Et Cetera

I really enjoy watching documentaries and I stumbled upon 'Six Schizophrenic Brothers.' The title caught my attention, and I watched all 3 episodes in one sitting. If a show, book or event impacts me I have a hard time "letting it go" and need more information. I started searching the 'Six Schizophrenic Brothers' online and found that there was a book written; 'Hidden Valley Road Inside the Mind of an American Family' by Robert Kolker.

What a strange, wicked, and bizarre gem! I waited almost three months on the Libby app for Ottessa Moshfegh's 'Eileen' and was not disappointed! If you fancy thrillers that are also female character studies tackling heady topics such as body dysmorphia, alcoholism, and familial abuse, then this one is for you. Eileen Dunlop is a 24-year-old woman living in a New England town in the 1960's with her alcoholic father wearing her deceased mother's clothes & working as a secretary at a boys' home (which is pretty much a juvenile prison for boys.

This weekend I finished 'Sandwich' by Catherine Newman, and within the first couple of chapters I laughed so hard I spit out my coffee; then the laughter turned to tears, and back again to laughter. The book tells the story of a family of four while vacationing for a week in a rental home in Cape Cod. They've taken this trip every summer since the children were little and have continued the tradition into the children's adult lives.

Halloween is Coming! We have several books just for the coming 'spooky season'! If you and your family aren't into stumbling around in the dark, while wearing an ill-fitting mask, and trying to navigate by flashlight, why not have a Halloween play? Felicia Bond explains how one classroom did it in 'The Halloween Play.' Roger and his school class are practicing for a very special play, with dancing by the light of the moon! Will Roger remember his part? Read this cute book and find out!One of our very newest books is 'Trick or Treat on Scary Street' by Lance Bass.

Fans of Gillian Flynn will certainly enjoy the thriller 'The Kind Worth Killing' by Peter Swanson (#1 in the series), for there is just something wildly entertaining about strangers meeting in an airport bar and then plotting a murder over martinis! Lily Kintner is the kind of dark horse character I enjoy reading about: she exacts revenge when revenge is needed (beginning as a child) but deludes herself into believing she has a moral compass somehow.

Iowa communities could lose billions of dollars in assets over the next decade, according to “Transfer of Wealth Opportunity State of Iowa,” a recent study commissioned by the Iowa Council of Foundations (ICoF). The study estimates that more than $30.4 billion in Iowa assets will change hands in the next 10 years with the passing of older residents.

I am so glad I stuck with this novel until completion even though it took me almost three weeks to finish! 'Long Island Compromise' by Taffy Brodesser-Akner is a character study of generational trauma caused by wealth passed down through a Jewish American family living in Middle Rock, Long Island. There was so much self-loathing and self-sabotage in the beginning of the novel that I had to take a break: sexual transgressions on the really dark side (here's your warning) and so much drug usage that an elephant would black-out.

Hawkeye Community College is pleased to announce the receipt of a $1.5 million YouthBuild grant from the Department of Labor to provide training and employment services to youth 16-24 years of age.This YouthBuild grant aims to expand access to apprenticeship opportunities, prepare young workers for quality jobs, and strengthen the nation’s workforce to meet industry demands.

This weekend I read the 2022 debut novel from Shelby Van Pelt titled 'Remarkably Bright Creatures.' In a word, this story was lovely. We meet Cameron, a thirty year old man granted no favors in life who hasn't quite grown up; Tova, a stoic widowed Swede plugging away at her solitary life; and Marcellus, an intelligent and sneaky Pacific octopus living out his remaining days in captivity.

Review of 'The Briar Club' by Kate Quinn:Don’t even stop to read the rest of this review until you get this book! VPL has a copy which you can reserve, and Libby has a 15-hr. audiobook. One of the most riveting historical fiction books I’ve read in a long time, 'The Briar Club' is rated 4.46 by Goodreads, and has gotten raves by fellow authors Kristin Harmel and Fiona Davis! It was just released and is on the NYT best seller list for the second week.