Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon

By Terri Shlichenmeyer



One quick peek at your calendar, and you know it’s time.

Time to figure out where you’re going to get your turkey - two turkeys, in fact, one for November and one for December. Time to start figuring out what gifts you’ll give (and then finding time to get them). Time to drag out the winter stuff and wistfully put away the swimsuits and flip flops for another year.

But when’s the best time to book that winter vacation? Should you be looking for a snow blower now? And what about that turkey? Hmmmm. Maybe it’s time to look for Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon by Mark Di Vincenzo.

“…at about three-thirty one summer morning in 2007”, author Mark Di Vincenzo’s wife jotted down a brainstorm for a book about the best time to do things. But – bad timing – Di Vincenzo was already writing another book. Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about this idea that, he says, “couldn’t come at a better time”.

As Di Vincenzo points out, watching your pennies and using resources wisely has never been more important. That’s why you need this book: it contains hundreds of money-saving ideas and ways to live more efficiently.

When, for instance, is the best time to stock up on various groceries? Is there a better day to shop for clothes at a thrift store? What about toys, gas, or movie tickets? Would you believe there’s a sale season for major appliances?

Okay, you’re saying, but you don’t need to buy anything. You have things to do. So what’s the best time to have your picture taken? When should you sneak forty winks? Is there a time when working out is most beneficial?

Maybe you’re unsure about transplanting those flowers to another spot in the garden, or adding some fancy new shrubs. When should you do that? And what about fertilizing your yard and garden?

In this book, you’ll learn how to avoid the crowds at popular vacation sites (and when to get the camera out for magazine-perfect pictures). Learn what time is best to quit your job (or fire someone) and how to run a meeting on time. You’ll learn tips for health and marriage – and one reason why not to get married.

About this time (here we go again), you’re thinking about a gift for The Person Who Has Everything. May I suggest this book?

Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon is quirky, funny, entirely useful, and not at all expensively priced. Author Mark Di Vincenzo mined articles, books, promotional material, and experts’ opinions to come up with solid information that’s helpful to anyone who’s doing almost anything.

The only thing I would’ve liked to see is an index. Lacking that, though, individual topics are grouped within broad chapters, so what you’re looking for is pretty easy to find.
If you’re punctual, always late, want to save money, or just want to read something different, grab this book. Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon is great to read any time.

Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon
By Mark Di Vincenzo
c.2009, Harper
192 pages, including sources, $13.99
Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

Have A Little Faith

By Terri Shlichenmeyer



It was a lesson you learned the moment you were old enough to sass back: always respect your elders.
When Grandma spoke, you listened. If Grandpa said to do something, it was as good as done. If you valued your life, you answered Mom or Dad respectfully, and Heaven help the kid who spoke to a neighbor in a snide manner.
Always respect your elders. But what if the elder makes a difficult request? In the new book Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom, it took eight years to make good a promise.
Albert Lewis almost wasn’t a Rabbi. Having failed Divinity School, he almost gave up but was encouraged to try again. Later, when he finally got his own synagogue, the tiny congregation consisted of just a handful of families.
One of them was Mitch Albom’s.
As a child, Albom remembered the Reb as an imposing man with an inexplicable love of song and of sermon; basically, someone to avoid. Despite his parents’ anchoring and years of lessons, Albom grew up and grew out of his faith, learning that mouthed prayers, uttered mechanically, were somehow acceptable. He moved away from home and looked upon religion as quaint, invisible.
So Albom was surprised when Rabbi Lewis asked him to do his eulogy.
Because one cannot speak well about a man without knowing him, Albom agreed to the request, but told the Reb that they needed to set meetings so that questions could be answered. And it came to pass that Albom made the trek from his home in Detroit to New Jersey several times a year for eight years.
Back in Detroit, the economy was lashing at the city, jobs were lost, and so were homes. But in a sagging old cathedral near Tiger Stadium, a former drug dealer was feeding the homeless and preaching the gospel, all but abandoned by his Mother Church, trying to do good with what God was giving him.
As Albom began to examine the disparity between the congregations – the wealthy synagogue and the poverty-stricken inner-city shelter-church - he began to wonder about God, trust, and faith. And he learned a lesson you won’t soon forget.
I wasn’t crazy about this book at first. Author Mitch Albom, like one of his subjects, loves to savor an anecdote before he lets it go, and that bogs down the beginning of this book. But once you get past the stage-setting and you move a few pages in, Have a Little Faith soars.
By telling the story of two men who are similar but different, Albom forces his readers to examine their own beliefs, as well as the meaning of hope and miracles. I won’t tell you how this book ends, but suffice it to say that you’ll come away with your heart lifted to the rafters.
Fans of Albom’s first book and anyone who’s ever pondered the nature of belief will want to make room on their bookshelf for a new favorite. Have a Little Faith is a book I believe you’ll love.

