BookLook June 2015

Debbie Balzotti

“Talk Like TED: The 9 public-speaking secrets of the world’s top minds” by Carmine Gallo

Author Carmine Gallo published this great book for TED talk addicts like myself. Talk like TED? I’d sure like to try. I also know some guys that have to speak once a month in church that could use some TED technique for their talks.

Gallo spent more than 150 hours analyzing more than 500 TED presentations and condensed his findings into nine common elements. He also interviewed speakers to discover what made their presentations so compelling.

If you haven’t ever watched a TED talk, you need to load the app on your phone immediately. While you wait in line at the DMV you will have time for several talks that are 18 minutes or less. There are hundreds to choose from on ted.com. Big names like Steve Jobs and Al Gore are available, but the lesser known (at least to me) have been those most fascinating.

For example, Mark Bezos gave a talk titled “A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter.” If you get bored saving seats for graduation listen to his advice including this quote:  “Don't wait. Don't wait until you make your first million to make a difference in somebody's life. If you have something to give, give it now. Serve food at a soup kitchen. Clean up a neighborhood park. Be a mentor. Not every day is going to offer us a chance to save somebody's life, but every day offers us an opportunity to affect one. So get in the game. ”

Or how about watching beautiful CEO Stacey Kramer talk about “The best gift I ever survived” while you are in an office waiting room.  Kramer talks about a mysterious gift that changed her life for the better. As she flips her shoulder-length hair you see the scar left by her brain tumor.

The book explains the origins of the TED talks which began in 1984 and have now become an international phenomenon in more than 130 countries. It contains stories, photos and examples to inspire readers to become great speakers.

According to Gallo, the nine common elements that make a great talk are: Unleash the Master Within, Master the Art of Storytelling, Have a Conversation, Teach Me Something New, Deliver Jaw-Dropping Moments, Lighten Up, Stick to the 18-Minute Rule, Paint a Mental Picture with Multisensory Experiences, Stay in your Lane.

I really enjoyed reading Talk Like TED. I doubt I will be invited to give a TED talk, or give a talk that will be viewed 1.5 million times, but I did find several ways to make my next lesson or talk better.  

BookLook April 2015

Debbie Balzotti

“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin

Sometimes I choose a New York Times bestseller book because the reviews make it sound really, really good. Sometimes I get burned – but not this time. “Funny, tender, and moving, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry reminds us all exactly why we read…” That’s just one of the hooks that caught my attention.

A.J. Fikry is a lonely bookstore owner who has hit rock-bottom. He lives a solitary life after the death of his beloved wife above his little bookstore where his grumpy attitude and snobby book choices are about to put him out of business. And now his rare collection of Poe poems has been stolen while he lay passed out in a sad, drunken stupor. What’s left to live for?

Of course things suddenly change and A.J. discovers he has many reasons to continue living and selling books. An entertaining cast of supporting characters bring him back to life and love and he learns that not everything comes from books. Lessons about love and forgiveness and redemption have to be experienced in real life.

I loved the author’s narrative style and use of language. A wholesale book sales rep is desperately trying to find something he will buy for his store, but he rejects every suggestions. Finally, she asks him to tell her what he likes.

“Like,” he repeats with distaste, “How about I tell you what I don’t like? I do not like postmodernism, postapocalptic settings, postmortem narrators or magic realism. I find literary fiction about the Holocaust or any other major world tragedy to be distasteful – nonfiction only, please. Literary should be literary, and genre should be genre, and crossbreeding rarely results in anything satisfying. I do not like anything over four hundred pages or under one hundred fifty pages. I am repulsed by ghostwritten novels by reality television stars, celebrity picture books, sports memoirs, movie tie-in editions, novelty items, and I imagine this goes without saying – vampires.”

As his rant continues down the page I find my head nodding in agreement. This is a book for those who love reading and small independent book stores. I had to buy this book from a big bookstore, but I will continue to purchase as often as possible from book stores owned by characters like A.J. Fikry.

BookLook May 2015

By Debbie Balzotti

Review of “Contentment: Inspiring Insights for LDS Mothers” by Maria Covey Cole

Mother’s Day -it’s the hap-happiest day of the year – to twist a popular holiday song phrase. It really can be a day to show love and gratitude for the mothers in our lives.

After the flowers have wilted and candy wrappers are discarded, be sure mom has a good book to read. I chose “Contentment: Inspiring Insights for LDS Mothers” as my Mother’s Day gift for my three amazing daughter-in-laws this year. They deserve a week at an all-inclusive resort but this great little book will have to do.

