Guest Blogger

Guest bloggers pop up when least expected.  Far away Steve seems to have a psychic connection of some sort and sends me postable emails when I am in a reading slump.  The pooch takeovers happen randomly, adding bits of tail wagging happiness to my days.  

Sad to say I can't even tell you the name of today's guest blogger.  Although she never intended to make an appearance on Fine Print on a Monday,  I just couldn't pass up sharing this moment. 

Yes, I read the Mary Trump book. People have been asking and I have shared a few, simple opinions. So far, I have chosen not to take a detailed stab at this one.  Our mystery blogger/customer and her husband came over on the ferry.  Well dressed, mid-forties, polite.  She spotted the book and began a controlled, articulate monologue. She went right down his list of sins, reaching back to his behavior before the election, his campaign practices, and just about every move he has made since taking the oath of office.  

She wasn't just spewing headline news stuff; she had stats, she made historical references, and quoted the constitution. At one point she used the phrase "when I represent someone in court..." so I got the point - she's a lawyer.  A very upset lawyer. I got the impression variations of this speech have been given many times before - cocktail party stuff, perhaps.

She eventually wound down and got around to directing her comments to the book.  "My final thoughts on this book are that the Trump family is dysfunctional and Donald is..." here she hesitated, and I could tell she was searching for the right word, perhaps not wanting to offend me with anything too strong.

Then our intelligent, well-informed, word savvy customer continued,  "Donald Trump is a big booger."

I leave you with that.

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay happy.

Guest Review - Warren the 13th

Quicksand!  Secret Codes! 

 Witches!  Angry Trees!

...and other sinister material!

All of that and more jump from the pages of this sequel to that crazy, silly and challenging Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye.

My friend,and voracious reader, 10 year old Kaitlynn wrote this review of the first book in the series:

Warren the 13th is a good book because it is fun to read because there are hidden puzzles, like reading backwards.  It also is a good book because it teaches you to trust your friends.  This book is illustrated in red and black.  I love this book because it is fantasy.  This book is for kids of all ages and they will love it, too.

Can you top that?  A 10 year old who loves to read and write!  Kudos to Kaitlynn, to her parents, and to her teachers.

Thanks for the review, Kaitlynn.  If you want it, the early copy of the book pictured above is yours.  Stop by and pick it up when you can.

Peyton Place...again

This interestingly ironic note turned up in my inbox today from our friend, writer, and guest blogger, Steve.

today is a significant one for peyton place fans and readers - garrison reported this morning it is the birthday of Grace Metalious - here's the write-up

It's the birthday of novelist Grace Metalious (books by this author), born in Manchester, New Hampshire (1924). She wrote the scandalous novel Peyton Place (1956) about a small New England town that is filled with sex, rape, murder, and suicide.

Metalious was a stay-at-home mother of three children, and she wrote the novel to help her husband pay the bills. She got the idea for the book in the middle of the night and wrote it in 10 weeks. It was the first work of fiction she ever published. She based part of the book on a town secret about a woman who murdered her father, and when the book became a best-seller, the locals in her town were horrified. It was banned in libraries across the country, and the public library in her hometown didn't have a copy until the 1990s.

After her death, the book was made into a TV series that became the first ever long-running primetime soap opera, and all primetime serials since then have been based on its example.

now isn't that interesting?

No kidding that's interesting, especially if you read last week's mini-post saying that my book group is reading PPlace as our September book.  Let me start by saying this wasn't the best book I have ever read, but it wasn't the worst either.  Not having read other pop fiction from this era, I have no benchmark. The late 60's saw the rise of many existential writers, mostly playwrights like Pinter and (my fave) Beckett.   But pop fiction - maybe Please Don't Eat the Daisies or a few titles by Victoria Holt or whichever of her multiple pseudonyms she was using a the time.

On Sunday afternoon I canned tomatoes, pickles and peppers for the fist and last time in my life.  While veggies bubbled and boiled on the stove, things bubbled and boiled in Peyton Place as well.  If you decide to read this book, don't let the 400+ pages scare you.  Dialogue helps move the plot along nicely, and face it, we aren't talking Faulkner here.  I would describe Metalious'  style as simple and old-fashioned.  At times her character descriptions are painfully overworked, and Metalious uses far too many similes and hyperboles for my taste.  Give me a solid metaphor metaphor any day but those hover on the cusp on symbolism and may not have been her forte.  At first I was annoyed by the the meandering prose of the opening sequence, but then it dawned on me - she's painting a Norman Rockwell portrait of Peyton Place.  Then just at the right moment, Metalious shifts her attention to two locals sitting on bench observing and passing judgement - passing judgment mostly on women.

From there the book shifts into high gear, the clown car of social issues revving, exploding and more often than not backfiring into the lives of those living up and down Elm Street.  There's incest, rapr abortion, murder, dishonestly, political corruption, womanizing, alcoholism suicide. lust, pre-marital sex, and more.  Of course, with each of these come big questions, ethical questions to be considered and, in some cases, re-considered.

I understand why this book was shocking in 1957 and I must say that Metalious was near genius when it comes to planting those explosive scenes.  Her sense of when and where to startle us with language or gasp-worthy dalliances is impeccable.   "Have things changed?" I asked myself more than once.  You know, if we all look at a simple 5 or 10 square mile section of our own towns, I bet we'd find many of the same situations that caused such a stir in Peyton Place.  My hope is that we have matured to a point where we look at those situations - which frankly are none of our business - with kinder eyes.

Thanks for stopping by.

Man of God, Son of Thunder by guest blogger Steven Head

Yet another chapter from "Steve, You're Reading my Mind." Last weekend, I watched the first two episodes of "Big Love" the curious, sometimes funny, but always intriguing HBO series about a polygamist family. but, I guess with the Warren Jeffs trial just ending, this subject is on many minds.

Thanks Steve!

In the spring of 1978 I accepted a job with the Utah State Historical Society under the CETA program. Comprehensive Employment & Training Act. That was back when politicians thought doing what is best for the people was more important than party and special interests. But I digress. One of the items in their collection was a large, 4' by 8' or bigger, portrait of Mormon wild man Orrin Porter Rockwell. As I recall he has guns out and wind is whipping his long coat. Impressive.

Up until that point my only knowledge of Porter Rockwell was as a restaurant in Salt Lake. They also had a private club named DB Cooper. The cult of personality was alive even back then but the person had to have more talent than a big behind or a pretty face. The portrait made me curious about Rockwell, enough to discover there was a biography of the man.