Have a Little Faith
By Mitch Albom
c.2009, Hyperion
288 pages, $23.99

Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

By Terri Shlichenmeyer


Pucker up. Gimme a hug. I love you.

What do you do when you say goodbye to a friend or loved one, just even for a few hours? Do you exchange a quick kiss, knowing that you'll be together again shortly? Do you bump foreheads, knuckles, or shoulders as a warm way of farewell? Or do you say “g’bye” and leave without a thought or a look behind?

Corcoran “Cork” O’Connor will forever regret what happened when his wife, Jo, left. In the new book Heaven’s Keep by William Kent Krueger, he wishes he could take it all back.
A hundred times a week, Cork O’Connor imagines what her last day on Earth was like. Jo was on her way to a conference in Seattle, her briefcase full of recommendations on government oversight for Indian gaming casinos. She was flying there with friends and new acquaintances.

And Cork hoped she wasn’t still angry with him in the aftermath of an argument.

He would always wonder.

The plane went down in a snowstorm over the Wyoming Rockies, an area filled with gullies and peaks, arroyos and canyons. Local police thought they knew where the plane had gone down, but long searches indicated that there was no trace of it anywhere. They’d have to wait until the snow melted and search again.

Cork mourned and postulated, but never forgot for a minute. In the meantime, he did his best to raise his thirteen-year-old son, Stephen, who was fast becoming a man. He became a go-between for the wives who lost their husbands in the plane crash that also took Jo. And he forged a strong friendship with the man whose company started the argument Cork had with Jo all those months ago.

But as winter turned to spring back in Minnesota, Cork had two unlikely visitors: the widow of the plane’s pilot and her lawyer-friend came to Cork with strong suspicions. Becca Bodine was sure her husband wasn’t behind the plane’s controls. He wasn’t the cause of the crash.
If Bodine wasn’t flying the plane, who was? Were the Wyoming police and the Arapaho hiding something… or someone? And who – in two states – wanted Cork to stop looking?
Sometimes, when you get ahold of a good mystery, it’s natural to think you’ve got it solved before the killer is revealed.

You can forget all about that here.

Author William Kent Krueger doesn’t insult his readers with early transparency, which makes Heaven’s Keep a good, solid novel. Stepping from his usual setting of Way North Minnesota and into Way Remote Wyoming is new ground for Krueger, and it’s a nice, satisfying stretch. Fans of past Cork O’Connor novels will be happy to see many old friends in these pages, and readers unfamiliar with the series will find a new favorite author.

If you’re used to ho-hum mysteries that reveal too much, too soon, and you’re tired of knowing mid-book whodunit, you’ll find something very different (and very pleasant) here. Pick up Heaven’s Keep and happily kiss a few evenings goodbye.

Heaven’s Keep
By William Kent Krueger
c.2009, Atria Books
336 pages, $25.00

Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

By Terri Shlichenmeyer




You had to have it.

You saw the ad, you wanted the item, it was on sale, you had to have it, that’s that.
So - flier in one hand, debit card in the other – you rushed to the store and, well, you got what you were looking for but the place was a mess, the sales associate was frazzled, and it took forever to check out.