“May we find contentment in motherhood as we come to understand and embrace our divine mission,” entreats author Maria Covey Cole. Even using the word contentment in the same sentence as motherhood seems like using it out of context.

Webster defines contentment as a state of happiness and satisfaction. Motherhood often seems more like a state of exhaustion and discouragement. How is contentment possible? Maybe by redefining the word and looking for those moments. 

Cole writes, “I have learned contentment is not complacency, mediocrity, smugness, or settling for something less.” She encourages mothers to cherish the ordinary moments of daily life. Holding a newborn baby, chasing a toddler around the house, and walks and talks with older children are a few of those simple but significant moments that can bring us feelings of contentment.

The book is filled with a collection of inspirational quotes and stories. One of my personal favorites from George Bernard Shaw was shared near the beginning of the book. “Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

Daniel Webster is responsible for defining contentment as a state of happiness and satisfaction. He also gave us this thought on gaining the necessary perspective for women to remember that what they do as mothers will be their greatest legacy.

“If we work upon marble, it will perish. If we work upon brass, time will efface it. If we rear temples, they will crumble into dust. But if we work upon immortal minds, and instill into them just principles, we are then engraving on that tablet that which no time will efface, but will brighten and brighten to all eternity.”

This Mother’s Day we can all show appreciation for the mothers we know. Let’s recognize their heroic efforts with more than a quick stop at the grocery store on Saturday night to purchase a card. Let’s write a letter of gratitude that will brighten their day and express our love. Of course you can tuck that letter in a good book, add flowers and chocolates and make it even better.

Contentment: Inspiring Insights for LDS Mothers by Maria Covey Cole is available at Cedar Fort Publishing in Springville and at amazon.com.

BookLook July 2015

Review of ”Finger Foods” by Joyce Tanner Whiting

Debbie Balzotti

June is the month of wedding receptions. Sometimes the food at a reception is really great – like the appetizers and desserts guests enjoy at receptions held in the Whiting’s garden in Springville.

 Joyce Whiting is not only a gardener, but a cookbook author who enjoys creating and sharing recipes in her book “Finger Foods: Elegant Treats and Bite-sized Eats for Every Occasion”.

The book is an affordable paperback edition featuring photos of her garden and tables laden with beautiful food. Whether you are a catering a wedding or serving your family, these are recipes worth having.

Some of the favorite recipes in the book include Lemon Tassies, Chocolate Bombes, Tomato/Olive Bruschetta and Reuben and Cucumber sandwiches. 

When Grandma Joyce, the name she used to sign my book, graciously catered the recent author’s night at the Springville Library, I was able to taste these dishes and more. Since they could all be eaten without a fork, we could hold our books and eat our treats.

Whiting shares her expertise on everything from serving plate sizes to menu combinations for any party you may be planning. The tips included with recipes to encourage inexperienced cooks to try dishes like Coconut Butterflied Shrimp and Cashew Chicken Rolls.

“I get concerned that so many folks think that cooking from scratch is hard or that you have to be a gourmet chef to make something wonderfully tasty. Scratch cooking isn't hard and it's so rewarding for those who need a creative outlet,” said Whiting in a recent interview.

She continued, “But don't discount pre-packaged time-savers either. I'm the first to admit that a brownie mix, and I have my favorite brand, is just as good as most scratch brownie recipes. It's what you do with the mix that makes the difference.”

Whiting wrote the 217 page book after being constantly asked for recipes and has been surprised by the response when it came out just a few months ago.

“The response has been positive”, she said. “But who is going to tell the author they don't like her cookbook? Many have expressed their delight at how easy most of the recipes are and most people comment on how great the book looks.”

“Finger Foods” is available from the author, cedarfort.com, amazon.com. Barnes and Noble and other local bookstores carry it or can order it. The author’s website is www.tableforfifty.com.

Hope after Suicide: One Woman's Journey from Darkness to Light

February is the month we think of love and hearts – but if your heart is broken this is a difficult time of year. I read “Hope after Suicide” by Wendy Parmley to learn more about how to support and comfort those who are left behind after suicide and found it very helpful.

In the United States more than 40,000 people a year commit suicide. How can we support those that have experienced the tragic loss of losing a loved one? How can we get through this experience if it happens to us and heal those wounds?

