Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

 A real find from the library's "also read" suggestions.    Title: The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War, and Survival Author: Amra Sabic-El-Reyess Publication Info: Bloomsbury YA, 2020. 370 pages (Kindle edition). Source: Library Publisher's Blurb: The stunning memoir of a Muslim teen struggling to survive the Bosnian genocide--and the stray cat who protected her family through it all.   Amra was a teen in Bihac, Bosnia, when her friend said they couldn’t speak anymore because Amra was Muslim. Then refugees from other cities started arriving, fleeing Serbian persecution. When Serbian tanks rolled into Bihac, the life she knew disappeared—right as a stray cat followed her home. Her family didn’t have the money to keep a pet, but after the cat seemed to save her brother, how could they turn it away? Saving a life one time could be a coincidence, but then it happened again—and Amra and her family wondered just what this cat was. This is the story ...

This was my 3rd book by Katherine May. I definitely wasn't as touched by this as by of The Electricity of Every Living Thing and especially by Wintering . There was good stuff here, though, as you'll see.   Title:  Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age Author: Katherine May Publication Info: 2023, Riverhead Books. 212 pages. Source: Library Publisher's Blurb: Many of us feel trapped in a grind of constant change: rolling news cycles, the chatter of social media, our families split along partisan lines. We feel fearful and tired, on edge in our bodies, not quite knowing what has us perpetually depleted. For Katherine May, this low hum of fatigue and anxiety made her wonder what she was missing. Could there be a different way to relate to the world, one that would allow her to feel more rested and at ease, even as seismic changes unfold on the planet? Might there be a way for all of us to move through life with curiosity and tenderness, sensitized to the s...

Part 1 of this series was up on the South Rim . Part 2 took us down the Bright Angel trail and out the Tonto West Trail to Horn Creek . Part 3 is Monument Canyon and Granite Rapids . Below the Rim, Days 4 & 5: Hermit Creek and Hermit Rapids Days 4 and 5 continued the easy pattern of our Granite Rapids day. On the other hand, temperatures were climbing steeply, meaning we weren't going to want to do a lot of hiking during the middle of the day. So on Day 4 , despite only having about 4 3/4 miles to go (and some 1200' of climbing along with a goodly drop to Hermit Creek Camp), we chose once again to start as early as possible. First sun on the canyon walls. Time to get moving! Back up past the monument we hiked, stopping for a few photos and to fill water bags before leaving the creek. 8:25 a.m. and it's already bright and plenty warm, a harbinger of what's to come. Out of Monument Canyon, with just one more climb ahead of us. Passing near the edge of the Inner Canyon...

 It's the first Wednesday, and that means time for our monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group post! Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting--click the image to find the sign-up page and blog list. Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG. The awesome co-hosts for t...

 A promising-looking mystery releasing today!   Hot Pot Murder (L.A. Night Market) by Jennifer J. Chow About Hot Pot Murder Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Setting – California Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (June 6, 2023) Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593336550 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593336557 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BDDMZ3BK Trouble is brewing for cousins Yale and Celine Yee after a hot pot dinner gets overheated and ends in murder in this second novel of the L.A. Night Market series by Jennifer J. Chow. Yale and Celine Yee’s food stall business is going so well that they’ve been invited to join an exclusive dinner with the local restaurant owners association. The members gather together for a relaxing hot pot feast…until Jeffery Vue, president of the group, receives a literal shock to his system and dies. Everyone at the meal is a suspect, but the authorities are homing in on family friend Ai Ho, owner of the restaurant where Jeffe...

I'm linking up this week with the F irst Friday Photo bloghop from Many Worlds From Many Minds. If you like to post photos, join in and help Eden Mabee grow this start-up hop. Part 1 of this series was up on the South Rim . Part 2 took us down the Bright Angel trail and out the Tonto West Trail to Horn Creek . Below the Rim, Days 2 & 3: Tonto West to Monument and Granite Rapids One thing about cowboy camping (no tent) is that you wake up when it starts to get light. Our first morning I was up and prowling for photos by 6. The South Rim is somewhere up there. Horn Creek Eventually we got on the trail, with about 8 miles of the Tonto West to cover and temperatures rising. This part doesn't need a lot of narration! Love the geometric daggers of the agave. Last year's blossom. The plant dies after blooming. Indian Paintbrush is a reliable flower just about anywhere, and one of my favorites. Some species of prickly pear. Despite the distance we've come down, the river is...

I hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Day holiday. I skipped posting because hey, a holiday (okay, and it was my birthday). I'm back now, though, with a review of Marmee & Louisa, a biography of Louisa May Alcott and her mother, Abigail May Alcott. Title: Marmee & Louisa Author: Eve LaPlante. Narrated by Karen White Publication Info: Tantor Media, 2012. 14.5 hours. Hardback, Free Press, 2012, 384 pages Source: Library Publisher's Blurb: Since its release nearly one hundred and fifty years ago, Louisa May Alcott's classic Little Women has been a mainstay in American literature, while passionate Jo March and her calm, beloved "Marmee" have shaped generations of young women. Biographers have consistently credited her father, Bronson Alcott, for Louisa's professional success, assuming that this outspoken idealist was the source of her progressive thinking and remarkable independence. But in this riveting dual biography, Eve LaPlante explodes those ...