tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12402458361506188112024-02-19T23:33:12.840-08:00RRB BooksBook reviews and reader's journalRRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-39241439207981875572022-05-06T15:50:00.001-07:002022-05-06T15:50:56.083-07:00Roadtrip<h1 style="text-align: left;">The Lincoln Highway</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">by Amor Towles</h4><p>Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqKmzV5AXkEFEOcCux-gO5-Q4S2MAfVPoCi4RjT0IEqcnHoGFe1HlGASbHxe8pgDcvnobi9Pvq26wzbVqL1tKuxodhABDeL5UW0h3JoYFl475-aQkOT7qqs_tNSz3HjB5wFz11YmTha3wD62E-elSy5SHBX8xcZnscQcLCUtR863GfGAkz1jrmrZbHA/s475/The%20Lincoln%20Highway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqKmzV5AXkEFEOcCux-gO5-Q4S2MAfVPoCi4RjT0IEqcnHoGFe1HlGASbHxe8pgDcvnobi9Pvq26wzbVqL1tKuxodhABDeL5UW0h3JoYFl475-aQkOT7qqs_tNSz3HjB5wFz11YmTha3wD62E-elSy5SHBX8xcZnscQcLCUtR863GfGAkz1jrmrZbHA/w133-h200/The%20Lincoln%20Highway.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqKmzV5AXkEFEOcCux-gO5-Q4S2MAfVPoCi4RjT0IEqcnHoGFe1HlGASbHxe8pgDcvnobi9Pvq26wzbVqL1tKuxodhABDeL5UW0h3JoYFl475-aQkOT7qqs_tNSz3HjB5wFz11YmTha3wD62E-elSy5SHBX8xcZnscQcLCUtR863GfGAkz1jrmrZbHA/s475/The%20Lincoln%20Highway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><i>The Lincoln Highway </i>is a book about a June 1954 road trip with four unlikely compadres. <div><br /></div><div>Emmett Watson has just gotten home from juvenile detention. He is released early because his father had passed away. His mother is long gone and the family farm is foreclosed upon. He plans on taking his only remaining relative, little brother Billy, out West to build houses and make his fortune.<br /><br />His plans are sidetracked when two of his buddies from juvie show up. Duchess is a piece of work, always looking for a scheme to make money. He brings Woolley, another escapee from juvie. Woolley is the estranged youngest son of an old-money East coast family.</div><div><br /></div><div>Among Billy's important possessions are nine postcards their mother sent home after she left the family when Billy was just a baby. The postcards trace her route westward along The Lincoln Highway, the first coast-to-coast roadway in the US. Billy insists that they retrace her route west. Emmett acquiesces to his brother's wish. Along with Duchess and Woolley, they jump in Emmett's baby-blue Studebaker to make the trip.</div><div><br /></div><div>Early on, Duchess and Woolley steal the Studebaker, leaving Emmett and Billy stranded with no car and no money. Duchess plans on going to upstate New York to Woolley's family summer home, where Woolley allegedly has a ton of money stashed in a safe. The intrepid brothers hop on a freight train to follow the other two and reclaim the car. </div><div><br /></div><div>Many shenanigans ensue, which I won't reveal so as not to spoil any surprises. </div><div><br /></div><div>The story is told from many different points of view. Each chapter is told from the point of view of a character. Although the story is mostly written in the third person, Duchess' chapters are written in the first person. This device makes it clear that this is really Duchess' story. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another interesting aspect of the writing is that quotation marks are not used. Rather, each person's speech was prefaced with an em dash. I found this device off-putting at first but gradually came to like this style. It allowed Towles to combine dialog with other elements, such as what the character was thinking or doing while speaking.</div><div><br /></div><div>Gradually, we learn the backstory of the three older boys, about their lives and why they landed in juvie. Emmett punched a kid who was bad-mouthing Emmett's mother. Unfortunately, the kid Emmett punched fell down, hit his head, and died. Woolley took a joyride in the town firetruck, intending to entertain small kids. Unfortunately, a fire erupted in a barn while Woolley had the firetruck, resulting in the death of several horses. Ironically, the only one without blame is Duchess, who had been sold out by his own con-man father. </div><div><br /></div><div>Each of the four learns some tough lessons along the way. <i>The Lincoln Highway</i> may take place during a road trip, but it is about learning to depend on others. </div>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-48171312034402200442022-04-25T11:36:00.000-07:002022-04-25T11:36:49.585-07:00Free Books From Amazon<h1 style="text-align: left;">E-Book Freebies</h1><p>If you do a little legwork, it's possible to never pay Amazon for an e-book. This is important because Kindle books on Amazon can be up to $14.99 (sometimes even more). The biggest bookseller in the world also offers free books! There are several ways to find them.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">World Book Day</h3><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNAyEQFCq74aoSSG0ctUBv0cQR0nK8aRmrpuSGGttF6CGM5aTUeSbioLD5Xsv1e2veccwoEx3ab7bfyIasSeG0tpZx4ezm1CSBF9Cf0e1pmLcS3-MdcDBIWwwcMS2njnsVnbUG-PBMSNp4Cz6cpJ6nde4CmuqYCoasWI_uPnLTiPI8aTo6C3HTa-qBA/s200/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20101105.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="103" data-original-width="200" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNAyEQFCq74aoSSG0ctUBv0cQR0nK8aRmrpuSGGttF6CGM5aTUeSbioLD5Xsv1e2veccwoEx3ab7bfyIasSeG0tpZx4ezm1CSBF9Cf0e1pmLcS3-MdcDBIWwwcMS2njnsVnbUG-PBMSNp4Cz6cpJ6nde4CmuqYCoasWI_uPnLTiPI8aTo6C3HTa-qBA/s1600/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20101105.png" width="200" /></a></b></span></span></div><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><b>What It Is</b>: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has marked 23 April as </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">World Book and Copyright Day</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">, also known as <b>World Book Day</b>. The day is celebrated in over a hundred countries around the world. </span></span></p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><b>The Offer</b>: Each year, in honor of World Book Day, Amazon offers ten free books from non-US authors. The selection includes several different genres. </span></span></p></blockquote></blockquote><p style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;"><b>The Fine Print</b>: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">"This free Kindle book giveaway started at 12 a.m. (PDT) April 13, 2022 and ends at 11:59 p.m. (PDT) on April 27, 2022. Customers who are eligible to purchase Kindle books on Amazon.com can download one or more of the ten featured Kindle books subject to the terms and conditions of Amazon.com Services LLC. Offer does not apply to physical goods, digital magazines, audiobooks (including Audible companions for your Kindle book purchase), print books, or digital subscriptions such as Kindle Unlimited. Amazon reserves the right to modify or cancel the offer at any time. Offer is non-transferable and may not be resold."</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><b>To Get There</b>: Starting the middle of April, go to the <a href="https://amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle Books</a> page.</span></span><span style="color: #202124;"> World Book Day will usually be a large splash at the top of the page. Click on that and you'll get to the selection of free books.</span></p></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">Prime Reading</h3><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlMcjq8u6xeJVz104oC499z92TQHYI0GplHAb9RE2zbWHMJ5Hd1fIrDuhWOYA9f6UqQ4wcuSRj0sLjJR_M-fA0SKPWGAkZTZ3bFMctajz0cZ6kUYtWNOakl5qMU-q2GuHcZe90bTmcbX3MDxkIgdluxYDAJqGfju0N1eK0DlqaJyY3-9kd0fUMdCABQ/s302/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20103505.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="302" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlMcjq8u6xeJVz104oC499z92TQHYI0GplHAb9RE2zbWHMJ5Hd1fIrDuhWOYA9f6UqQ4wcuSRj0sLjJR_M-fA0SKPWGAkZTZ3bFMctajz0cZ6kUYtWNOakl5qMU-q2GuHcZe90bTmcbX3MDxkIgdluxYDAJqGfju0N1eK0DlqaJyY3-9kd0fUMdCABQ/w200-h61/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20103505.png" width="200" /></a></div>The Offer</b>: For Amazon Prime members only, Prime Reading gives access to a rotating catalog of ebooks and audiobooks. There is also one free pre-release ebook every month from editors' picks. Magazines and audiobooks are also included.</blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><b>The Fine Print</b>: Prime Reading books are loans, not purchases. You can keep a borrowed book as long as you want, but the maximum you can borrow at one time is ten books. If you try to borrow your 11th book, the site will take you to the "Return a title to continue" page. There you can select one to return so you can borrow a new one.</p></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>To Get There</b>: G<span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">o to the <a href="https://amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle Books</a> page.</span></span><span style="color: #202124;"> Select Prime Reading from the menu at the left.</span></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Free Books</h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxsVbHwcniZIZDPQYtXbIzxE39gTzoMlj14o5i0PeIyxCv_s7MvRVJn8fXbPr6rRETw8gJ9xBlghUvJfOJAsKeYaRpeNyAabM90nnIFpiNqwEu2M1yOwA_p26OyMJfTJ5W0ETtLr_9U2emxxtdHljBaU61DwpOf_e6LesiHIFEFfnky4IJk-NlnsyFg/s529/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20104539.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxsVbHwcniZIZDPQYtXbIzxE39gTzoMlj14o5i0PeIyxCv_s7MvRVJn8fXbPr6rRETw8gJ9xBlghUvJfOJAsKeYaRpeNyAabM90nnIFpiNqwEu2M1yOwA_p26OyMJfTJ5W0ETtLr_9U2emxxtdHljBaU61DwpOf_e6LesiHIFEFfnky4IJk-NlnsyFg/w119-h200/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20104539.png" width="119" /></a></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>The Offer</b>: Every day, hundreds of Kindle books are offered for free on Amazon to any Amazon user, and no Prime membership or Kindle Unlimited is required. These are usually the first book in a series, and the later books aren't free. </div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>The Fine Print</b>: Be careful before you click to "buy"! Make sure that the listing says "Kindle Edition $0.00" as shown at left. If you're not a Kindle Unlimited member, carefully look at the price for books with the Kindle Unlimited sticker, as shown at right. Those have a big $0.00 but smaller print says "Free with Kindle Unlimited membership. Or $xx to buy."</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>To Get There</b>: Don't use the Amazon search box to search for "Free Kindle Books." That will give you Kindle Unlimited books, which aren't necessarily free if you don't have Kindle Unlimited. Sneaky! Instead, go to this link <a href="https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=20102661011">free Kindle books</a>. </div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCVYMKHrBK2GuxkDWXpPJzNqFPylUvWiRsrWZNSqj8caplu8Aj5Mu0sKkcAH6X3oppNbsOhl6M166aeL8DtAuop5jvSWFCobZDY5F6CcdYPQM_X_fT7vLPNPFXFVA4XKbwpOd0ftUxbatJYPTTkAit4IxFuqJeEyIi1y1wuPKBAObE4GLGqKMfWJNuQ/s391/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20105200.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="391" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCVYMKHrBK2GuxkDWXpPJzNqFPylUvWiRsrWZNSqj8caplu8Aj5Mu0sKkcAH6X3oppNbsOhl6M166aeL8DtAuop5jvSWFCobZDY5F6CcdYPQM_X_fT7vLPNPFXFVA4XKbwpOd0ftUxbatJYPTTkAit4IxFuqJeEyIi1y1wuPKBAObE4GLGqKMfWJNuQ/w200-h103/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20105200.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCVYMKHrBK2GuxkDWXpPJzNqFPylUvWiRsrWZNSqj8caplu8Aj5Mu0sKkcAH6X3oppNbsOhl6M166aeL8DtAuop5jvSWFCobZDY5F6CcdYPQM_X_fT7vLPNPFXFVA4XKbwpOd0ftUxbatJYPTTkAit4IxFuqJeEyIi1y1wuPKBAObE4GLGqKMfWJNuQ/s391/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20105200.