I listened to Rod Stewart, Human Nature (an Australian group), and Michael McDonald sing their favorite Mottown songs. All the participants in covering Motown classics show enthusiasm and energy singing these great songs. All of these guys are obviously involved in a Labor of Love in singing these songs. Of the cover artists, I’d have to go with the Human Nature group who put out not just one, but TWO albums of their interpretation of Motown hits. I think Rod Stewart just tries too hard and Michael McDonald’s distinctive voice doesn’t always work with the material he’s trying to interpret.

Are you a fan of Motown music? Do you listen to cover versions of your favorite Motown songs? Do you have a favorite Motown song? GRADE: B (For Rod and Michael; B+ for Human Nature)

TRACK LIST:

	Rod Stewart–	It’s The Same Old Song	4:15
	Rod Stewart Featuring Stevie Wonder–	My Cherie Amour	3:10
	Rod Stewart Duet With Mary J. Blige–	You Make Me Feel Brand New	4:36
	Rod Stewart–	(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher	3:21
	Rod Stewart Featuring Smokey Robinson–	Tracks Of My Tears	3:36
	Rod Stewart Duet With Jennifer Hudson–	Let It Be Me	3:16
	Rod Stewart–	Rainy Night In Georgia	4:13
	Rod Stewart–	What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted	3:19
	Rod Stewart–	Love Train	3:03
	Rod Stewart–	You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me	3:17
	Rod Stewart–	Wonderful World	3:33
	Rod Stewart–	If You Don’t Know Me By Now	3:59
	Rod Stewart–	Just My Imagination	3:35
		Bonus Tracks
	Rod Stewart–	Never Give You Up	3:24
	Rod Stewart–	Only The Strong Survive	3:19

TRACK LIST: (Reach Out)

		Reach Out I’ll Be There	3:15
		You Keep Me Hangin’ On	3:08
		Baby I Need Your Loving	3:09
		If You Don’t Know Me By Now	3:43
		I Heard It Through The Grapevine	3:26
		Twenty-Five Miles	3:25
		I’ll Be There	4:10
		My Girl	3:05
		I Want You Back	3:00
		Stop! In The Name Of Love	2:56
		You Are Everything	3:52
		The Tracks Of My Tears	2:52

TRACK LIST: (Dancing In the Street_

-1		Dancing In The Stree tWritten-By – Ivy Jo Hunter, Marvin Gaye, William Stevenson	4:25
1-2		Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Written-By – Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson	4:25
1-3		ABCWritten-By – Berry Gordy, Deke Richards, Alphonso Mizell*, Frederick Perren	4:25
1-4		Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours Written-By – Lee Garrett, Lula Mae Hardaway*, Stevie Wonder, Syreeta Wright	4:25
1-5		You Can’t Hurry Love Written-By – Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland Jr	4:25
1-6		Ain’t Too Proud To Beg Written-By – Edward Holland Jr*, Norman Whitfield	4:25
1-7		What’s Going On Written-By – Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye, Renaldo Benson	4:25
1-8		Uptight (Everything’s Alright) Written-By – Henry Cosby, Stevie Wonder, Sylvia Moy	4:25
1-9		Please Mr. Postman Written-By – Brian Holland, Freddie Gorman, Georgia Dobbins, Robert Bateman, William Garrett	4:25
1-10		I Can’t Get Next To You Written-By – Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield	4:25
1-11		Midnight Train To Georgia Written-By – James D. Weatherly*	4:25
1-12		I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) Written-By – Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland Jr*	4:25
1-13		What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted Written-By – James Dean, William Weatherspoon*, Paul Riser	4:25
1-14		Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) Written-By – Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield	4:25

TRACK LIST:

1		I Heard It Through The Grapevine	3:44
2		You Are Everything	2:48
3		Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours	4:07
4		I’m Gonna Make You Love Me	3:56
5		Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing	2:48
6		Reflections	3:22
7		How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)	5:21
8		Ain’t No Mountain High Enough	2:49
9		All In Love Is Fair	3:31
10		I Want You	4:28
11		Distant Lover	4:20
12		I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)	5:05
13		Since I Lost My Baby	4:34
14		Too High (Performer [Uncredited] – Fourplay)	5:25

Will Murray is best known for his Doc Savage pastiches, but I suspect Lovecraft fans will enjoy this collection of Murray’s horror stories. In his Introduction, Murray discusses his attraction to Lovecraft and Cthulhu. I remember that in one of the ghosted novels in The Destroyer series that Murray wrote, there was a Cthulhu connection.

