October’s book is “Ready Player One”, by Ernest Cline. As you can see from the description below, this book is a departure from my usual fare. It caught my eye because it got really good reader reviews on Amazon plus Steven Spielberg is directing the movie version, and he usually picks winners. But what really sold me is that it’s supposed to be full of 1980’s pop culture references and that, like, is totally my decade, fer sure. Continue reading
Fundraiser to Fight ALS
I was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) six years ago. It’s been a hard road. It started as a little bit of weakness in my foot and within three and a half years I was paralyzed and on a ventilator. I need 24/7 care but private insurance and Medicare don’t cover that. But there are patients in worse situations than me. Thankfully, we have the ALS Association to fill some of that support gap. Continue reading
“The Chaperone”, by Laura Moriarty
Cora Carlisle is a Wichita housewife who is given the opportunity to chaperone 16-year-old Louise Brooks on a month long trip to New York City during the 1920’s. Louise is a precocious and selfish teenager who goes to NYC to study with a famous dance company and would go on to be a silent film star (in real life). Cora’s motive for going on the trip is so she can try to find out about her birth parents. She spent the first six years of her life in a NYC orphanage, until an orphan train delivers her to a family in Kansas. Although she was happy with her adopted family, she really wanted to know more about her roots. Continue reading
Book Review: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
The Secret Keeper is a really well-written and cleverly structured mystery that spans a couple of generations in Great Britain. Great characters and a hard to predict ending make it a top notch read! Continue reading
Book Review: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
“The Language of Flowers” is a novel about learning how to forgive yourself and accept love from others. Told from the perspective of an 18-year-old product of the foster care system, it runs the reader through a gauntlet of emotions, including frustration, sympathy and hope. Continue reading
Book Review: Gone for Good by Harlan Coben
Gone for Good is a well engineered thriller, full of unpredictable plot twists and surprises. Although sometimes dark and disturbing, it’s hard to put down because you’ll be anxious to see what storyline twists the author has cooked up next. Continue reading
Book Review: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Whoa! What a book! Peace Like a River is storytelling at its finest. Author Leif Enger crafted a tale of hope, love and spirituality that will stay with you long after you read the last word. Continue reading
August’s Kind of Like a Book Club Book
August’s discussion book is “The Secret Keeper”, by Kate Morton. Here’s the summary from the library’s website: Continue reading
Book Review: News of the World by Paulette Jiles
News of the World is a well spun tale that takes place in Texas in the 1870s. It’s the story of Captain Jefferson Kidd, who is hired to return 10-year-old Johanna to her relatives upon her liberation from the Kiowa. Johanna has lived with the Kiowa people for four years and has completely adopted their ways and their language, creating several challenges for CPT Kidd as he tries to safely escort her several hundred miles across the still very wild Texas countryside. Continue reading
Book Review: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
In The Wright Brothers, author David McCullough brings to life Wilbur and Orville’s race to be the first to conquer the skies. Continue reading
Book Thoughts from Bed 