Kate’s 2¢: “Death in Dark Blue (A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery)” by Julia Buckley

“Death in Dark Blue (A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery)” by Julia Buckley
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 didn’t read the first book in this series, but, I was soon up to speed on who was doing what, why and where. The primary search for Sam’s estranged wife is solved, but the story is open ended when Victoria’s new-born daughter is kidnapped. A sure fire lead-in to another book in this series.

From the WEB:
Julia Buckley is an English Author who writes mystery and thriller books. She has been a teacher for more than twenty years. She lives in Chicago, married with two sons and is a member of Mystery Writers of America, romance writer of America, Chicago writer’s association along with the sister in crime. She has been a member since 2000 with the same groups.
She writes the Madeline Mann series and the new Undercover Dish Mysteries series. “A Dark and Stormy Murder” is the first book in Julia Buckley’s A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery Series.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Death in Dark Blue (A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery) DBC17793
Buckley, Julia. Reading time: 8 hours, 14 minutes.
Read by Sandra Bacon. A production of Indiana State Library, Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library.

Mystery and Detective Stories

An aspiring suspense author finds herself writing mysteries by day and solving them by night in the second Writer’s Apprentice Mystery by the author of A Dark and Stormy Murder and the Undercover Dish Mysteries. Adult. Some descriptions of sex, strong language and violence.

Kate’s 2¢: “Successful aging: a neuroscientist explores the power and potential of our lives” by Daniel Levitin

“Successful aging: a neuroscientist explores the power and potential of our lives” by Daniel Levitin
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…

Here are some of the ‘take aways’ I noted:
“…Aging is not simply a period of decay, but a unique developmental stage that, like infancy and adolescence, brings with it its own demands and its own advantages… We need not stumble, stooped and passive, into that good night. We can live it up!”
“ Our choices about how we raise our children in their first years will have a far greater impact on what their lasts years look like than we might previously have recognized…”
“…It is the interactions among genes, culture, and opportunity that are the biggest determinants of the trajectory our lives take.”
“…curiosity, openness, associations, consciousness, healthy practices…”

From: https://www.daniellevitin.com/bioActions for this site
Daniel Joseph Levitin, FRSC (born December 27, 1957) is an American-Canadian cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, writer, musician, and record producer.
He is Known for “Levitin effect”, “This Is Your Brain on Music”, “The World in Six Songs”, “The Organized Mind”, “A Field Guide to Lies”, “Successful Aging (published as “The Changing Mind” in the U.K.); “Music cognition”, “cognitive neuroscience of music”, “cognitive psychology”,
“Successful Aging (2020), as well as the international best-seller “A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age “(2016).

From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Successful aging: a neuroscientist explores the power and potential of our lives DB98872
Levitin, Daniel J. Reading time: 18 hours, 39 minutes.
Read by Daniel J. Levitin.

Subject(s) not available.

Examines the science behind aging joyously, and explores how culture can be adapted to take full advantage of older people’s wisdom and experience. Explains what aging really means, using research from developmental neuroscience and the psychology of individual differences. Reveals resilience strategies and practical, cognitive enhancing tricks. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.

