It's Monday - What Are YOU Reading? - 2/5/2024

                              

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I hope you had a great reading week.

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This is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at BOOK DATE!

Post the books completed, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish at some point.

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NOT SURE WHY THINGS ARE OFF KILTER - BLOGGER DOES THAT AT TIMES.

 

AND...THE TOP HALF OF THE POST SEEMS TO BE MISSING ON MOBILE DEVICES.  

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Books Completed:

 

HER DAUGHTER by Jen Craven - review will be on March 1. 

Not bad but a lot of family drama.

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SISTERS OF BELFAST by Melanie Maure - review will be on February 27.

Ohhhhh....LOVED the characters in this book.  ♥️

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WHERE THEY LIE by Claire Coughlan - review will be on February 24.

I enjoyed this book a lot.  Great storyline and a great main character.

A debut.

 

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THE WEDDING PARTY by L. R. Jones - review will be on February 23.

It's a good one.

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NOWHERE LIKE HOME by Sara Shepard - review will be on February 22, 2024.

A slow start, but gets intense.  A wild ending.

 

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THE TROUBLE WITH YOU by Ellen Feldman - review will be on February 21, 2024.

Not bad - historical - a little slow.

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THE GUEST by B. A. Paris - review will be on February 20, 2024.

This is a good one - fans of B.A. Paris and thrillers will love it.

 

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A WILD AND HEAVENLY PLACE by Robin Oliveira - review will be on February 13.

 

Historical fiction fans will love this one.  Set in Scotland and then Washington state.

 

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THE QUEENS OF LONDON by Heather Webb - review will be on February 6, 2024. 

 

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT!!   

 

Be sure to read this one!!

 

 

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TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES by Ashley Tate - review is in the book's title.

 

A slow start, but not bad - a surprise ending.

 

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RADIANT HEAT by Sarah-Jane Collins - review is in the book's title.

 

A bit confusing, but it did get good. The not knowing kept me reading. 

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Book Currently Reading:

BYE, BABY by Carola Lovering - review will be on March 5.

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Books Up Next:

THE GIRLS WE SENT AWAY by Meagan Church - review will be on March 6.

 

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MURDER ROAD by Simone St. James - review will be on March 7.

 

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THE WOMAN WITH NO NAME by Audrey Blake - review will be on March 12.

 

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THE UNDERGROUND LIBRARY by Jennifer Ryan - review will be on March 14.

 

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EVERYONE IS WATCHING by Heather Gudenkauf - review will be on March 26.

 

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SHE'S NOT SORRY by Mary Kubica - review will be on April 2.

 

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NOSY NEIGHBORS by Freya Sampson - review will be on April 3.

 

LOVE her books.

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ALL WE WERE PROMISED by Ashton Lattimore - review will be on April 4.

 

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YOUNG RICH WIDOWS by Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan, Vanessa Lillie - review will be on April 8.

 

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THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY  by Chanel Cleeton - review will be on April 9.

 

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DAUGHTER OF MINE by Megan Miranda - review will be on April 10.

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THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE by Michelle Gable - review will be on April 16.

 

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DARLING GIRLS by Sally Hepworth - review will be on April 23.

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A GAME OF LIES by Clare Mackintosh - review will be on April 24.

 

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THE PARIS NOVEL by Ruth Reichl - review will be on April 26.

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MISS MORGAN'S BOOK BRIGADE by Janet Skeslien Charles - review will be on May 7.

 

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THE RETURN OF ELLIE BLACK by Emiko Jean - review will be on May 8.

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SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews - review will be on May 9.

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THE LAST TIME SHE SAW HIM by Kate White - review will be on May 14.

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THE INCORRIGIBLES by Meredith Jaeger - review will be on May 21.

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THE LAST TWELVE MILES by Erika Robuck - review will be on June 4.

 

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THE PARIS WIDOW by Kimberly  Belle - review will be on June 11.

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HUSBANDS AND LOVERS by Beatriz Williams - review will be on June 25.

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THE NIGHT THE RIVER WEPT by Lo Patrick - review will be on July 2.

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LADY KILLER by Katherine Wood - review will be on July 9.

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LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER by Kerryn Mayne - review will be on July 11.

