"The Story of the Trapp Family Singers"

For those who loved the movie: The Sound of Music

50 years ago,  I saw "The Sound of Music" in a group of friends and, yes, our others. I was quite young. However, I remember the movie and the moments in the theater as if it was yesterday. The movie made me sing inside with joy. My emotions took a ride. At the end, we walked out with our heads high and our hearts light, singing.

Over the years, I have found myself singing a variety of the songs from the wonderful movie. Even now, as I write, I can hear "The Sound of Music" in my mind. 

This book is beautifully written. To learn what the Trapp family actually did during WWII, is moving. Yet, one thinks back to the film and wonders why the writers didn't depict the true story. Instead, the terror of Hitler stole the show. Running. Scared. Will they survive? None of that is true. Read the book and learn the AMAZING things they did. Learn how to survive and thrive.

One of my favorite things.......

Lisa Scottoline's Work is INCREDIBLE!

I just finished "Running from the Law" by Lisa Scottoline. How many authors have you read where you are entertained until the last period? Lisa is one such author. This book is SO much fun to read. You are on the tips of your chair wondering.

I've read seven of her books so far. Each one is fabulous. Each one keeps you wondering until the last period and you are shocked at how it ends. Each time. I'm not kidding.

The books I've read by Lisa that you should read are: "Don't Go", "Courting Trouble", "Accused", "Betrayed", "Lady Killer", and "Daddy's Girl". I am now moving on to "Rough Justice". 

Like a GREAT mystery? Pick up a book by Lisa Scottoline. She's THE best!

"The Oldest Living Things in the World" by Rachel Sussman

What a beautiful book! Rachel traveled the world to find and photograph the world's oldest things. She found some of the most amazing trees I have ever seen. The world we live in is closing in on some of the most beautiful things in the world. Beautiful LIVING things. Each time a tree is cut down because someone needs to build a new home, the air and the life around where the tree were is changed forever. No birds can sit and sing on a branch. Nobody can sit under the tree's shade and enjoy a good book. I could go on, but you get the picture.

Look around you and enjoy what there is. Appreciate what you have and think twice before you need something new that would have an impact on the world we live in. We are the ones causing destruction to our planet. We can do something about it.

Rachel does a terrific job in telling us all about the oldest things she finds. She also is a photographer and has beautiful photos of her findings. It's a magnificent book.

Treat yourself to a copy. Put it on your coffee table and read through it over and over again. You will be amazed at what she has documented.

May your day shine knowing that you CAN make a difference.

Sometimes a mystery hits the spot. Have you read Janet Evanovich? If not, I HIGHLY recommend you do. Yes, there are numerous books in the Stephanie Plum series but, if there weren't, you wouldn't have another to look forward to! What happens next? Is Grandma okay? I look forward to reading each and every book in the series. Keep 'em coming, Janet!

Living with chronic nerve pain is living hell. Reading Janet's work gives me a way to escape and get a few laughs in each day. Yes, her books are humorous. They are brilliantly written and SO much fun to read!

If a grade was to be given for character development, Janet would get an A+. 

Pick up her books and escape into the humor and wonder of the mystery of it all.

Now an audiobook! What a GREAT book!

Now, with technology, there are different ways to enjoy a book. For those of you who do not like to read or do not have the time but have time to listen to a book while you do other things, "Little Miss Sure Shot" by Jeffrey Marshall is waiting for you! I asked Jeffrey to contribute the following message. Enjoy it and then order yourself a copy (paperback, ebook, or audiobook)!

Why Audiobooks?

By Jeffrey Marshall

Clearly, audiobooks are a success: millions are sold each year, many of them developed from best-sellers. And they aren’t just for the James Pattersons and Harlan Cobens of the world: I just had an audiobook made of my novel, Little Miss Sure Shot: Annie Oakley’s World. It’s a relatively easy process through companies like Audible, and it’s not expensive. Obviously, it’s another market for an author to sell to. But more than that, it reaches another audience.

Why would someone want to listen to a book rather than the time-honored scenario of curling up with a hardback and getting immersed in reading the story? It isn’t that these people don’t read books. To me, the key reason to get an audiobook is to listen to it while you’re occupied doing something else that doesn’t always require your full attention. That could be during morning exercises at a gym or doing light housework, but most likely that is driving. Instead of listening to some shouting DJs or the sonorities of national news, you could be immersed (somewhat, anyway) in literature.

