Kate’s 2¢: “Ask Again, yes.” By Mary Beth Keane

“Ask Again, yes.” By Mary Beth Keane

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 thought this book was a well written saga of two families and how they inter-related to each other. I even liked the ending.

   Molly Pope did a good job of reading this book for the NLS and I’ll look for other stories she’s narrated.

Author Website:

Mary Beth Keane attended Barnard College and the University of Virginia, where she received an MFA. She was awarded a John S. Guggenheim fellowship for fiction writing, and has received citations from the National Book Foundation, PEN America, and the Hemingway Society. She is the author of The Walking People, Fever, and most recently, Ask Again, Yes, which spent eight weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List. To date, translation rights to Ask Again, Yes have sold in twenty-two languages, with most translated editions forthcoming in 2021.

Copyright © 2021 Mary Beth Keane · Site Design: Ilsa Brink

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Ask again, yes DB95483

Keane, Mary Beth. Reading time: 12 hours, 44 minutes.

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

Family

1973. Rookie cops Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope are assigned to the same precinct in the Bronx. They aren’t close, but they end up living next door and having children within months of each other. As their children grow, they are close, but are separated by a violent event. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Kate’s 2¢: the Century trilogy: “Fall of giants”, “Winter of the world”, “Edge of eternity” by Ken Follett

the Century trilogy: “Fall of giants”, “Winter of the world”, “Edge of eternity” by Ken Follett  

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 trilogy follows several generations of five families American, German, Russian, English and Welsh; each reflecting the unprecedented issues of their eras.

   By a random selection from NLS,  I read Book II: “Winter of the World” first. I enjoyed it and  was curious about the ‘back story’, so I down-loaded Book I: “Fall of Giants”.  Then, naturally, I had to read Book III: “Edge of eternity”.

   Perhaps, because I wasn’t of the generation depicted in the first two books, I enjoyed how Follett enmeshed his fictional families into the factual issues of the world at that time. As for Book III, I noticed the stark contrast in sexual behaviors being so much more open than in the first books. “Edge of Eternity”  was my generation and it  reflected civil rights and politics; however, we weren’t interested in protest marches, promiscuous sex, and drugs or alcohol. We focused on higher education, establishing meaningful careers, and family bonding, anticipating building a strong America.

www.ken-follett.com

Follett was born on 5 June 1949 in Cardiff, Wales. He was the first child of Martin Follett, a tax inspector, and Lavinia (Veenie) Follett, who went on to have two more children, Hannah and James.[6][7] Barred from watching films and television by his Plymouth Brethren parents, he developed an early interest in reading but remained an indifferent student until he entered his teens.[6][7] His family moved to London when he was ten years old, and he began applying himself to his studies at Harrow Weald Grammar School and Poole Technical College.

He won admission in 1967 to University College London, where he studied philosophy and became involved in centre-left politics. He married Mary, in 1968, and their son Emanuele was born in the same year. After graduation in the autumn of 1970, Follett took a three-month post-graduate course in journalism and went to work as a trainee reporter in Cardiff on the South Wales Echo. In 1973 a daughter, Marie-Claire, was born.

Early career[edit]

After three years in Cardiff, he returned to London as a general-assignment reporter for the Evening News. Finding the work unchallenging, he eventually left journalism for publishing and became, by the late 1970s, deputy managing director of the small London publisher Everest Books.[6] He began writing fiction during evenings and weekends as a hobby. Later, he said, he began writing books when he needed extra money to fix his car, and the publishers’ advance a fellow journalist had been paid for a thriller was the sum required for the repairs.[8] Success came gradually at first, but the 1978 publication of Eye of the Needle, which became an international bestseller and sold over 10 million copies, made him both wealthy and internationally famous.[9]

Follett’s archival papers are housed at the Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, United States. They include outlines, first drafts, notes and correspondence, original manuscripts, and copies of early books now out of print.[25]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Fall of giants DB71970

Follett, Ken. Reading time: 35 hours, 3 minutes.

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

Historical Fiction

Bestsellers

Saga of five interrelated families in the early twentieth century. Welshman Billy Williams enters the coal mines, British lady Maud Fitzherbert falls for German spy Walter von Ulrich, Russians Grigori and Lev Peshkov endure revolution, and American Gus Dewar becomes a diplomat. Some violence and some strong language. Bestseller. 2010.

Download Fall of giants

Winter of the world: book two of the Century trilogy DB75547

Follett, Ken. Reading time: 35 hours, 33 minutes.

Read by David Hartley-Margolin. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Historical Fiction

Bestsellers

War Stories

The five families from Fall of Giants (DB 71970) continue to struggle through the tumultuous 1930s and 1940s. Carla von Ulrich, daughter of Maud and Walter, fights the Nazis while Lloyd Williams and Boy Fitzherbert vie for the attentions of socialite Daisy Peshkov. Violence and some strong language. Bestseller. 2012.

