"B" Authors -- Give This Dog a Bone!

My dog, Polo, has been at work picking out audiobooks again. It works best to limit his choices to certain author names so he doesn't chase all over the alphabet. After all, I have a short attention span and might not remember which authors we've already sampled.

The Windfall

Mr. and Mrs. Jha have lived with adequate comfort in their East Delhi home, but everything must change when Mr. Jha sells a website and they come into sudden wealth. Nothing about their current situation is good enough -- so he rushes to buy a big house in the best neighborhood, fill it with amazing new furniture, park a fancy car in the garage, and impress his potential new friends. 

Polo's favorite scene: There is a certain painting activity that is both hilarious and horribly embarrassing. Also, Polo dreams about being the Jha's family dog and living in the (literal) lap of luxury.

Once We Were Brothers

A modern-day court drama requires a detailed exploration of the past in this historical novel with a mystery. Two boys grew up in Poland during World War II; one of them became a Nazi; the other had to hide. In present-day Chicago, one man is an elderly widower. But did that young Polish boy, who was forced to join the German army, become a well-known millionaire? Or is this all just the confused imagining of a lonely old man?

Polo's best feature: The narrator's use of different voices and slight accents makes the story easy to follow as it goes from the 1930s to the present.

The Throwback Special

I remember the play. It was Monday Night Football, 1985, Washington Redskins versus the New York Giants. Joe Theismann suffered an injury seen by millions of fans on live television. If you were a football fan, you remember it, too. That one play changed Joe's life, and the moment lives on in twenty-two men who get together every year to re-enact it (but without the actual injury). No matter how much -- or how little -- changes in their lives, these men have a standing commitment to meet every year. Just them, no girlfriends or wives or children or distractions, going through the motions in exact detail. The real story here isn't the football play, but the men's real lives and inner conversations.  

Polo's highlight: Playing ball on a grassy field with friends. What could be better?

MWF Seeking BFF

A real-life young married white female (MWF) moves to Chicago and misses her old best friends forever (BFFs). Needing someone to be able to call for spur-of-the-moment manicures or movie nights, Rachel Bertsche embarks on a year-long project to find new friends. Her goal is to have one friend-date per week, hoping that at least a few of her new contacts will lead to more friend-dates which will blossom into real friendships. The narrator's energy is contagious, and I felt myself wondering if I should try this experiment!

Polo's take: This is all complicated and ridiculous! If you want to make a friend, all you have to do is watch for friendly body language and ask them to scratch behind your ears. If they also give you a treat, you're true BFFs.

"A" is for Author -- Listening to Books with Polo, Letter by Letter

This material originally appeared on our library's website. I was fortunate to have been allowed to post book reviews there for a time. Please pardon the awkward formatting -- I'll try to fix it later. 

Sometimes I let my dog pick out books. Polo can’t actually read, so I limit his search options to things we can download and listen to together. I should warn you that Polo’s not a great fan of romance (too mushy), sci-fi (non-human creatures make him bark), or horror (he parks his 80 pounds of fear in my lap), but he enjoys a good mystery and a good all-around story. In order to keep track of new authors, we’re starting to move through the alphabet one letter at a time.

Here are our top three selections from authors whose last names begin with the letter A.

Adrenaline

This book opens with adrenaline, as the main character runs through his parkour workout in a half-constructed building in London. Leaping off one wall, scaling another, flying across gaps two stories high, grasping, clinging, propelling himself to the next ledge. The plot of the entire book follows these unpredictable twists and turns, from one danger to another. Part spy novel, part heartbreaking story of love lost, this was a great listen – and there’s a dog at the end! 

A Darkness Absolute

Way up north in Canada’s Yukon Territory is a secret town. Everyone who lives there has a deep, dark secret. Rockton is forbiddingly remote, a place for extreme witness protection. In deepest winter, the darkness is long and the suspense longer. When a resident takes off, it’s up to the local police force to find him before he freezes to death. But while searching for him, Detective Casey Duncan stumbles upon a woman being held in a cave. Who kidnapped her? How did they keep this secret? Will Casey and Chief Erik Dalton be able to prevent another kidnapping? Not only does this story provide chilling suspense, but Kelley Armstrong builds a fascinating community of characters whose company I missed when the book ended. Good thing there are more titles in this series, and Polo was thrilled about the big puppy who appears midway in this book. 

