One Chapter

Every Minute is a Day: A Doctor, An Emergency Room and a City Under Seige by Robert Meyer MD

I know, I know, I know. People are tired of hearing about Covid but I really wanted to hear from someone different. Someone who actually worked on the front lines, in an area different than my own and I wanted to hear his own words about what he experienced and witnessed with his own eyes. I really enjoyed this book, in fact, the book exceeded my expectations. At first, I hesitated on reading it, afraid it might contain difficult medical jargon but the book was very down-to-earth.

This book centers on Montefiore Health System in Harlem which serves about 1.5 million people annually. With their staff including their medical students, their facilities including their modern equipment, they feel that there’s no better equipped hospital to serve Covid patients than their building. Within one month of receiving their first Covid patient, the hospital gets control of the situation but there’s no end in sight. They were able to manage the shortages that came with the demand of this illness while still providing what they could to their patients and staff. The hospital experienced highs along with the lows while they provided care for their patients, those highs amongst all the chaos and despair provided hope and strength for another day.

There were many references that I enjoyed in this book, remarks that stood out as I read them. The first one referred to how the hospital dealt with the crisis. This state of mind continues today as officials examine the booster vaccine. The doctors learned as they go. They learned about the illness from others, they learned from doing something different, and they learned from going outside-the-box. This illness is new, it’s something our society has not dealt with before. This is a new crisis- there are no set rules, there is no handout to follow, no set procedures in place. We are creating the handout and the rules as the days on the calendar move forward and unfortunately, as people get sick, die, and refused to believe that this illness really exists. The second comment that stuck with me was how the medical staff put everything on hold while they dealt with Covid. How will that effect our future? What will happen if we encounter another untreatable illness? I stop and think about the implications of this time? What has this done to us as a nation and to us around the world? Has this united us or tore us apart? According to a few surveys, our children’s education has suffered. That’s our future. How long will we continue to argue and battle what is “right?”

There was a wake-up moment in Harlem when other colleagues in other areas of the hospital started to offer their help. Months earlier they’ve been too scared to help but now, they see how things are not letting up and they feel the need to pitch in but how? They don’t have the training to work in the ER. The emergency doctors took them, they trained them on something/anything that they thought they could do, they needed another pair of hands, someone to provide some relief. These newly trained ER staff members thought they were scared before, well working on the front lines now, they’re realizing just how bad Covid really is.

I didn’t expect a happy story and I found myself crying a few times while I read this book, the emotional toil and the personal stories hit me. You never knew how things would turn out. An image that stayed with me as I read this book was the person lying in the hospital, just waiting, all alone. Imagine yourself lying there, alone, isolated, no TV or entertainment, all you hear is the constant beeping of the monitors all around you and the noises of the staff as they scramble to assist the others that are lying nearby. How do you feel? Sick, helpless, defeated, worried, deflated…..

It’s a crisis that’s hitting every continent and not everyone is able or willing to stop/control it. You need to be able to live your life, not just survive but live. We need to remember all of those who have died, what we have learned through these individuals, and we need to honor those who have helped us along the way.

It’s a great read and one that I highly recommend. I appreciate the two cousins getting together and sharing this story with us and although, I haven’t witnessed it firsthand, I have heard enough stories from friends and loved ones that I don’t want to nor do I need to, to understand how serious this crisis is. Emergency medicine is constantly changing and you have to remember that no one has all the answers yet. Stay well everyone. 5 stars

Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey

This was dark. I felt as I was reading this novel that I was being led down different paths, roads that never really connected to one another till later in the book. I knew immediately when Emma left Abigail at the party that she had made the wrong choice. The beer is flowing freely, the bonfire is hot and the guests are ready to party. Abigail leaves Emma behind as she walks off into the woods with the boy. Abi tells her friend that she’ll be fine and that, she’ll find a ride home later. Abigail never made it home that night.

So, where is Abi? To answer that question, we’ll need to time travel and return to “Then” and get some history on our characters. Throughout this book, you’ll be rotating time periods from “then” and “now”, so don’t lose track of where you are.

Welcome to Whistling Ridge, a small community, where not-even the preacher was honorable. It seemed as if every citizen has a secret side of themselves, a side that only a few others see. That hidden side can hold many different attributes and, in this town, it holds a great number. From prejudices, abuse, phobias, anger and lying, these are just some of the issues that you’ll find on their city blocks. I really find it interesting how all these individuals can live together in one small community and they can actually exist with one another. With everything that is dividing our country now, how can such a small town have such a high number of issues and still function as a community? The history of these individual play a major role as they investigate where Abi went.

I, myself have never lived in a small town but my grandparents did when I was growing up and I visited there quite frequently. My grandfather owned the general store in town and we’d see lots of folks stop in. I don’t remember hearing or hearing my grandparents talk negatively about their neighbors. Perhaps, it depends on where you live and perhaps, they kept that information away from my ears. I seem to gravitate towards dark stories and this one definitely checked that box, while also keeping me engaged and energized.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Therapist by B.A. Paris

Wakey, wakey!! I wondered as I read this book if Alice was even awake. Did someone give her something or what’s up? Every time a new event presented itself in this book, I’d get squeamish and wonder if this was the event that would give Alice the kick that she needed. The nudge to finally pack those bags of hers and start looking at things from the outside.

