Book Review: "With or Without You" By Caroline Leavitt

Love, hope, forgiveness, and opportunities all rolled up into one fab new read.

Caroline Leavitt has hit upon a touchy topic: Coma's due to cocktail mix of alcohol and drugs that almost cost a woman her life.

An intense, strikingly flawed, deeply riveting characters that spare no expense when it comes to getting what they want and need.

Take for example Simon the other half of the powerful dating duo with Stella but not married as of yet after nearly two decades in a relationship.

Perhaps it's for the best as everything happens for a reason and in this case Stella's best friend has taken on the role of supporter and cheerleader but whose side is she on?

Could she be the key to unlock the heart, soul, and functioning emotions of this newest thriller?
Well, remember that pill I mentioned - it was all innocent enough- she simply wanted to make it all go away, to not feel angered by Simon's lack of mutual respect, lack of loving abilities.
Surely, he could've listened but why did he listen to the wrong female?

That's the question posed as we uncover an interesting meet and greet.

With so much riding on the line will this couple survive or will something far more sinister tear them apart?

Will Stella recoup and rebuild bigger and better than ever before..
Time will tell.

Book Review: "Growing Up On The Gridiron" By Vicki Mayk

It's as much a 'right of passage' of manhood as it's a sport and today's examination of brain concussions specifically CTE is being closely monitored, tested, and explored.

It's the price one pays to make it big. In order to be a star you must shine, capture the coaches attention, play your heart out, and win, BIG!

However, what's the cost for all that stigma, excitement, and cheers!
Is it worth your life?

This is the question posed from Vicki Mayk and others who are realizing that you don't need jarring, mind altering blows to the head, to have loss of memory, altered mood swings, and mind altering behaviors from concussions.

While football is as much a 'tough guy' sport it's now becoming a female accepted and played sport and that too will be another angle to interject upon this discussion.

As a family of football players, a true PSU fan, a sister of three brothers (as the only daughter) it's without hesitation that I note Pennsylvania especially here in Luzerne County places football as more than just a mere sport. It's where you'll find anyone and everyone on the weekend. It's become so big that entire news write-ups are now strictly devoted to football on the weekend with news anchors that make it a big production not just on tv but across social media.

In fact, I'm often jealous that football receives so much attention at the exclusion of other sports such as my daughter's volleyball as they reached the state district playoffs and finals for PIAA District 2A with Holy Redeemer in her senior year yet barely received two small sentences in our local paper because of football.

I would also note my brother David Gatcha and uncle George Gatcha are both well known football players in our county. One played for Brown University with the latter in the 1960's played for Wilkes Barre Township and beyond making a huge name for himself in the sport.
However, both now suffer from debilitating injuries including my younger brother David having just had shoulder surgery from playing being named All-Ivy League Defensive End during his career. My uncle had numerous titles under his belt as well but sadly we don't communicate so I can't tell you what they fully entail.

In addition, it was the local news on October 2, 2020 report that introduced me to this author and her powerful story about the tragic death by suicide of Owen 

Thomas. https://www.wnep.com/article/news/hea...

As I write this I'm listening to the re-run of Lake Lehman v Crestwood for the title in football and I can't help but think just how young, nieve, and impressionable these young men are and the enticement factors to play.

The money, the scholarships, the fame, the love of the sport, the commaderie, the ever lasting friendships bring us to this point.

However, in the end you must decide: is it worth the risk.

Sure, the game itself has invested money, time, energy to make it a safe environment but like Nascar and similar sporting events you can only do so much with head/neck restraints and helmets. In the end, there are going to be risk and rewards and you must ultimately choose what is most important to you as a player and your family as bystanders and supporters.

I've known many young men like my own brothers who began playing football young, be it at home, or on the field, and mainly just for fun. It wasn't until my younger brother who was applauded and egged on by my father decided to join the sport to make a name for himself.
I can recall those late nights with the coaches, recruits, and players on both ends of the conference calls trying to illicit my brother to join their college program.

He settled for Brown University but has payed the price with knee, back, and shoulder problems so severe that at 42 years of age he's had a knee replacement, major back surgery for spinal stenosis that was pressing on his gall bladder, and now just had his shoulder operated on after he had pulled it out of socket playing football all those years ago.
It's a grueling sport that requires skill, attention to detail, and men as warriors of their trade yet they do pay a huge price and it's why even though my son whose now 20 doesn't play any sports due to medical disabilities would never play football under my watch as a parent.
I know the risks, I've seen the hits, I've watched grown men go after coaches/staff for bad calls, and I'll tell you it's a risk that far outweighs the rewards.

Such is the case with Saquon Barkley who went pro before finishing out his career at PSU only to have a torn ACL and is out for the rest of his NFL season with the Giants.
This new work by Vicki truly shed a light on the importance of knowing your facts prior to getting actively engaged in this sport and in the ultimate cost of life.
It's so heartbreaking to have learned of Owen Thomas and his situation and how it affected all those lives he touched.

It's for the love of the game that these young men play but it's also for the love of the game that they will go to in making a play.

I hope this will shed a much needed discussion upon the importance of not playing under the age of 14 as well as the need to further evaluate former football players upon their passing to get more of this crucial examination of evidence upon concussions and CTE- chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

I hope we have more information, research, and further evaluation upon this very topic as it's crucial for players development, mindset, and future careers.

Thank you to my local library and WNEP TV for this introduction to this wonderful new novel by Vicki Mayk.

It's a highly recommended read!

Book Review: "It Was All A Lie" By Stuart Stevens

Whoever screams the loudest, is the most obnoxious, possesses the most money wins!

Or so the Republicans think however this is the USA and we operate with rules, norms, morals, values, beliefs, and the Constitution with three separate powers for governing.