Millions of commuters stand to benefit from listening to a book they may not really have time to read, and to enjoy a narration that presents the book in a different way; the listening experience is different, and the use of assorted voices and cadences does allow for experiencing a book in a manner that reading can’t.

Years ago, I remember listening to an audiotape of Like Water for Chocolate, the wonderful novel by Mexican author Laura Esquivel that was essentially magical realism. The narration by turns breathless, sensual, and knowing, and it made for a wonderful listening experience. It was a great introduction to audiobooks, and my wife, who had a far longer commute, ended up going through dozens over a few years.

Not every book lends itself to an audiobook, and fiction, I think, is clearly a better platform than nonfiction. They’re no substitute for reading, but audiobooks have an audience, and it seems that they’re here to stay.

"The Oregon Trail" by Rinker Buck

A piece of history of our nation is depicted here in this amazing book. Rinker, just a few years ago, had a covered wagon made to his specifications, bought three mules and set off with his brother across the trail the pioneers took. They left the world of electricity, running water and a nice soft bed. Instead, they reinacted the actual pilgrimage to Oregon from approximately the midwest.  This book tells you their experiences as well as the history of who went before them. 

Read why mules were used, how the wagons were steered, and MUCH more. Read about the markers and learn how people used to manage. 

Our nation was built by our forefathers. This brilliantly written book gives you the knowledge and you can feel the trail as you sit in the wagon and join Rinker and his brother.

The book goes up for sale on June 30th. Pre-order your copy today! It's a great read! History and entertainment all in one!

 

"A Good Killing" by Allison Leotta 

Anna Curtis, the incredibly successful DA from DC, is back!  Her younger sister, still living in their hometown, is unreachable. The head football coach of their high school is killed. Anna flies home.

This is a story of how poorly our system handles rape kits. It's a story of how survivors continue on with their lives. It's a story of how a town takes care of their own. It's a story of how sisters stand by each other and fight. 

This book is so well written that I sat down for a few hours and turned the last page. Happiness, wonder, sorrow, joy, terror, fear, and more were experienced while reading the book. There were even moments I laughed. Yes, laughed. Humor does get us through some hard times. Allison is brilliant in how she puts words to paper!

 

If you enjoy a good mystery crime story, this is THE book to pick up. I LOVED it! It goes up for sale on May 12 at Amazon. A wonderful read for you, your family and friends. What a great gift!

Thanks again, Allison, for sharing your talent with the world. I am honored to have read your new book and look forward to reading more about our favorite DA. I want to know what happens next!

My favorite comedian of all time! Thank you, Carol Burnett!

What a wonderful read! To read about someone who impacted your life is quite a treat. Every week my family and I would sit down and watch Carol's variety show. What great laughs! I still remember the entire group standing in line at the end of the show singing and then Carol pulling on her ear. 

We all grow up differently. Some of us grow up with laughter in our homes. Others don't. When Carol Burnett entered the room, it was acceptable to be silly. It was okay to laugh at yourself. 

Maybe it's because of Carol that I am as silly as I am...and enjoy it! I can't imagine life without laughs. How would we manage the awful times? We have to think of those as stepping stones to the other side. Good things will come. They always do.

So, thank you, Carol. You're amazing!

"I'm so glad we had this time together...."

"Orange is the New Black" - an eye-opener to the system and survival

So most of us have heard how well Orange is the New Black is doing on television. I decided to pick up a copy of the book and see what all the fuss is about. I MUCH prefer reading a book than watching a show or a movie.

The book, written by an actual inmate, is well done. Piper learns to listen to her own instinct and makes it through the hardest of times and comes out smiling. Lesson learned. Also learned were the defects in the system.

Each day we make choices. The choices we make can impact those around us. As you go through your day, keep in mind that, even if you think something is a good idea at the time, it may not be for the long haul.

Pick up a copy of "Orange is the New Black". Learn from someone who was there.

                        Learn how women helped win WWII! What a story!

We have all heard about the atomic bomb we dropped on Hiroshima. Do you know how it was created? Do you know where it was made and who did all the work? 

Life is filled with secrets. This was the biggest secret the U.S. had and kept from the time it was "created" until the time it was dropped on Japan.

Get on the bus, walk through the mud, wash off your feet and get to work in your small part of the creation of the atomic bomb. That's what the women did. Can you imagine? They did it to help end the war.

Pick up a copy today. You will be SO glad you did!