Review of "Per My Last Email: Witty, Wicked and Wonderfully Weird Workplace Words and Phrases" by Stephanie K. Wright

 

Are you tired of using the same old words week after week? Do you want to put some verve in your vocabulary? Are you itching to improve your emails? Then this is the book for you.

Stephanie Wright scoured dictionaries, dusty books, and hieroglyphic manuscripts (just kidding) to come up with this collection of alternative ways to express yourself. And in case you're wondering, the author asserts, "Any relation to words created from a secret language you made up as a kid is purely coincidental."

The book is aimed at corporate employees, but most folks could find uses for the innovative words and expressions. To provide a feel for the book I'll provide an aperçu (brief glimpse).

*****

Want to call a meeting. You can say:

We are pulling together a boodle (crowd) to discuss the next office party.
It is time to constellate (form a group) to choose the new corporate logo.



*****

Want to have a productive meeting? You can say:

This is a short meeting. Blatherskiting (talking at great length) will not be tolerated.
Please keep your comments brief to avoid the overwhelming abulomania (indecisiveness) surrounding the topic.



*****

Are you befuddled? You can say:

It seems there is a gallimaufry (confusing group) of choices for the new hire.
If the goal of that question was to metagrobolize (mystify) the team, it worked.



*****

Need a fresh greeting? You can say:

What's kicking, chickens?
How farest though?



*****

Having a rough day? You can say:

My whole family has the flu. I am utterly chapfallen (cast down in spirit).
I'm feeling querulous (in a bad mood), so I suggest you leave me alone.



*****

Do you have a lot going on? You can say:

With the release happening in three days, the entire team is full on negotious (very busy) right now.
I have a hundred things to do. I am completely snowed under (crushed with work) today.



*****

Are people annoying you? You can say:

Please don't put Beau on my team. I already have to work with two lurdans (incompetent persons).
Kravitz is the ultimate quidnunc (gossipy person). I wonder what he's saying about me.



*****

Want to blow off steam? You can say:

Zooterkins! (all purpose swear word). What did you just do to the copier?
Whoever left the paper tray empty again is a total jackwagon (worthless person).



*****

Hoping to hear from someone soon? You can say:

Methodically binge-eating candy while I await your reply.
Going to check out the latest Twitter drama while you consider my proposal.



*****

Want to shush someone? You can say:

Oh my freakin' stars! Can we just cut the cackle (stop talking nonsense) and get on with the meeting.
Please save it (stop talking) Fran! We've already heard about all the followers you have on Instagram.



*****

Feeling particularly nasty? You can say:

Stan, you've accomplished exactly nothing. I have never before met a scobberlotcher (lazy human) of your caliber.
I was having fun until our resident smellfungus (killjoy) showed up to kill the mood.



*****

Want to give someone a compliment? You can say:

Jane is a bosting (excellent) coder. She can finish a project in two days.
Sam's spiffing (splendid) commercial was perfect for the plush toy launch.



*****

Want to quit? You can say:

I've decided to demit (resign a job) my position as project manager to go to cosmetology school.
I have made the decision to scarper (leave a place) and head to San Francisco to open a bakery.



*****

There are TONS more words, expressions, and suggestions for effective (but fun) emails in the book. And there's an Index at the back for convenience. I'd recommend the book to people who want to gussy up their verbiage or just have a laugh.

Thanks to Netgalley, Stephanie K. Wright, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for a copy of the book.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "The Night Shift: A Thriller" by Alex Finlay

On New Year's Eve 1999 there's a multiple murder at a Blockbuster in Linden, New Jersey. As the store is closing, a killer enters the premises, stabs the manager and three teenage girls to death, and leaves one girl, Ella, injured but alive.

An anonymous caller provides information about the alleged perpetrator, a high school boy named Vince Whitaker, who's soon arrested.



A public defender gets Whitaker released for insufficient evidence and the boy promptly disappears. This leads to a shake-up in law enforcement and public defender circles.

Fifteen years later, a similar tragedy occurs in a Linden, New Jersey ice cream shop.