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCVYMKHrBK2GuxkDWXpPJzNqFPylUvWiRsrWZNSqj8caplu8Aj5Mu0sKkcAH6X3oppNbsOhl6M166aeL8DtAuop5jvSWFCobZDY5F6CcdYPQM_X_fT7vLPNPFXFVA4XKbwpOd0ftUxbatJYPTTkAit4IxFuqJeEyIi1y1wuPKBAObE4GLGqKMfWJNuQ/s391/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20105200.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br /></div></b><br /> <br /><br /><p><br /></p><p><b>Kindle Unlimited</b></p></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRWbV1OCW4DqUYol3CYk-ov3OBJALbHgSsI1oxwb03V2W3YfHcvCE0SvWaSJGDToo5SMC2J5Iz1Np2L8WrDl9u0Gp_rWbRmyKtwRXipa9QcXoIuCjpiC_FobcBYllAbRx3pW2dBKjKZypG8Hys35pu5kwA1Ly25htR7RGHfNY1YarwHLHJV4e_pvv9Q/s313/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20110650.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="313" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRWbV1OCW4DqUYol3CYk-ov3OBJALbHgSsI1oxwb03V2W3YfHcvCE0SvWaSJGDToo5SMC2J5Iz1Np2L8WrDl9u0Gp_rWbRmyKtwRXipa9QcXoIuCjpiC_FobcBYllAbRx3pW2dBKjKZypG8Hys35pu5kwA1Ly25htR7RGHfNY1YarwHLHJV4e_pvv9Q/w200-h173/Screenshot%202022-04-25%20110650.png" width="200" /></b></a></div><p></p></blockquote><p><b>The Offer</b>: "Unlimited Reading. Unlimited listening. Any device." Usually $9.99 per month, but occasionally there are special offers. Usually at least one month free is offered with the purchase of a new Kindle.</p><p><b>The Fine Print</b>: Go to the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?rw_useCurrentProtocol=1&nodeId=201556940&ref_=amb_link_GZkHS94QT-uqw6xHrEAq9Q_1" target="_blank">Kindle Unlimited Terms of Use</a> page to see all of the terms and conditions. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><p style="text-align: left;"><b>The Catch</b>: Not everything is available on KU! The selection is large - over two million titles - but your favorite authors and/or current sellers may or may not be included. I recommend going to the Kindle Unlimited eligible list and searching for your favorite authors. </p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Search for "Stephen King," and you'll get a bunch of books by some poseur named "Stephen R. King," not books by the best selling author from Maine.</li></ul><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Search for "Blake Crouch" (who is a very hot sci-fi author), you'll find a lot of his older books but none of his current best sellers.</li></ul><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Search for "Colleen Hoover" and you'll find a ton of her books on Kindle Unlimited. If you like cheesy romance books, you're in business! (To be fair, millions of people LOVE Colleen Hoover, and that's great. She's just not for me.)</li></ul><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><p style="text-align: left;"><b>To Get There</b>: If you're not already a member, go to the <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/hz/subscribe/ku?ref_=kbhp_nb_ku&rw_useCurrentProtocol=1" target="_blank">Kindle Unlimited sign-up</a> page. If you just want to see what books are available, go to the<span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"> <a href="https://amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle Books</a> page.</span></span><span style="color: #202124;"> Then click on the "Kindle Unlimited eligible" box in the left-hand menu. </span></p></div></blockquote><div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-56329377235443565372022-04-21T16:10:00.003-07:002022-04-21T16:10:43.552-07:00Children's Odyssey<h1 style="text-align: left;">This Tender Land</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">by William Kent Krueger</h4><p>Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuR_R2udOWZTgyv55xBnPrx3divs7h1WiXScCjsdHjfuIHFBcbtWLrtVyzLrPQk_B8AK6JimaKzZQy6u_pg5LROUEK6fEkBHU89mJAGkAU5qaHQ3sYaONflLR8VdnlZTPoXqQf_IyHa1VvN_D5xYvYpDmTN71Nto7gkpH8Ms7kLjZq2XpjcPhxJy5jhg/s2120/This%20Tender%20Land.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2120" data-original-width="1400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuR_R2udOWZTgyv55xBnPrx3divs7h1WiXScCjsdHjfuIHFBcbtWLrtVyzLrPQk_B8AK6JimaKzZQy6u_pg5LROUEK6fEkBHU89mJAGkAU5qaHQ3sYaONflLR8VdnlZTPoXqQf_IyHa1VvN_D5xYvYpDmTN71Nto7gkpH8Ms7kLjZq2XpjcPhxJy5jhg/w132-h200/This%20Tender%20Land.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><i>This Tender Land</i> is the tale of <b>Odie</b> and his brother <b>Albert</b>, and their friends <b>Mose</b> and <b>Emmy.</b> The majority of the story is about their journey as they escape from the abuse they received at <b>The Lincoln Indian Training School</b> in 1932 Minnesota. <div><br /></div><div>Odie and Albert are orphans when they come to Lincoln. They are the only white kids at the boarding school. Their friend, Mose, is mute because someone cut out his tongue when he was just a baby. Although Mose can't speak, he eloquently communicates with ASL. Odie and Albert know signing since their late mother was deaf. </div><div><br /></div><div>The headmistress of the Lincoln Indian Training School is <b>Mrs. Thelma Brickman</b>, who is called The Black Witch behind her back. She regularly sends Odie (and sometimes Albert) to the "Quiet Room," which is actually a jail cell in an old stockade. A common punishment is withholding food.<br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div><p style="text-align: left;"><i>"No kid was allowed to speak his Native tongue. It was a strict tenet of the Indian boarding school philosophy, which was 'Kill the Indian, save the man.' "</i></p></div></div></blockquote><div><div><p>The four kids run away from their abusive captors by paddling down the nearby Gilead river in a canoe. They encounter both wonderful and terrible people on their journey. At one point, they are made to perform forced labor by an alcoholic farmer they call <b>One-Eyed Jack</b>. They temporarily join up with the <b>Sword of Gideon Healing Crusade</b>, a traveling tent revival. Each stop along the way has hard lessons for the children. They press onward to their goal: to find their <b>Aunt Julia</b> in St. Louis.</p><p>Eventually, Odie makes the last leg of the journey by himself, because the other three elect to stay with the Crusade. Sister Eve of the Healing Crusade tells Odie what she knows each of the children is looking for. </p></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div><div><p style="text-align: left;"><i>“You’re the easiest of all, Odie. The only thing you’ve ever wanted is home.”</i></p></div></div></div></blockquote><div><div><p>Odie, whose real given name is revealed when he reaches Saint Louis, finds his Aunt Julia and realizes that she is not at all what he expected. </p></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div><div><p style="text-align: left;"><i>"With every turn of the river since I’d left Lincoln School, the world had become broader, its mysteries more complex, its possibilities infinite."</i></p></div></div></div></blockquote><div><div><div>
<p><i>This Tender Land</i> is a beautifully written story about hope, love, and forgiveness.</p></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div><div><div><p style="text-align: left;"><i>"Of all that we’re asked to give others in this life, the most difficult to offer may be forgiveness."</i></p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-85886352791607593142022-04-12T16:47:00.001-07:002022-04-12T16:48:02.185-07:00Ferry to the Afterlife<h1 style="text-align: left;">Under The Whispering Door</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">by TJ Klune</h4><p>Rating ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqpCYmYNy4LYclBsj_L3Ys6ijy4AC86QPO4aVfQKuM6AL3kxGzEigK_BUvl1rkgWysX09OP0y7W25MeI8mCVVodyfGPR2oqpUtAq0VGPc3T-tMx6KeVgOfINGOjkvU6DWHoTq6DlNDp_LYfbiXl1zKIC2s_5Xn989O7CphvBz9CRkwDe6c3soLz_qwg/s475/under%20the%20whispering%20door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqpCYmYNy4LYclBsj_L3Ys6ijy4AC86QPO4aVfQKuM6AL3kxGzEigK_BUvl1rkgWysX09OP0y7W25MeI8mCVVodyfGPR2oqpUtAq0VGPc3T-tMx6KeVgOfINGOjkvU6DWHoTq6DlNDp_LYfbiXl1zKIC2s_5Xn989O7CphvBz9CRkwDe6c3soLz_qwg/w129-h200/under%20the%20whispering%20door.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><p>I approached this book reluctantly because I'm always wary of super-popular things. The book seemed like it would be too cutesy for my taste, just based on the whimsical illustration on the cover. </p><p>This is the story of <b>Wallace Price</b>, a partner in the law firm he founded. Wallace is - almost comically - a jackass in the early chapters. His character is the MOST self-centered human being possible. He has no regard for other people and concerns himself only with how he looks (he loves his expensive suits) and with winning cases. He views a crying secretary as an inconvenience, not caring in the slightest what she's upset about.</p><p>Wallace drops dead of a heart attack and wakes up at his funeral. He is shocked that only a few people are in attendance, that no one appears to be sad about his passing, and no one can see or hear him. His law partners are there, gossiping about what an unpleasant guy he was. His ex-wife gives a "eulogy" consisting entirely of ranting about how much she hated him. </p><p>He is surprised when one of the attendees, a young woman he doesn't recognize, is able to see him. She tells him that her name is Mei. She explains that she is his Reaper and she's there to take him where he belongs. <br /><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>“What is…?” He tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. “What’s happening?” </i></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>She said, “What’s happening is that you lived your life. You did what you did, and now it’s over. At least that part of it is. And when you’re ready to leave here, I’ll take you to Hugo. He’ll explain the rest.” </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Leave,” he muttered. “With Hugo.” </span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">She shook her head before stopping herself. “Well, in a way. He’s a ferryman.” </span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">“A what?” </span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Ferryman,” she repeated. “The one who will help you cross.”</span></i></div></blockquote><p>Mei escorts him to Charon's Crossing Tea Room and Treats (the whimsical building pictured on the cover) and introduces Wallace to Hugo, the proprietor. Any references to Greek mythology end here, unfortunately. It's just the name Hugo gave to his tea shop.</p><p>The rest of the story is Wallace's redemption. He starts out as the worst person in the world and gradually becomes a better person. <br /><br />I rated this book three and a half stars because of the entertaining story. There's an unexpected and very sweet queer love story. The chapter concerning a self-proclaimed psychic named Desdemona had me laughing uncontrollably. I took away stars because it took too long to redeem Wallace, and the story dragged quite a bit as result. In addition, the Greek mythology aspect was hinted at but not explored. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-40945603963163649202022-04-10T10:09:00.001-07:002022-04-10T10:09:36.435-07:00Time Loop<h1 style="text-align: left;">Sea of Tranquility</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">by Emily St. John Mandel</h4><p>Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8yfgMzU2dkG_Leu-1RuDzd_4fOqJaVr75z8ugJhvSUqpFVmOMHm8B0MuDR5RdhLLCccbtzRO-foLG3lXcAq5_QGvkmU_7PHpZKYMZG1UXtvB4HnABeHsxyz2xVIqDx1fv1zQJk9E8mn3OaA1gaOQDyBO1-7A_RoU54IROTTHtE1ElOR3mjNs_MlAAg/s1497/Sea%20of%20Tranquility.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1497" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8yfgMzU2dkG_Leu-1RuDzd_4fOqJaVr75z8ugJhvSUqpFVmOMHm8B0MuDR5RdhLLCccbtzRO-foLG3lXcAq5_QGvkmU_7PHpZKYMZG1UXtvB4HnABeHsxyz2xVIqDx1fv1zQJk9E8mn3OaA1gaOQDyBO1-7A_RoU54IROTTHtE1ElOR3mjNs_MlAAg/w134-h200/Sea%20of%20Tranquility.