Away with the fairies...

Dear readers, Miss Em is somewhat distraught that her silence has lasted so long…it's all down to the tagline, I'm afraid. Life was better than books. Certainly more compelling. But amongst the re-reads, there were some gems. Miss Em only read the gems, and will be reporting shortly, as she draws closer to the planet. In the meantime, lots of love in the air & dancing and singing went on amidst the tears. Here's a sample playlist:

My Type-Saint Motel

Shut Up and Dance With Me- Walk the Moon

Come With Me Now-Kongas

Trust You-Rob Thomas

Chains-Nick Jonas

Love Runs Out-OneRepublic

Empire-Shakira

Believe-Mumford & Sons

Take Me to Church-Hozier

Nothing Without Love-Nate Ruess

Live Forever-Band Perry

On Top of the World-Imagine Dragons

Freedom-Pharrell

Best Day of My Life-American Authors

Bright-Echosmith

I Am- AWOL Nation

Someone New- Hozier

Hallelujah-Panic at the Disco

Heart is a Drum-Beck

And add for fun: Exes and Ohs, Water Under the Bridge, Blank Space…

The high is worth the pain, BTW. Have fun, children. Dare to love. The stranger the better… :) 

Hope springs eternal

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Be warned, this book may be too topical for some. It deals with the underpinnings of racial and sectarian violence in an Indian slum, only a step away from the Middle East. It’s written by a privileged white American attempting objectivity and tells the story of how Muslims, Hindus, and other poor folks try to survive and thrive amidst poverty most Americans can’t imagine, and therefore have a hard time believing, let alone empathizing with.

The book is an attempt to stir up that empathy, I believe. But Ms. Boo, while attempting her objectivity, leads with a manipulative cliffhanger. Some people can handle immolation in the first scene and not know the fate of the woman for a hundred pages or so; they find it does draw them into the story and keeps them reading. It makes me want to strangle the author or editor. I’m committed to reading when I read the title, subtitle, and jacket copy, unless it’s badly written. I want to know the complete story already and I do want footnotes and to know that there were years and many interviews involved upfront. After you have manipulated me on the first page, I have a hard time believing that you’re inside the head of all these folks just from the narrative. Start at the beginning!

It’s a very good look at the choices people make when their choices are limited. There is no pity here, no plea for mercy. One is left with reality, hard questions: is poverty a problem? Can people of different cultures ever really get along? Does morality have a sliding scale?




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The Music of Bhutan :: Melissa Bobbitt :: The Occurrence :: Occur

 Miss Em recommends the music of Misty Terrace. And world music, people. Get some Tuvan throat-singing, some aboriginal fancydancing, and you'll see and hear, folk music is folk music, music of the people...



Occur Goes Global - The Music of Bhutan :: Melissa Bobbitt :: The Occurrence :: Occur

Quite Tasty: More, Please

Delicious! by Ruth Reichl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“Delicious” is food writer Ruth Reichl’s first novel, and it shows. Pros: Reichl is touching, funny, evocative, an excellent prose technician, a great writer. Cons that to some are still pros: this is a romantic fantasy of the old school. There’s an obligatory love interest, but the romance is in its original sense of: adventure, excitement, not everyday life. And the fantasy is the same: a lovely daydream. This book is an homage to New York, the story of someone who goes to New York with a hole in her heart and gains not only healing but a vibrant, whole life.

I look forward to more; Reichl’s weakness wasn’t storytelling, but character development—most are New York “types,” not individuals. The plot is an excuse to put together everything lovely and exciting about being young, talented, and in New York, the most fabulous city in the world. (In the fantasy, of course.) The protagonist, fleeing to New York after a personal tragedy, lands a dream job at a food magazine. Her daddy is paying for an apartment for a year. Only one of her co-workers is nasty. Did we need the James Beard WWII subplot? No, though it was fun. Secret rooms and codebreaking don’t compare to New Yorker pride; the feeling of being the gateway to culture, class, success; freedom, theater, markets with fresh food, flowers and fish; ethnic neighborhoods; anonymity and community side-by-side; history. New York is brought to life in Reichl’s assured, vivid prose. She made us believe the very air there smells of dreams and sparkles of stardust fall to the dirty streets and inspires those who despair.




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Back Soon, Dear Ones

"The Universe will never overload you with more than you can handle. The purpose of problems and challenges and difficulties is to make you stronger and greater – not to break you down." – Dr Jeff Mullan
Posted by Jeff Mullan on Monday, September 21, 2015

Serafina Shines

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert  Beatty

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



"None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate's maintenance man, have lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember. She has learned to prowl through the darkened corridors at night, to sneak and hide, using the mansion's hidden doors and secret passageways.

But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows the clues to follow. A terrifying man in a black cloak stalks Biltmore's corridors at night."--Flap copy


Loved it, characters, writing, atmosphere...hard to categorize! It's wonderful, but it's also definitely a bit scary. The book falls between YA and Middle Grade, to my mind; some teens don't want to read about younger kids, and some younger kids really would be frightened. There's a strong coming-of-age trope, as well, for the major themes of the book are right-and-wrong, good-and-evil.

More, Mr. Beatty, more adventures, please!
(I received an EARC of the book from the publisher and Netgalley.)



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Not Fooling Around

Fool Me Once by Steve Hockensmith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a worthy follow-up to The White Magic Five and Dime. The twist to this mystery series is the quirky Tarot interpretations that enhance the plot. Alanis has taken over her con-woman mother's Tarot shop with the intent to help where her mother harmed. In this second offering, one of her clients is suspected of murder and Alanis sets out to reveal the truth. Smart with heart describes Alanis and the tone of the books; I highly recommend this quirky series with humor and an esoteric touch.

I received an earc of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.



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