"Finally, a good prosecutor knows that her job is to enforce the law without fear or favor. Likewise, a Supreme Court Justice must interpret the laws without fear or favor."
                                                                           ---Amy Klobuchar


I believe a successfully run country must have rules to follow and an impartial group of people to help interpret them.  There should be no politics involved in the interpretation of these rules. These judges of what is right and wrong should look at each case and decide how it fits into the basic tenets of our constitutional laws. This has to be one of the most difficult tasks that our government requires of someone.  To put one's own beliefs aside and search for the truth in a centuries old document takes a strength and wisdom that few of us possess.

That is why it is frightening to hear a candidate say that he/she will nominate a judge who is strongly pro-life or strongly pro-choice, or one who is strongly pro/anti anything.  I realize that candidates want to win, and pandering to the far right or left by focusing on these button-pushing topics seems a smart political move when discussing our Supreme Court, but in my eyes it is completely against what our forefathers  had in mind in 1789, when the court was first established. This high court plays the definitive role in resolving the definitive issues of its time, and its judges should never be appointed according to their strongly held political or moral views. Though they must by morally strong, they can not be strongly morally biased on issues if they can not put those biases aside when making their decisions.

It is also the job of our Congress to make sure that they quickly replace any judge who has died or retired. The Supreme Court is way too important to be held hostage by any one group in our country.  Until democrats and republicans and independents can stop acting like neighborhood gangs fighting each other for control of their block, our country will continue to lose the power we need to maintain our place in the world.

Meanwhile, Arthur and I decided to take a mini vacation last week, and went to Savannah, Georgia, to immerse ourselves in a little southern hospitality.  We visited one of my favorite bookstores, E. Shaver's, and I loved the sign that they had standing in front of the window.  Make sure you read all ten items, because they really must have read my mind when they made the sign.







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I read a fascinating book this week, narrated by Music.  Mitch Albom continues to give us books that are so different than any other author's writings, and each one touches the reader's heart in a special way.  In The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, we are introduced to a young man who is blessed with talent and magical guitar strings.  The story starts at his funeral, where his life is recounted by a personified Music.  Frankie's life was made rich with talented musicians he met along the way, but as we read, we realize that he bestowed even greater gifts on them.  This is definitely a worthwhile book to read and gift to a friend.

I also read a good mystery this week.  Shelley Costa's book, A Killer's Guide to Good Works (A Val Cameron Mystery Book 2), is a fun mystery with a little bit of Dan Brown mixed in with a little bit of cozy mystery style writing.  Val Cameron is a strong protagonist, and the story is a bit more intense than your average light mystery.  I actually read it in several sittings (yes...they were long sittings) over a two day period, and found myself being pulled back to it as I went along.  

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Genre: Fiction

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This fascinating book written by this talented author begins with a narration by "Music."  He/she is at Frankie Presto's funeral, and has come to take back the part of his soul that Music lent to him many years ago.  Music will gather up Frankie's talent and spread it to new souls.  Once again Mitch Albom gifts us with a wonderful premise for a story only he can tell.  

Frankie was a war orphan raised by a blind music teacher in Spain.  He is sent to America when he turns nine, with an old guitar and six strings.  As the story develops, we find that this unbelievably talented young man and his magic strings spent a lifetime affecting other musicians. We read excerpts from these musicians as Music tells Frankie's story, and we see that Frankie was touched by much of the music that made the 20th century great. 

In Albom's story, Burt Bacharach, Wynton Marsalis, and Tony Bennett, to name a few, were fascinated with Frankie and his magical music.  Bacharach swears he would have traveled the world to hear him play. Marsalis tells of meeting Frankie in a monastery and being fascinated by this man who hadn't spoken in three years.  His music was his voice. Tony Bennett says that Frankie was the most purely musical guitarist he had ever met.  These are three of the many voices that Albom gives to us in a book that confuses the reader as we try to decide if it is fact or fiction.

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is filled with love, music and the kind of story that is sure to keep Mitch Albom in the heart of his fans.

