Kate’s 2¢: “Modern Japanese short stories” by etal   Lippit

“Modern Japanese short stories” by etal   Lippit

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…

   Excerpts: The theme of a Mother eloping with her lover, from the author’s own experience…realistic descriptions of customs and circumstances in present day rural and urban Japan; the social confusion that followed the surrender of 1945 and criticism of the Japanese veneration of the elderly…best known for half humorous, half pathetic sketches of unimportant people and their eccentricities; part essay and part fiction…neo-sensualism; describes a young dancing girl wrapped in the sentimental atmosphere of his youth; ephemeral beauty of worldly things; solitude, loneliness and the vanity of things  cast their shadows over his works…The awakening of the hero that he is homosexual and that it will color his life; a penetrating account of a young acolyte whose unbalanced life becomes absorbed with the beauty of the temple, which he lights on fire.

   I enjoyed all of these stories and the poignancy of humanness that they reveal.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/56461.Noriko_Mizuta_LippitActions for this site

Noriko Mizuta Lippit. Born. August 19, 1937. edit data. Noriko Mizuta (水田 宗子 Mizuta Noriko, born August 19, 1937) is the chancellor of Jōsai University and Josai International University in Japan. She is a scholar of comparative literature, having trained at Tokyo Women’s University and Yale University. She was awarded the Pro Cultura Hungarica prize in 2011 and the …

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Modern Japanese short stories: twenty-five short stories by Japan’s leading writers DB101916

Lippit, Seiji M; Seidensticker, Edward; Sargent, Geoffrey W; Morris, Ivan; Saito, George. Reading time: 20 hours, 9 minutes.

Read by Doug Tisdale Jr..

Short Stories

A collection of Japanese literary short stories in translation. These stories cover a range of styles and subjects. A spider tattoo brings unexpected changes. A Buddhist priest finds his path to enlightenment in an unusual way. A widow regrets remarrying. Strong language and some violence. 1962.

Download Modern Japanese short stories: twenty-five short stories by Japan’s leading writers

Kate’s 2¢: “All American Christmas” by Rachel Campos-Duffyand others

“All American Christmas” by Rachel Campos-Duffyand others

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 an interesting collection of diverse ways various celebrities celebrated Christmas with their families and what they brought forward to their immediate families. I like trying the recipes that are included in the book.

From NLS/BARB/LOC:

All American Christmas DB106141

Campos-Duffy, Rachel; Watters, Jesse; Duffy, Sean Reading time: 6 hours, 34 minutes.

Peter Doocy

Biography

Journalism and the Media

Bestsellers

Holidays

The authors explore Christmas traditions from across the United States, presenting a collection of emotional stories and recipes from Fox News personalities. Includes contributions from Dana Perino, Maria Bartiromo, Brit Hume, Lauren Green, and others. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2021.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The language of butterflies: how thieves, hoarders, scientists, and other obsessives unlocked the secrets of the world’s favorite insect” by Wendy Williams; Angela Brazil,

“The language of butterflies: how thieves, hoarders, scientists, and other obsessives unlocked the secrets of the world’s favorite insect” by Wendy Williams; Angela Brazil,

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, actually, a very interesting story. Some information was common knowledge and other facts were amazing to know

A few take-outs:

–A lepidopteran epiphany, an entire universe opened up

–The language of butterflies is the language of color

–Each is finely adapted to the ecosystem in which it lives.

–Most animals are multi-celluar and mobile. Most planats are multi-cellular and not mobile. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule of thumb.

–Monarch butterflies have one non-negotiable requirement: they need milkweed plants.

–Butterflies have been around since flowers and their proboscis is adapted to its favorite flower.

–Moths do not need flowers.

–The orange on a Monarch’s wings is a warning to stay away.

Chemical Ecology is a new branch of science.

–chemists have isolated the poison from the butterfly and found the identical toxin in milkweed.

–To preserve the butterfilies, you need to know what it likes to eat, where it likes to hang-out, and all about its life-style.

–Controled burns are not allowed to burn more than 50 acres at a time and must be out by sunset.