When Alice first found out about the incident at the new house which had been kept from her, I’d be doing some serious thinking. I couldn’t believe that Alice was buying into her boyfriend’s explanation of his behavior. Why exactly does he love that house so much? What is this connection that he feels towards it? Then, let’s induce that party crasher that you had. This ends up not just being a typical party crasher whose coming for free drinks and food. Nope. He’s looking alright but he’ll be back, as he really thinks you have something he needs.

Hello…..get packing Alice! Why are you still staying in that house? I love a good mystery but not while I’m a part of it. I felt that all the issues just kept adding up and I was wondering if Alice was even keeping up with all the drama. Then, when Alice mentions her sister presence, yeah. Well, Alice perhaps you need that house as much as your boyfriend does.

This was an entertaining read by one of my favorite authors. She just kept on giving me reasons to question the characters and unwrap the story. 4.5 stars

Leaving Lymon by Lesa Cline-Ransome

He’s a person, can’t anyone see this! This book states that it takes places in the 1940’s but the story is all too familiar. Living with his grandparents, Lymon has the stability, connections and the ability to express himself but that quickly vanishes. When they’re no longer able to care for him, other family members step in and accept Lymon into their home but not everyone in the household is thrilled about having him there.

The only person who Lymon was wanting and needing was, the one individual who would just pop into his life, whenever they felt the need to. You can feel the desperation in his voice and in his actions as they made their appearance and when they walked out, Lymon was again looking, looking for them everywhere. Lymon has lots of questions but no one was honest with him. They liked to dance around the questions that he asked of them.

When Lymon lived with his grandparents, his grandfather taught him how to play the guitar and this love united them. This was a connection that he also had with his father, for his father did gigs and he always had another show. I enjoyed this music connection and how the author used this throughout the story.

This was a fantastic story and it was an emotional one for me. Lymon needed some stability and he needed someone to be there for him but would he ever find it and who would that person be? I think the ending was too perfect for me considering how the story was progressing and the characters. 4 stars This is a sequel to Finding Langston.

“Daddy, when am I gonna see you again? Feel like I have been asking this question my whole life and never getting the answer I want. But I keep asking hoping for the answer I want to hear.”

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

This memoir covered a lot of ground but there seemed to be one common thread: Michelle wanted to connect with her heritage. As her mother prepared her traditional Korean dishes, Michelle stood by, trying to comprehend everything that was playing-out before her. Michelle wanted to please her mother, she wanted her mother to be proud of her and food was going to be her stage. If only she could please her mother, the pieces would fit together and so she persisted.

Michelle is Korean-White and we do meet her father in the book. We hear more about him in the second half of the book whereas the first part of the book, he worked his job and he liked his drink.

I didn’t know much about this book when I went into it, except that it was a fairly popular book. I think the driving force about the book for me was how much Michelle, a bi-racial woman, was trying to connect with her mother. Michelle felt a void in her life, her mother would be the one to fill it.

It was going well and then, they hit a road block. Mom was diagnosed with a form of cancer and everything, I mean everything changes. Time, energy, emotions, space, and values have to reevaluated. What has the highest priority? It’s not as if anyone’s desires have changed but now: new necessities have become the top priority.

This was an interesting and honest story and I appreciate Michelle sharing her story.

What! Cried Granny an Almost Bedtime Story by Kate Lum

This book is hilarious! Granny is amazing and Patrick innocence is charming. I didn’t like the illustrations when I first read the book but after looking at them, they fit the book. The illustrations are quirky and different. It most definitely should be read at bedtime and then, read it anytime!

Patrick is spending the night at his Granny’s house for the very first time. It’s getting dark so Patrick is asked to get ready for bed. But there is a problem. Remember, this is Patrick’s first time staying over with his Granny, so he doesn’t have a bed. Big problem? Nope! Granny runs out the door, chops down one of the tall trees growing in the yard, takes it to her workroom and creates Patrick a bed with her tools. Wowza! She did all that while carrying her purse on her arm. Granny now has blue paint splattered on her apron from painting the bed but with the red mattress on it, Patrick is ready!

But wait, Granny mentions a pillow and Patrick doesn’t have one. WHAT? Yep, Granny to the rescue! Granny does have some chickens, some cloth, thread and a needle. A little later, Patrick has a pillow! Do you see how this book is set up? It’s so comical. Granny is running around getting things ready so Patrick can go to sleep and Patrick, well he’s playing with a variety of toys and watching TV., waiting for Granny. Now, that Patrick has a pillow, Granny tells Patrick to climb into his bed (has that now), lay his head on his pillow (got that now), pull the blanket up (WHAT, no blanket yet), AND ……. (off we go again)

This is a hoot! Granny is amazing, she can do almost anything! Patrick is so lucky to have her. I’m going to have to find a copy of this book. It’s a keeper.

