L V

Britt-Marie has spent a lifetime of serving others, losing herself in the process.

“Because if we don’t forgive those we love, then what is left? What is love if it’s not loving our lovers even when they don’t deserve it?”

There’s a fine line in forgiving those we love, when they have no intention of returning that love back, and loving yourself. If we lose love and respect for ourselves, we lose all belief in all the wonderful and amazing things we are capable of doing. I enjoyed Britt-Marie’s journey in finding herself.

It would make a decent summer read for a middle schooler, and a good intro to sci-fi. The concept of a murder mystery in space is pretty cool. The storyline, however, does have its plot holes. The inquisitive and astute child will most likely have a few questions regarding plausibility.

“I wanted to…show the American public what happens to real living people swept up in a warped ideology.”

Two lifelong friends and business partners. They co-own an art gallery in San Francisco. They have been childhood friends since their days in Germany, where they’re both from. Max stays in America to manage the gallery. Martin goes back to Germany with his wife and kids. Max is Jewish. Martin is not.

Correspondence began in November 1932. Martin is settling in and speaks of Germany still being in political unrest and how much food costs now. Fortunately for him, he is living like royalty on the American dollar. He has a 30 room house, 10 acres, 10 servants, 3 ponies and German tutors for the kids.

“Is it for this we spend our lives? To scheme for money and then to strut it publicly…we are vain and we are dishonest because it is necessary to triumph over other vain and dishonest persons.” -Max

They sign off each letter affectionately, telling of the great love and esteem they have for one another. It is not until Adolf Hitler starts creating a buzz in January that there is noticeable tension within the friendship. Max doesn’t like the guy from Day 1. By March of that year, just four months after the initial correspondence, Martin was sold on Hitler’s ideology and thinks he is the one who will bring Germany back to its glory. Martin becomes an official in the new regime, rubs elbows with elite Nazis, and lands a nice job at a bank.

Word gets out from neighbors who have fled Germany and returned to the U.S. of the atrocities taking place there. Max doesn’t want to believe it and implores Martin to tell him the truth. Martin’s reply:

“As for the stern measures that so distress you, I myself did not like them at first but I have come to see their painful necessity. The jewish race is a sore spot to any nation that harbors it…you will not see that a few must suffer for millions to be saved.”

Max is hopeful that Martin is so scared of the censorship and propaganda happening, that he is only speaking in this way for fear that Nazis are watching/listening over everything being said. Martin assures him he is speaking from his own beliefs and tells Max not to talk to him anymore. He wants no part of Jews unless he is getting money from it. Max’s reply:

“Your new attitude, I cannot discuss. But you must understand me, I did not expect you would take up arms for my people because they are my people, but because you were a man who loved justice.”

So much more happens after this, but I’ll stop here because it’s mirroring too much of our current times, and…I just can’t….

When asked what prompted her to write Address Unknown, the author said it was down to a couple of German friends who lived in America and moved back to Germany just before the war. When they came back for a visit, they would not tolerate hearing any criticism of Hitler.

They happened to come across a very dear friend of theirs on the street, and when he stretched out his arms for an embrace, her friends turned their backs to him and kept walking because he was Jewish. She couldn’t believe how they changed in such a short amount of time. In writing the book, she hoped to inform the American public of what was hapoening, and in doing so, find some kind of answers as to what went wrong and how this was allowed to happen.

I spent about an hour reading this book. It will take lifetimes to process and get any satisfactory answers as to how and why any of this was allowed to happen. Change a few names around and this book could very well have been written about our current political climate. The more things change…

🎧

“I want you to always remember that you can become whatever you want to become, but that’s nowhere near as important as knowing that you can be exactly who you are.”

Listened to the audiobook version on Libby (only 3 hrs; excellent narrator). What a gem! Writing to his 1 ½ year old son, Fredrik imparts his best advice, fears, triumphs and dad hacks using examples of his own experiences as hilarious points to note. It’s such a fun and relatable read that for once I thought he’d left out those little emotional bombs he drops that all of a sudden bring a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye, wait until you get about 43% in!

This is a love letter to friendship, marriage, parenthood and all that comes before it and after. There are so many quotable moments that you might as well just dip the book in highlighter, if you’re annotating. This would make an exceptionally nice Father’s Day gift from a father to a son who is soon to become a first time dad. Would make for a fun little beach read or palate cleanser as well.

Life-long friends. Some secretly resent one another for their achievements or seemingly care/free lifestyles. There’s the peacemaker who puts out fires while quietly smoldering in her own inferno. And as with any friendship, there are going to be opinions and disagreements along the way. In a true friendship, such as this one, there is forgiveness, reflection and self-growth. I enjoyed this one. It had a good balance of sad, funny, tense and serious moments. A substantial beach read.

“Staying alive costs money.”

This book’s main character felt like a high school senior whose plans for the future were up in the air, and she was drowning in thoughts of her uncertain future post graduation. Ah Ro’s role: the kind and intune guidance counselor who holds her hand and gives the teen the resources and support she needs to help carve her path in life.