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LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER by Kimberly McCreight - review will be on July 12.

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ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY by Jamie Day - review will be on July 16.

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ONLY ONE SURVIVES by Hannah Mary McKinnon - review will be on July 17.

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HOUSE OF GLASS by Sarah Pekkanen - review will be on August 6.

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Mailbox Monday - 2/5/2024

 

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week.

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Warning:  Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

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Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at  MAILBOX MONDAY.
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Here is a shout out to the administrators:

Serena @ Savvy Verse and Wit

Martha @ Reviews By Martha’s Bookshelf

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THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive.

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I hope you had a good mailbox.

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On Monday, January 29, I received:

1.  THE PARIS NOVEL by Ruth Reichl, courtesy of Random House Publishing Group, Random House, and NetGalley.

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On Tuesday, January 30, I received:

1.  THE NIGHT THE RIVER WEPT by Lo Patrick, courtesy of Anna Venckus of Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley.

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On Friday, February 2, I received:

1.  HUSBANDS AND LOVERS by Beatriz Williams, courtesy of Random House, Ballantine, Ballantine Books.

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This Week At Silver's Reviews

I hope the snow is gone for now, but I hope to see YOU for another bookish week.

Spotlight of The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman

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THE UNCHARTED FLIGHT OF OLIVIA WEST

SARA ACKERMAN

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF KALI LUCKHEE| PUBLICITY INTERN |HARPER COLLINS

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February 6, 2024

MIRA

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ABOUT THE UNCHARTED FLIGHT OF OLIVIA WEST:

This extraordinary novel, inspired by real events, tells the story of a female aviator who defies the odds to embark on a daring air race across the Pacific.

 

1927. Olivia "Livy" West is a fearless young pilot with a love of adventure. She yearns to cross oceans and travel the skies. When she learns of the Dole Air Race—a high-stakes contest to be the first to make the 2,400 mile Pacific crossing from the West Coast to Hawai'i—she sets her sights on qualifying. But it soon becomes clear that only men will make the cut. In a last-ditch effort to take part, Livy manages to be picked as a navigator for one of the pilots, before setting out on a harrowing journey that some will not survive.

 

1987. Wren Summers is down to her last dime when she learns she has inherited a remote piece of land on the Big Island with nothing on it but a dilapidated barn and an overgrown mac nut grove. She plans on selling it and using the money to live on, but she is drawn in by the mysterious objects kept in the barn by her late great-uncle—clues to a tragic piece of aviation history lost to time. Determined to find out what really happened all those years ago, Wren enlists the help of residents at a nearby retirement home to uncover Olivia’s story piece by piece. What she discovers is more earth-shattering, and closer to home, than she could have ever imagined.

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EXCERPT OF THE UNCHARTED FLIGHT OF OLIVIA WEST:

Olivia San Diego, 1920 

Livy had been coming to the airfield for months now but still had yet to go up in an airplane. On weekends, when Pa was out fishing, she would offer to wash the planes or do whatever odd jobs she could for a penny, while watching planes go up. Always hoping to get a ride, but so far out of luck. Though not for a lack of trying. She had been pestering Mr. Ryan for months now. “Paying customers only,” was his standard response. “Or students.” But so far, all students were men. A sixteen-year-old girl had no business in a cockpit.

Ryan Flying Company and School of Aviation was on the edge of the Dutch Flats alongside the San Diego Bay and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, a long Spanish-style building with a tall bell tower in the middle. Palm trees neatly lined up in front like green soldiers at attention. When the tide pulled out, you could smell salty brine and decaying sea life. The hangar was modern and clean, but it was plopped on a brown expanse of hard-packed mud that kicked up dust when dry. Of late, the place had become a magnet for all things aviation.

Mr. Ryan had begun letting other people park their planes here free of charge, and customers flocked for the sightseeing tours.

On a warm Sunday in March, after surviving a long sermon at church with her mother, Livy beelined it to the airfield. A new pilot had been hired for the tours and she was hoping he might be a softy, and maybe, just maybe, she could persuade him to take her up. Such a gloomy and gusty day, with dark clouds threatening rain, meant less people taking a tour. It also happened that Mr. Ryan was in Los Angeles for the week, and what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him.