–Circadian rhythms are day and night. Circannual rhythms are seasonal

–The butterfliy has an innate molecule that, if it is a night molecule, it breaks down by morning, so the butterfly knows what time it is.

–Monarchs can learn and change their behavior, as long as milkweed is available.

–Along the central flyway, environmentalists are planting milkweed and other flowers to nutur the butterflies on their migration.

   In my weekly newspaper coloum for July 31, 1996, I wrote:      By the way, if you’re interested in attracting butterflies to your garden, plant the butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa), a member of the milkweed family along with favorites such as lantana, zinnia, aster, cosmos, French marigold, coreopsis, purple corn-flower, and verbena.              To provide nectar throughout the entire growing season, plant azaleas in Spring, buddleia in Summer, and mums in the Fall.

            You might be able to entice some butterfly species to winter over if you hang a slender wooden box with side slits for access and bark strips inside to cling to.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The language of butterflies: how thieves, hoarders, scientists, and other obsessives unlocked the secrets of the world’s favorite insect DB102826

Williams, Wendy; Brazil, Angela. Reading time: 8 hours, 40 minutes.

Read by Angela Brazil.

Animals and Wildlife

Nature and the Environment

Reveals the world of butterflies. Discusses their influence on scientific research, specializations within species, and the fascination they have for humans. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

Downloaded: July 1, 2022

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Kremlin strike” by Dale Brown

“The Kremlin strike” by Dale Brown

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 liked this story, but it seems as if yesterday’s sci-fi stories are today’s reality.  Is this story prescient?

–Gulags and mass executions were no longer necessary, not in an age when social media could fear at the speed of light. All one needed were carefully planted rumors.

–Originally, the skill builders’ programmers were tasked with conducting Russia’s covert cyber war and computer hacking operation…now they were also to critical defense industries and computer systems against intrusion and sabotage.

— Thunder-bolt plasma gun were nearing operational status.

–Boomer says the definition of acceptable risk, changes when you’re the one taking the risk.

–The spy posed as a free-lance journalist…many not knowing the funding for the magazine came from Moscow.

–Those who saw the world as it really was, were shunted aside and muzzled.

–Even the professionals knew that there were moments when you caught a winning streak  and times, when no of skill, intuition,  and mathematical genius could affect the out-come.

–Patrick walked rather stiffly…the  motor driven LEAF exco-skeleton and attached life-support pack he wore could keep him alive, but they would never make him graceful.

–The lies you told yourself are always more convincing than falsehoods told by others.Even under competent leadership,  humans or human intelligence, the art of recruiting and running agents had never been the strongest suit of of America’s  different intelligence agencies.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brown was born on November 2, 1956 in Buffalo, New York, and was one of six children. At 15, he began flying instruction, eventually earning a private pilot’s license.[5]

He graduated in 1978 from Penn State University with a degree in Western European history.[5]

   Brown joined the Air Force ROTC while in college.[5] He received a commission in the United States Air Force in 1978. He was a navigator-bombardier (now known as a weapon systems officer (WSO)) in the B-52G Stratofortress long-range heavy bomber and the FB-111A Aardvark medium range fighter-bomber.

Brown received several military decorations and awards, including the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Combat Crew Award, and the Marksmanship ribbon. He rose to the rank of Captain and has 2,500 hours of flight time in B-52s.[5]

He left the Air Force in 1986, having never seen combat.[6] He is a Life Member of the Air Force Association and the U.S. Naval Institute.

   Brown’s first paid writing was a review of Fort Apocalypse for Compute!’s Gazette. In 1986, while still in the Air Force at Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento County, California, he wrote his first book, Flight of the Old Dog.[5] His novels have been published in 11 languages and distributed to over 70 countries. He published 11 bestsellers in 11 years.[7]

Brown has been represented by literary agent Robert Gottlieb of Trident Media Group.[citation needed]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The Kremlin strike DB102009

Brown, Dale. Reading time: 13 hours, 20 minutes.

Read by William Dufris.