“Don’t let anyone in the bathroom,” her father screamed as he ran out outside in pajamas. As 12-year-old Wendy sat holding her baby sister and keeping the other 3 young children away from the closed door, she was not prepared for the shocking news that her perfect mother had left them.

Most of us have had someone close to us, even in our own family, who has chosen to end their life. There are many reasons for suicide and as the author urges, we must never judge or condemn the person who makes that decision. She learned many years later to forgive her mother who shot herself in 1975 leaving a husband and 5 very young children to deal with her violent death.

She wrote, “How could I go on living when my mom, the woman who gave me life, was gone? How would I grow up and become a mom myself? How could I ever smile again when I felt like running away…?”

After many years of running away and burying the experience deep inside, she decided to open her heart and share her story.

The author hopes to encourage other survivors to forgive themselves and others, open their heart, seek help when needed, and draw closer to God. Her personal journey is painful to read at times, but her triumph will give courage to others who are on that same path. One step at a time through darkness and into the light.

BookLook Column January 2015

“Softly Falling” by Carla Kelly

Snowed in after Christmas with a stack of new books is a wonderful problem. I’m glancing out the window as Mark shoots snow into the wind with the snow blower and listening to Buble and Menzel sing “Baby It’s Cold Outside”.

I just finished reading “Softly Falling” by Carla Kelly curled up on the couch under a warm blanket in front of the fireplace. It was the perfect choice for a snowy day. When I contacted Kelly and told her I was enjoying her book, she offered to send me a hot rock for my feet.

The historical romance is set on a cattle ranch in Wyoming Territory during the terrible winter of 1886. Lily Carteret has been sent away from her uncle’s wealthy home, to live with her wayward father.  Clarence Carteret married Lily’s mother, the daughter of a slave and a Spanish settler, during the first of several failed attempts to manage his family’s businesses in the Caribbean, India, and Australia.  

After the death of her mother, 5 year-old Lily was sent to boarding school in England where she encountered prejudice and rejection as a mixed-race child. Miss Tilton’s school taught Lily how to close her heart and keep her chin up, but it didn’t prepare her for life on the frontier as a young woman.

The illiterate cowboy Jack Sinclair is the perfect partner for the well-educated lady Lilly. Sinclair is the ranch foreman and becomes her knight in shining armor. They support and teach each other as the novel progresses, and we admire their qualities of bravery and determination.

There is much to respect and love in Jack, Lilly, and the tight-knit cast of characters. Ranch hands and townsfolk have to come to Wyoming Territory from foreign countries and across America for a fresh start.

Since Kelly is a careful researcher, I know her historical facts are accurate. As she weaves them into the story, the authenticity of language and setting helps readers slip easily back in time and place. And isn’t this one of the reasons we pick up a book?

The only downside to reading a Carla Kelly book is that she quickly puts you into the story as a sympathetic observer. I felt cold and hungry until I turned up the thermostat, grabbed a left-over Christmas cookie and went back to reading on the couch.

Make Every Day Meaningful

Make Every Day Meaningful

Realize, Record, and Remember Life’s Grand Lessons

Author: Randal A. Wright

“God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.” James M. Barrie (Peter Pan author)

I found it. A book that motivates me to improve my journal writing so I can have roses in December.

Writers are often too busy writing for deadlines to write their own story. We have perfected procrastination, harsh self-criticism, and we get writer’s block. Sound familiar? “I can’t write my personal history because I am too busy, I’m a terrible writer and I don’t know what to write.”

Make Every Day Meaningful is the book I found while searching for a book about gratitude to review for November. Sometimes a book chooses you.

The gratitude chapter titled, “Learn to Be Grateful Every Day” includes inspirational quotes, personal stories and encouraging words. Wright observes that less than ten percent of attendees express gratitude to speakers, teachers and musicians who serve them in Sunday church meetings.

In his travels as a speaker and author, he rarely sees those who have spent many hours in preparation and presentation thanked by those they serve. A Sunday School teacher told him that only a handful of people thanked her during her almost five years of teaching.

“Over the years, I’ve had the responsibility of asking hundreds of people to speak at forums held for LDS college students. During that time, I have watched on multiple occasions as not one person approached the speaker afterwards,” wrote Wright.

I recently received a letter from Springville Mayor Wilford W. Clyde thanking for the many years I have written news stories about the city. This brief expression of gratitude from a very busy man prompted me to send a note to someone I noticed quietly serving. Gratitude is contagious – it’s spread by mouth and hand to hand.

