My blog is about the books I'm reading, the independent bookstores I visit, the author and book events I attend, and any bookish related things I come across in the months and years to come!
The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner is the first novel in the Perry Mason series. There are 57 novels in the Perry mason series, which is an impressive number of novels for a series!
I recently wanted to read a book by Erle Stanley Gardner, so I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Case of the Velvet Claws, which is excellently narrated byAlexander Cendese.
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I truly enjoyed listening to The Case of the Velvet Claws. It contains wonderful characters, a tight storyline, excellent writing, and a few plot twists too. The Case of the Velvet Claws is definitely a hard-boiled novel... so, if this is appealing to you, then check out The Case of the Velvet Claws! I will definitely be listening to more novels in the Perry Mason series.
Below is the publisher's summary for The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner:
Thanks to a bungled robbery at a fancy hotel, the already-married Eva Griffin has been caught in the company of a prominent congressman. To protect the politico, Eva's ready to pay the editor of a sleazy tabloid his hush money. But Perry Mason has other plans. He tracks down the phantom fat cat who secretly runs the blackmailing tabloid -- only to discover a shocking scoop.
By the time Mason's comely client finally comes clean, her husband has taken a bullet in the heart. Now Perry Mason has two choices: represent the cunning widow in her wrangle for the dead man's money -- or take the rap for murder.
I am giving The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.
Listening time forStealing the Show: A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts by John Barelli is 5 hours, 41 minutes.
Stealing the Show: A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts by John Barelli is an excellent read! If you're a lover of nonfiction, the history of art and art crime, then this book is for you. I found Stealing the Show: A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts to be very interesting. John Barelli is the former chief security officer at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art for almost 40 years and he writes his book with the candor and expertise.
Below is the publisher's summary for Stealing the Show: A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts by John Barelli from Chirp's website:
When he retired as the chief security officer of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, John Barelli had spent the better part of forty years responsible not only for one of the richest treasure troves on the planet, but the museum’s staff, the millions of visitors, as well as American presidents, royalty, and heads of state from around the world.
For the first time, John Barelli shares his experiences of the crimes that occurred on his watch, the investigations that captured thieves and recovered artwork, the lessons he learned and shared with law enforcement professionals in the United States and abroad, the accidents and near misses, and a few mysteries that were sadly never solved. He takes listeners behind the scenes, introduces curators and administrators, walks the empty corridors after hours, and shares what it’s like to get the call that an ancient masterpiece has gone missing.
The Metropolitan Museum covers twelve acres in the heart of Manhattan and is filled with five thousand years of work by history’s great artists known and unknown: Goya, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Warhol, Pollack, Egyptian mummies, Babylonian treasures, Colonial crafts, and Greek vases. Over the years, John helped make the museum the state-of-the-art facility it is today and created a legacy in art security for decades to come.
Focusing on six thefts but filled with countless stories that span the late 1970s through the twenty-first century, John opens the files on thefts, showing how museum personnel along with local and sometimes federal agents opened investigations and more often than not caught the thief. But of ultimate importance was the recovery of the artwork, including Celtic and Egyptian gold, French tapestries, Greek sculpture, and more. At the heart of this book there will always be art—those who love it and those who take it, two groups of people that are far from mutually exclusive.
I am giving Stealing the Show: A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts by John Barelli a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.
I am thrilled I finally listened to Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron as it's really good. I love nonfiction books about animals, libraries, and small mid-western towns, especially small towns in Iowa! So, Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World fits the bill in spades for all three categories.
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World not only tells the story of Dewey's humble beginnings and his life after arriving at the Spencer Public Library, but the book also talks about the history of Spencer, Iowa as well. Plus, we learn about some of the patrons of the Spencer Public Library, some of the employees of the Spencer Public Library, and about Vicki Myron's life as well. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World is well written and organized. I loved this book!!
