother, boyfriend or son. Nice looking and somewhat intelligent, Bundy ultimately attended law school at University of Puget Sound. This book talks of the women that he dated and the women that he killed. It allows us a window into the terror that he spread without the most gory of details.

We read about his relationship with Ann Rule, who he meet years before she became a well known author of true crime. In fact, she ultimately wrote one of her true crime books about Ted, so their early relationship was that much more interesting to me.

Since I was a young woman with children when Bundy went on his killing spree, I followed the news featuring his exploits with intense attention. I was one of those mothers who referenced Ted Bundy whenever warning my daughter about the dangers of meeting strange men. I think the very fact that I could have seen myself accepting a date from this nice looking law student made it most terrifying, and every time my daughter met a new young man I worried more than a little bit.

The book takes the reader through his captures, escapes and ultimate trial of this serial killer who frightened several generations before finally reaching the end of his own life, and it made me aware of some facts that I hadn’t before known. It is a book that can be read in one or two sittings, yet I found myself involved in it and will definitely check out some more books in this series.

- Beverly


Publisher - Amazon Digital Services LLC
Date of Publication - December 5, 2017