They say that reading backwards or upside-down is helpful in keeping one's brain sharp, but I find it too hard to do, so I don't. (Sorry, family, I guess that doesn't say good things for my future, or yours.) Despite my intention to avoid these activities, I found that reading this book felt exactly like that. Screwtape, an assistant to the devil writes a series of letters to his nephew, Wormwood, a junior-level demon given the task of coaxing a man over to the dark side. Throughout the book, the devil is referred to as "Our Father" and God is called "The Enemy." Seems straightforward, sure, but when good is bad and bad is good, it really can get confusing. It was written cleverly, satirically, but actually was quite meaty. The chapters are short, and I limited myself to one a day so I could really ponder them. I disagreed with the author on one point, but won't blow it for you here--read the book for yourself and chew on it. Overall, a very shrewdly written framework of human weaknesses, and none of us can claim innocence. Plus, it's probably good for your brain.

Watch any SNL skit with a supposed pothead lampooned, and the caricature is inevitably a mellow couch potato whose main concerns are weed and snacks (and not necessarily in that order.) Well, maybe we had that all wrong. Alex has done some exhaustive research and unearthed some disturbing correlations between cannibis use and psychosis, particularly shizophrenia. As he says in his book, psychosis and paranoia are associated with violence, so there's a math problem even I could solve. There's some scary stuff in here. Heck, I voted to legalize that wacky tobaccy, trying to free up our legal system so it can more easily handle serious misconduct. This information turns all my preconceived notions (no surprise, as the book relates) were way off base. Although he has many detractors, his compilation of data is worth a ponder.

It is disclosed early on (heck, on the back cover) that the mysterious star of this book, The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, hanged herself, but no one knows why. The story is written through the eyes of Ryusei, her friend (but wanna-be boyfriend) and Fumi, his sister. There is much delving into the metaphysical realm, which is not really my cup of tea. Nevertheless, the story plugs along, with a decent pace, touching on many topical issues which I won't give away here. Perhaps the ethereal is exactly what drives you and you are salivating as we speak--pick it up and get ready for a dreamy, dark read.

In this comprehensive book, you will learn how birds think, cooperate, play and connive. While I struggle to make the "peacock" sound in Old MacDonald, our feathered friends out there dazzle with their ability to copy calls of other birds, animals and industrial sounds. And remember where they've hidden their eggs. And the secret code word that differentiates genuine chicks from an imposter. And where the bees live. And where the ants are. And when the storms are coming. And how to drum up a posse to ward off danger. There is so much information in here, you'd (okay, I'd) have to read it a dozen times to remember a fraction of the data. Sounds dry, but our friend Jennifer is not only a bird-whisperer, but a dang good writer, so it was quite interesting. If you've always thought of birds as, well, bird-brained, it's time to re-think what that means.

Which is what Mr. Katz actually did. This accomplished author decided to upend his entire life and buy a piece of property so that his herding dogs could live the way they were bred to be, out on the land, moving sheep from one place to the next. Pretty admirable project, considering he was new to the lifestyle, was moving to a new part of the country, and he and his wife would only see each other part-time. Kudos to them both, and what lucky dogs are these! This book is a blend of humor, poignancy and lighthearted adventure, but no dog tragedies. (He discloses that early in the book so those of us who are too soft-hearted can read on with confidence. Very much appreciated.) This book is pure joy and no work. Kind of like having a friend with a boat.

