​“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
—-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Should we be defined by our worst moments?

We all have those moments we desperately wish we could take back. We have moments when we show cowardice rather than bravery, heartlessness rather than compassion or prejudice rather than acceptance. These moments are fleeting and they do not, generally, represent the complete person that we have grown to be.  In fact, these moments haunt us when we think back on them and often turn us into better individuals than we might have become without them.

Then there are some people whose worst moments are so despicable that it is difficult to believe that their acts don’t define them. I was so horrified at the actions of Brock Turner, the young college man who drunkenly raped an unconscious coed behind a dumpster, that it was hard to think of him objectively. His sense of entitlement disgusted me, and when his father wrote a letter asking for leniency, his statement appalled me. He explained that his son was a good boy who made a mistake while drunk, and said that a long prison sentence “ is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life."

Apparently the judge agreed, and he was in and out of prison in the blink of an eye, which was a slap in the face of his victim and a stain on our justice system, but in reality those twenty minutes probably did not define Brock Turner. If he would have served a reasonable amount of prison time, I could have accepted that he might return to society a good man intent on living a worthwhile life as the young man that his family and friends believe him to be.

Some people need to be defined by their worst moments though, because those moments reflect a lifetime of unacceptably vicious moments. Two years ago James Alex Fields Jr. plowed his car into a group of counter-demonstrators in Charlottesville, not accidentally, and not in a moment of rage, but rather in a carefully planned display of his hatred. Several people were injured and a young woman died because of the hatred of this remorseless young man who proudly displays a picture of Adolf Hitler on his nightstand. His attorneys speak of his mental illness and traumatic childhood, and I am sure these things shaped him, but he has become a hateful man with a history showing years of documented racist and anti-Semitic behavior. These attorneys ask for an “expression of mercy” and a “conviction that no individual is wholly defined by their worst moments.” In this case, I believe that Mr. Fields’ worst moments most likely do define him, and his serving a lifetime sentence could protect society from anymore of his defining moments.

Yes, there are those whose worst moments are just representations of who they are and what they believe, but for most of us our worst moments, much like our best moments are just small pieces that make us complete. I used to tell my students that if you are about to do something, and your tummy starts to feel funny (and you are figuring ways to hide it from your parents) then you are probably entering one of your “worst moments.” This would be a good time to make another choice.

I believe in second chances. I believe that there are very few, if any, times when the death penalty is warranted. I believe that generally life in prison with no chance of parole is a harsh sentence that should be delivered with the utmost of care. When an individual loses all respect for the society that surrounds him though, I believe that the rest of us must be protected from him/her. Hatred is a destructive force that destroys the hater before it destroys the hated. Once the very fiber of a person has been so eroded by hate, then yes, he/she should be defined by worst moments and punished accordingly.

Speaking of our justice system, I enjoyed this week’s book, Mirror, Mirror, A Legal Thriller (The Warrick-Thompson Files Book) by Deborah Hawkins very much. Ms Hawkins does a masterful job fleshing out her characters, and in this novel her protagonist, Jeff Ryder, grows in leaps and bounds. Great story.

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: Legal/Thriller

​​​Click book cover for Amazon.com

Mirror, Mirror, the third in Hawkins’ four part series, shows the author’s ability to develop her characters as well as her plot line. When I first picked up the book I found the protagonist, Jeff Ryder, so unpleasant that I put it aside for a bit. I went back to it because I am a fan of Ms. Hawkins’ writing, and once I got into it I was hooked.

Jeff is a very successful attorney working in a  prestigious firm when the story begins, but on the day he is about to make partner he is accused of encouraging a client to falsely testify, enabling the conviction of the wrong man for the attempted murder of police rookie Chris Rafferty. As the attorney’s world crumbles around him, he desperately tries to prove his innocence and regain his life, but his own personality seems to be working against him.

Chris is now a quadriplegic recovering from the six bullets that ended his career. Hawkins features Chris and his wife Beth in some chapters and Jeff in other chapters, taking the reader on a roller coaster of emotions. When Jeff decides to represent Chris in a lawsuit proving negligence in this tragedy, he develops relationships and emotions he never saw coming, and Hawkins begins showing her strong talent in character development.

From the captivating prologue, through the strong story-line and finally bringing us to a satisfying conclusion, Deborah Hawkins showed me once again why I anxiously await the next book in this well thought out series.

