Finally Friday - Euphoria by Lily King

 Euphoria by Lily King has absolutely NOTHING to do with the HBO series Euphoria starring Zendaya. 

I learned this after buying the book for  $1 at my library sale. I  went by title only and I like this author. 

SURPRISE!  ha

cover blurb - Three young, gifted anthropologists in the 1930s are caught in a passionate love triangle that threatens their bonds, careers, and ultimately their lives.  

Studying a tribe on  the Sepik River in  New Guinea, Andrew Bankson is close to suicide. Then the famous Nell Stone and her Aussie husband Fen arrive in the area. He's enthralled and promises to lead them to a new tribe. The TAM are an artistic female led group.  Ultimately their groundbreaking work will make history, but not without sacrifice.

Lily King wrote an intriguing novel based on Margaret Mead. Desire, passion, and possession.  Maybe the book is a bit like the Zendaya show (a few less drugs!)  Good writing. A worthy read. 

Whatever Wednesday - Summer Amusement

A little Wednesday summer amusement. I am currently in DE hanging with my sister. I created this post before leaving.  Here's some summer lovin' - our new flamingo and unicorn floats seem to adore each other. 

And if you remember Christmas 2025, Myles was not happy on Santa's lap.   Well, Summer Santa is not a fave either. 

Poor kid - traumatized by the summer of 2026. 

Hope you folks are not in tears, unless it's tears of joy or laughter. I'm having fun back east. 

Stay cool. Find a pool float!
 

Monday Moments - Ray had his Day

August 1st was Ray's 70th birthday.  That is worthy of another post.  Here's the birthday king ready to celebrate in front of his picture gallery
 

This very yummy cake from Texas Star Bakery had the pickleball theme - Ray's current obsession. He bought himself a new paddle as his birthday treat.  Look out competition!

Over forty people showed up for the pool  party.  Quite the fun crowd.  Everyone enjoyed pizza, wings, margaritas, beer, and plenty of water.

The Texas heat cooperated - it was 98 or so with a good breeze. We did have  plenty of shade, and folks were inside too - playing games like Scattergories. 

Ray had his Day!  

Finally Friday - Not Just a Book Club

cover blurb - Margaret Ryan never really meant to start a book club... or a feminist revolution in her buttoned-up suburb.  
 

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick is a hoot with strong characters grappling with their roles in the 1960s. 

cover blurb - Cocktails and a discussion of The Feminine Mystique allows the women to see the cracks in the American dream they've been sold. Four very different women share secrets, tears, triumphs, angst, and arguments. This will prove to be the most consequential and freeing year of their lives. Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy and Viv learn the power of sisterhood during a tumultuous year. 

I enjoyed this book a lot, especially considering where things are in 2026 and what direction things are headed for women.  Steps forward, steps backward. It's fiction, but strikes close to the heart of matters. 

p. 337 Margaret's been invited to a gathering headed by Katharine Graham (Washington Post fame). Mrs. Graham says, "This town is all about connections, Margaret, and there's not a woman in this room who isn't worth knowing. Just remember one thing. A friend can give you a leg up to see what's on  the other side of the wall, but you've got to pull yourself over the top. Understand? 

Yep - wise words to remember.  Good trouble!  

Whatever Wednesday - Gone Before Forgotten

 Gone Before Goodbye unites authors Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben in a suspenseful and successful collaboration.  Maggie McCabe, highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, is at a low point. Her medical license is revoked, she's lost her purpose, and takes on a job from a former colleague - an elite plastic surgeon. 

An anonymous client, crazy money, total discretion. What could go wrong?

cover blurb - Maggie does her job in this realm of unspeakable opulence. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself - or she will be the next one who is..

gone...before...goodbye. 

Yikes! 

This is a total fun summer pool kind of read. Brain  candy for the summer heat.  Enjoy!

Monday Moments - More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen

More Than  Enough by Anna Quindlen is a good solid read. I love that it's about the fact that your book club knows a lot about you. From book choices to discussions to the after book discussions, Polly Goodman, an English teacher counts on these close friends. The club friends give her an ancestry kit as a joke. She matches with a stranger and that causes Polly to look at family history. Polly learns how friendships can change your life. 

