DDs and recently finished reading Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. Stargirl was a new student at Mica High School and she was different from everyone else. Having been previously homeschooled she didn't fit in with the rest of the kids. Leo liked her and they started hanging out but he was conflicted when the school started shunning Stargirl. The story was pretty good and brought up some good conversations that it’s okay to stand out and be different from the crowd, etc. There were a few things I didn’t like, like how the author made it seem like Stargirl being homeschooled played a part in her “weirdness.” She also did some other things that could be taken as nice but also as a tad stalker-ish. (4 stars)

Thanks for more information....my original question was because in your original post you said "assault rifles" not "assault weapons" - which is why I asked my question because most firearm crimes are committed by handguns, not rifles. (I updated my post to include additional information/stats). If you're putting handguns into the category of "assault weapon" then I understand what you're saying. Also, regarding the bullets...I'm very sorry that you've had to see such horrific crime scene photos. That's truly awful. I'm in no way disputing that different caliber bullets do different damage.

Do you have the stats on this, because the last time I did any reading up on this handguns were the most commonly used firearm in mass shootings? ETA...First, I hope my questions doesn't sound snarky!! It was not meant to. I agree that data is good, and I was curious what you were looking at. Here is a website I found with some data... https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/02/03/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/ It is referring to all gun murders, not just mass shootings, but handguns account for 59% of the murders while rifles were used in 3%.

I don’t know how much this has been studied, but there are some theories that there was a correlation between the serial killers that became prevalent in the ‘70s and ‘80s and veterans of WWII. Here’s an article talking about it… https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45324622 I think you’re talking about Europe(?) and this was in the US, but it’s an interesting theory.

I’m so sorry Scout. Hugs

The police officer at the press conference confirmed that the shooter identified as trans and that it may have been a motive for the shooting. They found a manifesto…he didn’t elaborate. I assume we’ll know more facts in the next few days.

Emily Henry's books are starting to frustrate me. I've read all three. I really liked Beach Reads. People We Meet on Vacation was just meh for me. I know with most contemporary romance books they are a bit of a stretch when it comes to reality, but this one was a bit much. I just kept saying...really....really?? Then, with Book Lovers I was excited about the story premise (because....books!), but it wasn't exactly what it was advertised to be (they weren't really enemies to lovers). Then, to me, the protagonist didn't really change much during the story, and I think she should have (trying to say that without spoilers! 😂). I do love the writing though...agree with you on the snappy dialogue...it's my favorite part. Hence my frustration with her books.

Wow…that’s amazing!

I saw that!! The whole time I was watching, I was like, it doesn’t even matter what happens because they’re together for real!!!

Thanks for the warning! That is interesting that they do that.

I'm DNFing this book for now. I've read about 150 pages and I'm still just meh about it. I've got too many other books I want to read, so back to the shelf it goes! Maybe I'll pull it back out another day.

I finished Crashed Landing on You last night! I really liked it a lot! It had so much more than what I expected going in...drama, humor, the romance of course, but they went into some serious topics too. Really great. It didn't end exactly the way I was hoping, but with the whole North/South Korea thing that wasn't really possible. Funny thing...by the end both of my DDs were watching with me! 🤣 On to the next (not sure what that is yet)!!

I have been consumed by K-dramas, so I haven't been reading as much. 😂 My book club meets tomorrow and I'm supposed to have finished The Bear and the Nightingale. It is not going well. I think I just passed the 100 page mark last night. I can't tell if I don't like the book or I'm just not in the mood for it, but it just seems to drone on and on. Like it seems to take 10 pages to tell what a sentence could. 🤪 The writing isn't bad, it's just a bit much.

This is probably a dumb question...but I'm still in the middle of Crash Landing on You and several times in the show they mention the "South" accent. The little bit that I know of North and South Korea, I know that while they speak the same language, they do have different accents, but as hard as I try, I can't tell the difference. You've watched lots...can you tell the difference? I realized that most shows probably don't have North Korean characters, which is why this is probably a dumb question!! 😂 Foreign languages fascinate me, so it's just something I'm curious about.

Here's a little article on the difference between notaries and signature/medallion guarantees... https://notary.pandadoc.com/blog/medallion-signature-guarantee-vs-notary/

I don't know how it works at banks...I only worked at a mutual fund company. We had lots of accounts, though, that were just single tenant type accounts with no beneficiary named. For those, we'd ask for estate type documents to distribute the money out. It has been about 10 years since I worked there, so I can't remember everything required, but whether the estate had to go through probate or not, I'm not sure. It may have to do with how large it was. Again, I can't remember. I'm just trying to think through what type of documentation this company might be looking for. 🧐

I'm really sorry this has become so difficult for you!! Just a few thoughts/questions (you don't have to answer if you don't feel like it)... For the account you're trying to claim, do you know for sure you're listed as the beneficiary? Some accounts just don't have anyone listed, which makes things slightly more complicated and may be why they are more reluctant to talk with you. I understand, in the end, you would still be the recipient of the money, but I'm wondering if they just need more paperwork to prove you're the rightful recipient...like documents from the estate probate process. Also, I'm curious what are you getting medallion guaranteed? Did the company the account is held at provide you with a form?

Would you say it’s necessary to read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas prior to reading All the Broken Places?

It’s always so hard to choose!😆

I do use Libby…I found an article online that had some suggestions for which manga series to read for beginners, so I looked a few of those up. I was only able to find one, and out of the three I was looking for it was the least appealing. ☹️ Oh well…maybe I should still give it a try to even see if I like it. I have never tried Hoopla…do you have to pay for that? I haven’t tried any graphic novels on my iPad…just books and I didn’t care for it. I was thinking the manga might be better (than books). I’ll have to see. I have a kindle, but I definitely think that would be too small. Lots of trial and error! 😂

I have no clue, but I may have to go check it out. It’s a smaller library so if they do, I bet it’s small. Never hurts to look!

Does anyone read manga? I’ve been wanting to try it out, but I’ve got no clue where to start.

Oh, ok…I’m sorry. 😕 Hopefully your bank will be able to provide what you need. I’m surprised they wouldn’t talk to you at all. I used to work at a mutual fund company and we’d get calls often regarding people’s accounts where the owner had passed away. If it was the first call notifying us that the owner had passed away, we couldn’t give full account access to the beneficiary over the phone (without having any documentation on file), but if the beneficiary name was on file (along with some identifying info), we could give basic information about what was needed in order to claim the account…certified death certificate, what form was needed, signature guarantee, etc. There were different requirements depending on the type of account, so we could at least provide that. Anyways, I’m so sorry all of this is overwhelming. I hope you’re able to sort through it all and eventually get it all settled.

If you work with a financial advisor/broker, they may also be able to help you with a signature guarantee.

They are so darn cute! Thank you for sharing. ☺️