Dairy Queen Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. I've great things about this book for a while now. I just never got around to reading it. If you asked me why I couldn't give you a good answer. This book definitely lived up to the praise. As much as I love sports I am not an athlete. I pretty much suck at sports. When trying to play handball the only thing I hit hard was air. I was the black girl who couldn't jump double dutch or even turn. It didn't get any better as I got older. Kickball, I was the one who hit the hard high pop up right back to the pitcher. That week of softball was awful, I'm left handed and the gym teacher always made a big deal of moving me around. The only way I would make it to the Olympics is if trash talk became an Olympic sport.
Murdock's character D.J. Schwenk is an athlete. Though she is more than that she is also a daughter, a sister, a farmer and many other things but she is not a cow. She thinks for herself and controls her future.
I really enjoyed Dairy Queen. D.J. lives in Red Bend a small Wisconsin Town. The Schwenk's are athletes. D.J.'s older brothers Win and Bill both got football scholarships. She begins training Brian the QB of the rival school, Hawley. Towards the end of the summer D.J. decides she wants to play football. I will never again question why or if a girl could play football. I loved D.J.'s voice, it was pure and authentic. Dairy Queen is one of those novels that stays with you. So now I am totally on the Dairy Queen is a great book band wagon. I wave my ticket proudly next stop, the sequel, Off Season

A Meeting Place

Another skit

Hi, Books are Beautiful this is Tamika How can I help you today?

Book club member (BCM) Hi, My book club would like to have our next meeting in your book store. We meet the second Friday of every month.

Tamika- I am sorry, unfortunately, we don't host book clubs

BCM- Why not?

Tamika- Its not something we do.

BCM- Why not? We're a book club and you're a book store. It makes perfect sense

Tamika- Did you purchase your current book club selection from Books are Beautiful

BCM- No

Tamika- Well do you usually shop at Books are Beautiful?

BCM- No, I buy my books in bulk at Cosco. Though I do plan on getting a dessert with a glass of water on the side. I've heard great things about your cheesecake.

Tamika- A dessert?

BCM- With a glass of water on the side

Tamika- Well why didn't you say that before, that changes everything

BCM- Really

Tamika- No

Hi, I'm a local author

Hi, I'm a local author skit

A local author approaches the unsuspecting bookseller
Hi, my name is Jane Smith and I'm a local author. (Bookseller reluctantly gives name shakes hands)

It's a pleasure to meet you Susan. I came in today to schedule a booksigning for my new book "Living without Lies" because I am a local author. It's a wonderful book actually its about getting to the truth and receiving the answers without fear. "Living without Lies" will change lives

Susan - Let me see if we carry it, unfortunately we don't carry "Living without Lies"
Local author- that's okay I have some copies in my trunk. I can set up right near the front, and flag customers as they pass. It worked great in the mall, all I need is a table
Susan- Sorry, we don't do that
Local author- But I'm a local author and they let me do it at the mall
Susan- Unfortunately that is not something we do. To do a signing here we must first carry your book. Jake is in charge of our ordering, give him a call at this number. Explain what your book is about, if he thinks we can sell it we'll carry it and then we can see about setting up a booksigning
Local author - I shouldn't have to do all that. I am a local author after all. I even purchased a book here once. I don't see why I can't just bring my books in and set up
Susan - Unfortunately that is not something we do
Local author- WHY NOT
Susan - We have strict booksigning procedures we must follow
Local author - THAT'S NOT AN ANSWER
Susan- I was trying to be nice but I see that's not working. You, local authors walk in here about twice a week. Do we laugh in your faces like we should for not going through the proper channels,no. We listen as you tell us about your masterpiece. Do we roll our eyes when you call it a future NYT bestseller,no. Do we turn you down out right like we should,no. We cushion it with six syllable words like unfortunately. Do you take the hint and leave, thinking at least I tried, no. You say you want an answer but what you really want is your way. Unfortunately for you I'm going to give you what you asked for. We want our customers to feel comfortable and not feel the need to make a booksigning pity purchase. Therefore we don't do store front booksignings

Trading Dreams at Midnight Diane Mckinney Whetstone

Trading Dreams at Midnight by Diane Mckinney-Whetstone. Mckinney-Whetstone's novel are always set in Phildelaphia and they have a lyrical beauty to them. Her charcters are always strong, and sometimes in need of forgiveness. My favorite for years was Tumbling though Trading Dreams at Midnight is fighting for a top spot in my booklover's heart.

Neena and Tish's mom Freeda suffered from extreme highs and lows. She would disappear for months at a time leaving her daughters with their grandmother, Nan. Freeda can't help but listen to the voice, for fear if she doesn't he'll let the devil in. Then one day the voice tells Freeda to kill her daugthers. This time Freeda refuses, but she isn't strong enough to stay. The story unfolds from there. I must admit mental illness stories especially when it comes to mother daughter relationships make me feel less different. I can relate on a whole another level. Some passages are libel to break me open. Like this one

Tell me about your mother?
My mother? Like what about her?
Anything
"No one had ever asked Neena such things before and she felt her heartbelt climbing. Where to even begin with her mother's habit of hunching over the kitchen table cramming her mouth with Argo starch her shoulder blades like knife points pushing through her paisley robe; or the stark look of Freeda's eyes when she was too happy, unsustainable such happiness was, and it was as if her dark eyes understood that and refused to play along"

The yearning confusing. Yearning for what? To finally be filled with a feeling that was larger than that of being a motherless daughter. Was there a feeling larger, or just another kind of shattering.


Two fiction and one non fiction title where mental illness is the focus

I Know this much is true- Wally Lamb Twin brothers, one is mentally ill

72 Hour Hold by Bebe Moore Campbell - A mother must cope with a mentally ill daughter. It's fiction though the authors daughter did suffer from mental illness. I loved this book

Rescuing Patty Hearst by Virginia Holman - A memoir about a daughter's growing up with a mentally ill mother. I loved this book, someone put a voice to my fears and longing.

The Casanova Bus Driver

Reading Trading Dreams at Midnight by Diane Mckinney Whetstone I didn't think I could love this author any more then I already did but she proved me wrong with this novel

Anyhow I am on the bus, with the Casanova bus driver who flirts with the passengers. I just roll my eyes when I get on the bus and think oh him again. I have nothing to fear, the bus driver is white and he only tries to pick up white women.
The first time I saw the Casanova bus driver he was talking to a woman, sitting in the back of the bus. It was quite sad actually. I was thinking MF she sat in the back for a reason and she had a book. The lady was trying to be nice but you could tell she wanted to be left alone. But you can't diss the bus driver because they can accidentally on purpose not stop the next time they see you.
Today Casanova bus driver asked a women why she wasn't smiling. Its 2008 why the hell are men still saying that shit. Men should be fined for telling women to smile, or saying see you're prettier when you smile, or smile its a great day, or any sleazy opening line that involves smiling. Casanova bus driver is over 50, so his fine should be doubled. Men should not be allowed to use the same cliched lines they used 20 years ago, which obviously didn't work.
Then Casanova bus driver ask the poor lady how long she's been in Atlanta. Poor lady turned into lucky lady because another white women got on at the next stop and Casanova bus driver started talking to her.

I told one of my co workers about Casanova bus driver, asking poor lady about why she wasn't smiling.
My coworkers deadpan instant response "because I am riding the bus"