Three teenage girls who work in the store are killed, and one girl, Jesse, is injured but alive.



Suspicions surface that the killer might be Vince Whitaker.....or perhaps a copycat.

Survivor Jesse is in shock following the ice cream store incident and refuses to speak to anyone, including the police. However the high school principal, Mr. Steadman, gets the idea that Jesse might speak to Ella, the survivor of the Blockbuster tragedy. Jesse opens up to Ella (a little) but Jesse is a hard case who grew up in the foster care system and is wary of everyone.

The story is told from the rotating points of view of three individuals:

Ella - who became a therapist after surviving the Blockbuster stabbings; Ella is a troubled woman who routinely sneaks around and cheats on her fiancé.



FBI Agent Sarah Keller - Sara is a badass detective who's 8 months pregnant with twins. After the ice cream shop murders Keller is assigned the task of searching for Blockbuster suspect Vince Whitaker, who's been missing for 15 years. (It's hard to believe a woman nearing the end of her pregnancy - with twins no less - can run around like Sarah, but it's fiction after all. 🙂)



Chris - a public defender who happens to be Vince Whitaker's younger brother. Chris was adopted after the Blockbuster killings and changed his name, so one one knows the men are brothers. Chris thinks Vince is innocent and hopes to prove it.



As the three narrators go about their business, one secret after another is revealed. The story is gripping and holds the reader's attention. My major quibble with the book is that the Linden police have tunnel vision and compromise the investigation in various ways. To me, this isn't totally realistic, but it's necessary for the plot to work.

All in all, an entertaining thriller.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "La's Orchestra Saves the World" by AlexanderMcCall Smith

Alexander McCall Smith is probably best known for his 'Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency' series, but he's a prolific author who pens other books as well. This is a standalone novel by Smith about a British woman, Lavender (La) Stone, who weathers WWII in a country town.

Prior to the war La graduates from Cambridge University, but like many women of her generation, forgoes a career to get married.



Sadly for La her husband, Richard Stone, leaves her for a woman in France. Richard's parents are shamed by their son's behavior and give La a country house in Sussex, where La moves just before WWII.

Once war breaks out La wants to do her part, and becomes a kind of unofficial Land Girl who helps an arthritic Sussex farmer, Henry Madder, with his chickens.



La cleans Henry's chicken coops and collects and packs the eggs for sale. La also grows vegetables in her garden, particularly potatoes.

As it happens there's an RAF base in Sussex and La becomes friendly with an officer called Tim Honey, a recreational trumpet player.



Tim suggests La form an amateur orchestra composed of soldiers and local people. The orchestra, conducted by La, meets once a month to prepare for a Christmas recital that will (hopefully) lift the spirits of Sussex residents.



Comcomitantly a Polish refugee named Feliks is also assigned to work for farmer Henry. La becomes friendly with Feliks and encourages him to play the flute in her orchestra, and Feliks helps La with her garden.



The Brits are suspicicious of foreigners, thinking they may be spies, and there's some question about Feliks' honesty and intentions.

Many English people thought the war would be a brief affair that they would easily win, but Germany turns out to be a formidable foe with a massive war machine and the war drags on and on.

By the end of the book we learn about of the fates of La and the other main characters, both during and after WWII. As usual with Smith's books, this is a quiet story that explores human nature. I liked the book and found La to be a compelling character who navigates difficult situations with intelligence and grace.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "The Lost Art of Gratitude: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel" by Alexander McCall Smith

Alexander McCall Smith is probably best known for his 'Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency' series, but he's a prolific author who pens other series as well. In this 6th book in the 'Isabel Dalhousie' series, ethicist Isabel - who's the owner and editor of the 'Review of Applied Ethics' - agrees to help a sketchy acquaintance, meets her niece's uncongenial fiancé, deals with two vexed men who want to displace her from the 'Review', and helps an injured fox. The book can be read as a standalone but familiarity with the characters is a plus.

*****

Isabel Dalhousie and her younger boyfriend Jamie live in Edinburgh and have a little boy, eighteen-month-old Charlie. Isabel is a philosopher who always feels compelled to look at every side of an issue - to tease out all the ethical implications - so she's often distracted from the matter at hand.