Download Winter of the world: book two of the Century trilogy                            

Edge of eternity: the Century trilogy DB79915

Follett, Ken. Reading time: 36 hours, 53 minutes.

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

Historical Fiction

Bestsellers

Following the turbulence of Winter of the World (DB 75547), the families find themselves both torn and uplifted by unfolding events, from the 1960s through 2008. Biracial George Jakes is hired by the Kennedy White House, while Rebecca Hoffman’s husband hides a dangerous secret in East Germany. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2014.

Downloaded: March 20, 2021

Kate’s 2¢: “The Hammer of Eden” by Ken Follett

“The Hammer of Eden” by Ken Follett

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…

   Maybe, because my favorite reader, Martha Harmon Pardee, was reading this book, I really enjoyed the suspense of the narrative arc.

   Fiction or not, it seems as if the premise is possible.

www.ken-follett.com and WIKKIPEDIA:

Follett was born on 5 June 1949 in Cardiff, Wales. He was the first child of Martin Follett, a tax inspector, and Lavinia (Veenie) Follett, who went on to have two more children, Hannah and James.[6][7] Barred from watching films and television by his Plymouth Brethren parents, he developed an early interest in reading but remained an indifferent student until he entered his teens.[6][7] His family moved to London when he was ten years old, and he began applying himself to his studies at Harrow Weald Grammar School and Poole Technical College.

He won admission in 1967 to University College London, where he studied philosophy and became involved in centre-left politics. He married Mary, in 1968, and their son Emanuele was born in the same year. After graduation in the autumn of 1970, Follett took a three-month post-graduate course in journalism and went to work as a trainee reporter in Cardiff on the South Wales Echo. In 1973 a daughter, Marie-Claire, was born.

Early career[edit]

After three years in Cardiff, he returned to London as a general-assignment reporter for the Evening News. Finding the work unchallenging, he eventually left journalism for publishing and became, by the late 1970s, deputy managing director of the small London publisher Everest Books.[6] He began writing fiction during evenings and weekends as a hobby. Later, he said, he began writing books when he needed extra money to fix his car, and the publishers’ advance a fellow journalist had been paid for a thriller was the sum required for the repairs.[8] Success came gradually at first, but the 1978 publication of Eye of the Needle, which became an international bestseller and sold over 10 million copies, made him both wealthy and internationally famous.[9]

Follett’s archival papers are housed at the Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, United States. They include outlines, first drafts, notes and correspondence, original manuscripts, and copies of early books now out of print.[25]

From NLS/BARD/LOC          :

The hammer of Eden: a novel DB47044

Follett, Ken. Reading time: 13 hours, 9 minutes.

Read by Martha Harmon Pardee. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Suspense Fiction

Bestsellers

An illiterate cult leader named Priest is angry about California’s plan to displace his commune for a nuclear power plant. Priest comes up with a plan to create earthquakes to blackmail the government to back down. FBI agent Judy Maddox is detailed to trace the rogue band. With the help of seismologist Michael Quercus, the agent tracks the earthquakes to Priest. Strong language, violence, and descriptions of sex. Bestseller.

Downloaded: March 20, 2021

Kate’s 2¢: “Labyrinth of ice: the triumphant and tragic greely polar expedition” by Buddy Levy

“Labyrinth of ice: the triumphant and tragic greely polar expedition” by Buddy Levy

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 is a powerful, well-written chronicle about a daring polar adventure.  The explorer’s joy at the numerous scientific successes and firsts in polar advances  are palpable. Equally palpable are the deprivation, pain, and desolation as the explorers wait for rescue.

   Will Damron did a good job of reading this story for NLS. Thank you.

Buddy Levy is in his 26 th year of teaching courses at Washington State University. Levy’s areas of interest and expertise include narrative history, memoir, travel and adventure writing, nature writing, journalism, editing and publishing, and biography.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:;;;

Labyrinth of ice: the triumphant and tragic greely polar expedition DB97668

Levy, Buddy. Reading time: 13 hours, 15 minutes.

Read by Will Damron.

Travel

Adventure

Chronicle of the 1881-1884 United States Army polar expedition, known as the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, led by First Lieutenant Adolphus W. Greely. Discusses the goals of the expedition, challenges they faced, hardships they endured as resupply ships were unable to reach them, and their eventual rescue. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Download Labyrinth of ice: the triumphant and tragic greely polar expedition

Kate’s 2¢: “All The Birds in the Sky” by Charlie Anders

“All The Birds in the Sky” by Charlie Anders

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 enjoyed listening to Nick DePinto  read “All the Birds in the Sky”. This cartridge was sent as a random selection to me by the NLS. I don’t usually opt to read Sci-Fi, but I started listening and just kept on listening to this engaging book.

