Author's note: 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!
All of the books reviewed here are available as downloadable audiobooks.
Making Jack
Falcone
Joaquin Garcia
A real-life story of the mob, crime, punishment, and
maybe justice. Joaquin Garcia is a hulk of an FBI agent who was able to
infiltrate one of the biggest crime families on the East Coast. There are scenes
of violence, crude language, and every bit of illegal behavior you’d expect to
find in a book on this subject. What was most surprising to us, though, was how
Mr. Garcia (six feet four inches tall, weighing in at three hundred pounds or
more) kept from being recognized over the course of several years and a handful
of aliases.
Polo’s thoughts: “Apparently the Mafia doesn’t run Lab
tests. One sniff would have sent them running from this ‘Jack Falcone’ guy.
Woof!”
Sous Chef
Michael Gibney
Subtitle: 24 Hours on the Line
We picked up this one because one of our favorite people
works in a dining establishment of multiple star rating (that is, a classy
restaurant). Our person has told stories of stress and intensity, of being
slammed with customers and of coworkers who don’t take their turns polishing
silver or buffing the glassware. We wanted to see inside a kitchen, and this
book gave us that view. Let the listener beware – very salty content.
Polo’s insight: “No wonder my man is exhausted on his days
off! The noise and action is too much. I enjoy my kibbles in our own quiet
house, thank you very much.”
Mrs. Pollifax
Pursued
Dorothy Gilman
(narrated by Barbara Rosenblat)
We enjoy listening to Barbara Rosenblat, and Katharine
read all of the Mrs. Pollifax books many years ago. The best thing about Mrs.
Pollifax? She’s full of surprises! She dabbles in martial arts, travels
extensively to obscure locations, keeps secrets, makes friends, and stirs up
trouble while uncovering world-class villains. While she is utterly lovable,
she is a force to be reckoned with – but the bad guys never suspect!
Polo’s perception: “Mrs. Pollifax seems like a cat – but
a good one, sneaking up on bad guys. She’s all good!”
Camino Island
John Grisham
Although we usually skip bestselling authors (because
their books are already in demand, it’s not like they need more publicity, and
we like to suggest things that might not be on your radar), we had to choose
another “old favorite” and go with Grisham. The story did not disappoint. Great
setting, interesting characters, and a plot that is part mystery, part normal
life.
Polo’s pondering: “There’s a dog here, but the dog
doesn’t get to participate much except to walk on the beach. I like beach. Good
story.”
The Stranger Game
Peter Gadol
Pick a stranger, follow them, but don’t let them see you,
and see how far you can get away from your own humdrum life routines. The
“game” goes from innocent to edgy to… murder??? For the duration of this
audiobook, every time I (Katharine) was out alone somewhere, I was tempted to
play the game myself. Who doesn’t want to watch, to imagine a story about a
person, to throw yourself into an innocent but secret mission?
Polo’s regrets: “I watch people all the time, in front of
my house. I’d follow them, too – but I would also bark to let them know I’m
here. I’m always ready to play!”
Triggers
Marshall Goldsmith
Eye-opening reminder that I am not in absolute control of
my reactions, habits, and go-to behaviors. That sounds harsh, but this author
really is gentle. We all have personal triggers – tone of voice, physical tics,
even childhood memories – that arouse anger or sadness, fear or compassion. The
book is full of helpful advice and real-life examples of both good and
not-so-good behavior. Goldsmith takes things to an extreme for himself – he suggests
paying someone to be your accountability partner, calling them at the end of
every day to rate yourself in a number of areas of concern. I guess that would
be like a dieter doing a weigh-in, with an observer holding a clipboard and
writing down every scale reading. You don’t have to follow every suggestion in
this book, but you’ll probably find insight, encouragement, and challenge here.
I did.
Polo’s response: “Squirrel? Trigger! Crow? Trigger! I
must bark my loudest at every bad invader! Why would I want to change? Oh –
you said dog biscuit? Play with toy? Well…”
The End of the
Suburbs
Leigh Gallagher
Polo and I live in the suburbs. Very happily, we thought.
But this study of “new urbanism” and other trends of residential life
introduced us to different ideas (and ideals) of sustainability, walkability,
and community. Descriptions of large, planned communities are appealing, in
some ways, and made us reconsider the style of population density to which we
are accustomed. Among our extended family, there are people who live right in
the city and people who live more than five miles away from a small town,
covering a range of lifestyle choices and opportunities. Very eye-opening to
ponder the variety of situations that we in North America call home.
Polo’s observation: “I like my yard. I like my neighbor’s
yard. I don’t like cars or buses or busy streets. I don’t even like neighbors
walking on my part of the street. Woof!”
