#BookReview - Leningrad 1941 - 42: Morality in a City Under Siege

Leningrad 1941 - 42: Morality in a City Under Siege

By: Sergey Yarov
Publisher: Polity
Publication Date: September 2017
ISBN: 978-1509507986
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: May 29, 2017

For those fascinated by events of WWII, and in particular the devastating siege of Leningrad, author and historian Sergey Yarov has penned a look at what happens to morality in a time of great hardship, an account that will remain with you long after you have finished reading this book.

The Siege of Leningrad is generally acknowledged to have begun in September of 1941 when the last road into the city was cut off by the Germans. The siege ran for 872 days - one of the longest blockades in history. Yarov looks at the first winter of the siege, which is known as the "Time of Death." What happened to people during that time - how did their morals, their customs, their needs change? By investigating the full range of behaviors, and what people did in order to survive, Yarov helps the reader truly understand the suffering that went on in the city.

Leningrad 1941 - 42: Morality in a City Under Siege is broken up into three sections: Concepts of Morality in 1941 - 1941; the Ethical Dimension; and Means of Reinforcing Morality. Yarov acknowledges that the study of 'siege ethics' can be difficult as memories of past events may change. In addition, survivors, when retelling their stories, may alter events to make themselves seem less cruel, and trying to judge people going through such incredible sufferings from the comfort of our couches is hardly fair or appropriate. Regardless, Yarov carefully investigates the events, and actions of the city's people, through original documentation. From how attitudes to theft changed over time, dealing with orphaned, starving children, to the evolving rituals surrounding death and burial (lack of wood for caskets, weakness of survivors in attending to the deceased, etc.), all elements of life during the "Time of Death" are examined.

The author, the late Sergey Yarov (1959-2015), was a native of St. Petersburg, a professor of History at the European University, and made it his life's work to study the Siege of Leningrad. Having traveled to Leningrad in the early 80s, and seeing remnants of the war everywhere (ex. - a display of bullet-ridden helmets at a movie theater), I was quite familiar with the Siege of Leningrad. But Yarov took that horrifying event and delved further into it than any text I'd ever read - the stories and analysis he provided went far beyond other studies of that era. Using hundreds of first-hand accounts (letters, diary entries, documents), Yarov looked at every aspect of life - and death - within the confines of Leningrad. For those interested in this alarming time in history, Leningrad 1941 - 42: Morality in a City Under Siege is a book that must be added to your collection.

Quill says: An in-depth, fascinating, and at times heart-wrenching, analysis of the human spirit and what happens to it in times of great hardship.

#BookReview - Dustrats: Or, the Adventures of Sir Muffin Muffinsson

Dustrats: Or, The Adventures of Sir Muffin Muffinsson

Written and Illustrated by: Adrià Regordosa
Publisher: POW!
Publication Date: May 2017
ISBN: 978-1576878217
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: May 29, 2017

Sir Muffin Muffinsson is a wonderful and faithful cat. Every night he watches over young Emma as she sleeps in her crib. And Emma's dreams can get a little wild and crazy! Watch out, Sir Muffin Muffinsson, because tonight you're in for a real adventure!

While Emma sleeps, Sir Muffin Muffinsson looks around the little girl's room and realizes that she must have had a very playful week because her room is a mess. Toys are spewed all over the room, there's a book on the floor, the lamp is tilted and ... wait ... what's that? From under Emma's crib pop seven little dustrats, one for each day of the week. With cute little hats, these little creatures look like they have mischievous on their minds. Sir Muffin Muffinsson jumps into action, grabbing his vacuum cleaner so that he can collect the tiny critters. He knows that the dustrats love Emma's wild imagination and if she can dream it, those troublemakers will make it happen in the house.

Sir Muffin Muffinsson follows the dustrats into every room of the house, watching with increasing worry, as the results of Emma's dreams get wilder and crazier. Going into the kitchen, the fluffy white cat finds the room in total chaos, with food and plates strewn everywhere. But with the fridge wide open, the cold has created a winter wonderland, with penguins, a snowman and a polar bear! Just wait until Sir Muffin Muffinsson sees what's waiting for him in the garage!

Dustrats is a creative, and extremely imaginative story about a bunch of little troublemakers who thrive on making a little girl's dreams come to life. With a loyal cat who does his best to vacuum up the creatures before they cause too much trouble, young readers will absolutely love following Sir Muffin Muffinsson on his adventure. The author, who also illustrated this book, did a fabulous job of creating truly wonderful illustrations that bring everything from a dragon to a unicorn to life. Kudos to debut author Adrià Regordosa - I look forward to seeing what other adventures he sends Sir Muffin Muffinsson on.

