Week One

Now with pictures!

March 15^th, 2019 Friday

Whooooo a lot has been happening!!

I made it out here with Nova. She hated being at Nicole’s with Missy again, and mostly hid under the bed. At night she did come up to sleep on my feet, though. Poor thing has had a rough month. When we got to the airport the Delta agent didn’t measure the carrier, which was good. We went up the escalator and I was like, ugh this is a long security line. But a TSA lady told me a drug dog was working and so I could cut to the front; I followed her to the front. Then the problem became there was no female agent to do a pat down so a guy held Nova while I went through the metal detector and then we went to a private room. (I never even had time to think about asking for one, it was just a whirlwind kinda day.)

Nova was on her leash and was fine to be out of her carrier for a minute while it was put through the x-ray. Everything came back good so we headed to our gate. She did better while were walking because I think she was too nervous to do anything. Once we were sitting down she started arching her back and clawing at the carrier trying to get out. She found a zipper and pushed her head through and luckily I noticed in time before she could get all the way out. Panic.

We definitely got some looks, and “what do you do with a mad cat?” comment, but mostly people who said things were cat people. I had an empty seat and then a nice older man who was very understanding of her distress. In the row behind me were the people who I sat next to when I flew to Salt Lake, crazy.

The problem with her carrier turned out not to be the height of it, which I had feared, but the width. It almost wouldn’t fit in the space between my seat and the seat in front. I had to really squish her down, but we made it. For the first few hours I could put my hand in the carrier and pet her and it would temporarily calm her down, but by the end she was just mad and would try to scratch me if I did that. I think the thing that scared her the most besides when the engines started roaring for takeoff was when we landed and all of a sudden everyone was standing up and chattering and opening the overheads and everything.

Then we had to go wait for our luggage and it took forever and I thought mine was lost. But it did show up and then I went to find Justin. Nova was so happy to be out of the carrier and seemed to get the idea that we live here now pretty fast. She has a closet under the stairs that is her space; poor thing was so thirsty. But we made it and it wasn’t the worst.

When we got home Justin ran off to the office to turn in our move in checklist and tell them about the leaky ACs. As he left I heard a dripping sound and thought he had left the sink on. Walked into the kitchen and there was water everywhere dripping from the ceiling! Not ideal. Called him and luckily we were able to get an emergency maintenance man out real fast. It was coming from the dishwasher of the tenants above us, but it was fixed fast, and nothing important was damaged. It was just like, the last thing I wanted after that really stressful day. But it all worked out.

A few days again we went to see Captain Marvel. I was confused by a lot of the first part, but once it got going I was into it. Of course I cried. Duh. But that montage of Carol getting up after failing, from the time she was little, I just-- unstoppable women are so important and the patriarchy is terrified of us. Also I would die for Goose.

March 18^th, 2019 Monday

The catch up continues although I have an interview in seven minutes so we’ll see how much I can get done. Went to my first in person interview on Friday; it was by far the strangest interview I have ever had. It was in a hospital building, for a real estate company, but it turns out they own the complex so that makes sense. The two girls who interviewed me were extremely dressed down-- jeans and tanks tops and messy hair. Like, great, although I definitely felt out of place wearing my snazzy interview outfit. But that’s what’s expected, right? Anyway girl number one gets right down to it and is like “what is your background?” I explain and she says “do you have any other skill sets?” Always a good look to answer no to that. :/ Then they go into a five or six minute explanation of the position and the company and ask if I have any other questions.  I’m like, oh boy, the interview is about to get going, yikes!

Then they go, okay well we’ll be letting people know next week.

GIRL what? ? I was asked two (2) questions and they weren’t even interview questions and I feel like my skill set is a good match so saying no shouldn’t be an instantly disqualified thing because it’s an admin position and I have admin skills!! Are they just picking people based on their vibe? Do they already have someone they want and the rest are courtesy interviews? Did I somehow do something so egregious that they immediately decided the full interview would be a waste of time??? I am baffled, folks.

After that I walked around and took pictures of some old churches; I love how things are just old. A mix of old and new. Obsessed. 

Then decided to try my hand at driving downtown. The roads here are pretty crazy, especially trying to figure out if you’re in/going to be in a turning lane or not, so that can be terrifying. But I wanted to see if downtown was any better, so headed there. Turns out it’s real the same and I spent most of the time driving in a lane I’m not completely sure was a lane, and people parked in the no stopping lanes and I never know the turning protocol. But I saw so many old buildings and am psyched to take a bus down there and start exploring!!

Set the radio stations through trial and error although it’s disorienting not to know what mood is associated with each channel. And some have static and I think others may have been “false advertising”, as it were, ie they were playing Taylor Swift and I immediately saved it without further listening and now they seem to be hip hop. It was just a lovely day with a clear, sunny sky, and I felt good about our choices. Taylor is the same everywhere.