Livy was hunched over, wiping down the wheels of Mr. Hall’s biplane, when she heard the incoming engine. She stood up to watch the wobbly machine approach. A storm was brewing to the south, you could taste it in the air, and that always made the pilots nervous. She watched the plane make a precarious drop before leveling off, and then come in for a hard landing. As soon as he came to a stop, the new pilot hopped out of the plane, waiting for his customer and holding a hand out when she finally disembarked. A red-haired woman in heels, face white as chalk.

Livy walked over, wiping her hands on her overalls. “How was it up there today?”

The woman staggered past Livy without even a glance. “Never again.”

The pilot trailed behind his passenger and shrugged. “What can I say? Usually, they’re begging for more.”

Once the woman left, zooming off in a shiny Model T, Livy moseyed over to the hangar and stood in the doorway. The pilot was at the counter drinking a Coke and studying a clipboard. With his goggles pulled up on his head, his thick blond hair stood out in all directions, as though he’d stuck his hand in an electric socket.

Livy cleared her throat.

He looked up. “Can I help you?” he asked.

“I’m Olivia West. I work here.”

More like volunteer and hope that people would pay her, but she could dream.

“Oh, right. Mr. Ryan said you might be here. I’m Heath Hazeltine, new pilot.” He was staring oddly at her, and for a second she wondered if she might have grease on her face, like she often did while working here, but then he said with a shake of his head, “I was expecting something different.”

“I come in on the weekends, wipe down planes and other odd jobs,” she said, for some reason feeling like she had to explain, then added, “I’m learning to fly.”

That was a stretch, too, but she did always listen to the pilots talk, watch how they got the propellers spinning and closely observe the takeoffs and landings. She knew which part of the runway was more rutted with potholes, and which angle was best for approach.

He cocked his head slightly. “That so?”

“It is.”

One side of his mouth turned up, just a hint. “I didn’t know women could fly airplanes, let alone teenage girls.”

Livy felt her whole face go red. “I’ll be seventeen in four months. And I’ll bet I know more about airplanes and weather than you do, especially down here in San Diego.”

All she really knew about him was that he’d come from Los Angeles and had flown in Hollywood some, doing stunts. No one had mentioned anything about him being so young. She had been picturing some old guy with a sun-beaten face and graying hair.

“Feisty. I like it,” he said.

She stood on her tippy toes and straightened up, all five feet three inches. Though her thick curls tucked under the hat added some extra height. “Take me up, and I’ll teach you a thing or two.”

He laughed. “What can you teach me?”

When he smiled, his whole face changed, making him seem even younger and a little less arrogant—and painfully handsome. Livy felt a swoosh in her stomach and her cheeks tingled. He couldn’t have been much older than twenty, and yet there was a certain worldliness about him. She found herself wanting to impress him.

“Like I said, I know everything there is to know about this area. What have you got to lose?” she said.

He looked at his watch. “My new job, for one. And I have another tour in twenty minutes, so even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. Want to help me patch that big pothole in the runway?”

None of the other pilots ever offered to fill the potholes, they always figured someone else would do it. The mud stuck to everything and gave off a rank odor, and a lot of them saw it as beneath them.

“How about I go fill those holes for you, and you take me up after your tour,” she said.

She thought he was going to refuse her, like Mr. Ryan always did, but instead he nodded and said, “You’re on.”

Disbelief flooded through her. “Really?”

“Really. Now get out there before my next customer arrives.”

But the passengers never showed up, most likely on account of the weather, and the books were empty after that. Heath helped Livy up onto the wing with a big, rough hand and a rock-solid arm. He moved like a man who was extremely comfortable in his own skin, as though the world rotated on his time. Livy decided that he was the perfect man for the job. You wanted your first time up to be memorable, but also to be survivable. Confidence was an asset.

“Sure you want to do this? Those clouds look formidable,” he said.

Livy had noticed the band of charcoal clouds at sea, heralding the foul weather moving up from Mexico. A sudden chill came over her, and she tried to blot out the memory that always accompanied storms blowing in. The dark thing that would always be with her, always haunt the recesses of her mind. Blinding salt spray, cold waves smashing over the bow and washing everything from the deck, the sound of her name being stolen by the whipping wind. Olivia! The last moments of his chafed hand holding on to hers. Her heart began to squeeze in on itself, but she willed the thoughts away.