With retirement I've been trying to cross a few things off my bucket list and one of them is reading the Harold Schindler bio of OPR, with the secondary title of Man of God, Son of Thunder. What I discovered was a combination biography and early history of the Latter Day Saints, aka Mormons, starting with Joseph Smith in New York State. Orrin hung out with Joe and was part of the Mormon push, and push back, in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois.

The biography starts in 1831 and Smith's short time in Ohio and ends in Sept. of 1877 with the death of Rockwell, about a month after Brigham Young passed. The span between shows Rockwell's part in the settlements of Missouri and Illinois where Smith was killed. His role as scout and facilitator of the mass movement of Mormons across the plains and to the Great Salt Lake valley. And the part he played as a guerrilla warfare leader against US troops sent to Utah. Not to mention scout and guide for parties going on to California, and as a scout for the same Army he battled against as they took on hostile Indians.

Rockwell was an entrepreneur, especially when it came to saloons, cattle, and freight hauling. He was also a crack shot only too willing to enter into competitive wagers. OPR was an enforcer for the Mormon church which had a good deal of dissent among the membership. Schindler tiptoes around the issue of polygamy, introducing the different wives and children but stopping short of describing the living arrangements. And he makes no attempt to hide Rockwell's fondness for alcohol.

It is difficult to know exactly the kind of man OPR was in real life as Schindler has relied on newspaper accounts, the many diaries of Mormon pioneers, and historic publications. He is described as cordial and ruthless, illiterate and a teaser, devout and an alcoholic. There is no doubt he lived a colorful life, brushing shoulders with prominent figures in the development of the American West. And the person you did not want to see if you were in conflict with Mormon authorities.

Mormon history and personalities may not interest you but I suspect there are people and public figures that inspire your curiosity. You can probably wait and see if Ken Burns will do a PBS documentary on them. Or you can read a book or two. It is a good use of time.

I thought you might like these predictions about the....looks like some big names are back including Stephen Kind, Joan Didion, Susan Orlean, Alice Hofman...

25 most anticipated books for fall

Blueprints for Building Better Girls by Elissa Schappell
Mothers, daughters, friends, wives and lovers—from the late ’70s to the present day—fill the pages of Elissa Schappell’s wise and witty linked short story collection.

What It Is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes
The author of the highly acclaimed Matterhorn uses his personal experiences as illustrations of the psychological, philosophical and spiritual dilemmas that combat soldiers face—in the field and upon returning home.

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
This remarkable coming-of-age story, set at a New England college during an extraordinary baseball season, marks Harbach as a writer to watch.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This imaginative debut, set in a magical circus, follows two rival magicians who select champions to represent them in a deadly competition.

Life Itself by Roger Ebert
The popular film critic tells the story of his life. Readers of his popular blog–and his reviews—know that Ebert is a wonderful writer; expect this to be great.

The Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard
Millard, author of The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey, is back with a compelling narrative about the assassination of President James A. Garfield.
Reamde by Neal Stephenson

In his most accessible novel yet, Neal Stephenson delivers a fast-paced tech thriller that takes place around the world. In a review of Stephenson’s The System of the World, one BookPage reviewer wrote that the author “practices alchemy of the literary variety, turning words into gold.”

The End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina
Mina follows up Still Midnight with another mystery starring Detective Inspector Alex Morrow—who is called to investigate after a millionaire banker commits suicide.

The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt
The author of Will in the World (a brilliant biography of Shakespeare) turns his attention to the great cultural “swerve” known as the Renaissance.

Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean (This will be first on my list!)
One of our best narrative nonfiction writers returns with the story of one of the most remarkable dogs of all time: Rin Tin Tin.

Boomerang by Michael Lewis
The author of many popular nonfiction books including The Blind Side, Liar’s Poker and Next: The Future Just Happened investigates the U.S. financial crisis, and how it effects markets abroad—and vise versa.

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
There’s no magic here; Hoffman takes readers to the year 70 CE to dramatize a historical event: the storming of the fortress of Masada where 900 Jews took a stand against the Romans. She tells the story from the perspectives of three very different women. May be the novel fans of The Red Tent have been waiting for?

When She Woke by Hilary Jordan
This novel from the author of Mudbound is sure to be big; it’s a re-telling of The Scarlet Letter set in the not-too-distant future.

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian
A pilot who has to make an emergency landing on water (think Sully) survives the crash. 39 of the 47 other people on board do not. Haunted by the past, he moves with his wife and two daughters to a rambling Victorian house in Vermont, where the haunting becomes literal. Look for shades of The Shining.

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
Nearly 10 years after publishing Middlesex, Eugenides will publish The Marriage Plot—the story of a love triangle that takes place after the three main characters graduate from college in 1982.

Zone One by Colson Whitehead
In the wake of the plague, Mark Spitz is working to clear Manhattan of the infected ones—though the only zombies left in the area are not the dangerous kind but the “malfunctioning” sort who are basically catatonic and mourning their former lives. Then it all starts to go wrong.

Nanjing Requiem by Ha Jin
Set during the notorious Nanjing massacre, Nanjing Requiem fictionalizes the experiences of a real-life American missionary, Minnie Vautrin, who stays in China during the 1937 Japanese invasion in the hopes that she can help the community she has lived in for more than a decade.
IQ84 by Haruki Murakami

Murakami’s 1Q84 (a play on Orwell’s 1984) was first published in three volumes in Japan. Critics have called this story a “magnum opus,” and readers have made it a bestseller in Japan. Now Americans can see what all the fuss is about. Added convenience: Knopf will release the trilogy as one single volume (it’ll be 928 pages!).

Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz
Tony Horowitz—author of Blue Latitudes (and husband of Geraldine Brooks)—shares the story of abolitionist John Brown and his raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859.

Blue Nights by Joan Didion
Didion’s haunting memoir of her husband’s death and illness, The Year of Magical Thinking, was a surprise bestseller. Now she chronicles the life of her daughter Quintana Roo, and ponders aging and death once again.

The Next Always by Nora Roberts
Perennial bestseller Nora Roberts launches the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy with The Next Always. This series is especially intriguing because it is inspired by the real Inn BoonsBoro, which Roberts bought and restored in 2007.

11/23/1963 by Stephen King
After a high school teacher discovers a portal to 1958 in a diner’s back room, he sets out on a mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.

The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco (The Name of the Rose) will inspire plenty of paranoia with his latest work of historical fiction, which investigates conspiracies throughout history.

Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie
Though Catherine’s eventful life would be a gripping read no matter what, we have high hopes for Massie’s version: His 1981 book, Peter the Great, won the Pulitzer and is pretty much the best bio ever.