Below is the publisher's summary for Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron from Chirp's website:
Experience the uplifting, “unforgettable” New York Times bestseller about an abandoned kitten named Dewey, whose life in a library won over a farming town and the world – with over 2 million copies sold! (Booklist)
Dewey’s story starts in the worst possible way. On the coldest night of the year in Spencer, Iowa, at only a few weeks old–a critical age for kittens–he was stuffed into the return book slot of the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility (for a cat), and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.
As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming community slowly working its way back from the greatest crisis in its long history.
I am giving Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.
National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.
I found the above definition of National Library Week.
On Friday, April 4, 2025, my hubby and I visited the Mission in Fremont, California. We loved visiting the Mission in Fremont, which is ironically called San Jose. They'd remodeled the Mission since our last visit there in 2015.
After visiting the Mission, we discovered this cute Little Free Library, which is located outside the Museum of Local History and is near the Mission. We didn't go inside the Museum of Local History. Maybe next time.
The Little Free Library also happened to be located across the street from the Joyful Dim Sum restaurant where we had lunch! It was our first time eating at Joyful Dim Sum and the dim sum was delicious.
I enjoy reading cozy mystery novels every now and again.
Recently, I'd finished reading a few nonfiction books and decided I needed a change of pace. Cozy, mystery novels make for fun, light reading. So, I listened to the first three cozy mystery novels in the 'Secret Agent Granny' cozy mystery series by Harper Lin. Harper Lin is not a new to me author. I've enjoyed a couple of her previous books and reviewed them here on my blog.
I'm glad I decided to give the first three novels in the 'Secret Agent Granny' a try as they were a delight to read. I listened to the unabridged audio versions of Granny's Got a Gun, Granny Undercover, and Granny Strikes Back. All three novels are short, quick fun reads. I enjoyed the writing, the humor, the characters, and the storyline. I especially loved the main character, Barbara Gold, who is a 70 year old retired CIA agent and is feisty as heck. Barbara is a widow and she lives in a small town to be closer to her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Barbara is trying to stave off boredom and in the process stumbles upon crimes that need to be solved.
If you're into fun, light, cozy mystery reads, thenthe 'Secret Agent Granny' cozy mystery series may be for you. As of this writing, there are 11 books in the series. I haven't decided quite yet if I will continue with the series or not as I have so many books in my 'tbr' pile as it is right now.
I am giving all three novels a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.
I am a lover of historical fiction novels!! I'm hoping you are too!! If so, please feel free to peruse the list of 31 novels I've read and reviewed here on my blog over the years. I've really liked or loved each of the following books listed below novels. Each of the below books have been books I've rated with either a 4 star review or higher.
Have you read any of the historical fiction novels I've listed above? If so, please let me know what you thought of the novel(s) in the comment section below. Also, please, share some historical fiction favorites you've enjoyed reading over the years as well. I'm always on the lookout for my next great read!
I have read and reviewed four previous works written by Richard Matheson here on my book blog. I've enjoyed the four previous books I've read by Richard Matheson. I eagerly looked forward to reading more books written by Richard Matheson.
I decided on listening to the unabridged audio version of Earthbound by Richard Matheson and narrated by Bronson Pinchot as it had been on sale through Chirp Audiobooks website. Earthbound's plot/storyline sounded intriguing enough to warrant my interest, BUT I found Earthbound to be the BIGGEST FLOP ever!!
In hindsight, I wished I had DNF'd Earthbound after the first couple of chapters. However, I kept reading Earthbound because I'd enjoyed reading Richard Matheson's other books and figured that Earthbound had to get better. Earthbound did pick up and grow somewhat better the second half of the novel, but not enough to warrant a higher rating.