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><p>When I was two or three chapters into reading <i>Sea of Tranquility</i>, I was shocked by how much it reminded me of <i>Cloud Atlas</i> by David Mitchell. Both books jump from time period to time period with different points of view in each section. Both books have recurring elements that appear in the different periods, hundreds of years apart.</p><p>In <i>Cloud Atlas</i>, a comet-shaped birthmark appears somewhere on the body of each narrator and serves as the thread that ties them together. Gradually the reader comes to realize that each of these different characters carries something from their predecessor. Depending on your personal beliefs, you could describe it as the character's "essence" or their "soul." The book is not explicit about this and leaves it to the reader to discover.</p><p>In <i>Sea of Tranquility</i>, a common element is a person whose unlikely name is Gaspery-Jacques Roberts. He shows up in each of the time periods, which are 1912, 2020, and 2203. Does he represent something spiritual as in <i>Cloud Atlas</i>? Nope. He's a time traveler who's been sent from the year 2401 to examine an anomaly in time. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnThMo5YbWc8gtmSynX_CNKYjOI_viUxJhqpJ1svz_tjFMRQHI34s_dAHA3rgSr4EjLmPaoY_aELB8F93pfLsbMr0AXG2V8sNqx67KxaSbrvNCTvhmQC1zUvToVgwzu5IRo3Cpmaz4xrIJsz9qgLAAxWptfFwvBCBcEGfD5HzycQub4RrTFQNo9owzsA/s468/cloud%20atlas.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnThMo5YbWc8gtmSynX_CNKYjOI_viUxJhqpJ1svz_tjFMRQHI34s_dAHA3rgSr4EjLmPaoY_aELB8F93pfLsbMr0AXG2V8sNqx67KxaSbrvNCTvhmQC1zUvToVgwzu5IRo3Cpmaz4xrIJsz9qgLAAxWptfFwvBCBcEGfD5HzycQub4RrTFQNo9owzsA/w136-h200/cloud%20atlas.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>As in every time travel book that was ever written, the time traveler must take extraordinary pains to not corrupt the timeline lest disastrous consequences ensue. Not following this rule is criminally punishable in 2401. To no one's surprise, Gaspery corrupts the hell out of the timeline, including warning a character of her impending death. He winds up marooned in his past and finds out what caused the time anomaly he was sent to investigate.<p></p><p>This is an interesting book, and the descriptions of life in each of the time periods (especially the ones in the future) are delightful. Ultimately, <i>Sea of Tranquility</i> is a much more practical book than <i>Cloud Atlas</i>, which is more spiritual and dreamy. I rated <i>Sea of Tranquility</i> four stars because I feel that <i>Cloud Atlas</i> is a superior book.</p><p><br /></p>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-5663808244175741322022-04-08T10:23:00.005-07:002022-04-08T14:17:18.007-07:00Too many genres at once<h1 style="text-align: left;">Where The Crawdads Sing</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">by Delia Owen</h4><p>Rating ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHYAhtRkQOrfjYRyPKZNvmtHG-0D-zaxssiEy8YNO_SgPCC8zcjfjh9R2oBuTBrfc2a4P7Z38G0i9mHfzb8kc4VPvxdga9t-oyltn8bC9ncFhKq8-vkJ9g701k3kdqHQnXIzHjtmqsp1s3vwO_VMEYqK9VxMb5m-wrayIAQTtVfdEQJfdY9u72mn4CQ/s475/Where%20the%20Crawdads%20Sing.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHYAhtRkQOrfjYRyPKZNvmtHG-0D-zaxssiEy8YNO_SgPCC8zcjfjh9R2oBuTBrfc2a4P7Z38G0i9mHfzb8kc4VPvxdga9t-oyltn8bC9ncFhKq8-vkJ9g701k3kdqHQnXIzHjtmqsp1s3vwO_VMEYqK9VxMb5m-wrayIAQTtVfdEQJfdY9u72mn4CQ/w133-h200/Where%20the%20Crawdads%20Sing.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>I have such mixed feelings about this book. It's a huge bestseller, and thousands of people say it's "the best book I ever read." I enjoyed reading it, and the ending was heartwarming. But it has some issues.<div><br /></div><div>The main character, Kya, is born in 1945 into a family of "marsh trash," uneducated people who live in a shack in the North Carolina coastal marsh. Her father is abusive, and her mother leaves when Kya is small. Her older siblings all leave shortly thereafter. Kya, the youngest, is left with her alcoholic and neglectful father. Eventually, he leaves too, and Kya is all alone as a small child.</div><div><br /></div><div>She is forced to dig and sell mussels in order to survive. She exchanges her mussels for grits and other food items at the tiny store owned by a black family. The owner, who is called Jumpin', and his wife Mabel are some of the only people who show any kindness to Kya. </div><div><br /></div><div>She hides when anyone comes near. She successfully avoids the truant officer for a long while, but finally goes to school. The other kids unmercifully bully her, and she never goes to school again after that first day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Over the course of several lonely years, Kya gets to know some people who come to the marsh. A boy named Tate befriends her and eventually teaches her to read. Inevitably, she falls head over heels for Tate. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is where the book goes off the rails. With Tate's encouragement, Kya publishes several books with her drawings and observations of the shells, insects, and plants of the marsh. I found this hard to believe. Kya goes from illiterate to acclaimed author in very short order. She becomes incredibly accomplished as an artist, poet, writer, and naturalist. </div><div><br /></div><div>I couldn't figure out what genre this book was trying to be.</div><div><br /></div><div> - Nature text - Author Delia Owens is a naturalist. This is her first novel, but she has written many nonfiction books about nature and ecology. It feels like the author superimposed her own life onto Kya's.</div><div><br /></div><div> - Woman's fiction - The majority of the plot is about Kya coming into her own as a woman. She learns how to provide for herself, first at a subsistence level, and then with her writing. She learns how to stand up for herself and how to trust other people in her life. </div><div><br /></div><div>- Romance - The other major part of the plot is Kya's attempt to bond with young men she encounters, with some terrible results. Finally, Kya's romantic dreams are realized. The "happily ever after" ending was sweet but felt like it came out of a harlequin romance.</div><div><br /></div><div>- Courtroom drama - There's even a murder subplot with the related jail and courtroom scenes. </div><div><br /></div><div>The weird thing is that any one of these could have been a great book. With all these things smashed into one book it just turned into a big jumble.</div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-83961596131198790722022-04-07T14:39:00.002-07:002022-04-07T14:40:22.546-07:00Even More Library Cards<h1 style="text-align: left;">Out-of-State Library Cards</h1><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglugtG4KPeafCjTeJT-A6dsOVysnWgc61mCxw7yk5lc2vVjSY9W1Ik8NOwY60iJUonr2YYOsWhkAO1TLh7nIj560zbKPyBZ9N-cvMGjUXOYIMdsl8qWT5cDUSMVAhVbGiQn8Cx0UG75bV17zV_2W8-UV0rjTaJVY7abJokJ5kkFIM9TaY-15pfUXeOmA/s1200/libby%20icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglugtG4KPeafCjTeJT-A6dsOVysnWgc61mCxw7yk5lc2vVjSY9W1Ik8NOwY60iJUonr2YYOsWhkAO1TLh7nIj560zbKPyBZ9N-cvMGjUXOYIMdsl8qWT5cDUSMVAhVbGiQn8Cx0UG75bV17zV_2W8-UV0rjTaJVY7abJokJ5kkFIM9TaY-15pfUXeOmA/s320/libby%20icon.png" width="320" /></a></div>In my post, <a href="https://rrb-books.blogspot.com/2022/03/multiple-library-cards-one-of-coolest.html" target="_blank">Using Multiple Library Cards</a> I showed you how to greatly expand the number
of library books available to you. I gave references for a few libraries where
you can get an out-of-state library card. I only scratched the surface!<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Facebook user Angela Holsbeck compiled this big list of
other libraries that issue e-cards. Most of these libraries charge a fee for
out-of-state users. Depending on the offerings of your local (i.e. free)
library, it may be worth it for you to pay for access to a faraway library.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Different libraries use different apps to connect with their
e-book users. The most common apps are:</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Libby –Available as a <a href="https://libbyapp.com/interview/menu#mainMenu" target="_blank">website</a> so you can access it easily on
your laptop or desktop</li><li>Overdrive</li><li>Hoopla</li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Harris County (Texas) Public Library</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.hcpl.net/services/iknow-card" target="_blank">FREE</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Overdrive*<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(This is for their iKnow digital access card. Fill out the
application with your address and you will receive an email copy of your
library card.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Kenton County (Kentucky) Public Library</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.kentonlibrary.org/library-card-application/" target="_blank">$50/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Overdrive - Hoopla*<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It says to call for out-of-state cards, but I talked to
them and they said to fill out the application as normal and select
"Other" under "card type." They will contact you in 1-3 business days
about your card application, asking you to set up payment to complete your
account.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Orange County (Florida) Library System</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.ocls.info/using-library/types-cards/what-are-types-cards?fbclid=IwAR09wPWbUXrn2UQSxg2KHVAa1KPThmGzcLrJnW_47oDn4VYzQ3vOGisjZLE#fee" target="_blank">$75/3 months or $125/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Hoopla*<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Brooklyn (New York) Public Library</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://disc.bklynlibrary.org/card/" target="_blank">$50/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(As of May 2020, their digital library contained 114,069
ebooks and 30,974 audiobooks!)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Overdrive*<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Monroe County (New York) Library System</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://roccitylibrary.org/non-resident-library-card/" target="_blank">$25/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby*<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Queens (New York) Public Library</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://queenslibrary.org/get-a-card/eUser" target="_blank">$50/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Overdrive - Hoopla*<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Charlotte (North Carolina) Mecklenburg Library</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.cmlibrary.org/getacard" target="_blank">$45/year per household or $35/year for ages 62+</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Hoopla*<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Chapel Hill (North Carolina) Public Library</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://chapelhillpubliclibrary.org/get-a-library-card/" target="_blank">$65/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby*<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Houston (Texas) Public Library<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://houstonlibrary.org/my-link-card-registration" target="_blank">$20/6 months or $40/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Overdrive - Hoopla*<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Fairfax (Virginia) County Library<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/non-resident-library-card-application?fbclid=IwAR1a3x5Zv0oOnqFRTBsopjbuST2a6oh-hcKY13WGK5v4y_T_VJldLNi_BMs" target="_blank">$27/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby*<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Enoch Pratt (Maryland) Free Library<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.prattlibrary.org/library-cards/out-of-state-visitors-pc-access-cards?fbclid=IwAR2wgTGprc0qs5l34uLmvSYY3_FEoUfkaR54h-ur5RtXCldDKKwtlmQjYmQ" target="_blank">$50/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Overdrive*<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Westchester (New York) Library System<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.westchesterlibraries.org/get-a-library-card/" target="_blank">$75/year for under 64, $35/year for ages 65+</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Overdrive - Hoopla*<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Omaha (Nebraska) Public Library<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://omahalibrary.org/policies/library-card-policy/?fbclid=IwAR3SfqB0yLHI4m_CS59g9dY2xhSyjvCkSxQogUaZaTTJQaKMcPPLO88bgn0#nonresident" target="_blank">$6.25/month, or $25/4 months, or $75/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(You must call for assistance if you are not able to pick up