   It has several scenes that are hard to fathom, but, I do like the ending to the story.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

www.charliejane.net

Charlie Jane Anders is an American writer and commentator. She has written several novels and is the publisher of other magazine, the “magazine of pop culture and politics for the new outcasts”. In 2005, she received the Lambda Literary Award for work in the transgender category, and in 2009, the Emperor Norton Award.[1] Her 2011 novelette Six Months, Three Days won the 2012 Hugo[2] and was a finalist for the Nebula[3] and Theodore Sturgeon Awards.[4] Her 2016 novel All the Birds in the Sky was listed No. 5 on Time magazine’s “Top 10 Novels” of 2016,[5] won the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novel,[6] the 2017 Crawford Award,[7] and the 2017 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel;[8] it was also a finalist for the 2017 Hugo Award for Best Novel.[9]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

All the birds in the sky DB83924

Anders, Charlie. Reading time: 11 hours, 14 minutes.

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

Science Fiction

Fantasy Fiction

Bestsellers

Patricia and Laurence became friends as children, until her budding powers as a witch and his love of science set them on different paths. Years later they meet again in San Francisco, on opposite sides of efforts to save the planet. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2016.

Kate’s 2¢: “One Good Dog” by Susan Wilson

“One Good Dog” by Susan Wilson

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…

   Rick Adamson and Fred Berman have done a fabulous job portraying the man and the dog in alternating voices in this dramatic and poignant story of how the mighty fall, yet can redeem themselves.

   As a guide dog handler, I deplore the sick practice of baiting dogs to fight. It is a despicable blood “sport”

, mean and cruel.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

   Wilson is a New York Times best selling American author. Her first novel, Beauty, was adapted into a television movie.[1] A later book, One Good Dog, was a New York Times bestseller.[2]

   Susan lives on Martha’s Vineyard with her husband. She has two grown daughters and three grandchildren. Susan is a horse lover with a Quarter horse mare, Maggie Rose. [3]

Selected works[edit]

• Beauty, Scribner, 1997

• Hawke’s Cove, 2000

• Cameo Lake, Pocket Books, 2001

• The Fortune Teller’s Daughter, 2002

• Summer Harbor, 2003

• One Good Dog, St. Martin’s Press, 2010

• The Dog Who Danced, St. Martin’s Press, 2012

• A Man of His Own, St. Martin’s Press, 2013

• The Dog Who Saved Me, St. Martin’s Press, 2015

• Two Good Dogs, St. Martin’s Press, 2017

• The Dog I Loved, St. Martin’s Press, 2019

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

One good dog DB87276

Wilson, Susan. Reading time: 8 hours, 23 minutes.

Read by Rick Adamson; Fred Berman. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Animals and Wildlife

In a momentary loss of self-control, high-powered businessman Adam March loses all that he has worked his adult life to achieve. Assigned to work in a soup kitchen as community service, he encounters mixed-breed pit bull Chance. Adam rescues Chance and discovers he is saving himself. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2010.

Kate’s 2¢: “The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the horse that inspired a nation” by Elizabeth Letts

“The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the horse that inspired a nation” by Elizabeth Letts

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…

   As Kristin Allison read this chronicle of man and horse’s rise from the lowest to the Highest, we not only come to love the man and the horse, but to learn so much about their lives, the behind-the-scenes of the highly competitive shows, and appreciation of living in a free society as opposed to one like the Nazi regime.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Snowman Foaled: February 29, 1948; died September 24, 1974 (age 26) was a former plow horse of mixed breed ancestry, possibly a cross of a grade horse with a US Army Remount stallion. He was purchased for $80.00 on his way to a slaughterhouse and became a champion in show jumping in the United States during the 1950s. During his career he was known as “The Cinderella Horse” due to his “rags to riches” story.[1]

Snowman was originally used for farm work and in 1956 was headed for the slaughterhouse at eight years of age. On that day, Harry de Leyer, a Long Island, New York, riding instructor, attended the horse auction in New Holland, Pennsylvania, looking for school horses. He arrived late, and the only remaining horses were those waiting to be loaded into trucks bound for slaughter plants. De Leyer made eye contact with a large gray horse that he purchased for $80. He first used Snowman as a lesson horse for children. De Leyer recognized talent in the horse after he sold him to a neighbor and the horse jumped high fences to return home. De Leyer then began training Snowman as a show jumper.

The horse began winning prestigious classes only two years after he was bought off the slaughter truck, and his career lasted five years. He was photographed performing unusual feats such as jumping over other horses,[2] and his calm disposition made him a favorite. He once won a leadline class and an open jumper championship on the same day.

Snowman also appeared on television shows (Johnny Carson’s for one, where Carson climbed on his back). He was the subject of two books, had his own fan club, and was flown abroad for “guest appearances”.

