Cornucopia: The Shadow

The shadow

I.

Shadow in my breast;

Lump in my throat;

Ache in my heart;

Fear in my gut;

Ice courses through veins;

Tears In my eyes;

Cold finger tips.

II.

Memory of Mom;

Small lump;

Mutilating mastectomy ;

Silicone bra cup;

Body wastes away;

Silent disbelief;

Body curled in bed.

III.

Modern three-D imaging

Detects a shadow;

Sonogram verification;

Lump in left breast;

Needle biopsy;

Results take forever;

The shadow is malignant.

The journey for my life has begun.

–Kate Chamberlin

March 17, 2020

Kate’s 2¢: ”The Eighth Sister” by Robert Dugoni

”The Eighth Sister” by Robert Dugoni

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…

The first two-thirds of the story is action packed, fast moving, and a classic spy thriller. The last third is a trial and, knowing Dugoni used to practice law, it is understandable. It is difficult to re-hash events over and over, however, it is interesting to hear the different spins on “the facts” and how they get interpreted. The secondary ending, after the trial, was a great comeuppance.

Doug Tisdale Jr. did a great job of reading the story. I’ve been a long-time fan of Tisdale’s voice(s).

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (This article has multiple issues. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. February 2017)

Growing up the middle child in a family of ten siblings, Dugoni jokes that he did not get much of a chance to talk, so he wrote. By the seventh grade he knew he wanted to be a writer.

Dugoni wrote his way to Stanford University, receiving writing awards along the way, and majored in communications/journalism and creative writing while working as a reporter for the Stanford Daily. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and worked briefly as a reporter in the Metro Office and the San Gabriel Valley Office of the Los Angeles Times.

Dugoni attended the UCLA School of Law and practiced as a trial attorney in San Francisco for 13 years at Gordon & Rees. His longing to return to writing never wavered, however, and in 1998 he awoke one morning and made the decision to write novels. On his 4th wedding anniversary, he drove a U-Haul trailer across the Oregon-Washington border and settled in Seattle to pursue his dreams.

For the next three years, Dugoni worked in an 8 foot by 8 foot windowless office in Pioneer Square to complete his first novels.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The eighth sister: Charles Jenkins, book 1 DB95075

Dugoni, Robert. Reading time: 11 hours, 45 minutes.

Read by Doug Tisdale Jr.. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Suspense Fiction

Spy Stories

Former CIA case officer Charles Jenkins must locate a Russian agent believed to be killing a group of US spies known as the seven sisters. When he finds the orchestrator of the assassinations, she is not who or what he expected. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. 2019.

Download The eighth sister: Charles Jenkins, book 1

Kate’s 2¢: “Lessons From Lucy” by Dave Barry

“Lessons From Lucy” by Dave Barry

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 found “Lessons From Lucy” to be less Lucy’s lessons of greet everyone as a long lost friend, sleep often, play often, and live in the moment, to be more of a semi-auto-biography written and read by Dave Barry.

His usual droll, ironic humor comes through in the first part, but he gets choked up when he read about his daughter Sophie’s paralysis and the fear he experiences as a parent.

I enjoyed this relatively short book.

“Live right and find happiness (although beer is much faster): life lessons and other ravings from Dave Barry” is, for me, classic Dave Barry. I moaned and groaned with some of the things he said/wrote, but my smile muscles got a great work out.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Lessons from Lucy: the simple joys of an old, happy dog DB95148

Barry, Dave. Reading time: 4 hours, 3 minutes.

Read by Dave Barry.

Animals and Wildlife

Humorist and author of books including Best. State. Ever (DB 87795) shares lessons on growing old gracefully, some of which he learned from his beloved dog Lucy. Lucy has taught him how to live his best life, let go of daily grievances, and be in the moment. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Live right and find happiness (although beer is much faster): life lessons and other ravings from Dave Barry DB82269

Barry, Dave. Reading time: 4 hours, 12 minutes.

Read by Michael Kramer.

Humor

Collection of eight humorous essays exploring the theme of happiness by the author of You Can Date Boys When You’re Forty (DB 78486). Comedian Barry reflects on meeting soccer star David Beckham with his fourteen-year-old daughter Sophie and testing out Google Glass, and writes to his grandson about refrigerating condiments. 2015

Kate’s 2¢: “A Minute To Midnight” by David Baldacci

“A Minute To Midnight” by David Baldacci

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…

There are some gruesome scenes in the story, but, what good murder mystery doesn’t?

This story kept my attention and I wasn’t able to identify the bad perp until the author let me.

From https://www.davidbaldacci.com

David Baldacci is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 130 million worldwide sales. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

A minute to midnight DB97355

Baldacci, David. Reading time: 12 hours, 13 minutes.

Read by Kyf Brewer.

