Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart

 

Summary: "As the black sheep of the family, choreographer Cassidy Bliss vowed she’d do anything to get home in time to help with her sister’s wedding and avoid family disappointment… again . She just never expected “anything” would involve sharing the last rental car with the jerk who cut her off in line at the airport this morning. But horrible times apparently call for here-goes-nothing measures."

I'm here for an unexpected and unlikely pairing on a road trip anytime. 

Luke is a sweetheart, and I love him. 

352 pages

Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America's Heartland

Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America's Heartland

by Jonathan M. Metzel

Pages: 341

Rating 5 out of 5 stars

The author, Jonathan Metzel, a physician reveals how extreme right-wing backlash policies have deadly consequences for the white middle and lower class voters they promise to help. In the Donald Trump era many middle-class white Americans are drawn to him and other politicians promising to make America great for the middle and working class again, but in reality the policies they are putting in place only assist the wealthy and are damaging to all middle and lower class citizens. He examines these policies in relationship to mortality rates and illness rates. 

Having been born in Kansas, grown-up in Missouri and now living and working in Tennessee, he chose these three familiar states to interview everyday citizens. He examines how racial resentment has fueled pro-gun laws in Missouri, resistance to the Affordable Care Act in Tennessee and lead to cuts in school funding and social services in Kansas. 

I had no idea that citizens of other states and researchers have started referring to Missouri as the "Shoot Me State" instead of the "Show Me State" or that Missouri is the state currently being researched the most for gun violence, suicide by guns and overall death by guns. I was also surprised to learn that the suicide by gun rate for white males in Missouri is higher than any other state and for any other group. So, much to learn from this book!!

Mysterious Missouri by Ross Malone

 

Mysterious Missouri

by 

Ross Malone

Pages: 157

4 out of 5 stars

A fun book to read around Halloween, or closer to Thanksgiving, if you check out to many books at once. ; )
What do you know about MoMo the Missouri Monster? ...The truth is in this book.
Who are some of the strangest people who have lived in the Show-Me state? Where might you find buried treasure in Missouri?
What do you know about Booger Dogs or those Ozark Howlers?
Are there really ferocious fish bigger than a person in Missouri’s rivers and lakes? Ever seen a phantom light or mysterious floating orbs?”

This book was fun to read and reminded me when in college, a car-load of friends and I went out in search of the ghost light late one Saturday night in the countryside between Bolivar and Springfield. It sounds very similar to the Phantom Light in the book. 

Paranormal Missouri: Show Me Your Monsters

  Paranormal Missouri: Show Me Your Monsters by Jason Offut

Pages: 160 

Rating: 4 out of 5

As we approach the Halloween season, do you wonder where you might find some ghosts or other paranormal activity? This book has all sorts of suggestions throughout the state of Missouri. From lonely cemeteries and abandoned buildings to a secret UFO base in Jefferson City. Come explore the unusual side of your state. 

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

Summary: "Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas is too young to remember her dad's glory days as a pitcher for the Yankees. So when her father is offered a coaching position with the Kansas City Royals, Annie is intrigued to see the baseball side of her dad. Of course, knowing he'll be a mentor to hot young rookie pitcher, Jason Brody, certainly makes it more enticing."

One of my favorite re-reads during the summer! And a good filler for missing sports. And a Missouri setting!

373 pages

MOBIUS | goodreads

Savor Missouri: River Hill Country Food & Wine by Nina Furstenau

So many cool places along our rivers! I definitely want to try and visit some of these wineries, orchards and restaurants in the near future. I've always wanted to visit a pick-your-own lavender farm...

This book gave me some ideas for day trips once things warm up!

175 pages

Haunted Missouri: A Ghostly Guide to the Show-Me State's Most Spirited Spots

  Haunted Missouri: A Ghostly Guide to the Show-Me State's Most Spirited Spots

by Jason Offutt

Pages: 198

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The author covers all kinds of haunted and spooky spots around the state of Missouri. He draws from personal interviews, folklore and the history of an area to relate the tales. Then he takes the reader along as he visits these spirited spots. An entertaining read for someone looking for folklore and a travel guide for those wanting to go ghost-hunting. It is a down-side of being a library staff person that I had to wait until all the Halloween books were off our popular display. So, I end up reading spooky stories around Christmas and in January. Oh well, the nights are still long and dark and perfect to read a spooky tale or two. 

Civil War Ghosts of Southwest Missouri

 Civil War Ghosts of Southwest Missouri
by Lisa Livingston-Martin
Pages: 128
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This book not only offers legends and folktales about ghosts but more detail about the Civil War in Southwest Missouri than I had studied in any of my history classes in school or college. Even if you are not interested in ghosts, IF you are interested in the Civil War this book is a good source of history. The author travels to spots that are supposedly haunted by spirits from Civil War times, mostly union or confederate soldiers who died in the area during the war. I even talked my husband into reading this because of his interest in the civil war. He is totally not interested in ghost stories and doesn't even like to watch scary movies or Grimm or Supernatural, but he read it for the history.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

...yeah so I'm just now getting around to reading Mark Twain,....public education.
They are so sassy.
Is Tom the youngest child....because birth order...
Becky.
Goonies vibe....
272 Pages

Lost Boys of Hannibal: Inside America's Largest Cave Search by John Wingate

Lost Boys of Hannibal: Inside America's Largest Cave Search by John Wingate

May 1967, Hannibal, Missouri. Three young boys disappeared after being seen near Murphy's Cave. To this day, their disappearance remains unsolved. Author John Wingate (who badly needed an editor, but that's beside the point), explores what took place during the month long search for the boys, examining key players and theorizing as to what their fate may have ultimately been.

