Ultimate X-Men By: Peter Sanderson

The X-Men (and all it's variant iterations) have always been my favorite comic, and this history of the X-Men is exceptional!  A look at the X-Men from it's inception in the 60s, the reader is taken on a decode by decade journey through the changing faces, timelines and stories of the X-Men and it's off-shoots.  Full of fascinating facts and the amazing visuals of the original illustrators, this is a compendium worth treasuring for any X-Men fan!

You Can't Know This By: Dwayne Alexander Smith

Creepy, Creepy, Creepy!  This short story will have you completely creeped out, but unable to turn away.  Part horror story, part mystery, completely original!  The reader won't be able to put this down!

Six Days in August By: David King o Be Published: August 2020

An in depth look at the hostage situation in Sweden in the early 70's, that for good, or bad, led to the term and the concept of Stockholm Syndrome.  Part thriller; part Swedish social history; part comment on the power/menace of the media; part psychological treatise; this exceptionally researched book will grip you from beginning to end.  The absolutely amazing accomplishment of this book, is that the reader gets a little taste of what the hostages may have felt during their six days of captivity, in that the reader does find themselves sympathizing with the captors and can understand why the hostages acted the way they did.  I admit that with the caveat that this reader never forgot that the hostages would never have been in that situation in the first place if Janne hadn't taken them hostage in the first place.  But because of this strange dichotomy of thoughts, I could easily see why the hostages could seem to have been sympathetic to their captors.  David King does an amazing job at presenting all sides of the story, without judgement, which is no small task.  A fascinating read!

Cry of Murder on Broadway By Julie Miller To Be Published: October 2020

Don't let the title fool you-while you will be told of the cry of murder on Broadway that is the result of a woman's ruin and revenge in old New York, what you are also getting is a meticulously researched and simply presented story of how one person's small action can contribute to huge changes.  This is the butterfly effect told through the lens of the Amelia Norman case.  While the crime of the story is the impetus, it's really the story of how the laws of this country are set up by men to protect men.  While this story focuses on how the laws disenfranchise women specifically, it is easy to see how the same attitudes led to laws that disenfranchised other populations as well; and how even when those laws are changed, seemingly to the advantage of the disenfranchised, it is really still to the advantage of the ones making the laws.  Julie Miller lays out the facts and the history in a simple straight forward manner, and it is because of this simplicity that the facts, the history and the injustices (that unfortunately are still VERY MUCH in existence today) are so effectively, powerfully and stunningly conveyed.

The Adventures of the Christmas Pudding By: Agatha Christie

A fun Yuletide romp with Poirot on the hunt for a missing ruby.  A house full of guests, a plum pudding, a mysteries note and a practical joke all lead to a playful twist and another satisfactory conclusion to this Poirot short.

Teen Titans: A Celebration of 50 Years By: Various Illustrators & Writers

It's always great to walk down memory lane and revisit the comics I loved as a kid.  Still a huge fan of the 80's Teen Titan line up, and Raven is still my favorite Titan!

Cat Among the Pigeons By: Agatha Christie

I Love when I can't figure out a mystery-for some reason it excites me to be clueless and when the reveal happens to see the clues I missed...which is why I adored this Poirot mystery! A foreign political revolution impacts a renowned girls school in England.  Add some shady school mistresses, some missing jewels and a wonky tennis racket and you've got a Cat Among the Pigeons!  Great fun!

Everything in between By Caitlin Elizabeth Sammons

What I thought was going to be a delightful romp through someone's personal travels, turned into a delightful romp through someone's personal trauma, travels and revelations...and that's just wat this book is....a revelation.  Sammons takes the reader with her on her actual travels, while we go down the rabbit hole with her to discover who she (we) is (are) and the true meaning of one's life and finding joy.  I was completely entranced with the author's style and moments of enlightenment, all of which will live the reader, examining their own journey through this ting we call life.  A fantastic read!

The Brownie Scouts in the Cherry Festival By: Mildred A. Wirt

Another charming story of the Rosedale Brownie Troop helping in their community.  While assisting a local farmer with picking his crop of cherries, the young ladies find themselves embroiled in the hunt for interesting quilts, missing handwriting and teaching certain folks in town how not be racist prigs!  All in a weeks work for the intrepid children of the Brownie Troop!

The Brownie Scouts in the Circus By: Mildred A. Wirt

I realize I'm not the target audience for this book, nor would I have been the target audience for it back int he 40's when it came out, but I fund this too be exceedingly charming!  I can totally picture a young girl reading this in the 40's and being entertained, excited and empowered by the characters and the story.  I have no idea how I ended up with two of these books in my apartment, but I'm glad I found them.  Now on to The Brownie Scouts and the Cherry Festival!

Taltos By: Anne Rice

A satisfying conclusion the the saga of the Mayfair Witches and a perfect set up for a continuing series on Ash and Morrigan..hint..hint, Ms. Rice!!!

The Boys in the Band By: Mart Crowley

Read this brilliant piece again, during a zoom play reading-and had a great discussion with the participants afterward.  Really fascinating to have a cis perspective of this piece, especially with a "now" mentality applied to a piece writing more than 50 years ago and before the Stonewall Riots.

Lasher By: Anne Rice

I have to say that in all honesty, I remembered nothing about this book, even though I've read it previously! With that said, I really enjoyed this.. the second installment in the Mayfair Witch series. It picks up where the Witching Hour leaves off, continues with the family history, and wrap ups the whole Rowan/Lasher/Michael story line. There are moments of heart pounding action, moments of quiet history and moments of explosive violence and vengeance. Stunning storytelling!

Agatha Christie's The Unexpected Guest Novelized by Charles Osborne

A well structured novelization of Agatha Christie's play of the same name.  Due to heavy fog a car ends up in a ditch and an unexpected guests drives at the nearest house, to find a dead body and a woman standing near it with a gun in her hand...and that's only the beginning!  The twists in this one will cause neck strain if you aren't careful!  Can't wait to read Christie's original script of this play.

A Deadly Inside Scoop By: Abby Collette

Oh, this was great fun!  A perfect summer cozy!  A quirky heroine, her family and friends all conspire, in their own way, to solve the case of the dead man discovered in the snow.  Fantastic ice cream flavors wet the reader's appetite for Win's family shop to succeed, while being introduced to a wonderfully diverse set of characters.  A well plotted mystery and a satisfying ending leave the reader wanting another scoop of Win and the gang!

Ordeal by Innocence By: Agatha Christie

Have to say not one of my favorites, by Ms. Christie.  I thought it was obvious from the start who did it originally and way too obvious who did the last two crimes. There was no oomph to the characters or the flow of the story-it was rather plodding in it's pace, going over the same information repeatedly.  Still, I do enjoy reading her work good bad or indifferent-with this one I was indifferent.