Found What I Didn't Realize I Sought

I continue to visit Craigslist daily, hoping to find a satisfactory bench for the front hallway. I'm probably too picky. I have many specific wants: at least 40 inches long, cushioned in a neutral color or leather (no faux leather, as those often come with warnings of harmful exposure), with storage in the seat and, possibly, a wooden paneled shoe rack on the bottom. Functional, without losing the benefit of clean stylistic lines.

A week ago, I discovered a new Merrill Double Opening Leather Storage Ottoman listed at half the normal Home Depot price. It was long enough, with generous storage capacity, but no shoe rack. Alas, someone else snagged it a few hours before I called. It wasn't too disheartening since it was a distance away and I'm not sure that was the style I wanted. I will continue my pursuit.

In my quest, I happened upon several other things: bought a beautiful navy fleece-lined dog sweater, a set of purple floral-patterned dishes, a kitchen island in mint condition (though not the white I had hoped to find), and the beloved oval lyre end table (purchased a few months back). On Saturday evening, I saw a listing for another lyre end table. This one is rectangular and matches our marble end tables, only topped with leather, instead of marble. It is a bit bigger than our marble tables and sturdy as can be. As soon as I saw it, I contacted the seller to arrange a time for pickup, even though it was an hour's drive away. I'm very pleased with the purchase:

It also sports two handy retractable cup holders. Clever!

Then, Sunday night, as I skimmed through Facebook, I noticed a Salvation Army friend on the lookout for a church selling off gently used sanctuary chairs. My mind immediately whirred back to a Craigslist listing for 120 such chairs, located close to where this individual lives. I shot her a quick message with the link and she expressed great thanks. So, even though I haven't found my bench/ottoman yet, I've landed a few bargains and helped others meet their needs, as well. Can't beat that!

Book Review: The Clockmaker's Daughter

I've had every intention of taking part in The Deliberate Reader's on-line book club, but somehow have never jumped in with both feet. This year, I vowed to be different. Almost all the books selected look appealing. The February selection is a book I intended to read all along: Kate Morton's The Clockmaker's Daughter.

I struggle with Morton's style. She builds dual story lines across time and peoples the landscape with numerous characters. Still, I've always thought her stories worth the trouble. One book club participant even suggested making a time-line and character chart to keep things straight. While I didn't go to that extent, and I struggled in the beginning third of the book, I figured it out eventually and I'm glad I persevered.

The story begins, in current days, with Elodie Winslow, a young archivist. She encounters a new piece for the collection (an old leather satchel containing a sketchbook and a photograph) and one sketch feels familiar. The image is reminiscent of a particular house her deceased mother used to describe in a bedtime story. When she shows the sketch and the photograph to her mother's uncle, Tip, the old man tries to hide his initial recognition. He will only admit it is the house he shared with his mother during the years of the war.

As this story unfolds, the timeline shifts back to the summer of 1862 when a young artist and his friends inhabited the house. The summer comes to an abrupt halt when the artist's fiance is murdered during a burglary. The artist's female model - his muse - and his priceless necklace both disappear on the same night. Then the story shifts to the years when Tip lived there and conversed with an imaginary friend. Further shifts happen when the characters of Jack and Leonard appear. Oh, reader, stick with it, even when it feels hard to keep things straight.

I loved the author's description of the artist as storyteller: "It is no easy feat to invent a whole world, but Edward could do that. A setting, a narrative, characters who live and breathe - he was able to make the story come to life in someone else's mind. Have you ever considered the logistics of that, Mr. Gilbert? The transfer of an idea? And, of course, a story is not a single idea; it is thousands of ideas, all working together in concert."

I also loved Tip's description of his mother, a journalist who wrote articles during the war. He said, "She was a fierce correspondent, always writing and receiving letters. That's how I think of her now, sitting at her writing desk, scribbling away." I'd love to have one of my sons remember me in just such terms.

Overall, despite its intricacy, it is a delightful tale. Eventually, when all the strands of the story come together, it is like viewing a tapestry after watching various portions crafted over time. The big picture answers the questions lingering in the reader's mind and builds to a satisfying conclusion. If you are a Kate Morton fan, what is your favorite book? and do you struggle, too, with mastering the shifting timelines and extensive characters?

