"What day is it?"
It's today," squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day," said Pooh.” 
     ---A.A. Milne 

About thirty years go I walked into Brentano's bookstore and was overwhelmed by a dynamic bookseller.  Madeline knew more about books then anyone I ever met, and we began comparing notes on favorite books.  When she found out I was a book reviewer, she gave me a list of "must reads" and followed up with a phone call.  There began a friendship that lasted many years.  About twenty years ago we decided to coin a name that represented us both and do reviews under it.  Since "Beverline" just didn't sound right, we became Madderly Reviews.  We reviewed together in schools, libraries, etc. until we decided to stop making personal appearances.  Years later, when I left teaching and decided to return to written reviews, I changed it slightly to Madderly Review and started this blog.  Madeline told me that she was the first to read it every Friday morning, and I don't doubt her.

Madeline died suddenly today. She was in her sixties and had children and grandchildren who lost her way too soon. She corresponded with quite a few best selling authors who will miss her little notes, and many friends will have a void in their lives.  

When someone dies, those who remain are faced with a grim reality.   We are all on earth for a limited time, and to waste any of that time makes little sense.  Every fight that we have and grudge that we keep eats away at the fiber of our being.  Finding the worst, rather than the best, in people seems to go against the natural order of things.
Watching the politicians spend so much time trying to tear each other down is something I have decided to stop doing.  I will read no more inane articles and watch no more "news" shows that tear down either Trump or Clinton.  Instead I will go for walks with Arthur, spend quality time with my children and enjoy taking part in the growing up years of my adorable grandchildren.  

I will continue enjoying "sister day" each Tuesday with my wonderful sister, Judy, a tradition we have kept for many years.  I will get over my phone phobia and call my distant friends more often, and make more time for those that live closer.  Most importantly, I will wake up each morning, with Arthur beside me, and know that there is nowhere on earth that I would rather be.

This issue is for you Madeline...without you there would have been no Madderly Reviews.

Although today's blog is a bit somber, I did read upbeat books this week.  I always enjoyed Kevin Nealon on Saturday Night Live and decided to read his book, Yes You're Pregnant, but What About Me?  I found myself nodding and smiling throughout, as this fifty something year old man tries to deal with the horrors of his wife's pregnancy, while he experiences all of her symptoms himself.  Any woman or man who has ever experienced those nine months will relate to Nealon's personal agonies.  Funny man - funny book.

Annie Adams' book, Deadly Arrangements, kept a smile on my face too.  This is a light cozy mystery with murder, kidnapping and a hunky guy thrown into the mix.  Another fun beach read.

As always, full reviews of both books will follow this blog.

Happy reading, 

- Beverly

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Genre: Mystery

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Deadly Arrangements was recommended to me, and I decided to read it at 3:00 A.M. one sleepless night.  It is definitely a light read with plenty of chuckles, lots of romance and a little mystery thrown in to keep the reader interested.  

Quincy McCay is running her flower shop with the help of her driver, Karma Clackerton (I just love the names that cozy mystery writers bestow on their characters), better known as K.C.  After a bad marriage left her floundering, her Aunt Rosie decided to travel the world and left her flower shop to Quincy.  The book begins with preparations for K.C.'s upcoming wedding, and I laughed when Quincy got trapped in the "special" underwear the attendant gave her to better fit into her bridesmaids dress. 

We quickly learn about her hunky boyfriend when Quincy's mother and sister start teasing her about him.  The romance part got a little silly though.  The "should we" "shouldn't we" sex discussions seem better suited for a teenager then a divorced woman, but I find that these types of books do tend to exaggerate their characters' personalities at times.  Speaking of which I did smile at the actions of the overbearing mother and teasing sister throughout the book.

The mystery dealt with kidnapped and missing grooms, a murder and weird happenings that Quincy felt compelled to solve.  Working with her friends and family, she gets herself deeper involved in the case and puts her own life at risk. The ending wasn't perfect...I thought there were too many loose ends...but if you are a fan of these types of books, this is a quick and enjoyable read.

