Kate’s 2¢: Reader’s Digest (March 2022)

Reader’s Digest (March 2022)

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…

   For a change of pace, I wanted some light reading, so, I down-loaded the Reader’s Digest  for March, 2022. I was happy to find many of my favorite topics still in the magazine,  Such as: Life in these United States; Humor In Uniform; All In A Day’s Work (5 minutes); Laughter, The Best Medicine (4 minutes);   

   Then other departments and articles that were interesting, if not unusual, such as: Know How Much To Tip (8 minutes); Food For Thought: Pass the peas, please  (4 minutes); Serving Up the Sizzle on Plant Based 6 minutes); The Healthy:  What your Stomach Pains Mean (9 minutes); Feature: I Survived (21minutes);  Where Have All The Nurses Gone (15 minutes); Tums (11 minutes) Nature: Lighting Up the Night (23 minutes);to name a few in this issue.

   I thought the issues in the days of yore, had more of the longer articles, but perhaps, when you’re holding the magazine and reading it for yourself, the articles seem longer. All in all, I enjoyed spending time with a magazine I used to read a lot.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Reader’s Digest (March 2022)

Read by Joanne Giaquinta. A production of the NLS.

 Kate’s 2¢: “Anthem” by Noah Hawley

“Anthem” by Noah Hawley

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…

A few take-aways:

— Thoughts about politics: Swimmers: They ove in packs through the ocean and history; pulled along by the current The suffers ride on top of the water; choosing their own pathprogress is driven by their own muscles and will.

— Self-doubt about one’s copacity to deal with reality breaks down and the mental health of everyone.

— He wants words to mean what they are intended to mean. How is he supposed to conbey meaning and ideas when words have become meaningless?

— This is a story about America.

— When you don’t want to face the consequences of your actions, focus on the soap opera of public life, with its heroes and villians..

— What does it say about society when it cedes its moral leadership to perverts and pedophiles?

— Time itself is breaking down; the heat is here now, making it simultaneously  the present moment, but also the hot-house future. Models of prediction verge on the point of ridiculous.

— We live in a land of rules and texes, where the few make rule for the many.

— The children strive for hyper-freedom.

One thing leads to another. The best you can hope for is a feeling of catharsis; that something meaningful has changed; that growth has occurred.   

   I almost didn’t continue reading (listening) to this book. My mother had often admonished me to say nothing if I couldn’t say anything nice.  I kept reading and at the end of the story, I decided it had a similar theme to Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”.  The idea being that a group of people saw the destruction of the way things are and wanted to re-invent themselves in a utopia, where they might be able to finally get it right.

Hawley was born and raised in New York City, New York. His mother, Louise Armstrong, was a non-fiction writer and activist, and his maternal grandmother was a playwright. His father, Tom Hawley, was a businessman. He Hawley graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in political science in 1989.[4][5] He worked for the Legal Aid Society in New York City, dealing with cases involving child abuse and neglect.[5][6] He later moved to San Francisco. He worked in computer programming at law firms[5] and as a paralegal.[2]

He has published six novels: A Conspiracy of Tall Men (1998), Other People’s Weddings (2004), The Punch (2008), The Good Father (2012), Before the Fall (2016), and Anthem (2022).[7]

Hawley was a writer and producer on the first three seasons of the television series Bones (2005–2008).[8] He was also creator and executive producer of The Unusuals (2009) and My Generation (2010).[9]

Hawley is the creator, primary writer, and executive producer of the FX anthology television series Fargo (2014), based on the Coen brothers’ 1996 film of the same name. On August 25, 2014, Fargo won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries, along with 17 additional nominations at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. In total, the series has been nominated for 113 awards since its premiere, winning 32 of them. The fourth season of Fargo premiered on September 27, 2020.[10]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Anthem: a novel DB106616

Hawley, Noah. Reading time: 15 hours, 26 minutes.

Read by Noah Hawley.

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

Simon Oliver is trying to recover from his sister’s tragic passing, but breaks out from the institution where he’s been staying. He joins up with Louise and the Prophet on a quest for the Wizard. On the way, they meet up with a man whose sister is being held captive. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.

Download Anthem: a novel

Atlas shrugged DB51074

Rand, Ayn Reading time: 58 hours, 4 minutes.