Book Review: A Girl's Guide to Moving On

When selecting an audio book, I'm usually eager to find something that wouldn't be offensive or shocking should my husband or sons wander into the guest room while I am burning rubber on the treadmill. Although I selected this Debbie Macomber novel, A Girl's Guide to Moving On, considering it a safe bet, it veered into vulgar innuendos and comments from time to time. Perhaps the author was attempting to stay faithful to the dialogue expected from the characters. For whatever reason, there were a few moments when I had to scramble to turn off the cd player, with a wide blush across my cheeks, as my sons heard comments about men being so hot they could burn off a woman's panties. Woah!

When Nicole discovers her husband has gotten another woman pregnant, she divorces him. This bold act, enables Nicole's mother-in-law Leanne to take a similar step after years of infidelity have left her feeling unloved and undesirable. The two women band together to face their new world and to set up rules for moving on after infidelity. Nicole meets the rough-around-the-edges but such-a-good-guy-you-can't-help-love him Rocco. Leanne teaches English classes and encounters a delightful and devoted Ukrainian man named Nikolai.

The story held my interest, despite the thin, stereotypical characters and somewhat raunchy dialogue. Even though the dilemmas were realistic, it still felt a bit too glossy, too picture-perfect. The ending ties up everything nicely. Reconciliations abound. Happiness is just around the bend.

The novel seemed vaguely familiar. I wondered if I had already read this before, but then realized that many of the characters were introduced in Macomber's novel, Last One Home. Indeed, I think much of the story line had played out in that other book. I would have to say this was my least favorite Macomber book.

Book Review: The Chalk Man

C.J. Tudor's debut novel, The Chalk Man, kicks off an intriguing list of titles for my book club's 2019 reading selections. Only one book seems like something I wouldn't have chosen on my own. I'm looking forward to a year of outstanding discussions. This book was an amazing accomplishment as a writing debut. Although it made me uncomfortable, it was a riveting read. The premise is believable and enticing, and the plot pacing superb. The reader follows along awaiting the resolution and unveiling of the mysterious clues.

Eddie Adams' story shifts back and forth from his twelfth year, when his gang uncovered a dismembered body in the woods, to 2016, when one friend returns claiming to know the killer. It all began with a bucket of chalk. Fat Gav, the wealthiest in the group, received the chalk as an unidentified birthday gift at his party. The gang used the chalk to write messages on the sidewalk for each other. Each member claimed a particular color. They determined what stick figures and images would stand for certain activities and locations. But, they never dreamed an anonymous person would use the chalk to lead them to a dead body. Before Eddie's friend, Mickey, can show the puzzle's solution, further tragedy transpires. Now, Eddie wants to dig up the past and unravel the many pieces and clues.

I much prefer the British cover (shown to the left). As premises go, this one was truly intriguing. I loved the author's ability to capture the life and perspective of a group of twelve-year-olds. That age presents so many challenges without adding group friction and death. I also enjoyed the pacing. It made me eager to sort out the truth. I could have done without the ghost scenes and the dreams, and the book has one deeply disturbing scene of bullying. (I was thankful to be reading in hard form, so I could skim through, instead of listening with my boys hanging around on their winter break.)

The worldview of the author was clearly not my own. Indeed, faith was handled with skepticism and scorn, religious characters drawn as "the bad guy," and abortion opponents painted as angry monsters. I noted that one reviewer (Shyam) on Amazon, who gave the book one star, articulated the intensity of the author's agenda quite well:

"This book is dripping with so much hatred and cynicism toward religion that it feels like much more than fiction. It feels personal and ironically preachy. It’s not even the overdone hypocritical preacher trope, it’s lines like 'if someone mentions God at my funeral, I hope they burn in hell.'”

Nonetheless, I could still appreciate the story and the author's accomplishment. I related to the narrator's concern over travelling the same path his father took with Alzheimer's. Although I never felt affection for the characters, their trials and tribulations hooked me. The book presented enough conflict to create a compelling narrative arc. It certainly won't be my favorite of the ten book club selections, but it was still a worthwhile endeavor and a memorable story line.