To listen to the story:

Oh No, George! By Chris Haughton

I think everyone, children and adults, can relate to George. He has the best intentions but sometimes, he just can’t resist going against them. This was a funny story and George’s expressions and eyes captured my attention on each page and just knowing some background information about dogs made the story more entertaining.

George lives with Harry and George told Harry he would be very good as Harry is headed out the door. Left alone, Harry hopes he’ll be good but eyeing that big cake sitting on the kitchen counter is just too much for George. Oh, George thinks about what he told Harry but he knows how he feels about cake and “What will George do?” Yep! I hope Harry didn’t have special plans for that cake. As I walked along with George in the house, I heard about all the other things that George loved in the house (all the other temptations that were lingering in the house for him) and how George actually managed being home by himself.

I loved the excitement on George’s face when Harry returns! You could feel the love and enthusiasm. As Harry made his way around the house with George right beside him, the look on both of their faces, priceless. The rest of the story is cute and George tries so hard as he loves Harry so much. A cute story with bright simple illustrations. 4.5 stars

Baby Shark by Stevie Lewis

I was very excited to find this book at the library but it was short-lived when I saw the reaction of my 2-year old grandson. My grandson loves Baby Shark, I mean he LOVES Baby Shark! He can sing the song, he has multiple sets of the sharks, he has some of their clothing, and of course, he has us all singing, dancing, and acting out the song.

When he saw this book, he was totally confused because, “this is not Baby Shark,” he told me as Baby Shark is yellow and in this book Baby Shark is blue. They missed the mark on this one for him. They got the colors all wrong for him and well, the book was a no for him. I had to chuckle as I tried to read/sing the book to him but he was not buying it. “This is not right,” was all I heard as I tried to read him the rest of the book and he’s not interested in this book at all. This was a huge disappointment for me at first but it’s okay as he loves so many other books. The text in the book pretty much follows the song except for the last refrain, which is different, “Bye-bye, sharks! doo doo doo doo doo doo!” I did like the illustrations (except for the colors of the sharks – ha), as they were bold, colorful, and simple for younger children. You should checkout the Hungry Sharks page, as they do look like they’re hungry but the children aren’t reacting to them, they don’t look scared/afraid.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I got lost inside this book, in a good way. I found myself caught up with all the drama that happened within this family. I could see why everyone wanted to be around the famous Rivas, as their lives were full. Each of the family members were a little bit different and they each brought something to the family when they all got together. The annual Riva Party was the event, the social event that you didn’t want to miss but this year was going to be epic.

I listened to this book on audio and I highly recommend that you go this route. I feel that the narration brings an additional element to this book. Although I enjoy adding my own emotions and attitudes to characters in books that I read, I enjoyed these characters immensely. I didn’t care for all the characters in this book, oh no! But I thought that their voices and attitudes were spot on. I like to listen to books while I do other busy work and I found myself paying more attention to this book than anything else. The anticipation of a few of the scenes made me stop what I was doing until I could breathe again. Although this book consisted of only one day, flashing back into their lives, the story covered a lot of ground. I thought about not reading this book but I’m so glad that I did as I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars

The Bee Book by Charlotte Miler

Let’s talk about bees. What do you really know about bees and what do you think you know about bees? I think that most people know that bees make honey and that there’s a queen bee, a drone bee and worker bees in a hive. Did you know that there’s hundreds of drone bees in a hive and that they only live a few weeks? Did you know that the queen bee typically lives 5 years and that she’s the mother to most of the bees in the hive? I thought the worker bees were busy, but the queen bee, she lays about 2,000 eggs a day! Welcome to just one page inside this fantastic book by Charlotte Milner. With the bee population dwindling, reading about these fascinating creatures made me realize just how important they really are.

With bright colorful illustrations this book is full and I mean, full of information!! Upon opening the book, there is a Table of Content which consists of a list of comments or questions pertaining to bees with a corresponding page number. Thumbing through the book, I love just looking at all the different illustrations on the pages and reading the text that accompanies them. Some of these are just fast-facts about bees and some provided more detailed reading but they’re not long reports on bees that slow me down or overwhelm me. At the back of the book, there’s a great index too. Did I mention how wonderful the illustrations are and how bright and colorful the pages are?

I can learn about pollination, why pollination is important, what a honeybee is, where honey comes from, and tons of information on the honeybee’s hives. I can learn about the different types of bees that are needed inside a hive, why the bee population is dying and what I can do to help the bees survive. I can also read about bee swarms which sound like a horrible thing but according to the brief summary, they usually aren’t.

This is a wonderful book. It’s a book worth keeping and definitely, one worth sharing. I’m sure that everyone will learn something from this book unless of course, you’ve been studying bees for years. So, where does a honeybee store the nectar that it collects before he goes back to the nest? How many eyes does the honeybee have? Why does he have so many? Can the female honeybee sting you? Better get reading to find these answers.