“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.”
—-John F. Kennedy


As I sit here looking out of my window for the umpteenth day in a row, I feel both blessed and frustrated. My loved ones are all being fed and sheltered as they try to weather this storm, and we are all behaving smartly when we must leave our homes. On the other hand, I have no control over a government that seems at a loss when it comes to protecting us. I have no control over people who choose to believe Rush Limbaugh over Dr. Fauci, and I certainly have no control over a relentless virus that has taken the world to its knees.

We are being told over and over that if we all socially distance, wash our hands and wear face masks then this virus will be put at abeyance until a vaccine can be produced. I do all of the above, but many people do not, and I don’t understand the conflict. While I vehemently disagree with the anti-vax movement, I understand their fears. They have been lead to believe by “professionals” that their children could be irrevocably harmed by a substance introduced into their bodies. People have feared vaccines since the 18th century, and while no conclusive proof ever appeared as to their dangers, it is difficult to unring that bell.

Wearing masks, however, seems like a no-brainer to me. I agree that they are uncomfortable, and I miss sharing smiles with passing strangers, but at this point I would try anything to be able to hug my children, get my hair cut and walk into a mall without this feeling of dread in my stomach. There is clear evidence that countries with mask compliance are faring much better than those without, but even if you don’t believe that, what is the downside of trying? Surgeons have proven that masks can be worn all day without any repercussions, and they wear masks to protect their patients.

Asking you to wear a mask has nothing to do with control, it just has to do with working as a team to vanquish an enemy. We are asked to do many things that might infringe on our  “rights” for the good of all. The problem is that rights don’t stop with you. If you feel that you have the right to enter a store without a mask, then doesn’t the store owner have an equal right to choose to sell only to those in a mask? This should not be a civil war, this needs to be a united front.

Politics should have never raised its ugly head in this situation. We are not feet-stomping children who must have our own way. I do have a suggestion for anyone who wants to run with it. Make hundreds of thousands of masks that say “Ridin' with Biden” and an equal amount that say “Trump will keep America great.” Have people hand them out everywhere and watch how quickly they take on. Ugh...MAKE THIS STOP.

On a happier note I want to thank Stephanie Tullis for her guest review this week, In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters. This young adult historical fiction is so timely that I think I just might read it myself. With all of the time that we have while we avoid crowds, restaurants, movies, etc., reading is a great alternative. Read as much as you can...and send me a guest review or two.

This week’s book from me is a newly published one by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman. Half Moon Bay, a Clay Edison Book 3 novel, is a good mystery from this top father/son team.

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

Years ago I came across Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series, and have been a fan ever since. In fact, I am a fan of the entire Kellerman family, or at least the three Kellerman authors. Wife Faye Kellerman has written 26 books featuring LAPD homicide detective Peter Decker, and son Jesse has written several by himself and several with his dad.

Half Moon Bay is the third in this series featuring Deputy Coroner Clay Edison. In this book Clay struggles with balancing family life (the exhaustion of a new daughter) and working the night shift. He is called to a local park where the decades old remains of a child are found by construction workers. When a local businessman believes that the body might belong to his long missing sister, Clay begins to investigate.

Unfortunately, there is more than one problem that Clay is dealing with while workers are razing the park (a haven for the homeless) so a building can be erected. Protesters become involved, introducing Clay to some not-so-friendly characters.  He works on the clock and off the clock looking for answers, and sometimes these trails lead him to places he doesn’t want to be.

The Kellermans have a way of putting everyday people into some really tenuous situations, but these likable characters usually find their way out and “save the day.” The book was a fast read filled with interesting characters, relationships, and twists and turns. Half Moon Bay is the first of this series that I have read, but I will go back and catch up when time allows.

- Beverly


​Publisher - Ballantine Books
Date of Publication - ​July 21, 2020

​“It’s very hard to find your own words- and you don’t actually exist until you have your own words.”
—-Jordan Peterson


Words...my ever constant friend and companion...have failed me this month. I have attempted to put my thoughts and feelings on paper, and nothing can come near the true measure of what I feel. Like many Americans, I have spent my life believing that our strength, knowledge and compassion would see us through any real tragedy that we faced. I believed that when faced with a real crisis, we would band together like any real family, and we would defeat the enemy. What do you do though, when your enemy has become entrenched in your family?