Polly after meeting with Barbara -  Sometimes our minds protect us, but not enough. You walk along with this pain in your head, thinking about things you know, the things you've discovered, the things you've lost, and all those things that run around and around in your mind, like a stone in your shoe. And then everyday life saves you. Weather talk - maybe snow, maybe rain. You go to the laundromat and a neighbor ask if you have detergent. Life happens. 

Anna Quindlen draws you in with her writing and her characters. You are along for Polly's search and solutions to a life mystery. Twists and turns and surprises amidst ordinary life.  Enjoy the journey. 

 

Happy Birthday Weekend Ray

Saturday August 1st is Ray's birthday.  It's a big one - 70!  Dang! 

He asked for a pool party and you all are invited. 

Happy Birthday Ray!  You don't ask for much, so I hope friends (old - the fantasy baseball dudes you've known now for over thirty years) and new ( pickleball crew), plus family all show up to salute you. 

 It's gonna be a hot one, so we'll have cabanas up for shade and fans blowing. The pool will be typical Texas tepid but wet. 

 Food - Ray's chosen Buffalo Wild Wings and Ti  Amos pizza. The margarita machine will be serving up slushy drinks.    And heck yeah - cake!

Cheers and Big Hug

Love

Joanne

Whatever Wednesday - The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

 cover blurb - The Sentence by Louise Erdrich asks what we owe to the living, to the dead, to the reader, and to the book. A small independent bookstore is haunted from November 2019 to November 2020. Flora, an incredibly annoying customer died on All Soul's Day and will not leave. Tookie, the owner, has to solve the haunting plus try to understand a year in Minneapolis full of grief, astonishment, isolation, and furious reckoning. 

Tookie, the bookstore owner, spent time in prison. Her first book from a teacher was a dictionary. She looked up the word "sentence" after being sentenced to sixty years. The word "sentence" sounds so easy and yet proved to be a challenge. 

Erdrich writes of rich characters and complex emotions. It's well written and interesting with the comings and going in a bookstore, with the added bonus of Flora who's seeking  attention by knocking books off shelves, sending signals from her afterlife. There is a lot of emotion  involved, flashbacks to prison time,  plus the Covid year conditions.  Well done!

Monday Moments - The Invite

 I watched an episode of Hot Ones on YouTube and Penelope Cruz was the guest. She was pushing this movie The Invite, and it sounded intriguing.  

Well, it was different, angsty, very all talkie, amusing at times, cringe worthy, and I can't recommend it. 

But - I was interested enough to stay and watch. Does that make sense?  This was a Thursday matinee and there were two other ladies in  the theater. As we were leaving, the one said, "Well, I guess I'm not allowed to pick a movie for awhile."     Ha!

Olivia Wilde directed this and also starred as Angela.  She's married to Joe (Seth Rogan).  She's invited the upstairs neighbors to dinner. Joe is not happy and pretty much promises  to be rude. 

 Ding dong - doorbell rings and here's Hawk (Edward Norton) and Pina (Penelope Cruz).  They are obviously very cool and exude an exotic flair.  Here's where  Penelope shines - she just pops on the screen. She has the best lines and you can tell Joe is feeling her vibe. 

Well the conversation does take a racy turn....I won't say more. But  the tempo of the movie picked up, the stress of the awkwardness heightened, and let's just say someone might need to move!

Hey - the theater was air-conditioned and I killed two hours. I did laugh out loud at some lines - Seth can be amusing in his delivery.  And thumbs up to Penelope - she is damn hot and a good actress. 

This was my public service announcement for you. 

Finally Friday - Exciting Book Launch for Annalisa Crawford

 PHOTOGRAPHS OF EMILY by Annalisa Crawford

“A ghost, perhaps, is not the spirit of someone who died, it’s the echo of someone who thought they’d lived.”

 

It’s been ten years since Emily lost her life in a tragic accident. For Zeb, that’s meant ten years of crushing guilt and counselling to overcome the image of his girlfriend dying in front of him because of a decision he made.

When multiple witnesses report seeing a ghostly figure in the churchyard where it happened, her family decides to host a memorial to soothe Emily’s restless spirit. Zeb cautiously returns to his estranged hometown for the service, hoping to establish the truth about these sightings.

Unforeseen circumstances compel him to stay longer than planned, and even though he remains skeptical, he finds himself drawn to the churchyard, seeking the elusive ghost.

 

Lives are shattered, grief is stark, and new futures are forged from the embers.