your out of state card in person)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Overdrive*<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Fauquier (Virginia) Public Library<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://fauquierlibrary.org/services/library-cards/" target="_blank">$15/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Overdrive*<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tacoma (Washington) Public Library<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.tacomalibrary.org/library-card-application/" target="_blank">$33.50/6 months, or $67/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Overdrive - Hoopla*<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Detroit (Michigan) Public Library<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://detroitpubliclibrary.wufoo.com/forms/mkffxid0jkz86g/?fbclid=IwAR1uYt-3vZXvliLz05aR0AMVRe7sCosJ3lJt7IPQElSOHLDwsj6RwMHT5yM" target="_blank">$100/year</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The application can be submitted online, but payment for the
non-resident card must be sent through U.S. mail accompanied by a printout of
the online form.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*Libby - Overdrive - Hoopla*<o:p></o:p></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-59248851753074322022022-04-06T11:13:00.000-07:002022-04-06T11:13:10.415-07:00Ridiculous Premise 101<h1 style="text-align: left;">The Good Daughters</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">by Joyce Maynard</h4><p>Rating ⭐</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAjGwY-caMjGSTNCdJNuf1kROBleE8g-wb9iuv9P39XlKHbqjqCo8TWkAvUnDzanyspc1XpYOzHw-s1Z3We2MCTQkI_zsrLtXb0JVGmd3w-K4SIF0BI39pUK5Qoo8wGrwq8O_4Czvl8B6TuF1xmdbYKuyqWwAwujqr3HHYw6BV8XgxFMAp2Vrh6ohkQ/s475/the%20good%20daughters%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAjGwY-caMjGSTNCdJNuf1kROBleE8g-wb9iuv9P39XlKHbqjqCo8TWkAvUnDzanyspc1XpYOzHw-s1Z3We2MCTQkI_zsrLtXb0JVGmd3w-K4SIF0BI39pUK5Qoo8wGrwq8O_4Czvl8B6TuF1xmdbYKuyqWwAwujqr3HHYw6BV8XgxFMAp2Vrh6ohkQ/w133-h200/the%20good%20daughters%20cover.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">This is the story of two women, Ruth Plank and Dana Dickerson. They were born at the same time in the same hospital and still live near each other.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Ruth is an artist who feels out of place with her boring, solid, farming family (the Planks, get it?). Dana is most at home with her hands in the soil and loves helping plants grow. Shocking: Dana feels out of place with her free-spirited, artistic family.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div>Gee, do you see where this is going? This is a hard book to keep reading once you figure out its ridiculous premise. To make matters worse, once the premise manifests itself, it just gets worse. I won't go into details, but trust me, it doesn't matter. You'll figure it out a few chapters in.</div></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">This is one of the books that caused me to swear off Kindle Unlimited. **LIGHT DAWNS** If a book is any good, why would they let you read it for "free"?</span><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-81026371676346092262022-04-05T15:03:00.001-07:002022-04-07T11:15:42.101-07:00I Couldn't Do It<h1 style="text-align: left;">The Orphan Collector</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">by Ellen Marie Wiseman</h4><p>Rating: Did Not Finish</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6fI0pVzcHlZr4sJF87QgkqpUBptBYpll7s2hSVtSbiml7UIgoohBBuiP8O1UZsjr4HbNIqw9ZosyZHTjx4CaHdMUKHyW7KSo1wutDdf10HMUlt3W9jBQzSsEeShVHwJvS6eZvZ4Q00ODpVbNHZpi_OeifpOoLzAuLwtYn1mmsOujYWaVilM1-MfGxA/s475/the%20orphan%20collector.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6fI0pVzcHlZr4sJF87QgkqpUBptBYpll7s2hSVtSbiml7UIgoohBBuiP8O1UZsjr4HbNIqw9ZosyZHTjx4CaHdMUKHyW7KSo1wutDdf10HMUlt3W9jBQzSsEeShVHwJvS6eZvZ4Q00ODpVbNHZpi_OeifpOoLzAuLwtYn1mmsOujYWaVilM1-MfGxA/w133-h200/the%20orphan%20collector.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>I finished two chapters of this book and stopped. Maybe it's because the last book I read was so brutal (See my review of <a href="https://rrb-books.blogspot.com/2022/04/fava-beans-and-chianti.html?spref=tw " target="_blank">Tender Is The Flesh</a>), I could not stand to read the horrible things in this book. <br /><br /><i>The Orphan Collector</i> takes place in 1918 at the start of the Spanish Flu pandemic. The descriptions of illness and death were bad enough. What got to me was the character of Bernice, who despises immigrants and thinks they are the cause of the flu and her personal economic woes.<div><br /></div><div><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 14px;">Now the entire city was teeming with large ghettos housing every type of foreigner she could think of, and they were stealing jobs from real Americans</span><br /></i><p>I heard enough of that kind of racist thinking during the previous presidential administration, thank you very much. I don't need to spend my free time reading a book with the main character with those beliefs. </p><p><br /></p></div>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-7668707262493848182022-04-02T09:47:00.004-07:002022-04-08T11:22:53.910-07:00Fava beans and chianti?<h1 style="text-align: left;">Tender is the Flesh</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">by Agustina Bazterrica</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vUOB2eICQs14nXfAGzPRbHmPnuNK7KNxZTjUOydIamM9iev2XbhMKIRrymVGmjwJC5IIfQvtjWHKgkVeDeVWJsgQaNXGyf-sYqcW8RG6qOjU2B2uHpcWWMuONTol-RUJn_xhJ93sop90XjwySot1U2mxg9_azPey8FWH5hNzHhkRNSGe1HApuJ-6fw/s2107/Tender%20is%20the%20flesh%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2107" data-original-width="1399" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vUOB2eICQs14nXfAGzPRbHmPnuNK7KNxZTjUOydIamM9iev2XbhMKIRrymVGmjwJC5IIfQvtjWHKgkVeDeVWJsgQaNXGyf-sYqcW8RG6qOjU2B2uHpcWWMuONTol-RUJn_xhJ93sop90XjwySot1U2mxg9_azPey8FWH5hNzHhkRNSGe1HApuJ-6fw/w133-h200/Tender%20is%20the%20flesh%20cover.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p>Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐</p><p><b>****************</b></p><p><b>Trigger Warning</b>: <b>If you have a sensitive stomach or are triggered by disgusting and/or immoral practices, do not read this book.</b></p><p><b>****************</b></p><p>Written in Spanish by Argentinian author Agustina Bazterrica and translated by Sarah Moses, <i>Tender is the Flesh</i> is the story of <b>Marcos Tejos</b>. </p><p>Marcos lives in a near-future dystopian society. A virus sweeps the world and infects every animal. Every single animal is destroyed. Humanity turns to cannibalism as a food source. Humans are mass-produced, slaughtered, and sold as "special meat." Marcos works for a "processing plant," where the humans are slaughtered and prepared for sale. The process is presented in gruesome detail, but to the participants, it's just another process. </p><div>
<p></p></div><blockquote><div><p><i>"He’s surprised it’s so quiet. El Gringo tells him they’re isolated in incubators from when they’re little, and later on in cages. He says their vocal cords are removed so they’re easier to control. 'No one wants them to talk because meat doesn’t talk,' he says."</i></p>
</div><p></p></blockquote><p>Just outside the plant where Marcos works are a group called Scavengers. These are the poorest of the poor who wait for the scraps of "special meat." Thus it becomes clear that there are three classes of people: the privileged, the meat, and the scavengers. </p><p>We learn that Marcos is unhappy. His wife leaves him after the death of their infant son. He has to slaughter his beloved pet dogs because all animals became illegal. His father is in a nursing home, suffering from dementia. His sister is self-obsessed and brainless. Marcos goes through his life in a sort of fog. As I was reading about him, I began to think that the horrors that Marcos participated in were driving him mad - or at the very least, would cause him to rebel in some way. (Spoiler: Not so much)</p><p>A supplier gives Marcos a special gift - a female specimen of the best quality. He tells Marcos he can sell the specimen for a tidy profit, or he could slaughter her for her high-quality meat. Marcos decides to keep her, raising her like a prize calf. They develop a kind of relationship, and he moves her from the barn into his house. Marcos names the female "Jasmine." They regularly have sex and Jasmine becomes pregnant. He hides her away because having sex with "meat" is highly illegal. </p><p>Each situation Marcos finds himself in is more brutal and terrifying than the last, including a human-skin tannery and a human game reserve. He visits an abandoned zoo and finds a litter of abandoned puppies. He bonds with the pups and gives each the name of a member of the Rolling Stones. On his next visit to the zoo, some delinquents have gotten ahold of the pups and Marcos watches them murder each one. </p><p>The unrelenting violence and perversion continue to the end of the book. The ending is shocking and unexpected but completely in keeping with the events leading up to it. </p><p>This is an incredibly disturbing and grotesque book. I rated it four stars because it is so thought-provoking. It brings up the cruelty in our own society, factory farming, societal privileges, and more. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-85042519171377261632022-04-01T14:48:00.000-07:002022-04-01T14:48:02.061-07:00Manage Holds<h1 style="text-align: left;">How to Manage Library Holds</h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">The only thing I’ve found that I don’t like about Libby is
that it’s <i>too</i> efficient.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">If three people are waiting for a particular
book and the library’s borrowing period is three weeks, Libby will give an estimate
of nine weeks as the wait for that book. The thing is, most people return their
library books early. So that nine weeks could turn out to be two weeks or some
other length of time.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">When I am deciding which books to place on hold, I try to
space them out. I try to select a variety of books with short hold times and
other books with longer hold times. The catch is that you never know how long
the hold period will really be.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIXLcrZBxEdIFbgqMJ4LGYoZ9-DGuwI6xJPUZ8VkHJwAS5CDnzrzi-gs-9337yBLzFTD8gmG5UOca41jpOF_vexxnJ5hlnN3O-QKdvxZYl3SsorSJbKwYqwNEx5R-2lrY1ldyemjLxFvw2YDqwXLt1B0McHQr1J1-KTPL8fG4wwO9ScLJpH6QyyEEWA/s492/libby%20hold%20ready.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="492" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIXLcrZBxEdIFbgqMJ4LGYoZ9-DGuwI6xJPUZ8VkHJwAS5CDnzrzi-gs-9337yBLzFTD8gmG5UOca41jpOF_vexxnJ5hlnN3O-QKdvxZYl3SsorSJbKwYqwNEx5R-2lrY1ldyemjLxFvw2YDqwXLt1B0McHQr1J1-KTPL8fG4wwO9ScLJpH6QyyEEWA/w200-h113/libby%20hold%20ready.png" width="200" /></a></div>Invariably, just when you’re really involved in a book, you’ll
get a notice from Libby that the book you’ve been waiting for is now available.
