I was always moved to the front because of talking. Can I help it they want to talk to me? Even the teacher at the desk in front. I think of it as a super-power!
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Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America by Luis A. Miranda Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lin-Manuel Miranda was the one I thought of when I put this on hold on Libby. I want to get better acquainted with Hamilton and the music. I admire that composer; I’m not yet in love with the musical like everyone else. Still, the picture on the front of the book should have given me a clue. This guy has to be older than the Lin-Manuel I saw on a talk show. No. Luis A. Miranda Jr. is Lin-Manuel’s father.
There is a lot to learn from this man and his son. Their passions lead their lives. Music, acting, movies, and stage plays inspired the father. And they were transferred to the rest of the family. This is the part of the memoir I loved the most.
Learning about Puerto Rico and the differences in types of Hispanics cleared many questions I had over the years. And I learned a lot about different types of activism to help others. But here is where I started disconnecting. Was it me or the hours at night I was listening? Before long, I was lost in a sea of politics. Still, I found the enthusiasm Mr. Miranda Jr. displayed during these parts at least made me pay attention. Whether or not I agree didn’t matter. It was inspiring to feel his spirit.
How does one thank those who have given you the most? Especially when they’re gone. In this case, I’m embracing the passion and challenges. Though I’m not naturally gifted. My mother blanketed me in lessons and learning discipline to practice. Or as I convinced my inner child, playing.
Sammie the Spidercat the furry lapcat who now can blanket my legs as I knit, crochet or scroll.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
With this cast: Jot Davies (Narrator), Chloe Massey (Narrator), Olivia Dowd (Narrator), Aoife McMahon (Narrator), Sarah Ovens (Narrator), Rich Keeble (Narrator), Lucy Foley’s story plays out like an old radio mystery theater.
I finished a book before I was ready to go to sleep. Since it was a Libby audiobook, I tried to find something else to get me to sleeping time. I saw this one about a wedding guest list. The blurb made it look interesting. I don’t much like murder mysteries, but with the setting in Ireland, I thought it would at least whet my travel desires. It worked!
All the actors gave such depth to the story that probably, in a paper book, it would still be great. The accents enriched each character. And what a single narrator-type book would do, I never felt lost as to who was talking.
There were so many types of people at this wedding. And life-like relationships that we learn about that happened and caused some incidences at the wedding that one doesn’t expect. We don’t start with a body and try to figure out who did it, but the other part of the mystery is who will die and why, then asking the who. This makes it the best mystery I have ever read/listened to.
This was readily available on Libby. If you get the chance, I think you’ll like it, too.
Tsarina Scholar Woodsman Thief by Cidney Swanson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Narrator Amanda Berry made this the most wonderful fairytale I’ve read in a long time. I already knew I’d love it as I am a big fan of Cidney Swanson. I was going to wait until the end of this review, but I love her Mars series so much that I want to read them all again. She also has a time travel/history series. She is such a great author, no matter the subject matter. (But Mars still wins in my books)
In this tale, you have a few young people trying to make it on their own. At first, they don’t know each other. We get to know them one at a time. Misfortune strikes each of them. This is not contemporary. Horses are the means of travel or sailing boats.
I listened to the Audible version and loved it after I immersed myself in the time and lands. And though this is not the end of the story, we are left in a safe place while we await the next book, coming soon. Please give it a try. I think you’ll love it, too. Oh, and while you wait, go check out Saving Mars and the whole series.
Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.
Wayne Dyer
Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Once again, I was reluctant to read a book. I don’t like books about murder. And that is the reason I usually don’t read mysteries. They are rarely about missing glasses. True mysteries. And I don’t know where I heard about this book, but thanks to whoever suggested this. It was a lot of fun!
Jane Oppenheimer, narrator, read this with such spirit that I didn’t want to put it down. She was about to change her voice for every character, and I was never lost as to who might be speaking.
The author was clever in shifting a book about the younger women (daughter and granddaughter), and soon, it is the grandmother who speaks the most in the book. Her viewpoint is a little annoying but fun.
Yes, there is a murder or more, but as a team, the three women risk their own lives, careers, and their relationships with each other. Tricky at first, but by the time it all falls apart, each woman searches for strength and wisdom.
Ah, I am not saying what I want to. Just know that this is a fun book, despite the murders and bad guys. I was lucky to pick it up on Libby. Enjoy!
We’re making progress, despite the loss of male bits yesterday. Sammie was very scared and disoriented when he first got home. It was like he didn’t know any of us or where he was. By evening he seemed to feel more at home.
By the way, it was so nice of the spay/neuter team to come out to our everything desert on their weekend to take such good care of our puppies and kitties.
Today we had a couple lap sessions and recliner time. He initiated. I was elated.
Because of him, and aches and pains due to weather changes, I’ve gotten very little done today.
NaNoWriMo isn’t going well either. I reduced my word count goal to 25k.
Even piano was a short session.😥
The only thing that might show progress:
I hope you had a happy, safe, thoughtful Veterans’ Day. Thanks for your service folks.
Finding Baby Holly: Lost to a Cult, Surviving My Parents’ Murders, and Saved by Prayer by Holly Marie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was worried about reading this. I thought it would add to the stress of the day. But actually, I found it relaxing and positive. Thanks to Libby for making so many books available to the poor for free.
If you don’t mind a person expressing their religious points of view, this is a good book. But some might find it a bit heavy in the beliefs end of things. I always feel we see a unique person’s point of view in an autobiography. The best way to understand others is to start with their belief system.
The narrator, Stephanie Richardson, was easy to listen to and displayed humor and love throughout.
The end of the book is a bit of a cliffhanger. Since there is no answer to what happened to Holly’s parents, the ending that would be most satisfying would be someone out there who reads this and might get a spark of memory that they witnessed something they didn’t know might be a clue to solve the case.
So bear with or enjoy the book, but you may be the key to solving this mystery.
My first step into the stream. My daughter and I loved the minute and music.
Then I laughed as I thought of the joke that ends with, “I made you say underwear!” And that brought up this song:
My favorite place is underwater. I’d love to be able to scuba dive. I only had one chance, in a pool, but it was so much better than having to swim topside for air.
Sadly,
But maybe once it’s done, I’m hoping, he’ll feel welcome keeping warm under our covers. But then again, past experience seems to point to a possible lack of sleep as kitties go under the zoomies when humans want sleep.
Darswords 
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