Earthbound is billed as an erotic, ghost story. The plot centers around a married couple taking a second honeymoon in an attempt to rejuvenate their failing marriage. Things fail fast from the very beginning in every way possible. The writing is so painfully, slow and boring. The storyline is repetitious in parts. I found the couple's interactions unrealistic... neither one of them speaks their mind or communicates very well with each other and the husband, David, is quick to anger over stupid stuff. The last half of Earthbound does pick up and grows a tad more interesting when the ghost begins to inhabit Ellen's (David's wife) body, but overall Earthbound is a major dud. Spare yourself!! Skip reading Earthbound.
Below is the publisher's summary for Earthbound, which I discovered on Amazon's website:
A ghost story from the celebrated author of Hell House and I Am Legend, featuring a succubus homewrecker preying upon a troubled marriage.
In 1982, before Matheson had fully achieved the cult-and-grandmaster status that he has today, Playboy Press published a version of his erotic ghost story that was so severely edited that Matheson took his name off the book and instead published it under the name Logan Swanson.
In this restored version of the original manuscript, David and Ellen Cooper’s twenty-one-year-old marriage is nearing the rocks, so they decide to leave Los Angeles for a honeymoon and go to Long Island. Soon after they arrive at their beach cottage, a strange woman, Marianna, appears to David, and he is immediately entranced.
Matheson adeptly explores David’s growing fear and guilt, which becomes intensified after he and Marianna make love in a secret room in the house. Although Marianna is portrayed as an “earthbound spirit” (a ghost who rejects the afterlife, appears real to all senses, believes she is alive, and through psychic attack, sucks life from the living) she’s really more or less a succubus, gussied up in Casper the friendly ghost clothing. With each graphically detailed sexual rendezvous, Marianna pushes David to deeper levels of obsession, loss of will and irrationality. The story reaches an even higher pitch as the evil ghost begins to threaten Ellen, injecting some excellent suspense into unabashed pathos and outright titillation.
I am giving Earthbound by Richard Matheson a rating of 1 star out of 5 stars.
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
This was a tough list to comprise for me!! Do I pick audiobooks? Do I select nonfiction or nonfiction books? Do I chose from a specific genre? So many choices to choose from when considering which books to add to this week's Top Ten Tuesday post.
I chose to go with fiction novels and no specific genre chosen for the following list of books. I absolutely loved the following novels and wouldn't hesitate recommending them to others. All of these novels are well written and most of them provide thought provoking characters and content.
Click on the links to read my review of each novel.
Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, I remember hearing quite a few of Linda Ronstadt's hits over the the years and enjoying them. Although I never saw Linda Ronstadt in concert, I always admired her voice and singing talent. I also thought it was amazing how she successfully crossed genres from folk, pop/rock, country, Latin music, and the American Storybook standards with such ease.
When I discovered Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir by Linda Ronstadt, I added it to my reading wishlist. And, to my delight, I finally listened to the unabridged audio version of Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir this month.
I enjoyed Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir by Linda Ronstadt as it covers Ronstadt's childhood and early family life, how she ventured into the music industry, and the struggles to become a successful, music artist, and finally all of her successes as a singer.
Simple Dreams is truly 'A Musical Memoir' as there isn't much discussion about Ronstadt's romantic relationships and even less discussion about her children. In fact, Ronstadt only mentions her relationship with Jerry Brown in passing a few times and there isn't much written about their relationship to truly glean anything interesting about it. There's no discussion about any of her other romantic involvements either. In other words, Ronstadt has kept parts of her life very private/hidden.
You will, however, read quite a bit of information about Ronstadt's business relationships and friendships with those in the music industry. She does share some interesting tidbits about Jim Morrison, Rosemary Clooney, and plenty of others in Simple Dreams. So, Ronstadt does stick to her single focus of making her memoir solely about her musical career.
In 1967, 'Different Drum' was Linda Ronstadt's first major commercial success with her band, The Stone Poneys. Linda Ronstadt was just 21 years old at the time 'Different Drum' was released.
Below is the publisher's summary for Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir by Linda Ronstadt I discovered on the Goodreads website:
In this memoir, iconic singer Linda Ronstadt weaves together a captivating story of her origins in Tucson, Arizona, and her rise to stardom in the Southern California music scene of the 1960s and ’70s.