This is what the notice looks like:<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDo48UHbKU0t7e_4m6XvR6fGSQAdL5NALN1AJN1ZANwCmVZHb3JFjTOnEhyNThJ5gxkk3ubHg804ksdsifkPmYp5BVBXQtO-t0azBFZ7WLyEtJBaRGqwDaLqPpVayseG4K1W-mKnnBbeJDOkDOZlPool4JHGyHx0iaKWMScFcXU84Ck6tKZ3ro-Q_8g/s626/libby%20hold%20borrow.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDo48UHbKU0t7e_4m6XvR6fGSQAdL5NALN1AJN1ZANwCmVZHb3JFjTOnEhyNThJ5gxkk3ubHg804ksdsifkPmYp5BVBXQtO-t0azBFZ7WLyEtJBaRGqwDaLqPpVayseG4K1W-mKnnBbeJDOkDOZlPool4JHGyHx0iaKWMScFcXU84Ck6tKZ3ro-Q_8g/s320/libby%20hold%20borrow.png" width="139" /></a></div>Click on "Borrow" and it will take you to the "You are borrowing [title]" screen. If you need a book right now or if you’re one of those people who likes to have two or more
books going at one time, then go for it! All you need to do is click the big "Borrow!" button to borrow the newly available book. </div><div><br /></div><div>Note that this screen tells you how many days your borrowing period will be. It also shows a facsimile of the library card for the library from which you're borrowing.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRHS1Ck_6YBKjk1LRb7rs7ug-8vhL7-rCAYQ9V6k7Yhki0Pe5HsSOQS_YmSLBa1BQ9Sk8ATIxrL5r4BI07f2ZAu82b3GJQUF-MWSkGNxQxG-JzASpPqJ1fh5VQgJN6KFVFivVL3Uku60wdfhy14rSqCmVarrUFy9DQPTZumnBw4aWcaByWf86IEl95Q/s385/libby%20hold%20shelf.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="385" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRHS1Ck_6YBKjk1LRb7rs7ug-8vhL7-rCAYQ9V6k7Yhki0Pe5HsSOQS_YmSLBa1BQ9Sk8ATIxrL5r4BI07f2ZAu82b3GJQUF-MWSkGNxQxG-JzASpPqJ1fh5VQgJN6KFVFivVL3Uku60wdfhy14rSqCmVarrUFy9DQPTZumnBw4aWcaByWf86IEl95Q/w200-h156/libby%20hold%20shelf.png" width="200" /></a></div>If you're not ready to borrow the book right now, click on the < Your Holds button at the top of the screen. This action will NOT borrow the book and will leave it on your Holds shelf, which looks like this:</div><div> </div><div>From here, you can Borrow, Manage Hold, or Deliver Later. </div><br /><div>Click Borrow if you want to Borrow right now. Click Manage Hold if you want to go to the screen where you can Cancel the hold. (It's the "never mind, I don't want it" button). </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuctuAEX0lgEDiq47HJ3KfxanGe91WeZ-IPPmFk-k6H9frrM45RQ_mJnM44BsVhuIn4_GVmPAcFvNCHVPlR6Www3IeVK26OranBWozeXGerzEv6lpk1QlqA4AUCIhwfqW2P6tABp3MShm1BVtAPJ7qFnNspzlI5MlnsXPUTprq68OjP8l9Fq5nIUeWuA/s658/libby%20hold%20reschedule.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuctuAEX0lgEDiq47HJ3KfxanGe91WeZ-IPPmFk-k6H9frrM45RQ_mJnM44BsVhuIn4_GVmPAcFvNCHVPlR6Www3IeVK26OranBWozeXGerzEv6lpk1QlqA4AUCIhwfqW2P6tABp3MShm1BVtAPJ7qFnNspzlI5MlnsXPUTprq68OjP8l9Fq5nIUeWuA/s320/libby%20hold%20reschedule.png" width="178" /></a></div>Click Deliver Later if you want to borrow this book at some time in the future. This will take you to a screen saying "You are scheduling [title] for later delivery."</div><div><br /></div><div>The cool thing here is the slider. It defaults to the minimum extension, usually seven days. You can move the slider left and right until you find your desired number of days. <br /><br />Keep in mind that this is not a guarantee of when you'll receive the book. It depends on how long the other library patrons keep the book. It's kind of like letting someone go ahead of you in line at the supermarket - but you don't know how many items they have.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you're happy with the number of days you selected, click "Update Hold!"</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLthkbB6y3jTI6-s2PmGE7MxOL_8aKF87qOZnQLU8jN27ZPji46mu1KKX2Wvv3BbR-75fVWRveC0nLEd1DpbpHZcEVmhtAAeCuvphQ8atYgplwm1wpquG_QhtizKX2aQZT4XV3jMpO0RT39VScGq-03FbGpnltGWbWpur3nAQgslF1PPeF5MHtJaskg/s369/libby%20hold%20shelf%20new.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="369" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLthkbB6y3jTI6-s2PmGE7MxOL_8aKF87qOZnQLU8jN27ZPji46mu1KKX2Wvv3BbR-75fVWRveC0nLEd1DpbpHZcEVmhtAAeCuvphQ8atYgplwm1wpquG_QhtizKX2aQZT4XV3jMpO0RT39VScGq-03FbGpnltGWbWpur3nAQgslF1PPeF5MHtJaskg/w200-h148/libby%20hold%20shelf%20new.png" width="200" /></a></div>That action will take you back to your holds shelf, and it will show the new estimated date.</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><br />RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-27865405856525755462022-03-31T11:33:00.004-07:002022-03-31T11:33:51.954-07:00Stop Book Theft<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 9pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-iX-r43JEVSuwp-3MROnbdzJVmLGoLyakBu75DDmENPV4CqUAzCGutK3FehwQ7tuVlM8ZJIeE4EHrXbhJAfcVTI5qxDL6Ic-ZoFOQJiuSF2OhEXWoXNOo7AzjFJDjKsHAXXJArsn0115apBlWJVjxfv8J-nx6EqkV_T94YfSYgA5_8WrmXqd_NQkpg/s800/petition%20returning%20books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-iX-r43JEVSuwp-3MROnbdzJVmLGoLyakBu75DDmENPV4CqUAzCGutK3FehwQ7tuVlM8ZJIeE4EHrXbhJAfcVTI5qxDL6Ic-ZoFOQJiuSF2OhEXWoXNOo7AzjFJDjKsHAXXJArsn0115apBlWJVjxfv8J-nx6EqkV_T94YfSYgA5_8WrmXqd_NQkpg/w200-h113/petition%20returning%20books.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />There's
a disturbing trend being popularized on TikTok: buy a Kindle book, read it, and
then return it to Amazon. This is described as a "life hack" but it's
actually stealing from the book's author. Please sign the petition below to ask
Amazon to change their return policies to not allow returns of e-books.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 0%;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: blue; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><a href="https://chng.it/6X4wS5w9BX?fbclid=IwAR0lKCCdhVnqUbUMH8VcyOhTmublgaiUdQ8sFombpTJAq-gDmRw1hbS46hY" target="_blank"><span style="border: none; color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <a href="https://chng.it/dHJwnLswCv" target="_blank">Change.org Petition</a></span></p>
<br />RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-37224046333181441702022-03-30T09:37:00.002-07:002022-04-07T11:21:04.862-07:00The Kentucky Packhorse Library<h1 style="text-align: left;">The Giver of Stars</h1><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">by Jojo Moyes</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9Jf4D-ulA4xMnVH_ltGA44ygXhkZCS8nyXZuoNJ2chjwhvFTHIdzCjZtpbmcX0QciXRJlcU9m74Upyb12kQ2Kwh5SF83WXwn46B4fzp7ZgrARGNCmUwVeC9GtgjdhWZCIaEWusMZMB4u0SaFImT1YVG3RQF6sB1QHTqh-HsmsOZQfIrpm0UUvYe-BQ/s475/giver%20of%20stars%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9Jf4D-ulA4xMnVH_ltGA44ygXhkZCS8nyXZuoNJ2chjwhvFTHIdzCjZtpbmcX0QciXRJlcU9m74Upyb12kQ2Kwh5SF83WXwn46B4fzp7ZgrARGNCmUwVeC9GtgjdhWZCIaEWusMZMB4u0SaFImT1YVG3RQF6sB1QHTqh-HsmsOZQfIrpm0UUvYe-BQ/w133-h200/giver%20of%20stars%20cover.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Alice Wright</b> is an Englishwoman in the 1930s. She feels
stifled and unhappy with her strict, conventional life. She is swept off her
feet by handsome American <b>Bennett van Cleve</b>, who is on a European tour with his
father. Alice and Bennett marry and return to his home in Kentucky. After a
whirlwind courtship, Alice is shocked to find that her marriage is loveless.
Bennett seems to care only about his father, a rich and selfish coal baron. She
hates living in the stuffy and stifling van Cleve family home.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Alice gets the chance to join the <b>Kentucky Packhorse
Library</b>, a WPA project that brought books and other materials to isolated rural
communities. Alice finds fulfillment in this project and develops deep and
lasting friendships with the other librarians. She finds that she loves the
Kentucky hill country and its tough but loving residents.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEqIulmVmVysSSEKwMwdtos1AW726niQVVo69H2Zu5zYk_gQleeMgP41BY2Z8X5EICZ5oaldw3xK95kE2FQVCLL_WOoyJIlEKhkLzFToO7Au8tn1Lujm_R3d1iXNnavoDm3yoAEldY73IkFiIRsVwVtYs75ezayMwyuWg8bgvKvz4A2blj6gw53xmxw/s375/snidely%20whiplash.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="375" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEqIulmVmVysSSEKwMwdtos1AW726niQVVo69H2Zu5zYk_gQleeMgP41BY2Z8X5EICZ5oaldw3xK95kE2FQVCLL_WOoyJIlEKhkLzFToO7Au8tn1Lujm_R3d1iXNnavoDm3yoAEldY73IkFiIRsVwVtYs75ezayMwyuWg8bgvKvz4A2blj6gw53xmxw/w147-h147/snidely%20whiplash.jpg" width="147" /></a></div><i>The Giver of Stars</i> is about the importance of relationships
and searching for your own happiness. The story is based on the real Kentucky
Packhorse Library. I found the story to be gripping, and it kept me enthralled
to the end. The female characters in the book are excellent and well-written. However,
the male characters are caricatures. We never learn much about Bennett, Alice’s
estranged husband. I wondered if he was a closeted gay man, which would have been reasonable because he never touched Alice sexually. The reason for his apparent lack of sexuality was never explored or explained. <div><br /></div><div>All that we see of <b>Geoffrey van Cleve</b>, Bennett’s father, is his
scheming, racist, misogynistic ways. We learn nothing about his thoughts and
motivation. He might as well have been Snidely Whiplash from the old Rocky
& Bullwinkle comics.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I rated <i>The Giver of Stars</i> four stars out of five for the
strong female characters and interesting story. I took off one star for the
lack of background and motivation of the male characters. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></div>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-52992026592065051972022-03-29T15:01:00.001-07:002022-03-30T09:41:57.618-07:00Harsh conditions in Appalachia<h1 style="text-align: left;">Gap Creek</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Robert Morgan </h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCp6CDmfk58oYW7_m7JyOUNHv_oD7BxMO2J_0YDezVXVgN71LsByJUPSdkrUN9lidjXjlrIWeiwztv4i2e_sWE7k2jdwbR2NreLHNfrBdgiWi3kK3FkPIyQmp4Wx7UXpwChJhy6owoPT28up_dMSVGoWKBOHas5zZ3OkplsgP5HQ4kNpbex3Z5FF_FXQ/s475/gap%20creek%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCp6CDmfk58oYW7_m7JyOUNHv_oD7BxMO2J_0YDezVXVgN71LsByJUPSdkrUN9lidjXjlrIWeiwztv4i2e_sWE7k2jdwbR2NreLHNfrBdgiWi3kK3FkPIyQmp4Wx7UXpwChJhy6owoPT28up_dMSVGoWKBOHas5zZ3OkplsgP5HQ4kNpbex3Z5FF_FXQ/w133-h200/gap%20creek%20cover.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Rating ⭐⭐⭐<br /><br /><i>Gap Creek</i> is the story of <b>Julie</b>, who married at 17 and moved to the Appalachian countryside. The book is full of trials and losses. Julie always maintains a good outlook so she soldiers on no matter how difficult the situation. This is a great book to read for real insight into the difficult life that was lived by our predecessors. If you ever think your life is hard, this book will provide some perspective. <br /> <br /> Perhaps because of Julie's always-dire situation, I lost interest after a while. It was just so unendingly grim. With my comfortable 21st-century life as a frame 0f reference, I just couldn't relate to the beleaguered Julie. RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-3374413980977591402022-03-23T10:09:00.001-07:002022-03-30T09:43:49.381-07:00Revenge and betrayal<h1 style="text-align: left;">Billy Summers</h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">by Stephen King</h4><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<o:p></o:p></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08BluEkonJfGqstdNirrKMb3jyM_IKIVVqDIuvA952WJtdM1vWd8eTeAV--Jx0fbTL7ihG1IMtLkUhCw6njViUdjyF5PF7mJ4pgFHsatgnClMX3GY8eA-euMxECnqMFO8cuP71HGwxnxIEsLyDAWE_fsnSJIpa3vOPs68nCWspSdXg9sdSZJ62YCzqQ/s2138/billy%20summers%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2138" data-original-width="1400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08BluEkonJfGqstdNirrKMb3jyM_IKIVVqDIuvA952WJtdM1vWd8eTeAV--Jx0fbTL7ihG1IMtLkUhCw6njViUdjyF5PF7mJ4pgFHsatgnClMX3GY8eA-euMxECnqMFO8cuP71HGwxnxIEsLyDAWE_fsnSJIpa3vOPs68nCWspSdXg9sdSZJ62YCzqQ/w131-h200/billy%20summers%20cover.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>Billy Summers is an Iraq war veteran with enough trauma in
his past to create PTSD in ten people. If you have problems reading about
violence in general, violence against children and young women, or murder, then
this is not the book for you. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Since it’s a Stephen King book, you’d expect it to be full
of supernatural horror, but you’d be wrong. There is a nice reference to the
Overlook Hotel (of <i>The Shining</i>) but it’s there as a gimme to the fans, or
Constant Readers as King has been known to call them (us). Otherwise, there isn’t
one supernatural moment in the book. Mr.