Kate’s 2¢: “Hellbox a nameless detective novel” by Bill Pronzini

“Hellbox a nameless detective novel” by Bill Pronzini
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 I was reading/listening to the prologue of “The Hellbox”, my inclination was to stop reading. I don’t enjoy hearing potty mouth, inane, angry men yelling at each other. It just isn’t my cup of tea; however, my policy is to read the first chapter, then, decide if the story is worth my time. Fortunately, the first chapter started the story on a saner vein and I continued to read.
Since this was the first book I’ve read in the nameless detective series, I wondered who the speaker was…It is Bill, the nameless detective.
The rant in the prologue could have been ‘fathered’ into the first chapter, letting the reason for the murder and abduction evolve for the reader.
Eventually, I think I enjoyed the story and I sure hope they don’t purchase that house in the woods.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Bill Pronzini is an American writer of detective fiction. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories.[1]
William John Pronzini was born in Petaluma, California in 1943. He attended local schools.
He married mystery writer Marcia Muller in 1992. They have collaborated on several novels: Double (1984), a Nameless Detective novel, The Lighthouse (1987), Beyond the Grave (1986), several books in the Carpenter and Quincannon mystery series, and numerous anthologies.[2]
He published his first novel, The Stalker, in 1971. However, his best known works are the Nameless Detective series, which he began in 1971.[3] As of 2017, there are 46 books in the series, including a number of short stories. While the stories involve the usual range of crimes typical to mysteries, they depict relatively little violence.
Pronzini has written and published more than three hundred short stories. They have been published in a variety of markets, including some of the last issues of both Adventure and Argosy magazines, generally considered the first American pulp magazines. Pronzini’s work has also appeared in Charlie Chan Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Man from U.N.C.L.E. Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Anthology.[3]
His short story collection, Carpenter and Quincannon, Professional Detective Services (1998), is based in the 1890s and centers on Sabina Carpenter, a Pinkerton detective widow who is working in her late husband’s profession.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Hellbox: a nameless detective novel DB98966
Pronzini, Bill. Reading time: 7 hours, 15 minutes.
Read by Nick Sullivan.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Bill–“Nameless Detective”—and his wife Kerry were in the Sierra foothills falling in love with a cabin, when Kerry went missing. They’d seen Balfour at the diner, and Kerry remembered his name. When she ran into him later along the trail and called him by name, he panicked, and Bill’s nightmare began. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2012.

Kate’s 2¢: “Revise the Psalm: work celebrating the writing of Gwendolyn Brooks” by Quraysh Ali Lansana and Sandra Jackson-Opoku

“Revise the Psalm: work celebrating the writing of Gwendolyn Brooks” by Quraysh Ali Lansana and Sandra Jackson-Opoku

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…

Brooks writes about her Black culture from various aspects and facets of her time.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was born on June 7, 1917, in Topeka, Kansas.[2] She was the first child of David Anderson Brooks and Keziah (Wims) Brooks. Her father, a janitor for a music company, had hoped to pursue a career as a doctor but sacrificed that aspiration to get married and raise a family. Her mother was a school teacher as well as a concert pianist trained in classical music. Brooks’ mother had taught at the Topeka school that later became involved in the famous Brown v. Board of Education racial desegregation case.[7] Family lore held that Brooks’ paternal grandfather had escaped slavery to join the Union forces during the American Civil War.[8]
When Brooks was six weeks old, her family moved to Chicago during the Great Migration, and from then on, Chicago remained her home. She would closely identify with Chicago for the rest of her life. In a 1994 interview, she remarked,
Living in the city, I wrote differently than I would have if I had been raised in Topeka, KS … I am an organic Chicagoan. Living there has given me a multiplicity of characters to aspire for. I hope to live there the rest of my days. That’s my headquarters.[9]
She started her formal education at Forestville Elementary School on Chicago’s South Side.[10] Brooks then attended a prestigious integrated high school in the city with a predominantly white student body, Hyde Park High School; transferred to the all-black Wendell Phillips High School; and finished her schooling at integrated Englewood High School.[11]
According to biographer Kenny Jackson Williams, due to the social dynamics of the various schools, in conjunction with the era in which she attended them, Brooks faced much racial injustice. Over time, this experience helped her understand the prejudice and bias in established systems and dominant institutions, not only in her own surroundings but in every relevant American mindset.[11]
Brooks began writing at an early age and her mother encouraged her, saying, “You are going to be the lady Paul Laurence Dunbar.”[12] During her teenage years, she began submitting poems to various publications. By the time she had graduated from high school in 1935, she was already a regular contributor to The Chicago Defender.[10]
Brooks died December 3, 2000 (aged 83 in Chicago, Illinois.)
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Revise the Psalm: work celebrating the writing of Gwendolyn Brooks DB87896
Lansana, Quraysh Ali; Jackson-Opoku, Sandra. Reading time: 11 hours, 6 minutes.
Read by Mary Kane. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Poetry

A collection of over one hundred poems, essays, and short stories, all celebrating the life, writings, and activism of Gwendolyn Brooks. Themes explore the everyday experiences of black Americans. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2017.

Cornucopia: aromaticapoetica.

I’m always happy, surprised, and delighted when someone else enjoys the pieces I write.