I picked up Justin from work and we decided to go on a walk in the nature reserve across the street. It’s nice, and will be nicer when the trees start to bloom. I spotted a little curled up garter snake, which I was quite proud of. We also saw some squirrels, one who was hiding nuts in an unused birds nest. I’m glad of our location, it’s not downtown with the crazy parking and lanes and all that, and it’s close to everything but in the middle of none of it. Also, this picture of us makes me think of a Renaissance artwork; I think it's the light.

Yesterday we went to Jersey for the first time to take Justin to see the Atlantic Ocean! It’s ninety minutes away, so close! The drive wasn’t what I expected: wooded and farmland and we saw at least twenty five deer. Also some bird of prey: hawk? The restaurant we’d planned to go to was seasonally closed, so we went to the Shrimp Box right next door. Y’all know I love shrimp. We got to sit by the window overlooking the harbor, so blue!! The sun was sparkling off the water and it was so warm and just ahhhh! Beautiful. I got the four way shrimp and Justin got a sampler platter and we both agreed with the shrimp was divine.

(Also the other day we went to an Italian place that had delicious ravioli and Justin got some crab topped noodles that were also delicious. Good food here!!)

After relishing in the delicacies of four kinds of shrimp we went and found the beach! It was minutes away. This is crazy, it hasn’t really sunk in yet that we can just go to so many different states whenever we please. And the beach is free yo. I took off my shoes because I didn’t want them to fill with sand. The first stage of the beach was normal sand. Second filled with rocks and broken seashells, and the third just the lovely fine beach sand. Justin gave me several seashell fragments which have been worn perfectly smooth by the sea, and I found a pearly dragon egg rock.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a sunny beach, excluding Puerto Vallarta, which was so warm and like paradise that it is not even comparable to any other beaches I’ve seen. Cannon Beach is gorgeous but always the weather is imperious. Justin touched the water, and took a vide of the waves. I love the Ocean!!

And Nova is settling in just fine :)

Journey Over

Can't believe that our two thousand mile road trip has come to an end. I highly recommend it; it gave me such a better sense of the country and where states are in proximity to each other and what they are like, at least to a small extent. 

Yesterday we drove diagonal across Tennessee, starting in Memphis, all the way into Virginia. We stopped in Nashville and drove past the capitol building, which looks older than the others I’ve seen in the west. We wanted to get fried chicken there, but the line around the chosen place was so long we couldn’t wait. It was a ringing endorsement if I’ve ever seen one, though.

It rained ALL day; we had about an hour total collected time where it wasn’t pouring. Tennessee is a gorgeous state; it’s old school and gothic and I can just see myself getting lost in the hills of the Smoky Mountains to learn all the stories that live there. I kept being astounded by the rocks, the trees, the flooded riverbanks. It’s just so different than anything I’ve seen before. And the same road that we got on in Albuquerque, the I-40, morphed into this. America is a land of many lands.

We stopped for the desired fried chicken in Knoxville, Tennessee, instead. We tried the spicy southern style and the chicken was delicious, although it is my opinion that nothing has ever really been improved by being spicy.

We have been listening to The Boys in the Boat about the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It’s a great read. As LeVar Burton says on his podcast, you can do it, with audiobooks.

We’ve only had one major traffic holdup, and that was for construction. We crossed into Virginia at night and the sign was dark and my hands were shaky, so that’s the first state sign picture that’s not really clear. But you can’t have everything in this life.

We collected the West Virginia license plate, so now we’re down to five missing.

(Isn't this the cutest welcome to a state sign?) 

Later:

Made it all the way to Philadelphia! It was odd when Justin pointed out the Delaware and we recognized it. We’ve been here before.

Today was our most states day with Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The drive was quite nice; there are so many trees everywhere and we finally had blue skies, something we haven’t had since Texas. Something else we saw for the first time since day two was snow-- nothing crazy but there were patches here and there from northern Virginia on up. We stopped for frozen yogurt in WV, a state I have never much thought about but it was good frozen yogurt.

We took a side trip through some Maryland countryside in order to avoid toll roads because we haven’t figured that out yet. This turned out to be a great choice because the drive was absolutely beautiful. Can’t even imagine how pretty it will be in the spring when the trees are growing. Then we found a collection of old houses with the gables and the porches, you know the type. Old Victorian style houses. We saw the Susquehanna, we saw a hydroelectric plant, it was a lovely break from the interstate traffic. It was picturesque. 

We collected Vermont and Delaware license plates. At the beginning we said it would be all right if we only got the 48 continental states. Since we had all but the Dakotas and Rhode Island, but got Alaska and Hawaii, we decided the Dakotas could be the outliers. That left us with the task of finding Rhode Island, and Justin was especially dedicated. We sped up, we slowed down, we looked for that license plate, to no avail.

We were so tired today and just wanted to get pizza and crash at the hotel to celebrate our long trip being done. We pulled up to the hotel and Justin was walking towards it when he stopped and motioned me over. A Rhode Island license plate!! Our quest is complete!