Thin Places

Skye’s mother disappeared after they were involved in a scary one-car accident. Although Skye was soon placed in a permanent foster home, she never felt like she belonged anywhere. Despite her emotional disconnect, Skye grows up and prepares to go away to college. The mystery of her mother’s disappearance finally begins to come out as Skye develops new friendships and opens up to a counselor. Can she ever have a relationship with her mother again? What happens to the fragile ties with her foster mom? If you haven’t yet read an “indie” book (produced by an independent publisher), try this one. (Although it's not available in audio formats, the book was short enough for me to read aloud with Polo.)

Epic Seattle Adventures, Part 2

Or should the title be "Epic Seattle Tourist Adventures"? Chihuly Garden and Glass has become one of those tourist must-see sites in Seattle proper, and rightly so. The exhibits are breathtaking. Perfect presentation, absolutely wonderful lighting, and photography is allowed. This place is a dream!

There's an oops in my very non-professional photo. Can you spot it, or are you too enthralled by the sculpture?

Two venues in one!

Even the gift shop is amazing!

I don't usually include so many photos in a single post, but I'm sharing these with friends and wanted to give the best of the best. The folks with whom I shared this adventure are as beautiful and complex as any of these works of glass -- but way less fragile!

Epic Seattle Adventures, Part One

I had an unexpected opportunity to see a few of THE things to do in Seattle. Here are a few photos from our first stop -- the Space Needle! First time I've been up there since my son became a t**nager lo, those many years ago. (When my kids were adolescents, I vowed I would not say that particular four-letter word.)

Wheel Ferry Crane Port

it was kind of wet that day

"Rain Gets in Your Eyes"

it stopped raining for a while

fall colors

Sea plane! Sea plane! Landing on Lake Union

those hills are pretty marvelous way out there

the Stadia, and that remarkable red building

For authentication purposes, here's a self portrait from the glass-floored observation level. Sorry I didn't think to adjust the lighting, but this is obviously me. You can even see the tread on my left boot.

"F" is for Frolic, Failure, and Fun -- or, Authors Whose Last Names Begin with F

A couple of years ago, my library system added blog posts to our website. Many of the posts were short collections of book reviews, often following a theme. I tried writing a few of these, but never felt like I could keep up with the thought-provoking themes of my librarian colleagues. It was a good challenge, a growth opportunity, and I was honored to have been selected to write for our site. After a few successes, and several wadded-up-and-thrown-in-the-trashcan failures, I realized that what I needed was my old writing partner to get me going again. Enter Polo!

Polo in his reading chair

The next step was figuring out what we could do for themes. I enjoy a range of material from quirky fiction to educational nonfiction, and Polo's game for whatever. How to cover this mix? Let's go alphabetically, by the authors' last names! We like to listen to books (Polo struggles with reading, at least when I'm around), so we only review things we can access via compact discs (audiobook CDs) or electronically (downloadable audiobooks on my phone).

We started listening, reviewing, and posting together on the library website with "A" authors, and the whole process was very satisfying now that we were doing it together. Our posts made it through "E" authors before a website update brought adjustments to the backstage side of the process. Also, my workload seemed to intensify, so we decided it was time to bow-wow out of the website thing. (See what we did there? A little dogga humor!)

And now, feigning fantastic fanfare, Polo and I feature frisky fiction (and whatever) by authors whose last names begin with the letter F.

The Tumbling Turner Sisters

By Juliette Fay

A great story from just past the turn of the century – the last century, that is – complete with cultural references and history made story. An average family is pushed to the brink financially when the father badly injures his hand, and mother and daughters realize it’s up to them to become breadwinners… by creating a Vaudeville act and hitting the road! Ups and downs, twists and turns, as the Tumbling Turner Sisters learn to balance each other, both literally and figuratively. Nothing comes easy for them, but these women have bonds and resilience that carry them forward.