- Beverly​

Publisher - Deborah Hawkins
Date of Publication - ​​August 29, 201

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put all together that overwhelm the world.”
—-Desmond Tutu


Forgive me in advance for going on one of my rants, but sometimes I can’t control my astonishment over the general lack of concern and responsibility that most people have for their fellow man. I am a firm believer in taking responsibility for one’s actions and always taught my children that they will be accountable for their choices, but if we don’t also look out for each other, then our lives will surely be incomplete.

Arthur and I enjoy “window shopping” menus on line. We have found some of our favorite restaurants that way and definitely found those we want to avoid. Today we checked out a burger place in our general vicinity and were appalled at their feature burger. They use two grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches as the “bun” for their ten ounce cheeseburger that sports the customary LTO, fries, onion rings (both in the sandwich), mayo sauce and the added attraction of cheese sauce. Why?

Every day we read about researchers trying to find ways to protect our heart and clean out our arteries. In 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 635,260 deaths due to heart disease and 598,038 due to cancer in the United States. These numbers seem to rise each year, and diet is a large contributing factor for both. We have been told that saturated fats and cholesterol contribute to more disease than I care to imagine, yet the more deadly it is for you, the better it tastes.

For me, the temptation of a crispy fry is almost too much to resist. I have been known to order them with my eggs for breakfast, my favorite pizza and even for dessert. If they are there, they are calling my name. I do have control though, and limit myself to half the order most of the time. Let’s go back to that insane burger I previously described. It is comprised of everything I (and most of the world) love.  

Grilled cheese, bacon, fried stuff, mayo and a gooey cheese sauce. I spent quite some time adding numbers to give you a rough idea of nutritional problems. A VERY conservative (assuming they use healthy oils, etc.) estimate tells me the sandwich including 5 rings and a small order of fries:
Calories- 1,777
Sodium-(percentage of daily value) 136%
Sat. Fat-(% of daily value) 134%
Cholesterol-( %of daily value) 129%

That is all part of one lunch or dinner. Why? Who is gaining here? Surely no gain (other than poundage) for the customer who lives in the “ it’s never going to happen to me” world. What is in it for the restaurant who could serve a healthier rendition for a comparable price? Shouldn’t they give just a small bit of thought into the health of their customers. Truly...wise up...if you kill them off you lose their business.

Do you know that there is a restaurant named the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas? Look it up. The servers are dressed like nurses and there is an ambulance sitting outside. Arghhhhh. Look it up! I can’t begin to explain the menu except to say that the triple bypass burger allows you to add 15 pieces of bacon. Oh, and they serve nothing green...and no diet drinks. Arghhhhh again!

I have to wonder what the owners of these restaurants think when they see young men shoveling mouthful after mouthful of high fat food into their mouths, knowing full well what the ultimate result might very well be. Does the sound of the cash register block everything else out? Are they thinking along the same lines as the cigarette manufacturers who gave soldiers free cigarettes in their rations packs until 1975, even though they knew about the health issues in the fifties. Those soldiers came home as addicted as the teenagers who are being enticed today.

We need to start caring about our fellow man more than we care about the all mighty dollar. We need to protect those who are too young to realize consequences and those who still haven’t realized that yes, it certainly can “happen to them.” As business owners we are responsible for the well-being of our customers. We should want to protect them. It is all of our responsibilities to do that little bit of good until we are most definitely overwhelming the world.

Speaking of good and bad in the world, Ray Green’s thriller, Lost Identity (A Gripping Psychological Thriller)  will have you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out who is sabotaging a medical breakthrough.

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: Psychological Thriller

​​​​Click book cover for Amazon.com

Ray Green is a new author for my collection, and after reading Lost Identity I was happy to find several more that he has written. He definitely caught my attention on page one and kept me pretty much riveted throughout. He knows how to build suspense while keeping the reader involved in his protagonist’s life.

Stephen Lewis, a research scientist from England, awakes in a Miami hospital after several days in a coma. He has no idea who he is or why he is in Miami. As parts of his memory start to return, he recalls being beaten in an alley while trying to help a strange woman in trouble. When he also remembers his name and the fact that he flew down to Miami with his wife, his doctor promises to try to find her.

As the story progresses and his memories slowly return, he is horrified to find that nobody he knows seems to recognize him, and another man is claiming to be Stephen Lewis. The police are less than helpful, and he attempts to find the woman he rescued, whom he hopes has some answers.