King can do a straight-up thriller as well as anybody, thank you.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p><i>Billy Summers</i> is a novel about escaping one’s past and about
living up to your own and others’ expectations.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">After three tours in the sand,
Billy is pretty sure that the only thing he’s good at is killing. His
post-deployment profession is hired assassin. He got his Sniper badge in the
Marines, <i>oorah</i>. He can put a man down at 1,200 yards or more, disappear like
Houdini, and use one of his carefully-crafted identities to blend in with the
rest of the world.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">One of the most overused tropes in thriller-style fiction is
“one last job.” Whether the “job” is a bank robbery, a grift, or a sniper
attack, countless heroes and anti-heroes have said they’re coming clean after
this one last time. King is up-front about the trope, even acknowledging it in
the text.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i></i></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>“He’s thinking of all the movies he’s seen about robbers
who are planning one last job. If noir is a genre, then “one last job” is a
sub-genre. In those movies, the last job always goes bad.”</i></p>
</blockquote><o:p> </o:p>This last job is a doozy. It requires Billy to embed himself
in a redneck burg for months.<br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>"You get along with people without buddying up to them.
They smile when they see you coming. … Hoff tells me that a couple of food
wagons stop at that building every day, and in nice weather people line up and
sit outside on the benches to eat their lunches. You could be one of those people.”</i></p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Part of his cover story is that he is writing a book. So
Billy, a man of a dozen identities, moves to Red Bluff in an unspecified Southern
state to become a writer. He gets to know his neighbors at work and at home and
feels terrible for lying to them about who he is. The assassination he’s
contracted for happens seamlessly less than a third of the way through the
novel. Billy does his Houdini act and this is starting to look like a short
book.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, Billy discovers that he likes writing. Through
the device of a book-within-the-book, we learn about Billy’s traumatic past. We
follow him into the city streets of Fallujah, where he lost most of his unit in
one raid. While he’s hiding out post-assassination, another person enters the
story. This is what takes <i>Billy Summers</i> from a good book to a great book. Billy
encounters a local woman in dire circumstances. The rest of the novel centers
on exacting revenge for several betrayals.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">I recommend <i>Billy Summers</i> to anyone who likes thrillers. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><br />RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-10772531949922358732022-03-22T10:38:00.001-07:002022-03-30T09:45:16.239-07:00Book burning in dystopia<h1 style="text-align: left;">Fahrenheit 451</h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">by Ray Bradbury</h4><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Rating / ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwCa1XwlsFtBpFhj-2gZjjhn-JvNMpFbIUxeRAaickbfxOhjlL2YSU8CA8dnrWNvbS9TjdNJHmiy3-H-H0g3RSz15awR-9rPHfA12Kf5myaAZItKcs42Blk1_jeHxjBluC89cTUoQPMl3crggIVS0F8r8MP5nTycMwZONnwvwub3vp0hZ7clW3GfKKXw=s475" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwCa1XwlsFtBpFhj-2gZjjhn-JvNMpFbIUxeRAaickbfxOhjlL2YSU8CA8dnrWNvbS9TjdNJHmiy3-H-H0g3RSz15awR-9rPHfA12Kf5myaAZItKcs42Blk1_jeHxjBluC89cTUoQPMl3crggIVS0F8r8MP5nTycMwZONnwvwub3vp0hZ7clW3GfKKXw=w130-h200" width="130" /></a></div>Originally published 1953<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Considered to be a classic of science fiction and possibly
Bradbury’s finest work, <i>Fahrenheit 451</i> presents a near-future dystopian
society. Books are illegal and must be burned. The protagonist is <b>Guy Montag</b>, a
“fireman,” who does not put out fires but starts them. He burns
books.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">The novel serves as a cautionary tale on two levels.
Obviously, book burning and book banning are shown to be bad for society. This
is still meaningful as books continue to be banned in our society. Less
obviously, the novel warns that anti-intellectualism threatens society. This is
a common theme in dystopian fiction, such as Aldous Huxley’s <i>Brave New World</i>.
It is exemplified in <i>Fahrenheit 451</i> by the “parlor walls,” wall-size
interactive televisions which are chillingly like today’s huge TVs and mindless reality shows.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Montag’s supervisor, <b>Captain Beatty</b>, tells him </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>“And so when
houses were finally fireproofed completely, all over the world (you were
correct in your assumption the other night) there was no longer need of firemen
for the old purposes. They were given the new job, as custodians of our peace
of mind, the focus of our understandable and rightful dread of being inferior;
official censors, judges, and executors. That’s you, Montag, and that’s me.”</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
</blockquote>The opposite point of view comes from <b>Professor Faber</b>, whom
Montag once met in a park. <div><i><blockquote>“I don’t talk things, sir,” said Faber. “I talk the
meaning of things. I sit here and know I’m alive.”</blockquote></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Rated 4 stars out of 5. It loses a star because Montag is
such an idiot. He does such stupid things after his “a-ha” moment. For example,
he spouts poetry to his wife’s clueless friends when they’d rather be watching
and interacting with the parlor walls. Then he’s surprised when one of them rats
him out. I can’t cheer for such a dumb “hero.”</p></div>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-71341266379486555772022-03-21T11:08:00.004-07:002022-04-06T11:24:52.277-07:00Dystopian fiction at its most obtuse<h1 style="text-align: left;">The Coldness<br /> of Objects</h1><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">by Panayotis Cacoyannis</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">/ Rating ⭐⭐ /<o:p></o:p></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiECTGLRAfw-0YBTMJ8umzeJ0yum8JbetpXQ8R_n-L1pfWy9HRoCsyAlN_dmx9CqBQW2MHI_3CtZX7tQNZXJg5QDTCrmmQmfxC3oL4iF1umWhorSvP4A-ATG6Tbh_WQ6fkioqEYYrJOBtqfZ8v8EXO675PswKknR6RI7AZRBJUQn-dOTm2R_n0ldR-eKA=s475" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiECTGLRAfw-0YBTMJ8umzeJ0yum8JbetpXQ8R_n-L1pfWy9HRoCsyAlN_dmx9CqBQW2MHI_3CtZX7tQNZXJg5QDTCrmmQmfxC3oL4iF1umWhorSvP4A-ATG6Tbh_WQ6fkioqEYYrJOBtqfZ8v8EXO675PswKknR6RI7AZRBJUQn-dOTm2R_n0ldR-eKA=w125-h200" width="125" /></a></div>Meh. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div>The main character, variously called Mr. Rubens, Anthony,
Pablo, and Anthony Pablo, is a gay man living alone in the year 2030. His one
true love, Malcolm, died of AIDS 50 years ago. Living in solitude, Anthony
Pablo loves his things. The book talks incessantly about his Amoeba chair and (hideous?) Meissen monkey china.</div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKIVF9Q_kHuIqbRNElB-pA4wYN_UPjlQTn4mXIQFVMoEI6CW9Pm9cnwVSucwAdO_g3gdYw_vV62Q_xDEH2iAjqAHjtYO9SVe4zhHYhF-HI89zSk0-y71Dn7BfLnq9d2gK2uEdAiTxKHs8A5pC-MKJVNtBDk8-EjPac0OJ1nug4dyB-_pCiegACiTR7mA=s480" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="395" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKIVF9Q_kHuIqbRNElB-pA4wYN_UPjlQTn4mXIQFVMoEI6CW9Pm9cnwVSucwAdO_g3gdYw_vV62Q_xDEH2iAjqAHjtYO9SVe4zhHYhF-HI89zSk0-y71Dn7BfLnq9d2gK2uEdAiTxKHs8A5pC-MKJVNtBDk8-EjPac0OJ1nug4dyB-_pCiegACiTR7mA=w164-h200" width="164" /></a><o:p> </o:p>Society has become an authoritarian nightmare. Taking place in England, the government is the result of years of an authoritarian regime. Mr. Rubens is summoned for "museum service,"
which means he and his precious things will be displayed at the National
Museum. The point of this is hinted at but never explained. Why would the government go to
this much trouble to hoodwink certain citizens? The ultimate fate of those
summoned to “museum service” is made clear at the end but its purpose remains
mysterious.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not recommended.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-34159514854020795662022-03-19T11:14:00.002-07:002022-03-30T09:47:09.803-07:00Painful<h1 style="text-align: left;">Blind Faith</h1><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">by Ben Elton</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEHN4p_BGpytsEFVuE2xBRIUSHfY3Dqs3Wcd36NijSDDfJi8NB428v7T_Hn0zLvIuZcZLaIPKuwB8I4caVFkyfVJu7NgJDYmX3SHaJOT6Ib40_6K0ulFQZucZZcyNe0jcKF4e9YUPryQ0rY52KXohh4VjL9a_Lxx1gy6_XkHmjCb7NHxPcHB71oEN1XA=s450" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="293" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEHN4p_BGpytsEFVuE2xBRIUSHfY3Dqs3Wcd36NijSDDfJi8NB428v7T_Hn0zLvIuZcZLaIPKuwB8I4caVFkyfVJu7NgJDYmX3SHaJOT6Ib40_6K0ulFQZucZZcyNe0jcKF4e9YUPryQ0rY52KXohh4VjL9a_Lxx1gy6_XkHmjCb7NHxPcHB71oEN1XA=w130-h200" width="130" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"> / Rating ✰ (zero stars) /</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I'd rate this book minus 10 if I could. It was painful to
read, and I deleted it after a couple of chapters.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Blind Faith</i> by Ben Elton tries way too hard to be an absurdist take on
society. In this world, 100 years from now, faith in some kind of God is
everything. People must demonstrate their faith at every waking moment. They
must document their every “feel” on social media. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Girls have it the worst -
they must film and post their Cherry Pop (yikes), the birth of their babies, and their
mandatory breast enlargement surgery. And on and on.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>OK, I get it, this is supposed to take the disturbing things
about the early 21st century and magnify each to the millionth power. This
was listed as "comic" but any joke becomes unfunny after it's thrust
in your face over and over.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>This is literally the only book I've ever returned to Amazon
for a refund.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-8128052630040918092022-03-18T11:29:00.002-07:002022-03-30T09:48:55.153-07:00Life, death, and friendship<h1 style="text-align: left;">One Hundred Years </h1><h1 style="text-align: left;">of Lenni and Margot</h1><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">by Marianne Cronin</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSDbSpbwOL9DkiqMmMolub6GCh1VPMBYwUxnsJrrhf9haRTbr-26FYZsLPmGLRphCuthH94rBfeEOvc52tUmT5sNvNtVXbJCCiNiJwZTOsSOGddYU89ZvyCnQjKsQ8W-JSPIpOBZWteSj7Qfx-_dRnrNjG3XoHHN03R33RXFJe42xP0M8g7WCWP3Zrew=s384" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSDbSpbwOL9DkiqMmMolub6GCh1VPMBYwUxnsJrrhf9haRTbr-26FYZsLPmGLRphCuthH94rBfeEOvc52tUmT5sNvNtVXbJCCiNiJwZTOsSOGddYU89ZvyCnQjKsQ8W-JSPIpOBZWteSj7Qfx-_dRnrNjG3XoHHN03R33RXFJe42xP0M8g7WCWP3Zrew=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>/ Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot</i> is a book about life