Mrs. Nixon by Ann Beattie
Beattie was a literary phenom from the start, hailed as the voice of her generation by no less than the New Yorker, which published many of her stories in the 1980s. Now she tells the story of Pat Nixon, the wife of our most infamous president.

Thanks for stopping by...and don't foret to register for the signed bookd giv away on the right side of the blog.

S is for Sad by guest blogger Steven Head

There are elements of Blog followers who know I am a big mystery fan. One of my favorite mystery TV programs is Masterpiece Mystery, which just finished the Zen three show series at the end of July. It was great to see fresh faces, other than the guy from the BBC's Couples, in a detective series based in Rome. I especially like how the writers answer the question, "What kind of name is Zen?" with the explanation, he is from Venice. Okay ...

The hard-boiled detective in Zen, a police detective with a reputation for integrity. Finding himself squeezed by politicos, prosecutors, and his own department, Zen needs to be nimble and quick. And like his hard-boiled brethren, he has a working relationship with the career criminal class. Through a combination of luck, following the leads, and analysis, he consistently solves the crime, restoring balance between good and evil, and lands on his feet with reputation firmly in place. If you missed it, look for it in re-runs.

Based upon the PBS website, it appears we'll have to wait until 2012 for any first-run mystery episodes. I wish it were not so, which is why S is for ... In late August and September the Inspector Lewis re-runs will begin. Lewis was the understudy of the long running Inspector Morse series that ended production when John Thaw passed away. I prefer the cerebral and cultured Morse to the working class Lewis, although the new upper class sidekick is an acceptable substitute. Give it a watch if you have not indulged.

October through December programming has not been identified but it is likely one of the Classic or Contemporary series, or even fund raiser fodder, will fill that time slot. But as long as we're talking mysteries, let me share thoughts on others members in the Masterpiece Mystery series stable. The new Poirot episode were satisfying as David Suchet continues to portray the lead role very convincingly. I am not as pleased with the new Sherlock Holmes, finding the portrayal by Jeremy Brett as my favorite not only on PBS but of all time, including Basil Rathbone.

I always watch the Miss Marple episodes but must confess the swirl of characters and false leads takes my attention away from the who-dun-it, finding pleasure in the delightful period clothing, country manners and mores, and selected guest actor performances.

I had hoped fresh episodes of Tony Hillerman's Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn adventures would return this year, but was disappointed. Robert Redford did three episodes at least a year ago with excellent casting and brisk storytelling. I can only hope my waiting will be rewarded in 2012.

Lastly, I have not received any fresh information on Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire and cable TV. The pilot was shot and edited, and my understanding is everyone is waiting for A&E, or one of those channels, to give the thumbs up or thumbs down on doing a season of episodes. The casting is promising and the production crew has a good reputation. Perhaps in the next few weeks all will be revealed.

Keep turning the pages and supporting your independent bookstore.

Adam & Eve by guest blogger Steven Head

People...it's 90 degrees outside...and gooey. Who drinks coffee on a day like today? That's what I said to myself when I walked in this morning, and so I didn't brew any java. Three guesses what my first five customers wanted. Right! Oh well, lesson learned. Sometimes it doesn't pay to think...doing is better.

I know I haven't been too regular of late...concerning the blog that is. No excuse other than I have a huge case of the lazies. It happens. It will end someday. But, believe me, this is the life. Every so often I reflect back on my teaching days, and jump for joy (you ought to see that!) when the alarm doesn't ring at 5:40, and when I am not staring at 60+ essays to grade, or pithy little poems to critique. Teaching was a great gig, but moving on was wise for me. And now, making life even better than ever....I have a personal reader. Yup. Good ole Steve has read a book that has been on my to-be-read pile for almost a year...and he went ahead and read it for me. Gotta luv that guy for being so thoughtful. I read Abundance by Sena Naslund years ago - the fictionalized account of Marie Antoinette. The title refers to her indulgent life, but also to the abundance of ambition, turmoil, and general unrealistic expectations placed on a couple far too young to run a county.

So...here's Steve's expert commentary.

(Hey Steve, it's a Twilight Zone moment that you lead with a reference to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I watched that movie for the first time last weekend.)

A few weekends ago I caught a mid-1990's interview with James Berendt on Book TV, talking about his Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Berendt talked about the Clint Eastwood movie based on the book, but a good deal of the writing had been dropped given time constraints. The library had an audio version and it was only a few days before I checked it out. So when a book entitled Adam & Eve came along it seemed appropriate to read it while listening to Good & Evil.

Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Adam & Eve, has a number of books out including Ahab's Wife, Sherlock in Love, and Ice Skating at the North Pole. But I had never read any of her work so all was a surprise to me. A&E starts with the our central character, Lucy, in Amsterdam on her way to meet Thom Bergmann, her husband. As she approaches the meeting place she watches as a grand piano, being hoisted up the outside of building, breaks loose and crashes onto her mate. That is what I call a dramatic opening.

Through a series of coincidences Lucy finds herself transporting a religious artifact in an aging private airplane she pilots from Cairo to Paris. The plane develops mechanical problems and she crashes on a beach, although on the way down she notices a solitary human figure. This is where the Adam & Eve part comes together. We learn the man is named Liam with a history of mental issues. Believing he has been transformed to Adam, living in the Garden of Eden, he longs for an Eve. Cue the entrance of Lucy to assume this role.

All goes well in Eden until it does not. I will not share the details since that would be giving away too much. Let's just say Lucy gets the artifact to Paris, which leads to another mini-adventure, and all ends happily ever after, more or less.

Since the book is set in future, 2017 to 2020, it might be considered science fiction. Parts of it suggest mystery. There is a good deal of discussion of religious topics. And in some ways it is a love story. So categorizing this book is a problem.

Adam & Eve is entertaining and thought provoking, although for me the ending is not completely satisfying. If you are a fan of Ms. Naslund, this book may be for you. Even if you are not, you still might want to give it a try.

Loose Ends by guest blogger Steven Head

I was happy to receive Steve's first, official Retirement Report from Nebraska where he has been hiding since leaving Manitowoc. So, Steve has finally spilled...he is working on a mystery novel. Over the years, I have been the happy recipient of several of Steve's skillfully written short stories, one, with blush-worthy passages, takes place in a bookstore. Steve had a thread going for a while...vignette's with people doing inappropriate things in unexpected places. They all made me chuckle, but beneath the outward silliness, were some sad characters worthy of readers' sympathy. If you've become a Steve fan over the years, I am sure you are hoping along with me that his book will find a publisher and that Steve will find his way "home" for a signing, and much anticipated reveal of who he really is.

