Kate’s 2¢: “Thin places: a natural history of healing and home” by Kerri ní Dochartaigh

“Thin places: a natural history of healing and home” by Kerri ní Dochartaigh

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…

–Sacred places remain unmoved and and unchanged in their core

–Places where I feel hope like the beating of moth wings on my skin.

–I had no coping skills. I wouldn’t let people around me step in close to help. They wouldn’t understand how it would all fit together.

–In thin places, people say they feel being taken out of themselves; or nearer to God.

–We made our past and it has made us.

   I like listening to Gabriella Cavallero whenever she reads for NLS.

From the web:

ní Dochartaigh (born 1983) is a Northern Irish writer known for her nature writings.

Kerri ní Dochartaigh is the author of Thin Places. She has written for the Guardian, the Irish Times, the BBC, Winter Papers, and others. She is from the North West of Ireland but now lives in the middle, in an old railway cottage with her partner and dog.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Thin places: a natural history of healing and home DB108589

Dochartaigh, Kerri ní. Reading time: 8 hours, 39 minutes.

Read by Gabriella Cavallero.

Biography

“Both a celebration of the natural world and a memoir of one family’s experience during the Troubles, Thin Places is a gorgeous braid of “two strands, one wondrous and elemental, the other violent and unsettling, sustained by vividly descriptive prose” (The Guardian). Kerri ní Dochartaigh was born in Derry, on the border of the North and South of Ireland, at the very height of the Troubles. She was brought up on a council estate on the wrong side of town—although for her family, and many others, there was no right side. One parent was Catholic, the other was Protestant. In the space of one year, they were forced out of two homes. When she was eleven, a homemade bomb was thrown through her bedroom window. Terror was in the very fabric of the city, and for families like ní Dochartaigh’s, the ones who fell between the cracks of identity, it seemed there was no escape. In Thin Places, a luminous blend of memoir, history, and nature writing, ní Dochartaigh explores how nature kept her sa

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Empty Canoe” by Peter Georgas

“The Empty Canoe” by Peter Georgas

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…

   From the beginning, Meridith appears to be a big, cuddly, naïve fireman who thinks with his little head. However bamboozeled he becomes in this farce, he is true to his fireman code of commitment and solves the murders.

   For me, this story does not have a satisfying ending. The astute reader will guess the perp very early on in the story, so, despite the convoluted narrative arc, there are too many loose ends.

https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Georgas/e/B00GVGIMAWActions for this site

WebJan 19, 2015 · Peter Georgas grew up in Waseca, a small town in southern Minnesota where his father owned the Crystal Café and Candy Kitchen. He earned a BA in …

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The Empty Canoe DBC27454

Georgas, Peter. Reading time: 10 hours, 5 minutes.

Read by Howard Cox.

Mystery and Detective Stories

An empty canoe bouncing off boulders on the shores of Lake Harriet is spotted early one morning by a Minneapolis firefighter on his daily jog. What starts out as a simple ID turns into a full-blown investigation, dragging the fireman on a harrowing journey involving a murdered banker, a beautiful woman, a kidnapped son, and a missing contractor who has left behind a mountain of debt. The twists and turns carry the reader at a dizzying pace from one continent to another only to return to the shores of Lake Harriet for a surprise ending. Adult. Strong language.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Lost Hours” by Karen White

“The Lost Hours” by Karen White

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 Beth DeVries read this story.

   All too often, after it is too late, we realize how little we know someone. Young children and young adults never think to seriously interview their parents. Usually, it is when a problem or issue arises that they wish they could ask Mom… or Dad…or Grandma.

   Then again, when you go digging into the past, you might not like what you dig up.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.karen-white.com

White was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and during her childhood lived in numerous states and also in Venezuela and London, England, where she graduated from The American School in London.[citation needed] She attended college at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Management.[1]

Most of White’s novels are based in the low-country of the southeastern United States. Her first book, In the Shadow of the Moon was a double finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA Award.[2] The Girl on Legare Street reached The New York Times Best Seller list in November 2009.[3][4] On Folly Beach, published in May 2010, was also a NYT bestseller.[5] White has published 27 novels to date, with the latest book, The Attic on Queen Street, released in November 2021. In addition to her solo work, White has also has co-authored four novels with Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig; the most recent, The Lost Summers of Newport, was released in May 2022.

White is married to Timothy J. White, a US banker, with two children, and resides near Atlanta, Georgia.[6] White is currently published by Berkley, a division of Penguin Random House.[1]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The lost hours DB109836

White, Karen, (Karen S.). Reading time: 13 hours, 9 minutes.