Book Review: The Vanishing Stair

Oh, the vanishing enthusiasm for the Truly Devious series! I enjoy many aspects of the story line. I love the idea of an exclusive boarding school for gifted young people. The murder mystery from the past, combined with the current slew of deaths, provides plenty of curiosity. I like Stevie, a sleuthing socially awkward girl. I'm just not reeled in by the other characters (moreover, the pronoun they/them for one character simply prompted confusion and awkward sentence construction). Indeed, despite my enjoyment of the basic story, I ended up feeling dissatisfied with the book.

Stevie Bell is fixated on the Truly Devious kidnapping/murder mystery that occurred at the school in 1936. She has dissected every angle and element. At the opening of this book, The Vanishing Stair, Stevie is desperate to return to the school, desperate enough even to accept the aide of the odious (and strongly Trumpesque) Senator Edward King. Once she returns, with the promise to keep an eye on the Senator's son, Stevie acquires her dream job - assistant to an author writing a book about the case. Now, instead of focusing on boring homework, she invests most of her time digging around in the school's attic in search of further clues.

While this book reveals some elements of the mystery, it still leaves the reader hanging. So many unanswered questions: what's up with the odd-ball David? why the house fire at the end of this book? how did Stevie figure out the murderer from one tiny clue? (The reader is privy to a complete explanation in the flashbacks to the '30s.) Alas, I doubt I have enough interest left to invest in a third book. It felt too much like the author dragged out an adequate story into a lengthier one in order to make it a series. The puzzles are not quite as puzzling (the solution to the riddle about the stair is disappointing) and the characters are not as entertaining. What appeared to be truly devious in the first book, turns out to be less significant and key in the second.

Book Review: The End of Alzheimer's - Highly Recommend

This book might become a health Bible for me! With an endorsement from Dr. David Perlmutter (author of Brain Maker - my review here), and a subject close to my heart, this book hooked me. How had I missed reading it before since it was published in 2017? The book appeals not only out of interest for my mother's mental decline in dementia, but also for personal reasons.

We have noticed small signs of my own cognitive decline and while it could simply be a psychological bent stemming from my mother's diagnosis (have I talked myself into believing I'm headed down the same path?), it also could be a valid concern. The most notable difficulty I'm experiencing is the inability to call forth words when I need them. I make the craziest word substitutions. We might convulse with laughter when I say "here's your meatloaf" while handing my son a piece of chicken, but the frequency of these mental blips leaves a taste of fear.

As I read Dr. Dale Bredesen's The End of Alzheimers: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline, I saw myself in several of the milder case studies. Indeed, I had paid no attention to the increased stress I experience when it comes to driving, especially to destinations that are unfamiliar. I didn't think of the implications of cognitive decline. When I approached Sean's football coach to introduce myself, he informed me that we had already met (he's the father of one of my son's friends). I had no recollection of that. Moreover, I'm aware of my difficulty retaining new faces and names. But, are all these minor incidents that fall under the cloak of normal aging or do they bear greater significance?

Bredesen's main point is that one pill will not fully treat Alzheimer's and dementia illnesses. They are a cluster of reactions and actually a healthy response to physical threats. The three significant metabolic and toxic threats are: 1) Inflammation; 2) Decline of Supportive Nutrients, Hormones, and Brain-Supporting Molecules; and 3) Toxic Substances (mercury, mold, etc.). I have been in a hormonal imbalance ever since the birth of my third son. But, I found the third cause especially significant, because shortly after the onset of my mother's decline they dealt with a significant mold issue in their kitchen and remained living in the home throughout the mold removal. Of course, my husband was quick to ask, "Why, then, didn't your father develop dementia, as well?" But, I wonder if his mental acuity is as sharp as it had been. He has mentioned that he doesn't get a charge out of new technologies like he used to because he cannot keep up with or understand how to make the things work (gadgets on his Prius, etc.). And if he declines, who will care for my mother?

