Greetings my fellow sweltering book dragons! It's hot outside but cool indoors, where I've been reading up a storm lately. I've got more than a few books to review, so here we go! Keep cool, my friends!
I used to love watching Dr Ruth on TV interviews and sometimes listening to her on the radio...her accent was so robust but her voice sounded like a chatty grandmother's, and her advice was, for the time, illuminating and amazing. She also remained positive and happy, never allowing the prudes and nay-sayers to get her down.
RIP Dr Ruth.
Obituary
Note: Ruth Westheimer
Ruth Westheimer
https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscVDawroI6a5kJksiGQ~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6mXCMPypoMLg-gVdw,
"the grandmotherly psychologist who as 'Dr. Ruth' became
America's best-known sex counselor with her frank, funny radio and
television programs," died July 12, the New York Times reported.
She was 96.
Westheimer was in her 50s when she
began answering listeners' mailed-in
questions about sex and relationships
on WYNY's Sexually Speaking, a
15-minute segment heard after midnight
on Sundays. The show was such a
hit that she quickly became a national
media celebrity and a one-woman
business conglomerate.
In addition to her widespread media
celebrity, especially in the 1980s,
Westheimer published more than two
dozen books on sexuality, including
Dr. Ruth's Guide to Good Sex (1983),
First Love: A Young People's Guide
to Sexual Information (with Nathan
Kravetz, 1985), Dr. Ruth's Guide for
Married Lovers (1986), Sex and
Morality: Who Is Teaching Our Sex
Standards (with Louis Lieberman, 1988),
Dr. Ruth Talks to Kids (1993),
and Who Am I? Where Did I Come From?
(2001). Her other books include All in a Lifetime: An Autobiography
(1988) and Conquering the Rapids of
Life: Making the Most of Midlife
Opportunities (with Pierre A. Lehu,
2003).
In her memoir Musically Speaking: A
Life Through Song (2003), she
described in great detail the band
concerts, folk tunes, and popular
songs she had known as a happy young
child in Frankfurt, Germany.
When people wondered at her ebullience,
she said, "the answer I always
gave was that the warmth and security
of my early childhood
socialization had a remarkable power
and influence.... But now I have
realized that there is another part to
the answer. And that is music."
Westheimer was born Karola Ruth Siegel
in Wiesenfeld, Germany in 1928,
the only child of an Orthodox Jewish
couple. Her father was a notions
wholesaler in Frankfurt, and together
with her parents and grandmother,
she lived a comfortable life largely
shielded from the reality that
Germany was becoming ever more perilous
for Jews, the Times noted,
adding: "When the Nazis took her
father away in 1938, her mother and
grandmother managed to get her included
in a group of children sent to a
school in the Swiss mountains. There,
she later recalled, she was
educated only through the eighth grade
and served for all practical
purposes as a housekeeper for the Swiss
children. She never saw her
family again; they were all presumed
murdered at Auschwitz."
At the height of her popularity,
Westheimer had syndicated live call-in
shows on radio and television, wrote a
column for Playgirl magazine,
lent her name to a board game and its
computer version, and began
publishing guidebooks on sexuality.
College campus speaking appearances
alone brought in a substantial income,
and she appeared in ads for cars,
soft drinks, shampoo, typewriters, and
condoms.
Columnist William E. Geist, who visited
her for a New York Times
Magazine article in 1985, observed that
"she looks for all the world as
though she is about to tell us in her
cheery Mittel-European accent how
to make a nice apple strudel.... But
when she opens her mouth it's
Code-Blue-in-the-family-room all across
the country. She sends forth on
radio and television the most explicit
insert-tab-A-into-slot-B
instruction in sexual manipulation,
stimulation and satisfaction."
Dr. Ruth made the most of her
attendance at old ABA, BookExpo, and
Frankfurt shows, and many book world
veterans have amusing stories about
her cheerful, resolute ways of
promoting her books and being in the
spotlight. We'll miss you, Dr. Ruth.
This movie looks fascinating...I can hardly wait to see it!