Michael Scherer A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

General

Dagny Taggart, manager of a transcontinental railroad, opposes John Galt and others who relinquish control over their enterprises in exchange for security through government regulations. Espouses the clear-cut social values of the author’s philosophy of objectivism within a fictional story line. Thirty-fifth anniversary edition with new introduction in 1992. Some strong language. 1957.

Download Atlas shrugged DB51074

Kate’s 2¢: “The Christmas bookshop: a novel” by Jenny Colgan

“The Christmas bookshop: a novel” by Jenny Colgan

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 suspect a lot of us can identify with the older sibling, who is, of course, perfect. How we can never measure up, since we’re always messing up. This story takes us from Carmen’s very worst period in her life to the subline period of her life.  In-between, some wonderful things happen from being wooed by a rich, flamboyant writer to a modest, Quaker lecturer, not to mention how from the mouths of babes  come fabulous, successful ideas to improve the stogie book shop.  

   This would be a good book for the whole family to gather around and read aloud during the cold, winter yule tide.

From the WEB:

Jenny Colgan, better known by her family name Jenny Colgan, is a popular British Writer. Born on 14 September 1972 in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland United Kingdom, Jenny Colgan started her career as Writer. she is one of famous Writer with the age 48 years old group.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The Christmas bookshop: a novel     

Colgan, Jenny. Reading time: 11 hours, 25 minutes.

Read by Eilidh Beaton.

Holidays

Laid off from her department store job, Carmen has little cash and fewer options. She reluctantly moves in with her perfect sister, Sofia, to help out with Sofia’s kids. She also takes a job with her sister’s client, who needs help revitalizing his shabby Edinburgh bookshop in time for Christmas. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

Download The Christmas bookshop: a novel

Guide Dog Chronicles: Guide Cat

Guide Cats

By Les Barker

Passed along by From Sue Hardin and Freedom Guide Dog Opus

The word futile springs to mind, mission impossible, yes, that’s the attempt

to harness for mankind, the intelligence of cats.

You’ve made a basic error, now let me expound.

This master/servant things o.k. but not that way around

We don’t do the ‘faithful’ subject, we don’t do the daily grind

You should never have attempted this

Guide cats for the blind

Give kitty so much trust, and we’ll abuse the privilege

You think you’re going out, you’re opening the fridge

You think I’m trying to help you, I’m not serving man but mammon

You think you’ve gained a faithful friend, you’ve lost a plate of salmon

I might lead you down the high street, I’ll be back when I have dined

We get very very hungry being

Guide cats for the blind

It can’t be very pleasant, of this I’ve little doubt

With your head stuck in a cat flap, whether facing in or out

You could be here a day or two, half out in the rain

I’ve got to go, I’ve things to do, maybe I’ll pass this way again

A dog would go for help, but cats are not that way inclined

Cats have better things to do than being

Guide cats for the blind

Of some matters I am ignorant, but this I know for certain

The best place for a blind man isn’t half way up a curtain

Why do they have to be up on a roof at 4am

It’s a perfect place for me, but what’s in it for them?

It was where I had to go, and he just tagged along behind

I  don’t know why, only a fool would follow

Guide cats for the blind

I once met a man called pavlov, from time to time he rang a bell

Simple things make humans happy, but I have to say that well,

I found it a disturbance and poor chap I think he knew it

And soon he only rang his bell when I wanted him to do it

Did you ask for our assistance, if you did then we declined

Here we are, an oxymoron

Guide cats for the blind

Guide Dog Chronicles: What A Guide Dog Means to Me

Guide Dog Chronicles:

What A Guide Dog Means To Me

By Kate Chamberlin

 “What can the dog do that you can’t do now?”  A lady at church asked me.

   Where should I begin?   How can I explain that it isn’t just a matter of increased independent mobility to go for the mail or even find the bathroom, to be able to safely return to volunteer tutoring and mentoring in the elementary school, as well as  go for healing walks?

   a guide dog can break the downward spiral of depression, isolation and obesity.  A dog can be the constant, uncritical companion.  She’s there for you when you can’t reach out.    She supplies a person’s need to be needed and sense of responsibility.

   At times, being totally blind is over-whelming and quite intimidating.  It requires a push to re-open doors, restore confidence and bring new love into a person’s life.  