Ever worked retail? If you have, you might sympathize with the poor sap behind the register. If you’ve never worked in a store, though, read Retail Hell by Freeman Hall and get ready to laugh through your new education.

Freeman Hall wanted to be the next Spielberg. He wanted to write a blockbuster screenplay, win an Oscar, and be invited to Hollywood parties. But once he got to Los Angeles, he realized that he needed to pay bills while waiting for the Academy to call. So he applied for employment at a famous high-end retail store he calls The Big Fancy.

During his interview with a woman Hall dubbed Tammy Two-Tone (because she had two tones of voice: sweet and dragon), he was told that he had a “free spirit personality”. Although he assumed Two-Tone was taking advantage of her gaydar and though his inner voice was warning him that it was a mistake, Hall took the job. He would be selling women’s handbags.
Not purses – handbags.

Hall quickly made friends with half of his co-workers. “The Angels” taught him, amused him, and helped him get customers (associates at The Big Fancy worked on commission and most handbags were $500 or more). His other co-workers were demons who sniped at Hall and stole his sales.

As in most retail jobs, though, the customers were what made work, work. Hall met the Shoposaurus Carnivoarus, a woman with a potty-mouth and a propensity for spending five figures on handbags and accessories. He met Discount Rat Patty, who constantly badgered him for “deescount”. There were Nasty Thieves and the Two Virginias, Piggy Raelene, and a retail vampire who sucked the work-blood out of everyone who dealt with her.

But sales, like other industries, are cyclical and Hall was ever-pressured to perform. Could Queer Eye Handbag Guy survive?

As someone who spent ten years in retail (A bookstore. I loved it. Go figure), I laughed myself silly over this book.

Author Freeman Hall is sarcastic, flippant, snarky, and dead-on in his portrayals of both shoppers and co-workers. His stories are hilarious and only, I’m sure, a tiny bit exaggerated. In fact, anyone who’s worked retail, past or present, will be tempted to insert their own store’s name into this book while reading it, and you’ll recognize way too many customers and cohorts here.

The holidays are coming and you might be thinking of taking a part-time mall job to make ends meet. If so – or if you’re already working retail – this book will make you laugh through the season and beyond. Pick up Retail Hell because you know you have to have it.

Retail Hell
By Freeman Hall
c.2009, Adams Media
272 pages, $22.95 Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

A Big Little Life

By Terri Shlichenmeyer




Have you ever seen The Perfect Dog?

Of course you have. It might be a Lab or a Lhasa; maybe miniature but mighty, or huge and huggable. The Perfect Dog understands conversation, has a wicked sense of humor, never does anything wrong, can flawlessly perform several different tricks on command, and might even have a streak of heroism in its furry body.

The Perfect Dog is highly intelligent. And – no matter what anybody else claims – The Perfect Dog is your dog.

Or, if there’s room for debate, Dean Koontz says it was his pooch. In the new book A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog, you’ll read about her.

When you learn about Dean Koontz’s life as a youngster, it’s no wonder where his sense of the edgy came from: Koontz was the child of a “skirt-chasing”, alcoholic gambler and a gentle woman who tried to hold the family together. There was barely enough money to afford four walls then,
let alone a four-footed mouth to feed.

Which is to say that Dean Koontz never had a dog as a child.

Koontz and his wife, Gerda, both loved dogs and worked tirelessly on behalf of Canine Companions for Independence (www.cci.org), but they thought fitting a dog into their lives would be difficult. They always said they’d have a dog someday – when the timing was right and life slowed down.

Over dinner one night, they realized that life was never going to slow down. They then asked to adopt a “released” CCI dog. And Trixie, retired due to a fixable injury, came to “Koontzland”.

She was 60-some pounds of golden fur and doggy smiles. Her face had a wide range of expressions and she had the ability not only to convey what she was thinking but to know what others were thinking, too. Flawlessly trained to assist someone who was wheelchair-bound, she never forgot her training and could be trusted completely in most any situation.