Born into a musical family, Linda’s childhood was filled with everything from Hank Williams to Gilbert and Sullivan, Mexican folk music to jazz and opera. Her artistic curiosity blossomed early, and she and her siblings began performing their own music for anyone who would listen. Now, twelve Grammy Awards later, Ronstadt tells the story of her wide-ranging and utterly unique musical journey.
Ronstadt arrived in Los Angeles just as the folk-rock movement was beginning to bloom, setting the stage for the development of country-rock. After the dissolution of her first band, the Stone Poneys, Linda went out on her own and quickly found success. As part of the coterie of like-minded artists who played at the Troubadour club in West Hollywood, she helped define the musical style that dominated American music in the 1970s. One of her early back-up bands went on to become the Eagles, and Linda would become the most successful female artist of the decade. She has sold more than 100 million records, won numerous awards, and toured all over the world. Linda has collaborated with legends such as Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Aaron Neville, J.D. Souther, Randy Newman, Neil Young, Bette Midler, and Frank Sinatra, as well as Homer Simpson and Kermit the Frog. By the time she retired in 2009, Ronstadt had spent four decades as one of the most popular singers in the world, becoming the first female artist in popular music to release four consecutive platinum albums.
In Simple Dreams, Ronstadt reveals the eclectic and fascinating journey that led to her long-lasting success. And she describes it all in a voice as beautiful as the one that sang “Heart Like a Wheel”—longing, graceful, and authentic.
I am giving Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir by Linda Ronstadt a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.
Earlier this week, I listened to the unabridged audio version of 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff, which is nicely narrated by several narrators.
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff is a book that's been on my reading wishlist for a while now. I am so happy I finally read this book as it's really lovely.
84, Charing Cross Road is written in an epistolary style, which only added to its charm. It's also a work of nonfiction. The letters are written between the author of 84, Charing Cross Road and a group of booksellers in England from 1949 through 1969. Helene Hanff and the group of booksellers in England form a friendship over the years, despite the fact they've never meant in person. I loved reading about their interactions and growing friendship. Plus, who can resist reading about books along the way?
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff is also a super quick read!! Listening time is 1 hour, 56 minutes for this work of nonfiction. I was able to start and finish it in an afternoon.
This was my 13th read of 2025. I recommend it for all book lovers.
Below is the publisher's summary for 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff I found on Chirp's website:
A heartwarming love story about people who love books for readers who love books
This funny, poignant, classic love story unfolds through a series of letters between Helene Hanff, a freelance writer living in New York City, and a used-book dealer in London at 84, Charing Cross Road. Through the years, though never meeting and separated both geographically and culturally, they share a charming, sentimental friendship based on their common love for books. Discover the relationship that has touched the hearts of thousands of readers around the world, and was the basis for a film starring Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft.
“Those who have read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a novel comprised of only letters between the characters, will see how much that best-seller owes 84, Charing Cross Road.”—Medium.com
I am giving 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
I've had The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey for ages in my 'to be read' pile!! I actually listened to the abridged audio version of this novel, which was very well narrated by Jan Maxwell.
Listening time for The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey is 2 hours, 42 minutes. So, a very quick read indeed!
The Mermaids Singing is the author's debut novel. For a debut novel, I truly enjoyed this novel. I only wish that The Mermaids Singing was unabridged vs being the abridged audio version.
The novel is set in both Boston, Massachusetts and Ireland. The focus is on three generations of Irish-American women and their complicated relationship. I loved the writing, the storytelling, and the characters. I will definitely seek out another one of Lisa Carey's novels to read in the future.
The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey is my 14th read of 2025!!
The following is the publisher's summary for The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey I discovered on Chirp's website:
There is an island off the west coast of Ireland called Inis Muruch the Island of the Mermaids a world where myth is more powerful than truth, where the sea sings with the healing and haunting voices of women, and where death is never as strong as the redemptive power of family and love. It is here that Lisa Carey sets her lyrical and sensual first novel, weaving together the voices and lives of three generations of Irish-American women.