Read by Beth DeVries.

Suspense Fiction

“When Piper Mills was twelve, she helped her grandfather bury a box that belonged to her grandmother in the backyard. For twelve years, it remained untouched. Now a near fatal riding accident has shattered Piper’s dreams of Olympic glory. After her grandfather’s death, she inherits the house and all its secrets, including a key to a room that doesn’t exist—or does it? And after her grandmother is sent away to a nursing home, she remembers the box buried in the backyard. In it are torn pages from a scrapbook, a charm necklace—and a newspaper article from 1929 about the body of an infant found floating in the Savannah River. The necklace’s charms tell the story of three friends during the 1920s— each charm added during the three months each friend had the necklace and recorded her life in the scrapbook. Piper always dismissed her grandmother as not having had a story to tell. And now, too late, Piper finds she might have been wrong.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audioboo

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Kate’s 2¢: “Sweet Water” by Cara Reinard

“Sweet Water” by Cara Reinard

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…

   While the ending filled in more of the back story, I didn’t find satisfaction in the ending…Too bad Josh didn’t stick around.  

From her website:

Cara Reinard is an American author best known for writing her novels, Sweet Water and Last Doll Standing. Reinard was raised by her single mother just north of Sewickley, Pennsylvania. Sewickley was a steel mill town just outside of Pittsburgh with a population of just 3,827 as of 2010. Cara considered the place almost magical as a youth with grand houses in the Heights and boutique shops on Main  street.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Sweet water DB102212

Reinard, Cara. Reading time: 12 hours, 17 minutes.

Read by Lindsey Pierce.

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

Sarah Ellsworth is living the life she dreamed of, married to her childhood sweetheart and living in an exclusive neighborhood. When her teen son calls for help and is found next to the body of his girlfriend, Sarah questions her life. Strong language, some violence, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2021.

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 Kate’s 2¢: “Greenwich Park” by Katherine Faulkner

“Greenwich Park” by Katherine Faulkner

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 the way Laura Kirman read this story for the NLS.

   The author did a masterful job of weaving a thread of what would become the finale, throughout the story. The final scene was oh, so perfect.

From the web:

Katherine Faulkner is a London based journalist and author. She studied History at Cambridge University, graduating with a First, before completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism. Since then she’s been working as an investigative reporter and latterly as an editor.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Greenwich Park DB109485

Faulkner, Katherine. Reading time: 10 hours, 18 minutes.

Read by Laura Kirman.

Suspense Fiction

Psychological Fiction

“In this “gloriously tangled game of cat and mouse that kept the twists coming until the very last moment” (Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Helen’s idyllic life—handsome architect husband, gorgeous Victorian house, and cherished baby on the way—begins to change the day she attends her first prenatal class. There, she meets Rachel, an unpredictable single mother-to-be who doesn’t seem very maternal: she smokes, drinks, and professes little interest in parenthood. Still, Helen is drawn to her. Maybe Rachel just needs a friend. And to be honest, Helen’s a bit lonely herself. At least Rachel is fun to be with. She makes Helen laugh, invites her confidences, and distracts her from her fears. But her increasingly erratic behavior is unsettling. And Helen’s not the only one who’s noticed. Her friends and family begin to suspect that her strange new friend may be linked to their shared history in unexpected ways. When Rachel threatens to expose a past crime that could destroy

Downloaded: December 17, 2022

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 Kate’s 2¢: “The Sound of Rain” by Gregg Olsen

“The Sound of Rain” by Gregg Olsen

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…

   After I finished listening to this story, I wasn’t sure what happened or who did what, so I re-read the last three or four chapters. I’m still confused and bothered by the nasty epole who are free tocontinue their evil ways.

   Barb Scamman did a good job of narrating this story.  Thank you.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gregg Olsen (born March 5, 1959 in Seattle, Washington) is a New York Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of nonfiction books and novels, most of which are crime-related. The subjects of his true crime books include convicted child rapist and school teacher Mary Kay Letourneau, product tampering killer Stella Nickell, fasting specialist Linda Burfield Hazzard, and former Amishman and convicted murderer Eli Stutzman.

   Olsen lives in rural Olalla, Washington, with his wife, a graphic designer.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The sound of rain DBC19138

Olsen, Gregg. Reading time: 12 hours, 25 minutes.

Read by Barb Scamman.

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

Former Bellevue, WA homicide detective Nicole Foster is a gambling addict betrayed by her former partner and lover, and fired over a case involving a murdered three-year-old girl. She’s homeless when the girl’s father reaches out to her because nothing about the case felt right–and it’s darker than she could have ever imagined. Adult. Unrated.

