Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/551480
Wishful Thinking Novel by Kamy Wicoff Wicoff 's debut novel begins with busy single mom Jennifer Sharpe losing her phone. Without its calendar feature, she's left to won- der : "Did the boys have play dates? What was her first meeting at work?…and what time was the spin class she wanted to at least pretend to intend to attend?" (Love that sequence: "pre- tend, intend, attend;" the book is full of such smar t writing.) When Jennifer's phone is returned, it has a mysterious new app on it, designated by a magic wand icon. The Wishful Thinking app allows her to be two places at once—to stay late at work and attend her son's recital. She becomes the most dedicated employee, and a super-mom for her kids. Wicoff makes time travel through a smar t- phone believable: "Hand on her phone, Jennifer felt a jolt. And in an instant, a flash of heat emanated from where her fingertips touched her phone. For a moment her skin seemed to adhere to the surface of the now-superheated screen, as though the pads of her fingertips were welded there… She was melting. Watching as her phone gave rise to a portal, a whirling tunnel materializing before her eyes like the narrow end of a tornado, Jennifer wanted to scream…It was as though she were being collapsed and drawn into a tiny point, sucked into a hole that was expanding…" Called by one reviewer "a modern-day fair y tale ," "Wishful Thinking" has the requisite villain, a fair y g o d m o t h e r, a compelling plot with a little bit of myster y, and an Oz-like sense by the end that there really is "no place like home"—home as defined by the clock on the wall—real time. "Somewhere beyond the clouds, she thought, lay a kind of order… in these past months using the app, she had felt like a superhero, but, like every superhero, she had also felt terribly alone." Well-crafted, original, and perfectly paced, "Wishful Thinking" is more than just a clever story of time travel. Wicoff exam- ines the hectic nature of 21st century life, the difficulty of love, marriage, kids and divorce, and the reverse effect of tech- nology aimed at making our lives more efficient. When you can do anything all the time, she thought, what does anything you do mean anymore? This debut novel screams screenplay. (Holly- wood, are you listening?) Living Life in Full Bloom Memoir by Elizabeth Murray Local author Elizabeth Murray is no stranger to hardship, loss and grief. Her mother became ill when Murray was only 10 and then died from that cancer on Murray's 21st birthday. The man she refers to as her "husband and soulmate" died of brain cancer, only eight months into their marriage. Wracked by grief, she became a seek- er, and out of that search for life's deepest meaning, came "Living Life in Full Bloom," about living life fully and in a celebratory spirit. Divided into four sec- tions—Gardener, Ar tist, Lover, and Spirit- Weaver—the book offers 120 daily practices, aimed at deepening passion, creativity and rela- tionships. Some examples that resonate with me: Welcoming Birds, Rising before Dawn, Celebrating Beauty, Welcoming the Muse, and The Sound of Silence. Each simple and suc- cinctly described practice takes up only one page, and each is accompanied by aesthetically pleasing photographs. (The flower on page 184: WOW!) Murray shares stories of people she calls "Full Bloomers," who are meant to serve as models and inspiration. The final section on Life Mapping is intended to help each reader find his or her passion, gifts, skills, and meaningful ways to con- tribute to a healthier whole. Clearly, this book is evidence that Murray has found hers. All three books are available locally at Pilgrim's Way Bookstore and River House Books. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 5 101 Melanie Bishop, author of My So-Called Ruined Life, brings to the Monterey Peninsula 22 years of college teaching experience and 18 years as editor of Alligator Juniper, a national literary mag- azine. For info on her classes, retreats and editing services in Carmel, visit melaniebishop- writer.wordpress.com