Years ago, Cliona strong, proud, and practical sailed for Boston, determined to one day come home. But when the time came to return to Inis Muruch, her daughter Grace fierce, beautiful, and brazenly sexual resented her mother’s isolated, unfamiliar world. Though entranced by the sea and its healing powers, Grace became desperate to escape the confines of the island, one day stealing away with her small daughter, Grainne.
Now Grainne, motherless at fifteen after Grace’s death from breast cancer is about to be taken back across the ocean by Cliona, repeating the journey her mother was forced to make years before. She goes to meet a father she has never known, her heart pulled between a life where she no longer belongs to a family she cannot remember. On the rocky shores of Inis Muruch, she waits for her father, and begins to discover her own sexual identity even as she struggles to understand the forces that have torn her family apart.
In her first novel, Lisa Carey has crafted voices so real and passionate that they resonate within the listener long after the last words are heard.
I am giving The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.
I enjoy reading nonfiction books quite a bit. So, when I read the publisher's summary for Blood & Ivy by Paul Collins, I couldn't resist checking it out. I ended up listening to the unabridged audio version of Blood & Ivy by Paul Collins, which is narrated by Kevin Kenerly.
Although, Blood & Ivy by Paul Collins is very detailed in relaying the "delectable true-crime story of scandal and murder at America’s most celebrated university", I found it to be a bit dry in parts. So, dry in fact, that I found myself tuning out in parts and only half listening to the narrator at times. Also, Kevin Kenerly is a good narrator, but he could have slowed his pace down a tad for a smoother listen, which would allow the listener to absorbed more of the information easily.
Below is the publisher's summary for Blood & Ivy by Paul Collins discovered on Chirp's website:
A delectable true-crime story of scandal and murder at America’s most celebrated university.
On November 23, 1849, in the heart of Boston, one of the city’s richest men vanished. Dr. George Parkman, a Brahmin who owned much of Boston’s West End, was last seen that afternoon visiting his alma mater, Harvard Medical School. Police scoured city tenements and the harbor―some leads put Parkman at sea or in Manhattan―but a Harvard janitor held a much darker suspicion: that their ruthless benefactor had never even left the Medical School building. His shocking discovery engulfed America in one of its most infamous trials, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts vs. John White Webster, Harvard’s professor of chemistry. A baffling case of red herrings, grave robbing, and dismemberment, it became a landmark in the use of medical forensics. Rich in characters and atmosphere, Blood & Ivy explores the fatal entanglement of new science and old money in one of America’s greatest murder mysteries.
I am giving Blood & Ivy by Paul Collins a rating 3 stars out of 5 stars.
Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I decided to take a drive out to Concord, California just to find a few new to us Little Free Libraries.
Concord, California is approximately 30-35 minutes from our home via automobile.
We found four Little Free Libraries in Concord, California. All four of them were very close to one another, which was awesome!!
Three of the four LFLs were on the official LFL app. However, the fourth LFL was discovered randomly as we were driving by on our way to the first LFL.
As a side note, we did see a fifth LFL in the same area. We weren't able to visit this particular LFL because it was located behind a chain link fence and was part of a community vegetable garden. This LFL is not on the official LFL app either. And, well, I can see why if not everyone has access to it.
Have you found any Little Free Libraries recently?
According to the above video, "outrage erupts as the US blocks Canadian libraries from cross-border access! US officials cite drug trafficking concerns, but a Quebec town claims the move weakens vital international collaboration. Learn more about this escalating US-Canada conflict and its implications."
Earlier this month, I noticed that my little book blog has surpassed one million page views mark!! This was exciting for me to witness. I never thought I'd be blogging this long... Nor, did I ever think about reaching one million page views from readers like you.
