This was supposed to be a column about Irish women writers. Everyone knows I’m serious about Irish writers, but this column is about something even more serious. It’s the most personal column I have ever written. My husband, Earl Carstens, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021. March 5, 2021, to be exact. That means we have reached the fifth anniversary of his diagnosis. However, his doctor said he had probably had it for 10 years.

That’s the thing about Parkinson’s disease. It’s insidious. It sneaks into your life. Most people know about the tremors and the shuffling steps, but there are so many earlier signs that, on their own, don’t mean anything. However, when they’re seen together, they are typically pointing to Parkinson’s. Unfortunately, people don’t know that until they seek medical attention for the obvious motor symptoms. It doesn’t stop there, either.

New and varied non-motor symptoms continue to manifest while the motor symptoms worsen.
​
This column is dedicated to books that feature Parkinson’s disease. Not Parkinson’s as the primary focus - instead, they focus on inspiration, strength, resolve, determination, hope, and love.

“The Ribbon of Road Ahead” is Carol Clupny’s story of her journey through Parkinson’s disease, including three hikes along Spain’s Camino de Santiago, two tandem-bike rides across Iowa, and Deep Brain Stimulation surgery.

I love the title of Nan Little’s “If I Can Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, Why Can’t I Brush My Teeth: Courage, Tenacity & Love Meet Parkinson’s Disease.” As you might suspect, Nan Little scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro (not to mention Machu Pichu) after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She was also Carol Clupny’s mentor when she wanted to learn about cycling with Parkinson’s. While there are medications to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s, there is no cure.  (My own husband takes a cocktail of 25 pills each day, 23 of which address some symptom of Parkinson.) The only factor known to slow the progression of the disease is exercise. When Nan learned of studies showing the positive effects of high cadence cycling on Parkinson’s, she embraced the Pedaling for Parkinson’s program and the role of advocate.

The death of Ozzy Osborne last year highlighted the number of celebrities diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. There are plenty of names you know: Muhammad Ali, Billy Graham, Alan Alda, Neil Diamond, former UGA coach Mark Richt, and most notably Michael J. Fox. The founder of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, he has also written several books  in which he shares his rise to stardom, his diagnosis with young onset Parkinson’s Disease at the height of his career, the genesis of MJFF, his decision to leave his television career,  his faith, family, and life with candor and humor. These books include “Lucky Man,” “Always Looking Up,”  “No Time Like the Future.” (Also watch him in Season 3 of Shrinking on AppleTV.)

With 90,000 people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease annually, you probably know, or will know, someone with this diagnosis - a loved one, a neighbor, a colleague. This month I would like to issue a challenge - three challenges, really.

First, read at least one of these books to gain a better understanding of the experiences of people with Parkinson’s.

Second, take a moment to visit the Parkinson’s Foundation at parkinson.org to search for the “Ten Early Signs of Parkinson’s.” We were flabbergasted when we learned all the symptoms Earl had been manifesting, but we had no idea they were related to Parkinson’s.

Third, consider participating in my Reading Challenge this month. For each book you read in March, donate to the Parkinson’s Foundation: $1/book, $5/book (for our fifth PD anniversary,) $10/book - whatever you want. Use the QR code above to make donating easy. Your support helps the Parkinson’s Foundation improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s, conduct groundbreaking research, train medical professionals (only 9% of people with Parkinson’s have access to a movement disorder specialist,) and provide resources and information to the Parkinson’s Community. A donation of just $35 can provide resources to six people with Parkinson’s. That may not seem like much, but for those six people, it may be just the information they need. Imagine what we could do with 100 donations of $35.  (Even if you’re not much of reader, you can donate, too.)
​
Thank you for your support and, as always, happy reading.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I do not like to recommend books. I know! That sounds strange for someone who writes a book review column. I’m not talking about recommending books to you. For the most part, you don’t respond, and if you do, it’s to say how much you enjoyed a book that I recommended.
​
No, I’m talking about recommending books live and in person, for book clubs, for example. I especially won’t recommend books that I really love. It’s not that I think everyone should love every book that I love. In fact, if you can articulate your reason for disliking a book, I’m happy to discuss it with you. (It was too long, does not count. The main character’s name was Madison, and you don’t like the name Madison, does not count.) My reluctance to recommend books that are important to me comes from the fear that the person will say something (for lack of a better word) stupid about the book. Case in point: For December, my book club wanted to read a Christmas-themed book. I just happen to have a favorite Christmas-themed book, “Christmas Gift” by Georgia author Ferrol Sams. I made the mistake of piping up and recommending it. In it, Sams juxtaposes his childhood Christmases of the Depression with present-day (it was published in 1989) Christmases with his grandchildren - sharing the importance of passing along the rituals that make the holiday special.