Politics and our individual interpretations of events that occur have taken the place of common sense, and until we find a common ground, America will never be the same. When the tragedy of 911 occurred, we forgot about political parties and held each other’s hands through the darkest of times. We stood tall and showed the world that America will not be taken down. We realized that when a true enemy attacks, he/she doesn’t ask your political affiliations, and those affiliations, in fact, mean very little. I was proud to be an American then and thankful for the support of an admiring world.

How did we go from that to this...watching hundreds of thousands people fall ill while we argue about masks. When did we become a country where conspiracy theories are revered rather then ridiculed. When did politics turn from protecting our country to protecting our party? When did compromise become a dirty word that shows weakness? When did getting our own way become the only way?

It is easy to pin the blame on a president who seems more interested in protecting his image than his country, but we are making a big mistake if we stop there. We can possibly blame our president for shining a light on the hatred that is growing, but we would be foolish in believing that he caused it. This hatred was silently brewing there, behind a curtain of fake smiles, and now it has been given a stage. As difficult as that is to watch though, at least we now know what we need to do.

The majority of people in America are humanitarians who want to be there for those who need help. The majority of us see the different shades of our fellow Americans, but we do not evaluate others by the amount of pigment present in their skin or their choice of partner. Unfortunately, it is the very loud minority who are gathering attention with their proudly displayed racism. The rest of us, the silent majority, have to show the world that The United States of America will stand united against hate.

Peaceful protests and well thought out boycotts will prove much stronger than violence, because it will unite everyone who is anxious to do the right thing. I worry, however, that this is not the right time to march in crowds. The difficulty of remaining socially distant under these circumstances makes me look for other ways to make a difference. Ryan Grenoble shared a story with us in Huff Post on 6/25/20 about a way we can make a difference:

“More corporate advertisers are pulling ads from Facebook for the month of July, joining the Stop Hate for Profit boycott organized last week by the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP, Color of Change and other civil rights groups. The campaign urges advertisers to “hit pause on hate.”  
The list of participating companies has grown in recent days to include The North Face, Patagonia, Arc’teryx, outdoor retailer REI, Ben & Jerry’s, Eileen Fisher, Eddie Bauer, Magnolia Pictures, Upwork, HigherRing, Dashlane and Talkspace. On Thursday, Verizon (HuffPost’s parent company) also joined the boycott.  
Advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners on Wednesday said it, too, will join the protest, and it encouraged its 45 clients — which include big names such as BMW, Frito-Lay, Hewlett–Packard and PepsiCo — to participate as well.
“For years, we ― and others ― have called on Facebook to change,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt told HuffPost of the campaign. “They have not. What matters to Facebook is profits. So if they see what a one-month pause would mean to their bottom line, then maybe they will get the message and act.”

As of today over 100 businesses have joined this movement. Hopefully, this month of lost profits will wake up Mark Zuckerberg, and I hope that you join me in supporting the businesses that are stepping up against hate.

While I have had a difficult time blogging this month, I have read several books that helped me pass the time. David Rosenfelt’s latest offering, Muzzled: An Andy Carpenter Novel, brings Andy Carpenter back for another adventure that will help you escape from your worries for a bit.

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: Mystery

Click book cover for Amazon.com

 In this time of uncertainty there is one thing I can count on...David Rosenfelt can always “take my sad day and make it better.” His familiar characters are like the friends that you look forward to spending time with, and his story lines draw you in as attorney Andy tries to make the world a little better place for the dogs he comes in contact with and the people who love them.

In fact, Andy is desperate to retire and spend his time rescuing as many dogs as humanly possible, but fate seems to have other plans for him. This time it comes in the form of the stray that his friend Beth found that seems to have been owned by a man who was recently murdered. When the owner shows up to claim his dog he shares a frightening story with Andy. He was on a boat with two other men discussing business when bullets started flying. He escaped and is now a person of interest in the murder of his colleagues.

Of course any man who comes out of hiding to retrieve his dog is worth helping in Andy’s world, and the excitement begins. Rosenfelt’s stories are always character driven and watching Andy and company go from jam to jam is always entertaining. While his bad guys are always bad, they won’t keep you up at night a la Hannibal Lecter, and his good guys will always make you smile.

There is a happily ever after in this book as in all of Rosenfelt’s novels, and this is the perfect time for the reader to get lost in a positive ending.


​-Beverly


​Publisher - Minotaur Books
Date of Publication - July 7, 2020