The author explains the all-encompassing nature of Alzheimer's with a word picture of damage to a roof. Hail might have created 36 different holes and it will not address the problem if you only focus on one hole. He claims there are "36 metabolic factors that can trigger 'down-sizing' in the brain." He has created a treatment plan called the RECODE protocol. It includes an extensive array of supplements, dietary changes, and physical lifestyle shifts. He recommends undergoing a cognoscopy (a host of tests to determine triggers of decline, or what he calls "dementogens"). He calls his anti-Alzheimer's diet "the Ketoflex 12/3". It combines a ketogenic, flexitarian diet with a 12-16 hour over-night fast (also aimed at promoting ketosis).

I was so enthralled with his theories and prescriptions for preventing further cognitive decline that I purchased a Kindle copy of this book (moreover, I plan to recommend it to my father). The true question is whether I can follow parts of the protocol (I know it would be unrealistic to think I could implement everything the book recommends). I intend to give it a shot. I had already made several month's worth of progress with altering to a plant-based diet when I felt a threat of gall-bladder issues. Of course, with the holidays, I eased up on my resolve and returned to my normal lax dietary habits.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with a loved one battling dementia or Alzheimer's. Or to anyone who recognizes elements of cognitive decline in themselves. It certainly cannot hurt to attempt to prevent further disease by making lifestyle and dietary changes. The book claims hundreds of patients have seen a reversal of symptoms while following the protocol. Even doctors who poo-poohed Bredesen's approach have had to eat their words in response to recognition of visible improvements. I don't want to put myself or my family through the harrowing experience of mental decline. Regardless of whether I carry the ApoE4 gene that implicates Alzheimer's (am fearful to take those genetic tests, because who wants to know such a future awaits), it cannot hurt to make changes now to stave off debilitating alterations later. So, this critically important book (only $1.99 on Kindle - how can you pass it up?) truly may become my health Bible!

Book Review: An Anonymous Girl

Once again, I stumbled onto a book written by two women, a concept I find so alluring. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen work well together. I was hesitant because their New York Times best-selling book, The Wife Between Us, concerns infidelity and jealousy (I haven't read it). The comparison titles, Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, didn't encourage me in the slightest. Indeed, at the beginning of An Anonymous Girl, I thought I might have to set the book aside, worried the content might veer off into racy alleys I didn't want to traverse. And it wasn't a wholesome read (protagonist is promiscuous and antagonist is insidious), but I marvel at the authors' expert ability to weave this intricate tale and hold me riveted through hundreds of pages, unable to set it aside for a moment.

The premise lured me in and kept me reading when I felt apprehension. By the time I was midway through, you couldn't tear me away from the book. Jessica Farris is a make-up artist who signs up for a psychology study to make easy money. By answering a questionnaire on ethics and morality, you make $500. The questions are probing and the research professor, Dr. Shields, won't settle for timid answers or lies. She's determined to get to the heart of the subject's moral compass. But something about Jessica (Subject 52) induces Dr. Shields to take the study to a whole new level. With pressing financial needs (help for her disabled sister) and the promise of even greater compensation, Jessica agrees without realizing what it might involve. As things unravel, Jessica gets caught up in the maelstrom. What is the truth? Should she lie? Who can she trust? What motive propels the study? Is this study, on ethics and morality, ethically and morally sound?

The book lived up to the accolades for The Wife Between Us, listed on the back cover: "A fiendishly smart cat-and-mouse thriller." (The New York Times); "Suspenseful and spring-loaded." (The Washington Post); "Buckle up, because you won't be able to put this one down." (Glamour) Indeed, I devoured the book ravenously in two days.

Probably the thing that enticed me the most was contemplating how seemingly innocuous choices can have far-reaching consequences. Two characters in the book take small actions that result in devastating trauma and loss for individuals they love. I am at just such a crossroads myself. As the book grappled with issues of morality, faithfulness, loyalty, and truth-telling, I thought of my own dilemmas arising from innocent, unintentional actions. In the end, my enjoyment of the complexity of the tale, the skillful writing, and the well-paced plot, overruled my hesitations stemming from the less wholesome aspects.