   I really would have preferred a Guide Cat when I went blind in 1985, but, I used a long white cane for a while before training with my first guide dog, Guiding Eyes for the Blind Future Grace. Then came Wheaton Grace, Finchlee Grace, Joseph Garcia, Upstate Guid Dog Peyton Grace, and Freedom Guide dog, Tulip Grace.

Each in his or her turn did much to enhance my life, mobility, and attitude, not to mention how much more favorably folks received me when I traveled with my dedicated, four-pawed friends.

Kate’s 2¢: “Real Easy” by Marie Rutkoski

“Real Easy” by Marie Rutkoski

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…

It’s said that you should write what you know and so Rutkoski did.  She used to be a stripper. I liked most of her characters and I learned a lot more about the steamy and seamy side of the business than I knew before reading (listening to) this book.  

   I found the flip-flopping of past and present with each character a bit confusing. When I read the poignant last chapter from Samantha’s pov, I, at first, thought maybe she didn’t die.

   During the interview at the end of the book, Rutkoski indicated the take away she intended is that random acts of kindness are important.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marie K. Rutkoski  (b. March 5, 1977 ) is a New York Times bestselling author of several novels for children and young adults. She grew up in Illinois as the oldest of four children, and has lived in Moscow, Prague, and Paris. She holds degrees from the University of Iowa and Harvard University, and is now a professor of English literature at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Shakespeare. She lives in Brooklyn with her family and two cats, Cloud and Firefly.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Real easy DB106312

Rutkoski, Marie. Reading time: 10 hours, 30 minutes.

Read by Marie Rutkoski.

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

Samantha has danced for years at the Lovely Lady strip club. She keeps her distance from the other dancers until a new one needs help. Her decision turns deadly. Georgia–another dancer–tries to help Holly, the detective investigating the case. But danger looms for them. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.

Download Real easy

Kate’s 2¢: “A bird will soar” by  Alison Green Myers

“A bird will soar” by  Alison Green Myers

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 main character in this middle grade story is a high-functioning Autistic boy. We are seeing the world through his eyes, which can be confusing sometimes. Most of all, Axel is very interested in birds and wants people to tell the truth about why his father stopped coming to see him,why his mother has hidden things from him, and he doesn’t like anything to change. 

   The Schneider Family Book Award is an award given by the American Library Association (ALA) recognizing authors and illustrators for the excellence of portrayal of the disability experience in literature for youth. There is a category for children’s books, books appealing to middle grade readers and for young adult literature.

Awarded for: artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences

Alison is an avid reader, poet, and writer. She has served as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, curriculum writer, and school director. She is the Program Director for the Highlights Foundation, a National Writing Fellow, and an active member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.

   Myers is a National Writing Fellow and Literacy Specialist. She specializes in connecting curriculum-driven instruction to creative writing and language work. Intimate and inspiring workshops for children’s authors and illustrators.

From the WEB:

Dr. Katherine Schneideris an author and has published a memoir To the Left of Inspiration: Adventures in Living with Disabilities; a children’s book, Your Treasure Hunt: Disabilities and Finding Your Gold; and two books for seniors, Occupying Aging: Delights, Disabilities and Daily Life; and Hope of the Crow: Tales of Occupying Aging (all available in Bookshare).

From the Behind Our Eyes e-list:

Originator of the Schneider Family Book Awards for children’s books with disability content through the American Library Association and also originator of the award for superior journalism about disability issues through the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University, Dr. Katherine (“Kathie”) Schneider, a retired clinical psychologist who lives in Wisconsin with her tenth Seeing Eye Dog, is not only the author of the children’s book YOUR TREASURE HUNT, but also has her following books on BARD:

__ HOPE OF THE CROW:  TALES OF OCCUPYING AGING.  DB 101220, eleven hours and forty minutes, narrated by Jennifer Hubbard, copyright 2020.

__ OCCUPYING AGING:  DELIGHTS, DISABILITIES, AND DAILY LIFE.  DB 85915, eight hours and thirty-nine minutes, narrated by Suzanne Duvall, copyright 2013; also BR 21638, three braille volumes (UEB).

 __ TO THE LEFT OF INSPIRATION:  ADVENTURES IN LIVING WITH DISABILITIES.  DB 64437, four hours and 58 minutes, narrated by Mitzi Friedlander, copyright 2005.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

A bird will soar DB106122

Myers, Alison Green. Reading time: 7 hours, 42 minutes.

