Shenanigan Free Press

'Tis the season for a good ghost story. Marta Moran Bishop has a perfectly eerie first-hand nostalgic account of an old-fashioned style ghost story. It takes place in Chicago in a house where Al Capone once lived. Marta along with the new owner and a group of friends share a ghostly paranormal experience.  Do yourself a favor and get into the spooky spirit with this inexpensive, audio version reminiscent of the old radio ghost stories. Take about 12 minutes and treat yourself.   The House That His on Audible

12 Million Americans are sociopaths therefore, every time you find yourself in a group of 25 people you can expect there is at least one individual without a conscience.

Although this book should appeal to anyone and everyone that picks up a pen or types a message into an electronic device, it won’t. However, if you are a person that believes the rules of grammar are “rock solid” you most assuredly would benefit from this delightful book.

According to the authors, if you fall short of IQ or are unsuccessfully using your intelligence, you can increase your EQ (Emotional Intelligence) and live a happier more productive life.

We live with a certain expectation about the possibility of burying a spouse and even more certainty about out living our parents, however, most of us do not even entertain the idea of outliving one of our children.

The author conveys a simple, calm as she paints a gorgeous picturesque parallel between earth from her physical point on the map and the makings of our individuality. To demonstrate, the prairie of South Dakota represents the macrocosm for the spiritual self. Free of dogma, it is a beautifully written spiritual guide for self-exploration, the images and lessons are brilliantly simple, yet complex in their representation.

Beth Hoffman gained an audience with her International Bestseller Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt . Her fans yearned for another and it was well worth the wait. Looking For Me reflects Beth Hoffman’s methodical and elegant style.  Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to exchange thoughts with her a couple of times and she is a delightful woman. There is a strength that emerges from within her southern roots, a former interior designer, she has an eye for detail and a heart filled with hope for even the most blemished. Beth’s stories bring us strong, determined women that are a reflection of her.

Literature without a clear purpose often disappoints me. Despite an author’s extraordinary storytelling ability, for me, dark novels void of even a quasi-hero are less than satisfactory reading, I cannot seem to shake the feeling that I am somehow missing the point and maybe I am.

Joan Didion was a Renaissance woman in the 60s and 70s, the early days of the subjective literary news penned New Journalism. In effect, this style of reporting embedded the writer, so deeply into the story that the author became part of it. Clearly documented, Ms. Didion’s literature as well as her life exhibited a level of strength few women were brave enough to display in those days. Generally speaking, her work continues to be an important contribution to the changing ideal of the modern women in the United States and Europe.

Sigmund Freud remains the father of modern day psychoanalysis, regardless of his notoriety and contributions, Freud suffered from several addictions from tobacco to cocaine, nevertheless, there is reason to conclude he suffered from another.

The circumstances beg the reader to examine... What would you be willing or insane enough to risk to avenge the murder of the most important person in your life?

The top-selling psychological thriller for 2015 is none other than Paula Hawkins’  The   Girl on the Train. In a genre historically dominated by men Paula Hawkins among other notable female writers are moving in and they are not sitting at the back of the train.

The internet is a scary frontier and not a day goes by that we do not learn of a negative incident involving the web.

Tess Monoghan is ritualistic, quirky, and unrefined, not quite as brash as Janet Evonovich’s, Stephanie Plum, but, a strong no fuss female who finds comfort in searching out the negative in everything and everyone. In Tess’s world, all this, combines with her clever, observant qualities, and equals an entertaining character.   

Is the author, crazy, extreme or realistic? How important is the traditional male role? Is masculinity critical? Is there a tribal instinct that drives heterosexual men to strive to impress one another rather than women?

Winter’s nights are long and it’s only natural to pull out a good ghost story to set the mood and this Venetian ghost story does the job, well. 

If you enjoyed John Grisham’s, The Rainmaker , you’ll like The Neon Lawyer . However, I would be remiss if I did not warn; unlike Grisham’s, the crime against the child in The Neon Lawyer is disturbing and gruesome, but please understand it is detailed, briefly.

Critics love this novel, named book of the year by several literary entities, it is a winner. I wish I liked the story, but I don’t.

Bestselling, multiple award winning , Fates and Furies is a deviation from modern literary tradition that proves to deepen an intensely emotional tragedy.

Written by a Pulitzer Prize Winning Author! The Hebrew Bible claims; God loved King David most. Whether you view The Bible as a religious guide, history book, or a timeless work of literature, you likely find this idea perplexing enough to have a few questions pass through your mind’s eye. After all, King David was a warrior, a military leader that was responsible for many deaths, albeit to claim an earthly kingdom for God, many shed blood.