264 pages.

Mascot by Antony John

Mascot

by Antony John

4/5

336 pages

Noah Savino has been stuck in a wheelchair for months. He hates the way people treat him like he’s helpless now. He’s sick of going to physical therapy, where he isn’t making any progress. He’s tired of not having control over his own body. And he misses playing baseball—but not as much as he misses his dad, who died in the car accident that paralyzed Noah.

Noah is scared he’ll never feel like his old self again. He doesn’t want people to think of him as different for the rest of his life. With the help of family and friends, he’ll have to throw off the mask he’s been hiding behind and face the fears that have kept him on the sidelines if he ever wants to move forward.

The Love Pirate and the Bandit's Son: Murder, Sin, and Scandal in the Shadow of Jesse James by Laura James

The Love Pirate and the Bandit's Son: Murder, Sin, and Scandal in the Shadow of Jesse James by Laura James

When Zeo Zoe Wilkins was murdered, it was the talk of Kansas City. She certainly wouldn't be missed, but that didn't mean people weren't curious about her fate. Especially since the son of Jesse James, Jesse E. James, could somehow be involved.
Zeo came to Jesse seeking a lawyer and he agreed to take on her case. Six weeks after Zeo's murder, Jesse suffered a mental breakdown. Author Laura James seeks to prove that was no coincidence.

320 pages.

The Golden Lane: How Missouri Women Gained the Vote and Changed History by Margot McMillen

The Golden Lane: How Missouri Women Gained the Vote and Changed History by Margot McMillen

Details the suffrage movement within Missouri and its key players, as well as important events that led to the passing of Amendment 19.

123 pages.

Bridging Two Eras: The Autobiography of Emily Newell Blair, 1877-1951, Edited by Virginia Laas

Bridging Two Eras: The Autobiography of Emily Newell Blair, 1877-1951, Edited by Virginia Laas

Emily Newell Blair, having lived through the end of the nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth, viewed herself as a bridge builder. A dedicated feminist who successfully managed to be both a Midwestern housewife and an outspoken suffragist on the national scale, Emily wanted to give others a glimpse into life during the upheaval of transition. Emily's autobiography, written in 1939 and published in 1999, provides insight into her life in southwest Missouri, her career as a writer, and her progression through American politics.

382 pages. 

Deaths on Pleasant Street: The Ghastly Enigma of Colonel Swope and Doctor Hyde by Giles Fowler

Deaths on Pleasant Street: The Ghastly Enigma of Colonel Swope and Doctor Hyde by Giles Fowler

No one in Independence, Missouri found the circumstances to be overly suspicious when the wealthy Swope family, benefactors of Swope Park in Kansas City, fell ill with typhoid in 1909. People began to whisper, however, when three members of the Swope family died. When news broke the matriarch of the family had accused her son-in-law, Dr. Bennett Clark Hyde, of triple homicide, as well as introducing typhoid to the Swope mansion, society and the media couldn't get enough of the juicy story that would become the "trial of the century."

251 pages.

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a good read, and I put off reading it for so long. Jennifer Brown is an incredible Missouri author. The first work I read by her was Hate List, which is extremely emotional. I read it while teaching, and it's about school violence. I loved that book, as much as you can love a story that hurts in almost every way. And somehow, that put me off reading Brown's other stories. I figured that Hate List was a one time kind of magic, and that all of her other stories would pale in comparison.

I was so wrong, and I regret not reading this sooner, especially as it is set in Missouri (where I live). It's a story about the devastation after a tornado destroys a town. It follows teenager Jersey, through her loss, trauma, and grief, as she tries to rebuild a life after losing absolutely everything.

It's also very true to Missouri, in terms of setting and characters, both the good and the bad things.

I'm going to read the rest of her novels now, especially as I already own most of them. I'm glad I finally jumped this hurdle, so that I don't continue to miss out on a Missouri treasure.

Book 89 read in 2018

Pages: 288

The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg

The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the tradition of Our Town but with her own imaginative twist, Fannie Flagg tells the story of Elmwood, MO through the everyday happenings of the town’s living and dead. 432 pages.

Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Eric Greitens

  Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Eric Greitens

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published in 2008 long before Eric Greitens became the Governor of Missouri, this title not only shows the reader some of his award winning photography, but also gives you a glimpse into how he views the world and all of its people and the experiences that led him to this viewpoint. As the title implies he believes that one needs both strength and compassion to not only be a good leader and person, but in some cases just to survive horrible events. The photos are from his research and documentary photography work with children and families in Rwanda, Albania, Mexico, India, Croatia, Bolivia, and Cambodia and even though some show the horrible side of humanity there is also hope. 

Awards:
New York Book Festival, Winner for Photography and Grand Prize Winner
Foreword Magazine Book of the Year, Gold Medal for Photography
2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Winner for Photography
Silver Medalist for the Nautilus Book Awards for Art/Photography Book
Winner of the National Indie Excellence Award for Best Photography Book

Pages: 172

Extraordinary Black Missourians: Pioneers, Leaders, Performers, Athletes, and Other Notables Who've Made History by John A. Wright, Sr. and Sylvia Wright

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Missouri TV personalities such as Julius Hunter, news anchor, journalist, and author, musicians W.C. Handy and Count Basie, and politician Freeman Bosley, Jr. are some of the black Missourians who are in this wonderful book.  240 pages.

Haunted Missouri: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Show Me State by Troy Taylor

This book covered more history than hauntings. Stories are organized by geographical region and cover the state. No sleep lost.

131 pages.