____________________________________________________________________

Doesn't this sound like an excellent read?  I've preordered this on Amazon for my Kindle, and I'm excited to promote it today.  I met Annalisa via blog world and I've enjoyed her writing. She's been kind enough to let me read and advise on  some books, but this one shall be a surprise for me. 

Treat yourself and Happy Weekend everyone.  Support your hard working writers. 

Whatever Wednesday - That's Not How it Happened by Craig Thomas

 Paige ended up a stay at home mom with a Down's Syndrome boy. 

Her husband's screenwriting career took off and she stayed home despite her writing trajectory. 

Then she wrote a memoir about her experience.  The tables turned. 

She was the hot thing.  His career was stalled.  

This is a fiction work that is so "true".  

cover blurb - As  their lives are chewed  up and spit out by the Hollywood machine, triggering old resentments and launching new betrayals, will  any of them even recognize the "inspiring" family in the film to be made. Or will this be the end of them?  

I enjoyed this quick read.  It sounded very fresh and true.  The author made this fiction, but he and his wife did deal with their challenge and lived to tell the tale. It's full of humor and groans.  

I give it a thumbs up. 

Monday Moments - Minions and Monsters

 News is nutso. It's hot and humid. Time for a small escape.  Ray and I ran away to our local movie theater to enjoy a Minions and Monsters matinee. 

And we laughed out loud starting with the opening credits -  a black and white homage to old Hollywood with minions meddling in the middle, and inevitable messing up a scene. So clever.  As old farts, we could pick up on so many references. I loved it. 

The general theme of the movie has school kids at a history museum and learning about James and Henry - minions who made a huge impact on the world. 

As the docent spins the story, we follow the guys as they muddle along in ancient times (reference Cyclops), or look to a Russian warlock to follow, and ultimately they land on a Hollywood set - thinking that the robbers are real. They are hired and are successful until the talkies some along. Minion tongue (all done by Pierre Coffin, the director) doesn't translate.  

So, kicked out - James and Henry decide to make their own monster film. I won't give away more. 

This movie is funny, silly, and dumb in a good way. It's creative and catchy. Ray and I both left giggling and amused. Success!  It was a bright spot on a Tuesday. 

Finally Friday - The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage

 New Year's Day - Tasmania. Lexi Villers is a second year medical resident. Everything's going great. 

alas, a helicopter lands.

Her  father and older brother were killed in a skiing accident. 

She is now the heir to the throne. Lexi's grandmother is the Queen of England. 

Lexi returns to England reluctantly.  Her grandmother gives her a year  to make a very important decision.  

Let her scheming uncle claim the throne?

Give it up and be with Jack?

Lexi must chart her own destiny.............The Heir Apparent by  Rebecca Armitage. . It's not obvious what route will be chosen.  Whew!

Whatever Wednesday - The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez

 The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez is a fictional tale of the Panama Canal.  She did her research and brings this huge feat of engineering alive. 

Francisco is a local fisherman who hates the foreign powers involved. 

His son, Omar, chooses  to work for the canal dig.  Oops -  family drama. 

A  huge contingent of foreign workers arrive - eager for the work, and the money. There's Omar. There's Ada  from Barbados - she needs money for her sister's surgery. 

So many stories.  Henriquez brings this to life through her characters.  

cover blurb: This book explores the intersecting lives of activists, fishmongers, laborers, journalists, neighbors, doctors, and soothsayers.  History carved its course.  Lots to acknowledge in the process. 

A very good read!

Monday Moments - The English Teacher by Lily King

 Vida Avery is one of the best English teachers Fayer Academy has ever seen. She's a fixture. Her son Peter has managed his life.  Now his mother marries, rather impulsively.  He's very happy to have a new dad - Tom Belou - and new siblings.  He seeks a normalcy.   His mother is still adjusting. She's been so accustomed to an isolated life and has protected Peter from so much.  She uses books as a wall. 

The English Teacher by Lily King is really well written.  Vida is a peculiar heroine. You root for her and her new marriage. And then you root for Tom because she is not treating him well.  Peter wants his siblings  to love him, but they still mourn their wonderful mother,  They weren't ready to move on. 

So many emotions in this book.  It is extraordinarily well written, yet  tears at the soul.  

Dang.  Tears.  Heart!  I recommend this for its deep feelings. 

Have tissues ready. 

