Another Turn of the Page: Can't Be Avoided

By jlheuer on September 27, 2024

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been.
The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."
― Isaac Asimov

You may have heard that we are having a major election in November. We will be deciding on the next President and many members of Congress which may change the leadership in both houses. At this point you may want to stop reading because, full disclosure, I am a registered Democrat.
While I was searching for a quote to add to the top, I came across this one by Asimov and it really described what we are experiencing this campaign season. Vice President Kamala Harris, a well-educated woman with years of experience in law and politics, put forth her vision for America. She highlighted fifteen proposals. They covered domestic and international issues. It makes no difference if you agree with all of them or part of them, they were clear, made sense and showed a genuine concern for this country and the people in it. There are people who still say they don't know her, don't know what she plans to do. There is no excuse for this ignorance except laziness.
On the other side we have a former president who was elected because not much was known about how he would govern. He made promises, told people he was an educated, successful businessman. But education isn't always the answer and his businesses have suffered bankruptcy upon bankruptcy. People tired of government as usual, thought he was the answer to all the problems a large country experiences. But once he was elected it was clear he knew nothing about about governing a country as diverse as ours and nothing about history. The current policies he has put forth include deporting hundreds of thousands of immigrants, which is almost impossible and will tank our economy. He wants to increase tariffs on foreign goods but he doesn't understand those costs will be passed on to we the consumers, as prices of foreign goods will rise. And he is proud of eliminating Roe v. Wade, which already has created devastating consequences for pregnant women and their doctors. He knows nothing of history, he has no compassion or understanding of the lives of the people he hopes to govern. He is really only concerned about himself as evidenced by the glut of merchandise he is hawking to fund his re-election.

So that is why I couldn't hold back any longer. I am not going to be coy, I urge you to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Not registered? Get the information soon. Deadlines are different from state to state. Don't be proud of ignorance, it is not as good as knowledge, it makes a fool of you, and your future and the lives of your children may depend on it.

That's why reading is so important and essential. And our group certainly loves to read. Lots of variety this month, again. We may have eclectic taste in books but we all agree to vote BLUE!

Before Women Had Wings by Connie Mae Fowler (1996) 272p. This semi-autobiographical novel is narrated by Bird, a young girl whose parents are alcoholics and child abusers. It takes place in Florida,1965. But Bird, Avocet Abigal Jackson, tells her story of finding her own wings while trying to be strong in a family that has lost it's bearings.
First Frost (Walt Longmire #20) by Craig Johnson (2024) 336p. This book follows the Longmire Defense (#19 in the series) but contains two storylines. One story is the follow up hearing to the events in the previous book but the other storyline is a flashback to when Walt and Henry, fresh out of college are heading to enlist to fight in Vietnam. When their car breaks down they come into a town harboring many mysteries.
Hard to Kill (Jane Smith #2) by James Patterson (2024) 384p. Attorney Jane Smith's previous client, Rob Jacobson, a liar and a cheat that Jane helped to be found not guilty of killing a family of three in the Hamptons, is released from jail. No sooner is he set free than he finds himself arrested again when a second family is found murdered in cold blood and his DNA is found at the scene.
Dry Manhattan: Prohibition in New York by Michael A. Lerner (2007) 360p. An interesting read about Prohibition, with special focus on how Prohibition impacted the culture of New York City, as well as New York City's impact on the eventual repeal of Prohibition. However, as competent and well-researched our reviewer found it lacking.
Personal (Jack Reacher #19) by Lee Child (2014) 353p. Someone tries to shoot the president of France. The bullet was American, but the distance between the shooter and the target was 3/4ths of a mile. There are only a handful of shooters who could have taken this shot. With a G8 Summit coming up, Jack Reacher is contacted to locate the shooter before he strikes again.
Opus Dictum (Vatican Secret Archive #2) by Gary McAvoy (2022) 314p. In 1982, Italian financier Roberto Calvi, known as "God's Banker," was discovered hanging under London's Blackfriars Bridge. The briefcase he was carrying, that contained documents blackmailing some of the most powerful people in Italy, was missing from the scene. When the briefcase mysteriously reappears in the Vatican Archives, Father Michael Dominic and his team must keep it safe from two powerful organizations, Opus Deus and the secret, outlawed Masonic Lodge P2.
Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever by Matt Singer (2023) 352p. The author details Siskel and Ebert's rise from making a few hundred dollars a week on local Chicago PBS station to securing multimillion-dollar contracts for a syndicated series. Their partnership was cut short when Gene Siskel passed away in February of 1999 after a battle with brain cancer that he'd kept secret from everyone outside his immediate family—including Roger Ebert, who never got to say goodbye to his longtime partner. But their influence on in the way we talk about (and think about) movies continues to this day.
Tell No One by Harlan Cohen (2001) 339p. David Beck and his wife are at their lake house for their anniversary. While Beck is getting a fire started in the living room he hears Elizabeth scream and then he is attacked. When he wakes he is told his wife is dead. Eight years later Beck is at work and gets a strange email that implies that Elizabeth is indeed alive.
Pink Lemonade Cake Murder (Hannah Swenson #29) by Joanna Fluke (2023) 290p. Another cozy mystery in the series, set in Lake Eden and featuring The Cookie Jar owner Hannah Swensen. Reviews are mixed on this one but if you are a fan of this series you'll probably enjoy this light mystery.
Saving Emma (Boady Sanden #2) by Allen Eskins (2023) 336p. This is considered a 'Character Arc' series. The author has an amazing group of main characters and each book features one of these protagonists. This one features Boady Sanden, a former defense attorney, and now a law professor teaching criminal law. He is contacted by a woman whose brother had been convicted of murder and was in an institution for the criminally insane. The guy was going to be subjected to shock therapy, but there were questions about his guilt.
What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama (2020) 304p. Librarian Komachi has read every book lining her shelves but she also has the unique ability to read the souls of her library guests. For anyone who walks through her door, she can sense exactly what they're looking for in life and provide just the book recommendation they never knew they needed to help them find it.
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley (2024) 354p. The Manor is an old historical house that was renovated into a hotel by the granddaughter of the original owners, Francesca Meadows. Unbeknownst to most guests, the land, the forests, the small town of Tome and Francesca herself harbor dark secrets. So when the fishermen discover the body of a woman floating in the water and the cliffside retreat goes up in flames, the mystery behind the murder and the fate of The Manor might be more complicated than the investigating officer, Detective Inspector Walker and his team might have thought.
The World of Curiosities (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #18) by Louise Penny (2022) 390p.The author takes us back to the origin story of the relationship between Inspector Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir. The first case they worked together was a horrific one - the abuse of two young children and the death of their mother. Now, all those years later, those two young people are back in Three Pines and Armand is uneasy. When a long hidden room is discovered, the events in the lives of the Three Pines villagers, and the Inspectors is changed.