- Beverly


Publisher - HarperCollins Publishers
Date of Publication - November 10, 2015

Genre: Mystery

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This book, A Killer's Guide to Good Works, opens in Veracruz...the year 1595.  I Franciscan friar puts the finishing touches on a satire he is writing and puts it in a wooden box that secrets a mystical statement written by his earliest ancestors. This very document, if found, could topple cathedrals in both the old and the new world.  Tomorrow he will deliver it to the administrators at this outpost of the Inquisition.  They will hide it away without knowing what they have.  The will think they are simply filing away his satire, "The Entertainment of Spain".

Chapter one then begins in New York City introducing us to book editor Val Cameron. Val is working and receives a call from her good friend, Adrian.  She has recently visited England and has an interesting artifact to show Val, but Val finds Adrian dead when she goes to meet her.  Val is stunned and soon meets with Adrian's brother, Antony, who is a Monk visiting from England. The story takes off from there, with another murder, a possible romantic interest and an aunt who works for the Artifact Identification Agency.

Costa does a good job keeping her readers interested in her mysteries, by mixing fact and fiction like many of today's authors.  Her stories are much lighter than those that generally try to emulate Dan Brown, and I found that a good thing.  She takes us down interesting paths as we try to solve several different mysteries and make our way to a satisfying conclusion.  

I enjoy Costa's sense of humor as she weaves it into a mystery that is a bit more intense than the typical cozy mysteries I have read recently.  I am anxious to see how this series develops through the next few books.

- Beverly


Publisher - Henery Press 
Date of Publication - September 20, 2016

"A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom"
                                                              ---Bob Dylan

Ah...in this time of political turmoil, everything becomes a conflict.  I am on the side of those who believe the Nobel committee got it right.  Who could have ever captured the heart and soul of an entire generation with his poetry any better than that nasally sounding guy from Duluth, Minnesota?  His words helped define a generation that used those words to help stop a war, fight for civil rights and bury way too many of their heroes.

We know Bob Dylan because of the songs that he (and almost every singer of his time) sang for us, but those songs were simply poetry put to music. In fact, 492 of his poems were put to music and shared with a country (actually a world) that felt those words in their soul.  No other poet ever reached so many people who claimed to dislike poetry.  While I am one of those people who actually likes classical literature, I understand that literature has evolved through the years, and it is good to see all aspects of it glorified.

Speaking of evolving, I wish I could say that this last debate showed a growth in our candidates.  The only differences in this debate from the first were better moderating and a bit more prep time (and a bit less hysteria) from Donald Trump.  He kept harping on the same tired subjects, and she did the same.  They both obviously brought talking points that they were determined to get to, whether those topics were discussed or not. Hillary probably brought her best game.  She looked poised and presidential, and she tried to move around the topics that showed her weaknesses. Donald looked somewhat controlled for the first half hour and then slowly fell back into his pattern of attack.  Wallace did an admirable job controlling the debate.

Unfortunately, no one can control the anxiety that is being provoked around this election.  Everybody I know is feeling nervous and unsure whenever he or she turns on the television or picks up a newspaper.  This is not the way it is supposed to be in America. The fact that one candidate is threatening to refuse to give in to the will of the people before the people have even had a chance to speak is telling the world that our election has dissolved into third world tactics that must be challenged.   

On the other hand, I feel lucky to live in a country where all of this rhetoric can go on without arrests, government intervention or massive violence.  Those who tried resorting to violence were in the vast minority and quickly ridiculed by both parties. 

The fact that all of our citizenry can watch the good, the bad and the ugly without censor, and then we can each make an informed decision, is the very thing that makes us great.  Hopefully, on November 8 we will all peacefully go to the polls and vote for the person who we believe is best prepared to run our country.  Hopefully, on January 20th we will all stand behind this person as he/she tries to lead this great country filled with sometimes conflicting opinions.  Can we, as a unit, once again show the world how great America truly is?  To quote our latest Nobel Prize winner, " the answer is blowing in the wind."

Dylan's songs have always amazed me, and I wondered were he got the ideas behind them.  The book I reviewed today, Bob Dylan: All the Songs - The Story Behind Every Track helps clear up the mystery.  In it, authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon tell us all of the secrets behind all of the songs.  It is a fun book to read and a great book to give as a gift.