Spy Stories

The formidable Iron Wolf Squadron learn that the Russian have built a high-tech space station armed with weaponry capable of vast destruction. The team must take to the skies in advanced space planes to destroy the space station and save the world from the Russians’ plan for dominance. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Downloaded: July 14, 2022

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Kate’s 2¢: “Lady Yesterday” by Loren D. Estleman

“Lady Yesterday” by Loren D. Estleman

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:

–Don’t work yourself up to something that won’t happen

–Everyone is looking for where he came from

–The harder you look for a thing the more disappointed you’re going to be when you find it.

   I’m not quite sure where the title comes from, but this is an interesting story with an uninteresting ending.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Loren D. Estleman (born September 15, 1952, in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He is known for a series of crime novels featuring the investigator Amos Walker.[1]

Estleman graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1974 with a BA in English and journalism. In 2002, Eastern Michigan University presented him with an honorary doctorate in humane letters. He married the mystery writer Deborah Morgan in 1993. He writes with a manual typewriter.[2]

   Estleman published his first novel, The Oklahoma Punk in 1976,[1] and published the first of his P.I. Amos Walker series, for which he is most famous, in 1980.[1] Other series center on Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books), and a more recent series about Valentino, who tracks down lost films, and crimes related to them. His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes, as well as contributions to several books on how to write and sell stories and novels. Estleman’s literary works have been recognized and highlighted by Michigan State University in their Michigan Writers Series.[3]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Lady yesterday DB107757

Estleman, Loren D. Reading time: 6 hours, 45 minutes.

Read by Andy Pyle.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Private investigator Amos Walker bumps into his old flame Iris outside a steakhouse. She has returned to Detroit to search for her father, who she grew up believing to be dead. Amos offers to look for him, and his investigation leads him to Detroit’s jazz scene. Violence and strong language. 1987.

Downloaded: July 28, 2022

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Kate’s 2¢: “Overboard: a V.I. Warshawski novel” by Sara Paretsky

“Overboard: a V.I. Warshawski novel” by Sara Paretsky

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 don’t understand how a person – male or female – can be beaten severely up and then get right up to fight again.  If I spend an hour weeding my garden, I can hardly move the next day!

   I enjoyed this fast moving story with all the bullet points of two dogs, two young adults struggling for maturity, drama in a big, old mansion, and the Chicago River with all its own mysteries.

   I’ve not heard this narrator before, so I don’t know if the edge in her voice is natural or used to portray this story. It made me feel angry all throughout the story.

Sara Paretsky (born June 8, 1947) is an American author of detective fiction, best known for her novels focused on the protagonist V. I. Warshawski . Paretsky was born in Ames, Iowa. Her father was a microbiologist and moved the family to Kansas in 1951 after taking a job at the University of Kansas, where Paretsky eventually graduated.

   Paretsky revolutionized the mystery world in 1982 when she introduced V.I. Warshawski in “Indemnity Only”.

From www.goodreads.com/author/show/717304.Susan_Ericksen

Susan Ericksen is a Renaissance woman. In addition to being an Earphones-winning audiobook narrator and director–she’s a writer, an amateur linguist, an actress, a mother, and a wife. In the 1980s she joined former classmate David Colacci in western Michigan, where he was artistic director for the Hope Summer Repertory Theater.

Susan Ericksen (Narrator of Jane Eyre) – Goodreads

   Ericksen graduated with a masters of Fine Arts in acting. In the 1980s she started narrating books for Brilliance. She has narrated over 300 books and has won several awards. Her husband David Colacci is also a narrator.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Overboard: a V.I. Warshawski novel DB108394

Paretsky, Sara. Reading time: 14 hours, 43 minutes.

Read by Susan Ericksen.

Mystery and Detective Stories

“Legendary detective V. I. Warshawski uncovers a nefarious conspiracy preying on Chicago’s weak and vulnerable, in this thrilling novel from New York Times bestseller Sara Paretsky. On her way home from an all-night surveillance job, V. I. Warshawski is led by her dogs on a mad chase that ends when they discover a badly injured teen hiding in the rocks along Lake Michigan. The girl only regains consciousness long enough to utter one enigmatic word. V. I. helps bring her to a hospital, but not long after, she vanishes before anyone can discover her identity. As V. I. attempts to find her, the detective uncovers an ugly consortium of Chicago powerbrokers and mobsters who are prepared to kill the girl. And now V. I.’s own life is in jeopardy as well. Told against the backdrop of a city emerging from its pandemic lockdown, Overboard lays bare the dark secrets and corruption buried in Chicago’s neighborhoods in masterly fashion.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022

Downloaded: July 28, 2022

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Kate’s 2¢: “The River Murders” by James Patterson and James O. Born

“The River Murders” by James Patterson and James O. Born

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…

“Hidden” is one of those machismo tales of exaggerations, blood guts, and  a happy ending. Mitchum uses the deadly force he learned in Navy SEALs training to righteously maim, kill, and save himself and the ones he loves.