She was welcomed into restaurants, offices, stores, and homes… and firmly into the Koontz’s hearts.

Koontz was not expecting the “force for positive change” that he got in Trixie. He didn’t expect to fall in love so hard. And he didn’t expect to lose her so soon.

Readers of author Dean Koontz’s books expect to feel a little jumpy when reading his novels, but that won’t happen here. Instead, sit awhile with “A Big Little Life” and you’ll only jump up for tissues.

In this, his first non-fiction book, Koontz gives fans a peek at his personal life: his hardscrabble childhood, past jobs and his dream of writing, courting his wife, and becoming a multi-million-selling author. In between his life story is the tale of a dog that was widely loved, a good judge of character, and downright goofy, and a dog-lover who became unexpectedly smitten with a pup with personality-plus.

Don’t expect the usual Dean Koontz fare in this book. Do expect an unusually great story. For dog lovers of all ages, “A Big Little Life” is just perfect.

A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog By Dean Koontz c.2009, Hyperion 271 pages, $24.99


Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

Crooked: A History of Cheating in Sports

You probably heard your father say it when you were a babe in arms. Your coach told you these things the moment you flubbed a catch. Together, they’re Sportsmanship 101: “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”

Also: “Cheaters never win and winners never cheat.”

So how does a sports fan account for Shoeless Joe, Tonya Harding, Marian Jones, Rose, Bonds, Canseco, McGwire, Sosa, A-Rod, BALCO, Skategate, unethical officials, and angry parents at children’s games?

You can’t, that’s how. But in the new book Crooked: A History of Cheating in Sports by Fran Zimniuch, you’ll learn that cheating in sports is nothing new, unfortunately.

Innocently or not, we’ve all seized opportunity to make life better for ourselves at the sake of others. Fran Zimniuch says that cheating in sports is opportunity plus willful dishonesty and ignoring rules to gain unfair advantage. But, since it’s human nature to fudge a little, where do we draw the line?

Surely the line was first crossed during the so-called Black Sox scandal that’s still debated almost a century after it happened. Then again, maybe not: Zimniuch writes of cheating in baseball several decades before the Sox scandal in 1919.

College basketball was “nearly destroyed” by a points-shaving scandal in 1951. Thirty players from City College of New York and six other schools were charged with accepting money to fix games. It may seem insignificant now and there have been many NCAA scandals since then, but the events of 1951 hurt the reputation of several players and cast doubt on the legacy of a talented coach.

Can ball or equipment altering be considered as cheating? Are lip reading and secret videotaping talents or tricks? Can a fight—something fans often expect—be a sneaky way to give your team an advantage? Are officials and umpires trustworthy? Is it unethical for a player to get a “needle in the butt” or should the use of drugs—a nasty little sports secret for well over 200 years—be allowed as a boost-up in the game?

Any way you look at it, says Zimniuch, it all depends on one thing: point of view. If your team is taking advantage of opportunity, it’s all good. If it’s the opposing team, they are most definitely cheating.

Crooked: A History of Cheating in Sports is a nice little surprise of a book. Using psychology, history, sociology, and a fan’s love of the game, author Fran Zimnuich takes a hard look at duplicity in sports, both pro and amateur. His manner is folksy and fan-friendly as he examines dozens of unsavory scandals.

Interestingly enough, he’s also careful to remind readers that the vast majority of athletes “do not cheat, do not use steroids, and do not cross that invisible line…”

I liked that balance, and I liked this book.

If you’ve been shaking your head about the plethora of sports scandals in the news lately, then grab this perspective-giving book. Crooked: A History of Cheating in Sports is a good bet.