Hey Steve...for some gaming variety try Eggz or Alu's Revenge!

Now...here's Steve

Earlier this month I worked my last 'planned' full-time day. Some may think I am retiring. I choose to say I've quit working until either the money runs out or I die. The decision does give me a great deal of free time and with it the need to develop some goals. I know only too well how a day can be lost to Freecell, naps, and munching. And that day can stretch into a week and then a month.

My first goal is to loose the 20+ pounds I gained when I returned to work following my sabbatical in 2007. Besides the challenge of controlling calories and regular exercise, there is the issue of a bathroom scale that lies. I can never count on it to give an honest report first thing. At least 3 tries are required to get a consistent reading. I could get another scale but through close observation over a period of years, I have learned scales are pathological liars.

My other goal is to finish the second draft of my mystery novel by the end of the year. The expectation is the second draft will be much better than the first. While I am keeping the same characters and location and suspicious death, everything else is open to revision. I have a new respect for authors that weave a story tightly together. It is like looking at a painting and thinking "I can do that", only to discover it is much harder than it looks.

Which takes me to a television mystery I do not admire. Over the past 13 weeks I have watched AMC's The Killing patiently, fully expecting to discover who killed Rosie Larsen on June 19th. The opener was intriguing as the characters and the murder were revealed. But by the fourth episode it felt more like a soap opera and less like a murder investigation. I knew there was a problem when the second to last episode spent the entire hour looking for the lead detective's missing son.

The writers and producers for this series have violated a number of rules, breaking faith with the viewer. Multiple red herrings, new information out of nowhere late in the game, and magical leaps of logic by the detectives. Although to call them detectives is an overstatement since they appear more like children running to catch fire flies than professionals hunting a murderer.

The season finale promotion by AMC was how the last five minutes would have everyone talking the entire summer. My reaction to those last five minutes was anger and expletives and the promise to myself not to invest any time in season two. If you have not seen this series and are interested, it repeats starting on July 19th.

With the end of June comes Summerfest and anticipation for the Tour de France. I will not be attending Summerfest this year but I will be watching the Tour on the Versus network. Live coverage begins on July 2nd as 22 teams of cyclists travel throughout France and neighboring countries over a 23 day period. Competitive cycling is like most other sports. There are prolonged periods of boredom when nothing special happens, too many commercials, and human interest stories that are not very interesting. And the brief moments demanding attention like the breakneck race to the finish line, high speed descents down mountain switchbacks, and head-over-heels crashes.

One thing that sets cycling apart from stadium sports is the countryside. The coverage is provided by a squad of dare-devil motorcyclist at road level and birds eye helicopter views. Countless picturesque small towns, castles, fields, rivers, mountains, and miles of roads make it as much travel show as sports competition. But it is a race with leaders, tactics, mechanical breakdowns, and ceremony. Give it a try, you might like it.

**********What am I reading? Just finishing The Bird Sisters, set in Spring Green, and looking forward to moving on to The Little Women Letters, and The Help (don't be so shocked...no I haven't read it yet!) In editing this post, I noticed that some words are highlighted and underlined. If you click on them, they take you to sights that neither Steve not I intended. Can't explain why. Blogger is up to something that I will have to check out soon. sorry for any inconvenice with the pop outs.

Hell Is Empty by guest blogger Steven Head

Here's your Monday post a few days early. (Thanks Steve. How did you know I was taking Monday off, and didn't have a post ready to go? Spooky! I'll send your box of books out next week. Watch for it!)

It is June which means warm temperatures are back AND Craig Johnson should have a new book out. Over the weekend I picked up and finished Hell Is Empty, the seventh in the Walt Longmire series. Reading this book reminded me of a roller coaster ride, but without that long slow climb to the first summit. The opening chapter crackles with danger and in short order it delivers, not letting up until the final chapter.

Hell Is Empty builds upon an episode in the first book, The Cold Dish, where an exhausted Walt manages to carry two wounded men down a mountain during a snow storm. What makes the task memorable is the Indian spirits that cajole and support Walt during that process. In the new book one of the prisoners (Raynaud Shade) Walt is transferring also hears the voices from 'the other side'. Shade is aware Walt has his own connection with the spirit world, issuing taunts and reports of what the voices have told him of their shared future.

Dante's Inferno also plays a role in this book. Introduced as a reading assignment taken on by one of Walt's deputies, the paperback Italian-English translation and specific Inferno rings become plot elements in the story. The other supporting player in this drama is Virgil Old Buffalo, a character introduced in book 4, Another Man's Moccasins. Virgil is a giant of a man wearing a full bear skin, head and all, who comes along at just the right time to help Walt.

Hopefully this is enough of a teaser to prompt you to pick this book up, although if you have not read any of the earlier books they are equally entertaining. Johnson is a skilled story teller who creates characters that ring true. Perhaps that is why FX television has commissioned a pilot for a series based upon the Walt Longmire character. The latest report from Craig spoke of location filming in New Mexico, so keep an eye out for this series.

This weekend I will be traveling to one of Craig's book signings where I hope to learn about the story behind the latest offering, what is coming next, and a report on the television series. Craig will be appearing in Milwaukee at Next Chapter on June 13 at 7pm and again in Madison at Booked for Murder on June 14 at 6pm. I recommend the trip. He is as entertaining in person as in print. Craig's website is craigallenjohnson.com if you need more information.

Bone Fire by guest blogger Steven Head

I had just finished World War Z, the science fiction book by Max Brooks, son of Mel, about the world war against Zombies, when Bone Fire by Mark Spragg appeared in the mail. But you need to know the entire story. Last September I was in Wyoming doing research on a writing project and was joined by a college roommate, a great friend who has been encouraging my efforts and providing library assistance. He picked up a copy Bone Fire on the trip, primarily because it was by a Wyoming author and it sounded interesting. He liked the book and sent it on to me.

I am not entirely sure how to categorize Bone Fire. It is a character driven novel with a sheriff, a gruesome death, and a lot more. But it is not a mystery. The lot more is the intertwined lives of folks living in the Big Horn mountains in northern Wyoming. There is Griff, the 19 year old girl, taking care of her almost blind grandfather, her mother who is the alcoholic 2nd wife of the sheriff, the neighbor and his step-son who's mother is the sister of Griff's boyfriend. Like I said, intertwined lives.

The conflicts propelling this novel include the discovery by the sheriff he has ALS like his grandfather, the arrival of Griff's grandfather's sister who is willing to become her brother's caregiver, the struggling romance of Griff and her boyfriend, Griff's scholarship to study ceramics that may be revoked if not used soon, and the solution to who committed the murder.

