Alas, Babylon, by Pat Frank

When Randy Bragg receives a telegram from his older brother ending with the words "Alas, Babylon," he knows disaster is near. The two words were Randy and Mark's code for impending disaster, whether trivial or horrific.

In this case, Mark, an Air Force Intelligence officer, fears that World War III is imminent, and wants not only to alert Randy of this real threat, but let Randy know to expect Mark's family's arrival in relatively safe Ft. Repose, Florida.

Alas, Babylon, by Pat Frank (pen name of Harry Hart Frank), one of the "first apocalyptic novels of the nuclear age" describes life in the fictional town of Fort Repose, Florida immediately following a full-scale nuclear strike on the United States, less than 12 hours after Mark's wife and children's arrival. The people in Fort Repose must learn to come to grips with their new reality: store shelves that are soon empty, no gas for the cars, meds for diabetes (and later, typhoid fever), and a government breakdown, where each person, each town is an island. The book follows the struggles of those living on River Road in Ft. Repose for that fateful first year.

A year after the devastation, the residents of River Road are visited an Air Force helicopter, carrying Randy and Mark's friend Paul Hart - now a colonel - along with his crew, bringing news from the outside. As Paul gets ready to leave, Randy asks the question on everyone's mind: "'Paul, there's one thing more. Who won the war?'

"Paul put his fists on his hips and his eyes narrowed. 'You're kidding! You mean you really don't know?...We won it. We really clobbered 'em!' Hart's eyes lowered and his arms drooped. He said, 'Not that it matters.'

"The engine started and Randy turned away to face the thousand-year night."

Although Alas, Babylon was published in 1959, it is still every bit as relevant as it was when it was published, and well worth the read.

Tampa Bay Noir, edited by Colette Bancroft

Tampa Bay Noir by Colette Bancroft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are short story collections that are mildly interesting, and there are collections that grab the reader's attention and won't turn loose until the last page. Tampa Bay Noir is definitely the latter.

Edited by Colette Bancroft (the book editor for the Tampa Bay Times since 2007), Tampa Bay Noir is one of two books representing Florida in publisher Akashic Books's noir series. (Miami is the other Florida city.) As with the other noir anthologies, this book has all new short stories; these are based in different areas of the Tampa Bay area, mainly Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. Michael Connelly's "The Guardian," set in Hyde Park, opens the anthology; Tim Dorsey, Lisa Unger, and a host of others add stories/mysteries to this quirky, dark collection, ending with Colette Bancroft's "The Bite."

While some of the stories here may not be for the faint-of-heart, I found the book difficult to put down. Each story, each writer, took the book to another level that ensured that I will definitely put this into my rotation of books-to-reread-and-reread, year after year. It also left me with a list of writers who novels will soon be in my to-be-read pile.

For anyone who has lived in the Tampa Bay area, thought about living here, or just plain wants a book to keep one captivated, Tampa Bay Noir is definitely the book to pick up and read, cover to cover.

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Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of "To Kill a Mockingbird", by Mary McDonagh Murphy

Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Mary McDonagh Murphy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When one considers how popular Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird is, it makes sense that someone would write a book celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of its publication. Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of "To Kill A Mockingbird," by Mary McDonagh Murphy is that book.

Murphy explored To Kill A Mockingbird and asked others how Harper Lee's book affected them. While it might be tempting to compare the two books, this would be an injustice to Scout, Atticus, and Boo; it would be analogous to comparing an art appreciation book with DaVinci's work. But Murphy's book does help the reader understand how loved Lee's work is.

Definitely a must read for anyone who has loved To Kill A Mockingbird.

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This is a repost from July 14, 2013.

The Things We Keep, by Sally Hepworth

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Some books are great fluff-reads, to be zoomed through (happily) while at the beach, or otherwise taking a "me"-day.

Then, there are the books that wrench one's heart-strings, while staying with you in its profound telling.

The Things We Keep, by Sally Hepworth, is definitely in the latter category.

Thirty-eight year old Anna Forster has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, leading to being admitted to an assisted living facility. There, she meets Luke, who, at 41, also is suffering from the disease. Anna and Luke soon fall in love. While both slowly lose themselves to the disease, Anna tries holding on to the few things she know; this includes her love for Luke.

Eve Bennett suddenly finds herself as a single parent, and takes a job at the assisted living facility that Anna and Luke are in. While she finds their situation sad, she also tries to help the two keep their relationship alive, even as their families try to keep them apart.

However, a tragedy causes the families to try keeping the two apart, and Eve must decide if she wants to help the two remain together. This, too, has consequences, leaving everyone affected in startling ways.

