Kate’s 2¢: “Thirty Thousand On The Hoof” by Zane Grey

“Thirty Thousand On The Hoof” by Zane Grey

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Who hasn’t heard about Zane Grey’s classic western stories? I, for one, enjoy the rich descriptions of the topography, flora, and fauna of  the old west written with a vocabulary deep in meaning and nuances. I suppose today’s editors might edit a lot out of the verbiage, but, it reflects a time gone by when people had the time and inclination to read.

From Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zane_Grey

Pearl Zane Grey was born January 31, 1872, in Zanesville, Ohio. His birth name may have originated from newspaper descriptions of Queen Victoria’s mourning clothes as “pearl grey.” He was the fourth of five children born to Alice “Allie” Josephine Zane, whose English Quaker immigrantancestor Robert Zane came to the North American colonies in 1673, and her husband, Lewis M. Gray, a dentist. His family changed the spelling of its last name to “Grey” after his birth. Later Grey dropped Pearl and used Zane …

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zane-Grey:

Jan 27, 2020 · Zane Grey, prolific writer whose romantic novels of the American West largely created a new literary genre, the western. Trained as a dentist, Grey practiced in New York City from 1898 to 1904, when he published privately a novel of pioneer life, Betty Zane, based on an ancestor’s journal.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Thirty thousand on the hoof DB97514

Grey, Zane. Reading time: 10 hours, 19 minutes.

Read by Robert G. Slade.

Western Stories

Logan Huett was familiar with the hardships and rewards of pioneer life, but even he could not foresee the challenges he, his wife Lucina, and their brood of children would face. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 1940.

Downloaded: January 27, 2020

Kate’s 2¢: “The revolution of Birdie Randolph” by Brandy Colbert

“The revolution of Birdie Randolph” by Brandy Colbert

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the

title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

I’m interested in writing Young Adult stories, so I read as many of them as I can access.

“The revolution of Birdie Randolph” highlights the struggles teens of every gender preference and race face when their family values bump into what the teen’s emerging values will become.

While I recognize this story reflects the times, it is unfortunate that it condones (and seems to promote) teenagers having sexual intercourse.  Yeah, yeah, Booker used a condum; however, it downplays the emotional, physical, and psychological facets of hormonal lust versus mature love.

I’m not going to be a spoiler by telling too much of the Randolph’s family secret. Suffice to say, lies and secrets have a way of rearing up to bite you and others in the but! It’s best to tell the truth right from the ‘gitgo’.

I think that “Little and Lion” would leave a gender disforic teen even more confused, even though this story is  one of The Stonewall Book Awards of the American Library Association, which  are given annually since 1971to English-language books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience. The awards are given to works published in the United States in the previous calendar year, although works published elsewhere may be considered.

From her website:

Brandy Colbert is an American author of young adult fiction and non-fiction, best known for her 2018 Stonewall Children’s Award-winning novel “Little & Lion”, “Finding Yvonne”, “Pointe”, and “The Revolution of Birdie Randolph”.

Growing up in Springfield, Missouri, Brandy was surrounded by stories from a young age.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The revolution of Birdie Randolph DB96378

Colbert, Brandy. Reading time: 6 hours, 32 minutes.

Read by Andrea Lang.

Human Relations

Young Adult

Sixteen-year-old Dove “Birdie” Randolph’s close bond with her parents is threatened by a family secret and by her hidden relationship with Booker, who has been in juvenile detention. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2019.

Download The revolution of Birdie Randolph

Little and Lion DB90069

Colbert, Brandy. Reading time: 8 hours, 14 minutes.

Read by Alisha Wainwright. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Family

Young Adult

Suzette returns home to Los Angeles from boarding school. She grapples with her bisexual identity when she and her brother, Lionel, fall in love with the same girl, pushing Lionel’s bipolar disorder to spin out of control. Strong language. Commercial audiobook. Stonewall Book Award. For senior high and older readers. 2017.

Finding Yvonne DB91945

Colbert, Brandy. Reading time: 6 hours, 11 minutes.

Read by Maya Barton. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Family

Young Adult

Raised by a workaholic father who is a restaurateur, Yvonne faces difficult choices about love, her training as a violinist, college, and career as high school graduation draws near. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2018.

Kate’s 2¢: “Car Tag: by H. Lee Barnes

“Car Tag: by H. Lee Barnes

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

This was a complex story that needed a narrator with several voices to facilitate the comprehension of who was saying what. Much of the dialogue was quick repartee  among the three brothers.

I hope there is a sequel to this story, because I really disliked the ending.

From: www.hleebarnes.netActions for this site

1. Lee Barnes lives in Las Vegas, Nevada where he teaches English and creative writing at the College of Southern Nevada. He graduated the University of Nevada Las Vegas as the Outstanding Senior in the College of Arts and Letters, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with high distinction, and later graduated Arizona State University with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative writing (fiction).

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Car tag DBC13344

Barnes, H. Lee. Reading time: 5 hours, 14 minutes.

Read by Dianne Solinger. A production of Nevada Talking Book Services, Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records,.

Growing Up

Suspense Fiction

Family

Three brothers with plenty against them, but they had each other and Car Tag, a game they created to prove that they were men. They grow apart as they grow older: Alex drifts away early; Billy spends much of his adult life on death row for killing a rural police officer; Drew, a successful police officer in Las Vegas, fights for his brother’s life and to bring the brothers back together. Some descriptions of sex. Some strong language. Some violence.