This storm was likely to be a bad one, but hell if she was going to blow her only chance to fly. Timed right, they’d be able to outrun it.

“Positive. From the looks of it, we have about thirty-seven minutes before that front hits here. Just head north along the coast and we should be back in time.”

She climbed into her seat, and he leaned in and tightened the belt on her waist. “Thirty-seven, huh? Not thirty-six?” he said, close enough that she caught a whiff of mint and salt water.

When he pulled away, their eyes met. Chocolate brown with flecks of fire. Her first instinct was to look away, but instead, she held his gaze.

“Nope, thirty-seven. Let’s go, we’re wasting time,” she said. “Oh, and you’ll probably want to come in from the east on your approach. The wind will swing around coming in off the ocean when it moves in.”

When he stepped back, he almost fell off the wing, catching himself on the wire. They both laughed, breaking whatever strange thing it was that had just passed between them. Without another word, he hopped in and started up the engine. After a few sputters, it chugged to life. Livy slid her goggles on, and made sure her cap was strapped tight. The whole plane buzzed, sending vibrations from the tips of her toes to the crown of her head. As they bounced down the runway, gathering speed, she could hardly believe her luck.

One, two, three. Liftoff.

The shift from clunky and earthbound to weightlessness was unmistakable. Everything went light and buoyant and yet Livy was pinned to her seat as the plane went up. It was a steep climb and all she could see was sky in front of her. She let her head fall back and closed her eyes, imagining herself as an albatross soaring. The hum from the wires that held the wings together grew louder the faster they went. Heath let out a holler and Livy found herself half laughing, half crying. It was even more wonderful than she’d imagined.

When they banked to the right and leveled out some, she saw that she had a bird’s eye view of San Diego Bay, Coronado Island and the city itself—white buildings, red roofs and palm trees. The wind from earlier had died down, leaving an eerie stillness in its wake. They flew toward the cliffs of Point Loma and beyond that, the blue Pacific. There were none of the usual bumps and drops that everyone talked about. It was smooth sailing and she was in awe.

About six minutes out, the nose of the plane suddenly pointed skyward and they began climbing sharply. Pretty soon, they were nearly vertical. Livy knew all her specs of the Curtiss JN 4 “Jenny”—top speed was about eighty miles an hour, she dove well, but when climbing fast, she had a tendency to stall. So, what the heck was Heath doing?

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Excerpted from The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman. Copyright © 2024 by Sara Ackerman.

Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A., a division of HarperCollins

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sara Ackerman is the Hawai'i born, bestselling author of The Codebreaker's Secret, Radar Girls, Red Sky Over Hawaii, The Lieutenant’s Nurse, and Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers.

 Sara's books have been labeled “unforgettable” by Apple Books, “empowering & deliciously visceral” by Book Riot, and New York Times bestselling authors Kate Quinn and Madeline Martin have praised Sara’s novels as “fresh and delightful” and “brilliantly written.” Amazon chose Radar Girls as a best book of the month, and ALA Booklist gave The Codebreaker’s Secret a starred review.  

Find out more about Sara and her books at www.ackermanbooks.com and follow her on Instagram @saraackermanbooks and on FB @ackermanbooks. 

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SOCIAL LINKS:

Author Website

Facebook

Instagram

Goodreads

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BUY LINKS:

BookShop.org

Harlequin 

Barnes & Noble

Books A Million

Amazon

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Read Any?

Which have you read?

Have you read any other books by these authors?

Book Blogger Hop - 2/2 -2/8/2024

Question of the Week:

 

What was the last book you read in one sitting? (submitted by Deb @ Readerbuzz)

 

My Answer:

None.

Death to Beauty: The Transformative History of Botox By Eugene M. Helveston

PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA
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DEATH TO BEAUTY

EUGENE M. HELVESTON

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF ANGELA MELAMUD OF ANGELAMELAMUD.COM.

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In Death to Beauty, Dr. Eugene M. Helveston details his colleague’s fascinating journey transforming a deadly poison into a medical wonder.