To share anymore might spoil the suspense, so I will stop here and tell you that Green took a plot that is somewhat common and definitely made it his own. It is a bit far-fetched in parts, and one has to just accept some unlikely truths, but if you can just enjoy it as fiction, it is a worthwhile read. His descriptions are strong and his dialogue is engaging. The reader can’t help but cheer on this protagonist who is caught in a world of drug trafficking, murder and a conspiracy that might alter his life forever.

- Beverly


Publisher - Mainsail Books; 1 edition
Date of Publication - ​​​December 10, 2017

“Imagine that you are creating a fabric of human destiny with the object of making men happy in the end, giving them peace and rest at last, but that it was essential and inevitable to torture to death only one tiny creature- that baby beating its breast with its fist, for instance- and to found that edifice on its unavenged tears, would you consent to be the architect on those conditions?“

—-Dostoevsky (in The Brother’s Karamazov 1879)


I just read another article on gun control, and once again I feel the lack of compromise in congress will be the collapse of our great nation. It seems obvious to me that our country, like any solid marriage, is populated with individuals who carry their own thoughts and ideas. If we want this country (or our marriage) to work, we must recognize the fact that no-one will have his or her complete way all of the time. Isn’t it better though, to live in a compromised harmony than to suffer through the results of uncompromising inaction.

I do see both sides of this issue. Although I am a proponent of gun control, I don’t think it would have prevented Columbine...or Sandy Hook...or MSDouglas. In a case where a mentally deranged individual is determined to gain the worst type of notoriety, that person will find a way to arm himself/herself whether we are controlling guns or not. I also understand the fear of many who believe “if we outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns.” On the surface that is a valid reason to oppose gun control.

If we dig deeper though, we find my reason for wanting gun control. While in theory guns in the hands and homes of stable, law-abiding citizens will save lives, the reality is starkly different. Our homes are populated with curious children, nervous homeowners and teenagers who have not yet learned consequences. Data collected in 2015 from the U.S.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells a frightening story to those who comprehend:

“Homicide is the third biggest killer of children ages 1-4 (369), and for teens and young adults ages 15-24 (4,733) and 25-34 (4,863). Unintentional injury was the top killer among those age groups: 1-4 (1,235), 15-24 (12,514) and 25-34 (19,795). Suicide ranked second for those 15-24 (5,491) and 25-34 (6,947)”

It is human nature to believe that bad things won’t happen to us, because we will be smarter, more careful and always in control. There are those moments though, those split seconds, that change our lives forever. Checking that text just once when driving...taking a minute to answer the phone while bathing a child...forgetting to lock the gun cabinet just one time...all understandable moments in a lifetime...all moments we can never take back.

I will admit that the second amendment gives American’s the right to bear arms when needed to protect themselves from an overzealous government, although I am sure that ambiguous amendment would have read differently if our forefathers could have predicted its consequences. They did not have the luxury of foreshadowing, and so they did what they saw as best. Now it is time for our leaders to do what is best for the world that we live in today.

Certainly not all members of the NRA are gun manufacturers, and not all board members want to hand out AK-47’s at birthday parties. Most members just want the right to have what they believe they deserve. The organization is a wealthy one though, being subsidized by manufactures who have a lot to gain or lose. Unfortunately the bottom line is big corporations often blur common sense, and gun control will most certainly affect quite a few pocketbooks.

Our congress can be heroes to all. Instead of worrying that any compromise might prove a “slippery slope” they can join together and save the lives of those who need protection from realities, not possibilities. Although I would like to blink my eyes and live in a world where guns don’t exist, that is never going to happen. We need sensible leaders on both sides, giving a bit and taking a bit, making our country safer for everyone. The days of the Jets and the Sharks settling differences with knives while dancing to music might have been entertainment once upon a time, but the reality is a great deal starker. To relate back to  Dostoevsky’s question, we can not build the framework of our country on laws that will sacrifice even one innocent child. We need to back the politicians who will not be bought and who believe in compromising in order to live in a safe and harmonious world.

This week’s book kept me on the edge of my seat once again. Someone to Save You, by Paul Pilkington is a good choice for those looking for a thriller to keep them busy.

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: Psychological Thriller

​​​​Click book cover for Amazon.com

Surgeon Sam Becker is a likable protagonist caught in an insane situation. Someone to Save You begins when Sam tries to save a woman whose car is stuck on  railroad tracks. Although he saves her three children, he is unable to save her life, and so begins a convoluted mystery that will keep you wondering until it’s somewhat unsatisfying ending.

We quickly find out that Sam’s sister, Cathy, was raped and murdered fifteen years previously, and his best friend, Marcus, was found guilty at the time of the murder. His imminent release from prison brings ambivalent feelings to Sam and his family and friends, and questions about Marcus’ guilt surface.