Downloaded: December 17, 2022

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Kate’s 2¢: “The last Mona Lisa” by Jonathan Santlofer

“The last Mona Lisa” by Jonathan Santlofer

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…

From the WEB:

Santlofer, Jonathan 1946–PERSONAL: Born April 26, 1946, in New York, NY; son of Louis and Edith (Brill) Santlofer; married Joy Katzman; children: Doria. Education: Boston University, B.F.A., 1967; Pratt Institute, M.F.A., 1969.

Jonathan Santlofer is a writer and artist. His debut novel, The Death Artist, was an international bestseller and his novel, Anatomy of Fear, won the Nero Award for best crime novel of 2009. Jonathan created the Crime Fiction Academy as The Center for Fiction. As an artist, Jonathan has made replications of famous paintings for more than 20 years.

Jonathan Santlofer is the author of five novels and a highly respected artist whose work has been written about and reviewed in the New York Times, Art in America, Artforum, and Arts, and appears in many public, private, and corporate collections. He serves on the board of Yaddo, one of the oldest artist communities in the country.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The last Mona Lisa: a novel DB105442

Santlofer, Jonathan. Reading time: 10 hours, 12 minutes.

Read by Stephen Van Doren.

Suspense Fiction

Historical Fiction

In 1911, the Mona Lisa is stolen. More than one hundred years later, art professor Luke Perrone digs for the truth of his most famous ancestor, Vincent Peruggia, the man who stole the Mona Lisa. But Luke uncovers darker secrets. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2021.

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  Kate’s 2¢: “Death Is But A Dream: finding hope and meaning at life’s end” by Christopher Kerr, MD  PhD, Carine Mardorossian, M.D.

“Death Is But A Dream: finding hope and meaning at life’s end” by Christopher Kerr, MD  PhD, Carine Mardorossian, M.D.

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 NLS listing made it seem like Fred Sanders  was one of the authors, but, I think he is the narrator, not a researcher with the other two, unless he’s considered a collaborator in writing the narrative.

   A few take-aways:

– In examining disease, we gain wisdom about anatomy, physiology, and biology.   In examining the person with a disease, we gain wisdom about life.  Oliver Sacks

–Doctors owe it to their patients to incorporate the end-of-life dreams into their practice…evidence of the human spirit.

–Death and dying transend  physical decline and sadness..to include spiritual awaking, beauty,  and grace.

–Medical personnel should encourage discussions of end-of-life experiences with the patient and care-givers/family.

–Patients need to know who they can trust with their end-of-life dreams.

–Pre-death dreams and visions are sources of comfort, meaning, and self-integration.

–The greatest comfort comes from our mostbaic foundational needs and relationships..the simplicity of every-day life…love.

–Not all end-of-life dreams are soothing to the dying…Still, they were transformative

–What unravels at the end-of-life is a process that happens again and again…It is a universal phenomenon and it is about love.

There’s a land of the living and a land of the dead, and the bridge is love.  Thorton Wilder

   I found it really difficult to listen to chapter 6, where the death of a long-term spouse occurs and how the love continues and influences the end-of-life dreams of the remaining spouse.

From the web:

Christopher Kerr, MD, PhD, is the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer for Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Chris earned his MD as well as a PhD in Neurobiology.

The Past Lives Podcast Ep155 – Dr. Christopher Kerr

www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/death-bed-visions/

University at Buffalo, Department of Global Gender

and Sexuality Studies, Carine Mardorossian, M.D.:

My goal as a researcher focused on issues of sexualized violence has always been to work myself out of that job. There should not be experts in this field or a field at all because there should be no sexualized violence (and all violence is sexualized). I always keep that in mind as a goal.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Death is but a dream: finding hope and meaning at life’s end DB109484

Kerr, Christopher, M.D; Sanders, Fred; Mardorossian, Carine M. Reading time: 7 hours, 48 minutes.

Read by Fred Sanders.

Health and Medicine

“Christopher Kerr is a hospice doctor. All of his patients die. Yet he has cared for thousands of patients who, in the face of death, speak of love and grace. Beyond the physical realities of dying are unseen processes that are remarkably life-affirming. These include dreams that are unlike any regular dream. Described as “more real than real,” these end-of-life experiences resurrect past relationships, meaningful events and themes of love and forgiveness; they restore life’s meaning and mark the transition from distress to comfort and acceptance. Drawing on interviews with over 1,400 patients and more than a decade of quantified data, Dr. Kerr reveals that pre-death dreams and visions are extraordinary occurrences that humanize the dying process. He shares how his patients’ stories point to death as not solely about the end of life, but as the final chapter of humanity’s transcendence. Kerr’s book also illuminates the benefits of these phenomena for the bereaved, who find solace in se

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Kate’s 2¢:  “The Last Telegram: by Liz Trenow

 “The Last Telegram: by Liz Trenow

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…

   Each chapter begins with a brief history of silk, starting from the Chinese Empress’s fishing a cocoon out of her tea, to the modern production of silk. Vignettes taken from her father’s ”History of Silk”. Then, the story spun on from the previous chapter, but tied in to the introduction.