I don't know if Philadelphia will be our forever home, but this will be a fun adventure for at least a few years. Lots to learn, so much to see. So many towns here have signs that they were established pre-1800. I'm loving it!! Can't wait to go downtown and see Independence Hall. And Baltimore, and Boston, and just, everything. 

Drivin' to Memphis....

Writing to you from Memphis, Tennessee, it's me, Rebecca Cook, with a quick recap of the last two days.

March 1^st, 2019 Friday

Drove from Albuquerque to Oklahoma City on the same road-- the 40 East. It’s a long road.

New Mexico and Texas seem like they should be the same, but somehow Texas is intrinsically more interesting. I guess it’s not as desolate? Unsure. The ranches and windmills and clear blue sky were giving me distinct cowboy vibes. Every time I pass through a region I imagine what version of myself I would be if I lived there. I could get back in touch with my horseback riding side…

But then we stopped for lunch and all the TVs were set to Fox News and it was like, right. That’s why I’m not moving to Texas. However the food was delicious and the old Catholic mission aesthetic was cool so all in all a good lunch.

We drove straight across the Texas panhandle and into Oklahoma. I like Oklahoma, although the season is such that we couldn’t see the waves of wheat that sure smell sweet when the wind comes right behind the rain. (This musical reference reminds me that in the lunch place I heard a mariachi rendition of “If I Were a Rich Man.”)

There is not much to report on today’s drive. We did manage to collect both Alaska and Hawaii license plates. Oklahoma City seems to be a huge city judging by the amount of traffic that suddenly materialized (with drivers sadly similar to that of Salt Lake), but it’s so flat that we can’t really tell how sprawling it is.

March 2^nd, 2019 Saturday

Our shortest drive, seven hours, ending in Memphis. We drove straight across Arkansas today, and it was actually a quite pretty state. I’ve never thought much about it. SO many trees, and plentiful water. I saw plenty of falcons or hawks, and possibly a heron? I'm no birdwatcher.

We stopped in Little Rock to take a picture at the capital building so we could set foot in the state. I have pictures. I have quite a few pictures from this trip. However all pictures are on my phone and I’m tired but someday mayhap I’ll upload them? Life is a mystery.

We are up to forty four state license plates; we’re only missing North and South Dakota, Delaware, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Vermont. We’ve got pictures of all the state signs that we’ve entered, but the Tennessee one was stressful because it kept not appearing and we were passing into Memphis exits and still no sign! But once we crossed the Mississippi (it’s the second time I’ve done so in my life and I’m just awed) the sign appeared, as Justin said it would. Success.

We went to Memphis with the intention of getting barbeque, and boy did Memphis deliver. Corky’s was the place and ribs are their game. I usually am not a ribs girl. I like brisket or barbeque chicken best. But ribs are their specialty and I had to order some. Before we even got our main dish we got the most heavenly buttery crispy rolls. Divine. Straight from heaven. I ate three and longed for more. The ribs were the best I have ever tasted, bar none. They had wonderful barbeque sauce with a dry rub and they were so tender and delicious and just… y’all. I felt so bad leaving any left on my plate but I was stuffed to bursting and we can’t take leftover ribs on the road with us.

If you ever get the chance, go to Corky’s and order ribs. Eat a roll for me.

I'm really enjoying this road trip; it's wonderful to see the country unfold mile by mile. The regions are so distinct.... I saw actual bayous today.  And we've been on the same road, the I-40 East, since Albuquerque. The world is beautiful.

Day One: Salt Lake to Albuquerque

Day one down of our moving road trip down!! 

We took the morning to do some last minute things that needed to be done before the real move on March 9th. Poor kitty Nova was so nervous when we took apart the bed.... when she gets stressed hiding there is her last resort and now she can't even do that.  This is Justin's goodbye to Utah, I'll be back but for him it may be a while.

This is a crazy thing we are doing but we are doing it!

Clear blue skies sent us on our way, thankfully. We drove to Moab and were stunned by the beauty of the snow on the red rocks with the blue skies for contrast. I haven’t been to Moab in years. It was very warm and we were fooled into thinking that would be the whole trip’s temperature. Ate lunch at an adorable Sweet Cravings Bakery and Bistro where I had a delicious quesadilla. Recommend. It had the kind of chatty and funny staff that people think small towns are like because of Gilmore Girls. But this is the real deal. Then we drove through the rest of southern Utah, which was remarkably snowy. It’s the elevation that gets ya. But truly stunning.

Drove through a bit of Colorado, past Four Corners, and into New Mexico. Snow still abounded, but the roads were perfectly clear. Kept track of the state license plates we saw, and are up to about twenty at last count. Saw a tiny town’s store that advertised “Groceries! Pinto beans!”   The only two things you would ever need.