Read by Jamie Brown.

Family

Animals and Wildlife

After a tornado, Axel, who loves birds, finds an injured eaglet and helps to rescue it. And this also helps to resolve the problems in his broken family and draw his father back home. Schneider Family Book Award. Commercial audiobook. For grades 4-7. 2021.

Download A bird will soar

Kate’s 2¢: “Autopsy” by Patricia Daniels Cornwell

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…

   Several years ago, I read other books featuring Kay Scarpetta, but, it took me several pages to catch up on who was connected to whom  and why.

   This was published in 2021 and I was amused to find that Cornwell had incorporated the latest about the Covid-19 pandemic, the ‘current’ administration in Washington, D.C. and the animosity with Russia (which, in February, 2022) invaded Ukraine).

   Susan Ericksen did a good job of reading this story. Thank you.

From the WEB:

Patricia (Patsey) Cornwell was born on June 9, 1956 in Miami, Florida, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for The Front (2010), Kay Scarpetta and Untitled Kay Scarpetta Project. She has been married to Staci Gruber since February 24, 2005. She was previously married to Charles L. Cornwell.

   She is a descendant of author Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Graduated in 1979 with a degree in literature

In 1984 she took a job in the Virginia medical examiner’s office and for six years she worked at the morgue, first as a technical writer, then as a computer analyst

Was a police reporter

Her first book was a biography of Ruth Bell Graham, whom she had befriended as a child, called A Time for Remembering. It was published in 1983.

She helped establish the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Autopsy: a Scarpetta novel DB106057

Cornwell, Patricia Daniels. Reading time: 11 hours, 56 minutes.

Read by Susan Ericksen.

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

Medical Fiction

Forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta is returning to Virginia as the chief medical examiner. Neglect and corruption plague the agency, but her attention is soon captured by the murder of a woman close to her own neighborhood. A catastrophe in outer space causes her to be called to the White House. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

Download Autopsy: a Scarpetta novel

Kate’s 2¢: “Autopsy” by Patricia Daniels Cornwell

Kate’s 2¢: “Our wild calling: how connecting with animals can transform our lives–and save theirs”by Richard Louv

“Our wild calling: how connecting with animals can transform our lives–and save theirs”by Richard Louv

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…

A few take-outs:

–We can choose empathy over separation or superiority

–Openings to other worlds…the habitat of the heart

–There is a psychological, physical, and cognitive benefits of nature experiences.

–Recognizing in all nature the inescapable network of mutuality.

–Science and the environmental movement need art and heart.

–A moral act  one feels an obligation to go against  what they would normally want to do…A beautiful act is where one acts with one’s inclination. One acts in a moral way, because that is what one wants to do. The desire to act beautifully, rather than merely morally, can be nurtured at an early age.

–Species loneliness…the gnawing fear that we are alone in the universe; a disparate hunger for connection with other life. All of us are meant to live in a larger community, an extended family of other species.

From www.RichardLouv.com:

Richard Louv is a journalist and author of ten books, including Our Wild Calling: How Connecting With Animals Can Transform Our Lives – And Save Theirs, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, The Nature Principle: Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age, and Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life: 500 Ways to Enrich Your Family’s Health & Happiness. His books have been translated and published in 24 countries, and helped launch an international movement to connect children, families and communities to nature. He is co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Children & Nature Network, an organization helping build the movement.

He appears frequently on national radio and television programs, including the Today Show, CBS Evening News, and NPR’s Fresh Air. He speaks internationally on nature-deficit disorder, a concept he first introduced in Last Child in the Woods; on the importance of children’s and adults’ exposure to nature for their health, and on the need for environmental protection and preservation for greater access to nature and the health of the Earth. Among others, he has presented keynote addresses at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference; the USC Institute for Integrative Health Conference; the first White House Summit on Environmental Education; the Congress of the New Urbanism; the International Healthy Parks Conference in Melbourne, Australia; and the national Friends of Nature Conference in Beijing, China.