Who could find fault with that?  Someone in my book club complained that it felt “dated.” Set in the 1930s and the 1980s, you might expect that. She also said his writing is “sappy” and needed an “edge.” For the love of books and Santa Claus! It’s a Christmas book, in which the author is sharing the cherished memories of his childhood and the precious new memories he is making with his grandchildren. Let the man be sappy! How much of an edge do you need for a Christmas book? Sorry! I was working myself up to
an absolute rant. It’s that sort of thing that keeps me from recommending books that are important to me.
So, what are some books that I have learned not to recommend?

Amor Towles’ “The Lincoln Highway” In my opinion, this book is a masterpiece – but some people don’t get it.

Anthony Doerr’s “All the Light We Cannot See” Such a moving book, and again, some people  miss it.
Darynda Jones’ Sunshine Vicram trilogy This is my guilty pleasure: funny and racy and Sunshine is a total firebrand. If I had free time and a glass of wine, these are the books I would want with me;  they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, or cocktail, and I get that.

Pam Munoz Ryan’s “Echo” Combining history and fantasy, this is one of the most engrossing books I have ever read, but not everyone will appreciate it.

Fredrick Backman’s “A Man Called Ove” Funny and poignant, I think readers who concentrate on the sad moments and find it depressing are missing the point.

Wishing you Happy Reading, and hoping you have or find those books that are special to you!

So, you’ve pulled a name for your work or family Secret Santa, and your person says they read about crime. Well, you’re in luck! Everyone knows I like a good whodunnit. Some murder, mystery, and mayhem in a story is fine with me. Allow me to make a couple of suggestions.
​
This fall was a great time for crime!  Elizabeth George’s newest Inspector Lynley novel was released mid-September. The last day of the month saw the release of both Ann Cleeves’ first book in her new Jimmy Perez series and the latest book in Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series.

“A Slowly Dying Cause” is the 23nd installment in the Inspector Lynley series. Set in his ancestral home of Cornwall, Thomas Lynley and Detective Seargent Barbara Havers find themselves pulled into a murder case outside of their jurisdiction. The brother of Thomas’ love interest has been charged with the murder of his employer. This is one of my favorite series. If you’re unfamiliar, Inspector Thomas Lynley isn’t your average Metropolitan police officer. He’s the eighth Earl of Asherton. Paired with the decidedly blue-collar Sgt. Havers, they make an odd crime-fighting pair. But they make great reading. (You can find a brand-new Lynley adaptation on Prime. It’s not bad.)

“The Killing Stones” is a new Jimmy Perez novel, according to the book jacket. However, Inspector Perez has left the Shetland Islands behind. He’s now in Orkney with his significant other, Chief Inspector Willow Reeves and their growing family. They’re working to solve the murder of Jimmy’s oldest friend, when there are more, seemingly related, murders. So, I’m thinking of this as the Jimmy Perez/Willow Reeves series. It’s just as enthralling as the Shetland series, with breathtaking descriptions that now make me want to visit Orkney just as much as I want to visit the Shetland Islands.  (The Shetland adaptation on BritBox is worth watching - or rewatching.

Richard Osman’s series and his newest, “The Impossible Fortune,” are cozy mysteries with charming amateur sleuths getting up to all sorts of hijinks. These books make me want to move to Cooper’s Chase Retirement Village to hang out with The Thursday Murder Club gang: Elizabeth, a retired MI-6 operative; Ron, a retired labor organizer; Ibrahim, a retired psychologist; and Joyce, a retired nurse. In this newest book, they find themselves investigating a death that appears to be related to a fortune in Bitcoin. The new Netflix adaptation of the first book in the series, “The Thursday Murder Club,” is okay. It has an amazing cast, but it is not nearly as good as the books.

While I love all of these fictional crime-solving stories, I am not a “true crime” fan. Maybe it’s knowing that there is actual evil out there. I’m just more comfortable with made up crime.

Recently, though, I found myself in possession of, not one, but two true crime stories. And somehow they both centered around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). “Children of Darkness and Light - Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell: A Story of Murderous Faith” and “Under the Banner of Heaven” are these two books. While the LDS doctrine doesn’t make sense to me, personally, I do not want this to turn into an indictment of LDS. The mainstream LDS church has distanced itself from the many different sects and neo-fundamentalist groups that have led to particularly heinous acts carried out by people who believed that it’s what God expected of them. If you’re looking for true crime, these fit the bill.

