Sunday Syopsis

The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was hard to get started. There was so much jargon: latches, zooming, cancel, proov, stacks, geez, red, and so on. If the jargon really bothered me at first, I can imagine a young adult having a difficult time realizing what is going on enough to keep moving forward.

But move forward, I did. The setting is in the cyber-punk slums of the post-apocalyptic future. The world has almost been destroyed. The main character is Spaz, named for his behavior when he experiences epileptic seizures. Spaz meets an old man named Ryter who once was a writer, but all books, except for the one Ryter still has possession of, have been destroyed. Ryter attempts to explain to Spaz what life was like pre-apocalypse.

Spaz's former foster sister is sick and may die. Ryter agrees to help Spaz get to the latch and see her one last time. Little Face joins them. The result is a fast-paced adventure that has the reader rooting for the threesome. Once Spaz sees "Bean," he decides he has to find a way to heal her, and the adventure continues.

I liked this story. I can't say I loved it for a few reasons, one being, of course, the jargon. Another is how much we must suspend belief to understand some of the things in the book. True, it is science fiction, but some of the events just didn't make sense. Last, I wasn't satisfied with the ending. I'm glad I read it, but it doesn't make it onto my favorite books list.

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Thursday Thirteen

As a teacher of 11-13 year olds, I hear my fair share of slang words.
 Here are 13 words I wish would just go away!

1. Bae (short for baby) 

2. Yaaasss! (Yes plus excitement) 

3. Wifey (married woman) 

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4. Lit (cool or high on drugs or alcohol)

5. Woke (culturally or politically aware)

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 6. GOAT (Greatest of all time) 

7. Extra (over the top) 

8. Keep it 100 (keeping it real)

 9. Savage (someone who doesn’t care) 

10. Bruh (means bro, often pronounced bra) 

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11. Squad (friend group) 

12. Cray-Cray (crazy) 

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13. Snatched (you look great)

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Random Tuesday

Tuesday seems to be coming around faster than it usually does!  Oh, I know it happens once every 7 days, but life seems to be going by too fast!  I'm linking up with Stacy to share some random nonsense.

I need a new TV show to watch.  I like a good drama.  I've seen all the Law & Order Shows, Criminal Minds, OITNB, Lost, Prison Break, Breaking Bad,  Handmaid's Tale, and a dozen other shows.  I tried going back to rewatch Criminal Minds thinking I would have forgotten most of it by now, but I didn't forget. Forgetfulone, right?  Maybe not so much!  So, any ideas?

I am on a very wacky sleep schedule already.  Summer started a week ago, and I'm staying up till 2 or 3 in the morning and/or taking naps during the day.  I kinda like it, but it doesn't lend itself to getting a whole lot done, so it's going to have to change.  Maybe.

My husband and I are going to go camping at Blanco State Park in a few weeks.  I'm looking forward to it.  We can fish, swim, cook out, picnic, and go geocaching.  I've never done that before, and I'm really looking forward to it!  Have you ever done that?

Can you believe this grocery store (Publix) was unfamiliar with the term "summa cum laude?"

They used dashes to replace "cum" thinking it was a naughty word.  It actually means "with" in Latin!

The real-life Grumpy Cat won a $700,000 lawsuit.

Grumpy's owner sued Grenade (beverage company) who used Grumpy Cat's likeness in ads beyond the scope of what was contracted.  I also learned that the reason Grumpy Cat looks the way she does it because she suffers from dwarfism and an underbite.  That makes me sad.

Can anyone be this stupid?

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Can these girls really be this dumb?

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And last, but not least...

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Have a great week!

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Sunday Synopsis

The Girl in the Maze by R.K. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you like author Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Dark Places), you'll like The Girl in the Maze, so the website said. And I did like it, although it was actually quite different.

It is a psychological thriller set in the seaside town of Amberleen, Georgia. The main character is Martha, a college student, who is diagnosed with psychosis. After a serious breakdown, she seeks treatment. Her doctor recommends that she take a break from college and take a temporary job at the Amberleen Historical Society in hopes that the voices won't return. The job will use her talents in transcribing and writing. She is tentative at first, but she enjoys her work.

Soon, Martha gets caught up in a secret plot. A group of men and a Japanese investor want to sell out the Geechees on Shell Heap Island. They intend to convert the island into a high class resort area.

Martha begins to hear the voices again. She has only one friend in the town, her boss. When her boss is murdered, everyone believes she is guilty. She nearly dies after taking a bullet in her calf but is rescued by Jarrell, a young man with a past of his own. She and Jarrell search for the truth, how to prove it, and how to stop it. A hurricane blows into town to further complicate matters.

The Girl in the Maze was an action-packed read that was difficult to put down. I could picture the characters and setting in my head. There were plot twists, suspense, and a little spookiness. It came together as a brilliant, enjoyable story. I'm thinking I will read Kiss of the Sun this summer, another Martha Covington mystery.

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Do not Despair

Everyone has heard the news about Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain.  My husband thoroughly enjoyed watching Bourdain and reading his book.  We were shocked.  I really didn't know anything about Kate Spade except that she was married to actor David Spade's brother, and I loved her designs.  But Bourdain?  He seemed so  stable and balanced, which proves you never know what someone is going through.

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I also learned some things I didn't know.  The suicide rate has gone up 25% in the last 30 years.  I learned that the increase has been seen in both genders, all races, and all ages.  I learned the US is not doing well in training mental health professionals.  I learned that we have inadequate funding for prevention and mental health research.

Did you know that in 40 of the 50 United States, suicide prevention training is NOT required for health professionals?

Did you know that 2/3 of gun-related deaths are suicides?

Did you know that the CDC found that 54% of Americans who committed suicide had NO known mental health illness?

It's been suggested that just like we teach people to read and write, we need to teach people to cope with loss and disappointment.  I would take that opportunity.

I want to include this link here that a friend posted on Facebook:  If You Stick Around (a Letter...)

And I'll leave this right here, too.

Where to get help

From Canada or US: If you're in an emergency, please call 911

You can contact the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or the Crisis Test Line by texting HOME to 741741

Young people in need of help can call Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868

If you are in the UK, you can call the Samaritans on 116123

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