Each chapter in Randal Wright’s book encourages the reader to “realize, record and remember life’s grand lessons”. Many people do this with a gratitude journal or other small notebook they carry with them. Some spend a few minutes at the end of the day to record those observations and lessons.

“Journals are a way of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity.” Spencer W. Kimball promised.

Many times I have wished my grandmothers had written their experiences and thoughts for me to read and share with my children. These fastidious little housekeepers even threw away precious letters from other family members and family photos! I have their jewelry and dishes but I don’t have their memories.

I appreciated the encouragement to write my autobiography - a work in progress, and keep a better journal, but what this book really gave me were some practical tools and suggestions. The list of 600 memory cues, and three word-word summary suggestions are more helpful to someone like me than quotes I've managed to ignore for decades.

 It’s not too late to start or start again. Your journal and your life story may not seem like a bouquet of roses but your memories and life lessons are priceless gifts to yourself and your family.

The Rosefields of Zion

by Marilyn Brown

March 2014 BookLook column for Serve Daily Newspaper

Writing a book review column just once a month shouldn’t be a challenge for someone who reads as much as I do. My problem is I’m too busy reading to write reviews. I love to read because it makes me happy. Writing doesn’t cause that same blissful state – it feels too much like work. However, reviews are helpful to me when I choose a book so hopefully this BookLook column will help you when you are looking for some happy reading time.

I recently opened a new book by local Springville author Marilyn Brown titled, “The Rosefields of Zion”. Brown is the author of more than a dozen novels, five histories, two musicals for the stage and five books of poetry. She has won many state and local writing awards for her fiction.

“The Rosefields of Zion” is romantic novel set in historic Zion National Park and the St. George area of Utah. It’s definitely a book women will enjoy more than men or teens. It is written for the LDS reader, but could be enjoyed by readers not familiar with the religion or culture of the Mormons in 1920s Utah. I especially enjoyed the historical information and legends woven into the story of the fictional Rosefield family.

At the beginning of the book the author states: “This book is much more fiction than history.” Brown then identifies the historical figures for us and tells us that there was a real family who lived on the farm at the entrance to Zion National Park from approximately 1912 -1931 but they did not resemble the Rosefields. Their name was Crawford and they were finally forced to sell their land to the National Park Service in 1931 during the Depression.

I liked reading about how the park came to be named Zion. A Mr. Behunin, who had been a bodyguard to the Prophet Joseph Smith and suffered persecution in Missouri traveled west with Brigham Young. When he came to the safety of the red hills for the first time he exclaimed, “These are the temples of God, built without the use of human hands. A man can worship God among these great cathedrals as well as any man-made church. This is Zion.” I agree Mr. Behunin.

The story’s main character, Marissa Rosefield, narrates her family tale of tragedy in the shadow of the red rocks of Zion. The story begins in 1925 as the family prepares to attend the funeral of their mother. Things don’t get any better for the Rosefields as more trials and tragedies visit this small family.

The central conflict is between the family of farmers who want to keep their land and the government officials who want to use for a park visitors center. As tensions increase between the two groups, Marissa makes a disastrous choice. It’s the kind of decision where you yell out loud, “Don’t do it!” as you are reading.

I wish I had been in St. George in February reading this story instead of Iowa. Being right there “on location” would have been the perfect place to read and relax. If you want to take a book down to southern Utah for spring break this year pick up “The Rosefields of Zion”. It’s a page-turner and it will make you appreciate beautiful Zion National Park even more.

BookLook January 2014 - with a few blog only changes

 Review of “Living the Healthy Life” 
by Springville author Randi Gerber

It’s January – the cruelest month of the year. The poet T. S. Eliot chose April as the cruelest month but he was wrong. In January we have to make New Year’s Resolutions! It's also the month with no chocolate holidays - the month between Christmas chocolate and Valentine chocolate. And apparently this is the month we take a good look at our lifestyle and make those tough resolutions to be healthier.

Where do we start with our resolutions? Read some good books and get informed. Searching for a new book to help set and keep healthy life-style resolutions, I opened the front cover of “Living the Healthy Life” by local author Randi Gerber and was intrigued by her introduction.

She wrote, “This book begins by establishing what disease is and what it means to heal naturally. It includes basic diet and lifestyle information designed to support he body in its natural healing processes. It also includes a chapter explaining the real secrets to hormone balance using a system I recently developed called Holistic Hormone Therapy.”