In his new book, Dr. Helveston discusses:

• The World’s Deadliest Poison: Clostridium Botulinum
• The Trail From Poison to Consumers: How Death Found Beauty
• Chemical Warfare and Botulinum
• Why Was Dr. Alan B. Scott Considered a Legend in Ophthalmology but is Virtually Unknown to the World?
• A Pharmaceutical in the Making & The First Injection in a Human
• Manufacturing, Marketing and Selling a New Drug
• Dermatology Opens the Floodgates
• Botox and Neurology 

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January 30, 2024

Indiana University Press 

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PRAISE FOR DEATH TO BEAUTY:

"A riveting text that bridges biography, history, and medicine, Death to Beauty is a must-read for anyone interested in the story of how Dr. Alan Scott, working almost independently and with few resources, transformed the world's deadliest toxin into a wonder drug that has not only become a multi-billion-dollar industry, but a medical and cultural phenomenon." —Dana Berkowitz, author of Botox Nation: Changing the Face of America

"Expertly written and thoroughly researched, Dr. Helveston meticulously outlines the history of Botox and the pivotal role that Dr. Alan Scott played in bringing Botox safely to millions of people across the globe." —Christie L. Morse, MD, Concord Eye Center

"Dr. Helveston has painstakingly researched the life and accomplishments of Alan B. Scott MD, one of the most brilliant minds in medicine and creator of botulinum toxin (Botox) for the treatment of many conditions. This book is a page burner, interesting, and still very thorough. I highly recommend it to clinicians and non-clinicians alike." —William Good, MD, Senior Scientist at Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute

"At the heart of this book is the curiosity and determination of one man, Alan Scott. Helveston's compelling narrative makes botulinum toxin understandable, all the while tracing the fine line that distinguishes poison from medicine. Death to Beauty is an important addition to the history of medicine." —Edward O'Malley, MD, Senior Staff Physician Emeritus, Henry Ford Health

"Eugene Helveston, M.D. documents the amazing story of Botulinum toxin from a deadly problem to a very important therapeutic advance for patients with multiple types of neurological conditions, from various movement disorders' treatment to helping alleviating the misery of migraine headaches. Botulinum toxin has been a great advance for neurologists treating many needy patients." —David A. Josephson, M.D., Josephson-Wallack-Munshower Neurology, P.C.

"Dr. Scott would be proud and grateful." —C. William Hanke, MD, MPH, Former President, American Academy of Dermatology

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ABOUT DEATH TO BEAUTY:

In the 1970s, Dr. Alan Scott sought to selectively weaken eye muscles to treat strabismus (when one or both eyes are misaligned) without surgery.

After failed attempts with other agents, Scott developed a method to stabilize the bacteria that causes botulism, culminating in a drug that eventually became known as Botox.

In Death to Beauty, Eugene M. Helveston, MD, follows the unlikely story of botulism's 1817 discovery in contaminated German sausages, to its use in military and research facilities, to Scott, an ophthalmologist who aimed to safely use the drug in humans.

Scott struggled alone as an unknown in the pharmaceutical industry, searching for clinical trial financing and FDA approval, which he achieved at a fraction of the billions big pharma usually spends to bring a drug to market.

Eventually, the company Allergan bought him out, capitalizing on the possibilities for cosmetic uses. Scott's formula was renamed "Botox" and reached annual sales in the billions.

After the sale, Scott received no further compensation from Botox sales and remained the same unassuming man.

A fascinating walk through the intricate history of how the world's deadliest toxin starting as a treatment for crossed eyes became a routine tool for the cosmetic industry, Death to Beauty will make you rethink success, beauty, and deadly bacteria.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Eugene M. Helveston, MD, is Emeritus Professor of Ophthalmology at the IU School of Medicine. 

Helveston's numerous honors include the Kellogg Scholar Award from the University of Michigan, the Humanitarian of the Year and Silver Recognition Award from the Indiana Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Outstanding Humanitarian and Life Achievement Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. 

He has authored or co-authored three ophthalmology textbooks and over 300 scientific papers. 

He lives in Indianapolis.

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BOOK AND BLOG LINK:

Book Link: https://iupress.org/9780253067807/death-to-beauty/

Author’s blog: https://eugenehelveston.com/blog/