Although the book is a short 244 pages, by the end I felt like these are people I know. Complex individuals facing everyday problems, disappointments, and regrets. Of course they still have secrets and unseen tendencies, but the thoughts and feelings in realistic settings led me to care about what happens next. And there is some delightful humor to balance the pathos.

So I recommend this book. But let me tell you a little about World War Z. I was having lunch and zombies came up (don't ask), and then the loan of WWZ. This book is told in 'oral history' fashion by the survivors of the world wide conflict between the living and the living dead. Although Brooks is a comedy writer, this is a serious science fiction book. And there are more than enough battles, close calls, and ruthless decisions to give you nightmares.

On one level this book is escapism, unless you believe the dead can be reanimated. The zombies can also symbolize the events we believe won't happen to us. Things like tornadoes, floods, power outages, fires, and epidemics. And the need to be physically and mentally prepared. I am not proposing building bomb shelters and acquiring automatic weapons, but simple things like having enough food and water on hand for a few days and a battery operated radio. Although after finishing WWZ there may be a few other items on your to do list.

See you at the bookstore.


UPDATES! If you have been reading posts by our mystery man, and faithful blogger, Steve, I have a little news item for you. Steve is retiring. I happen to know that he is a painter, and gifted writer, so this will him time for more research and writing. I hope that in the future we will have a Steve book on our shelves.

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  What am I reading? Just finished Hemingway's A Movable Feast, and moved on the The Queen's Babysitter - oops- I mean Governess, by Karen Harper. After closing the cover on a Papa Hemingway memoir, Harper's historical fiction feels lightweight. But, I have dedicated myself to watching BBC America's rerunning of The Tudors mini series, although there is nothing mini about it. The Harper book is filling the void between weekly episodes.

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  Here's a Heart-A-Rama FYI...two HAR workers were recently nominated for a community service award, and both respectfully declined on the basis that said award cannot possible be presented to a single individual. Over 200 individuals who work to make that gig happen. The two nominess would also have been pitted against each other in the process, and that would have been uncomfortable for them...but I guarantee that whoever would have gotten it would have brandished the engraved paperweight frequently and annoyingly, while enjoying bragging rights in the other's presence for years to come.

• And a bit of news for Harry Potter fans....Daniel Radcliffe had a say in whether an eighth book in the Harry Potter series would be written. According to USA Today, Radcliffe "frantically" fired off a late-night text to J.K. Rowling when he heard rumors about a new Potter book.
  
  Radcliffe admitted he "was worried!... I said, 'Look, is this true? Are you writing another book?!' She wrote back that she was so pleased with my performance in Harry Potter 7: Part 1 that as a reward, she promised to never write another book about Harry."
  

Wisdom from our Favorite Guest Blogger Steven Head

The holidays are over and even though the news says American's set a record for holiday spending, it does not feel like the good times are back. Friends without jobs, others with a mortgage for more than the house is worth, and even reports the Wall Street financial houses are not giving bonuses as big as last year. Where did economic normal go and when will it come back?

Robert Reich, University of Berkley political economist and Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton, has taken a look at where we are and how we got there in a book titled After Shock. This is a compact volume written in easy to digest big picture terms about the recession. Starting with insights from the Great Depression, late 1920's and 1930's for those with a puzzled expression, the Great Prosperity, up to today, and thoughts about tomorrow.

To put it simply, Reich points out in both the Great Depression and the 2007 financial collapse, the fruits of productivity were disproportionately going to a small group of people, the top 2% of earners, while earnings for others were standing still or going backwards. He reviews the history of income tax rates which should astonish. And he explains how many of us have maintained our lifestyle despite static real earnings and how those techniques no longer work.

Reich paints a picture of a possible future where the tea party, or similar movement, pushes the dominant political parties to the sidelines and an independent party takes over the Presidency and both houses of Congress. The predicted results are not favorable but the dynamics as to how it happened are very logical.

The one place in the book where he lost me was his solutions to our situation which were very wonky and overly detailed. Reich finishes on a hopeful note, believing elected officials will make the necessary adjustments to keep the economy functioning and the US part of the global economy. Although I wonder what he would think of the recent ransom demand that the two 2% be extended lavish tax breaks so families hit by the 8.5 million lost jobs can continue to get unemployment subsistence, 9/11 workers be given health benefits, and a small increase in the federal deficit to finance the government to around April Fools day. Coincidence?

This is not a feel good book but one filled with fact and information necessary to talk intelligently about the economy and where the country is headed. I read another article recently that mentioned how in Europe it is hard to be wealthy since the average person views the rich with anger and resentment. But in the US most people admire the super rich, believing they will one day be among that class. After Reich's book, a reader might come to a different conclusion.

*****Thanks Steve. And thanks for the updated photo!

Steve and Bev...not to be confused with Steve and Edie

Last week, I got a surprise phone call from a customer who I am happy to call a friend. Her name is Fran, and she called to tell us that she turns 91 this week. Good for her.

When Fran first walked into our Washington Street location fourteen or so years ago, there was no doubt this was a special person. I remember thinking she could be the secret offspring of a Kathryn Hepburn and Ernest Hemingway liaison. Her tiny frame was all decked out in fishing attire - vest, man's fishing hat, boots flopping as she walked. Then she spoke. A lovely, smoky sound asked for poetry, and that started it all.

For the past few years, Fran has not been able to get to us, but she calls frequently, and three or four times a year, she sends a nice picture of what she sees from her windows on Sandy Bay Road. She told us about her husband, and we heard the tears in her voice as she shared details of his illness. We have gotten to know Fran's son, a holistic doctor, and her good friend, Kathy, who runs errands...including picking up books for Fran.

My first employees were fortunate to know and enjoy Fran, and current employees read her letters. I think one or two have been lucky enough to answer the phone and find Fran at the other end.

I hope that each and every one of you has a Fran in your life. Thanks Fran, for all the warmth and smiles you have brought to us over the years.

*****And...thanks to Steve for being such a loyal guest blogger and swell friend!

Have you ever caught the last 30 minutes of a movie and wished you had seen the entire film? That was my reaction upon completing The Ignorance of Blood by Robert Wilson. I knew from the book jacket this was the last in a four book series set in Seville, Spain with Inspector Javier Falcon as the protagonist. In the final installment, Falcon is following up on his pledge to find the persons responsible for the June 6th Seville bombings while investigating the graphic accidental death of a Russian mafia figure operating in Spain. He is also caught between Spanish, English, and American intelligence services as the liaison for an undercover operative in a Muslim radical group who will only deal with Falcon. And then there is his girlfriend and her kidnapped youngest son, probably taken because of something Falcon has done.

