​“Do not despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history.
"Farewell, fellow Americans. God bless you, and God bless America."
—-John McCain (last words to his fellow Americans)

The death of John McCain was not a surprise to any of us. Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor with a dismal survival rate. Though he fought it in the same manner that he fought all of his battles, this one was just a little stronger. I am sure that the loss his family feels is beyond words, but perhaps they can take comfort in the fact that as always, he is bringing people together rather than accentuating their differences.

Although I never voted for him, I admired him greatly through the years. Indeed if he had picked a different running mate, I might have been swayed in his direction in 2008. His beliefs didn’t always jive with mine, but I never doubted his commitment to America and her people, and that is what makes him a hero in my estimation.

He could not help being captured many years ago, but he did have a choice to make when he was offered freedom. He chose to remain and support his men, and few would have made that heroic choice. In the years that followed, he chose to devote his life to the betterment of our country. While a republican by choice, John McCain continued to put his country and his fellow Americans ahead of his party. When others wouldn’t, he crossed political lines and worked with democrats to pass legislation that he felt was advantageous to all.

On July 28, 2017, John McCain went against party politics once again, and voted against a “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act. It proved to be a deciding vote and earned him many enemies in his party, but for a man who always stuck to his principles, there was no other choice. He could not take insurance away from so many of his fellow Americans without offering them a clear alternative, and as ill as he was, he heroically took on the President rather than vote against his beliefs. That, my friends, is my definition of heroic.

I smiled the other day, when I realized that even in death he is trying to set the right example. He asked the two people who ended his run for the Presidency to give the speeches at his funeral. One is a Democrat and one is a Republican. One is white and one is black. Both spent their time in the Presidency putting their country ahead of all. Both were moral men, respected and respectful of the position they were given. John McCain knew exactly what he was doing when he asked Barack Obama and George W. Bush to speak at his funeral.

Our current President has made some mistakes. He was thrust into this position by a  country tired of business as usual. Many people believed that we needed a leader who was not a politician, and in theory that made some sense. In actuality however, without the diplomacy that political experience encourages and the knowledge that is built into a political leader, it would be impossible for anyone to run a country the size of Monaco, let alone one such as the USA.

It might have worked though, if the likes of Ryan and McConnell were as heroic as McCain and put our country ahead of their party and their own needs. If they joined with democrats and faced Donald Trump straight on, they could have prevented some of the scary situations that we find ourselves in today. The fact that Russia’s interference might have worked in their favor so far, doesn’t ease the horror of us all being manipulated by a foreign power, and the fact that some people don’t believe in global warming doesn’t change the fact that allowing waste to fill our oceans and skies will lessen the quality of life that our children/grandchildren might enjoy.

Compromise has always been the cornerstone of our democracy. McCain knew that, and most of our Presidents knew that. No person or political party can have exactly what they want at all times, but like in the most successful marriages, if both sides give in a little and consider the needs of the other side, the results can be quite positive. The person or party in the stronger position, the Republicans at this time, has the choice of running as far as they can with the ball without giving thought to those they are trampling on, or joining hands with the competition and building a stronger foundation for the country we all love. May John McCain’s example guide them in the right way one last time.

The book I read/reviewed this week, The Other Woman: A Novel by Sandie Jones, certainly highlights competition. It is the story of two women fighting over one man. In this case, Adam is being torn between Emily, his girlfriend, and Pammie, his mother. Pammie is a force to be reckoned with, and the twists and turns in this novel will keep you turning until the last page.

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: Fiction

​​​​Click book cover for Amazon.com

There are a slew of mother-in-law jokes written each year, yet no one seems to get tired of them. Mothers of men are particularly picked upon, but often it is with good reason. Sandie Jones gives us a peek into just how nightmarish a life can be when a mother fights to be number one in her son’s life in the novel The Other Woman.

Emily isn’t necessarily looking for a husband when she meets Adam, but he seemed like the real deal. Almost perfect...and then there was Pammie. Pammie raised Adam and his brother after becoming widowed, and the two boys adore her. Early on the reader (and Emily) see just how manipulative Pammie can be. Her need to be everything to her sons is pathological, and we watch her try to destroy Emily and the relationship that is blossoming.

The book builds around this premise, and Jones draws the reader in as the story progresses. I love the way the author paints a picture with her words. “His breath had smelled of last night’s curry,” certainly allows us to feel her disgust. When Emily disagreed with her own mother’s advice about judging a man by his teeth, she explained, “ I put more importance on whether someone’s smile reaches their eyes.”  Those words helped build a picture of Emily as well as the person she was meeting.

Pammie was far from endearing, and I wasn’t overly fond of Adam, but they were both fascinating characters. It was frustrating watching Emily fight an uphill better as Adam turned a blind eye to his mother’s manipulation. It was hard to imagine that this bright young man was missing all the in-your-face clues, but it is often difficult to come between a boy and his mother. Jones’ exploration of this relationship added to the story and made it more than just another quick summer read, and the twist and turns kept me going until the very end.

