Dewey
by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
Hard cover
277 pages
ISBN: 1O: O-446-40741-O
"The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World"
On one of the coldest nights in Spenser, Iowa, a kitten was dropped into the metal return books slot around one or two A.M. Vicki Myron, the librarian, found the kitten the next morning very cold but miraculously still alive. The beauty, charm, and very friendly nature of the kitten caused the staff to vote him in.
Dewey's horrible experience didn't turn him off on people at all. He was an unusually friendly people's cat. One author wrote that he loved this "heartwarming story, with a five-hanky ending, that is not just about an extraordinary cat, but of the resilience and humanity of the people of Iowa and of Spenser in particular." W. P. Ginsella, author of Shoeless Joe.
I recommend this book most highly.
She Wanted It All
by Kathryn Casey
Paperback
448 pages
Copyright 2OO5
ISBN: O-O6-O56764-3
Casey dedicates her book to two writers, one of whom is Ann Rule who endorsed her book with "Kathryn Casey is one of the best true crime writers today ... This is a 'do not miss book'".
When you read this book, you may feel that the writer is a second Ann Rule - just as good, The story is a crime soap opera. Celeste and Craig marry and have twin daughters: Kristina and Jennifer.
Cristina seems the less briqht of the two girls. She sticks to her mother like glue, blind to her mother's true nature. Steve Beard and his wife of 4O years had an excellent Marriage. When she died, he missed her badly. Celeste Martinez, also single, really went after him and married him. She loved the luxury and buying power of her wealthy, older husband, who was delighted with his younger wife.
However as time went on, he realized that Celeste had many rough spots. She would give him sleeping pills with his medication and then go out with one boyfriend after another. In an asylum for the mentally ill, a place to which Celeste was committed after a breakdown, she acquired a lesbian lover.
Tracy, a highly intelligent middle-aged woman, became love-struck and would do anything for Celeste - including murder. She shot Beard thinking that he was a threat to Celeste. Later Celeste hired a beauty salon receptionist to help in a conspiracy to commit a second murder.
This book is hard to put down, being a true story of sex, murder, and a Texas millionaire.
Rouge
by Danielle Steel
Hard cover
516 pages in large print
Copyright 2OO8
ISBN: 978-O-7394-9216-1
This book is a work of fiction, a bit better than I thought it would be after my big disappointment with James Patterson, especially when he teams with a second writer. Like She Wanted It All this also is a story of sex, murder, and a multimillionaire living out a grand soap opera. If you like Casey and Ann Rule, you might be able to finish this book.
The Other Queen
by Philippa Gregory, author of The Other Boleyn Girl
Fictionalized biography of Mary, Queen of Scots
Hard cover, Large Print
438 pages
Copyright 2008
ISBN: 13: 978-1-4165-4912-3
Philippa Gregory claims to do a lot of research for any of her historical books. She also claims to have worked very hard to give us another view of Mary, Queen of Scots, based on her findings. If you are not too keen on dry history but want a bit of added spice, you may thoroughly enjoy Gregory as I do.
This story has three narrators: George, his wife Bess, and Mary herself. Bess starts the tale in the autumn of 1568. She firmly believed that a woman should marry for weath and position. She had three husbands before George, and each led her to greater wealth until George made her "my lady Countess of Shrewsbury". She thinks of herself as self-made, self-polished, and self-sold.
Bess believes Mary to be very bad news for England, and the Queen of England's adviser Cecil to be very dangerous. She is careful to remain great friends with him, even though he places Mary, Queen of Scots, into the care of her and George.
Elizabeth will supposedly pay for Mary's upkeep, but in point of fact, Elizabeth pays nothing, and over two years of maintaining a great court for Mary, George and Bess are financially ruined. Bess begins to think of George as a fool, and knows that he loves Mary. How can Bess, although young and sensible, compete with this great beauty and elegant woman?
For two years they must support and keep from harm Mary and her large court. Daily they must feed far too many people. Mary is shown to be very unwise bringing disaster on them all. Had she followed a do-nothing policy, Elizabeth might have kept her word and returned Mary to Scotland, rather than have her killed for treason.
I think that the book is a good read and recommend it.