In 2008, he was awarded the national Audubon Medal; prior recipients included Rachel Carson, E.O. Wilson and President Jimmy Carter. He is also a recipient of the San Diego Zoological Society Conservation Medal; the George B. Rabb Conservation Medal from the Chicago Zoological Society; the International Making Cities Livable Jane Jacobs Award; the Nautilus Gold Book Award: the Garden Club of America award; and the Cox Award, Clemson University’s highest honor for “sustained achievement in public service.” In 2018, he received an Honorary Doctorate from the NewSchool of Architecture & Design.

As a journalist and commentator, Louv has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Times of London, Orion, Outsideand other newspapers and magazines. He was a columnist for The San Diego Union-Tribuneand Parents magazine. Louv has served as a visiting scholar for Clemson University and Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management. He is a member of the editorial board of the journal, Ecopsychology. With artist Robert Bateman, he serves as honorary co-chair of Canada’s Child in Nature Alliance. He is also on the advisory boards of Biophilic Cities and the International Association of Nature Pedagogy.

Married to Kathy Frederick Louv, he is the father of two young men, Jason and Matthew. He would rather hike than write.

From NLS.BARD.LOC:

Our wild calling: how connecting with animals can transform our lives–and save theirs DB100593

Louv, Richard. Reading time: 11 hours, 16 minutes.

Read by Graham Winton.

Health and Medicine

Author of Last Child in the Woods (DB 68579) and Vitamin N (DB 88064) presents an analysis of the impact of the bond between humans and animals on our mental and spiritual health. Uses information gathered in interviews with researchers, theologians, indigenous healers, psychologists, and more. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Download Our wild calling: how connecting with animals can transform our lives–and save theirs

Kate’s 2¢: “Axiom. Books 1-3” by Tim Pratt

“Axiom. Books 1-3” by Tim Pratt

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 Wrong Stars  

— Axium, the universal truth that could not be denied. A standard by which all other forms of life must be judged and, and inevitably, found   lacking.

— The White Raven space ship is very advanced and is equipped with all sorts of amenities, weapons, stealth features, artificial intelligence  (AI), and things unknow to today’s populations.

— The crew of the White Raven is a mix of real humans of the current date, people who were cryo-sleeping from 500 years ago, mecahinally enhanced bionics, and ultra-alien types.

— Axioms are the ultra-alien beings who are mostly mechanical with a few biometrics, but, basically evil with fantastical scientific adaptations.

— Keep in mind that very often, reality will catch up to sci-fi stories sooner or later  Remember Buck Rogers and his hokey looking spaceships?

The Dreaming Stars:

— Pratt evokes a shape that usually creeps the heck out of most humans to do the evil violations on its captives: the spider.  This metal bot implants itself into the back of one’s head to alter the host’s everything.

The Forbidden Stars:

— The crew of the White Raven is still in pursuit of the Axiom, using the greasy, black box that creates its own worm-hole portals travelling to a galaxy system quite remote and not heard of for more than a century.

— The horrors they find include replacing human parts in a living person with mechanical systems, altering brain functions, and augmenting the bodies with numerous pseudo-pods, multiple eyes, and radio controlled bots.

— The Axioms are located and being held in stasis until a cure can be found for the disease that racks their bodies.

— Kotskos and the ‘Benefactor’ are eventually out-witted by The Captain of the White Raven to save the galaxy and all its races, but, you knew they would ultimately win. Right?

— The main love interest in this story is the current, female captain of the ship and the female cryo-sleeper, who is the survivor of a Goldilock space ship sent from earth 500 years prior to this story.  While this relationship might not be some people’s cup of tea, if they can get beyond that, the story is really quite imaginative, interesting, dramatic, and well-done.

wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Pratt

Tim Pratt (born December 12, 1976) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and poet. He won a Hugo Award in 2007 for his short story ” Impossible Dreams “. He’s written over 20 books, including the Marla Mason series and several Pathfinder Tales novels.

Pen name: T. A. Pratt, T. Aaron Payton

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Axiom. Books 1-3 DB104666

Pratt, Tim. Reading time: 29 hours, 6 minutes.

Read by Shawn Hertel.

Science Fiction

The first three titles in the series, published between 2017 and 2019. In The Wrong Stars, a salvage crew discovers a wrecked ship with a sole occupant bearing news of powerful extra-terrestrials. Also contains The Dreaming Stars and The Forbidden Stars. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2019.

Download Axiom. Books 1-3