Tip for Tuesday - Books: The Women in White & Breaking Into Song: Television Musicals From Glee to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ; & Misc.: Brightroom 11" Clear Storage Bin

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Books: The Women in White 

                           &

           Breaking Into Song: Television Musicals From Glee to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Today we recommend The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen. In 1964, four young women became subjects in a parapsychology experiment. Afterwards, they mysteriously vanished, and no record of the experiment ever occurring is left. Years later, on the heels of a betrayal and needing a place to stay to start a new life, Riley takes a job as caretaker to a mysterious older woman named Betty, who leads an isolated life mired in the past.

This book is partly a touching story of female bonding and partly a heartbreaking thriller. The characters are multifaceted and interesting, even the apparent villain, Dr. Silas Trimble. He is a dedicated man of science. However, manipulation of his subjects and his complete disregard for their mental health and wellness render him more evil than admirable. 

The scariest part, as revealed by notes at the beginning of some chapters, is that although the book is not based on a true story, similar experiments have been conducted, sometimes even without the subjects' knowledge and/or consent. This begs the question of whether some scientific knowledge is worth the cost of dangerously manipulating people's lives. 

However, while this is certainly a book that raises many important ethical questions, it nicely skirts the line between being informative and entertaining. It never becomes too academic. It offers an exciting story full of characters who, for the most part, are easy to connect with and care about. 

Today, we recommend Breaking Into Song: Television Musicals from Glee to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The subtitle of this book is very misleading. Although Glee and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are very different, they are also very similar in that they are both television series that largely revolve around music. However, this book is much more inclusive than that. It covers the full gamut of music on TV, not just full-blown musical series. It begins with the earliest variety shows and includes one-shot musical episodes of various television series as well.

As for series, it examines both the hits like the aforementioned Glee and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and flops, including the much-maligned Cop Rock, and provides an overview of what worked and what didn't and why particular series never really caught on. Single musical episodes are thoroughly examined in the same way. If you are the kind of person who cringes whenever a character (or person) on TV instantaneously bursts into song, this book is definitely not for you. However, if that's exactly your jam, you will definitely want to read this in- depth book!

Misc.: Brightroom 11" Clear Storage Bin

Today we are talking about the Brightroom 11" Clear Storage Bin. This product is a mixed bag. On one hand, it is lightweight and made of durable plastic with built-in handles that make it easy to carry. On the other hand, its interior space is small, limiting its usefulness. Also, because it is so lightweight, it immediately takes on the weight of whatever you place in it, which further limits its usefulness, particularly if you will need to move it around. 

And that's our view. The Women in White was published today.  Breaking Into Song: Television Musicals From Glee to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend will be published this Thursday, August 6, 2026. Brightroom 11" Clear Storage Bin is available at Target.

Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

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