I hope you find just the right book for your Secret Santa friend, and maybe one for yourself.

Happy Reading!!

Are you just now making your list? If you are, you are definitely from the Earl Carstens School of Holiday Shopping. By my way of thinking, you are way behind! If you need some last minute gift ideas, books are always the perfect gift - Christmas or otherwise.

For the Non-fiction Reader: “The Art Thief” by Michael Finkel
You have probably never heard of Stephane Beitwieser, but he is the most prolific art thief of all time. He did not sell the art he stole. He kept a collection estimated to be worth $2 billion in his attic bedroom and sitting room in his mother’s house. Beitwieser’s more than 200 robberies weren’t Hollywood-style capers involving Ninja-like moves through fields of laser beams, and they certainly weren’t the gratuitous savagery of the Gardner Museum thefts in 1990. His heists were more nuanced: the removal of a few screws from a display case between security checks; the pocketing of a priceless object; maybe a few words exchanged with museum staff on the way out; and a leisurely stroll from the premises. But no one is perfect, and even “geniuses” get caught.

“The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War” by Erik Larson
​Erik Larson writes history, not historical fiction, but his writing style is just as enthralling as any novel out there. In his newest offering, Larson writes of the five months leading up to the firing upon Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. It could almost be called a comedy of errors, but obviously, it was in no way comedic. If the fort hadn’t been fired upon, there would have been another catalyst for the war, surely, but this particular act seems to have been brought about by a frustrating combination of ambivalence, ego, misinformation, disinformation, and lack of communication.

For the Movie and TV Buff “Cue the Sun” by Emily Nussbaum
Love it or hate, Reality TV seems to be here to stay. Nussbaum would argue that it has actually been here longer than we realize. Remember “Candid Camera?” What about “The Gong Show?” In this book though, she concentrates on this newer crop of “unscripted programming,” starting with what has now become the granddaddy of them all: “Survivor: Borneo.” Apparently the producers were so hyped up for this new venture and so unprepared that they dropped off contestants and crew with no shelter for either. This included all of the crew’s expensive equipment and involved spending the night on the beach.

​“Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of ‘Airplane!'’ by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. I was never a fan of “Airplane!” or really any sort of spoof movie. But I have to say that the story of the making of the movie is almost enough to make me go back and watch it. It is considered the funniest movie ever made. FORBES conducted a study and supposedly “Airplane!” has the most laughs per minute. That’s not what I find interesting, though. What I find interesting is that it was created by three 20-somethings from Wisconsin who believed they could go to Hollywood and make this very specific movie. And they did!

For the Mystery/Thriller Fan “We Solve Murders” by Richard Osman
I was completely prepared not to like Osman’s new quirky mystery series as much as “The Thursday Murder Club” series, but I do! It is just as much fun and every bit as entertaining with a cadre of endearing characters and plenty of mystery.

“End of Story” by A.J. Finn
The story seems straightforward. At first. However, I read Finn’s super-popular 2018 novel, “The Woman in the Window,” so I knew that there would be twists. I tried to get out ahead of them, I really did, but Finn’s storytelling is just too good for that. This is that book that you get for Christmas and then you knock the wrapping paper off the sofa, wrap up in a blanket and proceed to read the rest of the day - still in your pj’s - until you finish it. Or is that just me?

​Whether you are giving or getting (don’t forget to put books for yourself on the list), Happy Christmas Reading to you and yours. 

I consider a lot of factors when deciding what to read next. I’m in two book clubs, so those books receive priority. Sometimes, I have specific books that I want to read for this column, so they are often near the top of the list. Then there’s the ever-present, ever-growing stack of physical books. There’s the ever-present, ever-growing list of books that feeds the aforementioned stack. Plus, if we’re traveling,  audiobooks that my husband will also enjoy get thrown into the mix. BUT … all of that takes a backseat when Harlan Coben releases a new book.
​
I’m a huge Harlan Coben fan. Moreover, I’m a Myron Bolitar fan. Myron Bolitar is the main character of 12 of Coben’s 36 novels. The 12th, “Think Twice,” came out in May. It’s an apt title because it seems that Myron has to think twice about just about everything he knows - starting with the fact that a former client of his sports agent/representation firm is a suspect in a murder investigation. This is a former client who just happens to be dead, and who had a long and extremely complicated history with Myron. I’ll just say that the complications continue.