New Mexico is the most boring state by far.  (Sorry if it's your fave I just.... don't understand you. ( It’s not a fun drive. I've driven it before and I don't anticipate a third visit. Only our podcasts sustained us…… small towns and then miles of dirt and sagebrush with not even another car in sight. Thank you Ira Glass and Jonathan Goldstein. There were several spots in New Mexico where we had to go on weird little highways and assumed that my phone was just maliciously luring us into the wilderness to never be found. The relief in my soul when we actually saw the lights of Albuquerque….. I was made for city living. But even here, the stoplights are sideways. Very strange. However the stars when we were in the middle of nowhere were gorgeous.

Ate a late dinner at a cute Route 66 diner where Justin was craving vegetables and I was craving grease because of course I was. We were going to take a cute picture at the Albuquerque sign but Justin’s phone was on law battery and so you will have to imagine it in your heart. Then back to the hotel to pass the heck out. (It was a sold out hotel and I was glad we had reserved ahead of time.)

Today’s moral: I would not live in New Mexico (even the light switches are sideways, because being flat is this state's whole thing). Also, cellphones with GPS and podcasts are the best inventions.

Moving... or Preparing To

It's 10:52 pm and I should be asleep but I keep thinking, "What have I forgotten? What have I forgotten? I KNOW I'VE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING HUGE AND IT'S GOING TO MESS UP OUR ENTIRE MOVE UNLESS I FIGURE IT OUT."

The last two weeks have been a blur of boxes and bubblewrap and trying to balance seeing people I love so much with getting my apartment ready to move two thousand miles to Philadelphia. This is what I wanted. I'm excited. But moving this far is, to say the least, a bit stressful, and it hits me most at night.

I must be forgetting something.

Everything is packed, except for clothes and toiletries and food and things we use literally every day. Everything else I can think of is in a box. But what if there's a secret closet that I've forgotten about and it's full of all the most precious things that would have somehow helped me make friends in Pennsylvania and they're going to be left behind because I haven't looked in that closet for two years!! 

Can't wait to have no friends thanks to the forgotten closet.

I know it's not logical.

Justin has to be in Philadelphia for his new job before the moving company was available, so I'll be loading the trailer without him. Thankfully my in laws are coming to help; without them I would have no chance of success. But if by chance you aren't doing anything on the morning Saturday March 9th..... ;)    I will provide pizza and donuts and anything else to tempt you there.

I've never moved this far, in my life, ever. Not even close. You could probably add the mileage of all my moves together and it still wouldn't be close. I keep thinking, this is crazy! This is insane! I have never even been to Pennsylvania and now we are setting up apartment tours and I have unrefundable flight tickets and everything I own is in boxes. We're really doing this! This is what I wanted, but it terrifies me.

I've lived in Salt Lake for seven and a half years. Just about the length of the Harry Potter series. Graduating from Hogwarts? (Makes a note to scratch this geeky metaphor when I reread this in the morning.) When I came here I only knew my grandparents, and somehow I managed to scrape out a place for myself. I have met amazing kindred spirits here, people who I've laughed and cried with, people who make me feel instantly that I belong, which is such a tough thing to do. I worry that I won't be able to make friends anymore, that I left that talent in my single years, and that being in a new place will make me clam up and never say a word to anyone.

I wanted (and want) this, but boy howdy. I am scared.

I will be two hours from New York. Close to Boston, the Atlantic Ocean, the Smithsonian. A world of history I've read and loved and never been to. This is going to be an adventure. That's what I tell myself on nights like tonight to get to sleep, because it will be an adventure. But it's going to be tough, and I wish that I could take all my friends with me.  What if I never get cast in any shows out there? Theatre is how I make friends!!

What if, what if, what if. 

There are so many things to do that each new things seems like the most important thing, and I've lost my sense of proportion when it comes to any crisis. Selling my car and finding a screwdriver to take the license plates off the car once it's sold seem the same level of importance: They both have to get done before I can move. And I have to move. 

Justin and I start driving across the country on February 28th to get him settled for his job, and then I'm flying back on March 7th to load up the trailer on March 9th. Then I'm cleaning the house like crazy for a weekend and flying back out for good on March 12th, with our cat. I've never flown with a cat and I'm super anxious that she'll meow too loud and get us kicked off the plane and then what will I do????

This is doable.

People fly with cats. People move across the country. They do it every day.

Right?









I am sure I'm forgetting something.

The Books She Read: 2018

What a year, y'all. I got married and went to New York City for the first time! (Separate events.)  I also read over a hundred books in a year, for the first time since I started keeping track, after moving to Utah in autumn 2011. Whoo!! 

 Books Read: 103
Fiction: 41
Nonfiction: 62

Top Ten of 2018

1. Timekeepers -- Simon Garfield. 
I love Simon Garfield! This is the second book of his I've read, and the second year in a row he's on the top ten. He has such a way of taking a gigantic topic, such as time, and breaking it down into fascinating bits-- how time is portrayed in movies, different calendars that have been considered, the challenges of creating time zones and standardizing clocks. I hated how little time it took me to read this book, because I wanted it to keep going. Read Simon Garfield.