Crooked: A History of Cheating in Sports

By Fran Zimnuich

c.2009, Taylor Trade

$16.95

193 pages

Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

Financially Ever After: Couples' Guilde To Managing Money

By Terri Shlichenmeyer Times Columnist




You’re about to make a serious promise. An oath not for the faint of heart.
It starts with the “love, honor, and obey” bit and morphs into “in sickness and in health”.
So far, so good.
But then, you’ll say something like, “For richer and for poorer…” and you’ll suddenly realize that them’s some powerful words. You happen to like a checkbook in the black. How can you make sure your new life with your beloved is more toward the “richer” side and less of the other?
You can start by reading Financially Ever After by Jeff D. Opdyke. With this book in hand, your march down the aisle will start out on the right financial foot.
If you’re like most people, you’ve been taught all your life that money is something you shouldn’t talk about. Chances are your parents didn’t discuss family finances in front of you. But now you’re the adult and before you start your life with another grown-up, there are ten questions you should ask yourself and your future spouse.
None of the questions are easy, but they’ll get you both thinking about money styles and attitudes toward cash and the lack thereof, least of which being: why buy an expensive, shiny particle of carbon to flash on a finger?
Do you have a basic understanding of money? What is your money history? What do you want to do with your life and your career, and how can money make that happen? What assets and liabilities are you each bringing to the marriage? How have you both used debt? How will you merge finances and delegate financial duties? And—just in case—is there a reason for a pre-nup?
But a pre-nup is so anti-romantic. You’re in love and you trust your intended. In fact, you’re getting married soon anyhow, so you’re thinking about merging your finances now. Why wait, right?
Wrong, says Opdyke. Never join finances outside of marriage. Understand that chits happen, no matter the level of trust. Ask for and offer financial transparency. Communicate. Studies show that money issues are one of the three top hurdles couples face, and fights about finances have derailed many a marriage.
Why make yours one of them?
Looking for the right gifts for those inevitable weddings you’ll be attending this summer? It might seem strange, but Financially Ever After could be just perfect.
Author Jeff D. Opdyke uses practical, common sense and good advice to help couples avoid one of marriages biggest issues, thereby, in a way, circumventing other problems that arise because of underlying money matters. Opdyke advocates equality and openness, but he also says prenuptial contracts are sometimes near-mandatory and yes, women should have their own credit histories… within reason.
If you’ve been married for awhile, you’ll wish you’d had this book years ago. You may still find some good coaching here. But if you’re altar-bound in the near future, find this inexpensive paperback, for sure. Financially Ever After is a book you won’t want to miss for love nor money.
Financially Ever After: The Couples’ Guide to Managing Money
By Jeff D. Opdyke
c.2009, Collins Business
$16.99
232 pages

Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

The Secret Lives of Boys

By Terri Sclichenmeyer

Once upon a time, your son was a cuddly little boy who loved bedtime stories.

He was bright-eyed then, always pulling up a chair to “help” you in the kitchen or the workshop. He brought you his problems and his dreams, and it was a joy to spend time with him.

Now he’s a teenager. You barely know him.

He slinks around the house, speaking in one-syllable words. He no longer shares his life with you. You wonder where your little boy went.

According to author Malina Saval, that boy has a lot on his mind: love, life, the world, his future, you. In the new book The Secret Lives of Boys, what you can learn about your teenage son may surprise you.

Over the past few years, much has been written about the emotional and social lives and empowerment of girls.

“Girls,” says Saval, “get most of the press.”

Perhaps because of female-slanted best-sellers, it’s a relatively common myth that boys are emotionless unknowns, in crisis, ADD-suffering, on the verge of “apocalyptic self-destruction”. The truth is, as Saval discovered, teenage boys are much different than their parents and pop-culture believe them to be.

To write this book, Saval interviewed high school teachers, psychologists, and other experts on adolescent males. More importantly, she spent time with ten teenage boys, getting to know them, their lives, and their concerns.

Boys are passionate about many things, Saval found. They are “politically interested”, if not politically active. They’re romantic - often more so than girls - but their idea of what is and isn’t “sex” may distress their parents. Bullying is a bigger deal than most school officials realize, and even boys who have been raised to “be a man” can be frightened about it. Speaking of school, many teens Saval interviewed were overloaded with schoolwork, often to the point of having to pick-and-choose which assignments to complete.