If you are new to the Myron Bolitar series, I recommend that you not pick up here. Fellow fans, if you need to talk, reach out to me. Or maybe I should say, I’m a mess. I need someone to please reach out to me, because I really need to talk this out.   

One of my book clubs read Ruta Sepetys’ “Salt to the Sea.” I have written about all of Ruta Sepetys’ books before. I won’t re-review now. For historical fiction fans, I highly recommend them. I’ve said it before, look for this and all of Sepetys’ books.

Speaking of historical fiction, what about Kristin Hannah? I tend to enjoy her historical fiction more than her contemporary fiction, and that’s certainly true for her newest historical fiction novel, “The Women.” It is an emotional story of the service of an Army nurse in Vietnam, and the life and times to which she returned after completing two tours. I lost a brother in Vietnam when I was just a baby. My husband’s father was one of the earliest military advisors to go into South Vietnam. Once, when traveling through South Georgia, we stopped at the Museum of the U.S. Infantry at Fort Benning, Ga. I highly recommend it. It’s a beautiful facility that we just happened upon. It’s organized by U.S. military era, and you can easily spend an entire day there. We only had a short time to spend, so we concentrated primarily on the exhibits that related to my father-in-law’s military service. In the Vietnam Era exhibit, you can go through an area that replicates the war-time jungles of Vietnam. I won’t say it was terrifying, because obviously I knew that I was safe, but I don’t think I have ever wanted to get out of anywhere so badly in my life. I don’t know if it was all of these connections to the Vietnam War, or the fact that I just really liked and cared about Frankie McGrath, the main character, but this book really resonated with me.  For me, it’s that rare book you finish and by the next morning, you’re thinking you’ll just go ahead and read it again.

I also have to say that I haven’t read anything quite as endearing as “Remarkably Bright Creatures” in a while. Shelby Van Pelt’s use of an octopus as the catalyst for the story is ingenious. If you’re thinking that sounds fanciful, you’re right. Fanciful, but not farfetched. Watch the Netflix documentary, “My Octopus Teacher,” or National Geographic’s “The Secrets of the Octopus” on NatGeo, Hulu, or Disney to learn more about the intelligence of these animals. Give this imaginative novel a try. You’ll be glad you did! It’s so engrossing that at one point while I was reading, my watch told me to breathe.

Happy Reading!

My husband, Earl Carstens, and I spent most of  May in Italy. Congratulations to our daughter, Mimi Carstens, who graduated with her master’s degree from John Cabot University in Rome. As well as celebrating graduation, we traveled around Italy with her. I loaded up my Kindle in preparation for time on airplanes and trains, and I’ll share some of those titles in this column.

First, let me warn you - wherever you are - not to read the end of Jeneva Rose’s “You Shouldn’t Have Come Here” at bedtime. To be fair, the story had been plodding along. It seemed safe enough to finish up the book and start new in the morning. How was I supposed to know it was suddenly going to do a 180 and go tearing off in directions I could not have anticipated? If you like a surprise ending, this is the book for you! Just don’t read the ending at bedtime, especially if you’re sleeping in an unfamiliar place like an Airbnb.

I know I reviewed Tana French’s “The Searcher” in 2021, but I reread it because her follow-up novel, “The Hunter,” was published in March. As I said then, if you like a good police procedural, you need to read Tana French’s books. Her “Dublin Murder Squad” series is fabulous, as are her newer Cal Hooper books.  In “The Searcher,” Cal is a retired Chicago police officer who has moved to the Irish countryside for some rest and relaxation. However, once a cop, always a cop.  Before he knows it, he is searching for a young man who has gone missing. He quickly learns that his sleepy new home may not be as peaceful as he believed, and there are warnings under all that blarney. Over the next two years, Cal has settled in to his new home and understands it better when someone comes along to disrupt the equilibrium of the entire town. In “The Hunter,” police from Dublin come into the small town of Ardnakelty to solve a murder.  Will the town point them toward Cal as a suspect? Cal knows that it’s possible, but he also knows that is the least of what’s going on around him.