De Leyer kept Snowman through his retirement until the animal was euthanized in the fall of 1974 due to complications from kidney failure at the age of twenty-six.

Snowman was inducted into the United States Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2005, Snowman was made into a Breyer horse model on the Gem Twist mold, which is no longer manufactured. In 2013, Snowman was again introduced in the Breyer line on the Idocus mold. The 2013 model box reads “Snowman – Show Jumping Hall of Famer”.

Snowman is the subject of the book, The Eighty Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation, by Elizabeth Letts, published by Random House in 2011, a No. 1 New York Times bestseller.[3][4] A documentary movie was made in 2016, Harry & Snowman, that features original footage of his years as an equestrian family member as well as a show ring competitor.[5] Snowman was featured in season 21, episode 8 of Mysteries at the Museum.[6] [1]

Also From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Elizabeth Letts was born on June 23, 1961, in Houston, Texas.[citation needed] She grew up in Southern California. As a teenager, she was a competitive equestrian three-day eventer. She attended Northfield Mount Hermon School and Yale College where she majored in History. She served in the Peace Corps in Morocco.

She is the author of multiple books: Quality of Care; Family Planning; The Butter Man; The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman the Horse that Inspired a Nation, a #1 New York Times bestseller.;,[1] The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis, which reached #5 on the New York Times bestseller list;[2] and Finding Dorothy. Elizabeth Letts also writes women’s fiction under the pen name Nora Carroll.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the horse that inspired a nation DB73780

Letts, Elizabeth. Reading time: 10 hours, 44 minutes.

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

Sports and Recreation

Animals and Wildlife

Bestsellers

Relates Dutch immigrant Harry de Leyer’s 1956 purchase of a gray horse from a slaughterhouse truck for eighty dollars. Recounts de Leyer’s Long Island boarding-school students riding the horse named Snowman, the discovery of Snowman’s jumping feats, and his victory at the 1958 National Horse Show. Bestseller. 2011.

Kate’s 2¢: “Surviving after cancer: living the new normal” by Anne Katz

“Surviving after cancer: living the new normal” by Anne Katz

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 would be a good companion book to “The Cancer Fighting Kitchen”. Many of the anecdotes in this easy to read/listen to book have been talked about in my breast cancer support group, so they are definitely real and not just fiction.

   Each of the side-effects mentioned have suggestions and resources on how to cope with the emotional roller-coaster, physical discomforts, and mental anguish of them.

From the web:

Anne Katz PhD, RN, FAAN, currently serves as Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Manitoba Prostate Centre and Sexuality Counselor in the Department of Psychosocial Oncology at CancerCare Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. Dr Katz serves in multiple leadership roles including: Editor for Oncology Nursing Forum and Nursing for Women’s Health, Contributing Editor for the American Journal of Nursing, and Treasurer for the Society for Sex Therapy and Research.

Anne Katz, PhD, RN FAAN – Lead Oncology

From   NLS/BARD/LOC:

Surviving after cancer: living the new normal DB73769

Katz, Anne, (Anne Jennifer). Reading time: 10 hours, 9 minutes.

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

Health and Medicine

Clinical nurse and sexuality counselor offers advice for cancer survivors. Uses anecdotes from patients with different types of the disease to discuss common issues such as follow-up care, return to work, fear of reoccurrence, depression, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, sex, and childbearing. Includes resources. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2011.

“Surviving after cancer: living the new normal” by Anne Katz

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 would be a good companion book to “The Cancer Fighting Kitchen”. Many of the anecdotes in this easy to read/listen to book have been talked about in my breast cancer support group, so they are definitely real and not just fiction.

   Each of the side-effects mentioned have suggestions and resources on how to cope with the emotional roller-coaster, physical discomforts, and mental anguish of them.

From the web:

Anne Katz PhD, RN, FAAN, currently serves as Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Manitoba Prostate Centre and Sexuality Counselor in the Department of Psychosocial Oncology at CancerCare Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. Dr Katz serves in multiple leadership roles including: Editor for Oncology Nursing Forum and Nursing for Women’s Health, Contributing Editor for the American Journal of Nursing, and Treasurer for the Society for Sex Therapy and Research.

Anne Katz, PhD, RN FAAN – Lead Oncology

From   NLS/BARD/LOC:

Surviving after cancer: living the new normal DB73769

Katz, Anne, (Anne Jennifer). Reading time: 10 hours, 9 minutes.

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

Health and Medicine

Clinical nurse and sexuality counselor offers advice for cancer survivors. Uses anecdotes from patients with different types of the disease to discuss common issues such as follow-up care, return to work, fear of reoccurrence, depression, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, sex, and childbearing. Includes resources. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2011.

Downloaded: February 23, 2021