Oh . . . My . . . Gosh. You know, I was totally the obvious choice for squad leader, because, I like totally have the most dance experience, and everybody says I'm the best dancer, and like, look really good in my outfits. I mean, like, I keep myself in shape, and everybody says that. So, in fourth grade I did a solo in the school play and got, like, a lot of applause and almost a standing ovation. Okay, it was my family who stood up, but there were a lot of them there. So it was pretty much a lot of the room. Anyways, it's so obvious that I should have been the one picked. But, after the new coach came in (the last one was SO STUPID!) she totally told me (in private) that I was for sure the best, but she ended up picking Monica and I ended up not being on the squad at all. But all the other girls told me Monica wouldn't last, and maybe I should volunteer to be the equipment manager? But I said, no, only squad leader, or okay, maybe junior leader. So then I saw the coach at Jamba Juice and she totally said she liked the way I danced and soon I'll be in there. So pretty much I'm totally gonna be squad leader. It's so obvious because I'm the best. So then Divon told me that the coach said Monica wouldn't be there much longer and so I asked all my friends what they thought and they said the same thing. When my phone rang, I thought, "OMG, this is her!" but it turned out to be Jenny saying that Monica was talking about me behind my back. What a B$#%H! Why would she do that to me? So anyways, the coach finally asked me to be junior leader which is actually the hardest job of all and everybody knows it. And what I wanted all along. I was so emotional when everybody in my contact list congratulated me and told me I was gonna do a way better job than Melissa which meant a lot to me. Okay, I texted them all first to let them know Melissa was kicked out and I was in, but still their support means a lot and that I'm the right person for the job and should have had it all along. We'll have to see how that B*%$H Monica will be since now she's saying I wanted her job but I totally didn't and never said that I wanted it. Everybody knows I'm a better dancer and they all say so. Plus, I always wanted the junior leader job and I always said that. That's a fair approximation of the first chapter. Substitute political characters and places--he was clearly taking notes every second of every day--and you get the drift. Here's the bottom line: John Bolton is an amazing genius who aurifies everything he touches. Everybody knows he's the most amazing person ever. Obama is an idiot. Everything Obama did was stupid. Democrats are stupid, unless they subscribe to #2, above, which, of course, some do, because he's so amazing. Trump took around 1 1/2 years to appoint Bolton to a government job. In the meantime, Bolton lurked around the White House, scrounging for compliments. Chapter Two: Have you ever been the victim of a rambling story, say, involving a trip to the grocery store, the wonky wheel on the cart, the people tasting the produce, the price of bleach and the sassiness of the clerk, only to find out that the punchline was that someone was driving badly in the parking lot? Why say in 500 words what you can say in 3000? This also seems to be Bolton's m.o. Here's the summary: John Bolton is still an amazing genius, smarter than anyone else, ever. Mattis is an idiot. The UN is stupid. Bolton is discovering that Trump is unfocused. Chapter Three: Blah, blah, blah, ME, blah, blah, blah, ME, blah blah, Iran Deal, blah, blah blah, I got a standing ovation. Here's the gist: John Bolton is STILL an Einstein without whom the Western World would collapse. The powers that be in France, England and Germany all agree with #1. Nikki Haley is an idiot. Mike Pompeo can't make a move without a lingering hug or word of affirmation from Bolton. Bolton knows a lot of words (and loves to bandy them about) but hasn't grasped proper usage of reflexive pronouns. Bolton is discovering that Trump has some issues. Chapter Four (Not sure how long I can hold on, folks): I can't do it anymore. I just can't. I tried, and it's just too hard. I'm sorry, but I'd rather scrub toilets. Let's see if I can provide a synopsis of this chapter. John Bolton is also imperative to the proper functioning of Japan. Plus, smarter than everyone else, etc. Obama is an idiot. Europe only claims to care about the environment. Trump passed out mints at a meeting. Yes, that was in there. Although Bolton postures as though he would tell it like it is to KJU, when his turn comes, he bootlicks, then congratulates himself on his clever bootlicking. Bolton loves it when Trump compliments him in front of people. Bolton is beginning to understand that Trump is difficult and makes bad choices. So here's MY concensus of the book, based on what I was able to read. 1. Trump has put everybody except the local WalMart greeter in a White House position. That it took him 18 months to bring Bolton aboard, despite all his hinting around, says a LOT. 2. One of the main sources of hot air on this planet has to be Bolton. That man is a complete blowhard. 3. If Bolton is so smart, why did he have to work with Trump to know what an idiot he is? If he hadn't figured it out prior to 45 "winning" the election, you'd think at some point during the ensuing 18 months he would have had an inkling. The rest of us sure did. 4. I've read lots of political books recently which parse the current administration. Both main political parties have been represented by the authors. In all these other books, former presidents are assessed on their strengths and weaknesses, and contrasted with the current POTUS. This is the only book which seems to give a sweeping condemnation of all things touched by the Democratic party. I am inclined to discount most of what anyone says when they have this one-sided mind set. Although he may have some salient points, he lost his credibility because he is so assured of his superiority that he has no room for learning, or even the graciousness of objectivity. He already knows everything. Which sounds a lot like Trump. Sorry, John. Not impressed. You do take thorough notes, though. One ho for that.

