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Book Review: The Dead of Winter: Beware the Krampus and Other Wicked Christmas Creatures, by Sarah Clegg
Narration provided by Wondervox.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“The Dead of Winter: Beware the Krampus and Other Wicked Christmas Creatures” by Sarah Clegg
c.2024, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
$22.00 208 pagesBreaking and entering.
It happens every Christmas in your neighborhood somewhere. An old guy with a long white beard busts into a few random houses, steals milk and cookies, and escapes before he can be apprehended. He’s not the only holiday mischief maker around, though. As in the new book, “The Dead of Winter” by Sarah Clegg, when it comes to Christmastime characters, you’d better watch out.
On a chilly Christmas Eve morning not long ago, Sarah Clegg left the warmth of her parents’ home and crept along the English countryside in search of witches.
Legend says that the morning before Christmas was the time when witches portended who in the village would die in the following year, but Clegg didn’t see that and she didn’t spot her prey.
No problem. She says, throughout history, “Christmas teems with monsters.”
Witches aside, she begins her search in February at Carnival in Venice, which she admits is an odd time to think about Christmas but Carnival’s masks and decadence hark back to what Christmas was in ancient times.
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Featured Book: The ABCs of Storytelling: Reflections of a Story Coach, by Dr. Michael Williams
Narration provided by Wondervox.
I had the great pleasure of taking a Guided Autobiography certification course with Dr. Michael Williams as a fellow student. He has subsequently published a truly wonderful, slim volume on the craft of being a professional storyteller. I loved this book! As a workshop instructor myself now and an author of fiction, I highly recommend it. However we choose to tell stories, this book will enhance our understanding of the craft, and enlighten us in the ways of communication through words and actions. I’ve added it to my must-read list for longtime, beginner, and aspiring writers, as well as those magical beings we call storytellers.
About The ABCs of Storytelling
The ABCs of Storytelling contains 26 reflections on the art of oral storytelling from Story Coach Michael Williams. Dr. Williams learned the traditional art of oral storytelling during his 30 years of living in Scotland where he was a member of the Scottish Storytelling Directory and a popular performer and workshop facilitator. In 2005, he exchanged his teaching career for a life as an itinerant storyteller and story coach, working with adults and young people. His reflections have been gathered from his experiences as both a performer and coach working with individuals, community groups, and corporate clients. His book offers the beginner and experienced storyteller a range of tips, techniques, and reflections on this traditional art. Dr. Williams’ reflections capture the spirit of telling stories “eye to eye, mind to mind, and heart to heart.”
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Birren Center Releases New Collection: The Gift of a Long Life: Personal Essays on the Aging Experience
I’ve recently become a certified Guided Autobiography instructor* through the Birren Center. They’ve just released their new collection of personal essays on the aging experience.
About ‘The Gift of a Long Life’
“Life and aging are the greatest gifts that we could possibly ever have.” – Cicely Tyson
In this collection of heartfelt essays, 53 individuals share their unique perspectives on aging. From the poignant to the humorous, their stories celebrate the gifts that unfold with each passing year.
The Gift of a Long Life is more than a collection of stories; it’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the richness that comes with a life well-lived.
For readers seeking inspiration and connection, this anthology offers an intimate, honest exploration of the rewards that time bestows. From small, everyday moments to profound life lessons, each essay reflects a positive attitude towards aging and the invaluable experiences that come with it.
As told by the vibrant voices of the Guided Autobiography (GAB) community, these candid stories explore the unique gifts found in the later chapters of life.
*If you’re interested in learning more about Guided Autobiography, check out the Birren Center’s website, as well as my own YourWritePath.com for news on upcoming classes and workshop.
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Book Review: I Have Something to Tell You (For Young Adults), by Chasten Buttigieg
Click to hear audio edition. Narration by WondervoxAI.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“I Have Something to Tell You (For Young Adults) by Chasten Buttigieg
c.2023, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing $18.99 209 pagesExperience, they say, is the best teacher.
Once you’ve done something, you can say you like it and you’ll do it again or not. The subject comes with a different viewpoint, once you’ve gotten a little experience with it. You’re wiser, more confident. As in the new book “I Have Something to Tell You” by Chasten Buttigieg, you’ll have the chops to offer valid advice.
If you’d have asked 8-year-old Chasten Buttigieg what life was like, he probably would’ve told you about his big brothers and how wild and daring they were. He would’ve said he didn’t have many friends and that he loved his parents. He wouldn’t have told you about being gay, though, because he had no frame of reference, no experience, or role models. He just knew then that he was “different.”
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Book Review: Code Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER, by Farzon A. Nahvi, M.D
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SexCode Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER, by Farzon A. Nahvi, M.D.
c.2023, Simon & Schuster $27.99 256 pagesYou know exactly who’s in charge here.
