Disney World, No Cemeteries

When I was growing up, my family went on road trips each summer. We didn't drive off to visit Mickey at Disneyland or Disney World. We didn't drive off to go camping or a cruise. No, our family vacations all centered around cemeteries, courthouses, and libraries. We would go to the states in which my ancestors were buried, or where my dad could locate information about them. You see, my dad was "searching for his old dead grandfathers". He has been a genealogist for over 60 years.

I learned to read wills, deeds, birth and death certificates as a teenager, but I have to say books were actually my favorites. So, you see why I was drawn to S. C. Perkins's Ancestry Detective series, it brings those two together perfectly.

I was immediately drawn to Murder Once Removed (2019) by the cover when I was browsing the Pop Reads section of the Mary Couts Burnett Library at Texas Christian University - one of my favorite places to read. I sat down with this cozy mystery and read through half of the book before it was time to go home. I was intrigued by how this Texas girl (like me) could solve mysteries in the past and the present - with no time travel involved. Well, leave it to a genealogist to find out a family's deepest and darkest secrets, through research. Lucy Lancaster, the Ancestry Detective, helps her clients by solving their family mysteries. If she happens to solve a local mystery along the way, so much better for her Yelp review.

Murder Once Removed is centered around an Austin billionaire and the murder of his grandfather in 1849. With the discovery of an old daguerreotype and a journal, Lucy is able to narrow the killer down to two suspects. While working the case and trying to protect the evidence, another murder takes place. Lucy is tasked with trying to solve both murders simultaneously. Remember, Lucy is not a detective. She is a genealogist who was hired to research the family history of Gus Halloran. It is through her skills as a genealogist she is able to solve the murders.

Lineage Most Lethal has Lucy searching for the lineage of hotel heiress, Pippa Sutton. Again this book is set in Austin around Lady Bird Lake. I am not from Austin but have visited many times. I could picture a few of the places referenced in the book, but the Sutton Hotel is a fictional location. I won't give away any of the plots, but I will say, Lucy once again is involved in solving a murder.

I recommend these books for those who love cozy mysteries and those who enjoy searching for their family's story. You can only hope your story does not include a murder or two.

Lineage Most Lethal and Murder Once Removed are both now available for sale.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, Minotaur Books has provided a complimentary digital edition of Lineage Most Lethal for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

Choices

Death Doula Dawn Edelstein finds herself in line with her clients when she hears a flight attendant announce a "planned emergency".

Once again, I am amazed by Jodi Picoult's talent. In The Book of Two Ways, she not only teaches the reader about Egyptology but also quantum mechanics. Now, don't let these two subjects force you to put the book back on the shelf. They are only a small portion of this dual timeline novel. Picoult makes the reader contemplate how one tiny decision can change a life dramatically.

Dawn Edelstein is a Death Doula (a person who supports another during the end stages of life, similar to a midwife (or doula) who supports and guides during birth). She was also once a graduate student at Yale pursuing her doctorate in Egyptology. 

Not only is The Book of Two Ways referencing the most detailed graphical compilation of coffin text found in ancient Egypt, but it also eludes to the premise of a multiverse and parallel realities. For example, one life where you are pursuing a career in a job for which you are extremely passionate, another where you are working in a mindless 9 to 5 - thus two ways of life through a variety of paths (choices) taken (made) along your journey.

I never close a Picoult book without keeping the narrative in my head. She is constantly making me think, analyze, and contemplate how the characters have changed my life and encouraged me to start a conversation. Each time I see she has a new book, it goes straight to the top of my To Be Read list.

This book does not disappoint and I highly recommend the education and the expedition in The Book of Two Ways.

The Book of Two Ways is expected to be on sale on September 22, 2020, and is published by Ballantine Books, a division of Random House Publishing Group.

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When reading The Book of Two Ways, I was reminded of another book about choices. One I read in late spring. Since it was before I started sharing my reviews on my blog again, I've decided to share my thoughts on The Midnight Library. 

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Being a librarian, I am always drawn to books about libraries. When I was introduced to the Midnight Library, I was intrigued. This is not a library I would have ever envisioned - a library between life and death. A library where the books go on and on forever. The books are filled with the choices (whether satisfying or regretful) made throughout life - parallel realities. An added bonus, the books are guarded by a favorite librarian from your past.

Choices can drastically change the trajectory of one's life. How many decisions do we make every day? How does each of these options completely change the course of our life? Nora Seed discovers the answer to these questions and others in Matt Haig's The Midnight Library.