Several of these stories involve the Cryptic Events Evaluation Section of the Depart of Defense. This group of agents works to stop paranormal threats…but they aren’t always successful.

If you’re a fan of Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, Nug, Yeb, and the Great Old Ones who lurk and scheme to take over the Earth, give The Wild Adventures of Cthulhu a try. GRADE: B

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction — ix

To Clear the Earth — 1

The Eldridge Collection — 17

Rude Awakening — 41

A Trillion Young — 57

Static — 89

The Sothis Radiant — 111

Dark Redeemer — 135

What Brings the Void — 161

The Hour of Our Triumph — 181

Black Fire — 201

Sources — 213

ABOUT THE AUTHOR — 215

ABOUT THE ARTIST — 219

I have always been a fan of Brian Garfield–writer of thrillers and westerns–so I did read his novel that this movie is based on. Garfield also wrote the screenplay for the movie version. Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson are at the top of their games in this 1980 movie.

No way Hopscotch would be considered “commercial” nowadays, but Diane and I found it a lot of fun to watch. Matthau plays a spy whose boss thinks is “over the hill.” The movie begins with Matthau called back to CIA Headquarters after breaking up a spy ring in Germany. Matthau’s boss, played by a nasty Ned Beatty, plans to bury Matthau in the Records department until he retires. Matthau has other ideas.

Matthau flies to Austria to meet up with one of his former colleagues, the alluring Glenda Jackson. Matthau starts writing his memoirs where he tells all about the spy missions of the CIA, MI6, and the KGB. He sends copies of each chapter to those spy agencies–which causes panic!

The hunt for Matthau by the spies of three countries generates a lot of humor as Matthau shows what a veteran spy can do. If you’re in the mood for a clever spy movie, check out Hopscotch. This Criterion Collection version looks great! GRADE: B+

I like the Beatles and James Bond so I dove into John Higgs’s new book on how the group and the spy impacted the British Psyche (and the rest of the world’s psyche, too!). Higgs delivers some facts I was not aware of. I knew Ian Fleming was a “difficult” man but apparently that didn’t scare some women off. Fleming had an affair with Lady O’Neill who wrote him after a liaison in Dublin in 1947: “I loved cooking for you and sleeping beside you and being whipped by you and I don’t think I have ever loved like this before…. I love being hurt by you and kissed afterwards.” (p.23)

Higgs alternates between writing about Fleming and the Beatles and manages to deliver some acute analysis in both cases. “Love Me Do” was the first of 22 Beatle singles. “Written in 1958 when McCartney was sixteen, it was one of the fist songs he had ever written back when he was playing truant from school…. The A-side showcased John Lennon demanding to be loved, while the B-side ‘P.S. I Love You,’ featured Paul promising to love–a template which immediately established the core personality software the Lennon-McCarthney partnership.” (p. 72)

By the time Ian Fleming died in 1964, he had sold over 30 million books and made James Bond a cultural icon. And the James Bond Effect influenced the Beatles. For example, “Five days after the premiere of Goldfinger, McCartney became the proud owner of an Aston Martin, just like Bond’s famous DBS. ‘I’d just seen the first James Bond film and was quite impressed by the car,’ he recalled…. This was the car McCarney was driving when he stared compose the song ‘Hey Jude’… In 2017 McCartney’s Aston Martin was sold at auction for 1,345,500 pounds.” (p. 123)

I highly recommend Love and Let Die to all fans of James Bond and the Beatles! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction — 1