It’s the person in the white coat, a physician with a stethoscope around their neck and a packed pocketful of paper notes and pens. The white coat instantly gets your attention. It’s meant to quickly convey authority, and it does – so much so that you trust your very life to the person wearing it. In “Code Gray” by Farzon A. Nahvi, M.D., that white coat won’t leave you in the dark.
It was only supposed to be a friends-catching-up kind of text thread but for Farzon Nahvi and his colleagues around the country, the flurry of messages they exchanged during the pandemic became a lifeline. For each, it was good to know that their hospital’s reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic wasn’t the only one lacking.
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Best Books of 2022: Terri Schlichenmeyer’s Bookworm Sez!
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez
Best Books of 2022
It happens every year.
The decorations come down. The last of the Christmas leftovers have been eaten. Errant bits of ripped wrapping are found and discarded. You have no more holiday candy or cookies, you look around at your empty hands, and you wonder now what?
Now it’s time to settle in and read for the rest of the winter season. For your pleasure, here are the Top Five Bookworm Picks for the Best of 2022…
Fiction
Lovers of fairy tales are in for a big surprise with “The Book Eaters” by Sunyi Dean (Tor, $26.99). It’s a dark, dark legend filled with evil dragons that look like men, princesses that are worse than second-class citizens within their realms, and a chase that will chill you. Book lovers will adore this tale, especially if you don’t necessarily need a happily-ever-after.
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Book Review: The Battle Cry of the Siamese Kitten, by Philipp Schott, DVM
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezThe Battle Cry of the Siamese Kitten, by Philipp Schott, DVM
c.2022, ECW Press $17.95 280 pagesOh, those tiny little claws are sharp!
You don’t expect something that small to draw blood, but there it is on the back of your hand. Fortunately, the pain is overwhelmed by the big ears and the huge eyes and the tail like a car antennae. You fell in love with your kitten one-point-three seconds after it landed in your hands and in the new book “The Battle Cry of the Siamese Kitten” by Philipp Schott, it does more than purr!
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Featured Book: Multicultural Guide to Caregiving, by Angelica Herrera Venson, DrPH
I’ve been a fan of the work being done at Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources. Founded by Angelica Herrera Venson, DrPH, their website offers a treasure trove of information, guidance, and resources for the aging population and those who care for them. I’ve been privileged to share some of Angelica’s articles here at LGBTSr, and you can hear my interview with her on the One Thing or Another Podcast HERE.
And now I’m happy to feature her new book, Multicultural Guide to Caregiving: Essential resources to help you balance traditions without losing your mind or money.
About Multicultural Guide to Caregiving
Author and gerontologist, Angelica P. Herrera Venson, DrPH, opens up and shares her family’s personal stories and lessons from her field work and research on aging and caregiving with communities of color and first generation Americans.
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3 Book Reviews from Sue Katz: The Vanishing Self, Notes on a Scandal, and The Dream Lover
The following is reprinted with permission from Sue Katz: Consenting Adult.
By Sue Katz
3 Book Reviews
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
This recent novel became an instant best-seller and it is a compelling read indeed. Twin sisters grow up in a small Louisiana town predominated by light-skinned Black people. When the sisters strike out on their own to New Orleans, one sister “accidentally” passes for white and marries her white boss and has a blond daughter, while the other weds an abusive dark-skinned man and births a very dark girl. The divergence in their lives, in their fates, deprived of contact with each other, motors this story.
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Featured Book: ‘Palm Springs Noir’ Continues Series of Noir Anthologies from Akashic Books
I’m delighted to say my friend and fellow mystery author Michael Craft is among the authors featured in this newest anthology from Akashic Books. (You can listen to my podcast interview with Michael HERE.) Michael is one of the finest writers you’ll encounter, with a skill and delivery that make his name very fitting: a craftsman and a wordsmith whose writing you’ll want to savor. If you’re not familiar with his fiction, you can start now with Palm Springs Noir!
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Book Review: Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore, by Patric Richardson with Karin B. Miller
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez
“Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore” by Patric Richardson with Karin B. Miller
c.2021, Flatiron Books 25.99 / $34.99 Canada 185 pagesTomorrow’s outfit is on a chair over there.
That’s where it’s been since you last washed it. What you wore today came from a basket and off a hanger, the shirt needed ironing, there was a tiny stain on the pants but who noticed? and you just bought new socks, so there’s that. Time to do the wash? Yeah, but get a load of this: “Laundry Love” by Patric Richardson (with Karin B. Miller).
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Book Review: 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life, by Elizabeth White
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm
55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life, by Elizabeth White
c.2020 in paperback, Simon & Schuster
$17.00 / $23.00 Canada 272 pagesYour last regular paycheck has come and gone.
That was awhile ago, back before you were downsized / laid off / reassigned right out of a job and you’re not sure what to do. Your savings are nearly gone, your retirement funds are next, and you’re too young to get Social Security. In 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal” by Elizabeth White, you’ll see how to make this new life work.