The story of Hawaii’s colonization and land laws as told by a former writer for the Washington Post, written as she researched her own family history on Maui and her extended family’s responsibility for land parcel deeded to their long-ago Hawaiian ancestor. Includes photos, glossary of common Hawaiian words, and an index. Essential reading for every part Hawaiian person.

Although this book is considered a “middle reader” book, it is a delightful story of a fourth grade girl and her friends response to book banning in the elementary school library. The audiobook narrator was very good. Is the response engineered by Amy Ann, et al something fourth graders could pull off? Maybe. The banned books include Harriet the Spy, Matilda, Is That You, God? It’s Me, Margaret and other classics. This book has been banned in Florida? Is there any other reason necessary to read this book?

Helen Cartwright, 83 y/o, has returned to her family home in a small village in England after 60 years in Australia to die. Not that she has a diagnosis beyond being old. She has been back for 3 years, but returned still actively grieving the abrupt loss of her husband and the tragic loss of her son. She is very lonely and isolated. She does the same thing most days and memories do not give her comfort. Then she unwittingly brings a 5” male mouse into her house. He decides to stay with her and she decides to care for him. (This is not a talking mouse or an anthropomorphic rodent). To care for him she starts meeting a few people she can connect with as she moves from removing the mouse by trapping to naming Sipsworth and hoping wildlife rescue group will take him to making Sipsworth a housemate. Eventually it is revealed that Helen has done significant things. Slow start. A comforting book. Perhaps this book raises awareness of long term grieving, loneliness, sadness and isolation in people in our lives (or in ourselves).

Teen Colby is still recovering from the death of her mother and struggles to cope with long absences from her long haul trucker dad. When Colby is dumped by her secret summer girl friend, it’s almost too much for her to bear. Over the next few months her grades slip and Colby lashes out at her friends and supporters. When a three-legged dog arrives in her life, Colby has companionship and new responsibilities. Lots of drama and turmoil, but mostly happy endings all around.

Fascinating history of the emergence of a publicly funded regional police force with beat officers and plain oclothes detectives. Medical discoveries and new technology soon sparked new methods for solving crimes. Some photos, extensive footnotes with sources, and an index. A great read on a foggy day.

First in a series. Cat and mouse between a Tokyo detective and a school teacher who has confessed to murdering the famous author who blackmailed him into ghost writing his newest books. The detective feels there’s something wrong with the confession and so dives into the childhoods of each man..

Sometimes "webcomic" can be an inadvertent insult--NOT IN THIS CASE! SUPER MEGA FUN!

Maybe people who haven't read Dororo would like this retelling? But I'll be honest, I'm very tired of gritty retellings of stories, is whimsy and humor really something so lame and childlike that we should just eliminate it from all stories to make it 'for adults'? It's just such a bummer.

An intriguing, surprisingly engaging biography of a little-known president. This book shows Calvin Coolidge in all of his understated, but by no means insignificant, glory. Reading this book is the only time I’ve ever laughed out loud while reading a biography—a ringing endorsement indeed!

Second in the series. A man is poisoned by a cup of coffee he made himself while home alone. His wife was on another island at the time. The man’s girlfriend is the one who finds his body. And the lead detective is falling in love with the new widow. Seems like it’s a case of murder, but the police cannot find proof or even a solid motive. They’ll eventually need the help of the physics professor who has helped on past cases.