Polo’s considerations: “It would have been helpful if they'd had the companionship of a good dog. I would have helped, but I do not travel.”

The Confusion of Languages

By Siobhan Fallon

How important is cultural awareness when you join your military spouse on assignment to the Middle East? Is attendance at security briefings optional, and can you draw caricatures of the officer presenting this material while he’s speaking? What if you are assigned to acclimate a newly arrived wife, but she resists your help? Told in alternating voices of the experienced, careful Cassie and the upstart, impulsive Margaret, this is an intriguing story of what-ifs and what-now.

Polo’s deliberations: “Again, they could have used a good dog to keep them safe. Margaret needed a herding breed to keep her in check.”

The Mitford Murders – A Mystery

By Jessica Fellowes

You may have heard of Julian Fellowes, creator of the award-winning Downton Abbey television series. His niece, Jessica Fellowes, has collaborated with him to write companion pieces for Downton Abbey, and she has crafted this wonderful period mystery set in the early 1900s. Strong characters, evocative scenery and characters, and a tricky tale of murder make this a winning audiobook.

Polo’s opinion: “The best stories have dogs in them. This is a very good story, complete with a dog and a couple of young human children.”

Being Educated by "Educated"

I don't usually read bestsellers. At least, not while they are still on the bestseller list. The main reason is that I don't feel any need to jump on the bandwagon. The other big reason is that I don't think to put myself on the waitlist for soon-to-be-published hot titles, and once I notice the new book, the hold list is way long. So I don't bother.

But I have friends who recommend books. In fact, they're professionals when it comes to suggesting the next great read. How can I help but get excited? So I put myself on the list for Tara Westover's memoir, Educated. Homeschooled girl from strict religious family makes it big in academia, despite not having any formal instruction in history, science, or math. How did she break free to enter university? How did she manage to earn multiple degrees? How did she overcome her extremely isolated childhood?

When I listened, engrossed, I found the audiobook was more of a horror story. Over and over, I perched on the edge of my seat. "Run! Run from the house before the crazed ax murderer catches up with you! Get away from the giant metal-eating behemoth machine before it crushes you! Tell someone about your brother slamming your head into the wall!"

This is a story of abuse. So much abuse, for so many years. The breaking free was not so much about education, although that certainly was her ticket to a completely different world. As is so common for people who experience domestic violence, it seems impossible to sever the ties that bind them to their abusers. That is the horror of this story. And that is the reader's opportunity for education.

To Write, or Let it Rot?

The more I read good stuff, the more I want to write again. I cannot express how much it means to me when someone asks what happened to the novel I was working on several years ago. It touches me that they would remember and ask, and it grieves me deeply that those manuscripts (plural) have become dry and dusty relics. I think I will write again. My characters are still there, alive after all these years, and maybe there are more stories to be written besides those two. Time will tell.

But I will not dwell on failure -- my own failure to launch. Maybe it wasn't the right time, maybe I wasn't adequately seasoned just then. It sure was fun, though. Time to see what comes next.

I have recently discovered that I have "severe" obstructive sleep apnea. So severe that I wonder how I have managed to put one foot in front of the other each day. Now that I have my very own CPAP machine and am already seeing successful treatment, I wonder what superpowers I will unleash with a few good weeks of sleep. Maybe this writing this could come back into being? And maybe, finally, an increase in physical stamina? I could stand to lose a few pounds, too, so maybe that. Focus is always good. We'll see.

One of my favorite features of blogging is being able to add photo illustrations. However, it's easy to work on my photos OR write the text. If I'm going to write tonight, I need to stick to writing. I'll add photos soon, but not tonight. Words will have to be enough. Words can be amazing, too, on a good writing day. Ha -- the best thing about my photos is that I get to crop them to show the very best of the composition! I've heard that writing is like that. Cropping out the extra, distracting, material in order to highlight the heart.

I've let the compost pile rot long enough. I'd like to write. We'll see what happens.