I simply wanted to have fun sharing book reviews, bookish quotes, author, library, and other bookish related news, my journey of discovery throughout the years, whether attending book festivals, author signing events, new to me indie bookstore, Little Free Libraries, etc. with other avid readers and book lovers.
Thank you for taking the time to peruse my book blog over the years! I appreciate all of my followers and everyone who has left me comments.
As many of my longtime blog followers already know, I love listening to audiobooks!
I love listening to audiobooks for a variety of reasons. Audiobooks are great to listen to while commuting medium distances or during longer trips too. I enjoy listening to audiobooks while doing other activities like while I'm taking walks alone, eating meals alone, or doing other simple activities that do not require a lot of attention. Also, as I've grown older small print is more difficult to read due to aging eyes even with progressive lenses in my prescription eyeglasses... Additionally, I have an ongoing issue in my left eye that causes some issues occasionally in terms being able to read clearly.
So, audiobooks have become my 'go to' way of reading these days the majority of the time. It just makes life easier and I've also come to enjoy the audiobook format immensely. In fact, everything I've read this year (so far!!) has been in audiobook format. I've listened to 12 books this year already.
Narrators are one of the key factors that make for a great experience when it comes to listening to audiobooks. There are some great narrators out there whom I love listening to when it comes to audiobooks. But today, I'm not going to focus on the topic of professional audiobook narrators. Instead, I am going to focus on authors whom have chosen to narrate their own books.
Personally, I've discovered that not all authors make good narrators! However, I have had some great experiences with listening to authors narrator their own books.
Below is a shortlist of audiobooks I've listened to over the years that have been well narrated by the author themselves. I am sure there are many other audiobooks narrated by the authors themselves I've enjoyed, but decided to stick with a shorter list of books vs a longer list of books!
The Seas by Samantha Hunt
Born A Crime by Trevor Noah The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
The Story of English in 100 Words by David Crystal
Chasing the Sun: How the Science of Sunlight Shapes Our Bodies and Minds by Linda Geddes
Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright
The Professor & the Madman by Simon Winchester
Share with me in the comment section which audiobooks narrated by the author have you enjoyed listening too!!
Yesterday, I published a post sharing the American Library Association's statement regarding Donald Trump's executive order signed on March 14th. This is a serious assault on the Institute of Museum and Library Services "by eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the Trump administration’s executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer"! (The quote comes from the ALA)
If you'd like to help libraries across the nation, PLEASE consider making your voice heard on this very important issue!! You can make your voice heard by clicking onthe following link and support the Show Up For Our Libraries campaign.
Once you've clicked on the above link, you will be taken to a website where you can send an already drafted message to congress requesting that Donald Trump's March 14th Executive Order be overturned.
Let's work together to prevent Donald Trump from completely gutting our nation's libraries!
Americans have loved and relied on public, school and academic libraries for generations. By eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the Trump administration’s executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer:
Early literacy development and grade-level reading programs
Summer reading programs for kids
High-speed internet access
Employment assistance for job seekers
Braille and talking books for people with visual impairments
Homework and research resources for students and faculty
Veterans’ telehealth spaces equipped with technology and staff support
STEM programs, simulation equipment and training for workforce development
Small business support for budding entrepreneurs
To dismiss some 75 committed workers and mission of an agency that advances opportunity and learning is to dismiss the aspirations and everyday needs of millions of Americans. And those who will feel that loss most keenly live in rural communities.
As seedbeds of literacy and innovation, our nation’s 125,000 public, school, academic and special libraries deserve more, not less support. Libraries of all types translate 0.003% of the federal budget into programs and services used in more than 1.2 billion in-person patron visits every year, and many more virtual visits.
This news is tragic!! We need the above library services for everyone here in the USA. And, especially, for marginalized and poverty stricken regions that have less access to educational resources.
I am a US taxpayer and I want my tax dollars to fund public libraries and the programs they offer!! #showupforourlibraries
Listening for The Oswalds: An Untold Account of Marina and Lee by Paul R. Gregory is 8 hours, 11 minutes.
