February 2020 Books I read

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng I enjoyed it, very good about a Chinese-American family torn apart by the death of one daughter.
No I Don't want to join a Book Club by Virginia Ironside fun book highly recommend
True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey Australian gangster (much like our Billy the Kid) Ned Kelly and his family are the subject of this book, written as if it is coming from his diaries.
Decluttering at the Speed of  Life by Dana White (library) good book about wrapping your head around decluttering. Some nice tips...now to actually do it.
Institute by Stephen King (library) I really liked this one, much better than some of his other stuff recently. Special kids being taken from their families and used by a secret government agency.
The Wild One by Nick Petrie (library) The latest Peter Ash novel. This one is set in Iceland. Terrific.
Innocent Victims by Minette Walters two novellas read if you are a fan of Minette Walters
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo (library) dysfunctional family drama, I am getting a little tired of these books, so did not enjoy this one as much as I might have if I was in another mindset.
Wild and Crazy Guys by Nick De Semlyen (library) look at the 1980's comedy masters from SNL and SCTV. Very good --I am a huge fan of that era of comedy.
And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander (library) Romance and mystery set in the late 1800's. I enjoyed it thought it was fun.
1222 by Anne Holt (library) good mystery.  Like murder on the orient express in Norway
The Dinosaur Artist by Paige Williams (library) loved it. But y'all know I'm on a paleontology kick.   About a guy who allegedly steals dinosaur fossils and sells to private collectors.  I found it fascinating.   It's a true story
Front Page Girls by Jean Marie Lutes (library) the story of the beginnings and evolution of female journalists. I enjoyed it and learned a lot
Blood Child and other stories by Octavia Butler (library) very good some sci-fi and she explains her process and intentions after each story, so very enjoyable for that.
The Story of Sushi by Trevor Corson thanks to Krista for recommending this one! I really liked it. If you are already squeamish about eating raw fish, it probably will not convince you!! But for fans of sushi, it is a very enjoyable read.
Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (library) really enjoyed this book, but it made me cry. It is about a Junvenile facility for boys in Florida and specifically about the black boys who went there. Based on true stories, this is a fictionalized account.

Postcards 2020 Wrightsville Beach Silver Moon

Both of these postcards could be generic beach scenes, but both of these are used and were sent in 1948 and 1943 from Wrightsville, Beach, NC (and they have Wrightsville Beach printed on the front of the cards)  These are some of my favorites of my beach postcards and as a teenager, I was often out on the beach at night watching the moon and the phosphorescence.

The second card "moonlight tints the surf with silver"  was sent by a serviceman from Camp Davis, so it was FREE to send and it was the one sent in 1943--in the message he tells his friend that if he does not write back to him, when he comes home he will beat him up!! LOL

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys Super Mysteries in Mexico

South of the Border into Mexico!

Supermysteries,  Passport to Danger and Copper Canyon Conspiracy were both written in 1994 and they both take Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys over our southern border and into Mexico to solve some mysteries. This was back in the day when you only needed a driver's license to visit Mexico.

In Passport to Danger, Nancy and Bess are in San Miguel de Allende helping friends of Aunt Eloise who have an art school. The mystery is that the art school seems to be the source of fake green cards that are being circulated in the area. Nancy must find the forger.  In this book, Frank and Joe are on vacation and visiting Mexico City friends who own an art gallery in that city.  There is a little Bess bashing, when she is eating chips and salsa and they mention that she is always trying to lose 5 pounds.  The Mexican Police tell Nancy Drew to not interfere because this is a serious police investigation and very dangerous.  Nancy, Bess and Joe are held at gunpoint while the bad guy confesses all.  But, Nancy, Frank and Joe all fight the bad guys and Nancy uses a judo kick to subdue him!

Copper Canyon Conspiracy starts in Tucson, AZ with Nancy, George and the Hardys at the Cactus Marathon. George and Joe are participating and they all meet some amazing runners from Mexico,the Tarahumara Indians who run barefoot.  They are world famous for being amazing endurance runners.  The Tarahumara are also trying to protect their home land in the Mexican Copper Canyon from being deforested.  The Mexican Police are not as well represented in this book. They are shown taking bribes.  We are told that Frank is a pilot and he knows the Amtrak 1-800 number by heart!  The best message from this book, "When you are someone's friend you have to stand up for their rights, even if that means suffering for it."

I was pleasantly surprised to like BOTH of these books. They had the Hardys and Nancy Drew on equal footing as detectives and they let the girls and the boys work together to solve the mysteries and fight the bad guys with neither having an obvious advantage. Romance took a back burner, although there is this quote from Passport to Danger, "somehow Bess always managed to find just the right amount of romance wherever she went."  There were a lot of great descriptions of Mexico and Mexican cities! I am ready to take a trip south of the border!

Postcards 2020 Wrightsville Beach Today

Here are two of the few modern, present day postcards that I have of Wrightsville Beach, NC

View from the Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway

The Causeway crossing over Banks Channel to Wrightsville Beach

Postcards 2020 Wrightsville Beach: Blockade Runner Hotel

In 1964 The Blockade Runner Hotel was built on the site of the Old Ocean Terrace Hotel (which had burned down in 1955)  I learned to sail on a sunfish at Wrightsville Beach just like in these photos of the boats in front of the hotel 

Postcards 2020 Wrightsville Beach: Ocean Terrace Hotel

The Ocean Terrace Hotel was destroyed by fire in 1955, at the time, it was the largest hotel on Wrightsville Beach. The site is now occupied by The Blockade Runner Hotel.