The author adds that although her holistic weight-loss and anti-aging tactics work, readers may need to work with a doctor to develop their specific natural treatment program. She also starts with the disclaimer that the book is for informational purposes and not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease since she is not a doctor or licensed healthcare professional.

Gerber almost lost me when she told me not to skip to the “Health Conditions Protocol” chapters without reading the preceding chapters. She knows that’s how we all read – go straight to the chapter on weight loss or zero in on our specific concern. Just give me the information, an easy plan and what I need to buy. This book however, is designed to educate first and offer solutions second so go back and start at the beginning after you peek at your chapter.

Back cover statements remind us of the suffering found in every family. “Autoimmune disorders plague up to 8 percent of the population and counting. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the US and continues to climb. Hormonal balances are epidemic and causing widespread suffering. Autism now plagues one in eighty-eight children.” Cancer, diabetes and mental illness are also included in the list.

Gerber is the mother of four children and has been gathering information for 15 years to keep herself and her family healthy. She is passionate about what she has learned and enthusiastic about sharing it. You many not agree with everything in the book, but read with an open mind and take advantage of her research which is well documented at the end of the book. You will a few changes to make, or a complete health makeover program.

If you don't plan on giving up chocolate completely, use January as the one month to give it up. I found a couple of other useful diet changes and some reminders like add lemon to my water bottle daily. 

BookLook Review
“Carla Kelly’s Christmas Collection”

When author Carla Kelly moved to Utah we got another state treasure. She’s right up there with the Tabernacle Choir, Arches National Park, and the seagull.

She has written more than 40 books and has won many awards including two RITA awards from the Romance Writers of America for Best Regency of the Year.

When I asked Kelly why she wrote a collection of romance stories about Christmas she replied, “From ‘The Little Match Girl’ to Della in ‘A Gift of the Magi,' Christmas stories make the season for me. It's a privilege to write my own, because anything goes at Christmas.”

Her book titled “Carla Kelly’s Christmas Collection” contains four Regency romance stories that I absolutely loved. I’m not a romance novel reader so this was an unexpected pleasure. Each story has a Christmas theme and is just the right length for holiday reading with a cup of cocoa in front of a cozy fire.

The first story, “The Christmas Ornament”, begins in London in 1815 as two gentlemen plot to bring their adult children together in marriage. A socially awkward son who is too wrapped up in academics and an intelligent daughter who is too well-read to be considered a proper wife, are an entertaining pair.

“Make a Joyful Noise” reminds the reader that love conquers all as two people who have suffered greatly find love. Kelly shares her love of Welsh singers by weaving these musicians into the choir competition.

“An Object of Charity” brings the reader to the coast and the hardship of those who sail the seas. It is a story of families and forgiveness and of course romance.

In the opening scene of “The Three Kings”, the reader meets the English noblewoman Lady Sarah who has been caught in Spain by the French army. Her bravery and compassion make her a great character and a true romantic heroine.

This book is appropriate for all the ladies on your list from young adults to grandmas. Readers will enjoy talking about the stories and defending their favorite of the four.

Women love to get a book for Christmas because it gives us an excuse to postpone housework and ignore requests for meals saying, “I’m enjoying the Christmas book you gave me so much I just can’t put it down.”  Don’t ever give a self-help book to a woman for Christmas – it’s like a mop and a bucket. Give them a sweet, sentimental romance novel instead.

If you’d like to join me and purchase the majority of your Christmas gifts from local companies this year, go to the Cedar Fort outlet store on the west side of I15, at 2373 W. 700 S. Springville  Call (801) 489-4084 for hours and more information.  

New Springville Museum book is a work of art 

Springville Museum of Art: History and Collection Authors: Vern G. Swanson, Jessica R. Weiss, Ashlee Whitaker, and Nicole C. Romney

 It took several years and four authors to produce THE book about the Springville Museum of Art. There are more than 160 years of history and thousands of pieces of art in the permanent collection condensed down to 417 pages. It is a work of art and a tribute to those who wrote, designed and published it.

 The first 50 pages begin with a reminder that the art collection began many years before the building was constructed or the little town of Springville existed. “The first intimations of an Art Movement came in 1848, two years before Springville was founded.” Pioneer artist Philo Dibble came to Springville with a vision of creating an art gallery or museum.