Suspense Fiction; Mystery and Detective Stories

FBI Agent Atlee Pine and her assistant Carol Blum return to Atlee’s Georgia hometown to reopen the long-cold investigation of her twin sister’s abduction and probable murder. To complicate things, they arrive as a serial killer begins a reign of terror. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Kate’s 2¢: “Haben the deafblind woman who conquered Harvard Law” by Haben Girma

“Haben the deafblind woman who conquered Harvard Law” by Haben Girma

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…

Well, once you get used to Girma’s gravelly, high pitch voice, cadence, and tonal qualities, her determination, vivid descriptions, and sense of humor comes through loud and clear.

I have experienced many of the same situations, frustrations, humiliations, and anger Girma describes. I feel very thankful that I became blind as an adult and avoided the numerous school situations she endured as she grew up.  As I begin a slow decrease in my hearing, I suspect I’ll experience even more of her predicaments, so, I appreciate the experiential based wisdom and philosophy she shares with us in her book.  I have already research the keyboard-to-braille devises for communicating.

It would be nice to think everyone, whether or not they know a blind or deaf or deaf/blind person, would read this book to heighten their awareness of how their actions might be perceived by a person with a handicapping condition. It ought to be required reading for all students and workers providing services for people with a disability.

From her Web Site:

The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma advocates for equal opportunities for people with disabilities. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. She received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, and a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Chancellor Angela Merkel have all honored Haben…

Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation. She travels the world teaching the benefits of choosing inclusion…Haben offers accessibility and diversity training, consulting, and professional speaking services. Haben combines her knowledge of law, sociology, and technology to teach clients the benefits of fully accessible products and services. Her insights help to expand our thinking, creating lasting, positive change among people and communities

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Haben: the deafblind woman who conquered Harvard Law DB96188

Girma, Haben. Reading time: 7 hours, 32 minutes.

Read by Haben Girma.

Biography

Disability

Legal Issues

The autobiography of the first deaf-blind graduate of Harvard Law School. Girma describes her childhood, world travels, development of a text-to-braille communication system, and time at Harvard Law, as well as the ways she uses her talents to advocate for those with disabilities. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Kate’s 2¢: “Twisted 20-6” by Janet Evanovich

“Twisted  20-6” by Janet Evanovich

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…

Grandma Edna Mazur has an indominable spirit and spunk. She says happiness is a choice, which is saying something considering the stress and turmoil of her life.

She also feels that some people have “cracked souls” and that is why they do dumb things, like shoot other people

“Baking cookies makes the house smell happy” is another one of her theories, as she bakes dozens and dozens of cookies to share with others.

Humor is often a personal reaction, and, I must admit, I smiled and chuckled and even laughed out loud at some of the things the characters in “Twisted 20-6” said.

Thank you, Lorelei King for bringing this delightful story to life.

From the Web:

Janet Evanovich (née Schneider; born in April 22, 1943 in South River, New Jersey.) is an American writer. She began her career writing short contemporary romance novels under the pen name Steffie Hall , but gained fame authoring a series of contemporary mysteries featuring Stephanie Plum , a former lingerie buyer from Trenton, New Jersey, who becomes a bounty hunter to make ends meet after losing her job.

Evanovich stands out as one of the best authors in the genre of romance, mystery and suspense literature.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Twisted twenty-six DB97352

Evanovich, Janet. Reading time: 6 hours, 45 minutes.

Read by Lorelei King.

Humor; Mystery and Detective Stories

Grandma Mazur remarries–this time to a local gangster named Jimmy Rosolli–but he drops dead right after the nuptials, Jimmy’s former “business partners” are convinced that his new widow is keeping the keys to a financial windfall all to herself. They didn’t count on her bounty hunter granddaughter,Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Kate’s 2¢: “Never have I ever” by Joshilyn Jackson

“Never have I ever” by Joshilyn Jackson

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…

In “Never have I ever” Jackson develops Amy so beautifully that I found myself really pulling for her to succeed. Amy’s life began with a whole lot of strife and guilt, but she grew to be strong and fight for her family and Charlotte.

I’d like to read her other books.

From her Website:

author Joshilyn Jackson displays her masterful talent in this dark and deliciously addictive tale of domestic suspense…New York Times and  USA Today Bestselling Author of nine books.

From NLS/BARD/LOC

Never have I ever DB96381

Jackson, Joshilyn. Reading time: 12 hours, 57 minutes.

Read by Joshilyn Jackson.

Suspense Fiction

Amy’s greatest joy is her family: her husband, her spirited stepdaughter, and her adorable infant son. But Amy’s life begins to unravel when a mysterious, charismatic woman arrives on her doorstep on book club night and lures them into a game of spilling secrets. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Kate’s 2¢: “The turn of the key” by Ruth Ware

“The turn of the key” by Ruth Ware

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…

When you were a kid, did you and your friends ever have a sleepover where, late at night,  you told spooky stories to scare the heck out of each other?