and death. It is about endless love and failed relationships. Most of all, it
is about friendship. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We learn in the first few pages that <b>Lenni</b> is not expected
to live and that <b>Margot</b> is in her twilight years. The ending of this book is
not a surprise but it is surprising and beautiful. Prepare yourself for an ugly
cry. I have not been this moved by a book in years. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Margot, at the age of eighty-three, finds herself in Glasgow
Princess Royal Hospital, awaiting cardiac surgery. Lenni, age seventeen, is
also in this hospital in the “May Ward,” which is reserved for patients with “life-limiting”
conditions. Lenni prefers to think of it using the old word, terminal, as in
airport terminal, from which she might fly away.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lenni first sees Margot, wearing her purple pajamas and
purple slippers, furtively rummaging in the May Ward’s recycling bin. Lenni
distracts the hospital personnel so Margot could keep digging. In this moment
of silent communication, an unbreakable bond of friendship is formed. We don’t
learn what Margot was looking for until very late in the book, and it becomes
clear why it is so important to her and why she was away from her designated
ward.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As fate would have it, the hospital turns an old IT
storeroom into The Rose Room, the patient art center. Lenni and Margot wind up
in the “eighty and over” art class, even after the hospital balked at Lenni
attending the class with seniors. While getting to know one another, Lenni realizes
that 17 plus 83 is one hundred. She proposes that they make a painting for each
year of their lives.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">What follows is the gradual recounting of each of their life stories. We learn
much about each of them, about loss, longing, and disappointment. We learn about marriage and divorce and long-lost love.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i></i></p></div><blockquote><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i>And we stayed there, watching the stars. </i></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“I find it so peaceful,” Margot told me after a while. </i></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Me too.” </i></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Do you know,” she said slowly, “that the stars that we
see the clearest are already dead?” </i></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Well, that’s depressing.” I took my hand from hers. </i></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i>“No,” she said gently, linking her arm through mine,
“it’s not depressing, it’s beautiful. They’ve been gone for who knows how long,
but we can still see them. They live on.” </i></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i>They live on.</i></p></div></blockquote><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i></i></p></div></blockquote><div><p class="MsoNormal">
</p></div>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-29160215564646682302022-03-17T10:41:00.006-07:002022-03-30T09:49:38.468-07:00Six degrees of separation<h1 style="text-align: left;">Station Eleven</h1><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">by Emily St. John Mandel</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>/ Rating ⭐⭐⭐ /</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjW0H43PZEBqtLYJSKNgbQC0SGjSgIvv5YwYyLY-d7aKLksMaCKkG1SG5zXt1TxFB3fhZ4F0NwJkQNtanZqs3ub2JTI2hYNsqcMu0ITQmsA7e2cmSSqzfhbvMEBp26bTcbhcFk43M7e4uD3-pLJQk6xT5fZcRXG7Ctgr7Dio3lRhHIViP0lQzZ0bzloJw=s900" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjW0H43PZEBqtLYJSKNgbQC0SGjSgIvv5YwYyLY-d7aKLksMaCKkG1SG5zXt1TxFB3fhZ4F0NwJkQNtanZqs3ub2JTI2hYNsqcMu0ITQmsA7e2cmSSqzfhbvMEBp26bTcbhcFk43M7e4uD3-pLJQk6xT5fZcRXG7Ctgr7Dio3lRhHIViP0lQzZ0bzloJw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">I read this book back when it first came out in 2015. I had
a "meh" reaction at the time. I reread it recently because I've seen
so many rave reviews. What I had missed on the first read?</p><p class="MsoNormal">The premise of this book is that a pandemic sweeps the world
with incredible speed. The flu devastates the entire world and civilization
collapses. In our current neverending-Covid world, <i>Station 11</i> seems both
more and less real. Maybe it's because our collapse is happening but in slow
motion.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The characters in this book are all related somehow. It’s a
six-degrees-of-separation thing, but each character is related to the others
with only one or two things separating them. There are many, many characters to
keep track of. For example, <b>Kirsten</b> is a young girl when the pandemic
happens. She’s an extra in a stage production of King Lear. The lead actor, <b>Arthur</b>,
has a heart attack and dies right on the stage. Arthur’s various family members
become central to the plot. Sure, why not, 99% of the population dies, but
everyone that has something to do with Arthur survives. Sounds legit.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's an interesting device but feels contrived. No matter
how I tried, I couldn't care much about any of them. <b>Tyler</b>, Arthur’s
son, becomes incredibly important toward the end of the book. His character is
(putting it kindly) emotionally disturbed. How did he go off the rails? We
should know because we have a sketch of his childhood, but that's all. All
righty then.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I can recommend this book to someone who can suspend
disbelief regarding the unlikely circumstances in the book.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-44704820465394732692022-03-16T10:19:00.003-07:002022-03-30T09:50:16.304-07:00Using multiple library cards<h1 style="text-align: left;">Multiple Library Cards</h1><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">// One of the coolest things about the Libby app is that you
can use many library cards to borrow books.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi81JNWRKkemsv2pS0bSSVXIg0b-9LGpiGlELhPRmUrYi8R6lp_5ImTyzkSG2t_JqXYPxXQGaCVyK7qfWUeAlmID2YDcHDScvuyKY0uvADnxPPqWdCv7YJqKlQpDh06lYh2q2YsNF-MTQVCpafwAavUmp1cJ5nXCP5j7p64UmVokads1lFGb3PiEJf8rg=s1200" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi81JNWRKkemsv2pS0bSSVXIg0b-9LGpiGlELhPRmUrYi8R6lp_5ImTyzkSG2t_JqXYPxXQGaCVyK7qfWUeAlmID2YDcHDScvuyKY0uvADnxPPqWdCv7YJqKlQpDh06lYh2q2YsNF-MTQVCpafwAavUmp1cJ5nXCP5j7p64UmVokads1lFGb3PiEJf8rg=w295-h160" width="295" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>What Cards Can You Get?</b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">1. <b>Home Library System</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first and easiest card to get is the one for your home
library system. What public library is near you? Most libraries are run by
counties, but larger cities may have their own, separate systems. Just do a Google
search for “[name] library card.” If you live in Jones county, search for
“Jones County library card.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>2. <b>Your spouse’s card</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You can apply for a second library card for your home
library in your spouse’s name. If your spouse already has a library card, you
can add their card to your Libby account.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> 3</o:p>. <b>Other cities and counties in your state</b>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since libraries may receive funding from the state, they MAY
offer library cards (or e-cards) to anyone who lives in the state. For example,
the Oakland Public Library will open an e-card account for any California
resident. Other libraries have a residency requirement or require you to pick
it up in person. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> 4</o:p>. <b>Far away libraries</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Believe it or not, certain libraries will extend
e-privileges to people who don’t even live in the state. Some are free, but
most will charge an annual fee. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p> - Broward County
Florida will issue a library card to anyone who applies. Their site says there
is a $50 fee for non-residents, but they didn’t charge me.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p> - Fairfax County
Virginia will issue a library card to out-of-state residents. They will email you
an annual subscription fee of $27.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p><b>How to Add a Card you already have</b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>1. Open Libby and click on the main menu (three
horizontal lines).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>2. Click Add Library</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>3. In the Library Name field, type the name or city of the
library. A list of matching libraries pops up.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>4. Select the Library that’s on your card.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>5. Click “Sign in with my card”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>6. Type in your card number and click “Next”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>What You Can Do With Multiple Library Cards</b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>1. Borrow books – If you have two library cards and each
library lets you borrow six books, you can borrow 12 e-books at a time.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>2. Place holds – If you have two library cards and each
library lets you place a hold on ten books, you can hold 20 e-books.</p><p class="MsoNormal">3. Pick the best hold times. Hold periods can be long, up to several months for an extremely popular book. When you have several library cards, you can place your hold at the library that has the shortest hold time for your desired book. It's even possible that one library might have a long wait while another library has the e-book in stock for immediate borrowing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>How to Change Cards</b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>When you go to check out or hold a book, Libby will show your
“active” card. If you want to borrow from or place a hold at a different
library, go to the main menu (three horizontal lines). “Your Libraries” will be
listed, and the currently active one will have a small star. Click any other