I wasn't a huge fan of the way in which Traber Burns narrated, The Oswalds: An Untold Account of Marina and Lee by Paul R. Gregory. I wish another narrator had been chosen for this book.
As far as The Oswalds: An Untold Account of Marina and Lee by Paul R. Gregory goes, I would highly recommend this book for those who enjoy learning about American history. More specifically, this book delves deeply into the lives of Lee Harvey Oswald and his Soviet wife, Marina, in quite some detail.
Paul R. Gregory, the author of The Oswalds: An Untold Account of Marina and Lee knew Lee Harvey Oswald and his wife personally, so Mr. Gregory was able to give thoughtful insight into their personal lives leading up to the assassination and aftermath.
Additionally, other details surrounding the assassination of JFK and the manhunt for JFK's killer were discussed in this book in some detail. I gained more knowledge about this subject that I didn't know about it before.
Below is the publisher's summary for The Oswalds: An Untold Account of Marina and Lee by Paul R. Gregory I discovered on Amazon's website:
This “lucid, insightful” memoir by a man who knew Lee Harvey Oswald and his wife offers “an informative view of a killer’s marriage and lethal motivations” (Kirkus Reviews).
Merely two hours after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, television cameras captured police escorting a suspect into Dallas police headquarters. Meanwhile at the University of Oklahoma, watching the coverage in the student center, Paul Gregory scanned the figure in dark trousers and a white V-neck tee shirt and saw the bruised and battered face of Lee Harvey Oswald. Shocked, Gregory said, “I know that man.” In fact, he knew Oswald and his Soviet wife, Marina, better than almost anyone in America.
Identified by the FBI as a “known associate of LHO,” Gregory soon faced interrogations by the Secret Service. Later he would testify before the Warren Commission. Here, in The Oswalds, he offers the intimate details of his time spent with Lee and Marina in their run-down duplex in Fort Worth, and candidly assesses the murder that marked a turning point in our history. His riveting recollection includes memories both casual and deadly serious, such as the dinner at his parents’ house introducing Marina to the “Dallas Russians,” a front-yard incident of spousal abuse, and a further rift in the marriage when he revealed to Marina that Oswald was not the dashing, radical intellectual whose Historic Diary would be a publishing sensation. Gregory also gives a fascinating account of his father’s role as an eyewitness to history, serving as Marina’s translator and confidant in the first four days after the assassination.
“A definitive personality sketch of Oswald . . . Gregory’s book will stand the test of time.” —Mark Kramer, Director of Cold War Studies, Harvard University
I am giving The Oswalds: An Untold Account of Marina and Lee by Paul R. Gregory a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.
I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Horoscope Writer by Ash Bishop, which is decently narrated by a collected group of narrators.
Ash Bishop is a new to me author and the plot summary for his novel, The Horoscope Writer, was intriguing enough for me to purchase it. The Horoscope Writer is a contemporary, mystery novel set in San Diego, California. I liked the horoscope angle for this novel. The premise for the storyline was a good one, but the writing wasn't very captivating. The writing needed more depth and suspense to keep the reader interested in the storyline. I wasn't a fan of any of the characters either. Towards the end of the novel, I didn't care what happened and just wanted The Horoscope Writer to end.
Below is the publisher's summary for The Horoscope Writer by Ash Bishop from Amazon's website:
From Audie Award-winning author Ash Bishop
“Readers will be eager to see what Bishop does next.” —Publishers Weekly
“. . . filled with realistic scenarios and satisfying twists.” —Midwest Book Review
Leo: You’ll step out the door, prepared for a normal day. But you’ll never reach your workplace. You will vanish, without a trace.
Who is The Horoscope Writer? It’s not Bobby Frindley. He’s an ex-Olympic athlete who has fast-talked his way into an entry-level position at a dying newspaper. He’s supposed to be writing horoscopes, but someone has been doing it for him . . .