Definitely a must-read, though maybe not as a happy beach-read.

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HardBall, by Sara Paretsky

I've been a fan of Sara Paretsky's V. I. Warshawski series for years. Recently, I decided to read them all in order (or, rather, all of the ones I own; I'm missing Indemnity Only).

Hardball is one of Paretsky's best, up to this point. In this fast-paced novel, V. I. (Vic) Warshawski is hired by two elderly African-American sisters to find missing Lamont Gadsden. The son of one of the sisters, he has been missing for forty years.

Vic also meets her young cousin Petra, a recent college grad who has come to Chicago to work on the campaign of one of her father's friends' son. The likeable Petra wants to connect with Vic, and learn about the Warshawski family.

Several problems arise when it is discovered that Lamont may have been murdered, and that it somehow has connections with local gangs, a murder of a civil rights volunteer, police, politicos, and a nun. At every turn, as Vic struggles to find the truth all the connections, Petra also disappears, and Vic's life almost ends.

Will Vic survive? Will she find Petra, Lamont, and who has left a trail of dead bodies while trying to silence Vic? Read it and find out.

The Divide: a 2700 Mile Search for Answers, by Nathan Doneen

The Divide: a 2700 mile search for answers by Nathan Doneen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Several years ago, I got hooked on reading about hiking the Appalachian Trail. I had wanted to hike the AP ever since I'd heard about it in my early teens, to the point of mentioning it to my parents.

Fast forward more than two or three decades: Life happened, and, of course, I never got around to that grand hike. Even now, it would be a splendid idea, except...well, you get the idea.

(And for the record, I have read Ben Montgomery's wonderful book, Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail, so while I'm quite a bit younger than Grandma Gatewood was when she made her walk, I realize that age is no excuse.)

Recently, I stumbled across The Divide: a 2700 mile search for answers by Nathan Doneen. While it was somewhat different from hiking the AT books (it involves biking the Continental Divide), I was still intrigued. Then I made the mistake of starting to read, and was hooked from the start.

After finishing college, Nathan decided to bike the Continental Divide from Alberta, Canada to Mexico before settling down. The Divide describes his trip, beginning with the first major problem, two miles into the trek. He intersperses his ride with an occasional flash-back to his college studies, and other scenes from his past. While this could have been a distraction, he does it so that it rounds out his story, showing us glimpses of how he got to deciding to ride.

There were only a couple of things here that I found a little distracting. Early on, the word "here" was used for "hear;" however, this may have simply been a glitch, as I was reading this on a Kindle. (I've noticed glitches of wrong words in other books on e-readers, knowing full well that the correct word was used in the hard copy of the same books.) The other was using "that" instead of "who/whom:" "She was someone that loved books;" "He was someone that thought..." I'm sure someone would say that I'm being picky here, and that's fine. But when these are basically the only two things that detract from the book, I can hardly complain.

If you're looking for your next good read, I definitely recommend Nathan Doneen's The Divide: a 2700 mile search for answers.

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Caught, by Jane Schwartz

Caught by Jane Schwartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting book that, on the surface, deals with the world of pigeon chasers in Brooklyn during the 1950s. Louie is a young girl who is introduced to pigeons on roof-tops through her brother and brother's friend. When the group is found stealing birds from a man who stole from them, Louie is the only one officially caught, then dragged to the local pigeon store. After this trip, Louie meets up with Casey, who owns a large flock in the neighborhood. The late-30s Casey needs a chaser, and hires Louie on.

The surface story deals strictly with the birds, Louie and Casey's relationship on the roof, and Louie's family's concern about Louie's time on the roof. As with any decent story, though, there are various layers to sift through.

While the ending may be inevitable, the events leading up to the last page will stick with the reader, making this a book to read, set aside, and read again at a later time.

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I originally posted this in 2013. However, the book is definitely worth rereading.

Fire Sale, by Sara Paretsky

Fire Sale by Sara Paretsky

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had tried reading Fire Sale by Sara Paretsky several years ago. At that time, I didn't get far with the book.

Fast forward to this year when I decided to give it another try; I'm glad I did.

When the girls' high school coach at her old high school has to retire due to illness, V.I. agrees to coach the team. This, in turn, leads her to retail conglomerate By-Smart's headquarters in the hopes of getting funding for her team.

It doesn't take long for Vic to stumble upon shady dealings and dirty actions by the family running By-Smart, causing the family's grandson to go into hiding with one of V.I.'s basketball players.