-Beverly

​
Publisher - Minotaur Books
Date of Publication - ​​​​August 21, 2018

​“Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics.”
—-Victor Pinchuk


Where has all of our creative thinking gone? We seem to be stagnating in that area, and I find it quite troubling. When “critical thinking” became all of the rage in schools twenty something years ago, I began to worry about what our country would be like in the twenty-first century. Each year I watched as the list of high school electives became shorter and shorter as they were replaced with classes like: FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) Prep Math, FCAT Prep English, Critical Thinking, to name a few.

Part of what makes America great is our ability to think outside the box. When we use our imagination in conjunction with our math skills, we come up with inventions that change the world. While I always saw the importance of Critical Thinking and incorporated it in almost all of my lessons, it was the creative projects that kept my students interested. It was during my humanities, debate and gifted studies classes that my students absorbed the history and English information that helped them pass standardized tests. Before we can absorb information we have to have some sort of interest in it.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a major proponent of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and encouraging children’s interest in these fields is most important. This should not, however be done to the exclusion of the right side of their brains. That creative side needs to be nourished just as surely as the analytical side.

Believe it or not, it was while scanning next season’s television line-up that I noticed that some of my worries seem to be coming true. Instead of coming up with creative new shows to present to a waiting audience, producers, directors and writers seem to be falling back on shows that succeeded many years ago. No one is more anxious than I am to see how Murphy Brown has progressed over the past few decades, and watching her tackle this latest administration will most certainly be a delight, but the reboot of 52 old shows does make one question the current generation’s ability to come up with creative ideas of their own.

I read an article recently that focused on employers seeking non-college graduates, particularly in tech fields, because they feel that there is a lack of creativity in some of their current teams. Some companies that are offering well paying jobs to those without degrees are Apple, IBM, Google and Bank of America to name a few.

I think it is important for those in the field of education to take a long hard look at the importance of all aspects of educating a child. Instead of dropping the many electives that enrich our young people and replacing them with courses that aim to enhance their test taking skills, perhaps we should look at ways to have these classes work together to help develop a well rounded future generation.

Luckily I am still able to satisfy my creative cravings with the writings of some fine authors, and my choice for this week’s book was Violent Crimes by Phillip Margolin. Margolin’s series about attorney Amanda Jaffe has proven quite popular, and this book is no exception. Anyone with an interest in legal thrillers will find it a definite asset to their library.

As always a complete review of the book follows this 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

Phillip Margolin’s legal thriller, Violent Crimes: An Amanda Jaffe Novel, kept me up a good part of the night as I tried to put all of the pieces together. Margolin gives us several murders, questionable business practices, a son who admits to killing his father...but probably didn’t, and an innocent ex-military man being set up to take the fall for several murders.

The protagonist in this series, attorney Amanda Jaffe, fights every battle with a quest for the truth and fights enemies on several fronts in order to defend her client. In Violent Crimes she works with her investigator to defend two men whom she believes to be innocent and finds possible conflicts of interests along the way. 

This book is relevant to today’s politics and makes one wonder how far people will go to accrue immense wealth. I found it a bit overly convoluted at times, but the author did a good job bringing it all together as the book progressed. Although he threw in little glimpses of Amanda’s private life, I would like to have seen a bit more. It would have served to soften the book a bit and given the reader a break from all of the murder and mayhem.

That being said, Margolin is a master of murder and mayhem, and this novel does showcase what he does best. As always, villains are frightening, his heroes are fearless and his book fulfills the promise of an exciting few days of page turning.

- Beverly
​

Publisher - Harper
Date of Publication - ​​​​February 9, 2016

“There are only two forces that can carry light to all the corners of the globe...the sun in the heavens and the Press down here.”
—-Mark Twain


Since many newspapers across the country have chosen to use yesterday (Thursday) as a time to join together in support of news media, I have spent the day trying to figure out where it all went wrong. Our President spent much of his life attempting to draw the press to him, and the media seemed to enjoy his spotlight. It worked well for both sides until it didn’t.

It is the media’s job to serve as our beacon and shine a light on all it encounters. When it highlights all that is good in our world it gives us a sense of peace and happiness, and when it exposes our shortcomings it encourages us to fight for what is right. Since many of us have different interpretations of what is “right,” this can lead to uncomfortable times.

Our current administration believes it knows what is best for us and is working towards their specific goal. That goal is at odds with liberal thinking in many cases, and since the brunt of the media leans to the left, the spotlight that it shines can sometimes be a little harsh. A harsh light is often an impediment to accomplishing one’s goal, and that is where the trouble lies.

Donald Trump feels that exposing the negatives in his life is hitting below the belt, and at times maybe it is. His moral compass may be appalling, but that might not affect how he leads a nation, and highlighting every thing he ever did is a frustration that he feels he should not have to deal with on an hourly basis. In fact, I agree that the country has more to be concerned with than his sexual conquests.

He is, however, dead wrong when he tries to stifle the press. The men who founded our country were extremely wise, and nothing proves this more than our first amendment.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or
the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government
for a redress of grievances."