Finally Friday - It's Primetime Summertime and the heat is on

The heat is on  in  Texas.  Not excessive - just "normal".  But whew!  

Summertime...An' the livin' is easy - Ira Gershwin from Porgy and Bess

Spray on enough bug spray and hammock time is comfortable at 8:30 pm.  A lovely hang out

The hammock sky view. 

1836  Ralph Waldo Emerson  The reason why the world lacks unity, and lies broken and in heaps, is because man is disunited with himself. 

Peace and Love is needed. Ray and  I attended our local fireworks in person.  We walked to the park about an hour ahead of time. The place was packed - a good band was playing, kids were running about, folks were eating, talking, and laughing.  Black, brown, white - any and all just there to enjoy July 4th. 

Everyone was behaving and having fun. Outdoors. Personal interaction. I actually felt the overall good vibe.  We need that every day. 

We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.  Ben Franklin  July 4, 1776.

Are not the mountains, waves, and skies a part of me and my soul, as I of them?   Lord Byron 1812

 

Whatever Wednesday - Random family reunion and more

Look at that - it was the Rabe family 93rd reunion.  Attending was Ray with son Chris, his wife Krystal, his daughter Abby and her son Levi.  Plus son Kevin and his wife Maria with daughters Makyla, Skylar, and Dakota.  

this is all in honor of Ray's great grandmother Rabe. 

Ray's folks at this juncture are physically unable to attend.

I do not attend.  It's too freakin' hot and Ray's busy with cousins, etc.  I host Sangria Saturday poolside at home with dear friends Linda Hoffman and Julie Walters.  Let's just say " All  parties are happy". 

I was blessed a long time ago by Ray's grandmother Ivy.  She said I did enough other family events.

 ( smile emoji)

 

Oh Dallas Wings - so fun.  My friend Trish and I have attended since tickets were $10 and parking was free. 

Now these seats on the 200 level are $60 and parking is $30.  Say what?  Yes - that's nuts.  But we have fun.  Alas, the Minnesota Lynx had all the answers.  Our Paige Bueckers (awesome) and  Azzy Fudd did not.  We lost.  But we had a good time on a Sunday afternoon. 

Can't go wrong with some inspiration from Maya

Carry on everyone. 

Happy July.  We still a democracy?    ................................just checking!!

Monday Moments - David Sedaris Latest

 I love David Sedaris humor.  The man is a gem. He's a national treasure. His humor and observations are priceless. 

I own every book in his career and can chuckle reading any page.

His latest, The Land and Its People, investigates what it means to be a traveler, a brother, a lifelong friend. 

cover blurb - Throughout these essays - at once acerbic and tender, playful and profound - Sedaris shows how much there is to marvel at when you keep your head up and your eyes open, observing warmth - our fascinating human species, and the land we inhabit. 

Trust me - as you read and wonder where he's going with a story, he will zap you with a hilarious final line. 

I  laughed out loud multiple times.      Enjoy.

(PS - I  saw him once at a public reading - This was a bucket list item.  He is hysterical and gives it his all live in performance. )

Finally Friday - July 4th Weekend

 Well, 250 years of the United States of America

Here's my table decor

Are we, America, going to survive?

I actually question if we can survive the current presidency.   I am at a WTF question mark. 

On a side note, the whole World Cup joy has brought me joy.  Get rid of politics and crap - people are people are people.  I've learned this from travel.  Folks are kind, thoughtful, and generous in real life situations.

Folks  discovering Buc-cees, Taco Bell, BBQ, and more in Texas - it's been joyously fabulous. 

so, we'll see if the Great American Experiment can survive the current crap administration and carry on. 

I'm now going to re-watch Hamilton for the zillionth time on  Disney+

Cheers, fireworks, pool float, hot dogs, hamburgers, and family time. 

Enjoy and all the best to YOU!!!

Whatever Wednesday - GOOOOAAAL

Greetings.   When I went to see SASSY MAMAS at the Jubilee Theater in Fort Worth, I visited Sundance Square ahead of time.  Very fun.  The soccer ball sculptures were on display

The fountains were rising and kids were enjoying the water. Folks were taking pics with these very cool soccer ball  sculptures. 

Colorful joy. A band was playing.  A big screen showed a soccer/ football game, and families  were enjoying a free Fort Worth afternoon  (well....there was parking prices.....never free now)

 All in  all  - it  was a ball.   World  Cup fever, baby!!!