On his first night on the job, Bobby receives an email with twelve gruesome, highly-detailed horoscopes, along with a chilling ultimatum: print them and one will come true, or ignore them and they all will.
Working with a skeptical co-worker, Bobby investigates the horoscope writer’s true identity, but the closer he gets to the truth, the more the predictions begin to be about him. Has he attracted the attention of a cruel puppeteer? Or is it possible that, like any good horoscope, it’s all in his head?
For readers who enjoy The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, Deal Breaker by Harlan Corben, or Therapy by Jonathan Kellerman.
I am giving The Horoscope Writer by Ash Bishop a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.
I support Louise Penny in her decision to cancel her latest book tour in the USA. Above is an excellent audio interview where Louise Penny articulates her reasons concisely. Who can really blame Ms. Penny for her decision?
I listened the unabridged audio version of The Seas by Samantha Hunt, which is well narrated by the author. Samantha Hunt is a new to me author. I enjoyed reading The Seas very much and look forward to reading other books by Samantha Hunt.
The Seas was my 10th read of 2025 and what an excellent read it! It's also a very quick read too. Essentially, The Seas by Samantha Hunt is a coming of age story with an unnamed and unreliable narrator as the protagonist. Throw in some magical realism and you have an almost perfect read with The Seas. I think The Seas may be my favorite fiction read so far for 2025.
Below is the publisher's summary for The Seas by Samantha Hunt, I found on Chirp's website:
Moored in a coastal fishing town so far north that the highways only run south, the unnamed narrator of The Seas is a misfit. She’s often the subject of cruel local gossip. Her father, a sailor, walked into the ocean eleven years earlier and never returned, leaving his wife and daughter to keep a forlorn vigil. Surrounded by water and beckoned by the sea, she clings to what her father once told her: that she is a mermaid. True to myth, she finds herself in hard love with a land-bound man, an Iraq War veteran thirteen years her senior. The mesmerizing, fevered coming-of-age tale that follows will land her in jail. Her otherworldly escape will become the stuff of legend. With the inventive brilliance and psychological insight that have earned her international acclaim, Samantha Hunt pulls listeners into an undertow of impossible love and intoxication, blurring the lines between reality and fairy tale, hope and delusion, sanity and madness.
I'm giving The Seas by Samantha Hunt a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.
I've wanted to read a novel written by Herman Melville for quite sometime. Melville's novel, Moby Dick, seemed a bit too daunting too start with.
So, I decided instead to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Encantadas by Herman Melville, which is decently narrated by Mark Owen. The Encantadas is the first thing I've read by Herman Melville.
The Encantadas by Herman Melville is a novella with a listening time of 2 hours, 30 minutes.
The Encantadas is a set of sketches that read like a travelog about The Galapagos Islands. I wasn't impressed with The Encantadas at all. The first half of this novella is so boring that I almost gave up on this novella entirely. The second half of The Encantadas was the most interesting part of this novella. However, I still feel like The Encantadas wasn't really worth my reading time.
Below is the publishers summary for The Encantadas by Herman Melville, which I discovered on Chirp's website:
The Encantadas (or Enchanted Isles), is a series of ten descriptive sketches, and a reminiscence from Melville’s sailor days revealing the ecologically pristine Galapagos Islands as both enchanting and horrifying. Containing some of Melville’s most memorable prose, The Encantadas were a critical success at a time when Melville’s fortunes were down. After publication, the New York Dispatch cited the chapters as universally considered among the most interesting papers of that popular Magazine, and each successive chapter was read with avidity by thousands. The reviewer called the sketches a sort of mixture of ‘Mardi’ and ‘Robinson Crusoe’–though far more interesting than the first named work.
I'm giving The Encantadas by Herman Melville a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.
For me, I see the scene described through pictures while I'm reading a book. Not always, but sometimes. What about you? How do you experience reading books?