The options you are given while in The Library (albeit for a very limited time) allow you to see what could have been, if only for a slight variance. Stepping into the book of your life as it follows a different path can be daunting. Seeing how the grass is not always greener, allows you to appreciate the life you have and the people who share the journey with you.

Although this book is dark, it makes you step back and look at your own life. It made me truly appreciate the choices I have made, even if they were not always the easiest or the most likely. Would I go back and change anything? Maybe, if allowed to visit The Library, but I think I'm good where I am right now.

The Midnight Library is expected to be on sale on September 29, 2020, and is published by Viking Press an imprint of Penguin Group.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, the publishers have provided a complimentary electronic copy of The Book of Two Ways (Ballatine Books) and The Midnight Library (Viking Press) for review purposes. These reviews are my opinion and are in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

Betty White & Abraham Lincoln?

I know Betty White never dated Abraham Lincoln, but these are two people who have been in the books I have read and listened to recently.

If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)
by Betty White

I listened to Betty White's If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't) [2011] while commuting to and from work. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her life, friends, and career. I have always enjoyed watching her on television. I remember watching her on The Mary Tyler Moore Show when I was a kid and then enjoying The Golden Girls and now laughing hysterically as she plays Elka Ostrosky in Hot in Cleveland. Last Thursday evening as we were closing the library for the night, my dad came in and told me he had just read of Betty White's death (later confirmed as a hoax). I was so heartbroken I immediately went to my computer to write about her and her book. I was so relieved to read online that it was a hoax, actually a misinterpretation of a reporters tongue in cheek headline, that I said a silent thank goodness and shut my computer down.

It is not that I did not want to write about her book at that point, it was just I was so relieved to find out she was alive, I was afraid I would not express how much I enjoyed her book.  I love hearing about the lives of the famous. I don't envy their lives, I am just intrigued by them. I would never want to be in their shoes, no matter how much fame and fortune it might bring.

This is the first of White's seven books I have read (actually listened to) I was immediately engrossed in her story. I almost felt like she was talking to me, giving me an inside look at her life. I hope everyone who listens as she narrates her book feels the same. I felt almost like a grandchild listening to her grandmother tell stories about her life. I say that because at times she would repeat something she had said in a previous chapter, making me feel like we had known each other for a very long time. It made me laugh because I hear my mother telling my son stories she has told many times before, but we all listen as if it was the first time.

I am a fan of Betty White and hope she continues to make me (and everyone else) laugh for many, many years before she joins her beloved husband Allen.

The Lincoln Myth
by Steve Berry

I finished reading Steve Berry's The Lincoln Myth this morning. I have always been fascinated by history. My dad has researched our family history my entire life. I don't remember a time in my life when we didn't go on a vacation in order to visit the local library and genealogical societies. It wasn't until I was married that I even thought about a vacation being someplace fun (Disney World) and not related to a cemetery or library. (Even though we DID visit a number of libraries and cemeteries during our trip to Florida and Disney. My husband's family is from Florida.)

 I also had a fabulous teacher in high school who brought history to life for me. I will always be grateful to him for the lessons he taught by telling the story of our past. I have read a number of Steve Berry's other Cotton Malone novels. I have thoroughly enjoyed every one of his books. Although the story is always great and seems to be thoroughly researched, I have a HUGE problem with the actions of some of his characters (Destroying a library book is NEVER okay ~ especially when said book is from the Library of Congress. Yes, I know it is a character in a book, but that still does not make it acceptable!).

I have to say I was shocked to find out Mr. Berry is a member of the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board and has twice served as the national spokesman for the American Library Association's Preservation Week. As a member of ALA, I am very surprised. Maybe by having him serve as the spokesman ALA is helping him to realize the bad habits some of his characters are modeling to his readers. I truly hope his fans see how appalling it is to read about the destruction of historical artifact and that Mr. Berry does not see these actions as appropriate at any time. It makes me wonder if he has ever considered some of these deeds himself while doing his research?

That being said, I will praise The Lincoln Myth. Again, I will say his books are very well researched, as evidenced in the Writer's Note at the end of the book. Throughout the reading of his books, he makes the reader question their knowledge of history. I personally like the questions that pop into my head as I read his books. A lot of those questions are answered by the end of the book when he reveals if the information is historical, or merely created in his imagination. I wonder where he gets his ideas and how they spring into his mind?

I will continue to read Steve Berry, but I do hope he begins to make his characters better consumers of the library and the wonderful resources provided to everyone by having them return the materials in the same manner in which they found them ~ whole.