Now I know the GOP would love nothing more than to not take responsibility, to follow like sheep, to voice their disgusts without listening nor communicating but that is nothing more than gaslighting, manipulation, intimidation, and ps. hush money isn't accepted here.

You see I married your leader and happily divorced him and while he feels he won because he destroyed his own family he's won nothing because he's still the sad pitiful individual he was prior to his OBP strong hold.

I know the game as I've played it but you see I come from intellect not loyalty. I don't blindly follow nor fall for the false sense of self because I've learned my lesson.

That lesson is that you can't judge someone based off of what they say but rather what they do.

You see folks DT and his enablers speak for themselves.
We don't need to wonder what it might be like with four years as we've been exhausted from the first four.

We see the lack of transparency, ownership, responsibility and we know that the GOP will do anything to save themselves and make profit over people.

We seen this with the pandemic, we seen this with after campaign events with stranded individuals, we've seen this at special events and outings in which carelessness causes hot zones of corona.

We can't afford four more years of the same.

Do your civic duty and vote and reap what's sown...Go BLUE!

Book Review: "How To Destroy America" By Ben Shapiro

You simply need to open your eyes and not spend time reading but noticing, reflecting, and keeping alert to our changing times right before your eyes.

While much has been written on the death of democracy what I prefer to visit is the revolt, the revolution, the silent voices, the majority, and the lack of transparency and responsibility for those who made this moment possible for so many con artists.

Politics has always been a motivator to get involved if you don't like the course of events but when you have individuals blatantly overthrowing government in office for the sake of the wealthy and are afraid of a malignant narcissist to be overthrown and retaliate then you're in for a rude awakening with devastating consequences.

I know because I happily divorced the king of their leaders who worked in OBP and left me bankrupt, homeless, and LT unemployed having given up my career for his own personal endeavors.

Fast forward thirteen years of relationship with 11 years of marriage and you'll understand that narcissist operate from a false sense of self. They truly believe they are above the law and the rules do not apply to them. They use the delay, deny, and conceal tactics but if that doesn't work they quickly resign before losing dignity in having to not leave gracefully.
I don't believe when the author notes we have to convince Americans that the US is evil because the actions of others speak volumes on their behalf.

I don't believe we must address the undermining culture of rights for government protection when women's rights, citizens rights, and immigrants rights have been trampled upon.

We see with our own eyes, we hear with our own ears, we have the intellect to know right from wrong and tomorrow we vote them all out and lock HIM up!

Book Review: "Silent Night" By Nell Pattison

 

It almost seems too unbelievable to be true.

Take for instance a group of deaf teens on a camping trip in the dead of winter in a rural wooden area and one of the students Leon and the teacher go missing.

The kids are all questioned, the detectives truly must work under extremely difficult situations, and the pieces of this puzzle are barely making headlines much less progress.

What we do know is the fact that something is not right and once another body turns up the readers begin to suspect just about everyone on the premise.

Silent Night was an interesting thriller based on a unique premise which I've not seen done before in this particular way but it was intriguing, captivating, and worth the energy to read.

Nell Pattison brought insight into a difficult world of silence with Paige as the interpreter to assist in the uncovering of facts to this case.

I enjoyed this immensely and hope you find this review well.

Thank you to Nell Pattison, the pub, NetGalley, and Amazon Kindle for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Book Review: "The Forgotten Gift" By Kathleen McGurl

 First and foremost thank you goes out to everyone who had a hand in gifting this gorgeous ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I was truly enamored by the intensity, the passion, the heated debates, the love, and the devotion of these characters that were remarkable in their ways for their historical significance.

It began with the last will and testament of George who bequeath lovely jewels and gems for the Chaplain of the Prison's wife but the question readers ponder is why and how does he know the chaplain of a prison.

More importantly how did he get locked up for the sudden death of the love of his life-Lucy- after her poisoning-when he was head over heels for her.

We then progress to meeting Cassie in the present day form and wonder about her overall significance to this powerful story.

She happens to be a happy genealogist who uncovered a treasure trove of information pertaining to her great-great- great-grandfathers will in England.

As if this wasn't enough to hook you in Kathleen McGurl ratchets up an intriguing dual timeline back to 1861 in which Lucy and George meeting at the Bitten Mansion.

However, they are not merely the lone party as there's so much to this story that's been hidden concerning several of those working at the mansion and surrounding consequences of some devious acts.

This feels like a two-fer in which you receive two powerful gems for the price of one with both glowing equally bright.

What will one do for the power of love? Or better yet, what will one do to hide the family's most valued secrets?

I loved everything about this including the wonderfully written and beautifully choreographed segments within this entire storyline.

Thank you to Kathleen McGurl, the pub, NetGalley, and Amazon Kindle for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Book Review: "The Kingdom" By Jo Nesbo

I've read a number of Jo Nesbo's work and each has their own significant allure and appeal.

For me this one was no different but the execution is what troubled me as I found myself wondering alone in the windy path of these two brothers who were fighting separate battles.

Sure they both had a rock start and they both worked hard to achieve that dream of success, fame, fortune but in the end it's a women that caused some grief.

As they say neither is an angel here (Roy or Carl) but they are brothers and should at least have one another's back.

There's plenty of action, suspense, mystery and those every changing plots but there's also fires, deaths, and more than one questionable action(s).

With this noted that ending was based on some interpretation and left me pondering the entire situation from beginning to end as The Kingdom may have been more than just a plot of land, community appreciation, and love of family.

All in all it's worth a cozy blanket and a warm cup of cocoa near the fire.

Thanks to Jo Nesbo, the pub, NetGalley, and Amazon Kindle for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.