Not For Me

I love a courtroom drama, legal show, surprise testimony. Having seen that the series All Rise, which I liked a lot, was based on this book, it was an easy decision to nab the book. The book's always better than the movie/series, show, right? Um, maybe not this time. Although it felt deeply researched, I felt it was a slog, it was depressing, and felt heartless and hopeless. Maybe it was just me? Part of it was the writing style--I found the threads hard to follow. Sorry, Steve. I'm astounded (and impressed) that someone read this book and made an entertaining show out of it.

Heartbreaking, Heartwarming

Laurie Zaleski lived a privileged life as a small child--in a nice town, on the best street, in the best house, with the prettiest parents. But as if often the case, all was not as it seemed. This engaging book tells the story of her childhood, her mom's (and her own) dedication to animals of all stripes and types, and her quest to create the ultimate refuge for these would-be castoffs. There is cruelty to both humans and animals referenced in this book, so be aware, although the overwhelming sentiment is rescue and kindness.

Explains A Lot

Wow. This fascinating book by Ryan P. Brown is small but oh, so informative. I've always wondeed what cultural snail trail led to certain characteristics of pockets of the country, from accents to customs, to social norms. Turns out, there are "honor countries", which led to "honor states", and on down the line. Scotland seems to be one of the heavy-hitting (no pun intended, but there you go) origins of this mindset. Having family roots in Scotland, this treasure trove of information was even more intriguing, as there were times I "tsk-tksed" superiorly, and others when I had to admit I would probably have behaved in a more "honor culture" manner. Ryan ranges from naming children, to domestic abuse, athletics and treatment of strangers. I'm keeping this one and will read it again.