Amid all this action are descriptions and background of Seville and Andalusia, the state or province at the southern most part of Spain. The area sounds like a paradise in spite of vicious politics, crime, and corruption. A full cast of supporting characters are at work for the good guys, policemen, judges, crime scene technicians, intelligence officers, and elected officials. The bad guys are composed of two feuding factions attempting to control drugs, prostitution, construction trades, and more in the region.

As the title suggestion, there is an underlying element of family relationship in this book. The things family members will do to protect and defend children and relatives. Falcon faces his own willingness to sacrifice principles while discovering the complexity of a twisted family tree.

This book is primarily an action based novel although the characters are well developed and believable. I fully expect the three earlier books, The Blind Man of Seville, The Vanishing Hands, and The Hidden Assassins, would have provided even more texture and background to the climax of this quartet. I look forward to making time to see the rest of this film.

As mentioned in the previous review, I did witness a 'movement piece' presented by a university-based student group of Dante's "The Inferno". Many films have attempted to depict the circles of hell with varying success, "What Dreams May Come" with Robin Williams among them. Watching 12 actors helped by lighting, props, incredible make-up, and choreography make the descent into the 9 circles of Hell was stunning and exhausting. Since this was an original work by a senior drama student it will probably not come to a theater near you. Which is why we must always pay attention to the arts offerings around us, not letting rare opportunities pass by from our own neglect. Support the performing arts. Please.

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My apologies to Keith Richards for bashing his book, Life, prematurely. I actually learned a lot about post-war life in England. Of course, that was between all the debauchery!

*****Keep an eye on our events blog for info on our Dec. 16 book signing with Amy Hanten. If you're up early, you can watch her cooking her heart out on WLUK-TV.

So, it's Thanksgiving week. And, in the spirit of the holiday, let me say thanks for your friendship and support over the years. LaDeDa should have been a statistic by year three, but you didn't let that happen. Our store is healthy and strong (but the owner is a disheveled mess!) thanks to you. The best thing about the book-biz (at least our take on it) is that people know they can stop by for some chatter without any expectations. I am the luckiest!

Lakeshore Holiday Parade on Wednesday. Macy's thanksgiving Day Parade on Wednesday...with all those great cuts from B'way show. And turkey. Life is good.

Sam Spade's Back by guest blogger Steven Head

For people of a certain age, I'm talking gray hairs here, the mention of The Maltese Falcon will bring a half smile. The 1941 film with Humphrey Bogart in the role of Sam Spade, along with Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet, and Elisha Cook, Jr., is a classic tale of treasure hunting. This film was John Huston's directorial debut, for the film fans who keep track of such trivia.

Dashell Hammett's Sam Spade only appeared in 3 short stories and the novel of the same name. While there were a number of Bogart films where he portrayed Spade-like characters, Hammett never penned another adventure for this detective. And that is how it has remained until now.

Hammett's sole surviving child, Jo Hammett Marshall, who has resisted attempts to revive the Spade character, agreed to Joe Mores' proposal to write a prequel to The Maltese Falcon, titled Spade and Archer. The title references Spade's detective agency partner who is discovered shot dead, gun still in his pocket, in the early pages of the book and frames of the film. Spade and Archer starts in 1921 when Spade decides to go independent, leaving a national detective agency to set up shop in San Francisco.

In the first segment of the book we meet the young Effie Perrine, the secretary who Spade teaches to handroll cigarettes. We also learn of Spade's romantic involvement with Ida Nolan before going to war in France, only to return and discover she married Miles Archer 3 months after Spade's departure. But there is heat in the embers of that romance. Besides Spade's history, we follow him on a simple case of finding a rich kid with eyes on foreign ports that tumbles into a larger gold heist and a big fish that gets away, leaving dead sailors in his wake. Plus the first of Spade's clashes with the obnoxious Sergeant Dundy and the likable Tom Polhaus from the SFPD.

Fast forward to 1925, Spade's business has flourished and with it his reputation. In this section Spade takes on a couple of clients wanting to know more about the sudden death of a prominent banker, plus a girl friend of Effie's, all entangled with the big fish from section one. The details of the dead banker are revealed but Effie's girl friend meets the mortician.

The final section moves on to 1928 where Spade has taken in Archer as a partner to satisfy a client. This time a young Chinese woman needs Sam's help as she attempts to track down treasure her late father has hidden. During these pages we discover Ida and Sam are still an item, Sergeant Dundy is still a jerk, and Miles Archer is not the kind of man Spade wants as a partner.

In the climactic pages of part 3 Sam arranges a showdown with the elusive big fish that got away, settling more than one score. In the final scene Effie announces a Miss Wonderly wants to see Spade with the observation, "You'll want to see her anyway: she's a knockout." The launching point for the falcon story.

I enjoyed this book, learning of Spade's skill at detection, his network of information peddlers, and a basic moral fabric that allows a little adultery in the tight weft and warp. The most striking aspect of the book is how Mores has captured the language and cadence of Spade. It is easy to imagine Bogart delivering the lines, handrolled cigarette and all.

If the Spade/Bogart character holds interest for you then Spade and Archer might be worth your time and energy.

***Thanks Steve...one more book to add to my pile!

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What am I reading? Last week I dug out a raggedy old copy of King Row. Very old fashioned soap opera like story. I'm well into Olive Kitteridge. This is an awfully powerful book, told in a series on interrelated short stories. Olive is annoying, eccentric, brazen...and ever so honest. But the real star of this book is the writing itself. More next week.

Cry me a river...please! for a number of reasons, I have decided not to attend the booksellers annual trade show in St. Paul this year. There is no changing my mind. Registration is closed. So, today I received an email update on a last minute additions to the lineup. It seems that Garrison Keillor is hosting a cocktail party for all trade show attendees at his Minneapolis bookstore. Now are you crying me a river?!?!?!

A Funny Book...by Guest Blogger Blue Alice

I am Blue Alice. I told you about myself last week. This is a funny book about a governess that comes to take care of three odd children. They are called Cassiopeia,Alexander and Beowulf. The man who owns the house found the children in the woods and brought them home. He kept them in the barn until Miss Penelope Lumley came to teach them. She has to get them to stop howling and showed them how to wear clothes.

One of my favorite parts was when Alexander wore his pants on his arms because he never had pants before. She teaches them how to dance a little so they can go to a fancy party that Lord Fredrick and Lady Constance are having. At the party, they act a little like animals again. Lady Constance gets mad, but it is really funny. Other people at the party liked the children.