While you are gifting, Harlan Coben is always a great idea.  His latest Myron Bolitar book, Home, will make his fans happy and earn him many new ones.  All of the usual characters support him in this story about the search for two young men who went missing ten years ago.  Coben at his finest!

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Genre: Non-Fiction/Poetry

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I have loved Bob Dylan's poetry for as long as I can remember, and the music that goes with the words is just about perfect.  I often wondered where the ideas for his 492 works of  poetry came from and was thrilled to find this book. It is a wonderful gift for his legion of fans.  It helps us to see the process he has gone through as the years rolled on.  

Bob Dylan: All the Songs - The Story Behind Every Track starts with a bit of biographical info on the man himself, but the brunt of it is focused on his music.  There are essays filled with interesting stories about each of his albums, and then there are essays about each song. Dylan talks about getting the name for the Hotel Tape because he recorded a few songs on reel to reel tape in his friend Bonnie Beecher's apartment in Minneapolis.  Bonnie's apartment was frequented by so many musicians that it became known as the hotel, hence the name Hotel Tape.  

Many of the short essays prompted me to look up information about other people or things, and the book has taken me months to read.  Truth be told, I am still working on it, but I felt that this would be a perfect time to share it with you. It is not a book that anyone would want to read cover to cover in a short period of time, but the trivia will keep calling you back.  This is a great gift to give someone who questions whether Bob Dylan deserves the Nobel Prize in Literature.

- Beverly


Publisher - Black Dog & Leventhal 
Date of Publication - October 27, 2015

Genre:  Thriller

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I began reading Myron Bolitar books late in the series, and started binge reading them after the first one.  His friends, family and associates became my family, friends and associates, and when Harlan Coben decided to retire them for a while, I went into a major funk.  I was thrilled to hear that Myron was coming back, in Harlan Coben's latest, Home, and I wasn't disappointed.  Myron's relationship with best friend Win always makes me laugh, and even though Big Cindi and Pocahontas are a bit over the top at times, those of us who have grown to love them have also grown to accept and even expect some of their shenanigans. 

Two young boys, Patrick and Rhys, went missing from Rhys' home ten years ago. Rhys' mother, is Win's cousin, and Win is determined to find out what happened to them. When a teenage boy who seems to be Patrick suddenly appears, there are more questions than answers, and after a few dead bodies and another disappearance, Win calls Myron for help.

Coben is in his element here, as he tantalizes us with clues and intrigue.  His characterization is strong, and we watch the main characters develop along with the plot.  I like the way he intertwines his characters from his other series into this book, too. He does a good job with first time characters as well. The parents of both boys are all victims who pull at our heart strings even as we try to figure them out.  The action never stops, and Coben's humor helps the reader relax during some of those fast paced moments.  

This might not have been my favorite Bolitar saga, but it kept me going from page one, and made me sad when I turned to the last page.  I am hoping that we don't have to wait long for the next book in this series...one hiatus was more than enough.

- Beverly

​Publisher - Dutton
Date of Publication - September 20, 2016

"Cause if you shoot a bullet someone dies. If you drop a bomb many die. You hit a woman, love dies. But if you say the F-word... nothing actually happens.” 
                                                         ---Richard Curtis

I have never understood our preoccupation with "four letter" words.  Somewhere along the way, we have decided that some words represent things negatively, and woe to the person who uses one of those words.  We, as a society, give somewhat of a pass to men who yell out these words in traffic or a locker room, but a woman who uses such language is a "wanton" woman. As far as I am concerned, time spent fixated on the use of hand picked "curse" words can better be spent just about anywhere else.

The use of these words would not influence my vote in this election.  It is the emotion behind these words that trouble me.  It is the picture that these words paint, showing women as objects and men as owners, that feed into a culture that is as American as apple pie.  I truly believe that some men actually think they are complimenting women when they wolf whistle as they walk by, grope them in a crowded subway or push them into unwanted sex. Not A Compliment guys...really Not.  