“Malicious” Mitchum says he’s 6’2”, 190 pounds, but the Newburgh police make him look small.  I used to live in Newburgh and I don’t remember them as being that big or the city that bad. My colleague  taught in Marlboro and it was a nice small town back in the day. Okay, this story is fiction. I get that.

   I like the comment:  It takes a lot to shake a Mother’s love.

”Malevolent”

In this story, Mitchum says he is 230 pounds. Well, I guess we all put on weight as we age.

   The three stories in this trilogy could stand alone, but there are multiple threads that run through each of them that tie the narrative together.  Most notable is his love and respect for his Mother.

   I enjoyed listening to Greg Baglia read these stories.  Thank you.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Born was raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, and attended Florida State University. Born went to graduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi. After graduation, Born became interested in law enforcement.

   James O. Born is an American novelist who used a career in law enforcement to add realistic details and dialogue to his crime thrillers. His first novel, Walking Money, released in 2004, received rave reviews[citation needed] and was shortlisted for the Barry Award (for crime novels).[citation needed] His third novel, Escape Clause, won the gold medal in the inaugural Florida Book Award.[citation needed] He currently co-writes many of his novels with best-selling author James Patterson.[1]

   Born wrote two science fiction novels, published by Macmillan, under the pseudonym James O’Neal. The name change was designed to avoid confusion among his crime fiction fans.

From Wikipedia:

James Patterson books have sold more than 300 million copies and he was the first person to sell 1 million e-books. In 2016, Patterson topped Forbes’s list of highest-paid authors for the third consecutive year, with an income of $95 million. His total income over a decade is estimated at $700 million.

   In November 2015, Patterson received the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, which cited him as a “passionate campaigner to make books and reading a national priority. A generous supporter of universities, teachers colleges, independent bookstores, school libraries, and college students, Patterson has donated millions of dollars in grants and scholarships with the purpose of encouraging Americans of all ages to read more books.”

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The river murders DB108451

Patterson, James; Born, James O. Reading time: 8 hours, 9 minutes.

Read by Greg Baglia.

Suspense Fiction

Adventure

Mystery and Detective Stories

“In these thrilling stories, Mitchum investigates three dangerous cases — and learns that chasing the truth means going to the point of no return. Hidden: After being rejected from the Navy SEALs, Mitchum becomes his small town’s unofficial private eye. But his investigation skills are put to the test when he must find his missing teenage cousin — and uncovers a government conspiracy in the process. Malicious: Mitchum is back. His brother’s been charged with murder. Nathaniel swears he didn’t kill anyone, but word on the street is that he was involved with the victim’s wife. Now, Navy SEAL dropout Mitchum will break every rule to expose the truth — even if it destroys the people he loves. Malevolent: Mitchum has never been more desperate. One by one his loved ones have become victims of carefully staged attacks. There’s only one way to stop the ruthless mastermind intent on destroying everyone around him — to go on the most dangerous hunt of his life.” — Provided by publisher. Unr

Downloaded: July 28, 2022

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Inn” by Candice Fox and James Patterson

“The Inn” by Candice Fox and James Patterson

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 like that even though James Patterson is a very prolific writer, he takes the time to co-author books with lesser known writers.

“The Inn”, written with Candice Fox, certainly has a house full of misfits, yet, adversity brings them together.

The official website of best selling crime fiction author

FOX_LOGO.png

A thrilling new standalone by James Patterson and Candice Fox – The Inn is here!- watch the book trailer!

