Month: April 2026

ECONOGAL > 2026 > April

April 2026 Wrap-Up

Posted on by Econogal

Spring is Here

April 2026 brought many things to life. Spring bulbs and perennials, baby birds (and in Kentucky, baby foals), travel, and enough chilly temperatures for quilting days in the basement. Unfortunately, high energy prices as a result of military actions in the Mid-East and continued drought in many parts of the country were also present.

Travel to Kentucky in April 2026

Another trip to the Bluegrass State proved spring’s arrival. Pastures were green and foals were present everywhere. Even outside favorite restaurants such as the Windy Corner! As long-time readers know, this iconic member of the Holly Hill & Co. restaurants is a shouldn’t miss stop in Kentucky. This year’s farm-to-table garden is just sprouting. Perhaps a return trip will produce another picture like last year’s.

In the Garden

Cold Frame containing tomato and lettuce plants.
Cold Frame

I have two varieties of peaches in the side yard. The free-stone type takes longer to bud out. This is actually beneficial since once again the younger, cling-stone tree blossomed out before one of the final cold snaps. Last year the same thing happened and only about six peaches were harvested from it. This year, I predict even fewer. On the other hand, my Elberta is loaded with small fruit. Thus, it will need thinning in May.

The cold frame I purchased last summer from a neighbor who moved out of town is a great addition. All the garden plants spent several days and nights in the unit before transplanting.

This year the oak tree once again leafed out in late April. My May schedule is so crazy I planted most of the garden early. Only eggplants, melons and a few peppers remain in the cold frame. The inside seed starts are complete.

April 2026 In the Library

Much reading took place this month, but not many reviews yet. One book was so bad it may never be finished. Others are hard to analyze. Reviews can be expected by two British based authors. Thanks to all for the recommendations. My TBR list is growing. However, I may try audio books for the first time in May as I will have eye surgery in the early days of the month. Recommendations are welcome.

Final Thoughts

The deterioration of civil political discourse in the United States of America is disturbing. Even more problematic is the lack of civility in general. We can do better. Borrowing a final thought from Kentucky’s State Motto: United we stand, divided we fall.

Dating After the End of the World Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Zombie Fiction

Jeneva Rose wrote the Zombie filled Dating After the End of the World at the request of a fan-her father. Since this is my first zombie novel, it has no comparisons. And the author suggests it is a mix of genres.

The fast-paced book is both gruesome and entertaining. Her writing is topnotch even though it will be a while before I pick up another zombie story…if ever. But I do look forward to reading more from Rose.

Plot

Dating After The End Of The World opens up with a young Casey Pearson struggling with the doomsday prepping task of building a perimeter fence with her off-the-wall prepper dad. She hates the work and harbors bitterness for her dad and more so for the kids that torment her at school over the family lifestyle.

Flash forward sixteen years and Casey is bantering with her fiancé Nate Warner as the pair of doctors begin making rounds at a city hospital during an influenza outbreak. But this is not the regular flu and patients are biting everyone in sight. Zombies are here.

The pair escape the hospital only to be separated weeks later. Casey does the only thing she can and heads home.

Romance in Dating After the End of The World

Rose’s novel includes a lover’s triangle with Casey at the center. One of the inhabitants of her dad’s compound is Blake Morrison. He was chief tormentor at her high school. There are plenty of bitter memories and perhaps a few that conflict. So, sparks fly between Casey and Blake as they struggle to keep the compound safe from the Zombies.

Things get very complicated when Nate shows up.

Plenty of Action

Since Dating After the End of The World is an action thriller at heart, the characters face danger on almost every page. Bonds form, and romance is mixed in. The fight scenes are graphic and so are the love scenes. If books had ratings this one would definitely be for over 18.

Recommendation

This is the first Jeneva Rose book I have read, and I could hardly put it down. Despite the gory details of the zombies, the book resonates with those that look at the conflict between good and evil. Forgiveness also plays a small part. And for those crazies out there that fantasize about a reset in the world, Rose has a very realistic ending. Be careful what you wish for!