Movies:Lee
A trailer has been released for Lee
https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscVDbkuwI6a5kJR11HA~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6mXCZOkpoMLg-gVdw,
a film that "centers on a decade in the life of Lee Miller, who
was formerly a model and muse for male artists before traveling to
Europe to report from the frontline during World War II,"
IndieWire reported, noting that Kate Winslet "is embodying the
iconic American war correspondent and photographer." The cast
also includes Josh O'Connor, Andrea Riseborough, Andy Samberg,
Alexander Skarsgaard, and Marion Cotillard.
Ellen Kuras directed the film from a
screenplay by Liz Hannah, John Collee, and Marion Hume, and story
from Hume, Collee, and Lem Dobbs. The project is an adaptation of the
1985 biography The Lives of Lee Miller by Antony Penrose.
I really miss the late, great Ursula LeGuin, whose ground breaking science fiction changed the landscape of the genre. Every time I heard her speak at a book event, she lamented the fact that most literary awards (80 percent of them!) go to male authors, many of them mediocre, instead of stellar women authors whose books were bestsellers and often of classic quality. I'm so glad that there's this award, established in her name, that gives consideration first and foremost, to female authors.
Awards:
Ursula K. Le Guin Fiction Shortlist
A shortlist has been released for the
$25,000 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize
for Fiction, which is "intended to
recognize those writers Ursula spoke of in her 2014 National Book
Awards speech--realists of a larger reality, who can imagine real
grounds for hope and see alternatives to how we live now." The
winner, chosen by a panel of authors, will be named on October 21.
This year's shortlisted titles are:
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra
Chandrasekera (Tordotcom Publishing)
The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher
(Ballantine Books)
It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by
Anne de Marcken (New Directions)
Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Grove
Press)
Sift by Alissa Hattman (The 3rd Thing)
The Library of Broken Worlds by Alaya
Dawn Johnson (Scholastic Press)
Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah
Johnson (Del Rey)
The Siege of Burning Grass by Premee
Mohamed (Solaris)
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
(Tordotcom Publishing)
Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo
(Tordotcom Publishing)
Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslein Charles is a powerful work of historical fiction with a thread of romance throughout its wonderful chapters. I found that once past the first few slow pages, the novel picked up speed and was a real page-turner. Here's the blurb: From the New York Times
bestselling author Janet Skeslien Charles and based on the true story
of Jessie Carson—the American librarian who changed the literary
landscape of France—this is a moving tale of sacrifice, heroism, and
inspired storytelling immersed in the power of books to change our
lives.
1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France. Founded by millionaire Anne Morgan, this group of international women help rebuild destroyed French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen—children’s libraries. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians. Then she disappears.
1987: When NYPL librarian and aspiring writer Wendy Peterson stumbles across a passing reference to Jessie Carson in the archives, she becomes consumed with learning her fate. In her obsessive research, she discovers that she and the elusive librarian have more in common than their work at New York’s famed library, but she has no idea their paths will converge in surprising ways across time.
Based on the extraordinary little-known history of the women who received the Croix de Guerre medal for courage under fire, Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a rich, glorious, life-affirming tribute to literature and female solidarity.
1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France. Founded by millionaire Anne Morgan, this group of international women help rebuild destroyed French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen—children’s libraries. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians. Then she disappears.
1987: When NYPL librarian and aspiring writer Wendy Peterson stumbles across a passing reference to Jessie Carson in the archives, she becomes consumed with learning her fate. In her obsessive research, she discovers that she and the elusive librarian have more in common than their work at New York’s famed library, but she has no idea their paths will converge in surprising ways across time.
Based on the extraordinary little-known history of the women who received the Croix de Guerre medal for courage under fire, Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a rich, glorious, life-affirming tribute to literature and female solidarity.
I loved learning of these intrepid women who brought nourishment of the mind to hundreds of children and adults in the latter stages and aftermath of WWI, at a time when the need for beautiful stories was at it's peak. Charles prose is simply elegant and helps along the sturdy plot to it's courageous end. I'd give this book a B, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction around women at work during wartime.