2. Incendiary: The Psychiatrist, the Mad Bomber, and the Invention of Criminal Profiling -- Michael Cannell
The best true crime book I've read, and I have read my fair share of true crime. A bomber terrified New York for more than a decade, and a psychiatrist teamed up with the NYPD bomb squad to figure out how to narrow down their suspect list from the millions of people who live in and around New York with only a few clues. I love Criminal Minds, which deals with criminal profiling, but this was real life, which makes it so much better.

3. Junius & Albert’s Adventures in the Confederacy: A Civil War Odyssey-- Peter Carlson
I found this book in a bargain bin at Barnes & Noble on my lunch break when I needed something to read on the train ride home. Best four dollars I ever spent. Two Northern journalists are captured by the Confederate army, survive multiple prisons, and finally escape and try to make their way back home. Full of humanity, heart, and tenacity, this is a five star adventure.

4. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
Yes, it's shameful that I haven't read any Asimov until now. But better late than never. This story collection thoroughly messed me up. Robots aren't good, they aren't spiteful, they're just extremely, painfully logical.

5. A Train in Winter:An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France-- Caroline Moorehead
Holocaust books are tough. Because it is such a horrific, evil thing. But it's critical that we not forget, not let the sickening feeling that comes when reflecting on legal genocide make the Holocaust something we put on a shelf and don't talk about. This is a book about women who fought against the Nazis, and most of them were killed for it. But to have friends, even in the darkest despair of a concentration camp, reminded me that platonic love is not to be scoffed at.

6. Big Little Lies-- Liane Moriarty
What I love about Liane Moriarty is that she focuses on the disconnect between our appearance and our inner turmoil, especially when it comes to suburban women. Big Little Lies starts with a death, and then flashbacks several months. Knowing what's waiting at the end, but not who died, makes every conflict feel like a clue. The chapters alternate between the perspectives of three women at the heart of everything. Emotional and satisfying.

7. Emily Post: Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of American Manners-- Laura Claridge
Biographies are the best, because they take a person that you maybe knew by name, had a certain association with, and shine a light into a life. Laura Claridge did a fantastic job of making Emily Post someone I deeply cared about and rooted for; she did a whole lot more than write about which fork to use at a dinner party. Her emphasis on kindness being the key to class resonated with me. She also dabbled in gardening, architectural design, and the war effort. I love Emily Post after reading this. Long, but worth it.

8. Thunderstruck-- Erik Larson
I enjoyed Erik's Larson's Devil in the White City, but this one was better. The juxtaposition of creating the wireless telegraph and long distance radio with the build up to a truly gruesome murder (don't read if you're squeamish) is flawlessly done.  Larson brings the time period to life vividly and fills it with energy so that it seems it could be happening now. Extremely well done.

9. The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer-- Anne-Marie O'Connor
Art books aren't usually my thing. I don't have an art history background and although I love having symbolism or inside jokes of artwork pointed out to me, some art authors are way too academic to make it worth it. But this book is so much more than an art book. It starts with an artist, the subject of a portrait, and her family, and follows them through World War I and II, and onward to today. I highly recommend it. Even if you don't like art books.

10. Murder on the Orient Express-- Agatha Christie
Another classic that I hadn't read yet. Agatha Christie at her best, need I say more?

Honorable mentions:
Clementine: The Life of Mrs Winston Churchill-- Sonia Purnell

The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture-- Glen Weldon


Best dedication is from Carrie Fisher's book, Shockaholic. "For Billie and Barack, who make my world a better place. Despite the obstacles you've had to overcome-- whether posed by my antics or the uber unfortunate antics of the Tea Partiers and the rest of their distressing ilk-- long may you wave."   


Now on to the overall list, alphabetical by author. As always, rereads are marked with *** and recommendations are bolded. If you have any questions or recommendations, hit me up!