PART 1: INITIATE COUNTDOWN — 13

1945: There’s nobody to talk to when it’s raining –15

1952: All of his own darkness –22

1956: I would have liked to have seen the boys growing up — 37

1960: A notorious centre for prostitution — 48

1961: Unashamedly, for pleasure and money — 55

1962: Glutted with the overload of stuff — 63

PART 2: DETONATE — 69

1962: Bigger than the Beatles — 71

1962: Sean Connery (1930-2020) — 81

1963: There are truths in that dreaming — 89

1964: Ian Fleming (1908-1964) — 96

1964: A film with four long-haired schnooks — 104

1965: It would take too much else away — 111

1965: Not as good as James Bond — 120

1965: Greater than the sum of their parts — 126

1965: The things I do for England — 130

1967: What did he want to communicate? — 137

1967: Larger than reality — 146

1967: 007 (Shanty Town) — 157

1967: Welles was trying to put a voodoo mind-grip on him — 164

1968: On the banks of the River Ganges — 173

1968: Yoko and Billy — 189

1969: John, Paul and James get married — 200

1969: George Lazenby’s hair — 209

1969: Paul is dead — 219

PART 3: AFTERMATH — 225

1970: Answer: No — 227

1970: Mother/Love — 233

1970: The best — 241

1970: Phil and Allen — 249

1971: To deny that love was desirable — 257

1973: Christopher Lee (1922- 2015) — 263

1973: The problem is Bond — 271

1974: In the material world — 282

1977: Risking their lives for the audience’s entertainment — 297

1980: The no-mark — 306

1980: John Lennon (1950-1980) — 311

1981: For a true artist their life is their art — 324

PART 4: GROW UP, 007 — 333

1983: A symbol of real value to the Free World — 335

1984: Wacky Macca Thumbs Aloft –342

1995: Too much of a good time — 354

1999: Desmond Llewelyn (1914-2001) — 365

2001: George Harrison (1943-2000) — 371

2002: The fate of the pixels — 379

2003: Come on, Mr. Putin! — 388

2008: The death of Strawberry Fields — 401

2012: A golden thread of purpose — 408

2015: What is the new evil in the world? — 421

2021: Time to die — 434

2021: Ringo and Paul — 444

2022: James Bond will return — 453

Bibliography — 467

Notest and Sources — 473

Acknowledgements — 501

Index — 503

Set in New Orleans, Sisters of the Sublime Blood face arson and murder in their midst.

Fortunately, they have Sister Holiday–a chain-smoking, heavily tattooed, queer nun–with a talent for solving mysteries. Whether you will enjoy this book heavily depends on whether you’re engaged by Sister Holiday’s narration of this story.

When Saint Sebastian’s School becomes the target of a shocking arson and a murder, the list of suspects include both faculty and students. Sister Holiday knows all of them which complicates some of her investigation. Naturally, the Police do not appreciate Sister Holiday’s efforts.

The investigation leads Sister Holiday to a series of secrets hidden behind the walls of Saint Sebastian’s School. Someone wants Sister Holiday discredited as clues are planted to frame her for the crimes.

You might experience the sense of skepticism that I had for a hard-boiled nun. But I found Scorched Grace mildly engaging for a first mystery novel. Quirky and different. GRADE: C+

Diane and I have enjoyed watching Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. It’s the story of a U.S. football coach who knows nothing about soccer but who has been hired to coach a mediocre British soccer team. Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) has a kind heart but plenty of problems. His ex-wife is dating their marriage counselor and their son…is strange. The cast is brilliant. Everyone loves Brett Goldstein as the crusty Roy Kent, a veteran player who becomes a coach.

My favorite is Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton, the new owner of AFC Richmond. Welton initially hires Lasso as a ploy to sabotage the team, but now wants Lasso to beat her ex-husband’s highly ranked soccer team.

The first episode sets the stage for the 12-episode final season of Ted Lasso. Lasso’s team is ranked 20th in a league of 20 teams. They are a laughing stock in the soccer community. But Ted can work magic so we’ll have to see how it all comes out. Are you a fan of Ted Lasso? GRADE: Too soon to tell but trending towards an A

When I go down the YouTube Rabbit Hole I alway find new music that I wasn’t aware of. I discovered Morgan James that way. Gifted singer! I didn’t know “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” was written for Nina Simone–I only knew the hit version by The Animals.

And the same with Natalie Cole and Diana Krall singing “Better Than Anything,” a song by David “Buck” Wheat and Bill Loughborough from 1963.

Are you listening to any new singers?