Former Boston PD officer Bill Robinson thought he could escape the danger of his old life by the seaside. But he should have known trouble wouldn’t leave him alone for long… 

YouTube Video Player

From Wikipedia:

James Patterson books have sold more than 300 million copies and he was the first person to sell 1 million e-books. In 2016, Patterson topped Forbes’s list of highest-paid authors for the third consecutive year, with an income of $95 million. His total income over a decade is estimated at $700 million.

   In November 2015, Patterson received the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, which cited him as a “passionate campaigner to make books and reading a national priority. A generous supporter of universities, teachers colleges, independent bookstores, school libraries, and college students, Patterson has donated millions of dollars in grants and scholarships with the purpose of encouraging Americans of all ages to read more books.”

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The inn DB 96343

Patterson, James Fox, Candice. Reading time 7 hours, 19 minutes.

Read by Edoardo Ballerini. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress.

Subjects: Suspense Fiction ; Mystery and Detective Stories ; Bestsellers ; Psychological Fiction

Description: The secluded Inn at Gloucester suits its owner–former Boston police detective Bill Robinson–until Mitchell Cline arrives with a crew of local killers. Robinson teams up with three of his fearless residents–Sheriff Clayton Spears, army veteran Nick Jones, and groundskeeper Effie Johnson–to defend the inn. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2019.

• This recording is available courtesy of Hachette Audio. It has been converted to digital talking book format by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress.

• Digital talking book.

• ISBN: 9781549118890., Reissue of:, New York : Hachette Audio, 2019.

• Sheriffs; Fiction; Drugs; Psychological fiction; Hotelkeepers; Thrillers (Fiction); Talking books; Gloucester (Mass.); Detective and mystery fiction; Ex-police officers

Kate’s 2¢: “The Queen of Kindergarten” by Derrick Barnes

“The Queen of Kindergarten” by Derrick 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 story is for young children getting ready to start school. It shares how they may make a difference in their class and with their classmates.

   I always like ‘lap read’ books, so adults can discuss the story and how it applies to the child.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

   Derrick Barnes is an American author. He is known for writing several popular series of children’s books and is a former staff writer for Hallmark greeting cards. In 2018 Barnes received several awards that include the Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award for his 2017 book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut.

   Barnes’ books celebrate African American culture and feature positive images of black children in everyday life.[1][2]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The queen of kindergarten DB108460

Barnes, Derrick. Reading time: 9 minutes.

Read by Tayla Colllier.

School Fiction

“MJ is more than ready for her first day of kindergarten! With her hair freshly braided and her mom’s special tiara on her head, she knows she’s going to rock kindergarten. But the tiara isn’t just for show–it also reminds her of all the good things she brings to the classroom, stuff like her kindness, friendliness, and impressive soccer skills, too!” — Provided by publisher. Commercial audiobook. For preschool-grade 2. 2022.

Downloaded: July 28, 2022

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Lourey, Jess Litani

“Litani” by Jess Lourey

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 prefer to read the story first, then, read the author’s explanation of why she did what she did.  The story should be able to stand alone with out the author telling you all about it.

   I liked this story, even though it dealt with the molestation of children. I liked the ending, too.

From  WWW.Jess Lourey.com

Jessica Lourey writes about secrets. She’s the Amazon Charts bestselling Edgar, Agatha, and Lefty-nominated, Anthony and Thriller Award winning author of crime fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, YA adventure, and magical realism. She is a retired professor of creative writing and sociology, a recipient of The Loft’s Excellence in Teaching fellowship, a Psychology Today blogger, and a TEDx presenter (check out her TEDx Talk for the surprising inspiration behind her first published novel). When not leading women’s writing retreats, reading, traveling, or fostering kittens, you can find her drafting her next story.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Litani DB107864

Lourey, Jess. Reading time: 9 hours, 1 minute.

Read by Mare Trevathan.

Suspense Fiction

During the summer of 1984, fourteen-year-old Frankie Jubilee is sent to live with her mother, whom she barely knows. Frankie senses something uneasy in the town of Litani, Minnesota, and her mother–the county prosecutor–advises her to stay out of the woods and away from adults. When Frankie is invited to play The Game, dark secrets emerge. Violence and strong language. 2021.

Downloaded: July 28, 2022

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