Nonfiction

Lincoln's Last Trial: The Murder Case That Propelled Him to the Presidency-- Dan Abrams
If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look On My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating-- Alan Alda
***The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance-- Elna Baker
Contagious: Why Things Catch on-- Jonah Berger
Sandra Day O'Connor: How the First Woman on the Supreme Court Became Its Most Influential Justice-- Joan Biskupic
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail-- Bill Bryson
American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, and the Birth of Hollywood-- Howard Blum
Incendiary: The Psychiatrist, the Mad Bomber, and the Invention of Criminal Profiling-- Michael Cannell
In Cold Blood-- Truman Capote
Emily Post: Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of American Manners-- Laura Claridge
Junius and Albert's Adventures in the Confederacy: A Civil War Odyssey-- Peter Carlson
What Happened-- Hillary Rodham Clinton
A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership-- James Comey
Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf-- Helene Cooper
The First Tour de France: Sixty Cyclists and Nineteen Days of Daring on the Road to Paris-- Peter Cossins
The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion-- Meghan Daum
***Four Seasons in Roe: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World-- Anthony Doerr
There Are No Grown Ups: A Midlife Coming of Age Story-- Pamela Druckerman
The Great Movies-- Roger Ebert
Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America-- Barbara Ehrenreich
Zachary Taylor-- John SD Eisenhower
American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures-- America Ferrera
Millard Fillmore-- Paul Finkelman
Shockaholic-- Carrie Fisher
Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France -- Leonie Frieda
Bend, Not Break: A Life in Two Worlds-- Ping Fu
Timekeepers: How the World Became Obsessed with Time-- Simon Garfield
The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History-- Robin Givhan
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon-- David Grann
Autobiography of a Face-- Lucy Grealy
Franklin Pierce-- Michael F Holt
The War of the Whales: A True Story-- Joshua Horwitz
Because I Said So! The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids-- Ken Jennings 
The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History-- Boris Johnson
Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World-- Steven Johnson
Caesar's Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us-- Sam Kean
Gone: A Girl, a Violin, a Life Unstrung-- Min Kym
Thunderstruck-- Erik Larson
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir-- Jenny Lawson
What So Proudly We Hailed: Francis Scott Key, a Life-- Marc Leepson
The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie-- Wendy McClure
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer-- Michelle McNamara
Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History-- Antonio Mendez, Matt Baglio
A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France-- Caroline Moorehead
The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer-- Anne Marie O'Connor
Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning-- Leslie Odom Jr
Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners-- Therese Oneill
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage-- Ann Patchett
Clementine: The Life of Mrs Winston Churchill-- Sonia Purnell
Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead-- Cecile Richards
Staying True-- Jenny Sanford
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks-- Rebecca Skloot
Dinner With the Smileys: One Military Family, One Year of Heroes, and Lessons for a Lifetime-- Sarah Smiley
A Wish Your Heart Makes: From the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel to Disney's Cinderella-- Charles Solomon
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption-- Bryan Stevenson
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail-- Cheryl Strayed
Heroines of Mercy Street: The Real Nurses of the Civil War-- Pamela D Toler
The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World's Most Dangerous Fish-- Emily Voigt
How to Ruin Everything: Essays-- George Watsky
The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture-- Glen Weldon
First Bite: How We Learn to Eat-- Bee Wilson



Fiction

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: The Pox Party-- MT Anderson
The Bear and the Nightingale-- Katherine Arden
I, Robot-- Isaac Asimov
Britt-Marie Was Here-- Fredrik Backman
The School of Essential Ingredients-- Erica Bauermeister
The House With a Clock In Its Walls-- John Bellairs
***Wuthering Heights-- Emily Bronte
Grave Peril-- Jim Butcher
Crooked House-- Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express- Agatha Christie
Peril at End House-- Agatha Christie
The Last Mrs Parrish-- Liv Constantine
***The Maze Runner- James Dashner
***The Scorch Trials-- James Dashner
The Death Cure-- James Dashner
***Room-- Emma Donoghue
A is for Alibi-- Sue Grafton
B is for Burglar-- Sue Grafton
C is for Corpse-- Sue Grafton
D is for Deadbeat-- Sue Grafton
***Just Ella-- Margaret Peterson Haddix
Pictures of You-- Caroline Leavitt
***A Song of Ice and Fire-- George RR Martin
***A Clash of Kings-- George RR Martin
A Storm of Swords-- George RR Martin
A Feast for Crows-- George RR Martin
Five Carat Soul-- James McBride
***Anne of Green Gables-- Lucy Maud Montgomery
Big Little Lies-- Liane Moriarty
The Husband's Secret-- Liane Moriarty
What Alice Forgot-- Liane Moriarty
Little Fires Everywhere-- Celeste Ng 
***Wyrd Sisters-- Terry Pratchett
Sourcery-- Terry Pratchett
Pyramids-- Terry Pratchett
Guards! Guards! -- Terry Pratchett
Eric -- Terry Pratchett
***Kissing in America-- Margo Rabb
***Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince-- JK Rowling
The Lovely Bones-- Alice Sebold
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-- Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Annihilation-- Jeff VanderMeer

Snow White and the Several Dwarves

My littlest sister, Lydia, asked me to write her a script for a play she can do at home. I've never been so flattered. It wouldn't be me without adding snarky and feminism, so here's the result, to be done with a smaller cast than the normal number of dwarves, because that's a lot of dialogue. A short, silly thing to hopefully make her smile.

Snow White and the Several Dwarfs

Cast List

Narrator / Magic Mirror / Prince

Snow White

Evil Queen

Huntsman (can double as Bashful)

Doc

Grumpy

Happy

Bashful

Narrator: Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a young princess named Snow White. Her father was a good king, but his wife was more worried about being beautiful than about being kind. The queen’s anger was stirred as she saw how lovely Snow White grew, and she made her do many hours of chores and never let her wear new dresses. But Snow White had a pure heart, and nothing the queen did to her could make her give up on her dream of finding a better life.

Enter Snow White.