I almost stopped reading Jesmyn Ward’s “Salvage the Bones” several times. It’s the story of a poor Mississippi Gulf Coast family with few resources. Through bad luck or poor choices, the scant resources they do have are eroded, until Hurricane Katrina makes landfall and wipes everything away. (Just a quick reminder - Hurricane Katrina did not hit New Orleans; it hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The weather system that Katrina was part of lingered over the area, bringing torrential rain and devastating flooding to New Orleans. As bad as New Orleans was affected, people often forget that Mississippi actually received Hurricane Katrina’s full Category 5 force.) While I may not have agreed with every choice the Batiste family made, I do believe they were good people, and I would have welcomed them getting a “win,” even a small one. I realize that Ward’s version is nearer the truth of surviving in poverty in 2005, and even in 2024, where there are not always happy endings.

The ending of “First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston was happy. I guess. None of the main characters were dead. As far as we know. And, none of them were in jail. It seems as though some may have been getting their love-lives on track.  It’s definitely a case of “no honor among thieves,”  and it will have you unwilling to trust anything any character says. This was a Reese’s (Witherspoon) Book Club title, so you know it was driven by a strong female character. I can 100 percent see this adapted for TV. As I was reading it, I decided I could never be a con-artist. There really is an art to it, and it takes a lot of work. In the end, my biggest question was, “Did the lawyer ever get paid?” Surely!
​
Ciao!

Maybe half of you readers live in Fairyland. For those of you who do, I know you have probably had this experience - you’re speaking to someone on the phone and need to provide your address. When you say Peter Pan Road, for instance, they laugh, they say, “You must really like cartoons.”
​
Anyway, back to my point ... fairytales. At least some of us are surrounded by them. But do you ever really think about them?  Probably not. Did you know there is an entire group of authors who do? The retelling of fairytales is an entire sub-genre of fictional writing - often referred to as fairytale fantasies. The retelling of classic stories that aren’t technically fairytales may also be considered a part of this genre. It can get confusing. Thanks to Disney movies, there is little distinction between the two in the minds of most people. In fact, a fairytale is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre, which typically features magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings and is part of the culture of preliterate societies.

However, stories of Peter Pan, for instance, first appeared in J.M. Barrie’s 1902 novel written for adults, “The Little White Bird.” Another example of classic literature that is often considered a fairytale or children’s story, but actually originated as a novel for adults, “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” (originally, titled “Notre-Dame de Paris (1482)” was published by Victor Hugo in 1831. This novel is an example of French Romanticism and champions historical preservation - solidifying Notre-Dame cathedral as a national icon. 
 
I have always enjoyed a good fairytale retelling, and you can find them at any reading level. Sometimes, authors weave historical figures or social issues into their retellings. They often become the basis of their own stage and screen adaptations. You may have seen the film based on Gail Carson Levine’s 1997 “Ella Enchanted,” and everyone knows the award-winning Broadway musical, and soon to be two-part movie, “Wicked,” based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel by that name. While Carson Levine’s writing is considered young adult fiction, Maguire’s novels are for a more mature audience. But these are just two authors. When I googled fairytale fantasy, it resulted in a list of 75 titles ranging across all fairytales. That doesn’t include those examples of classic literature that are lumped in with fairytales and children’s literature.
If you’re interested in trying fairytale fantasies, Carson Levine’s books are a good choice. Alex Flynn is probably my favorite author for fairytale fantasies, with titles like “Beastly” and “A Kiss in Time.”  Meaghan Spooner also takes a fresh look at fairytales. Check out her novel “Hunted” for a retelling of “Beauty and the Beast.” I recently read Gregory Maguire’s “Mirror, Mirror.” The plot premise is ingenious!  Set in medieval Italy, Snow White’s evil stepmother character (the one with the poison apple) is Lucrezia Borgia. The story is highly sexualized, so this is not a book for all audiences, despite its fairytale roots. My daughter is a fan of Emily McIntire’s writing.  “Hooked” is one of her favorites. She mentioned that McIntire’s books have a “hot villain” theme. I’m going to say these also are not for all audiences, including this reader.    

There are plenty of retellings that aren’t based on fairytales. Under New Releases on the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Library’s website, I came across two that are new takes on classic literature. “Julia,” is Sandra Newman’s feminist retelling of George Orwell’s dystopian classic, “1984.” “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennett, Witch” by Melinda Taub shares the story of the youngest Bennett sister from Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” You know, the one who ran off with Mr. Wickham. Did she bewitch him? I don’t know. We’ll have to read it.

Maybe you’ve seen the 2009 title “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” by Seth Grahame-Smith. My point is that there are a lot of retellings available for just about any reader. Right now I’m reading “March” by Geraldine Brooks, retelling Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” from the absent father’s point of view.  Look for more about that soon.

I hope you’ll give retellings, fairytale fantasies or classics, a try. Happy (ever after) reading.