Paperback Crush

This was a fun blast from the past. I listened to the audiobook, but also have the book as well. The book is fun to have because it has lots of photos and pictures of the book covers (hilarious). As a millennial this book was a blast from the past and it was so fun. Gabrielle Moss talks about all the big hits (Babysitter's Club, Pony Club, Sweet Valley High, etc) as well as some other B-hits that I had never heard of. Each chapter explored a theme of books from the 80s and 90s - friendship, jobs, boys, clubs, horror, and more. It was a lot of fun and filled with witty dialogue. There was a good opening, but there was no ending. It was talking about horror books and just abruptly ended with no conclusion. Still, it was a fun romp through memory lane and it makes me want to pick up some of my old teen reads! 

The New Buffalo

I immediately hated the cover of this book and went into this book annoyed. It looks like AI slop, even though the author is white, he could have had an indigenous author design the cover or used a photograph of the casino. Cover bashing aside, I really did enjoy this book and learned a lot and Indian gaming. I know a lot of people (white people mainly) that get up in arms about the unfairness of casinos on tribal ground, but personally it's never bothered me because it's the LEAST we can allow them to have. Hasn't the US stolen enough from them? The New Buffalo is a great look at what it took to allow gaming on tribal land; from bingo halls to video games of chance, and the opposition from businesses, Vegas, and the government. It showcases the movement spearheaded by Leonard Prescott in Minnesota on a very small reservation, their tiny group was under national scrutiny as it proved what tribes could do if allowed economic independence. This book examines the life of Leonard Prescott (in detail at the beginning of his life and then it tapers off to politics only) and his influence on his tribe and on the national stage. This book was very biased in favor of Prescott and not his rival, and I'm sure some people have beef with that. A very interesting and enlightening book and a must read for anyone who wants to complain about tribal gaming. A final note, I was surprised by the lack of footnotes or sources at the end. There was a lot of research poured into this book and nothing to back it. 

The Sacraments of Blackgum Lake

Clint Smith's newest novella is eerie, forbidding, and deliciously dark. Cecil Mears has questions and it's past time for his father to come clean about that long ago summer back at Blackgum Lake. For most of Cecil's youth, the cozy little lakefront cabin was filled with good memories and laughter. But over the years it's fallen into disrepair and only gotten worse as his parent's marriage has disintegrated. One fateful teenaged summer, Cecil and his father go to Blackgum lake alone to salvage what they can of the cabin. While restoring the cabin, Cecil starts to learn more about the lake and the secrets it holds. Did Dillinger really dump bodies here? Is his elderly neighbor seeing things, or is she really being visited by her dead husband at night? And worst of all, his father, who is he calling at night? There is something far worse than secrets in the deep dark water. Something far more powerful and menacing awaits in the murky depths. One fateful summer at Blackgum Lake will change everything. This novella is perfect for those looking for a quick, dark read with local color. Clint Smith is an Indianapolis author and culinary arts educator in Greenwood.

Echoes of the Old Country

This should have been such a fascinating book, but sadly it was a slog and a half. Jessica Clark compiled 200 oral history interviews taken in the early 2000's for the Dakota Memories Oral History Project and attempts to combine them all into a narrative on what it was like growing up German-Russian on the Northern Plains. Rather than being filled with lots of anecdotes and stories, it's written as "many children enjoyed playing games such as...." and it is SO SO REPETITIVE!! The same thing will be said in four different ways. Also the word "German-Russian" appears at least 20 times per page. The author could have saved at least 20 pages of manuscript had she just abbreviated it to GR or something. The best parts of the book were the photographs and the sprinkling of anecdotes that were included (it wasn't near as many as it should have been with 200 interviews). A slog. And the cover.... awful. I hate to be a hater, because again, this should have been so interesting, but it was too repetitive to bear. 

Salem's Lot

People have told me that this was the scariest Stephen King book they have ever read and while I did thoroughly enjoy this book, I wasn't all that scared. It could be because I listened to the audiobook and the narrator wasn't very suspenseful, or maybe it was because I went into it thinking I was going to be scared stupid, whatever the reason it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought Pet Semetary was. Salem's Lot is Stephen King's take on the Vampires and Dracula, but set in a small, sleepy Maine town. When some out of town folks buy the creepy old Marsden house, things in town suddenly start getting bad. People are scared to go out at night and people are disappearing. Told mainly through the eyes of Ben Meers, an author staying in the town boardinghouse while he writes a novel, and through the eyes of various townsfolk. I liked the multiple town people perspectives because it showed the slow progression of wrongness taking over the town. Another great Stephen King novel, but I don't know if this one makes it in my top 10. 

I Thirst

This is a book that I am going to need to sit down with a few more times to really get it's meaning and message. This book is one of the most high concept and detailed devotionals I have read (it's also the first one that's exclusively Catholic). Father Joseph Langford penned this book about Mother Teresa's devotion and understanding of Jesus' thirst and ties it back to the bible. It's really powerful and I really enjoyed listening to the accompanying video series on Hallow, it helped break it down and make it more understandable. My small group has been reading and discussing this book each week. I've enjoyed it and I definitely plan on reading it again so I can hopefully absorb the message even more. 

Emma and the Reindeer

This is a fun middle grade read that will encourage kids to care about their environment using the spirit of Christmas. One ordinary day, Emma is working on her homework when a small woman with red and green hair pops up on her bed. At only two feet, she is small and dainty and full of spunk. She introduces herself as Emma's great great grandmother who lives with Santa. She tells Emma that she has been chosen by Santa to help write a book on environmentalism. Things are getting dire at the North Pole as the reindeer are struggling to find food to eat. Grandmother Hazel transports Emma to the North Pole so she can interview the Reindeer, meet Santa, and see for herself what Climate Change is doing. Emma is aghast and vows to write a book that will help children turn climate change around. A fun concept and I loved all the reindeer. What a unique idea for a book!