Nevermore 7-14-26 Reported by Rita
The
Unlikely Thru-Hiker: An Appalachian Trail Journey by Derick Lugo
Derick Lugo had never been hiking. He didn't even know if he liked being outside all that much. He certainly couldn't imagine going more than a day without manicuring his goatee. But with a job overseas cut short and no immediate plans, this fixture of the greater New York comedy circuit began to think about what he might do with months of free time and no commitments. He had heard of the Appalachian Trail and knew of its potential for danger and adventure, but he had never seriously considered attempting to hike all 2,190 miles of it. Until that summer left him with a wide-open schedule and a burning curiosity to know: Could he do it? The Unlikely Thru-Hiker is the story of how a young black man from the city, unfamiliar with both the outdoors and thru-hiking culture, sets off with an extremely overweight pack and a willfully can-do attitude to conquer the infamous trail. What follows are lessons on preparation, humility, and nature's wild unpredictability. But this isn't a hard-nosed memoir of discouragement. What sets Lugo apart from the typical walk in the woods is his refusal to let any challenge squash his inner Pollyanna. Through it all, Lugo perseveres with humor, tenacity, and an unshakeable commitment to grooming--earning him the trail name "Mr. Fabulous"--that sees him from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Katahdin in Maine.
I thought this was a wonderful adventure. I really liked it. -VC 5 stars
When the
Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen
Bo is running out of time. Yet time is one of the few things he’s got left. These days, his quiet existence is broken up only by daily visits from his home care team. Fortunately, he still has his beloved elkhound Sixten to keep him company, though now his son, with whom Bo has had a rocky relationship, insists upon taking the dog away, claiming that Bo has grown too old to properly care for him. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotion, leading Bo to take stock of his life, his relationships, and the imperfect way he’s expressed his love over the years.
It was short, quick, and sad. I didn't really find the main character relatable. -MH 4 stars
Death on
the Lanai by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
Continue the fun that began with Murder by Cheesecake in this an all-new Golden Girls cozy mystery When the Girls accept a very strange invitation to a lavish party on a remote island estate, they find that murder has a way of ruining even the most glamorous of evenings. The invite delivered to 6151 Richmond Street was short on details, only promising to celebrate the greatest artist of the century and accompanied by a jewel-encrusted brooch--the whole package a brand of mysterious opulence that another Saturday night of gin rummy just can't match. Blanche Devereaux's passionate dalliances are as plentiful as hot Southern nights, and surely one can't be expected to remember all of one's suitors. But when the Girls disembark the party's ferry at a small Biscayne Bay island and meet their secretive host, the memories come flooding back: she a Radio City Rockette in her twenties, he the poor artist who could offer her nothing but his love. Fate drove them apart, but Declan, now a famous artist El Toro, professes that Blanche has always been his muse. Featured prominently in his artworks and central to El Toro's return to the apex of the art world, Blanche is thrilled to have been such an inspiring figure to this man. But looking around at a party filled with those who have made their livings off the artist's fame--his assistant, his art dealer, his greatest critic, and more--Dorothy isn't so sure they're welcome on the island after all. When a tropical storm knocks power out across the island, an optimistic Blanche proclaims that everyone looks better by candlelight anyway. But when Declan is found dead the next morning, all eyes are on her, his supposed muse of thirty-plus years. Trapped at the estate with the other guests--suspects all--the Girls must band together to find the true killer and get back to pleasant evenings of card games and cheesecake.
This book
was really good - fun and exciting.
-MS stars
Other Books Mentioned
Witch &
Wizard (Witch & Wizard,
#1) by James Patterson
Waiter
Rant: Thanks for the Tip-Confessions of a Cynical Waiter by Steve
Dublanica,
Buzz by Mary
Roach
The
Housekeeper's Tale - The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House by Tessa
Boase
10 to 25:
The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading
the Next Generation--And Making Your Own Life Easier by David
Yeager
The
Bookshop Summer by Stephanie Butland
Marilyn and
Her Books: The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe by Gail
Crowther
New Books
The
Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter Isaacson
Daughters
of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See
Disaster
Prepping for Dummies by David E. Stevens
1,000 Days
in America by Michael Beschloss
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