   The question of who she actually married remains a secret until the end of the story. A great dramatic ploy, but, I’m not sure why the title is “The Last Telegram”.

A few take-outs:

–I need to make the most of the few years left granted to me.

–The family brought three refugees from the children’s camp to work in the family silk mill. They were very good workers

–Most prejudices are unthinking.

From her website:

Liz Trenow is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction, including Under a Wartime Sky and The Silk Weaver. Her novels are published worldwide and have been translated into many languages.

A former journalist, Liz spent fifteen years working for regional and national newspapers, and BBC radio and television news, before turning her hand to fiction. She lives in East Anglia with her artist husband and they have two grown-up daughters and three beautiful grandchildren, some wonderful friends, singing in two chamber choirs (Baroque music, especially) and, of course, reading widely. This is where I write.

One strand running through some of my novels stems back to my family background: I was born and brought up in a house next to the family silk mill, a company which was founded nearly 300 years ago and is still going strong today. There is more about the silk company at www.stephenwalters.co.uk. 

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The last telegram DB107696

Trenow, Liz. Reading time: 11 hours, 6 minutes.

Read by Susan Duerden.

Historical Fiction

Decades ago, as Nazi planes dominated the sky, Lily Verner made a terrible choice. She’s tried to forget, but now an unexpected event pulls her back to the 1940s British countryside. She finds herself remembering the brilliant colors of the silk she helped to weave at her family’s mill, the relentless pressure of the worsening war, and the kind of heartbreaking loss that stops time. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2013.

Downloaded: June 13, 2022

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Kate’s 2¢: “The It Girl” by Ruth Ware

“The It Girl” 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…

   Instead of chapters, the author uses ‘Before’ and After’. ‘Before gives a clear picture of what life as a freshman on the Oxford campus is like  prior to the murder of April. It develops the characteristics of the six students and how they interact with each other; their identities, uniqueness, and relationships. ‘After’ develops the characters ten-years after the murder, introducing the other possibilities after the convicted man dies in jail, still protesting his innocence.

   The author does a good job of casting aspersions on several other characters who may have done the dastardly deed.  Hannah second guesses herself and feels the need to unearth the truth, so she can put her doubts away and concentrate on Will’s  baby growing within her  and their marriage.

   I enjoyed listening to Imogen Church read this story.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ruth Ware was born in 1977 and grew up in Lewes. She studied English at Manchester University, where she developed a fascination with Old English and Middle English texts.

Before her writing career, Ware worked as a waitress, a bookseller and a publicist. She also spent time in Paris, teaching English as a foreign language.

Ware now lives near Brighton.

Early career[edit]

Before embarking on her writing career as Ruth Ware, Ware wrote five young adult fantasy novels under the alias Ruth Warburton, all of which were published by Hodder’s Children Books.

• A Witch Alone (2013) 978-1444904710

• A Witch in Winter (2013) 978-1444904697

• A Witch in Love (2013) 978-1444904703

• Witch Finder (2014) 978-1444914467

• Witch Hunt (2014) 978-1444914481

Writing style[edit]

In her crime books, Ware’s writing style is often compared to that of Agatha Christie.[4][5] Ware has admitted to being unconsciously influenced by Christie and other mystery novelists of that time.[6] Ware’s protagonists are usually ordinary women who find themselves in dangerous situations involving a crime. The first two of Ware’s novels feature a murder mystery with a group of people trapped, or otherwise restricted from immediately escaping the dangerous environment. Christie was famously known for utilizing this plot device, in novels such as Murder on the Orient Express.[7] Ware and Christie both choose settings and situations that foster the sense of dread that propels their characters to paranoia and often they react violently as a result. These environments create a sense of isolation for the events to unfold in.[8] Ware’s settings play a key role in drawing in the reader and are just as essential and integral to her story as the characters.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The it girl DB109689

Ware, Ruth. Reading time: 17 hours, 12 minutes.

Read by Imogen Church.

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

Bestsellers

Psychological Fiction

“April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford. Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead. Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

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