I bought my copy at Target but maybe you can find a copy at your library.

Last Train to Paradise Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Henry Flagler and the Florida East Coast Railway

If Last Train to Paradise existed during my school days, I am sure the Les Standiford history would have been required reading. However, the text was not published until the early 21st Century. Thus, the non-fiction account was an option. And a very good one for history buffs and others.

The Last Train to Paradise is more than a biography of Henry Flagler. The book chronicles his life and work. But at heart, the writing conjures the trials and tribulations of building the Florida East Coast Railway. A feat most said was not possible, indeed only a folly.

Author

Les Standiford writes both fiction and non-fiction. This gives Last Train to Paradise an edge in literary circles because the writing is engaging even though it is at core factual history. Standiford catches the reader from the start with a snippet on Ernest Hemingway as the Hurricane of 1935 approaches. Then he dives into a deep history of Henry Flagler.

This roundabout approach works. The reader knows a catastrophe is on the horizon. The writer is up to the task of both entertaining and positing the inevitable outcome of building a railway over the open sea. Last Train to Paradise captures the reader.

Last Train to Paradise

For readers unfamiliar with Henry Flagler, the author does an outstanding job from a biographical viewpoint. Flagler made the choice to develop the Atlantic Coast of Florida instead of remaining actively involved with Standard Oil. The development of cities, hotels and railway lines used up much of Flagler’s oil fortune.

So, while J.D. Rockefeller remains a recognizable name, outside of Florida, Flagler is not as well known. Fortunately for history buffs, historians such as Les Standiford are preserving the past.

The details of the Florida East Coast Railway construction are preserved in books such as Last Train to Paradise as well as museums and other writings. Visitors to the Florida Keys can see remnants of the passageway. Those vacationers driving to Key West will have the best understanding of the magnitude of the task of building the railway.

Family Drama Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Debut Novel

Family Drama is a debut novel by Rebecca Fallon. It begins with the funeral of Susan, heroine of the story. Fallon jumps between Susan’s life and the story of her family after her death.  This is a debut novel and has the hallmarks of one. The start of the novel is captivating. Then the middle becomes a bit muddled. However, those with persistence are well rewarded. The complexities of the novel make it unique.

Two Careers

Susan is torn between two loves, her family and her career thus creating much family drama. She is an actress and stars on a popular soap opera filmed on the West Coast. Her family: her husband and twins reside in New England. She wears out with a constant shuttling back-and-forth.

Family Drama Present Day

The current story focuses on the motherless twins growing up to adulthood. Viola and Sebastion differ in personalities as well as in memories of their mother. Viola is serious and scholarly like her father even though her looks resemble her mother. Sebastion is far more artsy and hates to study. Plus, he is obsessed with Susan the actress.

Fallon’s plot is intriguing, if a bit unsettling. Young Viola falls in love with her mother’s co-star when she meets him at the funeral. And again, many years later as a college student in England. Their relationship is troubling until the author unravels the plot.

Meanwhile, Sebastian continues his rebellion against their father. He is unwilling to accept a replacement for his mother even though her death occurred fifteen years prior. Fortunately, Sebastian learns to channel his anger into art.

The distancing between the twins as they mature is blamed by both on their mother’s premature death. Yet, they are also accountable.

Alcott Bliss

Husband and father, Al bears the brunt of the blame both before and after Susan’s death. Yet the author does not paint him as a villain. His blunders in handling the twins as they grow stem from his own great loss. However, Fallon takes her time in revealing the depth of his love for Susan. His grief is truly the cause of the later family drama.

Recommendation

I enjoyed this debut novel. Hard to put down from the first, the complexities keep the drama from roaring past reflection. This is a good book to look for at the library. Since Family Drama is a 2026 release, copies should be in all major bookstores.