 Quick quiz questions: What is the oldest visual fine arts museum in Utah? What was the Spanish Colonial style building before it was an art museum? Which painting and sculpture started the art collection?

 Quick quiz answers: I’m sure you got the first one correct – the Springville Museum of Art which was completed in 1937. The second question is a common query from visitors – it has always been an art museum. The answer to the last question is in the book. Okay, I’ll tell you – it’s Mountain Stream by John Hafen and the plaster statue Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin.

 The majority of the volume focuses appropriately on the art and artists of the museum collection. Fascinating biographical information about Utah, American and Russian artists and descriptions of their selected art work surround large color reproductions. Some of the paintings will be recognized by museum visitors since they have hung on the walls in the upstairs galleries, or have been featured in recent shows. Due to the size of the collection, many art works are stored and rarely viewed. This volume allows readers to enjoy those seldom seen pieces.

 Some books were never meant to be downloaded. Some books were never meant to be viewed on a tiny palm-size screen. THE Springville Museum of Art book is a book to read, to turn the glossy pages and spend time with vivid art images reproduced from the collection. It is available for your Kindle, but I’d recommend purchasing a volume for your bookshelf. I suppose you could also download it for airplane travel.

 It’s a little early for Christmas shopping, but my dad will be getting one of these books for Christmas. He enjoyed painting and visiting museums until his health closed those doors recently. This will be a treasured gift he can enjoy for many years.

Booklook review: “Marriage 101 for Men: Why Taking Out the Trash is a Turn-On”

This catchy title makes “Marriage 101 for Men” a great addition to a wedding gift basket. I cello wrapped it with garbage bags, a whisk broom, dish soap and fabric softener.

Author Sherri Mills isn’t a marriage counselor or family therapist but she is a hairdresser. After listening to 40 years of women (and men) talk about their marriage problems while she cut and colored, Mills came to a startling conclusion.

“I discovered that men (including my husband) really have no idea the hardships women go through after working a job all day only to come home to another full-time job, one with no time off, no sick leave, and little or no appreciation, understanding, or respect.”

So she decided to write a book to help men with this problem. Of course, this could be a bit tricky since many married males aren’t too interested in reading a book that points out their faults, even if there are some great ideas they could use.

When I asked my married son to read the book and tell me what he thought he responded, “I’m not really interested in reading a self-help book – most guys aren’t.”

I tried my husband next. He just raised his eyebrows and turned to the next page of his Clive Cussler novel.

So how do you overcome this first obstacle? You buy the book, and read parts of it aloud. This can be done in the car when he is trapped, or just before bed. Some passages are sure-fire conversations starters.

Chapter one begins, “Let’s start with a blunt message that speaks directly to your interests. What you need and what your wife needs. How the two differ and how they can be achieved through the same action on your part. This book will give you the game plan for mastering that surprisingly elusive, permanent win-win solution for both you and your wife: great sex and a great life together.”

All women know that a man who helps cook dinner, wash dishes, and put children to bed has a better chance of igniting that romantic spark, than the guy who comes home from work and turns on the TV. This little book may help you communicate some of these facts to your clueless spouse.

I appreciated Mills including martial research information, actual stories from her clients and personal experiences. The Fair Marriage Contract comes with permission to photocopy and may be helpful to those who like it to be in writing, not just a verbal agreement. If you are a list maker, you will also want to copy the householder chore list at the end of the book 

Review of The Mounds Anomaly

THE MOUNDS ANOMALY      by Phyllis Gunderson

 BookLook review by Debbie Balzotti

I love anomalies don’t you? To save you having to look up anomaly let me just help you out with a definition as it applies to archaeology. It’s when someone finds something like an ancient cave that seems to contain Egyptian style artifacts in North America.

The main character in “The Mounds Anomaly” novel is an eccentric, sarcastic, middle-aged archaeology professor named Mathilda (Matt) Howard. She’s exactly like Indiana Jones – except for a few major differences. He’s good-looking and dashing and well, she’s not. They both share a devotion to ancient ruins and artifacts but while Indy travels to exotic international locations, Matt goes to farms, sheds and gullies in the USA. Dr. Jones never gets injured and saves the lives of his cohorts. Dr. Howard breaks her arm falling off a thirty-foot cliff in Illinois, and her ragged incision on a snake bite victim to do a suck and spit almost kills a girl.

Provo author Phyllis Gunderson has written 26 chapters of a fictional story with 26 author’s notes at the end. It’s a great way to separate fact and fiction without slowing down the plot, unless you are like me and become more intrigued by the facts and references.