Quill says: A definite five-star children's story - it may even make your child clean up his/her room!

#BookReview - Amish Cooking Class: The Seekers

Amish Cooking Class: The Seekers

By: Wanda E. Brunstetter
Publication Date: April 2017
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
ISBN: 978-1-62416-744-7
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: May 23, 2017

An Amish cooking class is the perfect recipe for each ‘seeker’s’ future in Wanda Brunstetter’s latest work of fiction, Amish Cooking Class: The Seekers.

Heidi Troyer is a good Amish wife. She loves her husband Lyle to the moon and back, but there is still a void in her life that may never be filled. They’ve been together for more than a handful of years and the only ‘child’ Heidi and Lyle share is their Brittany Spaniel Rusty. No matter how many times Heidi has broached the subject of adoption with Lyle, he won’t budge. His belief is: ‘...if it were God’s will for us to have children, you would have gotten pregnant by now...’ Heidi’s faith and belief is as strong as her husband’s, but lately she has her doubts. She needs something more than the household and garden chores to occupy her mind. Perhaps the cooking class she is about to start is the perfect distraction from that baby she fears she will never have.

With an eclectic group of students, the group assembles for the first day of class. Loretta Donnelly had the happily ever after until the passing of her husband, Rick. Left with two beautiful children, Abby and Conner, she is reminded daily that life must go on and perhaps Heidi’s cooking class is the comfort and distraction she needs to carry on. Charlene Higgins is young and in love. However, even though Len and she have a strong love for each other, perhaps a cooking class will find its way to his heart and the marriage proposal Charlene desperately seeks. Eli Miller is a kind and caring Amish gentleman, but he is lonely. There isn’t a day that goes by that he doesn’t pause and think about his beloved Mavis and wonder why she had to die. Kendra Perkins is young and in trouble. She is pregnant and her boyfriend, the baby’s father, is long gone. She is kicked out of her childhood home and faced with the reality of raising her unborn child alone. Maybe Heidi’s class will have the answers. Last but not least, there is the drifter Ron Hensley. Down on his luck for too many years and facing the future on a con and a prayer, he finds his way to the Troyer’s home for the next chapter in his life. Perhaps the gathering of the group was destiny but only time would deliver the answers they all so desperately sought to find.

Ms. Brunstetter is no stranger to the Amish way of life. As one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, it’s no wonder she would pen her next novel on such a topic. The story has a nice flow and balance with lots of believability infused throughout the story. The dialogue is rich and each character assumes a solid role in the part he or she plays as the story unfolds. There is no predictability toward the outcome and as a result, the reader will naturally continue to turn the pages and enjoy the journey from beginning to end. There is just enough fact about the Amish way of life sprinkled throughout the unfolding plot to intrigue a new comer to Ms. Brunstetter’s latest addition to her library of titles to entice the reader to perhaps take a step back and read another. Thank you for an enjoyable read Ms. Brunstetter.

Quill says: Amish Cooking Class: The Seekers has a solid plot and entertaining premise from beginning to end - certainly a story to pack along with you on that summer getaway this year.

#BookReview - An Illustrated History of Trigger

An Illustrated History of Trigger: The Lives and Legend of Roy Rogers' Palomino

By: Leo Pando
Publisher: McFarland & Company
Publication Date: November 2010
ISBN: 978-0786461110
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: May 24, 2017

Trigger, the golden palomino that helped propel Roy Rogers to national stardom, was known and loved by children around the world. In An Illustrated History of Trigger, author Leo Pando takes a look at all aspects of Trigger's life, from his origins, to the movies, and the several horses that played the famous horse.

Divided into eighteen chapters, An Illustrated History of Trigger examines all aspects of the mythos of Trigger, from the horse's breeding, original owner, sale to Rogers, the story behind Little Trigger and Trigger Jr., as well as Trigger collectibles and memorabilia. As a horse person, I found the section on Glenn Randall, the trainer behind the horses, quite interesting, as well as the chapter on Roy Rogers and his equine abilities. The author, also a horse person (he was the assistant manager for an Arabian breeding facility), shows his knowledge of equines in his writing and this makes the book more enjoyable for horse lovers.

