Book 21 ~ Jack & Louisa: Act 2

JACK & LOUISA:  Act 2
By Andrew Keenan-Bolger & Kate Wetherhead
© 2016 Grosset & Dunlap - NY, NY

ISBN# 978-0-448-47840-1

248 pgs

April 2016

Jack & Louisa: Act 2 by Andrew Keenan-Bolger

Calling all Musical Theatre Nerds that's MTN for short! This story begins with Jack & Louisa visiting NYC over New Year's and attending more Broadway shows than I'll ever be able to afford in a lifetime. I guess it pays to have friends on Broadway (but I digress). Once back in Shaker Heights their attention returns to school and the next musical their school will be performing; Guys & Dolls. Over the break their music teacher had a skiing accident and will be unable to direct. Luckily a former student and Broadway actress agrees to come back to town direct. Jack & Louisa are ecstatic and begin their plan to be cast and Nathan and Adelaide. Eventually Jack & Louisa notice there's something not quite right with the repeated negative attention Jack receives. It all comes to head at rehearsal and Louisa blows her top in defense of Jack. Will the show go on or will the cast walk out?

Side note: This book will make you dig out the Broadway soundtracks of Chorus Line and Guys & Dolls.

Recommended for any lover of the theatre!

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Book 20 ~ Trace Evidence

TRACE EVIDENCE:  A Virals Short Story Collection:  Shock, Shift, Swipe, & Spike
By Kathy Reichs & Brendan Reichs
© 2016 Puffin Books - NY, NY

ISBN# 978-0-14-751920-7

294 pgs

April 2016

Trace Evidence: A Virals Short Story Collection by Kathy Reichs

Fantastic! If you were a fan of Reichs' YA Virals Series, you will delight in this set of four short stories about Tory, Ben, Hi, & Shelton. Shock is the origin of how Tory arrives in North Carolina and becomes a Morris Islander. Shift is whodunnit mystery of stolen equipment from LIRI. Swipe has Tory and the virals attending Comic Con in San Diego with her Aunt Tempe. Nerd-alert they have a raucous good time and solve a crime that occurs on the showroom floor. Spike is the wedding of Tory's dad Kit and Whitney and the strange things that keep going wrong. Is someone trying to sabotage the wedding and is Chance friend or foe? I'm left with only one sad thought - I still want more! I want to know what happens when the gang goes to college.

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Movie 54 ~ Concussion

CONCUSSION
2015 * PG-13 * 123 min *
Directed & Written by Peter Landesman
GQ Article "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas
April 2016

Movie 53 ~ Burnt

BURNT
2015 * R * 101 min *
Directed by John Wells
Screenplay by Steven Knight
Story by Michael Kalesniko
April 2016

Movie 52 ~ Brooklyn

BROOKLYN
2015 * PG-13 * 111 min *
Directed by John Crowley
Screenplay by Nick Hornby
Novel by Colm Toibin
April 2016

Movie 51 ~ The Godfather: Part III

THE GODFATHER:  Part III
1990 * R * 162 min *
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Screenplay by Mario Puzo & Francis Ford Coppola
Novel by Mario Puzo
April 2016

Movie 50 ~ The Godfather: Part II

THE GODFATHER:  Part II
1974 * R * 202 min *
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Screenplay by Mario Puzo & Francis Ford Coppola
Novel by Mario Puzo
April 2016

Movie 49 ~ The Godfather

THE GODFATHER
1972 * R * 175 min *
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Screenplay by Mario Puzo & Francis Ford Coppola
Novel by Mario Puzo
April 2016

Book 19 ~ Uncle Al Capone

UNCLE AL CAPONE:  The Untold Story from Inside his Family
By Deidre Marie Capone
© 2011 Recap Publishing - Charleston, SC

ISBN# 978-0-982-84510-3

201 pgs

April 2016

Uncle Al Capone: The Untold Story from Inside His Family by Deirdre Marie Capone

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I decided to read this book after I heard Deirdre speak and it was entertaining. At the end am I swayed to believe that Al Capone was a saint and that everyone else got it wrong? Not so much. Deirdre's memories of her family and Uncle are rose colored and filled with family gatherings and great Italian food. It was an interesting look inside the Capone family and the mystique that surrounds it.

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Book 18 ~ Alex as Well

ALEX AS WELL
By Alyssa Brugman
© 2013 Henry Hold and Co. - NY, NY 

ISBN# 978-1-250-07363-1

214 pgs

April 2016

Alex As Well by Alyssa Brugman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The story centers on Alex who is born intersex, meaning with both male and female genitalia. When Alex is young their parents decide to raise them as a boy and has Alex take hormones to further that gender. While in high school Alex decides they feel more like a girl and wants to pursue school, life and everything in between as a female. Alex's father attempts to be supportive, while her mother attempts to covertly give her hormones. In order to attend a new school, Alex requires a new birth certificate and sets about getting one that states female. What follows is pandora's box of secrets about the past that Alex's parents have tried to squelch. Alex fights for her future, but will her parents be a part of it? The story will make you think and squirm in your seat with the things that Alex's mother rationalizes and behaviors she puts into action. Good book to create a dialogue about intersex/transgender issues. The parents are not seen in the best light. The mother's blog entries were bothersome as there were multiple misspellings. Other than that, a book which will make you think. Age 15 and up.

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