In the fictional story, Matt Howard discovers that the Smithsonian Institute suppressed and even destroyed evidence from mounds found in North America. The conspiracy apparently continues despite thousands of artifacts collected from the mounds. Huh.

I confess that I spent some time on the internet after I finished the book to check the facts. I came across this reference to a famous Smithsonian annual report: “Cyrus Thomas, the Bureau's appointed head of the Division of Mound Exploration, eventually published his conclusions on the origins of the mounds in the Bureau's Annual Report of 1894. It is considered to be the last word in the controversy over the Mound builders' identities. After Thomas' publication, scholars generally accepted that varying cultures of prehistoric indigenous peoples, Native Americans, were the Mound builders.”

Were the mound builders Native Americans or an earlier culture which had arrived on boats from the east as Gunderson suggests in her novel? I’m more curious now about ancient American history which I suspect is exactly what the author intended.

RED HERRING WITHOUT MUSTARD

by Alan Bradley

     Most of us were introduced to the precocious Flavia in "Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" in 2009. If I was giving a teen girl a book I'd give her this instead of a book with a shallow, whiny, love-sick (sick being the important word) teen heroine. It is written for adults, with nothing inappropriate for any age reader, and is a fun read-a-loud if you can do an English accent.

     Flavia's adventures include five books, and since I never read a series out of order I had to read this 3rd one, in order to read the 4th one, "I am Half-sick of Shadows" now sitting on the bedside table. And then I can finally pick up the 5th one, "Speaking from Among the Bones" from the library. It's exhausting keeping up with myself.

     Motherless Flavia De Luce is the 11-year-old girl we never could have been but somehow we wish we were - for a little while. I love that she calls her bicycle Gladys. Her chemistry experiments and her amateur sleuthing make her a little more interesting than most 11-year-olds. She roams freely in a decaying manor house with a distracted father and 2 older sisters. Her address isn't a number on a street so you know it's grand. Buckshaw includes acres of woodland and boggy streams near a small village which makes it perfect setting for a 1950s British murder mystery.

     The same characters appear in this story. Dogger the gardener who suffers mental lapses due to war wounds, and  Mrs. Mullet who isn't the best cook but a reliable gossip are always able to assist our young sleuth.  Several new characters are just as eccentric and my favorites from the list are the old gypsy and her granddaughter. Gypsies make every story better, since they seem to have a strange and mystical culture.

       I adore this character. She's smart, funny, sassy and still finding out about herself. It's "wickedly funny" so sit by the grate with a cuppa and enjoy trying to keep up with the puzzling twists and turns in the third Flavia adventure.

Fractured Soul/Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan

Fractured Soul/Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan
Here’s a two-for-one review with no plot spoilers. These novels were quick reads and I had fun “buddy reading” with my niece Rachael Dredge. She is the target audience for these YA books since she is still an actual young adult and I’m more of a middle-aged young adult.
Rachael said, “The book ‘Fractured Light' is a clean, easy to read romantic novel with a twist. Fans of 'Twilight' and 'I am Number Four' will enjoy the book. Despite being predictable and hard to get into, it really picks up halfway in and gets you curious about where the series will head as a whole, introducing a mysterious magic system and a quest for self-knowledge. The main character herself, Llona, is nothing very eye-catching (another moody outcast), at least not until the end where she is put to the test.”
I responded with my view which was that the second book is better than the first book. You don’t need to read the first book to understand the second book, and McClellan doesn’t waste pages with too much back-story. There are fewer distracting descriptive phrases in ‘Fractured Light’ which lets the reader enjoy the story without halting the flow.
We get a little more information about Llona and the Auras. One of the questions we all want answered is revealed: “Why can’t I change my hair? It’s always the same. I can’t cut it or color it.” she asks the school nurse.
“It’s the Light in our DNA. It affects some of us physically, changing certain parts of our makeup.” She held up her left hand, revealing a sixth finger. I think Llona was happy to have beautiful white hair as her “Thing about us we would like to change” even before the lecture about having something we don’t like about our appearance.
As the exciting conclusion (I hoped) approached, I found myself willing to read longer in the final stretch. I also appreciated the G rating. Teenagers don’t always use offensive language or sleep with their very young boyfriend – and these characters don’t. It’s safe to give these books to a daughter, granddaughter or even a grandmother.
I will admit I had to find out how to pronounce Llona. It’s "eye-loh-nah" in the US and "ee-law-nuh” in Europe.  After mispronouncing heroines named Hermoine and Esme, I wanted to be able to carry on a conversation with YA readers without completely embarrassing myself.