The book reminded me of the books by Lemony Snicket, which I like a lot. There will be another book by the same author who is named Maryrose Wood.

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Thanks Blue. I hope you will keep reading and stop in to write more comments for us.

This is what I have for you today: I have never been a fan of fairs, or any event that includes things that spin, but from the looks of it, this year's Manitowoc County Fair was a success. We often get hit by rain that week, saddening both carnival workers and little kids hoping to spin until ill.

A second hand spinning story came my way last week...worth sharing...some of the details may have gotten mixed, changed, and twisted in the retelling. A Heart-A-Rama friend, Chris, was returning home one night, when she noticed a small carnival in the parking lot of Park Plaza. That last detail should give you a time context. Chris enjoys a good carnival ride, so even though it was the last night, and some of the carnies had begun dismantling their rides, she stopped with the intention riding whatever was still in motion.

The guard rails around the Octopus had already been removed, even through the ride was running. Chris got too close and was bumped in the head by one of the ride's cars, knocking her to the ground. She was out for a few seconds, and when she opened her eyes. a carnival worker was standing over her. Carnie workers from that time period are probably responsible for the stereotype that unfortunately stays with them today. Anyway, Chris said her first thought upon opening her eyes was, "Oh by, I'm going to die, and the last image I have is of this guy!" The adventure continues. Chris was taken to the hospital, where she made several brave, but futlie attempts to explain to the German, on-duty emergency room doctor what had happened. He managed to treat her, and send her home, never fully understanding how she came to be attacked by an octopus!

That's it for today....Teachers and students, have a wonderful school year. Please keep in touch. Tell me what you're up to and what you're reading.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sheriffing in Sun Valley by guest blogger Steven Head

Earlier this month a friend told me about an interview on NPR's 'Crime in the City' series with Ridley Pearson. I confess ignorance when it comes to the mechanics of podcasts, but I was able to read the transcript on-line. Pearson talked about his Sheriff Walt Fleming series. It was interesting enough that I stopped by the library and picked up Killer Weekend, the first in the series.

Pearson is no stranger to the mystery genre, having written over 20 novels, including the Lou Boldt series. At least that is what the dust jacket says. He has also written books for young readers as well as two books with Dave Barry, Peter and the Starcatchers and Peter and the Shadow Thieves. But he was new to me so I looked forward to a western mystery adventure.

Pearson is a part-time resident of Sun Valley, Idaho, and he has decided to use this well known setting for his new crime series. In Killer Weekend, we are introduced to Deputy Walt Fleming, who starts the novel by saving New York Attorney General Elizabeth Shaler from an intruder with murder on his mind. Following Chapter One there is a fast forward eight years to find Fleming now Sheriff, and Ms. Shaler a candidate for President of the USA. She plans to announce her candidacy at a media conference surrounded by the rich and famous, but there have been threats against her life.

We quickly learn the identity and thought process of the attacker, and the level of violence and mayhem this person can create. The real mystery is who ordered 'the hit'. We know Ms. Shaler has enemies but little attention is given to potential suspects. Along the way we experience inter-agency rivalry between the Secret Service and the Sheriff's Department, the sibling rivalry of two brothers, the infidelity of the wife of an older rich man, and a gruesome murder set in the mountains.

Of course that only scratches the surface of this action driven mystery. Add in the gratuitous mention of Hemingway and film stars of the 1950's, one of Walt's deputies fooling around with his soon-to-be ex-wife, and tortured father-son dynamics to fill in the spaces around the mystery.

I could not stop reading the last 50 pages of this book. The level of action and tension interrupted my known ability to fall sleep anytime, anywhere. I will not reveal the ending of the book although it follows the prescribed formula, along with another dead body.

The comparison of Craig Johnson's Sheriff Walt Longmire series with Pearson's Sheriff Walt Fleming books is the difference between character driven and action driven mystery. By the end of a Johnson book you feel you know a cast of characters and want to see them again. In the Pearson book most of the characters are disposable, other than the Sheriff. They exist to serve the needs of the action, often having serious moral shortcomings.

I have a trip coming up at the end of September and I am hoping to listen to at least one Walt Fleming book on CD during the drive. The bubbling action and intrigue will keep me awake and concentrating on driving. (OK...honestly, it's not me...this blogger program is acting up again, and won't put spaces between this last few paragraphs. GRRRRR)

Thanks Steve. I am happy that you have resurfaced!

The truth is that Steve has been doing some of his own writing. I have been the honored (and sometimes shocked!) recipient of a two or three of Steve's short stories. As you know, SS is my favorite genre, so they worked well for me. I wonder if Steve when Steve will begin sending query letters to publishers.

Watch for our new guest blogger, Blue Alice.

She has written an introduction for you.

Hello. I am Blue Alice. That is my writer name. Blue for my favorite writer, Blue Balliet, and Alice for a poem by the same man who wrote Winnie the Poo. I like poems that rhyme and have a beat because I play the piano.

I also like to read and so Bev asked me to tell you about some good books. The first book I will tell you about as soon as I get to the end is The Incorrigible children of Ashton Place Book 1 The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood.

I am in fifth grade this year. Bev helped me pick out this picture to be my trademark. She called it a different name but I can't remember it.

*****Thanks Blue. I hope to hear from you soon. By the way, I am quite sure she meant Winnie the Pooh, but you never know.

*****What am I reading? I am into my first ever Jeffery Deaver mystery called The Vanished Man. My friend Karen read in on the back of a Harley while she an her husband took a loooooog ride from Manitowoc to Alaska. She thought I would like it because it is about magic, and she knows that our friend, Chris, worked lights and sound for a magician for a while after college. Chris is one of the most honest, trustworthy people I know, and even though the document he signed in blood way back when promising not to reveal any magic secrets surly has vanished, he refuses to tell. Well, I did pry one trick out him...and he was right, it makes magic shows less magic-y for me now.

Hey, if you're going to the county fair, bring me some teeny-weeny donuts, OK, inso, hey!

Thanks for stopping by.

It's Dog Blog Time!

Finally! It's Showtime and You Know Who is too busy to write even a paragraph for her faithful readers. Harrumph! Harrumph I say! Never fear, dear readers (was that not a nicely turned phrase for a pup?) I will not desert you. I have been waiting for this chance to tell you about two of my new best favorite books.

Let's start with Dodsworth in New York. What a story! Jeepers, did I laugh. My laugh is great. I wish you could hear it. It sounds sort of like when a mosquito flies down your throat and you have to get it out cuz it tickles. YKW always thinks I'm having some sort of attack when that happens; she just doesn't get it.