Researching a book where the various horses who played the role of Trigger have long been dead, is not an easy task. Add in the fact that those closest to the horses in question have also passed away, and you have a difficult job. Leo Pando did an excellent job of finding original documentation and speaking to/finding letters, interviews, etc. with the children of those involved in Trigger's career. Combine those factors and you have the makings for an informative book. Pando wades through all the literature and helps separate myth from fact, and explains how he came to those conclusions. The book is called an "illustrated history" and it is, indeed, chock full of great photos of Trigger, Trigger Jr., Little Trigger as well as the many stunt horses that played Trigger, Buttermilk (Dale Evans' gelding) and the many other horses that appeared with Rogers on television and in the movies. All photos, with the exception of the cover image, are in black and white and these images are truly the highlight of the book. My only quibble, and it's a minor one, is that there are a fair number of typos in the book and it would be nice to have these fixed.

Quill says: For fans of Trigger, this book is an excellent resource and is worth purchasing just for all the great "Trigger" photographs.

#BookReview - My Little Angel @SherrillCannon

My Little Angel

By: Sherrill S. Cannon
Illustrated by: Kalpart
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing
Publication Date: March 2017
ISBN: 978-1681819471
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: May 2017

Award-winning author Sherrill S. Cannon is at it again with her newest book, My Little Angel, telling a delightful story about a little girl and her guardian angel.
The star of our adventure, a sweet little girl (we never learn her name), tells the reader about her very special friend, Angela, who just happens to be her guardian angel. Angela sits on the girl's shoulder and is dressed is a light blue dress with matching shoes, a halo, and white, almost translucent, wings. Angela always wears a big smile, and sparkling light seems to follow her wherever she goes.

The little girl talks about all the wonderful things her guardian angel does. For example,

She helps keep me safe as I'm walking to school,
Reminding me always to follow the rules.
She makes me look both ways when crossing the street,
And she makes sure I'm carful where I put my feet.


The author takes the reader through a full day of events, at home, at school, even getting ready for bed, with the guardian angel constantly at the girl's side. Angela reminds the girl of many important things too, from brushing her teeth in the morning, saying "Thank you," "Excuse me," and "Please," to helping her say her prayers at night. If she's afraid, Angela is there to console her, and remind her to "Think of others, be helpful and kind."

As soon as you read the first line of My Little Angel, you'll know you've opened a good book:

Angela sits on my shoulder and glows -
Whatever I do or think, Angela knows...


The story, written in a nice-flowing rhyme, tells a sweet story that also helps impart life lessons (manners, caring for others) to young readers. Like the other books by Sherrill Cannon, this one is illustrated by Kalpart, a company that has a reputation for creating delightful images for books. Again, Kalpart does not disappoint as the drawings are vibrant and fun and are a perfect compliment to the story. At the back of the book the author has included "Special Notes" that ask children to a) hunt and find images of different book covers in the story; b) answer questions about their own safety habits; and c) answer questions about the story. Finally, if you purchase the author's books from the website sbpra.com/curejm, 50% of the sales will be donated to help find a cure for Juvenile Myositis - a win-win for everybody!

Quill says: My Little Angel is a wonderful story for little ones who will love reading about Angela, a guardian angel, and dreaming up what their own guardian angel might look like and do to help them.

For more information on My Little Angel, please visit the author's website at: sbpra.com/sherrillscannon

#BookReview - Light & Laughter Coloring Book

Light & Laughter Coloring Book

By: Suzy Toronto
Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing
Publication Date: May 2016
ISBN: 978-1497201569
Reviewed by: Lynette Latzko
Review Date: May 15, 2017

Light & Laughter by Suzy Toronto is a coloring book with a positive message, “Pretending to be a normal person day after day is exhausting!” and encourages colorists to seize the day, color outside the lines and “...embrace the wonderful, wacky women we truly are, and live a life worth coloring.”

This softcover book contains thirty-two pages of coloring fun depicting various sizes of both large and intricate designs, bold, whimsical characters, lots of flowers and women with wild, wacky hair. Each image also contains a playful, inspirational quote such as “Life is short. Go for the cupcakes!” and “Some of us were just born with glitter in our veins.” The Light & Laughter book is approximately 8”x10” in size, printed on archival and eco-friendly paper that contains images printed on a single side, and is perforated for easy removal. The back of each coloring page includes a fun quote like “Don’t be afraid to be a fruit loop in a world full of bran,” that provides even more laughter and encouragement to colorists while they brighten their pages.