This story is nuts! It starts out in 1980 with Andy,16, being given the task of testing his dad’s amusement park rides. Rides constructed by people his dad knew in a past life or hired on the cheap. Andy faces the Cannonball Loop, which is scheduled to premiere in a month’s time, and as much as Andy likes to test out his teenaged bravado, even this scary looking ride gives him pause. The rides keep getting more dangerous, so much so that the media is picking up on it and writing stories about it to warn the public. This media attention only serves to make it a must-visit kind of place for thrill seekers.

Andy and his siblings just keep getting more and more banged up until they get the hang of the rides and learn to ride them with as little injury as possible, but customers don’t have this advantage (?), and they don’t seem to mind. Seeing with his own eyes how rides are erected at Action Park, and witnessing the near fatality of its patrons when riding them, would not only give me pause, I’d run in the opposite direction without ever looking back.

Still, with all the lack of licensed engineering, safety procedures, trained personnel, etc., there is something nostalgic about this book that cannot be denied. It’s like when older folk reminisce about the times when they could ride in cars without seatbelts and pack all their kids and pets in the back of a truck bed and go on long, winding, speedy rides.

Kids from the 70s and 80s were tough. They licked their wounds if they got hurt in a public place - no one dared think to sue. They just walked it off, if they were lucky. And reading about what went on in Action Park, it’s amazing that many were able to do just that. What a time to be young and free! If anyone is reading this and has their own Action Park or similar days-of-yore stories, do share. I find it to be so much fun!

I see this one as a mashup of Rear Window and Only Murders in the Building. All of the characters are colorful and lovable. The setting is beautiful and peaceful, and had me thinking about my own neighbors: how well do I really know them?? As the story went on, I just wanted to learn more about these folks instead. I just loved tagging along and deciphering the clues with the main characters. I was guessing who’d done until the very end. A fun and satisfying read indeed.

And that, my friends, is why you keep the windows up and the music blasting!

An awesome father/son collaboration. Had me guessing which creepy parts were imagined by the son and which were conjured up by the dad.

A sweet story about a few strangers who become friends and help one another overcome their personal struggles.

From Sam Cooke to The Chainsmokers, songs, as we know them, are reimagined as Shakespearean sonnets. I wanted to include one in my review, but couldn’t decide on the perfect one. Some are clever, others, a bit saucy, most are pretty much a good laugh. If you need some light reading, a palate cleanser, or something with a bit of humor that can help pull you out of a slump, pick this one up. The book is divided into five parts:

Sonnets of Love

Sonnets of Despair

Songs of Time and Morality

Rogues, Rascals, and Wanton Women

Ballads of Heroes

“It’s about the blatant criticism of girls who were victims of manipulation. It’s about holding the right person accountable for the crime he committed. It’s about corporations attempting to silence victims and continuing to profit off the very monster they helped create.”

When Korey tells of his first time at 14 with an older woman, Enchanted is devastated for him because he was groomed and had not realized it. Meanwhile, he’s doing the exact thing to her, but he’s so smooth at what he does that she can’t recognize it for what it is. It broke my heart.

The parent’s guilt also got to me. They knew deep inside not to let her go, but when your child wants something so very much, you’d do almost anything to make it happen and Korey took advantage of their love for their daughter. You hear stories of groomers playing the long game to build that trust slowly over time, but it can also happen in the blink of an eye. My heart goes out to all victims and the families who’ve had to endure such pain, betrayal, doubt, and humiliation.

The author begins by recalling a road trip his family made back in 1976, when he was 7 years old. It was a time when there weren’t any smart phones, tablets, Spotify or GPS. And can you even imagine the car radio not being able to tune into a decent radio station? The horror!

From waking up at the crack of dawn to make good time to rationing snacks and planning out rest stops, the author unfurls the minute details it took to plan and execute the great, big family road trip. Along with his shared highs and lows of the trips of his youth, he expertly weaves historical feats that helped make family road trips possible in the first place. The evolution of paved roads, the automobile boom, Cape Canaveral (and so much more!) have all done their part in making the road trip accessible while also taking a part in shaping our current landscape and economy.

If you’re not into story telling mixed with bits of history lessons, this one isn’t for you. But if you were a 70s or 80s baby and remember making family road trips, and all that it entailed, you’ll appreciate this trip down memory lane (for good or for worse). Now read quietly back there, and don’t make me pull over. I’ll turn this car right back ‘round and we can forget the whole thing. I mean it!

“It works because it’s rock and roll” ch 56

This was a nice cozy read. A great array of songs are mentioned instantly taking me back to my youth. If you’re looking for something where not much happens, in terms of twists and turns, but you still want to care about the characters and feel something, this one’s for you. It also makes for a good palate cleanser in between those heavier reads.

P.S. Gustavo’s recurring joke finally makes me guffaw at chapter 50.