card to make it active.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-39321965543603066422022-03-15T10:04:00.005-07:002022-03-30T09:51:24.917-07:00Escaping violence and death<h1 style="text-align: left;">American Dirt </h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">by Jeanine Cummins </h4>Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcl95AXMNnHDQWtbopLUetgHlO8O6S-nSEAaio8jaz6ElbiWNx9f9ifmthV3CMfY000Gu1a411iTHaho8KOpRbQJT_b0KCuQOQY_m1NK_Cv8CRN_6jOiJ-c7TdVz5mWxirsqkbTf_q6d_SQp2duMKLOFYM03Ly1G6E6qPca3KBa4cmQsFUiJYgYtIWWw=s475" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcl95AXMNnHDQWtbopLUetgHlO8O6S-nSEAaio8jaz6ElbiWNx9f9ifmthV3CMfY000Gu1a411iTHaho8KOpRbQJT_b0KCuQOQY_m1NK_Cv8CRN_6jOiJ-c7TdVz5mWxirsqkbTf_q6d_SQp2duMKLOFYM03Ly1G6E6qPca3KBa4cmQsFUiJYgYtIWWw=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div>A harrowing tale of violence and the struggle to escape it. <br /><br /><b>Lydia</b> and <b>Sébastian</b> live in Acapulco, México. They are educated, upper-middle-class, even well-to-do by Mexican standards. She owns a boutique bookstore; her husband is a journalist. They have a little boy, they adore, <b>Luca</b>. <div><br /></div><div>Sébastian does not shy away from controversial stories. Recently, the drug cartels have gotten stronger and more vicious in Acapulco. Sébastian writes an exposé of the most vicious cartel, and the city holds its breath. Mere hours after publication, armed men descend upon Lydia and Sébastian's home during a family birthday party. Every person present, Lydia's entire family, is executed. Lydia and Luca survive only because they hide in the bathtub. <br /><br /> The rest of the book is the tale of Lydia's escape from the vengeful cartels. The tale is as harrowing as it is detailed. She leaves her comfortable life for a fugitive existence. She and her son sleep on the side of the road and on top of trains, always heading north. <br /><br />There was controversy about <i>American Dirt</i>; some people claimed that a white author shouldn’t write about the immigrant’s experience. I reject that claim entirely; this book is the product of the author’s imagination. More important, it is beautifully written and thought-provoking. <br /><br />I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand more about immigration.</div></div>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-30126450736123057822022-03-14T09:55:00.005-07:002022-03-30T09:52:28.797-07:00A contrived but best-selling book<h1 style="text-align: left;">Verity</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">by Colleen Hoover </h4>/ Rating: ⭐ /<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEg9FkFnAMMCdsRbfD08q1MTeYuZ-rQGZYrC3EOfWJWZAe5DIQuYaOcO41BoWrrQmWvrh2Nm_Yd1UDzLL_U_SOF0jT_DsSiNV9dXxNj7xbCcLixaajxTGItXg8Cfrh4eiSGQ7RJfq9PxqwRck0Ta_xjEX8ANu_iv3Ha-sBc_3MwY1J4kNd43zBWc62pA=s1545" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEg9FkFnAMMCdsRbfD08q1MTeYuZ-rQGZYrC3EOfWJWZAe5DIQuYaOcO41BoWrrQmWvrh2Nm_Yd1UDzLL_U_SOF0jT_DsSiNV9dXxNj7xbCcLixaajxTGItXg8Cfrh4eiSGQ7RJfq9PxqwRck0Ta_xjEX8ANu_iv3Ha-sBc_3MwY1J4kNd43zBWc62pA=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div>I hated <i>Verity</i>. This opinion is unusual in that this book is a huge bestseller. If you think it was a good book, that’s fine. I’m glad you enjoyed it. <div><span><br /></span><div>I thought it was contrived, predictable, and poorly written. By the time I got to the end, I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><b>Warning: This review contains SPOILERS. Stop reading now if you want to be surprised by this wretched book. <br /></b><br />Verity is a hugely popular novelist. She has a horrible car accident and remains in a coma. The husband, who is so faceless I can't even remember his name, hires Lowen, a “struggling writer,” to finish Verity's hugely moneymaking series. He entrusts his cash cow to an unknown nobody, sounds reasonable. Hey, there’s some serious coin to be made here! I already don’t like the greedy, money-grubbing bastard. <br /><br />Lowen is a mouse of a woman. Yawn. While doing research for the project, she "stumbles" upon Verity's Autobiography and is shocked - shocked I tell you - by what she reads. Now, does she put the thing away? Does she tell the husband of the shocking details revealed in the book? NOPE. She keeps reading. She just has to know: IS VERITY EVIL OR NOT? <br /><br />I passionately hated the Autobiography, which was the book's central device. The narrative alternates between Lowen’s point of view and the text of the Autobiography. As each “new” chapter is revealed, it becomes clear that Verity is not what she seems. <br /><br />The premise of this book is that Verity wrote this book and squirreled it away before her accident. The "shocking" thing is that Verity had been living a lie! Gasp! Instead of the loving wife and mother she portrayed herself to be, she's in reality an evil vixen! She is obsessed with her husband to the point where she doesn't want to share him WITH THEIR KIDS. She's evil! She's awful! ... Or is she? That's the alleged mystery until the last chapter. <br /><br />This is where I started to space over the details. I mean, really. This Verity person has spent her whole life living a lie, but she writes all the horrifying facts in chilling detail in what amounts to a confession. She leaves the manuscript where it can be easily found. Would a real evil mastermind do that? Nope. The autobiography manuscript should have been titled Deus Ex Machina. <br /><br />I rushed through the rest of the book but should have put it down. I hated this book so much I'll never read anything by this author again. <br /><br /> I can’t in good conscience recommend this book to anyone, except possibly people who think <i>Lifetime </i>movies have surprising endings</div></div></div>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-73054702963844964562022-03-12T11:30:00.003-08:002022-03-30T09:52:50.399-07:00The darkest book I've ever read<h1 style="text-align: left;">If You Tell</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">by Gregg Olson</h4><p>/ Rating ⭐⭐⭐/</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7CZtuAX2H6IS2yPc3NjOsGhsyxzo2ID0UveO3RpSA8rLO4Bq27qtXHvKN0W_ZIN29jBUXO0dzSmplFg0D3qSRlyFw4G9vfUy-WvhXZjN_6Vb2TJd5y6iMrptYrVFFxHXC2QEim4mxvwQAwSHy40LJENJewdDgPkVNDBobha0DneAGGZ8YrDFArmp60w=s475" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7CZtuAX2H6IS2yPc3NjOsGhsyxzo2ID0UveO3RpSA8rLO4Bq27qtXHvKN0W_ZIN29jBUXO0dzSmplFg0D3qSRlyFw4G9vfUy-WvhXZjN_6Vb2TJd5y6iMrptYrVFFxHXC2QEim4mxvwQAwSHy40LJENJewdDgPkVNDBobha0DneAGGZ8YrDFArmp60w=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><i>If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of
Sisterhood</i> by Gregg Olson is easily the darkest book I've ever read. </span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Calling this book dark is <span face="Calibri, sans-serif">saying something, too, because I've read a lot of Stephen King. Nothing in the horror master's extensive oeuvre even comes close to the horror depicted in this true crime book.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal">As I was reading it, I kept asking myself "Why am I
even reading this horrifying stuff?" Of course, the answer was the same as
Annie Wilkes' answer in Misery. I HAD to know what happened to these
people. Did the perpetrator(s) get brought to justice? Did the victims escape
the abuse? In the interest of remaining spoiler-free, I'm not saying what happened.<br />
<br />
If the book affected me so profoundly, why did I only give it three stars? I
thought the writing was simplistic and repetitive. I wish there had been more
explanations of the psychology of the main perpetrator. How in the world did
someone get so fucked up?<br />
<br />
If you like true crime, and you can handle horrific stories of abuse, you might
enjoy this book. I frequently revisit a book I've already read. I won't be
doing that with this one.<o:p></o:p></p>RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1240245836150618811.post-27567791249948191712022-03-11T10:25:00.005-08:002022-03-30T09:53:05.996-07:00Library Holds<h1 style="text-align: left;">How to Place a Hold</h1><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEKF3kS8rmJx_ETQ0i2rNzrHsywDy0ekUUn5fMBFudVdgatF8gFmn5-DJYkLOuoG8_5yU8LXavSkrgkSxrE7l5lt2JshW3LJc98TnPOif5D5wMuO0Ai_zqtsfSqwW9vlhCMA_3u7ZRu_I_6RYY0e13gKIN_R4x18ph9jkn2qmY3ohTvVBde7v3hsfRqA=s1200" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEKF3kS8rmJx_ETQ0i2rNzrHsywDy0ekUUn5fMBFudVdgatF8gFmn5-DJYkLOuoG8_5yU8LXavSkrgkSxrE7l5lt2JshW3LJc98TnPOif5D5wMuO0Ai_zqtsfSqwW9vlhCMA_3u7ZRu_I_6RYY0e13gKIN_R4x18ph9jkn2qmY3ohTvVBde7v3hsfRqA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">You can place holds for popular books in the Libby app. When you search for a book on Libby, the search results show
you whether the book is immediately available or there is a wait.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Borrow</b> </p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNjK4rz3ZBlG14QUjLltk-wanOObdNL1JnhK8erTNsiayI867qvFs2sPT9u1FhST56CWJpeNiGZjferuY7XR570P-CeylB1UKPiIofwE9HR6c9RG1Rc2kLIkb7xvH8nKoHla6tslr7oeyKZxRaTxyNeKG4g2jg4q7cz-VnRpVAPOnPNtkf9lYcvt6Ccg=s339" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="339" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNjK4rz3ZBlG14QUjLltk-wanOObdNL1JnhK8erTNsiayI867qvFs2sPT9u1FhST56CWJpeNiGZjferuY7XR570P-CeylB1UKPiIofwE9HR6c9RG1Rc2kLIkb7xvH8nKoHla6tslr7oeyKZxRaTxyNeKG4g2jg4q7cz-VnRpVAPOnPNtkf9lYcvt6Ccg=w320-h227" width="320" /></a></div>This is an example of a book you can borrow immediately. The library card icon has a "plus," which means you can add this book to your shelf of borrowed books. (Note that the library card icon will vary somewhat depending on the library you are using)<br /><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to borrow this book, you can either click the word "Borrow" or click on the library card icon. Either will take you to the screen to borrow the book. Be sure to click the big "Borrow!" button. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The screen will tell you how many days your loan will be good for. It's usually three weeks, but this can vary depending on the library.</p><p class="MsoNormal">You'll be notified shortly before the end of the borrowing period. You can return the book early if you're done with it. If you don't return it or renew it, the book will automatically disappear when the term is up.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Place Hold</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGxFvk3gY78OSkgCOBtOEDVsoGIQ98Yc7QkME_K6XAXAKSz5dCn4EOScjIG4XzYwIGmVhU9TINOtipfUYiMMKOXktb8qiKLXF3LmXIjQ1b34iyfCEojfCTke_AUUMYyEN15KjodYjTfpL25Ta9cXKxL6G5Ve_-jruPQFw7m0084Dyk9drmZd_0aqttyw=s456" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="456" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGxFvk3gY78OSkgCOBtOEDVsoGIQ98Yc7QkME_K6XAXAKSz5dCn4EOScjIG4XzYwIGmVhU9TINOtipfUYiMMKOXktb8qiKLXF3LmXIjQ1b34iyfCEojfCTke_AUUMYyEN15KjodYjTfpL25Ta9cXKxL6G5Ve_-jruPQFw7m0084Dyk9drmZd_0aqttyw=w320-h222" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is an example of a book that has a wait. The library card icon has a little clock, which means that there is a wait to borrow this book. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The icon even tells you roughly how long the wait is! Look carefully at the library card icon for this book and you'll see three dots. At this library, each dot represents about three weeks. This book shows three dots, so the estimated hold time is nine weeks. <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to get on the waiting list for this book, you can either click the words "Place Hold" or click on the library card icon. Either will take you to the screen to place your hold. Be sure to click on the big "Place Hold!" button.</p><div>Previous Post: <a href="https://rrb-books.blogspot.com/2022/03/how-to-read-kindle-books-for-free-when.html#more" target="_blank">How to Borrow Kindle Books</a></div><div><br /></div><div>In the next post, we'll tell you how to get multiple library cards.</div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><br />RRB Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421950861197045267noreply@blogger.com0