Well, Dodsworth is a mole, I think, but he's still cute even if that is what he is. He likes to travel. Dodsworth packs his little suitcase, jumps in a taxi and goes places. In this book he goes to New York. He meets a duck at Hodges' Cafe, and the duck tags along with Dodsworth. Dods , as I like to call him, tries to hide from the duck, but the duck always finds him. What a hoot. I mean, just think about it...a duck following you to the movies, to museums, to the Statue of Liberty. Dodsworth is so nice that he won't just walk up to that pesty duck and say "Duck, this is my vacation, go away." that is exactly what I would do.

This was a very long book to read between naps, growling, shaking my stuffed pepper, and entertaining the owner, but I plan to read more. Dodsworth in London and Dodsworth in Paris should fill my winter months.

Broadway Barks is also about New York. Douglas is a nice doggy who is waiting to be found. He remembers all the cozy parts about having a family like the walks, and the good dinners. One day, he is found, polished up, and given a job in show biz! He sings, he dances, he does tricks. I do all those things too, but you can bet your life I'll never let on to YKW or else she'll drag me out of my nice warm bed, and put me in of those goofy shows of hers.

So, that's my DogBlog for today. What is YKW reading? Well, I saw her dragging around a copy of Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, the same guy who wrote something called Tess of the Durbervilles. I think I saw her crying, but she would say it was allergies. Maybe she is missing her only friend, Karen, who is on a mortorcycle trip to Alaska with her husband, Steve. I bet their butts are sore. She'll probably tell you about it soon, the book, not the trip or the butts.

Hey, go see "Rumpelstiltskin" at UW-Manitowoc - Thursday at 7, or Saturday at 1:30 and 3:30.

Doggoneit by guest blogger Steven Head

It is June and that means the new installment, number six, of Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series is out, Junkyard Dogs. As promised in the post last week, this book violates Bev's three rules on books she will read. There is a dog on the cover, it involves dogs, and the book leads off with a detailed description of the weather.

At a reading earlier this month Craig reported Junkyard Dogs had to be a "town book" since the last one took place away from the fictional town of Durant, Wyoming. As a town book Craig could respond to the reader complaints about not enough coverage of the supporting cast. Along with the surprise complaint that his furry friend, Dog, had been ignored entirely in The Dark Horse. Craig's new concern is readers will expect more involvement from his twelve cylinder truck.

As the title suggests, this book involves the junkyard, aka the Municipal Solid Waste Facility, and the grandson and grandfather operating it. During an especially bitter cold period, described in bone chilling detail, around Valentine's day, Walt is called out to an incident where Geo, the grandfather, has been dragged on a nylon rope behind a car driven by the grandson's wife. Fleshing out the details of how this ride on the ice came about is a case of slapstick meets stupidity. But it made me laugh out loud.

Around page 100 Geo, who has had other life threatening episodes since the opening scene, runs out of luck and is found dead in the junkyard. The adult son of Geo's age appropriate girlfriend is discovered in his car, drunk, in front of the Sheriff's office, confessing to the murder of Geo. Walt goes out to investigate at the son-girlfriends house, finds lots of blood, but the victim has walked away from the scene. Walt follows his tracks through the snow into the junkyard to find a dead Geo. The circumstances do not add up but son is incarcerated just the same.

Before this adventure is completed Walt stumbles upon a large scale pot growing operation, the incarcerated son escapes from jail and is found shot under circumstances almost as strange as Geo being dragged behind the car, and what appeared to be a throw away character plays a pivotal role. And do not let me forget to mention the quirky Valentine's Day dynamic between Walt and Deputy Victoria Moretti. Meaning it is both a mystery and a love story, sort of. Along with a bucket of subplots and supporting cast appearances for good measure.

I hope you are curious enough to want to read this book. Craig confessed at the reading he started out wanting to write a book about all the petty things that makes a law enforcement officers' lives crazy, but it ended up being more of a comedy than anything else.

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Thanks Steve!

My search for a light, but satisfying summer read continues.

So far I have knocked off Bitter Sweet by LaVyrle Spencer. The author, so I am told, has a home in Door county, and the bulk of this book is set in and around Fish Creek. This lusty love story was fun the first time I read it, but, a horrible blizzard hits in the middle of the book, and goes on forever. Who need that.

Book #2... Lolita...not exactly light stuff, and certainly a bit twisted. Still not the perfect choice.

#3...Where is Joe Merchant by Jimmy Buffett...we're getting warmer. If you know me, you know that Jimmy can do no wrong (I have even managed to forgive him for his early country ditties.)

#4...Daphne Du Maurier's Echoes from the Macabre. I love short stories, and totally enjoyed Rebecca, so this collection had great potential. Just weird...demented little twins, turkey headed men...and those were in the first two stories. That is where I stopped.

#5...How about some Victoria Holt? Nothing beats a good Gothic romance. Oh, but...remember the great torrential rains two years ago that waterfalled right through my basement walls? My high school collection of Holt books turned to mush. I forgot all about that until, reaching out to the exact spot they had been shelved, I (GRRR) found that nasty DuMaurier paperback! So, I opted for one in a series I have been selling to heart-broken young ladies for a few years. Libba Bray is popular with the anti-Twilight crowd. It was OK; probably as good, if not better, than my memories of Holt's stricken, young heroines.

What's next? I have a copy of Jubilee staring at me. That's Margaret Walker's Civil War novel from the slaves perspective. This is another one I read in high school, so here's hoping if fares better that some of the others. Maybe I just don't do well with second readings.

My book groups is reading The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland. Se also wrote The Girl in Hyacinth Blue, which I enjoyed. Keep your fingers crossed.

*****On the Lakeshore...River Rendezvous was fun. Our occasional H-A-R pianist, Tim, was making some noise with a crazy band yesterday. I'm beginning to wonder - is Tim really as conservative as he would like us all to believe? More H-A-R friends, Juliet and Jen, orchestrated an art happening on Saturday. Jen read an original story, while everyone sort of floated around the designated space with bright mylar sheets. When eeryone was in position, we had become a giant pixel fish. I was a red fin! They put tons of work into it, and , frankly, I still don't know how it all worked, but it did. Watch for the posting on You tube and on Comcast.

I ended up at the Two Rivers Car Show by accident on Friday night. I spotted Judy, who heads the TR rec department, and has helped transition HAR to TR. I stopped to run a few ideas past her, and found myself walking with her through the park, since she was on duty. Another simple, homegrown festival.

If you missed these events, there are lots more coming up in Manitowoc and Two Rivers. Check them out.