Strange things begin to happen at the hospital that Sam is affiliated with, and the police begin questioning him about the incident at the railroad tracks. Suddenly the perfect life that Sam is leading becomes a tangled mess with many more questions than answers.

The story has potential, and it definitely keeps the reader turning pages. My problem was with the ending more than the story itself. The antagonist was never fully developed, and one has trouble understanding his grudge over a somewhat trivial incident. Watching him cause harm to so many ancillary people made little sense and left me wondering if I had missed something along the way.

This is a good summer read for those who want a bit of excitement served along with their sunshine.

- Beverly​

Publisher - Thomas & Mercer
Date of Publication - ​​​​November 3, 2015

“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.”
—-Maya Angelou

I am very aware that thousands of people read my blog each week, and I choose my words carefully. I can share my thoughts without battering you into thinking my way. I firmly believe that there are two sides to every debate, more than one path to every destination and several ways to solve any problem, and I rarely presume to tell you I am 100% right about anything.

I am 100% right about one thing though...I deserve no less...or no more...than my neighbor. No matter what we believe, what we look like and who we love, we deserve the rights and respect afforded to all people. If you truly believe that you are superior to someone and deserve better treatment because of your race, religion or sexual preference, then perhaps it is your soul that needs tending.

June is Gay Pride month. I will celebrate it, but part of me is less than joyful. I hate that it is still necessary for us to celebrate this perceived difference in us. The simple difference between a heterosexual person and a homosexual person is whom they love which never seemed like much of a difference to me. It seems odd that if I love someone with eyes the same shade as mine that is acceptable, and if I date someone whose hair is as curly as mine that is acceptable, but if I date someone with similar genitals a section of our population takes exception. In fact, a small but extreme group of people would wish me harm.

It is mind boggling to me why anyone would care who their neighbors chose to love, live with, raise children with and/or have sex with, when there are so many more important things that should be occupying their thoughts. I realize that there is a religious component to much of the hatred of the LGBTQ community, and that is the most confusing thing of all. “Love thy neighbor” “Do unto others” The Bible teaches tolerance and love for all and makes no exceptions. I feel that if there is indeed a judgment day awaiting us, it is those who were the most unkind to people different then themselves who have the most to fear. There should be room in all of our hearts to allow those around us to live their own truths.

Yes, I will celebrate Gay Pride month. I will do so by re-emphasizing the immense pride that I have for the young people in my family, in my group of friends and in my former classrooms who had the bravery to share their truths with the world around them. I know it was difficult for some of you, but PLEASE KNOW THIS. Those who choose not to accept you are the true disappointments. I promise you that the world is much more accepting than it used to be, and we will keep on keeping on so maybe ALL of your children will find the acceptance you fought so hard to achieve. Happy Gay Pride month. I love you all.

The 18th Abduction (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is an exciting addition to my favorite Patterson series.

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: Thriller

​​​​Click book cover for Amazon.com

I am not a big fan of James Patterson, but I have always enjoyed his Women’s Murder Club series. These four women (Lindsay, Claire, Cindy and Yuki) combine their talents to keep their city safe. In The 18th Abduction, San Francisco Police Detective Lindsay is following a case that coincides with her husband’s case. She and Joe often work together, as he is an FBI agent, and she is a homicide detective.

The prologue begins when Lindsay and Joe enter the Hague’s International Zone and meet their friend Anna who is about to testify against a monster who destroyed her life years ago. Chapter one begins with a flashback from five years before, and the excitement never lets up.

Lindsay’s story centers around three missing school teachers whose lives all hold mysteries that might explain their disappearance. Patterson’s and Paetro's use of short chapters and heavy dialogue keep the story moving along and the reader often on the edge of his/her seat. Lindsay and her partner Rich keep hitting stone walls in their search for the women, and even with the help of investigative reporter Cindy, medical examiner Claire and prosecutor Yuki, things begin to look dismal.

Meanwhile Joe comes in contact with Anna who tells him that there is a war criminal living several blocks away from her home. Slobodan Petrović was the man who led the attack on her village and raped and tortured her repeatedly. Joe is determined to find justice for Anna even though this “red-faced hog” seems untouchable.

Watching the authors connect the dots, and connect the two cases kept my interest throughout, and once again I regretted seeing a murder club book come to an end.

- Beverly

Publisher - Little, Brown and Company
Date of Publication - ​​April 29, 2019