TRACK LIST:

1		I Put A Spell On You Written By – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
2		Little Girl Blue Written By – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
3		Don’t Explain Written By – Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday
4		Be My Husband Written By – Andrew Stroud
5		Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood Written By – Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell, Sol Marcus
6		My Man’s Gone Now Written By – DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
7		Funkier Than A Mosquita’s Tweeter Written By – Aillene Bullock
8		My Baby Just Cares For Me Written By – Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson
9		Tell Me More And Then Some Written By – Billie Holiday
10		Save Me Written By – Aretha Franklin, Carolyn Franklin, Curtis Ousley
11		Trouble In Mind Written By – Richard M. Jones
12		Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out Written By – Jimmie Cox*

Joshua Glenn and Rob Walker collected 50 stories about objects people have lost–and why they still matter. I particularly liked four of these odd stories.

Laura Lippman’s “Labyrinth Game” recounts how she learned to master this odd game and could beat everyone who challenged her. Her ex-husband broke it. “Cleaning, he said, which sounded suspect. It can never be replaced.” So much emotion gets wrapped up in objects that are close to us.

I also enjoyed “Batman Ring.” Leah Hennessy found a Batman ring and started to wear it. “I wore it like a wedding ring, and when people remarked on it, especially people who were boys, I always said, ‘Yes, I’m married to Batman.'” Now it’s missing and Leah still searches for it.

When he was a kid, Seth was a huge Star Trek fan. Despite his complicated relationship with his handy father, Seth asked his father to make him a model of the Enterprise. Surprisingly, Seth’s father constructed a 50-lb. large model of the classic starship–and painted it a golden color for some unknown reason. It brought Seth and his father closer together. “That Enterprise followed me me from closet to box to shed throughout my childhood and teen years, and then, when I went off to art school, it disappeared.” Now in his 30s, Seth misses this symbol from this youth.

Finally, Gary Panter’s “Stack of Comics” strikes me right in the heart. Just like Gary Panter, I lost my comic book collection. I had long runs of The Flash, Green Lantern, Adam Strange, The Justice League, Batman, and Superman. I also had the first issue of THE FANTASTIC FOUR! But when I went away to Summer Camp (which I hated) I returned to find the closet where I kept my comic books clean…and empty. My mother had tossed them out while I was gone. In later years, I would show my mother the value of the comic books she disposed of and would say, “I could have bought you a new car by selling those comic books.”

If you’re in the mood for a quirky, unusual, and unique series of stories, I recommend Lost Objects. GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Lost and found / Debbie Millman — 8

