"Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises" by Lawrence Katz

This is a quick-read but very interesting and practical. The gist of the book is to improve memory, you need to keep your brain active and use all of your senses. “Routines can be brain deadening.” Basically, learn to enjoy new experiences, change things around, interact with people and change up routines.

The most startling thing I learned from reading this book is: "Research has shown that watching television literally numbs the mind: The brain is less active during TV-viewing than during sleep!" (p. 117)

Gerard gave me this one for my birthday--thanks, honey!  You need to read it too!

(Karen's review--My rating: 5 of 5 stars)


Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"Double Booked For Murder" by Ali Brandon

Double Booked For Death—a Black Cat Bookshop Mystery by Ali Brandon is about solving the mystery of a popular author’s death when at a book signing in an independent book store owned by Darla.  This is a cozy mystery that Darla and her ex-cop friend, Jake, who also acts as her security guard for the bookstore tries to solve.  This is a fun read because it includes Hamlet, the bookstore cat and some interesting twists along the way as clues are eventually connected.  

I just couldn’t resist reading a mystery about a cat and a bookstore but was a bit disappointed the cat didn't have a bigger role.  Although the cat is on the cover, it really is incidental to the story.  The ending was really fun!  I’m not much on cozy mysteries, but this is the best I’ve read so far.  

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"A Time to Kill" by John Grisham

A Time To Kill by John Grisham tells the story of two men who brutalize a ten-year-old black girl in the deep south in the USA.  When the father learns of this, he decides to deal out his own brand of justice and shoots the two men in cold blood before they go to trial.  When his trial takes place, he and his white lawyer are in a battle for both of their lives.

I know this book has been out for years but somehow I missed it.  I'm glad I read it now though--it's very good!  The trial and all that surrounded it was outstanding.  As usual for John Grisham, the writing is top-notch.  If you haven't read this one yet, you should because it is well worth it.
(Gerard's Review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Tuesday Teasers: Four This Week!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Gerard's:

Naw, Jake, that's why I got you. I don't plan to go to no gas chamber. I saw you get Lester off, now just get me off.

From page 100 of A Time To Kill by John Grisham.

Early each Saturday morning, the keepers would take Gita [an elephant] on a long, rambling walk around the grounds before the zoo opened, and it was my privilege to be invited to go along, several times. Those are the memories etched in my mind.

From page 54 of Betty and Friends by Betty White.  (Karen reviewed this non-fiction one already.)

Karen's:

Maybe my parents will forget about what the neighbors think and welcome me as their daughter again. And maybe, just maybe, Brynn will forgive me.

From page 45 of These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf.  (Gerard's review of this one is up.)

On her first day running the store, she'd been the unwitting victim of a lightning-fast swipe from Hamlet's claws. The attack had occurred as she'd moved his downstairs food bowl from its usual spot, in front of the local author showcase, to the corner of the science-fiction section.

From page 2 of Double Booked For Death by Ali Brandon. (a cozy mystery)

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Betty & Friends" by Betty White is a Must Read for Animal Lovers!

Being an animal lover myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this book of fantastic photographs of animals Betty White has met and got to know in various zoos. She gives some interesting facts about the animals, shares her special one-on-one encounters she's had with many and manages to include some humor as well. The only thing I object to was that she gives "Mother Nature" credit for the animals instead of God, the creator.  This book is centered around the photographs that are true works of art.  Tad Motoyama, the L.A. Zoo's official photographer, gave her some of his photos that she chose to share with the world through this book.    

My favorite experience she shared was that she developed a bond with a baby gorilla named Lulu, and when it was older, it blew her kisses.  Years later when visiting another zoo, she saw a gorilla do the same thing and mentioned that Lulu used to do that with her too.  It turned out that was the same gorilla!  

I highly recommend this as a must read for all animal lovers--a great animal book and a fast read with no boring parts! I loved it!
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.