This entire media storm showing Trump as an abuser embarrasses the media as much as the man.  They are falling all over each other to see how many times they can say, write or highlight the word that is generally forbidden when describing women.  Ridiculous!  They are acting childish and promoting the abuse.  I remember when I was about eight years old, and the word damn was considered a curse word that was off limits.  One day, I was reading about beavers and the dams they built.  My eight year old tongue rolled around the word dam with glee, and I spent weeks discussing beaver dams with my friends and parents.  Finally I found the cursing loophole.  I could say dam, but in my head I was yelling DAMN!  

I feel that the media is using that same loophole, when every newspaper or magazine article I read keeps printing the very word that they are castigating Donald Trump for using.  We get it! There is nobody in America that does not know that he used that word.  Stop repeating it.  Use your grown up words to share real news instead of to influence our thinking by using sensationalism.  Your original stories went a long way to solidify my feelings about a man who has always objectified women.  Job completed!  Please get back to the issues.

Speaking of words, Larry Smith made me smile this week when I read his book, Six Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak: by Writers Famous and Obscure. He asked people to sum up their feelings about their love and/or heartbreak in a mere six words.  As a writer, I tend to use an abundance of words when my point could be made with far fewer,  and when I try to edit myself I get frustrated.  I loved what these people had to say in so few words.  Each tidbit painted a wonderful picture of a relationship, and the book went by way too quickly. Oh, and this is my attempt at six words for Arthur.  "Thanks for my happily ever after!"

We have heard a great deal about white supremacy groups lately, and Gary Gusick's latest book,  The Legacy, touches on that while it follows the search for the killer of a black coed on a southern college campus.  This is the third book featuring police detective Darla Cavannah, and it touches on many sensitive areas as Darla makes her way to a satisfying ending.

As always, complete reviews of both books follow this blog.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Genre: Memoirs

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If someone asked you to capture the love of your life in six words, could you?  The smiles, the tears, the excitement, the boredom...is it even possible to capture it in a hundred words...a thousand words? Larry Smith asked famous people and everyday people to try to sum it all up in six words.  I LOVED reading their contributions.  Some were poetic (Arrived with hope, left with  heartbreak), some were funny (Will always follow you. on Twitter.), and some just said it all (In the beginning, I showered daily.).

Smith edited well, and I couldn't stop turning pages.  I tried to picture each relationship as I went along, and I quickly realized that six words are more than enough when they are the right words.  I downloaded this book in my Kindle app. and suggest you do the same.  The book takes less than thirty minutes to go through, and the ebook version is only $.99.  The paperback version is $8.60, and unless you are giving it as a gift, the ebook version is just as readable.

While it is difficult to "review" a book like this, it is very easy to recommend it.  It will touch your heart and make you smile.  What more can you ask for from six perfect words?

- Beverly


​Publisher - HarperCollins
Date of Publication - October 6, 2009

Genre:  Thriller

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Several years ago I read The Last Clinic by Gary Gusick, and I was fascinated with his realistic descriptions of the southern way of life.  Darla Cavannah was a Philadelphia police officer who married a Jackson, Mississippi football star.  She remained in Mississippi after his untimely death, and she continued her police work there.  

I loved her strong personality and her tenacious ways then, and I am thrilled to see that she is just as feisty in Gusick's latest book, The Legacy.  The story begins with the hanging death of Caitlin, a black college coed, who happens to be the governor's adopted daughter.  When the governor requests Darla's help on the case, she agrees and brings along her partner Rita, a wise cracking southern girl whose familiarity with southern ways is an asset in this case.

The obvious choice of murderers comes from the white supremacist group that controls much of the action in the area, but Darla is never satisfied with the obvious.  The more she and Rita dig into Caitlin's past, the stranger things become.  Caitlin was in the midst of searching for her birth parents when she was murdered, and Darla suspects that she found something that ultimately cost Caitlin dearly.

Gusick's strength is definitely in his descriptions of the people and the landscape of his novels.  The storyline is a good one, but it is his ability to put the reader into that story that sells the book for me.  

- Beverly


​Publisher - Alibi Publishing
Date of Publication - ​December 6, 2016