“The Smells of Home” * Memoir * Kate Chamberlin

https://www.aromaticapoetica.com/2020/07/02/“Eating -Up-History-in-Colonial-Williamsburg-Essay-Kate-Chamberlin/

Kate’s 2¢: “Holy Cow” by David Duchovny

“Holy Cow” by David Duchovny
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 I relaxed and fell into listening to the tale, not the teller, I enjoyed this story even more than “Alice in Wonderland”. I like that it was written with reading it to children in mind, yet, adults will chuckle at the many innuendos and out-right farce in some of the vignettes.
Marsha Rehns did an excellent job of reading life into the characters, enhancing our enjoyment of the tale that has a twist and a deeper meaning that ‘There is no place like home’.

From Wikipedia:
Early life: Duchovny was born in New York, in 1960.[1] He is the son of Margaret “Meg” (née Miller), a school administrator and teacher, and Amram “Ami” Ducovny (1927–2003), a writer and publicist who worked for the American Jewish Committee.[2][3][4] Duchovny’s mother is a Scottish Presbyterian emigrant from Aberdeen, Scotland.[5][6][7] His father was Jewish;[8][9][10] Duchovny’s paternal grandfather was a Jewish emigrant from Berdychiv, Russian Empire (now in Ukraine), and Duchovny’s paternal grandmother was a Jewish emigrant from Russian Poland (now in Poland).[11][12][13][14] His father dropped the h in his last name to avoid the sort of mispronunciations he encountered while serving in the Army.[2][15][16]
Duchovny attended Grace Church School and The Collegiate School For Boys (from which he graduated as head boy in 1978); both are in Manhattan. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa[17] from Princeton University[3] in 1982 with an A.B. summa cum laude in English literature. He was a member of Charter Club, one of the university’s eating clubs. In 1982, his poetry received an honorable mention for a college prize from the Academy of American Poets. The title of his senior thesis was The Schizophrenic Critique of Pure Reason in Beckett’s Early Novels.[18] He played junior varsity basketball at Princeton.[19] He earned a Master of Arts in English Literature from Yale University and subsequently began work on a Ph.D. that remains unfinished.[3] The title of his uncompleted doctoral thesis is Magic and Technology in Contemporary Fiction and Poetry.[20]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Holy cow DB81352
Duchovny, David. Reading time: 3 hours, 22 minutes.
Read by Marsha Rehns. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Humor

In his debut novel, actor Duchovny tells the story of Elsie, a cow who inadvertently learns about the meat industry and sets off on a globe-spanning adventure with her friends: Jerry, a Torah-reading pig, and Tom, a sophisticated turkey. Some strong language. 2015.

Kate’s 2¢: “Just mercy: a story of justice and redemption” and “Just mercy: (adapted for young adults) : a true story of the fight for justice” by Bryan Stevenson

“Just mercy: a story of justice and redemption” and “Just mercy: (adapted for young adults) : a true story of the fight for justice” by Bryan Stevenson
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 and moving book about a tory most of us know, but, will it motivate us to actually do something about the topic?
One of the many ‘take aways’ I have from reading this book is, perhaps minor, but as the young lawyer was hassled by the pseudo police one midnight, he knew not to run, even though his instinct said to flee. He spoke softly and remained calm. This is a message that everyone needs to remember, especially, people of color.

From the WEB:
Bryan Stevenson (born November 14, 1959) is an American lawyer, social justice activist, founder/executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and a clinical professor at New York University School of Law. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, Stevenson has challenged bias against the poor and minorities in the criminal justice system, especially children. He has helped achieve United States Supreme Court decisions that prohibit sentencing children under 18 to death or to life imprisonment without parole.[1] Stevenson has assisted in cases that have saved dozens of prisoners from the death penalty, advocated for the poor, and developed community-based reform litigation aimed at improving the administration of criminal justice.
He was depicted in the legal drama Just Mercy which is based on his memoir Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, which tells the story of Walter McMillian.
He initiated the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, which honors the names of each of more than 4,000 African Americans lynched in the 12 states of the South from 1877 to 1950. He argues that the history of slavery and lynchings has influenced the subsequent high rate of death sentences in the South, where it has been disproportionately applied to minorities. A related museum, The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, offers interpretations to show the connection between the post-Reconstruction period of lynchings to the high rate of executions and incarceration of people of color in the United States.
In November 2018, Stevenson received the Benjamin Franklin Award from the American Philosophical Society as a “Drum major for justice and mercy.”[2] This is the most prestigious award the society gives for distinguished public service.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Just mercy: (adapted for young adults) : a true story of the fight for justice DB93365
Stevenson, Bryan. Reading time: 6 hours, 37 minutes.
Read by Bryan Stevenson. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Biography
Legal Issues
Young Adult

Founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, delves deep into the US justice system, detailing his many challenges and efforts as a lawyer and social advocate, especially on behalf of America’s most marginalized people. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2018.