“The Turn of the Key” is a doozy and would have kept everyone awake. The tale is very ably read by Imogen Church. She has the awesome ability to make a word like ‘creek’ to cause the hairs on the nape of your neck stand up. Based on this one story, Church second to my favorite narrator Martha Harmon Pardee. I’ll look for more stories read by Church.

The discriptors of Suspense Fiction; Mystery and Detective Stories; Psychological Fiction; Bestsellers; and Romance are certainly true for Ware’s stories.

From the WEB:

Ruth Ware is a British psychological crime thriller author. Her novels include In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game and The Death of Mrs Westaway. Both In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10 were on the U.K.’s Sunday Times and The New York Times top ten bestseller lists. She is represented by Eve White.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The turn of the key DB96239

Ware, Ruth. Reading time: 12 hours, 15 minutes.

Read by Imogen Church.

Suspense Fiction; Mystery and Detective Stories; Psychological Fiction; Bestsellers; Romance

After stumbling across the ad for a live-in nanny position with a staggeringly generous salary, Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House and is smitten by the luxurious “smart” home and picture-perfect family. But she’s stepping into a nightmare that will lead to murder. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2019.

Kate’s 2¢: “Swipe right for murder” by Derek Milman

“Swipe right for murder” by Derek Milman

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…

Jay Ben Markson did a fabulous job of reading “Swipe right for murder”.  His tone, enunciation, and cadence perfectly brought this story to life.  I’ll look for other books narrated by Markson.

James Patterson wrote a forward to this story and he said his aim with each story is to elicit a feeling.  I came away from listening to this story with mixed feelings; not necessarily good vibes, though.

From NLS.BARD.LOC:

Swipe right for murder DB96377

Milman, Derek. Reading time: 8 hours, 43 minutes.

Read by Jay Ben Markson.

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

Young Adult

Alone in a posh New York City hotel room, teenager Aidan tries to hook up with someone new. But that lapse in judgment leads to him waking up next to a dead guy. And now he’s on the run. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2019.

Kate’s 2¢: “What Rose Forgot” by Nevada Barr

“What Rose Forgot” by Nevada Barr

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 read with horror the first several chapters of “What Rose Forgot”. It was so like what happened to my friend, Ally. Her daughter put her in a lock-down facility and I was never able to speak to her again. I don’t even know if she’s dead or alive and there is no way I can find out. It’s devastating.

I cheered when Rose connived to get herself out of the Longwood facility’s Memory Care Unit and made her way to her granddaughter’s home. That’s when the real dilemma becomes evident.

I enjoyed this fast paced story. The old gal sure is agile and adventurous, and clever, not to mention gutsy.

From her website:

NEVADA BARR is an award-winning novelist and New York Times best-selling author.  She has a growing number of Anna Pigeon mysteries to her credit as well as numerous other books, short stories, and articles.  She currently resides in New Orleans with her husband, four magical cats, and two adorable dogs.

Nevada was born in the small western town of Yerington, Nevada and raised on a mountain airport in the Sierras. Both her parents were pilots and mechanics and her sister, Molly, continued the tradition by becoming a pilot for USAir.

Pushed out of the nest, Nevada fell into the theatre, receiving her BA in speech and drama and her MFA in Acting before making the pilgrimage to New York City, then Minneapolis, MN. For eighteen years she worked on stage, in commercials, industrial training films and did voice-overs for radio. During this time she became interested in the environmental movement and began working in the National Parks during the summers — Isle Royale in Michigan, Guadalupe Mountains in Texas, Mesa Verde in Colorado, and then on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.

Woven throughout these seemingly disparate careers was the written word. Nevada wrote and presented campfire stories, taught storytelling and was a travel writer and restaurant critic. Her first novel, Bittersweet was published in 1983. The Anna Pigeon series, featuring a female park ranger as the protagonist, started when she married her love of writing with her love of the wilderness, the summer she worked in west Texas. The first book, Track of the Cat, was brought to light in 1993 and won both the Agatha and Anthony awards for best first mystery. The series was well received and A Superior Death, loosely based on Nevada’s experiences as a boat patrol ranger on Isle Royale in Lake Superior, was published in 1994. In 1995 Ill Wind came out. It was set in Mesa Verde, Colorado where Nevada worked as a law enforcement ranger for two seasons.

Engaging and down-to-earth, Ms. Barr entwines the cycle of nature throughout her mystery books with her character, Anna Pigeon, a National Park Ranger.

From NLS/BARD/LOC”

What Rose forgot DB96483

Barr, Nevada. Reading time: 8 hours, 25 minutes.

Read by Kate Burton.

Suspense Fiction; Mystery and Detective Stories

Rose Dennis wakes up only to discover that she’s been committed to an Alzheimer’s unit in a nursing home. Sure that something is very wrong, she escapes. When a would-be killer shows up in her house, Rose knows that someone is determined to get rid of her. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.