Month: June 2024

‘I Hope This Finds You Well’ by Natalie Sue is a surprisingly touching novel

/ Pamela Kramer

The cover of “I Hope This Finds You Well” leads one to believe that it’s a cute, clever, humorous novel about working in an office, in a cubicle, and the things that one might resort to to keep one’s job. Instead, I was surprised and delighted to find that Natalie Sue’s debut novel grabbed me and dragged me into the life of Jolene so completely that I kept reading until late in the night to find out more about Jolene and her journey working as a cog at a huge conglomerate, Supershops, Inc.

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‘Summers at the Saint’ by Mary Kay Andrews is a touching and intriguing novel of haves and have-nots in an oceanside resort

/ Pamela Kramer

With her newest novel, “Summers at the Saint,” prolific New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews will delight both old fans and new readers alike. It might just be her best novel yet. The story concerns an oceanside town, a monied seaside resort with a history, the summer residents versus the “townies,” and Traci Eddings, the widow who is now running the St. Cecelia, which is known affectionately as “the Saint.” Traci was a townie when she fell in love with the son of the resort’s owner. They married, and he ran the resort until his untimely death in a plane crash, after which Traci took over the helm of the resort.

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Urgent: Help needed to ensure TNR is enshrined in Lake County law as it is in Illinois law

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

While TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) is old news in much of the country, apparently the Lake County Board and the Lake County Health Department are still living in the days when feral cats were caught and killed, as most are unadoptable. To any Lake County Board members; Mark Pfister, Public Health Director; and Robin Van Sickle, Director of Animal Control; who might be reading this, TNR is a real thing. It’s even enshrined in Illinois law, which states:

Sec. 2.16. Owner. “Owner” means any person having a right of property in an animal, or who keeps or harbors an animal, or who has it in his care, or acts as its custodian, or who knowingly permits a dog to remain on any premises occupied by him or her. “Owner” does not include a feral cat caretaker participating in a trap, spay/neuter, vaccinate for rabies, and return program. (Source: P.A. 101-295, eff. 8-9-19.)

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‘Find Me in California’ by Kerry Lonsdale is a touching story of family, secrets, love, and loss

/ Pamela Kramer

In “Find Me in California,” author Kerry Lonsdale creates a story that brims with star-crossed lovers, poor decisions, loss, abandonment, and many, many secrets. We meet the two protagonists as they each must deal with tragic events relating to their grandmothers. Both Matt and Julia had much different experiences growing up with their grandmothers. Julia was loved and pampered by hers after her mother callously abandoned her, and Matt was ignored and callously isolated by his after the parents who loved him deeply died.

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‘Life, Loss, and Puffins’ by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a coming of age novel about the family we find

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

In many of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novels, journeys play a special part in terms of shaping and changing the main character or characters. Her latest novel is “Life, Loss, and Puffins,” and the protagonist, a “freakishly smart” thirteen year old and her new best friend Gabriel go on an adventure that changes their lives. Ru’s full name is Rumaki, because her mother thought it was the name of a famous Japanese warrior or philosopher. Unfortunately, it’s the name of an appetizer made from chicken liver, water chestnuts, and bacon, and it’s a name that Ru has been saddled with. In a manner of speaking, this misnomer is emblematic of Ru’s life, a life in which most of the people around her do not understand her or see her for who she really is. They see a child, but Ru is far from anything resembling a typical youngster.

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How to save an injured piglet

/ Pamela Kramer

The owner of a petting zoo goes to buy a pig from a farmer. The farmer throws in the injured sibling, whose leg is hurt. The piglet won’t put weight on it and limps on the other three legs. The guy figures he’s buying the pig some time and maybe the leg will get better.

Three weeks later, at a farmer’s market, I noticed a petting zoo with farm animals and saw that one of the animals in a pen by itself was a baby pig. He was the size of a medium dog, about 30 pounds. I went to pet him and realized that he couldn’t walk on his left front leg. I asked the girl working there what was wrong with the leg. She explained, “It’s a rescue and he came that way.” I asked if he had been seen by a veterinarian, and when she responded in the negative, I asked if he was going to be seen by a veterinarian. The answer was no. Then I asked whether they would be checking out anyone who wanted to adopt the pig and was told that he was for sale for $50. “So it’s not a rescue, and anyone can buy him. Even if they just want him for bacon?” I asked. She replied in the affirmative.

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‘You Like It Darker’ by Stephen King is his newest collection of spine-tingling short stories

/ Pamela Kramer

Stephen King’s new collection of short stories is titled “You Like It Darker,” and he comments in the very fascinating afterword that he got the title from the Leonard Cohen song “You Want It Darker.” These twelve stories range from nine pages to ninety pages, and each one introduces us, unsurprisingly, to people who are visiting a dark place.

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