SW: Another day of scrubbing the corridors done. I wish that my stepmother would at least tell me I am doing a good job now and again! She must be very busy to never come and see my work. She sits, tired.  I wish I could go to a place where I was appreciated and loved and everyone did their fair share. Here the birds are my only friends, and I’m sorry to say they are not very good at conversation.

Prince, off stage: Snow White, thou art the fairest maiden in the land! Say that you’ll marry me, and I will take you to my own castle.

SW: Umm, another day, perhaps. How can I marry a man I do not know?

Prince: Don’t be so picky! There are many girls in towers who would be thrilled to accept. In fact, I’m off to give the same offer to one right now!

SW: (sighs) This is not the dating scene I had hoped for.

Exit Snow White. Scene shifts to Queen’s chambers, with hand mirror. Queen is applying makeup.

Queen: That girl grows more beautiful every day, even in rags! I must consult my mirror to make sure that she has not surpassed me… this new brand of lipstick promised that I’d be the most beautiful woman at any party. If it is not so…. (she glowers) (addressing mirror) Mirror, Mirror, in my hand / who’s the fairest in the land?

Mirror: Can anyone really say who the fairest in all the land is? There are so many types of beauty, and it’s really a very subjective thing…

Queen: Out with it!

Mirror: Yeah, it’s Snow White. Her heart and soul are beautiful, not just her face.

Queen exclaims in anger.

Queen: I will sue that lipstick brand for false advertising!!!

Mirror: That does take quite a bit of paperwork, my Queen.

Queen: Silence! Fetch the Huntsman.

Mirror: Huntsman, please report to the Queen’s chambers ASAP.

A few moments, then Huntsman enters, out of breath.

HM: What is it?

Queen: I have a task for you. You must take Snow White deep into the forest and kill her! Cut out her heart and deliver it to me in this box.

HM: That seems super dark. Isn’t this a kids’ show? How about I just, like, give her a bad haircut?

Queen: GO!!!!!!!!!

End scene. New scene : Huntsman and Snow White are alone in the forest.

HM: Snow White, I must warn you, the Queen is out for blood. She will stop at nothing to destroy you. This is my first job since graduating from the hunting academy, but it seems like murder is not a normal job request.

SW: I can’t say I’m too surprised. She has been growing more and more angry these last few years.

He hands her a bag of supplies.

HM: Here, take these. I know a small cottage you can go to. The forest can be a frightening place, but I’ve spent a lot of time in it, and no harm will come to you.

SW: That’s very kind. Are you sure it won’t endanger you?

HM: I’m a huntsman, I can take care of myself.

Narrator: As Snow White and the Huntsman walked through the forest, they talked of many things. The princess felt glad to be out of the castle and with her first human friend, and the Huntsman was happy to help. Soon they came to the cottage in the clearing.

HM: Now, full disclosure, I have never met the people that live here, but I’m sure they’ll be nice, living so far out here they probably don’t get many visitors. I have to go back now and throw the Queen off the scent, but this should be a good place for you.

SW: Thank you again, kind Huntsman. (she hugs him)

Exit Huntsman. Snow White enters the cottage and looks around.

SW: What funny little chairs! They must be children here! How odd that children would live all alone in the middle of the forest, but stranger things have happened. I’ll just tidy up for them so they’ll know I’ll be a good houseguest.

(optional-- “Whistle While You Work” plays / she sings )

SW: There, that’s much better! As I always say, a clean house is a happy house. I’m now feeling very tired, I guess it won’t be too rude to use these little beds for a nap.

She sleeps. Enter the dwarves.

Grumpy: Now, I don’t mind telling you, something is not right. This cottage hasn’t been cleaned in years and suddenly the windows are sparkling! It’s black magic, I tell you. We ought to just go build a new one somewhere else, or sleep in the mine tonight. Who knows what has taken residence here?

Doc: Now Grumpy, don’t be absurd. We all know it’s serfectly pafe, I mean, perfectly safe.

The dwarves creep up on the beds.

Happy: All right, fellows, let’s let our guest know how delighted we are to have them by waking them up and yelling, surprise!

Bashful: No, that’s not gonna happen.

Grumpy: It could be a dragon!

Happy: Pretty small dragon, if you ask me.

Doc: It falls to me as the brave leader to once again take charge. (He crawls to the bed and whispers, “who are you?”)

Snow White continues to sleep.

Grumpy: Oh for crying out loud. He bangs loud objects together. Who are you and what are you doing in our house??

Snow White wakes suddenly.

SW: Oh! I’m terribly sorry, I was waiting for the children to get home. (She looks around) But you’re not children, you’re little men! Oh, my, you really have no idea how to keep a house clean.

Bashful: we do, but-- (hides face)

SW: (laughs) Not to worry, now we can all enjoy this clean home.

Doc: I beg your pardon?

SW: I’m going to be staying for an extended visit. My stepmother, the Queen, is envious of my beauty and my friend the Huntsman brought me here. Otherwise, I don’t know where I’ll go. Please let me stay.