And Jamie, who was once the boyfriend of Isabel's niece Cat, is an elite musician who writes songs, gives concerts, and teaches music.



Isabel's niece Cat owns an artisanal deli......



…..and tends to pick 'wrong-uns' to date.

Early in the book, Isabel takes Charlie to a birthday party where she's cornered by an old acquaintance, the highly successful investment banker Minty Aucterlonie.



Isabel is wary of Minty, whom she suspects of unethical financial shenanigans. Nevertheless, when Minty asks Isabel for assistance with a personal problem, Isabel feels compelled to help. As it turns out, not is all as it seems in Minty's world, and Minty is still a master manipulator. Isabel weighs all the ethical considerations of Minty's actions before she decides on final measures.

Meanwhile, Isabel and Jamie get engaged to be married, but are wary of telling Cat, who resents their being together. As it turns out Cat claims to be engaged as well, to a tightrope walker called Bruno.



Bruno turns out to be a condescending and conceited fellow who works as a stuntman in the movies, none of which Isabel and Jamie have seen. Isabel despairs of Cat ever picking an appropriate boyfriend, but the philosopher is determined to TRY to like Bruno, because it's the right thing to do.

When Isabel bought the 'Review of Applied Ethics' she displaced two difficult board members, handsome Professor Dove and manipulative Professor Lettuce.





The men have been gunning for Isabel ever since, and think a current plagiarism issue may be just the ticket to force her resignation. The men should know better, however, than to underestimate Isabel.

Isabel's garden is regularly raided by 'Brother Fox', for whom Isabel has a soft spot. In fact Isabel even leaves out chicken for the predator.



When Brother Fox becomes injured, Isabel takes steps to assist the suffering critter.

While dealing with all this, Isabel also has personal time with Jamie - who's a great cook on top of his other talents. In addition, both Isabel and Jamie dote on their little boy Charlie, as does the housekeeper Grace, who loves to take the toddler to visit her eccentric friends.

The author, Alexander McCall Smith is a respected expert on medical law and bioethics, and he infuses his character Isabel Dalhousie with informative philosophical and ethical dilemmas. It's always interesting to observe where Isabel comes down in various situations, and the series is educational as well as entertaining.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Run Towards The Danger: Confrontations With a Body of Memory" by Sarah Polley

 

Sarah Polley is a Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist.


Sarah Polley

Polley, whose mother and father were in show business, started her career as a child actress playing in the television series 'Ramona', based on Beverly Cleary's popular book series. Polley then got the role of Sara Stanley in the Canadian television series 'Road to Avonlea', based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's books. The actress subsequently starred in many feature films, including 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen' and others. Polley then went on to become an award-winning writer, director and producer.


Young Sarah Polley with her parents, Michael Polley and Diane Polley


Sarah Polley as Ramona Quimby in 'Ramona'


Sarah Polley as Sara Stanley in 'Road To Avonlea'

In this memoir, consisting of six essays, Polley explores some of her most significant - and sometimes troubling - memories, and explains how these experiences affected her life.

✿ Alice, Collapsing

In this essay Polley, who was 15-years-old at the time, recalls her role as Alice in the Stratford Festival's 1994 production of 'Alice Through The Looking Glass.'


Sarah Polley as Alice in 'Alice Through The Looking Glass'

During this time Polley was suffering from severe scoliosis, was still reeling from the death of her mother four years before, and had to take care of herself - since her father was completely unable to cope after the death of his wife.

Sarah started out enthusiastic about the role of Alice but eventually became terrified of going on stage. She writes, "It wasn't just the play itself that started to drive me mad. So did the audience....who sat quietly together in the dark, unseen and safe with their rustling programs and snapping gum and glugs of eater, while I inwardly collapsed every night in front of them."

Polley now advises parents to be cautious about allowing their offspring to become child actors, since show business is a profit-driven enterprise that cares little for the welfare of the participants.