Those few words, along with Thomas Jefferson’s immortal words:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these
are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights,
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed;" are words that we have lived by since formally becoming a nation.
​
So whether an administration believes that the press is being too harsh, too critical or even terribly bias, it is their duty to protect that press and help them shine a light on the workings of the government so the people of our country are secure in the fact that our constitutional rights are being upheld.

The book I read/reviewed this week, Ultimate Power by Stephen Frey mixes politics and finances and kept me turning pages into the night.

As usual 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

Stephen Frey’s novels often encompass the military world and/or the financial world, and Ultimate Power does both. On the day that Andrew Falcon Jr. becomes the youngest hedge fund manager to become partner at his Wall Street investment bank, his niece is kidnapped. The price to get her back is information about his firm, and what he finds out horrifies him.

Meanwhile we meet the President, Katrina Hilton, and are privy to her liberal-leaning plans for the country. Several high ranking military leaders will do anything to thwart those plans, and a rogue faction forms to manipulate the American people. Throw in a mob boss on the run and presidential protection that goes beyond the Secret Service, and you have one of Stephen Frey’s non-stop thrillers.

The story-line got a little nerve wracking as it seemed to hit home with today’s political climate. In fact, Frey added an author’s note at the end explaining his need to change a locale in the book because, although it was written before an event that shocked our nation, it was too similar and would perhaps make a sensitive situation even worse.

Although many of the characters were a bit shallow and unappealing, I did like Andrew and enjoyed watching him fight his way through this untenable situation.  Frey’s thrillers tend to be a bit convoluted, and there were times I had to look back and check out who was who, but on the whole I can recommend this as a book worth reading.

- Beverly
​

Publisher - Thomas & Mercer
Date of Publication - ​​​February 13, 2018

“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things...I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.”
     —-Leo Buscaglia


Yesterday my daughter reminded me that she returns to school next week, and I suddenly got a wave of nostalgia. For teachers , every year is a new beginning. We have a chance to face an entirely new group of children after a summer of reviewing our successes and failures of the previous year. Hopefully, we grow from our mistakes and our students are all the better for our growth.

My entire family has been sending me on a nostalgia trip this week. My sister has tackled the nearly impossible task of scanning all of their photographs into the computer and then giving the actual photos to relatives who might enjoy them. Since my brother-in-law spent years as an amateur photographer, they were in possession of thousands of pictures that followed us through the years. I received my shoebox of pictures yesterday and spent some time going down memory lane.

Like all families we had our sad times, but it is the laughter that I remember the most. The game nights, family cooking nights and family vacations left me with indelible memories, while the nights I spent worrying about health, money or the millions of little “mommy worries” seem wasteful now. I knew then, like I know now, that worrying neither prevents things from happening nor makes anything better, yet it is an aspect of so many of our personalities that seems to unfairly haunt us.

The pictures did highlight those good times though. The fact that we probably spent almost as much time in Disney World as Mickey did might be why I want to stay as far from Orlando as possible these day. I do have a little hint for those who are taking kids now. The best time to experience Magic Kingdom is during a non-electrical rain storm. The temperature drops quickly (and in Florida that is a plus) and the park clears out. Just buy one of those ubiquitous ponchos that every store sells and go from ride to ride without any of those interminable lines. My favorite Disney memory will always be of the eight of us    (Disney trips always included sister Judy’s family) dodging raindrops and singing a made up “plastic family” song while people gathered around thinking we were one of the Disney “acts.”

Most of all though, these pictures and their memories are reminding me to appreciate all of the good things that I am lucky enough to be experiencing now. It is easy to get buried in the mire of everyday life and forget to smell the roses, but we need to make a concerted effort to focus on the beautiful. Argue less, laugh more, worry less, play more, fear less, experience more...each day, and each loved one, are gifts, not necessarily our due, and if we see them as such we will have birthday celebrations all through the year.

In keeping with the theme of this blog, I read/reviewed an awesome book this week.  It certainly isn’t a literary epic, but The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha is a perfect book when you need a smile. His recognition of the importance of appreciating the everyday things in life is refreshing, and I recommend this book as a starting point for a list of your awesome moments.

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

​​​Click book cover for Amazon.com

Coincidentally, I have spent the last few days appreciating what I have, and then I came upon Neil Pasricha’s book, The Book of Awesome. Here is a man who truly recognizes what is awesome in life. Think about it...you are standing five deep in a checkout line, and a new line suddenly opens up...awesome. Nothing is cozier than your warm underwear, straight from the dryer. Passing a police car when you AREN’T speeding is AWESOME.

Pasricha’s book is filled with so many of life’s everyday pleasures. It is difficult to keep from smiling as you turn the pages and relate to most of what he is saying. He talks about things like passing a bunch of green lights in a row and I get it. I always feel like I hit the lottery when I sail by one green light after another. Half way into his book I started making my own list, and that made me smile even more.

The Book of Awesome will not be voted book of the year. It isn’t a literary epic and probably won’t win a Pulitzer Prize, but if you want a few hours of appreciating the world you inhabit, then this might be just the book for you.

-Beverly

​
Publisher - G.P. Putnam's Sons; Reprint edition
Date of Publication - ​​​April 15, 2010