- Beverly


Publisher - Annie Whittaker-Publisher
Date of Publication - April 28, 2014

Genre: Non-Fiction/Humor

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I have always felt a wee bit badly for fathers-to-be as they try to negotiate their wives'/girlfriends' pregnancies.  Weight gain, heartburn, body changes and mood changes make women difficult to live with, but when "dad" suffers from weight gain,  heartburn, body changes and mood changes too, no one seems to care.  Kevin Nealon, one of my favorite funny men, began caring early on in his wife's pregnancy.

This book begins with his trip to a palm reader who announces he has three children he is unaware of having.  He realizes that while this was a hoax, he was getting older, single and childless.  He married a young woman a year or two later, and life was good.  Of course when the focal point of his dinner parties became the digital blood pressure machine that he purchased (taking turns checking each other's blood pressure), he realized his biological clock was ticking faster than he cared to admit.

This funny book takes us through all of the woes of pregnancy in Nealon's humorous fashion.  Even the purchase of a stroller becomes an ordeal when we consider safety as well as comfort. I enjoyed the bits of wisdom that he weaves throughout his humor, and his "regular guy" appeal.  While the book is definitely targeted at those poor men trying to deal with their new lives as fathers-to-be, it is a good read for anyone who was ever pregnant or ever lived with a pregnant woman.

- Beverly


Publisher - It Books
Date of Publication - ​​May 5, 2009

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart” 
       ---Helen Keller


Although I definitely have left brain tendencies, the creative right  side of my brain usually wins the battle.  My love of the arts encompasses all aspects of that field, and each aspect has the ability to evoke the strongest of emotions in me.  Anything that awakens our emotions enriches our lives, and Arthur and I have luckily been able to instill those feelings in our children.  Beth uses creativity in every aspect of her teaching, and although Mike's vocation (Psychologist) isn't necessarily creative, his avocation of film-making allows him to express that side of his personality beautifully.

I was listening to a female vocalist several days ago, and I realized that while I enjoy her music, something is missing.  When I think of those who sing from their souls, I think of Barbra Streisand, and Andre Bocelli.  They  both bring tears to my eyes as I listen to them express themselves vocally.  I get a similar emotion when listening to several violinists and Jazz saxophone players.

When I was a teenager, I would look at the paintings of big eyed children done by Margaret Keene and well up with emotion.  In later years, Marc Chagall felt somewhat relatable to me, and his messages grabbed my heart.  Ten years ago, when I vacationed in Italy and first laid eyes on Michelangelo's David, I was truly awestruck.  I stood for longer than I should have, moved by the amazing piece of himself that the artist shared with us. 

Movies have also brought me to many emotional levels.  I remember watching Mikhail Baryshnikov dance in "White Nights" in 1985, and completely losing myself in each scene. For some reason, Dustin Hoffman grabbed my heart in "The Graduate", and he never let go.  Of course "Terms of Endearment" got me so worked up, that Art had to lead me home because my eyes swelled shut from crying.

Since books have always been a major influence in my life, it is the written word that evokes the strongest emotions in me.  Shakespeare's words never fail to tug at my heart, and Martin Luther King Jr. could certainly turn a phrase. Reading Erich Segal's  best seller, Love Story when I was newly married was not smart.  It took days for me to recover.  My favorite authors today are the ones who make me laugh, cry or scream.  It is our emotions that make our lives complete, and I will continue to hunt out the authors that touch me.

David Rosenfelt always makes me happy, and his newest Andy Carpenter book, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is no exception. Watching Andy and his gang get into (and out of) jams while solving canine involved crimes will make any reader smile.

Meanwhile, Death Penalty by Wlliam J. Coughlin kept my heart beating just a bit faster than normal as his protagonist continues fighting the good fight to see that justice prevails. Two very good books to keep you occupied this next week.