STOP ME IF YOU’VE READ THIS ONE: Prairie Lite

Author Carla Kelly

Prairie Lite is not a romance novel. Carla Kelly is an award winning historical romance writer but her true talent emerges with this compilation of her best newspaper columns. As a former columnist myself, I appreciate her ability to use the few words allowed by newspapers to enlighten and entertain.

Do you ever long for the feel of a hot dusty breeze in the summer or a face paralyzing wind in the winter? Me neither, but I do have some great Midwest prairie memories and Carla Kelly has captured them in print with humor and affection.

Kelly lived in North Dakota and wrote, “North Dakotans must be the most optimistic people in America. I think it’s contagious. Who else would go outside when it was clear and nine below and say, “What a beautiful day!” Anyone from a warmer state (pick any 47 or so) overhearing that Northern Plains euphoria would probably start backing away slowly, speaking in soothing tones and avoiding eye contact.”

Her July 16, 2007 column titled, “Got Zucchini?” made me realize that we all suffer from a crazy mandate to eat everything that our garden produces – even a summer squash that multiplies while we sleep. We can’t just throw it away!

Kelly wrote, “For all I know, the Scenic Byway is lined with roving, feral zucchini, tossed out of car windows by desperate gardeners numb with the idea of thinking up one more way to disguise zucchini so folks will eat it.”

This is one of those books you give to friends, or select for your book club. Each column discusses a different topic ranging from vacation memories in the back of a station wagon to a favorite Christmas story about the candy bomber Gail Halvorsen.  Kelly shares those things we have in common as well as highlighting those odd, quirky things unique to every climate zone. I enjoyed a little lite reading from one of my favorite authors.

Review: Caleb’s Crossing

by Geraldine Brooks

I love historical fiction and I really enjoyed Caleb’s Crossing. I know I’m not alone since lots of women bought this book and we read it in our book club. But statistically romance novels were the most popular genre for women in 2004 with 55% of all books sold falling into this category.

Thank goodness we women have moved past 2004 and have expanded our reading appetites to include fantasies with fangs. I’ll bet that really messed up the stats.

I apparently belong in the minority group who still prefer historical fiction for my reading entertainment. I like to visit a time period before I was born so I can say, “Thank goodness I wasn’t born before central air and heating and outlet malls because I never would have survived.”

Caleb’s Crossing is set in 1660 before any of the comforts of home were invented. On the island now known as Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, we begin reading the story of Bethia  Mayfield and Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk. Bethia is the young daughter of a Calvinist minister and Caleb is an adolescent member of the Wampanoag tribe on the island.

Caleb’s character is based on the true story of the first Native American to graduate from Harvard. The author admits that very little is known about Caleb or his life, but she uses missionary journals from the time to tell his story and shape the dialogue between the two cultures on the island.

Bethia is a fictional character who believes firmly in her religion but not always her “place” in the community. She craves education despite being denied the opportunity. She admires her mother and tries earnestly to go about her hearthside chores with a cheerful heart and silent lips. She doesn’t always succeed. At one point in the story, Bethia stands before the congregation to confess an improper oath uttered only in the presence of her brother. She accepts her vindictive punishment stoically but we are horrified by the injustice and cruelty.

This novel is another example of Brooks’ brilliant use of language to transport us to another time and place. She illuminates all the dark corners of the time filled with ignorance and prejudice but she also shines a spotlight on the strength, courage and love.

BookLook back in business

Time to get back to posting book reviews. Sadly, after my BookLook newspaper column died and was buried with the Springville Herald, I have been busy writing for the Daily Herald but not writing book reviews. So, back by popular request, book reviews are back now shorter but not sweeter.

I Will Survive

I can shower, dress, and dry my hair in the time it takes for one "Dinosaur Train" episode. Yes, I will use PBS as a babysitter when needed.

Every day the boys open a surprise gift from their parents - the helicopter.

Nico the climber

Valentines is past but here's a post

What Mike and baby Paxton did while the rest of us made Valentines.Those cheeks are so cute - the baby's of course.

Dawson and Roman - it's all about the stickers for your Valentine

Haydon writing a note in his valentine, love his cowlicks!

I know it's past Valentines but once a week is all I got folks.