The good news is, teens “lead the way” when it comes to tolerance. Teenage dads are increasingly stepping up to the plate and accepting responsibility for their children (even though they can’t stress enough that waiting for fatherhood would’ve been preferable). Boys do learn from positive influences that surround them. They have strong morals. They’re willing to talk, if we’re willing to listen.

The Secret Lives of Boys is one of those books that every adult should read, whether they have a teenage boy or not, because it busts the myths we tend to form after reading the news or hearing the latest teen-gone-bad story. For parents, author Malina Saval offers hard data they can cling to, advice, and a mega-dose of hope:

“These boys are emotional and expressive… affectionate and compassionate… They are lovely and messy, loving and lovable.”

Be aware that there are some hard things to read inside here, guaranteed to make grown-ups cringe. Still, if you’re the parent of a male teen or a teen-to-be (or if you want to know more about the guy your daughter is dating), oh, boy, this is a good book to have.

The Secret Lives of Boys: Inside the Raw Emotional World of Male Teens
By Malina Saval
c.2009, Basic Books
$25.95
257 pages

Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

The Wildwater Walking Club

By Terri Shlichenmeyer


No matter how hard you’ve tried, you know you can’t do it yourself.

You’re determined to shed those winter pounds. You will wear that swimsuit. You’re going to lower your blood pressure if it… well, if it kills you. And you’re determined to de-stress before summer arrives, even if it takes ‘til next summer to do it.

But you can’t do it yourself. What you need is an exercise buddy, someone who will encourage you, inside and out.

In the new novel The Wildwater Walking Club by Claire Cook, three women find friendship and lose inches.

Noreen Kelly wasn’t looking to quit her job, but when the acquisition went through and the buyout was offered, Balancing Act Shoes made a too-irresistible offer.

Besides, Noreen’s boyfriend, Michael, painted such a glorious picture of their life after job. Although he worked for the new company – in the exact same position that Noreen had – he told her that he wouldn’t be there long, either. Once they each accepted a buyout, they could travel cross-country together.

Nice thought. But on the morning after Noreen took the cash, Michael was mysteriously AWOL. He refused her calls. He walked out of her life.

Bereft, jobless, and boyfriend-less, Noreen took stock of her situation.

The mirror wasn’t kind. Late nights at the office and on-the-fly eating took their toll. She was forty-something and fat. Exercise and a new project – maybe yard work – was what she needed. She began exploring her Massachusetts neighborhood. Walking was good exercise, right?

It was, and it led Noreen to her neighbors, who vowed to help keep her on the right path and keep her company on her walks. And as they walked, they talked and hashed out the issues of their lives. Tess had a rocky relationship with her daughter. Rosie had an ailing father and a lavender farm that needed constant tending. And Noreen still had Michael-on-the-brain.

But sometimes, taking extra steps makes you lose pounds and gain perspective. Sometimes, a trip, a skip, and a few steps in the right direction are exactly what every woman needs to see things in a different light.

From your first glimpse of the cover to the end of the story, The Wildwater Walking Club practically screams “Girlfriend Book.” You know when you’ve got it in your hand that you’ll want to pass it on when you’re done with it. You know your friends will love it as much as you will.

Though it’s light, breezy, and quick to read, what I found most appealing about this book is the real-ness of the three main characters. Author Claire Cook didn’t make Noreen, Tess, or Rosie rich, fabulously wealthy, or model-beautiful. They’re just women trying to get through life without too many bruises. Haven’t we all walked in similar shoes?

Perfect for book groups, a late-Mother’s Day gift, or for tucking in your suitcase or overnighter, The Wildwater Walking Club is a girlfriends’ delight. If you’re someone who loves to share her favorite reads, take steps to get this book soon.