As always, full reviews of both books will follow this blog.

Happy reading, 

- Beverly
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Genre: Legal Thriller

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Rosenfelt's sarcastic humor continues to make him one of my favorite authors, and his latest book, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas does not disappoint.  Andy Carpenter is an attorney who doesn't want to practice law.  He would much rather spend his days with his wife, son and dogs, but cases seem to come his way.  This one is less objectionable than most, because he is defending an old friend, Martha "Pups" Boyer.  Pups gets along much better with dogs than people, and has spent years saving New York puppies who might otherwise be killed.  She raises them until they are ready for adoption and then finds them a good home.

When a neighbor, Randy Hennessey reports her for having too many pets, she asks Andy to take her case.  Unfortunately, although this was an easy win for him, complications arise with the murder of Hennessey.  Pups is accused of the murder, and Andy is faced with another murder trial...and another innocent client who seems guilty to all who see her.

It is Rosenfelt's characters that capture his audience much more than the plots he presents.  Pups is an ornery woman with a heart of gold, who has little interest in the huge sum of money her late husband left her.  The readers might not want to invite her to dinner, but we sure don't want to see her in jail.  The reoccurring characters in the Andy Carpenter series are as captivating as ever, from Hike, his pessimistic partner to Edna, his non-working secretary.  Sam, his computer wiz guy, and his gang of senior citizen hackers, are a joy to follow, and Marcus, the giant of a man who speaks very little but scares people with his very presence is a terrific addition to an unbeatable team. I love Andy's nights at the bar with newspaperman Vince and police detective Pete, and the banter between Andy and wife, Laurie is perfect.

Like all of Rosenfelt's novels, Andy finds a way out of all of his impossible jams and leaves us waiting anxiously for the next book in his series.

- Beverly


Publisher - MacMillan
Date of Publication - ​​October 18, 2016

Genre: Legal Thriller

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Like most protagonists in legal thrillers, Charley Sloan is a recovering alcoholic who came close to losing his license and is divorced...three times.   This novel finds him in a fairly good place, with a number of interesting cases to work on.  Coughlin builds a morally strong character in Sloan, and the reader finds himself/herself pulling for him throughout.

His defense of "Dr. Death" is interesting, and the reader must take into account that this book was originally written before some states were more lenient towards the idea of assisted suicide.  The author occupies Charley with quite a few cases.  I often wondered, when reading other authors' legal thrillers, how the protagonist could devote all of his time to just one case.  This book is quite the opposite, sometimes confusing me with defendants. 

I enjoyed Coughlin's descriptions of the judges, both good and bad, and wonder just how corrupt our justice system really is.  I enjoyed the balance of good and bad in Charley's life, and hope his relationship with Detective Sue Gillis continues through the series.  The secondary characters, like his secretary, caused me to chuckle while showing different sides of Charley.  

This is a well written novel, Death Penalty, and the death of William Coughlin was definitely a loss to the legal thriller world of writing.

- Beverly


Publisher - Endeavour Press
Date of Publishing - June 6, 2016 (Kindle)

"When there are no ceilings, the sky is the limit."
                                 ---Hillary R. Clinton


I was lucky enough to be raised by parents who encouraged me to believe in myself and follow my dreams.  They supported me when I wanted to go to nursing school and helped me change schools when I realized that teaching was my real goal. Of course neither of those goals challenged my folks, because they were both "girls professions."
I like to think that they would have supported a goal of architect or engineer, but I am not sure. In those days girls were teachers, nurses or secretaries until they became wives and mothers.

I was lucky again to marry a man who is as mystified as I am when he encounters the blatant sexism that still prevails in our world today.  When we became parents though, he expected me to be a stay-at-home mom like his own mom was, and I tried to oblige for a while.  After a few years of facing dirty dishes, dirty laundry and dirty floors, I desperately started perusing the want ads for a part time job.  I became a book reviewer, and loved the few hours a week that I spent in front of large crowds as I shared the stories behind my favorite books and authors.  Mike and Beth loved their few hours a day in preschool, and all was well.