While the authors tastefully shied away from graphic descriptions, simply stating "she slept with him," the unwholesome aspects kept me from highly recommending this book. Still, I must admit it is a well-written, cleverly planned, and carefully executed thriller. I don't regret reading it and will continue to ponder the issues for days to come.

Book Review: Nine Perfect Strangers

Liane Moriarty's newest book, Nine Perfect Strangers, graced my list of anticipated books for Fall of 2018. Unfortunately, my name didn't come up in the library hold line until a few weeks ago. Plus, it took a while to get around to reading the book. I had not heard great things about it. In fact, it made a list of books that were let-downs in 2018 on a Facebook poll posted by 4BoysMother, the hilarious Melissa Fenton. But I wouldn't say the book disappointed. It wasn't my favorite Moriarty and wasn't exactly a clean read, but it was reasonably riveting. Although I expected to struggle with the excessive number of characters (after all, it is about nine perfect strangers who meet at a health resort), the author did a fine job of presenting them (even providing mnemonic devices).

So what characters gather together? Francis is a struggling best-selling novelist. Jessica and Ben have plenty of toys but little holding them together. Lars is a homosexual divorce lawyer whose partner wants a baby. Napoleon, Heather, and their daughter Zoe are fleeing associations of their dearly departed son/brother. Carmel's husband dumped her with her four daughters when he sprang for a newer model, and Tony is an ex-football star, facing a crisis of identity and purpose. All nine individuals hope that Tranquillium House will hold the key to transformation and peace (and maybe a little weight loss). But the methods the owner employs are unconventional and they face a more intense internal crisis than they had ever imagined.

A highly readable book, the pages flew away as I embraced each character and the separate stories unfolding. The characters were realistic and flawed. The issues they faced were believable and intense (I cried over the lost son/brother). Indeed, the writing was stellar. However, I bristled at the ideas espoused in the transformation process (intentionally vague here because I don't want to spoil it for the reader). If such events truly took place in real life, it would be horrifying. Again, it wasn't my favorite Moriarty book. Still, I enjoyed getting from the first page to the resolution and final words on page 450 (no useless fluff - every page necessary to get to the denouement). I laughed. I cried. I stepped into the lives of the fictional characters fully. So, although I wouldn't read it again, it was worth the time invested, even if only for learning from a master at character development and plot pacing.

Book Review: Little Heathens

Although I enjoy taking my sons with me to the library (love encouraging them to use all it offers), generally their accompaniment infringes on my ability to wander and browse to my heart's content. Alas, I was in need of another audio book and my youngest wanted to pick up a movie. Knowing his patience would wane quickly, I skimmed the non-fiction section of audio books and pulled two titles with little forethought.

Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression is a fairly interesting memoir. Author Mildred Armstrong Kalish (of my mother-in-law's generation) reflects on her childhood with a great sense of nostalgia for the old-fashioned way of doing things. She highlights the values of thrift, diligence, and hard work (emphasized repeatedly). She doesn't necessarily scorn modern attitudes but certainly glorifies the way things used to be over how modern technology and advancements have devalued certain aspects of life she cherishes. The stories provide a clear and lively glimpse into life on a farm during the Depression. She talks of her education, her chores, her games and satisfactions.

The book offered great storytelling. I loved listening to the exploits of the young boys attempting to topple an old man's outhouse and his expert revenge the following year. I eagerly imagined what it would be like, as a kid, to keep raccoons as pets and to tame young wild horses. It was easy to put myself in the author's shoes and experience these moments right alongside her. However, I wish I had read the book instead of listened. It plodded. She provided many recipes for things I will never make and tips on how to handle chores I will never perform. That was tiresome. Indeed, my son entered the room and said, "What are you listening to? A cookbook?" Ha!

I may recommend this one to my mother-in-law, however, because I know it would appeal to her greatly. She would relish all the old tales. It would remind her of her own childhood (although I don't believe her parents moved from town to live on the farm until later in her life). Anyone who grew up in a rural area between the 1920s and 1930s would probably find something of interest in the life Kalish remembers.