Geekarella by Ashley Poston

Elle is a die hard Starfield fan. No so her evil step mother and twin step sisters.  They spend their time using up Elle's inheritance and belittling her choice of entertainment.  Elle feels like a nobody until one day she receives a random text from another Starfield fan. Little does she know that her new text friend is really the heartthrob actor who is playing the lead in the new Starfield movie, the same actor she is constantly slamming on her Starfield fan blog.

The Cinderella trope has been done so many times, but is is always fun to see a new twist. Poston explores the geeky world of cos play and sci-fi fandom in all its glory.  It is also fun to see Darian's take on what it is like to film a major action-adventure movie.  Poston is a little heavy handed with her Cinderella elements, from the orange pumpkin food truck to the crystal shoe, but, hey, that is what makes it a retelling. I appreciated the fact that, except for a bit of language, it is pretty clean. The angsty family relations ubiquitous in YA novels do not overpower the fun elements. I think teens will enjoy it, especially middle school age girls who might be part of a fandom themselves. (2017, 320 p.)

A Man Called Trent by Louis L'Amour

Trent lives by himself on a homestead in the wild west.  He is content but lonely.  When trouble comes to town in the form of King Bill Hale, who is trying to claim all the homesteader's property as his own, Trent has to decide whether he will reveal his true identity as a famous gunslinger in order to save his friends and neighbors from the evil Hales. 

One of my co-workers mentioned that she had a goal to read more books that appeal to men in order to be better at reader's reference.  I thought it was a good goal, so I have been looking around for "masculine" literature I might try.  I tried a James Patterson mystery, but the first scene was so racy I only lasted a few minutes.  Then I thought of my own father.  He went through a period when he was reading Louis L'Amour.  I thought I would give it a try.  I was very pleased that the book was pretty clean.  The main character, Kilkenny, notices the "voluptuousness" of his girl friend, but they do no more than kiss. Most of the book is full of very cliche western scenes and events: the hero walks slowly into the tavern and orders a drink.  The bad guy comes in and they say threatening things with a western drawl while the other customers run for cover, sure that a shootout is about to occur. (that kind of thing). The final shootout actually even happens at high noon.  Every western stereotype is here.  In a way it was such a rich display of the western tropes that I found it rather delightful.  I couldn't find the actual publication date for this book but I think it was back in the 60's. (342 p.)

Moonlight Becomes You by Mary Higgins Clark

Maggie Holloway, a successful photographer, is unexpectedly reunited with her stepmother, Nuala, whom she hasn't seen in over a decade.  They make plans to spend time together at Nuala's home in Newport, Rhode Island, but when Maggie arrives she finds that her stepmother has been murdered.  As Nuala's closest relative and heir, Maggie decides to stay in town for a few weeks to go through Nuala's things and try to figure out who may have murdered her. As she begins to poke around in the picturesque tourist town, she discovers that Newport has very dangerous secrets.

This author was recommended to me by another of my sister-in-laws and I rather enjoyed it.  It is not quite as "cozy" as the Joanna Fluke books I have read.  The people who die are not villains, but people that the reader comes to care about. There are no recipes included at the end of each chapter (though the main character does shop for clothes at one point.)   All in all the plot was quite well crafted.  The plotting reminded me of Agatha Christi, where the reader takes brief peeks into one suspect's life and then another, picking up relevant information bit by bit until the mystery is solved. There is some good, heart pumping, suspense at the end, and I must admit I didn't figure out "who dun it" until it was revealed.  I will certainly put Mary Higgins Clark on my list of future reads. (2003, 352 p.)

The Ancient Greek World by Tracy Barrett and Jennifer Roberts

I was a Classics major in college and have long been interested in ancient Greece and Rome.  This is a decent history of Greece and Hellenistic culture written at a 6th -9th grade level.  The authors hit on all the most important topics chronologically, starting with the Minoans and ending with the Library of Alexandria.  The writing is informative and interesting, with sprinklings of humor.  The authors include all the standard report aids in the back and the book is illustrated with photographs of historical artifacts.

So why did I listen to a random kid's report nonfiction on Greece?  I was about to go on a 2 hr drive when I finished the Witches book.  I didn't want to spend a bunch of time looking for another audiobook on Overdrive, so I basically picked the first kid's nonfiction that came up.  It was fun to be reminded of a bunch of stuff I learned in college.  The authors include both information about the time period, and information about how we learned what we know through archaeology and primary sources that have survived to today. Even though this is an older book, I think it is still worth reading as not much about ancient Greek history has changed in the last 15 years. (2004, 192 p.)

Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman

Eleanor Roosevelt is another of my heroes.  She was born into privilege but suffered from awkwardness and shyness.  When her parents died she was sent to live with relatives until she finished school.  She met her dashing future husband at a party, and was surprised when he continued his attention when he could have had any of the eligible girls in their social circle.  Lucky him.  With her support Franklin Roosevelt rose to become one of our country's greatest presidents, and Eleanor became one of the most beloved of all first ladies. 

I am a huge fan of Russell Freedman. His writing style is so masterful, that it is transparent.  Nothing stands between the reader and what is happening in the story.  He writes for a young audience, and handles difficult topics like Franklin Roosevelt's infidelity discretely and in a way that is age appropriate.  He doesn't spend a lot of time talking about Franklin's struggle to overcome polio, but does talk a lot about how his and Eleanor's relationship changed over the years. I was especially impressed by the account of how Eleanor stayed active in politics for years after Franklin's death.  This is an older book, and won a Newbery Honor in 1994.  (1993, 208 p.)

Buy-In by John Kotter and Lorne Whitehead

 In this short book Kotter and Whitehead begin with a story of a woman trying to convince a group of citizens to approve a corporate/private partnership to get computers for a library.  He shows a short scenario where the idea is immediately shot down, and then a longer one where the lady, with the help of a friend, withstands opposition and builds "buy in" for the idea.  After that the authors walk the reader through 24 of the most common roadblocks people put up to stop new ideas, and ways to talk around them. 

As a new manager I have been reading books about how to make the things I want to happen, happen.  My sister-in-law recommended this book to me and I really liked it. I had to smile when I read about the most common attacks, because in just the three times I had to present before the City Council since I took my position, I had heard the exact same kinds of attacks, almost in the exact words.  Kotter has sound advice about how to prepare for a presentation, and how to welcome dissenting opinions and use them for your benefit. I don't know if his tactics would work in every situation, but his book certainly gives the beginning negotiator an arsenal of tools she can use going into a potentially difficult "sales" pitch.  I bought the book on CD since it wasn't available at my library or through Overdrive, and I will probably listen to it again next time I have an important idea to promote. (2010, 208 p.)

Eliza: The Life and Faith of Eliza R. Snow by Karen Davidson and Jill Derr

Eliza R Snow is one of my personal idols.  She was born into a comfortable middle class home and given a relatively good education.  When she first heard the LDS missionaries, she was not instantly converted, but once she joined the church she was faithful to the end.  She became a polygamous wife of first Joseph Smith and then Brigham Young. She endured the persecution of the saints in Missouri and later Illinois and eventually migrated west to the Salt Lake Valley. Although she didn't have any children, (or maybe because she didn't have any children) she used her talents as a writer and as a social organizer and became one of the most prominent women in the LDS Church in the late 1800's. 

This is an interesting biography that looks at Snow's life through the lens of her poetry. She was a amazingly prolific poet and wrote and published hundreds of poems for all different occasions.  A lot of her poems sound kind of prudish and punctilious today, but a few of them are very nice and show a depth of thought and sensitivity of spirit. More importantly, her poems chronicle her life and the experiences of the Latter Day Saint people.  The book is nicely formatted and is illustrated with color photographs of historical artifacts from her life.  As a near descendant (great-great-great niece) of Ms Snow, I really enjoyed seeing the pictures and learning more about this amazing woman.  Thanks to a dear friend who gave me the book for Christmas. (2013, 164 p.)

The Golden Tower by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

At the beginning of the book, Callum is facing the beginning of his last year at the Magisterium.  He is returning as a hero, having defeated Master Joseph and his minions. On top of that, he has hopes that Tamara will start to see him as more than just a friend. Callum should be excited, but he has a secret that he hasn't told anyone, and it will make his final year very complicated.

This is the 5th and final book in the Magisterium series.  I put it on hold, forgetting that I had decided to give up on the series half way through The Silver Mask.  While I was reading that one it seemed like Callum had moved too far over to the Evil Overlord realm, and I didn't like him anymore.  I am kind of glad that I read this one anyway.  Callum redeems himself, and Black and Clare wrap up the series nicely. The whole series is a good choice for those who really liked Harry Potter.  It is a bit dark in the middle, but so, too, was Harry Potter.  The main difference is that throughout the series, Harry is trying to do what was right.  He makes some mistakes, but Rowling clearly shows how they seem the most logical decision for Harry to make at the time with the information he has.  Callum's bad decisions are mostly based on lack of good information, but some are motivated by self-centeredness instead of altruism.  But, like I said, he redeems himself in the end and young readers may feel reassured that even if someone strays pretty far in the wrong direction, there is a way back. (2018, 256 p.)