The Wildwater Walking Club
By Claire Cook
c.2009, Voice / Hyperion
$24.99
239 pages

Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

Faith Under Fire

By Terri Shlichenmeyer




Your schedule is so jam-packed, you can’t possibly add another thing to it.

The word “no” is not in your vocabulary these days. Between family obligations, work overload, appointments, household chores, and 1,001 other things that pull you 1,001 other ways, you do what you need to do and you stretch yourself thinner than the page on this newspaper. That’s just the way it is.

But pretty soon, you begin to crash. You learn, one way or another, that you can’t do it all and that taking care of yourself sometimes needs to move up on the calendar. In the new book Faith Under Fire by Roger Benimoff (with Eve Conant), an Army chaplain learned that lesson the hard way, and it almost destroyed him.

At the tender age of 8, Roger Benimoff “walked the aisle to accept Christ” in his family’s Baptist church. By high school, he knew he wanted a better relationship with God, but he felt aimless. On the advice of his stepfather, Benimoff joined the Army.

Life in the barracks was filled with drinking and partying, but it also taught Benimoff perseverance and self-assuredness. Later, after entering college and the National Guard and starting a family, he began to feel drawn to military chaplaincy.

He re-entered the Army on a full-time basis and was almost immediately sent to Iraq. Weeks after his first deployment ended, his regiment was sent back. Captain Benimoff was the only chaplain for his squadron of a thousand soldiers.

Despite feeling stretched thin, Benimoff did his best. Chaplains are not allowed to carry weapons, so Benimoff was defenseless when visiting the troops. He had no way of protecting himself “outside the wire”. He was vulnerable but stoic as he ministered to his troops, held hands with the fearful and dying, and bolstered the grieving who lost friends and limbs. He was on constant alert for signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among the troops, and he was vigilant for signs of depression, relationship problems, and battle fatigue.

While he tried to help his troops keep their trust in God, he never thought he’d lose his own faith.
I have to admit, I didn’t much like this book right away. The first third of Faith Under Fire is really a lot like so many other books about the war in Iraq, and I almost felt as if I’d read it before.

But, wow, was I surprised when I reached the point where author Roger Benimoff writes about being sent home for good. From there on, his story quickly goes from divine faith to dispirited foreboding and the feeling that God had pushed him aside. The chaplain who knew how to help his troops was powerless to help himself, and Benimoff’s journey through PTSD makes this one lump-in-the-throat, powerfully unique war story that shouldn’t be missed.

Veterans will devour this book, as will anyone with a loved one at war and anybody considering military chaplaincy, so pick up a copy of Faith Under Fire. It may spark a whole lot of awareness.

Faith Under Fire
by Roger Benimoff
c.2009, Crown
$23.95 / $27.95 Canada
268 pages

Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

Feisty First Ladies and Other Unforgettable White House Women

By Terri Shlichenmeyer

Remember last years’ political uproar? No, I’m not talking about election stumping or finger-pointing. Not mavericks or Six-Packs or porcine lipstick (although who can forget those?). No, think farther back. This uproar came with a conundrum of sorts: if a woman became President of the United States, what would we call her husband? “First Man” is too clinical. “First Gentleman” sounds so stodgy. Maybe “First Guy”? Or maybe not. At any rate, the argument is safe for now. But would you believe that our First Ladies weren’t so-called until our nation was several years old? In fact, would you believe that the first “First Lady” really wasn’t? Read more in Feisty First Ladies and Other Unforgettable White House Women by Autumn Stephens. Back when our country was just-born and the Senate wanted to call George Washington “His Highness”, Martha Washington struggled to find a suitable name for herself in her new position. “Marquise” was a brief possibility but, in the end, “Lady Washington” sufficed. Incidentally, although portraits usually depict Martha as a dignified elderly woman, she was known for sassiness in her youth. Speaking of less-than-demure behavior, Quaker-raised Dolley Madison was said to “cut quite a figure on the dance floor.” She loved snuff, plunging necklines, and fabulous chapeaus, and her patriotism is legendary: during the War of 1812, as the British were descending on the White House, she snatched a portrait of George Washington off the wall and hurried to safety. What most history books don’t tell you is that she also saved another portrait: that of herself. Not content with rescuing paintings, Elizabeth Monroe once saved a human from the guillotine. Yes, the White House has seen plenty of unique individuals: several First Ladies shunned publicity and became virtual hermits while their husbands were in office. There was once, arguably, a mentally ill First Lady, and a few who were quite possibly better-educated than their husbands. Some acted as advisors and offered unflagging support for their mates, while others (unhappily) shared the President not only with constituents but also with other women. And then there was the twentieth-century First Lady who was rumored to have offed her husband to save him from embarrassment… I was afraid, when I got this book, that it was going to be more blah-blah-blah about Washington Wives. I couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Feisty First Ladies is a lively book filled with thumbnail bios of not just First Ladies, but of daughters, nieces, and other women who left their marks on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Author Autumn Stephens surprised me, page after page, with delicious political gossip and little-known trivia-like factoids. I was pleased to see mini-chapters on the first woman who ran for President (long before women could vote); the irrepressible Martha Mitchell; the First Lady who refused to share a checkbook with her husband; and the woman whose name came from an Italian opera term. Even if you’re tired of Washington business-as-usual, grab this book anyway. Feisty First Ladies makes politics seem like a Party. Feisty First Ladies and Other Unforgettable White House Women by Autumn Stephens c.2009, Viva Editions $16.95, 215 pages

Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

Saint On Death Row

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Imagine meeting someone with the power to tell you everything that will happen to you in the future. He can see the good and bad, the ups and downs for the rest of your life. He has the power to tell all—including the exact time of your death.

Would you want to know?

In the new book A Saint on Death Row, author Thomas Cahill writes about a man condemned to die, how he got to where he was, and the lives he touched.

Popular authors travel a lot. In late 2003, Thomas Cahill (author of “How the Irish Saved Civilization”) was looking forward to the end of his book tour and a chance to relax. But unable to say “no” to a new acquaintance, he reluctantly agreed to take a day out of his schedule for a side-trip. The acquaintance, a semi-retired judge from Chicago, had been introduced to a prison inmate in Texas by a man who belonged to a religious community in Rome. The judge, Sheila Murphy, wanted Cahill to meet the inmate, Dominique Green.

At the beginning of his friendship with Green, Cahill wrote “Dominique is where he is for two reasons only: because he is poor and because he is black.” Green was raised in a household thick with drugs and alcohol, by an abusive mother and an apathetic father. He dropped out of school and started a “business” selling drugs so he could take care of two younger brothers.

In October 1992, after being chased in a stolen car and on foot, Green was arrested. A handgun was in the car (along with two other boys), and tests established that it had been used in the murder of a truck driver in Houston. Cahill says, “the record becomes exceedingly muddled and incomplete” at this point. But of the four boys involved, only Dominique Green was tried and convicted, though many doubt that he committed the crime. Unable to afford private counsel, he alone was sentenced to death.

For not quite a year, Cahill spoke with, prayed with, and got to know Green while the young man was in prison. He watched as supporters—including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, that retired Chicago judge, and murdered man’s family—fought for Green’s life.

And Cahill waited…

If it wasn’t for author Thomas Cahill’s thoughtful musings and careful research, it might be easy to dismiss this book as very biased. There is no doubt that Cahill has extremely strong opinions on the subject of capital punishment. Obviously, as many people agree as disagree with him. But no matter on which side of the fence you sit, it’s hard not to be stunned by the chill of four words that Cahill uses sparingly: he says of Green and the system, they are “going to kill him.”

A Saint on Death Row may not change your mind about capital punishment, but it will start discussion, both politically and around the dinner table. Read it, though, because no matter your stance, it’s a pretty powerful book.

A Saint on Death Row
by Thomas Cahill
c.2009, Nan A. Talese / Doubleday
$18.95
144 pages

Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.