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer is a tender and charming story about a young woman who becomes a "death doula" who, like pregnancy doulas, helps people on their journey, in this case out of life, rather than into it. It's so well written and lovely that it almost qualifies as a "Cozy" novel, though it's about a subject that's still taboo in much of society. Here's the blurb: I loved Clover, though I felt for her in her fear of opening up her life and heart to the possibilities of the outside world. I also liked Hugo, her paramour, and all the people that she helps, most importantly Claudia, who teaches Clover to live life with zest and explore the world. The poignant prose in this novel is the perfect pitch to sing along the sweet and swift plot. I would give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone who has ever had to live with someone who is dying, or who has regrets that they need to attend to within their own life.
The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore was a romantic contemporary bookish fantasy novel that is sweet and savory, and for "beach" reads, just what the doctor ordered. I found it hard to put down, and read it in one sitting. Here's the blurb: This novel reminded me more of A Man Called Ove, since one of the central characters was the curmudgeon next door who learns to open up his heart again and care for others, after a devastating loss in his past. I was also thrilled that this book was about the life-changing nature of books and libraries, and also about poor kids who are abandoned by their parents, so that the eldest must give up her dreams to come home and raise her siblings (who were otherwise split up into different homes in foster care). That said, I think Trixie, Noodle and Theo needed to realize that their sister Chloe had given up her life and future for them, and was doing her best to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. All three seemed to delight in getting into major trouble that required funds Chloe didn't have to get them out of. I didn't like the kids at all, and felt that they needed more discipline and consequences for their bad choices that often hurt others. I also loathed the four kid's mother, who seemed like a complete idiot, and who should never have had children in their first place. Though the ending is somewhat bittersweet, it was still tied up nicely. I'd give this tidy novel a B-, and recommend it to anyone who has had to sacrifice a lot of life to help siblings abandoned by terrible parents.
My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine is a contemporary rom-com that is a bit too spicy, but still enjoyable for your summer reading list. The prose is light and bouncy, and the plot breezy and fast-paced. Here's the blurb: True love is at stake in this charming, debut romantic comedy.
Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it’s a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she’s desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch—only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price.
Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn’t look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they’re both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren’t there earlier, Frederick has to come clean... Cassie’s sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her.
Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it’s a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she’s desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch—only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price.
Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn’t look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they’re both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren’t there earlier, Frederick has to come clean... Cassie’s sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her.
This novel is what Twilight could have been in the hands of someone who knows how to write. That said, there's more than a few tropes, in terms of what vampires can and can't do or tolerate that lead to a bit of cringe-worthy scenes. Still, I loved Fitzwilliam and his hilarious anachronistic ways, especially his letters to Cassie on fine paper, written with a fountain pen and sealed with a wax signet. I felt that Cassie was almost too stupid to live, however, because most women would easily have twigged to Fitzwilliam being a vampire much, much sooner that she did. I was also rather saddened by her description of her "multi media" artworks, which sound childish and ugly. But horny vamp Fitz loves her trashy artwork because he loves Cassie, not necessarily because it has any intrinsic value. And I have to say that I just do NOT get why young women in these books find dead men, with no heartbeat, no breath and cold skin "sexy" or so attractive that they lose their tiny minds. Necrophilia is gross, folks...seriously. Dead bodies aren't sexy at all. Shudder. Anyway, I'd give this freaky and funny novel a B- and recommend it to those Twilight fans who can't get enough of vampire/human sex and relationships.
Still The Sun by Charlie N Holmberg is a fantasy/adventure/romantasy that takes place on a world far away, where a hand-full of humans try to survive on a scorched desert planet. Here's the blurb:
The story of Pell the engineer, who is really so much more than human, was so compelling that I read it through in one sitting. Though I felt there were a few too many info-dumps on "how machines work" and "how to fix machines with primitive tools and limited materials," I still rooted for Pell and Heartwood to overcome the obviously evil Moseus, who is trying to find a way to destroy the universe via the small planet with the smart engineer, who is also a minor goddess. Smart women are often reduced to minor or sidekick roles in novels, especially ones with romance, the thought there being that men can't handle or engage with women who are smarter than they are (See: the fragile male ego). Holmberg, who is a fine wordsmith who wastes no words on her slick and satisfying plots, isn't having any of that nonsense, and instead proudly displays her smart gals at the very center of her novels. YAY! I'd give this fascinating tale an A-, and recommend it to anyone who likes a blend of alien mythology and science in their fantasy adventures.
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