As a long-time fan of the Doc Savage series, I celebrate these new volumes written by Will Murray (and Lester Dent) every time they appear. This new adventure, The Secret of Satan’s Spine, features a hot blonde leading Doc Savage and his team to the Caribbean to solve a mystifying puzzle with global implications. Altus Press does a great job packaging this series. I really like this cover by Joe DeVito. If you’re in the mood for classic pulp fiction with a dash of High Adventure, The Secret of Satan’s Spine is your ticket to fun! GRADE: B+

Diane’s mother, Helen Gage, died in her bedroom with her family around her. Helen lived with us for 16 years. For most of those years, Helen was healthy and mobile. But in 2015 there was a relentless decline. Helen fell. Her deafness increased. She suffered from macular degeneration and osteoporosis. Helen weighed 70 pounds at the end. She had trouble keeping any food down. Breathing was labored. Helen woke up one morning and asked Diane and Katie, “Is the horror over?”

Having a daughter who works for hospice made the whole end-of-life process much easier to bear. Katie knew what was going on and helped us deal with the various hospice nurses and assistants who came to help Helen. Hospice services allowed Helen to die pain-free in her own bed–not in a hospital room–and with her family by her side.

Living to 96 is quite a feat. But much credit goes to Diane who provided world-class care-giving for many of those years. At the end, caring for Helen was 24/7 yet somehow Diane managed it. She deserves all the accolades I can shower on her. And Patrick’s calming presence helped all of us cope with the finality of the event.

Helen is at peace now. We have to deal with the heart-ache of her absence.

The Buffalo Bills missed the Playoffs for the 16th season in a row despite the empty promises of Rex Ryan. There are rumors that “changes will be made” but Bills fans have heard it all before. If I were the owner of the Buffalo Bills, I’d be cleaning house. Everyone in the organization that has been around for 16 losing seasons would be looking for a New Job. But, that’s just me. How will your favorite NFL team fare today?

If you want to get into the Christmas spirit, I recommend this wonderful story from 1927. Bertie plans to Winter in Monte Carlo, but an unexpected invitation leads to Bertie and Jeeves spending Chirstmas at Skeldings Hall, home of Lady Wickham and her daughter Bobbie. Sir Roderick Glossop, father of Bertie’s former fiance, Honoria, and wily Tuppy Glossop (who tricked Bertie into falling into the pool at the Drone’s Club) are also in attendance to stir up trouble. I can’t think of a more perfect story to capture the wonder and fun of the season (unless in involves mistletoe!). Ho, ho, ho to you all!

Wealth Secrets of the One Percent: A Modern Manual to Getting Marvelously, Obscenely Rich is actually a history book masquerading as a “Self-Help” book. Sam Wilkin dazzles with stories of J. P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and other mega-wealthy people. “Secrets” include being first to market a popular product (like Bill Gates did at Microsoft and Steve Jobs did at APPLE) and establishing a monopoly over a key industry (AT&T). Wealth Secrets of the One Percent is written for a wide audience–no financial jargon here. If you’re looking for an entertaining history of wealth, I recommend Sam Wilkin’s fine book to you. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction
Why is it so hard to get rich?
Wealth secrets of the ancient Romans
Wealth secrets of the robber barons
Wealth secrets of today’s one percent
Wealth secrets of the Forbes global rich list
Dot.com wealth secrets
Seven secrets of spectacularly rich people.
Acknowledgements
Notes
Index

The Classic Christmas Album flunks the Deb Test (no “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” here) but Sarah McLachlan’s songs will gladden your Holiday Season. Sarah blends old traditional songs with new modern ones. And, of course, “River” is fabulous! I’m a huge Sarah McLachlan fan (I’ve seen her in concert five times!) so factor that into your assessment of this review. This is a Christmas album you’ll not tire of listening to. GRADE: A
SET LIST:
Wintersong
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We three Kings – Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach Children’s Choir and Youth Choir
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – Sarah McLachlan School Choir
Prayer of St. Francis – Sarah McLachlan School Choir
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – Sarah McLachlan School Choir
Space on the Couch for Two – Sarah McLachlan School Choir
Find Your Voice – Sarah McLachlan School Choir
River
Silent Night
The O Little Town of Bethlehem
The First Noel/Mary Mary
Song for a Winter’s Night
In a Bleak Mid Winter – Diana Krall
Christmas Time Is Here – Diana Krall
Touch

The story of Elizabeth Chan, a marketing executive who quit her job to follow her dream of writing Christmas songs, is inspiring (you can real all about it here). Red & Green includes a dozen songs, very listenable. But my favorite is “Christmas in the City” with its heart-felt energy. Take a listen below. I wanted to support Elizabeth Chan’s hopes so I bought her CD. We need more people who are willing to risk everything to achieve their dreams!
TRACK LIST:
Only on Christmas Time
Something About the Holidays
Wouldn’t Be a Merry Christmas
Tis the Season
What Sweeter Music
Fa La La
Red & Green
A Christmas Song
Here’s to the New Year
Hey Santa
Christmas in the City
Christmas in the City (Remix)