Summer reading suggestions

I have a [BIG] weakness for legal, political or suspense fiction. If you're looking for some escapism this summer, here are some recently published books by a few of my favorite authors.

Long Lost by Harlan Coben (March 31) = Coben remains one of my favorite authors for two reasons: the twists and turns of the plots and the sardonic style of his protagonists. This book features sports agent Myron Bolitar. If you haven't read Coben before, start with Deal Breaker.

Wicked Prey by John Sandford (May 12) = Sandford lives in Minneapolis/St. Paul and I love that I recognize some of the places in the books. (Like this one.) Over his career, his writing has evolved with sharper character sketches and dry, wry dialogue. This is the 19th novel featuring Lucas Davenport.

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly (May 26) = This book picks up the story of journalist Jack McEvoy, an experienced reporter who is being downsized by the Los Angeles Times. Connelly spins a tale about people who have access to our personal information in this digital age.

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child (May 19) = There is something intriguing about a man who travels across the United States with nothing but his toothbrush. Jack Reacher (no middle initial) is an ex-military policeman with special skills. This is the only book on this list I haven't read yet, but I can't wait to start it and I'm sure it's going to be good. The Killing Floor is the first novel featuring Reacher.

Sweet victory

Well, the Tiefel Tigers finally played tonight after a two-week hiatus. Maybe all we needed was a little rest, because we won our first game! The final score was 15-8. We actually batted through the lineup in the second inning, scoring 9 runs in that inning alone. Joel had a grand slam, which was pretty cool to see.

Other highlights of the game included Darin's grab in right-center field and Joelle's double--she dedicated it to me...thanks, Jo! It's about time. ;)

We had lots of fans tonight, which was great. Thanks for coming out to see us play. Hope you got your money's worth!

Happy birthday

A blessed birthday to my father! Love you!

Are you an entrepreneur?

Last week I met with a SCORE counselor to talk about starting my own business. SCORE is a non-profit group devoted to providing entrepreneurs with advice and information. A partner with the Small Business Administration (SBA), it doesn't cost anything to meet with a mentor. During my one hour meeting, I asked questions and took notes. The gentleman who met with me is a retired accountant. He gave me a booklet packed with details about creating a business plan and a marketing plan. Pretty exciting stuff!

Summer reading program

I signed up for the summer reading program today. Yup, you heard me. My library runs a program--for adults--called Club Read! Nifty, huh? It's got prizes and everything. Last year I won a $10 gift certificate. (You can tell me I'm a dork or a nerd, but trust me, I've already heard it.)

Signing up for the summer reading program meant saying goodbye to school and hello to a long, carefree summer vacation. My father was dedicated to getting his daughters registered for the program at our local library, which was 15 miles away. We piled out of the hot family van and into the air-conditioned comfort of the library. My sisters and I clattered up the marble steps to the children's area on the second floor and scattered to our chosen destinations. I veered off to the left drawn to the Nancy Drew books like a magnet to the North Pole.

My peach-colored youth library card was better than a winning lottery ticket. In between visits, my mother insisted on keeping my sisters' cards so they wouldn't lose them. I was so reluctant to part with my card that she relented and let me keep it. For some people, getting their driver's license is their first big "coming of age" moment. For me, it was getting the buttercup-colored adult library card at age 12. :)

Book review: Undress for Success

Knowing that I've been thinking about striking out on my own, my dear uncle recently sent me a couple articles that appeared in the Wall Street Journal about freelancing and being self-employed. One of the articles quoted Kate Lister, who with co-author Tom Harnish, recently published Undress For Success: The Naked Truth to Making Money at Home. I decided the book was worth a look.

I was expecting the book to be about freelancing--and there is a section on freelance work--but I was surprised to find that a large part of it discussed various jobs that can feasibly be done from home, including telenurses, transcriptionists, virtual assistants, call center agents and more. It gives advice on how current employees can pitch the idea of working from home to their employers. I found it interesting to explore the idea of a remote workplace.

Side note: The authors really hammer the title theme of "undressed" throughout the book. I found it a little distracting. Personally, I was put off by the frequent references to "jammies" and "frillies."

However, if you are looking to work from home, this book might give you some good places to start. The authors have done their homework and provide many company names and websites for more information. The book also has an accompanying website: undress4success.com.

I love the library

As a homeowner, I occasionally get curmudgeonly about the taxes I have to pay. But I never, ever begrudge the money that goes toward the support of my public library. I love the library. It's one of my favorite places and I think it's one of the best concepts EVER.

We are inundated with tons of information, so much so that it's hard to remember that throughout much of history, books and education were not readily available to the general population. But libraries level the playing field. If you can't afford to go to school or even buy a book, the library offers countless educational opportunity.

I visit the library weekly (on average). And while I don't wrap my books in brown paper and twine to prevent them from being damaged (see Sydney Taylor's All-of-a-kind Family) I love the feeling of borrowing, reading and returning volumes of books.

And lest you think that libraries are an archaic concept, many of them are on the cutting edge of technology. My local library does a fabulous job of being accessible to users. I can search the catalog and view my record and more...all online.

Thank you, Andrew Carnegie!
(photo credit: wikipedia.com)