Grumpy: No! There are plenty of other kingdoms and cottages.

Happy: Just a minute, Grumpy! We’d be HAPPY to have you! That’s my name, Happy!

SW: An unusual name, but you quite live up to it.

Doc: All dwarves are named after their most noticeable attitude trait.

SW: What’s your name?

Doc: Doc.

SW: ….are you a doctor? Is that a personality trait?

Doc: You ask a lot of questions.

Bashful: Maybe we should…. (hides face)

Happy: Invite her to dinner! You’re exactly right.

Narrator: The dwarves and Snow White ate dinner together, and then danced and sang till late in the night. Snow White felt very lucky to have found these new friends.

(Optional dance sequence)

Scene: the next day

Happy: Well, Snow White, we’re off to work!

Bashful: Have a… garsh, you know (hides face)

Doc: And don’t open the door for anyone!

Grumpy: Bah humbug. You’ll be fine, obviously you have no problem with taking over our house, so any other problems will be easily dealt with.

SW: (Laughs) Grumpy, I will bake your favorite kind of pie tonight and we’ll see what you say then.

Grumpy: (stomps foot)

The dwarves exit, singing “hi ho.” Snow White goes into cottage. Almost immediately the Queen enters, in disguise.

Queen: This is a foolproof disguise! I boiled up a potion to make me appear completely harmless. With ingredients like the meow of a kitten and comfy pajamas, I now appear to pose no danger to anyone. Snow White will never recognize me. But that will be her last mistake…..

She knocks on the cottage door.

SW: Hello?

Queen: It is I, a harmless peddler.

SW: That’s strange, the dwarves said that no one had visited this cottage in years.

Queen: It’s a new route. We’re reaching out to new customers.

SW: How did you find this place?

The Magic Mirror is seen sticking out of the Queen’s basket. We flashback to hear him say, “recalculating…. Recalculating…. Please make a U turn at the next tree)

Queen: Umm woman’s intuition. Now, do you want to buy some apples?

SW: Grumpy’s favorite pie is apple, I heard him say so last night. Yes, of course.

Queen: Oh, that was much easier than I expected. Wouldn’t you like to taste one first, to make sure that they’re good?

SW: Oh, you look so kind and trustworthy, little a cute little kitten in pajamas. I’m sure their wonderful.

Queen: (to audience) Blast! My disguise has worked too well!

Queen: (to SW) But I insist! These are wishing apples!

SW: Wishing apples?

Queen: Yes. You must think very hard of your dearest wish and it will come true with the first bite.

SW: Wow.

Queen: Yup, an amazing deal. Please, try one.

SW takes an apple.

SW: I’m wishing…. I’m wishing that I will be able to live here in peace and that the Queen will realize that women shouldn’t be tearing each other down over looks, we should support each other in sisterhood. (she takes a bite)

Queen: Wait!!

Narrator: But it is too late. The Queen’s poisoned apple has worked the instant Snow White’s lip touched it, she falls to the ground in an enchanted sleep.

Queen: I now realize the error of my ways!! Snow White was right, women shouldn’t be competing over who is more or less beautiful, we should work together to make a better world. I regret the time I lost not connecting with my stepdaughter. (weeps bitterly)

The dwarves enter, having taken a very short work day.

Grumpy: What has this kitten in pajamas done to Snow White!??!

Happy: I am UNHAPPY about this. And that’s not a good way to feel.

Doc: Now, hold on just a minute, you helpless looking imposter. You must be the evil queen that Snow White ran away from.

Queen: Well, yes, that was I, but I had a mighty change of heart, and now I am full of bitter regret.

Bashful: Gosh. (exits, bashfully)

Happy: How can we break the spell? That’s the only way I can be happy again.

Queen: The antidote to the curse is a kiss from someone with a heart as pure as hers. My mirror kept going about how Snow White was beautiful on the inside as well as the outside, and so I figured it would be a nice touch of irony to make the curse about inner beauty. But how will we ever find someone so good?

Huntsman enters.

HM: Oh, no, Snow White! I led her here out of the goodness of my heart, to keep her safe, at personal risk to myself and no profit, and look what has happened.

The dwarves and queen all look at him like, “AH HA”

Queen: Hey! It is I, the Formerly Evil Queen.

HM: (does a double take) Are you sure?

Queen: Yes. There’s no time to explain, kiss her! You have a pure heart!

HM: Umm I feel weird about this, but a peck on the cheek won’t hurt. (kisses SW’s cheek)

Snow White sits up , yawning.

Narrator: And so it came to pass that the Queen learned to respect her fellow women based on actions, not appearances. Snow White said a fond farewell to her dwarven friends, although they remained fast friends. The cottage was just a little too small for her. She went back to the castle, and the Huntsman was promoted to Castle Greeter. (It might not seem like a promotion, but this was a much better fit for him.) And they all lived happily ever after.