✿ The Woman Who Stayed Silent

In this piece, Polley deals with the fact that she didn't come forward when Jian Ghomeshi - a Persian-Canadian broadcaster, writer, musician, producer and radio host - was accused of sexual abuse by several women. Polley herself was (allegedly) choked during a sexual encounter with Ghomeshi when she was 16 and and he was in his twenties. Ghomeshi was prosecuted in 2015, and several women testified against him, but Sarah kept mum.


Jian Ghomeshi was put on trial in 2015

Polley writes, "Now, years later, I think I can finally articulate the reasons for my silence: I had too much information about what was going to happen to me and my family....my memory of what exactly happened all those years ago was only recently put back together, and perhaps most important....I knew that I wasn't strong enough."

Still, Polley seems to feel guilty about her silence and speculates that other women - who might have been vicims of men like Ghomeshi or Harvey Weinstein - also kept mum.

✿ High Risk

In this narrative Polley writes about her first pregnancy, which was high risk due to the fact she had previously suffered from endometriosis, had gestational diabetes and placenta previa. Because she was at risk Sarah was ensconced in the high-risk ward well before her due date. She recalls, "The nurses, are, for the most part incredibly kind, funny, and nurturing. Three times a day I am delivered a gestational-diabetes-friendly meal. Friends inquire as to how I am coping with all the disgusting hospital food, and I can't even pretend to not like it. This, more than anything else, makes them worry for my mental healh, but I am happy as a clam, having food that I can eat delivered on a regular basis."

The baby, delivered early, had to spend time in the NICU while Sarah learned about breast-feeding from 'experts' (some of them male) in the field.

✿ Mad Genius

In this essay Polley recounts her experience, at the age of eight, starring in Terry Gilliam's fantasy/comedy film 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.'


Sarah Polley (with John Neville) in 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'

Sarah was terrified during much of the filming, as the movie had many special effects, including scenes of exploding bombs. Polley recalls "Blasts of debris exploded on the ground around me, accompanied by deafening booms that made me feel as if I myself had exploded."

The crew also shot many scenes in a giant (freezing) tank of water, and Sarah observes, "We floated there, wetsuits under our costumess, for long periods of time, shivering with cold, our wetsuits insufficient to keep us warm in the chilly water."

Sarah came to see the situation as a sort of child abuse, which later reinforced her objection to youngsters being professional child actors.

✿ Dissolving The Boundaries

In this account, Polley describes a family trip - with her husband and three children - to Prince Edward Island, the locale for Polley's starring role in 'Road To Avonlea."


Sarah Polley and her husband David Sandomierski

Adult Sarah expects to be recognized by fans of the show - as she had been as a child - but goes largely unnoticed. Sarah writes, "I begin to wonder if ....I really am too old and haggard now to be recognized at all. [Pedestrians] look at me in passing, as their eyes travel somewhere else, but nothing clicks."

Sarah felt relieved that the Avonlea part of her life was over, and proceeded to enjoy the trip with her loved ones.

✿ Run Towards the Danger

In this title essay, Polley talks about a concussion she suffered when a fire extinguisher fell on her head in 2015. Following the advice of various doctors, Sarah tried to avoid situations that triggered debilitating symptoms like migraine headaches and extreme anxiety. After several years Polley visited a clinic in Pittsburgh, where Dr. Michael Collins advised her to do the exact opposite.....to "run towards the danger."

As it happens Collins has treated other Canadian women in the film industry, and he asks, 'What's with all the female filmmakers from Canada? Wht is going on up there?" And Polley jokingly replies, "We're a competitive bunch. The pool of female filmmakers is small, but even smaller is the pool of money to make films. We've taken to bashing each other over the head to put each other out of the running for the public money."

Writing these narratives was a cathartic experience for Polley. During an interview, she observed, "I will say writing these essays was a way of working through difficult times. I’m really happy with my life as it stands, so it’s hard to look back with regret." These days Sarah concentrates on her family and her career.



Like memoirs of some other celebrities, it's clear from Polley's essays that what looks like a 'charmed and successful life' from the outside sometimes hides difficult truths.

Rating: 3.5 stars