The Temptation of the Midnight Bird: Last Turn, Elena Zhuravleva, 2022

 The Temptation of the Midnight Bird: Last Turn, Elena Zhuravleva, 2022

Set in present-day Europe, this story is about a pair of sisters, and a horrible event that happened several years previously.

Lisa is a journalist for a local news website. She is haunted by less-than-clear memories of the night her sister, Laura, was sexually assaulted by a man named Alexander. Lisa really doesn't remember whether or not she killed Alexander by whacking him on the head with a bottle. Laura vanished that night, and has not been seen since.

Lisa encounters people who seem to know what really happened that night. They include a nosy, older woman named Martha, and a robotic voice on her phone telling her to go here or go there. Do Lisa and Laura ever find each other? Does Lisa ever get answers about what happened that night?

Included is a separate story story about a hacker who develops a program that allows the authorities to track criminals while they are still in the planning stages. He offers the program to the police, who are not interested. They suddenly get interested, for the wrong reasons, when the program shows that the police are frequently the bad guys.

Both of these stories are really good suspense thrillers. There is some violence, along with first-rate writing throughout. These tales are very much worth reading.

The Secrets to Happy Parenting, Happy Kids

 The Secrets to Happy Parenting, Happy Kids, Nijel James, 2022

Raising a child can be one of the most challenging, and most rewarding, jobs for any adult. This book gives some pointers.

Are you a permissive or uninvolved parent? (I have a child?) Are you an authoritative or authoritarian parent? (It's my way or the highway.) Every child is motivated, or "reached," in a different way. Your job, as a parent, is to find out what will motivate your child. Is your child an introvert, preferring to stay home and read, or draw, instead of playing at the playground, or doing team sports? Attempting to turn your child into a sports-loving extrovert, because that's what you were at that age, is a very bad idea.

Your job is not to be your child's friend, but help them to navigate through this thing called "life." Don't make the boundaries in life like concrete barriers, but find some way to show them, or tell them, that Behavior A is acceptable, but Behavior B is not acceptable.

Spend some one-on-one time with your child; show them that you care about them. Take them to the playground, or to a movie. Leave the cellphone in the car. It may take a long time for your child to feel comfortable talking to you about school, job or romance. Let them know that you are available when that time comes.

"Do as I say, not as I do." That will not work when raising a child. You can tell your child to be tolerant of others, but talking, and acting, like an anti-immigrant racist will not help your child. You are encourages to ask for ideas from other parents. What worked for them may not work for you.

This is a gem of a book. It is clear, concise and easy to read. It is recommended for any parent, or future parent.