Just mercy: a story of justice and redemption DB80035
Stevenson, Bryan. Reading time: 11 hours, 6 minutes.
Read by Bryan Stevenson. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Legal Issues

Attorney and law professor discusses founding the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need. Describes one of his first cases–defending Walter McMillian, a young man sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. Violence and strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2014.

Kate’s 2¢: “Yellowthread Street Books 7-8” by William Leonard Marshall

“Yellowthread Street Books 7-8” by William Leonard Marshall
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…

Alec Volz did a good job of reading these two stories for the NLS. There are some rather gruesome scenes in both pieces, but, one can’t help but be pulled in to the awful truth of what is going on.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Leonard_Marshall
William Marshall (or William Leonard Marshall) (1944-2003) is an Australian author, best known for his Hong Kong-based “Yellowthread Street” mystery novels, some of which were used as the basis for a British TV series. William Marshall worked as a playwright, journalist, proofreader, and morgue attendant and was a teacher in an Irish prison.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Yellowthread Street. Books 7-8 DB97572
Marshall, William Leonard. Reading time: 15 hours, 22 minutes.
Read by Alec Volz.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Two mysteries, written in 1981-82. In Perfect End, Chief Inspector Harry Feiffer of the Hong Kong police force and his increasingly competent crew brave a raging typhoon to pursue whoever or whatever has killed six fellow officers, apparently with an electric drill. Also includes War Machine. Strong language. 1982.
Downloaded: June 10, 2020

Kate’s 2¢: “The Demmies” by Ann Kathleen Parsons

“The Demmies” by Ann Kathleen Parsons
Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read. I’m just saying…

I read a book excerpt about “The Demmies” in the ‘Magnets and Ladders’ e-magazine in 2017 and have met the author, so I was happy to be able to down-load an accessible copy from BookShare.
It is a long story with, of course, a happy ending for the Demmies. I’d love to have Jeeves at my beck and call, as well as, the YMCA-like field house attached to my home. Alas, it would take up too much from for ‘big people’. It’s just right for the Demmies, who had to put up with horrible conditions while the unscrupleless Dr. did unspeakable experiments on each of the Demmies.
As an Amazon reviewer mentions, this story is loaded with many admonishments about right and wrong, ethical and moral, what is helpful and what is not. It gives one, who has a sense of social justice, a lot of points to ponder.
From https://www.dldbooks.com/annparsons:
About the Author Ann Kathleen Parsons was born in 1953 in Olean, New York. She attended Elmira College, where she received a B.A. in English Education. She continued her studies at St. Bonaventure University, where she received an M.S. in Guidance and Personnel.
From an Amazon reviewer: A reader can enjoy the novel for the story, but the author also weaves in thoughts about having the courage to do what is right, the importance of community, the need for freedom, self-expression, independence, and respect, and the value of giving back to others.

From BookShare:
The Demmies: A Novel
Ann K. Parsons
9781979572460
2017
Literature and Fiction, Parenting and Family, Science Fiction and Fantasy
Synopsis
The demmies were the public’s darlings, but they led a double life. By day, they posed for pictures, were guests on TV shows, and helped to increase knowledge about genetic engineering by taking part in scientific experiments. By night, they faced Dr. Albert Lud’s unauthorized experiments and his torture. Was there something better for the genetically engineered, foot-high humans? Could they escape? If they did, could they find food, shelter, and freedom from the ogre who tormented them? Could they trust any of the “big folk” to help them? These were some of the questions that kept Alex Kenyon awake at night. His daughter Ruth wondered what made a human being. Was it size? Was it intelligence? Was it belief in God? What made her know she was a human being, even though only nine inches tall? This is the story of how Alex’s and Ruth’s questions are answered.

Submitted By:
Evan Reese
Proofread By:
Lissi
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.