I GOT THE MOTTS!

I forget that the Editor is so much younger than me sometimes. He doesn't know what I mean when I say "I got the Motts" because he doesn't remember the commercials. When I was a kid, Motts ran this series of commercials where children would trade things for Motts applesauce. So when I get something valuable (like directions to somewhere we're going, or tickets, etc.) I always say -- I Got the Motts. Do you guys remember this commercial?

BOOK RATING

TITLE - THE BRAMBLE BUSH
AUTHOR - CHARLES MERGENDAHL

ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10 =

10

This book was written in 1958. This book had so many twists and turns.....it shoved me to the left.....it shoved me to the right....finally, at the end of the book, it spit me out. It was about a small town -- skeletons in closets. I didn't think at first I was gonna like it but Charles Mergendahl's writing drew me in. It was like watching a train wreck...I really didn't wanna keep going but I couldn't stop.

I wanted to think about the book a bit before leaving a book rating. Here's what I've decided. The same kind of life changes that happen now happened in the 50's...it's just that back then, they were not accepted in society and nobody talked about it. This book had everything in it....love, hate, jealousy, pornography, lust, adultery, etc. I wouldn't want to read this book again....it wore me out.....but I'm really glad I read it.

QUOTE FROM A BOOK

TITLE - THE BEST OF THE BUBBAS OF THE APOCALYPSE
AUTHOR - SEVERAL AUTHORS (SHORT STORIES)

"Cousin Merv got towed off fer sleepin' with cousin Yerlin. Never did understand why she didn' have ta go ta jail, too. Jim Bob said it had somethin' ta do with her bein' sixteen an' underage.
Till then I didn' know there was an age limit on sleepin' with yer cousin."

EXCERPT FROM A BOOK

TITLE - THE BRAMBLE BUSH
AUTHOR - CHARLES MERGENDAHL

There was no point in arguing with his wife. She had lived her entire life by the stars – had even married him because her horoscope had convinced her he was the right man. That had been years ago now, and he'd been the wrong man all the time. Everyone said he'd married her for her money. No one knew it had been her decision, and a wrong one, and someday her horoscope would prove it to her. Then she'd probably leave him penniless – a crippled old man who had been made wealthy, then poor again, all by the sign of Scorpio.

BOOK REVIEW

TITLE - SMART WOMEN

AUTHOR - JUDY BLUME

ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10 =

6

This was a hard read for me. I didn't like this book until the last chapter. I was determined to finish it and I did like the ending. This was the third of the three adult books she has written. I reviewed the other two earlier on this blog. The first one, Summer Sisters, I loved. The second, Wifey, I really disliked. So I read this one in the hopes that it would be more like Summer Sisters. Alas, it was not. A book about women who have gone through divorce, are dating, and the effects their actions have on their children. I wouldn't want to read this book again.

BOOK RATING

TITLE - REVAMPED

AUTHOR - J. F. LEWIS

ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10 =

8

This was the second in a series. I enjoyed reading it. Loved the Mustang "Fang" that turned into a vampire. Fang would drive over animals and people....eat them while they were under him and deposit the bones in the trunk. he he he

QUOTES FROM A BOOK

TITLE - REVAMPED

AUTHOR - J. F. LEWIS

This is the second in a series about a Vampire named Eric. In this book, Eric's Mustang becomes a vampire. The Mustang's name is "Fang" and below are two bits from the book that I found pretty funny:

When Fang ran over a possum and it didn't come out the other side, I actually laughed.

Was I the only one in the world who had ever eaten an animal cracker feetfirst because it would theoretically hurt more?

BOOK REVIEW

TITLE - WISH COME TRUE

AUTHOR - EILEEN GOUDGE

ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10 =

7

This was the third in a trilogy. I usually love her books but I didn't like this one as much. But I think it's because the relationship between the two sisters in the book reminded me of the relationship between me and my mother. Anybody else probably would have really enjoyed the book.

BOOK REVIEW

TITLE - BLOOD TEST

AUTHOR - JONATHAN KELLERMAN

ON A SCALE OF 1 THRU 10:

8

This is Kellerman's second book. It was good. I'm not warming up to the lead character, Alex, like I did Faye Kellerman's characters in her series of books. But it was good and I'll read more of his books.

BOOK REVIEW

TITLE - STAKED

AUTHOR - J. F. LEWIS

ON A SCALE OF 1 THRU 10 :

10

This is the first in a series from J. F. Lewis. The Editor and I met him at MidSouthCon in Memphis a month or so back. Nice guy. I really enjoyed the book. It's about a Vampire who owns a Strip Club. It's action packed. Not as funny as Charlaine Harris' vampire books. Lots of blood, etc.....I guess it's more how I think vampires would really act. I'm looking forward to the second in the series and I'll be reading it soon.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

TITLE - STAKED

AUTHOR - J. F. LEWIS

In the end, a friendship between a vampire and a human is like a friendship beween a dog and a chicken nugget. Sooner or later, the nugget is going to get eaten; the only real question is how may bites it will take.

The Editor and I met J. F. Lewis at MidSouthCon (the science fiction convention) in Memphis. This is his first book. I've just started reading it. Started out with a bang and is keeping my interest so far.