The quiet sense of something lost / Joshua Glenn and Rob Walker — 12

Hunting hat / Stephen O’Connor ; illustrated by Oliver Munday — 18

.22 Revolver / Seth Mnookin ; illustrated by Alex Eben Meyer — 20

Fountain Pens / Nina Katchadourian ; illustration by Lisa Congdon — 22

Sequined Scarf / Miranda Mellis ; illustration by Adam Goldberg — 24

Warhol Can / Ben Greenman ; illustrated by Clara Selina Bach — 26

Bauble / Matthew Sharpe ; illustrated by Glenn Jones — 28

Flower Necklace / Anita Kunz ; illustrated by Anita Kunz — 30

Rocky Horror Novel / Lydia Millet ; illustrated by Berta Vallo — 32

Lucite Carrying Case / Ben Katchor ; illustrated by Ben Kathchor — 34

Cologne / Dan Piepenbring ; illustrated by Josh Neufeld — 36

Peanut-Butter Crackers / Claire Lehmann ; illustrated by Karen Kurycki — 38

Vinyl Skirt / Paola Antonelli ; illustrated by Sophie Calhoun — 40

Silicone Vagina / Susannah Breslin ; illustrated by Jennifer Heuer — 42

Glass Clock / Lisa Takeuchi Cullen ; illustrated by Rose Wong — 44

Baseball Mitt / Jeff Turrentine ; illustrated by Andrew DeGraff — 46

Labyrinth Game / Laura Lippman ; illustrated by Laura Didyk — 48

Moroccan Trinket / Geoff Manaugh ; illustrated by Mariana Pita — 50

Engineer Ring / Jessamyn West ; illustrated by Amanda Clarke — 52

Macrame Art / Joe Yonan ; illustrated by Theo Ellsworth — 54

Desktop Dog / M.R. Sauter ; illustrated by Shayna Piascik — 56

Ceramic Artwork / Heather Kapplow ; illustrated by Mstt Wuerker — 58

Grandfather Photo / Mark Dery ; illustrated by Kelli Anderson — 60

College Newspaper / Alice Boone ; illustrated by Kelli Anderson — 62

Notebook / Chelsey Johnson ; Rubi McGrory — 64

Snake Rattles / Randy Kennedy ; illustrated by Max Temescu — 66

Walking Shoes / Michael Tisserand ; illustrated by Jackie Roche — 68

Batman Ring / Leah Hennessey ; illustrated by Dean Haspiel — 70

General Hustler BMX / Chris Piascik ; illustrated by Chris Piascik — 72

Dodge Dart / Mimi Lipson ; illustrated by Mister Reusch — 74

Prayer Card / Kathryn Davis ; illustrated by Dina Noto — 76

Mullet Wig / Kate Bernheimer ; illustrated by Amy C. Evans — 78

Club Chair / Lucy Sante ; illustrated by Kate Bingamann-Burt — 80

Skeleton Sweater / Becky Stern ; illustrated by Monica Garwood — 82

Enterprise Model / Seth ; illustrated by Seth — 84

Vanilla Bean / Paul Lukas ; illustrated by Allison Bamcat — 86

Road Atlas / Dante Ramos ; illustrated by Joe Alterio — 88

Conker / Dan Fox ; illustrated by Linzie Hunter — 90

Pink Elephants / Mikita Brottman ; illustrated by Sarah Williamson — 92

Orgone Accumulator / Mandy Keifetz ; illustrated by Emory Allen — 94

Finger Puppet / Sara Ryan ; illustrated by Steve Lieber — 96

Dog-Fur Scarf / Amy Thielen ; illustrated by Heather Kasunick — 98

Stratocaster / Doug Dorst ; illustrated by John Holbo — 100

Karma Parka / Alex Gerasev ; illustrated by Alex Gerasev — 102

Stack of Comics / Gary Panter ; illustrated by Gary Panter — 104

Eccentric Book — 106

Glass Poodle / Debbie Millman ; illustrated by Debbie Millman — 108

Autographed Basebll / Nathaniel Rich ; illustrated by Ellen Rose — 110

Track Shoes / Charles Glaubitz ; illustrated by Charles Glaubitz — 112

Shooting Gallery / Alex Balk ; illustrated by John Lowe — 114

Pickled Octopus / Neil LaBute ; illustrated by Disa Wallander — 116

Appendix — 118

Lost in Thought / Towards a Typology of Lost Object-meanings — 122

Towards a Typology of Object-loss — 133

Contributors — 142

I was rooting for Austin Butler to win an Oscar for Elvis…but it didn’t happen. Still, Elvis provided a wonderful movie about a rising star and the manipulation–over 20 years–by his manager. Colonel Tom Parker, portrayed by Tom Hanks under a ton of make-up, comes off an an enigmatic figure who both helped and hurt Elvis in so many ways.

For Elvis music lovers, here are the songs on the Blu-ray (and soundtrack CD). Are you an Elvis fan? GRADE: A

TRACK LIST:

	Elvis Presley–	Suspicious Minds (Vocal Intro)
	Stevie Nicks & Chris Isaak–	Cotton Candy Land
	Doja Cat–	Vegas
	Eminem & Ceelo Green*–	The King And I
	Swae Lee & Diplo–	Tupelo Shuffle
	Austin Butler (2)–	Baby, Let’s Play House
	Elvis Presley–	Craw-Fever
	Yola (4)–	Strange Things Are Happening Every Day
	Austin Butler (2)–	Trouble
	Kacey Musgraves–	Can’t Help Falling In Love
	Lenesha Randolph–	I Got A Feelin’ In My Body
	Jazmine Sullivan–	Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
	Elvis Presley & Tame Impala–	Edge Of Reality (Tame Impala Remix)
	Elvis Presley & Jack White (2)–	Power Of My Love
	Elvis Presley–	Polk Salad Annie (Film Mix)
	Elvis Presley–	Suspicious Minds (Film Edit)
	Elvis Presley–	Burning Love (Film Mix)
	Elvis Presley & Stuart Price–	I Got A Feelin’ In My Body (Stuart Price Remix)
	Elvis Presley & Pnau–	Don’t Fly Away (Pnau Remix)
	Måneskin–	If I Can Dream
	Paravi–	Suspicious Minds
	Elvis Presley Feat. Nardo Wick–	In The Ghetto (World Turns Remix)