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Mike Fink
by James Cloyd Bowman
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This book tells the life of the legendary Mike Fink, brawler and noted keelboatman on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Nicely illustrated and full of tall tales of the rough life of the men rowing the river boats until displaced by steamboats.
Peach Clobbered
by Anna Gerard
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This is the first in a new mystery series (A Georgia B&B Mystery) featuring owner Nina Fleet. Her license to operate a B&B is suddenly agreed to by the mayor if she will take in a contingent of displaced nuns. The characterization is good and the plot moves along. A good summertime read.
Peach Clobbered
by Anna Gerard
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This is the first in a new series of Georgia B&B Mysteries. It is a pleasant read with eccentric small town
Shamans and Kushtakas: North Coast Tales of the Supernatural
by Mary Giraudo Beck
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For the Tlingit and Haida peoples, both shamans and kushtakas, land otter spirits of those who had drowned
Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation
by Cokie Roberts
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Roberts, a longtime political commentator, has written an interesting book on the wives and mothers who participated in the American Revolution and the early political life of the Republic. Based largely on the letters women wrote to their families, friends, and political leaders, the book sheds new light on women's contributions to early American history. There are wry asides comparing life and politics then and now.
Shamans and Kushtakas: North Coast Tales of the SupernaturalSupernatural
by Mary Giraudo Beck
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Kushtakas were half man-half otter, spirits of those who had drowned. These phantoms appeared to those in danger of drowning and offered to rescue them, but aimed to turn them into kushtakas too. Only those with respect for elders and traditions and a strong will from ascetic practices were able to resist these spirits. The shamans were healers and could see into the future and tried to use their powers against the kushtakas. There are beautiful illustrations at the chapter headings. This is a nice book of native American legends.
Better Off Read
by Nora Page
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This book involves murder, a small town public library, and a bookmobile. It is a pleasant read for those who enjoy a cozy mystery. It also includes a delicious recipe for hummingbird cake.
Half Broke
by Ginger Gaffney
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This memoir by a woman who feels herself a bit of a misfit finds her calling training horses. She is asked to help out at a ranch for prisoners finishing off their sentences, most of whom have been drug dealers and addicts. By teaching the residents patience with training the horses, she finds a number of them react with love and care for the horses and overcome many of their personal difficulties.
We Have Always Lived In The Castle
by Shirley Jackson
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Reading We Have Always Lived in The Castle was an interesting and enjoyable experience, even considering the unnerving content. The intersection of horror between the physical realm (villagers), psychological realm (Constance's isolation, Charles' unwavering focus on the poisoning, Merricat's childish nature perhaps stemming from trauma) and a hint of the occult from Merricat's magic kept me interested in the story. It is well worth the read, and I look forward to reading more of Jackson's work, starting with The Haunting of Hill House.
The Little Friend
by Donna Tartt
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Overall, I did enjoy this book. But there was about 150 pages of BORING content in the middle, and the author seemed to use the fact that the main protagonist is 12 years old to justify her doing some REALLY senseless things... even though her main attribute is (supposed to be) classic 12-yo quick thinking. The last 50 or so pages were kill but.... the book opens with a mystery that is never solved. And ends with two characters who have NEVER mattered having a pointless conversation. It feels like they left 150 pages of boring writing in the middle and cut an extra 30 pages that should have wrapped up the end. But still, the writing was enjoyable enough that even though the plot didn't resolve as well as I wanted, I still liked the process of reading it.
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