We tried to raise both children in a world where there were infinite possibilities for either of them.  Beth is a natural born teacher (perhaps it is in the genes) and is making a difference in many lives, but it is a profession of her choice, not one she was molded to fit.  Life has changed and women are popping up in all fields, from doctors to construction workers, there are no closed doors.  Unfortunately, sexism is still alive and well in the United States though, and women are paid considerably less for the same job than their male counterparts.

Even in the current Olympic Games, we watch husbands being credited with their wives' successes, while those actually claiming the medal become the secondary story.  We are watching women being blamed for crimes against them because their skirts are too short or their blouses too tight.  College women who drink too much are simply courting trouble, while their male counterparts are having good old fashioned fraternity fun.  Judges are sympathetic to college rapist and are reluctant to have them serve jail time.  After all, time in jail for this "twenty minutes of action" might destroy a young man's life.  Perhaps the unconscious victim's life should count too, when we measure whose drinking led to the more heinous crime.

Yes, woman throughout the country, democrat, republican or independent should appreciate Hillary Clinton for fighting the battle to break through another glass ceiling.  You don't have to vote for her, but you should thank her for showing your daughters and sons that women are as strong and capable as men in every way possible, and any girl can grow up to be President.

Speaking of our sons and daughters, Moore Zombies: Happy Kamper by Wendy Knuth (author) Sudipta Dasgupta (illustrator) is a cute (if a bit weird) story of a family of Zombies who go on a camping trip.  The illustrations are great and the story is a simple one that is chock full of life lessons.

The second book that I reviewed this week, Judgment Cometh: (And That Right Soon) by Scott Pratt is another in his Joe Dillard series.  Although it is definitely a bit heavier than most in this series, it tells an interesting story and keeps the reader coming back for more.  Pratt makes the reader feel every pain that Joe feels and experience each of his successes, and I believe that is the mark of a great author.
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As always, full reviews of both books will follow this blog.

Happy reading, 

- Beverly

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​Genre: Children's

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I am not sure how to go about reviewing this book.  I am not sure Zombies should be on every little child's reading list, but Knuth and Dasgupta do a great job bringing the Moore family of Zombies to life for young readers in Moore Zombies: Happy Kamper.  Perhaps it is a perfect lesson in everyone being the same no matter how different appearances may be.  This is the only book I have read in the series, and I found it captivating in its simplicity.

These Zombies live a normal type of life as they go camping, eat popcorn, catch fireflies and roast marshmallows for "some moores."  Young readers can relate to this family of zombies, and that in itself is a vital lesson.  After all, who wouldn't want a camping trip, complete with a hooting owl? The book has a little bit of shared knowledge, but I must say I was expecting a bit more.  

There are pictures to be looked at and charming stories to be told in this children's book, and I am glad that I gave the Zombies a chance.

- Beverly

​​Publisher - Amazon Digital Services LLC
Date of Publication - ​​July 13, 2016

Genre: Legal Thriller

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Those of you who subscribe to madderlyreview.com know that Scott Pratt was our first   featured author in November of 2014.  We feature Scott because his protagonist, Joe Dillard came to life for me from book one.  Many authors write about disgruntled attorneys, but I have noticed a great deal of growth in Joe as the series continues.  His character is multi-dimensional, and I find myself worrying about his wife Caroline's cancer as though she were a friend.  Joe's reaction to this horror in his life is frighteningly realistic, and I imagine there are those who relate to these reactions.

This book goes down a darker road than Pratt's previous books, but the familiar characters make it easy to continue this trip with Joe.  I love the relationship he has with Sheriff Leon Bates and look forward to his appearances in each of Pratt's books. In Judgment Cometh:(And That Right Soon) we learn pretty quickly that Joe's client is innocent of the crime he is being accused of committing. Even though he is caught with the chopped up remains of a state Supreme Court justice in the back of his truck, there is more to it than meets the eye.