This little surprise was a solid mystery, and taught me a few things, too. I was unfamiliar with the crime-fighting Sheriff Cubiak, but apparently there are more adventures of his to be found out there. I might just check them out.

The baby who was born "Imad" made a name for himself as a child obsessed with all animals. His nickname, Abu Laith, meaning "Father of Lions" grew out of this love and his shock of orange hair. Imad's love of animals was so passionate that he risked his life to save the animals in the Mosul zoo during ISIS occupation. I've read other reviews, and people have criticized him for his passle of children (around 15 I think), but does any of us know how we'd be in the midst of an actual war zone? How available is birth control when you can't even get food? I think he (and his wife) deserve a pass on this one, unless you're experienced at living through this kind of terror. There are some other key players--Hakam, who helps hook up the zoo animals with their ultimate savior, Dr. Amir, who could write a book of his own. This true story is raw, gritty and heartwarming.

Stewart has written two of my favorite books of all time (A Prayer for the Dying and The Names of the Dead), so I had really high hopes for this. I was disappointed to find that the bite and snap of the previously mentioned books was completely missing. His writing ability hasn't changed, it's just that there was basically no plot. Jot down the daily ramblings of a retired person, and there you have it. I'm not saying that one has to have a crisis every day to lead an interesting life, but the story just didn't go anywhere. Henry sees a woman from afar while golfing, shortly after he was musing about his past love. We all wonder: Could this be her? Well, we never find out because that woman he saw on the course had nothing to do with the storyline. Or anything else. She was just glimpsed while he golfed. This meandering narrative is pretty typical of every chapter. Furthermore, the brittle relationship between Henry and Emily creates such a bleak overtone that it was just plain sad. While Henry is long suffering and saintly, his wife is admirable in her efficiency but intimately frosty. She never volunteers a kind word to her husband, leaving us all feeling the loneliness that permeates this book. Stewart, in the past, has dazzled with the big twist at the end, but that certainly didn't happen here. No pivot, no plot, no point. I just didn't get it.

Besides being an accomplished mover, Finn is a great writer. The recap of his first day on the job had me laughing out loud. You'll learn so much you never knew you wanted to know about truckers in general, movers in particular, and the people who hire them. Now I know that if I ever hire movers, I'll: Address them by name Buy them lunch Tip them at the end of the day Put exploding cans of snakes in my drawers Loved it.

While this book was a page-turner with some twists (I do appreciate a twist), there were some disappointments too. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't. Here are my criticisms. The author has lived for some years in England, but is not British. However, he sneaks the Anglais parlance in there which, to my ear, just sounded forced and show-offy. He finds a word he likes, and then uses it to excess. We get it--the main character "sloped" around her apartment a lot. Find another word, dude. Was surprised in the middle, but not at the end. The end seemed rushed, lacked imagination, and I figured it out. It would be a great airplane read, and is a great debut book. However, I'm confident his next one will be even better.

This book, compiled by Kerry Kennedy, casts a wide net by contributors. From pious to atheistic, how the Catholic experience shaped each interviewee is as individual as they each are. The memoirs are snapshots of their time in (and out of) the Church, and reasons for their subsequent spiritual journeys. Definitely thought-provoking.