BOOK REVIEW

TITLE - FIRST FRIENDS

AUTHOR - MARCIA WILLETT

ON A SCALE OF 1 THROUGH 10 =

10

This book was good from the first sentence right through the last sentence. I didn't want to put it down and when I did have to put it down, I thought about the characters and wondered what was going to happen to them as if they were real. Love it with I find a new author. She's right up there with Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

TITLE - FIRST FRIENDS

AUTHOR - MARCIA WILLETT

QUOTE:

LOVE AND A COUGH CANNOT BE HID

QUOTE FROM A BOOK

TITLE - FIRST FRIENDS

AUTHOR - MARCIA WILLETT

"It would have been so much easier if Mark had been unfaithful to me or beat me up. Mental cruelty is so insidious. How do you explain to people what it's like to live with someone who chips away at your confidence, puts you down in public? It's so difficult to verbalize without sounding like a wimp. Eleven years of small, unrelated incidents calculated to keep you in your place. I realize now that Mark worked on the Gamesmanship principle – if you're not one up you're one down."

Sadistic Mama's Boy wasn't named Mark but Mark in First Friends really reminds me of him. The quote above from Marcia Willett's book explains to a tee what it was like being married to SMB....well, except I'm pretty sure he was unfaithful to me. At least, he tried with all my female friends but got turned down. I've always said, if he had to cheat on me, he shouldn't have tried in his own backyard!!!! For me, it was twelve years of small, unrelated incidents. I was lucky and got out of that marriage. I'm only halfway through First Friends but it looks like Kate (Mark's wife in the book) is gonna get out also! YAY FOR HAPPY ENDINGS!

SHE DOESN'T REALLY LOOK LIKE THAT

I've been thinking about my son often lately. He seems so grown up these days. Not a kid anymore. A young adult. He's a joy to be around and I'm so lucky to have him in my life..........not only as my son....but just lucky to know him at all. I can't help but think about how I was at his age....and how my relationship with my mother was so very different than my relationship with my son. He has long hair, some piercings, a tattoo............I love him just as much as I would if he didn't have all of that. Don't get me wrong.....I think my son is a good lookin' young adult. But what really matters to me is what kind of person he is inside. And I'm very proud of his mind, heart and soul.

Over the years, my weight has fluctuated. At some points I'm thin and at other points....not so thin. I remember when I was about his age...I'd gone back to my home town for a visit and I was carrying around more weight than my mother thought was acceptable. We'd gone to a yard sale and I'd found some clothes that I wanted to try on. In my little town, it wasn't unusual for the person having the yard sale to let you go inside their house and try on clothes they had for sale. So I picked up some things that I wanted to try on and went inside the house. They had this little room right to the side of the door by the yard sale so I went in there. I could clearly hear the people outside talking as I was trying on clothes. My mother was saying to the people at the sale......she doesn't really look that way. That's not really her. She's only getting these clothes until she loses weight. My mother was ashamed of me. And me? I was humiliated and...ashamed of my mother. I remember how much courage it took to come back out and walk among those people after hearing her. When I had a relationship with my parents, I called them every Sunday. And each time I called, she would ask.....how's your weight? Have you lost? It depressed me every time she asked. Even the times I was thin, it still depressed me when she asked.
It's too late for my mother and I to have any kind of relationship at all. But I pray often that God will help me to be a good mother and not repeat the chain of abuse. Help me to be a guiding light towards my son's happiness throughout his life. And when he looks down at his cell phone and see's its me calling, may he always pick the call up with a smile on his face and love in his heart.

BOOK REVIEW

TITLE - THY BROTHER'S WIFE
AUTHOR - ANDREW M. GREELEY

ON A SCALE OF 1 THRU 10:

10

This is the first in a trilogy. This was a good book and I'm looking forward to the other two.

FADE IN - DELIVERANCE THEME - FADE OUT

"YA MIGHT BE A REDNECK IF" HITS TOO CLOSE TO HOME

So I get home from work last night and this is what I find in the neighbor's backyard. Yeah, that's what you're looking at........a riding lawnmower partially suspended from the ground by a chain hanging from a tree. And it's not even one chain, it's an old chain and a new chain hooked together. I took this picture this morning. Last night the neighbor and his son-in-law were all gathered around it.....just standing there.....looking at it. I swear I could hear the Deliverance theme in the background. So what....did the lawnmower decide it couldn't take it anymore and try to commit suicide?

BOOK REVIEW

TITLE - WIFEY

AUTHOR - JUDY BLUME

ON A SCALE OF 1 THRU 10:

1

Can you say D E P R E S S I N G? I was so disappointed in this book. Ms. Blume has only written three adult novels. Most of her books are for children/teenagers. This is the second adult novel I've read of hers. I really enjoyed her book Summer Sisters. But Wifey.....oh, boy. The only reason I kept reading it was because I was hoping the main character's life would get better. This book was about a very unhappy woman trapped in a marriage who could see no way out. It was full of meaningless, empty sex. At first it depressed me but.....after I thought about it........it made me so very thankful for my life now. All my friends, The Editor, my son, etc. I'm so glad my life is full of people who are not shallow like the people in this book. I'm still going to read her third novel in the hopes that it will be as good as Summer Sisters. I wouldn't recommend Wifey to anyone....especially someone who is in an unfulfilling relationship right now. It certainly wouldn't give you any answers to your problems.

BOOK REVIEW

TITLE - TASTE OF HONEY

AUTHOR - EILEEN GOUDGE

ON A SCALE OF 1 THRU 10 =

10

This is the second book in a trilogy about a town called Carson Springs. Really enjoyed this one!

HOLIDAY TREE - EASTER!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!