This is the fourth kidnapped judge, and Joe realizes that he needs to find the real killer in order to free his client. Unfortunately, this client is too intimidated to help Joe, and we watch Leon and Joe go down some very scary trails in their such for truth.   Joe brings his son Jack and Jack's girlfriend Charlie Story back, and this adds to the plot in several ways.

This is definitely darker than Scott Pratt's previous books, but if a character is to remain fresh through a continuing series, the author has to show all aspects of his life. Unfortunately, we all go through dark times and the strong find their way through to the light.  Hopefully, Pratt will continue to give us glimpses into the best of Joe Dillard for many books to come.

- Beverly

​​Publisher - Phoenix Flying, Inc.
Date of Publication - ​​July 21, 2016

"Can Teachers successfully educate children to think for themselves if teachers are not treated as professionals who think for themselves?"
                                                ---Diane Ravitch

Sometime I miss my moments in the classroom with all of my heart, and I get angry at those who forced me to leave.  It was never the students...they were the reason that I stayed until stress tore the foundation out from under me.  It was never the parents who were rough only because they didn't know how to advocate for the most important people in their lives.  It wasn't even the administration, who for the most part were caught between their desire to support their teachers and their desire to keep their jobs.

No, my stress, most Teachers' stress, comes from the politicians and business people who are so sure that they have the right answers that they forget to ask the right questions.  It has been this way for as long as I can remember.  For an example, when I went to school the progression of math was clear.  Algebra I was taken in ninth grade, followed by geometry, algebra II and finally trigonometry.  That was the path to college, until I entered my senior year and was told that "new math" was vital for graduation.  No one could explain exactly what it was, but everyone explained that those of us that never had it in ninth grade (when it wasn't offered) had to drop trig and take "new math."  That is how it came to be that thousands of kids around the country never went beyond algebra II in high school, and wasted time in a course that ceased to have meaning several years later.  I remember the math teachers begging the "powers that be" to ignore the directive from those without a fundamental knowledge of what a student really needs, but they were told to stop arguing and behave like the good soldiers they were expected to be.

Through my years of teaching we had years where we were forbidden to give homework and years when it was mandatory to give homework daily.  There were times that we were told to become more vigorous in our grading, and then there were times when we were forbidden to mark a failing grade in our grade books.  If a student did not hand in an assignment or didn't answer a single test question, we were told to give him/her 50% credit.  Imagine how the students who worked for their 65 or 70% grades felt, when they realized the first 50% was a freebie grade.  

The straw that broke my stressed back was the necessity to teach "to the test."  In my opinion, the "test" was insignificant in building the knowledge base that my students needed, yet I was being forced to eliminate major works of literature to make time to reiterate "fact or opinion" questions, or "what would be a good name for this article."
Aghhhhh.    Teachers spend their days trying to make a difference in the lives of some children who have no one else to advocate for them.  We make progress, little by little, and watch our students climb out of their educational slump and suddenly see the light.  When politicians force us to extinguish that light by sending directives about things that they have no real background in, our own light is extinguished as well.  

Lloyd Lofthouse spent thirty years in a classroom, teaching high school English and journalism.  He kept a journal during one of his years in Nogales High School, and shared that journal with us in his book, Crazy is Normal: a classroom exposé. I felt his pain and lived his joys through this well written book, and I hope it gives the reader an idea of what a classroom is really like.  To everyone who reads this book, remember that there is a teacher out there who could really use your support in making a difference in the lives of your children/ grandchildren.

Another interesting non-fiction book that I read/reviewed this week is Generation Chef: Risking It All for a New American Dream by Karen Stabiner.  If you love good food and great restaurants and wonder how it all comes together, read Stabiner's account of the beginning years of the restaurant "Huertas" and Jonah Miller, the creative young chef behind it.

​As always, full reviews of both books will follow this blog.

Happy reading, 

- Beverly

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