The twists, turns and backstabbing contribute to the deaths of several people, including the father of one of the players, and putting Marcie Love, Vic's lover ex-lover, in the hospital. Vic also nearly meets her end to keep her silent.

With more twists and turns than a Slinky (or a country road), Fire Sale is definitely must read.

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Burn Marks, by Sara Paretsky

Burn Marks by Sara Paretsky

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Most of us who love reading have favorite authors we gravitate towards, writers whose works leave us wanting more. For me, Sara Paretsky is one of those writers, especially with her V.I. Warshawski series.

I'd bought most of the series, reading books out of order. But a while back (maybe a year or two ago), I decided to start at the beginning and read each V.I. Warshawski book in order. (Unfortunately, I'm still missing the very first in the series, Indemnity Only. I'll eventually have to pick up a copy.)

Burn Marks is memorable is its intensity, as well as pure V.I. When Vic's aunt Elena arrives at Vic's doorstep at 3 A.M. after a fire at the SRO where Elena stayed, V.I. is less than happy. To say that aunt Elena is not the easiest person to get along with is an understatement. But family is family.

Reluctantly, V.I. goes about trying to uncover the arsonist, while trying to find another place for her aunt. Of course, this puts V.I.'s life in danger while trying to tie up all the loose ends.

While Burn Marks is a book that can stand on its own, it's also one that any V.I. Warshawski fan should read.

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Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While many Americans consider the U.S. to be a classless society, wanting to believe that one merely has to work harder to leave poverty for the ranks of the rich, this is not always the case. Much of the twentieth century, as well as the twenty-first thus far, has seen a definite class-based society, consisting of working class, middle class, and the rich. On either end are the working-poor and the ultra-rich, but these, too, fit into the class-based society.

In Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, Barbara Ehrenreich explores how those in the working class get by (or not).

When Barbara began her trek into research for this book (1998) "it took, on average nationwide, an hourly wage of $8.89 to afford a one bedroom apartment," according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Keep in mind, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 hour, and hasn't budged since 2009 (https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/30/business/minimum-wage-2021-states/index.html). To afford a larger apartment or a house, especially in 2021, would take quite a bit more.

There are several ways that one could research Nickel and Dimed: book research (good enough for possibly a term paper or for background from years earlier); interviewing those who work at menial jobs (better); or, the way Ehrenreich worked: by deciding "to get out there and get my hands dirty (p.4)."

During her research time (1998-2000), Ehrenreich worked as a waitress in Florida, a house cleaner and nursing-home aid in Maine, worked as a Wal-Mart associate in Minnesota, all as a way to see what menial, low-paid workers go through to put a roof over their heads, pay their utilities, and food on their tables. While she could have bailed at any time, heading back to her comfortable home and life-style, she stayed the course and gives a good, true glimpse on what the working-class goes through to get by.

One thing that I found disconcerting was that yes, she could have bailed at any time, that she was playing the part of someone eking out a living on minimum wages. But the flip side is that she was able to pick up the nuances of what a low-wage worker goes through from first-hand knowledge, as well as through interviewing her coworkers.

I highly recommend this book. If one wants to get a good beginning knowledge on what a minimum wage worker goes through, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America is a great place to start.

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Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach

Note: This is a repeat of 2017's sole post. I'm back to writing here at a bi-weekly rate (hopefully)

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

During the early 1970s, it seemed everyone read Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. I had read it several times, and had fond memories of it.

Several years ago, I received a copy of this slim book from two different people and decided to reread it to see how it stood up over the intervening years. Since then, I've reread it several times.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull tells of a seagull who doesn't quit fit in and is banned from his flock as a misfit. Jonathan's misdeed? He loves to fly, loves learning how to improve on flight, how to fly faster, and knows that such learning is, itself, what makes life worth living. The flock, however, has come to the understanding that flight should be merely to be used for food-gathering. Thus, since Jonathan can't comply with living beneath what he is capable of, he is labeled a misfit and cast out of the flock.

It doesn't take long for him to reach a higher consciousness, learning from those who have gone on before him. However, those gulls who teach him soon admit that Jonathan is higher than they are, and that the student has become a teacher.

Soon Jonathan realizes that he must go back to his previous flock and start teaching the newer out-casts, several of whom call him the Son of the Great Gull.

This novella, with its photos of seagulls, can be considered spiritual in nature without being preachy. It shows the reader that we all need to be the best we can be, that we should be our truest self, and while we are learning from those more knowledgeable than we are, we are also to teach those coming up after us.

This is one book that I feel has held up well over the years; it's almost always the first book I read at the beginning of the year.

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