Lucy Burns works for Satan. Now, I have often told stories about a particularly miserable old job and told people that I, too, worked for Satan. But Lucy really does work for Satan. She’s a Facilitator – she helps damned souls make their way to their final “reward” in a timely fashion. She got into this mess by making a… Read more
Okay, I am back from the West Coast and ready for an episode of Tuesday Teasers! This week’s teaser is from a book I just finished – the review should be posted next week – called God Says No. It’s the story of a deeply religious man coming to terms with his homosexuality. There is pain and humor and a… Read more
This is the last, great beach read of the summer. Let’s Get It On is the rather fanciful tale of LaShaWanda P. Marshall and her friends, Lydia Beaucoup and Acey Allen. They are the owners of a successful “full-service spa” (in other words: a brothel) for women in Reno, and they are opening their first franchise, on a yacht off… Read more
One of the problems with reading historical fiction is that you usually know how the story ends. You can write a book about the Titanic, but everyone knows that the boat sinks. The same is true, to some extent, about Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman: most people know at least a little about the Scottsboro Boys, nine young black men, falsely… Read more
Here we are, another Wednesday, another chance to learn some new words! These are from Scottsboro – we got a Teaser yesterday and we’ll get a review later this week. For now, here some interesting words from the Depression: 1. “Unlike most of my friends, I had not even bothered to buy a dime-store wedding band when I had gone… Read more
Welcome to another edition of Teaser Tuesdays! You know how this works: grab your current book and share with us 2 teaser sentences. (No spoilers please.) This week, I just finished up Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman. This is a great bit of historical fiction about the Scottsboro Boys (if you don’t know about this case, you really should). This passage,… Read more
Finally, someone who comes from an even smaller hometown than mine! Michael Perry tells the story of coming back to his hometown (New Auburn, WI) and working as an EMT and volunteer fireman in Population: 485, Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time. As a small town girl myself, I could relate to a lot of the stories Perry… Read more
Happy Wednesday! This week (if you’re following my travels on a map) I am in St Paul, Minnesota, attempting to train a large group of corporate controllers on using a new software system. Go ahead, pity me – I could use it. So, as promised, more words from last week’s read, Population: 485, Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a… Read more
In the late 18th century, a fabulous new scientific oddity was the toast of Europe. The Turk, a chess-playing automaton built by Wolfgang von Kempelen, was defeating chess masters across Europe. It was a true marvel of the times — a machine, built after the fashion of a Turkish ruler, that was capable of thought. Built for the amusement of… Read more
I am on the road again for work, so I am reading a bit of fluffy chick lit, The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns. This looks like it is going to be very quick and very fun. Lucy is Satan’s executive assistant, and what a job that must be! The first few pages will really suck you in, and I… Read more