The coloring book has several sample pages colored by the author herself in her favorite medium, watercolors, as well as pages completed by other women using colored pencils, markers and gel pens. Suzy Toronto also includes other extra sections in this coloring book discussing her own personal coloring style and provides a bit of creative coloring encouragement. Finally, technical information for serious colorists who want to learn about the proper use of colors by providing a color wheel with discussion about primary, secondary and tertiary colors, completes the extra added pages in this coloring book.

Light & Laughter has also received DO Magazine’s “Fair Trade Seal of Approval.” Having this seal of approval ensures that coloring consumers can buy Light & Laughter and know that the artwork is of quality, and the author was properly compensated for her creations.

Suzy Toronto’s coloring book is packed full of fun, silly images that will be best enjoyed using colored pencils, sharpened crayons, gel pens and thin markers since the images can be a bit small and intricate at times. The paper has a smooth texture allowing color to lay down and blend easily and is of medium thickness, therefore, using a wet medium such as large markers (copics, sharpies, etc.,) or watercolors may bleed through, so it is best to remove the image from the book or test a small area before proceeding with coloring an entire page. There are numerous quotes and images that will speak to you personally regardless of your age, some will make you laugh and others will inspire you to spend hours filling your book with color. While this book does include a small amount of other fun to color images such as cupcakes and boots, the overall theme contains pages with a plethora of ribbons, doodles, flowers and ladies with crazy hair. This may be an issue for some colorists who crave a wide variety of images to challenge their coloring skills. However, this book can be an excellent “pick me up” when you're feeling down or having a bad day and just want to laugh and feel uplifted by Suzy Toronto’s images of women with zany hair and equally silly quotes.

Quill says: Light & Laughter will brighten your spirits and fill your creative time with hours of coloring fun.

#BookReview - Route 66 Adventure Handbook

Route 66 Adventure Handbook

By: Drew Knowles
Publisher: Santa Monica Press
Publication Date: May 2017
ISBN: 978-1595800916
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: May 15, 2017

"Get Your Kicks on Route 66" was a popular song from the 40's, sung by Nat King Cole, that helped bring that long stretch of road - Route 66 - to fame. Now you can get your own kicks on Route 66 if you bring along the Route 66 Adventure Handbook, as it will lead you to many of the hidden, and not-so-hidden, gems along this road.

Route 66 was one of the first highways in the United States, with completion coming in 1926. It runs from Chicago to California, and travels through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, on its way to Santa Monica, California. In the 1950s, following President Eisenhower's signing of a bill which saw the creation of the "Interstate Highway system" and numerous major, "super highways" being built, many people assumed the famous road was all but dead. But while these new highways challenged the reign of Route 66 and as the author of the Route 66 Adventure Handbook notes, it seemed for a while that the famous road was fading into oblivion, thankfully, travelers eventually recognized the unique qualities of this famous route, and now it is enjoying a resurgence.

Now in its fifth edition, the Route 66 Adventure Handbook is divided into chapters by state, running southwest from Illinois to California. Each chapter includes multitudes of attractions, far more than I've seen in other travel books. And many of these attractions are spots that are missed by other books, places that are about as unique as Cadillac Ranch where car "art" shows real Cadillacs partially buried, "...which are said to be positioned at the same angle as the sides of the Great Pyramids of Egypt." (pg. 290) In addition, each chapter also includes a "Further Afield" section where attractions, just a short distance away from the famous route, can be found.

The Route 66 Adventure Handbook is written in an easy-to-read/follow style and the layout is easy on the eyes which makes this book perfect for picking up and referring to over and over. There is so much to choose from for your road-trip visits within its pages that you'll want to start searching through the book long before your trip begins. My top pick from the plethora of attractions in this book has to be "Big Brutus" - a giant, and I mean GIANT! ("the second-largest ever built") - power shovel in West Mineral, KS. A photograph of Brutus shows a car parked next to it which gives you a good idea of just how large Brutus is. And I must mention all the photographs because this book is chock full of them - almost every attraction mentioned is accompanied by a good, clear photo. To make it even easier to find, below each photo is the GPS location of the attraction. If you're planning a trip to explore Route 66, whether a quick escape along a portion of the road, or an adventure enjoying the full, 2,000-plus mile route, be sure to take the Route 66 Adventure Handbook with you so you won't miss a single attraction on this famous road.

Quill says: John Steinbeck called Route 66 "The Mother Road" in The Grapes of Wrath, and for good reason. Now, with the Route 66 Adventure Handbook, you can explore this fantastic stretch of asphalt and enjoy all the unique jewels it has to offer, jewels that others without the handbook may miss. Get the book, hop in your car, and start driving!